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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Mommy's Little Man

Happy 2nd Birthday, Evan Thomas! I am so grateful to have you as my son. You will always be my little man, no matter how big and tough you become.













Thursday, November 19, 2009

So Chic...and cat-like?

It's gone.

After years and years of having long hair it was time for a change. I am now the proud owner of a short, chic and sassy new do. (Thank you Eleasha!)

Think....business in the front & party in the back.
(Ha-ha; j.k).

One of my male customers told me, "Your hair makes you look like the Cheshire Cat, from Alice in Wonderland. But, your smile is nice, and real. The cat's wasn't."

Confussed? Me too. Some men sure know how to sweet talk a lady. Whatever, Cat Woman is sexy.

Stayed tuned for photos.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sisters

My little sisters are Superstars. (Bros-I love guys too, but this is about the girls today.) Rachel and Noelle always have my back and step up to help me out. When they babysit, (which is a lot!) all they usually expect in return is free pizza. Sounds fair, right? Considering I used to change their diapers, I think the return on my investment is very profitable.

Because of so many nasty illnessess flying around, last week my usual day care providers started dropping like pigs from the sky. (I know that was lame, but I couldn't resist). Anyway, it goes with out saying that I was a little freaked out about finding someone to watch my kiddos while I went to work.

Guess who saved the day...my sisters!

Thanks girls for dropping everything at the very last minute to help me out. I know you were broken hearted about setting your school work aside for one whole day. I appriciate your commitment to your niece and nephew. They love spending time with you and I'm grateful that they have such wonderful aunties.


And Mom, I know they learned that from your example. Thank you for giving me such wonderful little sisters, even if they were accidents. :-D


I came across these quotes, and just had to post them. It's so true.

"If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.”–Linda Sunshine




"More than Santa Claus, your sister knows if you’ve been bad or good.”–Linda Sunshine


Rachel & Noelle, you are totally not getting coal in your stockings this year!

The Oregon Coast




























































Shawn, I love you.....










Even when you terrorize our children with dead crab claws.

Mrs. Randomness

My room mate, Karlee and I have way too much fun together. We went to the Relient K concert, (haha Rachel) at the Knitting Factory. We totally felt like the old fogies in the room. This little fourteen year old girl asked us to lift her up so she could crowd surf. I was like, "what the heck, I don't want to be liable when you fall and crack your skull open!"
But, I did tap on the shoulder of the nearest sweaty teen-age boy. He was more than happy to help; his eyes practically popped out of his head when he looked at the little cutie.












Our home.
Okay, true to character, I'm late putting out my flower pots. BUT, I just had to have flowers before the end of this year. So, two Home Depot trips later, and with some trial and error, I finally have beautiful Mums that brighten up my front yard. Yes, Green Thumbs, I know it will snow soon and they will die, BUT it's been totally worth it.



Sunday, August 23, 2009

My Boys

Random Summer 2009 Photos...

(Seaside, Oregon)
So Thirsty...





Shawn's idea of a good time.










Thursday, July 30, 2009

Hildesheim Updates

Let me tell you what the Hildesheim family has been up to the last three months....

First of all, Shawn has a new exciting job! He is a car salesman for Dave Smith in Kellogg Idaho. AND NO, we did not move to Kellogg. No way.

He is doing incredibly well considering he has only been out of training for three days and has already sold five cars. I'm very proud of him. He does have to work long days, and in the last three weeks he has been working there, I think he has had a total of two days off. However, I am not complaining. In this economy we are grateful that he even has a job. Working for Dave Smith is a dream job for Shawn -they have their own gym on site. If he does have a lunch break he can work out, shower and get back to selling. Plus his direct manager is a power lifter, so they have a lot in common. The managers are also pretty excited about him, and have been introducing him to the owners.

We did move though. We found a nice house in Hayden, just minutes away from my job. We are renting it out with friends. They live in the basement and keep to themselves for the most part. We love hanging out and playing video games, board games, etc. Sometime the other wife and I stay up late just having girl talk. I love it. We share the laundry room and kitchen. It is actually working out very nicely because we take turns cooking, cleaning and doing the yard work. They have two little girls. Autumn is a baby, but the other Leah, is only a year younger than Evalie. They love playing together!

