Endless Sweat and Play

July whizzed by! Here are 5 events from July that stand out (don't worry, our Cape Cod trip is already engrained to memory. See last post). 

Sneak peak of the 5th event at the temple. Keep reading to know more.

1) Lindon Outdoor Pool with friends--Saturday, July 1

We met the Hendricks at the Lindon pool. The last time we were there, I was 9 months pregnant with Isabelle, so it had almost been 4 years. This is a spectacular pool. James has guts and wanted to try everything. He climbed up the rock wall a few times and managed to complete the obstacle course without dumping it. (He bragged and told people he did better than Dad. Sorry, Andrew.) Since our last time at the pool, there is an additional humongous slide that thrilled James. He went down a handful of times. Isabelle enjoyed the smaller slide. Our kids could have stayed all day. After all of that activity, James couldn't keep his eyes open on the car ride home.

Trip to LA to help Jess and Chris move-- Thurs, July 14- Monday, July 18

Another one bites the dust. Farewell to more family. I tagged along with Jessica and George on their car ride to Los Angeles. Rosie and Chris were in the U-Haul. We broke the drive up and spent the first night in St. George. Overall, George did well for a 15 month old. He is all boy and might have a career in baseball one day. He is quite good at chucking food and toys. He tinkered with lots of dollar-store toys Jess bought. The low point was when George threw-up twice. What a rancid smell.

The Elders Quorum was set to come and help unload the U-Haul. It ended up being less people than anticipated (Only 1 man came for the first chunk). Unloading took awhile. Jess and Chris found the perfect spot. They are walking distance from the LA temple. Their apartment is fabulous. It is the brightest apartment with huge windows. Jessica has already managed to make it look chic. We unpacked, ate delicious food, went on walks, and meandered around the Santa Monica Pier. It's just not the same as having Jessica 3 minutes away and my heart is already hurting. 

Sound of Music Play at Sundance--Thursday, July 20

What a night! After seeing "Cinderella" at this venue last year, buying tickets again this year was a must. "Sound of Music" is my all-time favorite. Jill, Grandma Langlois, and I went together. We missed you, Jessica! We are all very familiar with "The Sound of Music" and have seen the movie countless times. Jill noticed they took out the song, "I Have Confidence." Such a shame. I rolled my eyes through the 2 solo songs they added for the baroness (who we all agreed was our least favorite actress). 

I laughed lots and enjoyed the evening immensely. Maria could not have been better. Her voice was stupendous and her acting was natural. The nuns were incredible too. The Von Trapp family dynamic was chipper and light. The "Sound of Music" is lengthy, but they trimmed it down. (Again, we noticed tiny details like the song "Lonely Goatherd" didn't include puppets and "Favorite Things" was oddly placed. True fans right there.) I chuckled endlessly at Grandma's "feud" with her seat mate. Our seats were so close--4 rows back and centered. Ideal. It was refreshing to be in the mountains and a nice respite from the heat. We had a steep walk back to the car which I will never forget. Until next year, Sundance!

Timpanogos Cave Hike-- Saturday, July 22

We checked another item off of our summer bucket list! After reading many reviews, I was hesitant to do this hike. It is known for being hard and strenuous and over 3 miles roundtrip. I decided it would be easier to complete this hike this year before adding a baby to the crew. I got tickets over a month in advance. Children's tickets cost $7 each and adults $12. Our kids rocked the hike. The steep cliffs and drop-offs mentioned online were less intense than I imagined. The hike up was extremely steep! Luckily, we went early in the morning to beat the scorching temperatures. Going in, I was warned that this experience is a long one and to plan on 3+ hours. We began at 9:00am and made it back to the parking lot around 12:15. (It should have been later, but they had room to sneak us into an earlier cave tour.)

As always, I brought snacks galore and goodies helped us forget our calves were burning. Jill and Daisy joined us and Andrew carried Daisy in a hiking backpack. We toured the 3 caves once we made it to the top. The caves stay 45 degrees Fahrenheit year round and it was rejuvenating to explore them. We brought jackets. Daisy especially was intrigued in the caves. Isabelle was a bit weary at first because of the darkness, but she got used to it. At one point, all the lights in the cave were turned off. Talk about utter darkness. 

By the time we made it down the mountain, it was getting toasty. Walking down the mountain was way faster and easier than climbing up it. On our way home, we grabbed ice cream cones. James immediately went to lay down on his bed for awhile. He worked hard! We went over 10,000 steps and 4 miles. Note to self-- Izzy's hiking sandals hurt her feet. Also, leave hiking backpacks at the checkpoint, so Andrew doesn't have to trek back up to the cave entrance. I'm thrilled this hike happened!

Isabelle's birthday-- Sunday, July 23

We did not have a big party this year for Isabelle's birthday. Isabelle has many people that love her. I took her shopping and let her pick out her present from us. She chose a 3 pack of barbie mermaids from the new "Little Mermaid" movie. Isabelle got so many awesome gifts that family mailed to us. A mermaid dress-up, an Isabella (from Encanto) dress-up, a "How to Be a Mermaid" book, a box of 20 fun rings (you'd be surprised how many Izzy can wear at once), a Barbie nightgown (something Izzy has been eying and trying to save for), a squish mellow, a mermaid sensory box, a Cold Stone gift card, and a barbie that changes color in the water. Isabelle chose pizza for her birthday meal and waffles for breakfast.

