HUGE catch-up...Sorry guys!

I know, I know. I'm a huge blog slacker. I actaully get on most days for a few minutes, check out the blogs I follow to see what's new. I just haven't posted anything because I haven't had time to get my pictures off my camera, weed through them to find what I need, & wait for them to post. Only thing is, my camera is now missing in the clutter. I know I don't need pictures on every post, but there are so many cute ones I want to share. But I digress & I wil try to do better...even without pictures.

Alot has happened in the past (almost) year. I know I have forgotten alot, but here's the highlights from our little family!

- Joey found out he will have to take his last semester of school in the fall. Thus, graduating Dec 11th. Not as early as we'd like. But thank goodness!!
- On May 13th, Livvy got sick for the first time. An ear infection in her Right ear. Then she had a reaction to the antibiotic. Then she got a bad rash. Supposedly a viral rash she will get when she is sick. More med to take care of that. Lovely....
- Mother's Day was very low-key this year, & I loved it!
- Joey got pneumonia.
- Our new nephew was born! Haven't met him since they are in CA now. But from the pictures we see, he's a cutie, just like his siblings!
- Livvy had another ear infection in the other ear. Poor baby!
- Father's day was low key as well.
- In June, we went to sign a lease with one apartment. It got sold out from under us 15mins before our appointment. SO upsetting!! Then good news came that the apt we really wanted became available.
- We got our apt & started moving on June 27th. We were officially moved in on July 4th. We're still unpacking & decorating, but the basic stuff is good to go & we have even had some friends & family over.
- In July, Livvy started walking on her own. She's still not very fond of it, but she knows she can do it!
- Joey & I took our vacation in August. We celebrated our anniversary, took livvy to the zoo for the first time, spent time with family, etc.
- My Aunt, uncle, & three adorable cousins left the U.S. & moved to Saudi Arabia. My uncle has a job that was just oo good to pass up. They came & stayed with Mamaw for a few months until they could get all the paperwork done. Now they are all together & from what I hear, loving every minute of life there! We miss them, but we will get to see them sometime in summer of 2010.
- Apparently our someone in our building was not the cleanest, thus inviting "friends" to come for an extended stay. Apparently when they moved the "friends" needed a place to go & decided to pay everyone else in the building a visit & stay awhile. These things are NOT our friends & we were very upset by this. Our apartment management took take care of them, but it just grosses me out & makes me feel dirty when I know I am clean (Yeah, I'll admit it...Joey & I are both clean freaks.)But they appear to be gone & we couldn't be happier.
- Livvy is a talking, singing, running, dancing machine! She's always on the go, talking about something, getting into something, or taking a moment to break it down whenever there is music. She still loves her "Your Baby Can Read" tapes, The Wonderpets, Spongebob, kitties, doggies, basically any animal, & baby dolls. She is becoming quite the little mommy!
- We took Livvy to the ice rink for the first time. She refused to put on the adorable little skates they have (The ones I have dreamed about my child wearing since I can remember. But I'll live.). But sat in the little carseat chair Larry made & I scooted her around the ice. I hadn't even been on skates in almost 3 years!
- Liv told me in September what she wanted to be for Halloween...Tinkerbell! And, as usual, she got her wish. She loved the dress, but freaked out a bit when the poofy stuff had to go over her head. Then later, she fell in mud while trick-or-treating. In her own words.."Ew! Yucky!" We have taught her well!
- I had a car acceident in late October. I was on a 2-lane road when I car came over the line, so I moved to the right a little. My tires caught the grass on the side of the road & pulled me into a phone pole. It pulled my side mirror off & flung it into the car breaking the window & hitting me in the head a little. It damaged the whole passenger side of the car. Thankfully I was the only one in the car & barely had any issues except a couple of tiny scrathes from the glass. Insurance covered it & everything is fine. But boy, was that scary! I was truly being watched over.
- A new family moved into our ward at church with a little girl only a few days younger than Liv. If you ask Liv who her best friend is she will tell you the little girl's name. Too adorable!
- Joey graduated on Dec 13th! FINALLY! I'm so proud of him. Now he's looking for better job.
- The holidays were very nice. We spent time with family & friends, & everyone got thouroghly spoiled!
- We spent New Year's Eve with Joey's best friend & his little family. Livvy partied until 12:30am & only fell asleep because we were in the car driving home & she was bored. She is a party animal!
- On January 30th, there was a winter storm that hit the area. The roads were iced so Joey couldn't go to work, nor could our neighbor. We were woken up my our upstairs neighbor banging on our door at about 8:45am. Joey jumped up to answer it & immeadiately smelled smoke. Our neighbor told us he thought it was the apartment across the hall & we needed to get out. He had already called the Fire Dept before realizing we were home. Joey ran back to wake Liv & I. We quickly scrambled into jeans instead of PJ's, threw Liv's coat on & Joey & Liv headed out the door. I stayed back to grab a couple of necessities, until the firelady came & screamed at me to get out now until they knew where the fire was coming from. I listened, & we all got outside safely. Moments later they opened the door to the apt next to us & found an elderly man unconscious. No one has ever told us for sure what happened, but it appeared he had been smoking on his couch & just fell asleep. The man only suffered smoke inhilation & a few burns, & no one else was injured. A nice woman in the next buliding over told Joey to bring Livvy in out of the cold. My parents came to pick her up a few minutes later. We spent the day washing 14 loads of laundry, cleaning, using Febreeze like mad, & cleaning carpets, etc.It was absolutley crazy to see them pull out the smoldering funiture & see the aftermath. Everything was ash. Our outside hall has been cleaned, but is still tinged with black soot everywhere. The experience in & of its self was scary enough. But what is even scarier are the "What If's?" What if Joey had gone to work? Livvy & I didn't hear a thing. What if our neighbor had gone to work? No one would have been there to warn us or to call the Fire Dept., etc, etc. I could go on forever. And in my head I did for days. I still do. We now have an emergency bag...just in case. I know this is nothing HUGE & there are so many who have been through worse. But for me, this was one of the scariest things for me because I think of Joey & Livvy. This really made me notice somethings I take for granted. Funny enough, my testimony was even strengthened. I have never been so grateful for ice & snow. Or for a kind neighbor who listened to the voice in his head that said, "They might be home!". The Lord knows exactly what He is doing. Sometimes, He's just kind enough to let us see a little part of it. Things fell into place, & I could not be more thankful & humbled.