Evan is becoming just like his dad. It scares me just a little. I know we have many more emergency room visits to come in his future. The kid is crazy. Yesterday, he dived off of the couch, landed on his feet, sprang forward and did a handstand then bounced back and landed on his feet again. Seriously. The kid isn't even two years old. Shawn and I decided to enroll him in gymnastics this fall. He needs an outlet to channel his energy.
Also....yesterday Evan (with a very serious look) stood up on the seat of his sister's bike, raised his arms up into a diving position, yelled out "CROCK!" and dived head first into his play tractor. He is now the proud owner of a fat bloodied lip. No stitches, this time. Crock, is his new favorite word. It's what he calls the vacuum, and just yells out randomly through out the day.
He also is addicted to cleaning. He gets so excited when you give him permission to sweep, vacuum, etc. If he sees dirty dishes, clothes or whatever, he picks it up and puts it in its place. He's just awesome.

Evalie is such a spunky little thing. She is really into learning her alphabet song, numbers and painting. She love water colors. We also recently bought her a purple Beta fish that she has named, Belle. We call Evie our little "Fish Mommy." She takes her role very seriously, too. She is constantly reminding us to feed Belle, change her water; and tells Belle to take naps too. :-)
Evalie is loving her new house, especially her new room and our amazing back yard. She and her brother spend hours every day playing out there. The grass is so nice, its fenced and partially shaded. It's the perfect retreat for my toddlers. We put a kiddie pool out there and I swear my kids are the loudest in the neighborhood when they are playing in the water. Evalie is also loving having neighbors to talk to. We have a 2nd story deck, all the house do on the block and our backyards are backed up to each other. So, when we are out there we can see everyone else on their decks. (All the guys BBQ every night). Anyway, Evie goes out there and starts calling out, "Hey neighbor, I like your...whatever it is she notices. It's hilarious. I just hope she's not annoying to them. If she is then, well it's their problem.

I'm still working for Mountain West Bank as a teller. I really like my job. There isn't really anything too exciting going on with it. Haven't been robbed yet... ;-)

The most EXCITING NEWS is that we are planning a trip to Oregon next weekend. (Grandpa Mitchell, call us) We are going to be in town Friday-Sunday morning. Just a quick trip to see all the family.
We also have new cell phone numbers:

Kayla: (208) 277-6873
Shawn: (208)277-6716

By the way, Shawn is going by "Lewis" these days. LOL. He has to because at work there are too many Shawns, and he needed to stand out from the crowd. So if you call his cell he will answer, "Lewis Hildesheim." :-) It was wierd for the first few days...

I am in the process of loading my pictures to the computer. So look for new photos this weekend! ;-)








Sunday, April 26, 2009

Braggin' Rights

Last weekend Shawn and I went out to dinner with his boss, Matt and his wife, Malia. It was such a great experience because it makes me feel more and more confident that Shawn is in the right place. And, at dinner Matt told us what Corporate thought of their new store. To sum it all up, Matt is a very happy boss and referred to Shawn as a "stud." This past week Matt pulled Shawn into his office to give him a job review. Not only is he a stud, Corporate was amazed that he had only been working w/Les Schwab for five weeks. AND he already earned his first raise!!!! Usually, new hires have to wait a year for their first pay jump...but not my man! If things keep going well, and Shawn is happy there I can see him running his own store someday.

The raise wasn't a cheesy-cheap one either. It's obvious at this point, but I'll say it anyway: I'm so PROUD of my husband.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Oh Crap

The best thing to wake up to on a Monday morning at 5am is plumbing problems. YAY! No toilet, no shower, no way to clean my very dirty dishes....
I will never, ever take clean water for granted. Next time you sit on your throne think of me and say a prayer of gratitude that you don't have to trek to the parent's house for a gallon of water to flush your toilet. :-D

If you are thinking, "Jeeze, those Hildesheim's are probably getting really stinky by now..."
Don't worry, mom and dad live ten minutes away and we have been mooching off their water.
Thanks Guys!!!!

Anyone know a good plumber???

LOL.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Life in the Fab Lane

Have you seen the show, "Kimora's Life in the Fab Lane?" If not, don't worry. Here's the just of it all... She's gorgeous, she's rich, she has perfect clothes, hair, children...blah blah blah.

WHO CARES!

What is up with all of these reality shows that show off just how rich and spoiled celebrities are, even b-rate celebrities like Kimora...

Ok, my point is not to just rag on this washed up model. What I'm getting at is I think I have a pretty fabulous life myself, thank you very much.

I ...

