i am

photo taken by brynee

i am the lucky mommy of Brynlee and Jace
i am a wife, a sweetheart, a soul mate to my very best friend
i am a daughter to the most remarkable parents
i am a mormon
i am a teacher for a group of 16-18 year old girls
i am my family's self-proclaimed record keeper
i am the sole member of my kid's momarazzi
i am co-captain of team [insert last name]
i am a sister, an aunt, a granddaughter, a sister-in-law
i am a cook/chef/baker forever in training
i am a believer in Christ
i am employed as a housewife
i am very proud of my career choice
i am living my very own love story
i am an optimist
i am a recovering diet coke-aholic
i am a pretend interior decorator
i am a housecleaner, and a clothes washer, and a dish doer
i am a country girl at heart
i am an unemployed cosmetologist
i am a college graduate
i am a hobbyist blogger
i am an organizer
i am the bill payer, but not the money maker
i am an obsessive list maker
i am an extrovert, sometimes excessively; occasionally minimally
i am a friend
i am an over-analyzer
i am creative in my own right
i am a walking fashion faux pas
i am a queen of good intentions
i am a family girl true blue
i am a leader
i am a master of none
i am stubborn
i am a busy body
i am a conversationalist
i am me
i am kimberlee
i am proud

Oh My Quotable Wednesday: Time

a family photo taken yesterday at the top of the sledding hill.

kiMs-kaM© :: The one where Bryn does a front handspring.

You know what my blogs lacking?

Well aside from perfectly executed tutorials, professional self-taken pictures, fantastic giveaways, pizzazz, correct grammar, properly used commas and, you know {inhale. exhale} coherent thoughts.

Video. I think my blog need more video.

Actually, the need for video never crossed my mind. But then I had a thought while I was video recording* Spencer throwing the kids in the air. {This life of mine, it's fabulous indeed}. Wouldn't it be fun if I had my own cam? You know, like the type of cam that you see on TV. Where one of the hosts slash contestants slash late night TV correspondents goes around recording video with their very own camera. Resulting in an output that has poorer quality than the rest of the show and has Paige's Cam or Ross's Cam or Whoever's Cam in gray lettering down on the bottom of the screen?

Kelly, from Live with Regis and Kelly, has one. Kelly's Cam. And let's be honest, I'm juuusssst about as classy as Kelly {she says as she adjusts her sports bra and wipes toddler pudding hand prints off of her faded hooded sweater} {the same sweater she wore yesterday} {and quite possibly the same sweater she wore to a high school football game back in 1998}.

{Go Wildcats!}.

To be honest, I'm not 100% certain that Kelly actually has a cam since I haven't seen the show in years, but I do remember one episode where she did. Or at least I think I remember an episode where she did. Yeah, I'm about 67% certain she had a cam.

Please don't use anything on this blog as hard evidence.

So, without further ado, welcome to my very first installment of kiMs-kaM©: a segment** where I video record completely uneventful and everyday stuff that takes place in this unedited household of ours and then put the kiMs-kaM© logo on the bottom of the screen in pink lettering and post it here on this unedited blog, the one that's read by tens of tens of people every few days, and then act like it's semi-breaking news and something that my three readers {hey dad} would be remotely interested in viewing.

Doesn't it sound like a hoot!

Kelly would be so jealous.

Oh and by the way, see how I changed the "c" on cam to a "k" so it matched the Kim. Tricky, eh. Practically ingenious really. All this creativity of mine, it hard to keep bottled up. It's bizarre that I've yet to be discovered. I'm not sure who I've yet to be discovered by. But if the poor quality {and relatively boring material} of the kiMs-kaM© video isn't enough to guarantee I'm soon to be featured on a reality show on MTV, then the faded and pudding stained sweater certainly seals my fate.

See for yourself. The very first episode of kiMs-kaM©. The one where Bryn does a front handspring.

Oh but one more thing, this is actually my second attempt at episode one of kiMs-kaM©. My first attempt was to be titled the one where we play the 'mean doggy game'. I put it all together and was ready to publish it. I watched it one.last.time and then decided against it. My laugh, people. I swear it sounds worse in video. There is no way it sounds like that in real life. Please tell me it doesn't sound like that in real life. Please. 

