THE KIMBALL HERD

Halloween 2013!

2013-10-31T09:53:00.003-05:00

I owe an explanation and many posts before this however Halloween cometh! The Herd does not miss a Halloween. Some know others are out of the loop, but We moved to NYC and Now we live in Australia. I know sounds crazy, and it is true, and WE love it. We live in Sydney, Australia and have been here 3 1/2 months. It is almost full Summer here and we are in the ocean daily.

But back to the costumes. The Location was our inspiration, and the boys each picked and animal from Australia.

Everett (the Huntsman spider) Guy (the Great White Shark) Lincoln (a Kangaroo) Severin (A Python)

Everett as a Huntsman Spider (scary,fuzzy, huge, and has fangs...a hit)

Severin as a Python Snake (I personally love his jazzersize costume that matches!)

Guy the Great White Shark (shine-y ooooo)

Lincoln as a Kangaroo (he loved his built in pouch to carry candy!

Another year gone by but in a different country! Australia has only really been celebrating Halloween the past few years and considers it an American holiday. So we stood out even more than usual knocking on doors while they scratched through there purses for some mints...no matter the boys were thrilled and hopped with glee.

Happy Halloween from Down Under!!!

Easter

2013-04-05T14:27:00.002-05:00

Truth be told we were traveling to NYC road trip style on Easter. Good thing I made my kids dress in there best grandpa style suits a few days prior. I seriously take hundreds of shots to get one kinda sorta- good one. A good one for me is capturing their personalities. Can't you see them in future prom photos, or each others weddings, oh the comedy. Love you boys!

Sold

2013-03-26T23:27:00.002-05:00

So the house sold as mentioned a while back and i took some shots of fun projects I did around the house. And for anyone who knew me well during this house knows I took one year to hang the back splash in my kitchen but 6 years to grout it...why do we always make a house perfect for others and not ourselves.

I loved this house, it was crazy imperfect, but I love old houses (pre-war.) This old house has grown our family has watched me raise my boys. From bottle feedings, nap times, potty training and training and training and training, walking and talking, bike ramps, play houses and growing gardens..this house held my Herd.

We sold our house when no one had sold a thing, with only a few months on the market, and then we had the impossible feat of moving out in less than 48 hours...(seriously 1am hauling boxes, not fun.) So grateful, but so sad to leave it.

Pics of the boys room. I built the bed out of dry erase boards...easy to clean and I didn't have to paint it. The boys used it as a stage in day light hours.

Stairs with painted plexy. The play house below..such fun worth every penny

And the addition, I loved you little house thank you for the fun.

Shirts are off!

2013-03-16T13:40:00.001-05:00

The shirts are off and the sun is warming us up. We have had a tough winter in the Kimball house, bad stuff i tell you..but it didn't lick us, close ..too close. But here we run towrds summer with the reeds bending at our will. We are packed up and moving back to NYC....what a light at the end of a long tunnel. The boys are bigger but have maintained their need for running shirtless through the fields. Sending warmth your way.

Brent loving/ tickling Guy, so cute these two.

One kiss for mom

Rivers and Lakes

2013-01-05T09:04:00.001-06:00

To begin since July 2012 my life has been a metaphor for endurance. We move to New York in March 2013 and we decided to put our house on the market.

So I packed the house up and stage it while we lived in it. I have a huge dog..Bear and I decided last minute to drive her cross country in hopes of some family member taking her in, to better apeal to buyers. So the stage is set four kids in the car for our yearly cross country trip and one black lab. Brent stayed in Memphis and planned to meet me in Denver in two 8 days to fly to Norway.

People think I am crazy crazy but i love it! We drive along with my Tom Tom and search for lakes and pools to swim in along the way. It exhausts the kids and maintains the summer hum. Here are some pics below.

This was a natural hot springs I let the boys go in for five ten minutes and they couldn't keep there eyes open. i swear they could of fallen asleep..a little scary.

A small lake

River and rapids don't work well with swimming boys.

Severin is such a funny kids just always dancing and hamming it up..I know the mud below, it was right next to a clidsdale horse farm..so the whole place smelled like manure. Yes I checked for leaches, I have seen stand by me, haven't you?

