Kingston Girl
A fifth-generation Kingstonite blogging about the town (syndicated from kingstongirlie.blogspot.com).
Two weeks ago we had a lot to celebrate. Our ten year anniversary &
most importantly the Baptism of the twins. It was beautiful and so meaningful to our entire family. The first on my bucket list of doing milestones with the twins. There will be many of them. Many I never thought that I would be able to experiecne.
Over their isolette I prayed down upon each of them. Anytime at the begining I would hear a beep or a buzz I would feel my heart drop to the bottom of my tummy. I would reach in and hand hold one of them at a time, always longing for the time that I could hold them and be with them at the same time. Baby B was never able to be held for very long all the way until the end of his stay. It would just be way to much for him. Baby F would just lay on me and cuddle. He still loves to cuddle. Anyway's, when I would hand hold them I would pray with everthing I had in me, my entier being and with my entire soul.
One day when both of my boys were having a pretty hard day, a really hard day on this mama. I prayed that I would raise them in a walk and relationship with God. Now until this I hadn't been to great with my own walk with God. It had been a number of years that I had in most was turned my back and walked the other way all together. The reason now doesn't make sense but this is what I thought at the time. I was so overwhelmed with being childless and not having a baby to call my own to hold close and to love was at times to much for me to bare. I couldn't understand why I was the one that couldn't have children when people I know could pop them out like thier Vajayjay was a freaking clown car! I was angry with God because of that, so hurt and upset that I walked away from all my beliefs. I now know that this is what he needed me to go through to come back. The first day that they were in the NICU I went to the Chapel at the hospital from then on I was there everyday, sometimes more then once. I prayed one day so hard in that prayer I prayed this:
Heavenly father,
I pray that you will save my babies, that you will show me how to parent and be the best mommy to the two of them. I will remember every second of everyday that you are the one the blessed me with these two precious gifts that only you Lord God could so wonderfuly give to us. I promise that I will raise them up to love you and honor you Lord, I promise that they will be children of God and I will show them by the way I live my life in a way that will honor you lord. Please just save their lives. I couldn't imagine what I would do if they were taken from me now. I don't think I could make it through that great of loss. I don't think you Lord would make it possible to have these babies created from Hubs and I, carried by Chrystal. Bringing famlies closer and truly showing people the great love our family has for one another.
Please Lord allow me to raise my beautiful boys for them to be men of God. They are made to do great things. The first thing I will do when they are strong enough is to have them be celebrated as your children at their baptism. Please Lord just make them live.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Time past and they got strong enough to start planning their baptism. It is the first thing I did. I didn't ask that God would make them perfect, I prayed he would save them. No matter what they will always be perfect to me. Having them at the NICU made me remember my walk with God. It made me the person I use to be, before I was sick, before I turned into someone I wasn't that proud of. I didn't know how different I was without God or my boys.
Pastor Coe, from Grace Luthern Church in Port Townsend was amazing to our boys and to our family. The entire service was centered around the boys and their goals we have to all hold them up to. We were so welcomed and so loved. The entire church was so warm and inviting. One thing I didn't know at the time that was going to happen was that we would find a church to call home. We will take the boys to this chuch and celebrate milestones and moments in our lives as a family. Hub's will have Sundays off this summer so we are going to go up as much as we can to attend our church.
The God parents were choosen for the love they have showed our boys sense even before they were born. Baby F's God parents are Bon & Chrystal. & Baby B is Erin & Allie. The only sister that was left out is Kerry and she is the best Auntie in the entire world. Turth be told my boys have the best Aunties ever. They are so blessed with the family that they were born into. All the love they have for them is amazing. This event made us all so much closer. I can't wait to cross the next event and milestone off the baby bucket list.
Heavenly father,
I pray that you will save my babies, that you will show me how to parent and be the best mommy to the two of them. I will remember every second of everyday that you are the one the blessed me with these two precious gifts that only you Lord God could so wonderfuly give to us. I promise that I will raise them up to love you and honor you Lord, I promise that they will be children of God and I will show them by the way I live my life in a way that will honor you lord. Please just save their lives. I couldn't imagine what I would do if they were taken from me now. I don't think I could make it through that great of loss. I don't think you Lord would make it possible to have these babies created from Hubs and I, carried by Chrystal. Bringing famlies closer and truly showing people the great love our family has for one another.
