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Monday, June 28, 2010
Playing Together
I got this little toy fire engine for $3 at a garage sale in the spring and from the moment I walked in the door with it, it was love at first sight for Jack and Cullen. They love turning the siren on, starting the engine, honking the horn and making pretend phone calls from it. In fact they love those noises so much I'm thinking it might be best for my sanity to not replace the batteries once they die- which will probably be soon at the rate they play with it. And although this toy has been the cause of countless brawls and temper tantrums recently, every so often they decide to share and play together and it just melts my heart.
Watching them play together and interact is the best part of my day, I just love having twins! I can't imagine life without either of our boys, they were made for each other!
Watching them play together and interact is the best part of my day, I just love having twins! I can't imagine life without either of our boys, they were made for each other!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
On My Heart
Haiti has once again been on my heart a lot recently. Mainly because of the tragic story of a little 6 year old girl that died there last week that I read about on my friend Brittany's blog. You can read the story here, I'll warn you though, you will be in tears by the end of it. It will break your heart and convict you. I was especially convicted when Brittany wrote, "We failed. We who have everything we could ever need yet we call ourselves middle class. We who say we follow Jesus yet spend all our money on ourselves and our family, buying them ipods and games and movies and then maybe shedding a tear when we read a sad story of someone in Africa or Haiti."
She's right, it's not enough. We all have extra money. And we spend most of it on ourselves. I often think that Brandon and I live pretty frugally. In fact, I pride myself on it. We don't have cable or iPhones but we do have an old beater car and I use coupons religiously. We certainly don't have a ton of money right now, but we do have much, much more than we could ever need. And you all probably do too if you think about it.
If you regularly drink Starbucks, if you've bought a new outfit recently, if you're going on vacation this summer, if you've gone to see a movie lately... these are all extravagances. They may seem commonplace to us, but to many people these are luxuries reserved for only the wealthy. They struggle to survive because they can't afford food or clean water. I'm not saying that we should cut out all or any of these things. These are all fine things to spend money on occasionally, but we should remember that there are better things to spend money on. Such as giving to the poor and needy. And I'm preaching to myself here primarily. You can ask Brandon, I'm the first to complain that I "need" new clothes for the summer even though I have a closet that's full to the brim. I'm the first to think that Jack and Cullen have to be dressed cute all the time. I grumble about our car and how it's too small for our family and how we "need" a bigger car soon. But these are lies. All lies. Straight from the mouth of Satan.
God has provided for us abundantly. And with that abundance we're commanded to give to others who are in need. You might be rolling your eyes and thinking, "I can't believe Kim of all people is saying that. She's such a hypocrite." And you'd be right, I am. I struggle with materialism and selfishness very much. That's why I say I'm mainly preaching to myself here. But I thought it would still be good to share these thoughts with you all in the hope that you might consider your own giving. Don't we all have so much? Couldn't we all cut back in certain areas so we can give a little more than we are now? I know that's certainly true for Brandon and I, even at this time when he's in school and I'm not working. I will be praying that God gives me increased love for the poor, a spirit of joyful generosity, and a willingness to spend less on myself and my family and more on those who truly need it.
If you read the sad story of little Dianise and would like to donate to Danita's Children's hospital fund, you can do so here. Danita's Children is a wonderful organization doing incredible things in Haiti. They're a solid Christian organization that helps support an entire community and have received exceptional ratings for their ability to efficiently grow and manage their finances for 4 consecutive years from Charity Navigator. This means more of every dollar given goes directly to support the children and community rather than towards administrative costs. Danita's Children also posts their Statement of Faith right on their website. They have many needs right now, including a hospital, a new orphanage, child sponsorships and many more. Please prayerfully consider giving to Danita's Children- or any other charity- out of the abundance that God has blessed you with. And above all, let's not forget to pray for the people of Haiti too.
She's right, it's not enough. We all have extra money. And we spend most of it on ourselves. I often think that Brandon and I live pretty frugally. In fact, I pride myself on it. We don't have cable or iPhones but we do have an old beater car and I use coupons religiously. We certainly don't have a ton of money right now, but we do have much, much more than we could ever need. And you all probably do too if you think about it.
If you regularly drink Starbucks, if you've bought a new outfit recently, if you're going on vacation this summer, if you've gone to see a movie lately... these are all extravagances. They may seem commonplace to us, but to many people these are luxuries reserved for only the wealthy. They struggle to survive because they can't afford food or clean water. I'm not saying that we should cut out all or any of these things. These are all fine things to spend money on occasionally, but we should remember that there are better things to spend money on. Such as giving to the poor and needy. And I'm preaching to myself here primarily. You can ask Brandon, I'm the first to complain that I "need" new clothes for the summer even though I have a closet that's full to the brim. I'm the first to think that Jack and Cullen have to be dressed cute all the time. I grumble about our car and how it's too small for our family and how we "need" a bigger car soon. But these are lies. All lies. Straight from the mouth of Satan.
God has provided for us abundantly. And with that abundance we're commanded to give to others who are in need. You might be rolling your eyes and thinking, "I can't believe Kim of all people is saying that. She's such a hypocrite." And you'd be right, I am. I struggle with materialism and selfishness very much. That's why I say I'm mainly preaching to myself here. But I thought it would still be good to share these thoughts with you all in the hope that you might consider your own giving. Don't we all have so much? Couldn't we all cut back in certain areas so we can give a little more than we are now? I know that's certainly true for Brandon and I, even at this time when he's in school and I'm not working. I will be praying that God gives me increased love for the poor, a spirit of joyful generosity, and a willingness to spend less on myself and my family and more on those who truly need it.
If you read the sad story of little Dianise and would like to donate to Danita's Children's hospital fund, you can do so here. Danita's Children is a wonderful organization doing incredible things in Haiti. They're a solid Christian organization that helps support an entire community and have received exceptional ratings for their ability to efficiently grow and manage their finances for 4 consecutive years from Charity Navigator. This means more of every dollar given goes directly to support the children and community rather than towards administrative costs. Danita's Children also posts their Statement of Faith right on their website. They have many needs right now, including a hospital, a new orphanage, child sponsorships and many more. Please prayerfully consider giving to Danita's Children- or any other charity- out of the abundance that God has blessed you with. And above all, let's not forget to pray for the people of Haiti too.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Father's Day
We had a nice, laid-back Father's Day last weekend. We just went to church, napped and swam in the pool. It was SO hot (I know I say that all the time, but it's true all the time) and the pool felt like heaven. I woke up early and cooked Brandon's favorite breakfast and then the boys gave him a card they signed themselves and a new travel cooler they picked out. Now we can go on lots of day trips and bring drinks and snacks along!
