Adventures in California, Part 1: Disneyland

I got to spend almost 3 weeks in California with my family, thanks to my brother David who paid for my trip. My arrival was supposed to be a surprise for my dad, but mom's plans were suddenly cancelled, so she had no other way to cover up to my dad any excuse to go to the airport at 10 o'clock at night. Oh well. It was still fun. We drove down to LA and met up with my sister and her family, who were coming from Vegas, for an exciting day atWe had a little trouble finding the parking, so we saw this sign several times. The next 2 pictures are the girls' reactions to going to the most magical place on earth:

Adelynne almost looks terrified, but I promise you it was one of the best days of her lives. For the rest of her vacation in CA she kept asking when they were going back. The first ride of the day: the Tram from the parking lot.

In all honesty, Peter Pan was the first ride. It's one of my favorites. But on our way to Peter Pan, Grandma stopped for a special picture with the girls in front of Cinderella's castle.

A little more up close to catch their excitement.

The Dumbo ride. Adelynne and Amy got to ride it twice - once with Aunt Amy and Grandpa, and once with mommy and daddy. My lack of good photography skills left me with this one as the only good picture.

Casey Jr. was another favorite. Here's Grandma, Mommy (my sister Tracy) and Adelynne in the Monkey cage. Amy was with me, Grandpa, and Daddy in the Wild Animal cage. Tho, if you ask Amy and Adelynne, they will say that Adelynne went in the Wild Animal cage and Amy went in the Monkey cage. Too bad that bar is in the middle of Adelynne's face to cover up that pure excitement.

This one is a little better.

I went on the carisol with my nieces. Excuse my poor photography skills once again.

I think this is one of the only pictures that actually has my face in it. Proof that I was there, and not just my camera made the trip.

I know a lot of people do not like the It's a Small World ride, but I love it. I always have. And it always seemed to be closed whenever I went to Disneyland. Seriously. It was closed before my brother David went on his mission. It was closed when I came on band tour my senior year. It was closed when we brought my niece Heather before my mission. (Those 3 times at least were from ages 15 to 21. I was 25 when we went this time.) So, needless to say I was very excited about the ride.Here's the tuba and polka band for Joe. Poor guy had to work so he missed coming to Disneyland. Some day I'll bring him back.
My beloved Russia.
Thailand. Joe's oldest nephew Andrew is going here on his mission. He leaves the end of July. My cousin Emily also served her mission there.
And here's the tuba at the very end too.

After It's a Small World we went and stood in line to see the princesses. We got to see Belle, Aurora, and Jasmine. We were hoping to see Ariel because that is Amy's favorite princess. But both girls were excited about seeing the princesses anyway. Then they got to have their faces pained. Adelynne chose a Unicorn crown and Amy chose a Mermaid crown.Then they wandered the Princess store finding the souvineer they wanted most. Amy was especially funny to watch as she inspected each of the princess Polly Pockets.To no one's surprise she finally settled on the Ariel one and took it to her daddy. She didn't take her eyes off of it the entire time he held it.Dustin started swinging it back and forth subconsciously and Amy's head followed it back and forth like a pendulum. Quite funny.She really wanted it and was quite upset with us all that we wouldn't buy it right then. We promised her that we would buy it at the end of the day. To distract her my sister pointed out Ariel who had just gone into the princess greeting area. Amy reached out her arms and said, "Let's go get her." But we couldn't. The princesses change every hour, and the line was over an hour long, so by the time we got up front again, Ariel would be gone. Instead, Tracy and Dustin had to carry a screaming Amy on to the train. It was our only melt down of the entire day. Not bad for a 3 year old.

After the adults rested while we road the train, or tram or whatever it is called, we ventured on to Toon Town. Toon Town isn't as cool as it used to be, in my opinion at least. But I do think the girls enjoyed it. They got to meet Minnie and Mickey too. I took Amy on the roller coaster which she loved. Excuse my boob. I'm not good at taking pictures myself on a moving ride. But I loved how happy she was!Contrast that happy face to the following picture, taken on the Snow White ride, which she thought was really scary.

Once again, the thrilled, happy face:

oh, and my boob again. I don't know how to crop my pictures to take that out. sorry.

