an uplifting blog in a crazy world
Giveaway ends October 15, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter this giveaway starting September 12th. This book already have four 5-star reviews on Amazon and one 5-star review on Goodreads. It just released and is getting really good reviews!
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Thanks!
Kimberly
I swear I never know what will come out of my son’s mouth these days. It continues to amaze me just HOW much he soaks up and retains.
For example, when the election took place, I was amazed at his emphatic passion for what was going on around him. I try to never talk politics, as many out there do enough of it already for the majority of us. I may put a little blurb on a blog here or there, but I’m not one of those people, who are loud with their policies/political beliefs.
I especially did not tell my son who I felt would make a better President in this last election, as how could anyone know that or see the future? I did tell him who I was voting for, because he asked me, but would never run down the other candidate, as that’s not how I’m made. PLUS why impose that on a five year old. What I did give him was knowledge on the electoral process, and what the voting process looked like. This was back in August of 2008 when he was asking about the whole concept of voting and how/why it worked. If he’s old enough to ask, he’s old enough for the truth.
As the election came closer, he heard from his classmates their input on each candidate. They even had a mock election, giving them choices to vote for Red or Blue. Red, which stood for McCain, won that day in school. He was excited that he chose the color that won. I congratulated him on voting and left it at that, because it’s about his power to choose! I was proud of him.
When Obama won the office of President, my son was sad. The parents ideals and their philosophies had filtered down to their children and gave my son the impression that Obama equalled bad. And he knew his parents had voted for McCain too. I had to express to him that we respected the office of the President, no matter WHO held the office. I had to share with him, that even though mommy didn’t vote for Obama, I was excited for the new era whether it was my choice candidate or not. I told him that the exciting part about it is was the power of the American people, and their votes.
I wanted to give him hope that President Obama would make good choices on our behalf. That’s my job as a parent to instill hope in my child … to lighten the big stuff … to keep him from being overwhelmed with things that he can not control.
His response? (Keep in mind, he tells people he’s 4 and 3 quarters old when they ask his age – he’s a very specific kid)
“Mom, it doesn’t matter…because when I’m 9 and 3 quarters, we’ll vote again and have another President.”
I couldn’t believe that my ‘every four years we have an election‘ talk, FROM AUGUST was still retained in that little sponge of a brain in November.
With my son, I tried to stay in the middle on this whole topic, because I don’t want to encourage discrimination for either party – Rep or Dem – because my husband and I aren’t straight party Repubs. We look at each candidate as a potential selection based on their own policies and performance in office. BUT I let his comment stand on it’s own, because it was his opinion and I respected that. I respect him for trying to formulate his own ideas and sticking to his guns. For 5 almost 6 (5.75), he thinks so many big things through!!
Today when my husband called to check on him, as we’re both home sick. He ended his conversation with my DH….”Okay dad, work smart!”
I could tell my husband wasn’t sure of what he said, b/c he had to repeat himself….”you know…work smart while you’re there to make your money” He’s a funny little kid with a big man’s mind.
I can’t believe in 9 short days, I’m going to have a 6 year old on my hands. A wonderfully created, ingenius and funny, creative and highly social child, who loves with all his heart. I only worry that he loves too much, BUT there’s no such thing as loving too much.
Have a great day all and thank God for all your blessings….especially your children!
Kim
I came home today, after dropping my son off at school, to a saturated carpet. My 14 year old puppy lost control of his abilities. I’ve been putting off taking him to put him down, knowing that he’s getting more feeble. He’s still like my puppy in so many ways. He still gets excited and can play with toys in joy. He still wants to love and show affection.
So I’ve been telling myself he was fine. He lasted 14 days at the vet, while being boarded when we were on vacation last month. The vet said he didn’t think he was going to make it at first because he’s stressed himself out so much, with us leaving him there, that his bowels were loose and uncontrollable. However, he gave Hershey meds to help him, and my sweet doggie turned a corner for the better, and continued to do well.
But ever since we brought him home, he’s just not been the same. He doesn’t sleep through the night, because he can’t hold it anymore. And then today I came home, and it was just strung through my entire house.
