Christmas happenings...

Christmases in Mesa always kinda trip me out a little bit. I've lived here for 6 years now... but I don't know if it will ever really feel like a Christmas from Colorado or Utah...the nip in the air...icicles...or on a rare occasion- a WHITE Christmas. But the one thing that is consistant is to be able to spend it with family- which I so much cherish.

Mimi, Grandma and Pops with Jovie

All gifts were appreciated (of course) but this is the one I was so much hoping for! Thanks Blake!It will probably take me quite a while to learn to use this new lens, but I'm sure it'll be a blast!Jovie was posing in her little Bumbo chair and Christmas outfit. She was our VERY special gift this year! Who could honestly ask for a cuter, more sweet, chill and darling little girl!??I do believe in the spirit of Christmas!!Blake testing out the lens- and getting some sweet shots!Jaime and her family came out on Christmas day in the evening from San Diego to spend the holiday with us. Parker was being so cute about opening presents- I love that age!My nephew Jax looking so handsome with the lovely tree in the background. My mom-in-law Shauna is an amazing decorator. I only wish I had the EYE she has for decorating. Her home is quite the winter wonderland!Even little angels can get cranky on Christmas!! Haha- Jovie looks so 'sweet' with all that cupcake gear!

We made out like bandits this year. (This photo is just for insurance purposes)
I hope your Christmas was Merry and Bright and brought many smiles, hugs and love into your home! We are so grateful for the love of our Savior Jesus Christ and to celebrate his humble birth! Merry Christmas! Love the Kimballs

Christmas Eve...

There is nothing like a dog's genitals messing up your perfectly good picture...slightly humorous...not our dog's genitals...my brother's dog's genitals...we were dog sitting...I'm not quite ready for my own dog...including genitals...Sheesh.

So we settled for this picture instead...

Jovie in total wonderment with the striped tights...they are pretty fashion forward...

thank Grandma Kimball

Yes Jovie...you are adorable.

Jovie is amazed at the beautiful sight...the tree is lovely.

Opening our "crackers" with paper crowns, fortune and mystery gift. These are a great Kimball Christmas Eve tradition. We also opened our jammies but only Jovie is sporting hers (obviously).

Boy...the anticipation for Christmas is unbearable...I always have the hardest time sleeping.

MMMmmmm...

Jovie could be the new Campbell's soup representative...

mmm...mmm...good.

Playing dress up...

Check my chucks...Silly face blowing bubbles...
Standing all by myself (not really)...makes me cranky.

Ahhhh...finally able to relax.

Then we got to go to Whit & Rachael Gardner's wedding...but that was short lived since I had a MAJOR diaper blowout...my first on record.

Rainbow Bright...

Jovie can't believe that her mother would put her in this ridiculously "Rainbow Bright" outfit...

She's actually SO phased by it.

This past week's happenings...

This past week was chock full of good stuff...

Monday...

Jovie rolled from her tummy to her back in 5 seconds for the first time...no prompting either! I think she really likes looking at the Christmas tree! This was her after-roll look!

Tuesday...

Started feeling the funk in my throat...ahhhh, give me orange juice and Airborne. Oh- and since my Christmas tree decided that the top half didn't want to upstage the bottom half of the tree (since it does get the star), it decided to quite working...Oh yeah, I'll show you...you pesky fuse. Gotcha. Ta Dahhhh!

Wednesday...

Jovie had her first all out laugh...didn't catch much of it on video, but daddy can get her all grinny- it's so cute.

Thursday...

I got a new console table so that we have somewhere to put our stockings...one of the major drawbacks to this house is no fireplace (not too uncommon however, in AZ). Blake thinks it's just a "useless piece of furnature" and "another place for me to dump my crap" (don't take that literally- "crap" meaning the mail, receipts, books, etc.). But once I got it all set up I think you can cross off "a useless piece of furnature" off his list. Oh, you know I'm gonna dump my crap here once Christmas is over. Crap- say sionara to the counter.

Friday...

