Here's the Thing

Kim here.

Its time to fire back up the digital journal that is full of cobwebs and nobody reads. But what better place to lay out a few thoughts. For posterity. Also because I suck at scrapbooks and printing photos and cleaning house and well...most things domesticated.

Plenty of things have happened of course. Max started Kindergarten this year and has taken school so seriously its almost scary.. We've attended countless wrestling tournaments. Gage recently placed 4th place at state in his weight group in the 9-10 year old division. A week later he turned 9. We increased a dose of Synthroid for Gage's bum thyroid and Max has managed to stay out of the hospital.

Jack and I purchased Main Street property a block south and almost three times the space of our previous building. We then spent 11 months renovating from top to bottom and front to back. The store moved over Labor Day weekend 2015 and its been an excellent move.

Dana had a baby boy. Welcome to the crew Tyce!

This is the latest and greatest thing happening:

 



That's my belly. Last week. Sixteen weeks pregnant. Its news we've guarded for a while, as my mama heart isn't ready to spread the news to everyone quite yet. The first trimester was rough. I was sick with the boys, but nothing like this. I probably puked 2-3 times a piece with them, though nausea lasted through week 16 or 17 (I puked once at 20 weeks with both of them.) This round? I started puking during week 5 and puked 3-6 times a day everyday but a few until week 11 finally brought some relief. I should most definitely have gone to the doctor for relief sooner. By the time I went, the worst of it was over. Now I'm left with some discomfort from things shifting around (you know, vital organs and such) and a moderate case of insomnia. Fun stuff!

 

I survived the first trimester at wrestling tournaments every weekend. The day after tournaments ended up being some of my roughest days with the lack of sleep (and fluids) catching up with a fury. I've had several headaches this go around, which is very unlike the last two.

 

Since we gave away and sold all of our baby clothes, gear and maternity clothes, we are starting from scratch again. Certainly not the first in this situation, or the last, but I've been completely avoiding even considering what we'll need.

 

A major remodel has started in the basement to finish off every square in of space. The 950 square feet on the main level right now includes two small bedrooms and one bathroom (the living room, dining room and kitchen have great space). We're adding a bathroom and two bedrooms downstairs. You know, so there's enough physical space to set the crib back up.

The boys are very excited. I was terrified to tell them, positive that Max especially would lose his mind over the deal. Homeboy does not like change and he really loves his mama. He completely surprised me with his acceptance and excitement. Its like God knew anything else would put me over the edge. Its been fun involving them in the growth updates and planning. They haven't picked out names yet. Max is even willing share his birthday, if necessary. Good thing, its a real possibility. The due date is October 6th (his birthday is the 2nd if you're keeping track).

Next appointment is actually the ultrasound!

That's the gist of it for now. There's plenty of other stuff going on, but most of it doesn't matter as much. No promises on frequency of blog updates. Just a few things I wanted to get off my chest quick.

Conversations Between Friends

A quick bit from earlier this week. We don't exactly converse in a straight line, so hopefully you can follow.

 

Kim: Yesterday Max told me in the sweetest little voice, "I love you so much I'm going to fart.

 

Dana: :) What a riot.

 

Kim: I had to ask him to say it again and it came out the same way. No space, no forgotten comma.

 

Dana: Probably at the same time that Ember was saying "poop on Mommy's head" and giggling ecstatically like only middle-school aged boys should about something like that.

 

Kim: Ha! We talk lots about poop + head + butt + stink. But its funnier coming from a girl. ;)

 

Dana: How does she even know that's inappropriate, which makes her giggle?

Kim: You deserve her because you love me so much. You know that right? I'd have a girly girl because I wouldn't know what to do with one, and you have one just like me. :)

Dana: Yes, it's like living my life with you all over again. Only now I'm in charge and supposed to be responsible. Thanks for that.

 

Kim: Ha! Daycare? Its not an Easton thing at all. If she lived with Gage I could understand it.

 

Dana: At least I can rest assured I'll like her as a teenager and grown-adult. :)

 

Kim: Hahaha! Let's hope so.
 

