The Heals

We are Moving!

2009-09-24T14:42:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the blogging absence! We are moving back to Mesa, Arizona the Monday after General Conference. So, we have been packing and organizing and cleaning out and....I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I probably won't be blogging again until we are in Arizona. I will have a lot to post!

Disco Bowling!

2009-09-04T16:15:00.002-07:00

So, what do you do in Seattle when you drive all the way to Daddy's work to have a picnic in the park on a Friday night and the sky starts spitting at you? You go Bowling!Dusty usually works in Bellevue on Wednesdays and I am in Young Womens, so we do the Kimball hand off. However due to all the doctor's appointments, Dusty was there on a Friday! So, we were going to play at an awesome park...we were at the park near our house with play group for 3 hours enjoying a "no temperature" day with a cool breeze. But, during Kimball's nap things turned cloudy!
Kimball LOVED the change of plans! He was adorable at the bowling alley. He would cheer for his ball jumping up and down shouting, "Go! Go! Go!" as it teetered down the lane at about 4 mph. I did pretty well! I had two spares and a strike...and a ball that got away from and flew backwards! Pretty good for the prego lady!

"Kimball Doggy!"

2009-09-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Kimball likes to pretend he is a doggy! He will crawl on the floor and bark. He tries to itch his ears with his foot (unsuccessfully). He likes to cuddle with me and have me scratch his back like a dog. I can coax him to come to me when I call, "Come here, Kimball doggy!" I love his little imagination!
However, I always catch him trying to get away with drinking from the dog's water bowl and this is where I draw the line! I now have to put bowls of water on the floor and give him special "dog food" (cereal)...is there such a thing as buying into your child's pretend world a little too much? Hmmm...

Shark Towel

2009-09-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Let the nesting begin! After cleaning my house top to bottom, I started to clean out the laundry room and found the supplies for this project I have been wanting to create for awhile. I saw one of these in a magazine and have wanted to make one ever since. I found a great tutorial for a bear hooded towel at: http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/07/bear-hooded-towel.html
I used it as a "pattern" modifying it as I went. I am pretty happy with the results! I am amazed that I actually could complete this on my own. I am glad that I made the inside of the mouth red to keep the unfinished edge hidden. I'm not sure how the lady who created the tutorial dealt with that problem. Of course being 2, Kimball refuses to pose in his new towel!

My Ball Quilt

2009-08-30T08:08:00.001-07:00

Okay bloggers, I need input!!! So, this is the lay out I am thinking of going with for Kimball's ball quilt. Do you think I should move any of the squares around? (The squares at the top have (L-R) baseballs, soccer balls, and football helmets). Do you think I need cornerstone pieces for the quilt? I would use these small blue squares.Which Border should I use? Blue, Yellow, BlueOr Yellow, Blue, Blue? Should I use the light blue with the dark blue circles or the checkered blue with balls on it for the border? I used the checkered blue for the cornerstone pieces, or would that be too busy? Can you tell how excited Kimball is for this to be done? He calls it, "My Kilt!" and I could hardly keep him off of it to take these pictures!

12 Egg Omelet

2009-08-29T08:07:00.001-07:00

We went to Beth's Cafe in Seattle with Bryce, Kristina and their girls. On the show, "Man vs. Food" the host eats the famous 12 egg omelet served on a bed of hash browns and two pieces of toast... so our men decided they would try and eat it too! Here they are before they began to eat...And this is how they did!I was amazed at how much Dusty ate! His omelet was stuffed with chili, salsa, and cheese. Yumm-o!I must say I had Dusty's left overs for breakfast the next day (about 10 bites) and it was mighty tasty!

Thanks for the support!

2009-08-28T15:07:00.001-07:00

We have had a scary past few weeks. Dusty suddenly went unconscious at work and was taken by the paramedics to the ER. I frantically tried to find someone to watch Kimball, so I could go and be with him. Kelly, thank you so much for taking him all day at the last minute! We were at the ER from 9 am until 3 pm. They did all kinds of tests on Dusty...EKG, Cat scan, Spinal Tap...It felt a little like being a patient on the show, "House." They could not figure out what was wrong with him. He was sent home on bed rest for the next few days. The next week, Dusty followed up with a neurologist....nothing...and finally a cardiologist...who told him he needs to reduce his stress! That is going to take a little working out!

