19 Foods You Need To Try In Disneyland

WHERE TO EAT IN DISNEYLAND

When I was nine years old, since my family and I were living in Anaheim Hills, we decided to get annual passes to Disneyland. Even after we moved to Oregon in the fall, we drove down quite a bit to LA. I guess we got our money’s worth, there was so much food we wanted to try!

So this week since we were in Anaheim anyways for Markus' hockey tournament, I decided to make a list of all the foods we love to eat while at Disneyland. I am kind of obsessed with making lists lately, if you haven't noticed. If you’re going to spend money on overpriced food, it might as well be the best of the park!

1. Mickey Mouse Pancake at the River Belle Terrace in Frontierland [Disneyland]

2. Lobster Roll at Harbor Galley in Critter Country [Disneyland]
3. Barbecue Chicken Sandwich at Hungry Bear in Critter Country [Disneyland]
4. Corn Dog at Street Car on Main Street [Disneyland]
5. Broccoli Cheese Soup in a bread bowl at Pacific Wharf Cafe in Pacific Wharf [California Adventure]
6. Lobster Nachos at the Cove Bar in Paradise Pier [California Adventure]
7. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus at Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland [Disneyland]

8. Portobello Mushroom Philly at Award Wieners in Hollywood Land [California Adventure]

9. Veggie Tater Bake at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land [California Adventure]

10. Cream Cheese Filled Pretzel at the Refreshment Corner on Main Street [Disneyland] (also want to try the one with jalapenos!)
11. Beignets at Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square [Disneyland] (also available at the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney
12. Dole Whip at the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland [Disneyland]
Pro tip: There is an inside line that is shorter than the outside line.

13. Fried Pickles at the Carnation Cafe on Main Street [Disneyland]
14. Turkey Leg at the vendor in front of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland [Disneyland]
15. The Monte Cristo at Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square [Disneyland]
16. Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square [Disneyland]

17. Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich at Pooh’s Corner in Critter Country [Disneyland]

18. Matterhorn Macaroon at Jolly Holiday Bakery on Main Street [Disneyland]

19. Cherry Milkshake at Carnation Cafe on Main Street [Disneyland]

How many of these have you tried?
What’s your favorite thing to eat at Disneyland?

Gratitude

My friend, I am thankful for you. Words cannot express how grateful I am for your companionship on this journey … for loving me “as is”… and for encouraging my writer’s heart. May the sweetest aspect of life—to love and be loved—be experienced by you and your family this holiday season.

Things To Do When Your Dog Dies:

Listen to Stand By Me

Wear a big sweatshirt

Eat Ramen

Clean your room

Go for a walk in the rain

Make paper cranes

Find recipes to make later

Read hockey magazines

Bake banana bread with a friend

Organize old Pokemon cards

Think about how beautiful the night sky is

Draw a picture

Go to a cafe

Sleep on a pile of blankets

Ask someone to hold you

Cry

Be okay at some point

Visit the library

Frame a photo of when your dog was healthy and happy

Sit with someone

Remember there are always cupcakes

Age

Max {15}

Cole {16}

Aria {14}

Age ~

is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you...

Morgen {19}

Mom {73}

Monet {47}

Hockey Time

Markus with coach Mikko, Jeff, Greg and Tony 

http://youtu.be/L5eP5OZiPME

I Want To See His Smile

As Max was packing for his hockey tournament this weekend, I watched and waited. I started thinking...

I will study you. I will listen to you. I will watch your face when I use certain words. What brings smiles? What brings pain? I will make a note. I will use words that build you instead of break you. When I see that something I do makes you feel sad or rejected, I will remember and try not to do it anymore.

I will tell you all the positive things I notice about you, instead of pointing out where you fall short. There’s enough people who will do that. I will be your encourager. I will be your #1 fan. I want to hear you laugh. I want to see you smile. I want to watch you shine.

