tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42844454307986600672024-02-08T00:29:35.908-06:00Our Family AdventuresA Farm Girl and Country Club Boy fall in love, get married and move to the city. Here's a glimpse of our life.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-90481799021841900442012-09-27T13:35:00.001-05:002012-09-27T13:35:36.449-05:00A Little Painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So today we decided to try an art project. Little girl enjoyed it.</div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-40128700246007852102012-09-26T14:35:00.001-05:002012-09-26T14:35:43.582-05:00A Catch up PostSo, call me crazy, but blogging hasn't been at the top of the priority list recently. I want it to be, I really do, but laundry, cooking dinner, playing with the little girl, and getting our house the way we want it have been getting in the way (not in that particular order).<br />
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I would love to catch the blog world up on what has been going on with us, but really there hasn't been much to speak of outside of everyday life. <br />
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It is hard to believe that the summer is over. We went to the lake several times. We spent a lot of time at the sprinkler park or zoo geysers or in the backyard wading pool. Anything to stay wet or play in the "wa-wa." Our girl is a fish (or fishy as K calls it, even though I don't think we have ever put the y on the end when we say fish to her...it is really cute).<br />
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I guess that is the big change around here since the last update --we have a talker. Even if we can't understand what exactly it is that she is saying, she is talking, constantly. She talks and sings and asks to watch Elmo, which I try and not give in to very often. <br />
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Maybe this post will kick me into gear and I will start to update more regularly. In the meantime, enjoy some glimpses of our summer.<br />
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-10468189359607818602012-07-06T13:00:00.000-05:002012-07-06T13:00:06.248-05:00From the Archives: Middle of SOS 2004<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This one is kind of boring, but I like seeing my thoughts on SOS when I was in the midst of it--oh and the roof I was on--not super steep--not at all. haha</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">6/23/2004</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hey everyone! I'm still alive. I am once again at the library and just thought I would update on what has been going on in my life. Basically, I have had the most amazing 4 weeks of my life (I think its 4 weeks). During staff week I was introduced to ideas that I had never really given much thought to such as people choosing to live in the inner-city as a ministry, and I was reintroduced to ideas like "God truly loves and adores me at great cost to Himself." When you truly understand this idea, you can't go about life just like you normally would. I also got to meet and get to know forty of the most awesome godly people on the face of the earth! They have truly become some of my very best friends.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The first week with campers was a little hard. One because it was my first week and I didn't really have a good grasp on what was going on. I had trouble getting my adult leader to listen to me when I obviously don't have much experience roofing (Oh, that's what I have been doing). Anyway, I learned a lot about myself and leadership and what not to do. My kids were great though. They were from San Antonio. <a href="http://www.sosmemphis.org/images/Summer%2004%20Session%20One/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_new">Pictures!</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Last week I had a group from Cullman, Alabama and was pumped because they were hard workers. The hardest part last week is that they just didn't get it. They were just there to have fun and use power tools and no matter how hard I tried to get it through their heads they just didn't get it! Then God showed me that I am not god and that only He can show them. Thursday night I was at the end of my strength and He completely took over. On Friday we are supposed to encourage each person on our team individually. I truly feel like it was God's words that were spoken and not mine because I was broken about it on Thursday. One of the girls came up to me later and what I had said went exactly with her situation, when I had no idea she was going through what she was. It was awesome. My prayer for the remainder of my life is that I will continually be without my strength and relying fully on God! <a href="http://www.sosmemphis.org/images/Summer%2004%20Session%20Two/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_new">Pictures of that week</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This week so far has been my best yet! I have a team from Fayetville Arkansas (GO HOGS!!). Its just great. My heart overflows with love for them and it is only Wednesday! It has been really great because I was beginning to wonder how I was going to make it through the summer if each week was just going to be one hard lesson after another. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I am working on the house of a family with 2 kids and a ton of grandkids that come over. It has been sort of hard because they aren't very friendly and it has leaked 3 times now, so they are a little mad, but its just a lesson in that I am not doing it so that they will love me and sing my praises, I'm doing it to serve them and love on them regardless of how they feel about me. We have been working on the mega-steep roof when it isn't raining (which hasn't been much lately), and we are replacing some of their ceiling and I reset the toilet. That was gross, but I am so proud of myself! <a href="http://www.sosmemphis.org/images/Summer%2004%20Session%20Three/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_new">Pictures of this week!</a> I can't wait to tell everyone all about it in person. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One thing that I will say is this. I have no idea how I am going to go about living my life normally after this. You can take that how you will until I have time to explain it!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I love you people!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kristin</span></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-40917317359172017092012-07-05T13:00:00.000-05:002012-07-05T13:00:03.750-05:00From the archives: Post wisdom tooth removal--probably still on meds5/27/2004<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What I have learned about my mouth:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> 1) I am a big baby when it comes to my mouth! This wisdom teeth thing is just annoying, and I am just basically a big baby. It doesn't hurt anymore, but I am so scared of something going wrong that I am just annoying. 2) Your mouth is a very important part of the body. Your mouth is where you get your nourishment, and when you don't feel like eating because of your mouth you still get hungry, and your mouth is how you talk. If your mouth is swollen and you mumble, you are hard to understand, and no one will want to talk to you!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That's enough about the mouth!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I leave for SOS in less than two days!! That is very exciting, but a little scary, cause I am not prepared. I haven't even begun to pack, and my room is still a mess with boxes everywhere. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay, I want to talk about the wedding now. The people that got married grew up and graduated with me, so it was a little weird, until the actual wedding. It was really neat all of my close friends from high school standing behind them as they said their vows. It was really cool, like we were supporting them all the way. I know that's how its supposed to be and all, but it was just really special. Makes me really excited about my day, when it comes. I of course went through the feelings of will my day ever come, because all of the people there were asking, but you know, its not my time yet, and I'm okay with that. I wouldn't want to settle for any less than the best anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well, I'm waiting on my mom to get home from work so that we can go shopping. I have to get a bathing suit woohooo. I don't really understand why we can't just swim fully clothed, I mean its much more modest and safer when it comes to the suns rays. You know, I think I'm going to bring back the 50s bathing suits. I wonder how that would go over.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay, this has been totally random and a little weird, so I'm out!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kristin</span></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-52645302734669122262012-07-04T13:00:00.000-05:002012-07-04T13:00:00.447-05:00From the Archives: The deer incident<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10/27/2004</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have a really fun fall break story:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I went home, and ended up not accomplishing anything that I wanted to. I knew it would happen, but I usually hope for the best. The thing is that it is not really my fault that I didn't get any work done. I spent pretty much the whole weekend going to my sister and brother's basketball games. That is where my fun story comes in......