Ho, hum- My baby turned 1!

 

My little girl just turned ONE! I can't decide how I feel about it. On one hand I feel such joy as I watch her grow each day into her own little person. On the other hand I'm like- STOP GROWING. Every stage is great, but I am especially enjoying this one. She is getting close to walking and she loves to jibber jabber and reach for me all the time and say "mama." It never gets old.

When I think about the person I have become since she came into my life it's like, who was I? I don't even know that person. It's because when a child enters your life your feeling of self importance goes right out the window. And guess what, it's the best thing that could ever happen to you. Spending all day worrying about something other than yourself is how you really find yourself and, find real pure joy. I look around me and I just see more love, kindness, and happiness in the world. I want to be a better person because I want Olive to look to me as someone that she would want to be like. 

It's crazy to look back on our lives and think everything is just a moment in time. Moments we never get back. So I live each day with this baby girl of mine to the very fullest. I want to look back and remember it being such a happy wonderful time,  because that is the way it should be. Instead of stressing about her emptying out my whole cupboard in 0.2 seconds I realize I have my whole life to have an organized cupboard but I don't have my whole life to have the cutest little giggling baby who looks like she has struck gold when she finds my wallet and promptly empty's out the whole thing. I sit and savor those precious moments when I get to rock my sweet little baby to sleep, because those are the moments that you will never get back, and they mean so so much to me. 

Raising you Olive has been the greatest joy of my life. You are so perfect baby girl. I love you so very very much. No matter what you do, or who you become, you will always be so very loved.

 

Summer Vacations!

Kimo, Olive and I just got back from some time away. It was so needed. Just to get some rest and spend time together was so wonderful. Now I'm back home and staring at this house and wondering where I should start. I've run out of excuses to delay it any longer. Ok, there still is the money excuse (and that's a legitimate one.) But here are some pictures from our trip. ENJOY!

 

It started with ANOTHER road trip with my sister and two babies (yes we are crazy.)  She was headed to a wedding and we thought we'd spend the day in LA before we parted ways (KC flew in that evening.) We did all the cheesy touisty stuff, and on the whole I decided I would never want to live in LA. It's just not for me. But then again I'm sure there are amazing parts that I just didn't see. Mostly because it takes 4 hours to drive 3 miles. (Ok, that was an exaggeration- but really that traffic is NOT COOL.) I did however get to see Fred and Ginger's stars on the hollywood walk of fame and that, my friend, was pretty legit!

 

 

We visited the wax museum. It was pretty cool. Some looked so real it was creepy and others not so much, either way I am in awe of what these people can do! I'm not sure if Olive knew if they were real or not. She did stick her finger in the biebs mouth, and that's how she greets everyone so.... you just don't know what's going on in that little brain of hers! I also pretended I was dancing with Fred and that I was David Beckham's hot date because, come on!

 

Then we picked up daddy and headed to Huntington beach. We lounged, we played, and just enjoyed being with each other. We were there during the Huntington Beach world's surf competition, and so we spent our time watching some sweet surfers and enjoying the festivities.

While in California I allowed Olive to eat fists full of sand. She thought she had died and gone to Heaven. She also threw the BIGGEST tantrum I have ever seen when kc and I bought some gelato. We both had a cup and were giving her every other bite of ours (so we had halfs and she had a full one.) When we ran out she LOST IT! We couldn't find a garbage anywhere in site to get rid of the cups and so she just screamed till we got to the car. Nice one Olive. No more ice cream for you! 

 We headed home, and then we were off on our next adventure. A little Family Reunion in Albion, Idaho. 

We visited the city of rocks which was AMAZING! And I am defiantly going back. As soon as possible. (Olive needs a nice long break from car trips before I go anywhere else for now) We climbed to our hearts content and Olive just loved crawling up those boulders. What can I say, she takes after her mamma. I don't have many other pictures because I just lost myself when I was with my family. It was so fun. We just played and played and played. Ours is a family that knows how to play. With 7 siblings and 20 grand kids under the age of 9, it's not hard to find someone to do something with you. I walked away from this trip thinking families are so special, And I just love mine so much. 

 

Life Lately. 

It's actually slightly comical that I am doing a blog post right now, since I need to do about a thousand things to get ready for my trip tomorrow, but little Olive has been on the clingy side lately, and sometimes you just need a break ya know? So while I am waiting for the little rascals bed time I will update you on what we have been up to as of late. 