Live in a cabin on five quiet acres
I have two crazy & beautiful children
I have a loving & goofy husband
I have a great job that I love
I have a husband with a great job that pays a ton in overtime hours
I have amazing parents and siblings
I have an amazing babysitter, (thanks Megan!)
I have the gospel and a temple marriage
I am exhausted, fullfilled, happy, stressed out and extremely grateful and aware of just how much I am blessed.

So there you go, Kimora. I have a pretty Fabulous Life, too.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Tough Love

Today I got up early, kissed my kids goodbye and told them that mommy had to go to work because she loves them. When I got home, my daughter was already asleep and down for the night. I spent a few precious hours this evening with Evan before he zonked out. I'm having a rough day and I feel like the only way to work through my feelings is by sharing them. I don't know, but maybe there is another mom out there who knows what I'm feeling.

I feel guilty because I'm not with my children during the day. I feel guilty because I don't have as much time to spend teaching them things. But, I also felt guilty before I started working because I didn't know how we would be able to afford the simple necessities in life like diapers, groceries, rent. Now that I'm working I can afford these things, and a little more. There is just no winning. I know I made the right decision for my family, but knowing doesn't make the decision easier. It doesn't ease my guilt of being away from my children 45+ hours a week.

My children are so great and resilient. They are not having any behavioural problems since I returned to work and I'm so grateful for that. When I'm home or go into work later in the morning, Evalie always says to me, " Mommy, Your HOME! I love you mommy. You work so you can buy my house?" (she talking about the cabin we are renting).

I am so grateful for the job that I have. When I am in my work mode I can push my feeling aside. That is, until I get home and my children are already in bed. It's been a tough day. But, tomorrow I'll get up early and do it again because I love my family.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Shawn's New Job

Les Schwab is coming to Rathdrum!

On Sunday, Shawn told me that a year ago, he would never had considered working at Les Schwab. He never thought working in the tire industry could be fun and rewarding for his family. I'm glad to say, that he was wrong! He interviewed for a position, simply to have a paycheck while he went back to school this summer.

Now, it is starting to look like it will be so much more than that! During the interview, the store manager opened my husband's eyes to their company. Shawn was impressed. Yes, he starts at an hourly wage, but with Shawn's experience he will be eligible for promotion in two short years. Even the assistant managers make an impressive salary, much more than we both previously assumed. The store manager has already shown a great deal of respect and acknowledgement in Shawn's capabilities. I think he recognized that in hiring Shawn he made a very smart decision! He privately pulled my husband aside and let him know that he could ask for a raise within a few months. Shawn overheard the other guys gripping that they wouldn't get a raise for one year. As you can imagine, that really humbled and boosted my husband's spirits.

Our five years of marriage have not been easy. At times we felt like we had been given a double dose of trials and more than our share of life-lessons. But, we feel immensely blessed. We just realize that all of those crazy/tough experiences we had to go through were not to punish us, but to make us stronger. Even if, at the time we felt miserable and defeated. Shawn and I both have a strong desire to do what is best for our family, even if it isn't exactly what we had planned, or imagined in the beginning. Whatever our path is meant to be, we will make it work.

Today my husband was excited to go to work. I thought he was about to bust out the Tigger moves and hop up and down with anticipation. I guess they are working on putting together machines of some sort...which is totally up my man's alley. I love having a happy husband.

By the way, all of this happened the day after we paid our tithing.


Sunday, February 8, 2009


I feel immensley blessed. The bank I used to work for just welcomed me back two weeks ago. I was offered a full-time position as a CSR at the branch in Hayden. I started at the bank as the courier/mail girl. Then I was promoted, (thankfully!) to the Customer Suppport/E-Banking department. I loved that job. It was fun and challenging and from there I was able to learn about all the other departments of the bank. Then I became the lead trainer for that department.


When Evalie was born I decided to be a stay at home mom. That was the best desicion I have ever made. Now that I've returned, I see the people who I trained and I hear about the promotions that they have gone on to earn. My friend (who also works at this bank) commented that if I hadn't stayed at home with Evie, that I'd be one of the "Top Dogs" right about now. She wondered if it bothered me to come back and practically start over again. And, the answer is NO! I can always go back to work and pursue my career. But, I could never go back and have those three years at home with my children.


