Next Project

Please excuse the yellow light and glare. It's way too late to be taking pictures and yet here I am.

 I have this problem. I tend to get so focused on doing what I HAVE to do, that I forget to allow myself to do the things I LIKE to do. I know it sounds weird. I mean, who forgets to have fun? But I really do. I become humorless and grouchy. Much to my family's dismay, and my detriment. For example, I used to be a really good pianist and singer. I was a serious musician. And yet, I actually forget how much I love to play and sing, how much joy and stress relief they bring me. My skills have seriously slipped because I sometimes go for a couple of weeks without taking time to do these things.

 Life can be really hard. It can also be (and is!) so amazingly wonderful! I have been so blessed in so many ways. Just look at the family I have been given. Score! In any case, my point is that life is to be enjoyed not just endured. We are told over and over in the scriptures that we are to be happy.  It's not enough to just slog it out until Christ comes or we die. We have to find joy and pleasure and lots of other good stuff along the way. And there's plenty of good stuff out there to find!

 So back to my problem. I'm trying really hard to remember and to give myself permission to act on the things that make me happy. Like the maple syruping. (Is that a word?) And baking. I forgot how good that feels. And how much more satisfying and delicious than something from Walmart. Or working on furniture. Or decorating my house. Or gardening.

 Which leads me to my next project. We are starting seeds for our garden. I'm really pumped to plant them and see them sprout and watch them grow and transplant them to the garden and... You get the idea.

We will probably work on it some tomorrow, after we go visit Grandpa. Can't wait! Spring is certainly taking it's time getting here this year. This a great way to make it feel closer. Plus, I love to garden so much. I can daydream about my garden the whole time we are planting and smell that fantastic smell of moist earth. Yes!

So, remember. Go do something that makes you happy today. It's fun!

Love, Kim

Gray Day

Oh my goodness it is a gray day. And a gray week. At least the temperature is rising, right?

And the birds are singing. I love to hear the birds so much! Luna keeps crying to go out because

she hears the birds. This is the view out the back door. I know. I seriously need to clean my

yard. It was raining so hard I didn't want to go out to take pictures.

I've felt dry as a bone about posting. I have thought of it often. I need to add an

anniversary, a birthday, and a family day out, complete with pictures. Though my

brain has been whirling, when it came time to write I have felt very still inside.

Check this out: This is a jug of maple tree sap. And there's more where that came from!

We only have the two big maples, and the one was damaged by lightening, so we just

tapped the other. I'm so excited to cook it down and eat it on pancakes. Yum!

Look! Grass. And mucho mud. Wear your puddle jumpers if you're coming to

my house.

It is my plan to show up here with much more frequency in the future.

Bear with me as I juggle life.

I think I forgot to look at the good stuff for a little while.

Here's a poem that I really love, and that seems timely. It is by Eleanora Duse.

If the sight of the blue skies fill you with joy,

If a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you,

If the simple things in nature have a message you understand,

Rejoice, for your soul is alive.

Love, Kim

15 Weeks and Counting!

Emma

Hi everybody!  This is Evan and Emma.  We are making another baby post.  This ultrasound is kind of hard to see anything.  We weren't actually supposed to get an ultrasound this week.  The only reason we got one is because they couldn't find the baby with the sound thing that is supposed to pick up the heartbeat.

Evan

I think the kid's camera-shy. Which is kind of ironic considering who the parents are. I mean, I'm going into film, and, as far as I know, Emma's enjoyed having her picture taken. Or maybe it's the fact that he (or she, we still don't know what the sex will be) likes to be seen. 

Emma

You can't tell what Evan's preference is. Haha.  I keep reminding him if he keeps referring to Gummy Bear as a boy, and the baby ends up being a girl, I don't think she would appreciate it very much.  I personally don't have a preference.

Evan

That's what you say.

Emma

I really don't.  We're both excited to find out though.  If the baby cooperates (our last appointment, Gummy Bear was facing towards my back, so we couldn't see the front parts), we'll find out the gender on April 12th.

