L-O-S-T

After I had Millz, I literally did not go grocery shopping for 5 months.
YES...5.
Between having Milk and other meals delivered through a local company, and food storage, we just kind of survived with the occasional jaunt to the grocery store down the street for fresh produce. I didn't do heavy grocery shopping FOREVER.

Well, when the time finally came that I had to go...to replenish all that we had eaten in the five months prior...I went to my local Wal-mart. I know, I know...but I really can save $50 a week at their store...just like their commercial says. At least truth in advertising says something?!

I began walking the isles and didn't recognize what I saw.
I was SO used to buying colorful blue store brand packaging...
I was SHOCKED to see this:

(Pardon the blurry-ness I was getting used to one of my new cameras)

Uhm...Seriously?

Does this not greatly resemble this:

(image found here)

I am not going to lie. I was a little creeped out.

I am a HUGE LOST fan.

But this? Wal-mart? Come. on.

Meet:
The Wal-mart Initiative.

However, their white boxes will forever make
THESE
more awesome.

Oh the hilarity, you must download your own for the
Series Finale.

Little Claire de Lune Winner!

...Mary!

Mary (MEM) said...

How beautiful- (lullabies on the harp AND helping orphans)!

And at the risk of sounding like a total brown-noser I have to agree with Natalie's comment, YOU'RE beautiful too, Kim!

Thursday, March 25, 2010 8:38:00 AM

(Apparently brown-nosing totally pays off...either that or she and random.org have an in...lucky number 7!)

Mary, e-mail me at kimsueellen [at] gmail [dot] com and I will have Emily send over your new CD!

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Let's do this more often shall we?
xoxo

We played with color.

(Shot on a Polaroid 600 SE with Fuji 100C)

My scanner blowz...or should I say Hubb's scanner blowz.

Oh well, today the sun was shining...and we all got our warm clothes on and went outside to play in the sun and with color.

DELISH.

Sometimes I get too excited on the rangefinder...I just want to click before I think to recompose just a bit...hence why her little hand is cut off.

I haven't had so much fun creating in a long time.
Just what I needed.

(pardon my literal dust...MY computer is COMPLETELY bunk which means no photoshop to clean up the scan all nice and pretty.)

Have a happy weekend all!
xoxo

I have no words.

Polaroid 600 SE

Giveaway: one Lone Harp, helping thousands...

...firstly, let me introduce you to Emily.


(the irony of this haircut, is that every young boy in my neighborhood has it...hmm.)

a.k.a 'Emily, Emily, Emily, Emily, Emily...'
(as I serenaded her all through high school Senior year (channel Cheers' "Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly" by Woody))

I freaking love this lady with ALL of my heart.

She has been such a good friend to me all my adult life. Like this day:



She introduced me to this man's work.
Love her for it.
It is because of her I am friends will ALL of these people.

Let us discuss how big of a heart she has?

It is huge.
I look up to her in SO many ways.
She is gorgeous, INSANELY smart, talented and giving.

She has recorded this AMAZING CD called:



Little Claire de Lune
Lullabies on Harp

She compiled these songs that! she! played! on! the! harp!
(she has been playing for over 20 years!)

For what?
To make millions?

Well, yes.

For herself?

NO!

To help thousands of children in Bulgarian orphanages.
*tears*

Specifically for:

One Heart Bulgaria

The images will stun you, will break your heart, and I guarantee you will not be able to turn off the computer until you have purchased this CD.

I. Dare. You.

You know of my love for adoption.
I cannot look at that site without wanting to hop on a plane and bring
all of those littles home with me.

So heavy.

Will you help?

Get your CD here.
(there is an amazing sample song at the bottom)

or email Emily:
emilia.kelly@gmail.com

Leave me a comment, Emily is giving a CD away to one lucky reader.

mrs. r just schooled me on how to do a giveaway so here:
(thank you lindsey...borrowed text from her blog. xoxo)

If you would like to enter this giveaway, here is what to do:

• Just leave a comment and include your email address so I can contact you in the event of your winning.
  

Extra entries available:

...leave an additional comment with your email address for each extra entry.

