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).
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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.
- 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.
Next up, a Ditto reunion!
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