Christmastime at Disneyland:

Something you must do before you die is experience Disneyland at Christmastime. They do it up right: decorations, twinkle lights, bright red poinsettias, snow and castle lighting in the evening, and Christmas music to set the holiday tone. It is absolutely beautiful!

We went the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, which I highly do not recommend because it was super busy and about an hour wait on every single ride. It was a bummer, but we enjoyed doing all the things we don't normally do like having lunch on the veranda at the chicken restaurant, checking out all the scientific stuff at Innoventions, Captain EO with Michael Jackson (oh my, the 80's were out of control), and watching the holiday parade. My brother James went with us, and we met his friend Stacy and her family there at Disneyland. It was so much fun!

Waiting in the hundred hour long line to see Tinkerbell in Pixie Hollow. So not worth the wait, we walked in and Tink was standing around guffawing with other employees and barely paused to take a pic. Anna was so excited to meet her, and yet it was kind of awkward. Oh well. Here we are waiting in the line, we had lots of time to take pictures :).

The flag ceremony is one of the best parts about Disneyland. Every evening, they retire the flag on Main Street Square with a salute to the military. The band plays the national anthem and invites everyone to sing along. Then, they play the songs from each branch of the military and call those who have served or are currently serving to come stand in the front. As the ceremony closes, they ask us to sing a lullaby to our country, "God Bless America", and everyone breaks out in song while the band plays the beautiful melody.

I met a girl who's husband walked to the front as the Marine song played. She was pregnant and she told me he is going to Iraq for the third time. He will be gone a year, he will miss the birth of their first baby.

My father and brother, who is an Air Force ROTC Cadet at BYU, stood in the front alongside a young woman in Air Force blues. Her mom stood back, silently crying while the band leader saluted her daughter. She snapped a couple pictures while wiping her eyes.

We have gone to this flag ceremony a few times now, and every time I feel something deep within. Pride, loyalty, and heartwarming camaraderie. As I stood there, barely singing through my emotion, I looked down at my children both facing the flag with their hands on their hearts.
"God Bless America, land that I love.... my home sweet home!"

Disneyland, we love you!