More Tate!!!

I cannot get enough of this silly, crazy, happy, messy, hand-ful of a little kid I have in Tate. He make my world go round. He makes me so happy and brings me more joy than I could even imagine. Just like my first two. Just didn't think it would be possible with a third. Is it with a fourth?!

Children's Museum of Natural Curiosity

The funnest museum just opened up at Thanksgiving Point so naturally I had to take the kids there to check it out. Wow was this place incredible or what??!! It was amazing! So much for the kids to see and do. We went with Errin and her kids and really enjoyed every second of it. I even bought annual passes so we could go back. Outside they have an awesome little cafe and playground and we all died laughing when we were eating, we looked over and instead of Tate playing on the playground like a normal kid he had his arms wrapped around a tree trunk chewing on the bark. Ya that's really normal. They also have a fun little splash pad that i hadn't come prepared for but it didn't matter...we improvised and Tate did just fine. Actually they all loved it. Looking forward to being able to go there a lot more! Love fun places like that in Utah.

LA part 3

LA part 2

Friday evening after we got home from the beach we went back to the hotel and Janie and Tory had gotten there! Yeah! They were out at the pool with Kathy and the boys all swimming so the kids were so happy to be able to jump in and play with their cousins. Earlier we had decided it would be great to go to an Angels game together...so Kathy was a champ and said she'd stay back with the younger kids to make it easier on everyone. Such a fun grandma. So Tory Janie Ayson and Me Tob and Cash and  TJ all climbed in the van and headed to the game.  Long drive but so worth it and loved seeing our two darling boys together at a major league game. We bought scalped ticked and Cash even got a ball thrown to him. Good times. I was pretty sick to my stomach and there wasn't really any great food to help settle my stomach at a ball field...hotdogs just weren't cutting it...but overall it was fun to be together and enjoy the game. The next day we planned to all be together and so we woke up got ready and headed out to Santa Monica Pier. What an awesome place! The beach walk was so lovely, the kids and boys loved playing on the swings and the ropes (cash even made it to the top of one...what?!) and walking up the pier was my favorite. I love the carnival atmosphere. Toby on his FIRST try made two shots to win Cash a full size basketball and he took the kids on the roller coaster while I walked with Tate. Then I got to go on the Ferris Wheel with the kids and the view was so beautiful. Super fun to be together with their cousins and Kathy and just be together. Todd was so missed. We thought about him lots and know he was probably there with us enjoying every moment. That evening was the boys and probably everyones favorite part as we headed to El Segundo for the Christensen's to be reunited with good friends for a Home Run Derby on their old HS field.  Such a wonderful thing to watch them all in their element and to really enjoy people who were more like family to them. This is where I really missed Todd. After we headed over to Jose and Elouises house for a spaghetti dinner which was so sweet and thoughtful of them.Lots of great memories made.

The next day was Sunday and unfortunately I woke up feeling really really terrible. We planned on walking the LA temple grounds and attending Sacrament meeting after and I didn't want to miss out on it but was unbelievable nauseous and really struggled that day. (a few days later I would figure out why) I even threw up in a paper cup in the car. Good times. After they all wanted to go to Titos Tacos...which normally I LOVE but was so sick I couldn't even get out of the car. Tory and Janie offered to take my kids to a park after and Toby just drove me back to the hotel so I could sleep before the banquet. I good a good rest in and was able to get up and get ready quick with all the kids and then headed downstairs for the mingling and the banquet. Jose and Elouise offered to come watch the younger ones so we could enjoy the food and evening a little better which was more than generous and so appreciated. Only disappointment of the night was that Todd wasn't mentioned which really didn't make much sense to us...but overall we were grateful and happy to be there. We got some fun pics.

LA part 1

So crazy that we just got home from Hawaii and the NEXT week we take off to Sunny California! That is definitely not the norm for us but so much fun and I love love traveling so no complaining here. We weren't sure we'd be doing the Cedar Sinai this year with Todd being gone, but they called Kathy and invited the whole family to be there which really meant a lot to her and Teren and all of us really. They even offered to pay our flights out there...yeah!!! Not going to lie driving with Tate didn't sound the funnest, even flying with how busy he is made me nervous but I was also really excited to see his little reaction to an airplane. He didn't disappoint. He was so animated and expressive and excited...but like we thought didn't want to sit very still. He moved back and forth between sitting next to Toby and I. But it was a quick flight so wasn't a big deal. Now the rental car line after the flight...brutal. We were pretty tired by the time we got to the hotel. The next day we were going to go to an amusement park and any of the Christensen's that wanted to come with us could...but last minute decided it was maybe too much work and money so we chose to go to one of my all-time favorite outdoor malls Fashion Island and to the BEACH. It was a bit of a drive but soooo much fun. Fashion Island has the most awesome pet store that the kids could have spent HOURS in. Tate's eyes were huge and loved every second of being there. Such cute little dogs. I'm so picky with food right now but the food court was off the charts. We ate at two or three of the best restaurants and really had a great time walking around together. Then we headed to Newport Beach! I was so excited to see Tate's reaction to the water and sand. The kids had just been in Hawaii so they had just experienced it, but it was so fun to watch Tate play in the most enormous sand box he's ever seen and be so close to the waves and water. That part he didn't like too much. Maybe the water was too cold or just seemed too scary or something but he much preferred digging in the sand. I adored sitting back and watching my little crew play together. I feel so blessed. I love them all so much and love spending quality time together like this. Does my heart so much good.