Off to The Big Easy and The Big Apple

image found here

Yes! Finally! A vacation! A REAL vacation. It's been about 18 months. While we do try to make the best of our weekends and do little day trips here and there, there is nothing like take a full week off to do some fun things.

Landon and I are headed to New Orleans to visit family and Rod will join us at the end of the week. I'm so excited to see my cousins and family down there, eat some great southern food, and listen to some Jazz.

image found here

Then Landon gets to hang out with my Mom while Rod and I go to NYC!!!! I am so excited. We are basically going to the Big Apple for the sole purpose to eat really ridiculous food. Seriously. And I'm just hoping that our fluorescent fanny packs, maps, and baggy jeans (remember when it used to be tapered jeans we made fun of?...) wont make us stand out with all those chic New Yorkers.

I'm not sure if I will ever get over the colossal undertaking that it is to travel with a child. It's astonishing the amount of CRAP that you have to lug with one little child. I'm sure its going to cost us an extra $500 to check everything. I'm hoping for the best. Anyway, there will be lots to blog about in two weeks, and hopefully we will know our permanent family destination when we get back.

We really need this. Praise the glorious vaycay.

Hello there Ham Sandwich

Just some cuteness for the day.

A few more cute ones from Grandma Sherri's visit

Warning: An abundance of photos are now coming your way...

Grandma Sherri and Monterey Bay Aquarium

Last week, my step-mom Sherri came out to San Jose for a visit. We had so much fun and little Landon didn't want it to end. We decided to take a short day trip down to Monterey. As I have mentioned before, we have been in a bit of uncertainty in our lives, not knowing where our options are as far as no knowing where we are going to settle until the company lets us know when and where we are moving. So we have been trying to make the best of it, and enjoying all the fun things in the area as much as possible.
My outfit seemed like a good idea when I left the house...uh, yikes.
I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Its just the right size, not too big that you get museum fatigue but big enough that you aren't bored.









Jellyfish are so awesome, as long as they aren't swimming in the same water as you, right?




There is a reason my son is so animated...This was at our favorite Clam Chowder restaurant. Vivolo's Chowder House. Super Cheap, really heavy, delicious clam chowder. My recommendation would be to split your sourdough bowl of chowder because it is FILLING.

And don't worry I was TERRIFIED of a Tsunami the whole time we were there. This full blown paranoia is something I have recently adopted since becoming a Mom. Does any one else get ridiculously paranoid about death, accidents, and natural disasters since becoming a mother?

Getting in the Zone for BYU Basketball

Last week we watched Fredette take BYU to the Sweet 16. Before the game I wanted Landon to be a little bit of a patriot for his dad. Anyway, he decided that playing in the dirt would be better.


Such a boy.

16 months

This time raising my toddler is so special, and going by so quick, that every once and a while I try to take a bunch of pictures to capture the essence of little Landon. This way when he's 18 and going off to college I can flip through the old blog and get all weepy over how precious he was. :)


He only had 4 teeth and on his 16 month b-day he cut two more and this was me trying to get him to show them for the camera. Not too successful.
This is also a common scene.
He is always trying to read all my books too. :)

Obsessed Much?

Not too surprising, but this kid would rather be playing basketball...
He also like hats. He gets especially excited to wear them when we say he looks "just like daddy." (Even though we know he really looks just like Mommy, only with a hat on--but what little boy wants to hear that, honestly?)
I have to say, he is getting rather good.
And don't forget, cute. :)

Beyond Belief.

So did I mention we are moving? AGAIN!?!?! I know. It's BEYOND ridiculous. This will be the 4th move in 9 months. Visalia-Utah-Visalia-San Jose-?

I know it's excessive, especially because when I tell my friends, THEY get mad about it for me. (thanks guys). We still don't know where we are going yet and probably won't know until the end of the month. Most likely somewhere in northern California. But honestly, yeah--its stupid, and I'm sooooooo over it.

Apparently this will be the last move for a while and it should happen sometime in May-ish. (Although, I'm not getting my hopes up). I am sad to be leaving the Bay area, especially when we are just getting settled and I love my little house.

HOWEVER, there are always new adventures in store and we seem to be headed in the right direction. Every move, I have been pleasantly surprised at the friends I have made and the fun things to do in new areas. I am thinking I might have to open up a moving consultation business because I am getting to be such an expert at it. Except I would never do that.

Anyway...that is my scintillating info for the day. I am looking forward to being settled. Whenever that is. In the meantime, I am learning how to exist in the chaos and be okay about it. So that's something, right? Now comes the waiting...

Here's to new adventures, wherever they may be...

photo credit here.

Some things we do...occasionally

Some of my favorite memories growing up are of when my Dad used to take me and my brothers on walks/hikes in the mountains and nature preserves in the Denver area. I love some good nostalgia, and since I'm terrible at doing holiday crafts, I am trying to drag my husband out for little family walks once a week or so for our own little family traditions. Luckily my cousin Melanie, who is practically a Bay Area native, introduced me to this lovely park/nature preserve (right off the freeway...you'd never know it) called Rancho San Antonio. Look at that GREEN?! It almost hurts my eyes. I love.
Dorky pic of me (probably should have put on some make-up)...but since I am the designated family photographer, every once and a while I like to prove that I was there too, you know? Look at Rod in the back, he's like "Hurry up! Let's get this hike over with!"
Did I mention we ran into God on the hike?
At the end of the walk, there is a little farm and usually the kids can walk up to the animals and see them. Landon loves this, but what this experience has taught me is that pigs are just kind of huge, disgusting animals. Sorry to you pig lovers out there, but look at this gal.
Even Landon looked amazed at her grossness.

This is Landon's favorite guy. Ah, the memories. :)