Hey, why not?

It is good to have friends, especially the type that are super fun to hang out with AND have yearly passes to Disneyland. That is how a last minute trip to Euro Disney in Paris came about.

Here is the conversation:
Twila: Do you want to go to Disneyland with us this weekend? You can get in for 15 euro per person because we have passes?
Leslie: Yes, and for future reference you don't ever have to ask, we will always say YES! Plus, we have a new baby to break in!

The day was cold and wet, but we didn't care one bit. There were no lines and every ride was wide open. We did everything in both parks in one day. I think from now on Euro Disney should be a winter thing, not a summer thing. Mark and I felt the day was a sort of training process, we learned the ins and outs of a great park visit, since we went with Professional Disney Park Adventurers.

What were our favorite rides?
Bailey: RC Racer in the new Toy Story Section
McKenna: tea cups and Crush's Coaster (she is finally tall enough!, then in a sad voice, "she is finally tall enough")

Mom: Peter Pan (no new fabulous roller coaster will ever trump Peter Pan for me, it is the most magical of all)
Dad: well, driving the Volvo, of course!

And what ride did we barely survive: Hollywood Tower of Terror. And when I say barely, I really mean barely. As soon as you enter the Twilight zone and your mirror image becomes a ghost, and that cute little girl turns into a ghost, that is when we lost McKenna. And when I say lost, I mean pain was inflicted on her parents hands, her face was white, and she closed her eyes through the whole thing, begging for it to be over. But she is a funny sort of girl, because now that we are home, she tells the story to everyone she sees but giggles through the whole thing. The child likes the thrill of being scared!'
It was challenging staying warm but we made it happen. We huddled every chance we got in the lines,

poured hot chocolate into the little ones stomachs,
and went inside for a few shows.
One of my favorite moments were when we were shown the miner's car we would ride in on the Snow White ride. That was just so classic!
Remember in Toy Story 2, when Rex says, "Hey, how do you spell FBI?" And he'll never defeat Zurg because he can't push the fire button and jump at the same time??

The Magic Kingdom, oh yeah

This promises to be the post, with the most . . . photos that is. It'll be a record breaker I tell you!



Through the Protestant Family Support group at the Ramstein Chapel we were treated to a weekend family retreat to EuroDisney in Paris. Families who have had deployed spouses during the year were able to attend. Spend the days in the park and the evenings with the Chaplin, helping to give us information and guidance in strengthening our families. In the end we decided the park was spectacular and the info we were given was essential to "keeping it together" in a military family. Good stuff I tell you!

The weather was beautiful, the lines were long, the goodies were around every corner and bend, nook and cranny. We experienced it all! And all the while surrounded by French, Italian, German, Dutch, American and many other parents. All of us the same, thoroughly enjoying our giddy, rosy cheeked children who are in dreamland.

This is what we had to do A LOT. . .


. . . to be able to do this:

And when we let McKenna do this A LOT . . .

then we looked like this A LOT . . .

and Bailey gets to choose the rides and she looks like this:


The park sold Snow White's poisoned apple and as soon as McKenna and Bailey saw them, they wanted one. Bailey said, "McKenna, what if they are poisoned?" and McKenna says, "I want one now! Muahahahahaha".

Looks like Bailey had reason to be concerned:


I have reason to be concerned. How come my 4 year old, after making our grand entrance into the Magic Kingdom, looked upon Sleeping Beauty's castle and immediately demanded, "I want to see the dragon in the dungeon, muahahahahaha"? We try to tell her that the princesses are there too, she doesn't care, she shrugs her shoulders. She is dead set on that dragon. Then, all day long the second day, she is determined to go into the Haunted House with her Daddy. Bailey and I quickly refuse. It is dark, things go bump in the night and as she is exiting the house she says, "Daddy, let's do that again! Muahahahahaha". Should I be worried??

And how did the adults fair you ask? Well, thank heavens Walt was a smart business man. He contracted with good ole' Coca Cola for our refreshment. Bless that man! We survived and feel so blessed to have given our girls a magical getaway into the land of Disney! Long live the fairytale!