Max, I want to love you by your book and witness your amazing story unfold. Go get 'em in Rochester. 

Love Story: Companionship

Reading through some emails today made me think about companionship - and how it is hands down one of the greatest blessings in life!!  I so hope you have felt it too!!!  I think it can come in so many forms - through a spouse, sibling, friend, child, parent, or pet.  I've said before that Markus when he was little my little buddy. He was so cute.  And well - I think potential boyfriends & girlfriends that you meet on line can even feel like companions on those days you would otherwise be alone.

Today I had to post this picture (taken in July before she got sick) of our CUTE dog who we love.  Molly is the dog of my oldest son. Yet she has been with me through so many good and bad times, and licked the tears streaming down my face when I was going through divorce. And yes, her cancer is back, and just like that she is about to die. :( We had surgery done and X-rays and drug treatments and injections but it has infiltrated her lungs and bones now and made her go blind. Max carries her outside everyday for her to go potty and Markus gives her medicine to her wrapped up in a piece of cheese. She couldn't have been a better companion.  

Who is your companion? Have you had any pets die? How did you help your children mourn?

Sunny Sky's

Favorite Fall Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancake and Waffles

I can't help but share. This is our absolute favorite fall breakfast lately...

Pumpkin Pancakes and Waffles.

They're so simple and smell so good. I just made some for Markus and his friend Beau who spent the night. Morgen came home from a concert at 3:16 am and then my phone rang at 4. Work calling to see if I could come in today. Seriously?! 4 am?! I already traded today for next week so I wouldn't have to miss Max's team playing in the championship game this afternoon. 

I have some new post ideas - stay tuned.

-- 

Something fun: 

My nephew came in YESTERDAY from California. He served a mission there for the past two years. I was super excited to see him. Tanner's mom, my sister Lara, could not contain the tears of joy. She had one huge welcoming party planned. It was also my Mom's birthday- what a fun gift! :) 

Miracles

Do you believe in miracles? I do. And I wanted to share this story of...

My sister's husband Todd

Every Child

I read this talk by Rita Pierson and loved this quote:

1. Teaching and learning brings joy.

2. Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

   
   

   I love that. And I am so grateful for  coaches and teachers who live it. 

My Best Attempt At Writing About Birth

It is hard to even explain how unbelievably beautiful, healing, amazing, and life changing this miracle called birth is.

Seriously. It was unreal. It took me to a place of complete vulnerability; healing and progress began in ways that I needed; the face to face human connections were out of this world; and there was such a ridiculously beautiful true love and acceptance for this mother and her baby (and most importantly, I think, I felt more love and acceptance for myself.)

My nursing cohorts and I had hopes that the labor and delivery experience would be meaningful to our education; that we would feel it was worth it to learn about; that we would experience things that we had never experienced before; that we would feel the time and effort was worth it no matter what area of nursing they were hoping to be working on. And well, it's safe to say that most people were so happy they did. One friend said she could have left after Day 1 and it would have been worth the cost of tuition. The clinical group even begged our instructor to do a birth a week from now so that we could do a repeat of the experience. And one guy told us it would be a CRIME to not offer the opportunity again and again to others. Honestly, I looked at each nursing student like...holy crap $#*@!!! We took a risk. We put ourselves out there to learn this thing. It was scary to do it. But it unfolded better than we ever could have imagined. It was a massive day at IMC (19 babies in one afternoon). And mostly, a massive feeling of satisfaction to know that some dear people got to have their babies and experience something beautiful for their souls.

Here's how it all went down...

The first day of clinical was in the lab and we all collaborated on the birth of a mannequin mom and baby. 

Our instructor, Tara, gave out papers with different scenarios on them with each of the different roles involved. 

I could hardly believe it when I read Certified Nurse Midwife on mine. 