• follow my blog
  
• subscribe to simply me
  
• follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/kimsueellen)
• tweet about this contest, using @kimsueellen in your tweet! (this can be done once per day.)
• blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post (leave a link to your post in your comment)
  
• email your family and friends about this giveaway (send the email to me too)

for example, if you are already a follower of my blog you would write in your comment:
"already a follower. here's my email: blahblahbla@whatever.com."

then if you tweet about this contest you would make an additional comment:
"tweeted about it today. here's what i wrote: check out this giveaway at simplyme: {link to this post}. h
ere's my email: blahblahbla@whatever.com."

Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, March, 302010 at 11:59 PM MST.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 1, 2010.
No joke.

The Fates.

Last weekend after running my long run, and being completely unable to walk afterwards, my husband laid it out on the line, "Kimmie, maybe you shouldn't run your half." I got all sorts of huffy on him...but did what I normally do, take his advice, stew about it, then took it to prayer.

I am a very religious person.
I know there is a God, and that he loves us and is here to help us.
After praying, I got my distinct answer...that I shouldn't run this half marathon on Saturday.

But, like most children, I took my Father's advice and I didn't listen...I took it upon myself that I would in fact run because I had been training for this for WEEKS.
All of the hours pounding the pavement to what?
Give up now?!
P'tcha...that was not me. I am no quitter. Hurting feet or no, I was going to cross that finish line.

Fast forward to yesterday morning at 4 a.m.
I awaken to the. most. painful. throat. E V E R.

Within two hours said painful throat had turned into
fever, chills, cough, congestion up the ying yang.

I spent 5 hours on the couch in fitful slumber while my
six year old played dad and delightfully helped me in any way possible.

Last night was no different.
In fact, if possible, I thinkI may have passed out a few times
IN. MY. SLEEP.

So, the Fates conspired.
And they won.
Oh how sad I am to admit that they won.
No race tomorrow.

I am a believer.

I will listen.

I will go back to bed now.

"Weight a second, I can do this!"

This is a post about confessions.
It is not a post I want to be writing, but have had it going through my mind for the past few weeks, and it is one that I must write.

Remember how I have been training for the half marathon?

I haven't been blogging about it much, because, well I am a schlub.
While I have been training and running in the bitter cold, and battling illness,
and a few weeks being unable to train because of it, I have pushed through it.
The problem I am having right now though?
Tendonitis.
Like Tendonitis on steroids.

It is bad.

I described it earlier like walking on razor blades.

When I run for more than three miles I literally cannot walk for DAYS.
I feel like I am 90 years old and I can honestly not walk faster than
the older ladies at the gym on these days.
My workouts have been really rough on me, I walk a lot when I should be running.

Because of these things, and my husband noticing we discussed the
possibility of me not running the half.

When I put it out to the world, I got a handful of e-mails telling me I must do it!
That I am inspiring (thank you) and that regardless of my decision,
I would be supported either way.

Well, I have decided that I will do it.
I cry when I think about all the miles I have put in already, I just can't NOT do it.
I just won't run or train the three days this week...and hope and pray for the best on Saturday. Oh please...pray for my feet.

Part of me knows the reasons why I have had SUCH a hard time.
Here is a picture of me shortly before the last time I ran a half:



Yes, that is my bestie Casey...if you haven't met her yet you MUST at the CBC in May.

I am too prideful to show you a picture of what I look like now.

I love this picture.
That girl on the left was in a MUCH better place.
Well, sort of.
Mentally she was dealing with a lot of shee, but physically she was
30lbs
lighter than I am right now.
did I just admit that out loud?

I know that is why I am struggling.
My body hates me.
I am really struggling to shed any weight since having Millz, and that is not helping me mentally with this race...let alone physically.

If any of you are runners, then you know that the mental part of running is JUST as,
if not more important than the physical aspect.

The past two years were really hard. Things are SO good now.
I hope that sharing this small part of me will give me the courage to continue on my road to losing this extra weight I have hanging on me, so the next time I run a half...
I will be much better prepared for it.

Love you guys, thank you for continually inspiring me!
I CAN do hard things, and I will!
(totally going to buy myself that necklace when I cross the finish line.)

