summer and the living is easy

Nothing says summer to me like living in your swim suits and pruney fingers and toes.

at mommy & me swim classes with Megan and Olive

Aunt Sammy, Morgan, and Erin don't like to swim without Jude.

that just happened

Well...we are skipping from newborn to 6 months. 

I am the mother of a 6 month old. What?!

0.5 years.

I could tell you that life has been crazy. In these 6 months celebrated birthdays and weddings and lots of firsts, went on our first family trip to Cali, moved into our very own apartment, among other things, all on about 5 hours of sleep. This kid eats like a big boy now, is trying to figure out how to crawl, and (FINALLY) has his own room. Through all his teething, growing pains, and all the ups and downs of being a 6 month old, he still manages to steal my heart.

best weekend, like ever

Happy 2 years to me and my love! We enjoyed our last summer weekend together up in Midway, UT at a friends perfect little cabin.(actually, the same cabin we stayed at the night we got marriaged.) We enjoyed playing games together (Scrabble, Sequence, Racko) and a relaxing swim at the crater, a trip to the outlets in Park City, and just each other.
Love Midway. Love him. Love marriage.

life update

photo taken by SIL at San Juan Islands

Summer is coming to a close. I have very mixed feelings about it. After summer comes fall and that's when our little boy will be here. But it also means Griffin starts school next week. And it's not going to be just another semester of school. He starts the Accounting Program at BYU (top accounting school in the nation, I might add. Oh so proud.) I have not taken enough advantage of how much time we have been able to spend together this summer. I quit my full time job (finally) and he's only been working part time so we get to wake up together, go on random bike rides, run errands together, etc. We now are poor poor married students with a baby on the way, but I think we needed this time together more than anything before he starts this intense school year and before baby comes. Our 2 year anniversary is coming up next week, which will be a perfect end to a hard but wonderful summer.

left my heart on the island

Our trip was heavenly. It was so hard to come home, especially because we have so much going on (moving, job searches, big decisions to make, etc.) But I'm so grateful for the week we had to relax and explore such a beautiful place.

We DID...

• stop by Pike Place Market on the way to the islands
• have the perfect weather. 
• go crabbing. There were tons by our little home on the beach. We had a fish fry on Friday which included crabs that we caught and clams that we dug up! DE-LISH
• go whale watching. And saw some!!!! Dreams come true.
• go kayaking around the islands and found some starfish and seals!
• almost get lost in the fog on a boat trip (freaky)
• have a bonfire on the beach
• take a day trip to Friday Harbor
• see a shark right by the dock! (don't worry, it was only a little sand shark)
• chillaxed and played to our hearts content 
• have belly growth spurts (from all the good food. mine was baby+yummy food)

We did NOT

• want to come home

we be trippin'

Road trippin' that is! All the way up to Seattle, Washington and then making our way to the San Juan Islands! We leave this Saturday with my wonderful in-laws!
Can't wait for...

• crabbing!!!
• the cooler weather (I thought I was definetly handling this pregnancy hotness, but when I'm outside without a pool, I turn into a whiney 3 year old.)
• fresh seafood
• boating on the ocean, with maybe a whale sighting!!!! (One of my biggest dreams is to see a whale out in the wild, donchaknow.)
• spending lots of time with my man and his family.

Anybody ever been up there before? Also, who has some good game/app/book recommendations for the car?

home sweet home

Is it seriously July?! July 4th?!?! Thats always the halfway mark of summer for me. I can't believe it.
This time last year, we just arrived in Laredo, Texas/ Mexico. I was kind-of bummed about it. See Mexico doesn't celebrate July 4/America's Independance Day. I searched and searched for celebrations but there were none to be found. So we packed up our friends and headed north to San Antonio. We had a blast there but I'm so thankful to be home this year to celebrate with family and friends. I love America. (I also love Mexico ok? Don't forget, we went on our  honeymoon there.)

What's more American than Texas?

The Alamo

Our lovely friends, who made the trek with us. We didn't quite make it to the fireworks (can you see them in the background? Ya, I didn't think so.) This year will be different ya'll.

sounds of summer

One thing I love other than summer movies is summer songs! Some songs just belong in the summer don't you think?
Me & Griff's new favorite is Sunset in July by 311. Please enjoy it on my summer songs playlist and all the other songs of past that remind me of summer.

What are your summer songs?

this weekend included...

a Cafe Rio pork tostada 
Just Go With It
the first summer watermelon 
a pool party
clam dip
a foot bath
Contact
making cinnamon rolls made from scratch
painting baby's dresser
a cute dog named Ginger
a home away from home
a California King Bed
lots of family and fathers
a game of catch-a-phrase

...and no pictures...
i will be better

image via

almost doesn't count

It almost happened. It was almost really spring. Here in Utah, we got a couple inches of snow last night after a lovely weekend in the 60's. Oh well, in like a lion...

For photo creds and links go here

summer are you there? it's me gretchen

Oh It's been so nice outside. Sunny and in the 50's! What a joy. Everything's better when the sun shines ya?

After church on Sunday, we got Griffin's Cambodian mat out and sat out on the grass in our front yard to read our books.

He: just finished Mockingjay. She: is in the middle of Jodi Picoult's House Rules.

the grass is greener on the other side

This last summer, me and Griffin lived in Ohio (and Texas, but lets not talk about it.) I've been thinking a lot about Ohio lately. And how fun it was to always be seeing new things and going new places.

 Sometimes, I wanna go back. But then it wouldn't be so new and fun. On our next summer adventure, we want to take a road trip up the west coast. See the Redwood Forest, the Oregon coast, and Seattle.

Have you been? Any recommendations for fun things to see in any of those places?

Where is your next adventure going to be?

more on our Ohio adventure here, here, here, here, here, here, and here

it's all in the Q

If you know us, you know we love Netflix. And we have spent plenty of time this summer watching movies from our childhood including....

Space Jam

The Brave Little Toaster

Muppet Treasure Island

Hook

Matilda

Look Who's Talking

Jack

Big

What's in your Q? And/or what are some of the movies from your childhood?

you can go anywhere, but there's none that compare

Those who are in Utah this summer, consider yourself lucky. We decided that it's hard not to be in fabulous, beautiful Utah in the summer time.

 what we miss:

•  CAMPING! including s'mores, four-wheeling, camp-fires, all in our wonderful mountains
• Otter Pops!!!
• Dinner on the back porch! including corn on the cob (straight from Harward Farms), potato salad, burgers hot off the grill, watermelon, cantaloupe, and/or pasta salad
• taking a drive up to Park City to cool off and take a trip down the zip line
• Pioneer day celebrations! Cedar Hills days, Art City days, Strawberry days, Rodeos, etc
• summer thunderstorms
• all our families reunions
• but mainly we just miss spending time with all our families and friends!!!
• August 22 is when we finally head HOME