22 January 2023
VOLUME 11 – NUMBER 488
Family at Disneyland
Okay, here is one long newsletter. Disneyland! We arrived in California Monday morning, and went straight into the park. Holy cow, it is always magnificent. I love the experience, and magic that's at Disneyland, and boy oh boy—Star Wars Land! It gives me chills every time.
I'm also gonna say that this trip has pretty much gone nothing like we planned, in a good way. In a line for a ride, London looked at the wait times for rides, and Pirates of the Caribbean said it had a 15 minute wait.
I was super confused, because Pirates was supposed to be closed right? But then she looks down a little bit further to check other rides, and Splash Mountain has a 15 minute wait line too! It was too good to be true, because I thought Splash Mountain was closed as well, but it wouldn't hurt to check. As we were on our way to Pirates, I saw something that made me skip for joy. I saw a part of Splash Mountain, functioning!
Mom and daughters at Disneyland
This newsletter is already getting super long so I'll try to sum it up. We went on a lot of rides and had a blast. We were able to walk onto Rise of the Resistance because we showed up right as they were reopening! It was super cool.
The next day we went to the beach and I didn't get in the water because I didn't want to. The next day was California Adventure, and we spent most of our time at Avengers Campus and I got a really cool Spider–Man WEB shirt. I really liked the WEB Slingers ride because it was just a fun family experience. We also went on Mission Breakout a lot.
Quinn, London, Ashton on Spiderman ride
Then the next few days we just relaxed, and on Friday us Olders went to the California Redlands Temple. It was so beautiful.
Then on Saturday we enjoyed our last Day in Disneyland as just us Olders. We went on Splash Mountain so much that day, and we probably should have thought about going when it was dark cause after riding it five thousand times, we were all cold, so we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for our last ride, and then we went back to the hotel.
Thank you Ashton, London, Mom, and Dad for making this trip possible. I love you all!
Mom, Joanna, Troy sleeping in Tesla
This week was super fun because we went on a family vacation to California. We went to Disneyland for three days and it was really fun. We went for two days to Disneyland and one day to California adventure.
We also had a lot of rest days where we were hanging out in the hotel in the pool. I spent a lot of time in the hot tub because the pool was cold. we also watched movies and ate out a lot. I really loved watching the littles on the rides because it was funny watching their reactions on the rides.
Gloria, Monte, Kai eating in hotel
This week we went to Disneyland and it was my first time ever going. The first day we went to Disneyland we stayed there till 9:00pm.
I really liked Smugglers, which was in Star Wars Land. Kylo Ren was chasing us because we had escaped and I thought that the animation they did when the lightsaber went through the ceiling looked so cool.
Another one of my favorites was Space Mountain. The twisty turns in the dark were so exciting.
The Next day we went to the beach and I did not get in the ocean, so I just played in the sand.
Veidi eating at Disneyland
The next day after that, we went to California Adventure. The scariest ride for me there would be when we went on the Tower. It is basically like going on an elevator and you buckle up in a seat and I was in the front row. We just went up and down and when you drop it is so scary. I screamed the whole way down!
We also went on the Incredacoaster, which was based on The Incredibles movie. It felt like the tower but a little better.
For dinner, we had the biggest corn dogs I have ever had. They were delicious! Dad had been joking all day that his favorite ride in California Adventure was Corndog Castle!
Dad also helped me order a red panda push bag online, since I couldn’t find something I liked in the parks.
We also spent a lot of time in the pool and the hot tub. I really liked that. I had a blast at Disneyland and California Adventure!
Family eating at hotel
Disneyland! This week was the best! It was such an awesome week to be in Disneyland and to get to spend so much time with the family and kids at home. Surprisingly the lines weren’t that long at all, at least until Saturday.
We had to change our plans a bit with the tickets available, but I am actually glad it worked out that way, because we got more break days. London and I planned out which movies to watch on the way to and from Disneyland to help us get in the right mindset and have a “reflective” experience on the way home.
