My Latest Fix

The last few weeks I get spontaneous cravings for Arctic Circle's "twist cone in a cup with triple the sprinkles." When I drive up to the window I always make them add one more scoop of sprinkles just to make sure they were gypping me. I don't know why, the sprinkles don't have much flavor and aren't particularly delicious. I think it's a texture thing. Soft serve ice cream? Pass. Soft serve ice cream with anything added? Yes please.

Lance thinks it's hilarious and quite pathetic that twice now, I have come home from Arctic Circle empty handed. They were out of sprinkles!? Gasp! Nooooooooooo!

Grip This

My thinking last April: I'm not fat I'm just pregnant.  *Excited smile!*  (Then I puked my guts out for the next eight months).

My thinking this April: I'm not pregnant I'm just fat.  *Contented smile at the baby!*  (Then I jiggle my belly and sigh).

Today I finally came to terms with the fact that I probably won't lose any baby weight. I've fought it for nine months eating healthy and exercising regularly and nothing is happening. I also discovered that while I was pregnant I physically grew. Like, my bones grew, which I don't think has happened since I was 10 years old. Maybe this whole weight loss thing is delusion and I've gone crazy or something. Or perhaps it's those darn Arctic Circle cones loaded with sprinkles?

I have been putting off and putting off going through my clothes and throwing out the ones that no longer fit but today I tackled that feat and put 3/4 of my wardrobe into a garbage bag. I think Heidi is the only one small enough to fit into them so I'll give her the large bag to sort through and whatever she doesn't want I will donate to the DI.

This now means I have nothing to wear which means I get to go shopping. I would be a little more excited about that but we don't have money right now for me to buy clothes. Maybe Lance will give me some for my birthday next week? I doubt it. He doesn't even buy clothes for himself. Clothes shopping is the worst form of shopping in his mind, well maybe grocery shopping is, or "errand running", or.........ok. Just any shopping for that matter.

However, Mom and I are going down to visit Christine at the end of the month, maybe we can stop at a few outlet stores.

Random Thoughts

• Kathy's funeral went very well. My heart is broken for her kids and grand kids but especially for Kerry. He kept saying how his biggest regret was that he didn't treat his wife as good as he should have and pleaded with the husbands there to always be good to their wives. I know better. Kerry was very loving and kind to Kathy. If's, and's, or but's are typically on the forefront of someone's mind especially after an expected death. He was good to her and it's very evident.
• It's strange that my house is usually the cleanest 10 minutes before someone comes over than it is all week long.
• There's something very satisfying about having a freezer packed full of homemade baby food.
• My weight loss update: I lost one pound in six weeks and gained it back when I got together with the girls while all the men were gone. Go figure. 
• I have found the best way to budget and buy new clothes for a growing baby is to thoroughly comb through clearance racks at the end of the season. Those $3 complete outfits (shirt, pants, hat, sunglasses) are there, you just have to find them.
• While searching clearance racks and looking for inexpensive pajamas that Kimball needs now, I'm sad to say he's out of the newborn or baby section. 12-18 months is now considered the toddler stage and I'm sad that he can't fit into those tiny little clothes any more.
• I finished making a magnetic memo board for my craft room, made myself some new earrings (since I'm usually making them for other people and never wear any that I make myself), made myself my own set of flower cupcakes for my kitchen, and bought a yellow chrysanthemum wreath at Joann's on clearance for $5 (regularly $40). The front door looks so much more inviting and homey!
• We used the last of our tax return to hire Brandon Larson (Cutting Edge Remodeling, he's from 9th ward) to replace and install new gutters. I was afraid the project was going to end up being much more expensive that anticipated because around most of the house there isn't even a drip edge. Therefore, around most of the house all the trim work is rotted out. So he replaced all that wood, installed drip edges and/or gutters throughout and even added a leaf guard. But he didn't stop there, he pruned up the tree by the back door because it was in his way when he was working and took down one of the antennas on top of the roof. I told him he better tack those latter two items onto our bill so we can pay him for his time. It's so nice to have a clean cut and honest contractor who does excellent work. I highly recommend him!
• Speaking of clothes, I have never known anyone to wear out clothes faster than Lance. I swear he must take scissors to his suits everyday at work or something. Example: I just bought him a new pair of dress shoes for work since his old ones literally had holes in the soles. Holes in the soles = wet feet all day long, particularly in the spring. Wet feet = stinky feet. We needed shoes in a hurry. I bought a new pair on sale at Macy's in the spring and the other day Lance informed me that those already have holes. Not to mention a shoulder seam on his suit jacket has come apart, a hole in the arm pit of his dress shirt, and a hole in the crotch of his dress pants. I've tried investing thinking the more expensive shoes/suits will last longer. They don't. I've tried getting a few of the inexpensive shoes/suits so they won't wear out as quick. They don't. So here we are with holey clothes once again but he's got to have them for work. I'm fresh out of ideas and money and he's out of fresh clothes.
• Since he's been pulling himself up to things, Kimball's favorite game is to be scared from behind while he's standing. I also don't think he'll totally crawl. He still does the push up crawl with his arms and one big toe. That's it. I like it that way and I'm not ready yet for him to be big and old enough to be walking.
• I don't care for watching sports and I'm definitely glad Lance isn't one of those husbands married to ESPN. But, I do love the Olympics and have watched nothing else for the past two weeks.
• It's scary how fast time goes.I can't believe the summer is almost over and school will begin soon. What's even more scary is that Kimball will smell like #2 pencils and new tennis shoes in four very short years. Crazy!