Anyway, since I had already written the blog post and didn't want it to die a quick death with all other unpublished posts, and because I knew Spence was going to be so proud of the static I put on the video. . . without his help. . . I grabbed a second video that just happened to be saved to my desktop. This one is short and sweet. But no laugh, so I felt safe. And so should you.

*Does calling it video recording make me sound like I'm sixty plus years old? What are you supposed to call it? Camcorder-ing? Shooting video? Recording? Video camera-ing? Do tell.
**I use the word segment loosely. Meaning this might very well be a stand alone blog post in a nonexistent segment called kiMs-kaM©. Or maybe, I'll post one now and then six months from now I'll bring back the kiMs-kaM©. Or maybe I'll go all excessive and over the top {I've been known to do that} and start video recording all manner of needless and unwarranted activity with my kiMs-kaM©. But whatever the results, isn't kiMs-kaM© sort of fun to say. Kind of like tim tam. Or jib jab.

Wow! I'm tired.

And a bit loopy. I'm off to bed.

Guest Post: The potty trainee.

Hey guys. Jace here.

Don't know if mom mentioned anything to you or not, but she's got me learning to use the big potty. She says that all the cool kids are doing it. Whatever. It's actually not that bad. Mom made me this sweet little dino potty chart and every time I go potty on the big potty we jump up and down, and celebrate and stuff and then I get to put a sticker on my chart. And then when the charts full of stickers I get to pick out a new prize at the store. So that parts pretty cool, I guess. Dinosaurs or candy is my price of choice.

But she asks me like a hundred thousand times a day if I have to use the bathroom. And I'm all 'gosh mom, enough already' she really needs to chill. She sent me to bed last night in my big boy underwear. She says that we are completely done with diapers. FOREVER! She's so bossy. Although she was pretty proud yesterday when we went grocery shopping for like twelve hours, then went visiting teaching for like twelve hours {those ladies can talk} and I didn't even have an accident. She let me have two stickers for the accomplishment! I've figured out how to work the system, haven't I?

Oh and you wanna know what? This potty training business is ex.hau.sting! Life was so much simpler when I got to wear diapers. All the change has me completely worn out.

Until next time,

Jace Buddy 

The tale of two kites and a January wind storm.

Brynlee's been dreaming of spring as of late.

A weekend rainstorm washed away all of our remaining winter snow.

And now with grass in sight, spring seems to be mocking her.

Taunting her with all the fun spring activities that must wait by the sidelines for winters end.

On Monday we woke up to a wind storm.
Momma, Brynlee asked over breakfast, can we fly kites today?

Oh, that sounds fun, I answered.

But what I meant was, um. probably not but thanks for the suggestion.

It is January after all.

It's freezing.

And the wind storm outside wasn't a fly a kite kind of wind.

But rather a say a prayer that your roof doesn't get blown off your house kind of wind.

We ran errands most the day.

And we got home just in time for me to whip up something to feed the clan for dinner.

Brynlee shouted from the other room, "Mom, can I be in charge of the activity for Family o'evening.

Sure, I agreed. Because no family can ever create too many four-year-old instructed paper crafts.
 

Paper crafts? Not one bit what she had in mind.

Instead we postponed dinner, gathered winter coats and kites and headed to the snowless sledding hill.

It was freezing.

It was windy.

It was so much fun.

Everyone should fly kites,

at dark,

in January,

in the middle of a blow your roof off your house kind of windstorm.

Brynlee flew her kite unassisted.

Even when the wind got wild.

And Jace ran around like a wild banshee trying to catch his Toy Story kite.

Giggling all the while.

Then Jace lost his glove.

And since you can't fly kites, in January, with only one glove.

And you can't find a missing glove, in January, in the evening winter darkness.

We wrestled with the wind to retrieve our flying kites, and called it a night.

And a fun one at that.

I think I'll let Bryn be in charge of the activity next week too.

Photo Album: Kate's Wedding

12 on the 12th [The January Chapter]

Okay, so this is how the story goes.

Back in January {January of 2010 mind you} my friend Miranda, of Narrating Life, joined in on this 12 on the 12^th photo challenge. And I was all, "Oh my gosh, rad.  How fun! Count me in." And then it was February, and I didn't join in. But March, March was going to be my month. March came and went and alas no 12 on the 12^th. But April, April would be my big start. And, well, then it was December, and you get the point.

