To The Zoo

Dear Ollie,
On Monday, we got to go on our first trip to the zoo! It was surprisingly warm and sunny, the perfect day to visit. I've been wanting to take you for months but for one reason or another, it hadn't worked out. But, ya know? I think this was the perfect time for us to try something new! You loved it. Loved it! We saw penguins and baby jaguars and gorillas and froggies and toucans! You climbed trees and ran through caves with Uncle Josiah, led the way through the trails and had a blast talking to the monkeys. Oo Oo Ee Ee Ee!! :D Oh man, it was the best time, really. Poor Daddy had to stay home and finish a paper that was due that night. He missed out on a great day but don't worry! We will take him again soon and you can show him your favorite animals. 

I love exploring new things with you, Buddy. You're Mama's favorite friend and I'm so thankful that Jesus picked me and Daddy to take care of you for Him. I'm doing my best, I hope you know it. 

Let's go to the Aquarium next, wanna?!
Love you!!
Love,
Mama

Happy Feet

Last week, we were at my mom's house in the woods. It was just so wonderful and now that we're home there's one thing I miss the most: Being able to let Ollie roam free out in the yard. It was awesome to be able to open the door and explore. We live on a busy street, in a three story walk up. Let's just say 48 concrete steps with an open railing are not exactly toddler friendly. Anyways, I don't mean to complain about where we live, just trying to emphasize the luxury that is grass. And rocks in the garden. And puddles. Oh man. It was nice.

 Baby legs and monkey toes are also quite nice ;)

 xoxo
Joy

Family Water Day

Last week we had a family day at Wild Waves! Camillo and I hadn't been for years so of course Ollie hadn't been yet. The three of us met up with my mama and little brother Josiah. It was one of those trips that I was super excited for but also super anxious about. I knew Ollie would have a great time, but I also knew it would be a long, hot afternoon and that I'd need to prepare accordingly. We walked in from the parking lot with his stroller, diaper bag, lunch, and big duffel bag stuffed full. I felt like we could probably stay for a week. 

Just as I suspected Ollie loved the water!! He went down a bunch of slides, ran through the fountains, and bent down to stick his face in the water so many times! Over and over! I took him to the wave pool and he just kicked his feet and laughed and laughed! Oh man, that little laugh is always good for a mama's heart. It melted that day. My heart, I mean. I just love to see Ollie happy. It's the best.

My mom kept the baby for a while so me and Camillo could run off with Josiah and go down some big kid slides. Super fun! I love playing in the water, too I guess. We had fun being silly and running around. When we all met up again, we got dried off and trekked over to the side of the park with all the rides. It was a Monday and the lines weren't very long so we left the baby and the Grammy again and went for a roller coaster ride. The second best part of the day? Camillo's uncontrollable laughter as we were whipped up and down, back and forth, round and round in circles. I asked if he was hamming it up and he said 'No, I've just got the butterflies!' haha The headache and nausea I endured afterwards was totally worth getting to see Camillo having fun. No worries, no text books, just happy. Seriously. It was such an amazing, awesome day. I sure do love my family. I've decided we need a little more fun in our lives. Maybe mama will just skip the roller coaster next time ;)

xoxo
Joy

side note: maybe Ollie inherited Mommy's motion sickness. He looks like he's gonna ralph on the carousel, doesn't he? Sorry, buddy. 

Another Birthday Celebration and a Musical

           

For my birthday in June, my mom got us tickets to see the August showing of Sister Act at the Paramount!! Sister Act (1&2!) was my favorite movie growing up. Seriously, all time. Ever since then, I've had a thing for Lauryn Hill, too. I mean. Just listen to her voice! It was the perfect gift, what a fun night! Doesn't my mama look so happy in that top photo?

We parked a few blocks from the theater and started walking. Since we had a little bit of time before the show, we ducked into a little pizza place for a slice and a soda. We kept saying 'this is so nice!' and just relaxed without anybody else needing us to do something for them. It was so amazing. The photo above has a beautiful chandelier in the background. Oops. Missed it. But in my defense, it was 7:28 and we were rushing in. So, quick photo! 

The show was a blast. The characters were just like the ones in the movie, and the songs were exciting. I might have wanted to jump up and dance for one or two. But I did not. My mom probably would have been super embarrassed ;) 

It was a much needed night out and I enjoyed time with my mama very much. Thanks, Mom and Happy Birthday to me!! ha!

Have you ever been to a musical? What did you see? 

xo

Joy

Another Birthday Boy!

Today my love is another year older. I thought he was turning 23. But no! He's 24!! That means I'm not 25, I'm 26. Dang it. 

