A Week In Virginia

It's been a month since we left to go on vacation to Virginia, but I figured I'd post about it for our memories sake. Better late than never, right?
Our best friends Joe and Jen moved to Virginia for law school a while back and they we're kind and gracious enough to let us come camp out at their home for a week so we could have a family vacation.

Day One, November 11, 2009

Our first day on vacation was spent in transit to get to Virginia. I took Alivia to the bathroom just before our plane boarded and when we finished they had completely boarded our plane and our family was divided up amongst the few empty seats. Thank goodness a caring women gave up her seat so I could at least sit by Alivia. Dylan ended up next to two kind old ladies who humored him and his non-stop chatter for the entire 4 hour flight. My kids thought it was super fun to use the plane lavatory and I found myself always up and about taking one of them to the bathroom, while Derik caught a few zzz's.

Day Two, November 12, 2009
Happy Third Birthday Miss Alivia!

Derik and I took the kids to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center which is a Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
As you can see from the picture below the amount of aircraft housed in this museum is amazing, it has three different levels to view the air craft from.
Dylan Loved this Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which just happens to be the fastest jet in the world.
I'm not much of a air-craft buff but something about the the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay caught my fancy, it's amazing to me that these huge chuncks of machinery can actually fly.
I think Derik's favorite part of the museum just had to be the transformers display.

We were all blown away by how GIGANTIC the Space Shuttle Enterprise actually is, these pictures just don't capture how big this thing really is. I can't believe they got the Enterprise off the ground little lone out into outer space!
After a few good hours of pounding the floor we took our kids out to the Donald D. Engen Tower, Which is an observation tower providing a 360 degree bird's eye view of Washington Dulles International Airport and the surrounding area. Again I was amazed to watch the amount of aircraft that is in the air at any given time.
Afterwords we treated Alivia to a kids meal at Wendi's for her third birthday.

Day Three, November 13, 2009

After lolly-gagging around most of the morning, Derik and I drove the kids out to Richmond to pick up his Marathon packet. It was a beautiful drive. I loved all the trees out there, although I did miss the presence of mountains. When we got back the kids all ran upstairs to Joe and Jen's room to watch UP. I have a sneaky suspicion that when all is said and done my kids will remember hanging out and having a blast with Joe and Jenny's kids more than they'll remember anything else from this trip.

Day Four, November 14, 2009

Race Day

Derik and Joe got up early and headed out to Richmond for the race. Jenny, myself and the kids hopped into the car a few hours later and arrived in time to see Derik cross the finish line. I tried really really hard to get a picture of Derik crossing the finish line but by the time my camera took the picture Derik was long gone, so all we got was a picture of his finishing time.

Derik we are all so impressed you ran 26.2 miles!

After the race we came home and ordered the most delicious pasta and pizza from a little pizza joint called Tony's.

Day Five, November 15, 2009

We went with the Walker's to church. When we got home Joe and Jenny cooked us the most delicious steak and potato dinner anyone could hope for. Afterwords Joe and his family took us to the DC Temple. I think this is the only photo we have where we are all together!

Always BEAUTIFUL, no matter where you go!

Joe then took us on a quick tour of downtown DC. When we arrived back home we had some cake and Alivia opened some birthday gifts.

Day Six, November 16, 2009
Downtown DC

The Washington Monument

World War II Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The White House
I was quite surprised to see that almost none of the White House is visible to the eye (although I guess it makes sense) This is as close as we came, the rear of the White House.
The Capitol Building
After hitting most of the big monuments, we rushed to squeeze as many of the Smithsonian Museums as possible, before they closed at 5:30.

The National Museum of American History was the first one we hit. We got to see the original Star-Spangled Banner -- the 200-year-old flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the U.S. national anthem, Julia Child's kitchen, my personal favorite the "First Ladies at the Smithsonian" exhibit, which features gowns worn by 14 first ladies, including Laura Bush and Jackie Kennedy, Dorothy's ruby slippers, Abraham Lincoln's top hat, and a watch that Lincoln had that had a secret message engraven upon it.
The National Museum of Natural History
We got to see all sorts of goodies at this museum. I looked forward to seeing the Hope Diamond
the renowned -- and supposedly cursed -- 45.52-carat beauty. Although I might agree with the cursed part because every time I finally got in a good position to see the diamond, the display would rotate and I'd miss seeing it in it's entirety. Dylan especially loved this museum!

