my favorite girls

I went home for a weekend and got to see some of my favorite girls. 

These girls right here (we missed you Maddy) are my everything! The only way to describe our friendship is more like family. I grew up with them. We've known each other basically since the day we were born, I don't remember my life without them. We've been through joy school together, they were still friends with me during my awkward homeschool stages, my bad perm in 6th grade & loved me even if I occasionally peed my pants from laughing so hard. We've spent countless hours together at music lessons, swim/waterpolo practices, church dances and sleepovers.  But most importantly we've been through the good and the bad with each other. I love that no matter where we are in our lives--babies, school, marriage, work, from NY to TX to ID to CA we can still drop everything and be  there for each other. Literally crying thinking about how much I love them!

AND 

my sistas!

gma Lola!

& mamabucks!!

sara's summer visit

Last weekend Sara and her roomies took a little road trip to San Diego. It was so fun to have them here and to show them around! They arrived Wednesday night and were so good to share an air mattress and sleep on the couch in the living room. We're not the most glam over here but you gotta do what you gotta do when you have a tiny 1 bedroom apartment. 

While Sam studied and I went to work on Thursday they played at the beach and luckily got 1 day without June gloom. That night we made dinner at home then took them to our fave sunset stop, Sunset Cliffs and were not disappointed with the view. #nofilter

Then we went down to Little Italy for some ice cream at Salt & Straw. 

Friday, they met me at work and we went to get tacos for lunch, went up to Mount Soledad, and finished off the night with a bonfire at Coronado. 

Saturday we took the trolley to the Little Italy Farmer's Market, had lunch at Cafe Gratitude (super spendy but you order in positive affirmations. "I am thrilled"=french toast), and went to Old Town and explored the little shops and stopped by the Mormon Battalion Museum. 

 Here's a photo recreation 3 years later. We look about the same but the cactus sure grew!

2015:

2018:

Saturday night we ended with a bang! We went to the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar fairgrounds.

 Sam hates rollercoasters/sketchy rides so luckily I had the girls to go on rides with. We rode a super crazy, twisty, spiny, upside thing and I needed about 10 solid minutes to recover. It was intense. But this year we actually road the ferris wheel which was exciting!  

Also how much do Sara and I look like twins?!

Thanks bbgurl for visiting and not being embarrassed to bring your friends. Come back anytime!!

palm springs

A week before all the graduation festivities Sam and I were able to slip away to Palm Springs for the weekend, just the two of us. It was kind of our anniversary trip as well because April 23rd Sam was busy studying for finals and I was in Utah for Sara's graduation. But better late than never right?

It was the perfect weather--86 degrees and sunny, but not roasting. So we were able to walk around and see the sights without melting and lay by the pool with our books. 

We visited the Moorten Botanical Garden which is insta-famous for it's greenhouse. Not gonna lie, I was low key freaking out the whole time I was inside the greenhouse though because anything that resembles a snakes can trigger a full on panic attack. Feel free to look back on my rattlesnake encounter post for reference... And how much more could these cacti look like thousands of snakes ready to attack!  

 We ate at some fun places, did a little shopping, and drove by the fun hotels 

(no we didn't stay in any of them, maybe next time). 

On our drive home we stopped at a sculpture garden. It was crazy and literally in the middle of no where!

And just for fun...

I'm sure we'll be back soon Palm Springs!

may flowers

Every year I've dragged Sam to the Carlsbad Flower Fields but this year he actually suggested the idea! I've trained him well! I mean he definitely knew I wanted to go and that it was closing in a week so it was now or never but he came up with the plan to go!

 We went on a Wednesday afternoon, enjoyed some lemonade, took millions of pics, and I know I've been every year, but this year everything was in full bloom and it was extra amazing! 

You can see previous years here and here.

graduation week with the plothows

Most of the Plothow gang came to visit for Sam's graduation so we had to do all the fun things!

Wednesday we started off strong with a hike around Torrey Pines Reserve down to the beach.

 Sam and Rapha were already best buds by day one! 

And this is probably foreshadowing for the amount of pictures I'm going to take when we have babies of our own. But Sam + a baby is too cute not to share!

And then there's me with kids...

 Ps. probably what our babies will look like one day.

After playing on the beach we hit up Taco Stand in La Jolla for some bomb Mexican food and went to see the end of "pupping season"--all the baby seals and sea lions.

 Thursday Sam, Emily, Ethan and I went to Disneyland! 

It was so great to have a pro (Emily) guide us from ride to ride and we finished Frontierland and Tomorrowland by noon!

Dole Whip--what a lactose intolerant person's dreams are made of!

You can totally see the mid day crash happening on their faces....getting sleepy.

It was so fun to hit up Disneyland WITH Sam for the first time ever!

Friday even though it wasn't the warmest day, we went to Pacific Beach and most of the crew got in the water and boogie boarded/surfed/snorkeled. There was also football, spike ball, and sand castle building involved. 

Saturday was graduation and I posted more photos on a separate post here.

That night we had a bonfire at Coronado with s'mores and hotdogs and spent the night chatting huddled next to the fire because it was freezing! 

Sunday everyone headed back home expect the NY Plothows and we went to church and had Sunday dinner together. Monday night dinner in Old Town together before they caught their flight home the next morning. It was a great week filled with lots of fun things, but most importantly, FAMILY!