</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We were at Katie's game, three hours from home and were finally coming home at about eight. I'm driving Mom's Tahoe because she doesn't feel like driving and I don't mind. We are in the hills in the small windy roads surrounded by trees. I come to the top of a hill which also happens to be in a curve in the road and I see a big brown thing (a deer) running across the road right toward us. My sister yells "DEER" I slam on the brakes, but the deer also stalls for a second and the timing is just all wrong....I hit it...really hard. It flew into the air and landed off of the side of the road. Moment of silence for the deer please...............okay, moving on. I pulled up to a driveway not to far up the road because the road doesn't have a shoulder. This is a driveway to a trailer set back into the woods surrounded by cars and trucks.....did I mention that I watched "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" the weekend before? Anyway my mom gets out and looks and says that the grill is broken, the bumper is dented, and a headlight is hanging out, but we should probably be able to drive it home. At that moment the "low coolant" light comes on. We have busted the radiator. Mom wants to walk up to the trailer where we are and ask them to call a wrecker. I think she is crazy and refuse to go, I mean it was really really dark and there was no one else around, remember I just saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sooo Mom calls Dad, he tells us he is on his way, remember we are three hours from home. Mom keeps telling him where she thinks we are which is not where I think we are but I keep my mouth shut because mom is a little excited, anyway it is this huge deal trying to figure out where we are. Meanwhile the whole time Katie has her video camera and is "making a documentary about the whole thing" I end up realizing that there is a Jct. sign right ahead and look on the map....I was right. So Dad calls a wrecker and says he will pick us up there. We turn on the hazard lights so that the wrecker can find us. Just a little while later a van pulls into the driveway and a man gets out with this long beard a cigarette and a shirt that says "I'm gonna beat the devil with a big stick". He asks if we need help. My polite mother goes into the whole story and tells him that a wrecker is on the way....he lives in the trailer, so he goes home after talking about how dangerous this curve is and how stuff like that happens all the time. Just a few minutes later this truck pulling a trailer with furniture on it starts to pull into the drive. As he is slowing down a car comes around the curve and rear-ends him jamming the trailer into the back of the truck. So those two vehicles also pull into the drive with us. It turns out that the truck was stopping to help us. The car was full of about 8 teenagers, so now there was really excited people everywhere, the man that lives in the trailer has come back out to see what is going on and is looking in and at everything with his flashlight and continues to talk about how dangerous a spot that is....the whole time Katie is taping the incident. Dail, the wrecker man finally comes and that is a whole other funny thing, but I just can't describe it. Anyway Dad finally got there and we were headed home by 10:30 (I am still trying to figure out how Dad got there so quickly!). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That is the fun story of fall break. I killed my first deer and had my first car accident all at the same time.</span></div>
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</tbody></table>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-23113999803936408352012-07-03T18:00:00.000-05:002012-07-03T18:00:01.596-05:00From the archives:So, this isn't my first blog. I know you are shocked! Once upon a time I had a xanga. It was during my growing college/post college years that I blogged regularly. Now while I am not going to share the address for that blog--I didn't have boundaries--there are a few entries that I would call classics that I will share here on this blog in the next few weeks.<br />
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Why am I sharing these? Well, because they are fun!</div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-77128485740418538082012-07-02T13:00:00.000-05:002012-07-02T13:00:02.757-05:00Talk, talk, talkingMy girl, she is a talker! Her favorite word is Boofer--he is probably actually her favorite family member too. When I walk into her room in the morning, she says "mama" and then points to the window or door and says "boofer." Sometimes it sounds a little bit like buffa, but she can say it.<br />
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She says mama, dada or even daddy, pawpaw, nana (but only for a banana, not her grandmother unless prompted), cheese, thank you, bye-bye, hi, and uh, oh. She is also a mimic, when I sing, she sings; when I ask her to say something, she usually attempts and does really well, unless of course someone else is there. When she is saying something that I ask her to her words are endless, but those don't really count.<br />
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Other tricks include, the lion sound, the elephant trunk only sometimes accompanied by the noise, cow mooing, the lizard trick (her favorite), finding her belly, showing where her head and mouth are, sometimes finding her toes. She dances like crazy and understands way more than I realize. <br />
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My baby is growing up so fast. She has got an opinion as big as her personality, which in huge. I just want to freeze her and make her stop growing.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-63139653823460484992012-07-01T13:00:00.000-05:002012-07-01T13:00:01.374-05:00Back to my roots<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Little girl (she is not a baby anymore, sniff) took her first tractor ride a few weeks ago. I've got to start her early if I don't want her to be a wimpy city girl you know. She isn't smiling in any of the pictures, but I promise she enjoyed herself. She enjoyed the bouncing of the bumpy ride and pawpaw let her honk the horn and even drive for a little bit. So much fun!</div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-57632123144933160842012-06-30T13:00:00.000-05:002012-06-30T13:22:29.645-05:00A story about a girl, a house, and how God answers prayerSo, I wrote a post a while back about how I was trying to be okay with where we live, but having a hard time with it. During that time (behind the scenes of the blog) Van and I were having many discussions about what it would look like for us to move. If we wanted to build, renovate, and even where we wanted to live where all part of those discussions. Basically everytime we talked about it we couldn't get on the same page. No matter how long we talked and tried getting the other person on our side it just wasn't happening. We took that as a sign that we needed to sit tight. We committed to praying about it until God changed one of our hearts or the thing that we were looking for (a needle in a haystack) came open.<br />
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See because we are committed to living in our neighborhood the problem arises that quality housing is not available. In order to get a livable space (that was any bigger than what we had) we would either have to build on an empty lot or renovate an existing house. I was opposed to building, Van was opposed to renovating, and neither of us had a peace about living in another part of town, so we waited.<br />
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Interestingly, we didn't wait long. A few months ago the owners of a house that we had talked multiple times about being our dream type of house came to us to see if we would be interested in buying their house. When Van came home to tell me about it, I was speechless. I just knew that this was the answer to our prayers. We now live in that beautiful house. <br />
<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-6293704327846331482012-06-29T23:04:00.000-05:002012-06-29T23:04:12.814-05:00Come on ladiesI must say that all of the talk--via social media--about 50 Shades of Grey and Magic Mike has me stunned. It is truly as if women don't see what they are saying. That or they just don't respect themselves or their husbands. Honestly if our husbands were watching porn--the equivalent of 50 Shades, or a movie about female strippers--equivalent of Magic Mike, I'm pretty sure we would be upset. But because we are women for some reason it is not only okay for us to do it, but also to brag about it in such a public space as facebook. Come on people. Respect yourselves, respect your husbands, respect your marriages enough to really think about the effect these things have on your mind and heart.<br />
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Philippians 4:8--Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.<br />
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<a href="http://www.truewoman.com/?id=2095" target="_blank">Here is an article that says things better than I could</a>.<br />
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*I have been trying to not write anything about this because, well, I feel like it will be poorly received or make me look like a prude, but I just can't sit by anymore. I wanted women to know that not everyone is reading it, or watching it. That just because everyone else (including women I look up to) are doing it doesn't mean that it is necessarily right. Think for yourselves. Evaluate your choices.<br />
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This was posted out of a heart of love.<br />
<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-79782202274172149922012-04-18T21:50:00.001-05:002012-04-18T21:50:10.175-05:00Hand, Foot, and Mouth, Oh my!So I just realized that I shared that Kare was sick, but I never updated. <br />
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She ran a pretty high fever on Sunday night, woke up at 3 screaming and didn't go back to sleep until about 6:30, slept till 7:00 and then was done. When she woke up her temp was at 99, so I thought she was on the mend. She didn't seem to be herself and wasn't eating, but her fever was gone so I wasn't too worried about it. On Monday night she went to bed at 7, woke up screaming at 10 and didn't go back to sleep or stop screaming really at all. It was awful. I couldn't decide what was wrong with her because her fever was gone, but she was inconsolable. I honestly thought that she just didn't want to be alone. What a mean mom I am to doubt that she was in pain.<br />