Dana: No, definitely not day care. I'm praying she doesn't say it at day care. 

 

Kim: I love it!! My kids pick up lots of things at daycare. Its been a great gateway drug for elementary school.

 

 

Work. Run. Heat.

Hold onto your seats, here's a summer update thanks to my phone camera.

 

Summer has found us with more than a couple irons in the fire. We really ramp up work this time of year with rodeo entries, so why not tear down some walls in the house?? Its always an adventure to unearth what is hidden behind the sheetrock.



Not the biggest hardware we've found holding the house together, but it is definitely more than necessary. With solid wood walls on both sides of the studs throughout the house, the home was built to last. We've left most of the original walls intact.

Hot days + stressed out mama = chasing children with garden hose. Believe it or not, this was their idea and they had a blast running away from the cold water.

15 minutes later. Soaking went and loving it!

A few thoughts on my summer stress relief. A couple of months ago I took up running. Yeah, I know. Anybody who knew me as a Chester Flyer can attest that my 7th through 10th grade years I participated in cross country as the slowest person on the team. One year, I didn't finish last in all of the races. I was in horrible shape, had bad knees, and zero athletic ability or coordination. I went out for cross country because my older brother did and I either had to participate with him, or ride the school bus to and from school every day. (The horrible plight of the American Teenager.) So for me to tell you that I enjoy running now is kind of a big deal. I'm in better shape now than I ever was when cross country started in the fall and my times are better than they've ever been. I'll probably never win a race, but I'm doing it.

I find that running makes me less "short" with people, including the children. My patience is better, and I have more energy through the day. I figure I can run, so I probably should. I am fortunate to be alive, and healthy enough to run, and taking off down the highway is my way of saying thanks.

Also, I've had crazy nightmares about running for most of my adulthood. Running away from danger, running toward loved ones, running around lost. Always running. My time in cross country, while enjoyable in the social aspect, was a little haunting. I joke that when cheering someone on you'll usually hear, "Way to go! Keep going - you're doing great!" However, I remember on more than one occasion hearing complete strangers throughout the course cheer for me, "You're almost there. Its ok, just a little farther!" I must have been a pitiful sight, and I knew it.

So just like 15 years ago, I'm running because I can. For my cross country coach who always ran back to finish practice with me, and now walks with a pronounced limp from a massive stroke. For the students I used to teach who have passed away far too soon. And for the times in my life when I may not be able to run. Today I run.

My running partner, some days. I can tell you this: if you think you're in great shape and want to brag about being in great shape, start running behind a stroller. Max doesn't come all the time. In the perfect world, he's still asleep when I get up to run because he needs the rest. But many days he'll tag along, bringing a few toys, a bowl full of breakfast cereal and my phone full of music. Sure, we go a little slower and sometimes we walk more than run but this time together where he'll fit in the stroller and come willingly is fleeting.

Get this - I ran so much for a while that I got horrible shin splints. Apparently you can get them when you push a little too hard and increase distances too fast. I joke that if there's a way to run incorrectly, then I'd find a way. You'll be happy to know that after backing way off for a few weeks and new shoes, the shin splints are gone. And no vegetables were harmed in the process either.

Look - I ran a 5K! I crawled out of bed, secured my hair in a headband and sweated it out with almost 150 other people for the 10th Annual Boss Cowman 5K. Here's Kayla, one of my former students and I after we finished. She's a new runner too and we're probably going to be awesome together for the next 60 years at the BC5K.

Alright, enough about running. I really have been meaning to pop in a post about running because it has really changed my perspective on a few things.

One more picture I got a kick out of. In taking the laid back approach to summer, I spend most days (and every evening) in a headband. I have to get the hair out of my face the minute I leave work so I usually just throw it back. I was taking a picture to show you (all of my faithful drought readers) when Max snuck in and photo bombed. I totally deserve it. :)

Not You, Me

Welcome back! I hope you haven't missed any daily updates we've sent. Kidding aside, we have been living, growing, helping and parenting. I thought I'd jump back in feet first with a post on our evening outing to the park and thoughts on where we've been lately.