Linka

Everett

The boys trying to tip toe on the bottom across another lake

Mom shot by Everett, Wearing a shirt I bought at the gas station and my boyfriend jeans..honestly they are my pregnancy jeans, 5 years after the boys I have worn them to paper. I promptly cut them up after this trip realizing they weren't fooling anyone.

Jensen and Brekna fun

2013-01-03T11:39:00.000-06:00

We behaved as long as we could.

beautiful Norwegian kids

Fathers and sons

Below are my two Jensen Sister-n-laws. They suffer from natural beauty and an affinity for stripes. Shelby and Erin. Erin was a pre teen before Shelby was even born, it's funny as you grow older maturity no longer factors in.

For what ever reason Erin and i eventualy wrestle and I can't stop laughing to full defend myself. She is of good stock, lucky to have her.

No really when I laugh like this things seep out...I carried four babies for goodness sake. oh ya Erin carried 5..she wins. Chop, chop Shelby!

Cutest little cousin matched braid crown, love her.

Twinsies

Anabole Norway

2013-01-03T11:09:00.000-06:00

At the old Jensen Store and home with it's now owner than got a kick out of lettin gus look around her home.

Beaching it

Sporting a norwegian brade

Loons

Astri healthier then most 20 year olds and she is almost in her 100s

I feel little next to these giant Viking men. Sverre, Ole and Trygve.

Preikestolen Norway

2012-12-31T09:12:00.001-06:00

The hiking crew that day, the little ones were amazing just singing along zipping up the difficult climb.

So this next group of pictures are a bummer, because m camera wasn't acting right so i missed the main event. So Brent decided any and all body of water should be swam in...lets explain Norway is cold and the water is a combination of arctic run off and the Northern Atlantic. COLD. So on top of Preikestolen there was a glacial lake so Brent swam accross in unerware and then inspired four other Guys to do it too..turn out they were all backpacking med students from Europe...it must be in the DNA of medical proffesionals to be shall we say kama-kazee.

I know it sounds goofy and maybe personal but laying on your belly and looking straight down like this made my uterus hurt..which Erin of course thought was laughable.

A little rainbowy without knowing it.

So foggy on the day, but still so pretty.

Sverre reaching top and loving it.

Short little story of this hike, it wouldn't be a Jensen trip without a little Dramedy. My mom was being careful and on the slowside up the mountain, all along nursing a knee in much need of a surgery. So my Dad went ahead not realizing they were far apart, when he noticed he was 3/4 of the way up. So of course Dad ran down all the way to the car because he never passed her and he thought she was hurt. Once he got to the car no one was there so he hiked all the way back up. Crazy person or just madly devoted to his lady. All the Norwegians were embarrassed by the eccessive love fest that follwed classic Ole and Marty.

Oslo Norway

2012-12-31T08:25:00.001-06:00

Oslo, Norway- grass roofs in all their glory. insanely beautiful.

My whole childhood my dad would draw houses for me and the roofs always had grass on them.

Crew is still jet lagged and struggling to focus on a simple smile

out of focus most likely for our benifit

Brent always manages to blend in with people just like him.

Hilarious watching brother and sister inlaw go for the same drinking fountain.

Century old Viking ship

Norway 2012

2012-12-30T23:56:00.002-06:00

This past Summer, Brent and I got to sneak away to Norway. We went along with my whole family including spouses. We have alot of amazing family over there. I have never got to bring Brent and letting him see where and who his children get their Viking blood was a treat.

Our family really lives in more rural towns along the Fjords. This trip however we got one day in Oslo. I have dreamed about seeing the Vigeland Sculpture Garden in the city center and it didn't disappoint. Beyond words, breath taking.

Brent was in full Photo bomb mode, acting out any and all sculptures as I got my shot..loon.

This sculpture as you can imagine was a perfect little present when we found it.

TORO! Halloween 2012

2012-11-01T10:42:00.002-05:00

The Matadors of 2012. Hilarity at it's peak. I loved every second. I think costumes are a success if the kids want to wear them days before followed by constantly and without warning say..."Mom, I love you." And the best part is when they smile so hard they grit their teeth. We started thinking about doing Elvis and then quickly changed to something more tough and shine-y. It is mostly all hot glue and shine. I love Halloween because it lets me ask my boys what they want to be and I get creative figuring it out.

