Camille Evelynn

My name has been permanently changed.  I'm not talking about how I finally got my name legally changed from Stark to Zemp... (Although I did... after two and a half years of marriage... Haha!)  My first name has now gone from Krista to Momma because of this sweet angel right here:

 Isn't she the cutest???

Camille finally made her appearance after 24 hours of being in the hospital.  I would love to tell you that we had a funny story to go along with her birth, but really it was just LONG.  Not only was she a week late, but she still took her sweet time after I was induced, too! We went in on June 25 at 4am and didn't get to meet our little girl until 3:52am on June 26.  She was SOOOOO worth the wait though! 6 lbs 7 oz, 20 inches long, and absolutely perfect. :)

Just to remind you how cute she is:

She is SUCH a good baby, too!  She sleeps well for a newborn, doesn't cry loud, and loves cuddling!  On top of that, she is very cooperative with her Momma who loves dressing her up!

Jeff and I LOVE being parents!  It's definitely an adjustment from our life before, but what a richness this little bundle brings!  It is pure bliss sitting on the couch with my wonderful husband and darling little girl.  Am I saying that motherhood has been a seamless transition?  DEFINITELY NOT!!!! Haha!

Things I have learned over the past 7 weeks:

~Your visions of motherhood (being productive or sleeping while the baby sleeps) are quickly recognized as delusions.  When the baby sleeps, you get to go to the bathroom, shower, and eat. Sometimes you have to prioritize which of these is most important because this time is precious and rare (especially when you're obsessed with your baby and just want to take some time to stare at her cuteness while she sleeps). Haha!

~Dressing up dolls is not NEARLY as fun as dressing up a baby!  I was under the impression that having a baby girl was going to be a lot like dress-up as a young girl, but I was wrong!  Now your "doll" makes expressions and moves around, and those clothes become SO MUCH CUTER!!!

~The expression "sleeping with one eye open" was probably modeled after babies.  Camille doesn't want any funny business when she's drifting off to sleep (such as stopping the food supply or putting her in her bassinet), so she sometimes keeps one of her eyes open until the last possible moment.  Jeff and I refer to it as her "Pirate Eye."

~The washing machine will never be empty again!  You have so many baby clothes and burp cloths and blankets with spit-up and leaks that a load is always ready to get done!  But has a load of laundry ever looked so adorable? Probably not! :)  

~Your tolerance for messes on YOU is increased ten - nay, one hundredfold!  "Oh, did you just spit up down my shirt?  No big deal!"  "What's that warmth I feel?  Oh, your diaper wasn't thick enough for you, eh?  No worries."  Did I mention that you do a LOT of laundry? Haha!

Also, sneezes need warning labels...

~You can't outsmart your baby's digestion!  In fact, freshly clean diapers are MAGNETS for another dirty one to follow shortly.

~Punctuality is something you have to re-learn with a baby in the mix.  You think that an hour is enough time to get the baby and yourself ready? Nope - that's enough for the baby to eat, burp, get diaper changed, and get changed into a new outfit.  Then you are running around like a crazy person trying to find a shirt and pair of pants that match and are clean and you still are late... I hope to master this some day... In the meantime, at least SHE looks good!

~You don't know a true workout until you are trying to soothe or burp a newborn ten or more times a day.  You have a built-in medicine ball while you bounce and lunge and sway, making it a little easier to get a figure back!  I mean... look at this butterball!

~You have a whole new level of love for your husband as you watch him care for and love your baby.  So tender and sweet!

~Interacting with your baby is the best!  Watching her mind work as you talk to her and seeing her develop is so fulfilling!

~You haven't experienced the sincerest forms of emotions until they are attached to your baby.  The pure joy you get from making her smile; the anguish of hearing her cry out in pain; the humor of her reactions.  It's truly amazing! :)

I have to admit:  I was really apprehensive about leaving the workplace to be a stay-at-home mom.  I am SO glad that I was able to do it though!  Heavenly Father has blessed us tremendously with us being able to become debt-free before her arrival and being able to live off of just Jeff's income. Plus, have you seen her? :)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

First Comes Love...

Then Comes Marriage...

Then Comes... A baby bump!

Announcing Camille Zemp - due June 17th!  We are so excited about the soon-to-be addition to our little family!

