Dave and Kara

Garvan Gardens

>> Tuesday, May 12, 2009 – Photography, Travel

So I am very behind on a few posts, but eventually I will get caught up...I promise. At the end of March (yes, I really am that behind), we took a trip down to Hot Spring, AR to visit Garvan Garden all to see their "Tulip Extravaganza". It was suppose to be peak blooming season for tulips along with several other colorful spring flowers.

We had been experiencing beautiful spring time weather surrounding our trip, but the weekend we were available to go was far but nice. Nonetheless, I was still very determined to go considering tulips are one of my favorite flowers. We bundled up with coats, scarves, hats, and gloves and went out in the 35 degree weather to walk the gardens (I know it doesn't seem that cold, I mean I did live in Utah for 5 years- but if you would had seen the weather we had the weeks before, you would understand).

I was super excited to take some good photograph's of the gardens and all the tulips...but I was pretty unsuccessful. First disappointment: I pulled my tripod out and proceeded to set it up and as I went to mount my camera, I realized I had removed my tripod shoe from the bottom of my camera and had left it at home-therefore no tripod. Second disappointment: It was terribly windy, not to mention I could hardly hold my camera still because I was shaking from the cold. Third disappointment: Most all of the tulips had withered away or looked pretty pitiful from the cold storm and weather we had received.

Even though I find the images less than great, I figured I would share a few that turned out alright.

Visitor

A few evenings ago, I walked by my front door to find a visitor attached to the glass. We have a large variety of frogs out in this part of the country, but I have yet to see the "sticky feet" (not exactly the technical name) kind! And it's not everyday you get the underside view.

Lets Talk About the Weather...

These images are all from a storm several weeks ago, but I am just barely getting around to posting them. The clouds were crazy looking, but very beautiful at the same time. It was close to sunset and Dave and I just sat outside and watched the clouds as they rapidly changed into an amazing blanket of deep blues and grays filled with texture and depth. Living in Arkansas, I find myself talking, posting, or commenting about the weather a lot. I guess since I didn't grow up around any of this it seems to be kind of exciting.

I was warned when I first moved here, by a seasoned Arkansas Resident, that I would become a bit of a weather fanatic. At the time, I am not sure I understood what she meant, but after living here over a year, it has become more clear. You have to understand and know the weather in this part of the country so you are prepared for it. Whether it be you put a little extra Frizz Ease in your hair that morning, you don't go out because your car might be swept away by flood waters, or you bunker down for the night in your closet to keep safe from a tornado, it is always necessary to be ready for whatever is headed your way that day!

Project: Birthday Present

My moms birthday was just a week before she came to take care of me following my surgery. I wanted to give her something fun for her birthday. I put a lot of thought into the things she liked to try and come up with a good idea. I finally recalled that she really likes things with Polka-dots and she also loves the color red. I searched online for something cute that was red and had polka-dots...a mixing bowl, place mats, ect. I couldn't find anything that seemed like a good fit so I asked a friend for ideas of where I could look. She mentioned that there was a pottery place in town that you can pick out a pottery item, paint it and have them fire it. Just a few days before my surgery I went to the shop, picked a plate that she could display, and painted it.

It seems like since I have been out of school, I don't have as many opportunities to do "projects" and to use creativity. It was so self satisfying to make her a cute little gift that was meant just for her. It's like what we use to do in elementary school and we were always so proud to bring home our creation to our parents. It was almost like I found the kid in me or something, not to mention it was a great stress reducer before the big surgery. It took me a few hours to paint it, but it gave me time to take my mind off of all the worries and stress that seemed to be consuming me the weeks before my operation (you should have seen my face...I had broken out like I was a 12 year old going through puberty all over again)! When I got home, I also made her some red polka dot marble magnets and put them in a cute little tin. To top it off, I wrapped the whole gift in some fun black and white polka dot wrapping paper with a pretty little ribbon.

She arrived late Saturday evening and I had made sure Dave had brought the present up to the hospital so I could give it to her as soon as she came to visit. I just wanted to share my little craft project, in hopes to maybe encourage and inspire others to go back to the ways of our childhood when we created gifts rather than just bought them. Money simply can't buy the self satisfaction of creating something personal for someone.

