three.

my baby is three. i am slightly in denial...maybe thats why i haven't taken away his binky yet or have regressed back to diapers;) idk. all i know for sure is that time moves way too fast. can we just slow down and freeze time for a second. ugh. every time river holds up his fingers and says, "i'm three"... i still have a hard time. i feel like three is so much older than two. and it is.

i am so amazed at how much you have grown in the last year...your comprehension and language are truly incredible. we have full on detailed conversations. you love when i tell you stories. stories from when you were a baby or about mowgli, but you really love when i tell you make believe stories. you love pretending. your imagination is wild. we are always pretending to be some animal, or other person, or superhero, or dirt bike. by 10 am i've already pretended to be a mouse, papa, a motorcycle racer, a tiger, a cousin, and the list goes on. the other day we were hiking in red rock (nevada) and we were pretending to be dirt bikes. you raced me the whole hike out, and it was pretty far. you love racing and running. you are dang good at climbing, and love riding your balance bike, especially 'off-roading.' it's quite hilarious to watch you cruise through the hotel (we've been living there for a couple months and will be for another) and dodge all the people on your little bike. another time we were at red rock, we were just entering past the ranger station. your window was down and we pulled up next to a mclaren. you immediately waved at the guy. he waved back. then you hollered, "cool race car dude". i was dying;). i love watching your confidence grow with yourself and with others. i love watching you accomplish things all on your own, and i love experiencing new things and places with you.

when you are not jumping on mowlgi, you are being the sweetest brother; talking to him in a sweet tiny voice and always including him in your snacks;) your job is to put mowgli's collar on him in the morning and help me exercise him. you are such a great helper. i love watching the bond between a boy and his dog. mowgli is also a great and patient older brother to you.

you could live off of coconut water and kombucha...and probably candy if i let you. you do love our green smoothies so we are pretty balanced;)

not every day is smooth sailing. most days are usually filled with a few melt downs. you are incredibly determined and strong willed. which can seem like a problem right now, but i know once we figure out how to better explain our emotions (i.e. not through hitting or screaming) then they will be amazing character traits that will help you to accomplish and succeed in whatever you put your mind to. hashtag threenagers are real. did i mention you love to tease? you are such a tease. like all day long. you are even a smart tease because you know which things bug me or bug your papa. like for example, you will pretend to be messing up something and saying, "look mom, i am getting this dirty" because you know that i'm a kinda a clean freak. you little punk. 

you love dancing (daily dance parties are a must at our house), reading books, and building things. you make some pretty cool contraptions. you love your uncle nate and include him in your prayers every night. your favorite movie right now is the new jungle book, which i am so happy about, because that is one i want to watch over and over again too;) except we have to skip over the ka part. every time. too scary. 

 

you call sneezes "bless yous"

i say "for sure" a lot and now you always say "sure fer". it's my fave.

maflingo=flamingo

i love when you start your prayer at night. it always starts with "dear heavenly father, i am a child of god..."

i am so grateful to be your mama. this year has been wild, amazing, adventurous, and dang hard (we have only been with our papa four months out of the last twelve). but i am so excited to see what year three has in store for you. you are going to move mountains kid. we love you to infinity and beyond and beyond that! happy third birthday my love.

 

xo

Philippines.

This trip was in my top three for sure, and it wasn't even on my bucket list! When we were deciding on a place to travel we saw that the Philippines was only a three hour flight from Korea. That caught my attention. We did a little more research, and were instantly sold. The husband had already been to boracay, so we knew we wanted to check out another island. And since the Philippines are made up of over 200000000,  islands it wasn't too hard to find another;) 

Palawan. You get the amazing beaches and the jungle feel. My sister and nephew flew all the way from Utah to join us on our two week adventure. It was so fun to share in this experience together, and River loved having his cousin with us, and so did we! 

I just had to keep saying the quote, "it's not about the destination, but the journey" .... Or however it goes. Because once we landed in Manila, we took another flight to Palawan, and then a two hour bumpy van ride to our hotel. River is a champion traveler. We have some rough moments, but 93% of the time I am amazed at how well he does. The Philippines is definitely a 3rd world country, and driving through it we got to see a lot. It was both eye opening, and humbling.

We stayed in sabang the first four nights. The underground river was definitely a highlight. 8th wonder of the world. The humidity is unreal, we didn't mind it though since we were mostly at the beach. All day. Everyday. 

Then we took another bumpy ride, five hours this time, to el nido. From there we took three boats to finally arrive at our own private island, the pangulasian. We were greeted with fresh watermelon juice and cold towels. We literally landed in paradise. We changed the island's name to postcard island;) 

 We got our own snorkel gear, kayaks, and paddle boards right outside of our private bungalow. Everyday they had different tours we did. One day we even rented our own private boat to take us around to secret islands. Kayaking the big and small lagoons was one of my faves, and diving through a secret cave that opened up to a small island.  I don't think I've ever stayed in a place so nice or so well organized. 

We did this hike a few times, of course. #hikeordie. Hiking to the top of the island and getting a 360 degree view just can't be beat. 

