Genuine motivation is hard to come by

Kimball works all the time.
No, really.
He goes to the office early and until recently returns home late.
Every waking moment his mind is occupied with fluttering thoughts about business, investments, websites, products, employees, innovation etc. All I can do is try to keep up with his mind.


Actually, let me correct myself. I say every waking moment but I know for a fact that it's also most sleeping moments as I witness him talking in his sleep. 
In the middle of the night, out of no where his brilliant strategies sometimes burst out.

"If we pool our resources and do it together we can get a greater return on the investment.."

When Kimball is at his desk in the office working on something it is almost impossible to get his attention for more than a few seconds. He is in the zone. Complete tunnel vision, working on solving a problem or formulating a new idea.
Such is the life of a self-made man.


I've learned some things about good men from watching my father and now my husband (incidentally they are very much alike) and the way they feel about work. 

• They take it very seriously. 
• They believe in putting forth the greatest of effort. 
• They take pride in their work. 
• They enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. 
• They like to reap a reward for their work. 
• Their time is precious and will be well spent.
• Most important of all, if they are not able to produce they feel utterly worthless.
• They see money and wealth as a means to an end rather than a goal itself.

When we first got married he warned me that I so might feel like he was married to his business. I don't think I've ever felt secondary because I always felt that his hard work was for my sake, his family.


Right now Kimball is building out his company. He has found a bigger office space. He is employing some key people to carry the load of the system he is creating for his company.  He is formulating new ideas, concepts and products. He is doing everything he can to create an environment for his employees that promotes creativity, productivity and even fun.
Because Kimball loves to have fun more than anything. It's all for fun.
He likes working, it's for fun.
He like doing things he's never done before, it's for fun.
He likes to reap the rewards of hard work, so that he can have some fun.


In the midst of all the brain storming and serious crunch time there are important moments of laughter and fun to help motivate and liven the creative spirit.


Motivation can be hard to find sometimes but it's created not served.
With that in mind there truly is no limit to success.


This is currently what he's working with.
HCGdiet.com

A guiding hand and loving care

Cathy Larson is a wonderful woman full of tenderness and love toward mothers and babies.
She came into our lives as, it seems, was always intended. Her devotion and soothing spirit gave me what I needed to feel confident and determined in my decision to let Lois be born in her own home.


From the beginning when I first meth Cathy I knew I had found the right person. I had called around and talked to other midwives who where overbooked or busy with family and they led me to Cathy.
I liked her from the second I met her. 
She was calm and serene in her home office where numerous things testified of her personality. Great books and literature concerning religion, life, medicine and healing. Small articles of personal significance like pictures and knick knacks.


I'm not positive on the exact number of births she's attended but they are many. She even delivers her own grand children.  She will be serving as a midwife in Africa this summer, teaching, nurturing and assisting women that need her help.


The birth of Lois was the first delivery she did after having lost her close friend and colleague Briana Blackwelder, a young midwife with skilled hands who would assist Cathy at her deliveries as Cathy would assist her at hers. Briana was taken home to her Heavenly Father over Easter weekend and it's been an emotional few days mourning her while celebrating new life in the sacrifice of the Savior and the birth of a child. 


With all that was going on Cathy was calm and solid as ever and helped me through the most intense experience of my life.


Thank you Cathy. 
We love you dearly.

This is what life is all about II - The birth story

This here is the Extended Version.

We were at my in-law's having a birthday celebration. After dancing with Michael Jackson and shaking things up and having Gina (my sis-in-law and birthday girl) rub my feet, I was pretty much ready to pass out. By the time we left that night I was starting to feel the contractions come on. In the car on the way home I started to suspect that the time had come.

Kimball fell asleep right away at around 1 AM. I didn't. I was in labor and back pains where getting more and more severe with every contraction.

I paced around the bedroom trying to ease some of the tension. By 2:30 AM I called my midwife Cathy and then I woke Kimball up.

We started getting everything ready. Set up the birth pool and the hose hook up, clear space around the pool. 

Kimball was doing everything right. He worked hard at creating a peaceful place for the delivery. He drove to the store and got food and water bottles.

I noticed the intensity of the contractions were less in my mind when I was in the same room as Kimball.

I called my mom and talked to her for a little bit helping me keep my mind of the back pain.

I told Kimball to go to bed at around 4 AM.

He had a restless sleep until about 8 AM. Meanwhile, mother Mary showed up at around 7:30 AM well rested and ready to help. Cathy took off to get some things taken care off and returned at around 9 AM. 

By then my back was ready to explode with pain as every contraction came on. 

No relief except when Mary would push hard on my hips.

I got in the pool at around 9:30 AM and the water carried some of my pain away. Contractions where really intense and finally at around 10 AM the baby shifted lower and the back pain went away.

But now I had two more centimeters to go and that was the hardest part. 

Kimball was soothing me with delicate cool touch on my neck and hair. Bliss.

I was far a way in La la Land and stopped acknowledging people. I was making sounds like a cave woman trying to breathe and relax between contractions.

I still hadn't lost the plug and the sack was still intact. It was up to me and the baby to move things along.

Overwhelmingly strong forces took over and I started to push.

After a few pushes the plug released. A few more and the membrane popped like a balloon (thank you MJ, king of pop..) and to me it was almost audible.

Things picked up and I decided to just go for it. Far far away I heard Cathy telling me to take a break but I was done, ready, over it, on my knees pushing as hard as I could.

Baby crowned and all of a sudden she was coming out in a hurry. Cathy had her hand on baby's head behind me and was directing someone to take over in the front. 

No one had time to think or blink. 

Mary was the closest and made a dash for it and caught the baby as she came shooting out like an octopus! I could feel her little body push through. Magnificent feeling of release once the head was clear.

