California Trip 2012 (Part I)

 Back at the end of September we took a trip to California with the kids.  It was a pretty chaotic time for us since we had just moved in to our new house and were in the middle of remodeling the kitchen but we had the trip planned for about a year, already had the time off work, and let's face it....we needed to get away!  I'm going to break this up in to each day because we did so many different things that I want to keep track of it all.  I will probably have to do more than one post.

 Cute little Minnie Mouse!

Day One: Vegas

We woke up that morning and drove to Vegas where we spent the night. We were on the 3rd floor of our hotel and within 10 minutes of being there the front desk called and said that the people below us complained that we were being too loud.  I was kind of annoyed because we have two young kids who had just been cooped up in the car for 6 hours so naturally they were going to be running around.  I was also annoyed because it was only like 4 o'clock in the afternoon.  I could understand if it was like after 10pm and people were trying to go to sleep, but oh well!  We asked if we could be moved to a lower level room but they didn't have any so we just tried to keep them from running around.  We went swimming at the hotel pool and then we got ready to go to the strip. We didn't do a whole lot in Vegas but we did go see M&M World and the Coca Cola factory.  It was super crowded that night for some reason so we didn't stay on the strip long.

Day Two: California

We woke up that morning and headed out to finish the drive to California.  It was nice breaking up the trip since our kids are young and that is such a long drive (although we did the drive home in one day).  We decided to stop on Barstow to eat some lunch and let the kids get some wiggles out.  Problem was, we couldn't find a dang restaurant that had a play place!  We stopped at a McDonald's, got out, walked in and the play place was closed for some reason (renovating I think).  At this point the kids started crying but I had seen a Carl's Jr. next door that also had a play place so I reassured them and we walked next door.  Well guess what....that one was closed too!  We were so frustrated.  We got the kids back in the car and they were both crying so hard.  We decided to just look for a park so we drove all the way through Barstow trying to find one.  Another frustrating thing was that we didn't have cell phone/internet service to look up where any parks or restaurants were, so we were going blind.  We finally found a park (which was probably not in the nicest neighborhood but we watched them close) and let the kids play for a little bit.  While they were playing Malea all of a sudden says that she found a lizard.  It was so tiny!  It ended up being such a fun thing for the kids.  After we let the kids play we found a Subway and then went to get back on the freeway at the end of town (which if we would have gone one more exit on the freeway we would have found the exit with TONS of restaurants, stores, etc).  Its funny because we were so frustrated about not being able to find anything but it ended up being a really fun memory.  We also realized later that we had driven on the old Route 66, and if we hadn't gotten off at the exit we did we never would have driven it.

We got to our hotel which was a Best Western Meridian Inn & Suites in Orange, CA.  We had requested a bottom level because we didn't want to have a repeat of what happened in Vegas (although we ended up having loud people above us, but oh well).  We got settled and rested after the long drive.  Even though it was the end of September it was SO HOT in California!  Like in the upper 90's the whole time!  I was glad though because I felt like our summer was cut short with Malea breaking her leg so this felt like we got a little bit of an extra summer.  That evening we swam in the hotel pool and even though it said it was a heated pool the water was so cold!

 Isaac was not thrilled about swimming!

Day Three: Newport Beach

We were planning on going to Disneyland that day but the weather forecast said it was supposed to be REALLY hot so we decided to go to the beach instead.  I'm so glad we did because the weather was absolutely PERFECT.  It was seriously like heaven!  The city was so hot but at the beach it was in the 80's with a slight breeze, which was just right.  We decided to go to Newport beach because it was the closest to where we were staying.  The ocean water was a little cold but not unbearable and we got used to it fast.  Malea loved swimming in the ocean but for some reason Isaac would not even get close to the water!  It was so funny.  He did let us take him out in to the water as long as we were holding him and he didn't get wet....such a funny boy!  We made sand castles, found sea shells, and all the other typical beach activities.

 Malea showing off one of the shells she found

Isaac hanging out in the sand since he wouldn't go in the water

Family picture :)

 I'm going to stop here and do a separate post for Disneyland because it is going to be a lot longer.  

Stay tuned!

Back after a 4 month blogging break!

So I'm finally back after going 4+ months without an update!  I feel like a slacker, but really with everything we had going on this last semester, blogging just wasn't a top priority!  So here's what has been going on.