Jovie finally discovered how to pull the plastic dog bone in her bumbly chair (that play's the song "Oh where has my little dog gone?...). I am so proud of her...she has just changed SO much all in the last week!

Saturday...

Our 3rd annual White Elephant Christmas party. We do this every year with many of Blake's high school friends and their wives...and a few other single friends too. I wish we had a bigger house to invite more people because I just love hosting a good celebration of sarcasm, laughter, and going home (well, I guess I'm already home) with some high class gifts... All I want for Christmas is... a dainty picture of my friend's husband ...and some pills to grow a bigger rack... sigh. Seriously Diana? You had to steal that gingerbread kit away from me didn't you! And Amy, I was REALLY looking forward to playing the Murder She Wrote board game with Blake. I can just hear Angela Landsbury's voice as the narrator. But that got stolen too. Well- we gave some hot items- the Shamwow and a giant remote control (oh you know those puppies got locked within the first round!) Some other hot items were Lotto tickets, Lo Lo's Chicken & Waffles gift card & tshirt (phrase on the back says "Eatin' good in da hood") and a QT gift card. So thank you to all that attended... The Spencer Reeds, The Dentons, The Tony Reeds, The Hamiltons, The Williams', The Nelsons, Whit, Rajiv, Jonny, Tim, and Chelsea.

Sunday...

So, the sad part is that as a family we've been sick this past week with the sore throat, cough and sniffles. But when we woke up on Sunday morning we decided not to be those selfish mo mos that go to church out of duty, then get a bunch of other people and their kids sick. NO, that is just uncool. So we made a day of staying home in our pj's and relaxing. We needed the rest. Don't judge me...it's Christmas time...time for mercy. So, to stay on "The Nice List", I'd like to donate a beautiful track to your collection.

The Velvet Teen

Red, Like Roses

Out Of the Fierce Parade

I love it when a good track pops back into my life and gets me all nostalgic.

8 days and counting until Christmas!! SO MUCH TO BE DONE!

Santa baby...

Our ward had a Christmas party and Santa came to visit...so Jovie had a chance to mingle with the big man.

She also did a little bit of giggling- which was so cute.

She is already 14 weeks old and just wanted to show how cute she was in the Christmas dress Grandma Carpenter got for her!

Our little kitty cat...

Jovie has been so vocal lately...it is so funny! She sounds more like a cat every day! haha.

Grandma and smiley little Jovster!

Jovie gets blessed...

Better blessed late than never, right? It was actually planned so that my parents could be here for it...and since they were here for Thanksgiving, it kinda worked worked out the best! Blake did a fantastic job on the blessing! I am so grateful to have a husband worthy of the priesthood who can bless his daughter in ways the Lord sees fit.

She is just a little beauty!

We got her blessing dress in Cozumel, Mexico when we went on a cruise in May and I was pregnant with her. I figured I'd help out their economy since they do the same for ours...hmmm, wait...nevermind.

What an angel!!

I will probably say this until the day I die...and I know I'm partial, but Jovie is so freakin cute!

A good time for a photo opp of the Carpenters!
Papa and Indianna are all smiles.My favorite thing about this pic of Kayleen is that when the Dentons and the Kimballs shyed away from the camera, she stepped up to the plate and just owned that smile. Thanks for cooperating Kays.

Here is the whole family lineup that were able to make it to the blessing and luncheon
(bottom: Jaime, Parker & Jason Grant, Jaxson Whitehorn, Indianna Carpenter.)
(top: Shauna, Chelsea, Scott, Blake, Jovie, & Mandy Kimball, Robert & Kay Carpenter, Cori, Eli & Isaiah Carpenter.)

Jovie loves hangin' out with Papa. My dad is so good with her!We missed Aunt Katy & fam, Uncle Nate, Mimi and Sarah- they were there in spirit, of course.