The worst part, leaving. Wah. Why do vacations have to end? We are not done with you, Philippines. See ya next time. 

Xo

Side note: healthy options.

Don't worry. I'm not going to become a health blog where all I do is take pictures of my amazingly prepared food;) I don't even like cooking. I sometimes like baking, but now with a toddler running around, it's really not something I enjoy too much. I always get people asking me, "what do you even eat" when I tell them i am a vegetarian. We are more like stay-at-home vegans (we don't buy dairy at home, but if we are at a family function and you put cheese on something, we aren't going to throw up and die;)). We do have some balance when it comes to dairy. Not much, but we will occasionally go out to eat for pizza. My husband and I stopped eating meat 5 years ago, and have slowly eliminated animal products out of our lives (food and materials included).  It's a great feeling becoming more conscious, as well as how much better I feel physically, mentally, and spiritually. I am always trying to learn and research, and it is definitely a process. I want to share a few of my favorite go-to things our family eats. Our vitamix is our best friend in our home. We drink at least two smoothies a day. A green one and a protein one (I'll share those recipes later), and I also use the vitamix to mix up veggies for my dog. It really is our greatest investment;) 

 First, I'll start with the easiest. These two things I always have in the fridge and freezer. A must.  

Chia pudding. Seriously two ingredients. (If something is more than a few ingredients I've already stopped reading.)

 1) chia seeds. 2) milk. (The husband's homemade almond milk is best, but cashew milk is super easy, or we love westsoy brand soy milk, or coconut milk are also good options.) 

1/2 cup chia seeds. 

2 cups milk. 

Wisk together and put in fridge for a few hours. Done. 

I usually put this in a jar and take it with us on a hike or to the park (Add some banana, slivered almonds, and a squeeze of agave). Yum! The babe loves this stuff too! 

Next. 

These are a daily must have. My go-to pick me up and a quick way to add some protein into your diet. 

Protein peanut butter balls. 

Now there are a few ingredients, but it's really just throw in whatever you like. I have become my husband in this department, and never measure anything so... Experiment;) 

2 cups oats

1 scoop protein powder (we love activz brand from food for health. If you're a Utah local, check it out.) 

1 scoop flax seeds

1/2 scoop chia seeds

1/2 scoop hemp seeds

3 (large) spoonfuls of peanut butter 

(organic/nongmo)

1 Tbsp almond milk

Drizzle on some agave or raw honey

Mix it all together (should be gooey)

Add in whatever else you like. I put in organic raisins, goji berries, and walnuts, but be creative:)

Roll into balls and store in freezer. This  usually lasts me a week or so. 

There you go. 

Xo

Korea: part 2

Being in Korea for our second time, I've begun to notice some things. Obviously this is just my perspective and experience, but I wanted to write down a few things that I've had to get used to with living in a whole different culture. 

First off, everyone is super nice. They're either super nice or just keep to themselves. They are a giving people. Always trying to give you food or presents. I was waiting for the subway with river and a lady in the front of the line kept motioning me to stand next to her so we could get a seat (their subways are crowded. like extremely crowded). Another time I was just walking down the street with river in one arm and his backpack strapped on the other, and some lady insisted on carrying my backpack for me. You'd think she was trying to steal it, but no, she just walked by me, and carried it the whole way to our destination; speaking to me in Korean the whole time. Haha. I'm not even sure of where she was headed, but she came with us. I love that in the Korean language there isn't even a word for mine or my. It's always ours. "Our mother. Our home. Our grandpa." Even though it's obviously not our grandpa, because we aren't even related. It's always ours though. everything is about sharing what you have. I love it.  

Next, I don't know if I even want to go here, but the driving. Oh driving in Korea. It seriously made me sick at first. It's kinda like comparing it to a war zone. You prepare like you're going into battle. I don't drive. The husband does though, and at first I would get so much anxiety. Driving to church for an hour was exhausting in itself. Now, I just hang back with river and ignore the almost near death experiences every five minutes. Seriously. There aren't really traffic laws. I mean there are speeding cameras on the freeways, but they warn you when a camera is coming up, so everyone just slows down for the camera and then speeds up again. You can cut anyone off whenever you need to abruptly make a turn. You can jump into the front of the line and cut people off in a turning lane. You can run cars off the road if you need to, especially if you are a bus. Really anything goes. And make sure to always watch out for the motorcycles that randomly decide to drive on the sidewalks when needs be. As for parking. Good luck finding a spot, and if you do it's probably too tiny to even open your door to get out. And if you drive in Korea you must be able to reverse into your parking spot. Really. No one just drives in and parks. It's only in reverse. You park so close you have to bring your side view mirrors in. People have their phone numbers on their front windshield so that if you are boxed in you can just call them to come let you out. Every parking structure feels incredibly small, because it is. 

Next, If you're in Korea, make sure to have a good pair of gym shoes. You can wear sneakers with really any outfit. I don't know why I notice this all the time, but really everyone wears sneakers. They are keeping nike in business. You can be in a dress with tights, and sneakers will totally work. You can be in a full on business suit and sneakers. Sneakers go with everything. I'm not knocking it. Hey, it's better to be comfortable. Really, I just want to embrace this fashion statement.

