Challenge - Day 14

Post a picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

I should post a picture of Ben, but most of you would guess him as the obvious answer to this question, and he's already made an appearance in this photo challenge. Instead, I'm putting up a picture of me and my beautiful mom. It was taken the weekend celebrating her 60th birthday in Las Vegas.

I love you, Mom.

Challenge – Day 13

Post a picture of your favorite band or artist.

This was fairly easy to decide on, but I’m still thinking if I chose the RIGHT one. I am, however, stuck in the early 90s, musically speaking.

My favorite band: Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is their album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was released in 1991, my freshman year at UT.

Challenge - Day 12

Post a picture of your favorite memory.

I don't have the exact picture I wanted to post. But this one is close enough. My favorite memory is high school graduation. (And this was our senior t-shirt.)

Yes, I've graduated from college. I've gotten married. I've birthed babies. I've travelled internationally. But my favorite memory continues to be high school graduation.

I'm not sure exactly why that memory was never overtaken by my wedding or the arrival of each of my 3 boys. But it hasn't. It's just the memory that I have of being the happiest.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I wasn't happy during the other occasions, but I think the nerves during those times pushed aside some of their joy. Or maybe it was because graduation was a culmination without any stress. After all, I'd already been accepted to college. After college graduation, I had the stress of an upcoming wedding, a still-a-student fiance, his graduation, and the probability of moving, out of state nonetheless. Whereas after our wedding, life on our own and it's pressures were attached to it. Then with each baby came the fear that I was responsible for a human being's life, every day, rain or shine.

So as is classic to many movies, those carefree high school days that seemed so BIG at the time were really easy and fun in retrospect. And graduation was the ultimate goal. At least that's what I think. (I think.)

Challenge - Day 11

Post a picture of something you hate.

Well, now, that just sounds negative. Especially in light of all the personal stuff I've opened up about lately. But I do have one thing that gives me the heebie jeebies.

From grass snakes to copperheads, snakes freak me out. I mean, I won't even go through the reptile house at the zoo. To quote a movie that I'm sure you can all guess: "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?"

Challenge - Day 10

Post a picture of your most treasured item.

Treasured: defined as something of great worth or value.

If that's the case, I have several things that fall into this category.
My photos, especially of my kids.
My computer, since it houses 75% of my pictures.
My phone, because it's my calendar, my lifeline, to the world.
The magnolia painting & blanket we got for wedding gifts. (They remind me of my roots.)

Then there's my stepdad's watch. Not an expensive item. But I wore it to his funeral. Just to be near him. My dad's jewelry, some of which I've melted and had remade to fit me. Some pieces are in their original state. (Daddy was a big jewelry guy.) I wore his gold rope necklace to his funeral.

Is this getting too sad and depressing? But what I'm realizing, is the things I place the most value on have to do with people who are no longer here. Like my grandma's bowl, which my mom has, that I will inherit someday. It's nothing special, nothing valuable. But it was hers. And I never knew her.

So, it boils down to this picture. Taken just for this post. It is my Dad's cowboy hat and the flag draped over my stepdad's coffin and presented to my mom at his funeral. She then gave it to me.

Challenge - Day 9

Post a picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

That prize has to go to the obvious, my best friend and mate, Ben. Like all couples who've been together for quite a while, we've had our ups and downs. But unlike most couples, there's not always a Kim in the relationship. I'm a pain. As Harry from "When Harry Met Sally" says, I'm high maintenance.

I've been angry, intolerant, depressed, anxious, sad, manic, pregnant, emotional, irrational, self conscious and much more, I imagine. And my loving husband puts up with me. Day after day after day. I've lost 2 dads, been through a difficult pregnancy, and nearly lost a child. And he hasn't wavered. I've been skinny. I've been fat, and Ben still loves me for who I am on the inside. And makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on this earth. He's even emptied my throw-up bucket when I've been sick or just hungover. Now that's love. And devotion.

This picture of him was taken on a trip to the Bahamas to celebrate our 10-year anniversary (in 2005). When we met, he had a full head of hair and wore size 28 (waist) jeans. Today, he's got less up top and more in the middle, but I couldn't ask for a more loving, handsome, sexy, caring husband.

"You're so cool," Ben. And I'm so lucky.
Thank you.

Challenge - Day 8

Post a picture of your night.

I should have done this a few nights ago when we were at the grandparents' farm. The stars were beautiful. The kids commented that they didn't know there were that many stars up there. I guess that's what city lights and smog will do.

But my typical night is in my comfy bed. And, yes, I have a TV in my bedroom. Experts say not to have one there, but fooey on them. I really enjoy unwinding in my PJs, under the fan with the A/C running full blast (I like it cold), snuggled under the covers, with a kid or two stopping by for a snuggle and some Tivo.

I don't normally make my bed, as you can tell upon close inspection of this photo. Today, I just pulled the covers up and threw our sleeping pillows on the bed to mask its normal messiness.

