Mickey Mouse, Pirates & Princesses

We just got back from Disneyland!

Uncle Kevin, Auntie Jill, and Grandma braved the Tower of Terror with us:

...but Grandma and Matthew bailed on Splash Mountain:

This was our first Disneyland trip without Jon's mom, who passed away last year.  The Happiest Place on Earth isn't quite the same without Nana.

I thought that the vacation would take our minds off of the wait, but everywhere I looked I was reminded of Isabella. At the beginning of the day, her photo looked back at me from the bathroom mirror.  Throughout the day, each time I saw anything princess, I thought of my baby girl.  There are a lot of princesses in Disneyland... At the end of the day, during the fireworks, I sniffled when they played these lyrics:

Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby of mine

***

You're so precious to me

Cute as can be, baby of mine

Exercising incredible restraint and remembering that we were out of room in the single carryon that I packed for me and Matthew, I only bought Isabella a FEW presents:

Matthew had the most fun, of course.  His favorite rides?  Pirates of the Caribbean and Small World.  After Thunder Mountain Railroad, he declared "no more roller coasters!" and stuck to that rule for the rest of the trip.  Everything else was fair game, especially if it included an opportunity to shoot things:

I think I was hit by friendly fire several times during the Jungle Cruise...

The only thing better than free coach tickets to Disneyland is free first-class tickets home (gotta love the American Express introductory offer):

Matthew is obsessed with the emergency evacuation plan. Deploying a slide to exit the plane sounds like fun. Oxygen masks? Even better!

On the return flight, I was quite happy in a seat by myself. While Jon got to answer questions like "but Daddy, how do you OPEN the door," for two hours, I read A History of Ethiopia and Culture Smart - Ethiopia while relaxing in an oversized comfy seat, sipping soda from a real glass cup, and munching on edible snacks that included fresh pita bread with hummus. A perfect end to a fun vacation!