From there we ate dinner and Adelynne went on the Rocky Mountain Railroad ride with Dustin. I went with Amy and Grandpa to meet Jessie and Woody. Amy was very excited that Woody blew her a kiss. It was very cute.

We also did the Haunted Mansion and the Pirates ride. The girls enjoyed both of them. On Pirates Amy put her arms up in the air in anticipation of a drop. It was so cute! The people behind us thought it was darn cute too. I am impressed at how much the girls liked the roller coasters.

The last thing I did was go on Space Mountain with my parents and Adelynne. I love roller coasters and miss being able to go on them, especially with my bad back/neck. We had a wheel chair for me throughout the day and that really helped a lot. Space Mountain satisfied my need for thrill, but I hurt quite a bit afterwards, so it was a good thing that it was the end of the day. The girls were pretty tired too:

Disneyland was so fun! I'm so glad I was able to go. I have the cutest nieces and it was fun to share this experience with them. Good thing the party just started.

What Just Happened at My House

I have 3 weeks of vacationing in California with my family to blog about, which included a monumental trip to Disneyland for my nieces and other fun family happenings, but that is going to have to wait so that I can bring you this:

BEFOREThe mohawk I gave him because I figured it would be the only opportunity I have in this lifetime. And this way, someday our kids will think we were so cool. Fully buzzed

AFTER
No hair whatsover. Mr. Clean. Captain Picard. Creepy scary dude. Oh wait, no, not that one. Although he is very strange looking.

I just kissed the top of his head and he giggled like the Pilsbury Doughboy. What fun summer adventures we are having! What are you doing this summer?

Belt Family Visit 2010

My sister and her family came out to visit again this year. I do love that I get to be the first stop (and usually the last stop as they start heading home too). I look forward to spending a couple of days with them, and I also love that it usually means I get to see them a couple of times during their month-long visit. This year they also brought their cats, which sadly, I didn't get a picture of. I do love Nemo and Max. They have fun personalities and I have missed them. The girls seemed to enjoy playing in my room and on my bed, just like last time. The adults continued to get a good laugh at Amy and Adelynne, as they would go into an empty room and close the door each time they got upset. They are pretty spunky for 3 and almost 5.
One day we went to Thanksgiving Point. We went to the Dinosaur Museum and to the Animal Farm. The girls enjoyed the sand/water table.

Here's Adelynne with a handful of dinosaurs.

I don't remember what Joe was doing here, but it obviously made Adelynne very concerned.

Their favorite part? the pony ride of course!

Love that silly face!

Not sure what she was thinking for this one.

There were some very fun animals to see, but I didn't take any pictures of them. The boy peacock was all fluffed out and trying to get the attention of one of the females, who of course
wasn't paying him any attention. There was also a brand new baby goat. So cute! On Sunday we made a fort in our front room and let the girls watch a movie on the laptop.

Tracy took a nap inside.

I love my sister and my brother-in-law Dustin, and my nieces. They are so much fun and I miss them so much! I sure do hope that when Dustin finishes school they will be able to move closer. My nieces are so cute and silly and funny. They make me laugh all the time. They are beautiful reflections of my sister too. I'm looking forward to seeing them again soon!

Retirement

Joe's mom is a middle school orchestra teacher. Well, she "is" one for just another couple of days. She is retiring. She is really excited and we are all excited for her. Ordinarily in her school district, when a teacher retires there is an open house gathering/shindig after school. But she petitioned to those in charge to have hers following her final concert due to the fact that none of her family could actually come. They agreed. So, a few weeks ago the entire (local) family attended her concert. We were also guest performers. We sang a family favorite called "I Can't Get Off Of My Horse." It's a pretty funny song.

Joe and nephew Josh accompanied. I was concerned about Joe playing the guitar because he got his meds earlier that afternoon. But he did great. Oh and that is Ryan on crutches. He was in his final track meet and his muscles were so strong that they ripped the growth plate right off the bone. He has this really cool scooter thing too. He's doing better.

And here's the whole picture. I just asked some parent behind us to take a few pictures. Most are pretty blurry, but at least these 2 came out. It was fun to be able to support Janet at her last concert. I know her children are all really excited for her to be done teaching. She has really enjoyed it, especially these past couple years. She has had 3 of her own grandchildren in her orchestra, which is pretty cool. She started with just 2 periods of orchestra, but has grown to 4 because the groups have gotten so large. Congrats to Janet! Happy Retirement!

