The talents of others...

Thanks Kays for making art out of us...we appreciate your eye and talent!

Yes, Jovie loves to rock & roll!

Blake has a grimace on his face- Jovie's got quite the pinchers!!

Squirmy little Jovester... she just wanted to climb up these steps!



Uh, yeah- the ivy is TOTALLY thorny. Ouch. But it does make a nice slanty background.

P.S.- Blake has lost 70 lbs since April- doesn't he look GREAT!! (And all by counting calories!)
I LOVE how hacked Jovie is in this picture...in fairness- I forgot her bottle and all of those steps are WAY too tempting to kiddos!


If I wasn't smiling in this picture (and replaced it with a look of terror) it might look like she is falling! Haha.

Our first official family pics. Overall a success. Even if the top button of my sweater was in the 2nd button hole. Yeah... starting new trends without even trying. Ha.

A little introspection...

As I sat at the kitchen table this morning eating breakfast, a lovely 60 degree breeze wafted through the open window, carrying the sweet scent of orange blossoms. My favorite smell in the entire world! As I gazed out at the porch it dawned on me that the smell was coming from the tree that I so lovingly planted this past spring. Well, the tree was lovely at first, however once the Arizona sun got to beating it down with its cruel blazing rays and sweltering heat, the poor tree was withering, losing leaves and almost at the brink of death.

I looked on through the summer, trying different techniques with watering, and placing it in more/less direct sunlight, but to no avail. It seemed hopeless...my beautiful orange tree was dying. The lime tree I had planted seemed just perfect...it was also actually starting to grow limes!!

But, how could that be? I did the same thing for both trees, yet one was dying and the other was thriving!!

A few weeks ago we had a burst of cold weather where it dropped down to 60 degrees every day for a week. As it did so, my beloved orange tree started to perk up and the leaves started springing back to life, and blossoms started to emerge. What? How did this happen? I didn't do a thing and all of a sudden my orange tree is more beautiful than ever!

This is next part is deep, even for me...here is your forewarning...

I was feeling very introspective this morning and I realized how this must be the same as how Heavenly Father views us- His children. My analogy, if you will... My dying orange tree was like someone living in sin...little by little pulling farther and farther away from the good of the Savior- living in sin. Even though good things were being brought to the tree's attention- like more/less water, shade/light, etc.- like reading the scriptures, attending church, saying prayers, etc. the tree was still sick and dying. But once the environment changed (once the weather cooled down) the tree began to live again. This could be looked at like accepting the Atonement of the Savior and utilizing help to repent and truly LIVE in happiness and a clear conscience. We can be whole again...just like my little tree. Even when we wilt and lose leaves, through the Atonement we can grow even more beautiful and blossom when we accept help and repent. I came to the realization that sometimes our literal environment MUST change in order for us to be close to the Savior and allow us the opportunities to cultivate our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is so much I need to do about myself to get to that place that I ultimately want to be, but all in all, I must go one step at a time.

guilt....

Why is it that I feel guilt when I don't blog??? Anyone else get this feeling? I know I've been sporadic over the summer...believe me, we've had a very fun and busy summer- but why, oh why is it so hard to just sit down, come up with something witty and funny to say, and just post a few pictures? I don't know.

Like always...I intend to back blog- so sorry if you are on Google Reader and see posts from the summer- this is our journal for all intensive purposes, so this is just how it has got to be.

Just to fill you in shortly before I back-post some entries with details and pictures, here is what I've been up to around the house with the Jovester....

Been baby proofing...pretty much everything... (not because Jovie is walking...because she isn't...but because I'm not down will kids falling down the stairs or wreaking havoc on all of the DVDs...I know, I am SO O.C.D.)

re-doing bedrooms...

organizing closets (with labels, no less)...

hanging pictures (I mean, we have lived in our house over 3 years now, so really the whole house should be just about done)...

watching the New Friends episode of Yo Gabba Gabba for the "millionth" time...

baking bread... (banana usually)

And making funny faces with Jovie...phew...I'm tired.

More to come... (hopefully soon)

Jovie's 1st Birthday!!

Wow...time seriously flies...and I can't believe she's already 1!! Jovie is just the love of my life...and I know why it took us so long to have her... she is such an easy going child- so mild mannored and just the sweetest!

Just to trip out, here is Jovie 1 year ago...

and her one year later...