Challenge - Day 7

Post a picture of the person you do the most screwed up things with.

You get 3 answers, or sets of photos, for this one. They represent different periods of my life. Today, though, I mostly save my crazy for my “alone” time. However, I got my first tattoo with one of my college BFFs. The 5 others that adorn my body were on my own time. :)

This was taken in college. Carolyn is the blonde in the middle. I've got some sort of rastafarian wig on. Ben's wearing the Lollapalooza shirt.

But the most trouble-doing I did was probably in high school. Snuffy, this one’s for you.

Sometime around 1989. Shane is on the far right. And a nod to Snuffy & Big Bird as best buds.

I met Shane my junior year of high school in Technical Drawing. He was my Snuffleupagus; I was his Big Bird. We just clicked. Not as romantic soul mates, but as best buds. We partied together. We listened to music together. He healed a flesh wound on my knee after a night of very bad things. We watched the summer 92 Olympics together. (He wasn’t too chauvinistic to admit he liked women’s gymnastics!) He came to visit me in college. He was an usher at my wedding. We’ve stayed close 20+ years later. Some time may lapse between visits or phone calls, but we’ll always be close.
And, of course, I’ve done plenty of wild things with dear hubby. (He was actually my first answer to this challenge, but then I thought I should try to think out of the box a little.)

That's my hubby, with shaved sides and a ponytail. Sometime in college.

Nowadays, it’s hard to get too crazy with 3 young ‘uns (OK, so they’re not so young), and PTA meetings don’t seem to get too out of control. But writing this post and thinking about this topic, does make me think that I’m about due for a wild time! Usually that means ink. But we’ll see.

Challenge - Day 6

This will barely make it under the wire. It's Sunday, 11:17 p.m., right now. Today's subject: post a picture that makes you laugh.

I pondered and wondered about what makes me laugh. Sadly, I realized that I don't laugh enough. I love corn ball humor, though. (So did my dad.) "Confucious say" jokes are my favorite! But I don't have a picture to capture that feeling. I mean, yeah, I could have "borrowed" a fu-manchu, old-style drawing of an old Chinese man, but does that really do justice to a philosopher who lived a billion years ago? OK, I may be exaggerating.

The picture that I originally posted is pretty hilarious, IMO. Blackmail for the future, I'm guessing, as well. I won't identify the kiddo in trouble (and the nakedness was his choosing), but feel free to guess. Timeouts must come when they must is the moral of that story, I suppose.

THERE WAS A NAKED-BUTT PICTURE OF ONE OF MY BOYS (AROUND AGE 2) STANDING IN THE CORNER FOR A TIMEOUT. BUT A FAMILY MEMBER SUGGESTED I REMOVE IT FOR FEAR OF PROVOKING THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FANATICS. NO BIGGIE. I REMOVED IT.

Lisa Lampanelli and Gina Yashere are 2 comediennes that I like. Vulgar, yes. Crude, yes. JUST LIKE ME. (But, as a side note, I don't care for potty humor. Sexual explicity and veracity are fine, in my warped mind, though.)

The Bill Cosby album "Himself" and Steve Martin's movie "Parenthood" crack me up because they are so poignant about parenting for all the different stages you go through as a mom or dad. Watch these (now) DVDs each year or 2, and you'll see something new. I guess that's the clean side of my personality, as opposed to the polar opposite side mentioned with the above comediennes.

I realized with this rather difficult exercise that I can say "aww" to many things. I'll "smile" at touching moments/snapshots. I'll even admit to the "cute" photos of my family or others. But laughter was one that was tough to come by for me.

And, by the way, I didn't make it before the midnight deadline. Good thing I'm not being graded on this project. :)

Challenge - Day 5

A picture of something you LOVE.

I thought about this for a minute and then the answer just came to me. I love my kids; I love my husband. I love my mother; I still love my dad and stepdad who are no longer bound to Earthly ground.

But, I've always LOVED the following.

Danny White, Dallas Cowboys #11
My childhood hero

Challenge - Day 4

A picture of something you'd like to do again.

Venice, Italy - 2008

St. Peter's Cathedral at the Vatican, Rome, Italy - 2008

My childhood home.
(This is "home." I wish I could revisit those times; a time before bills, before deaths, before responsibility.)

Challenge - Day 3

Post a picture of your favorite TV Show.

OK, I'm not sure of my timing here because somehow days 2 & 3 of this picture challenge seem to have been lumped together. So, you've lucked out into seeing multiple pictures of my life in one single day.

Hmm. My favorite TV show. Could be How I Met Your Mother. Could be Food Network Challenge. How could I forget Psych? Or do I go back to earlier days for Mad About You or Picket Fences? I think I'm going to check with my friend, Tivo, to see what's on my most watched list.

I still can't decide. But I think I'll go with two comedies that I watch regularly in reruns. And a surprise favorite at the end.

Challenge - Day 2

Post a picture of you and the person you have been closest to the longest:

That would be my dear hubby.