On a different note, I will be making my blog private in the coming weeks. If you would like to continue to follow our Oh-so-exciting lives, leave your e-mail address or e-mail me & I will send you the invitation link when I switch it over.

Well, that's about it. Right now we are working, looking for Joey a good job so we can prepare for me to be a stay-at-home mom, doing our church callings, trying to stay in touch with friends & family, watching Livvy grow, etc. We're always on the go, so there's sure to be more updates soon...I PROMISE!!

(We need to update our family picture too, huh?)

Livvy's first toothbrush

On February 2nd, Livvy got her first toothbrush. And as you can see, she loves it! She gets so excited when it's time to brush teeth. Maybe it's just because I'm the mom, but I think it's too cute!
This is when she first saw the toothbrush. She's overjoyed!
"Don't forget the back gums, Momma!"
"Here, I can do it all by myself!"
"Cheese!" All squeaky clean!

The new year thus far...

So far, the new year is going well. At church, I received a new calling. My mom & I are now the Nursery leaders for our ward & we love it! The children 18mo-3yrs & are so sweet. We have a wonderful class of kids & it amazes me how much someone so little can teach us. Although I’ll miss my 6-8yr old class, I know they will be put in good hands & I look forward to learning in Nursery.

The weekend after New Year's we went up to Joey’s family’s cabin for a night, just the three of us. We had to come back the next day, but it was very nice to just spend time as just us. But in retrospect there are some things we should think about next time. 1) We packed & went up after I got off work one night. We should pack & leave earlier. 2) When it rains in the mountains, it gets really foggy. Which is bad on dark mountain roads. 3) We need to plan to either stay longer, or stop over-packing. It takes too long & too much energy to pack, unpack, relax, & repack in less than 24hrs.

