California trip

We took a spur of the moment trip to California in August. It was perfect! We were planning on going home but didn't know when would be best. I picked the date a week before and we pulled it off. I'm grateful Michael is so easy going with my spur of the moment ideas. 

This trip was special though. I have been wanting to take Michael, Olivia, and Walt to my favorite place. My family goes to mammoth every year for Labor Day and when I was 21 I had only missed two year. Then I got married and it got harder to travel and we have two families to spend time with so we went to mammoth the first year we were married and hadn't been back. It broke my heart but it never worked out. So I decided to have my family meet us in mammoth before we headed down for Bakersfield.

The trip is 3 hours shorter and it surprisingly makes a huge difference! The kids did great in the car and we only stopped once for gas. We got to mammoth around 6 and enjoyed the rest of the evening exploring Olivia's new surroundings.

Since my dad came to visit the week before Walt only wanted him or me but I'm the mommy so that's a given. Any time my dad was around he would reach for him. He even fell asleep when he was sitting with him. 

We went to the hot creek fish hatchery and had a personal tour. We have been countless times growing up but this time was the best. We were there at feeding time and the fish and game worker gave us a special tour and told us tons of fun facts. We tried to get Rachael to make a move but she was too shy. Olivia loved the fish and we only planned on being there for 20 minutes but we were there for an hour and a half. I was not prepared and poor Walter got the worst sunburn. I felt like the worst mom. It blistered and was so red. His little head was pink but and his arms looked fine until you pulled his shirt up and there was a huge difference in color.  I felt so bad. 

This picture makes me laugh. 

That night was the harvest moon and mammoth mountain was open on top till 10 so we hurried and got ready and road the gondola to the top of the mountain to see the view. I love that mountain and was so grateful to get to do so much in the short 2 days we were there. Olivia was a trooper! She was so good even though it was so late.

On Sunday we went on a short hike and by short I mean we walked 200 yards. We mostly went to see the view of mammoth mountain and the minarets in the daylight.

We also went to see the horseys. Once I graduated my family started going to mammoth and doing tons of fun things like horseback riding. I can't wait to go next time! For now Olivia loves to see horses any time she can.

We went to my favorite breakfast place called the stove. I have so many memories of playing on that rock while we waited to be seated and after eating breakfast. Breakfast was amazing as usual!

We spent some time at horseshoe lake. We threw lots of rocks and Olivia got a little wet. We use to go swimming all the time with our friends at this lake. It has changed so much. It also rained most is the weekend and it was really cool. It was so cozy and nice.

Of course we went to church! I love my memories of walking to church and all the people there. This time on our walk back we found a new bear friend that Olivia loved!

We convinced my grandpa to go to mammoth with us and I'm so glad he came! It wouldn't be the same without him!

We finally got to go to the beach as a family! Michael has special memories of going to the beach with his dad and I knew how important it was to make those memories with Olivia and Walter. Walt enjoyed the water for a second then got hit by a wave then any time we went close to the water he had a death grip on us. Olivia wasn't too excited about the water until we left. The last 20 minutes we had so much fun playing in the water!!

After the beach my grandma had a small family reunion at her house since we were in town. We went swimming and it was the weirdest feeling watching Olivia swim with my sisters while I sat with the adults. I use to be the one in the pool while my mom sat by and watched. The picture below is just a quick picture I snapped That brings back so many memories. I have pictures of me running around my grandparents back yard while we sang happy birthday to someone. How am I old enough to be a mom!?

I'm grateful I was able to spend a few hours with my grandparents. They simply are the best!!

We spent one day in Bakersfield and took family pictures. 

I love my family so much! I hate living so far away from them. I'm grateful for the short time I got to spend with the and the fun Olivia and Walter had playing with her Oma, Opa, aunts and uncles. I am so blessed!!

8 months

Walter will be 9 months next week and I'm now writing about 8 months. I say this every post and will say it probably for the rest of his life but how is he almost 9 months!!? His life is flying by! I love him so much! Some fun facts about Walt

Walt screams in a really really high voice but when he babbles it's a deep scratchy voice. I am really excited to hear how his voice sounds when he starts talking. 

He loves to walk around holding my hands and if I'm any where need him he crawls to me as fast as he can and climbs up on me. He is a mommy's boy and I love it! 

Eats lots of food and is easy to feed. Still nurses and I plan on doing it until he is one. Doesn't sleep through the night and wakes up any where from 1-4 times at night. Usually for 4 or 5 nights he wakes up 3 times then for 3 nights he wakes up once then back to waking up a lot. Olivia was like this except she never woke up just once and she stopped at a year when I stopped nursing her. So I am going to torture myself and continue to nurse Walt even if it means I won't sleep for 4 more months. Hopefully he will be like Olivia and start sleeping through the night once I stop.

He is a calm little boy and loves to be on the go. With Olivia I felt busy with her moving all the time but with Walt there is a calmness to his busy moving.

He loves Olivia and is totally afraid of her. She can make him laugh like no one else. She loves him too and now that Walt can go where he wants she gets really annoyed with him fast. Mine is her favorite word because walt is always in her business. Last week Walt was in his room crying and I was taking my time waking up when I heard Olivia's sweet voice say "it's ok Walty! Ollie's right here!!" Over and over. She loves her baby brother! 

Walt is really enjoying his daddy now. He loves to play with him. It's fun watching their relationship grow. 

He is so funny when he copies our facial expressions. He does it all the time and is so darn cute!

He started clapping, waving and using his pointer finger. So cute

Loves the bath and splashing 

He got his first little hair cut over his ears and I feel like it made him grow up! And giving him hair cuts won't be an easy job!

He can stand on his own for 5 seconds and is getting braver about letting go of the couch or what ever he his using to support himself with. 

He is such a happy kid and so laid back. I love him so much!! Being a mother is the best!!!

Summer

We have had a lot of fun this summer. We enjoyed a few baseball games, Rigby lake a few times, visits from family, home made ice cream, playing in the back yard, lots of trips to the zoo, walks around the temple, and lots more. Summer is coming to a close and I'm not sure how I feel. Today it was 50 degrees and it has rained a lot this week. I love the cozy feel of autum on its way but don't want to be stuck inside for the next 10 months. I was melting my Christmas Yankee wax melts and got excited to put up my fall decorations and make some soup then I though how sad it will be to put my cute shorts away for the winter. I'm not sure how I feel about this change so I'll just enjoy today and all of this love rain! Summer has been good to us!

7 1/2 months

How is this kid almost 8 months!? We keep talking about how we remember taking care of Olivia as a newborn for a long time but with Walt it lasted over night. On july 27 Walt started crawling! He moved about 4 feet then after that he realized his new freedom and hasn't stopped crawling. Then the next night I went in to get him when he was crying and he was standing up in his crib! What!!? How did he grow up so fast!!?

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I'm so far behind on Walters updates. I felt bad but then I realized that I have been enjoying him so much that it doesn't matter. This little boy has stolen my heart. I love being his mommy. I love when he viciously attacks my face so he can suck on my chin. Or when he rests his head on me. Or how he is always crawling after me or climbing all over me. I love him so much!!

Time needs to slow down!