kimburleysue

Go Your Own Way

2012-02-11T12:59:00.000-05:00

I don't much write in this thing unless I'm overly excited about something, incredibly bored, or overly upset by something. Today I'm writing and I'm kind of in between. Odd. Anyway...

I am so very thankful to have such positive people surrounding me lately. 2011 ended up being a rough year in many, many ways and it's nice to feel some positive energy from people who genuinely love me and care about me again.

I know this won't be the last time I think this, type this, or say this in my lifetime but I really believe that last year was a year of a ton of realizations. I've realized for the umpteenth time that no matter how hard I try to fix a situation, the outcome mostly remains out of my control and sometimes it's best to just let go. I've realized that no matter how much you give and pour yourself into a relationship, for some people it may never be enough and they still want more. I've realized that there are people in this world who make mistakes and hope for or expect forgiveness from others but when a mistake has been made toward them they can be relentless in providing you that same forgiveness or even just a tiny bit of understanding. I have learned that some people are completely okay with writing another off. I have learned that there are people who consistently are finding something to complain about despite their many, many blessings; I have learned I can be one of those people. I have realized that there are people in this world who 100% only think about themselves and never, not even for one second, think about how their actions affect others. Those people are willing to lie, cheat, steal and seriously harm others in order to get what they want when they want it. I've also learned, unfortunately, that when you encounter one of those people and that person harms someone(s) you love unconditionally that the world kind of stops for a period of time and it becomes unimagineably hard to do anything other than think about it, cry about it, and worry about it. For the first time in my life, last year, I knew what it felt like to struggle with the feeling of hate creeping into my life. All of the verses I've read my whole life about loving your enemies and praying for those who hurt you became a real-life struggle. Last year I found out what poison tastes like, and let me tell you that it is foul.
Last year tragedy struck five times in my life and/or in the lives of people I know and love. Last year was filled with anxiety, concern, tears, panic, stress, and sorrow. Last year I learned countless lessons - about myself, about others, and about who God is.

I am so thankful for last year.

Do I wish that some of it could have never happened? Of course. Does it literally break my heart to think about some of the things that happened? Undeniably. Do the things that took place then still cause me to stumble now? Almost daily. But, the security I have found in my creator and the ability He helped me find to see Him through all of the mess and hear him through all of the noise blows my mind and has brought me to a deep place of understanding, patience, freedom, thankfulness and growth.

Somehow I've learned to accept the pain and I feel like I'm finally beginning the process of accepting and loving myself which is something very new to me. Maybe that sounds strange but who am I to argue with God about what lesson I should be learning? I have to say, last year has taught me more about unconditional love and acceptance more than I ever thought possible - toward others and toward myself.

Cheers to 2012! A year where I continue to finally free myself of expecting perfection and the disappointment that rears its ugly head when perfection isn't found (because it never will be). A year filled with love, forgiveness, joy and patience. A year of persevering growth. Another year with my Savior and the ones He has so graciously allowed me to love and be loved by.

I endure.

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city...

2011-06-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

I have dreams. Too many, I think.
And, I have things I'm passionate about. Again, maybe too many.
But, I am determined to make this life everything that God intended.
If He has given me a dream and a passion it is for a purpose and I will no longer sit around waiting for it to happen on its own.
I will sing, I will photograph, I will counsel, I will run, I will laugh until it hurts, and I will touch this world!

That is all.

