Hardest Working Guy I Know...

Happy Father's Day Kimball

The kids got up and made him a breakfast of rainbow pancakes, eggs, sausage and OJ.

I found this cake online...wish I could remember the blog. So sorry! It's just a angel food cake from the bakery cut into thirds horizontally, then I took softened frozen yorgurt and added two layers, then let it sit in the freezer for a few hours.

Last, Cool Whip for the topping and back in the freezer for about a half hour. I just made the banner w/ diamond shape scrap book paper (folded over a decorative string), and tied to skewer sticks. It was a good summer time treat.

We gave Kimball several shirts and some new NFL gear...he loves getting new clothes. :)

xoxo,
 

So Much More Than A Paycheck... (Repost)

This is a repost from last February, (originally on my old homeschool blog). I decided since my allergies are kicking my butt this week, it would be a good idea to repost this for those of you who are new.

I'm on to another Dr. Laura book, this one is The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage. I also read The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands which I also recommend, oh and don't forget the movie Fireproof, that's great too.

In my opinion, this is another book that should be highlighted, and within reach at all times. It's like going to church, we keep learning the same stuff because we need that bonk on the head, that reminder to get us back on track.

I truly believe that men are simple creatures and they only need a few things to be happy. In fact at dinner the other night, Kimball said almost that exact thing to me and yet I so often forget and start with the whining, complaining, and acting pouty or I start taking him for granted and not giving him the praise he deserves.

I look back to a time when Kimball was getting our business going, working like a DOG in the 110 degree Arizona sun, six days a week, 12-15 hour days and yet I did more criticizing and complaining than you can imagine. Sure I was working equally as hard with the kids, house and book keeping, it was an extremely stressful time...but I wasn't showing him how much I appreciated all he was doing. That's the number one thing I believe men need is to be shown appreciation for their hard work, to know that they are your hero so when they walk out that front door every morning, they feel loved, supported, and needed. Of course on top of that they also need affection, a warm meal, and to know their kids are being well taken care of. It's pretty simple really.

Kimball and I have had our share of ups and downs (oh my have we), but I am SO grateful we continue to work out our differences and try to make the other one happy. I know when I'm doing the above mentioned things, Kimball is one happy man and in return he'll treat me like a QUEEN.

Here's the 3 main tips she gives:

1. Treat your spouse as if you loved them with your last breath-no matter how contrary to that you might feel at any one moment.

2. Think hard every day about how you can make their life worth living.

3. Be the kind of person you would want to love, hug, come home to, and sacrifice for.

They are all great points, but #3 stands out to me because I think it's so important to try and have the house picked up, look presentable, and hopefully have dinner on the table or close to it. I don't always succeed and I'm working on serving my man more meat (since we all know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach). I'm also noticing my actions more when he walks in the door. Do I instantly bombard him with whining or complaints? Or do I just glance over from my lap top and say "hey"?

I'm also working on not being a drama queen when it comes to problems or mistakes. This isn't always easy for me because I'm the worrying type, but if our spouses can't come to us without us acting like an over powering parent, then how will they ever feel safe to share? We should be the one person they can come to with anything.

BTW, I'm speaking to myself because I have a lot of room for improvement in this area. OK so I'm off to do more reading, get more advice and hopefully build a stronger marriage. Hope you'll read these books if you haven't already.

Survivor

We did it...we survived our first year of homeschool! I'm no longer the "Newbie". I can't believe how fast it went and how much I enjoyed it. Sure there were days (though not too many) when I thought "Gee, it would be nice to have the day to myself." But those thoughts were always replaced with warm hugs, new discoveries, and awesome memories. I am so grateful for this last year, it was a lot of work but so rewarding! The kids aren't the only ones being educated, I've learned so much this year, it's been an incredible journey.

Our favorite subject by far was history. The boys really loved learning about Egypt and Ancient Rome. I cannot wait to travel there someday. Our next favorite was read aloud time each morning. Reading great classics, all snuggled up on the couch...my heart melts just thinking about it. We mastered many poems by Robert Luis Stevenson and some scripture verses. It's amazing how easy memorization is for kids. They improved their reading and writing skills by leaps and bounds and both have a true love for writing stories and poems. We did some fun art projects and science experiments, and went on some great field trips. With math being our least favorite subject, we still have a few weeks before we finish up. I am determined to make math more fun next year, and focus more on service.

