Olympus High School Class of 2000 Alumni Website

If it was eight years ago when I was in the market for a wedding dress, this would have been it. Princess Victoria looks stunning in her custom gown by Swedish designer Par Engsheden. I am thinking it is my duty to convince my sister, Victoria,(it’s fate) to have a dress similar. Not that she is getting married any time soon. So Victoria no matter how many years away, this is it!

Read more here:
Wedding Dress

Although I garnered some confidence from my mom’s story of the same feelings- I still couldn’t shake thoughts of “you have no idea what you are doing.” Until my Aunt Bonnie came to visit. She asked me how I was enjoying motherhood and I said, “I’ve been reading a lot of books. I’m still trying to figure out the napping/nursing/changing/bathing stuff. Don’t you ever feel like you don’t know what you’re doing?” She said, “No. I was made to be a Mother. This stuff is inside you- just relax and enjoy it.” Her reply surprised me. I craved that confidence and surety that she had. After talking with Bonnie, I realized it was all up to me. Loving motherhood was up to me. I gave a bunch of baby books to Goodwill that night when I got home.

Read more here:
I was made for this.

Wow! Time has flown by and it has been FOREVER since I posted pictures of our family so I thought it time to catch up.  The biggest change our family has had is the addition of our little Lottie Ann who is now just 1 year old and not so little anymore.  We went to Costa Rica (pictures below) the week before she was born (she came 1 month early!) and ever since then she has still been surprising us all with her spunky little spirited personality.  Kate absolutely adores her and it is such a joy to see them play together .

                                                                          
                                                                        Costa Rica

This live volcano was right outside our hotel balcony in a small city called Arenal,  it was so stunning!

We took these tiny chartered planes around Costa Rica, which abolutely scared me almost into labor but Kate and Ava LOVED them.  Here they are watching the plane arrive waiting to board it…

Kate is such an ocean lover!  She loved to ride to waves in all by herself on a long board.  Even after being tumbled by a couple waves she wanted to keep on going!

Kate was lucky enough to go to Disneyland 2 different times this past year!  The first time she got to do the cutest thing I think Disneyland does which is at the Bibbdi bobbidi boutique.  You make reservations before you go and when you get there, your own Fairy Godmother comes and finds you and makes you over as whatever princess you choose to be.  Of course Kate chose Cinderella, her favorite.  She was in her own dreamland!  So cute, just look at those smiles!  We also had lunch reservations to eat at Ariels Grotto that day (pic below with Snow White), where Kate got to meet all the princesses one on one.  I included the pic with Ben Stillers' wife Christine Taylor in the background (silly I know ) but I thought it was cool because we sat and ate next to his family!

                     Kate at Jackson Hole                          Kate with her buddies Will and Tommy
                                      

                                   Kate in Hawaii                     On the beach with Daddy and Nate

This summer we were lucky enough to get to spend most of August at Laguna Beach, CA.  Lottie loved eating the sand and Kate as always loved the ocean…fun memories to last forever!

                          Love wainscotting  we did a bit less shaker style in this home than our previous home and kept it more traditional.

I fell in love with this Kohler Harborview double faucet sink and have to say it's one of my favorite things about the house.  I can literally bathe both my kids in here!  We used Legacy Custom Cabinetry and carried the carrara subways all the way around the windows and to the ceiling.   I had always wanted to do X mullions  for the cabinet doors and decided to try it in this kitchen and loved the way they turned out.  The oversized pendants over the island are Resoration Hardware's Benson Pendants.  The light over the kitchen sink is actually an antique crystal flush mount that looks a lot prettier than these pictures show.  But by far my favorite thing about this kitchen is the stove, and about it, it's 24 inch flat grill in the center.  I use it for everything, meats, pancakes, veggies, it's pretty cool and I have to thank my sweet husband for getting it for me, hopefully I can make him some fantastic meals on it

For the masterbath we did a herringbone carrara polished floor which I love, I feel like it gives it a more spa like feeling in there than honed would.  We also did a jetted clawfoot tub which gives the look of the vintage clawfoot but the modern luxury of jets! The best of both worlds!  One day… (maybe for Christmas, hint hint ) there will be a flat screen above the towell racks where those tv outlets are wired:).  The chandelier above the tub mirrors the one above the bed, I wanted to be able to see them when standing in either room so we divided the rooms with french doors and a window transom.