I was a bundle of nerves.  Oh....it's a strange thing to meet people who know about you and perhaps expect a lot of you. Because I'm just like all of them! Seriously. I'm no different. Students told me they were nervous, too. Ah, the ice was broken quickly. And they were all so lovely and warm and happy to be there. Oh man, it was really incredible to just be there with everyone. Even though they were all so smart and competent to me that I had moments of feeling intimidated.

Our first day at the women's center arrived at 6:30 am on a Tuesday. 

And get this...I felt as if I was home. Really, really home. I don't know, I just felt drawn to this unit. And I LOVED our patients like we were already friends. It was like we had enough common thoughts and struggles and intentions that somehow we were just connected in some way. There were twins being born via C-section that I was originally assigned to. In fact, they went in shortly after the doctor came in that was so familiar to me. Anyway, that part was really amazing. I wish I could have taken pics of some of their beautiful faces. HIPPA laws prohibit this though. 

People that I did have assigned to me and the nurse I was shadowing had various backgrounds which was kind of a thrill to me. I'm glad the hospital reaches people far and wide as I believe it makes this a welcome place for all. There were single women, married women, divorced women, a mother of 10, people from multiple different religions, some that were not religious at all, and people from all over the intermountain west. 

We started right in with our first stage assessment. Tara and the hospital team created some incredible experiences for us. Parents to be seemed to be loving the anticipation. Though going all natural was difficult for a few. I mean, it's a completely new experience. Contractions set in. Pain will raise their heads. Some had to adjust their threshold to the level of labor they were in. Until the epidural started to do it's magic. People started to have some noticeable improvements in their pain, smiles, and overall radiance. And everyone agreed that it was so much easier to do the labor as a GROUP with an entire medical team serving them and preparing all the trays and tools. Plus, I think everyone eventually caught on to how fast some of the first time labors could be. Morgen needed a ride from school so I ran out to pick him up on my lunch break. When I walked back in to the labor I was attending she was pushing. Can you say fast? How about having a baby during lunch? 

The arrival was incredible. We all held a leg or an arm and supported this first time mom by being there. WOW. My heart was about to burst. We ALL felt unbelievable love and acceptance for each other that moment. It was a human experience I'll never forget.

The next weeks continued as we essentially followed the same schedule only on a different unit (maternity, nursery, NICU, postpartum, antepartum, and breast feeding classes).

And yes, I got to hold babies. I bathed and dressed and swaddled and rocked and fed babies...It may seem like a small thing, but I am guessing it was the best moment for all of us - to stand there and have these little people you love and respect help teach you about assessing newborns - to have someone touch you. To have your body and any flaws you might have just there and possibly being seen. And also to hold their little tiny hands. 

And there were also some additions to the schedule :) : Morgen got a text from his friend, Dalton, that his mom was in labor. So he got to stay at the hospital and hold a baby that day. :). Those clinicals were INCREDIBLE and some of my favorite moments of the entire semester!! LOVED working and chatting with each nurse about nursing and love and healing. How I wish we could all be working partners all the time.

Also, one member of the staff was someone I talked to about working on that unit after I graduate (she was actually leaving IMC next week and moving to McKay Dee since she just remarried and moved up there). At our clinical post conference Tara taught an incredible class on maternity. Every word that woman spoke to us was worth gold. Other additions to the schedule: ice cream therapy! YES. It was pretty awesome. Tara is truly a gifted soul and a woman of so much strength and wisdom. You can't imagine how she is able to bring our group to some moments of learning. She was valuable and gave us feedback on our papers that taught us how to really write an APA format and like it. Most of us got at least a 90 as she was so good. (How I wish she had been my nurse when I was in labor!!)

A favorite treat was talking with Morgen about his friends little sister. 

These people are truly wonderful and brought SO MUCH love and care to everyone there.

I left the maternity clinical feeling completely in awe of the entire 4 weeks and in awe of each baby that came. I love them all so much. It's an experience I'll never forget. 

XO,

B

P.S. THANK YOU for your interest!! There is some hope for this blogger to get her act together. :) 

Genuine Energy

All Hallow's Eve

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo.....