Being pregnant has been... an adjustment, to say the least.  So, in the fashion of Jeff Foxworthy's redneck jokes, here is my list of "You Know You're Pregnant If..." (and yes, this is based off of my experiences thus far. Enjoy laughing at my expense - I know Jeff and I have!!!)

-You cry during funny movies (not from laughing too hard)
-Your use of the "It's 5:00 somewhere" excuse is to justify eating KFC chicken at 9 am...
-You could all of a sudden be a valued member of the Police K-9 unit with your sniffer!
-The way you burp changes to ensure it's ONLY a burp
-You stop saying "Excuse me" when you burp because that would quickly turn into your new catch phrase.
-Your fast food budget goes from $25.00 a month to $200.00 a month because you never know what you want UNTIL you want it and then you need instant gratification.
-You go from "You wanna eat the rest of this?" to "You gonna eat the rest of that?"
-You're in the waiting room in the doctor's office and the commercial that captures the attention of the entire room is a diaper commercial... yep - not one person could resist.
-Eating has become your favorite hobby
-You're proud of yourself for making it a WHOLE 20 seconds while brushing your teeth.  What a champ!
-One day your pants fit, and the VERY NEXT DAY you can't even zip them!
-You try to use your car key to get into your apartment...and it takes you three attempts before you realize what the problem is.
-You say you don't want pizza until you pass the pizza place, and then you start yelling because OF COURSE YOU WANTED PIZZA!
-You get dirty looks from Primary kids who see you sneaking Cheerio's on fast Sunday
-You have a hard time cuddling with your husband because you're hardly ever comfortable and his "smell" is too strong
-You break down when your husband tells you that you look beautiful... "I don't feel pretty!"
-You have a small ache and you start full-out bawling, even though as you're crying you know that the pain doesn't even come close to cry-worthy.

On the bright side, I'm getting a preview of what life will be like as an old lady!
-Feeling like you've lost control of your bladder
-Bedtime is now 7:30 pm
-Chronic back pain
-Being forgetful
-Monthly doctor visits
-Free license to say things a normal person wouldn't be able to
-Wearing sweat pants in public with no guilt
-People giving up their seats for you

Joking aside, we are so thrilled about our baby girl! We love feeling her kick and we're laughing our way through the pregnancy!

The Remainder of our 2013

Something that is difficult is living on a budget - especially when that means that when your computer breaks down in July you have to wait until Christmas to get a new one!  During that time, a few more things happened that are worth noting... :)  Yes, this is another long post, considering the circumstances...

SKYDIVING with Mom and Kari
Yep - we actually did it!  For me, the idea of it was a little....TERRIFYING. Haha but when Mom said it was on her bucket list, I knew that I wanted to help her make it happen.  So even though I'm normally a person who doesn't like jumping into POOLS for fear of hitting the bottom and breaking something, this surprisingly became a Must-Do item.  Kari decided to get in on the action, too, and I think that if she hadn't come, I wouldn't have been able to jump.  Let me explain...

We thought that we were all going to be able to jump together from the same plane, but instead, we could only have two jumpers per flight.  So we had a dilemma, and I was the one out of the three who was NOT selfless. Haha I NEEDED to have someone come with me or else it wasn't going to happen, while both of them were really EXCITED that they were about to jump out of a plane with a complete stranger in charge of whether they lived or died. So, in the end, Mom didn't want to have one of her daughters alone, and she volunteered to go by herself (even though this whole trip was for her) and Kari and I went first.  The taxi ride on the plane was frightening (yes, before we even left the ground I was freaking out).  It's like when you stand in line for a roller coaster, really excited for the experience.  Then you get on the actual ride and start hearing the clicking as you rise that first hill.  I ALWAYS want to scream, "I CHANGED MY MIND!!!" and that's the way that I felt in the plane... on the ground. Haha  But Kari was really calm and excited and volunteered to go first when it came time to jump.  One second, she was there, and in the blink of an eye, she was GONE.  I seriously SCREAMED because my little sister vanished LITERALLY into thin air.  I now know where the saying comes from!  So the rest of the jump from there was EASY - "Get me out of this plane so I can make sure my little sister is alive!"  And then everything was REALLY FUN!!!