Lo Lo's Chicken & Waffles

If you've never eaten soul food- make a point to head out to this little joint! It is AMAZING! Everyone who I've brought there has loved it- that is to put it lightly. Lo Lo's is in Phoenix on the NW corner of Central and Yuma (just south of downtown). It is fried chicken (get it smothered with gravy-yummmm) and a side of waffles. It sounds like a bizarre combo of food- but believe me...IT. IS. PHASING!! Oh, and don't forget to get your mason jar filled with delicious (sugary) lemonade...or red kool-aid (whatever suits your fancy).

So I finally got to take my parents there- since every time they come to town we miss going every time. They were impressed- let me tell you!

We also got to take a little jaunt down to Maricopa and spend the afternoon getting spoiled by Christopher pampering Jovie...

Isaiah pulling Eli's hair...

and playing my favorite new board game- Ticket to Ride. I love this game...and it is even one that Blake will play too! Now that is sweet! (Doesn't Eli look too serious!)

Girls night out...Jovie's first movie!

This is how girls night should be spent!! Going to Pita Jungle (for the best glazed chicken lavosh pizza in the bizzznass) with the girls including my mom(s)... and even my baby...

Then seeing a movie that only MY friends would outwardly mock outloud during the movie (yet still be so inwardly phased by)... Twilight... yes, I could go on and on about how the makeup job was horrible and the vampires flying from tree to tree like "spider monkeys" was laughable...however, I still did really like it and it made me giddy. What can I say...I've read the books- no movie has ever really been right on with my imagination nor has covered all of the important detail that a book depicts... regardless, I'm happy I saw it...and I'll probably even buy it too when it comes out on DVD.


And as Jovie's first box office movie- I'll say she even liked it too (until she got starving, then had the poops...) Thanks to grandma for taking her out and getting her to sleep so I could enjoy the movie!

Happy Thanksgiving to all...

Jovie's first Thanksgiving...and to think- all she gets is milk!

I'm especially thankful for family- for my parents flying out from Colorado's freezing cold weather to enjoy Thanksgiving in 80 degree weather. It seems kinda backwards...but it was nice, none-the-less.




So we spent the day out in Maricopa with friends and family...the Hand's, the Carpenter's, my sis-in-law Cori's mom Marjorie, and my parents (also the Carpenter's). My mom and I started the day off right getting the turkey all prepped (oh, who am I kidding...she did most of it the night before since we knew we'd have a ton to do on Thanksgiving day!) I begged my mom to do a video showing the preparation to cook a traditional turkey since I have a terrible memory- now I can refer back to this any time I cook a turkey! (Part 3 wouldn't load!!!)





It was so cute to see cousins Isaiah and Jovie interacting (well Isaiah was just laughing because he kept trying to eat Jovie's shirt)

Indianna kept entertained while playing with my necklace!





Cori and Marjorie did so many dishes...thank you SO much ladies!





Christopher Hand (whom I babysat when he was a baby) is getting to be quite the photographer. He is such a good helper with Indianna and Isaiah. It is really convenient for my bro Eli to have his best friend Brian live so close in Maricopa to keep each other entertained.

We also got the privilege to hear mom give her presentation about her trip to Romania for her non-profit company F.L.O.C. (For Love of Children) and learn about what their orphanages and street children are like. Boy, that made me EXTREMELY grateful for my life here in America. I got the opportunity to make some knit hats for babies that my mom brought over with her to give some of the children. Hopefully one day I will get to see first hand the fruits of my moms labors over there and help with her cause. She is so charitable! What a beautiful example of Christ-like love and service my mom is to me!

Of course we also grubbed on the typical Thanksgiving feast- Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, green bean casserole, berry salad, apple/yam casserole- then of course later (much later) had pumpkin and apple pie.

I guess adults aren't the only ones that overeat and want to puke after Thanksgiving! Nice Jovie!

We had to go out walking to get some of that funky feeling off...we stopped at a park so my niece Indianna could go down the slide- of course she wanted me to join her, which I was more than happy to do! I'm still a kid at heart, you know!

Overall, it was a great day to spend with family and friends alike!