After the race, let's talk about what will happen when I shed 40 of those
30 extra pounds shall we?

See you at the finish line.

Are carrots better for your eyes...

...if you put them IN your eyes?

Apparently Millz thinks so.

Casual Blogger Conference...are you going to go with me?

Friends!
I just signed up to attend the CBC with mrs. r in May.

I am STOKED for this conference.
I want you to come with me!
It is going to be LEGIT.

Some RAD local bloggers will be speaking, people like CJane and Loralee...and Vanessa, and Kristina,
and, AND, A N D
My! BFF! CASEY!
as well as loads of other really rad bloggers.

Two of whom I have met IRL already...one I can't wait to meet.
We all need a party...so come and hang out with me. I need a jolt awake back into my blogging groove...don't you?
Also, who doesn't like swag and to party it up away from the kids from time to time?

<--------sign up to come with me over there! Let's meet IRL if we haven't yet. xoxo

Home Made Bump-its

Have you seen that commercial for bumpits?

Well, my kids have. And apparently they have seen it a lot.
I caught them the other day making home-made bumpits.
(I am not sure if I am more disturbed that bumpits is one word
(think bum-pits)
or just disturbed period?)

See for yourself:







I about died when my friend Jon saw these and was all, "Is that a bumpit?!"
Hilarity.
According to J-Dawg this was the "Hollywood Tall Bumpit".
After eating lunch in Provo last week, and I saw all the hair...I am wondering if Utah County is the number one buyer in the country of bumpits.
(love you Utah County!)

Still rolling.

Tell me YOUR bumpit story.

Yoga Master

Film goodness, shot on Fuji 400H

Namaste.

Hoping to Adopt- Josh & Kenna

Well, hello! We are Josh and Kenna. This year we will be finishing up our 4th year of marriage, and we are currently on the path towards our first adoption. Our path towards parenthood was not meant to be short or traditional, but we have embraced adoption as we have seen it work miracles in our own lives as well as many others. We know this is what years of infertility have lead us to and we are grateful and excited.

Josh & I are easy going individuals. We love being outside, especially the beach. Josh loves to ride the waves on his boogie board and I like to lay out in the sun with my ipod. If we aren't outside, we are inside watching a good flick or engaging in some healthy Wii competition. We love to be active and to spent time with our family and friends.

We can't wait to welcome a sweet little to our family!

If you would like more information about Josh and Kenna, please visit their blog here:

http://shumwayadoption.blogspot.com

How big is YOUR heart? Guest Blogger: J-Dawg

I wanted to tell you a story about my Uncle Jason.

He was the same age as my mom.
I wish I had a picture of me with Jason.

He was born with a special heart.
He was born with Pulmonary Atresia.
That is a fancy way of saying that he was born with no pulmonary valve.
His artery was also not attached properly.
My grandma told me about it, but it is hard to understand.
She told me that they were using part of a pig's heart to help him to live a long and happy life. The reason I don't have a photo of me and Uncle Jason, is because he died during the operation. He was only one year old.

This week my school is doing a fundraiser for the
American Heart Association
to help kids who were born with special hearts like my Uncle.

My mom knows a lot of people with special hearts.

She was telling me that the AHA Research is responsible for so many things:

Heart Bypass
Heart Attack Recovery
Open Heart Surgery
High Cholesterol Medications
CPR
Automated External Defibrillators
New Heart Valves
Pacemakers
Heart Transplant

Will you help me raise $100 for the American Heart Association?

Click here to donate through my web page

If you do, it will help people like my friends:

Weston
Duston's wife
My Uncle Jason
My daddy's Uncle Mel who lived 10 more years because of a successful heart transplant

And many more!

Thanks a bunch...and I promise to jump really good.
I am practicing all the time.

Love,

J-Dawg

My Life as Tetris

It is interesting how my thoughts run wild at two a.m.


*this photo has nothing to do with the post, but only with how my brain feels right now

I made the mistake tonight at about midnight (when I was having trouble sleeping already) to pull out my journal. The old skool kind. All I really wanted was to find a piece of paper to write my husband a note. I was feeling too lazy to go back downstairs where I knew there was paper. After sifting through my nightstand drawers, and coming across the journal...I opened it up. I didn't go through the pages I had written, but rather rummaged through the little pieces stuck into the front and back covers.

