i'm a proud big sis!

So, if you happen to come across this magazine, Disney en Familia, (I know you probably won't), but, just so you know, a very special little guy is on the front and featured inside. This little boy was born on the same birthday as me and it was the BEST birthday present God has ever and probably will give me. I just wanted to share these because I am so proud. How could I not be? I will do ANYTHING for this little guy and he knows it, too! enjoy the cuteness!

Happy 55th Anniversary, Disneyland!

Mickey Mouse: A Hip Hop Dancer?

Mickey Mouse is a Hip Hop dancer? You judge for yourself! I love how Mickey is re-creating himself in all these new ways! Keep it up, yo. :)

i ♥ mickey.

disney's world of color

Watch to learn more about Disney's World of Color. ♥ This show would probably make me cry! Actually, I did just watching a glimpse into it in the second video. What can I say? Disney owns my heart. This will finally make California Adventure a park worth going to. Amazing stuff! ♥

my magical home

The day after our friends Jackie and Lino were married in Disney World, we met up with my mom, stepdad and my brother Mike to spend the day at the Magic Kingdom. I have not been to the parks with my mom in about 10 years. She was really looking forward to Disney World and seeing me, of course, since we couldn't spend the holidays together. We took it slow most of the day and just really enjoyed the park and luckily for us, it wasn't crowded, even it being MLK weekend. After a long morning and afternoon in the park, we went back to her room at the Contemporary resort and rested in hopes to watch the fireworks over Magic Kingdom on her balcony! It was magical to see them from a distance and without the massive crowds. It was even chilly. Later that evening, we went to dinner at Ohanas at the Polynesian resort where we feasted on a family style meal. It was so good! I don't have any pictures of that because my camera battery died. Here are just a few of my favorites and 2 of them I took using my iPhone!

Like mother like daughter! Enjoying a sundae, even after a HUGE lunch! Do you see my mother's pirate mickey ears?! She had these already on when I met her at the park! She made me laugh so hard! If you know my mother, you'd crack up, too!

Watching the fireworks from my mom's room at the Contemporary resort balcony! MAGIC!

And let me tell you that I've purchased a ton of Disney merchandise in my lifetime, and trust me, I don't need anymore! But check out these ADORABLE mugs I had to have that I found at the WDW store in our airport terminal. Tell me they aren't the cutest ever!? These will definitely be displayed somehow in my new kitchen! :)

California Dreamin Club 33

What can I say about Club 33 that isn't AMAZING? It was a "dream come true" in more ways than one. Truly! Everything was memorable. Even when we stumbled a little getting to our reservation on time. We encountered major traffic re-entering the park after we got dressed up. We arrived to our reservation about 10 min late. And we were panicking all the way there because they did say that they could revoke our reservation if we were to be late. Ah! You have never seen us run and panic so much. But we made it. Thank goodness! Walt Disney added so many of his touches to this place that I could feel his magic. There is something magical and inspirational when you go to anything Disney that it is really hard to explain. You just really have to experience it to get the overall "magical" experience. There isn't anything else like it. Club 33 is a very, special, magical place. Walt Disney never got the chance to see it opened. He died 5 months before it did. But that doesn't matter. It did feel like he was there. And enjoys it everyday!

California Dreamin' Day 1

And we're back! We had such a GREAT time in California. It was more than I expected. And I thought it was too short! Boo! But isn't that how most vacations tend to be? Ah, but I can't take for granted of what an amazing time we had. I am sorry it has taken me a while to post about it, but I've been trying to catch up with myself with the settling back in. (laundry, organizing) And I am still not finished. So, I've decided I must post in parts. So I will start with our first day, which was DISNEYLAND!

Omg, I was such a giddy little girl. (which isn't surprising if you know me!) But honestly, I was so anxious to get there that I woke up at 5:00am! We got our rental car really early and then headed to Disneyland, which was about 45 min from LAX where we were staying. We got to Disneyland at around 7:15am, got perfect parking, and were one of the first to jump onto the tram to the park. I will now share some photos from our day. I took many, but I will just include my favorites!

On the tram heading to the park. Ready for the magic!

I wore my wedding present proudly! It's first time in a Disney park since we got married! :) HAHA! (I told you I was a devoted fan.)

Yes!!!!! Can you tell I was super excited!!! And if you notice, no one was there yet! We had the park to ourselves for a few hours! It was perfect!!!

Hubby's first time to Disneyland!

Sleeping Beauty castle. I could live there!

Club 33!!!! eeeeek!!!! Dinner was that evening.

I got soaked riding Splash Mountain! SOAKED!!! but fun!

Alice, the Queen and Mad Hatter hopped on the carousel with the Disneyland Band. Possibly the coolest interaction I have ever seen from the characters!

Dumbo! I thought this picture came out pretty cool.

Nemo! This was an amazing attraction!

