VACATION

if you are checking the blog then this is all backwards- but here are a bunch of posts about our recent trip to the mainland!

if you are reading this through google reader or something similar then you probably got them in order.

at any rate- here are some happy images of people who love each other having a great time.

enjoy! :)

and finally, the HAIRCUT!

we were in vegas the night before we left, and my sister brittany did this:




isnt he so cute and handsome? he looks all grown up (tear, sniffle) but he is still my baby!

well, this concludes all the vacation pictures! hope you enjoyed looking through at least some of them.

WE HAD THE BEST TIME! it wasnt always action packed and i think that was definitely a good thing. i already miss all the extra adults around to help me manage my children, but i think it is definitely time for me to get myself together and figure it all out.

thank you family for having us, driving to see us, feeding us and making us feel so loved! it is really something to feel so secure and happy with the ones you love.

venice beach lives on

my dad is cool. he has always taken us to santa monica beach, urban outfitters on 3rd street promenade, and VENICE BEACH. if you have never been then you have to go. it is a stretch of crazy all along the coast and i love it. random shops, fortune tellers, vendors, hippie handcrafts galore and other odds 'n ends that you would never need. there is a lot of art, henna, rasta paraphernalia, and much much more. it is one of the best things about my childhood/teenage years. i love it.

it is decidedly less fun with a two year old who doesnt cherish hippie handcrafts as much as his mom and an infant who just wants to nurse all the time.... but it was worth the hassle, i assure you.

after everyone indulged me with a nice long walk at venice beach, looking for the perfect long sundress to replace my old one that was stolen by a roommate back in the day (we never found one)- we headed to IKEA!!!! (aka- heaven) and parked in the family parking and my mom held asher, thomas stayed with napping ambrose in the car and me and my dad had a GRAND OLD TIME whisking around the store- finding a perfect stash of things for the boys new room. it was AWESOME!

los angeles temple

my favorite part of the two weeks was when we went and stayed in the temple apartments friday night while my parents attended their stake temple night.









i felt a really special feeling as i walked around the temple grounds with my little family.












that handsome husband is mine, those precious boys are mine. we love each other so much and we are sealed for eternity because of the temple! how wonderful.

it was a beautiful and sweet night for our family.

when we headed back to the apartment- grandma hawkins was ready to rock ambrose to sleep and daddy cuddled up with asher. a lot of love all around.



ambrose's favorite part? playing on the tiny and kinda dirty patio! of course.

water baby

ambrose was in heaven- he was able to go in and out all day long if he wanted all by himself since my parents have a fenced in patio and plenty of things for a little rascal to enjoy too. this was his favorite activity i think!

the robertsons and kessies reunite!

a big highlight was seeing the kessies again! zane was in the circle for asher's blessing, we had a pool adventure, ate dinner together a couple of times, and a late night visit...etc. it was so nice to see them! when they sat in front of us at the blessing i just kept fighting the urge to reach forward and hug them during sacrament meeting i was so happy they were there! we love them.

hanging around

mostly we just had quiet days lounging around as a family. i was relieved to be home, have tons of adults around to help me with the kids, tons of kids around to entertain ambrose, and not have to really worry about all the day-to-day tasks like cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping...etc. it was nice!

ha!

ambrose had quite the set-up in the pool and these awkward shots are of him trying to figure it out at first. it was hilarious! after a little bit he got it figured out though and pretty soon he didnt need any help in the pool. we still stayed close by anyway, but it was fun seeing him feel so independent!

4th of july BBQ

we had a fun and DELICIOUS 4th of july backyard BBQ at my parents house. man my mom can make a good meal! so fun. anyway, these are more of the set-up before- we were too busy eating to take pictures during it!

"enough of those nasty formal pictures- get back to posting about the kids!"- Betty Hawkins

betty hawkins- if you dont already know- is my mother and so i better do what she says!

i have too much to post now though since thomas got the pictures all loaded for me.

maybe i'll do it in segments- it ovewhelms me otherwise and both the kids are napping so now is the time.

first we arrived and had a good old time at adam and brittanys and then we made that deserty drive from las vegas to bakersfield that i have come to enjoy. maybe just cuz it is a different landscape and because it means i am with people i love going places i really like to go! both kids were shockingly perfect on the drive- woohoo!