Do you like to be scared?

Morgen said you must go to Castle of Chaos. He went there tonight with a bunch of his friends and dressed up as a pirate - Captain Morgen. Haha! 

Here are some pics from this years festivities.

(Those are four of my favorite hockey players.) Markus, with friends Beau, and Cole decided to all dress up as Ninja Turtles. Gavin opted for a red morph suit. And then they trick or treated through not one, not two but three neighborhoods across the valley! 

We drove all the friends to Cole's house - coming home and spending the night before going to hockey practice at 6 am. 

Chili, chips, apple cider and apple slices at our house before heading out to drive everyone around. 

Max and his friend Jake had weight lifting at Praxis Olympic Lifting tonight for his Jr. Grizzlies team and they hung out afterwards, shooting all the little ghosts and goblins out his bedroom window with marshmallow guns. Yikes! 

Markus wore his Mr. Potatohead costume to the school parade this morning - since he couldn't wear his mask from the ninja turtle costume. I love that smile.

Now please brag about your favorite kind of Halloween. I will have to live Halloween vicariously through you next year because Halloween isn't quit celebrated the same way in junior high and Markus will be in the new one they're building next year. 

One of 14,000 things to be happy about: the sound of laughing children at Halloween school parades. 
I got a little choked up as it will be the first in sixteen years that I won't have a child in elementary school. 

Who Are You, Really?

You are not a name

or a height, or a weight

or a gender

you are not an age 

and you are not where you 

are from

you are your favorite books

and the songs stuck in your head

you are your thoughts

and what you eat for breakfast

on Saturday mornings

you are a thousand things

but everyone chooses

to see the million things

you are not

you are not where you are from

you are

where you're going

and i'd like 

to go there

too

{My sister Ivy turned 40 today in Hawaii. This photo with her family was taken in June at Darlin's wedding. }

Somebody Call 9-1-1

I heard two fathers of hockey players tonight after Max's game starting to fight while the rink manager was saying,  "Somebody call 911!"

I’ve had all sorts of emergencies in my life. I’ve needed and wanted different things at all sorts of times during each incident. I’m incredibly blessed to have one friend who is a trained, glorious pianist, and there have been times when I’ve wanted her to play some soul-wrenching, Beethoven inspired piece to accompany the disaster, burning down to ashes. When I needed to tell someone about how much I loved my Grandma Jo, and how her glasses slipped down her nose. There have been times when my deepest, most sincere heart’s wish is for someone to come to my fire hauling a vitamin water. And an extinguisher. With a song, playing on a boombox to add a little extra flourish to the proceedings. One night I wanted someone to come close, sit beside me, and watch the ashes of old love letters floating up to meet the stars.

It's been two years - this month - since my marriage ended, people have approached me to say they wish they’d done things differently. I’ve approached people to apologize for not doing something, even if it was “I have no idea what to say – I’m just so sorry this has happened.” I have to wonder sometimes if with so much perfection and Pinterest we deter ourselves from doing a tiny something because it’s not more… well, significant, and for a lack of a better word- amazing.

My friends didn’t offer to fix anything. They gave me no promises, no scriptural recourse or plans. They were Christlike, as when Christ – just minutes from raising Lazarus from death - mourned with those that mourned. To bear one another’s burdens that they may be light. I'm not asked or expected to take all the pain and flames away – just to lighten the burden, to sit together, in the burn. Just to be there; in the ash, within the heat, amid the life burning down.

Thank you for braving the heat, to be with me in the fires of life. You have done something for me, which reminded me that I was loved, thought of, not forgotten or abandoned in the flames...what do you wish I would bring to YOUR fire?

Experience has helped in my own determination to not be “right outside”, but to brave the heat, bring something, or even play the piano, if that’s what someone needs of me.

