Monday, December 8, 2008

Boom Chaka Laka

In this year of 2oo8 I have been so super blessed to have found a job that lets me take time off work to go do fun things & travel places! I apologize for the layout.


((I wish this post was wider so the pics would fit .If anyone knows how to tamper with my html code to make that happen, I'd appreciate it!))















One of my favorite sights to see


Left Mesa about 6am and drove drove drove all the way to San Diego for Franchesca and Kobi's wedding. I was friends with them thru the Davis YSA ward. Luckily there is an hour time difference right now and we arrived at the San Diego temple at 10:50am. The wedding was scheduled to start at 11 but thanks to "mormon standard time" it didnt start til about 11:20. Thank goodness! The ceremony was great and we got some good pictures afterwards. We got a bit bored while waiting for them to come out of the temple ....



Got some pics with Franchesca's family & Kobi's too. One with me, Franchesca and good friend Michael




After the wedding, we met up with Heather who had flown in for the wedding from Reno. I know her from the Davis YSA ward as well. Franchesca's friend Mercedes had picked her up at the airport so they met us at the temple, then we all went to eat at a Sushi place inside a mall. I had a rice bowl though. No sushi for me! Brennen & I changed out of our Sunday clothes in the bathroom and we headed to La Jolla Beach. It was SO PRETTY there and the sand was extremely soft it felt like flour. I've always wanted to play in flour! Haha









After playing at the beach for an hour or so, we headed to Mercedes apartment, changed back into nicer clothes for the reception, and headed to the La Jolla Mariott Hotel where we gathered to eat with Franchesca & Kobi's family as well as a few close friends. I sat at a table with Brennen, Heather, and Michael <-- a long time friend of the bride & groom who I actually met before when I went to Utah for conference with Franchesca. He is super nice and now lives in Kansas, going to medical school.








me, Franchesca & Heather!



The food was so super good and I got too full. Started with appetizers : lamb, some seafood stuff, chicken on a kabob stick, crackers & cheese. I liked the lamb best. Then they brought out spinach(?) salad with nuts & blue cheese and strawberries in it. The main course was chicken with a biscuit/bread around it, 2 thick potato slices, a couple long carrots with the stems still on them and another vegetable that looked like brocolli but it was longer. There was semi-long waits inbetween each course thank goodness. We started eating around 6pm and didnt finish until 9'ish. The drinks were cider, sparking cider, hot chocolate & water with lemon. Dessert was an ice cream shaped heart with hard white chocolate on the outside and vanilla ice cream with yummy strawberry filling on the inside. The wedding cake was orange cranberry for one layer and pumpkin chocolate chip for the other. It was DELISH. We had to roll ourselves outta there...



Brennen feeling stuffed



...and we rolled our way - in Mercede's car! to the San Diego temple where we enjoyed the Christmas lights. It was so cold! But so fun.







Saturday we decided to go to......DISNEYLAND! Yes it is true. Disneyland. I havent been there since I went in May 2oo5 with the Curteman's. Brennen went 4 years ago and was dying to go back. He offered, no insisted! that he would pay the rest sof my ticket if I put $40 towards it. I woulda been a fool to pass that offer up so we went!! I was pretty much in shock a lot of the day. I didnt expect to go and so it didnt seem real!!



We made it!



All decorated for Christmas!









We drove to Anaheim in the morning, took about an hour and a half to get there. Parking was $12 which Brennen covered and we got a free Christmas Disney air freshener. Lol. I paid to rent a locker for the day, that was $7. Rode the train around the park first and got off in Tomorrowland where we rode Star Tours and the lady we walked to up to ask about the wait time gave us a fast pass so we got through the line TONS faster!! Hooray! Rode another ride & got a cheap $3 pretzel with cheese for a late lunch. YUM


I wont bore you guys with too many details but the rides we went on were: Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean (twice!) , Matterhorn (finally open this time!) , Haunted Mansion (cool Christmas theme!) , Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain (finally open this time!), Roger Rabbit ride, Indiana Jones Adventure (never been on it before!) Tarzan's Treehouse, walked thru Mickey & Minnie's house and Chip N Dales' too, and Mr Toad's Wild Ride.




Stood in line a lot but got some fast passes!


Ate a churro for the first time - sugar + hot = delish



Had a pineapple whip for the first time - only found in Hawaii and Disneyland!





Ate at the Big Bear Cafe by the Winnie the Pooh ride - Brennen's treat


Shopped a bit for 20 min or so and left the park around 1pm. It did close at midnight but some stores were still open, then to walk from the park to our car...we didnt walk as fast as we had when we arrived earlier in the day! Brennen drove back to Mercede's apartment and I slept. Definatley a fun fun time I will never forget.



Headed back to Arizona early Sunday afternoon, I drove for a couple hours - thru some pretty thick fog too! Scary and we turned on my hazard lights and drove slow. Stopped to get gas in Yuma, about 3 hrs from Phoenix where Brennen took over driving for the rest of the trip.

4 comments:

Michael B said...

SWEET! That is awesome you went to Disneyland! Such a blast, huh? Seems like you have a great friend in Brennen too!

Ashley Gilbert said...

Yes! You went to Disneyland! It looks like you had a lot of fun...and I must say the pics are great! I wish I could help you with the pic thing, but I have had issues trying to figure it out myself. Let me know if you get any ideas on how to fix that. :)

Glad to read an update from ya!

Love Ash

Gates & Tausha said...

shut UP!? you are all OVA the place girlfren!! weddings are the best...oh wait...no beaches...next to a close runner up: disneyland...or the temple...you did it ALL girl! fun brennen guy!

Ashley Gilbert said...

Hey Stace! That is so aweosme you are so close to Oceanside...yes it is really pretty down there. We are excited to get there tonight. Can't wait to see ya when you get here!