We're baaaack! (We've beeeeeeen back!)

YES!  For all you two blog readers out there...Donald and I ARE back from our California (and Portland and Seattle) adventure!

We've actually been back for 4 days shy of a month now.
I don't know...I just didn't feel like getting back on the blog.

This blogging is something that I enjoy - but when I spend any time away from it, it is very hard to start up again.  I don't know why, but it is.

BUT, it is definitely a great way to share our photos and "going-ons" and so I'm going to try and keep it up.

So, back to where we last left off...Disneyland!

Yep, Donald and I took off for a week long vacation alone.
Thanks to Ma 'n Pa Baumbach who generously offered to come to Washington and take care of our kiddos while we ran away.
Thanks to my husband who made it possible...and likes hanging out with his wife!
And another thanks to our kiddos who proved they are the best kids on the planet by never being angry that their parents were going to Disneyland without them.
A bit surprised...but not angry!  Plus, they got cool hoodies.

We spent two days at Disneyland and California Adventure - and it was fantastic!!

 The entrance...all fixed up for the Halloween season!

The Matterhorn.  

This was a must ride - must never ride again sort of ride.

I remember it from a visit I had with my Granny when I was five.  

It must have seemed amazing at that age.  The age where my bones were seemingly made of rubber instead of...well...old bones.  

It was rough!

But look at it...you have to try it!  I mean, it looks like the real Matterhorn (whatever and wherever that is - just kidding...this is it - check it out!

Now you know this is true love.
I am willing to put a picture of myself...looking like that...with more chins than I actually have in "real life"...in order to show a picture of us together.
Wanna know something scary?
This was the nicest picture I took of us.
(note to self - CHIN DOWN!)

There were a couple of rides at Disneyland that we rode quite frequently.  

One of them was Space Mountain - awesome!  

And the other, that Donald LOVED, was the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster.

At the end of the Buzz ride, you can look at a picture they take of you...and email it to someone.

Well, if you're already mean enough to go to Disneyland without kids...why not rub it in with some pictures of you having fun?

Take notice of my expression...

and again...the expression...

Oh yea...and again...the expression...

Well, we laughed so hard about my "gape" and decided to fight back against the camera!

Donald wins!

I noticed that something odd has happened while I was away for over 35 years.  

Sleeping Beauty's castle has shrunk.

That's weird.

Of course they would have amazing hanging baskets unlike anything real people could grow.
This must be the work of fairy godmothers or something.

 Donald was inspired...but who wouldn't be?

The plaque on the statue called "Partners" says:

"I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place...where parents and children can have fun, together."

-Walt Disney

Well, happy to help fulfill your dream Walt!

The second day we spent most of our time at California Adventure.

Where we had lots of fun!

Donald, don't kill me for putting this picture out there!
Wheee!


California Screamin' was one of our favorites!
It's the white roller coaster in the back.

I didn't even get a picture of my very favorite ride!

But here's one I found...

I'm not allowed to talk about what happens on it because when we do take the kids (aiming for 2012), Donald doesn't want them to have any idea of what happens.

We rode it without any preconceptions and it was as scary as hell...but we rode it over and over!

I'll just say our faces looked something like these folks...

Next we headed north on Amtrak's Coast Starlight route. 

The trip took 30 hours, so we booked something called a roomette in the sleeper car.

We had our own little cupboard room for the trip.

Tiny, but functional.

Donald's side

My side.

The beds work like this.  

The two seats we use during the day pull out and come together to make a bed.  

Then, a bed frame pulls down from above.

So, it's sort of like bunk beds...but much more dangerous and terrifying.

Once I made it up there, I had to secure a net to keep me from flying off in the night.  

Actually, I got a pretty good nights sleep.

We traveled to Portland (where we ate Sushi) and then to Seattle (where we got a second mortgage on our house to eat steaks at the Metropolitan Grill).

Then, on to Yakima...where I cried when I saw my kids again!

The good kind of crying!