The Land of Little "Lolla Coasters" and Cotton Candy

This last week I went to Disneyland with my mom and my sister and her family. My nieces loved the place and couldn't get enough of all the fun rides and cotton candy. I haven't been in such a long time and had forgotten how fun Disneyland is. I also got to visit California Adventure for the first time, which claims ownership to one of the latest and greatest rides, the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Wow, did I underestimate that ride! I was a little disappointed with Disneyland though, since the Matterhorn was closed and always seems to be closed when I go! However, we got to go on many of the classics like Indiana Jones, Alice In Wonderland, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. We also discovered the convenience of wearing ponchos on all the water rides...all the water fun without the soggy river bottoms for the rest of the day. My five-year-old niece loved all of the big rides that she was tall enough to get on and insisted on not having to endure any more of the "baby" rides after she experienced the thrill of Space Mountain and Tower of Terror with her hands up! She is such a brave girl. It was really fun to see them ride all the rides and meet all of their favorite Disney characters.

Aly and Sophie loved meeting Minnie Mouse and were wondering where Mickey was.

 

They also got to meet the Chipmunks...Aly couldn't believe how cute they were!

Aly was ready to show off her Princess Tiana shirt at Disneyland!

 

 My mom and I at the classic miniature door by Alice In Wonderland.

 

Sophie, Steph, and Grams trying to make their best "scared" face before riding Tower of Terror.

 

However, Aly wins for making the best scared face on her favorite red "lolla coaster."

 

Aly and Sophie were such great sports during two long days of walking around Disney.

 

What a fun trip!

It's Been a Long Time Comin'

Well six years ago, I set off for my first semester of college, excited and a little nervous. I planned on finishing in four years and moving on with my life. Now, six years later, here I am counting down the days until I graduate with a masters degree. I feel like I have been in school for quite some time and am a little nervous to find out what life will be like without all the classes, homework, professors, and classmates. On the other hand, I cannot wait to come home for the night without thinking of all the homework I should probably be doing. Instead of having two jobs, an internship, and classes that I have to keep straight, I am ready to focus on ONE job. Don't get me wrong, I know a job will be a lot of work, but I am anxious to upgrade my status from a full-time student to a full-time employee. As of today, I have 46 days and 19 hours to go until I am done! For good! I cannot belive I have almost made it. Graduating and working full time seems a little intimidating right now, but with this advice by Dr. Seuss, I am sure to find my way...

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.

Dr. Seuss

A little less than boring January

Over the last month, we have had lots of visitors, have gone out of town, and have been battling colds. However, Kyle and I are feeling much better now and had a good time with all of our family despite feeling a little crappy in the meantime. Here are a few pics from the last few weeks of craziness.

After we enjoyed a weekend with Kyle's parents, my mom and two sisters came into town for a short trip, and we had a blast. I felt like passing out at the end of each day because we went from morning until night into every store we could think of and stayed up too late to maintain any sanity for the next day.

I also made them "hike" up to Hole In the Rock to get a view of the valley. A hiker looking out onto Phoenix was rather bummed as we came up in our flats and jeans, because he was feeling quite proud about hiking up in his mountain shoes and other hiking gear. We had to check it out before we hit the mall.





























IKEA especially made us tired and verrry hungry...

   

 

The weekend after my family came to Phoenix, I went back home to Vegas for a good friend's bridal shower...It was so fun to see everyone!

 

It was a fun past few weeks, but I am glad to have felt a little caught up this past week. Can't wait for more visitors and more trips home!

Provident living...I think

This post is to follow up with the other great deals I have gotten at Walgreen's the last few weeks.This post will exemplify how one can roll over the rewards and "make money" while couponing. Days like this at Walgreen's are pretty fun! I went in with $11 in Register Rewards (seen in my last post), paid $4 out of pocket and came out with the following items...



AND...$26 in Register Rewards! Yeehaa! Definitely a good week at Walgreens.