ON TO THE NEXT

thank you for the good times, california. everytime i'm here i am instantly sad that this isn't where i live, & i for the smallest moment i wonder if austin should have chosen to go to pepperdine instead. then i remember that we're moving to spain & that it's going to be one of the coolest things & my sadness gets a little lighter. but california, you've still got my heart.
now, on to the next...
costa rica! tomorrow! it has come up so fast!
we spent today getting ready for the next leg of our trip. sure you would think that since we came to california knowing we were going to costa rica that we would have come prepared, & we did. sort of. but things come up & naturally we had to pick up some last minute items: books, magazines, diapers, food for cedar on the airplane, extra clothes (it just happens).. you know, that sort of thing. & then we had to re-pack everything. so it has really been a blast.
but we're finally packed up & ready to go.
i'm looking forward to 10 days spent on the beach // at the pool // hopefully in a jungle // celebrating my birthday (!) // relaxing // & getting my tan on.
i know the picture is blurry (iphone, once again) & truly has nothing to do with the post, but i love this picture of me with my cat, gracie. i've had her since i was 9 years old & i miss her a lot when i'm in utah. i am a cat lady.

CALIFORNIA \\ PT. 2

obviously we couldn't have a trip to california without going to disneyland.
i promise i'm going to start using my actual camera one of these days...but for now, iphone pictures!
we had planned to meet my friend shannon & her boyfriend, pano, at disneyland just for the evening. we figured it's the middle of summer, it's a tuesday, & it's going to be hot & crowded. all i really wanted to do anyways was get a churro & watch the fireworks. so we did just that. 

shannon had gone down earlier in the day so we just met up with them after visiting my sister, who lives in tustin, & had recently had surgery. we hadn't seen her in a couple of months & since she isn't well enough to drive it was perfect that we were already heading her direction, so we made a pit-stop at her place & then went to disneyland.

austin & i didn't actually go on any rides because in typical baby fashion, cedar promptly fell asleep once we were in the park. so we just went around to the different rides with shannon & pano & then we would people watch, eat churros & walk around while we waited for them to get off the ride.

once cedar woke up we got some dinner & it was almost time for the fireworks so we got a spot in the crowd to watch. it was so fun to see cedar watching the fireworks, he was so excited & couldn't take his eyes away. it was adorable. i love the age that he is in because he is really interested in things, it is so much fun to watch him learn & discover.

CALIFORNIA \\ pt. 1

i don't have a lot to say besides i love pool parties. especially baby pool parties. on the first day that we were here we spent the majority of the time in the pool, on the trampoline or laying out by the pool. it was a pretty great day. cedar loved the water. he's become a huge fan of it lately & i'm pumped that he loves it. he also was really into the dogs swimming around us in the pool & splashing everyone in the pool.
spending a day in the pool totally reminds me of being a little kid again. & having a baby basically means that you get to be a little kid again, experiencing everything through them. it's so fun. summer + babies is seriously the best.

BACK AGAIN.

i know i say it a lot, but guys, it's been hectic around here.

wednesday afternoon we flew down to california for two weddings & some much needed time back home. originally we planned stay for a week & go back to utah, but my mom planned a last minute trip to costa rica!

so instead of a one week trip, we also get to go on a ten day vacation. i am so excited! but the last minute trip added some last minute stress. on top of getting ready to go home, we had to get ready for a second trip & make sure to get cedar's passport on time, which was slightly stressful but we got it, so it's good. plus, we needed it anyways to move to spain... so in reality, it just made us be extra proactive about getting it done!

we've done a lot in our two days since being here. normally when we're in california, we're pretty lazy about doing anything to be honest. but so far we've filled up our time with all the important things like seeing friends & family, eating good food, going to the beach & swimming all day because it is so incredibly hot.

its been a good time.

every time we're in california i'm reminded of how much i love & miss it. it's easy to forget when i'm not here & i'm swept up in the beauty & activities of utah. but california is definitely always my home.


A SUMMER GARDEN

a couple months ago austin built a couple of garden boxes so that we could have a vegetable garden this summer. we have tried to have a garden before & they never really worked out, but so far this one is really lasting & growing! we planted back in may & i have loved watching everything grow. it is so exciting to me! it's really fun seeing it grow every day & being able to grow your own food. i think it's so cool. i have begun daydreaming future gardens we will hopefully have when we have a home of our own. but for now, this one will do perfectly fine!
we have one 4x4 & one 4x2 garden boxes & they really fit quite a lot. i was worried we wouldn't have enough space, but we definitely do. this year we are growing: tomatoes, strawberries, kale, squash, bell peppers, jalapeños, basil, mint, lettuce, onions, rosemary & aloe. the last one was a late addition obviously for sunburns & randomly it is really good for diaper rash... so we figured it would be worth having, & it has been. 
we're finally getting some tomatoes growing, they're just teeny, tiny, babies right now, as well as our strawberries. we've gotten a pretty big bell pepper though, & our basil & mint plants have gotten HUGE. along with our plants, i spotted a garden snake hanging out in the planter box. it was jut a little guy, but kind of spooky to see when i was checking out the plants, that's for sure.

