EastCoastLove

We have entered into a new chapter with Kimmel's new job. He will be traveling a lot in the future but for now he is home most days. It has been a lot better than i anticipated. The boys do a great job of not going in our bedroom so he can have a work space. It might be harder on kimmel having to stay in there while we are just so close. Since he doesn't have to drive home from any office, and due to the amazing weather we have been having, the boys go with him to the trampoline for some post work and pre dinner fun. I think its been so good for all of them to jump the stress of work away and be crazy little boys with daddy. Thankful for these little moments and cherishing them while they last. So thankful for the lovely weather as of late...hoping not to get to the 100 degree weather, blah! Sometimes there are tears...cause daddy kicks you in the face with a ball....or the boys push too hard..but most times its all fun! :) 

Man i am really out of shape with keeping up with the blog. It is a habit that i have dropped and can't seem to pick up well yet. Thanks to you who read this still! :) This month seems to have become our month of birthdays for friends and family. Kimmel's best friends' is on the 27, 4 from his family and My best friend's since first grade is the 13th, while another best friend, from college is the 15th and couple others i noticed on Facebook. Yesterday was Kimmel's bday! 29 years old. He went to work with homemade cards and blueberry muffins in his new shirt. He spoke at FCA in the morning at his middle school! Said it went really well. We have plans for dinner and Mockingjay over the weekend to celebrate! Last weekend we celebrated the newest addition to our birthday month Asher. Found a cute teepee invitation and went with that for the theme.  The best gift of all my sister flew in for it and surprised us all!! So much fun! The boys love...

My sweet husband has been working all break long to build a credenza for a friend of ours. Let me say that again...2 credenzas for our friends. I had to brag and share what he was doing! We just might have to limit our works of arts to summer time though...he will need a break from this break :P The frame for both Here are the doors on the bottom sections Hard at work...Isn't he handsome! The drawers on top.  All thats left, top, shelves and holes for the handles. Thankfully he doesn't have to paint it and we can deliver it tonight.  He is putting on the finishing touches as i type.  Kimmel is an amazing builder and he has fun with it. He has ad the opportunity to make beds for us, washer & dryer stand for two people, then beds for a friend for his two boys they just adopted. He loves it! Can't wait to see what he builds next...maybe our house! :) 

Since we purchased the land kimmel likes to make it out every weekend. The summer had just been too hot for me and the lil man so most times its kimmel out there working on it, or we visit our neighbors. Today we all made it out there! It was a bit windy and cold, but really fun none the less! Kimmel fixed the tire on the mower and is burning a bunch of his trash pile. It is a burn day in Sanger.  When Shepherd is out there with us it totally excited to move out there. He got so excited just walking with dad and riding around in the truck. Its fun to think of all the cool things they will do together out there!  Any body got loads of money they want to give us :P  We will be patient! 

Yesterday was the day Mark (father in law) and I planned to take the kids to the zoo. Mark had taken off this week, and i had wanted to take the kids to the zoo but two little ones by myself wasn't enticing so i asked him if he wanted to go.  That morning was normal like any other, Shepherd wakes up around 530 we eat breakfast and then play in the family room...Kimmel got in the shower and about 745 he came in and sat down with me and the kids....to which i asked did you take the day off?? With a big smile he says, "when you said you and Opa (mark) are going to the zoo tomorrow, i said so am i and took off" We had such a fun time! Kimmel got to just love on shepherd and show him fun stuff. I took my camera and played around with my 85 mm lens....LOVE IT! Eleanor and shepherd seem to have a blast...and even shared a few hugs along the way. Here are some pictures from the day.  Started at the Flamingos Saw my favorite...the Penguins! The petting cora...

Kimmel and i have started a new tradition for our date nights this year. I was reading my friend Monica's blog the other day and she had a great suggestion she found on pinterest. Filling a jar of free things to do for a date night. Each of us wrote like 10 things down that are free and fun or cheap. So like i put go get a shake from Chickfila and go to a park. Last night was our first night to pick a thing. It was Play Disc Golf. At first i was like no i don't want to! lol but then i could see how excited he was and i knew it would be fun after we got out there. Which it was! We didn't have any frisbee's ourself so he called his buddy whom we could borrow from.  We took our lil man with us and had a blast. The weather was perfect and we were playing as the sun set. It was a great first date night of 2012!  Do you do date night? If not you should at least try for once a month if not every other week. I know people are busy and just want to relax, but there...

