Vote

image via google images

I hope everyone is planning on voting on Tuesday. I sure am. I believe in it so much. We need to be more active in our communities and in who we elect to run our local and national governments. We, as a people have no right to sit and complain about what is happening, when we are not proactive in helping to change the things that we don't agree with, or like. I have many dear friends who are extremely active in their local political campaigns and I think it is wonderful.

I don't claim to know everything, but I try to educate myself as well as I can, then go out and vote for those people who represent my values and the things I hope for my own children and families. So please, go vote.

This week in my local elections I am voting in favor of this bond. **full disclosure: I have not been asked to, or paid to write the following opinion, I did, however receive the opportunity to enjoy a 'hard hat' tour of the new Natural History Museum under construction, and folks, it is going to be amazing.** I am so excited for something to amazing to be brought to Salt Lake City. I remember going to the museum as a kid and being fascinated by all of the things there, especially dinosaurs. Being mother to one very science loving and minded kid, I am thankful and excited to share this new museum with my children.

Anyway, just putting in my two cents. If you live in Salt Lake County, I encourage you to read the article and consider voting in favor of proposition 1.

As for me, I am off to finish studying the candidates and making a fully educated decision.

Happy Haunting and Happy Voting.

Winner! Winner!

The winner of the giveaway can be found HERE!

Healthy Home Giveaway!

A fun and exciting giveaway can be found on my review blog HERE.

Tiny Steps

***Originally posted to Shredding With Simply Me***

That is where I am at. Just tiny, itty bitty steps. I have a goal of when I want this weight gone. I am completely serious about it, and I am having to remind myself every day when the cravings hit.

It has been a little over a week of this daily reminder, and daily knee hitting, asking for strength.

Today it paid off. 1/2 pound. In a week. Still it is there, and going down in the right direction.

My goal for right now is to hit 190. Wow, to actually weight 190 seems so daunting, but I am only a few pounds away. I think literally biting off this huge number of weight into little bits is going to be the only way I can get through this. Down 5 lbs at a time, slowly chipping away at it. I think it was Becca who suggested doing little goals. (I can't remember who said it, but IT HELPS!)

SO, after 190, it will be 185, etc, etc.

Like Nakia, I am having a hard time deciding what my 'treat' should be when I hit 190. I keep hoping that it will be that I can try on a pair of pants I have hidden in a tote and they will magically fit, so that I can add to my wardrobe. I just need to psych myself up that they may not fit, and that is okay.

We'll see. For now, still on the journey to 190. 193...192...191...190...

Savoring Summer

Loving these last moments of summer.

Going outside on Sunday evenings and letting the kids play.

Grabbing my camera and just shooting them, over and over and over.

Fall is on it's way.

I feel it in the crisp mornings and the chilly evenings.

Soon the frost will come, and with it the short days and long nights of winter.

For now, relishing in these last moments of summer, soaking in as much sun and warmth as I can...

...and loving in this little one whose days are passing just as quickly as the summer has, and listening to her constant (and new) "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

Hitting a wall.

Photo completely unrelated to post, and old, and digital. This is what you get when I post from my husband's new laptop, er uh, my new laptop, which I wish was mine, but isn't really.

I am going to use the term 'hitting -a- wall' instead of 'hitting -the- wall'. It has nothing to do with running either.

This week was rough. I have had myself together for the past month. I have been on top of my motherly and wifely duties for so long, and then WHAM this week hit me like a ton of bricks.

It started last week when that effer Aunt F was in town, she forced all sorts of brownies down my throat and convinced me that if I went running and worked out I would feel even worse than I already did, so I stayed put, working around the house, working on sessions etc.

This week found us a one car family. Well, sort of, first we were a no car family, (long story) we were using a borrowed car that started SMOKING on us Wednesday. We got our car back in time for the busiest weeks of my life to hit. So, between no cars, trading cars, entertaining out of town guests, boutiques, sessions, editing, laundry, dishes, (or not being home to do laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping etc.), a surprise party for my brother who is leaving for the army and has me in tears, and generally being OFF my schedule, I hit a wall tonight.

I got a migraine through the roof. I am so tired from averaging 4 hours of sleep this entire week, and yet, here I am, scheduled to wake in 6 hours and I am not sleeping. I needed writing therapy, for, even my blog has suffered damages from this week.

Deep. Breaths.

This week will not control me. This week will not tear me down, I will overcome and get back on my routine.

In other news and completely unrelated, but not:

Did you know I need to lose almost an entire person's worth of weight from my body? More than my almost 7 year old weighs?

Did you know my -biological- father told me that I was perhaps a wee bit fat tonight? Did you know that that made me cry in my migraine ridden state?

Then I somehow had to drive an hour home in with my migraine, fighting back the choking sobs that I am still fighting back. *frowny face*.

SO over today. As in over.

Gonna jump over this effing wall and move on...

Join me.

Did you know?

That I have a beautiful life?

As in, grade-a amazing?

I have grown so much in the past two months, it is astounding. I attribute that to my faith. I also attribute it to myself and getting to know myself and loving myself more. Trusting in who I am inside, who I was born to be, and letting her shine through.

It is not an easy thing to do by any means. It is hard. Some days I cry. Some days I still don't want to get out of bed. Some days I am not the perfect mother (okay most days). Still, I am trying. Trying to be better, and reach farther, and I am making huge strides.

Huge. Strides.

I hope that you are too.

Have a happy weekend.

xo

~Kim

A&S Back to School

View entire session and order prints here.

I know...

...I am a cracker jack blogger.

For that I apologize. It is THE busiest time of year for me. Fall = family photos for EVERYONE. It also is the beginning of the holiday season, which for the r house couture, means crazy orders and boutiques. (Which we love.) Did I mention we just celebrated our first birthday, the r house couture I mean? I didn't...well we did, and it is incredible.

But this post is not about that, it is about how I left you for an entire week with no new posts. Nothing new is really going on besides said busy-ness. I have been incredibly happy, incredibly busy, and trying with all of my might to keep these people from growing.

But alas, they don't listen to me. Just like my cravings for brownies COMPLETELY ignored me the past weekend. (I was doing SO good with my diet and exercise.) I feel so icky for eating them, but they tasted SO good. (I blame Aunt Flow, damn her.)

Anyway, enough of this MEZCLA of a cracker jack post for this cracker jack blogger. Come see me next Thursday in Draper mmmmmkkkk? The ladies and I will be having a boutique with our new lovlies. Designs only available at our boutiques this year.

(pssst. click to enlarge.)

Okay. Done. Next time you come it will be a lot better and I promise to not blog at 1 a.m. and to make sure I am well rested the night before I blog. Love you all. Really, I do. xoxo

Run Karsen Run

Four-year-old Karsen Mery lost his left foot in a lawn mower accident last September. This tough little boy has gone through many surgeries and now has a prosthetic leg.
Just last week, Karsen was involved in a playground accident where he broke the femur in that same leg. This still hasn't stopped Karsen!

What: 5k Run/Walk/Bike Fundraiser and Silent Auction
Where: Pavilion at 7982 South Grizzly Way, West Jordan, UT 84081
When: Race at 8am, Silent Auction at 8:30

Register at www.runkarsenrun.com

How you can help:
** Pre-order a shirt for $20 that guarantees your spot in the race
**Go to http://www.karsenmery.blogspot.com/ and click on the link on the right side where you can donate online
**Donate your time or new products/gift certificates for the silent auction

This is a great opportunity to raise money for Mery family to assist with all the medical bills they’ve incurred.

One-third of all donations will be given to Shriner’s Hospital to help more amazing kids like Karsen.

View entire session and order prints here.