Top 10 Moments of 2012 [reposted from February 2013]

It’s awards season, and time to name my personal “best moments” of 2012.  If 2011 was the year of Harry Potter, then 2012 is the year of Disneyland.  Will Disneyland be able to do what Harry Potter couldn’t last year, which is take home the top prize?

 10^th Best Moment: Flagstaff Snow Trip

What made it great? Building snowmen, sledding, snowboarding lessons, getting to be a human ski lift for both kids, snow angels, and Granny’s Closet.

9^th Best Moment: The Big Haboob

What made it great?  The spontaneity.  While heading downtown for dinner we saw it moving in.  After watching the initial destruction from a parking garage we decided to run and dance through it before the calm hit and we enjoyed our dinner.  Great laughing.  Freedom.  The falling palms and flying pepper shaker.  The calm.  The cats.  And Pizzeria Bianco.

8^th Best Moment: Arizona Grand Staycation

What made it great? Reese’s bravery and excitement for thrill rides, lazy river, dive-in movie and smoothies, friends, relaxing, and Rustler’s Roost.

7^th Best Moment: Girl’s Night Out

What made it great?  Watching Reese.  Dining out in matching pajamas and getting funny looks and questions about whether or not they were quintuplets.  Passing along my fine tradition of covert, late-night, sidewalk-chalk art.  Dangerous trampoline games.  Pancake art for breakfast.

6^th Best Moment:  February Disney Trip

What made it great?  4 days at the happiest place on earth.  The things we don’t normally do – like Tom Sawyer Island, Aladdin Theater, Dole Whips, and Autopia.  The Kingdom Keeper effect.  The World of Color.  Watching Gray’s imagination grow.

Jedi Training

World of Color

5^th Best Moment: September SoCal Trip

What made it great?  Two days at Disneyland.  Cars Land.  The beach.  Body boarding with Reese.  American Girl store.  Friends.

Lego Derby

Laguna Beach

4^th Best Moment: Pat’s Run

What made it great? Reese and Gray’s support.  The Kids’ Zone.  The mist system.  Reese’s excitement and effort in the kid’s run.  The weather.

3^rd Best Moment: Los Angeles Trip

What made it great?  Making downtown LA a family destination.  Exploring the architecture.  The library.  Union Station.  The Suns/Lakers game.  And Reese’s graduation to a true thrill-ride park at Magic Mountain – the rain only made it more fun.

2nd Time Took a Bit of Convincing

Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom!

The Buccaneer Ride - He talked a big game before but at least he made it through.

X2 The first time - The ride of my life (going into it blindly)

Goliath - First time around

2^nd Best Moment: Christmas in San Francisco

What made it great?  Christmas in New York might be the only thing that beats it.  The shopping and traffic in Union Square.  The lights and decorations.  The trolleys.  Bike riding over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito.  Fisherman’s Wharf.  The hot tub.  Thai food.  Ferry boats.  Alcatraz.

Macy's

Union Square below

Trolley ride through the city to see Christmas lights

I just don't feel like a tourist without Bubba Gump's

Hotel hot tub

Boarding the ferry in Sausalito

The Best Moment of 2012: Mickey’s Halloween Party

What made it great?  Bringing to life the spirit of Halloween.  The Disney villains out in full force.  Costume watching.  The parade.  The fireworks.  The decorations.  Ghost Mountain and the Haunted Mansion.  The trick-or-treating.  The ice cream.  No lines.  The after party.  Reese’s dance-off with Buzz.  Disneyland again the morning after.

California Screamin'

Honorable Mentions:
April/May Disney Trip: Gray was very much into the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Toy Story ride.

First aid station to treat knee complications

First ride of the early morning - Grizzly River Run

Dole Whips are a new tradition

Hiking: Always good memories, but no specific hike cracked the top 10.

Zoo: I love exploring animal life with kids.  These moments might get discounted when it comes to my top 10 list because they happen more frequently, but they are special nonetheless.

Golf: A new way to get outside and explore wildlife with the kids.  Reese is old enough to drive the cart and there is always plenty to see - especially on the desert courses.  2012 was a good year for those moments.

Baseball/Wiffleball:  We played a lot of baseball and wiffleball in 2012.  Again, some of my favorite moments in general but no one moment to look back on as top 10 worthy.  The  inaugural Thanksgiving Day Wiffleball Game came close.