September 2014- City of Rocks

We went on a rock climbing/camping trip to the City of Rocks in Idaho with the Asprey family. Levi Asprey and Andrew have been friends since they were kids.  Levi and his dad were the people who helped Andrew realize his love for rock climbing.  Our families get a long well and we had a lot of fun!  Jenna wasn't a huge fan of climbing with a rope and a harness but Andrew helped her and she did a great job!  She did however, love to climb the rocks without the gear.  She loves to scramble! Our campsite had a lot of flat rocks for the kids to climb and a fun little cave that they enjoyed playing in.  Jenna was so happy, energetic and confident! It was fun to see her enjoying her surroundings so much.  And as you can see below, Ivy had a blast too! It was so beautiful and we had a lot of fun! We would like to make it a new tradition.

This is one of my very favorite pictures of Andrew ever! He is such an awesome Daddy! :)

More 2014 Catch up - August San Diego trip

Writing about our most recent trip to San Diego made me realize I haven't even posted about our last trip to San Diego from August 2014! I am a little over 6 months behind!  We went to San Diego and stayed with Andrew's grandparents one night which was a lot of fun, they had fun toys for the girls and we enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. Then we drove to Carlsbad and stayed for free in Andrew's parents timeshare condo in Carlsbad.  Our friends, the Johnsons came and spent about 3 days with us. We went to the beach, the San Diego Safari Park, swan in the hotel pool, and went to La Jolla beach where the adults took turns sea kayaking.  We tried to find dolphins and show the Johnsons because we tend to see dolphins almost every time we go to La Jolla, but no luck. We did end up seeing dolphins at Carlsbad and from Oceanside pier later that week after the Johnsons had already left, darn!  We also introduced them to Ruby's Diner, on the Oceanside Pier.  We all had a lot of fun together! Jenna was a little apprehensive of the ocean at first, but she and I started playing a game where we chase the water as it goes on, and then run away from it as the waves crash on the beach.  When she was feeling more comfortable with the water we walked in up to about her shins, and then we held hands and jumped over the waves as they crashed. It was a lot of fun! The adults also boogie boarded, and Andrew surfed. Good times!

On Wednesday or Thursday of that week, the Johnsons headed north to go to Sea World and then head home and Andrew's sisters all came to stay at the condo with us.  Because Sara was coming home from her mission!  We met her at the airport and spent the rest of the week together.  We went to Ruby's again, played more at the beach, shopped and just hung out and enjoyed having Sara with us.  We attended her homecoming talk that Sunday, enjoyed a lunch with the Willardsons and then drove back to Utah. We love our San Diego trips!

On our way back home, we stoppeed at Zion's national park and went on a couple of hikes.  It was beautiful and a lot of fun! Jenna LOVES hiking. She is like a little mountain goat.  Ivy did great in her carrier and took a nap on me while we hiked. :)

We often stay at the Merkleys house in Vegas on the way to San Diego, the kids love spending time with their cousins.

 Safari Park

Ruby's Diner

Carlsbad Beach

Ivy saying "Ta-daa!"

Zion's National Park

March 2015 and trip to San Diego

     We have had a VERY busy last couple of months.  We packed up our house in Taylorsville, found renters, moved to Riverton, and will be unpacking for quite a while here. It felt a lot busier than it sounds.  Our family is growing, I am pregnant with baby number 3, and we felt like it was the right time to move on and find a more permanent home for our family that has more space.  We LOVE our home in Riverton.  It just kind of felt good when we saw it and had most things that both Andrew and I both wanted (most of the houses we saw either had what he wanted OR what I wanted).  We have a large yard and a lot of bedrooms to grow into.  We feel very blessed.
     It has been pretty exerting trying to pack/unpack/find renters/do tons of logistic paperwork stuff/ etc.  and try to take good care of the kids and give them the attention they desire and deserve.  So, we decided that we would take a trip to San Diego 2 weeks after we move, just to kind of get awat from all of the busy and spend time focusing on the kids and having a lot of fun together.  Mission accomplished!  Andrew was pretty stressed on the drive down there because he had a lot going on at work and just couldn't get into vacation mode.  Then, a few hours after arriving in San Diego, we were walking on the Oceanside Pier towards one of our favorite places to eat, Ruby's Diner, and Jenna was just soaking in the scene, enjoying seeing pelicans, fisherman, the ocean, and was super excited about going to Ruby's.  And she stretched out her arms and said "This is the best day of my life!"  Andrew and I both looked at her with adoration and then Andrew said "that makes it all worth it".  And from that point on, he was able to relax, have fun, and enjoy the vacation. :)
     We enjoyed eating on the pier at Ruby's, and then watching a movie together while eating popcorn in the hotel.  The next day we went to the beach and played in the ocean for a couple of hours. Jenna LOVES the beach! She wasn't apprehensive of the water at all.  And she repeated claimed "This is the best day of my life".  Ivy enjoyed the sand but wasn't too sure about the water.  On Sunday, we went to church in El Cajon and spent a few hours at Andrew's grandparents house and spent some good quality time with them.  Then we went to Andrew's aunt Jen's house for a dinner to celebrate Andrew's Grandma's 80th Birthday!  We had such a wonderful vacation! We had a lot of fun telling jokes on the way down.  Like "why shouldn't you give Elsa a balloon? Because she'll let it go!"  Jenna loved telling jokes and Ivy even seemed to have fun with it too. :)

 Jenna took this pic of a pelican that was sitting on the pier that we were walking on towards Ruby's. We got pretty close to it, it was pretty cool!


                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                       We love Ruby's!

 Popcorn/movie night!    

At the beach! Jenna stylin' her awesome beach wear.

Daddy and the girls playing in the ocean

Jenna and I with sand mermaid tails covering our legs. Ivy didn't get her legs buried but had fun playing with the sand.

Jenna LOVES the beach!

  Ivy playing

Running towards the ocean

Fun sand

Matching hats

Asleep on the ride home to Utah, too cute not to take a pic. :)

My Favorite Thing

My favorite thing in the whole world is feeling trusted and loved by my children.  The other day, Ivy was in her car-seat, rear facing, and I was in the driver's seat.  It had snowed quite a bit the week before so Andrew and I thought it would be wise to get the car washed, since it had so much salt on it from the city trying to melt the snow on the roads.  Ivy had never been in the car during a car wash that she would remember.  During the beginning on the car wash, I told her the car was getting a bath, and made it sound really fun.  She was amused and seemed to be really enjoying it.  But after a couple of minutes, a new phase of the car wash began, and it was loud.  It got kind of dark in the car as well because of the machine's rags and soap covering the car.  Ivy let out a frightened cry.  I reached my hand back to her and I said "it's ok, Mommy's here, it's ok.  She grabbed my hand and immediately stopped crying.  I was struck by how quickly and easily she was comforted.  Just by hearing my voice and touching my hand.  It made me feel so special.  What an incredible gift I am blessed to have to be a Mommy, and to be so trusted.  I love my children, and I love my very special role in their lives. :)