So far the new year has been fun, relaxing, & very enjoyable. But things are beginning to pick up. Joey started a new part-time job with the church as the Maintenance/Custodian for our ward & school started back on the 7th with a crazy schedule. The good news is, the new job means a little more money to help out when we move & only 1 more semester of school to go after this one. :D Yeah….we’re happy. This month's schedule is promised to be busy. But stay tuned for the pics...however long it takes me to post them.
We’re very blessed & this year seems to have started off on the right foot!

The road through the park

A foggy morning in the mountains
Wearing Daddy's slippers
Chillin' with Daddy

Catching up on "first's" #1

I included in the title of this "#1". Why you might ask? Maybe it's because I know myself enough to know that I will more than likely be behind on updating everyone on "1st's" at some point in time again. I know, hard to imagine. But things happen!

First off, on Sept 29th Livvy turned over for the first time! Only from belly to back though. Back to belly wasn't until Oct 16th.

On Oct 9th we took Livvy in for her 6mo check up. She was 17lbs, 15oz & 27in long. She had grown SO much in just 6mo!! We also got the clear to start her on baby food other than cereal, which we did that night. Her first food was green beans & she loved it! Now she has tried all the veggies, most of the fruits, & is working on the meat combinations.

In between all this Livvy has been trying to crawl, pull up, stand, & even take steps! She's not quite got the whole crawling thing down yet. She rocks though! Maybe she'll be like me. I barely crawled any time, just went straight to walking at 8mo. Oh no, if she does take after me...look out! She's still a little wobbley when she stands, but she gets really excited about it! If the notion hits her, she trys to throw your hands away & take off on her own. Then she realizes, she's not sure how & flops down on her toosh. She's very proud of her new shoes too & loves to walk in them! She's not content just to sit still anymore, it's time to be in the floor and on the move!

Then, on Nov 6th Livvy cut her 1st tooth! She had been having trouble sleeping for a couple nights & now I know why. Coincidentally, she also got sick for the first time that night. We figure it was because her saliva was so acidic that it just upset her stomach. Poor baby! Oh! And she cut her 2nd tooth on Nov 17th.

Last & most recently, she seems to be attempting to say names. While Grandma (my mom), Mamaw (my mamaw), & I have been trying to get her to say things like "Momma, Mamaw, Grandma", Grandpa has been trying to get her to say "Grandpa", Joey has been trying to get her to say "Daddy", & when we visited a couple weeks ago Nanny & Papa (Joey's parents) & two of our nieces, Jalene & Janele, were trying to get her to say all of their names too. But she opted for "Di-di", which we believe to be "Daddy". On, Nov 15th Joey was playing with her when we got home from a date night. They were laughing & playing, when she started to rub her eyes because she was sleepy. Joey looked at her & said "Oh, Livvy!" Sympathy apparently makes you fall asleep faster, so she quickly tried to stand up & start jumping agian. After a minute she was getting sleepy agian. She decided she needed snuggles, so she looks at him & said something that sounded like "Oh, Di-di!" & reached to hug him. It was too cute!! Joey was really proud & excited that she apparently said his name first, of course. She said it a few more times that night even. Then the next day after church, Joey had a meeting, so Livvy & I sat in the hall waiting for him. She wasn't very happy he was gone, so I was trying to distract her with her picture album we made. When we opened the book to the picture of Joey she grabbed it & patted the picture & kept saying "Di-di! Di-di!". I know they aren't supposed to know what "Dada" & "Mama" really mean or associate them with people yet, but it seems like she does. Who knows! I attempted to get it on film, but all she did was smile.

We're a little proud...can you tell? I'm sorry I don't have any pictures now. If she's playing & I get the camera, she won't turn over. If she's smiling & I get the camera, she clamps her mouth so I can't see her teeth. I haven't gotten anything of her standing up or walking yet. And good luck getting her to say "Di-di" on video. I'll keep trying though...I promise!

Ah...Autumn!

Yesterday was the first official day of Fall/Autumn. Yay!!! I'm already dressing like it's getting colder. I know, Joey makes fun of me for it too. I suppose it's wishful thinking.