I was mesmerized! Ha!

The Matterhorn and Monorail.

Look who I saw! Except he was done taking pictures and signing autographs. For some reason, that side of Mickey has become a tradition visiting Disneyland. I always miss him there! ah!

That is it for now. I will come back with more! :)

CA Bound!

Here I am going to DL for the very first time in 2005. I was 23 years old. Who says you have to grow up?

The time has come! I will be LAX bound by the end of the week and I cannot contain my excitement! Well, you could just imagine...this is going to be such a BIG trip for us. Like I have said before, it is a big dream come true. eeeek!!! Hubby is already there for business. I dropped him off at the airport early this morning. I've already begun to pack, too.

But DL isn't the only place we will be going to. I have planned a pretty good itinerary. We will also be going to Santa Monica Pier, Malibu, the Ronald Reagan Library, Walt Disney Studios (you can't tour it, but I just want to see it.), Hollywood, California Adventure, Downtown Disney and having some delicious cuisines at Club 33 and Moonshadows in Malibu!

All that in just about 3 full days. As you can imagine, blogging from there will be very difficult. But rest assured I will be doing the next best thing by Tweeting, of course! If you're on there, you're just in luck. :)

Ahhh, sooo excited!!

we all dream...

We all dream, right? Each and every one of us has goals and those things in life that we want to aspire to get or experience. If you know me, you know I have many "disney dreams". A bucket list you can say. I've had several come true, like a fantastic trip to Disneyland that I took with my best friend Jackie in 2005 to celebrate it's 50th anniversary. That was spectacular. Then, my dream of getting engaged and married to Ronnie. And he created a dream come true for me in the most special way that I never even imagined possible....inside Cinderella Castle with my ring in her slipper.

And now, I can't even believe what I am about to experience. This is a once in a lifetime experience. A Disney dream that I never even fathomed would be able to come true! What is it? Where is it? Well, it is the chance of a lifetime to dine in Club 33 in Disneyland!

WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?!

Ok, if you're not a Disney addict as I am, I will 'splain it to you. This is a very exclusive club located in New Orleans square just outside of the pirates of the caribbean ride. This is where "Walt Disney felt that a special place was needed where he could entertain visiting dignitaries and others in a quiet, serene atmosphere where superb cuisine and distinctive decor would complement one another." There is a special, almost hidden, door, the sign, and a bell to ring in the exclusive members. This is a money you can't buy experience because you can't even get a membership to this elite club- you have to know somebody who is a member and the members transfer from family to family, organization to organization, etc. And if you do want membership, there is a 3-5 year waiting list. And only about 500 members are currently in the club. No tours, sneak peaks, or visits are ever granted to this area of the park unless you are an invited guest of a member of club 33.

The closest I got to it was by taking a tour on that trip for the 50th. But we weren't allowed to go up to the restaurant. Just a teaser by going through the door and into the lobby area. As you can imagine, when I learned about it in there I got emotional. It was so special! Truly, truly magical.

Here we are on the "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour in Disneyland inside the lobby of Club 33. You take that special elevator (which has a story behind it) to the restaurant upstairs.

And ladies and gentlemen, we have been invited by one of Ronnie's business contacts in California! I know...what?! SHUT UP! I already bought a special dress. Ronnie's sport coat will be sent to the cleaners tomorrow. And I can't even describe my emotions about this right now. I just can't....I am on cloud 9. Or more like cloud 33!

Summer Updates

I am sorry I have not blogged in over a week. Unlike most of my teacher friends in Miami, I am still finishing off the school year! We have 5th graduation on Friday and the very last day for me is June 15! It seems forever away because I have so many loose ends to complete before the school year ends and my little ones head off to middle school! So far, I will continue to teach 5th grade next year. I never thought in a million years I'd ever be teaching the upper level and how much I would love it. There is something extremely special about getting the tweens ready to head to middle school. I know I will get extremely emotional on their graduation day! I've been so busy, I haven't even purchased an outfit to wear. (I am going this afternoon!)

I just wanted to fill everyone in. My mom called me yesterday and was surprised I still haven't finished the year out yet! I guess those Snow Days weren't so great after all....we had to make up 3 days! I will return late this week and hopefully share some pictures of Graduation.

In other summer news, we are possibly heading to Los Angeles in late July. Or more like DISNEYLAND! I don't want to get too excited...yet. But Ronnie might be going to California on a business trip and I hope to meet him there to spend the weekend. It is not official until his boss approves the trip. But I am a DISNEY GIRL all the way and this has me extremely anxious! California might mean more to other people (Hollywood, beaches, shopping), but for me its Disneyland. The last time I was anywhere near a Disney property was our engagement in Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World in 06'. (I know "la pobresita". haha!) I never thought my next trip would take so long (it has never been more than 2 months between visits) and it might be DISNEYLAND? WHAT?! Life is good. :)