And now here it is January, again. And I'm going to do it.

You should do it to. More info here.
And more 12 on the 12^th links here.

1. Cleaned out the guest bedroom closet. The hot rollers and I were reunited after years of collecting dust on the top shelf. I was missing them and I didn't even know it.
2. Another sticker on the potty chart. That makes twelve successes.
3. Stopped by Z-cakes for a quick play date for the kids and a slice of the epic cake for me. Who am I kidding? We stopped by solely for the cake. The play date was just an add-on.
4. $150.00 dollars later. It's a goal of mine to {someday} spend less than $100.00 on a shopping trip to Costco's. I set lofty goals.
5. A check-up. Oh my heck, you guys. I forgot to tell you that my obgyn saw me naked. Not like the usual kind of obgyn kind of naked. But naked, naked. Like he walks in and I was standing there naked. That kind of naked.
6. Back to School day for Spencer, today marks the beginning of his journey to a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering.
7. Its Wednesday aka library day.
8. One of my favorite parts of winter: our roasty, toasty fireplace. A real fireplace. One that needs kindling, old newsprints and a prayer to get started. The first winter we lived in the house I wouldn't use it. "To dirty", I reasoned. Glad I gave in.
9. Blow drying little pony's hair after bathtime.
10. Dang! It's increasing. Sold the stock too soon.
11. Colorful artwork.
12. Scripture study before bedtime.

Oh My Quotable Wednesday: Kids

In 2010 . . .

Brynlee took gymnastics.
And won a coloring contest.
Jace moved to a big boy bed.
And learned the colors names.
Jaelynn became the sixth sister.
And Jake married our roommate.
Jace found a new love, dinosaurs.
Bryn learned to flip on the tramp.
And ride a bike with only 2 wheels.
We rode in a limo, Las Vegas style.
I survived my 10 year class reunion.
We took a trip to Lagoon with the gang.
And Thanksgiving Point at Christmas time.
Spencer and I became wildly addicted to Lost.
We built a snowman that measured nine feet high.
Brynlee graduated from pre-school with Miss Jenni.
Then started pre-school with the fabulous Miss Lori.
We made a potty chart and Jace started potty training.
We became one of those families and bought a minivan.
Brynlee cried through two sessions of swimming lessons.
We turned the big two, four, twenty-eight and thirty-two.
Jace learned to talk, which unveiled his adorable sense of humor.
We became a construction crew and remodeled our master bathroom.
Brynlee learned how to play The New Super Mario Brothers on the Wii.
We {painstakingly} overcame Brynlee's battle of I'm-not-wearing-panties.
Yet, 9 month later, haven't overcome Jace's battle of I'm-not-going-to-nursery.
Jace, the trampoline and a pair of Spiderman snow boots managed to break an arm.
We dreamt of a third, celebrated the good news, then cried with the miscarriage blues!

Twenty-ten was a great year.

With a little taste of everything.

We laughed loud {need I mention, because that's how I laugh}!

We cried real tears. For real reasons.

We played, worked and then played some more.

We fought tough battles. And even won some of them.

We loved. We grew.
We lived.

And really, what more can you ask for.

Welcome 2011. I already like you.

At the park.

Celebrating Spence's birthday in style.

Discovering a caterpillar on a day trip to a neighboring town.

Jace and his broken arm at the Dino Museum in Thanksgiving Point.

Oh My Quotable Wednesday: Dream

Photo Album: 16 snapshots of Christmas

01.  christmas greetings from near and far.
02.  my husband cracks me up. always and forever.

03.  see what i mean. i love him.
04.  awaiting st. nick.

05.  gingerbread ornaments to adorn the toy room christmas tree. 
a tradition borrowed years ago from my big sis, jessica. a now favorite tradition of our very own.

06.  a winter wonderland on my eculypus topiary. a picture reminder to bring them inside next snowy season.
07.  darling christmas carolers at our front door.

08.  sprinkling food for santa's team.
09.  one of my favorites: the gingeralien.

10.  a new twenty-ten christmas ornament for my brynlee. it's mario.
11.  and a buddy dinosaur with a broken arm for my jace buddy.
12.  my love.

13.  christmas morning.
14.  brynlee on a tower of pink christmas loot.

15.  when daddy's home.
16.  a snowbaby crafted by brynlee.