Well, for her 1st birthday we decided to have a bbq and swim time with a few friends and family. What else can you possibly do besides swim when it's still 105 degrees outside?!! Well, our in-laws graciously allowed us to have her party at their crib (and how thankful we are to you guys!). Honestly, I don't know why I stress myself out about parties and all, since very little of it is within my control.

I know it's kinda lame doing a themed birthday for a 1 year old but I just couldn't NOT do something and all my brain cells are dead- so I just opted for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse since Jovie enjoys watching that show (2nd to Baby Einstein) and it's kinda unisex so the boys won't feel like it's one big "chick" fest! I'm sure that will come in another few years!!

As suspected, Jovie didn't just dig right in to her cake...I had a feeling this would happen (in May we went to the beach and she didn't like the sand getting stuck to her hands) so Blake and I helped to smash her hands into her cake and put her fingers in her mouth. She liked the cake and frosting once she got a taste of it, but she just wanted us to feed it to her! She is so funny like that!

Of course she was ready to hit the hay by 7:30 pm and we hadn't even opened gifts yet, so needless to say that happened EXTREMELY fast!! Thanks again for all of the lovely gifts!

Thanks to everyone who came and (hopefully) enjoyed themselves!! Jovie won't remember this birthday (unless she has crazy supernatural powers...hmm...doubtful) but Blake and I sure will and are just so happy you all shared this special day with us!

It's swim time...

A smile tells it all, doesn't it??! Jovie has just LOVED being in swimming lessons this summer. We took the mommy/baby swimming lessons at Brimhall pool for two sessions this summer and it was just so much fun! This was Jovie's face every time we went to the pool!

It's a momma and a baby!!!

My friend Susan and her daughter Maren took lessons with us and it was so fun having friends there with us! Another friend Laurie and her son Tyler took lessons with us the first session- and let me tell you, the water was so cold then, we almost thought our kiddos were gonna hate swimming!

But, you can just tell these little water babies just LOVE splish-splashing and being together! How funny is Jovie's lower lip--- such a silly face!

Jovie could hardly contain her excitement- she had to eat BOTH of her hands!

And always after swimming lessons was shower time and Jovie loves that too- I just love how cute she looks in this towel! My little shower flower baby!

The pool has kept me sane here in the 100+ degree heat. I don't know how anyone living in Arizona can stand NOT swimming. It is essential for the complete cool down, plus Jovie naps SO WELL after she swims! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pool.

Does it get any better than this??

I love her... her giggle, her sigh, her smile, her squinty right eye. I just love her to pieces.

It is finished...school, that is...

I am a Phoenix!!! I FINALLY completed my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education!!

Only one more test to take and I'll have my certification to be a teacher!

Commencement at University of Phoenix stadium- me on the jumbo tron!!Holla...Me with my (not so real) diploma. Saaaaaawweeeeeeeeeeet!

My babies helping me celebrate. Blake bought that beautiful lai for me- how thoughtful!!

That 102 degree heat got us revved up for some swimming time. This was Jovie's first real day at the pool (too bad she hadn't napped all morning because she was ultra tired and cranky- but a trooper none-the-less!)

My brother Eli and his cute little guy Isaiah- it was his first time in the pool too and he LOVED it! He is a natural water baby!

My neice Indianna just loved floating around and enjoying the water- what a smile!!

Jovie took a little ride in the turtle floatie...I don't think she's quite convinced she likes the water... yet...Jovie and Isaiah playing on the floor- they are so funny together. Jovie isn't crawling yet and Isaiah (who is 3 months older than her) is just crawling all over the place and Jovie just thinks he's the funniest thing ever! She loves little kids- it's too funny!Overall it was a very satisfying day...totally nice to be among family and finally get that degree over and done with!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Now, what's next?

Easter happenings...

Well, I enjoyed Jovie's first Easter. We didn't color eggs (they were boiled though just to make egg salad sandwiches and creamed eggs on toast) or have an Easter Egg hunt- but we did get some candy and chocolate and a stuffed bunny for Jovester. And of course we went to church...that's ONLY traditional!!

I loved getting her a new dress- that was a special tradition in my family as a kid. And she looked so stinkin cute.
It was fun getting to see her play with plastic eggs too. She is getting so good at holding round things, especially.

I will be playing a lot of catch up on the happenings since I disappeared during Student Teaching- but believe me...I was so slammed with school I was quite beside myself. Being a teacher is THE hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Harder than child birth. I kid you not.