The Good That Won't Come Out

2010-11-21T20:08:00.001-05:00

I haven't updated in this blog or my wellness blog in forever. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I'm working 2.5 jobs currently while Anthony is working 3 of his own. Life has been kind of insane. I consistently feel tired and up until about a month ago I've also felt discouraged and anxious about how much I was taking on.
I finally had to drop a few things I was volunteering for at the church because I was quickly losing my mind and all patience with the human race. I was seeing people from church more than I was seeing my own family and friends. Call me crazy, but it's not okay to go 3 weeks without seeing my nephew simply because every time he wanted to hang out I had a church meeting. Something [or somethings] had to give. I'm starting to feel less like a zombie walking through my own life and more like an actual person with a soul again.
But, with having a soul comes feelings. Instead of walking through my daily duties numb to how I should or could be feeling, I am returning to my typical, emotional self. It's both a blessing and a curse. While I am able to build on relationships and actually have more love and compassion [and time] for others I am again realizing that this whole having legitimate, heartfelt feelings is a double-edged sword. Especially for somebody like me being as I am a very sensitive person and I take things very personally. When somebody is mad at me or if I feel like somebody doesn't like me I honestly have trouble sleeping at night. If I have a misunderstanding with a friend or family member I will literally go home and cry to Anthony for a decent amount of time until I'm either sick feeling or too tired to stay awake. If a relationship I have is rocky I cannot stop thinking about it all day long and it will eat at me until it has truly been fixed... which usually takes a good amount of time to prove that things aren't just being swept under the rug and are actually worked out for good. So, until that happens I basically feel nervous and awful and super sad. Sometimes I just wish I had the ability to brush things off and not take every little thing so personal. It's so hard for me.
Even as a youth leader it's difficult. I mean, I try my hardest to be there for every teenage girl that needs to talk to me or needs me to help them with something or just needs somebody who's older than them to feed into their lives and guide them through school problems and friend problems and parent and family issues and boy trouble and I care so much about every single person in our youth group. Especially the young girls I have the honor of getting to know every single week. I cannot even begin to put into words how much I love and care for these beautiful young women. I want nothing but the best for them in every situation in life. If I could multiply myself and be with every single one whenever they needed me I would in a heartbeat; no questions asked. But, even with teens it's hard not to take things to heart.
I know they're young and are constantly changing their minds and liking new things and people and ideas. But, it's really hard to be the one that they all want to go to to talk about things and share their heart with and then as soon as somebody new walks into the picture I'm old news and they want to spend time with them and share their thoughts with them and go to them for advice. I just don't think they realize that I'm not just their adult leader or their "aunt-like-figure"... I consider them friends and just like the rest of their friends - I have feelings, too. Obviously it's a different kind of friendship than I have with the friends my age. But, it hurts just the same when they stop wanting to be around me or start acting differently towards me because they don't need me anymore or they found somebody else to go to.
I just kind of have been feeling lately like I'm not cut out for this job for the rest of my life. It's exhausting and sad and my heart hurts too regularly. It's like I'm constantly in a season of feeling really excited for the time I get to spend with my students and then feeling very, very sad when I realize they aren't just as excited to spend that time with me. I put too much emphasis on how others feel about me at any given moment and when I realize that my feelings aren't reciprocated it becomes extremely difficult to snap out of it.
For as much as I appreciate humor and the light-hearted, I am an extremely serious person. I have a hard time separating reality from perception. I know that when I am in a misunderstanding with somebody that it's not the end of the world; that's reality. But, my perception is that it is and I start to feel like death because of it. I acknowledge that 15, 16, and 17 year old girls are fickle and have completely different views of life than I do after having graduated from high school, gone to college, got married, and lived through a few other experiences they have yet to have or are even able to truly understand [for the most part], however it doesn't change how bad it sucks and how awful I feel the minute they decide I am no longer as awesome as I once was. I know what's real and I understand that my perception of life isn't always reality, but I don't know how to disengage one from the other emotionally. It's very tiring having to recharge myself all of the time.
So, I guess that's what I've been struggling with for the past several months [or the past couple of years]. Maybe I just need to make time for a hobby again so I can refocus some of my energy and frustration. I do miss volleyball...

For Your Viewing Pleasure:

2010-08-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

If anybody really knows me, they know that I love Beyonce.
This song basically sums up how I feel about me and Anthony.
Also I dig this video.

Enjoy!

Bucket List.

2010-07-23T12:45:00.002-04:00

Anthony & I were hanging out with my cousin Adam and his wife Kelly (whom I am obsessed with) and she mentioned that she had a Summer Bucket List and we were in the process of accomplishing one of the things on that list by going to eat at Mia & Grace. I thought it was pretty cool of her to have a Summer Bucket list, which she shortened to "Smucket List", and after some conversation on whether or not she should have a Fall Bucket List (I'll let you think about that one for a minute) somewhere in my head I decided to make this post.

This will be one of those posts that I come back to throughout my life and add things to it and check things off that I have accomplished or remove things that I have, through careful consideration, changed my mind about. Maybe I'll have a Bucket List party to kick things off and we can watch the movie!

It's going to start off pretty small because it's only the beginning but here it is, folks!