As Mary lifted the slippery little body out of the water the cord somehow snapped and colored the water red.

Cathy had it all clamped within seconds and that was it.

Baby Lois was breathing well, she was calm and perfect.

She opened her eye within seconds and lifted her little head to look around. It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. She didn't make a sound but merely blinked at the sudden light and change of surroundings.

She's strong, perfectly healthy and beautiful.

I'm in love.

This is what life is all about

Watch on YouTube in HD.

The Birth of Lois

After many suggestions and advice on how to induce labor naturally it finally happened.

It was a good day.

Here's how you do it.

First get involved in a big project that demands all your time and attention.

Then have family dinner at a Thai restaurant. Pick something with shrimp that is a little spicy.

Get someone to give you a proper foot massage.

Next thing is to play the Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii. 

(Don't settle for easy, go for the Inhuman.)

Keep at it for about an hour or so. Do your best to beat everyone else.

Then go to bed at around 1 AM and try to sleep.

By then you should be experiencing some strong contractions and likely back pain. 

This is a good sign. If it doesn't let up enough for you to fall asleep it's GO TIME.

If all goes well you should be holding your very own mini-me around 10 hours later.

Good luck!

This is basically how it happened.

I need to be in labor!

Four days past the due date doesn't mean anything.
BUT I'm getting tired and will soon resort to sprinting up and down the street and eating labor inducing herbs if this egg doesn't crack soon.


Kimball says Thursday.


I hope to goodness he's right.

Happy anniversary to us! 04/18/09

I'm IN LOVE and I don't care who knows!


I feel as if my heart could swell to infinite proportions with emotion.


These past two years have hands down been the best two years of my life.
I'm married to the most interesting, handsome and tender man I've ever met. He is truly my hero.


It's a strange and beautiful phenomena the way love can grow. I've never been more in love than I am right now. I've also never been more loved than I am right now, and from here on out it will just grow as we start adding our own children to the equation.


Love is the only thing in the world that multiplies when you share it with others.


I have a firm belief that no matter what happens, life will always feel wonderful to me as long as I can grow love.


To celebrate our Cotton Anniversary, Kimball planned a lovely date.
We went to a store and each picked out our favorite cologne/perfume for the other to wear. Clever! Kimball was surprised to note that the one he agreed with me on in the blind test was one by USHER.
I was hoping it would make him start pulling some sweet moves in the street...
On second thought, he would probably do that on his own.


Kimball then took me to a fondue restaurant where an acquaintance of ours works. He was our waiter and by dessert time he came out with some lovely roses and a box (sneaky Kimball had it all planned out) containing a very thoughtfully selected piece of jewelry that made me a little teary eyed.


We had a smashing time!
:)

24 roses.

Motherhood IS where it's at.

To a fantastic union built to last forever!

May we always make the best of every situation tossed at us in life and live in love and happiness.

House: One more month?

Seems like these things take forever.


Now all that needs to be done is:
Kitchen installment
Bathroom vanities - x 4 and a half
Ceiling fans
Railing
Faucets
Sinks
Shower heads
Hardwood flooring
Carpet
Painting
Wallpapering


And on the outside:
Concrete staining
Driveway - is currently mud...
Railing - back deck and front stairs and balconies
Landscaping - is currently a pile of mud...


But on the up and up of things, garage doors are installed and they're quiet as can be, exterior is 99% done (painted and rocked, now needs little things done like shutters and some small scale painting and perfecting of details).
The copper gutters will be done tomorrow (oxidized and everything).
The interior has been textured and prepped ready to be painted, the doors and trims are going in next week, so are the floors.
The kitchen is in the garage waiting to be installed.
The exterior stucco turned out SO nice. 


So far everything's pretty good.
We really want this to be the last month we pay rent. Ever.
Fingers crossed...


Terrible shots but you do what you can with your phone's camera...

Basment family room - arches will have gray washed out brick

Master bedroom - blue tone

Main floor family - light beige tone

Kitchen - gray, white, washed out light green

Main floor family room - custom drapes over windows

Main floor family from seen from top of the stairs

Kitchen back deck - marvelous stucco work 

More stucco - old world finish on sand colored stucco

Views from kitchen back deck -  that's our church!

Main floor multi purpose/theatre room

One of the garage doors

Front of the house - scaffolding is coming down by the end of this week

Happy birthday to ME! 04/11/84

 

LUCKY 27? It's been a good year.  

Things learned: 

• Apple's word is good as gold.
• Don't get cocky when putting IKEA furniture together.
• Just don't get cocky.
• Building houses is harder than it looks.
• To be pregnant is both harder and easier than I expected.
• I'm good about going to the gym.
• Creativity requires space. Literally.
• I apparently have a type of style when it comes to home decorating.
• I'm not very good at training dogs.
• Rediscovered how much braces can make my head hurt when tightened. 
• Having Skype on my phone is genius.
• My husband is the smartest person I know.
• Things can always get worse unless you decide to make them better.
• If life isn't dishing out obstacles, you probably deserve it and should be grateful.
• Online shopping will save your sanity.
• The Denny's 2-4-6-8 menu is great at 1:30 am.
• High heels are OK even if you're 5'9".
• Keeping a couple, yes a couple, of spare tires in your car is never a bad idea.
• It's OK to walk around barefoot at the JFK airport of your feet are too big for your shoes.
• Eating a lot of sushi is really great. 
• Playing Sardines with grown-ups can be smelly.
• Timeshare points sure come in handy. So does a 24 Hour Fitness gym pass.

There's plenty more of course but it's just to give you a rough idea about my year as a 26-year-old.

B-fast in bed

All of the classics simplified so that kids can read them too!

DIESEL shades.

Every baby deserves a homemade blanket

So I made one.


Fleece, light blue-green, assortment of ribbons.

 

Acceptable outcome.