I guess haha! It’s always funny because the games we play in line usually end up being one of the highlights of the trip. The rides are fun, but it is just great to all share that exciting experience together.
London and Ashton at Spiderman ride
We are in California! On the way up to California Ashton and London set up a really fun event. They chose some movies that they thought applied to Disneyland and California Adventure.
The first movie was Alice in Wonderland, and I forgot how good of a movie it was. There was one really fun part where the Red Queen is asking some of the frogs if any of them stole any fruit tarts, and she figures out which one did it and he breaks, and shouts, "I WAS SO HUNGRY!" and it just made us all laugh really hard.
Then we watched Avengers, and then Incredibles, but we weren't able to watch Cars and the Force Awakens. I had a really fun time on the way up,
Joanna at the beach
When we got to Disneyland, I had a really fun time, we went on a lot of fun rides, and it was so great. Then we went to the beach and were playing in the water, and then a lifeguard came over and told us that we weren't allowed to go past our knees, and it was just too cold to do that, so we left, but it was still a great time.
Then a couple of days later we went to California Adventure, and I had so much fun. I bought a Spider-Bot and I really like it. My favorite ride that I went on was Spider-Man Web Slingers, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Tower.
I had such a great time in Disneyland. Thank you London, Ashton, Mom, and Dad for making this such a great experience.
Mom and Joanna at Disneyland
I'm not gonna talk about the stuff we did at Disneyland. I'm gonna talk about the stuff we didn't do on our vacation.
Well for starters, we stayed at a hotel called Hyatt Place Hotel. It was a pretty sweet hotel, but I've got to be honest, nothing beats last years hotel, Cambria!
Hyatt Place served breakfast, which was just absolutely delicious, even though I may or may not have basically just had fruit loops the whole time we were there.
London and Joanna at hotel
Dad booked two rooms, the boys, or should I say men, stayed in room 310, and the girls and Mom and Dad stayed in 308. After one of the days that we went to Disneyland, we had a break day and stayed at the hotel.
It was funny, because us boys were all bored, so we decided to make a ramp for Quinn's new remote control Lightning McQueen toy that he got from Disneyland. In the end we finally finished the ramp made out of Little Caesars cardboard boxes, and the sticky stuff on our Gatorade bottles. We used the rest of the Gatorade bottles as Bowling pins, and we used Quinn's toy car as the bowling ball.
It was really fun and hilarious, because we could barely knock down the pins, until it was Quinn's turn and he got a strike out of nowhere! It was awesome seeing his reaction as he hit all of the pins down.
Quinn and Joanna at California Adventure
On another break day, we went to the Redlands Temple. It was a really nice temple, and I had an overall very spiritual time, but the one thing that I was nervous about was that they had no socks. I am not a "show your feet to the world" type of guy, so that was a little awkward for me.
After our appointment at the temple was over, we went back to the Hotel, and took a "20 minute power nap" as Ashton calls it, but as always it turned out, it was more like a three-hour power nap! I enjoyed the power nap, until Isaac started trying to wake everyone up with his new toy from California Adventure, called a Spider Bot.
On Sunday, our last day in California, we went to this really nice church. Ashton and Monte got the chance to serve the sacrament, Isaac and I were a little too nervous, because we both had semi-bad experiences with other wards and passing the sacrament.
London, Joanna, Isaac at hotel
After Sacrament Meeting was over, this really nice man came over to us and asked if we would like some candy. He said that he did this with all of the visitors, because there are a lot, being so close to Disneyland. I think I was the only one that took any treats from him—everyone else said that they were fine, but my motto is, "Go Big or Go Home", so I took a handful of candy and got some Crunch bars, Milk Duds, and Reeses Pieces.
While we were driving back to Utah at night, we stopped at a Popeye's, which honestly, I had never been to before until then. When I took a bite out of the sandwich, I felt like I was in heaven! It was buttery, with the perfect amount of crunch to it, and its smell was unbelievably good! They also got us all some biscuits, which were also super delicious!
It was also Ashton's birthday, so um... Happy Birthday Ashton!