We bought our house and closed on I believe it was the 16th of August (which was a Thursday).  The guy we bought the house from was *supposed* to be out that day but he had a lot of crap and said he needed the weekend to get completely moved out.  We were annoyed because we had scheduled Home Depot to come do a carpet measurement that Saturday but we had to re-schedule which set us back a few days.  We also had to be out of our apartment by August 31st but ended up having to pay for staying two extra days so that we could get everything done.  Annoying at the time, but oh well!  So from the time we picked up our keys on Monday the 20th to by the time we were completely moved in (and out of our old place) on September 2nd it was a whirlwind!!  It was one of the most stressful times of my entire life, I think!

Before pics of the outside of the house

 (Lots more picture below, if you just want to see pics keep on scrolling down!)

 The previous owner left it very dirty, so I had to go through and wash all the walls before we could paint.  I also hired a cleaning company to come deep clean the bathrooms.  My amazing Dad came and helped us get it ready to be painted.  We wanted to paint the house before we got carpet so that we wouldn't risk getting paint on the new carpet.  My Dad came and helped us rip out all the old (NASTY) carpet and prep it for paint.  I was there with him all day every day that week, so my poor kids had to be pawned off to babysitters when Keith was at work.  My sweet Dad used his sprayer and painted the entire upstairs in a day!  It was amazing.  We then prepped the downstairs (which I didn't even expect to get done but we did!) and he sprayed that in a day as well.  Meanwhile when all of this was going on, we also had a tree company there cutting down this HUMONGOUS tree that was in the backyard, and they also cut down these gross bushes that were in the front (that were no doubt infested with spiders and who knows what else).  We also had a pest control company come and spray the entire inside and outside.  Our house was abuzz with lots of different stuff going on!  After my Dad painted the whole house white, I spent one evening painting an accent wall in the living a blueish-turquoise color that I love.  It was so fun to be able to paint our place since we had never lived somewhere that we could do that. We had so many amazing family, friends, and neighbors (old and new) come help us move, and we couldn't have done it without them!   We also had tons of help from neighbors and ward members in helping us to get moved out of our old place and get it cleaned.  I was so exhausted and had become an emotional basket case by that point because I didn't know how I was going to get it all done.  Thankfully we had a lot of help! 

A few days after we moved in, I started fall semester.  This ended up being one of the most stressful semesters thus far. Not only had we just moved and were remodeling (living without a kitchen, eating off of paper plates, eating out for all of our meals, etc) but I was also working graveyards 2 nights a week, I got called in to the Young Women's in our new ward, and was taking 3 classes (all the semesters before this I had only taken 2 classes/semester).  Then on top of it I got called up to jury duty midway through October!  I thought I was going to die.  Somehow we miraculously got through it.  I got my first B in graduate school and lost my 4.0 but I realized that my sanity was more important than being a perfectionist. :)  Isaac had his 2nd birthday on September 7th, so we threw him a party at a park close by, and we also took a trip to Disneyland (that we had planned months before we knew we would be moving), both of which I will blog about later. :)  Like I said, crazy few months!

Once we got moved in, we started unpacking and getting settled.  The crazy thing, though, was that we had to live without a functioning kitchen for about 2 months.  Before we moved in, my Dad told me that he had the opportunity to get us a whole kitchen remodel virtually for free.  The company he works for was doing a project in American Fork where they were widening a road, so the houses on that street were being torn down.  One of the houses was being used as their office, and he was told that he could take anything out of the house that he wanted to before it got torn down.  That included kitchen cabinets, a dishwasher, stove top, wall oven, sink, and real wood floor.  The key was that he had to help us get moved in first, then he had to spend a couple of weekends getting everything ripped out of the old house and moved over.  I tell you, that man is a saint!  He works full-time and then pretty much all his spare time was spent working on this kitchen remodel.  It was really stressful living without a kitchen, but it was worth the sacrifice to get this amazing kitchen.  Before we moved in my Dad ripped out a pantry wall that in the kitchen, which opened it up.  Then we just patched it up and lived with it unfinished for 2 months until my Dad and brother were able to come over to rip out the old cabinets/flooring and put in the new kitchen.  So mid-October they (my Dad, brother, and Keith) started the kitchen remodel, and had most of it done within one weekend.  It was amazing!  The only thing we had to pay for was a new counter top, which in the grand scheme of things was practically nothing.  The kitchen he transplanted from this other house was not brand new, but it was a million times nicer than what was there before (and a lot cleaner!).  My brother (who is an electrician) did all of the wiring for us and was there for many hours helping us get everything done.  We are seriously so blessed!  My in-laws have also done a TON to help us as well.  They came down to visit at the beginning of October and helped us sheet rock the downstairs play room (it was the only room that didn't get painted because the wood paneling was warped from some kind of leak so we wanted to get that worked out first).  We have since finished the play room and I am in LOVE with it, there will be pictures to follow. :)  They came down again over Christmas and helped us put down flooring in our entry way, which turned out really nice too (I still need to get a picture of it).