She wore this nightgown to the aquarium the next day.

Things I want to remember about Isabelle:

• Isabelle can make a friend wherever we are--the park, beach, playground, you name it. She is very social and is always sad to say goodbye to new friends.
• Isabelle has not outgrown outfit changes. She likes to change a handful of times each day. She cares a lot about her clothes and accessories. She wears high heals often. She's always up for having her nails painted.
• Isabelle had her 4 year old checkup. She went dressed in her Isabella costume wearing heels. The doc asked where we were going. Nowhere. This is a daily occurrence. He told me he is not worried at all about her imagination. Izzy weighs 38 pounds (74 percentile) and is 41.1 inches tall (79 percentile).
• Isabelle loves to dance and is a natural. She is starting at a new dance studio in September.
• Isabelle still has a strong will. She hates cleaning her room and boy does it get messy, especially with all of her clothes/dress-ups. Brushing her hair is also tortuous, although chewing gum and picking music of her choice helps. She loves bubble gum. 
• Isabelle is beautiful. She gets compliments very frequently when we are out and about. I worry about this.
• Isabelle likes to sing. She sometimes sings extremely high which makes me giggle. She can sing all the books in the New Testament.
• Isabelle gets nervous. When we're going somewhere, she often asks, "do we have to go on the freeway to get there?"
• Isabelle can float and swim well.
• Isabelle is a mama's girl. She likes nights I put her to bed best. Isabelle comes out of bed/room most nights. She just wants to come see us and thinks of the funniest reasons and excuses for being out of bed. She still takes her time falling asleep and spends time playing with her barbies, singing, and reading in her bed.
• Isabelle inherited my facial expressions. Boy can she glare. She makes the funniest faces. We sure do love our not so little princess. 

Tyler and Hailee's Wedding

We got to see lots of family as we celebrated Tyler and Hailee's special day! There was a wedding dinner/talent show the night before. I learned that Hailee can sing! The couple was sealed in the Payson temple Saturday morning, and had an outdoor reception in the Wright's backyard. The weather was balmy, especially at the temple. Thankfully the reception was shaded. It was the perfect party setup. There was a food truck, ice cream, soda, photo area, etc. Logan and Julia came into town for the wedding as well as Kelly, Annie, Alayna, Lincoln, Maren, Tavia, Savannah, Macey, Olivia, and obviously Birch and Sara's family including Alex, Alexa, and baby Quinn. It was a delightful and tiring weekend. Tyler and Hailee were beaming.

Reception

Next up, a Ditto reunion!

The Cape

We spent a week playing on Cape Cod (July 3-10). We have been planning this trip for nearly a year. After spending the last fourth of July weekend miscarrying, I was determined to make better memories this year. Mission accomplished. As a matter of fact, Izzy exclaimed: "I want to move to Cape Cod!"

Jill and Rob were incredible hosts! They were so gracious to let us stay in their charming home. There were peanut butter cups from a local shop waiting for me. I devoured the entire box within hours. We managed to all share one bathroom with only 1 close call. My kids loved having Daisy as a constant buddy. Izzy said her favorite part of the trip was Jill's house. Jill's style is stunning. It is colorful, vintage, and absolutely charming. She has ideas that never would have crossed my mind. (using a quilt for curtains, stools as nightstands, and striped paint). Jill and Rob had many excellent ideas for things to do and really helped us cater the trip to what we wanted. Here are some highlights:

• Fourth of July boat parade. In one of the boats, someone was dressed in full costume as George Washington. The fire department boat with flashing lights was cute too. As soon as the parade ended, it started pouring rain. On our walk home, we got absolutely drenched. My phone was in my pocket and wouldn't charge because it said it was too wet. Fortunately, after a night indoors, my phone was salvaged. 

• Beach. We went to a few beaches and they all had a lot to offer. Kingsbury Beach was a private beach with calm water that is walking distance from Rob's parent's house. Veterans Beach had a playground for the kids. Kalmus Beach had a snack shack and sold fresh seafood. The water at all the beaches was warm which is the best. The beach reading was pretty great too. James could dig and build moats and sandcastles for days. Izzy made a friend at every beach. We spent hours at the beach and it was perfect. Jill even thought to bring paint for seashells. How clever. We ate lunch at the beach and Andrew ordered fresh fish and chips. Yuck. We also did a short hike on Kalmus Beach and walked on the jetty. The kids loved walking on the rocks on the water. An easy indicator that the kids enjoyed themselves were the tears that accompanied the dreaded words: "It's time to leave." The mornings were sometimes foggy and cloudy, but the sun always came out in the afternoons and had ideal beach weather. We also managed to avoid bad sunburns and all came home tan, especially Isabelle and Andrew.

