Disneyland, Beach, Dates, and a Wren Bath

In July Tatum Hawkins brought her girls for their annual summer trip back to California from Shanghai, where they will be living for one more year until Sam is done with his work on the new Disney park opening there. Tatum came for several weeks; Sam just joined them in August for their last two weeks here.

Tatum came down to Oceanside one afternoon to see another friend and then came over to eat dinner with us and hang out for a while. It's fun now that the girls are old enough to play together. Ever was a big fan of Tess. She mostly ignored Rue because she really only likes older kids.

Later that week, we went to Disneyland with them. I've tried to minimize the Disneyland/princess exposure, but I couldn't resist a free visit. Ever loved it, of course. The only problem was that she wants to go on the big rides and gets sad when she's not tall enough. I remember when that happened to me. Junk city.

Rue, Tess, and E Money:

Small World:

We got cotton candy (and then caramel corn, when Ever decided she didn't like the cotton candy) and watched the fireworks. The fireworks made me cry a little bit. Is that weird?

Ever, before she decided she didn't like the cotton candy:

Tess was terrified and crying most of the time. She stopped briefly and was not in distress during the taking of this photo:

The Hawkins girls in their teacup:

I'd never been on Autopia before. It was more fun than I thought it would be. Ever was an excellent driver:

The castle:

Other happenings in July were as follows:

Ever continues to enjoy crafting and coloring and making a big mess on her little table. She also loves to dance:

 

 

Susan Oddou has been arranging playgroup activities pretty much weekly this summer, mostly at the beach and park. One of the beach days:

Kailah Raleigh and Ever:

Parker Moffat and Saiji Clark are the boys in front. Isn't Parker so Great Gatsby in those little striped shorts?

I think this was after one of our beach days:

Ever and Luc had a couple of play dates. They are really cute together when they're playing well. There's much giggling and playful screaming. Susan brought strawberries one day, and they ate the entire container:

Another time when Luc was over, I tried to make homemade play dough. It was a total disaster. I didn't realize you normally have to bake the stuff. I found a no-bake recipe that used up nearly an entire container of Morton's salt and produced very weird and crumbly dough. It kept them busy for a little while, anyway:

(Note: at a later date, Ever went to Luc's to watch a movie with him and the Karners. In that movie, two characters got engaged. The kids asked what a "fiance" is. Susan explained. Luc said that Ever is his fiance. Susan said he had to ask Ever to marry him first. He did, and she said yes. So they are betrothed.)

I think I took this picture of Wrenzo to send to Jim in connection with a statement about her sleeping. I include it here only because Wren isn't getting enough air time, and it shows her squeezy legs:

Ever helped me make a salad one day. She ended up just eating the "crunchy part" of all of the lettuce. The amount of lettuce she ate was incredible. It was also somewhat counterproductive as far as the salad-making went:

Jim and I got out for the first time in a long time and went to see Jurassic World at the new Regal theater in Carlsbad. Assigned seating, fully reclining leather seats. Changed my life. These are my outstretched legs: 

We really enjoyed the movie and went back the next weekend to see Ant-Man, which was also highly enjoyable. Turns out going to fancy movie theaters is really fun.

I am the official bather (that's the person who bathes) of Wren. Jim got in the game one night, though, and not only bathed her but also held a photo shoot afterward:

And to wrap up July, one night during dinner Ever asked me please to find (on my computer) "a picture of a big girl wearing bigger shoes than me that are pretty." She went on to clarify, "Gold, sparkly shoes. That's what I want." No idea where that came from. She's into pretty clothes and pretty shoes and just generally being a pretty princess, much to the dismay of Jim and me.

Her dinner that night lasted over two hours. I'm not exaggerating. I kept track. She is so slow. And she ate: some multi-grain/veggie blend side dish from Trader Joe's, a little leftover tilapia, two chicken nuggets, a skinny bagel (both halves) with cream cheese, part of my chicken burrito, two baby carrots, and two little bowls of dry (no milk) Honey Bunches of Oats. I think that must be some kind of record for a tiny person. Sometimes she eats so much. Other times, not so much. 

Jim Trekked

Jim went on the pioneer trek in July with the youth. He was a medical guy last time (five years ago); this time he was Pa to Kathy Shirley's Ma.

He called once toward the end of the trip. When I asked him how it was, he said, "It's great. I love it." He had a wonderful experience and loved his group. He and Kathy had Madison Sorenson, Aurora Pope, and Lizzie Fisher from our ward, along with brothers Arden and Ian from a Carlsbad ward, Garrett Peters (son of Jim's friend Paul, aka Pablo), Garrett's friend, and two other girls. The kids did wonderfully. Kathy told me afterward that she'd been nervous about leading a "family" with someone other than her real-life husband. She wanted to model a good, service-oriented marital relationship while obviously keeping everything proper. She said Jim and my relationship is similar enough to her relationship with Jack that they worked really well together and everything went great.

The weather was unusually cool this time. In fact, it was apparently freezing (figuratively) in the morning and at night. They just roasted during the last trek. I think I'd love to do it if I didn't have to sweat to death.

Someone posted photos on Facebook, and I snagged some. Madison Sorenson, Rachael Goodwin (bonnet head), Makenna Kane, Aurora Pope, Talila Thompson, and Jim:

We met all the trekkers at the church for a BBQ when they returned. They had a testimony meeting and slideshow after the grub fest, but I had to leave early to get Wren to bed. I didn't get the whole recap of the trip until a couple days later because Jim was too tired to do it justice when he first got home. On the trek, they told pioneer stories I had never heard before. The sacrifices made by the early saints, and their strength and faith, astound me. I just can't imagine going through what they did, losing loved ones, etc. Jim said he was crying all the time because the stories were so moving. I cried when he recounted them to me.

Ever is very excited to go on a trek when she's big enough. I'm guessing I'll have an opportunity to go with our kid(s) at some point, too. It sounds like an amazing experience.