I left my heart

I always forget how much I love the beach.
I was born in Mission Viejo, CA afterall.
I think I love it, and then we drive on the coast...step in the sand...hear the waves crash...
And I fall head over heels.

The perfect trip.

Three days.

6 hour drive.

Free GORGEOUS home to stay in, by ourselves. (Thanks Tracine and Juan!!)

20 minutes to the beach.

Day 1, Newport Beach and Ruby's Diner.

Beach.

Beach.

How to do the beach for boys:
Run for your life.

 how awesome is that photo!?  I only wish it was closer up.

Ollie was taken out a few times, but was a good sport about it.

Telling dad about how awful the water tastes.

Day 2, museum, relaxing.

They were both so serious and intense about laying on the bed of nails.  I've never seen either of them that still for so long when they're awake.

Day 3, Laguna Beach.

Looking at the tide pools where we saw hermit crabs and bigger scarier crabs.

Ice cream before hitting the road home.

Must go back.  Soon.

It was oh so fun

Song: Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson

Is this thing on?

We're back!

And no one was more excited for that news than Mr. E.

The boys and I spent the last two weeks in Utah being soooo busy and having sooo much fun.

Naturally, I left my camera at my parent's house.  My momma sent it today (thank you!) so more snap shots to come.  For now you have to settle for some shots from my photo shoot as they are the only pics I've got.

for you Utahns, this is in Riverton...the mountains are those in Draper, Lone Peak I believe?

he had to have a sippy or fruit snacks, period

We had a lot of fun.  Including:

meeting up with friends for playdates, movies, dinner, crafting

getting my hair done, thanks Rachie!!

family parties

hanging out with my sisters *tear, sniffle*

utah state fair with my brother and family

Sawyer driving a convertible Mustang ie the greatest moment of his life

Park City business retreat (and a pedicure)

lots of late night crafting

movies in the theater room

finishing 2 quilts, almost a third done and a fourth completely planned

playing with grandma and grandpa

getting super sick (all of us)

lunch dates with my brother, sister in law, mommy

watching murders with my dad not real ones silly

killing a GINORMOUS mountain tarantula w/my mom and 2 shovels

Swiss Days craft fair

going to the park with my sister's 9 kids

visiting the 10th kid in COLLEGE!

As for Mr E, he deserves a bit more attention, don't you think?  He's been working at a hospital in his IM (internal medicine) rotation.  It's intense.  He gets his own patients.  He was just listing all these problems a patient of his has, tons and tons.  I asked how old he was thinking he's in his 80's or 90's.  He's 57.  Made me cry.  No I'm not pregnant.

We're glad to have daddy back.

Sorry about my once a week posts.  Not gonna happen.  I will show you if I ever do anything :)

We got callings.  I am the new beehive advisor (eeek!) and E teaches youth sunday school.

The boys are medium about nursery.  Actually Ollie is fine, Sawyer has started having a hard time with it.  I can't believe he will soon be a sunbeam.

Did I mention that my boys are fighting more than ever? 

Hopefully it was just Utah, but Ollie has started getting agressive.  He throws things at Sawyer. Aims for the head.  Head butts.  Boys?  Brothers.

 Getting late, and I'm getting random.

One of my favorite places EVER!

I have so many memories growing-up and spending days and days at the lake.

We used to go every summer as a big fat extended family reunion.  We had a house boat, a couple of speed boats, a water weenie, tubes and sometimes we'd rent wave runners.  I would have never gotten to know and befriend so many cousins if we didn't do this.  I loved it!

Over the fourth of July we met up at the lake with my sister Heather and her hubby Dallan at his parent's home which is right on the lake (okay 5 min drive).

All the cousins!

I must admit I was kinda nervous to go.  I guess  just having two little ones I was scared about safety.  However, we enjoyed ourselves immensely and everyone made it back home.  Hurray!

Sophie and Sawyer are just 2 days apart.  Sophie's older, however gestationally (is that a word?) Sawyer is older :)

Heather and I have been waiting and waiting for these two to hit it off, and they did! 

Sophie the damsel in distress and Sawyer the knight in shining armor. 

I call not telling them they're cousins.

Heather darling and oh so sweet girls who loved and doted on my boys.  Sawyer loved having so many friends to play with, especially Addie.  When the girls had disappeared somewhere in the house Sawyer asked me, "Where is a lot of everyone?"

We actually did pull them behind the boat...ever so slowly.  It was the plan for E to take Sawyer but Oliver started bawling because he wanted on...and he never was scared!

We loved our little rendezvous...and it was only 5 hours to drive and meet up with my sister, definitely happening again and again :)

AZ is treating us well.  I am still feeling overwhelmed at getting settled while keeping up with everything and saving time for E.

(the boys, the blogs, trying to make patterns, crafting, decorating, preparing meals, exercising, cleaning..the momma stuff)

I promise many pictures of the home to come...but I'm just not there yet :)  I am going to set a goal for myself to show one room at a time, maybe weekly, so I can start finishing some of these projects!  Maybe I'll start next week?

I'm scared.

While he was away

E recently went to Washington DC for a few days, for what I am still unsure.  I assume it was important.  Something to do with some club and DO Day on the Hill...he loved it.  I was sad for two reasons, 1 he was leaving us for too long and 2 neither of us had been anywhere in the north-east.  Guilty.  Jealous.

Well, we missed him.  His car was still out front and a couple of times Sawyer would insist he was home.  They both flipped when he walked up to the door.  Followed by a good snuggle session.

And here's a rare photo of our giant heads, just for Ashlie :)

I don't have any pictures on this computer of his trip...gotta get on that.

He left on a Wednesday and returned on Sunday.  On Friday I was suddenly inspired to CLEAN and re-DECORATE our room.  Why do I do things like this? 

Well I have many more pictures, including before and afters that I will be posting on my Fresh Poppy blog.  But I just can't wait and I wanted to show a bit now!  And so my mommy can finally see it since she can't get picture texts!  Here you go:

I got all this fabric last summer and knew I would use it in my room.

Insert the perfect color large gray pillows behind the three small pillows, I cannot find the right fabric here!!!

It all started thanks to Sara and her fabulous spray-painted lamps.  Which inspired me to re-cover the lamp shades and spray paint the headboard.  I couldn't find a fabric I liked for the shades so I made a stencil and painted the fleur de lis pattern on the shades.  Anyway, it isn't something you'd see in a magazine, but it is such an improvement! I can't wait to see it in AZ, it will look so much better I'm sure ;)

and on the break...

"Mom, I'm ready to go to Saint Louis."

We hit the {free} zoo first thing the next morning.

Ollie was pointing at everything.
(as i am holding him on my lap right now and he's pointing at himself onscreen)

The peacock was awesome.


day 1: packed, drove to st louis, swam at hotel, slept
day 2: zoo, target, hobby lobby, chipotle, ted drewes, drove to columbia, slept
day 3: breakfast at target, swam, merry-go-round, gymboree, michaels, papa murphys, drove home

The happiest place on Earth

Love.

All day long I tell you...

L to R: Ellie, Megan, Oliver, Sawyer, Ernesto, Celia (Nana), Papa (Ernesto Sr), Jakob, Celi, Todd, Daniel, Liam, Laura, Patrick

At Nana and Papa's

A party for Oliver:

Sawyer switched up his goofy face.

We love you Jimenez Family!!