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We went to the early morning sick clinic at the ped. office on Tuesday morning. By that time she was in a pretty good mood, wouldn't eat anything, but played just fine. I had decided that either she suddenly became scared of the dark or she had an ear infection. The dr. looked at her ears and proclaimed that they were perfect. At that point my stomach sank because I was sure she was playing us. Then she went to look at her throat. K fought opening her mouth and when the dr. finally got the stick in there to look at her throat the dr. said, "Poor Baby! It is hand, foot, and mouth." Which I automatically associated with hoof and mouth, and was grossed out. There is actually no association. Thank goodness! It basically meant she had blisters on her hands (she only had one, so I didn't notice), feet (only two, again, didn't notice because they were tiny) and mouth (apparently she had a lot in her mouth and throat, poor thing, but I didn't see because I couldn't get her to open her mouth). We were quarantined in our house all week, but after Tuesday, she didn't seem to feel as bad. <br />
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Baby's first virus has come and gone. Praise the Lord it is gone! On Friday I sanitized our entire house, and this week we have reveled in our freedom to go about in public.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-91319326659745260162012-04-18T21:26:00.000-05:002012-04-18T21:26:56.671-05:00Being Productive.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Two things that have been on my to-do (to-learn) list I have checked off this week.</div>
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I have been wanting to learn to braid K's hair for a while. It is getting significant length to it and needs more done than just the afro with bow (because it gets SO tangled). I have watched countless videos and read innumerable tutorials, I just needed to try it. I was nervous about trying because she is not okay with sitting still. I tried it in my hair a few times, but it is so different with long straight hair than kinky short hair. I finally made the decision to just do it. The only way to get good at it is to practice. I put Sesame Street on the tv and just followed her around the room attempting to braid at the same time. They didn't look very good, but they were honestly better than I thought they would be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmrY6D5mMOp5K66ncNX8CAqUWFIwq7HVFNLz0JCB5Mw4YfpslBZ4UBG2p8z3LXJ10gtiuZZT6Qtm2dXY2Mfu-jmvwwHBzZhVZdo7XL6TiEvHVwN_oOK1FN-jO8GmkX8d02xqnEu_ISNk/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmrY6D5mMOp5K66ncNX8CAqUWFIwq7HVFNLz0JCB5Mw4YfpslBZ4UBG2p8z3LXJ10gtiuZZT6Qtm2dXY2Mfu-jmvwwHBzZhVZdo7XL6TiEvHVwN_oOK1FN-jO8GmkX8d02xqnEu_ISNk/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Because they were so loose by this morning, they looked awful, and I had to take them out. Her hair needed to be washed anyway, so after washing I sat her in the bumbo this time (she was tired, so it actually worked really well). The only thing is that she went to bed on it immediately, so we will see in the morning what it looks like. They weren't any tighter this time, so...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyQgHSeKd4tFXLs4CA-2hJIiB-o5SDWL2hhiinN47bwfSgGgvgYIQmE_7pfkVuZwVJgI0r1UeYr3EwkqqJJvKgjIiuYJF9RAdDaNaLKU0gkji46eaLryMLDyQGhuHuqWm2gdTpJHTTAw/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyQgHSeKd4tFXLs4CA-2hJIiB-o5SDWL2hhiinN47bwfSgGgvgYIQmE_7pfkVuZwVJgI0r1UeYr3EwkqqJJvKgjIiuYJF9RAdDaNaLKU0gkji46eaLryMLDyQGhuHuqWm2gdTpJHTTAw/s400/DSC_0003.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Please forgive how bad the parts are. It was a combination of a moving child and pulling the hair out of the clips during braiding. What can I say, my fine motor skills leave something to be desired.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76TkzG43lm3t5U_glUX6-eUFLC1xaWdSncp3a_tUttmjjlbpYSwwj47aspAOj7NwwTGAwYHqV_lphyphenhyphenfQXybGTlG9q0gl6vpbahPUXssTm1eOVimLaSc2VhR6cedHThuHE57wZ17vv8ZM/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76TkzG43lm3t5U_glUX6-eUFLC1xaWdSncp3a_tUttmjjlbpYSwwj47aspAOj7NwwTGAwYHqV_lphyphenhyphenfQXybGTlG9q0gl6vpbahPUXssTm1eOVimLaSc2VhR6cedHThuHE57wZ17vv8ZM/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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This afternoon I checked off item #2: homemade laundry detergent.<br />
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Two reasons why I wanted to try homemade detergent: cost (I'm incredibly frugal) and I secretly want to be green, which is frequently in conflict with being frugal. This time it wasn't so there's no reason not to do it right?<br />
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Here are my ingredients<br />
I used Ivory soap because I couldn't find Fels Naptha anywhere in Memphis. I don't know if it would make a huge difference or not, but I didn't want to have to order it online in case I didn't like it. I got the giant package of Ivory because it was $.50 more than the three pack. Silly grocery store prices.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2TqVoEyKKbecg4SlNTX6lmaI0YEoqxYDyBRBYFPF7dZDyKvww9d31hpZ0BpDkrSgO2uJepFelqM8LU8XHgmMf5ydfD6swo5Urp4vYsaiCEOzFgAPqCV0mTY53wzXi1rPBNZs3bnhUE4/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2TqVoEyKKbecg4SlNTX6lmaI0YEoqxYDyBRBYFPF7dZDyKvww9d31hpZ0BpDkrSgO2uJepFelqM8LU8XHgmMf5ydfD6swo5Urp4vYsaiCEOzFgAPqCV0mTY53wzXi1rPBNZs3bnhUE4/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ingredients that aren't necessary, but help with the process:</div>
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Starbucks frappuchino and listening to Adele on the computer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS29RWALdn1gLEJQNGw6md71HKaxzQJU-EDQijwJn9oSlqttX3H_JtRBXpBTg7ZOO_JZi_EiOB0hHuO2yfzwSxjMapxco4f2xnZXpnb3dCmOsoH47Z057UsbaLd6JHiW3MzJdn7L6XYk8/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS29RWALdn1gLEJQNGw6md71HKaxzQJU-EDQijwJn9oSlqttX3H_JtRBXpBTg7ZOO_JZi_EiOB0hHuO2yfzwSxjMapxco4f2xnZXpnb3dCmOsoH47Z057UsbaLd6JHiW3MzJdn7L6XYk8/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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I started by grating the soap. I used 2 bars. I doubled it since I was going to the trouble.</div>
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Ivory soap smells so good. Well, at least the smell has good memories attached to it. It makes me think of going to the lake as a kid. When I was little we camped at the lake, so we often "bathed" in the lake instead of the gross bath houses. Since ivory soap floats it was the soap of choice for lake time. This was back in the old days before body wash was the norm. As I was grating the soap I was flooded with fun lake memories. I don't know if there is any part of my childhood that I treasure more than our summers at the lake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mef1iru_AB7dO92A75f1KGwJprTuwTTRY0GnlCGSqtKnoWzDP9x9HvAyROCmV1ijK3fhhtj8OQHke8IAR4HOKxAiF-5NDkJwdH7Y8m0wxNcQzBv6hgIHPnZH51-cIOCBg4YnQc_Mmo4/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mef1iru_AB7dO92A75f1KGwJprTuwTTRY0GnlCGSqtKnoWzDP9x9HvAyROCmV1ijK3fhhtj8OQHke8IAR4HOKxAiF-5NDkJwdH7Y8m0wxNcQzBv6hgIHPnZH51-cIOCBg4YnQc_Mmo4/s400/DSC_0019.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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When grating anything in my kitchen, I always end up grating my finger. Does anyone else have this problem?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQnrB_ty-pWUJpNDxREYvNiI5V0LVzLNTXrsTzoS864JkTl8EI4z_vYVv_avFN_3OTpih0WvY64CIAvsa8cz41RY2vtd-6eW8TIbm9r_4UxWpIq648cagJMRi5oCD66Cx19ysp9q7UpM/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQnrB_ty-pWUJpNDxREYvNiI5V0LVzLNTXrsTzoS864JkTl8EI4z_vYVv_avFN_3OTpih0WvY64CIAvsa8cz41RY2vtd-6eW8TIbm9r_4UxWpIq648cagJMRi5oCD66Cx19ysp9q7UpM/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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I stirred in 2 cups of Washing Soda (not baking soda) and 2 cups of Borax.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcdNBDEbizKm0jNejcR9fFvp_zaoBwV_YVt9bBBA2CNQ2aS6F18NnWagHrPUMyua_25haOWgGRhAZLMSmfz32VfvqV9sOVJS2r0hehTLsMsT5-lulnvseWEcFk7wpuBzA27AgwYf2pzI/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcdNBDEbizKm0jNejcR9fFvp_zaoBwV_YVt9bBBA2CNQ2aS6F18NnWagHrPUMyua_25haOWgGRhAZLMSmfz32VfvqV9sOVJS2r0hehTLsMsT5-lulnvseWEcFk7wpuBzA27AgwYf2pzI/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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Put it in an empty oxyclean container with a Tbsp measure (1T for small load 2T for large load)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDvgk0gHzPWXXY29zkKyZh2nsZ19MQtnOR-E2sWDqIqqySDhpOUfuIod7eeYbyhO7Rn37Vuq39UkkxaDfSqBo10wzYG_HwwRh2Y_wJOpApfAqne0rfTB7EvX9cj6kSXfzIC6oc3n0Yak/s1600/DSC_0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDvgk0gHzPWXXY29zkKyZh2nsZ19MQtnOR-E2sWDqIqqySDhpOUfuIod7eeYbyhO7Rn37Vuq39UkkxaDfSqBo10wzYG_HwwRh2Y_wJOpApfAqne0rfTB7EvX9cj6kSXfzIC6oc3n0Yak/s400/DSC_0028.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I have done three loads of laundry with it so far and I have been pleased. I also added a scoop of Kroger brand oxyclean, which I was doing with regular detergent most of the time. At some point I want to try adding vinegar for a fabric softener, but I still have a bounce bar in my dryer. When it is gone I'll try that to see what I think.<br />
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All of the supplies for this cost approximately $12. I should be able to make 8-10 batches, each batch is 32 loads.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-85988019895809474092012-04-08T23:53:00.000-05:002012-04-08T23:53:44.848-05:00Catching upSince I still have another 45 minutes before I can give K her tylenol and head to bed, I guess I'll just update the blog.<br />
