We spent the first ten days of July visiting family in Utah. I took our camera, but did a terrible job of using it. Daniel and I ran in the 4th of July 5k with his family. After our race, Olivia and Belle ran together in the kids' quarter-mile race. Olivia finished dead last, but had no concept of competing against others. She was loving all the cheering people and reminding her cousin to run fast. That weekend, we also went to Lagoon with my family. My parents got camping spots in the campground right next to Lagoon so we could set up our tents and trailers within feet of the park entrance. It was so nice being able to lay my girls down for their naps and not have to fight them in strollers all day. This was Olivia's first experience with an amusement park and she did AWESOME! Her favorite rides were the lady bug drop that "tickled her tummy," the roller coaster (where she put her hands up in the air, despite my dad insisting she hold on), and the ferris wheel. I have never heard Olivia scream with such delight. I was so proud of her for being brave and enjoying some pretty crazy rides.
Olivia riding in first class on our first trip to Utah
Hanging out with Heather and her kids, Belle and Platte
On July 13th, my Grandma Beardall passed away. A week earlier she had fallen and broken her back and the doctors didn't know how long she would be alive. I was able to go to the hospital and tell her goodbye. Less than a week after returning home to California, Daniel and I loaded up our car for a quick drive back to Utah for the funeral. My grandma is one of my favorite people ever. She had such a great attitude about life and was always looking for ways to serve others. She had been a widow for 27 years, which made it easier to say goodbye, knowing she would be reunited with my grandpa. I am so grateful I was able to know my grandma and I will miss her.
A fun thing I got to do later in the month was leave the girls with Daniel overnight while I played with some of my girlfriends in Santa Monica. We ate at Javier's, a great Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, before driving up to our hotel in Santa Monica. The next day started at 9:30 in the morning - it was heaven to sleep in. We ate brunch at the Rose Cafe in Los Angeles, went to the Getty Museum, and shopped for hours at the Promenade in Santa Monica. We didn't get home until about 11:00 that night. It was so nice being kid free!
One of our favorite things to do with the girls is go to the beach.