Jack
Daddy and Jack
Cullen offering Daddy some more sunscreen
All my boys relaxing poolside
Jack
Daddy and Jack
Cullen offering Daddy some more sunscreen
Friday, June 18, 2010
Laker Fans
On the West Coast
On the East Coast
The Lakers did it again! Back to back championships! Last year was for Jack & Cullen, this year was for Violet! And the Ortiz baby/Laker championship streak continues. After all these years, it just can't be a coincidence!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
* I knew Brandon would only be home for dinner today and then have to leave right away for class so I timed it so that dinner would be ready right as he was walking in the door. Then we could at least enjoy dinner together before he left. Well, 5:00 came, so I pulled the chicken out of the oven and waited... No Brandon. So I called him, he's stuck in traffic and can't make it home. Oh bummer. I enjoyed my Chicken Satay alone... such is the life of a law school wife.
*I put the boys down to nap this afternoon and they played in there for almost an hour!! I could hear them jumping, shaking the crib rails, running back and forth in the cribs, and laughing and 'talking' together the whole time. I finally gave up any hope that they'd nap and decided to just go get them out. So I finished up the dishes and went to their door, but by then it was silent. They finally fell asleep!
*We haven't left the house today. To tell the truth, I'm sort of hiding out inside. What am I hiding from? The humidity. It was so terrible yesterday while we were at a backyard barbecue, poor Jack and Cullen, their hair was completely damp with sweat. And I had a horrid experience on Sunday morning that left me crying in the car while blasting the AC. So now I'm afraid to go outside even though the weatherman promises it's much better today. I don't trust him, though. I've been trying to think of a way to describe it so that my west coast readers can begin to understand what it feels like. Ever been to Hot Yoga? I think that's a pretty accurate comparison. We left the barbecue last night and were about to get on the freeway when Brandon made a wrong turn. I asked him where he was going because the freeway was the other direction. He just smiled and turned into a 7-11. Then he said, "I saw this on the way here and I've been thinking about a slurpee for the past 2 hours!" I don't think a slurpee has ever tasted so good to me!
*Despite the stifling humidity, last night did remind me of something else that I like about the east coast, though. Fireflies!! I'd never seen them before I moved here and I think they're so wonderful! I forget about them and so every summer I'm always surprised when I see my first firefly! Maybe next summer I'll take my boys out to catch fireflies in a jar, I've always wanted to do that!
*I put the boys down to nap this afternoon and they played in there for almost an hour!! I could hear them jumping, shaking the crib rails, running back and forth in the cribs, and laughing and 'talking' together the whole time. I finally gave up any hope that they'd nap and decided to just go get them out. So I finished up the dishes and went to their door, but by then it was silent. They finally fell asleep!
*We haven't left the house today. To tell the truth, I'm sort of hiding out inside. What am I hiding from? The humidity. It was so terrible yesterday while we were at a backyard barbecue, poor Jack and Cullen, their hair was completely damp with sweat. And I had a horrid experience on Sunday morning that left me crying in the car while blasting the AC. So now I'm afraid to go outside even though the weatherman promises it's much better today. I don't trust him, though. I've been trying to think of a way to describe it so that my west coast readers can begin to understand what it feels like. Ever been to Hot Yoga? I think that's a pretty accurate comparison. We left the barbecue last night and were about to get on the freeway when Brandon made a wrong turn. I asked him where he was going because the freeway was the other direction. He just smiled and turned into a 7-11. Then he said, "I saw this on the way here and I've been thinking about a slurpee for the past 2 hours!" I don't think a slurpee has ever tasted so good to me!
*Despite the stifling humidity, last night did remind me of something else that I like about the east coast, though. Fireflies!! I'd never seen them before I moved here and I think they're so wonderful! I forget about them and so every summer I'm always surprised when I see my first firefly! Maybe next summer I'll take my boys out to catch fireflies in a jar, I've always wanted to do that!
Do you hear those sirens, Mom?
This video is from our swim on Saturday. The boys love fire trucks and every time they see one (or any large truck for that matter) they point it out to me. They also love to hear the sirens as you can see from the video:
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Trucks!
On Saturday morning, we took the boys to the DC Truck Touch. It was a free event put on by the city government, they brought out all their trucks, tractors and other big vehicles and let the kiddos see them up close. Jack and Cullen had tons of fun!
Cullen trying on a firefighter helmet. Priceless.
We tried to get a picture in front of the police horse, but it didn't work out too well. It was sweltering that day, even in the morning, and we had some hot cranky kids who did not want to be held at all. Jack was trying to kick his way out of my arms during this picture. He may appear to be smiling, but it was really a look of determination as he kicked.
Riding together in the sidecar.
Driving a tractor with Daddy, they liked this one a lot.
Trying on more firefighter gear
We came home, had a looong nap and then went swimming for the first time this summer. It was a good day!
Their personal favorite, the fire engine.
Cullen trying on a firefighter helmet. Priceless.
We tried to get a picture in front of the police horse, but it didn't work out too well. It was sweltering that day, even in the morning, and we had some hot cranky kids who did not want to be held at all. Jack was trying to kick his way out of my arms during this picture. He may appear to be smiling, but it was really a look of determination as he kicked.
Riding together in the sidecar.
Driving a tractor with Daddy, they liked this one a lot.
Trying on more firefighter gear
We came home, had a looong nap and then went swimming for the first time this summer. It was a good day!My Favorite Summer Recipes
Here are just a few:
Fresh Corn Salad - This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe (of course) and definitely near the top of my list for favorite things to eat in the summer. I just discovered the recipe last year and made it for a BBQ. It was such a hit, numerous people asked me for the recipe. I now make it for every single potluck/BBQ we go to and it always disappears super fast! And it goes with absolutely anything! I'm actually making it for a BBQ with some friends tonight.
Chicken Satay - I don't remember which cookbook I got this from, but I do remember being blown away by how good it was! This is one of Brandon's favorite dinners, and I think it tastes as good or better than any restaurant satay I've ever had.
Ingredients:
-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3-4 smaller pieces
-1 tsp ground coriander seeds
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp curry powder
-1 tbsp turmeric
-3 tbsp sugar
-2 tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
- 1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
-1/2 cup coconut milk
Ingredients for Peanut Sauce:
-2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste (I just use the curry powder again)
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Directions:
1. Mix all marinade ingredients in bowl, place chicken in marinade, refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (This is important so it gets really flavorful, I usually make it either the night before or in the morning and let it marinate all day.)
2. Make peanut sauce: Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, fry until golden brown. Add curry, mix well; add coconut milk, mix well, cook for about 10 seconds. Add broth, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add peanuts, stir well, pour into serving bowl. (I would recommend either cutting the peanut sauce recipe in half or doubling the chicken part of the recipe. I always have leftover peanut sauce.)