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March 23 was "Gotcha Day" at our house! Van took off work so that we could spend the day as a family. The weather was great, so we took our lunch to Shelby Farms for a picnic, and a long walk. I love that we were able to spend this anniversary together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHa7tUMz9TXnukvAeW0r6DyFML80A8Ar7PScfu0P5efCrBhlKf02CiHJNkWVrMj9lg3IfqLWKBmKA2IFtz-7pSySk_1_utgHAZiYJDR568OAtxBpCbU799Rx_FACisSbvf8xEtsXD8vg/s1600/DSC_0388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHa7tUMz9TXnukvAeW0r6DyFML80A8Ar7PScfu0P5efCrBhlKf02CiHJNkWVrMj9lg3IfqLWKBmKA2IFtz-7pSySk_1_utgHAZiYJDR568OAtxBpCbU799Rx_FACisSbvf8xEtsXD8vg/s400/DSC_0388.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVBFdCA9eGikF4kAFemXUfUzVIIKbxwrt2rugLxVUj4JaHpbpa8OTrH4zkMCrMW3nIPRTPIID9mR6l7mpg3ZnzgVTlzwaveAaYg8DhIM5_7Yg6n7QTgFdM6rqNPQN50c29aCYELm-E7A/s1600/DSC_0394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVBFdCA9eGikF4kAFemXUfUzVIIKbxwrt2rugLxVUj4JaHpbpa8OTrH4zkMCrMW3nIPRTPIID9mR6l7mpg3ZnzgVTlzwaveAaYg8DhIM5_7Yg6n7QTgFdM6rqNPQN50c29aCYELm-E7A/s400/DSC_0394.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUsJwUugClRMdHxFlsq2VabNkusSuAxBE8i4HjxjPoUSAsfrU2enPRzKnoxgBMM2aQbDlTMKjgTzvPuq5PksDO55bM6HOxa2Va5tXA6GaJxe4nUPtQtPFdUBEsbnt3IYkrPJiKYalA5Q/s1600/DSC_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUsJwUugClRMdHxFlsq2VabNkusSuAxBE8i4HjxjPoUSAsfrU2enPRzKnoxgBMM2aQbDlTMKjgTzvPuq5PksDO55bM6HOxa2Va5tXA6GaJxe4nUPtQtPFdUBEsbnt3IYkrPJiKYalA5Q/s400/DSC_0400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cannot get a good picture of the two of us!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKqi1ozvptKNBoaP8ZlTsiTUye0tlTNgBGuuZsK3pST4TxcxZwKpnyURItueecBH2B8dEiU4o3_pKEhwmVht8RYZD2z0M0VMQsZiBQJ__f0OuwgKmcRAHRNPBAxuQD36pquPw_enZ0VM/s1600/DSC_0426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKqi1ozvptKNBoaP8ZlTsiTUye0tlTNgBGuuZsK3pST4TxcxZwKpnyURItueecBH2B8dEiU4o3_pKEhwmVht8RYZD2z0M0VMQsZiBQJ__f0OuwgKmcRAHRNPBAxuQD36pquPw_enZ0VM/s400/DSC_0426.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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K loves to watch us brush our teeth, so I finally got her a toothbrush (for her 3 teeth). It was quite the hit. She gets so excited when I tell her it is time to brush her teeth. Usually the end of tooth brushing time brings about tears. At least she is passionate about oral hygiene.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wEG9cWXuQhutmVFzTczXHGBXXmUFGHSMgiFfCJN_QyyhBV4NLjIl351hCjtz-AvkjnxQLhncT6GYF4cnyQMlG7ViYdX_9Z1prnrK-c0WBK-13JcaxZ4K5Sa7jDkAbochdM_p7-jKzJA/s1600/DSC_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wEG9cWXuQhutmVFzTczXHGBXXmUFGHSMgiFfCJN_QyyhBV4NLjIl351hCjtz-AvkjnxQLhncT6GYF4cnyQMlG7ViYdX_9Z1prnrK-c0WBK-13JcaxZ4K5Sa7jDkAbochdM_p7-jKzJA/s400/DSC_0427.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiydc7zXuG-yX4xbCIUIadAJJ5hPt4YfoJS-cKCMtSNEgU8qAFSHDTI6TNn8k_n0ACwcwgpMZMsKYiDy8EliDTxXSYHhboA8TY6aOFI8kf3XvARPSPgxuXN4jxNir2HNtiA9LzLgUUh0/s1600/DSC_0434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiydc7zXuG-yX4xbCIUIadAJJ5hPt4YfoJS-cKCMtSNEgU8qAFSHDTI6TNn8k_n0ACwcwgpMZMsKYiDy8EliDTxXSYHhboA8TY6aOFI8kf3XvARPSPgxuXN4jxNir2HNtiA9LzLgUUh0/s400/DSC_0434.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't remember when specifically this was, but one day I really wanted to go to the zoo. So, I got up, packed us a lunch and got us ready for the zoo. Unfortunately when I got there I couldn't even see the entrance because of all of the school groups there, not to mention a parking space. Because of our membership we can go to the zoo whenever we want, but can also be a snob about crowds and such. We went back home and had our picnic in the back yard.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhjK2tkuGe1470VAtkC56r_LL7-CNkTvjiChjhoak2664t34ZakFK5-ka1IvIplfVdjjArjNhYBbgXHXJ_mvw_VMXqaeWY-PkxavBojM0hjzZihHEDACjwoUpFKSwhBZlOOd11xOHb1A/s1600/DSC_0435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhjK2tkuGe1470VAtkC56r_LL7-CNkTvjiChjhoak2664t34ZakFK5-ka1IvIplfVdjjArjNhYBbgXHXJ_mvw_VMXqaeWY-PkxavBojM0hjzZihHEDACjwoUpFKSwhBZlOOd11xOHb1A/s400/DSC_0435.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxn5mvz7dhyphenhyphenf7hBRpBv26ynvPweq-DiewGXr5AUMGd4qbICxtKF2V3T9ZoxV9ucEMwvKDY9rA_9tGx4F54BCHzsoOOHfcPAMcXkOmbwUwd4vZdMi8BaMtCtTx6w6VA6cv77hBp4jgsSI/s1600/DSC_0447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxn5mvz7dhyphenhyphenf7hBRpBv26ynvPweq-DiewGXr5AUMGd4qbICxtKF2V3T9ZoxV9ucEMwvKDY9rA_9tGx4F54BCHzsoOOHfcPAMcXkOmbwUwd4vZdMi8BaMtCtTx6w6VA6cv77hBp4jgsSI/s400/DSC_0447.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8e4GNgUt4JtnnAwkhuOTh26F74GwxhmvEqThpIHPQtktSSaBML-ZE5G9PLsns8h4tG0GKD824ka3-oP2v9fTPBi7B94kIQJKC9YVYWPEuz9A_WHyJIN_n99aGwv7TwjVzILD_V1OOs8/s1600/DSC_0472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8e4GNgUt4JtnnAwkhuOTh26F74GwxhmvEqThpIHPQtktSSaBML-ZE5G9PLsns8h4tG0GKD824ka3-oP2v9fTPBi7B94kIQJKC9YVYWPEuz9A_WHyJIN_n99aGwv7TwjVzILD_V1OOs8/s400/DSC_0472.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please note the poor parts. Parting her hair is HARD! I'm getting better though.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dUYT7fj9ebzrEUrFE1dlVVO_eFTjHyhfOoV3G65EYZs60IxfMecXzn8zvzHqVg-u1uiGtUW1RbXWmoyiBcIBOZzFZ51dw7pBlyJxjFR0QqH92RqcvT88joARDwlZUnujOiUzNLdM1M/s1600/DSC_0491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_dUYT7fj9ebzrEUrFE1dlVVO_eFTjHyhfOoV3G65EYZs60IxfMecXzn8zvzHqVg-u1uiGtUW1RbXWmoyiBcIBOZzFZ51dw7pBlyJxjFR0QqH92RqcvT88joARDwlZUnujOiUzNLdM1M/s400/DSC_0491.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE this picture!</td></tr>
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The blog has been quiet lately. I have several big things going on in my heart and head that I will share in due time, but until then, we have pictures of our cute kid.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-45477970458733745792012-04-08T23:17:00.000-05:002012-04-08T23:24:37.946-05:00An Easter Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday was one of those rare Saturdays when we didn't have anything that we <i>had</i> to do. Those only come around about once every three months, but we sure did cherish it. We started the day with friends. Their parents were setting up for our church's Easter service (at the Canon Center), so they came over to play.</div>
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Van set the tent up in the backyard to let it air out after someone had borrowed it. I didn't know this needed to happen (I think maybe he just wanted to set it up), but Van is very particular about caring for his camping equipment! You know, he <i>is</i> an eagle scout. The kids thought the tent was just the best thing ever!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweb-FPyoa88srPv1eKZYcZpODB3HJkxgZG34acmp6c9VqwEtXaJooqB8EtYDCfYdb2gd0vVh3yFu3wqzp5u5974hPUR3sAfvRWNUTnZ1L08MgrbPFzKd-6P4Nu6Q85eFOdPCu4LLehi8/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweb-FPyoa88srPv1eKZYcZpODB3HJkxgZG34acmp6c9VqwEtXaJooqB8EtYDCfYdb2gd0vVh3yFu3wqzp5u5974hPUR3sAfvRWNUTnZ1L08MgrbPFzKd-6P4Nu6Q85eFOdPCu4LLehi8/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fK4NYk-tQQas6qlXX9pKeAaSeI5r-ZTaMuiWNq4q6rNG_fuchtNAplLkO_gDpt-CBiWKYpNhca70-Ai4PgDoEA72ZqIJxEznuFtpxdfWVEHiAqCqkfEOplImYyETSq9DV6GSWPkdfkY/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fK4NYk-tQQas6qlXX9pKeAaSeI5r-ZTaMuiWNq4q6rNG_fuchtNAplLkO_gDpt-CBiWKYpNhca70-Ai4PgDoEA72ZqIJxEznuFtpxdfWVEHiAqCqkfEOplImYyETSq9DV6GSWPkdfkY/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xuxLv50GJOTRRTWIxguAw12GmWQ_0BpdQUwfFlim1g62dsv6IplHAt8coinB2m-NxfPD1e8vnP0UfhUkAE-yAf3sZ1ebCwt5-faZqko_wMWs-TEBtBmgR9NVgkaeYbaRvTyXIH9ueTc/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xuxLv50GJOTRRTWIxguAw12GmWQ_0BpdQUwfFlim1g62dsv6IplHAt8coinB2m-NxfPD1e8vnP0UfhUkAE-yAf3sZ1ebCwt5-faZqko_wMWs-TEBtBmgR9NVgkaeYbaRvTyXIH9ueTc/s400/DSC_0019.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">please ignore her hair, I didn't do anything to it until 4:00</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gQwVmOHF7E7mOZ_aOLVi4IQ2Cms8eaT0rdNC4wb5JR07iqkpg8eYEcIhNLOPt_DCP6uQy7IEEp_t1ii_Mr76cT7oFMGJrKoI7k35CP5JLF5nXY2w89a_hwRIXVJZxwJdEn8Cd2A3X80/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gQwVmOHF7E7mOZ_aOLVi4IQ2Cms8eaT0rdNC4wb5JR07iqkpg8eYEcIhNLOPt_DCP6uQy7IEEp_t1ii_Mr76cT7oFMGJrKoI7k35CP5JLF5nXY2w89a_hwRIXVJZxwJdEn8Cd2A3X80/s400/DSC_0020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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K spent the afternoon napping, I made cookies and caught up on "The Voice" (by caught up, I mean, I am only through the battle rounds, so don't ruin anything for me, and I must say that the judges sent home several of my favorites....shame, and Christina, would you just wear a shirt? Good grief!) while Van spent some time on our yard, our very neglected yard. If anyone wants to give us yard care, we would love it! I'd pay in baked goods. I'm pretty sure that if we didn't live in the 'hood, we would be booted out of the neighborhood. <br />
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We spent our evening at the Levitt Shell for the Drew and Ellie Holcomb Easter Eve concert. We met several of our friends for a potluck picnic, and ran into so many other friends. Apparently it was the place to be on Saturday night. It was a perfect spring evening. (I didn't really get many good pictures, but here are those that I did get)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z0EfRJ5JZY6UXaw2xR4LqK7PPzOPlqiddx2d7J_17gXng8wdaP9nPnC2QPXKbtdpUxxmHL_GnNz5_I9jKsVRCgYI-QwkYjR_XBtL4NWvvf4jElW9LZQpQwTASbai8FXtkgMQ185hCzQ/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z0EfRJ5JZY6UXaw2xR4LqK7PPzOPlqiddx2d7J_17gXng8wdaP9nPnC2QPXKbtdpUxxmHL_GnNz5_I9jKsVRCgYI-QwkYjR_XBtL4NWvvf4jElW9LZQpQwTASbai8FXtkgMQ185hCzQ/s400/DSC_0030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIbtHvYPdI7ysvTRkRcYlZeAFVqMI8IzLn0kCqGmLw0fCeTGPVMSBySz01ukzKRRmu45IxomV87BVrU89PhYXQ5d2x9Dpm3quWL3gB9qMgnB82KUV2-HAhSBkyJX8I582tBc3SXWN35M/s1600/DSC_0032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIbtHvYPdI7ysvTRkRcYlZeAFVqMI8IzLn0kCqGmLw0fCeTGPVMSBySz01ukzKRRmu45IxomV87BVrU89PhYXQ5d2x9Dpm3quWL3gB9qMgnB82KUV2-HAhSBkyJX8I582tBc3SXWN35M/s400/DSC_0032.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">K met her favorite singer/songwriter, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/andrewbestmusic" target="_blank">Andrew Best</a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghWHU_QTnc2hfwCtPKeKN7wZbd_QQ5jy_QYw5P4yl0GJkJq20sjaISG9zrqQ36xP1y-9xW7MVqYFgczhOWmzdCWvFzVbGl-zXNmzkoWVqkYB2xH9fprK9URIkKZZLOLcrZsaUOsBa6nM/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghWHU_QTnc2hfwCtPKeKN7wZbd_QQ5jy_QYw5P4yl0GJkJq20sjaISG9zrqQ36xP1y-9xW7MVqYFgczhOWmzdCWvFzVbGl-zXNmzkoWVqkYB2xH9fprK9URIkKZZLOLcrZsaUOsBa6nM/s400/DSC_0035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFaK28OSfiO9KrMI-jXEK1BCsTnIhp1YZNfjvVyCkeR1-bHNIRH7_TohDTyOzvoByPMouRJi3fA-s5hr0woFZKzECEsxvCEgMi7miJdOyo0ALNGjtKrFb7y0rxa2fVKS0PZ3X0U8hYoU/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFaK28OSfiO9KrMI-jXEK1BCsTnIhp1YZNfjvVyCkeR1-bHNIRH7_TohDTyOzvoByPMouRJi3fA-s5hr0woFZKzECEsxvCEgMi7miJdOyo0ALNGjtKrFb7y0rxa2fVKS0PZ3X0U8hYoU/s400/DSC_0039.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She enjoyed getting to hang out with Miss Abigail again</td></tr>