There were polaroids of me and my kids.
Photos of Hubbs and I shortly after we were married.
There were some notes from Hubbs, and a birthday card.

There was also a stack of five papers stapled together.
A collection of thoughts from my father writing about his brother Mike who
took his own life when he was 24 years old.

24.

I recall tucking it away years ago after it was given to me.
I am pretty certain my dad gave it to me.
I remember reading it for the first time the day they were given to me,
but it was painful to read.

I remember my uncle Mike vaguely.
I remember I was only four when he died.
I remember his exotic birds.
I remember his 15 speed road bike.

I remember visiting him a few times with my dad. That is a lot to remember when you are only four. I also remember his funeral. I remember the smells and sounds and pictures in my mind from the evening of the viewing.

I knew better than to read through these sheets of paper in the middle of an already sleepless night. But there I was, unable to find a blank piece of paper to write down some thoughts...so I read what was in front of me.

I didn't know my dad's mother's middle name was Lucy.
I really wish I had known that when I named Millz.
I would have given her that name.
See, these five sheets of paper are filled with some awful, heart-wrenching things.
Things that kids should not have to endure.
Suffice it to say that my grandmother herself once told me as we sat on a porch swing with little six month old J-Man in my arms:

"Kim, you are a good mom. I never was a good mom. I was good at having the baby and that was it. I was an especially bad mother to Mike."

Our relationship with my dad's mom is an interesting one.
If you can understand her saying the things she said to me on that swing, you may understand why my uncle killed himself. Regardless, I love her. I love her very much.

That got me thinking about the pattern of my life.
The game of Tetris if you will.
How the choices that my grandmother made...formed and shaped
the pieces and lives of her children.
I am a firm believer that we can make anything of ourselves, despite how we are raised, or in any condition in which we grow up.

Opposition can do two things...it can make us stronger if we let it, or it can weaken us.
I think sometimes when we are playing the game of life we get SO fed up with the game that we hit the down button and let the pieces pile up until they reach the top of the screen,
and then game. over. If we are lucky, we get to start again...but...
If we choose to, really deeply, we can do the opposite...stretch, turn, twist, and rotate those pieces to fit nicely together until we create a bigger and stronger foundation.

We are very much products of our environment.
I wonder sometimes where I would be now had my energy been put forth into other things besides getting over my parents divorce, or my dad's imprisonment.
I wish that I didn't have to feel like I have been running for the past two years trying to catch my breath from some very challenging trials.

It has, however made for a much more interesting life.
It has stretched me and strengthened me to keep pushing to the next level.

I am really sad that I outlived my uncle. I am sad that he never got to see 25, 26, 27, or 28. That he never got to work through his struggles and emotional sadness and possibly make a better life for himself and for any future family he may have had.

It wasn't happen chance I came across those five papers tonight.
They were the answer to a prayer in my heart.
The prayer to live each day to the fullest.
To try harder, run faster, and love deeper.
Be a better mother, prove it can be done, no matter the difficulty.
And to never give up.

And really...who doesn't love a good game of Tetris?

Miracles are REAL!

If you don't believe me...I have a

Testimony of that.

Happy Valentine's Day.
Heavenly Father is amazing.
xoxo

Allison is the BOMB...please vote for her!

Remember when I asked you to vote for my friend Allison the last time?



(photo taken from Allison's blog. Allison, need more photos of YOU.)

Well...you did...would you do it again?

Vote here

Third video down entitled:

inspire me mexico

I think she is totally rad. She deserves this.
and WE are all rad, and can do great things when we help each other.
Thanks mucho.

And have a kick-a V-day.

xoxo

Pray for Weston

Blatant thievery from Jon's Blog: Image by Jonathan Canlas

Our dear friends Jon and Callie
are up at PCMC in the PICU with their baby Weston.

Weston and Millz are the same age.
(I secretly have them betrothed.)

(You will recall his beautiful photography here.)

Weston was born with Tetrology of Fallot, and is now battling RSV.
RSV on freaking speed. It is bad.