Anywho, we've been getting alot of questions about the last post. So, here's what's going on: We're fine! Haha! We love & appreciate you all for worrying, but please don't. Things have all been taken care of. Joey's looking for a better job; the bank is taking care of the fraud on our account; Joey's financial aid for school is working out fine; etc. Everyone's prayers work miracles. As does the support & love we recieved from each of you. Again, thank you for everything. But hey, if anyone knows of a good job feel free to let us know! :o)

In other news, I neglected to mention Joey's schooling. As you all know, he is a Journalism major. This semester some of his classes focus on the history of the media, science writing, & photo journalism. He really seems to be enjoying it! I think they sound fun. Anywho, we bought Joey a camera for one class, so now he enjoys taking pictures, artsy & just for fun, for projects & just around the house...mainly of Livvy. Seriously, who could could resist taking pictures of that face?! And yes, I will post them. Also, for one of his classes Joey has to intern at the university's radio station. It's a true internship in the sense that there is no pay involved, but it's only two hours a week & Joey loves it. He & his classmate Ryan DJ at 90.3 WUTK Saturdays from 11am-1pm. It's nothing huge, but it’s a start! Now, I will warn you though; WUTK is an Indie/Alternative Rock station. So if that’s not your cup of tea, no problem! But feel free to give it a try if you like.

As for everything else in our lives, they are going well. Our families are well. Livvy is growing up way too fast. We found out she as Excema, but the medicine has it under control & she's doing wonderful. Joey's busy with work, school, church, family, etc. I'm staying busy with work, church, family, etc. We even made time to go out for a date night last night! Which we thouroughly enjoyed.

Yeah, life gets stressful & there's never enough time in a day. But I'm so thankful for all the blessing we have! We are blessed beyond belief!! It's so easy to overlook it when things get hairy, but I'm trying to get better about that. I'm learning to be thankful for the trials, because I learn & grow when they come into our lives. And I'm learning to be appreciative of all we have, especially the times when all seems right in our little corner of the world. Like today.

It's September!!

Which means soon it will be fall & getting cooler & the leaves will begin to change. Then before you know it, the holidays are here! If you can't tell, I love fall & winter & all it brings!

So, thus far September has been, well, a bit stressful. First, Joey had to drop back down to part-time at work. This means less hours, less money for bills, & no more set weekends off. More than likely he will not have many Saturdays or Sundays off. We're hoping something better comes along soon to remedy all the "issues", so please pray that if it's the Lord's will, it will happen soon! During this, another "crisis" evloved. Apparently, somehow someone hacked our bank account & got our card & PIN numbers. Having this info, they racked up a nice little bill causing all sorts of problems at the bank, not to mention with other bills & such. Needless to say, Joey & I both were pretty eager to get this taken care of. And, I'm happy to report, that as of Friday evening we are well on our way. The bank credited back half the money, now we just have to do the fun part of filing fraud paperwork for them to start an investigation. Yay! Also going on, was issues with Joey's student financial aid. They were trying to say he was no longer a student & that we were a few months behind on paying the loans back. "What?! They know you have loans for this school year! Right?" Yeah, that was my reaction. Apparently the school didn't send in the right info to them at the beginning of the year so it looked like he had graduated with just an associates. Again, as of today I am happy to report this has also been straightened out. Let me tell you, I was not a happy camper about all this. Just ask Joey! Or maybe don't... :o)
I swear, for a little while things were coming from all directions. We felt like everything & everyone was out to get us if they could. Our "attack mode" was turning on & I was ready to come out with both guns blazing (Figuratively. We all know I'm a bit afraid of guns.) But in the midst of pieces of the sky falling, we remembered to stop & say a prayer. Not a prayer of "Take this all away!", but a prayer for direction, peace, clarity, & thankfulness. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the gospel in my life; for the priesthood in our home; for the spirit that touches my heart & calms my worries; for prayer & communciation with the Lord; for loving family & friends who support & uplift with smiles & encouragement; & for my sweet little family, who at the end of the day make me smile & know it will all be alright.
No matter how stressed I get, I can't let myself forget how blessed I truely am.

Congratulations to...

Leanna & Lance!! They welcomed their new addition to their family early Saturday morning. Too sweet!! Check out the adorable family!

