Peters Family Blog: Guerneville & Disneyland

September was a really fun and busy month, with two vacations one after the other.

We spent a few days in Guerneville at my parents cabin, which was great. I love that this will be a place the kids grow up remembering and cherishing. There's so many fun little day trips to make from the Russian River.

Going Tide pooling!

Benny loved the pebbly sand

Jeremy hunts down a crab!

Checking out the crab on the beach

My parents friends also recently gave them this awesome teak canoe. We absolutely loved taking it down the river, it was so light and easy, and fast. Not to mention beautiful!

Mackenzie getting ready to ride!

A diaper full of river water

Grandpa teaches M how to fly a kite

Grandma plays with Benny

Benny reaches for the kite!

Making faces in Armstrong woods

My little guy lets me have a cuddle

Benny asked for "up" from a random woman at a restaurant. See my face in the mirror. Hello?! I'm your mom!

Having fun with selfies

My dad takes a picture of us taking pictures of us

I'm 36!! A long time ago we decided to take a trip to Disneyland, and I figured October would be a great month to go, since the weather is still great but the crowds are lower due to school. Judy planned a weekend around my birthday, in the hopes that our birthday pins would get us some extra special treatment. They didnt really, but it was nice having so many disney employees wish me happy birthday!

Judy and Rob really spoiled us with a suite at the Grand Californian. You can't get a better (or closer!) hotel to Disneyland. It was so great to be comfortable and close to the park. Plus we got to get in the park early, an hour before everyone else.

This trip was exhausting, but in a great way. We were up early everyday, on our feet all day, and went to bed late at night. Plus when you're at Disney, silly things like sleeping and eating don't seem to make much sense when there are rides to be had. So I don't think I ate nearly enough or rested enough to support all the activity! I am still recovering from our trip I think.

Mackenzie, unfortunately, is a bit of a scaredy cat! I didn't even consider the fact that she would get scared on rides that weren't adult coasters. One of the first rides she went on was a roger rabbit themed one in toon town, and it scared the heck out of her! Dark, loud, and things that pop out at you. Getting her to get on any rides after that was a challenge. She did, but still was scared. I felt like I was constantly breaking her trust by assuring her that "this one is not scary" only to have her get on and cry her eyes out. Even Peter Pan tested her limits. Turns out her idea of fun at disneyland is riding the carousel over and over, meeting princesses, and winning stuffed animals. A totally different trip than her mother was planning. Next time we go I will set my expectations a bit better.

Jer and I luckily got lots of fun adult time with Scott & Roz, thanks to his parents, who babysat for us while we ran around disney late into the night. That's when the lines are the shortest, after all! We had a great dinner out our last night there, saw a new Bellagio style fountain show called world of color, then rode California Screamin 3 times in a row. Cant get a much better date night than that.

Birthday Pins!

Rob and Sterling

The Ladies

Roz made us all some great costumes for Disney's halloween night. We were snow white and the seven dwarves. She made the hats and booties out of felt, and put buttons and belts on shirts for us. Turned out so great! And we got lots of comments from other park goers. It was fun!

me and Dopey

Snow White and two baby dwarves

Elevator selfie! Judy was the wicked witch

The whole gang

Isn't he just the cutest?!

Teacups!!

Having fun right before the living daylights are scared out of her!

Meeting Belle and Sleeping Beauty

Cool halloween float

Halloween castle

Space mountain with the boys

Dumbo

Rob and Judy waving in back

Brothers and babies

It's a small world. Ben LOVED this ride

M wins the posing competition led by Gaston

Fun with Autie Roz

SOOOO tired

The babies fall victim to Mackenzie's new bubble toy

Benny loves the bubbles

Benny has had enough bubbles.

Blowing a kiss on the riverboat ferry ride

Happy with daddy

M rubs noses with Mickey

On the cars ride (again, before she got scared to death)

She's crying in the backseat during the fast part.

Vampire Mater

Roz and I have some fun

Benny loves the carousel too!

Roz and Sterling

Judy and Scott

Roz doubles up on babies

At Ariel's grotto for princess breakfast

The kids LOVED the disney junior dance party. Benny pooped his diaper right as we got in, and with no way to change him, we had to endure his stink for the whole time. But he didnt mind, and proceeded to take his shirt off so he could dance better. Such a funny boy.

Ben's naked dance party

Me and Sterling

Jeremy and I took the kids while everyone else rode some adult rides. We took them to a bug life world to an easy ride. It was kind of fun pretending that we had three kids for a few minutes.