Please Lord allow me to raise my beautiful boys for them to be men of God. They are made to do great things. The first thing I will do when they are strong enough is to have them be celebrated as your children at their baptism. Please Lord just make them live.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
The God parents were choosen for the love they have showed our boys sense even before they were born. Baby F's God parents are Bon & Chrystal. & Baby B is Erin & Allie. The only sister that was left out is Kerry and she is the best Auntie in the entire world. Turth be told my boys have the best Aunties ever. They are so blessed with the family that they were born into. All the love they have for them is amazing. This event made us all so much closer. I can't wait to cross the next event and milestone off the baby bucket list.
Our Beautiful Family!
I have been feeling like I just need to run away. Not from my family, to my family. Not from my friends but to start fresh, I had a ton of people that viewed my blog. Now the amount of people are down a little bit. Do I let this one go and start another one filled with things I am into now? Do I re-vamp this and go from there instead?
I don't feel like I can leave this completely. I love to write, I love to blog. I love the community of blogging. I loved the direction that writing was bringing me and where it brought me. Now I have to figure it out. I waited to blog untill I got the boys home, then I waited until things settled down. Now I am getting in the swing of things and slowly starting to find my way back to writing.
I never know where I will go or where my writing will take me. I would just like to try and figure it out. I need something that the boys can look back on and read and be proud of me for.
I use to write about great places I traveld to and events I was part of. I want to do this but center this around being a parent. If you read my blog I would love to hear your thoughts.
I have to find a direction and hopefully do it soon. What do you like to read? What would you rather not have to read?
I don't feel like I can leave this completely. I love to write, I love to blog. I love the community of blogging. I loved the direction that writing was bringing me and where it brought me. Now I have to figure it out. I waited to blog untill I got the boys home, then I waited until things settled down. Now I am getting in the swing of things and slowly starting to find my way back to writing.
I never know where I will go or where my writing will take me. I would just like to try and figure it out. I need something that the boys can look back on and read and be proud of me for.
I use to write about great places I traveld to and events I was part of. I want to do this but center this around being a parent. If you read my blog I would love to hear your thoughts.
I have to find a direction and hopefully do it soon. What do you like to read? What would you rather not have to read?
I can't wait for out Memorail day BBQ. It makes me feel like its the start of the fun summer times.
This is the best Recipe, it is easy and great for all sorts of meats. I'm doing a bundle of BBQ sauces for fathers day. Pour it in a mason jar and then cut up a bandana and add a thin rope to tie it all together. This is the first post that I will post until fathers day. Enjoy!
Sweet and Simple BBQ Sauce.
Thank you Goole for the picture!
Ingredients
Sweet and Simple BBQ Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/2 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix ( I use lipton.)
- 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar.
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke.
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix together onion soup mix, sugar, honey, ketchup, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce.
- Warm up on low.
- Add it to mason jar let cool.
- add decoration and enjoy this for yourself or that Guy in your life.
We had a Dr's appointment in down town Seattle and we took the time to spend the day with afterward sightseeing a little bit down town Seattle. There is no other place on earth that is more beautiful then that of the Seattle skyline on a beautiful sunny day, The water looks like diamonds dancing on top of it.
The ferry ride back to the Peninsula was breathe taking. I am lucky to live in this beautiful place and call it home.
The ferry ride back to the Peninsula was breathe taking. I am lucky to live in this beautiful place and call it home.
I use to have the time to sit and write everyday. Being able to go at a moments notice to do these fab hotel reviews and wonderful nights out on the town. Sharing with my readers the places to go, food to try and play and productions to get tickets to and go enjoy. My goal was to always help women in business in the local area and beyond. I thought I was busy then......
Then at the 28 mark of the birth of my twin boys things changed, things became busy but I still had time to write and review. Then after a few months in the NICU baby F got to come home on Christmas eve, the very best gift a mommy could have gotten I was so torn at that very moment I came to understand that no matter what unless my boys were together I would feel torn and missing the other.
It took a little over a month until Baby B could come home. He had some problems I wont get into it now, but when he did get home having two babies and the trying to do the balancing followed. I thought that I knew it all and boy oh boy I had no idea.
My journey into motherhood was not what the normal way in to which most have babies, the way I did it was what you hear about on the cover of US weekly. What you think Stars do so that they don't gain any weight of have any of that pain that goes into child birth. My story is nothing like that, my dream my entire life was to be a mama, my family knew that and when all the stars in the sky were in the right order and my cousin who is more like my sister decided to help me make my dream come true of having a little person call me mommy!
Lucky for me, I got the best buy one get one free deal ever. When they told us we were having twins my heart about exploded, first with delight and being over joyed, then next fear and self doubt that follwed me around. How the heck could I be a mommy to two babies at once. Piece of cake right? WRONG! :)
I know this so far: I'm very very far from being a perfect parent and I have so much to learn. What I know for sure is that this is the life I have always wanted and I'm not the same person I was 6 months ago and I thank the Lord above about that! F&B made me a completely different person, a mommy. How they grow up and treat me will be how they love and treat their families later in life. I can't mess this up like so many things I have messed up in my life before this.