We were just barely featured in this magazine… We switched website companies and thus our revamp on the website is taking a little longer than expected

Read more here:
Catch up (longest post ever!)

Read more here:
soaked.

On Saturday I got to do something I have been looking forward to for a long time.  I, along with two of my best friends (as well as former college roommates) met in Cedar City for lunch and to catch a show at the Shakespearean festival.  I know what you are thinking: Oh, she’s a literary geek.  She must have seen a Shakespeare play.  But you are wrong!  More on that later.  First, I have to talk about our lunch.  I have never had, but have always wanted to try, Thai food.  It just sounded cool/delicious.  So, on the recommendation of a student worker at the library we met at Sweet Basil in Cedar City.  We had no idea what to order, so we asked our waiter for a recommendation.  He suggested any of the Pad Thai dishes.  I ordered Chicken Pad Thai.  (I’m not sure if I am supposed to capitalize that or not, but I feel I should.  It was that tasty.)  The restaurant also had a “spicy scale” and you could choose how spicy you wanted your food, from zero to ten.  Zero being not at all spicy and ten being fire-and-smoke-pouring-out-of-your-ears-spicy.  At first I said zero, then got brave and jumped clear up to a one.  The food came out, and it was delicious.   A combination of some kind of noodle, (cooked perfectly and not to heavy), egg, chicken, bean sprouts and just the right amount of spicy something.  When it comes to spicy stuff, I am a class-A wimp, but I really enjoyed this.  It was served on a plate with white rice on the side.  I gobbled it up.  Now I get what all the fuss is about with Thai food.  It’s fabulous!  On to the theater. 

We opted to see the musically adapted version of Great Expectations.  Having never read the book, I didn’t know the plot, but the show endeavored to explain what was going on in their songs.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t always hear the lyrics.  Luckily, there was Wi-Fi in the theater and we looked up the plot line on Wikipedia during intermission.  I can’t see this show ever being a huge Broadway hit.  I didn’t feel the songs were strong enough to be very memorable.   But I still enjoyed it very much.  The actors were phenomenal, being both very musically and dramatically talented.  Also the story wrapped up neatly in true Dickensian form.  Now, back to the question that I know is burning in the front of your mind (that is, if you have even read this far without  falling asleep or finding something better to do like say, I don’t know, staring at an empty wall.  If you have, I admire your fortitude): why didn’t I see a Shakespeare at the Shakespearean festival?  Well, first of all, my choices were limited.  I didn’t feel like seeing Much Ado About Nothing.  I have read the play more than once, and seen the movie several times.  Also, I feel like if I am going pay real money to see Shakespeare, I want something heavy duty.  I would want to see Macbeth or Richard III or even Hamlet.  So, maybe next year there will be one of the great tragedies that I could drag my friends to.  I already know where we are going to eat!

Read more here:
Thai Food and Charles Dickens

can’t believe she is 10 months!!! she is such a fun baby but so, so, so active….payback? possibly! she is into everything! things that we love about halle, things she loves and stats

50% weight

90% height

she had 8 teeth by eight months

started crawling before six months

thinks jake is the funniest person alive

doesn’t sit still…unless elmo is on

still not the biggest fan of solids but getting better

did i mention she is ACTIVE

loves the pool and taking baths

she is such a happy baby

getting a little more hair…even a curl or two in the back!

crawled stairs like a champ at nine months

she loves to shred paper with her teeth…seriously

we love this baby girl and she will be walking in no time!