I have accepted that life is ever-changing and evolving and I have learned to just roll with it. I am so excited about this new development because I don't look at this opportunity as just 'a job,' or 'a paycheck.' At MWB there are so many opportunities for me to continuously learn about banking and work my way up what I refer to as the, "Food Chain." If this is what Heavenly Father wants me to do long-term I'd like to be a bank manager. My goal is to do it by the time I'm thirty. (My current manager is 29, and he started out as MWB's mailboy and courier, too!)


Shawn is still pursuing his career in law-enforcement. This Tuesday he has an oral board test with the Kootenai County Sheriff's department. His Plan B is to go back to school this summer and finish his A.A. degree and continue to test for other police agencies. Our children are blessed by having their daddy stay at home with them. The best part about it is that Shawn admitts he now understands why I was so frazzled and exhausted by the end of the day. It's kinda fun to switch places and see things from one another's perspectives. Holy-Moley, that's been a growing experience!!!

Short n' Sweet


Pyzam Family Sticker Toy

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.




Saturday, January 31, 2009

We call him, Mr. Clean

Evan thinks that it is O.K to wash the dishes in his birthday suit!!!

Little Pink Snow Bunny



















Sunday, January 25, 2009

Church and Toddlers...is it worth it?

The infamous question many (if not all) parents ask themselves, every Sunday as they roam the halls with their noisy creations: "is it worth it?"



We had one of those days, today. Evalie is our little bundle of joy, and exuberance and craziness and energy and curiosity and well, I'm sure you get my point. Her volume is set to one level: LOUD. Ironically when she promises, "Mommy, I will be reverent" this plead is on full blast. Any amount of shh hing falls on cute little deaf ears. Then there is my son, Evan Thomas... it's like they are each other's batteries. They feed and grow off each other's energy.



Sacrament meeting, it's always fun. ha ha. My son lost patience early on, and thankfully my sister was able to take him out. Shawn was busy passing the Sacrament and this turned out to be a huge distraction for Evalie. Try as I might, I couldn't pursued (or even threaten) her to sit reverently, or even sit at all. When Shawn was close by our pew she would say, "Hi Daddy!" and because she didn't receive any acknowledgement, she said again unbelievably louder, "Daddy!!!" I lost the battle, it was time to retreat to the Fourier.




Let the races begin!




Tom thought it was super fun to have his sissy join him in the hall. Great, two against one. I wish I could have taken a video of them playing together at church today. It really was hilarious. They know Mommy is trying to quiet them down, which of course makes their game more fun. And, how can I discipline my babies when they are being nice to each other, smiling and giggling?



Evalie is now a Sunbeam...Yay! Unfortunately, she doesn't understand that in Primary we don't have snack, water and run around the room breaks. She loves singing time, and did a great job sitting in her chair and participating. You can hear her singing over the other children's voices. She sings out of tune and the wrong words, but who cares?! I think it's adorable. However, as soon as the singing and games stopped, Evalie lost all patience. First it was, I'm hungry, then I'm thirsty, and finally "Mommy, I have to pee!" At this point, we abandoned the idea of making it to her Sunbeam class.



So, I know that I'm not the only parent dealing with this, thank goodness. I'm getting thru it by reciting in my head the well-used phrase, "This too shall pass." Eventually, my kids will make it thru church and I will someday be able to attend Sunday school class. Then I will probably miss chasing my babies in the hall and wrestling with them in Primary. Whenever I think about this one of my new favorite songs, by Trace Adkins pops into my head:




"You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days didn't go by so fast, these are some good times, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this."




So True.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

I'm so happy that I was able to stay home last night with my family. I was on call at work and after working Christmas Eve and Christmas, I really didn't want to miss out this time. I work for Beehive Homes, an assisted living facility and I really love what I do.

I work the swing shift, so I'm not around when it's dinner and bed time. That is why last night was a huge treat for us all. I made sure the house was clean and festive and prepared a nice home cooked meal. We actually sat at the dinner table, which generally doesn't happen 99% of the time. Shawn and the kids usually microwave something and sit on the couch to watch cartoons during dinner. Sometimes Grandma will feed them. (Thanks Mom!)

Our family was too exhausted to stay up and welcome in the new year. That was until Evan decided that he needed a bottle at exactly 12pm. Daddy was the only coherent one, and after retrieving the bottle, gave me a very nice New Year's celebratory kiss. Thanks son!

Today Shawn and I are working, but I have had all morning with my kids. Evalie decided that she wanted us to rock the same hair-do. She calls it the, "Barbie and the Diamond Castle Princess hair!" She's so adorable.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that 2009 will bring much happiness and prosperity to you and your families!