Before pics of the inside

 The picture below is the downstairs living room....sadly, the guy had so much crap covering every square inch of the place that when we bought the house we didn't even know there was brick behind it!

 Picture of the little S.O.B.'s that have decided to live in our front lawn, we have since paid a pest control company to come try to get rid of them, we've done baits and we've tried to smoke them out, hopefully they will be gone by spring!

 My Dad starting demolition on the pantry wall

A picture taken after the bushes were taken out, it looks so much better!

After paint and carpet :)

Tree company cutting down the tree.  I know you're probably thinking, why cut down that beautiful shade tree?  Well that devil tree had made a huge mess of the backyard with just its crazy roots, it had cracked the foundation, was lifting up the cement pad and making the deck stairs unstable, and the branches were hanging down over the roof, just to name a few reasons :))  That thing was a doozy to cut down.  The guy who owned the company said that he under-bid us (oopsie!).  They cut down the tree and then put a chemical down in the root to kill it off.  Then about 6 weeks later they came back to grind down the roots, so now I have a mountain of bark and mulch in my backyard (covered with snow).

After pics

(Kitchen before the counter top was installed, I have also since hung up curtains)

Kitchen with counter top (LOVE IT!!!!!)

Play room finished :)

We still have a lot of projects to get done, especially the upstairs bathroom and a ton of work is needed in the back yard (which will be this summer's project) but when I think of where we started and where we are now I feel a great sense of accomplishment.  I think my parents thought we were nuts when they saw the house, but we had a vision and it is coming to fruition!  We have had a lot of neighbors say that they are so impressed with how it looks and how grateful they are that we moved in (not to be rude, but the guy that lived there before didn't take care of the house at all!  It was a real eye sore).  I think this will be the last time I do a major house remodel, at least while we have young kids and being in graduate school. :)  I love the house and feel like we could live here for many years to come!  

We Bought a HOUSE!!!

After months of working out financing, researching on the internet, looking at many, MANY houses, stressing out and patiently waiting, we FINALLY found a HOUSE!!!!  We are so excited!  We closed on Thursday the 16th and got our keys on Monday.  The house is a little bit of a fixer upper and needs some TLC, but it is going to be so great when we're done and its OURS!!!

Right now I am a little bit overwhelmed with everything we have to do, especially since I'm starting school again in less that a week (sob), but I just have to take it one step at a time.  A couple of nights ago I slept so horrible because I just kept thinking about everything we have to do to get moved in. :/ We are repainting and getting new carpet for the whole house, which is going to make a world of difference!  The guy left it SO dirty, so the first couple of days I spent cleaning it, and now we're prepping for paint.  Once paint and carpet are done we will start moving in.  We are also having the humongous tree taken out of the backyard on Monday (you can see it in this picture).  I know you're probably thinking, why would we take out such a beautiful tree?  Well its not a good tree, it has these huge roots that go above the ground that are overpowering everything, and even put a crack in the foundation!  Its a junky tree and its gotta go.  We're mostly going to focus on the inside this year and then next year when it warms up we'll start tackling the yard.  

The house is in Springville and is 2100-ish sq ft.  It has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, plus 2 more rooms downstairs that could technically be bedrooms but they don't have closets.  I have a lot of fun ideas that I can't wait to get started on! :)  I'll post some before and after pics once we get some things done.  I'm excited to see how everything comes together!

Family Update

Man, summer is just flying right on by!  I can't believe that it is already August!  We have had a fun summer, although it has felt short between me being in school, our 10 day trip to Colorado, Malea breaking her leg, etc. But with these last few weeks left I'm trying to pack it full of all the last minute fun before it starts to cool down.