Personal space. You don't really need any here. Korea is a small country, but over 51 million people live here (the whole country is like a third the size of Utah! What?!) It's crowded to say the least. People are always bumping into each other, and trying to cram into elevators.  Walking down the streets in Seoul on a weekend is like a giant obstacle course. Don't even attempt to go to Costco or ikea on the weekend. It makes Disneyland feel like an empty place. We literally time our Costco trips right before they close. That's really the only way. 

Costco right before it closes. River's face says it all. And I spy David somewhere up there. 

Recycling. You have to at least own 3-5 garbages in your house for recycling. I really am grateful people are so good about recycling here. You have to buy special bags just to throw away food or anything else that doesn't fall into the paper, glass, or plastic option. It makes me more aware of what we throw away, and we definitely try and consume less. It feels a little counterproductive though....because they wrap, and then double wrap everything. We just went to CPK the other day, and they tinfoil wrapped our pizza, then boxed it, and then put it in a plastic bag to take home. Some lady gave river a sucker that was wrapped like any normal sucker, but then also wrapped in a plastic bag on top of that. See what I mean. Counterproductive. 

These are just a few of our experiences. I haven't even started on the food. And I'm obviously generalizing when I say "Korea." It's been fun trying to navigate this city, especially when it's just river and me. it's always an adventure. Haha. I think I need to start a whole new blog post for our subway and bathroom incidences;) and I could talk all day about the heated floors and toilet seats. I've always hated hot air blowing in my face from heaters. But heated floors in the middle of winter warms your bones. So nice.  And I can't forget about how much my ocd cleaning soul loves that everyone takes their shoes off before entering your house. Everyone. You don't even ask, no one wears their shoes inside. I will say the weather in the spring is amazing. The flowers and trees are in full bloom and are the most vibrant of colors. We still ride our bikes to the parks almost everyday. We will take being outside any chance we can get. Thank you warm weather! It's made our second time in Korea sooo much can better! 

Here's to more new adventures:) 

Xo

two and a half.

it's been awhile... but that hasn't stopped my baby from growing up. i now look back at memories and can't even believe how quickly time really does go. where did my chunky thigh, squishy, drooly little baby go!? i hate it. but i also love each new stage this growing up thing is bringing (minus the parts where the extreme temper tantrums have hit, and boy have they hit;)). some days i feel like i am doing everything wrong, but then we get a small victory and it smothers all of those hard moments with an extreme amount of love. there is no way to describe the amount of love i have for you, my baby boy. now let's slow down on this growing up thing ok. sometimes i let my mind go too far forward and get a panic knowing that in just a couple of years you will be going to school and wanting to do other things than be connected at my hip;) it just helps me to realize to enjoy the present more...to enjoy the battles, enjoy the ordinary moments, enjoy holding you even when my arm may break off, and enjoy each new stage with you, because the present is really all we ever have. when i am truly in the present moment with you it is always the best time. it doesn't matter if we are exploring in nature, giving you a bath, painting a picture, having a dance off, or vrooming your cars; if i am truly there with you in that moment it is filled with the most joy. happy two and a half years river zen. 

you continue to be the teacher, and i the student. i never thought i would know so much about tractors, and cars, and monster trucks. i can name any of the monster trucks if you need me to. grave digger is your favorite, zombie doesn't even scare you, you love crashing el torro loco the most, and you still talk about building your very own blue thunder. we were driving with our 'gwama' one day and she said, "look river, a tractor!" you immediately said, " no, it's a giant excavator." i know that nemo is a clown fish, and dory is a blue tang. i can't even start on dinosaurs (partly because i don't want to type out all the names;)). How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight is your favorite book to read before bed...maybe tied with Goodnight Little Pookie. i have now become more of a dictionary because you are constantly asking what do things mean. what does love mean? what does caring mean? what are bones? you are super duper aware and smart, and i think that's partly why you get so frustrated. you are still trying to figure out how to communicate and what things are...and that will always be ongoing. my job is to help you realize those frustrating emotions and how to deal with them best...and that will always be ongoing as well.

 if i ask you how to spell your name, you say as fast as you can "r-i-v-e-r". you get super shy when i ask you to tell people your birthday, but will quietly whisper, "October 18th". your memory sometimes scares me it's so good. you love when i tell you stories. you love scaring papa when he comes home from work. you love to be outside, and will tell me "let's go in nature". and that makes me super happy, because that is where i want to be too;) you are also quite demanding (we are working on asking rather than telling, and to always use our please and thank you's). you are very shy with new people, which makes them believe you are this quiet, subdued little boy, when really you are a wild child. you love running...when you're in the mood, i think you could run ten miles. you jump and climb everything, and love taking (breaking) things apart and "fixing" them. you are all boy, with a lot of wild, but also a lot of sweet. our word we are learning right now is "calm" and how its a feeling that comes from the inside;)

 we love you baby boy! unconditionally. eternally.