3. Broil (or grill if you have one) the chicken for 8-10 minutes, flipping each piece so they cook evenly. Serve with peanut sauce. (I usually serve it with rice and some stir-fry veggies.) Enjoy!
Lemon Fusilli with Arugula - This is another of Ina's recipes and one of the best tasting things I've ever put into my mouth! If you like pasta dishes with cream and parmesan cheese (I sure do!) then you'll love this! I hardly ever have arugula in the house, though, so next time I plan on using some of the fresh parsley and basil that's growing in my window instead.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce - I found this recipe online and tweaked it a little bit. It's better tasting, cheaper, and has much less sodium than canned enchilada sauce and it's not too much work either. By the way, I buy my chiles from a Mexican market nearby, but I've also seen them in the regular grocery store- they're just a lot more expensive there.
Ingredients:
-5-7 dried ancho chiles, depending on how spicy you like it. I use 7 which makes it fairly spicy but even Jack and Cullen love it this way.
-1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp cumin
-3 cups beef broth
Directions:
1. Toast chiles in 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes. Let cool a little, then remove stems, pulp and seeds. Place peppers in bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak for 1 hour.
2. Combine the chiles, tomato paste, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan, add remaining broth and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before dipping the tortillas into it. Otherwise, just use it like normal to make your enchiladas. It's sooo good!
Lemon Risotto- This is much healthier than other risotto recipes, probably because there's no cream or cheese in it, but it still tastes really good. I serve it with Ina's Lemon Grilled Chicken and a side of asparagus. It sounds like a lot of lemon, but I don't think it's too much. But maybe that's just me, I love lemon in the summer!
Tandoori Chicken Burgers - I've only made these a couple times, but they're delicious! However, I think grinding up your own meat is quite a bit of work and I don't always have that much energy to make dinner, but these are worth it if you have the time!
And lastly, we need a delicious dessert of course! My new favorite is this Peach and Raspberry Crisp. (Except I use blueberries because I can never afford raspberries and prefer to eat them fresh whenever I can afford them.) This crisp is sooo good, the first time I made it, Brandon and I ate half the pan in one night! Peaches are on sale again this week and I've already got a pint of blueberries in the fridge so I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!
Is there any better cook in the world than Ina Garten? I challenge you to find me one! I just adore her simple recipes that use good, fresh ingredients. That's what summer's all about! I love her so much I'm considering naming my first daughter Ina- if only I could get Brandon on board with that!
I only have one of her cookbooks (by the way, thanks Mom, I think it's the best present you've ever given me!) but I like to check her others out from the library and copy down the recipes that I want to try. I think I've checked them all out at least twice now and I always find new ones that make my mouth water. Speaking of mouthwatering, I'm going to go make my corn salad for tonight... maybe I'll sneak a little bit for lunch.
Fresh Corn Salad - This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe (of course) and definitely near the top of my list for favorite things to eat in the summer. I just discovered the recipe last year and made it for a BBQ. It was such a hit, numerous people asked me for the recipe. I now make it for every single potluck/BBQ we go to and it always disappears super fast! And it goes with absolutely anything! I'm actually making it for a BBQ with some friends tonight.
Chicken Satay - I don't remember which cookbook I got this from, but I do remember being blown away by how good it was! This is one of Brandon's favorite dinners, and I think it tastes as good or better than any restaurant satay I've ever had.
Ingredients:
-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3-4 smaller pieces
-1 tsp ground coriander seeds
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp curry powder
-1 tbsp turmeric
-3 tbsp sugar
-2 tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
- 1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
-1/2 cup coconut milk
Ingredients for Peanut Sauce:
-2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste (I just use the curry powder again)
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Directions:
1. Mix all marinade ingredients in bowl, place chicken in marinade, refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (This is important so it gets really flavorful, I usually make it either the night before or in the morning and let it marinate all day.)
2. Make peanut sauce: Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, fry until golden brown. Add curry, mix well; add coconut milk, mix well, cook for about 10 seconds. Add broth, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add peanuts, stir well, pour into serving bowl. (I would recommend either cutting the peanut sauce recipe in half or doubling the chicken part of the recipe. I always have leftover peanut sauce.)
3. Broil (or grill if you have one) the chicken for 8-10 minutes, flipping each piece so they cook evenly. Serve with peanut sauce. (I usually serve it with rice and some stir-fry veggies.) Enjoy!
Lemon Fusilli with Arugula - This is another of Ina's recipes and one of the best tasting things I've ever put into my mouth! If you like pasta dishes with cream and parmesan cheese (I sure do!) then you'll love this! I hardly ever have arugula in the house, though, so next time I plan on using some of the fresh parsley and basil that's growing in my window instead.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce - I found this recipe online and tweaked it a little bit. It's better tasting, cheaper, and has much less sodium than canned enchilada sauce and it's not too much work either. By the way, I buy my chiles from a Mexican market nearby, but I've also seen them in the regular grocery store- they're just a lot more expensive there.
Ingredients:
-5-7 dried ancho chiles, depending on how spicy you like it. I use 7 which makes it fairly spicy but even Jack and Cullen love it this way.
-1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp cumin
-3 cups beef broth
Directions:
1. Toast chiles in 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes. Let cool a little, then remove stems, pulp and seeds. Place peppers in bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak for 1 hour.
2. Combine the chiles, tomato paste, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan, add remaining broth and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before dipping the tortillas into it. Otherwise, just use it like normal to make your enchiladas. It's sooo good!
Lemon Risotto- This is much healthier than other risotto recipes, probably because there's no cream or cheese in it, but it still tastes really good. I serve it with Ina's Lemon Grilled Chicken and a side of asparagus. It sounds like a lot of lemon, but I don't think it's too much. But maybe that's just me, I love lemon in the summer!
Tandoori Chicken Burgers - I've only made these a couple times, but they're delicious! However, I think grinding up your own meat is quite a bit of work and I don't always have that much energy to make dinner, but these are worth it if you have the time!
And lastly, we need a delicious dessert of course! My new favorite is this Peach and Raspberry Crisp. (Except I use blueberries because I can never afford raspberries and prefer to eat them fresh whenever I can afford them.) This crisp is sooo good, the first time I made it, Brandon and I ate half the pan in one night! Peaches are on sale again this week and I've already got a pint of blueberries in the fridge so I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!
Is there any better cook in the world than Ina Garten? I challenge you to find me one! I just adore her simple recipes that use good, fresh ingredients. That's what summer's all about! I love her so much I'm considering naming my first daughter Ina- if only I could get Brandon on board with that!
