I'm Back!

Didn't realize it has been nearly a year since I last updated this blog... Today I am beginning a new (free) class at www.jessicasprague.com called "Holidays in Hand" and there will be some blogging involved, so here I am!


"Assignment 1: Write your Values & Goals So our first exercise is to write our goals down. Put it down in ink (or on your blog) so that you can confirm to yourself what you really want. This will become the foundation of all the (many) decisions you'll make during the next 6 weeks or so. Want to be more worshipful as a family? Write that down. Want to feel more organized about all the holiday stuff?" (taken from the JS website)


First and foremost, it is important that we focus on the true meaning of the holiday season: Jesus Christ. We must remember that all good things come from Him and He is worthy of our praise. Even in the times of struggle, we can still retain our joy because we know our GOD is filled with love, mercy and grace and will walk with us through any challenging circumstance.


In November, we offer our thanks and praise to Him for the many blessings in our life. This year, that list will include the marriage of our youngest son to his lovely new bride and the birth of our precious granddaughter.


In December, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour -- we give gifts to one another because GOD first gave us the perfect Gift of His Son, Jesus. If we choose to accept His gift, we are adopted into the kingdom of GOD and become His heirs with Christ. We will also be forgiven all our sins - those in the past and those we may commit in the future - and will spend an eternity with GOD, loving Him and being loved by Him - for ever and ever and ever.


My goal is to share this Good News - the Gospel - with my family and friends and to encourage them to always remember that who we are and the reason for our holiday celebrations is all about HIM.

klb

What kind of Christmas Tree should I have?

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

Stories in Hand

Feelings and Values ~ pg 15

Is there anything you always wanted to do but never did?

When I found out I was expecting my first child, I envisioned the baby and I driving around the US in a "candy apple red" van - just the two of us. It was 1975. I was 17, unmarried and embraced the hippie lifestyle as much as I could while still living at home. I thought it would be a fantastic adventure...just baby and me, going from town to town...meeting new people, checking out interesting sites/sights and growing up together. The baby's father wanted us to get married, however, as he feared that his parents would "disown" him and that he would be "ex-communicated" (from the catholic church).

So we married.
And divorced before our son was 18 months old.

That wanderlust has never really gone away, however and I still dream of traveling the US - this time with a motorhome, my beloved Husband and our little dog - and maybe we'll actually get to do it sometime. During the winter months, anyway, when our business is down for the season. I still want to meet new people and check out the sites/sights -- especially the National Parks and canyons in Utah and new England in the fall. Oh - and the Pacific coastline!

If we get to have such an adventure, I will absolutely take my camera and my laptop, as I would want to keep a weekly blog of our experiences and share them with family and friends. So many people who view my photos online say that Alaska is such a place of wonder and beauty -- and they're RIGHT! - but GOD's beauty and majesty is all over our great country and how I would love to see it first-hand...

Of all the things I have yet to accomplish in this life -- this right here is number one on the list!

~ klb

Stories in Hand

Birth & Childhood pg 7

What is your full name? Were you named after anyone?

My birth name is Kimmie Lee W-----. During pregnancy, my parents' choice names for me were "Jeffery Allen" and "Ramona" (never heard a middle name that went with this), or possibly, "Tammy Mary-Frances" - "Tammy" for the movie starring Debbie Reynolds; "Mary-Frances" for my maternal and paternal grandmothers, respectively.

Once I was born, however, my Mother decided to name me "Kimmie" as it rhymed with "Jimmie," which is what she called my Dad. Not sure where "Lee" came from. I am thankful they didn't go with "Ramona" (no offense to any Ramonas who might be reading this!!), but I think I would've been okay with "Tammy."

When I was in junior high school I was unhappy with my name and for a few weeks, I became "Kellie Marie Rogers." I have no idea how or why I came up with that name, but I really liked it and would sign my school papers and notes to friends with that name. When I was an older teen, I hated "Kimmie" - thought it was fine for a five year old, but too childish for someone my age, so I tolerated it only from family mambers; friends and teachers called me "Kim."

Since Rog and I have been married, he refers to me as "Kimmie" and I no longer grit my teeth when I hear it spoken. Many of our current friends think it's his nickname for me, not realizing it's my given name and that's what they call me, too. And - finally - I'm okay with that!

~ klb

Wow. It's been more than a year since I last posted to this blog! For any of you who used to check, I apologize for slacking off. Apparently, I'm gifted in that area...

Well, now I'm back and am excited to renew my postings here! I am part of a class/group over at www.jessicasprague.com called, "Stories in Hand." This class is all about gathering and sharing our memories - our stories - by using a nifty "sparks" binder (filled with journaling prompts). I'm still in the process of putting the binder together (remember my "gift" of slacking?), but have already begun writing out my stories. Most of them I will share here in the blog - the other, more private memories, I'll tuck away from the world at large and share only with immediate family members or even just with GOD.

If you are interested in reading a bit about my life, please check back again soon, as I plan to post my first story tonight :)

-- kimB

Goofy, Fun, Totally Off-the-Wall Game/Quiz/Thingy

Found this tonight while "blog-browsing" (http://gigikennedy.typepad.com/)
.
YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Inky Blazer

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Mint Chocolate Chip

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
K Bra

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Teal Moose (sounds like a cute name for a business...)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Lee Juneau

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Bra Ki

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The")
Deep Blue the Jug of Ice Water or Deep Blue the Decaf Mocha Frappe

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
James William

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy)
Chanel Cadbury

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names)
Mary Grace Alden

Your Turn!!

Baby Shower Set

Made this set over the past couple of days, for a baby shower I attended this afternoon. The baby is a girl (due in September, I believe) and the nursery theme is "Lions & Lambs." Supply list follows the photos. Thanks for looking!

Supply list --

* All pattern paper and paper tags - "Phoebe" by Basic Grey
* Textured cardstock - Die Cuts with a View
* Pearl brads and mini rhinestone brads - Making Memories
* Large rhinestone brads - Karen Foster Design
* Large paper flowers - source unknown (note to self - jot down brands before tossing away packaging )
* Small green paper flowers - Prima (I believe)
* Epoxy word stickers and heart stickers - Marah Johnson/Creative Imaginations
* Glitter stickers - Kurio (a division of K & Co)
* All chipboard pieces - "Baby Girl Collection" by Prima
* Small lion stamp - Stampendous
* Large lion stamp - Coronado Island Stamps
* Lamb stamp - PSX
* All scallop punches (circle & oval) - Marvy-Uchida
* Color on Lamb stamp - watercolor pencils by Kimberly (used w/a blender pen)
* Embossed texture on greeting card - Cuttlebug "So Swirly" embossing folder