Although we've been arguing most of the evening today, my husband, Ben, is my best friend. It's hard to believe we've been inseparable for 19 1/2 years. We've been together longer than not.

Here's a picture of us circa 1993.

Challenge - Day 1 (Feb. 16, 2011)

I'm going to try to keep up with, not the Joneses, but with Rebecca's 30-day picture challenge.

That's me wearing the white hat and the brightly designed shirt, sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome.

And 10 fun facts about myself. (Well, whose definition of "fun" should I use? Hmm.)

1. My maiden name is Good. Which most of you know. I had a very hard time deciding whether or not to still use my Good name when I got married. I knew I didn't want 2 last names or a hyphenated last name, but I considered changing my middle name from my birth middle name (Dawn) to my maiden name (Good). Then I thought about how I would fill out tax forms where it asks for first, middle, last, and maiden names. Would I put Kimberly Good Williams Good or Kimberly Dawn Williams Good. That just made it too confusing (and, yes, I overthought it way too much). So I landed on just Kimberly Dawn Williams as my official name (and official in this case was determined by what is on my social security card).

2. I'm usually a stickler for grammar. But not in online writings, for some bizarre reason. So, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. let me off the hook and be casual, I suppose. I often break tense or confuse verb tenses in my online writing, but it doesn't bother me like it does in thank you notes, letters, papers, essays, applications, etc. (I was tested on the entirety of the AP Style guide in college, letter by letter.)

3. I married my college sweetheart 15 1/2 years ago. We met the first day of school, in Calculus (Dr. Schelter's class at UT). We began doing homework together after a couple of weeks, and had our first date on a Saturday night, Sept. 28, 1991. (I had just broken up with my high school boyfriend of 1 1/2 years the Thursday before too.)

4. I have 3 boys. That's obvious to anyone who knows me. What isn't well known is that if it hadn't been for my pregnancy troubles with the last one, we were considering having a 4th child. Not necessarily to try for "the girl," but just to have a big family. Nowadays I look back and can't believe I ever entertained the notion of 4 kiddos. Most days, 3 is more than a handful!

5. My parents divorced when I was only 6 months old. I never knew them as a couple. I often ask my mom "what did you 2 even have in common or what brought you together?" I cannot picture the 2 of them together, romantically.

6. I love my hubby more than anything else. More than my kids, more than my mom, more than myself. I'm not sure that's the way it's supposed to be, and maybe I'm a little (or a lot) codependent, but it is what it is.

7. I used to be thin. In fact, most of my life I was. Up until about 6 years ago or so. Blame it on the 30s. Blame it on lack of exercise. Blame it on my diet. But mostly blame it on medication. (Yes, I am still in control of what I look like. And, yes, I could do something about it if I were so motivated. I understand that.)

8. I am bipolar, depressive. With anxiety. Don't care to elaborate right now.

9. I'm nosy.

10. I began cussing in 4th grade. I wonder why I remember the timing of that.

It hasn't been quite a year yet.

I thought I better hurry up and post something before a whole 365 days rolled by. I know 1 person who will appreciate this. ;)

Had a weird day today. After being STUCK (and no, I did NOT revel in it) at home with my 3 boys for 4 school days because of the icy weather, I think my body was in need of a metaphoric chiropractor. I ran some errands, but otherwise, I just felt in a funk. Then one of those dreadful migraines tried to rear its ugly head. (Able to keep it at bay so far.) Don't feel like reading. Nothing decent on TV. And the minute the boys got home from school, WWIII broke out. Does the fighting ever end? I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that question, but I prefer to live in denial.

We've gone to church now 2 weeks in a row. That may not sound like much, but it's a start. Even bought the kiddos a few new "church clothes" today. It's hard to believe my birthday is right around the corner. And although I believe that I am younger than 90% (or more) of my friends, I still can't fathom the fact that I'm 37. I don't mind growing older; the number doesn't bother me. I'm just amazed at what I have and haven't accomplished in that many years. Of course, I can still gloat that I'm 1 year younger than my dear hubby, henceforth known as Ben or DH.

Weird side note. Found out my vet and my dog have the same birthday - today. One of them is 4. One of them is not. I'll let you guess which is which. ;)

I'm glad the Steelers won at Jerry World yesterday ... I mean, the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. But it was kind of a sloppy game. And it's hard for me to get too excited about a team that's not the Cowboys. Speaking of football, with the induction of Deion Sanders (ex-Cowboys #21) into the NFL Hall of Fame, it makes me wonder how I feel personally about his "Cowboys" status. He only played for us for 4 years. Hmm. To ponder at some point.

Time to quit typing. DH is picking up salad (for me) and sandwiches (for the rest) for dinner after doing the taxi dance for our eldest's band lesson.

To somewhat emulate my SIL for a moment as I sign off ...

Past: Thanks, Mom, for bringing Harry/Papa into my & the boys' lives.
Present: Need to get out of this funk SOON.
Future: And to quote Depeche Mode ... Enjoy the Silence.