cue sappy post about our anniversary.

Newlyweds! we.were.babies.

I have to say, this anniversary has meant more than any of our others, and I hope to feel that way every year.
4 years ago today I became Mrs. Robert Williams. All week I've been reflecting back on that time, I love to think a few days before our anniversary "Ok, this day 4 years ago I was scrambling around because my fake tan was blochy" etc. It helps me get in the mood to celebrate, and let's be honest, I live for remembering good times.

I loved our wedding, it was the summer wedding I always wanted (90 degrees that day) in November. I'll never forget the first time Robert saw me in my wedding dress, I'll never forget all the love I felt that day in the sealing room and most of all I'll never forget how lucky I felt to become his forever. It's amazing how blessed I am.

To say I had no idea how happy I could be with this man is so cliche, but so true. Little did I know my decision to go to Long Beach State would lead to me meeting the man of my dreams and 4 years after that 2 little blue lines on a test in the wee hours of the morning telling us our little EmmaJane was on her way to be with us. And that it is up to us and our love to raise her to be happy.

One little crush on a guy my roommate introduced me to on my first Sunday in Huntington Beach led to all that. I love you Roberto, I always have.

Halloweenie

EmmaJane was Little Red Riding hood for Halloween and she loved wearing her costume, lots of fun was had.

 

 

 

Trick-or-treating on Halloween night, she really started understanding the concept and LOVED it!

Ready for the ward trunk-or-treat with a wild child.

Grammy came all the way down just to see little red all dressed up!

Loving on one of her girlfriends little L, she is also our neighbor and these girls are SO sweet together!

We made it to a pumpkin patch for a photo-op, it was about 90 degrees out - just a typical fall day in So. CA.

She was in the best mood, very different from last year!

Pumpkin Season

We went to the Great Park in Irvine on Saturday to enjoy their pumpkin harvest. We got there late, which meant free parking but there were no more pumpkins. Which means, we will be visiting another pumpkin patch. But we did get some great photos!

EmmaJane's (almost) walking!

Finally at one week shy of 15 months, we have some actual progress!

Yo's - might.

So we (well I) decided since we hadn't had a real vacation - I consider real vacations to be over 3 days long, no long weekends - since we went to Finland/Paris in 2010 that we needed something this year. So that we did. Originally my thought was to go to Yosemite and then onto San Francisco!
Side note, we had let our Disneyland passes expire for the first time in 6 years in December of 2011 - it was rough.
So fast forward to May and we're talking about what to do for a vacation and Robert says, "what if we just do Yosemite and we get Disney passes instead?" BINGO! you didn't have to tell me twice. So that's what we did!
Also, my sister had just moved to Sacramento, so we spent a couple days with them and then it was off to Yosemite for a few days and then a couple days at home and Disneyland!

I had been to Yosemite on vacation with my family when I was about 13, so it was fun to go back and see what I remembered and see what I took for granted last time!

Our first day in Yosemite we took a open-air tram ride that showed and told us a lot about the park, it was during nap time so EmmaJane wasn't too thrilled. But the tram was filled with older people from Charlotte, NC so they all acted as her pseudo grandparents very concerned about the amount of food, water and sunscreen she had, it was so cute.

A stop on the tour

I had to take a picture next to this sign because I did the same thing next to the same sign in 1998 when I was 13, when the flood was very recent and very real still. It was so interesting to be back 14 years later when it was such a thing of the past - I felt old!

There were lots of naps wherever whenever and she was a champ at it.

Driving out of the park the first evening we saw a deer SO close! Little did we know this would the first of many deer we saw grazing the meadows in the evening, it was so calming.

mini-nap #300 this time in the hiking backpack we borrowed from our friends.

Vernal falls bridge - just 2 days later two little boys were swept away after playing on the boulders in the river like the people on the left! Don't do that!!

Morning snuggle time while mom gets ready

Took a quick dip in the freezing river (it was 90+ everyday). EmmaJane's legs turned purple pretty quick. Oh and this is a perfect example of her "get out of here mom" look I get 24/7.

Our last day in the park we drove up to Glacier Point - which was rough on EmmaJane - but it was worth it, it was SO beautiful.

Practicing steps on the glacier point trail.

Out of order picture of us in Old Towne Sacramento - it was seriously one of the best old towns I have ever been to - even better than the Orange circle!

Back at home on one of our Disney staycation days we had to buy EmmaJane her first Mickey Hat!

Proof that it was the end of vacation and I just wanted to be home I bought my child her first kid's meal. Of course she only wanted the french fries.

Blurry picture of EmmaJane with her cousins N, O and I. She LOVED being in the same house as these girls for 2 days!

All in all, Yosemite was so inspiring. I love nature. And I especially loved that I didn't have cell service for 4 days, it was perfect.
I'm grateful for a mother who loves nature and took me to so many places growing up that really engrained this love of National Parks deep into me.
Before our trip Robert started watching a 7-part special series on Netflix about all the National Parks and I was so amazed at how many I had been to! I can count at least 7 just from my childhood!
I hope, and so does Robert, to keep this tradition up with our family. Visiting these beautiful places that have been set aside purely for our enjoyment, how awesome is that?

So which one's next?

years.