Fall Sunshine and Smiles

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." -Whitman

{Markus is loving playing on the '03 Regulators hockey team this season.}

He also brought home his report card today and with a big smile on his face handed it to me. I opened it to find all A's and a hand written note from his teacher, Ms. W.: 

This is one smart, kind, talented young man with a very bright future! 

He's Awesome! :) 

No Place I'd Rather Be

I've been reluctant to write due to the sheer volume of places my head's been at, but I'm hoping to address that soon.

Here is where my heart has been for a while, being reluctant, over at the ice rink...

http://youtu.be/QkhnOs-wdCM

You Light Me Up Inside

Birthday Shout Out

I love you Bro

Smile Lines

God, why all the weight? The boys are shifting, stretching, shuddering into new muscles, growth spurts and needs, and I’m feeling I’m running at a loss. I don’t have the time I want with them, and I’m trying to fit everything in and breaking the laws of physics in the process. It’s these times of stress and pressure I wonder if I’m missing some fundamental component that would make it all easier… and have to accept that I’m not missing anything.

I’m not missing anything, because I’m here in my sons’ need for me, even at the ages of 19, 15 and 11 – ESPECIALLY at ages 19, 15 and 11. As much as I’d love (love as in melt into it like a chocolate fondue pot as a spa bath) some time to wrap my head around the demands and pace of nursing study, or the upcoming buzz and frenzy of the boys lives without any other commotion, it just isn’t going to happen. I don’t think that everything happens at once, and I don’t believe God makes everything happen for a reason – but I do believe He can and will make the happening have meaning and purpose, if I ask Him to, or look for it.

But some days I have the gnawing of a headache as soon as I open my eyes because I went to bed far too late, and so hold my eyes away from any light so as not to stir up some more mischief. Some days I’m not looking for God, even hoping I don’t see Him, because I’m tired and I’m cranky and while the last thing I said to Max before I left the house was “I love you!” the thing immediately before that was “Get ready for school NOW!!”

Today Morg and I laughed over the noises Markus was making because the bat had spit on it, and Marko practiced his drawing skill – just a simple sarcophagus, it’s been the one of the many things he likes doing lately, besides practicing magic tricks and shooting air soft guns, and reading and playing with friends. 

Maxi laughed this afternoon after the tyrant started calming down, watching conference and practicing his snoring, deciding that each practice he has had this week has left him stronger than the last. He’s wanting to know why he should keep doing drawing in high school, and wants to try out for the USA hockey team, and the constant going and busyness of his need makes when he’s asleep an audible balm of quiet and devout unceasing prayer that I will survive his teens, and that he will as well.

Morg’s facial hair is coming in more and darker – I have no difficulty now seeing under his jaw he's so tall, and realized today that half of his chin hair is brown/ginger. I see nothing of myself in him physically, though someone at school looked at us and said “He’s your son, right? It’s plain as day!” and he grinned and I was caught totally unaware. I love them all beyond all expression, and I know that I can’t do everything I want for them, I screw up at something every single day, and some days are just ridiculously stupid, and others… others have the boys playing army with airsoft on the front porch, sun shooting off their golden skin and grins as they ferociously debate the number of hits each can withstand from a pistol, and Max uses Molly as a secret weapon, laughing til he cries at the carnage and look on Marko’s face at being so royally and imaginatively trounced by his big brother.

I ate too many blueberry pancakes today, and they were perfectly crisp, staying soft inside. I ate too many, because I was tired and they were there and I wanted/needed a cry but Max needed me, so we drove to hockey together and let the Sunday morning light paint our car as we laughed and did a whole lot of nothing together.