UTAH LAKE

last friday we went boating with austins parents & brothers family on utah lake. if there is one thing i really love about summer in utah, it's getting to go out on the boat. growing up i always thought it was SO cool when people had boats & went to the lake, it always sounded so fun... & it really is.
the day was spent with the kids...& me riding the tube all over the lake. even cedar took a go at it with austin, but sadly & surprisingly he really, really did not like it. i totally thought he would love it cause he's really into having wind on his face, but apparently i was wrong. so the rest of the day he hung out at the front of the boat enjoying the wind on his face while everyone fed him snacks, he was in heaven.
austin & his brother showed off their skills on the air chair which i didn't even know was a thing until i joined the family.
&i got up for my first time ever on the wakeboard which was pretty exciting. i've tried it a couple of other times but have never been successful, so i was pretty stoked to have actually gotten up. it was a pretty perfect summer day!

IN THE HILLS

this morning we went on the easiest, prettiest hike. 
with a friend that i don't get to see enough.
after the hike we came home to play, eat lunch
& get stretchy with yoga.
cedar likes to try & mimic my yoga moves, it's adorable.
so i'd say it's been a pretty good day so far,
& we're ending it with a family bbq. 
i love the weekend.

D.I.Y


ever since i can remember, i've loved to make thing. didn't matter what it was, i just loved to create. as i've gotten older i got interested in making my own candles, i thought it would be really fun & didn't seem like it could be too difficult to figure. so last year in my last month of pregnancy, i decided to learn how to make them & it really was pretty simple. since then i've figured out my own method of making candles & have started adding essential oils to them to create my own scents. & this is how you do it...

what you'll need:
soy wax (i use flakes because it's easier, but whatever works)
candle pouring pot
wicks
clothes pins
essential oil of choice
jar

you can find all of these items at a local crafts store, and you can also find all of them on amazon. i've also found wax on etsy, so really just whatever you prefer. i also just use jars that i keep from applesauce & whatever else i think has a nice looking jar.


first// prepare your jar: straighten out the wick as much as you can. put the wick into the jar placing the bottom as close to the middle as you can get. then use the clothes pin to hold the wick where you want it to stay.

second// melt the wax: there are a couple different ways to do it, but this is what i do. i place the pot with my candle wax inside a slightly bigger pot with water to boil. doing this helps the wax from boiling itself, however you can just boil the pot with the wax on a lower temperature if you would like. while the wax boils stir. once completely melted, stir in some drops of essential oils. i used around 15 drops to have a stronger scent.

third// pour the wax: once the wax has completely melted let it cool for just a few minutes. you don't want it to be too liquid-y when you pour because it can cause cracks & the center to dip down. if there is any cracking or sagging you can use a toothpick to poke a few holes, melt a little bit more wax & pour it over the top. poking the holes creates air bubbles for the wax to go through to help even out the top. i normally leave about 1 in. from the top of the jar for the wick & incase i have to add a little more wax. once it is dried. after pouring the wax let the candle cool; this normally takes around 1 hr. for a smaller candle. 

fourth// finishing: once the candle has completely cooled, trim the wicks & enjoy! 

i made two different kinds: a bug repellent candle, & a more relaxing/cheerful scented one
for the bug repellent candle i used: malelcula, lemon, eucalyptus & peppermint
& for the cheery/relaxing candle i used: serenity, orange blossom & lavender.
i got my oils through doterra, but you can get them through other companies also, just make sure they're 100% pure!

LAVENDER FIELDS + MONA POND

earlier this week my friend tayler & i were trying to figure out something fun to do on saturday, something that we don't normally do. we had a pretty good list going & then she suggested the lavender fields & mona pond. i was sold. i've heard of both the lavender fields & mona pond ever since moving to utah...seven years ago... & have always wanted to go. 
our first stop was the lavender fields at young living farms. the farm was seriously so cool, it's HUGE with so much going on. multiple stables, a castle-like jousting area, ponds, a ton of flowers, & a lavender labyrinth, as well as a shop where they have all of the essential oils they make, & the most delicious frozen lavender lemonade. it was so much fun. & for 5 $ you can go & pick as much lavender as you can fit in a flower sleeve, which tayler & i were pumped on.

after we finished at the young living farm we went down to mona pond where we met up with a couple other friends to swim around & go off the rope swings. the water was so perfectly warm, but not too warm. it felt so good after getting so incredibly hot at wandering around the fields. we were able to find a little secluded spot on the opposite side of the pond from the rope swing, so we could spread out an area for the little babes to play at while the rest of us took turns swimming across the pond & going off the swing. 
i was realllllly nervous to go off the rope swing, i was convinced that i wouldn't be able to let go, but i did! the platform to jump from wasn't even too high either, but once i was on it i was so nervous for some reason, i mean, i have a slight fear of heights but i was maybe only 10 ft. off the ground. but i still went & was really glad i did. if you are ever in the area, or just live in utah in general & haven't gone, you definitely should.