• Relaxation. Andrew's favorite spot was the hammock in Jill and Rob's backyard. He was out there often. We also utilized the quaint front porch with its rocking chairs and swing. I got in some good reading time and read 3 books this trip: 1) "The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie 2) "Mad Honey" 3) "The Housemaid's Secret" and started "The Inmate." Andrew sped through his book so he could begin Brandon Sanderson's newest release. 

The backyard tire swing got lots of use too

• Food. We had Mike's pizza, Chinese takeout, authentic Mexican food, a local bagel place, homemade pasta sauce thanks to Rob and his grandma, Rob's juicy burgers which Andrew stated are "better than our favorite burger joint," and more. (yes, there is a Chick-Fil-A there in case you're wondering). We got ice cream more often than I should admit. Okay okay, I guess you don't have to drag it out of me. We got ice cream 5 plus times. It was disappointing that Katie's ice cream didn't have the S'moreo flavor, but Reese's ice cream nearly made up for it. We ate many meals on Jill and Rob's back deck. It was dreamy. One night, we made s'mores over the fire.

• Fun. We crossed off a few of my summer bucket list items! We went mini golfing! I could say James got a hole in 1 (which is true) and that we had a grand time (lie), but that isn't what happened. It was boiling hot outside, one child continued to have fit after fit, and we gave up halfway through the course (at 9 holes instead of all 18). We learned our kids are still a bit young for this. The crunch coat ice cream cones nearly made up for it at the end. Jill captured one of my favorite pics of the trip while Izzy was eating hers. The fun continued--we also went to a baseball game, a drive-in movie, a carousel, and a park/splash pad.

Baseball game. James found a baseball in the field and brought it home as a souvenir. He was ecstatic. This baseball experience made me yearn for another, so SLC Bees baseball team here we come!

Unlimited carousel rides at Heritage Gardens. The kids rode at least 5 times.

Drive-in. Totally worth the late night. "Elemental" was liked by all.

We picked out popcorn from a local shop and had over 7 scrumptious flavors to chow on.

• Tubing in a river! Talk about peaceful. This made my pregnant body feel weightless which was so refreshing. I think we floated this river 4x. It led right into the ocean. You had to be vigilant near the end to avoid being swept out to sea. Andrew thrived with the thrill of the tide and tried to be pushed far out. We were lucky we were able to tube at all. The parking lot was full and we had to wait in a lengthy car line to enter. Big thanks to Rob's parents for shuttling us and providing tubes. There was an ice cream truck in the parking lot so obviously the kids got some.

Izzy had just been bitten by a bug.  The bugs liked me too.

• Adults only hike. Rob's parents generously offered to babysit the kids while we went hiking. The hike we went on was in the small town of Truro. The hike was called Pamet Road. It was picturesque. There were wild blueberries growing on the trail, the ocean views were unbelievable, we saw seals up close, and I nearly stepped on a mouse. I did a lot of squealing in shock and panic. The hike was unreal and maybe the most surprising part was that we didn't see any other people along the path.  I guess this stunning hike is part of a national park. 

• Main Street. Jill and Rob's home is within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and the beach.  One day while walking the short distance to Main Street, Jill pitched the brilliant idea to let the kids pick up trash along the way with grabbers. Who knew this would be so exciting? James usually picks up garbage when we go to parks with his bare hands (love my earth-saving boy) and his hands get filthy. The grabbers avoided that. James has since requested a trash grabber for Christmas. You've got it, dude! One night a month, Main Street has live music and games. The kids had a blast.  In one shop, we let the children pick out $0.05 candy. In another, they chose souvenirs. Much to my chagrin, they picked out stuffed animals. I guess I wasn't persuasive enough when I tried to sell them on getting Cape Cod t-shirts. When asked what his favorite part of the trip was, James said, "My souvenir." He later retracted that and said, "Everything." Amen to that. 

Cleaning crew

• Travel. We took a redeye flight to Boston. The kids were terrific. They did sticker books, watched TV and both slept for over 2 hours. I couldn't sleep a wink on the plane which is typical. We rented a car and drove the 2 hours to Jill and Rob's place. The flight home was not as smooth. Izzy peed her pants in the car, 1 mile from the airport. She also had to use the bathroom over 8 times while we were traveling and peed her pants again on the plane. She did some shrieking and screaming. What on earth was going on?  Seems like Izzy might have had some flying anxiety? Or maybe getting her a smoothie was a giant mistake? She was giddy to be on a plane for the first time when we left Salt Lake and had no trouble then. I don't know what happened, but it was a journey. Jill and Daisy flew back to Utah with us, so we will get to continue hanging out with them for the next month. Yipee! 

Yes, I'm already scheming and planning a time we can return to the Cape. We used every second we could while we were there and got many steps in every day. We played Skull King, Sushi Go, and Bocce Ball in the evenings. Hearing James telling some friends about the vacation made me grin. Yes, that amazing trip actually happened and our 4th of July memories are now pleasant instead of traumatizing.

The pic Andrew sent his coworkers to make them jealous