Read more here:
halle at 10 months

jake’s first day of preschool

dinner at tuscany with the whole family

kel helping me get my bracelet unhooked…haha!!

halle lovin the fireworks!!

jake cruising the neighborhood in his usual fashion…half dressed!

Read more here:
a little bit of july and aug

Have you ever noticed that water bottle companies have been spending a lot of packaging space bragging about their ‘green’ practices.
One brand boasts that it’s smaller lid and thinner bottle uses less plastic. Another brand comes in a plastic bag, boasting the smallest amount of packaging. Another brand aims to be ‘carbon negative’ vaguely by ‘cutting emissions across [their] product’s entire life cycle and supporting reforestation and renewable energy products.’

I have an idea on how water bottles can be more earth friendly. STOP MAKING THEM! It’s a product that already comes in a very sustainable, recyclable container – pipe. Our cities are already littered in millions of miles of pipes that carry the same exact product right to our door steps using the most renewable energy possible – gravity.

Just another example of how ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ companies are full of marketing shit.

Read more here:
Water to save the planet

We celebrated Davey’s 2nd birthday today.  Carolyn made a balloon cake at Davey’s request, and we managed to find him some helium balloons which were a blast.  He’s been pretty excited about his birthday for the last few weeks and knows that he’s turned “two.”  We sang through Happy Birthday a few times and Davey blew the candle out more than once.  In the end the candle got back at him and singed some of his eyelashes but Davey didn’t seem to mind.  So we begin with the terrible twos .  Click the collage for a bigger version, videos of the birthday celebration are forthcoming.

Related posts:

1. Mikey’s 2nd Birthday
2. Mikey’s First Birthday
3. Video Housekeeping

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Read more here:
Davey’s 2nd Birthday

Tamra thought ahead and brought this awesome parachute, the kids had a blast trying to keep a few balls from popping off.We played lots of fun games… here is Grammy learning to play “Hearts” with the King of the Game, Paul!

And the infamous stick-pull competition….Jason vs. everyone else, pretty much! He rocked! Even Lyvia tried her hand at the stick-pull with her dad.

Even an obstacle course for the kids…complete with a gold medal at the end.

We love the Joneses and had a great time at the reunion!

Read more here:
busy, busy, busy (part 2)

I am working on my photography website which is long overdue and very much outdated. Can’t tell you how excited I am to have it all put together! Everything should be up and running in a week. Here is a little sneak peek…

Read more here:
New Photography Website in the Works!

As a homeschooler, perhaps it seems weird to write about the first day of school, since we don’t have a timetable like public schools do.  But hey, I figured since my kids don’t get to do the whole “new outfit, new backpack, standing outside in the morning while mom takes a picture” thing, the least I could do was write about our school days at home.  We actually started doing our lessons for this year last week, but yesterday was the first day I actually tried to implement the schedule I hope to keep for most of the year.  It went pretty well, but I was a bit tense by the time it was over.  It takes some fast talking to keep Eli occupied/entertained with what we are doing.  April did some math, Janey practiced her letters, and Eli “wrote” in his notebook.  Then we all sat down on the couch for a history lesson.  I signed April up for a history course, but so far it has been more geography than history.  We have studied the seven continents, including their names and locations on the globe.  Yesterday we learned about different land forms such as peninsulas, islands, rivers and canyons.  We are also learning how to read maps and know directions.  I don’t know how teachers at public schools do it for seven hours or so.  I was tired after two hours.  But, I was also happily surprised when I went to bed last night and I realized that I was excited to see what we would be doing the next day.  Maybe that’s how all teachers (the good ones, anyway) maintain their enthusiasm: keeping the thrill of learning and sharing knowledge at the front of their minds.  It’s fun for me too.  I am actually looking forward to the opportunity of teaching April the principles of subtraction, because I will get to learn it all over again too.  I feel pretty lucky that I get to be the one to see the light bulb turn on over their heads.  Just like any parent helping their child with homework or a school project,  we are all learning together.  This quote seemed appropriate: “Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study.  Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.”  Happy learning everyone!

