Sunday, November 25, 2007

Thanksgiving Break

Our Thanksgiving break was so great! We had so much fun with our families and mostly eating lots of good food. We got to go down for a whole week but both Ryan and I felt like it was the fastest week ever, too bad:(


Let's just make a point here to say that this was YESTERDAY, yes that's right, yesterday. It's hard to believe cause it is like 30 degrees out now. It was the best way ever to end our vacation, and Ollie found his new love, eating sand.

My sister Leah and Oliver enjoying a little dip in the hot tub. Since my family is so big and our current house is so small, my parents actually go to a hotel while we're all there so there's room for everyone. The hot tub is one of the greatest benefits to this ritual.

Both our families went CRAZY over Ollie, he is SOOOO loved. Plus, let's be honest, he is totally adorable and so much fun. I was surprised cause he seems like he's getting into that seperation anxiety phase, but he went to everyone and loved it.

Ryan and I LOVE hot tubs, especially when they're like 102 or above, any less than that, it feels luke warm. It was an especially wonderful hot tub night cause there was a little breeze and some fog, that's the best. Oliver and Noelle both love to be in the water splashing. Ollie thinks he can swim already. He almost jumps out of your arms, as if he could swim a few laps. My parents taught us early on so we were all good swimmers by two or three. Ollie will most likely be a water baby as well.



Laura and I at Universal Studios, on the Backlot tour. It was the coolest part of going there. There were these little towns that were made to look like New York and Mexico, so cute. They had the original set from Psycho, Bate's Motel. And for those who watch Desperate Housewives, we drove down Wysteria Lane (is that what its called?) We also drove past the closed studio sets of so many shows, the Office, CSI, Heroes, it was cool.








Ryan and I on the Queen Mary.









I literally could not put this kid on the ground at the beach because he demanded to eat sand. Finally I just said, well, let him and he'll figure it out and probably stop, cause it really won't taste that good in a while. Wrong. Oliver just say no!!! It was hilarious nevertheless. Come to find that both Ryan and I were huge sand eaters, and hey, we turned out wonderful! At least he got a generous helping of minerals, good for his bones. And don't worry his poops today had quite a bit of sand in them, yummy.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Queen Mary, Lars, and so much more...

So last night Ryan and I got away for a bit, sans baby, and stayed in Long Beach. So we both had never been to the Queen Mary and my dad had two tickets so we thought it was worth a try. We brought some beach cruisers from my house and so we rode those across the bridge, on to the Queen Mary. It was pretty cool, but honestly a little dissapointing. I was expecting like Titanic type luxury and class and it is just so commercialized now with all it's shops and a hotel. But still fun, since we didn't have to pay for it:) And the bike ride was way fun. I didn't know it was used so much in WWII to ship the soldiers and their families to their destinations, I thought that was pretty cool. And the city of Long Beach bought it for only like 3.5 million, that's like a house!!! You know they made that back in no time.


So that night we saw the greatest movie, Lars and the Real Girl. It was so our kind of movie, I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone but that just makes me sad for those people that can't understand something so sweet and beautiful. It literally touched my heart and reminded me of the kindness and graciousness of people.

And Ryan Gosling did such an amazing job playing that character, he really should win something for his performance. Sometimes I think, seriously how hard can acting be, they get so much credit for nothing. But his performance makes you appreciate how someone can put their whole heart and soul into what they're doing and it makes it all so believable and worthwhile. And it had zero drama, it was just so nice to watch. Anyways, see it if you're a kindred kind of soul, if you don't know what that means, you're probably not.

Then we went to Outback which was Ryan's first experience and it was sadly dissapointing, too bad. But Ryan got the Onion blossom which was what he was most excited about and enjoyed every bit of it's fried, crunchy, goodness. Our meal earlier at El Pollo Loco was a thousand times better:) Why doesn't Utah have one yet, really? Such a pity.

So overall it was a glorious night of hot tubs, food, movies, sleep, not sleep:), and just hanging out that was so needed after so much baby time. It was my first night away from Oliver, and it was perfect timing. I think any earlier would have been too early for me. It was nice to leave and feel ready, not sad. It was a perfect getaway and it was so nice to come back and see Ollie's face light up at our return. Honestly, we both missed him sooo much, but sometimes you miss each other too! Good to know we still got it babe!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Tagged, thanks Linz!

So this is a hard one for me because most of the time I say exactly what I think, most of the time too much, and so there really isn't a lot that people don't know about me. So I am seriously just sitting here thinking of things to say, so wait a minute... 6 things about me that most people don't know

1) I used to have HORRIBLE stage fright, like to the point that I thought I would die. So like when I had to give talks in church, I would seriously have a meltdown and usually someone would do it for me or I would do it and feel like I might just die the whole time. I remember in high school that I would get special permission from my teachers to do my oral assignments after school just to them, it was seriously a big deal. And even reading out loud, oh dear, I would go into panic attack mode. It was funny cause when I got the job at the jail and I had to teach all by myself every day to like 30 people, even scarier inmates, I took on the challenge and was finally like, this needs to be over. So when I talked to them about fear, I was speaking from a lot of experience.