ELDER STARK CAME HOME FROM HIS MISSION!!!
I had a lot of fun writing about all of the fun experiences that Sora Stark had on her mission, but can't do the same for my brother's mission.  His mission in Taiwan was difficult - almost from day one of getting there.  He got hit by a car, dealt with insomnia for about 18 months out of his mission, had arthritis in his knees (something that's very problematic when you're on a bike-riding/walking mission)... it seemed like his struggles were endless. But through all of the difficulties, he made a difference in Taiwan.  He was able to learn Mandarin to the point where he was one of the best with the language - not an easy task.  THEN he taught HIMSELF Taiwanese on the mission so he could relate to the older people in Taiwan who didn't speak Mandarin.  He was able to build relationships with his converts, including a couple that he later got to see sealed in the temple for time and all eternity right before welcoming their new baby.  Instead of throwing in the towel (which no one would've faulted him for with all of his medical problems), he made sure that he served his full mission that he was called to serve.  I have so much respect for the faith that he put in the Lord and his resilience to all of the challenges that were thrown at him.  My family and I worried about him every day, and were RELIEVED when August 6 finally came!  See how happy we are? :)



FAMILY CRUISE TO JAMAICA (minus Jeff)
Yes, I went on my first cruise without my husband... and felt bad for a few minutes. Haha he decided that his time was best served looking for a job instead of going on vacation, so I decided to enjoy it for the two of us!

Key West, FL - Our first stop was in Key West, where we decided to rent scooters and explore the island together.  This was a fun idea, until Ashley forgot her license, and I was the only remaining adult old enough to operate (a term I use loosely) the last scooter.  I've been on a motorcycle with one of my college friends, and it was almost the death of me!  I HATE the idea of leaning TOWARDS the ground in order to make a turn.  YOU WANT ME TO GET CLOSER TO THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEEDS???  You're speaking to a goalie who refused to DIVE for the ball; a softball player who refused to slide to second or third base because it's VOLUNTARILY FALLING - I'm clumsy enough on my own... the ground and I have had our fair share of meetings - I'm in NO HURRY to become reacquainted - ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY.  So.. this was interesting.  I enjoyed it when I didn't have to turn, but when I did, I had three or four times when I almost ran into ONCOMING TRAFFIC. Haha Meanwhile, everyone else was having a blast (except my dad who refused to abandon me and rode behind me the whole day to make sure I didn't die).



Grand Cayman Island - Our second stop was fun!  We decided to go on a guided excursion where we "swam" with manta rays.  In actuality, we stood in the middle of the ocean where it was shallow, and a bunch of manta rays swam around us.  At first, as I'm sure is no surprise to you by now, I was scared.  Ashley was right there with me though!  It felt like we were SURROUNDED!  After a while though, you got used to it, and they actually feel like VELVET which is so bizarre to me!  It was something that we enjoyed.  But yes, Ashley and I definitely felt like these poor ladies:

Jamaica - We were able to get a guided tour of the island from a Jamaican man.  He drove us around and told us interesting facts about the island as we listened to Bob Marley in his van.  We went on a sort of gondola ride down a river, where crabs kept crawling onto Ashley. Haha  We also tasted some of the native fruit and went to a waterfall.  I've NEVER seen such beautiful water as there!

JEFF GOT A JOB!
The whole time we've been married, Jeff and I have DREAMED of what it was going to be like to finally have DUAL INCOME.  It still makes us feel like we're living large right now as we get to set more and more money aside towards becoming debt free, and the end is FINALLY in sight!

I seriously can't express my gratitude for how well the past year treated us.  We were able to have so many experiences and accomplish so many goals. We feel blessed with our life together and are excited to see what 2014 brings!

Jeff's graduation

Okay... I know it's been a while, but Jeff and I are a couple of newlyweds who are trying to get out of debt.  So when our computer totally DIED on us, I had to figure out a way to get creative and update our blog.  

May was a great month! One that I have been looking forward to for the last three years... and Jeff for even longer!  Jeff completed his Undergrad in Finance and GRADUATED!!!!!!!!!! *Victory Dance!!!*

So this post is just serving as a huge thank you to the wonderful man in my life.  Jeff, I'm so grateful for all of the hard work that you have put into your schooling.  In addition to doing well throughout your college education, you worked one or two jobs on top of that to help get us through these last two years.  You even missed the first week of your final semester to take me to France.  Then you worked on the competition ON TOP OF working at your job, and were the top Undergrad team IN THE WORLD, and managed to still make the Dean's List for that last crazy semester.

