#PlacesParkerGetsKickedOutOf

Getting a library card was one of the things at the top of my list when we moved to Tustin. I have lots of little projects I want to get started on, like planting an herb garden, sewing curtains, etc., and wanted to check out some books on those subjects before I dove in. Before we moved I checked to see if they have a toddler story time (they do!), which we loved going to at our library in LA.

Anyway, as you can see, that first trip to the library was filled with so much excitement and anticipation! I realize that sounds nerdy, but I really was so excited. I guess Parker wasn't as pleased to be there as I was; he was screaming to get out of his stroller and when I let him walk around he started pulling books off shelves, so I ended up just carrying him, which he also hated and vocalized... loudly. I think that Parker has the loudest, shrillest scream I've ever heard and it leaves your ears ringing. Those of you that have been around Parker, can I get an amen?

As I was talking to a woman at the information desk to help me find a book, another library employee came up to me and said that she's had several complaints about my son's screaming, and can I please get him to stop? I think my first thought was, "Really? It's possible to get kids to stop screaming?" Then I was embarrassed. I told her I'd make him stop if I could, but it's beyond me. I could tell she was trying to be nice about it, and she even offered to help if she could. I could feel myself getting flustered and starting to blush and I told her that we'd be leaving soon, then she said, "Ok, but if he screams again like that, please step outside." I was already upset and embarrassed, but I guess that comment pushed me over the edge. I started crying, which is very out of character for me, put the books down that I was going to check out, and bee-lined it to the exit. I know that we were being loud in the library, but haven't any of these people had kids before? I guess just not as loud as Parker.

That was last week and I'm over it now, but it took some time. We've since been back to the library, but this time I let Parker play with our GPS in his stroller to distract him and I knew exactly what books I wanted to check out and I knew where they were located.

We've Moved!

To beautiful Tustin, California! Paul accepted a job here as an associate dentist at AA Family Dental Group and is loving it. I am loving Orange County for many reasons, but particularly because there is a Target and a Trader Joe's nearby. I also LOVE our TWO bedroom apartment! That's right, no more sleeping in a closet for Parker. Our apartment also has a washer and dryer, built in dishwasher and a small patio that is one of Parker's favorite spots. The complex has several pools, hot tubs and a playground. But really, all of that seems measly compared to the fact that there is light- beautiful, warm, natural light that illuminates the whole apartment. Seriously, could a girl have it any better?? I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!
We just got our internet service hooked up a couple days ago and I've been dying to share this little gem. Even after watching it 20 times it still makes me smile.

Apartment Tour

Here's a tour of our apartment in Los Angeles so we'll never forget how awesome it was.



What will I miss (or not) about this apartment?
* Our neighbor, Fred, who refers to Parker as "fat boy."
* Free rent because Paul was the on-call manager. Meaning, he locked the laundry room at night and opened doors for people who locked themselves out of their apartment. I think he worked about 20 minutes a week.
* Discounted utilities.
* The tiny, erratic oven.
* Enormous closets.
* Enormous bathroom.
* Cement walls- absolutely priceless when we've had to let Parker cry it out.
* Being downtown and close to all the action, also to the library, grocery store, bank, post office and park- all within walking distance.
* The chubby old guy, Jimmy, walking around in shorts and an open bath robe.
* The awesome view and lack of natural sunlight.
* The Mexican ladies that tell Parker how cute he is in Spanish.
* The cement floors topped with industrial carpet.
* Being really close to school.
* Being really close to the institute (where we meet for church).
* Our neighbor, Mako, who brings us his extra groceries. A lot of the time it's tofu (yuck), but sometimes we hit the jackpot- last time it was strawberries and spinach.
* The long hallways that Parker never tires of walking up and down.
* The alarm that goes off in our apartment if someone has fallen and can't get up.

HAWAII

For years Paul and I have been wanting to take a vacation after graduation, so when Paul found an awesome deal on round trip tickets to Hawaii we jumped at the opportunity. We went to Oahu for five days and were busy, busy, busy the whole time and got to do everything we had set out to do. Actually, what we really wanted was just to spend time together, relax, and celebrate Paul finishing dental school- everything else was just the icing on top.

We arrived Sunday afternoon and found ourselves on the second floor of our hotel in a room with two beds. I guess that's what you get when you book on Priceline. Paul asked if they had any rooms with just one bed and they moved us into a suite on the 10th floor for the same price. Sweet! For dinner we went over to Paul's BYU roommate's (Nate) house. His wife Miho made an AMAZING meal. It was so good, probably the best food we had while we were in Hawaii. We had chicken katsu, fried spring rolls, purple sweet potatoes, salad, and haupia (coconut custard) pie.


MONDAY:
Breakfast at Boots and Kimos-- (I think Paul had Spam every day we were in Hawaii. I got the pancakes with macadamia nut sauce. Num num num.)
Hiked Diamond Head. Here's the view from the top looking onto Waikiki. One of my very favorite things about Hawaii is the color of the water- it's turquiose and teal and clear and so beautiful!
We had dinner again with Nate and his family, this time at a local joint call Rainbow. I think Paul had more Spam, this time with gravy??? We got some malasadas (deep-fried-while-you-wait donuts filled with custard) for dessert. Nata and Miho's daughter, Yumi, is so adorable. She's two months older than Parker and knows sign language, English, and Japanese. We're still waiting on Parker to say anything more than nigh-nigh or wow. For the first picture I said, "Smile Yumi!" My bad, I should've said it in Japanese. For the second picture I said, "Nico, Nico!" Excellent head tilt!

TUESDAY:
We went to the Dole pineapple plantation, went stand-up paddleboarding (where we saw sea turtles and wild peacocks), pretended to be a surfer getting barreled at Waimea Bay, walked the temple grounds, and went to the Polynesian Cultural Center where we got VIP treatment thanks to Paul's uncle who works at the PCC. Speaking of VIPs, Grant Hill was getting the same treatment just a few feet from us!




WEDNESDAY:
Went to the swap meet and had coconut juice straight from the coconut!

Went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. We swam with beautifully-colored fish and big turtles.
THURSDAY:
Had breakfast at the Hula Grill, which is right on the ocean. It was sprinkling when we got to the restaurant and we could see a rainbow over the water as we ate.

Went hiking at Maunawili Falls. It was awesome walking through the lush rainforest. When we got to the waterfall, there was a swimming hole you could jump into from the falls. I opted to watch while Paul took the plunge.
Went snorkling at Lanikai beach. The sand there was so soft it felt like we were walking on powdered sugar.

There weren't many waves while we were there, but Paul was determined to go surfing. He rented a long board and caught a few waves as the sun went down and before we had to head to the airport for our red eye flight back to LA.

Here's a movie that Paul made...

Hawaii Movie from John Fjeldsted on Vimeo.

To sum up, we loved our trip!!!

Parker wasn't invited to our vacation, but he had one of his own with Grandpa John and Grandma Trudy. Paul and I were glad to have just-the-two-of-us time, but we were so excited to see Parker again after six days of being away and he was so happy to see us too when we picked him up.

I TRIed

A couple weeks ago I did my first ever triathlon. Woohoo! First was the run (3.2 miles), then the bike (13.7 miles), then the swim (175 yards). The swim was definitely my favorite part and I wish it had been longer. The pool was really shallow, so it was warm and felt so relaxing after the run and bike. I originally was going to do it with a friend from the ward, but she hurt her heel and wasn't able to race. Sad! I trained for two months and actually really enjoyed the training AND the race, unlike the last race I did, where the training was the pits, but the awesomeness of the race made it worth it. I'd love to do another triathlon, maybe next time with a better bike and DEFINITELY with a friend!

After the run, getting ready to bike:


And I'm off!

Done! I win!

Where There's a Ball, There's a Boy

My Grammy used to say this all the time, I think to instill in us a fear when driving to watch for little boys that were about to dart into the street chasing after their ball. I think she should have added "and he'll probably be stealing that ball from a poor, unsuspecting little girl, who is the rightful owner of that ball and she was playing with it first anyway." But I guess that's kind of a mouthful.

We went to visit Jenni and her family before they moved to Michigan and Parker and Scarlett did pretty well together, although Parker hasn't quite mastered the concept of sharing. Scarlett has two enormous balls (or "bubbles") that Parker couldn't get enough of. I'm afraid the following sequence is an accurate depiction of their playing "together" with the balls.

Scarlett finds the ball:

Scarlett retrieves the ball:

Parker sees Scarlett having a good time and makes a show of playing "with" her:

Parker makes off with the ball:

And leaves Scarlett in his dust!

Payback!

We tried to get them to kiss and make up, but I think Jenni and I are closer to kissing each other than they were.

We're so glad we got to visit. We love you guys!

Griffith Park

We've been on a non-stop vacation since graduation and I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, but I'll start with the day after graduation.

Sam, Heather and James spent the afternoon with us at Griffith Park where we went to the observatory and rode the train. It was so fun to see them and catch up.