I only left him for 20 minutes, but it was long enough apparently. Every walking path had a string of zig zag pea which tells me that he just couldn’t hold it in. He wasn’t stopping to pea in a corner because he had to go….he was walking around the house in distress as he couldn’t hold it.
Everything in me tells me it’s time to put him down. His hind legs now shake barely able to hold him up. He’s blind in both eyes, due to massive cataracts. And now he’s incontinent. I’m sad for my puppy, as he’s lived a long loyal life.
In the last 14 years with Hershey, he always knew what I was feeling. He was that in tune with me. When I was sad, he always knew and would lay his head in my lap. When I was stressed, he would break out in hives and stress out for me. When I was uncomfortable with anyone my room-mates would bring over, he’d growl or bark at them, which in effect gave them enough motivation to leave and not come back. He was potty trained after one try when I brought him home, at 10 weeks. I have been a very blessed to have such an extra-ordinary dog. This pure bred puppy changed my life.
I was the first human to actually have contact with him. His breeders let Hershey’s parents have interaction with him, but never held him so that he would bond with the first person to own him….me. I was his momma. For people that don’t have pets…they don’t understand the bond between animal and human. They don’t understand the love for one another. He was my baby, until I had my own. Then Hershey patiently and graciously stepped aside to be the step child, as my son was born into my life. He held no resentment, only love for my new baby.
I’ve not given Hershey as much as he needed in the last 5 years, as my son was my primary focus. But I know Hershey has not been neglected. He’s had a loving family, food, and shelter. He’s been taken care of very well. He just didn’t have the emotional ties to me, like he had before my son was around.
BUT I can give him something now…a chance to let go. I don’t want to see him suffer. Whew…so there’s more than a little sadness in my world today, but I know he’ll be going home to see his creator. And in heaven he’ll get to run and jump again with no pain in his hips. 
I took this right before loading him up to go to be in doggy heaven. Goodbye friend…I love you.
Happiness doesn’t begin to cover the emotions I have for my friend, Kristin. She won the GOLD!!!
She was always the girl who could do any sport. She always went Varsity in any thing she tried out for…even if it was her first time to play that particular sport. She blossomed into this amazing athlete before my eyes over my junior and senior year in school.
In basketball I made junior, as a Senior, and she made Varsity, as a Junior underclassmen.
At Kubasaki High….underclassmen got tied up to the flag pole for attempting to enter Senior Hall. Where only Seniors were allowed…because as Seniors we had our own special place by right, I made room in my locker for her because she hung out with most of us Seniors anyway…
We made an exception for Kristin as she was special…as special as they come.
Congrats my friend…I couldn’t be prouder of you. I knew you’d have this moment! I knew you’d get your gold….
You’re GOLDEN girl!
Me, Meredith, and Kristin our during my junior year, and her sophomore year.
Kristin and me on graduation night from Kubasaki High School, on Okinawa, Japan.
Kristin came to see me, and another friend, graduate and leave. It was emotional not just for the obvious reasons as life was changing. People were growing up and moving on. BUT we lived on an island across the globe and were flying thousands of miles away, where a weekend trip home to see your high school buddies wasn’t the norm, like most college kids.
We knew we wouldn’t be home to see our friends unless it was during Christmas or Summer breaks. And my first Christmas I didn’t even go home. I stayed here and didn’t get to see my family and friends…. Yes that night was an overwhelming night for many reasons.
I’m overwhelmed in a good way now! True happiness is when your dear friend go on to do things you knew they had in them. Tears of happiness are the only way I can express it.
Thank you Lord for answering my prayers and giving Kristin the gold. Go here to see her win on video…but be prepared..it’s long but worth it.
Today is the day I post my blessings, and how I look forward to this. Some weeks are harder than others, since it’s a choice to have the peace of God’s love and thankfulness in His blessings, and some weeks just blow me away.