 Sometimes I think it's fun to look back at photos from one year ago today. Well today I did just that but I went back as far as I have been with Robert! We just celebrated our 4 year engagement anniversary (August 1st) and I'm about to celebrate 6 years since I moved to the OC (August 18th) so I guess I'm feeling a little sentimental! (P.S. There's no pictures of us in August of 2006 because back then it was just a big fat crush I had :) )

2007 - On our way to Disneyland I'm sure

2008 - just after getting engaged

2009 - Dodger game

2010 - OC fair

2011 - EmmaJane's first trip to Disneyland (also just 6 weeks post-partum, wow I'm so swollen)

2012 - phone pic taken during today's daily chasing routine, her favorite game

lovely mother's day

Today I took my mom to the Huntington Library for a Mother's day treat. It was such a relaxing and peaceful day. EmmaJane was so good for us all day and we just enjoyed chatting each others ears off and taking it all the beautiful flowers and gardens and art work there. I love my mom and am so blessed she is such an awesome person and is so fun to hang out with! I could relive today over and over and be totally ok. Love you momma!

It takes a village.

So let me enlighten you on our little bit of heaven here called Woodcrest.
As I type this there are approximately 7 children ages 2-6 playing outside right now. It.is.so.loud. But would I trade it for a more subdued quiet part of the complex? Never.
The other evening I was talking with some friends/neighbors about living somewhere else, one of us made the comment of "I don't know how anybody who is a stay at home mom with small children lives anywhere else, it must be awful and lonely."

The reason we think this is for one of these many reasons:
- Bored out of your mind and want to avoid housework in some other way than turning on the TV? Then walk next door and see what one of your neighbors are up to.
- Your 10 month baby wakes up in a really grumpy mood and she is bored to tears with you (literally)? walk outside and 1 of 4 baby-loving little girls will be glad to give her tickles and kisses.
- Need a pool buddy? I'm sure you can convince someone to go with you.
- Need to run to a doctor appt? Just see if one of your neighbors is ok with watching your baby for an hour or so. What better way to have someone watch her than them being right next door.

EmmaJane playing with her BFFs

Anyways, you get the point. We love it here, despite the fact that these buildings were built about a million years ago and aren't much improved since, they are spacious and work just fine.
Being a stay-at-home mom here has especially been wonderful, now with my 10-month old I can see how moms can suffer from lack of socialization. Luckily this is something I've never had to worry too much about. But now that we're all spoiled the next task is to all by houses next door to each other! Maybe someday, for now we're happy in our own little Provo in California.

A favorite phrase of ours is "it takes a village" because around here it's pretty true.

Thank goodness

Thank goodness for baby girls in sun hats.

happy shining babies.

Oh my dear EmmaJane where do I even begin?Now as a disclaimer, I really do have THE happiest baby in the world I'm pretty sure. The only time she is upset is times like this because this is the face she makes if you put ANYTHING in her mouth that is food that is not pureed. The girl is 8 months old (almost 9) and is no where near eating table food, picky picky picky.

On Saturday after my birthday we went to Irvine Park to hike around and ended up at their little zoo, aren't my two babies just so cute with the crazy goats in the background?

And this is our first all family smiling picture! yay for us!

I had a birthday...I turned 27! That's 3 years away from 30 folks...THREE.

enjoying a rainy day fire.

on the attack.

overhead shot from her 8 month photo shoot. I just can't get enough of that little bum!

This is kinda old from her 7 month photos, but she is so darling.

EmmaJane is getting closer and closer to crawling as days go by, including officially sleeping on her stomach always!
While she is getting so big, when I hold her in my lap and look down at her cute little back and flapping little happy arms, I realize she is still so small! And so I am enjoying remembering that and having one little baby at this wonderful time in my life that I can devote all of my attention to!

As far as the rest of life goes, I'm getting a hang on this whole stay at home mom thing, and it's getting easier! I now find joy in organized refrigerators, long naps (and happy babies), and good sales on children's clothing. and I love it, I really do.

I've already stocked up on bathing suits and pool floaties so we are all ready for the summer! and judging by EmmaJane's splashing and happy face in the bath, she's ready for warmer weather and the pool too!

Moments

There are these crazy moments as a first time Mom when you are so happy about a new trick your baby has done and you can't stop smiling. Then you soon realize this happiness means you're proud of them, which then makes you feel so old because that's what your Mom used to say to you after colorguard competitions (oh? ...just me on the colorguard?) Then you realize you're almost 27, and you're already starting to think about when you'll get pregnant again so you're babies will be buddies, which means you only have so long to lose these last 7 pounds so you can start out not already fat like last time.
and thus is my life for the next 10+ years of having babies.

But seeing EmmaJane sleep successfully on her stomach this morning and how gosh darn cute she is makes me not care how long I have not being pregnant or how fat I get next time.

I want babies, lots of them.

having fun

We've been having fun around here watching EmmaJane grow and get so smart! She is such a happy little baby, here's some fun times:

Got our pictures taken by the lovely Natalie Fenn.

Getting ready for her first bites of food.

First time on a swing and she LOVED it. of course.

Literally lounging around, her favorite way to look at anyone - upside down.

Went to the LA Zoo on MLK day with the Brent and Linnae Williams'

One of the first time she sat for longer than 5 seconds, I was so proud.

Hamming it up during her 6 month photo shoot.

This picture is right in the middle of a ear-piercing scream, such a funny face.

Sitting pretty Christmas morning.

Robert turned 32! What an old man!

So far 2012 has been great, our little baby is far from little anymore (20 lbs, and 99% for height!) But we love our little chubs.

(I don't know why this is underlined...will they ever improve blogger?? c'mon google!)