We had a lot of fun this week.  Left Tues afternoon and arrived home Sunday morning - I said Sunday morning. lol.  We were suppose to come home late Saturday night but the plane filled up soo we had to stay later.  Fortunately it all happened early Saturday morning so we asked the hotel if we could stay another night.  They didn't have any room at either the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier.  The guest service gentleman then said he would check at Grand Californian for us, he also said that he would give us the same hotel rate as we had at Disneyland Hotel.  They had room, we had a very cool view of the California Adventure park.  I must say though that I would not have been able to stay there long thanks to music playing all night.  I am a light sleeper and i like it totally quiet.  The Grand Californian is a very expensive hotel because you can enter from your hotel room right into California Adventures (and of course the view:).  We had fun during the day entering and exiting from it - just to say that "we had done it"  Crazy to say but we won't stay there again because it just wasnt' "that cool of a hotel"  we loved the Disneyland Hotel and its pool/slides.  Everything is Mickey - bed spread, carpet, cold and hot water handles for the sink and bath tub, lamps, etc. etc.  Most amazing thing ..... the Castle over are beds with LED lights like fireworks and when it is lite up it plays "When you wish upon a star"  Sooooooo cooooool!!!! 
We were able to see lots of family.  Aunt Wanda and Uncle Ray took us to the Rain forest Cafe where we were able to hang out with cousins and the next day Chris' cousin Mike and his wife Maria and their children came down to Downtown Disney and we ate at Tortilla Joe's.  Great food, wonderful family!!! (Thanks for treating us:).  It felt good knowing that we had soooo much wonderful family around us that if we needed anything we could call on them and they would be right there.  I didn't worry like I did this summer on are trip across America:) 
Tues, Wed and part of Thurs weren't to crowded.  It was Frid and Sat that were crazy, crazy, crazy thanks to all the graduation parties happening.  We still rode everything at least twice (some more).  Katie rode Splash Mountain.  She got a pillow pet for that one and a stuffed animal for Space Mountain and a Mickey Mouse ice cream for Big Thunder Mountain and the Ferris Wheel in CA.  She sure knows how to play it so she gets something lol.  Boys not to happy:)  We celebrated Chris and Katie's bday alllll week.  So spoiled.
On Friday we watched the 20th anniversary show of Fantasmic.  Chris and I realized that we had been here for the first showing of Fantasmic!!!!!  I had brought him here as a surprise for his bday 20 years ago.  I had talked to his boss and got him some time off, packed his bags (we only had one car) and picked him up from work and headed to Disneyland where we stayed with Aunt Wanda and Uncle Ray.  Pretty cool!!!! the 1st and the 20th.
 If your wondering-- they didn't have the exact cup that Jacob got last year.  It's close but not the same:(  He was sad but he got over it. 
Chris did ok.  He was verryy tired.  We rested in the park or went back to the hotel and he would take a nap while I took the kids to the pool or explored the hotel.  Food was not kind to him at all.  At one point in the trip food was going through him in less than three hours.  He was taking his pancreatic enzymes and other medicines but none of it seemed to be helping.  We are bad when we go to Disneyland - Dole Pineapple Whips, freshly made hand dipped corn dogs, Bengal barbecue, ice cream, Pizza planet, Blue Bayou (monte cristos -mmmm), allll fat!!
Funny thing happened to us on the way to the airport- ok, it could have been really awful.  I felt like I should look at Katie's carry on while we were driving in the car.  She had packed the longest, sharpest scissors we have!!!!!  Wouldn't that have been fun at the security check point???!!!
We also forgot about the red car being in the shop until we came home and had 3 messages from the shop telling us that we could pick up are car. lol
I was a little stressed out about having to take a different flight because we had signed up to feed the missionaries Sunday night.  It all worked out.  My family is wonderful!!!  Everyone brought "their assignments" plus more and my sweet sister ordered a bday cake for Chris and Katie.  I had said that I was going to make an ice cream cake for them Sunday afternoon but instead my sister took that pressure off of me so that instead I could take a much needed nap.  We had only slept 4 hours the night before.  Played in the park til midnight then got up at 4:45am (everyone slept in their clothes:) to get on the plane - for sure - shuttle picked us up at 5:30am.  We sat at the airport til 8:30am until the plane left.
I finally got to skype with Megan this morning.  It sounded like she had sooo much fun.  She stayed in the city of Wu Qing and ran in the city Tian Jin.  It took over 10 hours to get there from Changhou.  The five of them that ran the marathon took the fastest train in the world it goes 180 miles an hour.  They only had 4 hours to run 26.2 miles in.  she said that she ran along side a Chinese man for the first 13 miles of the race and they cheered each other on.  She had fun high fiving people on the side lines and "teaching them how to cheer"  I guess they just stand there as the runners run by.  I called her the "Princess in the Parade"  She only had 2 miles left when the race ended. They "herded" everyone on the bus.  Meg started to cry and the "bus mother" came over and told her it was ok that she was still going to get a medal.  Meg didn't care about the medal she had wanted to finish.  Tressa, was still running she could see the finish line and Meg kept yelling from the bus to keep going.  Amy finished the race before the time.  Kenzie and Kelsey also "got picked up."  Four of them received medals.  Meg said it was sooo hot 95 degrees and 50% humidity.  She loved every minute of it:)
She also had a Home stay with other students the weekend before.  She said it was the best one yet.  They went fishing, made rice something (can't remember what she called them), they bought her wax berries (her favorite fruit - taste like raspberries), ate quail eggs (which she loves), ate lunch at a 400 year old table and sat on 200 year old chairs.  The students family owns an antique shop.  also saw Titanic in 3D - she said that she covered the kids eyes for most of the movie. lol and ate at Pizza Hut and played at an arcade.  She has another Home stay this weekend.  After that they travel every weekend until they come home.  Can you believe it - ONE month til she comes home???!!!  I must say that "I am a very proud mother!!"
School ends this week for Tay and Rye.  Today, I went to physical therapy where they snapped my ribs back into place.  crazyyyyy noise, crazzzyyyy pain!!  I was kind enough to kick the therapist - Not my fault he forgot to warn me it was going to hurt!!!!  It's amazing my hand feels soooo much better!!  After that I went and picked up 1400 Popsicles from the store and put them in the big freezer at the middle school.  Came home and called all 28 volunteers to remind them of the various activities this week.  And we picked up the red car, hee hee.  Scouts, Rye working.. .
Ran across this scripture tonight while we were reading Alma 36:3 "for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
Ha, ha see what happens when I learn how to put pictures on the blog? lol.  Chris said "that was tooo many."  I have atleast 300 more!!!!!
Love ya, Ricki