Those that read me know I’ve just come back from a huge blessing in my vacation. I hadn’t been home in 12 long years to Oahu, and hadn’t visited Maui since I was 5. The fact that my son is now five and I took him and my husband to my home was HUGE for me. The obvious blessing was being in a tropical low key, laid back, beautiful environment. Who couldn’t see the blessing in that and thank God for His creation? The not so obvious blessing and the main one for me was to experience it all again as a 5 year old through my son, which really took me home ten-fold. The fact that my auntis, uncles, and cousins got to meet my family is a huge blessing.
Today as I look toward this past week my heart is somewhat heavy as I know I’ve not treated my husband as well as I should have this week. The phrase, submit to your husband keeps going through my mind. This is often a inflammatory biblical instruction for a lot of female liberals. What does it mean…submit? To me, it’s not letting a man walk all over me, as some people like to twist it. To me, it’s having compassion for the man God has chosen for me…letting go of some of my own control and giving my husband his way more than I choose my own.
I’ve been very controlling this week and I don’t feel good about it. What is the blessing in this? That I have a wonderful husband!! He puts up with me and loves me…frustrated or not. I know I need to make it up to him and I’m blessed that he sticks around so I can.
I’ve had no job this whole month…I’m unemployed! HA! How cool is it that this is NOT stressing me out. <—-(blessings right there) This whole month is the only month, before my son starts Kindergarten that I’ll have had all this time with him. I had no one calling me for work…well not for most of the month….so my time was truly “MY” time with my family with no interruptions. I’ve never experienced that freedom before, so this has been a huge blessing.
Now that it’s back to reality and the bills need two incomes…what am I going to do?? I’ve been wondering how I’m going to supplement our household income since I quit my sales career. I have my photography business that I started last October, but that’s not going to take off overnight.
This week my son’s school hired me as a substitute teacher. I turned my new hire packet in this week. I was told that it my be pretty infrequent for the first couple of months, but after that get ready for it to get crazy. I’m not sure how it’s going to pay, but I know God will provide. I’ve also run across a couple of jobs to pay the bills for the next couple of months until teaching kicks in. I’m not sure if they’d be something I’d be interested in, but it’s what they provide that counts. This is the first time in my life that I didn’t have to have something ‘professional’ working that went along with my degree. I finally realize….MY JOB DOESN’T DEFINE ME! I do…being a Christian mom, wife, daughter, sister, niece, grand-daughter, and friend defines me. This has been a blessing to get this.
Today would have been my Grandfather’s 100th birthday. If you’ve not read about him, you should…because he was and is still, to me, an amazing human being. He died in my arms, and I saw him see the Lord first hand. Seeing his pupils dialate, his breathe quicken, and his head pop up after being in a coma scared me at first. Hearing the monitors scream at me that his heart rate was bottoming out freaked me out. BUT seeing the look on his face when he saw angels come for him…there’s no way I could doubt that he saw the face of Jesus. And even though terrifying for me at the age of 19 or 20, I know this is a blessing now. For one because they say, those that have come back from the dead, that they see their surroundings when they leave their bodies…so this means my papa knew I was with him too.
You see I got there too late to see him before he went into his coma. He went into his comatose state asking for Kimmy and wanted me. I was selfishly on Spring Break in Texas…but took the first flight out as soon as I heard he went into the hospital. I was just too late in saying my goodbye. I have the peace and blessing of today, his 100th birthday, of that lovely man and his love for me. He was my role model growing up, in what to look for in a man. He was truly one of a kind. Please honor his memory today and go read this post about him and my wonderful grandmother, as she too, was truly one amazing lady. For those that don’t know, he was a photographer and the reason the love of photography is in my blood and heart. I hope he’d be proud that I’m trying to make a living at it.
Lastly the fact that we all came home from a long strenuous trip unharmed and well is a huge blessing. Other than my husband’s small fall, which we think he cracked something…we’re all fared well. My son is an amazing traveler! And no one got sick. Praise God for that!
Thank you for tuning in to my little corner of the web world. Next week is the last week of this contest. You can view the video at the post below to see who’s almost winning. If it stays this close in the running, I may have to extend this by another week to get a clear defined winner. I pray you’ll consider counting your blessings…it truly IS life changing. Just ask Terri…you can read why it’s changed her outlook, here.