Aunt Kathy

Early Sunday morning Aunt Kathy passed away suddenly. The story as I understand it, Friday she went in for an outpatient knee surgery and went home just fine. Kerry tried to wake her at 3am to give her pain meds and basically wouldn't wake up so he thought she was just pretty out of it from the surgery and needed to sleep. Kaitlyn tried to wake her in the morning for pain meds but this time she was much more unresponsive. Brett did CPR and they called an ambulance. She was put in the ICU and found her kidneys were failing and had no brain activity. As the next few hours passed things were looking more grim as family grove and flew into Boise to be with her. They waited for Michael to fly in about midnight on Saturday and they decided to take her off life support. She passed away about 4am on Sunday. The doctors have no idea what went wrong. We don't know if it was some kind of underlying issue that had nothing to do with the surgery or maybe she had a massive stroke or heart attack or if it was a reaction to the anesthetic or pain meds. It's such a shock to the family and Kerry's world has been turned upside down, he's quite distraught. It's just so sad, she was so young, about 60 and left so much family behind. I'm just praying so hard for her family. The funeral is Wednesday at 1pm in Boise and burial afterwards in Shoshone.

Who's More Excited?

Dear Daddy,

While you were gone on your man trip I figured out how to drink from a straw. Mommy had a raspberry lemonade and boy was it yummy, I couldn't get enough of it! I then started pulling myself up to things which means I bonk my head a lot more and mom has to clean glass surfaces more frequently. But how else am I supposed to learn? I can't wait for you to come home, Mom gets boring from time to time. I miss you lots!

Love, Kimball

Pack N Play View

Mom Day

Saturday we had a mom day repurposing frames from the DI, lunch, and then Christine showed us a few tips on cake decorating. She's the expert having to take a few classes for her degree and yet her cake looked the worst, haha.

 

This was my cake which isn't a head turner by any means. But I have four icing tips and I decided instead of making it look good, I'd just practice each tip on the cake.

Pruned Up Piggies

Water Day

Last weekend all the boys went on a man trip white water rafting on the Salmon River in Riggins and so all of us girls got together. On Thursday Mom, Christine, and I hung out up town shopping mainly for fabric for Christine to make some curtains in her new house. These pictures are Friday - a water day for all the cousins and a relaxing day on the patio for us moms.

Luckily as the oldest cousin, Charity can read. She read an Amelia Bedelia book to all the kids on the trampoline and they loved it! Followed by playing in the sprinklers, slip n slide, and kiddie pools.

 

 Here's my water cutie!

 

 Look at those cheeks! And his little teeth, I just think they're so cute. And somehow I captured some other interesting facial expressions.

I had to put some warm water in the pool, the hose water was too cold for babies.

 Trying to get warm after swimming.