1. Live a long, happy, healthy life with Anthony & our (future) children.

2. Learn to play guitar fluently and write my own songs.

3. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

4. Own my own photography studio.

5. Be debt-free.

6. Maintain all of the friendships I have now and make new ones.

7. Run a full Marathon.

8. (to be continued)...

Dream A Little Dream

2010-07-16T21:25:00.002-04:00

I've had an extremely busy couple of weeks and I haven't really done anything fun or exciting in awhile and I haven't really taken any pictures so I don't really have a sweet post to update with (that will be next week when I'm on vacation).

But, I thought I'd share some photos of things I've been really drooling over lately (and, by drooling, i mean "I'll just sit here and stare at these things online because I more than likely can't afford them"). Now, this isn't a fashion blog and I have no intention of it being that way, however, I do enjoy clothes and, unfortunately, have extremely expensive taste so I thought it'd be fun to just dream with you over some of my favorite finds lately! Yay!

For Joseph - grey leather 'Cicletta' motorcycle jacket

Martine Sitbon - black lambskin 'New Zealand' shoulder bag

Free People - Pacific Coast jacket

Free People: We The Free - Sleeveless Scoop Tunic

Free People: We The Free - Lace & Stripe short sleeve top

Free People - Sleeveless Home Sweet Home Tunic

Free People - Songbird Tunic

House of Harlow - 1960 Jackson Buckle Bootie

Happy Birthday Lindsay Sue!

2010-06-27T12:15:00.003-04:00

Anthony & I enjoyed our Saturday morning off together at the dog beach with Winston. It was extremely entertaining and not at all relaxing, haha! I tried to lay out while Anth & Wins played fetch and ran in the water but every 3 minutes a dog would go racing by my head kicking sand in my face, I would hear Anthony yelling "Winston, NO!" or I would be laying there and all of a sudden I would smell something awful and look over and realize that a dog was doing his business five feet from my face. Not pretty. This is two posts in a row where I mention dog poop. I'm classy.

I did get a tiny bit of color and Winston had an amazing time playing with the other dogs and being afraid of the waves. Although, I think we had the trouble maker dog out of the lot of them there. Because Winston is a pit bull he's very strong and because he's 2 years old he's the size of an adult but acts like a puppy still. So, he would dive under the other dogs while they were running trying to trip them or jump on them and roll them over through the sand, haha! He never wanted to fight another dog and only wanted to play, but I think he just gets too excited and doesn't know his own strength. So, I think we'll limit our time at the dog beach this summer to maybe a couple times a month. Plus he smelled like wet dog so bad when we were done that I had to give him a bath. Now he smells delightful and is super soft. I think he's not feeling well though because he hasn't been eating very well and he's been sleeping a lot. Poor puppy. In fact, as I type, he is laying right next to me with his face buried behind my back and the couch. He's adorable.

Later that afternoon Anthony left for work so I hung out with Winston and got ready for my cousin Lindsay's birthday party. She's 26 now. I still remember faking sick together when we were in elementary school just so we could stay home and watch Nick, Jr. and charm Uncle Greggy into getting us McDonald's happy meals with chocolate shakes. Time flies! Now she has two adorable little babies who will probably do the same to her. I love it!

Lindsay Sue!

Charlotte Rose with her Cheez Curled face!

Lynda (my cousin Nick's fiance`) with her wedding board.

Kelly with little bun in the oven!

Lukey Butts with his light saber.

Uncle Greggy & Mike.

Lukey, cousin Nick, nephew Tyler, cousin Adam.

My sister Val and my Nephew Ty!

Aunt Pammy Wammy, Becky, Kelly, Lynda

stuck in the hammock!

Me & Sissy!

Other than Jesus and Anthony, my family is the best part about me and my life. I am seriously blessed with such amazing people to have grown up with this far and continue on with. Not to mention that we are, hands down, the funnest bunch of crazies I've ever met... but, I could just be being partial (although, I highly doubt it).

Date Night.

2010-06-26T15:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday evening Anthony & I both had off without any open houses, weddings, or shows to go to for the first time in a very long time. So, we decided it was Date Night! First we went to Grand Haven and got Jimmy John's because it's cheap and so good. Then we drove down to a new brewery by the lake called Odd Sides and sat and visited and had drinks. It's a new place so it kind of looks bare bones in there but it's got lots of sweet artwork on the walls and they played a few Band of Horses songs so it must be awesome.