Thus far in August....

I know I've been terrible about blogging lately, but things have been crazy! Sorry!! So, now let's see what interesting things I have to tell....

First, on the 9th we went to Crossville to visit Joey's family & see his dad in a riding/shooting tournament of sorts. Jim did great!! I wish my pictures had turned out, but I'll definitely get more next time. We had a lot of fun seeing everyone! Livvy especially enjoyed it there & she did so good at the show. We put earplugs in & she was perfect! As you can see from the picture, the girls were inseperable.

Janele, Livvy, & Jalene at the shoot!

Then, on the 10th we came back home & went to meet Baby David! He's adorable! We've visited a few times since & he's just getting more handsome everyday! Livvy loves to check him out. I can't wait for them to grow up together & get to the age where they can actually play together!

Baby David's so little!! Livvy used to be...

Handsome!

The last couple of weeks has been pretty uneventful. Joey's been sick again, & still is today.(I'll spare him the picture posting.) He's never really been 100% since he got sick back in February. His immune system just has a very low tolerence right now. He's missed work a few times because of it, & now that school started this week it's making it even harder. I have to admit, we've both been frustrated because we can't make him better & we're both a litte stressed about it. This is something I feel terrible about. But with the Lord's help, maybe I'll learn to be more patient & calm & not to bite other's heads off when I'm worked up, including Joey's. I need to learn that sometimes things are out of my control. We're just hoping that he's able to recooperate & get back to his normal self again very soon! I miss seeing him smiling & joking around. I hate seeing him in pain or not feeling well & knowing there's not really anything I can do to help. But the Lord's watching over him & we're thankful for all the help our family has been.

During this hectic week while Joey's been so sick, I got a major haircut. It's really short for me, & I don't think I've ever had it quite this short. But I really like it & it's super easy to keep up. My friend Allison did an amazing job!(Thanks Alli!) Also, we celebrated my 20th birthday! Well, we didn't celelbrate really. I worked while he went to school & came home sick, then I went to WalMart to get a prescription. But that's ok! Saturday, my family took us to dinner at Wasabi's. Poor thing, Joey tried to eat & pretend to be happy but he was miserable. Then I made another trip to Walmart for something he could hold down. Then today, I headed to church while he rested then came home & tried to nurse him back to health. My Mom made me a birthday cake & they all sang to me. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have a wonderful family & circle of friends! Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!

The only picture I have for now. Sorry!

As for Livvy, she went to the doctor for her 4mo check up this week. He says she's right on schedule for everything & is in the 95% for weight & height. She'll be tall just like her Daddy! Right now, she loves to try to talk, sing, & shake her booty!

Livvy chillin' & chattin'!!

Looks like that's about it for now. Nothing too eventful. Just another few weeks in our crazy lives!

Exciting News!!!

First, Tara had the baby!! David Walker Loveless was born yesterday (Wed, Aug 6, 2008) at 11:13pm. He was 7lbs 9oz & 19 & 1/2in. I haven't had chance to see him yet as we left right before they started prepping her for delivery, but Joey saw him when he took Tara something to eat. So not fair! Oh well, I am told he has a full head of hair & is the 2nd Cutest Baby in the whole world, Livvy being the first. Of course, that's not a biased opinion by any means...Joey's the one who said it. This is the only picture I have of him for now. But I promise to post more soon! So cute!He's not exactly thrilled to be out in the cold, air-conditioned world yet, but I hear he's adjusting well. Mommy is doing good also, after a long & taxing labor. I'm so proud of her!! And Daddy(B.J.) is fully enjoying fatherhood.

Second, Livvy finally slept in her crib all night!!! Yes, she has a crib in the room to sleep in now. She's too long for her bassinett.) After only sleeping for 4hrs over the previous 3 days, I got 5 glorious hours of sleep. Mom offered to take her for the night so we could sleep, but I said she was fine for another night. And it looks like it did the trick! Ok, maybe I shouldn't be celebrating too much because it could come back to bite me. But I enjoyed it since I didn't get sandwhiched in our double bed between a husband & baby that both like to sprawl out. Let's just say, I hope she continues to do this. To some, this might not sound like super exciting news. But you will learn one day it is the simple joys in life that make it so sweet. For me, this is my simple joy right now!