You can read more about it here:

Our Life Right Now - Fuji FP-3000B

Will you please. Please. PLEASE...

Take the time to pray for this sweet, loving family.

Especially pray for Weston and a swift recovery.

It is not a question, but a begging from the bottom of my soul.

Love to Jon, Callie, and the kids.
Squishes and huggs from all of us.

Hoping to Adopt- Jared & Mary

Hello from Jared, Mary & Madison!

Jared and I have been married for almost ten years and we became parents 2 1/2 years ago
when a selfless birthmother placed her baby girl in our arms.

Our little girl is such a joy in our life. We named her "Madison" which means "Gift from God".
We are delighted to have our daughter in our life and we look forward to the day when we
can welcome another child into our family through adoption.

We are not a perfect, but we have plenty of love (and laughs) to share. We have opened
our home to three foster children over the years and we enjoy traveling, watching movies,
spending time outdoors, and hanging out with our families.

To learn more about this beautiful family click here.

film.

Call it third life crisis if you will.

I am 90% sure I am going back to film.

These confirmed it for me.

Love. them. to. bits.

Last Baby Blues

6 months.

Crawling. Yes, crawling.

It has been hard to really get myself to believe that she is our last baby.

It is funny how you come to a decision, it feels so right, and then your heart sometimes doesn't want to let you believe it. Sometimes it is easier to second guess your decisions and choices.

Especially in this case.

Because this one has been so gosh darn sweet, and such a joy to us.
I think she knew how much I needed her to stay small.
She is our most petite baby.

I love every inch of her.

I have her memorized.

Today, I took down the cradle in my bedroom.
She officially shares a room with her big sister.
The first of many long nights chattering with her and telling secrets and talking about boyfriends and school I am sure.

I took the baby swing down, it is in the car waiting to be returned to those from whence the borrowing of it came.

All of the four ounce bottles are packed away in the garage, awaiting the yearly yard sale.

The tiny little clothes except for a few put away for her and sissy are officially given away,
with another batch to go out tomorrow.

Oh how I love this tiny girl. She has brought us so much joy.

Kisses Millz. So thankful for you.

You were worth every second of the wait, every heartache.
I have said it before, and I will say it again, I would do it all over in a heartbeat.

Just stop growing so fast okay?

Freaking INSOMNIA...and that one post I promised.

Dood.

It is three in the fracking morning.

I cannot sleep.
Perhaps it was the four miles I ran in the ffffreezing cold today.

Perhaps it was the chocolate I HAD to eat before my first attempt at going to bed.
(I totally knew better.)

Perhaps it is because there are SO many things I want to do with my family, my photography, my life...
that my head
just! won't! stop!

I knew I should have taken that Tylenol P.M. at midnight. If I had I would be blissfully sleeping right now. Speaking of Tylenol...do you guys want to send me to Blogher '10?!
I am totally looking high and low for someone to sponsor my trip...huh?! Would you???
E-mail me.
(This is an entirely different post altogether. I am not kidding either.)

Okay...onto other things.

Shall we discuss the 'trial of the year', or in our hopes the 'trial of the decade' in hopes we don't E-V-E-R have to go through something so silly EVER again?

Somehow I deleted the email from Hubbs that had all of the deets.
I will try to recall them from my own memory as I laughed my head off as each event occurred (while secretly being terrified for him.)
*Please note, names have been changed to protect the innocent, er the crazy...and everything is via my own account, Hubbs has nothing to do with this post. Hold me accountable for every single word.

So Hubbs had this client who was selling HIS house.
Meaning, the client was
the. only. one. on. the. freaking. title. to. the. house.
Hubbs is an amazing man, I tell you what! He works SO hard at EVERTHING he does, it is incredible. With the economy all slumpy, he has put forth extra effort to make sure he goes the extra EXTRA mile in his work. This means in church, school, and his real estate. ESPECIALLY his real estate.
I think anyone who has worked with him can attest to such.
He amazes me.

