Maple Valley

 "Oh my gosh, are they all yours?!"
"Wow, you must have your hands full!"
"Are those twins?!" (*gasp)

We flew as a family to Seattle last month to visit family and friends for an extended weekend trip. I can't express the joy I felt, knowing that I would soon be with so many people that I love so dearly! But first, there was getting there...

Flying with four small children is quite an ordeal. There are four car seats to be checked and carried, strollers, snacks, sippy cups, activities, stuffed animals, blankets, diapers to be changed, and twins to be nursed. What do people say to you every time you leave the house? I just nod, smile politely, and wait for the next staring person to repeat the same sentiments. But every once in a while, I hear kind words from someone who "gets it". Those comments sound like this:

"Your family is so beautiful!"

"What cute kids!"

"They're all so well behaved!"

My kids are exceptional flyers. I'm pretty sure the three hours of church every Sunday for their entire lives has a little something to do with it. But just to be sure, I sit them down before each flight to explain what I expect of them, and reward them with "treats" in their backpacks. It makes them positively giddy with excitement. Thankfully, the airplane was practically empty, so the girls had enough room to lay down and sleep. Kyle and I each held a twin, and they slept for most of the flight as well. 

Oh, Maple Valley. It was so good to be back! My kids had missed their cousins immensely! Especially London, whose little companion Taylor is her favorite person on the planet. It was as if we had never left. 

We made it to Washington at the very end of blueberry season...I have this thing with fresh fruit. Dusty wooden fruit stands on the side of any road are my guiltiest pleasure. The whole "you pick" farm idea, I'm convinced, was invented for me. I could pick fresh fruit and eat it all day long forever and never consider stopping. Especially on the morning we went: the air was crisp and the sky was foggy, and it had just stopped raining. It was heaven. I could've stayed all day. Kyle's The twins' blueberry picking limit, however, was only about six pounds. I think the kids had fun, even though their combined contribution to our bucket was three blueberries, and Kyle indulged me, even though he thinks I'm crazy. 

When I was pregnant with the twins, I was really really sick. Due to preterm labor, I spent an entire month in the hospital, and had to rely entirely on my family, husband, and sweetest friends for the care of my older two girls. One lady in particular took a liking to London and Elle, and though we were friends before, the birth of the twins brought us much closer. She was my angel in those first crazy months, when newborn twins should have taken my sanity. She helped me with housework, played endless hours with the girls, and rocked the twins to sleep over and over and over again. My children love her dearly, and so do I. We went to visit her on our trip to Washington, and the girls were so happy to see her again!

I sneaked this picture of the girls and Elaine
 looking for frogs in the water!

Matt and Rachel invited us to their home after church, and Brigham and Kari had us over for dinner. Our kids all played together while we enjoyed some much-needed adult time. We feel so fortunate to call them our friends! I even attended one of my book clubs, where I reconnected with a wonderful group of women I adore and deeply respect, thanks to our countless thought-provoking discussions until 2 am.  

12, 10, 8, 5, 5, 3, 1, 1

On our very last day, my littlest nephew, Grant, came down with the cold Elle was carrying, and our plans to attend the Children's Museum weren't looking too promising. Then, I had this crazy idea that Kyle and I could take the kids ourselves...all eight of them. Thankfully, Melissa went along with it, and entrusted her children to us for the afternoon. 

When the trip came to a close, we weren't ready to leave! I am so grateful for our time there, for my amazing sister-in-law who hosted all of us, and for the memories we shared with our friends and family. Until our next trip to Washington, we truly love you all!

Be Our Guest!

-"Mom, are mermaids real?"
-"Well, they're real in your imagination!"
-[total and complete utter devastation face] "Are you SERIOUS!?! NOW what am I going to be when I grow up?!"

People, this is London.

I had an awful cold last week, and as I laid helplessly on the couch, London came to see me.
"Mom, I'm sorry you're not feeling well. You need lots of rest, and vitamins. Don't forget to eat lots of fruit and venchtables." And then she got me a glass of ice water with a straw and held it to my lips to drink. "Here, Mom."

And now she's five. I blinked and my baby turned five.

The beautiful flowers provided by Hartworks Floral Design!

She wanted a Beauty and the Beast party, and you know by now how I feel about birthdays...so we did just that! The food was really yummy- banana, peach, strawberry, and nutella crepes, tiny chocolate chip muffins in the shapes of roses, and fruit salad----- but London's friends weren't too excited about having real tea...oops!

Uncle Noah decorated this delicious lemon-blueberry cake!

Princess Belle was our wonderful surprise guest! She sat down with all the girls to read them a story, while the boys all hid, peeking into the room from around the corner! London kept telling her friends, "She's princess Belle from the play!" 

Thank you Princess Belle!!!!!

London spent the entire day in her Belle dress, holding it up just enough to show her ankles-the most graceful little princess. 

The day before London's birthday, she sat at the kitchen table, saying her morning prayer. She sweetly asked, "...and please bless Auntie Tarynie, and bless baby Layla to be healthy and strong, and--please--bless baby Layla to be born on my birthday..."

Layla was born on London's birthday:  a healthy, teeny, beautiful baby girl! My mom and I sobbed the happiest tears as OJ brought her into the hospital room. Taryn is so attentive and loving, and her entire countenance glows with pride. Happy birthday, little miss Layla! 

The Start of Summer

It was Kyle's birthday, and all he wanted was to get his very first pedicure. So we dragged our favorite people, the Adams, with us to the mall, and indulged ourselves. Kyle rolled up his dad jeans, sipped on a miniature bottle of cold water, and charmed the poor lady scrubbing his man feet. Afterward, we walked to the Cheesecake Factory, where we confused the waitress with our somewhat scandalous order-sharing. We laughed our heads off until we couldn't keep our eyes open for another minute, which, thanks to our combined six children, was about midnight.

We had grand plans for the fourth of July, which included celebrating Kerrisa's birthday, barbecuing, swimming, and a fireworks show to round out the day. Everything went according to plan, until the kids all fell asleep on the way to the fireworks. I thought for about 3 seconds about waking them up to watch, before I recognized their snoring little faces as the perfect excuse to enjoy a fireworks show with my best friend on her birthday!

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!