 

 

Olive, Daddy, and I took a little walk up Rock Canyon. Banshee Bones you see here should be in her little ergo carrier, but honestly I am lucky she lasted in it as long as she did. Girl loves to be carried by her mamma. Good thing she is so cute, rascals gets away with murder. 

 

 

Took a little bike trip down to the local store for some rice cakes and nutter butters. Girls got to keep her figure some how, ya know?

 

We visited the Zoo. Olive loved it! She really loves animals (but what kid doesn't), she also had a great interaction with a 200 hundred pound gorilla but I was too enthralled by what was going on to pull my camera out. Sorry! Also good job Hogle Zoo for keeping it surprising cool there in weather that makes you kind of want to die at times.

Ummmm I'm sorry but, how adorable is Olive just relaxing in this chair?? I thought she would immediately try to get out when I set her there but she just was like "oh, I kind of like this, I think I'll stay a while" I had to legitimately talk myself out of buying it... the price helped a little.

 

 Been wanting to going to the SLC farmer's market for a while (it was on my summer to do list), and it didn't disappoint. We got some delish Mediterain food and some yummy peach habenaro jam. Also been wanting to meet up with this amazing girl forever too, LOVED seeing her. Your'e a babe Kristina.

 

Olive's super cheesy grin. (I love it)

 

Olive telling mamma, take me home now. I'm done.

 

My sister in law Angie and Olive's cousin June. We all took a little hike ( if you can call it a hike, it's really like a 5 minute walk up a cement pathway) to this water fall. Provo Canyon seriously can't be beat, it's so beautiful.

 

Lastly here is little Olive playing on a little playground near our house. It was one of those mornings where you leave the house in your Pj's and you kind of really don't care cause you just need to get out. After I took this picture I had a little panic attack because Olive looks so OLD and she is almost one and I really really really am not ready. Life has been crazzzy, but hopefully I will find some time in the near future to show you our new house! Stay tuned! 

 

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA

There are about a million things I should be doing right now instead of this blog post, but you know what- I don't care! I've had a rough morning and I'm taking a break from life to show you what we did on the 4th of July! I had a conversation with some of my friends last night and they thought that Provo went a little overboard with the 4th, but you know what I disagree! I think the 4th is one Holiday that Provo does right! And if you don't want to celebrate this holiday you better hide in your house, because everywhere you turn there is something going on!
(however you might still hear the fireworks... so I guess there is no escaping it)

After I got home from work yesterday Olive and I started off our 4th by jumping into our matching blue and white strips (and red sandals) and heading for the parade! Holidays and major events are times when you can see the tides of your life because you can look back and think about what you had done in past years. It's always so nostalgic. On July 3rd everyone camps out on university street in Provo. It's fun and games all night. I think it started as people camping out for the parade, but if you are like us- after staying up that late all night you are out for the count once the parade comes and you are just trying your best to shield your eyes from the sun and plug your ears from the noise! Last year Kc and I went with some people and rode our bikes around while I was 9 months prego. I got a lot of stares, but it was so so so fun- especially because I will probably never spend a 4th (or 3rd rather) like that in my life again! (told you, nostalgia)  But, now I have a baby! And NOTHING makes holidays more fun than kids and watching how they just lap up every minute of it! 
Oh life, how I love you.

Then we went home and took naps. 

When we woke up it was time for round two with Daddy and our family at the pool. Olive crawled around in that pool for a good three hours straight! 

Operation water baby is in effect! 

(someday I'll figure out how to keep me finger out of these shots... :| )

Then we went home and prepped ourselves for a night at the Cirac residence. Homemade salsa, hot dogs, and some fireworks I bought but never got to light off. 

Unless you consider sparklers fireworks. But I don't.

We listened to the electric guitar, we talked about yoga and personality tests, we got throughly yelled at by a neighbor, we pranced around with sparklers, and of course- we ate a serious amount of food. 

And that my friends, is how you do a 4th of july right. 

I am so beyond proud to be an american and for all the rights we have. I really really am. Thanks to all the men who risked and lost their lives. They really deserve a lot of respect and love and appreciation. 

Thank you, and Happy 4th of July!