This sounds crazy but I truly feel like I was born the day they were.
I decided that as a blogger who is now a mommy, that I would write more about that. I will still do posts about what is fun and hotel reviews that are kid friendly, how when we plan a trip to Disney on a shoe string budget. I will tell you of places to eat that don't give you the hairy eyeball if your kid screams or makes a mess on the table or in his pants. There will be laugter till you cry reading what I am going through, and at times crying until you laugh with me. I will be painfully truthful of my misguided attempts at doing the best at rasing these beautiful baby boys and not driving away my husband.
I invite you on this journey.
xoxo,
Kingstongirl.
Then at the 28 mark of the birth of my twin boys things changed, things became busy but I still had time to write and review. Then after a few months in the NICU baby F got to come home on Christmas eve, the very best gift a mommy could have gotten I was so torn at that very moment I came to understand that no matter what unless my boys were together I would feel torn and missing the other.
It took a little over a month until Baby B could come home. He had some problems I wont get into it now, but when he did get home having two babies and the trying to do the balancing followed. I thought that I knew it all and boy oh boy I had no idea.
My journey into motherhood was not what the normal way in to which most have babies, the way I did it was what you hear about on the cover of US weekly. What you think Stars do so that they don't gain any weight of have any of that pain that goes into child birth. My story is nothing like that, my dream my entire life was to be a mama, my family knew that and when all the stars in the sky were in the right order and my cousin who is more like my sister decided to help me make my dream come true of having a little person call me mommy!
Lucky for me, I got the best buy one get one free deal ever. When they told us we were having twins my heart about exploded, first with delight and being over joyed, then next fear and self doubt that follwed me around. How the heck could I be a mommy to two babies at once. Piece of cake right? WRONG! :)
I know this so far: I'm very very far from being a perfect parent and I have so much to learn. What I know for sure is that this is the life I have always wanted and I'm not the same person I was 6 months ago and I thank the Lord above about that! F&B made me a completely different person, a mommy. How they grow up and treat me will be how they love and treat their families later in life. I can't mess this up like so many things I have messed up in my life before this.
This sounds crazy but I truly feel like I was born the day they were.
I decided that as a blogger who is now a mommy, that I would write more about that. I will still do posts about what is fun and hotel reviews that are kid friendly, how when we plan a trip to Disney on a shoe string budget. I will tell you of places to eat that don't give you the hairy eyeball if your kid screams or makes a mess on the table or in his pants. There will be laugter till you cry reading what I am going through, and at times crying until you laugh with me. I will be painfully truthful of my misguided attempts at doing the best at rasing these beautiful baby boys and not driving away my husband.
I invite you on this journey.
xoxo,
Kingstongirl.
I found this recipe through Pinterest, and found this wonderful website though Herbivoracious.com, it has an amazing group of vegan recipes and I found this one and completely feel in love. I will go back to this site for some pretty amazing recipes. My world is again much brighter with Pinterest!
Pan-Seared Pressed Tofu with Apples and Champagne Vinaigrette
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Serves 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a side dish
For the dressing
Pan-Seared Pressed Tofu with Apples and Champagne Vinaigrette
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Serves 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a side dish
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 3 teaspoons minced shallot
- Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, shallot, thyme and salt. Allow to stand for ten minutes. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning. Reserve.
To finish
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 9 ounces pressed tofu (the kind that is completely firm and generally already brown with some soy sauce on the outside), cut into approximately 1″ x 1″ x 1/2″ squares [note: if you need gluten-free you'll need to inquire about the soy sauce!]
- Reserved dressing
- 1 large or 2 medium crisp, sweet apples, cored and cut into 16 slices each (Braeburns work well)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- Place a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil, and when it is shimmering, add the tofu in a single layer. Cook until well browned on one side, then flip and cook the other side. Remove to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Pour the dressing over the tofu and toss. Add the apples and pomegranate seeds and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide among serving bowls and finish with generous amounts of black pepper and flaky salt.
1. Where is your favorite vacation spot and why?
Any vacation spot is my favorite. We've traveled to so many amazing places that truly just to travel to many different places will be my favorite vacation spots. If I had to choose one it would have to be Kalaloch Washington, or Cannon Beach Oregon, I love love love San Fransico and I of course love any thing disney...
2. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
I have a few things that are my guilty pleasure, reality TV. It's trashy and oh so bad but I for some reason I love them, that and oh yeah that waste of my time that I can't seem to get away from called.... Facebook.
3. What is your favorite fashion trend right now? Or, in the past?
Currently I lOVE skinny jeans with tall boots. I think it's such a cute look. But I have to say my pinterest wardrobe is so much cuter then the one I have in real life. :)
4. What are your spring break plans?
I have no spring break plans, I have never gotten the reason to do things for spring break, I have a few years to worry about that.
5. What baby names do you hate?
I don't like bible names for baby names, I like a strong name that isn't something you hear all of the time. Being that my first name is one of the popular 70's names and there was like 80 of the girls in my class named after me. I also hate boys names for girls and girls names for boys. I think it is dumb.
Any vacation spot is my favorite. We've traveled to so many amazing places that truly just to travel to many different places will be my favorite vacation spots. If I had to choose one it would have to be Kalaloch Washington, or Cannon Beach Oregon, I love love love San Fransico and I of course love any thing disney...
2. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
I have a few things that are my guilty pleasure, reality TV. It's trashy and oh so bad but I for some reason I love them, that and oh yeah that waste of my time that I can't seem to get away from called.... Facebook.
Currently I lOVE skinny jeans with tall boots. I think it's such a cute look. But I have to say my pinterest wardrobe is so much cuter then the one I have in real life. :)
I have no spring break plans, I have never gotten the reason to do things for spring break, I have a few years to worry about that.
I don't like bible names for baby names, I like a strong name that isn't something you hear all of the time. Being that my first name is one of the popular 70's names and there was like 80 of the girls in my class named after me. I also hate boys names for girls and girls names for boys. I think it is dumb.
1. What's your favorite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)?
I am looking forward to nighly habits. It's gonna be a walk in the evening after dinner, take our bath, read a few book's, brush toother pegs, pray, goodnight hugs, loves and kisses kind of habits..
We need another date night soon, it makes this crazy mommy feel a little less crazy.....A little.
Waiting is so hard for me the not knowing an answer is the worst.... I really do stress out for the unknown, my head is hard to get to stop over thinking things, I care way to much what others think and I over think every little thing that I have no control of. Hate it. One day I hope I am care free. Now I sit and worry about the boys. My mom said this is what being a mommy feels like. Oh how I love my boys and love the fact that God has graced me with letting me be their mommy. What a great gift I have been given.
my first reaction would be for me to go and buy the new swing set at Costco for the boys to play with. No they wont be able to use it right now but over time they would be able to swing and play and grow....
SO that really wouldn't be just for me so after then for me I would buy .......
The Nikon D40 camera..I just love this camera and it is my goal to buy this and take a zillion pictures of my beautiful baby boys.
5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?
I would love to do a blog review on Disney, disney vacations maybe visit all the parks and cruise ships that they own! Now that would be a wonderful review. I think that it would be Ah-May-ZING! I would be able to write the best travel reviews of my life through this company. Also it would be amazing to work for them full time doing anything..........It truly is the best and happiest place on earth.
Wait what? What is this your speack of? I'm not really sure what this "down time" thing is? 2 very very busy almost 4 month old babies and no sleep, a part time job, a home, bills, big families, Yeah...no down time here.
I am looking forward to nighly habits. It's gonna be a walk in the evening after dinner, take our bath, read a few book's, brush toother pegs, pray, goodnight hugs, loves and kisses kind of habits..
However...every so often, we do have some downtime, if I'm alone, I like to cruise the Internet, read blogs, Twitter, etc. With the hubs? Talk, watch a movie, snuggle, dream and talk about the future kind of time.
We had a fun date night. Dinner. We haven't been out to a movie in so long, because we realized, we can't really catch up with each other in a movie theater, so we talked and laughed the other night over dinner and over buying toliet cleaner at Target. :) We need another date night soon, it makes this crazy mommy feel a little less crazy.....A little.
2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can't have it?
The only reason why that would be a yes is if it was something I had to wait for. I hate to wait hate to wait...did I say that? Did you miss that....hate to wait. Wait for anything.
Waiting is so hard for me the not knowing an answer is the worst.... I really do stress out for the unknown, my head is hard to get to stop over thinking things, I care way to much what others think and I over think every little thing that I have no control of. Hate it. One day I hope I am care free. Now I sit and worry about the boys. My mom said this is what being a mommy feels like. Oh how I love my boys and love the fact that God has graced me with letting me be their mommy. What a great gift I have been given.
3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
my first reaction would be for me to go and buy the new swing set at Costco for the boys to play with. No they wont be able to use it right now but over time they would be able to swing and play and grow....