Happy Birthday to my handsome sexy hubby, awesome baby daddy, and best friend. I hope and pray that you always know how much we love you and appreciate everything you do for our family but that today you feel it extra! Thank you for being you, I'm so thankful you're all mine.

xoxo

Your Beautiful Sexy Wifey

How To Enjoy Your 5k Color Run {5 Tips}

1. Bring your friends

     Running with a group always makes it more exciting!!

2. Show some spirit and wear lots of white
     That probably sounds like an oxymoron, but the whole point is for your white to get colored on your
     run!!   

3. Don't worry about your time

     This is not a 5k for breaking personal records, take it easy and run through all the color stations!!

4. You will have pink ear wax and blue boogers for a couple days 

     Don't worry. Totally normal.

5. Let your hair down and have a good time

     Literally speaking, let your hair down and fill it with color! Or wear it up, whatever. But figuratively
     speaking, let loose and don't worry about getting messy!!  

Also, it's fun to take lots of pictures! Just be careful to keep your camera/phone out of the dust storm. Here are some of our 'before' pics:

/\ In our place, waiting to start! /\

And after:

  /\ Uh, not sure what's up with my friggin pose here but... /\

What a fun day we had! Color runs have kind of exploded in the last two years. It seems like they're everywhere! Have you heard of them before? This was the Color In Motion 5K and next month is the Color Me Rad 5K. If you're in the Seattle area and think you'd enjoy a fun run, you should totally register! I'm going to join the Color Me Rad run, too, so come find me!

xoxo
Joy

Marina Beach

Last week we took Ollie to Marina Beach in Edmonds. Camillo is doing a research project with starfish and has to go back and forth to retrieve and return them. It's a fun little trip to take and Ollie loves it. So does the mommy. We went back again yesterday and I remembered I hadn't posted these photos from the first trip! 

Would you just look at that sweet face? His hat is a little too big so it seems to slide over to the side. That paired with his fluorescent pink shorts and we've got ourselves an 80s kid. Also, the tank I wore over my dress had covered those bad girls before we left the house. Not sure what happened with that. Sorry. 

Of course the babe had to smell the bushes flowers but once he noticed daddy and those noisy waves, he made a bee line for the ocean. And then...

He found the sand. I didn't know how he'd react to it. He's a pretty brave kid so I didn't think he'd be scared. But he doesn't like grass on his skin so his reaction really could have gone either way. He went with 'not scared' and just downed a fist full immediately. No better way to get acquainted, he thought.

We played in the water for a little while, got our toes wet. I think, if we'd let go of his hands, he would have jumped right in - he really loves water. But he can't swim so we didn't let him. ha! After splashing for a bit, we ate a quick picnic lunch and then packed up. I really appreciated that there was a washing station right near the beach. We were able to rinse off and only brought a minimal amount of sand home with us. 

Today was a gorgeous day and I'm super grateful for the time we got to spend together as a family. I lovelovelove when we get to try new things together, the three of us. Having a rambunctious boy around has made me more ambitious to get out of the house. Camillo and I are usually kind of homebodies but he makes us feel more adventurous. Thanks, buddy. Love you! 

Do you have a favorite spot to go on a hot day? Tell us about it! 

xoxo

Joy

I Totally Ran 7 Miles. But You're Just Going To Have To Take My Word For It!

On the first day of June, my mom and I set out for the annual 7 mile run in Shelton. I hadn't run this far since being pregnant and I was pretty nervous about it! I figured if my 49 1/2 year old mom could do it, I better put my big girl panties on and hit the road with her. 

What a difference it makes, running through gorgeous farmland instead of through traffic lights and busy streets! Oh my, it was sooo lovely. There was even a herd of cows standing along the road, watching and cheering us on as we ran by. Ha!

 At the 4 mile marker, I felt great. My mom was doing awesome, too. 10 paces past the 4 mile marker, my body realized it hadn't run farther than that in over a year. Oi ve! We kept chanting what we knew my brother Isaac would have been telling us: "It's all in your head, just keep running. Don't be a wuss!" Thanks, Isaac, that did the trick! I caught my second wind and finished in 1:20! Yaahooo!

Funny story: Since Ollie woke up the minute I was supposed to be out the door, I decided I should nurse him before I left - ya know, just real quick! Well, that resulted in rushing straight past the registration table and right into the bus that would take us to the starting line. We literally got there 2 minutes before the race started. Talk about down to the wire! Anyways, I didn't register. So I didn't have a race number. So when I ran across the finish line, I just gave them my name. So this was taped up on the board of results for everyone to see! Geez. Thank you. 

 I swear, I ran the race! True, there is no concrete evidence in these photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it. But I really did have a great time. It was such a beautiful run, and I'm so proud of myself. And my mama! It's amazing what you can do if you set your mind to it.

Are you a runner? What's the farthest you've run?

xoxo
Joy