Happy 20th Disney Anniversary...

I can not remember a time when Heather did not love Minnie Mouse, it is just something that has always been. Bill went on a business conference that was held at the Disneyland hotel in 1989. He stayed at the actual original Disneyland Hotel but did not go into the park without his family being there. He did manage to do some shopping at a gift store and brought back Minnie Mouse for Jenn and a Mickey Mouse for Heather. It would not take long for us to realize this was a huge mistake as Heather wanted the Minnie not the Mickey. Eventually, big sister Jenn, gave in and allowed Heather to have both the Minnie and the Mickey. Heather's next Minnie Mouse, her first one, would come from The Disney Store in Denver in June, 1991. This would begin a very huge collection of Minnie Mouse's that spanned decades.

Heather with her Mickey

This was before she took sisters Minnie

We had the original cassette tape of Minnie Mouse Songs and we wore that out listening to it many times a day. Of course given enough time I am sure I could hum if not sing some of the songs still. One of the songs was entitled "The Girls on Mickey Street Know." We had some good friends that had two sons that were older and one of them liked to tease Heather by singing "The BOYS on Mickey Street Know." She would get so angry and yell/sing it at the top of her lungs.

Heather's two birthday's while living in Minnesota included the anniversary sparkle red, lit-up Minnie Mouse and the giggle Minnie that of course giggled when you pressed her stomach. I had told Heather that the red lit-up Minnie was too expensive for her birthday. Imagine the screams of sheer delight and joy in her eyes as she realized she got the red sparkle lit-up Minnie Mouse. Of course Minnie and Mickey were favorite picks for many birthdays including some after she was an older teenager. I could ask her what kind of cake she wanted and I knew the answer before she ever uttered a word. When we moved to Minnesota Heather got the Minnie Mouse room she wanted. One of my favorite birthday photos of Heather is for her 3rd birthday. She has a minnie outfit on, sitting on her Minnie Mouse comforter with all her Minnie's piled on her. 

Pile on the Minnie Mouses

One of many

In 1996, we decided to take our first ever family vacation that did not include driving to a family members house. Of course, we went to Disneyland to see the Farewell Season of the MainStreet Electrical Light Parade. We drove and arrived at our very poor quality hotel about dinnertime on August 7th, 1996. We had dinner at the restaurant on the property called the Spaghetti Station. It was dark by the time we got finished and walked back to the room. We had stopped at the van to get the first load of luggage and take upstairs to our room. Just as we got into the room, suddenly there were loud pops that sounded like gunfire. Please understand that the area that this motel was in was a very bad part of town. Bill came running into the room and told all of us to get down it was gunfire. Heather and Wendy were crying as we all huddled on the other side of the bed. It wasn't long before we realized it was the fireworks show from Disneyland going off and not the gunfire we had thought. Of course we never ever will let Bill live this one down.

The girls with the Disneyland Band

Iconic teacup photo

Goofy's Kitchen for lunch

Heather wiping away tears of joy to meet Minnie

The famous Mickey face

It would be over 7 years before we would get back to Disneyland and oh the changes that happened in those 7 years. We had heard that the least busy time was to go at christmas, like the actual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Boy, we were about to realize how wrong this was. We flew in and it was raining and it rained the entire time. However, we discovered many wonderful new things including a park called California Adventure, all the warmest and driest places to eat, the park, along with most everything else closes early on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is the busiest day of the year; rain or not. I would not trade or change this trip for anything. As we were cold and wet by the time we got to the rental car in the parking lot, we were also hungry. We dove around and nothing was open. I was heading to make a u-turn in this abandoned and burned hotel parking lot when we saw a restaurant in the parking lot that appeared to be open. Imagine our shock and surprise as this turned out to be the Spaghetti Station that we had eaten at so many years before. They had just closed but they said they had a fire in the fireplace and plenty of food. It was the best time ever for a Christmas Eve.

Heather with Minnie at her house Christmas 2003

The Spaghetti Station December 2003

So in 2006 we began going out to Disneyland for Spring Break in March, sad to say that this only lasted 2006 and 2007. Imagine our surprise as the trip in 2006 found us in rain again. We figured this must be the only time that we could go to Disneyland was with rain. It did make for a very nice time as the parks emptied out and those that could stand the rain and cold could have the best time ever. This was the time that Bill took a photo of no one on Main Street but a duck. We also learned that the shops stayed open an hour after closing. Most of the time, Bill and jean would go back, Wendy was with Rose and Heather would link her arm in mine and beg to go shopping. Heather bought a Minnie Mouse every time she went and one of these times she bought the giant Mickey AND Minnie. I asked her where they were going to go and she proudly told me in her bed. They now sit on my couch in the living room.

50th anniversary Minnie

Just a stunning photo of Heather in Fantasyland

I never imagined that our trip in October 2007, would be the last trip before cancer came into our world. Heather had cancer, we just did not know it. She had broken her toe and was in a wheelchair. It was kind of nice because we got to bypass most of the lines. Of course things are very different now. That hardest part was shopping while pushing the wheelchair. The stores would be crammed packed and the wheelchair was a beast. As we left that time of course Heather bought a Mickey and a Minnie. one of the most iconic photos was a cell photo that Jenn took as we were about to leave was with Heather and her new Mickey. Who would have known how drastically our lives would change in just 5 short months.

One of my favorite photos

During Heather's chemo I realized that we would be finished in time for us to plan a trip to Disneyland for her 21st birthday. I went thru the travel agent and splurged for the Disneyland Hotel and also to fly instead of driving. Between Wendy being pregnant and Heather recovering and still doing monthly chemo it just seemed like the way to go. We would be in the park for Heather's actual 21st birthday. Long story short, we got our own cast member to show us around Disneyland and California Adventure, we got a ride on the Lily Belle and got train station seating for the parade and fireworks. It was a magical trip that will stay with us all forever. Good memories were made during this trip.

Princess Heather with Minnie

21st birthday photo with Minnie and Mickey

 I had no way of knowing that our trip in December, 2008 would be Heather's last trip to her favorite place in the whole world. I never dreamed that I never took enough photos of the girls verses that parades and things to see. While those are nice and great, I would much rather have the photos of Heather. One of the things that Heather made us do, one Spring Break, was to take photos of her with all the princesses. This took hours but looking back now I am so thankful I have them. 

Wendy, Jenn and Heather selfie

I wonder how different today and this week might have been if Heather had been here. Would we have booked a trip to Disneyland for this special 20th anniversary? How many more Minnie Mouses could possibly have fit into this house? How many trips to Disneyland would Heather have made by now. She wanted to be a princess character at Disneyland, she also wanted to live in the castle and she wanted to have the big Disneyland Wedding. For some reason I think all this would have happened. My love of Disney is very personal and keeps my Heather close. I make new memories with my GRANDgirls and hope with the rest of my family for many more years to come. It truly is the most magical place, but for me, it all began with a girl mouse and a little girl who truly loved this mouse with all heart. 

August, 1996-December, 2008

"That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up"
~Walt Disney