Read more here:
Our first day of school

For the first 3 months of my pregnancy, I couldn’t stand the thought of a green smoothie. I made a smoothie one morning, took a look at it and ran in the other direction and begged my husband to get rid of it by the time I came back into the kitchen. Luckily, my pregnancy sickness faded away and I am now happily drinking smoothies again My latest favorite smoothie recipe is from the Green Smoothie Girl, she calls it her “Hot Pink Smoothie”. You can get the recipe and watch her make it by clicking {here}.

So there it is, I’ve come out of the closet. I drink raw beets, carrots, cashews and dates with frozen berries and coconut juice every morning. I’d be more than happy to make you your very own pink smoothie if you don’t quite dare to do it on your own And I’ll be honest, a good blender is the trick. This smoothie is devine when it’s smooth and not so much when it’s chunky, take it from someone who’s had both. I’ve owned my Blendtec (I bought mine at Amazon, you can click on the link at the bottom of my blog page) for the last year and it’s been the best investment! It is by far our most used kitchen appliance. Anyhoo, I’ll step down from my soap box now. Hope you try it!

Read more here:
My Latest Favorite Smoothie

Jetskiing with Savannah. Don’t worry that Mike tipped us off on accident, which scared Savannah pretty good. She was a trooper though!There is a big RedSox/Yankees rivalry in my family.Teena, Cathy and Mary Beth decorating shellsDecorating shells for JoeThe beautiful beach at our hotelHelping HandsWe miss you dad!Love notesAmazing supportSuch a wonderful sunsetLaura, Patrick and CathyMah Be and ICathy and Mary BethGrandma Heim and ITeena, Mary Beth, Michael, Cathy and Grandpa JoeThe family remembering JoeTeena, Grandpa and LauraMike, me and my dadThe shells I decorated, Wish and Somewhere Over the RainbowMany of you know I love stars and have a star tattoo on my back, but not many know why. After my dad died my mom gave me a card with stars on it and so they have always reminded me of him. My dad also really wanted a tattoo and would reapply a temporary one every day to make it look real so when I turned 18, I decided to get a star tattoo with his astrological symbol (gemini) in his memory.

Mary Cate is quite the free spirit and ran into the ocean after everything.Joseph Kevin Paul Heim

June 21, 1955-July 18, 2000 Even though the week was pretty emotional, we still had a great time eating, laughing, playing games and reminiscing. I can’t wait until the next Heim reunion because I don’t think we will be missing anymore!

Savannah and Brookie striking a pose!

Playing Tiles, a daily mid-day occurrenceLaura and Patrick at dinnerCathy and ISavannah, Cathy, Taylor, Erin and Harry Sisters, Teena, Cathy and Laura
Mike, Teena and I
Laura, Teena, Patrick, me and Cathy after a deliscious and very fun dinner!The kiddos Brooke, Michael, Mary Cate and SavannahSavannah decorating a starfish

Savannah, Erin and Harry playing in the ocean

Cathy and her girlsBrooke, Patrick and SavannahPlaying at the craziest restaurant EVER! Thank you Teena for making this all possible! We love you!!!

Read more here:
10 Years Too Long…

Little did I know, that in Blog-land- when you celebrate a wedding anniversary you are supposed to post pictures of your wedding day and pictures of you now and say things like, “My husband is so amazing and I can’t believe it’s been X number of years- the time has just flown by!”

I did not do this.

Our wedding anniversary has come and gone without so much as a “we’re married” on my blog. So instead of the traditional “we’re so happy, he’s the best”- here is my version of Happy Anniversary! to my husband of eight years.