‘Tis the Season

Spence was excited about our gingerbread house.  Or something.

I spent the entire day in my pajamas yesterday. Again. It was sort of the unofficial theme of this Holiday season. I used the day to rid my house of dust bunnies and Christmas decorations. It took all day, too. Every year I vow not to put out as much Christmas decor, but then every year after Thanksgiving I get caught up in the festivities and decided to just hang one more strand of lights and place one more cute little snowman on the hutch and what's one more glass bowl of ornaments going to hurt. There glitter, it would be a shame not to put out the glitter ornaments. While I filled red and green totes with glittery bulbs, Christmas tree skirts and mistletoe the kids ate the {33 day old} Gingerbread Ornaments off the tree in the toy room. Then Spencer and Brynlee read the Christmas cards one last time and the Gingerbread House found a nice little spot in the big green trash can in the garage. I can't believe Christmas has already came and gone. Another season, another year, finished.

Tomorrow it's time to return to real live. A life that requires me to wear pants that button {heaven, help me!} and a life that requires Spencer to go to work. Gah. Life has been so crazy and busy, that his two weeks went faster than . . . well, I'm not sure what it went faster than, but it suffices to say that it went dang fast.

Spencer mentioned last night that we needed to make our New Year's Resolutions. And we will soon enough. I just need time to think. I hate to jump head first into such commitments. I've got to make a few rough draft lists, weigh all possibilities and consequences, eat the last of the sausage dip and Almond Roca, try to squeeze myself into a pair of pants that don't have an elastic waist and then I'll think about setting a few goals.

We spent New Year's with Spencer's old roommate, Joe, and his wife and kids. We played cards, ate junk food, drank {Mormon} bubbly and kissed when the clock struck midnight. Spence and I kissed. Not Joe and I. Just in case you needed clarification. It was so fun to have them over. Joe is hilarious, a hoot, completely and totally out of control! Anyways, he hasn't changed a bit. I'm glad he hasn't, too. The world needs more Joe's. And if there were more Joe's, there would also need to be more of his cute wife, Melissa, in order to keep all the Joe's grounded. I wish they lived closer. And I wish I would have at least taken one picture while we were together for New Years.

A few other thinks I've yet to blog about:

• Jace got his cast off.  Did I ever tell you that? Well if not, now I have. The cast is off. I repeat the cast is off. Good for him.  Awesome for me.  I no longer have to wrap his robot arm in a washcloth, topped with a plastic bag held in place with half a roll of duct tape and then sit uncomfortably by the side of the tub holding his arm out of the water for the entirety of his bath time.  It was really starting to cramp my "hey kids get in the bathtub so mama can have a little free time" game plan.
• Spencer told the story of the first Christmas for FHE using the Little People Nativity as props. My favorite line: The star was kind of like the wise men's Miss Garmin. {Miss Garmin is the nickname given to our GPS.}
• Brynlee bore her testimony in church today. Oh. My. Heck! My heart. Seriously child, what do you want? Name it; it's yours. That little girl. . . I love her more than my luggage.
• We got Christmas caroled by a group of families in our ward/neighborhood a week or so before Christmas. Brynlee thought Christmas caroling was just about the neatest thing ever {after her unicorn pillowpet, of course}. She begged for us to go carol the neighbors. Me, Spence, Brynlee & Jace caroling the neighbors would have been quite a sight. And quite a sound! I told her that next year we would get a couple families together to go Christmas caroling as a group, but this year we took turns ringing our own door bell and Christmas caroling each other. Brynlee and I standing on the door step, freezing, singing Christmas carols to Spencer and Jace might be one of my favorite memories of this Christmas season.
• I got a food processor for Christmas. I heart it!
• Christmas is so magical. Especially with a four year old and a two year old. I hope I never forget the way their little faces lit up on Christmas morning. I don't think I will.

I hope your Christmas season was just as magical, and I'm willing to bet that it was. Best wishes on returning to real life tomorrow. Let's start 2011 off with a bang.

Us on Christmas Eve.  Poor Brynlee was sick.

The Adventures of Batman & Diaper Boy

That one episode where the camera lady gets rammed in the gut!

Happy brand New Year, my friends. It's gonna be a good one, I just know it.

Post(s) to come:

Christmas, New Years and

some sort of twenty-ten wrap up.