I only have one of her cookbooks (by the way, thanks Mom, I think it's the best present you've ever given me!) but I like to check her others out from the library and copy down the recipes that I want to try. I think I've checked them all out at least twice now and I always find new ones that make my mouth water. Speaking of mouthwatering, I'm going to go make my corn salad for tonight... maybe I'll sneak a little bit for lunch.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Arrrgh!!
Most of the time apartment life is not so bad... most of the time. Sure, I'd really, really love a yard for my boys to play in, I'd love to not worry about them getting run over in the parking lot, I'd love to not have to haul my groceries through those heavy front doors which are too small for my stroller... But I can live with all that. I remind myself that this won't last forever and of how blessed I already am.
However, I am getting extremely frustrated this week! On Monday (a very hot, humid day) they turned our air conditioning off all day, yesterday they turned our hot water off all day, and today they're doing work on the apartment next to ours - the one that shares a wall with Jack and Cullen's bedroom of course- and hammering very loudly during naptime. I keep hearing the boys groan over the monitor each time the hammering starts up again. And I'm sitting here furious and crossing my fingers they can sleep through it.
I need to take some deep breaths and pray for patience and contentment.
However, I am getting extremely frustrated this week! On Monday (a very hot, humid day) they turned our air conditioning off all day, yesterday they turned our hot water off all day, and today they're doing work on the apartment next to ours - the one that shares a wall with Jack and Cullen's bedroom of course- and hammering very loudly during naptime. I keep hearing the boys groan over the monitor each time the hammering starts up again. And I'm sitting here furious and crossing my fingers they can sleep through it.
I need to take some deep breaths and pray for patience and contentment.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The humidity finally went away yesterday and we enjoyed a lovely evening at the park! Here are some pictures:
Can't you just see the desperation on Cullen's scrunched-up face? He really wanted Daddy to pick him up.
And he got his wish of course
Daddy swung him around...
Pure bliss!
"Thanks Daddy!"
Jack just chillin' in the grass
He had a hard time climbing the hill in his sandals so he crawled up
They kept running toward Brandon and he would jump over them when they got close, such a fun game to a toddler!
Walking over to the bridge to look at the turtles and fish in the pond.
On the way back, the fire truck was parked outside our building. If you look closely, you can see Cullen pointing to it. He kept pointing and yelling "dat! dat!"
Today was really nice too and we took another walk to the store and to return our library books. On the way home we really lucked out, there were 4 fire trucks parked outside the station and all the firefighters were outside washing them! The boys were in heaven!
"Ooh, the view's way better from up here!"
Can't you just see the desperation on Cullen's scrunched-up face? He really wanted Daddy to pick him up.
And he got his wish of course
Daddy swung him around...
Pure bliss!
"Thanks Daddy!"
Jack just chillin' in the grass
He had a hard time climbing the hill in his sandals so he crawled up
They kept running toward Brandon and he would jump over them when they got close, such a fun game to a toddler!
Walking over to the bridge to look at the turtles and fish in the pond.
On the way back, the fire truck was parked outside our building. If you look closely, you can see Cullen pointing to it. He kept pointing and yelling "dat! dat!"
Today was really nice too and we took another walk to the store and to return our library books. On the way home we really lucked out, there were 4 fire trucks parked outside the station and all the firefighters were outside washing them! The boys were in heaven!
Swagbucks
Even though I've been addicted to couponing for over a year now, it's been a long slow process. It took me a while to learn the ropes, find coupon blogs, and start saving big. Back when I started, I kept noticing on these coupon blogs that every single one of them was raving about this thing called Swagbucks. I'd heard of it before but it didn't seem worth it to sign up for some weird program that would probably make my computer crash. But finally, at the very end of February, I gave in and signed up for it after reading this convincing post on one of my favorite blogs. Well, downloading a small toolbar didn't cause my computer to crash and I am loving Swagbucks! I've never looked back!
Let me preface this by saying that I haven't won crazy amounts of Swagbucks, I don't spend all day at the computer doing Swagbucks searches or hunting for codes. I obviously don't have time for that. But even with the minimal amount of effort that I put into Swagbucks, I have reaped so much in rewards! It's been only about 3 1/2 months, but I have already won over $40 in free Amazon giftcards.
And when I say minimal effort, I mean it. I rarely (if ever) look for codes anymore. If there's one staring me in the face I'll obviously use it, but I almost never look for them. I haven't yet bought anything that earned me Swagbucks. I've only referred one person (my sister Rachel, she's hooked too). And I only do about 15 searches a day using the Swagbucks search engine. That's it, that's how I win free money from Amazon! I use the Swagbucks search engine in place of Google. Simple, huh?
I installed the toolbar and whenever I'm searching for something I type it in there first. If the results don't come back with what I was looking for, I move on to Google but often I've already won some Swagbucks for checking there first. And instead of bookmarking my favorite coupon blogs or websites that I visit often, I do a Swagbucks search for them. This extra step probably adds about 2-3 seconds per search, so a total of a few extra minutes per day and I win free money! Sound too good to be true? It's not! Anybody who has a computer and about 4 minutes to spare each day could win big. Even somebody living in, oh I don't know, Stanley, Idaho could win free giftcards just by using the search engine! ;-)
In all seriousness, though, Swagbucks are awesome! Even if you only earned enough for 1 $5 Amazon giftcard a month, why would you turn down free money? Even with my minimal effort, I earn an average of $10 a month in Amazon cards. And if you have more time than me to be on the internet, if you have a job or class that you do a lot of internet searches for, if you often shop online, if you have lots of friends to refer, or if you're more proactive than me in getting codes and trying to earn Swagbucks, you could potentially win much more!
If you would like to sign up (and earn me some points for referring you), here's the link:
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kimberleeo
I would definitely recommend reading the blog article I linked to above, she gives great tips on how to win Swagbucks.
And right now, they're having a special promotion, if you enter the code SUMMEROFSWAG when you sign up, you'll automatically receive 20 bonus Swagbucks on top of the 30 you normally receive for signing up. You'll be well on your way to free money!
Let me preface this by saying that I haven't won crazy amounts of Swagbucks, I don't spend all day at the computer doing Swagbucks searches or hunting for codes. I obviously don't have time for that. But even with the minimal amount of effort that I put into Swagbucks, I have reaped so much in rewards! It's been only about 3 1/2 months, but I have already won over $40 in free Amazon giftcards.
And when I say minimal effort, I mean it. I rarely (if ever) look for codes anymore. If there's one staring me in the face I'll obviously use it, but I almost never look for them. I haven't yet bought anything that earned me Swagbucks. I've only referred one person (my sister Rachel, she's hooked too). And I only do about 15 searches a day using the Swagbucks search engine. That's it, that's how I win free money from Amazon! I use the Swagbucks search engine in place of Google. Simple, huh?
