Shelly Hemig, your kids are out of school for the summer. What are you going to do now? We’re going to Disneyland!

Hi friends! As you have probably guessed, my name is Shelly Hemig, and this travel journal is going to be about my family’s trip to Disneyland. We haven’t actually gone, yet, but I thought I’d build the suspense by giving you a glimpse into the travel preparations that will take place over the next few days.

Let me introduce you to my family. Jim, 33, has been my husband for almost 12 years and the love of my life for 16 years. We were high school sweethearts who could never imagine being with someone else. He’s the pre-press manager at our local newspaper, which means he oversees all the work that goes on behind the scenes -- from creating and laying-out ads on the page, to incorporating the articles, to creating plates to be run on the press. I feel the need to explain because most people don’t know what a pre-press manager does.

I’m a 32-year-old stay-at-home mom and a freelance writer. I think that keeps me just as busy as Jim. We have two sons. Bryan is 6 and will be 7 at the end of August. He just graduated from kindergarten (sigh), and he is looking forward to starting first grade in the fall. Aaron, my baby, is 3 1/2, which means he is no longer a baby at all. (Sigh again.)

The photo of us is a year and a half old now, but I will be including a more recent picture, from our trip, in a future journal entry. For those who are wondering how we ended up with such blond boys (and you wouldn’t be alone), Jim was a tow-head as a child, and I once had golden blond curls.

The reason we’re going to Disneyland this year? Jim’s parents have invited us, as well as his two brothers and their wives, for an all-expenses paid trip. It was too good to pass up. The special significance of meeting at Disneyland lies in the fact that Jim’s great grandfather once owned part of the land on which Disneyland now stands. There is a tree in the Plaza that was actually on the original land. Every visit to Disneyland includes taking a picture of family members standing in front of the tree. This will be the first year our kids, the great, great grandchildren, will be part of that family tradition.

It’s also Disneyland’s 45th anniversary, and they always plan killer special events during their five-year anniversaries. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year. So come along on our journey. Let’s see what we can discover together, not only about Disneyland, but about exploring the world with our kids. It’ll be fun. You’ll see.