Happy Halloween!

Everett

Severin

Guy

Lincoln

Guy's Laugh Reel

2012-09-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

This little one knows he has me wrapped around his finger. Guy's latest thing is to sneak and I mean Champion Sneaking!! He can travel up stairs around coaches taking an hour without snickering or blowing his cover. He enjoys the full shock on our faces when we see his silhouette from our bedroom hall.

He is my second child to have growing pains at night. He walks all the way up the stairs hobbling like an old man in hopes of relief from his aching legs. He cries and wakes me up saying, "mom my legs are broken! fix it." I then lie him on my bed kneading his calves and feet like dough for hours. If I slow down or stop before the pain subsides he kicks his legs in pain. Horrible I know but so dang sweet.

He wakes the next morning with a skip in his step and tells his brothers over breakfast.."my legs grewed last night did yours?" With a proud grin he downs his whole milk and feels like a king!

The pictures below are my monthly effort to get some kind of portrait..this session in my opinion was an accurate success.

p.s. I wish the sound of him laughing through his teeth could be attached to his snap shots.

Kill me.

Alcatraz 2012

2012-08-16T22:13:00.001-05:00

First off, let me say I am behind in posting and life in general...so please forgive. I have raced several Triathalons this year, with a few to go. Escape from Alcatraz however has to be the hardest... one for the actual race the other, for it's location cross country.

Conditions: Awesome

Swim:

So much harder from last year..not sure why could be the amount of Kelp or how I stayed in the center of the field. Either way I repeated my time from last year give and take a few minutes. Problem was it took it out of me for the rest of the race..this is a problem because the swim is my safe place.

Bike:

This is insane in every way!!! I trained more for the bike this year..it didn't matter the hills crushed my spirit to the point I looked forward to the run.

Run:

I trained as much as I could on the run and it paid off. I felt awesome I kept a 8min pace with one problem: bottle necking. If you ever get the pleasure in running this race you will know what I mean when I say..it is impossible to race in the run. Unless you cheat and bush wack or skip the 5 foot high tunnel, and can pass on loose sand. At one point we almost came to a stop from people running on the wrong side of the 12inch path. I know it sounds lame but it calls for massive sprints and a dodge and a weave. I love this part.

Result:

I bested my time by 15 minutes. Hilarious.

Still loved it. I do pretty well for really never having enough training under my belt. I know i can do so much better, and yes I will sign up again.

I was certain Brent, was going to get in last minute and I would not be racing alone. He did make it to California the same weekend however to checkout a practice in San Diego. I thought about the prospect of moving to California my whole race....slightly, distracting.

The best part, had to be my parents flying out to see me race, I even found my mom in the crowd after the swim to give her a kiss. It was fun being the only child for a second and without my own kids. Love them.

Returning to Memphis the day of the race had to be the cherry on the cake. I took the red eye of course and found my seat at 12:00 am to sleep, when over the PA they anounce there is no water flow on the plane therefor we all must get off! Kill me! I even said out loud, "Everyone can hold it for a few hours fly the darn plane!" I was over ruled.

We didn't get another plane until 3:00am, then landed in Chicago where their were no connections till that evening.

I raced a crazy race, I had not slept, my body hurt, people were yelling, No one was available to watch my kids an additional day, and I was helpless.

Conclusion:

Slept in a corner of the airport, felt a little more normal, My kids teacher from school took mercy on us and watched the kids another day, I made it from San Francisco to Memphis..it only took 400 hours. And yes, it was worth it in the end.

Can you find me? You can see the algie on my face from the kelp, yuka.

Disney World 2012

2012-08-02T23:57:00.000-05:00

An amazing grandparent gift to Disney World was given to us this past Christmas and we were able to go this past April. Hilarious to see the kids reactions and the amazing parks ride and food was mind blowing even for Brent and I. Truth be told just to have special time with Besta and Grandpa Ole filled our four boys hearts.