I installed the toolbar and whenever I'm searching for something I type it in there first. If the results don't come back with what I was looking for, I move on to Google but often I've already won some Swagbucks for checking there first. And instead of bookmarking my favorite coupon blogs or websites that I visit often, I do a Swagbucks search for them. This extra step probably adds about 2-3 seconds per search, so a total of a few extra minutes per day and I win free money! Sound too good to be true? It's not! Anybody who has a computer and about 4 minutes to spare each day could win big. Even somebody living in, oh I don't know, Stanley, Idaho could win free giftcards just by using the search engine! ;-)
In all seriousness, though, Swagbucks are awesome! Even if you only earned enough for 1 $5 Amazon giftcard a month, why would you turn down free money? Even with my minimal effort, I earn an average of $10 a month in Amazon cards. And if you have more time than me to be on the internet, if you have a job or class that you do a lot of internet searches for, if you often shop online, if you have lots of friends to refer, or if you're more proactive than me in getting codes and trying to earn Swagbucks, you could potentially win much more!
If you would like to sign up (and earn me some points for referring you), here's the link:
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/kimberleeo
I would definitely recommend reading the blog article I linked to above, she gives great tips on how to win Swagbucks.
And right now, they're having a special promotion, if you enter the code SUMMEROFSWAG when you sign up, you'll automatically receive 20 bonus Swagbucks on top of the 30 you normally receive for signing up. You'll be well on your way to free money!
Monday, June 7, 2010
My Funny Family
Life is always so funny around here, I swear, I laugh all day long!
*Diaper changes are always difficult around here because most of the time the boys are kicking and squirming. As soon as I lay them down on the changing table, they usually start freaking out. Jack was doing this recently and I was trying to talk him through it. I was telling him "No kicking, you need to hold still, you aren't getting down until I get your diaper on." Finally he stopped fighting me and then got this sly little smile on his face. All of a sudden he throws up his hands and starts waving them at me (this is the baby sign for 'all done' Whenever they do this at mealtime, I immediately take away their food and let them out of the highchairs or else they start chucking food on the floor). I guess he thought that if he told me he was 'all done' with the diaper change, I would stop immediately and let him go. I'm sure he thought he was pretty clever, but I don't think he quite gets the concept of 'all done.' :-)
*The other day I was sitting at the kitchen table organizing coupons when I heard both boys erupt into hysterical laughter. I peeked around the couch and saw Cullen lying on his stomach and Jack standing on top of him, bracing himself on the coffee table and trying to bounce up and down on Cullen. Hmmm, well, I guess as long as Cullen thought it was funny too then no harm done, right?
*That same day, the boys also shared their first mouth-to-mouth kiss. It was just about the funniest thing I have ever seen because they walked towards each other in slow motion with their mouths gaping open (this is how they kiss everybody, with wide open mouths). Then when they were face to face, Cullen leaned in and gave Jack a big slobbery kiss. So cute!
*Cullen thinks it's a blast to put a blanket or towel over his head and walk around running into walls and furniture. Keep that up, kid, and you're not going to have any teeth left at all. It's hilarious to watch though.
*Some videos from right after naptime:
Instant remorse when he realizes he's lost his cup to his brother...
Jack yells in gibberish a lot, this one is relatively tame, sometimes he gets so excited that he starts shaking. And Cullen's favorite activity is putting anything and everything into his hamper. I find the strangest things in there!
*A conversation with Brandon this week:
Me: I'm an aunt! Can you believe it? And you're an uncle!
Brandon: I'm already an uncle.
Me: No you're not, you don't have any nieces or nephews.
Brandon: Yes I do.
Me: You're joking right? You are not an uncle. Not unless Scott has some illegitimate child you never told me about.
Brandon (laughs, then says in all seriousness): No, my Dad's sister's kids have kids.
Me: So your cousins have kids?? And you think those kids are your nieces and nephews???
Brandon: Yeah, they are. I'm their uncle.
Hmmm, the guy can get an A in the hardest class in law school but apparently doesn't know much about family trees.
*Diaper changes are always difficult around here because most of the time the boys are kicking and squirming. As soon as I lay them down on the changing table, they usually start freaking out. Jack was doing this recently and I was trying to talk him through it. I was telling him "No kicking, you need to hold still, you aren't getting down until I get your diaper on." Finally he stopped fighting me and then got this sly little smile on his face. All of a sudden he throws up his hands and starts waving them at me (this is the baby sign for 'all done' Whenever they do this at mealtime, I immediately take away their food and let them out of the highchairs or else they start chucking food on the floor). I guess he thought that if he told me he was 'all done' with the diaper change, I would stop immediately and let him go. I'm sure he thought he was pretty clever, but I don't think he quite gets the concept of 'all done.' :-)
*The other day I was sitting at the kitchen table organizing coupons when I heard both boys erupt into hysterical laughter. I peeked around the couch and saw Cullen lying on his stomach and Jack standing on top of him, bracing himself on the coffee table and trying to bounce up and down on Cullen. Hmmm, well, I guess as long as Cullen thought it was funny too then no harm done, right?
*That same day, the boys also shared their first mouth-to-mouth kiss. It was just about the funniest thing I have ever seen because they walked towards each other in slow motion with their mouths gaping open (this is how they kiss everybody, with wide open mouths). Then when they were face to face, Cullen leaned in and gave Jack a big slobbery kiss. So cute!
*Cullen thinks it's a blast to put a blanket or towel over his head and walk around running into walls and furniture. Keep that up, kid, and you're not going to have any teeth left at all. It's hilarious to watch though.
*Some videos from right after naptime:
Instant remorse when he realizes he's lost his cup to his brother...
Jack yells in gibberish a lot, this one is relatively tame, sometimes he gets so excited that he starts shaking. And Cullen's favorite activity is putting anything and everything into his hamper. I find the strangest things in there!
*A conversation with Brandon this week:
Me: I'm an aunt! Can you believe it? And you're an uncle!
Brandon: I'm already an uncle.
Me: No you're not, you don't have any nieces or nephews.
Brandon: Yes I do.
Me: You're joking right? You are not an uncle. Not unless Scott has some illegitimate child you never told me about.
Brandon (laughs, then says in all seriousness): No, my Dad's sister's kids have kids.
Me: So your cousins have kids?? And you think those kids are your nieces and nephews???
Brandon: Yeah, they are. I'm their uncle.
Hmmm, the guy can get an A in the hardest class in law school but apparently doesn't know much about family trees.