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This morning we woke up excited to celebrate the Resurrection! K didn't seem very excited though. In fact we thought that her dress made her mad. I say thought, because by this afternoon she had a fever, so maybe it wasn't the dress that was annoying her, but in reality she wasn't feeling well. Poor girl. Also poor girl because look at her Easter "basket." Her mother is just too practical. I couldn't bring myself to buy her candy knowing that I would be the one to eat it. Van just isn't tempted by sweets, and I am trying to keep her from being addicted to such things, so I wouldn't give it to her either. So, no candy. And the "basket" is just a tub. I got her this because I really want her to have a water table, but it seems silly to pay $30 for something that just holds water, so I got her a $5 tub. Not only am I practical, but also cheap! So her "basket" was a tub. She did enjoy the grass though (completely impractical). I'm sure she will think it is awesome when I fill it with water and let her play in it.<br />
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We headed to Easter celebration service where Van and I worked in the nursery. We were in K's class with her. She ended up wanting one of us to be with her the whole time. Oy, this stage can be very frustrating! <br />
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After church we went to my parent's house. She got a proper Easter basket that even had her name on it. We had lunch and an Easter egg hunt. K didn't partake of the egg hunting. By that time she had a fever, so she just sat with Nana, while Van and I competed with my fam for the prizes. We like to think of my parents egg hunts as K's college fund, but this year we did not bring our a-game. Oh well, at least we have 17 more years to prepare, and next year she should be able to help us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this shirt/bow combo so much that she will likely wear it once a week until she grows out of it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg507pCZFh4ZUBf5pFieLzHhyphenhyphenxyay546-oPQFlW7rmSLtkwzIMDVGy47nPJNPULrtMZgrrrw7uF67TYfHwXMEBRZ3xpUvViKVMv6O44QPF_esxKjv-iZijLR0gIM5oaosbuMWXqhtJxOkE/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg507pCZFh4ZUBf5pFieLzHhyphenhyphenxyay546-oPQFlW7rmSLtkwzIMDVGy47nPJNPULrtMZgrrrw7uF67TYfHwXMEBRZ3xpUvViKVMv6O44QPF_esxKjv-iZijLR0gIM5oaosbuMWXqhtJxOkE/s400/DSC_0058.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few minutes after this picture, Van fell asleep and took quite the nap, right in the middle of the chaos.</td></tr>
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By the time we got home her fever was up to 103 in spite of the tylenol in her system. She and Van are both asleep now while I wait for time for her next dose. It seems like these random fevers happen so often, but I'm pretty sure it is just my paranoia. Hopefully she will wake up tomorrow feeling great. And my apologies for all of those that we possibly infected over the past few days.<br />
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This past week we made a point each night to sit down with her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Read-Aloud-Edition/dp/0310726050/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1333944500&sr=8-4" target="_blank">Jesus Storybook Bible</a> and read the Gospel story leading up to today, the resurrection. It was a sweet time even if she was all over the place the whole time. We hope, as she gets older, to introduce more traditions such as this in order to point our celebrations and our lives to Christ.<br />
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He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-63150445009572593892012-03-21T23:28:00.000-05:002012-03-21T23:28:35.792-05:00Birthday Party<br />
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Saturday we celebrated our girl with our family and friends. We all piled into our house; the back yard was a mud pit due to several days of rain before. Thankfully, the ac guy was able to fix our air conditioner right before everyone got here, otherwise it could have gotten a little miserable. Who would have expected to need the ac in the middle of March?</div>
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Aunt Katie made the banner for the kids to color on.</div>
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Van was so sweet. He had the pink roses delivered to Karis on her birthday. He is smitten with his little girl.<br />
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I covered the house in pictures. The guests were instructed to take their favorites home.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Bv8W_G6SgQhf2PX7puplzfnU1W9LUFr4bNzrLmloH2wxLCZ0NoBIbU0wT45BS_CvZ3_MYa-tiuIBXV_0zNtqjx4Vi21wsBIQNv2IXC1_Yf5R3QdwHx9cXFu_VlMFmsZV98w0DRlKCs/s1600/DSC_0400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-Bv8W_G6SgQhf2PX7puplzfnU1W9LUFr4bNzrLmloH2wxLCZ0NoBIbU0wT45BS_CvZ3_MYa-tiuIBXV_0zNtqjx4Vi21wsBIQNv2IXC1_Yf5R3QdwHx9cXFu_VlMFmsZV98w0DRlKCs/s400/DSC_0400.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
That pink balloon stayed floating until last night. She enjoyed it very much.<br />
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Since we have plaster walls, it is hard to temporarily hang things, so I covered our frames with pictures of our girl. I looked a little silly, but I succeeded in covering our wall in Kare.<br />
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Given the amount of time (and balloons) involved in the making of this, it will likely make an appearance at several more birthdays.<br />
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We had bubbles on the porch, but I think this was the only time they were used.</div>
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Bubbles and balloons to take home.<br />
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I had to wake her up from her abnormal morning nap, so she was still holding on to her lovie.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCIvgCFhL8vtsRuMbr2S8MqRAPNB91fdeFMLHD5cmNBSmJ-dl1tmVjkOXwM5Jxa08E_0QxExKzGPMMpdYujZYyWQ4WPF4SIpyjbb_wHr8ZuqqHN2BWLXFKD-GKrdtDi33nTJ_SnXeRyE/s1600/DSC_0417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCIvgCFhL8vtsRuMbr2S8MqRAPNB91fdeFMLHD5cmNBSmJ-dl1tmVjkOXwM5Jxa08E_0QxExKzGPMMpdYujZYyWQ4WPF4SIpyjbb_wHr8ZuqqHN2BWLXFKD-GKrdtDi33nTJ_SnXeRyE/s400/DSC_0417.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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This picture appropriately catches the chaos that was gift opening. How blessed we are to be surrounded by so many little ones. I wouldn't have had it any other way. <img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduRlTU4IE1KkswxYOI3-WipwkD6zYdCqibYZ0d0sO5jpYOu-o_nFUQ68sjn7aQPy1T7sVq_gL5Luqn2O-kaa_ha3AkJeY2LUINCK_Ej3B8-wK_UnAi7_Pge1Ij3QhSHpqDzHABgVghis/s400/DSC_0468.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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Sarah made her this adorable crown!</div>
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Note the line that formed as soon as the slide was assembled.<br />
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She didn't know what to think about the candle.<br />
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She was a dainty eater, and she loved it.<br />
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Here dad, try it.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-83174939732387849272012-03-20T23:12:00.002-05:002012-03-20T23:12:54.772-05:0012 monthsI really want to start this post with something like "It's so hard to believe" or "time has flown!" But that would be cliché. Really, it is hard to believe that she is one year old, but it also feels like she has been a part of our lives forever. Just the other day Van and I had a Saturday morning to ourselves. We got so much done in two hours joking the whole time that less than a year ago that was normal life. It is hard to imagine what we did with ourselves before our Kare girl.<br />
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A little about our one year old...<br />
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She <strike>screams</strike> talks all of the time. It seems as though she is practicing a new sound every day. Today it was "hi." I honestly think that she may have been saying it on purpose. We took an early morning trip to the grocery store and every time we passed by someone (which at 8:30 am isn't very frequently, I'm thinking of making it my normal shopping time) she flashed a big grin and very clearly said, "Hi!" Now, I can't be sure that she knew what she was doing because that was the sound she was practicing for the greater part of the day, but I prefer to believe that she is a genius. She also knows (and appropriately uses, most of the time; in order of frequency) uh oh, dada, and mama. Yep, I come in dead last. At least she isn't saying Boofer yet. She also says something similar to "bye, nana, baba, and yeah" that she sometimes appropriately uses but not often enough for me to think she knows them. And yes, when she practices her words it is very, very loudly.<br />
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While on the topic of volume, she has begun throwing fits. All out, throw myself to the floor, scream at the top of my lungs, fits. It started a few months ago, but the intensity has grown recently. This can come in response to anything: not being able to eat the strawberries in the grocery cart, not being able to hold the keys, being told no, and even having a desire that I can't interpret so it isn't being met. This is incredibly frustrating to me; especially in public, but I refuse to reinforce the behavior with much more than a stern no. Parenting decisions are hard! I have all of the child psychology that I learned in college floating around in my head, but it is so different when it is YOUR child whom you love, want the best for and desperately don't want to mess up! Not to mention it is embarrassing when she's thrashing around.<br />