At three and a half, Max still enjoys riding in the baby swing. The big kid swings mean staying a little closer to the ground for now and this boy is full of adventure.

You may notice the casted arm. We've been given the go ahead to take off the cast (as of today) so throughout the weekend we'll transition out of it. Six weeks ago Max was riding on his brother, the bull while Jack and I were out of the room. The bull landed on the rider and the next day (I let him whimper through the night before I figured out it was legit) we got xrays and a cast. It actually broke both bones and they found three separate fractures. Its healing great and he's been surprisingly patient with it. It hasn't slowed him down enough as he looks for new and exciting ways to scare his mother every day. If Gage can handle it, then Max thinks it'll be a piece of cake for him too.

Gage finished up Kindergarten a few weeks ago and even though I've been trying hard to change up daytime schedule and keep things fresh, he's bored enough to find all sorts of trouble. I don't want to get into the specifics to protect the guilty parties, but he brought me to tears a couple of times this week. In an effort to understand what's going on I've come up with two thoughts to try and calm myself. First, I remember living at my parent's house the summers after my freshman and sophomore years of college. After the freedom of the dorms and the schedule of college, going back home to their rules and expectations was really challenging. One of those summers I was planning our wedding and preparing for that milestone which didn't help. Perhaps Gage feels the same after a year at school away from a nagging and controlling mom? Second, the kid is amazing. He catches on fast, he loves to learn, his memory is scary accurate and he knows things he shouldn't know (an encyclopedia of random animal facts). He has always been a spirited child. Endless energy, unlimited questions and a thirst of adventure has kept us on our toes for 6+ years. The highs with Gage around are incredibly high. However, it has to balance out somewhere and I truly believe that it makes his lows that much lower. We're working on it. He really is awesome 98% of the time.

I haven't posted anything about his first wrestling season yet either. This past week he spent two days at wrestling camp in a neighboring town learning technique and skills for future seasons. I really do want to put up some more info and links to video from wrestling season. He lost the very first match he wrestled and then went on to a very successful year, coming home from a lot of hardware. Fortunate to take both the district and regional championships he headed into the the state tournament with a single loss on his record. He lost one match in overtime at state, came through wrestlebacks and ended up in third place in his weight and age group. His season record for his first year in the sport was 20-2. We are so proud of his dedication and excitement during the season. He really excels in the land of the unknown. The bigger the challenge, the better.

Thanks for coming back to read. I really have been needing to jot down some ideas and get back into the blog. So much to say and I have a list of new posts needing to happen. A quick rundown of a few things:

• Summer rodeo season is underway, beginning the same day as the start of a new daycare.
• After a visit from my former cross country coach, I've laced up the running shoes again.
• We were able to take a quick weekend trip to the Black Hills, including Mt Rushmore.
• Our niece and nephews bring all kinds of joy to our lives and we treasure our time together.
• Gage turned 6, got a Mohawk, finished Kindergarten and played tball!
• Max broke an arm, almost lost a finger, nurtures an interest in singing and dancing and makes new friends at new daycare.
• He also finds an "antler" at the park.

Thanks for seeing this!

30 Years of Life: 25 years of Friendship

 

Senior class trip: Sioux Falls SD 2001. Thank goodness for curling irons and perms, eh?

Prom, freshman year. You went with my brother. I stayed home and tried to grow taller. PS, it didn't work.

Freshmen in college. Right? You were playing basektball at DSU and I was a state FFA officer at SDSU. I can tell from my nasty home highlights and your buffness. Holy crap, let's do that workout! mmm, maybe not.

 An actual nice, mature picture of us from our senior year of high school. I didn't know it was possible. We really grew up and blossomed at a young age. So lovely are we.

 

Five minutes later. If there's any "type" of picture I have more than tongue-sticking-out pictures, its butt shots. So maybe that's your "thing". Congratulations. :)

 

Alright, I know. Its fun to rib you a little bit, but the truth is that you mean the world to me. I don't know what I'd do without you and I'm so lucky to have you in my life and the lives of my family. I'm nodding off at the computer so I better cut it short. There's more to say, but its going to have to wait. Until then, one more letter that put it into words pretty well. Just pretend I'm writing it to you instead. Enjoy the rest of your birthday. I hope David spoils the crap out of you. You deserve it.

