2011 Review

Last year we celebrated the holidays in Mexico. It was Jan Braxton's 1st Christmas and it was our first time since living in Tampa in 2007 that we were stable enough to get a Christmas tree. Joy was so happy to put out all our decorations. In January and February we continued traveling to local desert towns in southern Arizona and Mexico (Really enjoyed Bisbee, AZ). We also enjoyed the beaches that we were close; maybe you remember last’s years card-Thanks for all the great feedback). You might remember last year’s New Year card. But, mostly we stayed close and enjoyed every second of actually having a place to call home. Our year of moves started in March, when we returned to Tampa for 7 weeks. John completed his reserve duty and we were able to reconnect with friends in the area and visit with Joy's family. While there we celebrated Jan Braxton's 1st Birthday! When we returned to Mexico in mid-April we had to drive north to Arizona (@ 4 hrs) every other week-end for Joy to see her OB/GYN. Jan Braxton did great on the long drives and waiting to cross the US/Mexico border. We also visited with our wonderful friends in Mexico as much as possible. We loved our home there and had met so many amazing people. The Mexican people are so warm, friendly and open. We couldn't have asked for a better post! It was difficult to start packing…again but, it was time. Before departing we made one last trip to San Carlos (a beach 1 hour south of Hermosillo) and a weekend in one of our favorite places in the world, the Hacienda de los Santos in Alamos. The morning of our departure our beautiful friends Ethel and Don invited us for breakfast. Ethel made a delicious traditional Mexican breakfast - Yum Yum! As we pulled out of our driveway for the last time, Lupita (who helped us around the house and was Jan Braxton first love - he took his first steps to her), waved good-bye. Joy was 34 weeks pregnant.

It took us a week to travel cross-country stopping in Tubac and Tucson, AZ. We spent a lot of time in Tucson, AZ since it was only a 4 hour drive from Hermosillo. We caught many flights from Tucson and it served as a great weekend get-a-way. We loved the city nestled in the desert mountains. It had laid back feel similar to Tampa. We continued our cross-country trip to Cloudcroft, NM and Joy celebrated her 33rd birthday in Canyon, TX (S of Amarillo). We visited with John's Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Don in Ponca City, Oklahoma and it was so wonderful to be in Oklahoma and see green fields and trees again. We continued on to quaint Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas. We finally arrived in northeast Alabama where some of Joy's family lives. John left Joy and Jan there, while he attended 3 weeks of State Department training in Washington, DC. Joy was very tired in her final weeks of pregnancy. Joy’s Dad, Lisa, younger sisters (Chloe and Addy) and sister Kimberly and her wonderful husband Keith really came through for us. They played with, changed diapers for, fed, and bathed Jan Braxton. We couldn't have done it without them!!! The baby held on until John returned to Alabama. In fact, the baby wanted to stay in secure and safe womb as long as possible. Joy was 5 centimeters when she had to be induced. She was induced at 10pm and our little baby arrived by 8am the next morning. That was when we found out that our baby was a BOY! Joy had an easy delivery, especially considering Ian weighed 10 pounds!!! Ian was welcomed into a delivery room filled with love as John, Grammy, Auntie Vonnie and Aunt Kimberly were all present. Ian was introduced to big brother a few days later when we came home to our temporary home in Huntsville, AL. Jan Braxton instantly reacted positively to his little brother. For many months Ian was the only person Jan would kiss---NO ONE else got any love. It was very sweet. Five days after Joy came home from the hospital she had complications (retained placenta). Although there were a few scary moments - everything has resolved and all are well! It was hard to leave Alabama but, it was time. "On the road again" we visited friends in Nashville, Indianapolis. We also stopped for brief visits in Cincinnati, OH, Versailles, KY, Lexington, VA, and Williamsburg, VA. We vacationed with John's brother and family for a week in the Outer Banks, NC. The beach vacation was cut a little short as we had to evacuate due to Hurricane Irene. So we continued our trip North to Burlington, Vermont. Unfortunately Irene followed us and our friend Laura, who is in the Vermont National Guard, was activated to help deal with the crisis. But, we were able to spend lots of time with Chris, Cal and Lilly. We flew back to Washington, DC and checked into our hotel apartment. It was SO WONDERFUL to finally have a home and be in one place for the next 9 months!!!!

We have been catching up with John's family who live only 2 1/2 hours north in Havertown, PA and have also been blessed with many visitors. We live next to Arlington Cemetery and the Iwa Jima Memorial and the National Mall is walking distance (less than 1.5 miles). John is studying hard to learn Slovak while Joy is enjoying every second being a Mommy. Jan Braxton is starting to say a few words; his first was "ball" and he just started saying "NO". And, although he doesn't say the names, he knows many different animal sounds. He loves playing with his trucks. Ian is growing quickly and is very strong for 5 months. He weighs over 20 pounds and is trying his hardest to start crawling. He is a happy baby and we simply love his smiles and giggles. We feel like the luckiest parents alive and are so grateful to be the parents of these two amazing boys. 2012 should be another busy year. We will be in Tampa mid-May until we depart for Bratislava, Slovakia mid-July. We will be posted in Slovakia for 2 years and John will work as an Economics Officer at the US Embassy. We have heard wonderful things about Bratislava, which is less than 1 hour drive to Vienna, 3 hrs to Prague, and 2 hrs to Budapest! We are very excited for the next adventure and hope you’ll please visit.