Friday, June 4, 2010
It's About Time
A few weeks ago, I found myself vegging out on the couch, eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked and watching The Biggest Loser. Ironic, huh? Keep in mind, this was a pretty regular thing for me, the only variance was that sometimes I might have a brownie or a cookie instead of ice cream. Anyways, it was a couple weeks before my birthday, so call it a pre-midlife crisis, but I felt terrible about myself and the very next day I went and ordered a fitness DVD from Amazon. It came a few days later and I tried it out and, believe it or not, I have kept up with it for almost a month now!
Until a few weeks ago, I had not worked out in over 2 years! Seriously, 2 years! I go on several fast walks each week pushing a 70+ pound stroller, so that might be considered some form of exercise, but I have not been to a gym or done any kind of formal exercise in over 2 years. The last time I did was about a week before I found out I was pregnant and I got so nauseous and exhausted that I was sure I was coming down with the flu so I decided to hold off on working out until I was feeling better (which never happened of course).
And then after the pregnancy, I just kind of shrugged and thought, what's the point? I have stretch marks so I'll never wear a bikini ever again, I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, my clothes fit fine, good enough right? So why bother working out? Plus, I'm a mother of twin toddlers, how would I EVER find the time???
But for some reason a few weeks ago, I was finally motivated to try something. I may be back at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I would still like to tone up and replace some extra fat with muscle. I definitely have the dreaded "mommy-pooch" of extra skin around my middle, but I'm hoping that if I tone up and build core muscle, that at least it won't be as noticeable.
So that's where Bob Harper comes in. I wanted an exercise routine I could do from home while the boys nap and I didn't want it to be too intense or else I knew I'd never stick with it. I started out looking at some of the most well-known workouts, like Jillian's 30 Day Shred or P90X (or whatever it's called), but let's face it, I would have died if I'd attempted either of those at this point. Waaayyy too intense for me! Then I spotted Bob's pretty face on the cover of The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga. I read some reviews and it sounded perfect so I used a few Swagbucks and got it for free! (I just love Swagbucks, but that's a whole different post!)
So far, I love it! The first time I was so sore I had to wait a few days before I tried it again but I took that as a good sign. It's not intense at all, just a lot of slow moves but they're still hard - for me at least! My arms and legs are shaking during the last few moves because they're so tired by that point! And I'm not gonna lie, my favorite part is at the very end where we do the corpse pose which, as the name suggests, is where you completely relax and lie on the floor like a dead body. Well, that and when Bob says reassuringly "You did it!" Anyways, there are 3 different levels, I'm still on Level 1, but I'm going to move on to Level 2 next week. We'll see how that goes...
The best part is that it's only 30-40 minutes (depending on which workout you choose) so it doesn't take up all of nap time and I can still gets lots of other things done before they wake up. So, 3-4 days a week, as soon as the boys go down for a nap, I just do the video for 30 minutes, take a super quick shower and still have at least an hour before they wake up to clean or do some 'internet errands.'
I'm already seeing some results too, not on my waistline unfortunately, but I definitely feel stronger lately and I have more energy too. It's also helping me to remember to drink more water which makes a world of difference. I feel so much better when I drink lots of water, I don't eat as much, I'm not drinking empty calories, and I swear it gives me more energy.
Anyways, I'm glad I've found a workout that is easy for me to stick with but I'm still afraid I'll start slacking off so that's why I'm publicly writing about it. Hopefully this will help motivate me to keep on with it! Even if I don't lose any inches off my waist, (and I'm not especially hopeful about this since it's all skin and not really extra fat) there's still something to be said for getting back in shape, right? And I'm sure I can count on Bob to whip me into shape!
Until a few weeks ago, I had not worked out in over 2 years! Seriously, 2 years! I go on several fast walks each week pushing a 70+ pound stroller, so that might be considered some form of exercise, but I have not been to a gym or done any kind of formal exercise in over 2 years. The last time I did was about a week before I found out I was pregnant and I got so nauseous and exhausted that I was sure I was coming down with the flu so I decided to hold off on working out until I was feeling better (which never happened of course).
And then after the pregnancy, I just kind of shrugged and thought, what's the point? I have stretch marks so I'll never wear a bikini ever again, I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, my clothes fit fine, good enough right? So why bother working out? Plus, I'm a mother of twin toddlers, how would I EVER find the time???
But for some reason a few weeks ago, I was finally motivated to try something. I may be back at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I would still like to tone up and replace some extra fat with muscle. I definitely have the dreaded "mommy-pooch" of extra skin around my middle, but I'm hoping that if I tone up and build core muscle, that at least it won't be as noticeable.
So that's where Bob Harper comes in. I wanted an exercise routine I could do from home while the boys nap and I didn't want it to be too intense or else I knew I'd never stick with it. I started out looking at some of the most well-known workouts, like Jillian's 30 Day Shred or P90X (or whatever it's called), but let's face it, I would have died if I'd attempted either of those at this point. Waaayyy too intense for me! Then I spotted Bob's pretty face on the cover of The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga. I read some reviews and it sounded perfect so I used a few Swagbucks and got it for free! (I just love Swagbucks, but that's a whole different post!)So far, I love it! The first time I was so sore I had to wait a few days before I tried it again but I took that as a good sign. It's not intense at all, just a lot of slow moves but they're still hard - for me at least! My arms and legs are shaking during the last few moves because they're so tired by that point! And I'm not gonna lie, my favorite part is at the very end where we do the corpse pose which, as the name suggests, is where you completely relax and lie on the floor like a dead body. Well, that and when Bob says reassuringly "You did it!" Anyways, there are 3 different levels, I'm still on Level 1, but I'm going to move on to Level 2 next week. We'll see how that goes...
The best part is that it's only 30-40 minutes (depending on which workout you choose) so it doesn't take up all of nap time and I can still gets lots of other things done before they wake up. So, 3-4 days a week, as soon as the boys go down for a nap, I just do the video for 30 minutes, take a super quick shower and still have at least an hour before they wake up to clean or do some 'internet errands.'
I'm already seeing some results too, not on my waistline unfortunately, but I definitely feel stronger lately and I have more energy too. It's also helping me to remember to drink more water which makes a world of difference. I feel so much better when I drink lots of water, I don't eat as much, I'm not drinking empty calories, and I swear it gives me more energy.
Anyways, I'm glad I've found a workout that is easy for me to stick with but I'm still afraid I'll start slacking off so that's why I'm publicly writing about it. Hopefully this will help motivate me to keep on with it! Even if I don't lose any inches off my waist, (and I'm not especially hopeful about this since it's all skin and not really extra fat) there's still something to be said for getting back in shape, right? And I'm sure I can count on Bob to whip me into shape!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Pictures from the Week
Can you believe how grown-up Jackson and Cullen are looking these days? Me neither.
