Sojourn to Oregon: July 2017

I'm super behind in writing about our trip to Oregon but we had family in town for Eve's baby blessing and moved so it's been a little hectic around here. We road tripped to Rockaway Beach, Oregon for my Mom's side of the family - Christensen family reunion. Let me just start off by saying that I am seriously the luckiest Mom in the world. Both of our girls did super amazing on the car rides, both there and on the way home. We didn't have to make any extra stops, I was able to feed Eve whenever we had to get food or gas. Hayley played with new toys that Grandma Susan got her and watched movies. I'm not saying they never cried, there were tears, but overall it was super smooth and they were so well behaved.
We left for Oregon on Saturday morning, July 8. We stayed in Pendleton, Oregon that night and then made our way to Rockaway Beach on Sunday. It was a long day of driving, 8 hours or so, but we survived and it made for less driving time on Sunday.
We went to the Nike store when we got to Portland on Sunday, for Dan (he's obsessed with Nike shoes), and tried going to the International Rose Garden but couldn't find a place to park with our big trailer so we figured that out on the drive home. We made it to our home away from home in the late afternoon/early evening and unloaded everything. We went for a nice, quick motorcycle ride around Rockaway at sunset. Dan and I stayed in the room with bunk beds and he slept with Hayley and I slept with Evelyn, both on the bottom beds.

The real fun began on Monday. We checked out a place to catch some crabs and then went up the coastline. We visited Cannon Beach, got some delicious fish and chips in Seaside, and I rode back to our house with Dan on the motorcycle. My bum was starting to get sore at the end but it was sure beautiful! We went to the family reunion dinner and "bonfire." It wasn't really a bonfire, so we didn't stay for very long. We attempted to watch a movie when we got back but the Chromecast wasn't working too well so we all went to bed.

On Tuesday we went to the family reunion breakfast and then headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. They sure make some good cheese. Hayley loved all the samples and stuffed cows they had in the gift shop, she had to carry as many as she could fit in her arms around with her. Then we went to see The Octopus Tree and a lighthouse. The weather was so nice there. It was nice to escape the heat of Utah for a few days. We picked up an ice cream cake for Hayley on the way back to the house because she turned two! We went to the reunion dinner and then came back to celebrate her birthday by opening some presents (a wooden play pizza, some cars, bubbles, a barbie,and clothes) and eating cake. We hung out for a little bit and then went to bed.

On Wednesday we went to the family reunion breakfast and while everyone went to the beach to try wake wenching, Eve and I stayed back for a nap. I was not getting enough sleep on this trip and it was starting to hit me. But apparently Hayley had a great time playing at the beach, not surprising because she loves water. And Mike, Dan, and my Dad tried wake wenching and were successful, for the most part. After lunch we went to Kelly's Marina and caught some crab. Dan stayed home with Eve and I joined the group with Hayley after her nap. We had a lot of crab and it was SO good. We went to the family reunion dinner and stayed for the auction after. We watched The Lego Batman movie once everyone was back home, and then it was time for bed.

On Thursday morning we loaded everything up, stopped in real quick at the family reunion breakfast to say thank you (my great Aunt Kathryn cooked all the food for all the breakfasts and dinners for at least 60 people), and then were on the road again. Once we made it to Portland we went to the International Rose Garden, the boys (minus Mike) had to drop us off and find somewhere to park. I've never seen so many roses, and boy did that garden smell good. We stayed in Mountain Home, ID that night. We got there around midnight so we were all pretty tired and cranky. Eve was not happy so I would be surprised if her crying didn't wake some people up.

On Friday morning we had breakfast and then hit the road again. It was nice to have a short drive and we finally made it home in the afternoon. 

Oregon is definitely underrated. I would go back again in a heartbeat. It was beautiful and there is lots to do. If you have the chance to go then do it!

Evelyn: Three Months

Oh how I love our little Evelyn! She makes me so happy and I just love her stinkin' guts!

