We went to California for a MUCH NEEDED VACATION...we were gone for 10 or 11 days--so there are a million pictures! We had such a wonderful time! We stayed with our great friends Mitch & Lindsay for a couple of days...it was so much fun to spend time with them! It felt like we were in college again! We went to the beach...Chris & Mitch took Brielle & Micah surfing--they all looked so cute in their wetsuits!
I am not a huge fan of sand...it just bugs me how it gets stuck all over you...I realize how lame I sound but it is the truth...it makes my skin crawl to see Brielle buried in the sand like this...you should have seen her after--sand was stuck EVERYWHERE and she could have cared less.
The problem with 1 year olds and the beach...the first thing he did was try to eat the sand...then he started rubbing his eyes...with his sand covered hands! Ouch!
Not a great picture of everyone...considering Linds is behind the pole...but it was the best I one I took!
We had a big dinner one night with all our college friends (they all live in Orange County)...it is CRAZY that we all have 2 kids! From L to R -- Garrick & Chelsea's boys, Mitch & Lindsay's little girl & boy, Brielle & Dean, Matt & Marie's little girl & boy and Jason & Holli's boys. We all had our 1st kid at about the same time...Brielle was the first one born, and the only girl! During our 'Party' Brielle came up to me and said--Mommy, why are there no girls my size?
The trip was great, we had so much fun! However, it is always so nice to come back home and get settled back in to normal life!
Here are my cute kiddo's and crazy husband! Chris is dressed as a 80's basketball player! I wish you could see his outfit a little better...here are a few details...His terry jacket has 'Zeus 00' on the back (Chris' team mates always called him Zeus), his shorts (which were his dad's swimsuit...many moons ago) are beyond short (I made him wear the white spandex under)...his mustache is courtesy of Dave (his brother) it is hideous...sorry we have not returned it (3 years later)!
Chris is a spaz! He wanted to get dressed up...without spending any money! So he dug out this costume that he wore to a Black & Decker/Dewalt 80's party 3 years ago! How cute is Dean!?! We kept finding Brielle sitting on the porch with the candy...she LOVES to hand out candy! Last year she sat on the porch too!
Dean likes to travel in style, he went trick 'r treating in his little car! The funny thing is...he thought he was supposed to get out every time and go INSIDE peoples houses. The first 2 houses they went to were elderly couples that live across the street and they both invited them inside...so he kept trying to go inside everyone's houses!
Brielle got to wear her costume to preschool. She started asking me at 8am if it was time to go yet (school starts at Noon)! Dean wore his monster shirt and smile!
The highlight of Deans day was going to my parents house and getting to control Lulu/Mickey Mouse on the leash!
I'm not quite sure what the deal is with Chris' stance...but he's doing it in every picture! We went trick r' treating, passed out candy, went to my parents (for sloppy joe's) then stopped by our friends the Losee's so Brielle could see her buddy Cash (he was Peter Pan too).
This is how I found Brielle at about 11pm! Chris let her go to sleep with her wings on...she told me before she went to bed that she did not want to stop being Tinkerbell...what a sweetie! Today she told me "Mom, I don't even know what I'm going to be for Halloween next year!" Good thing we have lots of time worry about it!
Big sissy's LOVE to control their siblings! Nat knows all about this!
Chris took these a couple of days ago when he was trying to rake the leaves that he had purposely shaken off the tree--he likes to get a head start on things! Dean and 
We stayed at 'The Venetian'...when we first went into our room and Brielle looked out the giant window that looked out over the strip she said 'wow, I can see the whole world from here!' We laughed so hard that she repeated this everytime we came back to the room! When we went in to the 'Canal Shops' with the Canal/Gondolas, Brielle said "this is the most beautiful place ever" and she could not wait to go on a gondola ride. She loved every second of it...especially our Gondolier who was from outside of Rome and sang beautifully while we glided along. Dean on the other hand was furious that he did not get to come (because he is obsessed with water and would have been trying to climb over the edge the entire time) and he cried mad tears at my mom the whole time!
A trip to Vegas would not be complete without dancing on the 'giant piano' at FAO Schwartz or breakfast at the Bellagio Gardens. 
Much of our trip was spent at Disneyland. We stayed at the Disneyland hotel--we did not even need to go into the parks for Brielle to get EXTREMELY EXCITED! She LOVES everything Disney! When we pulled up to the hotel; there was a HUGE Micky Mouse statue...she started screaming 'MICKY, MICKY! Look there is a HUGE Mickey!' Imagine how she reacted when she saw the Mickey & friends wallpaper in the bathroom!
Dean did NOT like the 'Character Dining'...we went to 'Goofy's Kitchen' and 'Breakfast with Minnie'...lots & lots of Disney Characters come around to your table and talk to you/take photos...Brielle LOVES it, Dean started to cry right after I took this picture because Minnie got too close!
Churro's are a BIG Gledhill family Disneyland tradition...my dad (who never buys treats) buys at least 1 for each person and then a couple extras just in case...we love them! This is Dean's FAVORITE part of Disneyland! Aunt Nat bought us this churro and he thought he had died and gone to heaven! He was walking off on his own, dancing...he thought he was all grown up!
After a couple days he started to warm up a little to the characters. This was right outside our hotel and he was feeling pretty confident because he had his Churro...(this was as close as he got)!
Bobpa & Nana could not stand being back at home in Utah -- missing out on all the fun--so they hopped in the car and drove to California for a couple days! 
We had such a great time with my whole family at Disneyland...as you can see from this picture...what kind of weirdo's did Nat and I marry? Tyler and Chris are totally posing for the camera! I'm glad my parents drove down...it was really fun to spend the day all together...having a great time! I'll always have wonderful memories of this day!
Dean loved his first trip to 'Never never land' (aka. Disneyland)!
We were so tired after our first day at Disneyland that we we took a break between days 1 & 2 and spent that day at the Pool -- this was the best idea ever! Chris rode his bike from San Clemente to San Diego (about 70 miles) twice -- yes, we had to drag the bike all the way down there! He even made Mitch go with him once - poor Mitch does not 'ride' bikes like Chris (he 'rides' waves), and he is diabetic! They spent the rest of the night on the couch! We had a party with all our old friends and went out to dinner (without kids) with all of them too! We were lucky to have such great friends when we were in college & living in California! I got to hang out lots and lots with my Nat Snat -- I miss you sissy! We relaxed!