Downtown disney

We got into Anaheim at about 3 o clock on Sunday.  Now, you have to understand, this was SUPER BOWL Sunday.  Brock has been very into football this whole season - checking stats and teams every morning when he wakes up and talking football to anyone who will listen.  He was pretty upset that we were going to be driving during the big game.  Luckily we got to the hotel not too long after kick off and he headed straight to the TV.  I wanted to get a good sense of the Disneyland ticket, security, and turn-style procedure for Monday morning so I took the three younger kids (who could care less about the game) down to Downtown Disney to look around.  It was a lot of fun and got us excited for our upcoming adventure for the next few days.  Our hotel was about a mile away (12 minute walk) and we just walked it back and forth every time.  The kids were troopers and I think (know) that Ashley and I complained about it more than the kids did.

Also - as you can see - I bought everyone bright orange matching jackets.  Best thing I could have done.  A lot of families buy matching shirts - but then the kids wear jackets over and it nullifies the point.  I went with matching jackets.  Our kids were so easy to spot at ALL times and they could easily find me in a crowd.  It doesn't make for the cutest pictures - but hard choices had to be made. :)

Funny side story:

When Jason and I were first married we lived in Provo and went to a married student ward.  We became very good friends with Heather and Cordel Braley, they (like us and a few other choice families) stayed one (or two) too many years in Provo.  Anyways, Jason was also their home teacher and one day he came home and told me how much Heather LOVES Disneyland (at this point they didn't have any kids).  He said she talked about it all the time and she goes every year and wants a season pass.  Over the last 10 years or so we often talk about how funny it is that Heather likes Disneyland so much and always joke about how they always go.  We have kind of lost touch but Jason kept bothering me to call Heather before we went to Disneyland to get advice and tips.  I never did and assured him they really don't go that much.  Well, as we are walking to downtown Disney... who do we run into?... of course... The Braleys.  It could not have been more fitting.  I found it completely hilarious.  Out of all the weeks in the year, out  of all the people we could have seen - it was the Braley's - it was like we had come full circle.  I loved it.  We saw them several times and kept meaning to get a picture with our families together - we never did.  Boo.