This spring break has been a busy one for Kimmel. He had a couple jobs he wanted to accomplish while off from school. First our yard is amazingly all just WEEDS!!! its annoying and he tackled this problem. He started with our two back flower beds and then cleaning out our front one of some unsightly gross green "plants". Then cutting the grass and putting weed killer and seed on it was the final step to beautifying the outside! I think he slept really well these two nights...that wears a man out!  The other project Kimmel tackled was our faucets in the house. The tacky ones the builders put in just wasnt' cutting it anymore for him. So off to Lowes and Home Depot we go. ( I prefer Lowes and He prefers Home Depot) In the end we got new faucets for our bathrooms, and kitchen and a new light fixture for the bath.  I love home improvements! Even little ones...they make things look pretty and these suckers function so well!! I love the new kitchen one for su...

Shepherd was still awake when Kimmel got home last night after work so i snapped some pictures of them together. He is growing so fast. He is super sweet too! Kimmel's parents came over and gave him a bath last night. He did well, cried a little more than the last time we gave him one. But at one moment when he was crying looked right at me like saying 'Mom save me" :( it was so sad and funny all at once. Do your kids like baths? What age did they start liking them? Do tell!!

We were so happy when Kimmel's granddad and grandmother came to visit us last week. They live four hours away so it was a treat! Andrew is proud that we have another Kimmel to carry on the name, as am i cause these three men, love god so much and serve him with their whole life! I pray Shepherd follows in their footsteps.  Bob, Mark, Andrew and Shepherd. The four men Kimmels. SO thankful for each of you! 

These past two and half weeks have been amazingly crazy and awesome all wrapped up in a cute lil boy named Shepherd. We have prayed for a lil addition to our family and felt we were prepared for what God was willing to give. I know one thing now that i couldn't have done any of these last 3 weeks with out kimmel. He has been so amazing and helpful. In ways and places i never knew he would have to do that. With my fluid being low and me in the hospital days before we would take our lil man home, i began to realize that Kimmel was worried and preparing to take care of two people, while i was just worried about the issue. He was by my side and so very encouraging and never once complained. [Kimmel and Shepherd's first finger hold after pulling him out :)] Its interesting to hear friends share their stories about their husbands in the delivery room. How some watch all things possible and others almost faint. Kimmel fell in the middle. We had a c section and i had no clu...

Kimmel is a middle school coach. Which means he coaches all sports year round. Of course being in texas football is the main one and consumes our worlds in the fall, but he also does basketball, track and cross country. He just finished basketball, coaching B team, with a winning season! My husband who is learning how to coach all these sports is doing a phenomenal job with his boys! They only lost 2 games, and got to play in an A team tournament. Which can be debbie downer when you get trampled by an A team, but they kept their spirits up and just played well. The boys love him and he loves them! One day during practice or athletics Kimmel was shooting around with a handful of guys. They just started making ridiculous shots and betting he couldn't do it. You know like make this one and i will paint my toes, silly stuff like that. Time was ending so Kimmel says "ok boys, if i make this shot all three of you have to wear lipstick to school tomorrow." to which they...

I am excited to say we have received our pictures from our belly picture session with our friend Ellie Born. As most of you know i am not a huge prego belly flaunter. And to be honest others creep me out :) These past months have been quiet and experience as i have watched my belly change...amazing miracle that it is...mind blowing...and weird alien like feeling...its been a blessed journey! and my belly button has almost popped out....so strange and beautiful :) When we did engagement pictures with Ellie i told her i liked feet so any fun shots with shoes, feet i will take it. So it was only natural for us to bring along a new lil pair of vans for our lil guy! We wore vans in our wedding and they are just too stinking cute so little i couldn't resist! (see above collage) I love when Kimmel's sweet smile is captured just perfect you can see the twinkle in his eye. Yes the love of Soccer runs deep in our family so we had to capture our lil man with a soccer ball!  I...

This is a picture of my Dad's old fishing tackle box. When i purchased my townhouse mom let me take all dad's tools and stuff that she didn't need or want. So being the sentimental person i am i took his fishing rods and tackle box even though i don't fish. (my dad passed away when i was in 6th grade) Little did he or I know that this box would come in handy for our toilet. The other morning Kimmel told me that our toilet 'thingy' had broken and we will need to get another one. So after the busy sunday we forgot to stop off and get the part. So My Macgyver Husband pulls out the tackle box and says i think i can fix it temporarily. So he grabbed some hooks and something else and headed to the bathroom. He smiles and says "at least these were made for water." I love my handy hubby! He is creative too! Its fun to be around him and see what he does next :)

One of my goals in the kitchen is to make foods that are Kimmel's favorites. Making things from scratch is a great feeling of accomplishment i think. I really like to cook and try recipes. I like following directions but get disappointed when things don't come out gourmet like haha Last time we drove to Va, mom sent me home with her Bread maker. I was hoping to make bread for sandwiches to save some money, but its such good fresh bread its like specialty bread not sandwich bread so loaves are still bought in the kimmel house. It does give you the option to make dough. I watched my friend Kari make Cinnamon rolls by using her bread maker that i had to get the recipe.  Andrew loves Cinnamon Rolls. So my first attempt went ok. It was loads of fun, but i must figure out the secret to keeping them delicious and not dry. They were yum. One of his favorite foods down....well almost!