These are some pictures from Memorial Day, we went on a picnic to a local park that we'd never been to before. It was crazy hot though so we didn't stay long. But we had fun while it lasted.
A relaxing picnic with my boys. I know, I know, Cullen laying on his Daddy couldn't get any cuter!
Playing ball with Daddy. Not sure if you can see but poor Cullen's cheeks are so flushed!
These are some pictures from Memorial Day, we went on a picnic to a local park that we'd never been to before. It was crazy hot though so we didn't stay long. But we had fun while it lasted.Jack heard an airplane flying overhead
A relaxing picnic with my boys. I know, I know, Cullen laying on his Daddy couldn't get any cuter!
Playing ball with Daddy. Not sure if you can see but poor Cullen's cheeks are so flushed!
This is from this morning, we walked to the drugstore to get some diapers. I took them out of the stroller when we got home and went to put my shoes in the bedroom (otherwise they mysteriously disappear). When I came back out they had both climbed back into the stroller, ready to go again!
Thursday Ramblings
*GREAT NEWS: Brandon got an A in his Civil Procedure class!! This was his hardest class yet and his professor told him it would probably be the hardest class he would ever take in law school. He came home from the final and said that he honestly expected to get a C, maybe a B if he was lucky. But yesterday afternoon, he came up to me with the strangest look on his face and said he had gotten his first grade back. I could tell from the look that it was either going to be really good or really bad so I waited in suspense until he told me it was an A and that he was "floored." I have only seen him this shocked once or twice in his entire life- he actually had to sit down and then kept shaking his head saying "I honestly can't believe it. It must be a mistake." Then he said it was a bigger shock to him than when the doctor first told us we were expecting twins! Well, I guess all that studying paid off! I am SO proud of him! And it gets even better! He consistently scored well above the average on all of his papers in his Legal Writing class and even got the highest grade several times! So we were expecting him to get an A in that class as long as his final paper was good and guess what... he got it! So far those are the only 2 grades he's gotten back, but what a great end to his first and hardest year of law school!
*More great news: We were approved for in-state tuition! We had to wait until this past March to apply for it because we had to live in Virginia for over a year to qualify for it. But his first application was denied and we were so worried that we would have to pay for out-of-state tuition which would double the cost! That would have meant double the student loans and double the debt he'd graduate with. But the Lord was so good to us and the board granted Brandon in-state tuition after we appealed! What a relief!
*Brandon's summer schedule has been wonderful so far! Between his internship and his part-time job, he's working full-time during the day but only has class 2 nights a week. And they've been cancelled all last week so he was here every night!! I almost forgot what it was like having him around so much, but I'm loving it! Another plus is that he takes the bus to his internship so I get the car 2 days a week and he leaves his computer here too so I can skype with my family during the day! So I will get to see lots of Violet during the coming weeks! Lucky me!
*We got free Chick-Fil-A for dinner last night! They are having a promotion this week and giving away free spicy chicken sandwiches to anybody who signs up online. So for about $5 for two fries and a diet soda, we fed our family dinner and I didn't have to cook or clean anything! What a treat!
*It has been incredibly hot and humid this week, well above average for this time of year so we've been staying indoors as much as possible. But our pool opened this week and I picked up our passes yesterday so we should be able to stay cool by swimming this summer. The boys are just getting old enough for me to walk with them to the pool (which is just across the parking lot, but since they don't like to hold hands and aren't very good at going up and down stairs and have a tendency to try to escape , it hasn't always been possible to cross the parking lot by ourselves). I haven't attempted walking to the pool yet, but we did walk out of the building to the car for the first time ever yesterday! Usually I have to load them and all the gear into the stroller and try to maneuver the double stroller through 4 very heavy, automatically-closing doors. It's a 10-15 minute process to get from our apartment to the car and I often get stuck in the door frame because the stroller is too wide. Not fun. Not fun at all. So I've been anxiously looking forward to the day when they could finally (safely) walk with me out to the car. And yesterday's experiment went pretty well, just one incident of Cullen plopping himself down in protest but we were nearly on the sidewalk by that point and no cars were around so I just let go of Jack for a second and picked Cullen up and carried him the rest of the way. Oh to be free from that dreaded double stroller! It's so close I can taste it!
*My Wednesday morning small group has started up again which is a huge blessing to me! I love having at least one morning out with adults to look forward to each week. It's so encouraging to hear from other wives and moms who have similar struggles and situations as me. We're going to be reading through Instruments in the Redeemers Hands by Paul Tripp and I'm really looking forward to it. And we have a couple new members joining so we're going to be starting up a childcare rotation. This is going to be wonderful because this past year, we have had 6 children under the age of 3 running around during our study. As you can imagine, this can be pretty distracting so I'm really looking forward to a peaceful fellowship time.
The boys are starting to wake up from their nap, so that's all for now. I will try to post some new pictures of them later though!
*More great news: We were approved for in-state tuition! We had to wait until this past March to apply for it because we had to live in Virginia for over a year to qualify for it. But his first application was denied and we were so worried that we would have to pay for out-of-state tuition which would double the cost! That would have meant double the student loans and double the debt he'd graduate with. But the Lord was so good to us and the board granted Brandon in-state tuition after we appealed! What a relief!
*Brandon's summer schedule has been wonderful so far! Between his internship and his part-time job, he's working full-time during the day but only has class 2 nights a week. And they've been cancelled all last week so he was here every night!! I almost forgot what it was like having him around so much, but I'm loving it! Another plus is that he takes the bus to his internship so I get the car 2 days a week and he leaves his computer here too so I can skype with my family during the day! So I will get to see lots of Violet during the coming weeks! Lucky me!
*We got free Chick-Fil-A for dinner last night! They are having a promotion this week and giving away free spicy chicken sandwiches to anybody who signs up online. So for about $5 for two fries and a diet soda, we fed our family dinner and I didn't have to cook or clean anything! What a treat!
*It has been incredibly hot and humid this week, well above average for this time of year so we've been staying indoors as much as possible. But our pool opened this week and I picked up our passes yesterday so we should be able to stay cool by swimming this summer. The boys are just getting old enough for me to walk with them to the pool (which is just across the parking lot, but since they don't like to hold hands and aren't very good at going up and down stairs and have a tendency to try to escape , it hasn't always been possible to cross the parking lot by ourselves). I haven't attempted walking to the pool yet, but we did walk out of the building to the car for the first time ever yesterday! Usually I have to load them and all the gear into the stroller and try to maneuver the double stroller through 4 very heavy, automatically-closing doors. It's a 10-15 minute process to get from our apartment to the car and I often get stuck in the door frame because the stroller is too wide. Not fun. Not fun at all. So I've been anxiously looking forward to the day when they could finally (safely) walk with me out to the car. And yesterday's experiment went pretty well, just one incident of Cullen plopping himself down in protest but we were nearly on the sidewalk by that point and no cars were around so I just let go of Jack for a second and picked Cullen up and carried him the rest of the way. Oh to be free from that dreaded double stroller! It's so close I can taste it!
