The Iron

It was my turn again this year to plan anniversary #6! I knew right away that I wanted to do something unique to southern California, and something Kyle had never done before. At first, I was thinking about booking a dinner cruise out of the San Diego bay. But after talking to Taryn, she convinced me that what we really needed was to get away, to be us minus the twins for a day, and I'm so happy she did! So instead, I planned a surprise getaway to Catalina Island!
Growing up, my dad used to fly us to the island for little vacations or special lunches, but I hadn't returned as an adult. Catalina is a little island off the coast of Los Angeles. The island boasts darling boutiques, ice cream shops, and picturesque vacation homes as far as the eye can see. There are activities like hiking, biking, scuba diving, parasailing, paddle boarding, and boating all over the tiny town of Avalon.

I planned the day perfectly. We drove from San Diego to the boat launch in Newport Beach early on the morning of our anniversary. My mom met us there, I nursed the twins one final time, and she took all four kids to my sister's house for the day. Kyle had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. All of our tickets and things for hiking and swimming were tucked away in his backpack. Walking hand in hand, feeling as free as newlyweds, we made our way to the dock. Kyle kept asking, "What are we doing?!" and telling me how excited he was for the day. It was seriously adorable. Then we reached a huge line of people waiting to board the Catalina Flyer, and my secret was out!

We rode the Flyer for an hour and a half, and docked at the port in Avalon. We ate breakfast at a forgettable breakfast restaurant right off the boat, and checked in for parasailing! I had heard good things about parasailing, and I knew that Kyle hadn't done it before, but I never could've imagined how much fun it would be! Kyle and I floated over the Pacific Ocean, and it was one of my favorite things I have ever done! It was relaxing, breathtaking, and exhilarating, all at the same time. We laughed and laughed, and my cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

Afterward, we set out to explore the island. We walked up and down the quaint little streets, dreaming about buying a little vacation home on the island. Kyle said that Avalon reminded him of a town he once visited in northern Spain, called San Sebastian, and promised to take me there someday. We hiked to the top of a hill to see a view of the town and the pretty blue cove.

With the little time we had left, Kyle and I decided to take a nap! We laid down in the sand on the beach and closed our eyes for a blissful forty-five minutes of pure, uninterrupted rest. Then we boarded the Catalina Flyer once more, and watched from the top deck as the island disappeared into the clouds.

After returning to Newport Beach, we enjoyed a romantic dinner on the waterfront. Kyle, of course, ordered steak, which is the very reason I picked that restaurant in the first place!

Our life together is insane right now. There isn't a moment to rest or breathe or sleep-did I mention how tired we are? So we escaped! And I'll never forget how lovely every little detail turned out that day. Six years into forever, and I find myself more grateful each year that 20-year-old me snagged the calming, patient, genius that is Kyle Garvin.

I love you!

Kind of Wonderful

Here is our first official family picture as a family of six! The talented Kristina Chartier took these pictures for us. The one of the girls is my MOST favorite!

So much has happened with our family over the past few weeks! First, my older sister Taryn had a family brunch to celebrate her pregnancy. A baby girl, Layla, will be joining her family at the end of July. I can't believe how much I already love my little niece. Quite frankly, I'm not sure I'll ever let anyone else hold her. Layla's life is a miracle, and Taryn is going to be the most caring and devoted mother. I am in awe of the blessings that have been poured out on her and her husband, and I know of no one more deserving!

London spends all day coloring pictures for everyone she knows, and writing them notes. She drew this gem after getting in trouble, for something I wish I could remember. 


Count them: TWO blue, broken hearts. And one heart is so broken, it's actually. in. pieces. She explained every detail of the drawing to each member of my family.

   

Also, she discovered this new phenomenon where if she sounds out each letter, she can form words, and then sentences. I woke up yesterday from a Sunday nap to a note that said, "Dear Mom, I cleaned the whole house." Oh yes.

We are also finally done with London's dance and music classes for the summer! She is a natural on EVERY stage. This is her after her dance recital...

And her Let's Play Music recital. She played "I Am Learning How to Skip" on her bells, and has, if I do say so myself, perfect pitch.

Since Taryn relocated from Vancouver B.C. to Orange County, we have spent a few beach days with her in Laguna Beach. On this particular trip, we met OJ's mother for the first time. Caroline was so kind and playful with the kids- and sweet little Elle called her Grandma all day long.

Her hair gets so curly in the salty air.

Speaking of Elle, she's just as chatty as ever. Her new favorite word is "really". 

"Come here, Ellie. It's time for dinner."

"Mom, I willy, willy, willy can't, Mom. I can't do it. Okay? Sorry, Mom."

She also has a new "husband" every day- some toy or stuffed animal to marry and carry around with her. I can't keep up! 

"MOM, where is my HUSBAND?!" 

"Honey, I have no idea. Who is your husband?"

"Mom, I willy, willy need my husband!"

We have reached a stable holding pattern with the twins. They can feed themselves, entertain themselves, play nicely with the girls, and are sleeping until 5 am! They are both so loving and affectionate. It might sound crazy, but my favorite thing is when they both climb all over me, alternating between climbing over and under my legs, giving me kisses, pulling my hair, and squealing. I laugh out loud whenever they fight over a toy, because they each have such a distinct "he/she-took-it-from-me" cry, and their sounds bounce back and forth, over and over again!

