My <3 is in ZONA!

Oh, Arizona... how I miss thee! It is so opposite here in Georgia, and I never realized how incredibly much I loved Arizona. I miss a sunny day everyday, dry ground, no bugs, no tornado's, a street layout that makes sense, amazing friends, an awesome family, stuff to do, and people to hang out with. I just wanted to let all of my friends back in Arizona, I really really miss you all. Every single one of you. I took good friends for granted, and now I realize just how much I needed you. So... any of you guys want to move to Georgia???

Just so everyone knows, other than my complete boredom, things are going great for us. Our drive here was long and scary, being that we were chased by a tornado... literally. I have a pic but can't post it because I am at the library. It was so insane. I was freaking out. It started when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a funnel cloud forming. So we decided we better turn on the radio to decide what to do. Do we stop and run for cover? Do we keep moving? Well, we found out it was landing about 45 minutes behind us so we just kept on driving and praying. Thankfully we made it safely, but the tornado followed us all the way here to GA, and touched down not too far from our new home. I was not prepared for this kind of adventure at all!!!

I really miss home, but I love our new little townhouse and our loving ward. Everyone is so wonderful and Eric great aunt and uncle who live here have been so welcoming to us. The Lord has literally been pouring down blessing after blessing, miracle after miracle lately which helps testify to me that despite my love for Arizona, this is where we are supposed to be.We don't have the Internet at home yet so I can't publish any pics of Hallie, but she is getting more amazing and beautiful everyday. She truly is my little ray of sunshine through stormy days.

5 weeks too long!

We are off to GA tomorrow!!! It's finally time! I'm scared and excited all in one! AHHH! I'll explain all the story later, but I wanted to post these pics from my mom's computer before we left. We took some last minute family pictures Monday with my family. I hope everyone had a great Easter!

The whole reason we took our trip to Utah...

My grandpa really, really, really wanted to get this 5 generation picture before Hallies great, great grandma Lila passes. She's 97 and we keep thinkin shes gonna go, but somehow she keeps on kicking! How many people get to meet their great, great grandma?!?! I think it's pretty cool! We were able to get some other pretty cute pic's too.

Hallie always hold her hands like they are in these two pic's, so dainty and sweet. I love it!

Mommy, grandma, baby.

Four generations of girls!

Miss you daddy!!!

Eric has been gone for two weeks now and Hallie and I are missing him like crazy!!! Thank you so much to my wonderful family and friends for keeping me busy, helping me pack, and just being there for me when my hubby is MIA. This weekend, Hallie and I went to Utah with my mom. It was great to get away! Our trip was pretty uneventful, except that we took the sacred 5 generation picture that my grandpa has been obsessed with since Hallie's conception, and Hallie got her first ear infection. She is the most amazing baby. She NEVER cries, seriously, never. I have never seen a more laid back happy little thing. Well, one night she was hysterical and I could not calm her down. We rushed her to urgent care where after a two hour wait we finally saw our doctor who was, well, not typical. She looked about 19 and had on jeans, a flannel shirt, tons of friendship bracelets, and long scraggly hair. Hallie kept grabbing it :) My mom called her a granola cruncher. It was funny to hear her say that. But she knew what she was doing and Hallie feels better, which is the important part. Anyways, we are home now, but not really home because Eric's not here. We really miss you, E! I can't wait until life is our life again... together. LOVE YOU!!!

On our way to Sky Harbor!Hallie and her Mama!

Hallie and Grandma on the plane! She looks so ready to be done! I practically had to nurse her the whole flight home to sooth her aching ears.

I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go!

