Georgia, here we come!!!

 

We had the best vacation any family could ask for!! We've come home exhausted, but loved every minute of our time out in Georgia and Florida! This was our "anniversary" and "Blake's Birthday" trip, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Blake's Grandparents had a timeshare that was soon to expire so we quickly made plans and utilized a weeks stay in Orlando, as well as a few days in Savannah, Georgia (where Blake served part of his mission for the church). First, we went to Savannah and saw all of the touristy things and did lots of walking- and soon realized how tricky it could be traveling with a one and a half year old! Jovie is a great napper, so we did the best we could in getting her in some place to nap! She also loved free reign in running this way and that- and loved all of the "squares" (that were little grassy parks dividing many of the downtown streets) to run in! 

Pushing a stroller on River St cobblestone was quite a challenge!

Loved all the mossy trees and shade!

We ate lunch at this amazing deli called "Larry's Giant Subs" and had the BEST sandwiches! I thought the decor was hilarious! 

We also spent an afternoon at Tybee Island enjoying the beach and water. It was pretty chilly and windy, but Jovie loved digging around in the sand, running into the ocean and chasing the seagulls!!

We also got to meet up with my cousin Helen, who is a student at SCAD (the famous art school). She is majoring in photography- what a beautiful place to take pictures...that is for sure! 

It was so great to catch up with her.

We also got to catch up with one of my long time good friend's, Kent Ringger, who was down in Savannah randomly that weekend for a medical conference. He is currently living in Atlanta, GA with his wife Krista and 3 kids (Corbin, Indi, and Hans) and is going to Emery College to be an Anaesthesiologist Assistant. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of us!

Forsythe Park is another one of our favorite spots in Savannah. It's the most beautiful, spacious park. You can't help but to feel the history and beauty of the city there. 

Mama & Jovie on the same bench she sat on when pregnant with her.

We got to spend an evening with the DiNatalie family (who loved Blake when he was a missionary!) and had dinner and talked. They are just hilarious people. Such a great family.

Overall we had the most fabulous few days in Savannah and look forward to being able to return again there in the near future!

Easter festivities...

This year Easter Sunday was very unique in that it was also General Conference. It was special to be watching conference and getting to reflect on the resurrection of the Savior at the same time...also, getting to eat Cadbury Cream Eggs, cotton candy and Peeps weren't too bad either!

Jovie eating her first Cadbury Cream Egg- she LOVED it!

Jovie loved the bubbles she got in her Easter basket!

Jovie doing her first Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma & Grandpa Kimball's house!

Parker and Jovie love giving each other hugs!! So cute!

Strike a pose, Davis!! My nephew is one photogenic kid!

Sam enjoyed playing with her 2nd cousins!! (This is Blake's cousin Carly's daughter)

Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its way!

Jovie and Parker are inseparable! Playing Grandpa's guitar!

What a goofy face Joves!

Here bunny bunny bunny!!!!

Had to take advantage of a photo opp!!

The Kimball bunnies!

Guess who?? (Jax, of course- the glasses give it away ;)

Jovie with Grandma....she LOOOOOOOVES Grandma!!

Hope ya'll had a great Easter and were able to enjoy listening to General Conference as well. Thank goodness for DVR and the May issue of the Ensign. Watching it is hard with a little one !!

Letting go...

of control...it is hard for me. ahhhhh....breathe. Every day I am more and more amazed at what Jovie is learning and imitating. It's actually kinda scary- she is getting so independent and that is giving me mixed emotions. I am starting to understand why parents make such a big deal out of their kids growing up...it's sad...the feelings of not being needed is hard for me. I LOVE feeling needed. I'm sure we all do to some extent. Maybe it's just today...I don't know. I just love being with her- seeing her smile and giggle...and see the look of accomplishment on her face when she walks across the entire length of the house without falling!

I've never had a problem with getting messy...I just have a hard time when Jovie gets messy. I don't know why. Maybe I just don't like the cleanup part...like it's one extra step. But lately, I'm really just trying to let go of my incessant need for total order and let Jovie just BE A KID! Jovie loves the outdoors (honestly, would that be so strange as she is my child!) and she is finally starting to like sand, dirt and grass (she hasn't liked the feeling of it on her hands from an early age- like 6 months old). Trips to the park are paying off! Well, especially now that she is completely walking- that only took 17 months!! Sheesh. So now she loves digging out in the "yard" (if you could really call a 5'x20' plot of rocks, yard) and playing in the dirt from the garden and planter boxes. I love watching her.

She is so amazed at what she can do with her hands. It's funny. It's funny even when she gets dirt in her hair, on her clothes, and when it sticks to her face.

This would NOT have been funny to me a few months ago. And no, it's not laziness that is plaguing me. I just want her to experience everything that I grew up doing and usually loving. It's only fair. And it's all because I love her.

Busy days... and yet...

Wow...it's February already and I just barely feel like Christmas ended...maybe that's a good thing- I'm not sure yet. Since the beginning of 2010 I've been doing a lot of thinking...which tends to be interrupted thoughts...led to confusion...led to "did I already tell you this?" whenever I have conversations with anyone...and now I'm just feeling like my memory is failing me. Why? Why do I have to go through my days like this? Isn't there some kind of pill I can take? Well, regardless- I'm sorry to those of you who call me your friend and have to hear my constant brainlessness (Is that even a word? See what I mean?)

Anyways...on Dec 31 we decided to spontaneously get an iMac as my laptop was dying a slow death...a virus...H1N1, I think. Regardless, I am doing my very best to rid myself of my PC knowing ways and get used to being utterly confused...and then enlightened. Blake thought it would be a good idea to sign me up for 1-to-1 appointments at the Apple store- since I tend to listen better when someone is speaking to me-myself-and I (split personality, maybe). The biggest headache (that I've been just trying to convince myself isn't that big of a deal) is organizing my previously organized pictures from Windows. I'm not talking about 1000-2000 pics...I'm talking a DAUNTING task...about 26,000 pictures- which, when I put that number down on the screen makes my blood run cold. Ugh. I'm suffocating...Needless to say, picture (re-)organizing has taken the bulk of any free time I've had for the last month.

Jovie has resorted to playing in the newly organized pantry. (Thanks Sar...I NEVER would have gotten it done without your help! We miss you around these parts!) In Jovie's defense- why WOULDN'T you want to wreak havoc on something that is organized and beautiful?

In other news...ya know, I graduated last May with my degree in Education...yet, I was too overwhelmed to get all of the necessary paperwork together to bring to the dept of Ed to get my Teaching Certificate. One of my resolutions this year was to get my butt in gear and finish some things that were left undone. Hence- I spent an afternoon researching online (with little accomplished) then called the DoE to just verify all that I needed to get it done...and with luck I talked with a gal that was AMAZING- all I had to do was send in 3 documents and the rest was history. Two weeks later I had my CERT in hand!! Yippee!!

Another resolution was to get all of my pictures transferred from negative (yes, that's film people- it sounds so ancient!) to disc. I took in 40 rolls of film to Costco last week- and this next week I will probably bring another 50-60 in. Hopefully, this means I can share some great pics from a 35mm (hopefully you are sensing my sarcasm), however they are wonderful memories! P.S.- Costco charges $2.99/40 pictures that they combine and put on a DVD. This is THE best deal I've found- plus they even duplicated all pictures from high quality to email size as well. It is kind of a pain when sorting them, but it allows you to NOT have to shrink pics later if you are going to email them!

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)