Every once in a while, at 7 am, when the twins are climbing all over us in bed, and we hear the creak of the door and Elle's raspy voice say "Good morning, guys!" as she climbs in too, and then London, who can never miss out on a family party, pulls herself up and into the covers, I think to myself----this is kind of wonderful. So to Taryn, who is about to embark on the most challenging, most rewarding, and most beautiful responsibility that God will ever give you, I am just SO HAPPY for you!

An Adventure

Where did an entire year go?! Last year, I was five months pregnant with the twins and joked about the possibility of taking them to San Felipe for their first Easter. Somehow, a thousand little details came together, and we manged to piece together a lovely family vacation.

Being there without Papa was an adventure.

-Where is the best place to go clamming? 

-And fishing?

-How do you turn on the water heater?

-What about the propane?

-When is the grunion run? 

-How do you play hearts?

But we felt his presence there with us, probably laughing so hard he cried, at all of us attempting to do San Felipe without him. 

Jordan and Kaden caught these for dinner :)

I'm not sure how I convinced them to come back after Jordan almost lost his foot to the barb of a stingray last year, but the Adams drove down all the way from Utah to join us once more. Payton is London's favorite six-year-old on the planet, and Cambria and Elle are the sweetest frenemies I ever did see. Only 15 years and they'll be roommates together at BYU! 

We'll frame this for their wedding day.

We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon. We unpacked our belongings, pulled down the sleeping mats, and started preparations for dinner. It didn't take long for us to discover that the propane hadn't been refilled like it was supposed to. Without a heat source for the stove, we dined on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and toasted naan bread with avocado hummus. The following evening, after much trial and error, the men figured out how to get propane attached to the roof. We were so happy eat a hot meal for dinner that night! Unfortunately, this did not solve the problem of figuring out how to turn on the water heater...So I bathed all four kids in this pot of warm water, heated by yours truly, on the stove!

By Thursday morning, we finally had the house running smoothly, the desert winds had died down, and the weather was just perfect for spending all day on the Sea of Cortez.

My grandpa first found this place fifty years ago, long before the time of TVs in every room and smart phones in every pocket. What a blessing to unplug from it all! And with a family like ours, there is nothing I would rather do more than spend five days basking in our own little piece of heaven.

It's a blur.

My life is chaos. I have these imaginary milestones in my head, when life will suddenly become everything my planning brain wants it to be:
Everything will be easier once the twins can entertain themselves with toys...or once Kyle gets back from his business trip...or once the twins can eat baby food...once Elle is potty trained...once we no longer share a room with the twins in my mother's house...

The list gets longer every day.

The truth of the matter is, life with four children 4 and under is utter and complete chaos, and I am making it up as I trudge along. One thing is for sure-- I give this whole mothering job everything I've got from the moment I wake up, through all hours of the day, and all night long. Someday, I hope to look back at this stage, this blur of time, and think, "HAH! I DID IT!"

I think my kids are settling in nicely to our new routine in San Diego. London has dance class and music class, and Elle is in a Mommy & Me dance class on Saturday mornings. My siblings spoil my children like you wouldn't believe, and my kids revel in the constant attention, affection, and words of affirmation. The twins and I spend the afternoons on a blanket on the front lawn, while the girls ride their bikes and collect rollie pollies. Everyone gets home from work around 6, and we make dinner together while passing the twins from one person to the next.

Taking the girls to Sea World

Elle's first dance class!

Here is an excerpt from Elle:
"Hey, guys! Good morning! How you doing today? Yeah? Great! Okay! Hey, Mom, I want cheeyos and milk! I want cheeyos and milk! PLEASE! Oh, thanks, welcome, Mom! Ooooh, this is too 'licious! I want watch the hhhorsey show, okay, Mom? Yeah? Mom, I want cuddle with you. Okay? I love you too much, Mom. Yeah!"-------She prances away on her tippy toes, giggling to herself. And this is why she "takes a little rest" for 4 hours a day.

And one from London:

Twinning.

"I'm a grown up. I'm four-and-a-half. See, first, you're one, and then two, and then three, and then four, and next, I'll be five. That's actually really big. Except I'm not going to kindergarten because you have to get kindergarten shots, and those hurt really bad. So I'm just going to first grade instead."

A little bit about the twins...

Henry:

Oh, Henry. He loves me like I didn't know a child could love their mother. I make him laugh out loud just by looking at him. He squeals when I enter the room, hugs me tight around the neck, and kisses me right on the lips, with an open, drooling, toothless mouth. He sits up like a champ, but is so bad at crawling- he prefers to do the downward dog. I think he'll walk before he gets the crawling thing figured out. 

Juliette:

She smiles and her entire face has light beams shooting out of it. Everyone calls her Peanut [*except Elle, who calls her peanter butter]. She zips around the house, crawling like a lizard, squeaking her merry way from one room to the next. She loves to be held by anyone and everyone, but she loves her big sister, London, most of all. She HATES baby food. Every delicious flavor I make from scratch. ALL OF IT. I think she'll nurse until she's 27. 

Date Night at the BYU game!

With the Borgias at Balboa Park

Visiting the world's #1 smoothie maker-- Noah Hartwell.

Two months after the big move from our beloved Maple Valley, and not much has changed in the Garvin household. So say a prayer for me, as I run to the next room to stop Henry from pulling out Juliette's hair, and wish me luck as I tackle another day as a mother of twins.