Thanks for all of the prayers and offers of help in the past little while! I don't know what we would have done without our "ward family!" The above picture is what my sweet husband brought home with him to thank me for all of the treks up and down the stairs to ensure he was pumped with food and fluids...I wish I could send one to each of you in thanks too!

My Boys

2009-08-27T14:54:00.004-07:00

So, Dusty decided it was time to shave his head and "match" Kimball. What do you think?I still cannot believe he actually let Kimball use the clippers on his head! Here is the difference in their hair colors!I married such a handsome man, but I will miss his curls!

Kimball's first Baseball Game!

2009-08-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

We went to the Mariner's vs. Yankees Game at Safeco Field (The D-Backs came while we were at Jessie's wedding). Kimball was entranced with watching real life baseball. He entertained everyone around us. They were amused at all of his comments and yelling (I guess he takes after me and my Mom!). I guess it is unusual for a 2 year old to be that into a game! Kimball loves all of the baseball cards he received at the game. He loved singing his rendtion of "Take me out to the Ball Game!" and of course the ballpark hot dog!
We have been watching baseball non-stop ever since! Kimball has loved the Little League World Series on ESPN...at least there is a lot of action and it isn't a pitching dual like in the major leagues. I think he already has the superstition of a lucky shirt...because he hasn't let me take it off him for 3 days straight! Here is a little peek at all the entertaining he was doing!

It's a...

2009-08-11T17:17:00.002-07:00

BOY!!!

Dusty is greatly relieved that the ultrasound today revealed "boy parts." He isn't worried about having a little girl wrap him around her little finger...he is worried about having a teenage daughter. Although I am still hoping to have a daughter one day, I am glad that Kimball will have a little brother to play ball with one day. They can camp in the backyard together and share the bunk beds that currently occupy Kimball's room. I am also excited because Holly (my sister) is having a boy in September and these two little boys will only be 2 months apart. Dallas' little boy will also be sandwiched between two boy cousins. So, I think we are pretty excited for another little boy!

Jesse and Brittany's Wedding

2009-08-08T20:05:00.008-07:00

I can't believe my little brother is married! I still remember him as a little boy climbing into bed with me because he had a nightmare. I remember him practicing jazz squares at three in the arcadia door as I cleaned it. I loved watching him play catcher on his baseball team and cheering him on in lacrosse. He did it! He married "The One!"The wedding was beautiful! Kimball loved running around and dancing with his cousins...his partners in crime! Kimball loved to hold Jesse's arm (see top picture)! My sister Holly is due in October and we compared prego bellies. Next to her, I just look fat! It was an outdoor reception and we were graced with a "cool" August night. I guess 90 is cool in Arizona! I was still dying of heat! It was fun to see so many of the adults that made such a big difference and my life and it was sad to think that this is my family's last wedding...so I may not see many of them again! For those of you who want a glimpse of the professional pictures, paste this into your browser (there is an adorable one of Kimball!) http://madsenphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/jesse-and-brittney-married.html

Arizona in August

2009-08-06T20:46:00.002-07:00

The first week in August, we went home to Arizona for my little brother's wedding. Of course, we lived in the pool the whole time we were there!Kimball loved getting into his "mailbox" at Grandma's house!We went to one of the high school pools and got in for only $2.50 for both of us! Kimball had a blast with Grandpa in the lazy river.He also loved Grandma or Kylie catching him at the bottom of the slide. The whirlpool with all of the cousins was a highlight. Thanks for inviting us Katie!Kimball loved singing happy birthday to Corbin (and blowing out his candles for him!).But the highlight was sword fighting with his cousin and swimming together in Grandma's pool!We are so excited for Jesse's wedding this weekend.

