Utah Vacation...minus Brent

Yes. I took a vacation back in June without my husband. Do I feel bad? Maybe. But did I have fun anyway? Heck yes!

I am loving Allegiant airlines. Don't get me wrong, they're not extravagant planes, and they get delayed very often and have fees you have to know how to avoid. But when I can fly home for around $100 round trip? I'll kiss the ground they walk on because I can see my family more frequently.

I was nervous to fly solo with Isaac. It turned out to be fine, just like it always is.

We got to visit Isaac's 'great grandmother' who was my next-door neighbor all growing up. Isaac had so much fun as she pushed him around the home where she lies!

We went to the Bean Museum at BYU because Isaac is really into animals lately. He had so much fun pointing and looking at them.

We made yummy wraps for girls night with my cousin Paige. 

We went up the canyon for a campfire and Isaac ate all the dirt in the world. 

We went to Thanksgiving Point's farm and Isaac had so much fun looking at the animals. It was so sweet how his cousins wanted to push around his stroller the whole time. 

It was wonderful to see Isaac with my family. 

We went to the Museum of Curiosity and had so much fun in all the rooms. Isaac got dressed up as a fairy. I blame his aunt. 

Spring starts and visits

Days are beginning to blur for me. I think repetition is good, but it also means there is not much difference between one day and the next. They have been good days though, especially with my little side-kick. He has the funniest personality. In public he is solemn, taking everything in and being very serious with everyone. At home he is a goof ball and loves to play and be silly. He is quite the character, especially during meals

Our garden is flourishing, giving us handfuls of peas every day and lots of kale, spinach, and beet greens for our green smoothies. 

Isaac always goes right to the spinach and picks a piece to eat. It's weird but hey, I'm not complaining. 

I've been trying to find a balance of being a mom and also being Jessica. I find myself turning into an empty shell, giving so much to Isaac and not recharging. Before I went to college, I was very artistic, musical, and creative. I have definitely lost sight of that side of me, which is a huge reason why I'm loosing myself. I really based my worth on my talents when I was younger and felt a lot of pride in my creations. I found that I needed that again, desperately. I'm older and wiser now, I hope, and I realize my talents aren't who I am, but I do realize they help me express myself. 

So! The house might be suffering and meals aren't as elaborate, but I'm having fun during Isaac's naps creating. I am writing a novel, spending at least an hour on it everyday. I'm having a blast and being pushed further than I ever have before. I had no idea how much went into a book, but I'm quickly finding out. I finished a trio of baby animal pieces for Isaac's room last week and I love them!

When it's warm, Isaac and I go to the park. He loves to explore, and we both get some vitamin D.

If we're not at the park or running errands, we are on walks.

"Stop mom, no more pictures"

Uncle Taylor came to visit last weekend. Isaac warmed right up to him after he read him a story. This kid loves his books. I'm seriously contemplating hiding SEVERAL of his favorites. 

We showed Taylor the temple grounds

And took him to ChinaTown for some bubble tea and authentic food. 

The duck was my favorite

Taylor didn't seem to mind joining in on all the daily tasks of taking care of a 1 year old

We went on two hikes and tried to show him some of the beauty here in California. 

We also tried to go to the beach, but it was insanly windy. A nice surprise though was all the kite surfers out! There had to be at least a hundred out there. So while we couldn't relax or really see anything against the blowing sand, we had fun watching the surfers. 

Isaac and I started Mommy-and-me swim classes this week. I forgot to take pictures, but I will try to do so for next week. 

Beach Bums

One of the best parts of living in California is having a beach 20 minutes away. I was a little nervous taking Isaac here for the first time since last summer, but he did awesome! Other than try to eat every rock on the beach. 

Brent had a week long break between quarters, and we had great plans to do so many things! Then he got food poisoning, and having to go shadow some Chiropractors, and study, and...well yeah. We didn't do everything we wanted to. But isn't that life?

At least we got to the beach twice! 

Here is an update on our garden. It's growing so fast and we have pea pods already! It is so fun to walk into the backyard and grab greens for our smoothies. 

We finally went to In-N-Out for the first time since moving here. Isaac kept the hat on for about a minute. Honestly, that was one minute longer than I expected.