Favorite rides: Splash mountain, Crash dummies test drive..(a little scary)
Too scary: Dinosaur (lost world) Guy almost lost his bladder..with all the dino's lunging in the dark, no wonder all the parents in line were looking at us in disapproval...no one told us.
Best moment: kids knowing that we are moving soon ask.."Are we moving here mom? this place is good."

Summer haze

2012-07-22T02:46:00.001-05:00

Back from doing triathalons, driving cross country, a short stint in the hospital, Norway, Utah, Colorado..etc. So we (I) have checked out for the week, taking a true summer vacation most days I don't know the day of the week or the time...perfection. Lots of pictures to go through and post, fun stuff to come. Best part of Vaction is coming home....oh yeah put the house on the market during all this too.

Brent and Everett at Sardis lake this past Saturday.

some for me

2012-06-20T21:23:00.004-05:00

It is true the plight of most moms is we are always behind the camera..so I have been making a point to throw the camera to Brent, settings set and on auto focus..in return I get documentation I am actually present..not bad right?

Father's Day part 2

2012-06-19T01:43:00.002-05:00

I am surprised i haven't posted about our fondness for rockets before...We LOOOVVEE rocket launching. I am not sure who loves it more Brent or the boys. Such a pretty day. Shirts come off and we enjoy our Dad. The boys run in full sprint after each fallen rocket and return with pride. The pictures remind me the boys are growinf and growing..man, I love these guys.

Fathers Day part 1

2012-06-19T01:19:00.002-05:00

The boys were very excited to give their daddy the gift that just keeps on giving..a Tie. What do you do with all those groomsman ties?...Here is the answer. Brent, was speaking in church on fathers day and stood up at the podium for all to see his wonderful present..the boys tight cheeked grins were hilarious and memorable. Happy Fathers day to a dad who may always look tired but always has enough left for an evening bike ride, tree climb or bed time story. We love your guts!

p.s. our fathers day started with gifts at 5:30 am what about yours? Before rounds of course.

Super Heros

2012-06-15T09:34:00.002-05:00

I made Superhero capes for the boys for Christmas hoping they would like them for a day..it is now June and the capes are still super and swift for a run in the park.

A shot of all my hero's.

When making the capes I asked the boys their favorite colors and Guy answered by saying "Shiny!" Hence his quilted shiny cape. Everett wanted magic stars..Lincoln, magic banana... while Sevy dreamed of an invisible cape... I did my best.

MAY

2012-05-08T15:09:00.001-05:00

Remember last year, when Brent and I did the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon..and had a blast. Well we threw caution to the wind and entered again. Lottery style, Brent didn't get in but I did. I did several tri's last year leading up to the event but nothing could prepare me for the coldest water ever, San Fran steep grade bike course, and a trail run that made grown men cry.

I trained an embarrassingly little amount, due to no time and an unorganized life. I still did well and felt amazing..all LUCK.

This year I leave my car and different locations, the kids school, Shelby Farms, and run home leaving the car. It requires me to have two runs or bikes in a day. As always the race is coming too fast and the boys are out of school in a matter of weeks. And for fun we decided to put our house on the market. Which means painting, yard work, boxes, etc. All and all I am pumped.

On a personal level I turn 33 soon, which seems odd to mention..but none the less it is officially my scary number. 30 I didn't even blink, 40 I look forward to. 33, however somehow was a mental bench mark for accomplishments, and hopes.

So like every month of May, I up my training schedule and replace unaccomplished goals with new time lines. But their is something I have been wishing for that seems to never happen. It took us 5 1/2 years to get pregnant once...(and amazingly with four.) It has now been another 5 1/2 years and no luck for that little straggler in my head.

Bottom line I believe in saying things out loud and seeing what comes back to you.
So their it is. If your listening up there little one..We aren't so bad and the likely hood your brothers will try to drag you around and sleep in your crib is a guarantee, I promise. I have seen you in my dreams and I am quite sure I would love you forever. I have learned a lot being a mom to four boys and I think you would benefit nicely. Lastly, I promise though there are four already there is a place reserved just for you.
-Love your mom

Sugar Magnolia

2012-04-30T09:08:00.001-05:00

The Magnolia's are in full bloom. As they fade to sepia, early Summer heat is soon to follow. Severin wears a Kings crown of our neighbors Magnolia's...can't help but hum "Sugar Magnolia..."