Some days I don’t want to talk to God because I’m already suffering one kind of stiff-necked-ness and the light chases me wherever I turn, and I hope I don’t see Him because when I’m tired I’m cranky, which manifests as smartaleckey and sarcastic, and I love Him too much (mostly) to keep it to myself. Those days – like today – I know He loves me because He stays out of my way, so I don’t have to see Him, or deal with His love, because love complicates absolutely everything and makes you an addict, especially when it hurts like breaking just from trying. Those days, like today, I know He loves me because He stays where I can’t see Him, and still has my back. Those days, like today, He stays away from me, and instead stands next to the choir as they sing I am a Child of God, and watches Max wash his hands and come give me a damp soapy hug. Then helps me cry when they’re all in bed, sleeping.

Some days I feel happy and lonely at exactly the same moment. I’m extraordinarily delighted to be back at school, to feel my brain rise from hibernation and crack its jaws wide, ready. The boys are a bizarre wonder and a delicious delight, and being their Mom is the purpose to my days, the chaos to my evenings, the smile lines I carry with me. I love and I worry and I pray constantly that I’m doing better than I catastrophise and fear. And I think I am.

{Max and team at the USA Hockey headquarters last weekend.}

Guess What?

Gratitude, that's what, and mountains of it.

Gratitude for incredible, generous friends who contacted me, and gave birthday love and compassion in the forms of bike rides (thank you Queen S!) and being a waffle love benefactor (thank you Sharon!). Tears were shed (mine) and Marko was actually intrugued each time I brought home gifts in surprise.

Gratitude for the Quadro (401 K) processes working incredibly quickly, which has meant money in my bank, in my wallet, and an easing of the delightful eye twitch I've developed over the last few months.

Gratitude for my work being so busy, which has got us over the corset-tight times financially, and has taught me more about what I want to do as a career.

Gratitude for friends who listen, who swear and/or pray for the boys and I, who care enough to offer to come mow my lawn (thank you Nicole).

Gratitude for my ward family who only see me every other week, but will be cranky on my behalf in an instant.

Gratitude for my boys, who will check each other but rarely me in our card games, and who always yell "I love you!" at me when they leave the house/car/room.

Gratitude amongst the thunder and lightning strikes, for being able to laugh and sing and swear and splash in this beautiful mess that is my life.

Muddy Mishap

Nearly 300 college kids were left stranded in the rain, after their unauthorized camping trip turned into a muddy mess. 

"I just want to take a shower," said one drenched camper, this morning on the news. I was surprised to see it was Tezz, standing next to Morgen.  

Enthusiastic party-goers met for a last-minute camp-out on the Salt Flats. 

"Word in the college community was that there was a big party in the desert flats, and so a lot of people came out... there was a 50 percent chance of rain,” explained Alex, one of the 300 stranded campers.  

Sure enough, rain poured down all night. By morning, the campers realized at least 25 of their vehicles would not be leaving any time soon.

"The mud was probably like 6 inches, you know, soft—just soft—wet, mud-kind of clay material; no grip,” he described. 

"My car is sinking right now, as we speak, so hopefully we can come get it out," said another camper. 

For some time, nobody else knew the group was stranded because the campers did not have permission to use the property. 

Meanwhile, the school district sent a few busses to keep everyone warm.

"However, some have been walking down State Road 196, but we're trying to get them all gathered up,” said the police officer. 

Participants say they do not mean to muddy the water but that they have to address their problems...

"Our car was on fire. We put it out with mud," said one man.  

Investigators say they will remain in the area until everyone is out. In the end, the happy campers say their muddy mishap just may have been worth it.

"I mean, it was pretty fun! It was cool. It was a bummer that it rained and that there's kids stuck down there,” another camper said. 

As far as damages and injuries go, police reported one wrecked car and one assault. They say their main concern, right now, is figuring out how to get everyone home.

Meanwhile, I was at the park with Markus & Co. in the midst of a muddy air soft battle. Fun times. 

Good Things

rainy nights
candles
long phone calls
hot chocolate
love letters
the smell of old books
silences that aren't awkward
kept promises
cozy clothes
slow dances
british accents
pinterest
long hugs
cheek kisses
late mornings
you.

{Sunday - after Markus' last time being in the Primary Program}