You've just won the Super Bowl! What are you going to do next?!

I'm going to DISNEYLAND!!

Okay, so maybe I didn't win the Super Bowl, but guess where we're going!!

So I grew up in beautiful, wonderful, sunny Southern California. Not far from Disneyland. I went as a newborn and multiple times a year after that. When we moved to Utah we still went about once a year. I couldn't even count how many times I've been.

(Random Fact: Did you know that when I was a kid they actually had "Mormon Night" at the Magic Kingdom?!)

Then I graduated high school. :( Stupid growing up.

Long story short, I didn't make it to the family trips from ages 18-20, and then at 20 I got married and was no longer included. I know, right? My parents are horrible.

So this will be my very first time returning to the Magic Kingdom since I was 18!

The kids have (obviously) never been. And neither has Jason. So I'm EXTRA excited!! You see, for me, watching them experience all the magic and excitement for the very first time is no different than experiencing it that way myself.

So when is this trip, you ask? Ugh. November. Still more than 6 long months away. My parents got were able to book their condo in Newport Beach Thanksgiving week. One of the most crowded times of year for Disneyland.

free lodging vs. cRaZy BuSy theme park?

Free lodging wins. It's already a spendy-enough vacay.

So here's the itinerary so far...because I know you're all just DYING to know:

DAY 1

• We're leaving early the Saturday morning before Thanksgiving and heading to my parents house in Pleasant Grove.
• We meet up with the 'rents and caravan to "Vegas Baby"! (I know I'm lame. Don't hate.)
• Grab some In-N-Out (Jason and the kids have also never enjoyed this sinful-deliciousness.)
• We'll probably drive by the strip and hit a few coasters before hitting-the-hay at a Motel 6 or somewhere else that's dirt cheap.

DAY 2

• We'll crash some Las Vegas ward early in the morning for church and then head to Newport Beach to unpack and get to bed early.

DAY 3

• Up bright and early for a MAGICAL day of family fun at The Happiest Place on Earth!

DAY 4

• Sleep in.
• Hit the beach.
• Shop Main Street in Huntington Beach.
• Maybe visit some old amigos in Westminster.
• Get to bed early!!

DAY 5

• Up bright and early for another MAGICAL day of family fun at The Happiest Place on Earth!

DAY 6

• Happy Thanksgiving! Who knows if we'll cook a traditional meal at the condo or eat out. Guess we'll see!
• Off to bed early again!

DAY 7

• And once again, up bright and early for a 3rd MAGICAL day of family fun at The Happiest Place on Earth!

DAY 8

• Still up in the air. My mom seems to think we'll be done with the Parks at this point. I want one more day. We'll see what happens.
• Possibly head to Vegas?

DAY 9

• Come home with FABULOUS family memories and a ridiculous amount of photos and stories to post!!

Jealous? You should be. Because as I sit here typing I'm thinking of everyone who I've watched travel off to my Disneyland (yes, MY Disneyland) so far this year and those who have yet to go before I do and I'm simply green (with envy, of course).

ANYWAY, in the mean time I'm exhaustively obsessed with all things Disney. I've made a list of all Disney movies (mostly animated, plus a few extras) and highlighted those that correspond with park attractions or characters we may meet. The kids have seen many of these, but I want them to be familiar with ALL of them. And Jason...well, Jason has A LOT of catching up to do. So we're watching a Disney movie as a family once or twice a week. We own a few. My parents own a bunch. So we buy, borrow, or rent. We pop some popcorn or grab some treats and curl up on Mom and Dad's bed and watch a Disney flick. It's been really fun family time!

I'm also ordering cds left and right. The kids love the few they have and listen to them constantly. This is how I keep them from watching tv during the day. :) But I'm ready for some more Disney variety. Just this week I found steals on 6 of my favorite Disney cds and ordered them. Can't wait for them to arrive in 5-10 business days!!

And to top it all off, I made this:


(Excuse the blank walls. Still have to figure out what I want to put there. And the scary stack of totes. I was going through and packing up old clothes and had pulled them all out of the closet.)

That's right. I made a paper chain countdown. I made it a few weeks ago. At that point it was 214 links long. Yep. I spent 3 long Sunday hours cutting and taping strips of paper...while watching Disney movies with the fam, of course. :)

This RADICAL chain hangs in Payson's room. It actually makes it completely around her room. Each night we have a routine: Baths and ready for bed, family scriptures and prayer, bedtime story and personal bedtime prayers, take a piece off of our paper chain and place it in the basket (don't ask me why we're keeping all the pieces), kisses, and bed. Is it wrong that I look forward to taking the piece off the chain as much as the kids do?

Along the chain we've marked other holidays and trips and events and birthdays. Payson asks me what's coming next all the time. It's like her own personal calendar. She loves it. And I love getting the kids all excited to meet Mickey and all their favorite characters.

I waste time throughout the week looking up Disney facts, hunting for bargains on Disney movies and music, and searching for the best trip tips. It's pretty ridiculous.

Like I said, the trip is still over 6 months away! But for me, it's like Christmas! And my favorite part of Christmas is Christmas EVE. The planning, the excitement, the anticipation. So even though I can't wait to watch my kids discover my favorite childhood memories, I'm loving every second of waiting for it to come!!

Now, if you've made it this far (because I can't believe how LONG this post got!) I want everyone to share their favorite Disney character, Disney movie, or Disney memory!! Come on! Play along!!