Florida Road Trip

2012-04-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Florida Vacation 2012, Part 1: A Neurosurgery conference at the RITZ on Amelia Island. Followed by a road trip to Jax beach, Daytona, and a few millionaire private beaches. The car we rented was returned with 100 lbs of sand and a few hermit crabs. We ate fish tacos as much as possible, went to an Alligator Farm and played in the ocean till we grew gills. A definite recommended trip.

First few nights we stayed at the Ritz for Brent's conference. Lets just say we tried, we really did to be refined and blend in. But our kids ran and dove in the pool splashing and laughing, while their dad threw them up high in the air. We had intentions to whisper in the halls and have quiet feet, all these intentions prompted mom to wear sunglasses inside and out in hopes to protect from the stares.

But can I offer up..we had more fun and used every free amenity available! My favorite has to be when I met the maid the first night outside the room and she smiled from ear to ear...I loved her for that. I knew she had just cleaned a room full of make shift beds out of couch cushions, complete with special blankets from home, she fluffed the pillows and put hospital covers on the little DIY beds... the best part, in Severin's opinion was the Chocolate that was left each night.

I am sure we were the only family that had moved all the soda around in the fridge to make room for a gallon of whole milk, and bags of honey nut Cheerios in the dresser drawers.

This picture is reality for me...I look at other moms pool side reading a magazine under an umbrella, I have yet to master that freedom. My poolside look is always on the ground with soggy cold boys curled up on me for warmth. Good stuff.

Guy had a permanent smile the minute he saw the ocean.

We played the Hotel games

But mostly soaked up even ray and got sand in every crevice

Cheese-ers

Success!!

Daytona...classic Americana

We stayed on the beach every night until it got dark..heaven..(this picture also documents the first sunburns I have ever let my kids get, First day, one hour on an over cast day..the rest of the trip the kids wore shirts or army sunblock.)

running and running, splashing and laughing..repeat

Guy content and a little more timid loved finding the little hermit crabs.

I would be taking pictures thigh high in the water to get a good shot, when I would turn around a group of people were waiting to ask questions, or make comments of how fishlike the kids were. Brent taught boogie boarding and I taught diving under the waves. Once we taught the boys these two beach musts, the fun escalated as well as the risk. The kids kept pushing further out and diving deeper, onlookers got nervous and Mom and Dad were proud.

Everett taking a breather

Sevy in pure delight

This picture shows Brent pretty far out with four kids who can't touch the bottom, moments later he turned his head and said I need help put the camera down!

Boogie boarding from sun up to sun down

Vacation diet order a lemon gelato and share it with four hungry boys.

Above is a picture of mom teaching Lincoln how to put a lizard to sleep, Passing down the trick my cousin Aaron taught me as a kid..total hit.

Below Brent trying to balance Sevy..but interesting because it shows Guy crawling to the ocean to get a drink?!

Guy and his pyramid

Lincoln and Dad...Lincoln obviously weighs much more than Sevy..based on Brent's Face.

FIRST TIME SKIING

2012-03-18T23:48:00.002-05:00

First day skiing ever! Location: Deer Valley, Utah. Feeling: Heaven. Memory: Top three to date! Bottom line expected tears and exhaustion and lots of dragging kids up a hill...NONE of these happened.

We used the toe clips the first day then never again. The boys just took to it! Brent and I both learned how to ski around three or four and to see our kids on skis turning and yelling at the bottom- "Mom lets go again!!" Was life altering, lame to some I am sure...but I think the theme a family that plays together stays together.

Guy- is usually the last to master anything athletic and gets limp fish when he would like to discontinue. So when he kept going down ski runs weaving through trees and over jumps our jaws dropped saying ..is this normal? All parents think their kids are the best, but I would like to claim the quickest and happiest kids to teach ski.

Everett- the natural athlete could stop and follow even was holding an edge on some of the blue's we took him down. Always in competition he preferred to be right behind mom in the number one slot. I can't remember a fall out of the kid! No joke. He was so fun and always said "Good job boys!"