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She crawls all over the place with incredible speed. And thanks to the uneven thresholds in our house can easily manipulate steps. She cruises and walks behind toys on wheels or while holding our hands. I've caught her standing on her own a few times, but as soon as she realizes what she is doing, she plops down on her butt.<br />
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She dances every time there is any sort of music. It is adorable. She already has better rhythm than Van (don't tell him that though). She loves to swing. Being taken out of the swing, no matter how long she has been in it, produces a fit.<br />
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She recently got a top tooth. The other should be coming in any day now.<br />
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She blows kisses, and kisses her baby doll.<br />
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We flipped her car seat around, which I love. I can see her dancing and singing now. It is adorable!<br />
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She loves to clap and yell Yay!! When she likes something. She also claps and says yay when she is told no and stops whatever she was doing. I've been using positive reinforcement and apparently she gets it, however, it can turn the 'no' into a game.<br />
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She loves to read books with animals in them because I will do animal sounds with her. She tries to make them after me. It is quite adorable.<br />
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Her current favorite food is strawberries. She now refuses to eat anything green. We are in the process of transitioning from the bottle to milk in a sippy cup. So far she won't drink milk out of the cup, but we shall see. It has only been a few days.<br />
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When we went to the dr. her percentages were all in the 70ish percentile, so she is perfectly proportioned.<br />
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The big news is that her feet have finally started to grow. She has worn the same size shoe since at least September if not before (I didn't really put shoes on her before then, so I don't actually know), but even now she still wears a 3 (sometimes a 2, never a 4) which is subtitled 3-6 months for a little perspective. So funny!<br />
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I'm sure that I could go on and on, but there are a few little glimpses into the life of our one-year-old firecracker! I absolutely love being the mom to an active little girl. I miss the infant stage because I'll never get it back, but I adore the energy, excitement over little things, and personality that I'm getting to see now. It is SO much fun!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-90697515401950223122012-03-15T22:32:00.001-05:002012-03-15T22:32:18.617-05:00A birthday, a birthday, la-lalala-lala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And now for a fun post all about the day of Karis complete with lots of pictures, although, since she has gained mobility, it is incredibly hard to get a good picture of her. I am able to get lots of close-ups though!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> first thing in the morning. I love those curls!</td></tr>
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The day started just like any other except that I sang her the birthday song first thing. She appropriately danced to my singing and then clapped when I finished. She is the best audience!<br />
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We put on her birthday shirt and got ready for the day. Nana, Aunt Kasey, Kenzie, Caden and Katie came bearing gifts and doughnuts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caden trying out the "birthday chair"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenzie helped open her presents</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She thanked them with applause.</td></tr>
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When we gave her the doughnut with candle on top she was a bit concerned, but after we blew it out and handed it to her to eat, she decided that birthdays are good. She likes sugar!<br />
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That afternoon we went to Muddy's to get her some birthday cupcakes. I'm making cupcakes for Saturday, so no homemade ones today.<br />
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When Daddy got home we grabbed dinner at Memphis Pizza Cafe where she enjoyed eating our toppings with some goldfish on the side, and then we came home to eat her cupcake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's saying "DADA"</td></tr>
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I had a vision of getting some "good" pictures of her eating her cupcake so we stripped her down and put her to work. Unfortunately it was dark outside (so the lighting was off) and after about 45 seconds she cared more about the camera than the cupcake. Aww good intentions. We had fun though, and that's all that matters.<br />
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Love you baby girl!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0rseKdkNzg8Axh7_ZCfYn6yX6hpermOX_MNY8NLjy6cUeHZFF3QCyqvj_JPIu1C6SfqKKu6YZnAN-BVWOasSgDB5C81honixIu0h0wQEBBUq9u2UxS7WjBYnSlK4_cQbo3TOfCDTZNI/s1600/DSC_0491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0rseKdkNzg8Axh7_ZCfYn6yX6hpermOX_MNY8NLjy6cUeHZFF3QCyqvj_JPIu1C6SfqKKu6YZnAN-BVWOasSgDB5C81honixIu0h0wQEBBUq9u2UxS7WjBYnSlK4_cQbo3TOfCDTZNI/s400/DSC_0491.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-88460470665539984992012-03-15T22:03:00.003-05:002012-03-15T22:03:43.246-05:00A Year Ago Today:A year ago today a baby girl was born just a few miles from our house. We had no idea. We were still mourning the loss of another baby boy. But that night before I went to sleep God whispered a secret in my ear. I didn't know what it meant, but I filed it away for it seemed important. We wouldn't know until three days later that the baby born was our daughter.<br />
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All day today in the midst of celebrating our girl I can't help but think about one year ago today. One year ago our girl was with her biological mother. One year ago that mother made a decision. A decision that changed our lives and hers forever. I wonder how she is today and what she did. I wonder if she thought about us. I wonder if she is mourning. I have to say that I spent part of the day mourning. I didn't expect it, but I did. I cried when I was trying to tell Karis the story of her first birthday because all I have to go by are hospital records and what the social worker told us. I'll never know the whole story of today. I'll never be able to fill in those gaps between now and glorious March 23 when she came home to us. I wasn't there to hold her and kiss her and sing to her in her first hours of life. But through those same tears I am oh so thankful that I got to be there today and hopefully for many more birthdays to come.<br />
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From all of the adoption literature that I read, I knew that birthdays tend to hold a little sadness because they are often the anniversary of a loss. However, I never really thought that it would be my loss that I would mourn. Not to say that my loss of 8 days with my sweet girl even comes close to the loss that her b-mom lives with. Oh how I wish we could meet her and tell her how wonderful K is, and thank her for our beautiful girl. You see, no matter how we look at it we are forever intimately tied to this woman that I've never met. I look for her sometimes at the grocery store or other places around town. I wonder if I would know her; if upon sight I would think, that is my daughters nose or eyes or whatever. Maybe someday she'll choose to meet us. And I am sure if that day were to come I would be a bundle of nerves and temporarily regret my wish to meet her, but I think it would be sweet.<br />
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This adoption world is a whole different world. One that I am glad to live in, but definitely one born out of loss.Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-14400527060068138422012-02-15T22:04:00.000-06:002012-02-15T23:24:30.355-06:0011-months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This girl is 11 months old!</div>
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She is SO much fun!</div>
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And cute! But I'm biased.</div>
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She has really started to enjoy playing with friends...she doesn't like to play alone.</div>
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She is crawling all over the place! Girlfriend is quick! She loves to follow Boof around and try to steal his bone. It's quite funny. Boofer is very patient with her. She pulls up like a champ and cruises, but no steps or standing on her own. She does walk behind her tractor though. </div>
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She has finally started eating again. She took a month off. I joke that she was being super picky and then finally realized that she had to eat what we were giving her or she would starve. Not that you would know it from those cheeks. She is still pretty picky, but she will eat more than goldfish now, so that is good. She loves yogurt, graham crackers, goldfish, any kind of bread, sweet potatoes, black beans (her favorite) and peas. Really it was kind of like one day we had a picky baby, the next we didn't. Crazy girl! Even though she temporarily stopped eating, she didn't stop growing. We went to the doctor last week for some gastrointestinal issues and she weighed in at 22 lbs. 10 oz. She is wearing 12 and 18 month clothes, but still size 2 shoes. Her feet are tiny!</div>