Jaxon and Kade have always been close, but this year they bonded even more. It's nice that Kade no longer has to say his favorite part of the school day is the 5 minutes when he sees Jaxon at lunch recess. The boys also had a lot more time to play with friends, and enjoy being kids.

I've heard the first year is always the hardest, so I'm glad to have it under my belt. With Sophia becoming more independent, it's sure to get easier. I'm very anxious to plan for next year, but for a few weeks I'm enjoying the down time, and the kids are having a blast doing canon balls in the pool.

Here are a few pictures from Havasupai Falls. Thankfully Kimball survived the 10 mile hike out of there and had a great time with the young men. We were very glad to have him home.

A flash flood came through not too long ago and wiped out part of the rock, make the waterfall shorter, but also creating a few new ones.

Love Diaries & True Love Tortilla Soup

Are you ready for the most amazing tortilla soup recipe ever? I came up with this all on my own for the Love Day celebration we're having tonight. To quote Kimball "I'd pay good money for this".

True Love Tortilla Soup
2 large grilled and seasoned chicken breasts (cubed)
1/2 chopped onion (browned)
1 can white beans (undrained)
1 can corn (drained)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Ro Tel tomatoes (I used mild)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. black pepper
few dashes salt
Bring all to a boil stirring often, simmer for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better).

Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips/strips and sour cream. Makes approx. 6 large servings.

Warning: this is pretty spicy

Kade being sweet to his little sister by reading her a cute love book. For the last 4 years, Jaxon has been kind enough to read to Kade a full hour each night. Kade has LOVED their reading time and has always rejected my offers. Now that he's a great reader and is more confident with his skills, he gets to pay it forward.


So much for 'not wearing my heart on my sleeve', yesterday I did some window painting as a little P.D.A for Kimball...let's just say between this and the soup he's like a love sick puppy!



Have a fabulous weekend, I hope you all have a big pink fuzzy Heart Day!

Life Without A Camera!

That's right, my back up camera has died too. Unfortunately you won't get to see Jaxon get his green belt the other night, just picture him in all his glory...he was beaming! You'll also be missing Kimball's big scout camp out, animal skins, coyote heads and all, he was all rugged like that. Looks like I'll be camera shoppin' tomorrow. Until then you'll have to wait to see the cute stuff I've been working on. I'm excited to share...hope you'll stay tuned.

I'm hoping to find $1000 along the side of the road...what do you think my chances are?

You're Still The One

This is my favorite picture known as 'the kiss'.

WARNING: Long, sappy, smoopy, whoopy post...read at your own risk!
Kimball and I met in June of 1995, just 10 days before he left on a 2 year LDS (Mormon) mission. I was working for my dad in Salt Lake City, Utah and he made deliveries to us twice a week. Kimball saw me sitting in the parking lot on my lunch hour reading a book. He came up to me and we talked for a bit. He got my number and said he'd call that weekend, well he didn't and I'll admit I was disappointed but don't worry, he came back to my work on Monday and said he'd lost my number (now that I know him I'm sure it was true). He definitely looked like a 'bad boy' which was not what I needed at that point in time. I had already sent a brother and many 'friends' on missions so I definitely didn't want to fall in love with another guy leaving for 2 years. I decided to just go out with him, what could it hurt? We completely hit it off, we were inseparable for that 10 days. He convinced me to fly out to Washington for his mission farewell. I thought he was crazy and I was sure my parents would think the same thing, but for some reason they were all for it. I went and we had a great time, until we overslept and I missed my plane. I guess being in la la land will do that to a girl. I was so worried, I didn't know what I'd do. Kimball and I were still over an hour away from the airport when I looked at the ticket and saw the departure time, so we pulled over to a phone booth and called my mom. I remember my older sister Amie laughing her head off. She thought it was so funny that I was crying. Luckily they arranged for me to take a later flight and it was all good, or so I thought.
Aunt flow came to visit and I was in white shorts! SO...we pulled over again and stopped at a gas station. I WAS NOT about to buy tampons because I just didn't do that kind of thing. I asked Kimball if he'd do it and he said yes! Seriously!?! Oh the things we'll do for love. I think that's when I knew he was a keeper. OK so we got that all taken care of and headed off for the airport again. Kimball asked if he should forget the mission and we could just go to Vegas...kidding of course, but 2 years seemed like a lllooonnngg time. Here I am in said white shorts, just lally gaggin', taking pictures with no cares in the world...if I'd only known I was late for my plane!

