change of plans for the Zirkles

This will be short as my time before the peanut wakes up is soon to end! A quick update on our family, since Nikki STINKS at Christmas cards.

Since my last post, our compass is leading us a new direction. We are now moving to Atlanta, GA. Zach will still be working for Industry Pro, his father's investment banking firm, but we will be joining a gaggle of Wilkin relatives in what rumor has it to be an amazing city. Kate is excited for the world's largest aquarium. I am excited for a new adventure and being at least within road trip distance to a beach! Zach is excited for a new career. All these new changes fall happily during the timely arrival of 2013.

A few months ago I was quite sentimental about leaving our Provo nest- but then dreams of a bigger apartment...liberty to redecorate...a pool...dare I say even a washer and dryer in unit???...helped the prospect sound more appealing. I'm of course blocking out the things that would bring them back. Leaving people you love is not fun! So we will procrastinate thinking about that until about the end of June.
*Side note here- anyone looking for a gorgeous, remodeled, optionally fully furnished two bedroom 5 minutes from BYU Campus beginning July 1...let me know. I know a great place!!

Updates then on the clan.
Zach- believes he is shrinking. His broken thumb from flag football season is still gimp. He hasn't been able to lift for months and what with his hippie vegan wife feeding him a bunch of rabbit food- he feels a tad small. He is not. He is still large in stature. He is also a smarty pants. He's quite close to his high academic goals despite the distraction and trickery of his wife and daughter, who so adore him that they had a very hard time letting him study or go to class. His iron will and discipline prevailed 99% of the time. The new challenge? Learning the ropes of a completely new job. He quit his job as a Spanish training coordinator at the MTC right before Christmas to strengthen an internship program between BYU and Industry Pro. Will he survive our sneaking in to show off Kate's favorite trick of tickling his toes? Boring but my guess is yes. Yes he will.

Moi- Since I need to find a way to promote Zach doing homework and working, I've decided to give myself a class on nutrition and also read like crazy. Anyone have book recommendations? In my spare time I do a little puttering with my friends marketing business- she lets me doodle and get paid! Go Sarah Perkins. Her stuff is amazing- https://www.facebook.com/#!/sarahperkinsphoto?fref=ts. Nu Skin lets me keep my foot in the door too, I sure love them. And the MTC still hasn't been able to completely rid themselves of my Tahitian teacher status. I teach retirees the craziest polynesian language so they can go serve missions in the Garden of Eden. aka Tahiti. Yes it really looks like that.

Other than that? I am very happy to also be a maman and love seeing Kate grow. I'm having fun experimenting with what my brother calls "hippie" food. My highlights of 2013? All the weddings and trips! Trip to the Bahamas for the Lobos wedding, beautiful Utah wedding for my mother in law Elisabeth and her hubby Brian, trips to South Carolina and Colorado. Last but not least getting to have a sister in Provo again has been a huge highlight. Dani(aka Ally) is a freshmen at BYU and we try to bug her weekly.

Kate- She could have her own blog honestly. She learned to walk about 6 months ago and is now running around- all the time. There is rarely a walking speed. Every destination requires a jog at the least. She sports an impressive mouth full of teeth that were paid for dearly by sleepless nights and a lot of biting my shoulder. She is in love with a bunny Zach's mom gave her and carries it everywhere. She just learned to say "Bunny" this week. Before that it was named "uh-oh." Despite her growing vocabulary, "NO NO NO NO!" is still her favorite phrase, finger wag  and smolder included. She is hilarious and loves to tease her father at any opportunity. Mostly she tickles him or wacks him on the leg and runs away. She can do the touchdown sign and claps- which comes in handy every once in a great while for her favorite team, the BYU Cougars. *zing* Her favorite movie is Tangled (where she learned said smolder.) She can make quite a few animal noises. G'pa Wilkin recently taught her the snake one over christmas. How endearing to hear my 15 month old hissing in Parceltongue. Even more endearing than little Potter is that she folds her arms to pray! Melts my heart! And we painted her little toes bright pink this morning- her first pedi.

That is all for now. Maybe deep thoughts next time? Happy New Year!