*My Wednesday morning small group has started up again which is a huge blessing to me! I love having at least one morning out with adults to look forward to each week. It's so encouraging to hear from other wives and moms who have similar struggles and situations as me. We're going to be reading through Instruments in the Redeemers Hands by Paul Tripp and I'm really looking forward to it. And we have a couple new members joining so we're going to be starting up a childcare rotation. This is going to be wonderful because this past year, we have had 6 children under the age of 3 running around during our study. As you can imagine, this can be pretty distracting so I'm really looking forward to a peaceful fellowship time.
The boys are starting to wake up from their nap, so that's all for now. I will try to post some new pictures of them later though!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Violet Has Arrived!!
At 5:29 pm on May 31st, (Memorial Day and my Mom's birthday), my niece Violet Kara Wallstrom was born! She was 8 lbs., 4 oz. and 20 inches long. And she's the spitting image of her mother!
Isn't she perfect? I just adore her beautiful dark hair! I actually thought Jack and Cullen would have lots of hair too and I was surprised when they came out with hardly any - I'm even more surprised now that it's turning blonde, but that's another story. I am just in love with Violet's hair, perfect to put lots of bows and ribbons in!!
My poor sister had a pretty rough labor and delivery though. Thankfully, it's over now and Violet was born safely! God is good! And the best part (although many of you might find this creepy) is that I got to watch the whole thing!! How did I watch it while 3000 miles away? On Skype of course! Violet was born at 8:30 my time on Memorial Day so Brandon was at home. He took care of the boys for a few hours while I locked myself up in the bedroom and talked with my family and supported Renee through her labor.
And it was the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed! Renee was so brave, she persevered through an incredibly long, drawn-out and painful labor. I don't know how she did it, she's an inspiration to me! I burst into tears the moment Violet finally came out, more tears than I cried when my own boys were born actually! It was because after watching my sister endure over 30 hours of labor, 2+ hours of pushing, and so much pain and exhaustion and then finally RELIEF - Violet's here!!! It was just overwhelming!
This probably sounds crazy, but it made me really sad that I missed out on the whole labor and delivery process. I have often felt this way, but most intensely after seeing my niece born. I never got to feel the excitement of those first contractions, wondering "if this is really it," the build-up, the incredible experience of actually birthing a baby. Of course I was excited on the way to the hospital and during the operation and when I finally saw my precious babies, but it's different. I don't really know how to explain why I feel it's different, I just do. I'm excited for my next pregnancy (a few years down the road) and I hope and pray that I can deliver without a c-section. I can hardly imagine a more precious or rewarding experience than laboring and bringing a baby into the world! (Note: I know I'm probably making a fool of myself here. Just watch, I will write a post 3 years from now, after having a regular delivery, and will be wishing I had just had another scheduled c-section.) Anyways, the whole point of this was just to say that I am so so SO proud of my sister. You did an awesome job Renee, I love you!!
And here are a few more pictures of my darling niece:
I just can't get over how much she looks like Renee!!
Well done, Ne! Don't they both look beautiful?
One last sweet story about Violet's name: Jon and Renee had told us a while ago that they planned to name her Violet May. So I was shocked when they told me right after her birth that her name was Violet Kara. Wanna know why they chose Kara as the middle name? After all of her aunties and her Nana!
Kimberlee, Anna, Rachel, Anne (my Mom's middle name). Isn't that special? So I now officially have 1/4 of a niece named after me! Haha, just kidding- I truly do feel honored! I think it's a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl!
My arms are literally aching to hold her! Soon, little Violet, soon! Just know for now that your Auntie Kim loves you very much! (And I hope you snuggle with your quilt and feel the intense love it was made with every night!)
Isn't she perfect? I just adore her beautiful dark hair! I actually thought Jack and Cullen would have lots of hair too and I was surprised when they came out with hardly any - I'm even more surprised now that it's turning blonde, but that's another story. I am just in love with Violet's hair, perfect to put lots of bows and ribbons in!!My poor sister had a pretty rough labor and delivery though. Thankfully, it's over now and Violet was born safely! God is good! And the best part (although many of you might find this creepy) is that I got to watch the whole thing!! How did I watch it while 3000 miles away? On Skype of course! Violet was born at 8:30 my time on Memorial Day so Brandon was at home. He took care of the boys for a few hours while I locked myself up in the bedroom and talked with my family and supported Renee through her labor.
And it was the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed! Renee was so brave, she persevered through an incredibly long, drawn-out and painful labor. I don't know how she did it, she's an inspiration to me! I burst into tears the moment Violet finally came out, more tears than I cried when my own boys were born actually! It was because after watching my sister endure over 30 hours of labor, 2+ hours of pushing, and so much pain and exhaustion and then finally RELIEF - Violet's here!!! It was just overwhelming!
This probably sounds crazy, but it made me really sad that I missed out on the whole labor and delivery process. I have often felt this way, but most intensely after seeing my niece born. I never got to feel the excitement of those first contractions, wondering "if this is really it," the build-up, the incredible experience of actually birthing a baby. Of course I was excited on the way to the hospital and during the operation and when I finally saw my precious babies, but it's different. I don't really know how to explain why I feel it's different, I just do. I'm excited for my next pregnancy (a few years down the road) and I hope and pray that I can deliver without a c-section. I can hardly imagine a more precious or rewarding experience than laboring and bringing a baby into the world! (Note: I know I'm probably making a fool of myself here. Just watch, I will write a post 3 years from now, after having a regular delivery, and will be wishing I had just had another scheduled c-section.) Anyways, the whole point of this was just to say that I am so so SO proud of my sister. You did an awesome job Renee, I love you!!
And here are a few more pictures of my darling niece:
This is right after they had cleaned her up
I just can't get over how much she looks like Renee!!
Well done, Ne! Don't they both look beautiful?
One last sweet story about Violet's name: Jon and Renee had told us a while ago that they planned to name her Violet May. So I was shocked when they told me right after her birth that her name was Violet Kara. Wanna know why they chose Kara as the middle name? After all of her aunties and her Nana! Kimberlee, Anna, Rachel, Anne (my Mom's middle name). Isn't that special? So I now officially have 1/4 of a niece named after me! Haha, just kidding- I truly do feel honored! I think it's a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl!
My arms are literally aching to hold her! Soon, little Violet, soon! Just know for now that your Auntie Kim loves you very much! (And I hope you snuggle with your quilt and feel the intense love it was made with every night!)
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