Finally, they see the light!

Ok, so I'm way excited. This happened a couple of days ago, but I haven't had the chance to post.

So, long story short, Joey's managers have decided that there is no reason for him to work on weekends & it would be easier for them if he had a set schedule. So starting on August 2nd, he's Mon-Fri 8-5pm too! YAY!! This means we can get things done & spend time together on Saturday & he can come to church every Sunday with us (something we both need & enjoy). Now, when he starts school in a few weeks they are going to try to work with him. Just let him come in before & after school to get as close to 40hrs as possible. Now, time will be sparse between work, school, homework, church callings, etc. But at least they are trying their best to work with him & he'll at least be able to make it to church.

Obviously, this is a big deal for us & we're going to fully enjoy it!

Making Time for Us

This weekend was so nice! I love spending time with my family!!
It was my turn to plan a date for Joey & I. So, on Friday after work, Mom watched Livvy while we went to dinner at a restaurant downtown on Gay Street, then walked a block to the historic Tennessee Theater to see the showing of Vertigo. We love old movies, so it was perfect!
On Saturday, Mom, Livvy, & I ran some errands while Joey was at work. When he came home, Mom kept Livvy again while we went to visit his best friend Bob & his wife Sally at their new house to have a cookout, then decided to go see the movie Get Smart. So funny!!
Then today, Sunday, Joey was actually off & able to come to church w/ us!! That doesn't happen too often lately, to it's a treat when he does. After church we ate dinner w/ my family, took a nap, & then all three of us (Joey, Livvy, & I) took a nice walk around the neighborhood. Livvy loved it!! Only downside, we saw a house for sale we are in love with now...not good.

So, you're probably wondering why we spent so much time out this weekend, just me & Joey, away from Livvy. Some may think we're terrible, but other's obviously don't. People keep telling us we need to! We both feel that working 8hrs 5days a week takes us away from her enough, but we understand that we need time to be just a couple too. We're still kinda in that newlywed phase to a point! So, on the same note I am pleased to announce (yes, Alice & Lindsey I listened to you!) we are definitely going on our anniversary trip at the beginning of August!! The hotel is booked & everything! And yes, we are leaving Livvy with my family that weekend. Still not sure I like that, but i have to admit it will be nice to spend time some quality time w/ Joey before school starts & our hectic schedules gets worse. Now, we have agreed to leave her with my family conditionally. The condition: my parents have to go on a weekend trip to the temple soon as well. Mom doesn't like the idea of being away for that long, but we told her to suck it up because they both need it. Plus, they will never go away for their anniversary since it's between Christmas & New Year's. I think it was only fair, don't you? Mom & Dad never spend time on themselves, so now we will make sure they do! Next on the list is Mamaw. She needs time away too. But that's another ball game.

So, that's about it for now. Not even gonna get into the whole "house we're in love with" thing. Too dangerous! haha...
So glad to see a ton of our friends & family here blogging with us. Thank you for your comments & your entertaining blogs, we really enjoy them!!

A little excitement, anyone?

So, there's not too much to talk about lately. We're kinda boring. Haha Let's see...

Joey & my dad have both had poison ivy/oak for almost a whole week. For Dad it's just on his hands & it's getting better, but Joey got it from head-to-toe (Well, head-to-ankle, but still.) It's been awful! I felt so sorry for him & I can't do anything to help except keep him in stocked up on lotions & creams. He went to the Doctor & had to stay home from work a couple days even. Thankfully, today is that last day he's on medication & the rash looks way better! (Don't worry, Honey. I'll be nice & spare you the posting of pictures). So glad he's feeling better!!

On Thursday, Joey called me from Nashville were he was with friends going to the temple to tell me he was sure the rash was poison. Later that day we noticed a rash on Livvy. We thought she got it from Joey or Dad, so that night Mom & I took her to Children's Hospital to get it looked at. I was so freaked out! But it turns out she is just highly sensitive to heat rash(like her mom), so it makes it look really bad. The worst for her is the allergies in her eye turned into a slight infection. But a little medicine has done the trick & she's all better! The sweet thing, she stayed in a good mood the whole time (as usual)! She never stops smiling...unless, of course, you try to take a picture.