After deciding that our stomachs were ridiculously full we thought "let's go for a walk on the boardwalk and work some of this Jimmy John's off"... and ended up getting ice cream, haha! I was in pain I was so full! So, we found a really nice place on the grass to just sit and watch the boats go by in the channel hoping the boat sheriff would pull somebody over for going too fast or being too drunk and we'd get to watch. We're ruthless and easily amused, what can I say?

The night ended with grocery shopping in Meijer which was awesome because we had zero food in our house and Anthony actually came with me this time (usually I grocery shop alone) and we ended up going over our budget. When I am the only one to shop and I go over my budget Anth never understands how it happens. But when he came with me it was somehow okay to spend extra, haha... funny how that works, huh? On our arrival home to let Winston out and put the groceries away we walk into a very poopy smell. Yes, I said poopy... Winston had his very first accident in our workout room upstairs. So, we had to clean it up and air it out. Yuck. But, honestly, it was mostly our faults because after a bit of conversation we realized that we had accidentally fed him an extra time today. I fed him in the morning before I left for work and then when Anthony woke up to take him out his bowl was empty so he thought I never fed him and fed him again. Then I fed him after work before we left for our date. I'm sure he tried to hold it, poor dog, but couldn't. I felt bad.
Maybe that was too much information. Especially for a post called "Date Night".
Well, to finish up the night we put the groceries away and popped in "Valentine's Day" to cuddle up and watch. I normally work Saturday mornings but I didn't have to today so last night as I was inhaling some really good locally grown strawberries I said, "I just remembered I don't have to work in the morning... PARTY!" to which Anthony replies "Yeah, you can eat all the strawberries you want!!!" hahahaha! Maybe you had to be there but I laughed really hard. I love that boy!

Also, I want this.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-06-24T10:50:00.002-04:00

Occasionally I watch Oprah and/or read "O" magazine. Not often, but occasionally. She's no Ellen DeGeneres, but she's still good. One thing I love about her is that she shares her favorite things. Twenty of her favorites are currently on her website right now. It inspired me to share some of my favorite things with you all! I've been trying to stay committed to updating on here just so I can document all of the awesome memories I'm making in life... even if nobody reads. But, I've been slacking because I've been so busy and the times where I actually did something interesting, I didn't have a camera. How boring to read about something cool that happened without being able to see pictures, right? Right.
And since today, my day off, consists of homework, church meetings, taking Winston to the vet, and class I figured I'd just share something unimportant.

Here goes (in no particular order)...

Fav #1:

MultiGrain Cheerios are so delicious and really good for you! They have just enough sweet in them so you don't need to add sugar plus they're jam-packed full of healthy carbs. They also lower your cholesterol!

Fav #2:

Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism. This book is changing my life! I read it this past winter and started reading it again just recently. I've always struggled with weight and self-image and Jillian is teaching me how to lose weight the right way, keep it off, and in the process know and understand true beauty. For the first time in my life I'm losing weight and getting rid of bad habits. It's not just about being thin anymore; it's about being healthy and feeling good (inside & out). I know that sounds so corny and lame but I'm not lying. In the past 5 months I've lost twenty pounds and am in the process of training for a half marathon. I even find myself going places and not feeling self-conscious because I am always feeling good about myself because I know I'm healthy and taking really positive steps to get there. My mind is finally in the right place and it feels amazing! I have a little ways to go to reach my weight-loss goals, but I feel great right now! I recommend this book to anybody who struggles in this area like I have and wants to learn more about a truly healthy diet.

Fav #3:

The OXO Salad Spinner. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had a delicious salad then gone home and tried to make one yourself and thought "why do my homemade salads always suck?!" Yeah, me too. This salad spinner is my most prized kitchen possession! It spins all of the excess water from your lettuce and other veggies after rinsing them to give you that light, fluffy salad you always wanted! Top it off with some low-fat feta cheese and some T. Marzetti's Light Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing and you will taste a bit of heaven!

Fav #4:

Yes To Carrots Body Butter. This stuff works like a charm and smells delicious!

