Summer According to My iPhone

There has just not been enough time this summer.  There just hasn't.  Why is summer like this?  However, in the teensy amount of time we have actually had.  This is what we've done.

The Husband and I had a perfect little getaway to Hawaii. We decided to take advantage of his flight benefits and we put them to good use. We stayed with a childhood friend of mine and her sweet family (Hi Becca and Johnny!).  It was beyond perfect.  We slept, laid on the beach, ate, laid on the beach, saw the sights, visited, walked and walked an walked, went to the PCC, laid on the beach...Yeah, it was divine.  And so needed.  So. Much. Thank you Becca and Johnny a million times over for letting us stay and making this trip perfect.

I kind of want to do it again.

 

We've tried to see friends and cousins as much as possible.  Which, sadly, has been very, very little this summer.  I've been so busy that my (and Olivia's.  And Brandon's, for that matter.) social lives have been practically non-existent.  Maybe it's just being an adult?

 

We frequented the splash pad as much as we could.  Again, it wasn't as much as we wanted.

I have about 50 pictures taken while on my many, many, many drives.  I've said it before, there's a lot of nowhere in Washington and I always seem to find myself in the middle of it.

We've tried to integrate food and texture therapy into play time when possible.  I really feel like Liv has made some progress this year.  Not a lot.  But some.  We learned a few months back that she has very primitive chewing and swallowing reflexes and tolerating textures on her hands will hopefully allow her to tolerate them in her mouth.

We had a completely ridiculous day trip to Spokane to see a specialist about Liv's toe and finger nails falling off.  Yes.  Off.  I, as usual, was more traumatized than anyone.  We made the long drive up to be in and out of the doctor's office (waiting room time included) in less than 15 minutes, only to be told it "may or may not be chromosome relate." Well, gee.  I deduced that all on my own thanks.  As we walked out, I said, "Well, Liv, that was dumb." To  which she replied, "Yep." And we celebrated dumbness everywhere by eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

We went on the DeCo family vacation to McCall, ID.  A place I actually really liked.  Go figure?

We did some of this....

Saw some of this....

Did this...

And this.....

And this.

All in all, a good week.

 

Twenty four hours after getting home from Ida ho, we left on vacation to California with my family and also to celebrate my Aunt Joan and Uncle John's 50th wedding anniversary.

She's a pretty spectacular flier, really.

My parents treated us to Disneyland. 

In a word:  Perfection.

Olivia was obsessed with the rides.  The scarier the better.  Except for Alice in Wonderland.  A little too much neon and black lights.  This was easily one of my favorite days with Liv.  Ever.

Joan and John's celebrations were perfect (and how did I only end up with pictures of Sofie and Liv?  I don't know.)  It's been a long time since I've been able to spend time with my dad's family.  And Joan and John are such good examples of what it means to have a good, strong marriage.  One that they have worked hard to have and it shows.  I hope Brandon and I have that 50 years from now.

Five hours after leaving their party we were on a flight home (I think it was 3 am?).  Seven hours later, and we were home.  And Olive didn't cry once. 

There has also been an abundance of angry eyes this summer without Liv ever really actually being angry.  It's hilarious every single time.

So there's summer, poorly condensed.  But it's there.

Our next round of doctor appointments and surgeries are coming up.  Starting next Monday.  It's bittersweet, as always.  But life is good.  And we are blessed.