We said our goodbyes, lots of tears and kisses. We wrote pretty much the entire two years. I had boyfriends during that time and apparently he had other chicks sending him packages (smart guy). This is the picture I kept near by as motivation to wait for him. I never said I was "waiting", but for some reason I always felt like I wanted to see what happened.

December 22, 1997 was a beautiful winter morning. The snow began falling as we all made our way to Heritage Gardens in Sandy Utah. Kimball and I had a lovely ceremony with a small and intimate group of 100 family and friends, followed by a delicious lunch.

We spent our wedding night at a The Armstrong Mansion in downtown Salt Lake City. As we pulled into the small little parking lot, I noticed a truck that looked very familiar. The next morning we went down to the cozy little dining room for brunch. There we sat completely alone when my old boyfriend (who had proposed to me...long long crazy story) walked in and sat down with his new wife. It was beyond awkward or ironic! We said "hello" and tried to hurry and eat and get out of there. As we caught the elevator to go back upstairs so did they, now it got even more awkward. I introduced him to Kimball since they both new of each other and held my breath as we slowly made our way to our floor. I can't even tell you how crazy and weird that was...if you only knew the whole story!

After enjoying Christmas and New Years, we headed to Mazatlan Mexico for our honeymoon. It was such a fun time. The weather was perfect and the beaches were to die for. We had a blast para sailing and kayaking, both resulting in crash landings (entirely my fault).
We hated to return to 'reality' but we were anxious to start our new life as newlyweds. Just 4 weeks later, I went in for outpatient surgery to treat my endometriosis, only to find out there would be no surgery...I was a few weeks pregnant. The only words to describe my feelings that day was shock and fear, Kimball would probably say excitement and surprise. Things don't always go as planned but we were so blessed to have our sweet little Jaxon. It's crazy to think it's been 11 years. Kimball and I are very different, he's way too silly at times and I'm way too uptight and the list goes on but what matters is we're doing our best, we're committed and we love each other. We've been blessed with 3 amazing children and we have a good life together. Happy Anniversary Babe! Thanks for all you do for me and for hanging in there through it all. Here's to 11 more years!

Boys II Men

On Jaxon's 10Th birthday I gave him his first deodorant. He's looking at me like, "what?". Then he was in panic mode because he knew it would eventually make it on the blog. I should have handed him some shaving cream and a razor too.

Last week Jaxon received his Bear award at scouts. He (and I) worked very hard for this. Anyone who thinks an Eagle Scout does it on their own are sorely mistaken! Thanks also to his fabulous leaders who help him in scouting.

My Manly Man Kade reading the cartoon section. Back to the deoderant. Kade has been wearing it more than Jaxon. In fact, he puts it all over his entire upper body...seriously! When I tell him it's only necessary on the arm pits he replies, "I am a man!"

Brave Kade at the doctor's office. Oh if only he had always been this calm at his ear appointments!! He was getting a check up on his ear tube. It's been bothering him lately and we were hoping the doc would say it'd fallen out, but unfortunately it is clogged and not working. Since we have a $5,000 deductible we are praying that he can make it until spring without any ear problems. His ear drum should be healed by then. If not, he will go in for his 3rd hospital proceedure and we'll be forking over our deductible for the 3rd time. I know it's worth it but we are going to try and avoid it if possible. Cross your fingers.

The Man of the House playing a little hoop with his city league team. This is Kimball's second season on a city league. He really enjoys it. The picture is poor quality, sorry my camera's about dead!

It's a Girl Thing!

The other day I bought Sophia a Christmas gift at Costco, but once her dad found out about it, it was all over. Who can wait until Christmas? Actually, she rarely gets a new toy and she's pretty much sick of all her old, baby toys. It was really fun, this is the first doll Sophia's gotten that she's been excited about. As soon as she saw the box she was all smiles. It came with a stroller, car seat, cradle and a diaper bag with accessories. I don't need to tell you what she was busy doing the rest of the day. Kimball was a dear and put it all together for her.

Kimball's a major push over when it comes to his little girl. He later helped me paint her toes.
Kimball grew up with a family of 7 boys and no girls so he is really cherishing having a little girl. He also helped me by watching Sophia a bit more then usual so I could figure the budget and read Jane Eyre...which I loved!