As for me, work is still going really well, my Zune player finally came, as did my order from the church distribution center (FINALLY!!). I love my church calling. The kids are so awsome!! I got my hair trimmed. Nothing special, but Joey loves it! Got reading glasses, which Joey loves as well. And, I'm still debating the idea of becoming a sales rep for one of the clothing companies out west that specialize in modest fashions. Ooo!! Ooo!! And I'm excited about the possible trip Joey & I are trying to plan. I'll tell you about that later.

In short, the computer hasn't blown up yet, everyone is better & happy, we're still hanging in there, & still working on getting better at this whole blogging thing!!

Ever-changing...

I'm sucked in, it's that simple. Blogs are addictive! I've really enjoyed finding friends & keeping up with them, posting pics, etc. But, in my obsession/addiction with the whole blogging world I found that I haven't written anything since the update. I suppose it's because I don't want to bore you, although I know I undoubtedly will at some point. And as long as you're okay with that, then I am too.

Anywho, somethings have changed since the last post. First, so much for neither of us having callings. Joey & I both were called last Sunday to new callings. Joey is the Assistant Ward Clerk working mainly with membership stuff. He's excited to finally have a calling after being in the ward over a year. We're both finally able to come more often, so it's great timing! I will be a Primary teacher again, this time to the 6-8yr olds. At the time they extended the call to me, I was excited because I love Primary & being with the kids. But I was also a little apprehensive. My first thought was, "I'll have the baby with me most of the time unless Joey takes her to class or Mom takes her home. How would she handle all the kids?". Then, my next thought was, "I'll never get to go to Relief Society more than twice in a row, will I?" Haha! It's true. Since I graduated I've been in Relief S0ciety a total of maybe 7 times. This being because I was in Primary with two different callings, I was in the YSA Stake Presidency, my work schedule at the time kept me working most Sundays, then I was pregnant & sick so I couldn't stay for very long. Now, bear in mind this is not a bad thing. I'm so thankful for all the opportunities I have had to serve with wonderful people & strengthen my testimony. Sometimes, you just feel a little disconnected. Especially when you are a young working mother & all your friends are either still single & into their own things, young stay-at-home mothers, or young working mothers as well. Thankfully, my family (Mom, Mamaw, Dad, & Joey) are some of my best friends, so I still have someone. I still miss spending time with my best girlfriends like Tara, Hannah, Becca, Robyn, & Cara; but we're working on getting better at making time. I'm just thankful Joey is able to stay in touch & hang out with his friends. Everyone needs that support group. Not a day goes by that I don't thank Heavenly Father for sending sweet people to touch our lives.

Work is going well for both of us. Joey is staying busy, as usual this time in Lowes. And I'm finally getting a decent workload to keep me busy!

This past Sunday was Father's Day. Joey 1st, keep in mind! I'm absent-minded &, yet again like on Mother's Day, completely forgot to take important pictures. But I assure you, it was a relaxing day for everyone. In other words, we went to church & napped most of the day. I made all of the men ties w/ pictures of Livvy & the grandkids. They all seemed to enjoy showing them off at church.

This week my Aunt Angela, Uncle James, & little cousins (John, turning 12; Garrett, turning 8, & Carolyn, turning 5) were in town visiting from TX. My uncle is working in Saudi Arabia as a pilot, so they are preparing for the whole family to join him in the coming year. We're all glad that it will be a good opportunity for them, but wish they would stay home & close. We miss them all so much! I can't believe how big "my babies" have gotten! I can't imagine how much they'll change when I only get to see them once a year.

Last, the most recent exciting info is about mine & Joey's latest major purchase. The laptop I'm typing on (& two seasons of Will & Grace)! Yep, we decided to stimulate the economy with our money from the government. Joey needed one for school this fall & we found a great deal on a really nice one. I think it was a smart purchase & so far, Joey seems to love playing around on it!

