Also

How cute is my new background? My friend from high school, Hilary, runs a shop called Simply Yours Designs, where she customizes blog backgrounds. Check it out here! I WON this background in one of her giveaways and I was so ecstatic because you all know that I have no creativity and my blog always needs help. So THANK YOU HIL for giving me a much needed face lift!

Final Call

I am making the blog private on Sunday. I can't wait to share with you what is going on... so in the meantime, if I don't have your email address, please submit it now.

In other news, since you care... Devin has been in Austin, TX all week for a Sports Turf Conference. Sounds fun, right? He likes it. Hals and I miss him a lot. Now we need to start looking for jobs for him for when he graduates in April! I will post pictures (if he even takes any) when he gets back. So far, the new camera we bought for him to take hasn't taken even one photo, according to him.

Hallie and I will be going to Idaho tonight for the weekend for a baby shower for Che' and Hudson. We are excited to see the little man.

That's all for now!

Also...

I am going to make the blog private for a time. There is a reason for this and I will explain why once it is private. It is likely that one day we will go un-private again. I know private blogs can be a pain, but once I have made it private and have given everyone access, I will create another blog that you can follow or add to your google reader to tell you when I have updated. One of my clients does this who has a private blog and it works great! That way, you won't have to wonder when I update, but you can just keep up on the other blog to know.

Leave me your email address or email it to me at strobelite@gmail.com if you would like an invite. I will give it a week or so before I make it private.

Thanks!

Sadness

This weekend I made another trip to Idaho Falls, this one unplanned. Last weekend, my oldest cousin on my dad's side, Damian, was killed in a plane crash outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was with two of his business partners and all three were killed when their plane went down about a mile from the runway. This is very shocking and sad news. His funeral was held yesterday in Idaho Falls and was a great celebration of his life. My cousin Anneka, who I grew up with and is my age, spoke at the funeral and along with the others, did a great job remembering her brother.

Damian leaves behind a wife and four children, ages 14 to 8. He baptized his youngest just the weekend before his death. That same weekend, he was able to spend time with nearly all of his family. What a blessing! At the cemetary yesterday, it was sad to look around and to see all the family members buried there in the same area. Chris is buried there, Damian will now be, and three of my dad's brothers are also buried there. James, the oldest in his family, passed away at birth. Joe, just older than my dad, passed away 30 years ago this fall in a plane crash (I know, what are the odds?). Josh, the youngest, passed away in 1992 (I think) after being shot. While it is hard to see our family suffer another loss, I know that just as we have been comforted and received understanding in the past, the same will happen in this situation. I think the Lord must need valiant men to serve on the other side.

Here is Damian's obituary if you would like to read it, and here is an article about the plane crash.

In other sad news, a little girl about Hallie's age died on Friday after nearly drowning in a canal. She spent more than a week a Primary Children's Hospital and they worked to save her, but that wasn't the plan for her. I don't know this family, but the accident happened near my mom's house and I just can't stop thinking about them and the sadness they must be going through. If you have a chance, read their story on their blog and more importantly go to this blog to donate money to help the family. I am sure any little bit helps. I can't imagine what they are going through and I have been so sad thinking about it. It makes me want to hold Hallie just a little bit closer and to appreciate her so much more.

Amidst all this sadness, I am grateful for the life that I have. I am very blessed and I know it. Count your blessings!

Here's to hoping that there is no more sad news for a long time....

Honoring Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Especially in recent years, I have thought about Mother's Day in different terms than I used to, particularly thinking of those who wish to be mothers and are unable to be and those who make the ultimate selfless decision in my book- birth mothers. I hope I don't sound like a broken record on my blog when it comes to these special groups, but they deserve honor as well. My co-worker Lauren posted a beautiful talk she gave in church today on her blog about remembing all types of mothers. If you want to read it, I definitely think it is worth your time. Click here for the link.