Family in Star Wars land
This week is the best week so far because we are in Disneyland and I am so excited. We went on so many rides. We went on Thunder Mountain Railroad and in it there were dynamites in the cave! It was so scary and fun.
I got to buy something from Disneyland, and I got a Jedi's pack from Star Wars Land. It was so cool! We went on almost all the rides in Star Wars Land.
Then Mom and Dad surprised Quinn, Joanna, and I, and let us go to another day in California Adventure. It was so amazing! We went on the Incredicoaster and it was freaky because there was a loop. I was scared. We went to the wheel and it was so fun.
I loved Disneyland because it was so fun and it was the first time that I had come to any amusement park in my life.
Family on Buzz Lightyear ride
First we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, which was the spinning one. Then we went to Star Wars Land. We were prisoners and Kylo Ren was chasing us. We were on a ride and we were actually in space! And Kylo Ren ws stabbing his lightsaber through the elevator. We also ate churros, and they were delicious!
The next morning. We went on a California Adventure. We did the tower and the web shouters and I went on the tower four times. I loved It. I also got a Lightning McQueen controllable car.
Quinn, Mom, Dad on Ferris wheel
At the hotel, we went to the hot tub and we did it a lot of times. Then me, Dad, Mom, Joanna, and Troy went home on Friday. I saw the dog that Mom and Dad went to meet and she was nervous. Her name is Beauty, and she is coming to stay with us for the summer when her owner is a firefighter in Utah.
The last day in St. George, Joanna got sick when we stayed at a hotel. We ate breakfast in the hotel then we watched Highway to Heaven and Heartland. I really liked them. I loved the trip so much.
Traveling home from California
We had a baptism! Things have been super amazing, probably the best they've ever been. We've really just been loving people, teaching, and inviting and it's been too amazing.
The baptism was super special, and on Sunday I was able to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost and also give a talk on repentance.
We have a lot of people that were teaching that are progressing, on the 28th of January and 11th of Febuary we have two more baptisms scheduled and they're pretty solid.
Caleb, Elder Miranda at Kevin’s baptism
Last week we had 17 people at church and this week I think there were about 25, it's been super awesome because we've been able to be smart with our goals and really focus on achieving them, each week we've achieved them or passed them, and have continued increasing them.
I really want to master making goals for myself, because the journey of life is so much better when you know where you want to go! I don't know if you guys made goals for new years, honestly I didn't do anything specific, but I want to organize myself a lot more.
Right now I'm in a bus headed back to Los Sauces because we spent the day as a zone visiting a cave and a bridge in Collipulle, it was super fun.
Elder Miranda and Caleb visiting cave
I want to let you know the real secret behind this amazing family vacation. A couple of months ago, when things were still very tight financially, London and Ashton approached Jenny and I about a repeat trip to Disneyland (like when they took several of the older children at home last year). However, this time they expressed a desire to have the whole family come.
At the time, it didn’t seem possible. However, each of them expressed a willingness to help pay for the trip, since they knew we might not be able to cover the expense. Mom and I were very touched by their kindness, and after some discussion, we decided to move forward. Maybe if we moved forward in faith, things would work out.
At the time, our dog training business was starting to take off, and within a few weeks, things were actually looking like we might be able to afford the trip. By the time we left on the trip, we had enough savings in the bank to pay for our portion of the trip.
We attribute that to the many blessings we have received from Heavenly Father, as he has helped us build a side business to fill in our financial gaps. But we also give most of the credit to our two wonderful children that assisted us, and gently pushed us to do something really wonderful for our family. London and Ashton, words cannot express this father’s gratitude. Thank you so much!
Cougar caring for the dogs
I’m sure there will be a lot of fun articles about Disneyland this week so I’ll make ours brief. We watched a bunch of dogs this week for a family that decided to head out to California and go to Disneyland.
It was quite the adventure! I’ve learned I did not inherit my moms innate dog handling talents and apologize for any in undoing of training that may have happened in my care!
Endia and Misha