Eve is starting to fit better into her 3 month clothes, and we just barely started putting her in size 1 diapers, even though they're a little big. She will usually "talk" to me whenever I talk to her. She will smile when I talk to her, after she's done eating, or when she wakes up. Hayley and Eve finally started napping at the same time so I try and be productive during that time, but usually I take a nap too because I'm tired. She is still going 8-10 hours at night (11 a few times), and I'm hoping she'll start getting closer to 12 soon because I go back to work in a few weeks. We started putting her in the bumbo and she does great at holding her head up. It'll be amazing if I can keep her alive 'til she's one because Hayley just LOVES to play with her; and when I say play I mean throw water in her face, jump around her, throw things at her, kiss her all over intensely, squeeze her, etc. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has to remind their toddler to be soft like 50 times a day? She loves to sleep in her swing. She's getting a little better about being in her car seat but it's still not her favorite. She drools quite a bit every once in a while, especially when sucking on her fist. On July 23 Dan gave Evelyn a beautiful, eloquent blessing. He told her that Heavenly Father is proud of her and that He is trusting to send her to the world at this time, that she'll have a contagious smile and sense of humor, that she'll be a shining light and positive impact on her family, that she'll grow up and develop good health, that she will become a daughter of God that we and Heavenly Father will be proud of, that she'll be curious and seek understanding and learning, that she'll enjoy God's creations and have a love for the world and spiritual aspects of the Gospel, that she'll be interested in Jesus and His Atonement and have a desire to share it, that she'll seek and maintain covenants including marriage in the house of the Lord, that she'll have love and nurturing in Motherhood & Womanhood, that she'll be a valiant servant in the Lord's work, and that she'll walk the strait and narrow path. We have been blessed with some choice daughters. She will use her legs to stand up when I hold her up. I am horrible at having her do tummy time but she does a decent job of holding her head up when she isn't just laying there enjoying being on her stomach ha. I got her first giggle out of her on July 26. Since then she has only giggled one other time, not for a lack of trying to get them out of her because it's the cutest sound ever.

I love those sleepy smiles.

First time at the beach.

The day she got her shots.

She barfed all over, luckily it was on our way home.

Her blessing dress.

Hayley: Two Years

Oh how I love our Hayley bug! She is such a joy and light. She keeps us on our toes but we're always entertained. Of course she is a little stinker at times but for the most part she is a really good little girl. We are lucky to call her daughter!