Crafting into Spring Break

Last week Joe had off for spring break. It was really nice to have him home. We didn't really do anything. To be honest, we spent our time sitting side-by-side on the couch doing crafts. I was working on a cross-stitch project (which I almost nearly completed in a week), and Joe was finishing up this little beauty. It's for my dirndl. I am so proud of it, though he couldn't convince me to wear it to our Jensen family Conference party. He modeled it well enough for the both of us. Hopefully we'll get some more pictures of it; the camera battery died after he took this one, so we couldn't get a close-up of the flower. I love that I have a talented husband! And it doesn't bother me in the least that he enjoys doing crafts like this (though he is particular about who he will tell.) :) Now he is working on crocheting a lunch bag made out of plastic bags.

Joe is now back to work. He is really looking forward to the end of the school year. Just 7 more weeks left! I will enjoy having him home more.

As for me, I didn't finish my transcription training by my deadline. But I got close. Once my next paycheck comes in for subbing I can buy the extension and finish it, so then I can get a job and hopefully make some progress in that area. We shall see. Hope those that are on spring break now enjoy their vacation time!

Ode to my Sisters

So, I started this post several weeks ago when my sister had a birthday. But I had a hard time getting pictures to load, so I saved it and gave up. I didn't come back to it until now, when my sister-in-law had a birthday as well. So, I'm dedicating this post to the 2 of them. I must say, I'm probably the luckiest person in the world when it comes to sisters.

My sister-in-law Rachel is awesome! I have known her since I was about 11. Her dad used to come and fix our computers, and she would tag along. My first year at Girls Camp when I was 12, she had me as her "secret sister." It was actually a pretty hard week for me; I was feeling left out and lonely, but each day I would get a thoughtful gift and note from someone that knew me and was thinking about me. It made Girls Camp a positive experience. The next year, she was actually my "big sister." I've adored her ever since!

My dad has wanted her to marry my big brother Mark since about that time, when they were 14 and 15. He really got serious about it when they went off to college and Mark was on his mission. The idea made me really mad, and I would explode any time my dad would bring it up. She was MY friend, and I didn't want to give her up to my brother. Luckily I had those 2 years of Mark being away that I could get used to the idea; I finally realized that having a sister-in-law that I actually liked would be a good thing. She is a great addition to our family and I am grateful for her for many reasons, but here's a few for now:
1) She brings a softer side to my brother, and as a little sister, that's always a good idea.
2) She likes to laugh and have fun.
3) She is caring and thoughtful of others. She likes to make suggestions but isn't offended if things go another way.
4) She is patient and loving.
5) She has 3 beautiful daughters! (And one of them shares my middle name!)
6) She is a great cook!
7) She always looks for the positive, and doesn't judge others because of differences.
8) She is fun to talk to.
9) Family is important to her, and that is important to me.
10) She is a hard worker, and always willing to help. She'll accept help when offered it too!

I loving being with Rachel and love having her as a sister and part of the Biggs family!

My sister Tracy is probably the greatest gift I have. I think this quote sums it up perfectly: "God knew I loved you too much to just be my friend, so he let me be your sister." I definitely owe everything to her.

Tracy has been my best friend since forever, and besides my dear husband, she's the one friend I know I can count on at anytime, for the rest of my life.

She is forgiving and understanding. She is quick to forgive and does not hold grudges.

She offers good advice and counsel.

She is so fashionable and cute! I love her style!

She has some adorable daughters and one mystery baby on the way.

She even named her 2nd daughter after me - not sure there is any greater compliment a person can pay you.

She is beautiful, inside and out.

She loves to love.

She likes to have fun! We enjoy playing games and being silly in our own way.

I love our opportunities to chat and talk about whatever is on our mind.

She doesn't mind when I cry.

She is willing to sacrifice for others.

She married a pretty amazing guy. I have to say that brother-in-laws don't come any awesomer. (Yes, awesomer is now a real word.) Well, I think that sums things up rather nicely. I'm grateful for my sister. She's the best! I can hardly wait until we live closer to each other; at least I really hope that happens someday.

