Camping in Malibu

What is it about being outdoors, away from the crowds and concrete jungle, that makes everything in the world okay? This weekend we packed our tent, sleeping bags, cooler and kiddo and head up to Malibu to camp it up down and dirty with some good friends. Between the hiking adventures, mouth-watering camp food and s'mores, constant deer families walking by, fires and conversations, we forgot about everything going on at the bottom of the mountains and seriously enjoyed our families. Our little ones, camouflaged in dirt and sweat, played it up till passing out in the tents. Then it came, glorious adult time, sitting under the stars by the camp fire with a drink in hand and stories to laugh at. I'm grateful for this time before my little family of 3 becomes 4. I'm grateful for the quietness in the mountains, for my last special moments of it just being us and David, and for the friends i get to share life with. God's been pretty good to me.

Camping sign made by the amazing Sarah Petar

Our group, Petars, Kennedy's & Rassmussens

boys at the water hole

my crazy husband

feeling baby move

and little scarlette, stealing my heart and boosting my exciting for my little girl!

morning camp coffee in the cold mountains with this man, awesome

Father's Day

Besides David and I taking Jason to two of his favorite spots for breakfast and dinner...Nick's Deli in Seal Beach for his 911 breakfast burrito and Yard House in Long Beach, sat on the patio over-looking the harbor, I think we scored with giving him a pretty awesome gift...a little girl. That's right! The ultrasound showed GIRL!!! With tears in our eyes and the oohs and ahhs of my parents and niece being present, all I could think about was how this little girl is going to have her daddy wrapped around her finger one day. I can already imagine Jason and David rough housing (boys play rough, Jason says) and then how he'll totally soften as she wants to join in the play, gentle tickles and kisses on the belly. I can't wait!

So for this Father's Day blog, I want to share 5 of my favorite things about my Jason.

1.) The guy doesn't take anything serious in life! He truly lives a joyful life, always laughing and making jokes. When I worry or get too serious about something, it's impossible to stay that way around him. Though irritating at times, I really do appreciate it.

2.) How he makes a point every single day to thank me for being a good mama to his boy, feeding our family healthy home cooked meals everyday, and being an awesome wife. He makes it easy to want to always be a good mom and wife.

3.) How he tells me everyday that I'm beautiful. He calls me his hottie wife. :) Being a girl, there is always something that you don't like about yourself or something that you're self conscious about, but having someone tell me so often how HE see's me, it out weighs the stupid thoughts that I can have in my head about myself. He gives me self confidence.

4.) I love that Jason is always on the go and can never sit still. It definitely makes life with him never boring with all that he does on his days off...bike rides, beach, surfing, bbq's with family and friends, adventures, etc. Not to mention his OCD. You know the deep spring cleaning that you try to get to once or twice a year? Jason does that every day he has off. That one is very close to the top of my list.

5.) And last but not least, besides my dad for his kids, I've never seen so much love in one man's eyes for another like the way I see it in Jason for his son. Nobody makes David laugh and carry on like his daddy!

I took this picture Father's day night as Jason was singing David a bedtime song. He didn't know I was behind him. xoxo

After countless hours of squeezing what seemed like hundreds of lemons, I was ready to wake up Monday morning to start my yearly 2 week detox. For some reason it occurred to me to first take a pregnancy text JUST IN CASE...I wouldn't want to harm my baby with the small chance that I was in fact preggo. With my lemon drink waiting on the counter in the kitchen for me waiting to drink it, I first go to the bathroom and wait for that little "minus" sign to put me at ease with the detox. Except the minus was not a minus, it was a plus...a big, fat, pink plus! I shook my head in a jerk to make sure my eyes were working and saw that it was still a plus. I wake up David, run to the store and buy 2 more tests. Yup, it's a double line and a plus! I was in shock! Waiting till the next day to tell Jason (who worked late that night), I first dropped David off at school, took Jason to Taco Surf to fill my nervous belly, then took him for a walk on the beach to write it out in the sand. Jason's eyes doubled in size and filled up with tears as he ran over to me to hug me and repeatedly ask me "really? really? for real? really?". Two short weeks later we go see my doctor who only confirmed it with a picture of our little bean. Jason and I confessed afterwards that we secretly thought it was too good to be true being that several months ago the doctors diagnosed me with endometriosis and said I might not be able to conceive. I guess God's plan is different! So thankful!!!

I got a 3 year old preschool kid!

From starting his little life with the doctors saying to us that there was no hope, that he hasn't been breathing, that he was bleeding in the lungs and brain, and that his dad and I needed to say goodbye because he was completely brain dead anyway and they needed to pull the plug...to now starting PRESCHOOL, this has been a dream! My God is so faithful in His promises!

