Disneyland Road Trip: Large Family Adventure!

I am so excited to share with you all of my tips and tricks as I planned our first family trip to Disneyland! We took 8 days, (2 driving from Oregon, 4 Park Days, 2 driving home).
Our kids were ages 8, 6, 5, 5, 4.

PREP WORK: 

Snacks! 
I made snack containers for each of us!
 I added a variety of snacks that would not go bad like fruit, or get too messy, like applesauce etc...

We included all GF friendly snacks: 
Cheetos, Popcorn, Whole grain chips, fruit snacks, Dry cereal, Pretzels, Larabars and cookies. 

Everyone had their own snacks with their own name on it. The idea was that  they could pick and choose what they were in the mood to eat at the time and eventually make their way through the tub.

The plan was to put them under their seat so they would have them with in reach as we stopped for breaks. However, our suburban was getting the check up for our trip weeks before and it turns out we needed a new engine! WHAT?! Yep that wasn't my favorite piece of news. SO thankfully we had our second 8 passenger vehicle available and squeezed into it. So my plan for room got tight real quick.

What I would do different: Put 7 of the same snacks in each tub, this way we can condense tubs when empty and just pass around one tub as needed. We ended up having to store most of them in the back because of space issues. 

What a difference a year makes!

After church yesterday, we went to the pumpkin patch with the kids. We had perfect weather. The fresh air felt so good, a little crisp, but not too cold. 

I was looking forward to this day for a while now but inside I was a little anxious about how it would go. Last year we had such a short and hard visit to this same place. Our youngest little guy was right in the thick of pushing me away and social outings were especially hard for him. 

What a difference a year can make. Last year at this time I was scared, exhausted, and I spent a lot of time trying to predict the future. I worried about every parenting decision I made, for fear that I was only adding to the problem and not fixing it. Attachment, or lack of it, had creeped into my home when I was unaware and unprepared. 

But on this day, we took our time visiting the "farm" and saw the chickens and horses and ponds covered in lily pads.  We were not rushed. We had no agenda. Robert would run up the hill and reach for my hand. The kids climbed on bales of hay, and I even found them laying down, relaxing, on the green grass.

Fishing/Camping Trip

I  just had an amazing weekend at Trillium Lake. This was the first fishing trip for our kiddos and they loved every minute of it. I had to share some of our fun pics!

I had never been there and was so moved by the amazing view of Mt. Hood.

Our amazing view.

Walking down to the lake

Spring Break Fun!

We had an incredible day yesterday. Not only did we celebrate a birthday in our family but it was also the 4 year anniversary of our very first foster kid placement and the 3 year anniversary of finding out that our son James could join our family!

Halloween Fun

I hope you all had a fun, safe halloween.

We have had a month long of fall fun and I thought I would share some pictures.
We have spent the last month playing in the leaves, painting pumpkins, playing at the pumpkin patch and making memories~

My three girls on the hay ride at the pumpkin patch. 

Painting Pumpkins and Grandma and Grandpa's house. 

Buzz light year visiting our local Trunk or Treat

 Oh how our boy loves Spiderman. He has lived in his costume for 3 days. 

Our little cheerleader!

Washing their hands after riding horses at the pumpkin patch. 

Homemade spring rolls and peanut sauce. A great dinner along with curry chicken and veggies over rice. It can all be made ahead of time so we can enjoy the fun come home eat dinner and then go trick or treating. Rice in rice cooker, curry chicken in crockpot and these I made in the morning and put in the fridge.

Ready for Fall!-PHOTOS

Here are some cute pictures I took this morning. I love how they turned out. I get extra excited when I can find the same thing in 5 different colors/patterns for my kids. They each have their own. :)

What a blessing little feet are....