I am constantly amazed with your work ethic and brilliant mind and how you work untiringly to make me happy.  I'm so excited to see what the future brings for you as we go through our life together.  I'm so proud of your accomplishments and am MORE THAN HAPPY to reap the rewards with you :)

I will continue loving you FOREVER AND ALWAYS!

London Calling!

Yes, we got the opportunity to go abroad AGAIN!!! I am seriously LOVING 2013!  Let me explain why we were in London this month:

Last year, Jeff asked me if I wanted to spend a little extra time with him and go to a Financial department meeting.  Here we heard about a CFA competition, and how the finals were in London! Back then, it was just a pipe dream - we were already going to France, but wouldn't it be cool if we could do BOTH?

So Jeff applied for the program and got accepted.  They started working on their analysis of their stock (Kona Grill) and preparing for the first round in Arizona.  I was nervous, of course, especially when Jeff mentioned that he was told that his resume would be getting handed out all over Vegas if they won the first round.  So I was just praying that he would make it past that round. Which he did. (and that wasn't the only round that I underestimated how far this team would go... obviously)

So then he went to Canada last month, and I was just hoping that he would make it past the first round (I didn't want him to travel all that way and not make it to at least the second round).  And then I find out that not only did he make it past the first round, but also the second, and was competing in the final four for the Toronto portion.  "What a great accomplishment to make it to that portion of the competition.  He really exceeded my expectations," was what I was thinking.  But he of course decided to win THAT round, too! 

So, even though it was the farthest thing from my projection of reality, Jeff actually made it to the FINAL FOUR in the WORLD - Location: LONDON.  I still have a hard time processing how amazing he is sometimes.  He's proof that the saying, "Why not me?" is totally true.  Jeff saw a random competition and decided to work hard at it, and in the end - 2nd place in the world is not too shabby! :)  I'm so proud to be married to such an overachiever!

A few more noteworthy items about this team (besides coming in 2ND WORLDWIDE) are that they had a few articles written about them locally, in addition to Yahoo! News (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/university-nevada-las-vegas-wins-120000939.html), as well as receiving a Certificate of Commendation from Nevada Senator Harry Reid! I mean, this team of men were pretty extraordinary, if I do say so myself!

Okay, I'm done bragging about what amazing taste I have in men... on to the actual trip! :)

I don't think that my body adjusts well to long flights because, just like in France, I was sick for the first couple days we were out there, so I didn't get the opportunity to go sightseeing on my own like I thought I was going to.  But Jeff and the gang did take a study break and we all went on Thursday to go see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.  We were told that we should get there about thirty minutes early because it can get "pretty crowded."  Honestly, you would've thought that there was going to be a sighting of the Queen herself!  We were not expecting "pretty crowded" to mean "mobs of tourists piling on top of each other and scrambling on top of statues across the street in order to catch a glimpse of the ceremony."  It was crazy!

So, I feel a little ridiculous, but when I finally saw the parade of guards marching into the courtyard, all I could think about was that they bore a strong resemblance to the guards serving the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz!  And of course, I couldn't verify that I wasn't being crazy because my wonderful husband has never seen the movie!  What do you think (about the resemblance, not the fact that I need to have a movie night with the hubby)?

COME ON!!!

The actual changing of the guards was difficult to understand - there was a parade, and then a sort of concert performed by some of the guards, and then they marched out.  I'm sure that I missed a lot of other things because I couldn't see sometimes on account of the crowd.  It was still really cool to be there though :)

We then went to Westminster Abbey and walked around there as well as the Parliament building and Big Ben. I remember thinking how detailed Notre Dame was with those archways, and these buildings were extremely detailed too - ALL OVER the facade.  It was so beautiful - no wonder coronations and weddings take place there.  And honestly, if I was a member of Parliament, I think that I would feel SO AWESOME getting to work in that building!

Parliament/Big Ben:

Intense, right?

