A little bit of a lot...
I am ashamed to say it's been over 2 months since my last blog! I know you've all been waiting with bated breath to receive an update from the Kimgowskis. ;) Well, wait no more! And prepare yourself for a seriously overwhelming blog.
We are currently in the throws of busy season over here at TST and GKA Industries. So far it's our busiest busy season ever! And quarter 1 proved to be a record breaking quarter for Bart. I lagged a little from Q1 last year, but not by much. Thankfully we've implemented our inventory control system (FINALLY) so that's helping move things along. We have some full time and part time employees helping us out as well. But we are still incredibly overwhelmed, as usual. We officially understand the meaning of "growing pains!" It's good, we know, but it sure is stressful at times. Bart is looking to buy a new office space, so that will help things quite a bit!
Okay, okay, enough business stuff. Let's go back in time! Shortly after I returned from California for the birth of Alana at the end of February, my cousin Courtney came to visit! It was so much fun having her here. We managed to squeeze a lot of fun into the few days she was here. Scuba diving, skydiving, beaching......all the best stuff Florida has to offer. It's so fun having another member of the family that shares our love for extreme sports! That's some family bonding that not many can say they share. :) The only bummer about her visit was the scuba dive. Unfortunately the seas had been extremely rough in the 10 days leading up to her visit, so the charter warned us that the visibility may not be very good, which is uncommon for Florida's normally crystal clear seas. But that day, the visibility was beyond "not very good". It was nonexistant! You could hardly see your own hand in front of you. On top of that, the ocean was at its coldest point of the year at around 68 degrees. So after the first cold, blind scuba dive, we hung out on the boat for the second one and let the other idiots go back down! ;) It was still a nice time. It was a beautiful day and we certainly enjoyed the boat ride and the drinks that followed! I think the highlight of the trip was the skydiving. Bart was working with both of us on our tracking skills. I included a fun video below where you can see Courtney and me struggling to track properly and Bart trying to coach us both simultaneously! Fun times. Thanks so much for coming to visit Court - can't wait to do it again!
The month of April was one of the busiest months we've had in a while. Not just as far as business, but our social lives as well! I remember when we first moved here and I thought, how will we ever make friends out here? Are we destined to sit at home every night with no one else to hang out with? (sob sob sob) That has sure changed! Between new drop zone friends and the gaggle of thespians who have become like family to me, we have definitely broken out of our shells. BBQs, dinners, parties, bridal showers......we're all over the place! It's been so fun. I feel like we've really established a life for ourselves out here now. And I know if I were to leave Florida, I'd have many people I'd miss!
On top of everything else that has been happening, we've also been in the middle of swoop season! Thankfully the majority of the comps have been just 2 hours south of us in Zephyrhills so I haven't had to miss Bart too much! He recently competed in the US Nationals where he didn't place as well as he'd hoped, but he had a good, solid competition. Unfortunately, his results from the season thus far, as well as the overwhelming stress in his life lately from the business has just become too much. He has decided to take the rest of the season off (well, except for one comp in the Czech Republic of course!) to regroup, rethink some things, and do a little soul searching. I'm extremely proud of him for this decision. A person can only do so much! Trying to train and compete in swoop competitions while running an overloaded business while trying to maintain a home and a relationship is just too much! He began to realize all of the craziness was causing him to miss out on a lot of the simple joys in life. So, he's taking some time to chill out a bit. I am so proud of the personal growth that this decision demonstrates. He's learning to prioritize. YAY! :)
In Kimmy news, I also realized that I was getting a little too bogged down in work and not having nearly enough fun! I was lacking personal goals, personal enjoyment, and general relaxation. It was beginning to negatively affect me physically and mentally. After the last 2 years of toying around with workouts and trying to figure out how to eat properly, I finally decided to COMMIT to some long overdue goals. With the help of the book, Body Confidence, as well as some guidance from my best friends (and recent bikini contest participants) Lindsay and Amanda, I completely reformed the way that I eat and exercise. Nothing crazy, just back to the basics of feeding and working my body the way it was designed to be fed and worked! And in a very short time I met my first goal. I have gone from 152lbs and 23% body fat to 139lbs and 19% body fat! I'm sure you're all sick of me talking about it by this point, but I have just been SO excited about it. Not just because of the success I've had but because of the fact that at almost 28 years old, I've finally learned how to SUSTAIN a healthy way of life - and I'm enjoying every second of it. Going from eating disorder, to slightly heavy, to yoyo dieting, to not knowing WHAT to do, to finally getting it!!!! I've never felt better in my life and I'm just so thankful. I included my first before/after "teaser" below. (I know, I know, you don't care. But humor me!) I'm currently working on my next goal but the first 6 weeks of progress have definitely lit a fire under my recently tighter toosh! Can't wait to reveal a full body before and after when my 12 week goal is complete!