Fav #5:

Johnson & Johnson Purpose face wash. Not until recently have I struggled with random breakouts. So, after whining and complaining about it on facebook a friend of mine told me about this stuff. It's working great so far. It's really gentle for sensitive skin and seems to be doing the trick! Finish up with some Purpose Face Moisturizer with SPF 15 and you're good to go!

Fav #6:

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Who doesn't love this stuff?!?!

Fav #7:

KIWI Hair Blaster Spray (hairspray) by Artec. Okay, I couldn't find a picture of just the product I'm looking for so I put the whole line up! It smells amazing & doesn't leave my hair feeling all ratty or crunchy, plus it really holds my hair in place. Awesome.

Fav #8:

Bare Minerals Makeup. I forgot... does any other makeup still exist?! I am obsessed with this stuff! My skin has never felt better, my makeup has never looked better, I've never been able to hide a blemish better. It's insane how amazing this line of makeup actually is!

Fav #9:

Belkin Arm Band for iPhones and iPod Touches. Running has never been the same. I just hope I can avoid crazy tan lines...

Fav #10:

Brooks Running Shoes: Women's Control Ariel. These shoes have made such a difference in my commitment to running, the way I feel while I'm running, the way I feel after I'm running... everything. I have pretty low arches and extremely sensitive feet. I also over-pronate when I walk so I get plantar fasciitis way too often. I got it again early this spring and thought I was going to be laying off my foot for a few months again until a friend told me about these shoes so I ordered them (so expensive, but so worth it) and within a week my foot was feeling better! That's pretty unheard of. By the second week I was running again. They've even helped my ankle that I've sprained 3 times throughout my volleyball days; double bonus!

Fav #11:

Victoria's Secret Foldover Yoga pant. So comfortable. I workout in them, I clean in them, I wear them to class... brilliant.

Fav #12:

Goodie Hair ties for thick haired people, like myself. The best thing that has been invented since sliced bread, I swear. Rarely do they snap and break.

Fav #13:

The entire Matrix Sleek Look line is pretty awesome, but I need the shampoo and conditioner to do anything with my hair.

Fav #14:

Burberry Summer. The best smelling perfume I've ever worn. Anthony loves it and whenever I give anybody a hug I usually get a compliment on how good my hair smells.

Fav #15:

Curel Body Lotion. I have really dry skin and was introduced to this lotion several years ago when I lived in GR by a coworker and I have never gone back. It's 10 bucks a bottle but my skin is so soft now and it never itches in the winter. I put it on after every shower.

Fav #16:

Clinique High Definition Lashes in black-brown (non-waterproof). A brush on one side & a comb on the other. So good.

Fav #17:

Crest Whitening Expressions in Wintergreen Ice. It just tastes SO good!

Fav #18:

These Jillian Michaels workout DVDs will give you results. I promise.

Fav #19:

FOOD, INC. Everybody needs to see this movie ASAP.

Fav #20:

Secret Clinical Strength. I bought this stuff for the first time for my wedding day and haven't stopped using it since.

Meet Winston:

2010-06-16T22:51:00.008-04:00

This past weekend Anthony and I adopted an adorable 2 year old pit bull mix named Winston. We decided to take it a step further and name him Winston Aragorn (after Tolkien's heroic character from The Lord of the Rings). He is amazing. He hasn't had one accident in the house yet, he can already sit, shake, and lay down. He listens when you say "no" and he gets so excited to see us when we come home from work. I just feel bad for him right now because he had to have surgery on his side to get a small mass removed. So, he has stitches and he has to wear a cone until the end of next week so he doesn't bite his stitches and hurt himself. He's also on 3 different medications we have to give to him. Poor puppy! :/ They're doing a biopsy on the mass to let us know if it's cancerous or not. Hopefully it's not and he is alright because I am already in love with this dog!

He is so nice, too! He never growls or bites and we've only heard him bark once & it was because we had him on his leash in the backyard and we were in the front yard with some of our friends and he missed us and wanted us to come get him! Haha, it was so cute! Everybody gives pit bulls a bad rap but this dog is the sweetest, cuddliest, most amazing dog I know! He always just wants to be by us. He lays right next to us (if not on us), he follows me everywhere I go, and he even waits at the bottom of the stairs for me while I'm upstairs getting ready in the mornings. It's precious!
I'll have to take more pictures of him with my Nikon when the cone comes off.