Evan

And obviously, we'll be posting the news. We also think it might be a good idea just to show how we've been doing about once a week and show Emma's progress. Like so:

Yep. There's a bump there.

Emma

Not the best picture ever taken of me. That's ok, I'm excited that I'm actually starting to show.

Evan

It also helps that you're actually starting to like food again. Seriously, it seemed like the sickness just wouldn't go away!

Emma

Well, it's still not completely gone.  Take this morning as an example, but most of the time I feel really good, and like Evan said, I actually like food now.

Evan

In other news, I got an offer to start working on a script that has the potential to air on The CW. I finished the pilot (or first episode) and sent it to the creator/producer of the radio show it's based on. I got an e-mail the other day saying that he liked it and we'll be communicating to work out some of the kinks in order to produce at least 22 episodes.

Emma

Yay!  So, we have plenty of exciting news. :)

Evan

Now we just have to finish the semester.

Emma

Hopefully, all of our classes will go well.  That's about all we have to share.  We're looking forward to the next update from Minnesota!  Love, Evan and Emma.

Random. So Random

 What a strange day it has been. I got up early (earlier than I really wanted to) to go to a gymnastics

meet to see one of my piano students compete. She is so cute! And really good. It did run longer

than I expected it to. I was actually supposed to go to a world wide training for my Primary calling,

but it worked out okay. I ended up talking to a woman I had so much in common with. Seriously.

It was really fun to visit with someone who is in such the same place in their life. 

Only she had seven kids. Wow!

The picture above is a reflection of the waste that the rest of the day was. Well, waste is the

wrong word. We had a really restful day just hanging out and enjoying some down time. Nice.

Plus, Ross made home made fries. Yum!

                                                                      These are my silly big children who still dress up and play good guys -vs-bad guys

when they are bored. It was such a beautiful day outside, and yet inside we sat. 

These are only partial costumes. The majority of the epic battle took place with

out me, in the basement,due to an unexpected business call. Mia participated

in this battle in full costume also.

 This is a recent furniture redo. I wish so much I had a before picture of this cupboard.

It started out as a place for oil cans and much else in my grandpa's garage. I'm guessing he built it.

It was a very vintage red, smelly, dirty and aged.

First I sanded it lightly, then primed the whole thing.  It had just a plain, flat front.

I used a stencil and silicone caulk to create the raised carved look.

 I then painted two coats of an aqua-colored paint I mixed from stuff around the house.

 See the red peeking through? Love that crackly finish. I then distressed it with a

little sandpaper, and antiqued it. I finished offwith a good coat of wax. I'm pretty happy with it.

The only thing I would do different is that I would make it a little lighter. For some reason 

the wax really intensified the color.

 This is the icicle from our roof to the deck.It is actually smaller than it was.

It is completely enveloping a chair.

It got up to 36 degrees today. We haven't seen that for a while.

We (the whole fam) took the dog for a walk just at twilight.

It was so gorgeous! I wish so much I had had the camera with me. I thought

it was too dark to bring it. Argh.

The sunset was incredible. The winter here is too cold and too long,

but so incredibly beautiful. I feel bad for people who never get to see it.

Plus, I can never get enough pictures of my family.

I feel like our family time is fleeing away faster and faster.

I love my family so much. There's just nothing in this world that can

make me laugh as hard or feel as good as my family.

Life is so good sometimes. Yeah!

Kim

p.s. I warned you it was random. Be patient with me.

Weekend Update

Luna helps display michael's bounty

Ann

We had a super busy Saturday. Mandy, Mia, and I went to Michael's to check

out wedding decorations and announcement stuff. Thus the first picture: scrapbook

paper, cute little flower brads. and yes! a cupcake stamp. Good thing I didn't have much money

to spend, because I nearly lost my mind in there. Too much neat stuff. It was a
little like entering The Lotus Lounge and Casino- you are unaware of the passing of time.
I'm really excited to get going on the announcements.