Anyway, back to this client, we will call him Jorge*. Jorge had his house listed FOR FREAKING ever. Even before the housing market hit the slopes. Hubbs plugged along with refusal to lower the selling price, on the market, off the market, and so on and so forth. Jorge happened to work out of town A LOT and was NEVER home to make sure the house was in order and ready to be shown. The other problem? Jorge's mom. We will call her Mama* a.k.a 'the debil' yes the deBil. I like it like that.

Mama lived in Jorge's house. Mama was crazy. As in certifiably crazy. She refused to let anyone in the house. ANYONE. She was certain that people coming to see the house were going to take her things (understandable...but let's be honest there was probably nothing worth taking). She did her best to make sure the house would. not. sell. The only times the house was able to be shown was if Jorge happened to be in town.

On a number of occasions Hubbs would stop by the house, and Mama would attack him verbally with all sorts of interesting phrases. Once this home hit the 1+ year on the market and it went under contract despite Mama and her attempts to sabotage such...she became 'evil, wicked, mean and nasty' to the tenth power.

One day in particular Hubbs went to meet with Jorge to sign papers or something, and Mama had ruined his brand new lock box...she had spray painted it...trying desperately to make it unusable so that no one would have further access to HER house.

While Hubbs was there she took a brick to said box and began pummeling it...Hubbs tried to convince her to stop and then said brick was then thrown into Hubbs direction.
Luckily for Hubbs and his glasses, Mama was a poor shot.
When said brick neglected to connect with Hubbs, Crazy Mama grabbed a water bottle and ran across the lawn and slapped Hubbs in the face with said water bottle.
That is when Jorge tackled Mama to the ground.

Now, do you see where this is going?
Hubbs probably should have gone to the police.
Hubbs is SO nice he did nothing of the sort.
He just talked to Jorge, went about his job and healed from this attempted head smashing.

Me? Well I had no idea ANY of this was going on.
Hubbs never let me in on it until...

Daaaaaa daaaaaa daaaaa....

(Commence scary, theatrical music.)

The day the new owners were suppose to move in, and Crazy Mama
had barricaded herself into 'HER' house.
Long story short, and several hours later
(on J-dawgs birthday I might add...thanks for ruining an important day for us Crazy Lady.) after the police were called in to take her from the premises...she finally had the choice to go to jail, or to go home with another of her son's.
She finally chose to go with her other son.
Sadly, at this point no one wanted to take care of her.
Very sad actually.

...one month after the closing we get a knock on our door late one night.

A man.
Serving us with papers.

Crazy Mama was suing Hubbs for $10,000.
Gulp.
I felt faint, a little dizzy, and a little more than absolutely clueless as to why.

I paced back and forth, I couldn't sleep that night.
Then Hubbs begins to tell me all about these stories, in more detail.

Two months pass and trial day comes.
Luckily we were 90% sure that this lady had no case.
But still in the back of our minds we were really scared at what could possibly happen to our little family if she won.

She didn't win.
Poor thing.
Even after attempted mediation, she still went before the judge...and he still ruled in our favor.

Hubbs?
Well, after the trial, he and his broker and his broker's wife sat in the courtroom and talked for three hours to this Crazy Mama...who was basically homeless and living in her car.
They talked about ways to help her try to find a place to live.\

FOR THREE HOURS

Tears.

That was two weeks ago.

Even today Hubbs was on the phone trying to track her down.
No one can find her.
Her sons won't answer their phones, nor return messages from Hubbs or the broker.
Hubb's broker is also trying to find her to no avail.
It is so sweet, words cannot express my love for my sweet husband
and all he is doing for this woman.

My point?

I am thankful that we won and did not have to shell out 10k to Mama.

I am thankful I married such an amazing guy.



And if you need to sell your home or buy a new home,
he is your guy.

Just promise not to throw any bricks at him please.
I kind of really like his face the way it is.

Grammy.

I have been editing photos all week.

MY photos.

It has been a long time coming.

I came across this one today.
I love it.
I love everything about it.

I love this lady.
Thankful she was there to take care of my brother and I when my mom needed her.
She is amazing.
She misses her sweetheart more than anything.

I came across those photos again too.

I miss him.

Just needed to get that out.

Hope ya'll are having a good day.
I am in a bit of a funk.
Hopefully I can blog about some funny shee in a few days.