Another Surgery

>> Tuesday, April 28, 2009 – hospital, surgery

I officially have an excuse for my lack of posting... I promise. I just underwent my third surgery in less than three months (pretty impressive, huh). This one was definitely the most grueling... but I am happy to report that I survived. After five days in the hospital I finally returned home last Wednesday. The hospital stay was hard, but I am not sure coming home has been much easier. They both have their perks. To learn more about the surgery, please click on one of the links below.

My Road to Motherhood

A Five Day Stay in the Hospital...

What We Have Learned Living in Arkansas A Year...

That’s right folk’s, we have officially survived a year in Arkansas! I think some thought this day would never come. Over the course of the year, we have learned a great deal about how to survive. My first several months were spent absorbing all of the suggestions and tips given to us by professional Arkansas survivors. There were moments of complete culture shock, but here is what we have learned thus far…

1. Thunderstorms can and do exist in the dead of winter.
2. It is possible to be 65 degrees at 6:00 am, and to have freezing rain by 9:00 am.
3. If it snows (or is even predicted to snow) ½”, school and work are both cancelled.
4. We have the accent, not them (last I checked I sounded like everyone else on TV).
5. A hurricane will be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hits central Arkansas. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a punch when it arrives.
6. There is both beauty and destruction with an ice storm. It can snap hundreds of electrical poles in half from the weight of the ice on the power lines. It can take more than two weeks to restore power depending on the damage.
7. Deer season is considered a “national holiday” and is means for a vacation.
8. There is about as many Waffle House restaurants in Arkansas as there are LDS chapels in Utah.
9. A tornado siren is your signal to go outside and take a look.
10. The spiders here can be described in two words, abundant and gynormous.
11. During a power outage, food will stay good for up to 2 days in a full freezer and a few hours in the fridge, so long as the doors are not opened.
12. We have seen 1 live possum crossing the road, and well over 50 who didn’t make it quite as far.
13. Bad traffic in Arkansas is when you are going 55mph on the freeway rather than 65mph. They have obviously never been in rush hour on I-15 in Utah or lived in Phoenix.
14. Camo is the new black. It is legal to where it any time, any season, and anywhere.
15. It’s not the heat, so much as it is the humidity.
16. There is an art to proper tick removal. Apparently, matches and rubbing alcohol are improper methods.
17. Who needs a fence to contain your ferocious dog, it is simply not necessary.
18. It is necessary to be a lover of bug spray; it will make your life much more enjoyable.
19. Your front yard is used as your backyard. It is common practice to open up your camping chairs or pull out your lawn chairs and sit out in your front yard. And yes, that includes bringing out the BBQ grill as well.
20. England is a city in Arkansas, so don’t get too excited when someone tells you they are taking a trip there! And don’t forget Paris, London, Bismark, and Nashville are also cities in Arkansas.
21. It is not required to label, even busy intersection, streets. A map isn’t going to do you much good here.
22. There is such a thing as a gated trailer park.
23. When an inch of snow has been forecasted there is a complete panic to go to the store and buy a month’s worth of groceries. I have even seen people fight over the last shopping cart (or buggy as they call it in this part of the country).
24. If you missed the weather on TV, empty grocery shelves are a good sign a storm is coming.
25. I have had first time experiences with fried catfish, chicken gumbo, Muffaletta, and Po boy sandwiches. I must admit I have grown to love them all!
26. I am convinced that whoever the genius was who designed the freeway ramps had to have been on drugs. They make absolutely no sense and you come out of the loop not knowing which way is up or down, left or right. Not to mention that it is a guarantee you won’t know north or south, east or west by the time you enter the freeway.
27. It is apparently legal (okay, not really legal…but many seem to think otherwise) to hunt anytime and anywhere, including your back yard. So don’t panic when you hear gun shots nearby…a deer just wondered into the neighbor’s yard.

In all seriousness, we love it here! People always seem a little taken back by that response. Yes, there really are a lot of toothless people…yes, the redneck jokes are mostly true. But I am convinced that we live in one of the most beautiful states in the entire country with some of the friendliest people in the entire country. If you ever want to come by and see for yourself, our door is open!