Fourth of July Festivities

Our fun actually started on the 3rd of July when Bryce, Olivia, and I along with Auntie Kristen, grandma, and grandpa drove for 3 1/2 hours from Mapleton to Bryce Canyon. Super fun with an 11 month old (well, almost a year old), right? Olivia got pretty dang cranky every hour, so we would stop somewhere to let her crawl around and so we could stock up on snacks. Well, we eventually made it to our motel where Olivia had the BEST time playing on the beds with everyone.

After which she had a great (NOT!) nights sleep. It's always hard for her to sleep somewhere other than her bed. But I'm surprised she did sleep as well as she did. Plus the pillows there were super comfy so the night wasn't all bad. We woke up the next morning bright and early. It was so nice because the weather at Bryce Canyon was about 12 degrees lower than in Orem and it had been sooo hot lately. We got ready for the day and then we went and ate a delicious breakfast. Nap time came around for Olivia and, actually, we all napped because that night wasn't as restful as hoped. Post nap we packed everything up while watching the World Cup. Olivia was playing around on the beds and Bryce was watching and playing with her when grandpa knocked on the door. I went to answer the door and Bryce looked up for one second to see who was there. That's when Olivia went into Speedy Gonzales mode and crawled her fastest right off the edge of the bed. Grandpa saw it happening but it all happened so fast that all he could do was yell for us to look before she face planted into that stupid, hard, hotel carpet.

This is one or two days later. It was really bad at first :(

She cried so hard. It was so sad. I probably cried a little bit too. Luckily, or rather unluckily, the only time Olivia likes to cuddle is when she's hurt or sick (she's too independent already!) so mama got her cuddles that day. We sat on the bed, cuddled, drank juice, and watched the World Cup while the boy packed the car up. Soon enough Olivia felt better and after that the only time it hurt her was when she accidentally would touch her nose while rubbing her eyes or something.

On the road again. After a short drive we reached Bryce Canyon, parked, then headed toward the hiking trail. It was a really nice day and Olivia was excited! 

And the scenery got wayy cooler as we went along.

It was a mighty long hike so we had to take breaks sometimes, especially since Olivia was in a carrier and we wanted her to stretch out her legs. This was on one of our breaks. Kristen is doing one of Olivia's most favorite things.

Olivia ALWAYS laughs, kicks her legs, and shakes her head whenever anyone does this with her. She LOVES it! Well, we were a little bit worried with the timing on the hike. We kind of had a late start that morning and we were worried about Olivia's nap time, because nobody wants to ride for three and a half hours in a car with a cranky baby. But after this break in the hike Olivia actually slept for the rest of the way. It was a grueling hike, especially since I had only made my commitment to fitness two days earlier. Needless to say it was a good start to achieving my fitness goals. 

We made it out alive! 

After our hike we all sat on a bench and ate sandwiches and apples! Yum! I don't think a sandwich ever tasted so good in my whole life! Then we all had a bathroom break, and boy did Olivia need it! That diaper was FULL! Then it was back to the car for the drive home.

Don't worry, we really did put her in a car seat!

Now, usually Olivia only takes two naps a day, but with a long car ride like that, who can't take a nap? We gave Olivia a bottle of diluted juice to re-hydrate and she just couldn't decide whether she was more sleepy or more thirsty. 

Too cute, right?

Eventually we made it home and we got to do some super fun fireworks! It was Olivia's first time with fireworks (since last Fourth of July I was just about to pop) so we just did some sparklers so as to not overwhelm her. She LOVED them!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Here's To You: Lady at the Park with 2 1/2 Kids

You know, it's not often enough that you run into truly kind people who also speak truly kind things these days. I'm guilty of it too. I may think a nice thought about someone but not say it out loud because I'm too embarrassed. I've been working on it though, and a lady this morning just encouraged me to work on it even harder - by example. 

So recently I bought a jogging stroller online (for $18! What a steal! I love good online yardsale deals). I bought it thinking it would give me the motivation to start running again. I used to LOVE running before I was pregnant. It was my exercise of choice for years. Now, I can tell you what my husband was thinking... "Buying toys to help you exercise won't make you exercise." I know he was thinking this because for my birthday I asked for a yoga mat, which I used for about a month after which it just sat around in a corner in my house. This time was different, though. I could feel it. 

I couldn't go running during the day when Olivia takes her naps because it's too darn hot, and I couldn't go running in the evening because I'm too dang tired. So I made a plan. With a jogging stroller I can bring my baby with me (which is awesome, because she LOVES walks) and I can go in the morning while it's still (relatively) cool. Well, I've been running at our neighborhood park for about a week and a half now, and let me tell you, it has not been easy. I am so out of shape. I mean it's taken me nearly a year after having a baby to get a true motivation for exercise again (like I said earlier, I'd get it in spurts throughout the months, but it never stuck). So the goal I made for myself was to run two laps around the park, until that starts to get easier and then maybe three or four. Well, I stopped for a drink at the water fountain like I always do after my run, sweating like a pig and breathing like Darth Vader, when this super cute pregnant lady enters the park with a little girl on a scooter and a littler boy in an umbrella stroller. I was a little embarrassed by my state of being so I stuck my face into the water fountain as she walked by. Something she said to me, though, made me smile then, and all the way back home.

"Good job exercising!" She didn't say it in a demeaning way or sarcastic way,  but in a really encouraging way. 

"Thank you!" I replied, but I don't think that really conveyed, between my spurts of spastic breathing, how truly grateful I was for her comment. That was just what I needed to hear after a hard not-so-long run. So here's to you, lady at the park with 2 1/2 kids. Thank you for speaking your mind and making my day. And probably keeping me at it (running) longer.