I huge milestone has happened for Kimmel's mom's side of the family. His great grandmother turns 100 on Wednesday. She is a spry young thing that prays for her whole family every day while riding a stationary bike each night for an hour. She is a special lady to her family. I have only known about her for about 3 years and i find her amazing! She was a good sport and wore this head band and fun necklace :) Her daughter Ann had a friend compose a poem based on her life and i feel these words are better than any i could say about her. In Honor of Maxine Price Ray  How does one begin to tell of one hundred years of living? A hundred years of smiles and tears, of loving and forgiving?  Childhood years passed quickly by, and God's unseen hand was guiding.  You became a teacher in Palacios where your family was residing. When a Baptist preacher moved to town, he brightened up your life. It wasn't long before you knew that you would be his wife.  And so one Sunday mo...

Yesterday was Kimmel's last middle school soccer game. I headed out there and as i walked toward the field i noticed he was out on the field...looking like he was playing, but he was referring the game. He was dressed in all black like the other team and his team was in gold. I sorta missed that at first and cheered for the black team thinking it was his...then i realized i was totally wrong! kinda confused me...oops! :) At half time Kimmel and the other coaches called a 30 min delay due to lightning and then another coach said 'pardon the interruption' and just called it off. So the game ended. We headed off to dinner at Shady Oak. First time eating out since our detox....i didn't handle it that well...made me sick :( he was fine!  We then went to a choir recital at his school. I wanted to go in support one of the sweet girls at his school, Emine. The boys choir did really well...and one guy sung Baby by beiber :) The girls did good too...3 of them sang "Backg...

MY HUSBAND ROCKS!! So this past week we found a queen mattress on sale to go into our guest bedroom. Mom and i picked it up in Kimmel's old truck and the inspiration began! Kimmel's creative building juices began to flow, and before i knew it he was gone to home depot, cut and nailing things together and we had a new AWESOME bed! Monday morning he emailed me to ask me to give him the measurements of the mattress, so did and emailed them back to him. When he got home i was still teaching piano. He says i am going to home depot be right back...i am like dinner is on and how long will you be? He gets back a lil after 7 by 11 that night the frame is in the room and just the head board slats are left! Tuesday evening he cut all the slats for the top and bottom and we nailed them on. All that is left is paint....now what color???? He designed this all by himself! He wanted something simple and awesome looking! He did it! SO PROUD! :) Its fun doing all these different projects...

Little fun fact about me...I LOVE TO DO LAUNDRY! :) I think cause you wash, you dry, you fold then put away. Things smell clean and for about 3 days you aren't thinking about laundry, its all clean. So i am super excited to say that my laundry room/pantry is complete. So thankful that my husband too likes things neat and organized. Thankful that he is a handyman and can build things i dream up! I got excited today thinking that we get to walk thru the nice laundry room all the time now...its off our garage into the kitchen, so it is an entryway for us! haha anyway i don't have a real good before picture but this one is in the process of it all. Kimmel put all the paneling up and now working on the shelves. This corner had nothing in it. We had just thrown boxes and stuff on the floor and it was very overwhelming and annoying. We talked about shelves and hooks and stuff. kimmel designed the perfect solution!  Now everything has a spot...and i can see what i have...only do...

Not only was i super excited to see andrew after being apart for 10 days but he surprised me by finishing our bed! I have never purchased a bedroom suite in my single days cause it was just too expensive, and i wanted to do that with a husband and kimmel didn't have one. We had started it a few months back but due to being snowed in for a week and cold weather we just haven't taken the time to finish it! He so sweetly did the final touches himself! It is amazing and just what we wanted! As mentioned before his love of woodworking led him to this site anawhite.com, where this lady puts all sorts of blueprints and patterns for tons of stuff, FREE! This was based off a potterybarn bed...and i just received an email from Crate n Barrel with a similar bed for WAY to much! :) Next: Side tables :)