Dana turns 30: Picture of Youth

Road trip! Thankfully nobody let us drive. That was never a good idea. We didn't have a problem driving fast, but I'm glad I never met us on the road. Thanks for keeping me safe, and shame on you for never letting me drive your cars. I only ran over you once, and that wasn't even with a car.

 Over the years, I've gotten kind of a bad rap for being "that person" who sticks her tongue out in pictures. And yet, when I flilp through my pictures of you I see the SAME THING. Truce?

 

 We could publish a book with the correspondence from our youth. We'll title it Lock Up Your Daughters: They Are Probably Crazy.

 I LOVE the stack of moderately sized film cameras on the table. Hehe.

A couple more posts, hang in there.
K

Dana Turns 30: Flashback 1996

I know I'm posting these out of order, but I think you'll enjoy them anyway. Right Dana? :) PS, I still remember the calf Norman and SO wish I had a picture of him. I probably have gotten one from your mother, but that would have required some forethought. Also, the idea of you at the salebarn picking out a calf cracks me up! Let's do that again sometime k? :)

 I don't remember helping you babysit any cousins so clearly "Mean Old Brice" put the kibosh on that. Or I was off showing cattle or something.

I don't have great pictures from this Dance Line performance, but I have this. Man, were we cool!

 

Marching band! So many great memories stem from the work and trip required for marching band. Quite a few of them are even happy memories. Here's our practice uniforms, obviously. Where's Waldo? Also, are you even carrying your trumpet?

If I still knew how to play an instument, and owned one, you better believe I'd call you up and play you a song. Instead, I'll probably have the kids call and sing to you. I guess they're kind of like an instrument. Full of spit, loud and people get pretty cranky if you drop them.

Kim

VanZanten Family Vacation

The amount I had to look to find something awesome from Dana was way too easy. She sent this in 1999. Just take a look at the envelope. I'm not a hoarder...just following directions.

 

She clearly stole the dinosaur stickers from the letters he brothers were supposed to write for their friends. :)



 

Here's what was inside. In my opinion, a treasure. On a side note, I remember sitting the back of a VanZanten vehicle, writing letters on the way home from ball games using the headlights of the vehicle behind us to see.

I think this picture was from 1998, on a band trip to Chicago, but you get the picture. It'd be a close reference to the letter.

 

 

This picture was most definitely taken at a livestock judging contest. I drug Dana along because we needed another body and her brothers were already going anyway. (at least one of them, I'm not sure if Andy has seen livestock yet). hehe

I expect a letter from the next family trip you take too. :)

Love,
K

On turning 30

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANA LEE!

Welcome to the world of 30. Since you plastered my picture all over Facebook (thank you for that, by the way), I figured I'd take a turn and share a few stories and pictures here, in a few installments that will post throughout the day. Enjoy. :)


We met in Kindergarten. Mrs. Poppen's class. I look at Gage's Kindergarten class and pray everyday that he starts a friendship and real and wholesome as ours. Who would have known that 25 years later, we still adore each other. I remember the story your mom tells about calling Mrs. Poppen to ask if 'The Franken Girl' was ok for you to hang out with. Thank goodness she said yes. :) Check out this picture I found of us...there you are in the your white dress, red bows, curled hair and fancy black shoes looking mighty fine. At the other end of the Kindergarten girl line is me, in my Little House on the Prairie dress and lion mask. Crayons are still awesome.

Summers were always difficult. You spent a lot of time in Colton with family, church and activities and I did the same in Madison. The 7 or 8 miles that separated us in the summer might as well have been an entire state. Thankfully, our parents were great about letting us sent letters back and forth. And fortunately, some have survived the test of time. I like this one best.

Throughout elementary school, it was pretty evident that our teachers didn't want us in the same class. Or maybe our parents requested that, at any rate, we were reunited a few times, and especially enjoy joint adventures like this fourth grade field trip. How is there only one fanny pack in this picture, and two pairs of Hammer pants? Also in style: windsuits, tight-rolled pants and cheesy grins.