Love,
John, Joy, Jan Braxton and Ian Joaquin

Who does this when 8 months pregnant?

We've wrapped up our time in Mexico and during our last few weeks we asked ourselves numerous times, "Who does this?". it was a wild ride and we've made it safe back to the East Coast where we are anxiously waiting for our new arrival. Below is a recap of our last few weeks as Joy explained it to one of our dear friends.

As we approach the end of our time in Mexico we can't help but enjoy our last few days. The last two days have had our house filled with a packing crew from the moving company and so as not to spend our last few days in an empty house we plan to spend a nice and relaxing week-end at a beach an hour south of us called San Carlos http://www.sancarlosmexicoguide.com/ and also a beautiful old colonial town called Alamos. In Alamos we can't say enough about our favorite spot discovered here in Mexico; the incredible Hacienda de los Santos (http://www.haciendadelossantos.com/).

It's been tough to pack up our Mexican home as it's always hard to say good-bye. Now we try to look forward, although our thoughts only go as far as the summer. We have a busy summer ahead. We leave Mexico June 2nd and will be on the road for a little over a week. John is going to drop Jan and I in Alabama to pass the time with Joy's Dad, step-mom, and 2 younger sisters live who all have their summer free. Joy's sister Kimberly and niece are also in the area = which will give Jan Braxton lots of family time while we prepare for the arrival of number 2. Jan Braxton is a very sociable and loves hanging out with people. And of course the family just adores him so it will be nice for him to develop some lasting bonds with everyone.

After dropping Jan and I off, John will continue on to DC. He will be there for almost 3 weeks for a training course just before the baby arrives (Currently expected July 14th).
We don't know if it is a boy or girl. We are waiting until the big day to find out...why not?!!!

John will be on paternity leave during all of July and August which is much different from the three days off, which he spent visiting doctors for a broken finger, he had when Jan Braxton arrived It will be nice to have those first few weeks together. So, we really have an old fashioned summer. Both off work and enjoying it with friends and family. Just like when we where kids. What a treat!!! And, I always spent the summers in Alabama growing up. So we're excited to share and re-live some of our famiy's age-old traditions; such as making home-made ice cream, picking wild blackberries (always a favorite), watching the stars (and seeing shotting ones), seeing fireflies (which we didn't have in Florida and don't have in Mexico- it will be Jan's first to see them) and going to the local parks and pool (and we will have a country 4th of July). Maybe we will even play a few rounds of dominos (a family favorite). Also worth noting that Jan Braxton LOVES dogs and my Dad has 7 of them!

We will be on the road again, mid-August. Visiting Joy's high school girl friend, Jessica who lives in Nashville and our very close friends in Indianapolis (Katie, who was our maid of honor and Roark, who married us AND their 11-month old baby girl Isabela a.k.a. "Izzy"). Along the way we are going to hit up Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington KY, Lexington VA, and Williamsburg VA. Then, we will be enjoying a week-long beach vacation in the Outer Banks - Duck, NC with John's brother Billy and Tina and four kiddos - Erin, Maura, Liam, and Sean. Then another week will be spent in Burlington, VT visiting our friend Laura, husband Chris and two children Lilly and Cal. They are the ones we became very close with in Texas last year. I watched Lilly and Cal for Laura while she was in training with John. She was also there for the birth of Jan. WOW- RIGHT!!!!! Always an adventure! We will get back to DC right before Labor Day. John starts Slovak language training the day after. And, we will be in DC until sometime in April or May 2012. We are looking forward to an apartment that is in Rosslyn- Arlington, Virginia. If we are lucky, maybe our apartment will look-out over the National Mall (which some really do!). Arlington National Cemetery to our south with Iwo Jima Monument (less than .5 mile), Georgetown to our north (same distance less than a mile) and the National Mall to the East. It is an amazing location with two kids. I can walk with them to so many different green spaces/national parks and cool attractions/activities.

Did we mention that we will be moving to Slovakia in less than a year? Oh, who can think that far ahead. Right now let's focus on getting through the summer.

A Series of Firsts

Hi everybody!

It’s been a while since our last Post and we want to start you off with some shots from one of the more breathtaking sunsets we’ve taken in here in Mexico.

These were taken mid February 2011 in Kino Bay, Sonora, Mexico.

We’ve logged a few more miles and have had a series of first for our growing boy!

First Bloody Nose…


Thankfully he cleaned up nicely in time for his

First Birthday…


First Cake Face…which was followed by the First Acne Breakout.


Wish this was first but Mom and Dad do this all the time!!!


