Peja LOVED Jen. I have never seen him laugh so much!

Peja and Joe

We decided when we moved back to California that we would be better about exploring this awesome state since both of us had seen very little of it. Last month we went up into the Sierras to Twain Harte and this month we drove up the coast 3 1/2 hours to San Francisco. It was so fun, relaxing and beautiful. We love exploring together and we got to do just that. Our wonderful hosts were Steve and Jen - friends from school at BYU. I must say Ilija and I were both a little jealous - we would love to live in the city. Who knows if we ever get to, but we had two days of pretending! Thanks Steve and Jen!

I did a crappy job packing so I looked like a bit of an imbecile, but the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge is in the background. What a fun walk about the city we had!

Unfortunately I have no good pictures of our sweet host family...

I got to try out the Wii which was way fun. Maybe I'll add it to my Christmas list. Jen and I boxed and even though I lost I was sore the next day from all the arm flailing I did.

We had a great brunch at Squat & Gobble (who thought of that horrible name?). The atmosphere was beautiful and the food delicious. We highly recommend it to anyone going to San Fran.

Peja was making the funniest faces in the car the other day - this is the closest to getting it on camera that I got.

So I got my fabulous jogging stroller a couple of months ago and promptly decided that I wanted to train for a half marathon (a full one sounds like rediculous torture). I have been finding lots of nice places to go for jogs including this great beach (Cayucas). It has been simply amazing down there these days. I wanted a picture of the beauty and unfortunately this fence in front of where you park your car was in the way so the picture is tainted, but you get the picture. I recently decided that training for long distance running goes against my most important work out goal (to get back into v-ball shape) so I ixnayed that idea and now I am just going to run a cool 5K somewhere. Anyone know of any good ones that aren't on a Sunday?

Peja loves his great-grandpa Baca

I am overwhelmingly grateful to be around so much wonderful family. We have been so blessed.
Ilija came home from his parents house (where he was lounging next to the pool in the perfect 90 degree weather) last Saturday and said, "I don't know why I complain about anything. We have so many blessings - what do I have to complain about."
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I agree. Our life is wonderful.

So I thought that I would update the world (all 2 people that read my blog) about Ilija and I. I always read other people's blog and wish that the actual blogger would say something about themselves instead of just talking about the kids. There is very little of interest in our life besides our sweet son, but here goes anyway.

This is a Tuesday:

5:30 ish - Ilija wakes up to hang out
6:30 ish - Go to the gym? sometimes...
7:30 ish - start work upstairs at our house (they are moving to the office this week)
8:30 ish - Katie wakes up with a happy baby, has music hour and plays with baby.
9:30 - Grandma Ruth comes over to babysit so that I can go lift weights at the gym
10:30 Do random things while carrying baby around in the Ergo
12:30 Make and eat lunch with sweetheart
1:00 Take a nap with baby
3:00 Feed baby again and get up from nap (baby keeps sleeping :)) Do more random things...
4:00 baby wakes up?
5:00 Ilija done working, hang out (if we watch TV it is Monk, Biggest Loser, Lost, American Idol, Property Ladder or Flip that House previously recorded on our DVR. I don't stand commercials.) Il works on Real Estate classes he is doing online.
8:00 bath time and bed time for Peja
8:30 Basketball at he Church for Il
9:00 Scriptures and bed for Ilija and I

So I write this out and ask myself, how do I get so tired from all of this? Maybe it is carrying around an extra 19 pounds all day long. Maybe it is trying to find purpose in my life; or maybe it is actually the mundaneness that makes me so exhausted.

This is boring non make-up and non-pose.

I write all this about mundaneness and lack of purpose and then I sneak up on my baby talking to the angels and I remember that I couldn't be doing anything better then what I am doing just this moment. Like Elder Ballard said - the joy of Motherhood is in the moments. I am so blessed...

This is a couple shots of his "I'm-pensive-what-the-heck-is-this-silver-thing-in-my-face" face. He gives it to me often. So there is not much to say here - he is just growing and growing and every day gets cuter. He has started laughing a lot more now, but it is not predictable and it still kind of sounds like a scream. So I wonder to myself - "self, are you torturing your son or making him happy?" I guess I feel that way often - dress up time, bath time, diaper time. If only babies could talk.

I am so grateful to hear prophets and apostles of Christ testify and instruct this weekend. General conference is always so uplifting. I just learned about this great new website from the church - it is all about Jesus Christ and is fabulous. jesuschrist.lds.org. If you forgot to listen to conference - you can find the proceedings here.

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On a similar note - I have a friend in Colorado who reminded me that I need to be working on my own ministry - I need to remember that I have a personal mission on the earth and that I must be constantly looking toward the Lord for guidance in that. It is easy to get bogged down with daily boringness. But there is so much to be thankful for! I know that the biggest part of my current mission is to be a mother and to raise strong and faithful children of God that know Him and desire to serve Him. I feel very overwhelmed with that task but I know that every day I am lifted and guided and that if I ever come to the end of my rope he is there to carry me.