SO that really wouldn't be just for me so after then for me I would buy .......
The Nikon D40 camera..I just love this camera and it is my goal to buy this and take a zillion pictures of my beautiful baby boys.
4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself?
UGH. I HATE eating out by myself. HATE it. Now that I have my i-phone I don't mind it so terribly much, but I still don't prefer it.
I'd much rather eat in my car than have people looking at me in pity because surely I'm so unlikable that no one can bear to even eat with me. If you make me, I will...but it's certainly not something I choose to do!
5. What company would you want to do a blog review for?
I would love to do a blog review on Disney, disney vacations maybe visit all the parks and cruise ships that they own! Now that would be a wonderful review. I think that it would be Ah-May-ZING! I would be able to write the best travel reviews of my life through this company. Also it would be amazing to work for them full time doing anything..........It truly is the best and happiest place on earth.
I LOVE WOMEN IN BUSINESS!!!! LOVE the idea! Love the fact that women do so much for our community, in fact most business owners in our community are women! So each week I will feature another women in Business! This is a great way for you to meet some new creative., wonderful ladies to help support. I will add her beautiful photos once my lap top gets back up and running!
I did a interview with the next lady I am doing the feature with almost two years ago and we couldn't get over the change. Look back on some of my older posts and you should be able to check and see the difference in her answers then and now. Elaine is a person that is full of love and life! She grew up in Bremerton and stayed true to her roots in this area by starting her own photography business and is raising her two beautiful children here as well. I am blessed to call her a friend here is her new out look on her business. I can not wait to see where she is in another two years!
1. How long have you lived in the area?
I have lived in Bremerton my entire life... so about 33 years.
2. How much family history do you have in the area?
My parents are the only ones left in the area. Both of my brothers have moved away and started families, but I have no plans of ever leaving!
3.What is your favorite thing about the area?
4. What would you change if you could about the area?
5. What made you start your own business?
I did a interview with the next lady I am doing the feature with almost two years ago and we couldn't get over the change. Look back on some of my older posts and you should be able to check and see the difference in her answers then and now. Elaine is a person that is full of love and life! She grew up in Bremerton and stayed true to her roots in this area by starting her own photography business and is raising her two beautiful children here as well. I am blessed to call her a friend here is her new out look on her business. I can not wait to see where she is in another two years!
1. How long have you lived in the area?
I have lived in Bremerton my entire life... so about 33 years.
2. How much family history do you have in the area?
My parents are the only ones left in the area. Both of my brothers have moved away and started families, but I have no plans of ever leaving!
3.What is your favorite thing about the area?
I love that you can get in the car and drive 1-2 hours in any direction and be somewhere totally cool. I love the trees, the water, the mountain views, its beautiful and makes great portrait scenery.
I wish there werent so many 'banks' on every corner. And not a real big fan of the nudie coffee stands. (maybe i'm just jealous, lol)
I started a business in 2001 making scrapbooks for others (Scrappin It For You). I have always loved photography, and my husband was really the one who encouraged me to pursue photography.
6. Where would you like to see your business be in 5 years?
7. What is the hardest part of having your own business?
In 5 years I would like to be able to support my family as a photographer. To be able to wake up everyday and make a choice to do what I love and support my family would be my dream. While i'm in dream land, I also want to open up my own shop, that is a photographers paradise. There are no camera stores left anymore and I want to change that.
The hardest part about owning my own business is deciding on pricing. I want to be
affordable and yet at the same time be compensated for my time and costs. Its a hard compromise. And I struggle with it everytime I look at my price sheet.
8. Where would you like our town to be in over the next five years?
I would like our town to be more supportive of small businesses opening in the area. I think it would be nice for the cities to give tax breaks to small businesses opening up so they can have a chance to survive before taking a piece of their pie.
9. What is your favorite thing to do in our town?
Every year without fail, we go to the Kitsap County Fair.
10. What is your favorite Store in town?
My favorite store is Romy's, and Ish.
11. Do you give to any local charities you work with?
I support alot of military. I am a member of Operation Love Reunited and offer to do homecomings, and other portrait sessions with military. I also do alot of fundraisers for different organizations trying to raise money.
12.What is your business motto?
My business motto is "I'm not your average photographer". And really, I'm not. I do so much MORE than just photographer. I am creative. I love to design. I love to create. I cant help myself. A majority of my business has been word of mouth. I like it that way. It makes me feel like I am doing a good job.
13.tell me anything you would love to share about your business.
I have yet to find a type of photography that I dont enjoy! I look forward to working with all kinds of people on all different kinds of projects!
