Fallin' for Fall

We fell hard and fast for fall. I was dreading summer ending, but Fall snuck up on us and I actually really love it. We have done so much and I know Olivia is enjoying every second.  It's not too hot outside like it has been [& outside is her favorite]

We went to the zoo with some of our best buds, Shannon and Cade! It was perfect weather and so beautiful with the leaves changing.

Olivia painted her own pumpkin with her Grandma Lissa. She was so proud of it. We set it on the doorstep and every time we walked into the house she pointed at it and said 

"Oh-lee-ya Oh-lee-ya!"

[that's how she says her name] 

Olivia went trick-or-treating for the first time this year and loved it! She was our little Livi Lamb. We joked that she was actually a sheep, not a lamb, because she is SO independent. She mostly loved being outside [of course] and the treats were just an added bonus. She was a little hesitant of the strangers that would answer the door and talk to her. She would usually walk to the house and then wanted someone to hold her when we got to the doorstep. We went to my mom's house first and her and Cade got to go trick-or-treating together. My sister made Cade's dinosaur costume and it was so adorable! 

Then we went over to Conrad's grandparents for more visiting and trick-or-treating. 

 

Here is a little video of her trick-or-treating. A little girl answered the door so she wasn't scared this time.  

first hair cut

Olivia got her first hair cut today! She is already almost 2 and just barely getting enough hair to actually need to cut it. She did so good! She was a little nervous and whined for a second or two but didn't cry or freak out at all. She has a little bob in the back; it makes her look older and it is so cute! 

Her hair looked so cute after, but of course the second we got into the car....

She messed it up! 

Labor Day Cabin Vacation

Over Labor Day we went to my Uncle Dennis and Aunt Debi's cabin. It is one of my most favorite places in the world! I have so many fun and cherished memories from our stays at that beautiful cabin. My favorite memory from this trip was playing games with my dad. He picked me to be on his team while we played Horse Shoes AND a round of Sequence.  I was excited and proud.  I probably shouldn't have been though. My dad is such a good Horse Shoe player he usually picks the worst person to be on his team.  My theory is he feels confident he can still beat the other team even if his teammate doesn't score a single point. I don't care; I was still happy he chose me.

This trip was a little different in that most of the family couldn't be there the majority of the week. Everyone was there the first weekend and then had to leave by Monday. That left my parents, Shannon and Cade, and Olivia and I. It went from a full house to just 4 adults and 2 toddlers. My parents spent a lot of time playing with the kids. They are the best grandparents. I absolutely love to see them with their grand kids.

 

Olivia loved sitting on the dirt bikes and 4-wheelers, but if you turned them on she was scared out of her mind! 

2 YEARS

[As of August 5, 2013]

for our 2 year anniversary we spent the weekend up at The Homestead in Midway. It was so peaceful! It was the first vacation that we've ever been on as just the 3 of us. We spent a lot of time at the pool, enjoying the scenery and most of all each other.

We ate Breakfast at a restaurant right by the golf course. SO PRETTY!

Have you seen the Crater up there?! IT'S AMAZING. it's a natural hot spring surrounded by a rock dome. It stays a warm 96 degrees all year long and is absolutely beautiful. 

For our wedding Conrad's grandparents gave us a gift we can use every anniversary. It has become our tradition to sit down and eat together with our special napkins, table runner, and roman candles. I love it! I forgot to take a picture while we had it set up this year so I just have this picture from after. Notice the pretty flowers Conrad had delivered to my work  :) 

(see last years post here)

On being Mom

My sister, Ashly, is the motivation for this post. Awhile ago she asked me to give her some advice on being a mom for her Young Women's lesson. I didn't really have much advice to give, but I liked that I had a reason to think about being a mom and how important it is to me. I'm learning every single day!  I don't think there is a "right" way to parent. I used to think there was. I think the most important thing a parent can do is love their child unconditionally and let them know they do. Children make mistakes, and so do parents. Learn from your mistakes and don't dwell on them. Don't compare your self to other moms (especially Pinterest moms!)  
Being an adult (whether you're a parent or not) is busy. You have work, house work, crafts, projects, work activities, school activities, church activities, family gatherings, the list is endless. It seems like when you cross one thing off the list you add 3 more. One thing I love about being a mom is being forced to slow down. I'm continually looking through the eyes of my toddler; I try to see what she sees. Olivia notices absolutely everything. Every sound, every speck, every person, every car driving by, literally EVERYTHING.  She relies on me to teach her what these things are. She looks at me and says "EHH?" And I can smile and say yeah! or MMM! or "it's okay." She trusts me. She trusts that I'm going to teach her and be there for her. While I am teaching her I am also learning. I'm learning to be patient, understanding, and loving.
I'm not perfect, but she makes me want to be. 

Sorry for Party Rockin

Conrad's mom and her husband Jeff spoiled us all and rented a beautiful house in Oceanside, California right next to the ocean. the backyard had its own private beach and we were in heaven for 8 days and 7 nights. Relaxing in the sun with family, bonfires on the beach, falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing, waking up and walking outside to see dolphins, surfers, and waves... it was perfect.

I was a little worried about flying with Olivia. If you know Olivia you know she is wild and free and  does not like sitting still. even though the flight was only about an hour and 20 minutes I was still so stressed! But both flights turned out pretty good

 (minus the entire bag of Cheetos she dumped on the floor and the mean flight attendant that called her a boy and said "the juice is pretty sugary--let me dilute first" while giving me a judgmental look)

 I was also worried she wouldn't like the sand. She hates hates hates having her hands dirty and when she gets anything on them she whines until you wipe it off. Well.... I didn't need to worry! These pictures say it all.

We spent a day at the San Diego Zoo. Olivia loved pointing at the animals and quacking at pretty much every single one. I think her favorite was the flamingos.

We also went to the Oceanside street fair one night. That was really fun! We shopped, ate junk food, and Olivia danced to the live band on Conrad's shoulders. 

We went to Newport beach the last day to shop and hangout before our flight.

 

I am not much of a runner (i'd rather dance) and since Conrad is such a good runner I have always been intimated to go with him.  We went on our first run together right along the beach. We ran from our vacation house to the pier and back. I must say running right next to the Ocean made it enjoyable! All 2 miles of it-- which is a lot for a girl who normally barely makes it around the block.

Now get ready for a picture overload!

Thanks Lissa and Jeff for such a great trip!