I think I’ll leave you with a pic I took of my husband and son, on Maui. Have a great weekend all!
I will be home…in a few days.
I will feel the island breeze…in a few days.
I will taste my favorite foods…in a few days.
I will see my favorite people from my past…in a few days.
My Aunti and Uncle, although not by blood, by heart are letting my stay with them for the weekend in Kaneohe. They’re throwing me a potluck dinner party for all of my family to come celebrate.
When first moving to Oahu, we were in awe of it’s beauty. We were in awe of it’s weather. We were in awe that we really lived there! I was 5 and life at that age is wonderous any where you live, let alone on a tropical island with mountains at every corner and beaches at every turn.
Living near the ocean is home to me, on so many different levels. Every fiber in my being is pulled to the lull of the waves. To walk the beach, looking for sea shells and chasing hermit crabs, was my ideal day as a child. To find Japanese glass balls floating to the shore, and learn of their origin, was a blessed gift. Digging my toes in the sand, feeling it’s damp heaviness surround my foot right before the sea would rush in and drain the sand away is a sweet memory. Doing cartwheels and leaving hand and footprints down the shore was my signature, leaving my stamp of love for the island I lived on.
I dream of those days most nights. To know I’ve chosen a life away from them is not ideal, but I know I always have a home to come home to in my family away from family, on the island of Oahu. We were the first Hoale family to don the door of the Nazarene Church in Kaneohe, and our O’hana opened their eyes wide and soon their hearts to us.
We learned their dialect, and their culture as if it were our own. I spoke pidgin before I learned proper English. In fact when I moved back stateside, the education board made me take a test before starting school, because they thought I wasn’t smart enough to be in the 4th grade. They assumed my broken dialect was a sign of my intelligence.
I still have that test. It showed my intellectual age being 23, when I was only 10. I blew their tests out of the water. Then they wanted to put me in accelerated classes….I said no thanks. I would do fine in the normal classes with normal kids.
Back on point…I grew to love, breathe, and sleep my island life. Knowing that I will be home in a few days means more to me than anyone could ever know. It will be a short 3 day trip to Oahu, before leaving for Maui for a family wedding. But those short 3 days will be amazing! I will visit the place I went to school, and some of my other favorite spots like here, here, and here.
Sunday, we’ll attend church where I did as a kid. I hope my son and husband can appreciate how unique and special this place is. Not only because of the love for Christ they have in their heart, but also because of where it sits. It’s at the base of a mountain with slat windows, which allow the island breeze to stream through from side to side. You get to see God’s great creation in all it’s beauty, smell the wonderful flowers on the breeze, and worship in His goodness.
Afterwards we’ll go to Pearl Harbor so that my family can visit the Arizona, where I can point out my other house we lived in at the east lock of Pearl Harbor. We lived 20 feet from the Naval Intelligence Building, and it was a house that was pre-WWII, with vegetation that should be in a jungle. I had a closet that overlooked the harbor, with an amazing view.
Needless to say it’s going to be hard to tear myself away from my family and home, but I’ll be going to other family (in-laws) waiting for us on Maui. We’re staying at a beach house a block from the ocean, with the rest of the family to see my brother in law and future sister in law get married. This will be near and dear to my heart as well, knowing we’re making new memories to last a life time not only for me–but my five year old, who will taking it all in with wonder…just as I did 30 years ago.
I wish I could scan some of the old pics of me at 5 to post here, but my scanner is broken. I’ll post some new ones I get from this weeks adventures. Stay tuned!!!
PS….here’s the house in Maui we’ll all stay at:
Well anyone who read my latest post knows how well my week has gone. God is so good!
*My grandmother has been praying for 3 years that my book would get published. She faithfully and tirelessly would get on her knees every night, and pray for multiple things…my book being one of them. How wonderful was it for me to get to call her this week with the good news? She started crying and rushed off to church Wednesday night to tell everyone about her grand-daughter, the author. She lives in a small town, and I’m sure reveled in the moment. To me that was a huge blessing.
