Planes, Trains and Rented Minivans

So, seven days, 4 airplane rides, many miles walked and driven, including through the desert and over the mountains, and we are finally home. We had a really nice trip. It was a memorable trip for the youngest three kids as it was their first trip by plane. All things considered, the logistics of getting 9 people, carry-on luggage, 2 car seats and assorted paraphernalia on and off the planes and into the vans and hotels went pretty well. We headed to Vegas first to see hubby's family. There were about 50 people in attendance and the kids were delighted to discover that they had many cousins they had never known existed. Many new friendships were made. It was a hoot to see the family resemblances among the people, from parents and children to my husband and his cousins. We had a great visit and I cannot begin to adequately thank those who hosted the event at their homes for organizing everything and putting up with us all.
Leaving Las Vegas, we drove across the desert into California, specifically to Anaheim. We spent three days at the Disneyland resort. I was pleasantly surprised that though it is smaller than Disney World in Orlando, it has a lot of things that are actually better. The kids had a ball riding California Screaming and the good old Space and Splash Mountains. I enjoyed seeing my five year-old riding anything that he was tall enough for without any fear or reservation. He is a veteran of the Tower of Terror among others that I won't set foot on!
One of the things I enjoyed most about Disneyland was that we stayed in the Hilton near the convention center which was a fairly easy walk even in my current 31 week pregnant condition. It beat the heck out of the hassle of dealing with the car or busses in the Magic Kingdom and there was no monorail or paddleboat needed to getting from ticketing to the main park! (The monorail at Disneyland is a smaller scale -watch your head- but is so cool because it actaully goes through the parks giving a uniques perspective.)
We all are adjusting back to eastern time and getting settled in. Only a few more weeks until school starts - rats. However, I plan to squeeze a little more out of the summer before it fades on the horizon. Stay tuned...