LA Trip: Day 2

Oliver and I were on our own again today. I decided to pack it with tourist activities. He slept through the night which is always iffy when we are not at home.

 When we were driving around the day before I noticed the Angel Moroni peaking above some buildings. We were only a few blocks away from the LA Temple. So we went and toured the beautiful grounds. This was both of our first times there. We love Temples. Ollie's Nursery teachers told us how Ollie gets really excited when he sees photos of temples.

Then we headed to the Walk of Fame. (Side note: I LOVE how people drive in LA. People are aggressive, they don't mess around and get to point A to B as fast as possible. I was in my element!) The parking lots were all $20.00 for the day which was crazy. I lucked out and found an hour parking spot for $2.00. We really only needed an hour anyway. I also mastered parallel parking on this trip.  

I put Ollie in the stroller and we walked along the walk of fame. First we spotted Johnny Depp. 

 Then Natalie Wood (who I was named after).

They shut down the street for the premier of Iron Man 3. So many cameras, lights and a huge red carpet. Sadly no spotting Robert Downy Jr. or my girl Gweneth Paltrow.

Posed in front of the El Capitan theater. During our brief hour we ate our lunch. One of the many reasons I love the Chicco stroller is Ollie can eat on the go!

 At the Chinese Theater. Ollie was "feeding" the lions.

 At this point he was done and ready for a nap. As we were leaving I looked down and there was Ollie's pal Mickey! Too bad Ollie wasn't as thrilled.

 Next we headed over to the Santa Monica Pier. I hadn't been in years, since I was really little. I had to make a pit stop at Radio Shack to get a car phone charger because my battery was almost all out. I was relying on my Google Maps app to get around. The voice step by step directions were perfect.

It was an overcast day and a little chilly. I was really glad we went swimming the day before.

 Ollie LOVES birds. It looks like he is trying to pinch him, but this is how he "signs" bird.

I let him explore some of the little rides. He was really excited about them. 

 Ollie and I went back to the hotel and waited for Josh. We all went to a fancy Mexican restaurant. It was really yummy. Since Josh was going to be in Boston the following we this was our time to celebrate our 7 year wedding anniversary.

 We all loved the kind size bed. Ollie thought the pillows were great!

 Room service! Best $20.00 dessert ever!

LA Trip: Day 1

It

The last week of April, right after my Girls Weekend Trip we went on a spur of the moment trip to LA. Josh was going there for work and I have been wanting to tag along on one of his many trips this year... And this was the perfect trip! 

We flew out on a Tuesday morning and arrived at LAX at 9:30 am. We flew Delta (I hate them) so they were extra stingy with the snacks. I got a cookie the size of my pinky that Ollie ate. While josh went off to edit a video he was working on Ollie and I got some breakfast. 

I choose the nearest thing close to the rental car place. A dennys(I know, lame). I felt at home because we were the only white people there and most of the people we speaking Spanish. 

Then Ollie and I drove over to Westwood to the W Hotel. It was posh fancy city at that place. They only valet. When they helped me with our bags out of the car and the valet handed me the diaper bag he asked me if I wanted "the thing" on my back. I said, "yes." I couldn't let Ollie walk up the stairs because they were part waterfall with water running down the back side. 

We got into our suite and it was sooo pretty. Beautiful art and interior design and Bliss bath products! Child proofing was my top priority after i admired the room. 

After relaxing and snacking Ollie and I toured the grounds (beautiful, had all of my favorite plants) and then went swimming. It was a dream pool. I guess people who aren't staying there come and layout and order food and drinks. There were a few groups of single ladies and gay men. The weather was so nice. There was one other mom with kids which made me less of an outsider. Ollie was really good. He splashed around and thew his hat (which he loves) into the water. After a while he started to get cold so we went back to the room. 

We went to Ralph's to get some groceries. I forgot how crowed the streets are at rush hour. 

Later Josh came to the hotel and we went to The Grove and meet up with my cousin Chelsea and her boyfriend Sean. It was SO good to spend time with my favorite cousin. This was her first time meeting Ollie and he loved her. He did all of his dance moves. We all had fun eating at the Cheesecake Factory. 

It was a really fun yet tiring day. Being able to spend a day with Ollie relaxing was a treat. The highlight was seeing Chelsea and meeting her awesome boyfriend Sean. I wish I lived closer to my extended family. 

1st Annual Girls Weekend in April

Last month I did a girls weekend with my best friends from college (Cassie, Becky, Aimee and Jordan. We went to Midway,UT for the weekend and had such fun! I loved every minute of it. I am so lucky to had meet such great friends at BYU-Idaho. Everyday was fun. There was always something going on. Living at the Ridge..,

Back to the weekend. We had Mexican food, Favorite Things Exchange, jacuzzi, looked at old Photos, got massages, had yummy breakfast and lunch, shopped at city Creek. It was so nice to reconnect. It was like we were all still roommates and time hasn't changed our friendship. We are all at different places in our lives which is really cool. Now that i am a mom i have less time to hangout with my friends so this was just the best! we all kept saying how we didn't want the weekend to end. I am so excited for our next Girl Weekend!

3 Legitimate Fears

1. Snakes
I just find them so creepy and weird. Once in 4th grade I got to take home our class garden snake. I held it and kinda liked it, but then I decided, it was really gross and unpredictable. In Zoo School one summer our class got to help hold this gigantic boa constrictor. It was so heavy and thick. Again creepy. I always dream that a snake is biting me and then I wake up. I guess I have a fear of a snake biting me.

2. Dying/loosing someone close to me before they are old
I don't want to die before I am in my old age. I want to experience life. I don't want anyone that I am close to, to die young. I believe I will be with my family for an eternity which is comforting, but I want us to live together for a long time here on earth before returning to be with our Heavenly Father. Life is somewhat unpredictable and I sometimes worry something will go wrong.

3. Being trapped somewhere small or lost.
I am claustrophobic. I hate being in small crowded rooms. It freaks me out. I think this is because when I was in kindergarden a girl locked me in the bathroom. Im pretty sure it was for about 30 seconds, but it felt like 5 mins. I don't like being lost because it annoys me. I'm a weirdo that pays attention to where I am and how I got there. I can usually find how to get somewhere again if I have been there only once before.