I was going to home school David for the first couple years until he caught up. But I was persuaded to start him out in a special needs program with the goal of getting him into regular kindergarten. Man oh man, am I glad we did! This week (after david being in preschool just under 3 months) I walked into his class a couple minutes early for them to show me what he was doing. As they brought out a letter, number, shape and color sheet, my boy pointed to each one as they asked him where it was! I couldn't believe it! Tears were streaming down my face. Mrs. Thompson told me that this was all stuff he learned at home (thanks to Baby Einstein and Youtube) and that they are just simply bringing it out of him. She said that what he knows is more advanced than what she's teaching and that she going to recommend him for the highest learning for his next year preschool class! She said that besides his vision and speech, she can't find any part of him that would be delayed or disabled, that he is acting like a real 3 year old. This mama is probably the most proud and happy mama in the world right now!!!

Here's a couple pictures of his first day at school..

This 3 year road we have walked with David and all the beginning complications have not been the easiest at every moment, but it has definitely been exciting, adventurous, and very humbling. There is a group of girlfriends that I get together with every week for coffee since the time David came home from the hospital. Their support to my family, prayers for David, and friendship to me has been overwhelmingly wonderful. Below is a picture (missing Kelly, Jenn and Heather) of us getting together at Jonne's house for a Frank Sinatra / Grace Kelly martini Christmas party. The picture below that is the husbands doing their thing. :) I'm so grateful for my girls in my life.

my hunk of a hottie husband!

Thanksgiving season!

I LOVE this season! A 2 month season of family, yummy coffees, holiday movies, Christmas parties, good moods, music celebrating our King streaming across the world...I can't get enough!

This Thanksgiving there is so much to be grateful for but I think most of all, my heart is overwhelmed with love for my family. There is so much love and joy hanging out with them. I love that my dad has always worked extra hard for his family, has amazing wisdom and is sharp as a tack, looks at his grown up kids like they are still his little babies that he would do anything for and DOES anything for, hugs and kisses us every time he's around us in the same way I hug and kiss my little boy, laughs at the little things and shrugs off the serious things in life, truly loves our God, and truly loves his family with all of his beating heart. I love that my mom is always silly and always giggling, that she always has a smile on her face when I'm around her, that she loves everyone with truly and un-judgemental heart, that she seeks the heart of God like no woman I know, that she would attack like a roaring lion against anything or anyone that came against her kids, and that she's my funnest friend to hang around. Both of them have set such an amazing example to me and my husband of how a parent should be. What can I say, I'm a lucky girl.

Unfortunately Jason worked Thanksgiving day but had off Friday so I threw him a little Thanksgiving then. This was definitely my favorite weekend in our new home. Here's just a couple pictures of our weekend.

started our weekend with our morning walk on the beach before leaving for Grandma and Grandpa's without Jason.

midnight cooking and laughing with my mom and brother.

David helping Grandpa make his famous mash potatoes.

Thanksgiving pies and the new traditional amazing pistachio ice cream dessert from my brother in law Tim. I've been thinking of this every day.

homemade gourmet pizza party and one giant slumber party!

bonfire, wine, roasted marshmallows, and too many off-the-wall funny conversations I will never repeat. :)

the second night's bonfire started pouring but my parents, brother, jason and I weren't going to let it ruin our fun. Turned up the music, tripled the firewood, and made another unforgettable memory.

uncle Brian and David keeping warm by the inside fire. they're no dummies.

my sister and her sleeping angel.

when everybody left Sunday evening, I decorated the Christmas tree, Jason put the blowup mattress in the living room, put on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and we had our own camp out under the Christmas tree lights.

we woke up smiling. :) we're a blessed family.

life is a beach..

We moved! Good bye Costa Mesa, helloooooo Sunset Beach! Recently I was saying to Jason that I feel like every time God moves us, it's into a much more amazing place. Our last place was from Belmont Shore (1/2 block from ocean) to Costa Mesa (2 miles from ocean)...and though the neighborhood didn't get better, our apartment got 10 times better. I told him that I believed Belmont Shore was our "peak" location because it would be impossible to go bigger and get closer to the water but that I was grateful for that season. Spoke too soon I guess. He just dropped a little 2 bedroom house with nice size yard and 2 car garage just feet away from the sand into our laps. My God is so good!

Moving can tire this mama out but this weekend, me and a couple other mama friends had a beautiful cabin (thanks to Kelly) in Arrowhead that put this mama back on her feet. It's amazing what a little fresh air and time away can do! Here's a couple pics for you.

roll out of bed to coffee and jammies in the new back yard :)

our weekend cabin

and view!

Kelly's homemade YUMMY calzones

amazing conversation with some amazing girls. so blessed with my friends.

tired face is my weakness. love this girl.

morning coffee on deck

pretty much the most athletic chica you'll ever meet

trail hike