Westminster: 

I also wanted to take a picture with a phone booth - however, this is as far as I got because it smelled like someone used it to relieve himself... :(

We later took a tour of Westminster, and just like I came home from France with an interest in reading more about Napoleon, Westminster Abbey gave me the urge to find out more about the monarchies.  Westminster is where royal weddings and coronations happen (2013 celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation) as well as the burial place of many of the past kings, queens, and figureheads.  As we took the tour, we were overwhelmed with all of the drama between them!  This king was crowned at age ten and only reigned for twelve years because his uncle (the next in line for the throne) poisoned him.  One queen imprisoned her cousin for 19 years because she was a threat.  Just crazy!  And then there was the story of Oliver Cromwell.  He overthrew Charles I in the English Civil War.  He was also buried in Westminster Abbey - that is, until the monarchy was reestablished in 1659.  His body was exhumed and then subjected to a public hanging and then beheaded.  His head was then put on a 20-ft spike above Westminster Hall until 1685 (yes - that's 26 years) when a storm broke the pole and then private collectors and museums passed the head along until 1960 when it was finally reburied... Wow. I think that I'll let the monarchies stay as they are...  Despite the drama, we loved all of the history that this building had to offer.  What an amazing site! (We weren't permitted to take pictures, so I've attached a few images that I found on the internet)

 

Jeff thought that it was a little weird that so many tombs were in the church... "People go to church here?" "Yep, they get married here, too..."

We then went over to the Tower of London.  However, our legs were pretty sore, and the Tower of London was so massive - we decided not to take a tour this go around (next time!).  A few things that we know about the Tower - this is where the crown jewels are kept, it was the place where Anne Boleyn was beheaded (another story of major DRAMA), and it was the site of London's first zoo!

After walking around the castle, we went to the London Bridge - right next to it...  It was really windy and cold that day, so we walked to the half-way point and then back (adding up to walking across the London Bridge).  

And, Jeff was kind enough to start singing, "London Bridge is falling -" "STOP THAT!!! Wait until we are OFF the bridge!!!!" haha

  

I told Jeff to take another picture because he looked like a unicorn here, and he said that he liked it because it was funny - agreed. haha

So we didn't get to see nearly as much as we would've liked to, obviously.  But this was more of a business trip than a vacation, and were really happy that we were able to get a little taste of London!

Things we DID learn while we were there:
Taxi cars
England wins for cool factor, I think. :)

           

vs.

         

Crosswalks:

 

They know that they're a little different, and so they make sure you remember - it came in handy more than once... haha - so I have to give England props for preparing their pedestrians - I think that we might need these for over here, because sometimes people just forget to look altogether!  England wins for fewer pedestrian/car accidents!

Meals - AMERICA WINS

EVERY. SINGLE. MEAL. is really really heavy. Don't ever go into a restaurant thinking that you'll "have a light lunch" - it's impossible in England! To quote this little guy from Nacho Libre, "Why can't we ever just have like an esalad, or something?" GOOD QUESTION!!!

Desserts (minus my Grandma Stark's pies) - ENGLAND WINS!!!! (And America wins for pies)

I could write a whole post about how amazing their desserts are!  Just like it was impossible for England to have light meals, I feel like it's impossible to find a light dessert in America - which is really annoying!

Take cheesecake, for example: I could be starving and get a slice of cheesecake here in the states and only be able to eat a few bites before having to stop eating because it's too much - In England, their cheesecake is like eating air it's so light - you are full from your heavy meal, and yet you can still eat your dessert!  They finally made the phrase "Have your cake, and eat it, too" make sense!!!! 

Their chocolate muffins were also delicious.  As much as I love Costco chocolate muffins - England's are better!  I know that I'd get so fat if I lived in London because I would be eating all sorts of desserts every day without any guilt, because you don't feel like you're eating any calories - it's just delicious and wonderful!

Bacon (weird topic, I know, but it needs to be included) - AMERICA WINS!

They don't have our delicious strips of crunchy goodness - they have slices of ham and call it bacon... what? I was so confused when I ordered a bacon burger and there's just a patty with a slice of ham on top!  A definite disappointment!

 

how appetizing... 

VS!!!

And, I was going to include just one picture from Google of the real stuff, but I was a little overwhelmed with the search... I thought I'd share some of the weird things I found because it kind of justifies me mentioning how disappointing English bacon is.. and it's just ridiculous:

We are willing to wear it...?

We accessorize with it, I guess.

We use it for healing, apparently.

People get it permanently put on their bodies?

Would you do that for this????

We seriously loved England though!  It was amazing, and I can't wait to go back! :)