Here is a little update about what has been going on:

Malea

This is very late, especially since she is starting pre-school again in like 3 weeks, but I couldn't help but post these cute pics from her last week of pre-school back in May.  Teacher Lynda is so awesome and we are so excited for Malea to go to pre-school for another year (and then Kindergarten....I can't even fathom that yet.....).  For the end of school they got to do a fun little water day.  We took her teacher a potted plant (that Malea painted) and a gift card as a thank you for a great year. 

Malea got her walking cast on the 31st, which has been sooo much better!  She can get around on her own now and doesn't depend on us to do everything for her.  We've actually been able to go to 7 peaks a couple of times, go to the park, etc.  The trick is trying to keep her cast free of sand, grass, bark, etc. ;)  

She just seems so grown up lately.  She is very talkative and asks A LOT of questions, the most common one being "why?"  I try to be patient with it though and explain things the best I can, because I figure that she will learn the most that way.  Sometimes her questions will be real doozy's, like the other day when she asked how the stars and planets were made (?).  She also has a very vivid imagination, which is great but is also the source of a lot of fears.  She has been having trouble sleeping lately, probably with no help from having a big bulky cast on her leg, so hopefully that will improve when she gets it off in a couple of weeks. One of the cutest things she has started doing lately is singing along to things, like movies, tv shows, etc.  We have the movie "Lion King" in the DVD player right now in our van and she loves singing along.  She will even tell you to stop singing if you try to sing too. :)  She has also started showing interest in learning her letters, which has been fun especially since that will be the main focus of pre-school this year.  She has even started practicing writing some of the letters on her magnadoodle.   

Isaac

Isaac is just as busy as ever!  He sure keeps us on our toes but he is so much fun. I can't believe he's going to be 2 in a month! He has really been progressing with his speech and has become a lot more communicative in the last couple of months.  Its hard to remember all the words he says, but here's a few that I could think of: Mama, Dada, Mommy, Daddy, hot, uh-uh, oww, uh-oh, this, that, what's this, what's that, and he does a lot of animal sounds.  He understands most of what we say though, which is good.  He also knows where most of his body parts are and will point to them ("Where's your head? belly? feet? etc").  I got him on video the other day "talking", which is basically just saying "dee doo doo dee doo doo" over and over but trying to sound like a big boy.  I will try and post it if I can figure it out. :)  He has also started doing the cutest thing, which I have been trying to get on video but to no avail, where he will show you something like a toy or a stuffed animal and then tilt his head to the side and say "awww"....oh my gosh its the cutest thing!  I hope I can get catch it on video soon.  He is very in to "Cars" cars, trains, tractors, etc.  If we are driving in the car and you hear him start to scream/squeal, it means that he sees either some kind of farm animal or a truck, train, tractor, etc.  He is still a crazy climber, and never ceases to amaze me when we are at a playground with his amazing balance and coordination.  I'm starting to wonder if he should be a gymnast someday!

I love this boy's smile!

 

Hanging out at Gma Vicki's (with his wild curls pre-haircut)

  

Silly kids

Us

Well we have been spending a lot of our crazy summer on the house hunt, which has been fun, exciting, stressful, frustrating, all wrapped in to one big ball of fun!  I think we have finally found the winner, and (if everything goes according to plan) we will be closing on August 18th (yay!). The house is in Springville, less than 5 minutes from my mom and probably only 10 minutes to the nearest Cafe Rio (what else do you need? ;)).  There are still a couple of things we are waiting to hear back on with the sellers, but its looking pretty good!  The house we want is a little bit of a fixer-upper, but we don't even care because we are just excited to have something of our own.  I will do a whole separate post about the house once everything is finalized. :)

For the 4th of July we went to the Grand Parade in Provo in the morning (which was important not to miss since we were out of town for the Art City Days parade back in June).  After the parade we went over to my mom's to swim and to eat food, and we made the traditional American flag cake.  Then we took the kids that night to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks from the MTC field.  We decided that we probably won't be doing that again any time soon, because not only was it hard to keep track of the kids (mostly Isaac) in that big crowded field while we waited, but the traffic getting home was absolutely horrendous!

I love this picture of Isaac (I wish it wasn't blurry though :/)

 Keith chasing around Isaac who didn't want to stay put (as usual)

  That's it for now from the Walker clan!