Rachel's Birthday

2009-08-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Rachel is one of Kimball's favorite friends! She just turned 3! Kimball calls her princess Rachel and any time he sees one of the Disney princesses he says her name! I think Kimball thinks that she is Sleeping Beauty because he always asks to go over to her house...and I always tell him she is sleeping. He was so excited when we pulled up to her house! He started shouting, "Rachel, wake-up! Rachel, wake-up!" The above picture was taken at mutual. Since Rachel's Mom, Kristina, is in the Young Women's Presidency with me, they both often end up at mutual on Wednesday nights. I am so glad that they play so well together. Even though it was the hottest day of the year, Rachel had a great party! The kids played with the parachute and slid on the slip and slide. The kids had a blast playing outside, while the adults tried to stay in the shade! The cars were a favorite!Rachel's smart Mommy made pudding cups instead of cupcakes so she didn't have to turn on the oven. Kimball has been begging for pudding ever since!!! Thanks for being such a great friend Rachel!

Keepin' Cool

2009-08-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

It has been HOT here in Seattle, so we have stayed inside. While this has not been great for our attempts to teach Kimball that the couch is NOT a jungle gym, it has helped me get some project done. I finished the drapes for Kimball's room. I bought the black out liner with my 50% off coupon from Jo-Ann's and the fabric is "left over" from Kimball's quilt (I had planned to use it as the back, but I learned that flannel is more durable). Anyway, here are the results. If I made them again, I think that I would have used this busy fabric as a band on the bottom of the curtain. Anyway, I am definitely getting braver with my sewing machine! I didn't even have a pattern for this project!We have also loved having our "refugees" visit for the air conditioning we have on at our house! Kimball has thought it is heaven having so many friends come over! Kimball and I joined the Stephens at the Cedar River one evening for a little fun. I was amazed at how cool it was by the water. Kimball and Kaylin loved playing with the sand toys in the river water.

Birthday Fun!

2009-08-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

I had the best birthday this year! A group of my friends took me to lunch for my birthday. It was fun to have some adult conversation as our kids ran a "little" wild at the restaurant. Dusty returned from his leadership retreat about 2 pm and we got to spend the rest of the day together. It was babysitting co-op night, so Kimball was thrilled to go to Brooklyn's house! We had the most amazing prime rib at "The Keg." Then, we watched a chick flick at the movies. It was fun to be with Dusty without having to be "Mommy!" Dusty gave me the most beautiful hand made jewelry that he picked up at his retreat at Salish Lodge. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and calls/texts/facebook messages! They made me feel so loved!

PS. I have no idea why my posts the past few days have been blank...I rewrote them, so feel free to scroll down!! Don't miss the picture of Kimball watering the tomatoes. It is adorable. He is in his favorite pajamas. I have to take the bottoms off so that they don't get dirty and then coax him out of the top by the time we leave for play group or the store!

Garden Bounty

2009-08-03T09:05:00.007-07:00

We have been diligently watering our garden and pulling weeds. We are finally starting to see some results! We had a yummy salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers that all came from our garden for dinner last night! There is nothing like a vine ripened tomato! Our squash is starting to take off with a few zucchini and yellow squash almost ready for harvest.Our green bell peppers are growing (I can't wait for stuffed bell peppers!). I am really excited for the tiny crook neck and butternut squash that are appearing!Our carrots are big and thick! However, our cantaloupe is probably the most prolific and is going crazy. The hardest part about gardening is trying to convince Kimball not to pick everything in sight! I guess it is hard to watch tomatoes ripen when you are only two! Anyone know how to make fried green tomatoes?