Otherwise, everyone is doing well. Livvy is getting bigger, smarter, & cuter everyday! Just look at my pictures >> How cute is that?!?
That's our lives, for now. I promise, I'll get better at the whole blogging thing & not make these huge posts!

Playing Catch-up

Life's been crazy the last year or so! Our lives have changed completely, but definitely for the better. It's been hard to keep everyone updated, so here are some things you might have missed out on!


On August 3, 2007, after dating a little over a year, Joey Everett & I were married in the Atlanta, GA temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My name changed & we both inherited a wonderful family of in-laws! Our reception followed the next day in Knoxville, TN. The following Monday we left for a week to spend our honeymoon in Outer Banks, NC. My first time at the beach & I loved it! We moved into the Pleasant Ridge Ward(church) & have remained there since. No callings as of right now.

One month later I wasn't feeling so good, & -you guessed it!- we found out I was one month pregnant & due April 5, 2008. We found out not long after that we were expecting a girl. (Skipping over the sickness, lack of sleep, weight gain, waddling, contractions, & all that jazz.) On March 31, 2008 at 9:54pm, after 14hrs in the hospital & 10hrs of active labor, beautiful Olivia Marie Everett (aka.Livvy) was born. As you can see, she's gorgeous! She is now 9wks old & getting bigger, smarter, & cuter everyday. She truley is heaven on earth & an amazing blessing! Although that might not seem like much to some of you, it is completely life changing not to mention time-consuming. But I wouldn't change a thing.

Joey (now 26) works at Lowes Home Improvement (still), but now as their full-time assembler. In Winter of 2008 he graduated Pellissippi State with his Associates in Journalism. This fall he will be pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism at UT-K. As you can imagine, he stays quite busy but handles in beautifully. He loves spending time as a family & hanginout with his friends.

As for me (turning 20), I originally decided to take a semester off school to get used to married life. When I found out I was pregnant that became two semesters & now possibly a few more (until Joey's finished, unless I pursue online courses). When I do return I will be continuing my pursuit of an Associates Degree in Business Management. After working at CarMax for a little over a year as a Business Office Associate/Duplicate Title Clerk/Payoff Administrator, in May 2008 I left the company for a job with ABS National Auto Services as a Processor in the Leasing & Titling Dept. A Mon-Fri 8am-5pm job is much better for a family life than retail hours of as early as 7am to as late as 1am. Leaving Livvy at home to return to work was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but it will only be for a little while. Luckily, family is extremely close, so Gramma & Mamaw (my mom & mamaw) are taking care of her instead of us having to put her into daycare. Joey & I both still work with Children's Hospital's Fantasy of Trees & we'll be looking into becomeing a co-chairs in the coming years. This will be my 11th year, & Joey's 3rd.

My family: After battling heart & lung conditions in addition to Alzheimer's for many years, my Papaw passed away in January at the age of 89. Although it has been hard on all the family, we know he is in a better place. It has also taken alot off Mom(51) & Mamaw(71). They still have a ton going on, but it was a relief that he is no longer in pain. They are now caregivers to Livvy & eat up all the baby time! Dad(turning 49) is busy as usual. He is now the High Priest Group leader in our ward, which keeps him busy in addition to work & family things. As for Tucker (the Jack-Russel Terror *cough* I mean Terrier), he's rotten as usual.

Joey's family: Having built a gorgeous new home & horse arena on their new farmland in Crossville, TN, his parents(Carlene & Jim), sister(Elisa), bro-in-law(Dale), & two neices (Jalene & Janele) moved in taking them two hours away. This meant seeing them less, as well as not spending as much time around the animals. Last month, Joey's brother(Jammy) graduated from UT's Veterinary School. He accepted a job in CA, & they (Jammy, his wife Mandee, daughter Ellie & son Karson) moved last week. Needless to say, there have been alot of changes & Joey misses them all. We visit his family as much as possible & are planning on taking turns with his brother on traveling to see eachother.

Head spinning yet? I know mine does sometimes. Isn't it great?!? No, I'm not completely insane (although some may beg to differ). I'm just enjoying our new crazy, beautiful life!
(By the way, I promise that not all of my posts will be this long!)