It's a journal, it's a journal...

Ughh, do you kinda ever feel like you just want to be a winter-time blogger?! I swear I just feel like I have a lot more time to sit down and blog when it's cold outside! There just seems to be too much going on in the summer to ever find a free minute! But I need to be better because this is a journal and I don't want our family to look back on it and think, so did we never do ANYTHING in the summer?! So, here's my attempt at some kind of an update! Probably just for us, since there's likely nobody ever reading this anymore since I tend to disappear so often these days!

First off, last week, Kaiya and I got to go meet up with some special people -- Natalie and Emma! Natalie was one of my mission companions and although we don't live super far away, we don't get to see each other nearly as often as I would like! She has the most adorable, sweet little girl, Emma, and is due soon with her second! I could spend hours talking to Nat -- she just makes me laugh and is such a beautiful, beautiful person inside and out! I am soo glad we got to meet up finally and spend some time together!

Next, we had a GREAT 4th of July! I have always really loved this holiday! It's one of the holidays that I inevitably find myself getting choked up at least one time (often several times) during the course of the day. Whether it's hearing the patriotic music on the radio, thinking about those who are away from their families serving US and those who have lost their lives in the name of freedom, reflecting on how grateful and proud I am to live in this country where we have sooo much available to us (especially as I learn more and more about the country that my parents live in right now), or just how blessed I feel getting to spend the extra day together with my family! Isn't it just the coolest holiday?! Kaiya put her sparklers on her head to get ready for her first 4th, and we made our way down to Provo. We have been celebrating down there for so many years, we kinda decided that's where we wanted to be again this year! (Funny how that place still feels so much like home to us!) We got to meet up with Jessika and her boyfriend to have dinner and then we went to our traditional park with all of our treats in tow to enjoy the evening. We have now learned that Kaiya loves licorice, just like her grandma and grandpa -- yes, of course it was Twizzlers, mom and dad! I did get choked up (see, I told you) as I looked around at all the families at the park, kids running around having fun, couples holding hands, poppers and sparklers going off, and I thought this is the America that I love -- where family still matters and people can gather to celebrate together! Jessika came to meet us later on to watch the Stadium of Fire show from the park and it did not disappoint! We had such a great time talking, laughing and sharing this holiday together! Kaiya loved her own little sparklers, and the big fireworks as well, and didn't take her eyes off of all the bright colors in the sky. How lucky on this 4th of July that she is here with us to enjoy the celebration (last year she was just about baked in Jessika's oven :) and we loved watching her enjoy the excitement of it all, despite this look on her face! Holidays are just so much more fun when you can experience them through your kids!

We also had the very fun opportunity of having our wonderful friends, the Oliverson's, come and stay with us on their way back to Cali. If only it could have been a longer trip!! We always have the BEST time with them and love their little kids to pieces! We have so much fun talking and laughing into the wee hours of the morning and feel so blessed to have such special friends! It's always great when they come, but so sad when they leave! We were so busy having fun with them that I forgot to take any pictures -- that's rare for me and I'm kicking myself right now! Thanks guys for making the stop to see us! We love ya!

And finally (no pictures again, dang), last night we got to spend the evening out with my brother going boating! I can think of few places that are more fun than to be out on a boat, with the sun setting, in perfect weather, with water as smooth as glass! It was so much fun! Chris and Jason even tried out surfing behind the boat (have you ever seen this? -- it is crazy!) It was such a fun evening! We went out and bought Kaiya her own life jacket and she really enjoyed the night! She is so funny to watch when the wind catches her breath when we're going fast -- sometimes she even sticks her tongue out like she's lapping at the wind! It is pretty funny! Such a fun night!

And some bits and pieces on our little one: she decided, literally the day I posted on my blog about how she was struggling with her eating, that she was going to eat everything in sight! Since then, she has been doing sooo good and is eating like a champ! Some of her favorites -- yogurt and oatmeal, tangerines, limes (oh don't even try to take away a lime from her), peas, carrots, dried fruit, cheese and spaghetti. Mmmm, go baby go! What a relief! And just last week, she finally just took off and is ALL over the place now! She was very timid about crawling and would never go more than a couple of crawls and then one day she just hit the road and never looked back! It's a whole new ballgame now and it really opens your eyes to how NOT childproof everything in your house is! We were (and still are) dying over her crawling! It is not only a big step for babies, but a pretty big deal for first time parents!

So, there's the update! It's a journal, Karli, it's a journal! Keep it up! (A little pep talk to myself, so I don't wait until November to update again!) And I have to include this picture because I just LOVE the way that Kaiya looks at her daddy! She just adores him -- and I'm pretty positive the feeling is mutual!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend as well!