And then we graduated. Through high school, some of our activities overlapped, others did not. We went our separate ways after CHS, attending different colleges. I really thought the separation would make life between us awkward. I feel so fortunate that our friendship is stronger now than ever before. Getting married and having babies has taken the 400 miles between us and given us something to talk about every day. I value the time we can spend together so much, even if that time is 10 minutes of virtual chat a day. It keeps me sane.

My favorite part of us? Sharing the joys and challenges of being Moms. I think its what we've always been meant to do. Gage was so lucky to spend a day with you last summer. Knowing my kids know you and love you means the world. Thanks for the letter. Anytime I see your handwriting in the mailbox, my heart leaps with excitement and anticipation. You never let me down.

Have a great birthday. Check back again later. I have some great letters you sent me and pictures of some high school adventures. I just need to do a little censoring first. :)

Love you dear,
Kim

Celebrating Roy

 As we flipped the calendar into October, we left the terrible two's behind as Max turned three years old on October 2. The transition from toddler to little boy hasn't been 100% smooth, but we cherish these years of innocence while exploring independence and the evolution of Max. His sweet cheeks insist on being called Roy Rogers most of the time, he wears his cowboys boots every day and prefers blue jeans and button up shirts to sweatpants and tees. It came as no surprise when he requested a "Woy Wogers" themed birthday party.

He was thrilled about his horse cake, made with love from Grandma Koreen. He could barely contain his excitement at the first glance.

 

 

But honestly, can you blame him? Grandma did such a great job! The horse on top belonged to Koreen when she was a youngster. A week or two before Max's party, Koreen was able to visit the house she grew up in and brought back some treasures for Roy, including the horse. 

 

It took a little help to get that third finger to pop up. Hehe!

 Roy requested a ride on the ponies at the party. His belt buckle is his initial, "M", but this particular day we got the belt on upside down. I went to turn it around and realized the W was probably more fitting as his little boy language is still working on pronouncing R correctly so Roy becomes Woy. I love this phase.

While I don't think we know Trigger's exact birthday (you guessed it...Max named her), we know she is close in age to Max. As a young three year old, their personalities are similar. There are a few trust issues to overcome, and most of the time they're a lot of fun. But then, out of the blue, they just explode and have a little tantrum. I've no doubt that the two of them will be great buds, but for now, we keep Trigger on a close lead and Jack primarily rides her. She is so calm when the boys are around and off her back, but this was the first time I really caught a bond between her and Max. Such a cool moment in time. Hopefully many more to come!

 Sally, on the other hand is a big pet all of the time. Gage spent quite a bit of time on her this summer, but this was Max's first solo ride. He took the reins and has been doing great learning on her! Both kiddos have come so far in six months. Mom too - I hardly freak out at all anymore. ;)

He is kind of leader-of-the-barnyard. So thankful we were able to have all of our parents here to celebrate his big day!

We celebrated Max's birthday on Sunday, September 30th. When he refers to it now, he'll say "fake birthday" as in, "I had a really cool horse cake at my fake birthday party."

This face of innocence? He was so shy and timid while we sang to him and as we finished up, he head came up and he gave the best belly laugh. I could just bottle him up.

I found this great barn at the Grand River Museum in Lemmon. It was built by a local guy who uses scraps from other projects to put these together. No two are alike and they are super affordable. Max was really pumped to have a barn to play with. It has been used every day since.

 

We were able to celebrate again on October 2nd, with leftover cake and a few more presents. I let Max go to daycare in his superhero costume and PJs that day. He was so shy again during the Birthday Song - love it!!

 

 

Happy Birthday Maxwell James. Your old soul, big heart and compassionate personality are a true joy. While we still have plenty of disagreements and attitude adjustments, I wouldn't change you for the world. PS, you could totally pass for a Roy. Love you dude.

“If I could teach the kids to identify and appreciate their natural environment, then they will have a sense of place and care about [home].” -Roy Rogers