So... a lot can happen in 24 hours. I still can't believe this and neither will you. We decided we were going to wait until June to move to Georgia. Wednesday Eric watched Hallie while I went to the temple. While I was gone he read the new Ensign cover to cover, and while reading he got the strongest impression that Heavenly Father needs him in Georgia now and not to wait. He tried to ignore it because it just didn't make sense. That night he was laid off from his job. When he got home and told me the news, of course I was devastated. We have been going through job challenges forever, our biggest one this last weekend when Eric was offered a job that paid 4 times what he makes now with a position waiting for him in Atlanta when we move. Sounds great right? He had to decline because after a three interview process and a full day of working his little booty off they told him Sunday's were required. He told me about his impression earlier and then said he thinks that he was laid off as a push from Heavenly Father to go to Georgia now. So we prayed about it, and know what to do. Eric is going to move now, I'm gonna move in with my mom, and when he gets a place to live and a job, Hallie and I will join him.

The question was... HOW ON EARTH ARE WE GONNA DO THIS?!?!?!?! We need the money and the means to make all this happen. Eric related us to Indiana Jones in one of the movies where he is in a dark cave or something and he has a map that tells him there is a path for him to step on, but all he can see is a fall to his death. He can't see the path and has to trust that the path is there so he steps, and it turns out the path is there, it's just invisible. Heavenly Father gave us the map, we can't see the path, but have to step and trust that it's there. So, Thursday morning we posted our truck and Wii on Craigslist. No more than 5 minutes later our phone was ringing off the hook!!! So much so that it died! We sold the truck 45 minutes later, cash in our hand! The Wii sold within the next 2 hours. Eric contacted his great aunt who lives in the Atlanta area and she offered to let Eric live with them until he gets things in order. He found a place to stay in Dallas so he won't have to pay for a hotel on the drive over. Everything is literally falling into place so perfectly. He is leaving on Monday for our new big adventure. And this all happened within 24 hours! Sounds hectic, I know, but I feel more at peace right now than I have in a long time. Everything just feels so right. We are really excited to find out why we are supposed to move, but not excited to be away from eachother. Hopefully it won't be for long. The way things are going, I'm not worried. Our invisible path has been found, and we need to just keep on stepping.

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I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord

Over Mountain or plain or sea.

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord

I'll be what you want me to be.

Thoughts from a first time mom...

Two months old already! How time just zooms past when you don't want it to. It's crazy how such a tiny little baby has had so much influence on me. And I am not just talking about influencing me to change a lot of diapers, wipe up a lot of spit up, etc. Being Hallie's mom just puts everything in a different perspective. I am sure that all of you who are mom's can totally relate, but there is just so many different lessons that Hallie teaches me everyday. The eyes of a baby are so pure. I love how she just looks at me like I am the coolest person in the world. Like she knows I can do anything, and I feel like I can because she believes in me. She doesn't even notice how many mistakes I make or how I can do so much better. She just loves and trusts no matter what. How the world would change if we could trust our Heavenly Father the way a baby trusts their parents with no worry, just complete faith. She makes me stop and see the beauty in the small things in life. My testimony has grown so much as I take the time to see things from her perspective. It really is the small things in life that testify that Heavenly Father created everything in this world. I just look at her and see the greatest of all miracles. I am so thankful to be a mother. My heart is complete now. I didn't even know part of it was missing until Hallie came and made it whole. I love this song by Nichole Nordeman, a christian artist, about how her baby makes her want to be brave. Here are part of the lyrics that describe what I feel towards my little Hallie:

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Welcome to the middle ground

You're safe and sound and

Until now it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything

But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

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So long status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

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I am small

And I speak when I'm spoken to

But I am willing to risk it all

I say Your name

Just Your name and I'm ready to jump

Even ready to fall...
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I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame

Every storm will start with just a drop of rain

But if you believe in me

That changes everything

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Hallie's new favorite game... pat-a-cake

Shes sick in all these pics and still all smiles :)

So cute you'll pull your hair out!

The day after we brought Hallie home from the hospital our friend Troy Lunt came over and took some adorable pictures of Hallie. He did an incredible job and here are some of my favorites. Now if she isn't the cutest thing in the world then I don't know what is?!?!

Here is Troy's website:

www.luntphotos.com

Use him!!! He is amazing!