May 9th, 2009

2010-02-11T20:24:00.010-05:00

"On April 6, 2008 amid an empty Softball World's center field, witnessed only by the stars in procession, with dew fresh on the grass like the sweat still lingering on their skin after The Rocket Summer - on one knee the question that had been anticipated for four years was finally asked and the appropriate response was given: a teary eyed, “Mhmm!”.

It was reminiscent of the lovers' tryst where they shared their first kiss, four years prior, on the same field accompanied only by the night sky with its stars burning bright and the infinite expanse between. It is similar to the love that we know, difficult to define and often times unseen, but at points is by far the most beautiful thing known to the universe.

This love is not theoretical, it is fleshed out and real, and when that happens things get messy. We are two people who can't help but make mistakes and who want nothing more than to cease to live for ourselves. When you stop simply talking about love and instead try to dive in, you quickly find that it is less the meandering stream you had thought and more of an ocean. There is a risk when you're dealing with love, but the greater the risk the greater the reward.

This love is like music with the occasional dissonant chord, which is sometimes difficult but is always worth hearing the resolve. This is suitable for two people who met while playing in a worship band over six years ago. Somehow understanding music aides in understanding love and relationships. It is a beautiful metaphor.

It has been said that the only reason for marriage is when two can serve the Lord more effectively together than they can apart. This is a standard that we have come to know as truth. From the moment I felt God intensely guiding me to be with Kimmi in the Spring of 2004 to the moment I asked her parents’ permission for her hand in marriage four years later, we have consistently strived to put our faith in the teachings of Jesus Christ and trust that His unconditional love and grace would lead us to where we need to be. Knowing Him and experiencing that love has taught us both how to love one another in ways we never thought possible and placed a desire in our hearts to share that love with the rest of the world.

Needless to say, God was involved in the joining together of these two hearts and to Him be the glory forever!"

- written by Anthony Timlin (& Kimburley Timlin)

And, so it happened... the day I had been waiting for for over 5 years. It was finally time to marry the man of my prayers, my "Mr. Perfect For Me", Philip Anthony Timlin Jr. He is the best person I have ever known and I am always surprised to discover how much more I fall in love with him everyday! I never think it's possible but every morning when I wake up and see his adorable face I feel it all over again like it's brand new. I honestly cannot imagine my life without this man and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be with him for the rest of our lives.
Marriage is, hands down, the most amazing thing I have ever experienced and everyday is a new adventure. Cuddling in bed every night, waking up to each other in the mornings, tickle fights, money struggles, making dinner, doing the dishes... everyday is a gift! My world is better because he is in it and it's easier to smile more now than it ever has been! Words cannot even begin to describe or express what I feel for Anthony. I didn't know it was possible to love another human being this much! This often times leads me to the very tangible reality that if Anthony & I are this capable of loving one another this much... how much more does Christ love us? And how much more capable are we of loving him - the One who is perfect in every sense of the word?! It leaves me speechless.
Marriage and God go hand in hand. I don't know how it would work without Him. What a beautiful truth.

Anyway, I wanted to share a few images and a few memories with you all of my most perfect day, so here goes:

Getting ready...

Jaime` & I

Josh & Anthony

My dad & I before the ceremony. It's crazy how real this moment still feels to me.

Peeking into the sanctuary so I could watch the slideshow :)

We were so thankful to have all of our close friends and family support us (about 500 people attended in total)

This face still gets me <3

My Maids of Honor, Tillie (my bff) and Val (my sister)

My nephew & "ring bearer" ... what a stud

Anthony kept saying his vows to Rick instead of me... so much for rehearsal! haha

we just wanted to makeout...

SO AWESOME! It's be best feeling ever to finally be married to the one you love!

The Bridal Party!

Anth & his men

sooooo hottttttt <3

Anth & his Best Men (his brother Nick & his friend Jamie)

Me & my girlies!

Our dads :) (my dad insisted on dressing like one of a Blues Brother and when he saw the shoes I was letting my nephew wear he was jealous and went and bout some of his own, haha)

I love our friends <3

(i wish I could get this photo larger without it looking awkward on the my blog...)

The Toasts!!!

(the beautiful cake my Aunt Pammy Wammy made!)

We were good...