The National Air and Space Museum
Although I was far more impressed with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, we did get to see the very first contraption to achieve powered flight, the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer.
We could have spent all day in each one of these museums and monuments! We just barely scratched the surface of DC and we hope some day to go back and dig in a little deeper.
After a VERY long day of walking and walking, Derik and I decided to try out Five Guy Burgers. We have some out in Utah, but had never tried them before. I'm sorry to say that my burger was good, but it was just a burger, I went in there expecting something else I guess.

Day Seven, November 17, 2009

Derik and I had originally planned to return to DC on our own without the kids, but things sort of fell apart and we ended up just hanging out at the Walker's place. I know Derik was disappointed, but it gave us all a chance to just relax and have some fun together.

Day Eight, November 18, 2009

We packed our bags and headed home. We thoroughly enjoyed Joe and Jen's hospitality and our kids got along so well that I really didn't want to come home! Joe and Jenny I can't thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of your home and family for a week! We love you guys!!!
We actually got on the plane early enough that we all got to sit by one another this time *Yeah*. As the plane came up over the rocky mountains I realized just how much I love Utah and it's glorious mountains and that this little place will always be home to me.
Some day Derik and I hope to return to Virginia and see all the places and things we missed, but for now we're just going to relish the memories we have.

Our New Arrival

After months of looking and waiting and anticipating, I'm just so excited to introduce the newest addition to the Giovannoni Clan.

I know it's Thanksgiving, but Christmas came early this year for me.
Derik surprised me with "her" this morning.

Isn't she pretty?

Our Marathon Man

26.2 miles

in 4 hours 43 minutes and 04 seconds

Way to go Honey!!!

Mr. Giovannoni, your strength and determination are nothing short of wondrous. It was inspiring to be there at the finish line, watching you accomplish one of your goals.

It's Been Seven Years

Last time my husband and I packed our bags and took a vacation was just after our honeymoon seven years ago. I'm more than excited to finally be packing my bags (and three others), once again, for our first real family vacation!
That's right, the Giovannoni's are catching a plane and heading off to our Nation's Capitol. Derik will be running his little legs off in the Richmond marathon, while I'll stay busy (bless my poor, sweet, under-exercised and out-of-shape self) by not dropping dead or going into labor with all the fun things we have planned.

Halloween

This week has been a non-stop candy feast!
On Wednesday after a little birthday dinner (for the Mr.), Mr. Giovannoni and I hauled the kids off to our wards trunk-or-treat.
On Thursday Dylan's school held it's annual Halloween parade. Dylan chose his costume all by himself this year and no persuading by his Dad could get him to change his mind, so here he is as Storm Shadow (otherwise known as the white ninja!).

Friday, Dylan was out of school, but luckily he had his dad's work trick-or-treat party to attend to. And last but not least On Halloween night we took the kids out to see their grandparents.

Every year I try to get a picture of Mr. Giovannoni with his kids all dressed up. Alivia insisted on being a princess, and we all know better than to argue or try to persuade her other wise. Derik sported his all natural (but strikingly handsome) self, this year.
I tried to get a picture of Alivia with her Grandma Diane, but Diane hid (shame on you).
Just for fun, I put some make-up on Alivia for Friday's festivities, but before we got her all dressed we had a mini photo shoot. I imagine in 15 years this is what my baby girl is going to look like.

Now if I can just keep myself from eating all of Dylan and Alivia's candy...

Baby Giovannoni

The good news is, we are having a healthy baby!
The bad news...
I don't have access to my scanner so the best I can do is pictures of my ultrasound pictures, which makes them look really, really cruddy...But here they are anyways. Enjoy!

This shot shows you, our baby's bulging bicep!

So Blogger keeps posting my pictures sideways no matter which way I orient them, so I'm giving up, they were pretty grainy and blown out anyways. Enjoy these little video's below and make sure you watch them both in order. The password for the videos is "Giovannoni".

Dylan tries to guess...

And the verdict is...

Baby stats so far...
I'm measuring 20 weeks 2 days.
The baby currently weighs 13 oz.
If my placenta doesn't move I will have to have a c-section...Which I hope and pray I won't have to have.
Everything checks out and so far and the baby looks healthy!
Dylan is thrilled that he's getting a brother, and Livie is in denial, because she still insists she's getting a sister.

Guess What...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

This handsome little guy is turning thirty tomorrow....

Happy 30th Birthday Love
That's 10,950 days...
And look at all the gloriously wonderful things you have to show for it!
We love you!