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She talks a lot, very loudly! And she LOVES to dance. She has several musical toys and likes to keep them all singing, especially her elephant. She has a pink elephant that blows balls into the air that she keeps turned on all day long if I'll let her. She crawls over to push the button, and 45 seconds later when it finishes the song, she goes back to push it again. That will go on for a VERY long time. She is very good at figuring out how to make items sing. Any toy or item that makes a melody or beat is explored until she realized just what makes the noise happen and that action is repeated over and over. She dances standing, she dances sitting, she dances! It cracks me up. She claps and loves to play patty-cake, or any of the finger play games. She doesn't love to read, but doesn't seem to hate it, so we persevere in hopes of creating a reader.</div>
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She is sleeping through the night again. Hallelujah!! (knock on wood) Mainly because we finally got tired enough to let her cry for a while and learn how to put herself back to sleep. That was not fun, but worth it. We are all happier for it!</div>
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She is getting her top two teeth. Today they started to peek through the gums, so she's been cranky and I'm just hoping that they will come through quickly.</div>
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She has had a seemingly constant runny nose, but I hear that is just part of winter. A gross part of winter, but, oh well. Her hair has gotten so long that people ask when I'm going to cut it. So, to answer that question, I'm not. At least not for a while. I'm sure we will trim it at some point, I have noticed that the ends are looking rough, but I want her hair to grow! I'm okay with it being long. In fact I would much rather it be long than shorter that way we can pull it back or braid it or whatever instead of just the fro with bow.</div>
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Happy 11 months sweet girl! You make my days so fun!</div>
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<br />Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-10471714038256549932012-02-15T21:32:00.000-06:002012-02-15T21:32:07.941-06:00Remembering Valentine's pastIn the past few years I have definitely mellowed out about Valentines Day. As a teenager/pre-married person I had great visions of V-day being so romantic and special every year. Flowers, chocolate, dressed up dinners out, etc. I must say I'm glad I've let go of those expectations. <br />
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The letting go started 6 years ago on the first V-day that Van and I were interested in one another. He had called me every night for two months, but it wasn't official that we were an item. We hadn't even seen each other in 2 months, but I assumed that we were kind of dating. I thought it was an acceptable assumption since he called EVERY night at 9:00 (that is when my unlimited minutes kicked in, oh the old days). The big day, Feb. 14 came and all that arrived was a facebook message that said something like "Happy card company conspiracy day." To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.<br />
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This year I woke up to roses (so sweet) and a diet coke (because he knows me). I made his favorite dinner, and we put K to bed early so that we could actually eat it and have a conversation at the same time. It was nice.<br />
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According to my expectations of old, it would have been a little disappointing, but I wouldn't have traded it for a big to-do. We have found the comfortable middle ground of Van's altogether avoidance of the day and my over-the-top celebration. Marriage is sweet that way, the mingling of two very different people to make a family.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Happy Valentine's Day from the Thompsons</span></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-81403808371280430972012-02-08T10:26:00.001-06:002012-02-08T10:26:49.385-06:00Warning---A Mom PostI've been watching a lot of HGTV and spending too much time on the Crye Leike website. It is actually so serious that when driving around town I like to point to houses and tell how much they cost. Yes I have a problem! <br />
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What, you may be asking, is causing this discontent with our current home? There are many things about our house that I would change: lack of storage space (I currently just rid us of excess approximately once a month, not a bad habit), a small, ugly kitchen that at the very least needs a paint job, old house=no insulation=cold house... I could go on, but I won't because it isn't healthy. <br />
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What is about to push me over the edge though, is that the only shower in the house backs up to K's room waking her up whenever anyone showers after 6:00 am. This usually doesn't affect Van because he showers at 5:30, I think maybe because it is still dark it doesn't bother her, I don't know. All I know is that it makes it impossible for me to wake up and get myself ready for the day before my child. (Yes it is impossible for me to get up before 6 because I have another problem: being a night owl. It is physically impossible for me to go to sleep before midnight, most nights its even later than that.)<br />
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On the days when I don't shower (yes those days occur) she will sleep until 8:30-9:00. It is beautiful. I can wake up, eat breakfast, read, and basically get excited about her getting up all before she does. On the days I need a shower, I try to get up before her, but inevitably when I'm all shampooed I hear my screaming child, so I shower as quickly as humanly possible, wrap a towel around myself and head to her room dripping and slightly frazzled (due to the screaming). And since my baby needs to be cuddled for a minimum of 15 minutes upon waking I can either deal with the screaming while I dress and dry my hair or choose to forego the process of getting myself ready and once I do try to make myself look presentable, I have to try and keep her from eating the bathroom trash or other equally important things.<br />
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This also presents the nap schedule problem. If she wakes up at 7, she is ready for a nap at 10 or 10:30, but if she wakes up at 9, she doesn't want a nap until 12. This has all really only become a problem since she started crawling because I used to just put her in her bumbo on the bathroom floor while I showered. Now that is for sure not an option.<br />
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Help! Anyone have any suggestions that don't require adding on to our current house or moving?Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-5148917162372391122012-01-16T21:29:00.003-06:002012-01-16T22:01:02.931-06:00Zoo Lights--Family Night<div style="text-align: center;">We tried and tried to go to Zoo Lights as a holiday family fun night, unfortunately Van had a very busy month at work that made it extremely hard to make happen. So one night, Van made it home around 6:30 and even though it was COLD we headed out to see the lights, not knowing if we'd get another chance.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdTasKEx-Jo7KHYguZm0Sp_4_FMNr9A1U3FJEU0RqhTUkV8GB2qn9JXHvkVrt_uHmxSmSHcrGq77UUcvPaESfFGrBvBjA-cWdArL6oV6RGMfxMTRkCzpapR53jsIcqnDoMGDmuLEHIgY/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdTasKEx-Jo7KHYguZm0Sp_4_FMNr9A1U3FJEU0RqhTUkV8GB2qn9JXHvkVrt_uHmxSmSHcrGq77UUcvPaESfFGrBvBjA-cWdArL6oV6RGMfxMTRkCzpapR53jsIcqnDoMGDmuLEHIgY/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698441920550801890" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJn1euNsD0THThMU_ndVrMSy8vNcn1_n-oxkmbkpFbpHPwIt2fJFHUM5HppDdwH8TsNhv3SI170B5SsdFLbIRNjXXg5EZTX3q8GXmRw7CMiNSdS_Le3uvNvln_s7gNfK4zS6Mms7mei8/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJn1euNsD0THThMU_ndVrMSy8vNcn1_n-oxkmbkpFbpHPwIt2fJFHUM5HppDdwH8TsNhv3SI170B5SsdFLbIRNjXXg5EZTX3q8GXmRw7CMiNSdS_Le3uvNvln_s7gNfK4zS6Mms7mei8/s400/DSC_0019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698441905220385442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o1cZ3xihEdaPnOMPP8p3FB8JSQNBAhIoRI323kbfPpHgxnJsXZk68LKjQdknSwBjdRzICyYawManO8OEUUZQDrHBf4HS_EYuxWWMA0VSN5x_lfUUTlvVffns-_eEb772WFrieawkMII/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o1cZ3xihEdaPnOMPP8p3FB8JSQNBAhIoRI323kbfPpHgxnJsXZk68LKjQdknSwBjdRzICyYawManO8OEUUZQDrHBf4HS_EYuxWWMA0VSN5x_lfUUTlvVffns-_eEb772WFrieawkMII/s400/DSC_0013.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698441886854774658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42OfbR4tsFhah-4xkOnvnUCbne3SEqGEGD4-VfxNcwvW4kUMgl6z29dCitxYbW0dsl4wAJRBVYalecseaadbVYKZrEL7JgNAIsnqAKAFY4W2thagCK40Opu1CB-RuYzxnLZ6OJn1blfg/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42OfbR4tsFhah-4xkOnvnUCbne3SEqGEGD4-VfxNcwvW4kUMgl6z29dCitxYbW0dsl4wAJRBVYalecseaadbVYKZrEL7JgNAIsnqAKAFY4W2thagCK40Opu1CB-RuYzxnLZ6OJn1blfg/s400/DSC_0009.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698441881886287042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " /></a></div><div>We ended up being some of the only crazies braving the cold night, but we didn't have to fight the crowds. Afterward we headed to Fresh Slices for dinner and had a wonderful night together.</div></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-75058598318468128362012-01-16T21:01:00.003-06:002012-01-16T21:21:08.369-06:009 Months (a full month late)<div style="text-align: center;">Its been so long and she's changed so much, but I'm trying to remember just what she was like.</div><div><br /></div><div>She was adorable, that I'm sure of. She wasn't crawling yet, but liked to pull up on things; only to her knees. Still said "dada" and "nana" and "baba" but no "mama." ITs killing me! </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H4BlFuLvWS8wEG-WtpJR2aGRN5No0RDK_otjDYrKGZ7jvzTigteZQorpUpUhs2v_PtV5Wcb9ZY-3VnGmR632ceEBqfvWLCynGCudtcYWW7_f8JMO-PuQ5bGuIMvXLfGtltha7SIFbe0/s400/IMG_0771.