The Saturday day before Mother's Day is Birth Mother's Day. Our Provo chapter of Families Supporting Adoption (FSA) has an annual birth mother's walk to celebrate. Adoptive families, birth mothers, and anyone else who wants to come are invited. This year it was bigger than last year and so much fun. We had fire trucks and ambulances for the kids to tour, Cosmo came, and lots of candy and parachute games. There was also some walking around the track, some races, and some donuts and drinks. It is so fun. I just love the adoption community because it is so tight knit. I pretend I am part of it, though I haven't adopted. :)

Hallie had a great time with the other kids and particularly with the candy. However, she HATED Cosmo. See below for photographic evidence. Later, he walked by her and she started freaking out again. I tried to convince her that he is just a large dog (since she likes dogs), but she didn't go for that. Oh well.





Since I am a mother (oh, it wasn't obvious by the amount of info I post about Hallie?) I thought I would also record a few of my thoughts on motherhood.

Hallie came home from nursery today with a little poem that had a picture of her attached and her handprint for me. I can't tell you how much I treasure this little gift. I don't think I will ever need a materialistic gift again if she will continue to print her hand on a piece of paper for me each year.

Motherhood has changed me in a lot of ways. I love this little person in a way I can't describe. Even on days like yesterday that consist of Hallie throwing a full blown fit every two steps while we are at the grocery store and end with me carrying her in one arm while she twists and turns trying to get down and pushing the cart with the other hand, I still have to to pause and laugh and tell myself to enjoy the moment. Its all so worth it. I just don't know how people do it with more than one...

Anyway, this is a journey I am immensely grateful for. I do tend to be a worrier and I often ask myself if I am doing the right things and being a good mom, but I try to not to dwell on these thoughts because I know that they are not productive. I can only do the best that I can and so far in her 18 month life, I don't think I have done any irreversible damage. I definitely don't think I am the best mom ever (I am working on patience), but I am grateful that Hallie is so forgiving of me and my weaknesses.

I hope you all, mothers or otherwise, have had a wonderful day!

Blog Stalking

I totally admit it. I am a massive blog stalker.

One thing leads to another and soon I have linked from one blog to another blog to another blog...and well, you know. (Don't deny it, you do it too). My blog stalking preference is (oddly enough) for people I don't even know. I am just so fascinated by people that I can't help but look at their blogs and want to know more about them. I have a special preference for blogs of people who are adopting or facing infertility. I guess that's natural since it is my line of work. I have been really inspired lately too from some of the stories I have read. I am impressed with the strength and character that people have through terrible tests of their faith. It inspires me to be better and above all to show more gratitude for my blessings, which are many.

Here's the problem. I am often even tempted to leave comments on these blogs! Is this weird? It would be like I am pointing at myself and saying, "yes, I have found your blog and I know all about you, yet you have no idea I even exist!" Weird. Yet, I want to just tell them how amazing they are and tell them to keep going; its worth it.

Really, I wouldn't be weirded out if someone I didn't know left me a nice comment. I would be flattered. I wouldn't think they were creepy at all. But when its me, its totally a different story.

What a problem.

More Love

I have decided to give up on blogging myself and start just adding links to other people's blogs since they are much more interesting and eloquent than me. So here are a few more-
If you are looking to be inspired please go here: http://gijenandchris.blogspot.com/2008/09/birthday-and-anniversary.html
This is my sister's blog. For those of you that don't know, her husband Chris has been going through cancer treatments for a brain tumor for the past year. They have been through so much, but have been so optimistic and inspirational to everyone around them. I'll just let you read the story yourself at the above link if you so desire.

If you are looking to see embarrassing pictures of me, please go here: http://skellenburg.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-birthday-kim.html
This is my good friend Kasie's blog. She and I were roommates our freshmen year at BYU (thus the embarrassing pictures). However, I have posted embarrassing pictures of other people before, so I think it is only her right to post some of me. Just remember, we were freshmen.

It was my birthday yesterday, as these posts indicate, so I may return to the blogging world myself to do a post about that a little later on. Happy day!

I have the best friends ever

My wonderful friend Beth dedicated a post to me on her blog. I thought it was the nicest thing ever and I wanted you all to see, so click the link below if you desire.
http://bethandjasonherman.blogspot.com/