2) Like a lot of people I have weird OCD traits. Let me share a few. This happens basically all day but really bad when I'm watching tv or a movie. If I see a word on the screen I will spell in out with my fingers EXACTLY the way it was spelled, cursive if cursive, you know whatever font it was. Sometimes I will catch myself spelling a certain word all through a movie, and I'll wonder how many times I had spelled that particular word cause the movie was almost over. It gives me a headache. One more, so I have this thing about water. Ryan thinks it is so crazy, cause it is:) So I usually keep a water bottle and just refill it with, mind you, purified water out of a brita filter, you know. I could never just drink the tap, oh gross and so scary. So even if I fill it with the purified water but leave the bottle out until it gets room temperature, I call the water "old" and I seriously can't drink it anymore. Even if I put it back in the fridge, I can drink it but I secretely know it's been tainted and it was old at a time. As if water goes bad, I'm so weird.

3)I probably cry every day. I am totally one of those people that cry at a commercial, or if I see a homeless person on the street, or if I see something beautiful. Or when I listen to a beautiful song for the first time, totally cry. And now that I have a child, so much worse. And the worst, when I see someone cry, I am like required to cry or something. I am just real sensitive and actually I think I like it.

4) I am obsessed with people. I love to listen to people talk about their lives and make real connections with them. I could probably sit and listen to someone talk for hours. So because I need real connections with people, this sometimes makes me really apprehensive in getting to know people because my worst enemy is small talk. I would much rather say right when I meet someone, let's just cut to the chase, enough of the face values, who are you really, what do you believe in, what are you passionate about. I like when people say what they mean and mean what they say. Even if I totally don't agree with someone or dislike something about them, if they are genuine about it, I love that. So even though I can be really outgoing, I can also be really reserved, depending on how authentic I think a connection is with someone. So if I seem reserved, it's just cause I haven't gotten to know you yet, I'm waiting to cut the crap.

5) I like to make up songs for Ryan and Oliver and sing them to the top of my lungs, preferably in a mock opera voice.

6) So this last one a lot of people might know but maybe some of you don't. I have been obsessed with pregnancy, labor, and all that is related since a very young age. I have been watching "A Baby Story" on TLC since I was in like 7th grade, maybe even before that. So you think since I just had a baby, my cup would be pretty full. Nope, still love to hear about it, talk about it, read about it. So my dream has been for a while to be a midwife. Even in the midst of my labor, 7 cm dialated with no medicine, I was still like, this is the coolest thing ever. I love it all. When I was pregnant I couldn't read enough, just because I thought it was all so interesting. (Note: this does not mean I will be a baby machine, I might just have to live vicariously through others when I hit my baby limit).

Oh and a few short one's just for kicks, I won't let Ryan kill bugs in the house, I feel too bad for them, besides spiders, cause for some reason they don't count. I have always wanted to adopt, and still do. I have a small, maybe not so small, obsession with traveling. Ryan calls it my secret porn addiction cause I get on the computer on travel sites and I can't get off. I LOVE to cook and hope to be really good at it someday. I love to exercise, it makes me feel alive. I need the sun, but I love the rain.
I'm supposed to tag 6 other people but let's just say that if you are reading this and haven't done it, do!!! It is so fun to read everyone's.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Veteran's Day

So I went to the post office today to mail out some packages from their automatic postage machine (thank goodness for those). So as I was there, people kept walking in, really bothered that the post office was closed and they kept wondering aloud why. It was really sad that so many people didn't even know it was Veteran's Day. So I just needed to say how grateful I am to live in this free country and that a price was paid for me. Both of my grandfather's fought in WWII and I admire them so much for that, it is truly heroic. I am glad there is so much good to fight so much evil. So Happy Veteran's Day and may we all appreciate what we have a little more.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Are you kidding me?


So I need to express appreciation at the fact that I am in shorts and a tank top laying on a blanket outside (Oliver is eating leaves at the moment, whoops, I don't even care). It is SUCH a glorious day outside today and I know there is a God in heaven because he brought this warm day in the middle of November, lets not even think about how it was last year. SO my time in Utah may be a hard time, but someone understands! Actually it might even be warmer here right now than California! Nevertheless, we are still SOOOO excited to go home in about a week for Thanksgiving. I am officially hot, almost sweating, this is crazy. Global warming anyone? Oliver wants to eat computer, better wrap this up, hope everyone can get out today and enjoy some warm sun on their skin, mmmmmmm:)

Friday, November 9, 2007

I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL

So I HAD to include a video of the crazed guitar loving baby. Seriously today, the guitar was on the couch and it was almost all covered by laundry except a little piece showing out from under the clothes. So Oliver spots this piece of the guitar, knows it's there, and is determined to get to it, like always. So he gathers all his strength and pulls himself up to a standing position holding onto the couch for dear life and stands there until he falls, of course, but unusually doesn't make a big fuss, and goes right back to do it again. He is die hard. I didn't get that on video sadly, that would have been funny. I can't believe he's almost 8 months, doesn't time just go soo fast!

Friday, November 2, 2007

So this is what cold feels like...

So we went on a walk tonight before dinner and it is seriosuly getting cold which really makes me sad. You can't just go outside any time and take a little stroll and feel the warm sunshine. Oh, it makes us miss California or better yet, Hawaii!!! We hope to embrace sledding this year to make the best of our frosty conditions. Ollie already has a snow suit (thanks aaron and meg:)

Safari man and his lion cub!


So I realized that we didn't get a picture of all three of us, but I did get one of Ollie and Ry, so you get the idea of our safari costume. The dots on Ryan's face are because we visited an aborigine village along our jouneys to see the Lion pack. The trip was a success!!! And one even followed us home...