Bekah and Angie

 After that adventure, the Roushar family came to Buffalo to join us for a little

outdoor recreation.We headed down to buffalo lake to enjoy the beautiful

weather with a little ice skating. It felt a bit like a February thaw. Yay!

 We then went back to our house for cocoa and treats. 

Ann and Joe had mucho cocoa left after Jelly's wedding.

Mia has curlers under that giant hat

 Here is the lovely Mia sporting the curler look.

 She was getting ready to MC and perform in the Tri-M variety show at school.

  I know I'm their mom, but dang they're cute!

Mandy put Mia's hair up fabulous! 

Wish I had a photo of the finished product, but we were fighting dead camera batteries.

Also, please excuse the terrible quality of the video, just enjoy the cute.
Here's Mia's Giselle with The Happy Working Song.

And a good time was had by all.

Okay, video won't load. I'll try again tomorrow.

Spring Fever Has Struck ( an open letter to Mother Nature)

 Dear Mother Nature,

I don't mean to complain, but I have reached my limit with winter.

There has been way too much naughty behavior this year.

He's like a stubborn child throwing a tantrum because he doesn't want to leave.

No disrespect intended, but who's the boss here?

It's time for him to go. Just sayin'.

 I need a warm breeze, not a frigid -6 before the windchill is factored in.

 I need some green.

Please, I need some colors besides black, white, and ice blue. 

Winter was delightful when he came, but he has worn out his welcome.

Have you ever heard the story of the guest who came and wouldn't leave?

 Bring on the flowers and the hum of the bumble bees.

Bring me the fragrance of sun-warmed earth.

 Let me smell the spice of marigolds and tomatoes on my hands.

 Please can I feel the heat of the sun on my face?

Pretty please can I have a bonfire with my family without a snowsuit?

Please Mother Nature, Winter needs a swat on the pants. It's time to go bye bye.

Please?

Thanks in advance, 

Kim

That's one rancid gummy bear

Evan

Well, it looks like all the kids are getting in on this deal. Might as well, seeing as this is a family blog. 

In any case, this is Evan and Emma here with some really exciting news! There's going to be another member of the family! We went to the doctor on Thursday and came out with this picture of a gummy bear growing inside my wife:

 

It's exciting. 

Emma

And sickening... for me at least. If you ever got a superpower, and your senses got enhanced or something like that that happens in cartoons, don't get an amazing sense of smell- or taste.  It's not happy.  Everything smells bad, even Evan.  

Evan

Gee...thanks...

Emma 

Sorry, you don't normally smell bad. 

Evan

Now you tell me.

Emma

Even though I'm sick pretty much all the time, I'm mostly really excited.  We're both really excited.  Although, this whole nausea thing is really cutting into the rest of my life.  My professors know what's going on --

Evan

Only because I made you e-mail them. 

Emma

But I am not doing so well in my classes right now.  For a while I called the baby "Baby" like that was the baby's name, because you don't want to say he or she, because we don't know.  Since Thursday, we've changed the name to Gummy Bear, since that's what size...

Evan

That's what size it is right now.

Emma

We can't call our baby an "it"!

Evan

That's what it is right now! We won't know the sex until at least 4 months in.

Emma

 Anyway, my body hates me right now.  Ok, I did not type that.  That was the part where I was hacking and coughing, and my stomach goes crazy.  Yuck.  I did say that though.  Evan just typed it for me.

Evan

Glad I could be of service.

Emma

Evan does lots of things for me lately.  Things like getting me juice, and soup, and the classic, holding my hair back while I'm puking.  It's very nice of him. :)  A friend of his brought over some homemade chicken noodle soup and some french bread.  It is delicious, and I'm glad Evan has such awesome friends.

Evan

So am I. Actually, I'm glad I made the connections I did back in 2005. Otherwise, I would never have met Emma and have the fun that I did, then and now. In any case, I think we've told the world enough of what's been going on with us. So I think we'll end it here. 

Take care everyone!