Our first dance as husband & wife <3

Father-Daughter Dance

Mother-Son Dance

Calalilly toss! Yay Heather Hellman!

Garter toss! Yay Shane Fordham(mer)!

PHOTOBOOTH! LOVE my family!

Fierce.

We're so hot when we smile... (Dana & I)

Anth & his dad

Me & my dad

MARRIED.

New & Improved

2010-02-04T21:24:00.003-05:00

So, I've had this blog for 2 years but I rarely used it. Mostly because I would forget about it for months at a time then would occasionally post something irrelevant, unimportant, or I would use this as my source to vent. Then, slowly but surely, I just stopped using it all together.
I decided awhile ago to just delete all of my previous posts and start anew.
However, I wasn't sure what "anew" meant until recently.
I used to journal everyday when I was in high school and the few years following. I had a livejournal for fun posts or thoughts I didn't mind my friends hearing. But, I also had 2.5 other journals that I wrote in at home.
One journal was mainly for myself. When things were getting me down I would write poetry and prayers in it as a way of relieving myself of my own frustration. It was my way of talking to God without having to actually talk to him (because let's face it - sometimes we just don't feel like it).
I also shared a journal (well, two) with my best friend of about 3 years. We would take them to school or to work and write to each other then when we hung out we would exchange journals and respond to what the other had wrote and add more. It was the most beautiful friendship I had ever known. Sadly, it is no longer what it was and those journals are kept in a safe place where I rarely pull them out (as most of the time they cause too much pain). Misunderstandings & Pride sometimes get the best of all of us. I wish we knew then what we know now...
And, finally, my most favorite journal was one I wrote in up until this previous year (right before I got married). When I was in high school (I was a young 17) I started a "journal to my future husband". I would write to him telling him things I did, things that were important to me, things I was struggling with, thoughts, ideas, good things that happened... pretty much every single thing I thought in my head I put in that journal. I even made a 2 1/2 page list of all of the things I wanted in a husband (from looks, to personality, to values..). I would tell him that I was praying for him and how I hope to meet him soon. I would tell him how much I love him already - without even knowing him - and how I was saving myself for him. Eventually this journal turned into three journals (all of which are full). It really helped me stay focused on the things that mattered in life and to not just date casually.
I started dating my husband, Anthony, when I was just 18 during my Senior year of high school. We had known each other for a little over a year and I was smitten with him from almost the very beginning! Alas, he had a girlfriend of 3 years so I just kept praying that if the feelings I had toward him weren't meant to be that God would help me get over them. But, they just kept growing stronger! We were in a praise & worship band together at church where he played guitar and I sang. After traveling to youth camps and rallies and services throughout the year we built a really great friendship and somehow God led him to fall in love with me (and when I say led, I mean it... Anthony describes the situation as "I really just felt like God was saying 'You need to be with Kimmi'"). So, we started dating and 4 beautiful years later he asked me to be his wife! The following year (May 9th, 2009) we got married and here we are now! I can't believe that in only 3 short months we will already be celebrating our 1 year Anniversary! And, I really can't believe that in 2 short months we will have been together for 6 years! Time flies when you're head over heels in love...
He currently has all 3 journals and somewhere in the middle of journal #2 I started writing his name instead of "To My Mr. Perfect..." or "To The Love of my Life..." (cheesy, huh?). I gave them to him on our wedding day and I'm sure he is just thrilled to read his way through all of them :)

Anyway, so this is where I will begin.
This new chapter of my life!
In the next few posts I will probably update on things and events that have already happened (ex: our wedding, Mexico trip, etc.) and then from there on out it's wherever the wind blows!

I am SO excited to start journaling again!
(maybe I should go buy a real one, too...)

About KimburleySue...

2010-01-31T20:19:00.009-05:00

KIMBURLEY SUE [Kimmi] - noun

Married to (& crazy in love with) Anthony <3. Twenty-four years of age. Follower of Jesus Christ. Singer of songs. Taker of pictures. Traveler. Owner of Winston Aragorn, the pit bull. Perpetual student & I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. SO Happy.

This blog was created to document my life.
I want to remember the big stuff and the small stuff.
I want to be able to look back on my life of words and photos and see love, faith, family, friendship, service, and some really great experiences!

Contact:
kimburleysue@gmail.com

flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimburleysue/