In pursuit of happiness...

I'm not going to lie, since we returned from our last trip to Utah I have been struggling somewhat with being here in California. Cody and I had many talks about what he could do to help me, but really the answer is nothing because we have to be here! I always know what I need to do when I get in moods like this, but the doing is always the hard part. I found myself reading the scriptures, and just praying more that I could just break out of this mood and be happy-but one thing I know about myself and that was reiterated to me in many of my Recreational Therapy classes is that I need to get out and do something active to help escape from bad moods. So my wonderful husband, in an attempt to get rid of the crabby wife and find his generally happy wife again decided to take matters into his own hands.
On Labor Day he woke up and decided that we were going to go to the Los Angeles Zoo, which is something I had been talking about wanting to do. We packed up a lunch and headed out. The zoo was alright, Max loved it which is all that matters, although he would show the same amount of excitement over the water in the cages as he did the animals. It is a big zoo so there was lots of walking in the heat, which is always fun. Alsoin an effort to be more humane they have made bigger more natural habitatish cages, which are great except it makes it pretty much impossible to see the animals, which got frustrating, but the plants were very green! Overall Cody and I think that the Hogle Zoo is just as good if not better. Since the animals were slightly boring I was never really inspired to pull out my camera, so we have only one picture from the day-lunchtime.



Max is extra happy because he discovered a new found love for bbq flavored foods.

Friday rolled around and we decided that we needed to go to the beach since we hadn't been there for a couple of weeks. It was the most perfect day at the beach I think I have ever had. There was hardly anyone there, and the beach had just been groomed so the sand was perfect, and the waves weren't too big-I couldn't have ordered a more perfect day!



Since every pile of sand or beginning of sand castle Cody created was quickly destroyed by Max he decided to dig a hole-Max attempted to destroy that too but Cody shoved sand out of it faster than Max could throw it back in. I love sitting and watching them play together it may be one of my favorite things.



Once the hole was completed a great big wave came up and filled it up with water, which turned into the perfect little pool for Max to play in, since the big waves make him a little nervous.



Max just hanging out-even though he still gets a little nervous with the ocean I am amazed at how brave he is becoming, before I know it he will probably be out there with his dad, making ME nervous!

I am happy to report that the crabby mood is gone-I don't know what did it, it could have been the therapeutic beach, my wonderful husband, or crazy but cute little boy, or the fact that Max and I have been braving the streets of San Bernardino to go on walks. It is probably a combination of all of these things, and the fact that I have so many things to be grateful for that I often think to myself, how could I ever not be happy?