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698435006521235074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>She greeted people with a scrunch of her nose that looked like she's smelling something stinky, but I'm pretty sure she thought she was smiling. She screamed a lot!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKC3a2Qr2qwsJYs9Vu3CMuWuuxG-_Jk8DXw4G3PHGJBdRC6fsi7LPuiN_4-use9zEYKHuvk5sDDjpl497TNJSY9oAKK_CPj2UufRsEKPwjz2QGKFH00s-zgfU7oJmHLK-k-nqGLuTjw4/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698435010748405234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>A few weeks before she had gone on strike from eating anything from a spoon except yogurt. I mentioned it to the doctor at her 9-month check-up and he suggested that maybe she was just tired of baby food. When we got home from her appt. I gave her some real food and she loved it, eating an entire slice of turkey, slice of cheese and a few crackers. Since then, she has preferred her green vegetables and breads or crackers and now refuses yogurt too.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2TO_LFj7cgirbunFwahRqXti8e6uypjhP9MDyIEPlUV0aZsFeZCyAwf_PjlnLUZx2Z-voGEQvxP6-JRPq3-sawaVg2y_dfY4Sg7x75Df43sOBlwpJJXMZpjXFiNae8SffpWNfFjIS_8/s400/IMG_0772.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698435022922712354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>At her 9-month appt she very much enjoyed the mirror. I'm sort of considering mirroring her room. Okay maybe not, but she would love it!</div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-81641127156230486392012-01-16T20:33:00.003-06:002012-01-16T21:01:02.506-06:00A pinterest inspired Christmas gift<div>So I've pinned approximately 107 crafts to my "Crafty" pinboard. I finally did one of them for a gift for Van's dad otherwise known as "Pop."</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvx9mEjVORDBr6798j-wFw-ays8fZEePL7lyCe66s11HJEkvUsjocJoUbNonaZTU-vVuxV9YFTvwXgV4yVyjf5eAroC6E0dwlPEUr_WeunWZ6yIMs2wohE-tbfwc1kgausG3063t4MAxM/s400/IMG_0770.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698427769075876930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px; " /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJ9od2LpfRaPKDp0nBDN81jVwKT_vxCoS14x4-yDyQuox1I_7W2BJef7akemQym_tQAv08DnJmXiDBmMyDDituYWpO6-5MiyQ_kSRAaAcQZU7UCPYlhaBX57ArEAWRKKv_nbbnD1bOgg/s1600/DSC_0114.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJ9od2LpfRaPKDp0nBDN81jVwKT_vxCoS14x4-yDyQuox1I_7W2BJef7akemQym_tQAv08DnJmXiDBmMyDDituYWpO6-5MiyQ_kSRAaAcQZU7UCPYlhaBX57ArEAWRKKv_nbbnD1bOgg/s400/DSC_0114.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698429326396823458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu4UaaEZGT3-7Fz39xnKHVQl3RAFayTZfbQTIoaE1KgI9SDYRjuByQKouhjudaNJOo1GkzMAhADiDZJK40qah9qbDJ5oQ-2JODnRyJNOFCDZqRf3ZmnVG85QN43rYHPrhpzD-MXDlgXQ/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu4UaaEZGT3-7Fz39xnKHVQl3RAFayTZfbQTIoaE1KgI9SDYRjuByQKouhjudaNJOo1GkzMAhADiDZJK40qah9qbDJ5oQ-2JODnRyJNOFCDZqRf3ZmnVG85QN43rYHPrhpzD-MXDlgXQ/s400/DSC_0042.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698429319240374706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUL1QAZ4doEORkHIuBQlyJ1BDuW2LaH8jKnDp2XGj0HbzVBlVY-R-2y37pVQW1qAhBbFI8sFqORwhEIJKi9CeQKhkF22RN1lD7TBDV1ZTdD6tzZCaGXSM3UEsXjbRRkqa37o9BuRqmts/s1600/DSC_0056.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUL1QAZ4doEORkHIuBQlyJ1BDuW2LaH8jKnDp2XGj0HbzVBlVY-R-2y37pVQW1qAhBbFI8sFqORwhEIJKi9CeQKhkF22RN1lD7TBDV1ZTdD6tzZCaGXSM3UEsXjbRRkqa37o9BuRqmts/s400/DSC_0056.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698427804267385874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AChuVRz-F_qwNtUalv9fWNqqPCHbc571Ykz494bZBbfoucVZu7fZ2DIeSD3S4iUSTeWsAXy12jw9cC8MHFMfVoqjjiCpw0isrMdiQC0p6Kq0MgFYm9cmnQFzs7E1ccpYsjqxEOKtmWc/s1600/DSC_0057.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AChuVRz-F_qwNtUalv9fWNqqPCHbc571Ykz494bZBbfoucVZu7fZ2DIeSD3S4iUSTeWsAXy12jw9cC8MHFMfVoqjjiCpw0isrMdiQC0p6Kq0MgFYm9cmnQFzs7E1ccpYsjqxEOKtmWc/s400/DSC_0057.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698427798110547298" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7EtGEFuG2T2nd-VAtMCbz7rXfulWoGWSH_tHUE1MN_IVLhYZ3OslcLtKBM0zz_kafY2MKxppEEPX8jesyUz-7fiQ901dTeAy-whQ-wfpa_jO0X-7WOE8g8PHt9kc0d3OZDYfqEIsxZ4/s1600/DSC_0027.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7EtGEFuG2T2nd-VAtMCbz7rXfulWoGWSH_tHUE1MN_IVLhYZ3OslcLtKBM0zz_kafY2MKxppEEPX8jesyUz-7fiQ901dTeAy-whQ-wfpa_jO0X-7WOE8g8PHt9kc0d3OZDYfqEIsxZ4/s400/DSC_0027.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698427783014267762" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9dd9HIK70RNmY3hAn1CloOxH6njdaFox3ekwlBtN1n42qRuaJSFkB__fpT2t-bPO48coaSl7wy_uKRnZ_4oA9eJ50M_SISt1ViYgg5qb52ndul4Y5cAk5B-B1gcivBf92pxTNMiRLEo/s1600/DSC_0016.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9dd9HIK70RNmY3hAn1CloOxH6njdaFox3ekwlBtN1n42qRuaJSFkB__fpT2t-bPO48coaSl7wy_uKRnZ_4oA9eJ50M_SISt1ViYgg5qb52ndul4Y5cAk5B-B1gcivBf92pxTNMiRLEo/s400/DSC_0016.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698427774966362258" /></a>Cutie patooties!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4284445430798660067.post-14711473687787659312012-01-16T15:46:00.003-06:002012-01-16T16:55:46.316-06:00An MLK day post<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhYfcGUB5wKRxHGLKblyLh5gDGskeN3iNABkt5p5dAFmxIUJOe32-zq0mcxE2O4I1rGGeSp8-6iZWE7A_lhlg3aHsF8wthuKHbLTBquGj7AJuXpMsZDdBVlVEu7Pn6q1P9BqXr8IOUI/s1600/photo-17.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Happy MLK day. I hope that you have spent some time reflecting on today's meaning. I will honestly say (ashamedly) that I have respected this holiday more today than I ever have before, and it has to do with how racism now affects my life. <div><br /></div><div>Until the past year or so I thought I was educated about racial matters and understood what racism in the U.S. looks like, but I was wrong. Yes, I could point it out in broad sweeping occasions like schools and neighborhoods, but as far as seeing it in people's hearts, well I had no idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, I'm not quite sure) over the past year I have seen it in people around me. In those that I am close with and those that I speak with in passing and even in my own heart. And I must say, it makes my heart sick. Growing up I thought of racism as an extremist point of view, but really it is quite subtle, quite dangerous.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday's sermon at Fellowship was about race relations. It was great! I would highly recommend you take an hour (yes we have hour long sermons--aren't we holy) and listen to/watch it.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fellowshipmemphis.org/media/saving-the-saved-crossing-summer/">Here is a link to it if you're interested.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I just want to mention that it is called "Crossing Summer." We live on the "wrong" side of Summer. Just thought it was funny. </div><div><br /></div><div>In case you don't click on the above link, I'm going to share a little of it from my sermon notes. Please read through this and genuinely think about it. <i>All credit for these thoughts goes to Bryan Loritts--I'm just loosely quoting him.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Racism is a disposition of superiority that is directly tied to a persons ethnicity.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Questions to ask yourself regarding racism in your own heart</b></div><div><ul><li>What do you really think or express in your safest moments? <i>Stereotypes in your mind, jokes with friends, etc.</i></li><li>Do you assume the worst of the other? </li><li>Is there service without brotherhood? <i>Do you serve those of another race without having a genuine relationship with them?</i></li><li>What angers you the most and why? <i>This is my thought, but why are you so mad at Obama?</i></li><li>Do you engage with or avoid the other?</li></ul><div>A racist person is one who does not have authentic relations with the other. This won't just happen, you must be intentional about it. We must be willing to embrace discomfort.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Here are a few examples of how people have unknowingly shown me their hearts towards African Americans.</div><div><ul><li>After showing a woman a picture of my daughter, she didn't say aww she's cute or anything like that, she pointed across the room at a black woman and said, "I used to work with her and she is very professional and intelligent." As if to assure me that it was okay that my child is black, she still has a chance at intelligence. It was all I could do not to slap her. I just moved away. But it gave me a glimpse of what K and African American people have to overcome to be successful. ARGH! I get mad just thinking about it.</li><li>K was dressed all cute and Christmasy and we ran into a family friend. She commented on how cute K was in her Christmas attire and then proceeded to tell a story about how many of "those kids" have never even gotten to sit on Santa's lap. <i>the horror!</i> I smiled and nodded and walked away neglecting to tell her that K had not gotten her picture with Santa. </li></ul><div>As I am typing out these examples, I can't help but wonder if I should have pointed out how their words sound and what they are really saying. Both of these are examples of people just trying to make small talk, so I hesitated to take it into anything more, but... What is my role? I have a unique situation of being white, "safe," so people think they can say things to me that they otherwise wouldn't say in front of a person of color, but I see the meaning behind those words, what those words say about their true thoughts about African Americans. Hmmm...thoughts?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>And a picture as thanks for making it to the end. Our little cutie in the dress her Pawpaw brought her from Africa.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhYfcGUB5wKRxHGLKblyLh5gDGskeN3iNABkt5p5dAFmxIUJOe32-zq0mcxE2O4I1rGGeSp8-6iZWE7A_lhlg3aHsF8wthuKHbLTBquGj7AJuXpMsZDdBVlVEu7Pn6q1P9BqXr8IOUI/s400/photo-17.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698365986095484130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03879311565170059779noreply@blogger.com1