Crafts

So, starting back in October, I started having this major desire to be crafty. I started with beading, because that is what I actually had. I have to fix one of my necklaces, but after re-doing the same necklace about 5 times, I finally got it to a satisfactory piece of jewelry.

Here is my multi-colored necklace. I have actually had these beads for forever, like since middle school. I have wanted to make a necklace with them for a long time, but never did, until this past fall. I am quite please with how it turned out, and I have received a lot of compliments about it too. I only wish I had more beads to make some more necklaces like it for my sisters and mom, but I used them all up for this one.

I also made a black one, but that is the one that needs to be fixed, so I'll have to post pictures of it later. It's the same general design, multiple strands and such, just black beads.

For Christmas, I actually found some really cute door hangers with bells that Joe and I gave to each of his siblings' families. There were 3 though that I thought had really ugly ribbon and I figured I could re-do them to look better. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture in the before stage to justify my work.

I did however take a picture of the ugly ribbon.

The finished projects turned out like this:

One of the things that I did over Christmas while with my family was to go through all of my mom's craft books and materials. I'm pretty sure she didn't appreciate all the things I brought with me on loan, but I know my dad didn't mind that I cleared out so much space in her closet and in the garage. I have so many things I want to do. Joe helped me make a list of craft priorities. The first one was to do a baby blanket "Marisa-style" for my cousin Brittany who is having a little girl in February. "Marisa-style" means the snipped frizzy edges like how I made the quilt for our bed. (If you don't remember, I gave it to Joe for his birthday, so look in the August files; I don't know how to link you to it in my blog.)

Anyway, Joe helped a lot with the cutting and creating a pattern. I really appreciate his tastes and opinions about colors and contrast and materials. He was also a great help with the seam-ripper when I needed help fixing my mistakes. I couldn't have done it without him.

The top layer is all cottons. I had a shirt when I was a little girl out of the bow material. I don't think the picture does it justice, but we felt it really turned out very cute. I love the alphabet squares, the light purple, and the light pink too. The front is the side that has the frizzy seams. With each wash it frays more and more. It's awesome. The back is all flanel. I am really excited to give it to her!

It has been fun being crafty. There is so much more to do, but right now the crafts are on hold while I finish my transcription stuff. Maybe I'll get to do a couple hours each week in the evenings and on weekends. We shall see. Just stay tuned for more craft projects.

A New Biggs Baby

Throughout my 3 week sojourn at home with my parents in CA, all were hoping that my sister-in-law Rachel would deliver their 3rd child, the mystery baby. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the baby wasn't ready to meet us and decided to come after all the strange relatives had left the state.

So, Annalies Rachelle Biggs was born on January 8, 2010. She weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. Unfortunately, I can't get a picture to load so you can all see how cute she is! I think she looks like her mom Rachel, but the rest of my family thinks she looks like my brother Mark. Proud big sisters are Heather and Katie. Katie was especially excited to tell me that baby Annie arrived AFTER her own birthday (Katie turned 3 on the 7th.) Mom and baby are all doing well. I can hardly wait to meet her in the next few months. Being an aunt sure is the greatest thing ever!

So the Biggs family continues to be a family of girls. My parents and siblings think I'll be the first one to have a boy (and they only think it is funny because I used to be so against having boys. I think they have forgotten that I have grown up and changed, even in the past year.) :)

Today

I couldn't let today pass without wishing my little niece Katie a happy 3rd birthday.

I tried to upload some more photos of her, mostly from my wedding, but for some reason blogger wasn't letting me. oh well. This one is cute!

Katie is a little sweetheart, with a firey personality to match her hair. She's got that stubborn streak in her. I claim it's the hair, but my mom claims it is my influence, since her middle name is Renee, like mine. My mom calls her "Cuddle bug," and that is so fitting. She loves to give hugs and loves. It makes me so happy! I sure do wish I saw her more often. She is growing up so fast!

I got to meet Katie for the first time the day I got home from my mission; she was 6 weeks old. Just a couple days later her father, my brother Mark, was able to bless her. It was a very special experience and I was so happy I was able to be home and be a part of it.

I love being an aunt so much! It is a lot of fun. So, a shoutout of loves to my Katie today.

Happy Birthday!