Renton River Days

2009-08-01T09:04:00.003-07:00

The city of Renton has a great tradition called River Days. There is a huge park right by the Cedar River. There are art walks and crafts to buy. Great concerts every night and awesome food! You can even get crab salad and seafood! Anyway to kick it off, Wednesday is kids day. Some of us from the play group decided to go. Kimball loved the music station. There were different objects from all over the World. The kids were able to take drum sticks and play "music" to their hearts conteMost of the activities and crafts were geared towards kids 4 and older, but Kimball loved all of the sport activities. He won a water bottle by throwing a football through the correct hole. He also won two free skating passes by getting a puck through the right hole (he was disappointed...he wanted the candy from the easier hole, I thought he would under shoot and pointed at the passes hole right above the candy hole).But he loved just playing hocky on the grass! We did this for about a half an hour!!Kimball loved the petting zoo complete with everything from llamas to bunnies. He loved sharing his excitement with Brooklyn!The fire department was there and there were tons of free bouncy houses. Kimball, Kaylin, and Abbey had a blast together in the bouncy house. When Kimball climbed onto the whale, he started shouting, "Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo!" like the cowboy his great grandpa was!The Dizzy Tumble Bus was there. It is an old school bus that has been retrofitted with mats and gymnastics equipment. Kimball loved climbing over all of the obstacles.The Wenatchee Youth Circus performed and the entrance fee was only $1. It was amazing! It was made up of teenagers who were on the trapeze and high wire. One boy held the rope in his teeth as a teenage girl spun from her neck! Here is the same couple in a different trick. Kimball loved it! He was glued to it and kept saying, "Wow!" He has been trying to do summer saults ever since! Later in the week, we went back to River Days with Dusty. Kimball loved for Dusty to watch and encourage him as he jumped on the bouncy houses...the lines were MUCH shorter than on kid's day! It was fun to enjoy the nice weather and just be together as a family!

Hair Cuts!

2009-07-31T08:56:00.005-07:00

On Saturday, Dusty was shaving the dogs so they would be cooler in this "hot" ;) weather we have been having. He was all finished and Kimball said, "My turn Daddy! I'm a doggie...woof, woof!" He sat very still (unlike the dogs) as Dusty buzzed his head. I guess Kimball wanted to be a little cooler too! Now he looks like a little trouble maker!!My garden gave me a beautiful birthday present! My favorite flower...star gazer lilies! I am sad I only planted one bulb, but I wasn't sure they would grow here. Next year...

12 Down, A Lot of Work to Go!

2009-07-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

I finished my quilt squares! I pieced together the 12 blocks for Kimball's new quilts for his bunk beds! I actually made 24 squares since I am making to twin quilts. I can't believe I finished them! It seems like I have been working on them forever. Don't look to closely at the corners matching...this is a hand made quilt and I am still learning to use the sewing machine.

However, as Dusty pointed out now the work is really beginning! I have to piece together the top and then actually quilt it (which strikes fear in my heart!). Anyway, I am placing a slide show of the 12 squares below. Any ideas on what color the sashing (the fabric between the squares when I peice it)should be? I was thinking maybe black or yellow. What do you think?

Hiking Mt Rainier

2009-07-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

One of the perks about living in Seattle is that everywhere we drive, we have beautiful views of Mt. Rainer! I have been dying to hike on it. There is a list of kid friendly hikes going around our play groups. Saturday all the National Parks were free, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to go! It was supposed to be a beautiful Saturday, so we invited a few friends to go hiking with us. It was fun to hang out with the Stephens for the day! We went to Mowich Lake on Mount Rainier. After traveling about 13 miles on a gravel road, I was releived to make it to the Parking lot! Kimball loved kicking the snow piled up on the sides of the road as we waited for everyone to don their hiking gear. We intended to hike to the Spray Falls about 3 miles. However, the trail was still snowed in! After a lot of slipping and sliding we turned back to the campground...only to find out we had been on the wrong trail! We started down the correct trail. But by this time, we were a little worn out! Two pregnant ladies and Dad's with 30 pound kids on their back...we turned around! We ended up eating lunch at a picnic table surrounded by SNOW. Seriously, the benches were still covered!I could not believe there was so much snow in July! We have been having such warm weather! Kimball loved running in the snow and of course falling down because, "Not hurt Mommy!" Of course the highlight was Dusty teaching him to make snow balls....to throw at me! After lunch, we hiked around the lake. The views were incredible and the company was even better!It was a gorgeous day and the lake was crystal clear! We could even see a frog sitting in a shallow pool. Kimball was intrigued with how it swims (something we usually can't see in murky water). Even though it was the perfect temperature outside, Dusty was lured by the crystal clear water. It was freezing! To round out our idyllic day, we stopped by a fruit stand on the way home and ate the juiciest, sweetest, Rainier cherries!