Laugh for the Day

Thursday October 15, 2009
Last night I was lying on the floor resting my aching bones. I had spent most of the day cooking and cleaning in anticipation of having the local missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over for dinner.
I had pulled up my shirt a little ways to examine my growing belly and was in the process of poking my uterus here and there, when Alivia asked if she could lay on my tummy and listen to the baby. I laughed and told her she could.
As she leaned over and laid her head on my belly, she looked at me for a minute and then jumped up and said, "Mom! I heard the baby's foot!"

Alivia

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." ~Elizabeth B. Browning~
I love, love, love this little girl of mine.
She's a lot like her dad at times, multi-tasking is a must! She isn't just satisfied with sitting around sucking her thumb, why she knows she can conveniently pick her nose clean at the same time.
I always, always find her walking around the house doing this...

So the other day I looked at her and noticed that over half of her finger was shoved clear up her nose. I said, "Miss Alivia you better get that finger out of your nose right now, you're going to poke out your brain!"
To which she responded with a quizzical brow, "What brain Mom?"

When I saw these little boots I just had to have them for Alivia. She apparently is as smitten with them as I am, because the other night when Derik went to tuck her in bed, he found that she still had her boots on. He asked her if he could take them off for her, to which she whole-heartedly told him no way! That's right, she likes them so much she won't let us take them off even for bed!

The other day Alivia stumbled across a Halloween costume catalog we had received with our junk mail. She quickly sat down and within minutes she had picked out her costume, which (not so surprisingly) happened to be a pink princess costume. But not only did she pick out the dress, she choose a matching purse and shoes to complete the outfit! She's so NOT my daughter!

She's also really into dancing.
Maybe I saw one to many little girls dancing around in parades like they were strippers...But I always swore that I'd never be one of those mom's that shoved their daughter into dance and beamed with pride as their daughter pranced around dressed in their skivvies.
Fast forward to today...
Alivia sure loves to dance and if I can find something mild like ballet, I just might have to eat my words and put her in a dance class. Check out this little dance she did for me as I was typing out this post. She's always begging me to put on some music so she can dance.
And for like the millionth time I apologize for the video being sideways, I thought I had the camera turned the right way. That's what I get for thinking!
P.S. Alivia had just got herself dressed to go play outside, notice the socks she put on her hands because she couldn't find gloves. What a character!

Gooseberry

My Mom and Dad were so kind to take me and my kids for a weekend camping trip up near Fish Lake Utah this past weekend. I felt like a kid at Christmas, I was that excited to get out and be in the great big wonderful outdoors. I never ever thought I'd love and miss camping as much as I do.
My kids loved every second of it too. There was not a whole lot of picturesque scenery and the skies stayed pretty dark and dreary, but here's a few pictures I did take.

Dylan and his buddy Javin
Boy these two can get pretty silly together!
Alivia

My kids favorite part of the trip had to be the four wheeler rides. They would beg their Grandma Ward every five minutes or so to take them for a ride.
I couldn't help but laugh at Alivia. Every time we suited her up, strapped on her helmet
and took her for a ride, she would fall fast asleep. Apparently there was something hypnotic about wearing a fifty pound helmet and having her little body bounced around.
I was so glad we got the chance to hang out and have fun together as a family. I'm so grateful to my parents who invited us along! Thanks a million for the memories!

Bet You Can't Guess....

So I'll go ahead and give you three clues, but I'm guessing you'll only need one...

Clue #1
March (which just happens to be the third month of the year)
March 18th 2010 to be more exact (which happens to be the third week of the month)

Clue# 2
We've got two and now there's going to be three!

Clue #3
Just switch my name out for Marge's and Derik's out for Homer's...



I do find it kind of fun to think that this will be Derik and I's third child and that I'm due in the third week of the third month.
Both of my sisters are also expecting, so this makes baby number three in this batch.
And I'm pleased to announce that although three seems to be a theme with this pregnancy, there is only one baby, thank heavens!

As Seen On TV

The Potty Pad....
Dylan emerged from my bedroom this evening and said to me, "Mom when we get a dog can we buy a potty pad for it"?
I had to chuckle because just a few hours earlier I had caught myself fully engrossed in the "Potty Pad" infomercial that keeps airing on channel 11, as well.
Dylan's brain is like a sponge that will only absorb commercials, he just cracks me up!
At least I knew what he was talking about right?

First Grade

August 27, 2009
Here's a couple of shots of Dylan's first day(s) of first grade. He actually went yesterday for ten minutes to meet his teacher, so today is his first actual full day back in school.
I'm amazed as I look at these pictures at how much he's grown and how almost all the traces of my baby boy are gone. Before I know it this kids going to be all grown up!
Dylan you are so handsome and wonderful, I hope first grade is a wonderful experience for you!