*My son got to be on stage with my husband, in introducing KC and the Sunshine band. My son got to turn to the crowd of about 1,000 and shake his booty to warm up the crowd in hopes of KC coming out to start the show. My little guy was a hit! The crowd roared in laughter as my husband then introduced the band, before joining the rest of us in the crowd for the show. IT was a blast. It was my son’s first concert and he had so much fun.
*My son asked me why it was special to get published. I gave him an analogy that he could understand a little better:
“You know when I teach your Sunday school class and I ask questions, that all your classmates raise their hands to answer?”
“Yes.”
“Well everyone wants me to pick them, right?” (head nod)
“I can’t pick everyone. I can only pick one person at a time to answer, and when I do pick that person it makes them feel pretty special…right?”
“Yah.”
“Well a publishing house is like me, the teacher, picking one person, like the student, to feel pretty special. LOTS of people want their books published, and they can only pick one.”
“WOW! Mom, that makes you special! I’m so happy for you!”
—This was a special moment for me because he got the big picture. He even answered the phone within minutes of our conversation and told my sister excitedly how his mommy was getting published!
*I put my notice in at work, in plans to focus on my photography/writing. Two days later I got another photography job, for July.
*Today is one month till my birthday! Yay! I told my son I’d be 36 years young. He responded with, “Yah, you are young…but I’m younger! AND your skin is getting thinner every year!” Okay now I’m imagining my veins showing through my skin when I’m 70, and wrinkles everywhere, but I’m still blessed.
*This week we bought our tickets to Oahu/Maui for my brother in law’s wedding, in July. We couldn’t afford to buy them until now, so we were blessed that our finances finally fell into place PLUS we found some tickets at a rate we were happy with considering how late we were buying them.
*My future sister in law, whom I adore, asked my son to be their ring bearer. So not only do we get to stand on a beach and watch them take their vows, but I get to watch my baby be a part of it. I’m so happy.
*I confirmed that I can stay with my aunti and uncle on Oahu, on our 3 day trip, before heading to Maui. That will save us a lot of money with room and meals. They’ve not met my husband yet so not only do I get to introduce my son to them, but my sweet husband. It’s going to be a huge blessing to show them where I went to school, lived in which houses, and attend church on Sunday at my church home. This church sits down in the valley, where the breeze flows through the slatted windows from the mountains above. I’m blessed to think of how peaceful that will be.
*My husband used his academy sports gift certificate and came home with a big 40″ X 12 ft pool for our back yard. It will give our son the practice he needs swimming for our trip next month. The mere fact that he’s home at 5:20 at night, from his new job, is a huge blessing….but that now he’s home to take care of the back yard and now put in a pool is bonus!
*Lastly I took my first Zumba class with my sister at the gym, we recently joined. I loved it and lasted the whole class. I got to shake my booty and have fun with my sis!
I hope you all have had a great week!
It’s been a dream of mine since I was in 4th grade to be a published author. It’s been this ‘thing’ I always knew I’d do, and now it’s come true. I’m a very blessed girl and God is so good.
Today I checked my email and read an email from my new publisher, Vanilla Heart Press, that started out with:
“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Finding Kylie, especially the back stories in the novel, and the depth of the characters, along with the intertwined subplots. Therefore, we’ll be sending you a contract offer on this manuscript.”
My mother was at my house and I read the entire length to her as her eyes started tearing up. She couldn’t have been prouder of her little girl. All I know is that I’m so happy and blessed, and I’m still shaking my head. Is this really happening to me?
A lot of you have asked about my book and what it’s about. So let me just give you a little blurp:
It’s a dual story line following mother and daughter through past and present day times to uncover hidden secrets with a little love story thrown in. It’s gooooood stuff.
Here are some other things that happened today that were exciting:
*Already I’ve had someone in the Public Relations business, who knows my husband, offer to handle all my PR for free.
*The proprietor at Toby Kieth’s Restaurant has agreed to have a launch party for me when it comes out, in downtown OKC.