We're having a BOY!!!

2009-07-27T15:03:00.003-07:00

As you can tell by the title of the post, it's a boy!!!

Ok - just joking - we don't know yet... I'm bored and thought I'd have some fun...

--Dusty

A Day Out with Thomas the Train

2009-07-27T08:50:00.011-07:00

Kimball loves trains! If we go to the toy store, he will play with them for half an hour. Someone from Dusty's work is letting us borrow their "Thomas the Train" movies. Kimball LOVES them, but I must admit that I am tired of watching them!
However when I heard about Thomas the Train being at Snoqualmie Falls railroad museum, we had to go!! As we walked up to the museum, the train was pulling out of the depot. We waved at the people on the train as they rode by. Kimball started jumping up and down shouting, "Thomas! Hi Thomas!" Then, he looked at me, beaconing me with his little hand out, and said, "Come on Mommy, Kimball ride Thomas."While we waited, they had a whole bunch of trains sets to play with. We could have spent hours there! Kimball was able to climb all over old train cars and walk on the rails. There were puppet shows, a coloring station, and even a temporary tatoo station. Kimball was protective of them for days after he got them...refusing baths and wanting to wear pants so that the helicopter on his shin would get "broken" like the Thomas on his arm "broke."
Here we are waiting in line to get on Thomas. Kimball was waving his ticket and jumping up and down in glee! How many 2 year olds can stand in line for a half an hour? Kimball can when it means he can ride Thomas!!
I love the look of joy on his little face as the train started moving!Here we are on the train. Kimball was thrilled by the sound of the train whistle! He kept repeating it to the amusement of everyone around us.Kimball loved the rocking of the train and watching the trees fly by the window!We ended the day with a little picnic lunch right outside the depot complete with chocolate ice cream! Kimball was thrilled with the day! On the ride home, he called out to me, "Mommy, Thomas on Kimball's shoes!! Thomas the train!"

Concert in the Park

2009-07-25T08:50:00.002-07:00

One of the things I love about living in Washington is that we can actually enjoy being outside without melting! Last Wednesday, we did not have mutual (Girl's Camp). So, we took the opportunity to go the Concert in the Park in New Castle. The band was great! Kimball entertained everyone in the area with his unique dancing. He has a new move where he kind of Donkey kicks and points his toe. I think he is taking his cues from "So You Think You Can Dance!" He is an avid fan, just like his Mommy!

Raspberry Jam

2009-07-24T08:46:00.007-07:00

One of our Enrichment groups for Relief Society is a self reliance group. This month they focused on canning. We went to a U-pick farm and picked raspberries. I picked about 6 lbs in an hour and they only cost $8 and change! I was amazed how easily they slipped off the vine into my hand and the taste of a warm raspberry straight from the vine is amazing!Then, we went to Sister Smith's home where she taught us how to make Raspberry Jam. We used her steam canner. I could not believe how easy canning is when you have all of the equipment. Why have I not ever done it before? We have been enjoying the jam ever since!!! I can't wait until blackberry season to learn how take the seeds out of the jam! Kristina, we hope you are enjoying the jam too; thanks for watching Kimball for me. We are almost done with our first jar!

FireWorks!

2009-07-23T08:46:00.006-07:00

After Brooklyn's birthday party--Dallas, Colleen, and Landon came over for dinner. They are up here visiting Colleen's family. Kimball loved playing and mimicking his cousin Landon. After dinner, we went to Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island for their summer celebration that included fireworks! I was so excited since we missed the fireworks on the 4th of July because we were making the trek back to Seattle starting before the sun went down so that Dusty could get back to work on Monday...it is a 20 hour drive from San Diego.It was fun to hang out with Dallas and Colleen before the fireworks began. Their reflection was beautiful over water. Kimball was not happy about how loud they were! After the first one, Kimball said, "Go Kimball's house now!" Notice how he was clutching Dusty's shirt! He kept saying, "Too brite! Too loud!" I am always awe inspired by a great display of fireworks set to Patriotic music. I was glad that we didn't miss them completely this year...however, I am glad we didn't stay for them in San Diego because Kimball did not enjoy them!