My Man,

I’ve learned a lot from you over the past eight years. In honor of the big 8, here are 8 great things about our past 8 years together:

1. Marry a hunk. And a hard worker. And someone who laughs at your cheesy-jokes. And a good dad. Oh yeah, and if could be kind, sincere, smart and outdoorsy- bonus for you!
2. Appreciate a compliment from your husband. He’s the only one who really tells it like it is.
3. Beware of talking in your sleep. The story of what you said may be told and retold a million times.
4. When your husband says he needs a hobby, try to steer him away from collecting things or you may be searching for golf balls everywhere you travel to.
5. Be sure your spouse is there when you wake up from anesthesia.
6. Little girls and their dad seem to have a special bond. Foster it.
7. “Robbing the cradle” seems worth it now, eh?
8. “It seems like we’ve been married forever…but in a good way.”

LY4- Me

So….I do not have any digital photos of my wedding. I have the negatives. Does anyone do negatives anymore? I really should look into that. Anyway- here is an early photo of us at my Graduation. Oh yeah, notice the hair. On both of us.

Read more here:
Ode to the Man

As far as social networking goes, this blog is about it for me.  I am not, along with .0042693% of the rest of the world’s population, on Facebook, which just goes to show it’s not as popular as some people think.  And I am really, really, not a Twitter-er.  At least, not me personally.  Today I became, on behalf of the Snow College Library, a Twit.  That is what I call anyone with a Twitter account, myself included.  It fits quite nicely with the rest of the Twitter jargon.  I feel as though I have hit a new low.  A place I swore I would never go.  It’s a phenomenon I constantly made fun of.  When he was still on TV, I loved to watch Conan O’Brians’ “Twitter Tracker” segment.  So, on the day I realized the new library at Snow needed a Twitter account was a day that something inside me died.  Either that, or the questionably aged spaghetti I had for lunch was rearing its’ ugly head.  In any case, I felt vaguely nauseous.  Could I, in good conscience and with a straight face, propose to the library director that the library should have its’ very own Twitter account?  Gag.  I mean, have you seen some of the messages (I cannot, I will NOT use the word ‘tweets’. Double gag.) some Twits have posted, to be read and consumed like so many fruit-flavored mini-marshmallows?  Kind of tasty at first, but leaves you with a faint toilet cleaner-y aftertaste.  Yuck.  Yet here I am, signed up with one message already sent.  I hope to use this tool for good, not evil.  Or inanity.  I hope to send pertinent, relevant information about the library such as: “Our holiday hours for Labor Day weekend are…..”  Instead of  “Whoo-ee!  That leftover spaghetti sure ain’t sittin’ right! Don’t stand too close if you come to the reference desk! :/”

Read more here:
It’s official: I’m a Twit.

Grant & Avely
These two are only a week or two apart – it has been fun to see how much they have grown these past few months.

Playing with Ava
This picture cracks me up. It looks they are about to kiss.
Grant has changed so much since we have been here. He recently started sitting up and his two bottom teeth cut through.

Ready for Boston!

Read more here:
Last few days in MN

Read more here:
My wonderful Birthday

First off- yes, I was in a motorcycle accident up at the cabin. Blah. But the good ol’ folks in Rexburg got me fixed right up. Two weeks has gone by since the crash and I’m healing up quite nicely. I won’t be a gimp for long! (My mom insisted we take a picture of the wounded!)

FUN AT THE CABIN:

Read more here:
busy, busy, busy

We went to our 3rd Olmsted County Fair last week and wandered around avoiding the dirty animals (I’m on infectious diseases right now and animal exposures just don’t mesh, especially with a pregnant woman).  We ended up paying a fortune for one carnival game (and winning nothing) and letting the kids ride one ride exorbitantly priced ride (see the video) Fair food included a berry smoothy, mini-donuts, some chili fries, and the much loved turkey drumstick that Davey is still pointing and screaming “CHICKEN!” as I’m writing this right now.  The seen but not tried disgusting wagon of the fair is the donut cheeseburgers that looked absolutely disgusting.  The collage here sums up the pictures until I can upload a new gallery, but click the collage of a very big view.

Related posts:

1. Olmsted County Fair

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Read more here:
Olmsted County Fair