Hayley loves to be active - she will cry when we have to come inside the house or leave the park. She has the best Grandpa Ted who spoils her and takes her on walks to the park and plays with her outside almost every time we visit. She likes to pick up rocks and carry them around or pt them in her pockets if she is wearing something that has them. She also loves to play in the water and swim. We did swimming lessons together and she loved them. I loved them too when she wasn't running away from me trying to jump in. She enjoys riding in the bike trailer when she can find someone to pull her behind them.
Hayley has a sweet, kind little heart - she often asks to give hugs and kisses to people when they leave (even people she just barely met). She kisses her stuffed animals and pictures in books and tells them she loves them. That was one of the best moments, for me, of her life when she said, "I love you too," and now says it to us and family members without being told to. She also cries whenever I'm hurt and is protective of me. She is also the best big sister to Eve. She loves to hug, kiss, and smother her. She loves to show Eve off to people and always has to know where she is. She also has pretty good manners and will say please, thank you, and you're welcome without being told. It's pretty darn cute in her little girl voice.
Hayley is a little chatterbox - she gets complimented often on how well she speaks for her age. She likes to call her family members on the phone and "talk" to them, and she pretends anything and everything is a phone so she can talk into it. She loves to sing - she knows "The Wheels On the Bus", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", her ABCs, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and various parts of other kid's songs. She loves to act like she knows the hymns at church and will "sing" along, it's pretty darn cute when she doesn't sing super loud. We were listening to the radio in the car and "Let Me Love You" was playing and she started singing it! What the?! Stop growing up so fast!
Hayley loves all animals but especially dogs, she chases them down and wants to pet them whenever we see one. There are some (dogs) next door to our apartment and at the Harris Grandparent's house and she asks to go see them everyday. So it's no surprise that her favorite things to watch have animals in them. Her go to movies/shows are: Curious George, Clifford, Zootopia ("Bunny"), Cars, Trolls, Minions, Tarzan ("Monkeys"), Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo/Dory, and Secret Life of Pets ("Pets"). She likes trains, airplanes, and motorcycles. We have to leave the sunroof in the car open so she can see the airplanes ha.
Hayley did really well in nursery her first day and then it went downhill after that, she fooled me thinking it was going to be a smooth transition. It was getting better and then our ward boundaries changed and we had to start all over. Plus with all the holidays and having a new baby we haven't been consistent with having her go so we kind of gave up because I am not fond of sitting in nursery with her for 2 hours and neither is Dan ha. We are moving again at the end of the month so we will try again in our new ward, wish us luck!
We also attempted potty training. The first day was horrible, but the second and third she did great. Then it was kind of off and on from there. So we pretty much gave up on going number 1 but still try and get her to go number 2 on the toilet, which is also kind of off and on. She wears mostly pull-ups so we can still use the potty but don't have to clean up a mess when we don't. We will try again after moving. I think she was too young because she would start to go pee and then realize she was going so we'd hurry to the potty but by then we'd have to change her panties anyway, so I don't think she had developed the ability to control it yet.
Thankfully Hayley isn't a very picky eater. She will eat whatever is for lunch or dinner for the most part, and when she won't she will let you know by saying, "I don't want it." She loves to eat the marshmallows out of lucky charms, and I bet she would eat fruit snacks and goldfish all day everyday if we let her. She loves juice and chocolate milk.
Hayley has turned into more of a snuggle bug than she was when she was a baby. I don't know if it was because I was pregnant, but it was hard sometimes with a big belly in the way. She is pretty good about going down for naps and bedtime. You know when she's really tired because she asks to lay down by saying, "I take a nap," or, "I go to bed."
Hayley has started the dreaded "terrible twos." I don't recall where we were but she was not happy and threw herself on the ground with her face down (this started in April). How do kids just know to do that?! She did it consistently when she was unhappy for a few weeks and hasn't done it so much anymore. Sometimes it was hard not to laugh at her because she was so calm about it, she wouldn't kick her legs or scream she would just lay there mad.
Hayley loves to play with play-doh, color in her coloring book, play with bubbles, read books, play with her dishes, throw balls, wear mommy's shoes, and play with her doll (she is learning new things to do with her baby after watching me with Eve - like burp her). I love when you ask her to find the sun in a book or talk about it she covers her eyes and says, "bright." She loves to be chased. She is a little climber and always has bruises from falling down or off something.

She pretends to take naps or go to sleep in the bath tub.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We love Fiiz around here.

She loves her hats.

Treehouse Museum.

Playing with her "makeup".

We love when Hadley comes to visit!

She loves to give Eve kisses.

Tired girl just fell asleep on the couch.

She's a little fishy!

This girl loves her Grandpa SO much!

She likes to sleep with her blankets over her head.

She has to carry every stuffed animal she can find all over every store.

We celebrated Hayley's birthday on Saturday, July 15 at the Hayward's. Her theme was "One in a Melon." I made her cake and it was not at all what I had envisioned but it tasted good and I guess that's all that really matters ha. It was a fun evening and Hayley is sure spoiled!

That hole in her cake is from her sticking her finger in it.

So excited to get some fruit snacks.

Side note: Hayley had her 2 year check-up on July 17. She weights 25 lbs. 8 oz and is almost 30 inches tall. She is easily hitting all her milestones. We are super lucky to have such a healthy little girl.