Scam-a-lam-a Ding Dong

This post dedicated to never having to lie to my children EVER again.
Thank you for the picture Leisha.

Remember this post?

Update here.

You really, REALLY, R-E-A-L-L-Y
don't want to miss out on reading it.

"Chelsia" I just want you to know that I did get your e-mail last year.
(It surprisingly made it past the blockade I built around you and into my junk e-mail folder.)
It was a miracle that we were able to read it.

I had forgiven you at that point.
I still forgive you.
I accepted your apology and was thankful for it.

There was just a part of me that didn't want to give you the satisfaction of knowing that.

Now you do.

Hope you are telling the truth and that you find happiness in your heart and in your life.

I hope you dance.

What I would have given to have a dad like him.

He really is the best.

I love him to pieces.

The scary thing is,
before I turn around twice these two will be dancing at her wedding.

Thankful for the Promise.

So thankful.

My Millz.

Just checked my mail.

As in, the old skool kind.

Had a pleasant surprise from Crystalyn today.

Thank you.

I had forgotten she was ever this small.

Love you.

Blogging Blitz

Hi there.

I have some schtuff brewing around in my little head.



I need your help tho.

This year I want to do some things differently on this here blog.
My goal is to advocate for adoption more, and to help spread the word that there are SO many parents looking for children, on the flip side, there are also so many children looking for families. I am certain many of you know my good friend mrs. r she is the bomb.
I want to be like her when I grow up, so this is my small way of doing just that.

SO twice a month I want to highlight a family that is hoping to adopt.
Do you want me to highlight you?
Awesome.
Do you want to be added over here:
<-----------------------------------------------------------?
Awesome.

If you have been placed with and or had a baby recently and you are on that list...can I remove you for a little while to highlight those who are hoping for a child right now?

Can you help me to update that list?

Awesome.

email me: kimsueellen{at}gmail{dot}com

Come back soon, for the bloggity blogging blitz is gonna start.
and there is SO much more than adoption going to be talked about.
We will start off with the trial of the YEAR involving my husband.
Hilarity you won't want to miss.

Ready? Set?

GO!

Heavy Heart

My mind and thoughts have been consumed heavily with
Natalie, Richie, and their sweet family this week.

There are lots of things I need to blog.
Lots of things to tell you about.
But all of those seem so insignificant.

It has been difficult to think of anything but them.

While I hope to never understand fully what they are feeling, I do know my own personal hell in the loss of our baby almost two years ago. Perhaps this is why Nat is on my mind continually.

Even then I can't imagine loving and holding and kissing your baby
and then to have to let him go.

I have been hugging my three babies close to me, we have been cuddling on the couch more, playing more games, and taking the time to truly cherish all of our blessings.
I hope you are doing the same.

We know and understand that life is precious.
How thankful we are for a plan that will allow us to all be reunited with those we love.

I ask for your continued love and prayers and support to this sweet family.

I am taking the weekend off from blogging and e-mail,
to truly enjoy the blessings I have.

Until Monday.

All my love.

Tiny Gavin

pic courtesy of natalie's blog

Please send your love their way.

No one should have to endure this.

No one.

Natalie's faith is amazing and inspiring.
Let it change you.

Pray like you have never prayed before...

pic courtesy of natalie's blog

I have been watching this story unfold via twitter and facebook throughout the last week.

I met Natalie two years ago at the Film is Not Dead workshop in Hawaii.

I immediately liked Natalie, she and I had a lot in common.
I recall discussing adoption with her during that workshop...she and I were in similar boats and circumstances when it came to building our families.

Happily and miraculously, 8 weeks ago she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy whom she named Gavin after her brother who had passed away.

Baby Gavin is in the hospital at this moment fighting for his life.
He has Pertussis.
Also known as whooping cough.

What Natalie doesn't know is that as I have been reading her tweets and facebook, part of me has wanted to turn away...reliving too well the moments my nine day old Memms was admitted to Primary Children's Hospital at the tiny age of nine days...she also had RSV and they were throwing around all sorts of things at me like Pertussis...and Whooping cough.
(luckily for Memms the incubation period of Pertussis was before her birth...so she only had RSV to deal with.)