First Amusement Park Visit…


First Spring Training Phillies Game…

First Taste of Grammie Lou’s Home Cookin’…

We were able to see a load of family and friends back in Tampa...

All of whom we'll miss tremendously. It was a fun few weeks but sadly we said our goodbyes once again and returned to Mexico. We’ve been back in Mexico for a few weeks and are enjoying the calm before the storm as we prepare for our imminent departure. In our last few weeks we’ve really tried to enjoy our last taste of Mexico and some might accuse us of going native. Even Native American in our Huichol Indian Gear…

Now we’re preparing for another move in the upcoming weeks and a wild summer with visits to Alabama, Kentucky, The Outer Banks, and Vermont among other places. Sometime in the middle we’ll welcome our newest addition and will keep you updates as best possible as we go.

Hasta la proxima…

Time with the grandparents (and more...)

As if all the recent travels weren’t enough we’ve kept it going for the last few weeks of 2010!

It was a great few weeks as Jan got to spend some quality time with all of his grandparents. First Mom and Dad O', along with Aunt Cathy and Uncle Terry visited us in Mexico. I’d say they all deserve some kudos for braving all the negative press to spend a great week with us in Mexico. It was a great few days with time spent at the beach and tasting all of the wonderful dishes Mexico has to offer. Highlights of the trip include numerous drives in the wrong direction of a one way street, shots of tequila for all, and beef; delicious Sonoran Beef! Here are some of the better shots.


When that crew left Joy and Jan Braxton also hopped a plane bound for Nashville, TN where they met Joy's Mom (Grammie Lou) and spent a number of days with her Lou, Aunt Kimberly, Uncle Keith, cousins Crystal and Tyson, and even a surprise visit from Joy's sister Dawn and her family. While short it's always great to catch up with family.


The day prior to Thanksgiving John flew into Atlanta and Joy, Jan Braxton, and Joy's Dad picked him up at the airport. We all spent the next few days with Mimi, Aunts Yvonne, Chloe, Addy and Uncle Paul as well as Shelby and Garren. We all stuffed ourselves with Turkey, Ham and all the rest of the traditional Thanksgiving Day delights. It was great to be with family. Highlights of this trip included two trips to the emergency room and more time than anyone ever want getting a computer fixed.

Shortly after returning from Alabama we turned around for a short weekend in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico...What a brilliant city! It's relaxed, charming, and overloaded with talented artisans. We really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking to discover authentic Mexico. We toured a botanical gardens, saw a number of weddings, and haggled with merchants like we were locals (Yeah right...I'm sure we paid 3 times what a local would have paid!) But a great time was had by all for sure.

Lastly Joy's niece Crystal and husband Tyson took the international plunge and visited for a handful of days just before Christmas. It was a real pleasure to share all of Mexico's joys and charms of Mexico with them.

Hope you enjoyed the update and all the pics.

Keep an eye out for our next note soon!
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano!!!

J3

3 months of travel

Greetings All!

We've decided to adjust our blogging a bit. Hopefully this change, more pictures and less text, will allow us to keep more up to date. We shall see...

Over the past 3 months we've traversed many miles.

Joy and Jan Braxton took a three week trip to the Northeast to visit Buffalo, Vermont,, Allentown, Philadelphia, and Duck, NC along the way.

It was a great trip and allowed a bunch of family and friends to meet Jan Braxton for the first time.

Shortly after their return to Mexico we visited Puebla, Mexico for a long weekend.



Puebla is the town where the a much smaller Mexican Force repelled a French advance on Mexico City which inspired one of our favorite Mexican Holidays (Cinco de Mayo).

In Mid-September we found ourselves on the road again for another long weekend in Guadalajara, Mexico to celebrate 200 years of Mexican Independence. Joy was very proud of Jan Braxton who enjoyed his first fireworks show without getting scared.

he highlight of the trip was a chance meeting with some friends and a day trip to the town of Tequila...Can you guess what we did there?

At the start of October we went back to Guadalajara for 3 weeks of temporary work. While visiting this second time we took an amazing side trip to Puerto Vallarta and met some amazing people with whom we forged long lasting bonds.

And for the last days of October and first few of November we traveled to Mexico City. What an amazing city. We're talking 23 million people if you count all the surrounding areas. Really huge and equally impressing! While there we visited the Teotihuacan Mayan pyramids,the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patron Saint of Mexico), the national museum of anthropology, the house (now museum) where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived, and the Palace of Fine Arts.

It was Halloween season which is celebrated a bit differently in Mexico where it is called "Dia de los Muertos" or Day of the Dead.

The highlight of the trip to Mexico City was the Folkloric Ballet which is a collection of 14 different performances; all of different indigenous dances. Hope this video clip woeks...

It was truly spectacular and is a must see if in Mexico City or in your neighborhood as it does traveling performance from time to time. Thanks to all our friends who have helped make the last few months so memorable!

More visits and trips planned through the remainder of 2010 so stay tuned for more updates…