In medical news, after an MRI, a visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon, and a lot of money (thanks Mom and Dad!), I finally have a NAME to the debilitating pain I've had in my hip for the last 5 years. Femoral Acetabular Impingement. Whew! Unfortunately the only way to fix it is surgery, which I'll likely hold off on for a while. But I'm feeling much better now even though the pain is still there, just because I have an answer! I want to really thank my Mom and Dad for fronting me the cash for the medical bills as after my $8500 IRS bill, cash flow has been a bit tight! Thank goodness for busy season. And thank GOD for parents! Thank you for the gift of peace of mind. I love you guys!
Well, that about wraps it up! And stay tuned for some exciting stuff coming up. I recently started rehearsals for another show at the Athens - a musical called Urinetown. It opens on my birthday, June 28, and the Nocita/Roblee/Gomez clans will be in town as well! Bart and I also have a couple scuba trips in the near future, so June is shaping up to be a great month. Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather!
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We are currently in the throws of busy season over here at TST and GKA Industries. So far it's our busiest busy season ever! And quarter 1 proved to be a record breaking quarter for Bart. I lagged a little from Q1 last year, but not by much. Thankfully we've implemented our inventory control system (FINALLY) so that's helping move things along. We have some full time and part time employees helping us out as well. But we are still incredibly overwhelmed, as usual. We officially understand the meaning of "growing pains!" It's good, we know, but it sure is stressful at times. Bart is looking to buy a new office space, so that will help things quite a bit!
Okay, okay, enough business stuff. Let's go back in time! Shortly after I returned from California for the birth of Alana at the end of February, my cousin Courtney came to visit! It was so much fun having her here. We managed to squeeze a lot of fun into the few days she was here. Scuba diving, skydiving, beaching......all the best stuff Florida has to offer. It's so fun having another member of the family that shares our love for extreme sports! That's some family bonding that not many can say they share. :) The only bummer about her visit was the scuba dive. Unfortunately the seas had been extremely rough in the 10 days leading up to her visit, so the charter warned us that the visibility may not be very good, which is uncommon for Florida's normally crystal clear seas. But that day, the visibility was beyond "not very good". It was nonexistant! You could hardly see your own hand in front of you. On top of that, the ocean was at its coldest point of the year at around 68 degrees. So after the first cold, blind scuba dive, we hung out on the boat for the second one and let the other idiots go back down! ;) It was still a nice time. It was a beautiful day and we certainly enjoyed the boat ride and the drinks that followed! I think the highlight of the trip was the skydiving. Bart was working with both of us on our tracking skills. I included a fun video below where you can see Courtney and me struggling to track properly and Bart trying to coach us both simultaneously! Fun times. Thanks so much for coming to visit Court - can't wait to do it again!
The month of April was one of the busiest months we've had in a while. Not just as far as business, but our social lives as well! I remember when we first moved here and I thought, how will we ever make friends out here? Are we destined to sit at home every night with no one else to hang out with? (sob sob sob) That has sure changed! Between new drop zone friends and the gaggle of thespians who have become like family to me, we have definitely broken out of our shells. BBQs, dinners, parties, bridal showers......we're all over the place! It's been so fun. I feel like we've really established a life for ourselves out here now. And I know if I were to leave Florida, I'd have many people I'd miss!
On top of everything else that has been happening, we've also been in the middle of swoop season! Thankfully the majority of the comps have been just 2 hours south of us in Zephyrhills so I haven't had to miss Bart too much! He recently competed in the US Nationals where he didn't place as well as he'd hoped, but he had a good, solid competition. Unfortunately, his results from the season thus far, as well as the overwhelming stress in his life lately from the business has just become too much. He has decided to take the rest of the season off (well, except for one comp in the Czech Republic of course!) to regroup, rethink some things, and do a little soul searching. I'm extremely proud of him for this decision. A person can only do so much! Trying to train and compete in swoop competitions while running an overloaded business while trying to maintain a home and a relationship is just too much! He began to realize all of the craziness was causing him to miss out on a lot of the simple joys in life. So, he's taking some time to chill out a bit. I am so proud of the personal growth that this decision demonstrates. He's learning to prioritize. YAY! :)
In Kimmy news, I also realized that I was getting a little too bogged down in work and not having nearly enough fun! I was lacking personal goals, personal enjoyment, and general relaxation. It was beginning to negatively affect me physically and mentally. After the last 2 years of toying around with workouts and trying to figure out how to eat properly, I finally decided to COMMIT to some long overdue goals. With the help of the book, Body Confidence, as well as some guidance from my best friends (and recent bikini contest participants) Lindsay and Amanda, I completely reformed the way that I eat and exercise. Nothing crazy, just back to the basics of feeding and working my body the way it was designed to be fed and worked! And in a very short time I met my first goal. I have gone from 152lbs and 23% body fat to 139lbs and 19% body fat! I'm sure you're all sick of me talking about it by this point, but I have just been SO excited about it. Not just because of the success I've had but because of the fact that at almost 28 years old, I've finally learned how to SUSTAIN a healthy way of life - and I'm enjoying every second of it. Going from eating disorder, to slightly heavy, to yoyo dieting, to not knowing WHAT to do, to finally getting it!!!! I've never felt better in my life and I'm just so thankful. I included my first before/after "teaser" below. (I know, I know, you don't care. But humor me!) I'm currently working on my next goal but the first 6 weeks of progress have definitely lit a fire under my recently tighter toosh! Can't wait to reveal a full body before and after when my 12 week goal is complete!