*One of the top ranked radio morning shows have agreed to interview me when we need to promote the book.
*I used to work at the state paper, so today my old boss gave me the book editor’s name. I figure in a month or so, I’ll make contact and see if I can get in front of them.
I wanted to send a big thank you to all of you who have been praying for me. I’ve felt God’s hands surrounding me today as if he’s just holding me up and whispering His blessings in my ears/heart. What a great God we serve and how undeserving are we all of his faithfulness? I hope I’m on track in His eyes and am still shaking my head at how much He loves me.
Here’s something I wrote when I was in college, after waking up to God’s call in my life:
She’s a good girl they say, but she’s done her time.
She’s walked down that road and crossed a fine line.
Now she’s watching the sky and walking into the fiery burn.
It’s starting to dawn. She’s finally starting to learn.
Come to me, my child, and I’ll pull you through.
I’ve got a plan destined just for you.
Keep moving forward. Don’t look back.
Focus on the good in your life-not on when you lost track.
Youth and Innocence are not lost. Your life has just begun.
All regret into the wind is tossed. Toward the dawning she runs.
What does it make you think about? And does it remind you of any time in your life?
My husband is such a quirky but love-able guy. For anyone that knows him, they always ask me…’does he make you laugh…like…all the time?” I just raise my eyebrows and give them the answer they want to hear, “uh huh.”
He’s the guy who sings a song lyric when something happens that similar to a song. He’s the guy who always has the quippy line in a group that will inevitably make everyone laugh every time. He’s the comedian. And not the annoying kind either…he’s just genuinely likes to laugh and makes others do so too. His voice is louder than most, so even when he’s trying to be quiet he can be heard across a stadium. When he gets on the cell phone, he proceeds to get louder…like someone can’t hear him. LOL. I shake my head most days.
At home, he’s a little more subdued. The energy it takes to be him, is exhausting I think. He’s actually a loner, like me. He’s not ‘that’ guy at home, and I’m glad I would need a serious break from that energy at home. Yet, he still finds funny ways to make me laugh. With a comment about something, in only language he and I speak. When you’re close, you speak your own language that no one else is privy too. It’s something just for two.
He does things he knows will annoy me just to get me out of my grouchy mood. You’d think it would back fire, and although I may growl and bark, inside I’m laughing 🙂 because I know it’s all in good natured fun. So does he.
He’s always the one who does things to surprise me. Take for example our honeymoon: He saved for a year to be able to afford the nicest 5 star hotel in Disneyland so we’d have a honeymoon to always remember. Although we could have never afforded something like that, and probably never will again…he toiled and slaved extra jobs to save up and pay in cash.
He makes mental notes of things I like, and when my birthday or Christmas roll around (even if it’s 6 months later or longer) that gift will be wrapped and waiting. He knows I never buy for myself so it’s a safe bet that he’ll get me something I wouldn’t buy for me. He’s a thoughtful and generous guy.
Most days I feel like the neglectful one in our relationship. I don’t feel like I measure up in comparison to what I should be for him. So this Valentines Day I asked my mom to keep my son overnight, so I could surprise him with a date night just for us two. This is something we don’t do much of because of our schedules. He works most week days and weekends, so it’s hard to get couple time.
Great idea in theory, but my son came down with an extreme case of Bronchitis plus there’s an ice storm. So last night, Friday night, our date night got canceled. I feel so bad that I couldn’t do something special for him … again.
I know we’ll reschedule it soon. All that really matters is that our son gets better and we’re home safe…all three of us together.
If you’re wondering about the picture above. That was my Valentines Day card from my husband. It read, “I love you from the bottom of my heart!” What’s so ironic about this card, is that he’s done this exact thing to me….and I’ve had that exact expression on my face. He couldn’t have found a more perfect card. Again he’s ‘that’ guy who has the right thing to say, to make everyone laugh. He makes me laugh and I love him.
*post note — he just walked in and commented on the card I posted, “Hey you look hot there.” (rolling my eyes)
daily blessings 