This baby Gavin has much more on his tiny shoulders.

Will you PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE pray for him?

Pray like you never have before.

I cannot bear to watch my friend go through this alone, but if we all can pray, she can feel our love for her and this little boy can pull through.

Thanks you guys.

All my love Natalie.

ALL. OF. IT.

Welcoming 2010 with a Grateful Heart

My heart has been full the last week.
Full of love for a few of my very dearest friends.
Full of gratitude for the miracles that surround us each and every day.
Both the large and the small.

First, I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for blessing my dear friend Sue.
She has been such a dear and amazing friend to me since I can remember. She had an accident two weeks ago, in which through crazy bits of circumstances almost cost her her life.

I am amazed at the protection that was upon her
these past two weeks.
I was able to spend the afternoon with her yesterday. Seeing her alive, and well made me ever so grateful to our loving Heavenly Father who blessed her and protected her, and allowed me to continue to have the blessing of her friendship on this earth.

Many tears were shed as I marveled in awe of her quick healing. Her accident made me realize just how much I value her friendship, how thankful and lucky I have been to have her example in my life, and I don't want to take that for granted EVER again. I vowed to be a better friend to her and to all of my friends, because life is short...and sometimes life is cut short.

Today is the day to act...to love...to serve.

Secondly, I had the opportunity to spend a few days this week in Washington D.C. with two of my besties.

Leisha, and mrs. r.

Words cannot express the gratitude I have felt for the blessings that the closing of 2009 brought to my heart on behalf of mrs. r and her family.

I was able to witness the sealing of sweet little
Gavin
to his parents and to his big brother Tyson.

Tears streamed down my cheeks the entire night before as I felt the power of such a miraculous event, many of you have read throughout the year.

I, of all people understand the pain and anguish that comes from trial after trial...if you don't know what I am talking about, just go back and read my entire year of 2008.

Leisha, mrs. r and I joke often about how 2008 sucked for me...2009 for mrs. r,
and hoping beyond hope that 2010 is good for ALL of us...including YOU dear reader.

The power of eternal families was once again renewed in my heart as I watched this sweet family become sealed in the beautiful temple. The day was perfect...really it was.
(My photos on the other hand? Maybe not so much...thankful Leisha was there to capture it all with me.)

Life is sweet. I hope you can taste the sweetness that is there.

May 2010 and the years to come bring you much happiness and joy.
Please remember miracles have not ceased.
They will continue to flow....even in the darkest of times.
Hold onto that.

Much love.

Of Old Ladies ,Teenagers and er Thirty Somethings.

I started the training for this today.

I. am. beat.

Due to the freezing cold temperatures here in my hometown, I have had to resort to getting a membership to our local family fitness center.
I ran on an indoor track today.

One mile is 11 times around the track.

That is 33 laps.

Thirty. Three.

My mind is still numb.

There has to be a better way.
Pedometer.

Until then, it will be me, my iPod, and the numbers going through my head...
lap 1...lap 2...lap 3...etc...

While I am certainly tired, I am excited to be on this journey again.
I had forgotten how much I love running for the sheer ME time it allows.

There is something about spending an hour or more with yourself,
meditating and conversing.
(Is it possible to meditate while running?)

I was able to release a lot of pent up frustration and problem solve a few things.

When I wasn't problem solving, I kept my eye on the random
mop buckets strewn about the track.
Three to be exact.
They were red.
Were they there because the roof happens to have leaks at those particular points?
Or perhaps they were there in case someone needed to puke?
(I would be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind that I may have to puke in them...I actually have been feeling all day the need to puke since my three miles this morning.)

Random.

Other thoughts?

How come that girl who looked to be about 13 was out lapping me repeatedly?
Every time she would pass me, I just kept thinking...
"I am almost 30." "I don't got it anymore."
PROOF I am getting...eek O-L-D

Then...toward lap 25 an older lady with silver hair pushing a walker got on the track...and for the next 8 laps, it felt SO good to pass her repeatedly.

Pathetic
is having 13 year old pass BOTH me and the old lady at the same time.
I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen.

What are you all up to after all the holiday goodness?