In medical news, after an MRI, a visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon, and a lot of money (thanks Mom and Dad!), I finally have a NAME to the debilitating pain I've had in my hip for the last 5 years. Femoral Acetabular Impingement. Whew! Unfortunately the only way to fix it is surgery, which I'll likely hold off on for a while. But I'm feeling much better now even though the pain is still there, just because I have an answer! I want to really thank my Mom and Dad for fronting me the cash for the medical bills as after my $8500 IRS bill, cash flow has been a bit tight! Thank goodness for busy season. And thank GOD for parents! Thank you for the gift of peace of mind. I love you guys!
Well, that about wraps it up! And stay tuned for some exciting stuff coming up. I recently started rehearsals for another show at the Athens - a musical called Urinetown. It opens on my birthday, June 28, and the Nocita/Roblee/Gomez clans will be in town as well! Bart and I also have a couple scuba trips in the near future, so June is shaping up to be a great month. Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather!
Scuba Diving!
Cousins :)
Terrible dive but beautiful day!
A much needed mimosa post Scuba. :)
Drinks and appetizers at MaiTai after a day on the beach!
Bart playing with Sampson and Thurgood.
Cooking for Courtney!
We went for a late breakfast at this place up the road where you cook your own food. Courtney didn't trust herself so I made her french toast. :)
As my perfect french toast were cooking, Court decided she wanted more batter. So against my advice, she dumped more batter on them as they were cooking. Should've just left them to me Courtney! ;)
The ice cream truck on the beach seems to always be a hit with people who visit us!
Court's trip wouldn't have been complete without making sure to leave us with a blue lobster.
Enjoying a beer after some skydiving!
The house beautifully decorated for Alana's "welcome to the world" party, and Easter!
Lindsay, Kristy, and me with the late Scobes.
On my visit home for Easter, the girls and I joined Lauren for some wedding dress shopping! It was some great girl time, and we found her the perfect dress!
Can you tell how I took this picture?
Lauren looking RAVISHING! (Don't worry, this isn't "THE" dress:)
Nuggles with Grandpa.
Uncle AJ and Dane playing with the mote control boat!
I was so sad to miss Alana's dedication at church. :( But they Facetimed me in during the service! I love technology!
My friend Amanda and me prepping the house for a friends bridal shower.
I must say, we made the house look beautiful!
A month later and I'm STILL cleaning up feathers!
Bart and I visited the Deland Reptile farm a few weeks ago and got to play with snakes and gators!
Baby gator!
We got to see an awesome demonstration of how they extract the venom from snakes to make anti venom.
These little gators reminded me of the eels from Little Mermaid :)
This guy was so big he took up both sides of his tank!
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Bigger versions of Sampson and Thurgood. We're in trouble if ours get this big!
Went to see my friends Alexa, David, and Sara in the "shadow cast" version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Half daycation out on the lake!
I love that I can still see the kids via Facetime. :)
Getting some training in!
US Nationals
CRCPL in Sacramento, CA
Bart and his teammate, Rob Wallace.
Woooooooo!
Bart became an instant favorite amongst the men in our complex when he purchased this man magnet. It's called a pin router and it does man stuff.
A beautiful Florida sunset over the pond in Zephyrhills. I would've loved to be that skydiver on the top left!
Here's a diagram of what's going on in my hip! Pretty interesting stuff. I just love having a visual of what's going on although, this is rather phallic, isn't it?
Enjoying a nice day at the beach last Saturday.
In Loving Memory of Scobes
2000-2013
Fun little video skydiving with Bart and Courtney.
Unfortunately YouTube muted the sound because of a copyright issue. :-(
Unfortunately YouTube muted the sound because of a copyright issue. :-(
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