Lincoln- most the time has jello legs just walking, he's not clumsy, more silly. So in my mind I was going to be throwing my back out all day keeping him up. Turns out he had the intensity of a jungle cat..He followed my every turn with perfect precision. He loved riding the lift and talking about how fast he went.

Severin- thought this was the most amazing thing ever..All I heard all day was, "That was Awesome!!" He was annoyed when we stopped into get a drink or lunch, I agree Sevy! He combined Kung fu noises and arms to his skiing adding a cool factor like no other. This week was spring break and every time I said we were going some where special he would light up and ask, "Ski school?!" Hilarious.

I have to say sneaking in some ski time for Brent and I was dreamy. We dated on the slope, I met his siblings on the slope, first kisses on the Deer Valley chairlift, and scoped out each others skiing abilities. We both made the grade. Brent would never say but he is the guy every one yells at on the bumps..because he's so fast and knows how to lace it with tricks...hot.

The West is king in the recreation department!

Thankyou- Kirt and Julie making it all happen, and Sy for the amazing accommodations.

Checking in

2012-03-05T15:01:00.002-06:00

I owe Christmas and the whole month of January/ February... seriously life picks up speed during these months. I'll have to catch up later on those.

Random Running list that goes through my mind of things coming up for this Kimball Herd...

1. I need to train..I got into Escape from Alcatraz again (sadly Brent did not.) So I am stressing on my own about the long freezing swim and crazy bike ride....I know most say why even do it...for me it's just what you do, you challenge yourself pack any and all into one day.

2. Teaching spanish to my kids (important note: Autumn, you must speak awesome spanish?! Answer: I don't but the few words I know the kids ate up and now ask me what is this or this in spanish..so I look it up on the computer over dinner.

3. Are we moving back to NYC, or onto Colorado, perhaps California, and very possibly Australia...we shoot for the moon over here. All amazing options but all require moving and gutting my life and house. Which has become a pass time. I haul out body bag looking trash bags weekly of kid clothes, and old electronics etc.

Theory: If you have an attic and you have not looked at in 6 years...don't open it or sort through it just chuck it, and forget it. Attics are gateways for hoarding.

4. Planting a garden..I missed the planting time frame by a month last Spring and I am determined not to repeat the same thing this year. I had a garden growing up like a good Colorado girl, but have yet to grow anything since..What are my chances 50/50? Hope it grows.

5. My dog, Huge and black and hates the heat..the humidity is coming and Spring burns off in a second. Poor thing I wish I had a pool just for her.

6. Deciding not to have anymore kids years ago....suddenly getting a serious baby itch, prompted by words from Lincoln. "Our babies are waiting for us mom!"- he said. Let's break this down... "waiting for us"??? !!! Beyond surprised and touched. Then can we comment on "babIES" What! just one is fine.

Now I am a little stressed just getting through 6 items, so moving on. Best Birthday gift I gave the boys this year ... Spray painted cowboy boots. Hope all is well in your homes.

Poor Sevy still is my best eater..and look he looks two years younger than Everett. We got new jeans and I took them to try them on..Sevy broke down because every pair ranging from 3T to 6T would hover stiff around his waist like a hoola hoop. Pouting on the floor I brought him a pair of green jeans size 24 months fit in the waist will room to spare in the leg. He came out of the dressing room strutting proud like a cowboy. So cute right.

Severin 5

2012-01-19T17:18:00.000-06:00

Severin-

You are still 11 pounds lighter than your brothers. You rummage through our goodwill bags from your closet to find pants that fit your little waist. Every pair of paints you like fit your waist but hover above your shoes by a mile. I think it looks chic. First thing you do every morning is wrap yourself in your star blanket and come up the stairs in the dark to my bed. You rub my hair in the dark and giggle..waiting for me to lift the blanket to let you in. Your feet are always cold. You lay on me constantly and love to give me angel kisses. Your new thing is to make me pinky promise.."don't go anywhere,..don't weave,...can I have special pancakes?...PINKY PROMISE?" You are very smart, and are quick to forgive. You make each day better.