tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67369492007-01-17T10:31:47.230-05:00Scott and KimKimBlogger321tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-84606046754366876422007-01-17T10:25:00.000-05:002007-01-17T10:31:47.537-05:00NOW I see it...There's been a "look" that Christopher's been going for and for the longest time, I just didn't "see" it. I'm <em>finally </em>getting it...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Christopher-&-Ian-2006-099-732053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Christopher-&-Ian-2006-099-726727.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/shaunwhite_kidschoice06_240-774250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/shaunwhite_kidschoice06_240-772945.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-587551936055622832007-01-15T20:26:00.000-05:002007-01-15T20:52:44.539-05:00Redecorating<p>Well, we've been busy redecorating. I've finally got some pictures to share! They're from my camera phone, so they're not real high-quality pictures, but you'll get the idea.<br /></p><center><p><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ian's room after being painted.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/20061228-783403.jpg"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/20061228-780377.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></p><p><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Christopher's room, after painting. (He's showing off his Christmas present and his class ring in the picture.)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/20070110-780607.jpg"><img style="float:center; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/20070110-779418.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></p><p><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fabrics that we're looking at using for our bedroom. (We're going for a tropical, relaxing theme.)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_003-775304.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_003-773144.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_004-778785.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_004-777661.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></p><p><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Fabric that I think we're going to use for the living room.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_006-770257.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Jan15_006-769104.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></p><br /></center>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-56671060129960577642007-01-03T14:11:00.000-05:002007-01-03T14:21:21.957-05:00Something to think about in the new year....The lyrics to this song have made a big impact on me in the past few months, so I wanted to share them with you. Take time this year to ponder your life in relation to God and the people you love in life...it makes a difference!<br /><br /><center><br /><u><em><strong>Seasons of Love</strong></em></u><br /><br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Six hundred minutes,<br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Moments so dear.<br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Six hundred minutes<br />How do you measure, measure a year?<br /><br />In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights<br />In cups of coffee<br />In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.<br /><br />In five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Six hundred minutes<br />How do you measure<br />A year in the life?<br /><br />How about love?<br />How about love?<br />How about love? <br />Measure in love<br />Seasons of love. Seasons of love<br /><br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Six hundred minutes!<br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Journeys to plan.<br /><br />Five hundred twenty-five thousand<br />Six hundred minutes<br />How do you measure the life<br />Of a woman or a man?<br /><br />In truths that she learned,<br />Or in times that he cried.<br />In bridges he burned,<br />Or the way that she died.<br /><br />It's time now to sing out,<br />Tho' the story never ends<br />Let's celebrate<br />Remember a year in the life of friends<br />Remember the love!<br />Remember the love!<br />Seasons of love!<br /><br />Oh you got to got to Remember the love! remember the love, <br />You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above Seasons of love. <br />Share love, give love spread love Measure measure you life in love.<br /></center>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-89302437999358652902006-12-31T22:44:00.000-05:002006-12-31T23:03:31.498-05:00Happy New Year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/340169305_aee7c8e683_o-743039.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/340169305_aee7c8e683_o-741411.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />We are so thankful for new beginnings...and the beginning of 2007 is no different. While we realize that all of the life experiences we go through help to define who we are, it has been a rough year and we are anxious for a "new beginning". Even through the hard times, we have seen God's hand and experienced his guidance, love, and comfort. He has been so good to us!<br /><br />One thing that I've decided to do for 2007 is to take a photo every day (I actually started about a week ago). Just a way to sort of document the year in pictures. I will post these online and you can see them by clicking on the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimsmith/sets/72157594439267149/">www.flickr.com</a> button to the left, under the phone.<br /><br />Another new thing for the new year is our new site design. It had been the same for a long time and was in need of a new look. I hope you will all find it pleasing. I do hope to update our blog more frequently, so I hope you'll check back often for updates.<br /><br />May God bless you and your family in 2007!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1165184644823059512006-12-03T17:20:00.000-05:002006-12-30T01:38:12.816-05:00In Loving Memory of Raymond George Schaft 12/6/16 - 12/1/06<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/elipse-757621.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/elipse-755486.jpg" border="0" /></a>Since a few lines in a newspaper can't even begin to do justice for this amazing man, our family has chosen to write this letter (post) to him as a tribute. You are receiving it because you have touched his life or the life of one of his family members in some way and we wanted to share it with you.<br /><br />He was known by many names: Ray, Raymond, Jim, husband, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Chief, golf partner, brother, friend, and Ray-Ray by the aides in the Alzheimer's Unit. To me, he was Grandpa.<br /><br />Grandpa had an amazing life. He was a hero his whole life--his name even means "mighty protector". Grandpa served our country on the USS Paducah in World War II. He was proud to serve in the US Navy. After his time in the service, he became a firefighter with the Detroit Fire Department. He worked his way up the ranks until he retired as a Fire Chief, about 30 years ago. He put his life in danger every day he worked to save the lives of others.<br /><br />On September 8, 1945, Grandpa married the love of his life, Dorothy. Through good times and bad, they stuck together. Their commitment to their marriage is truly an inspiration to every couple who knew them. They were always there for each other..."till death us do part."<br /><br />Family was everything to Grandpa and he showed it in so many ways. He was always giving and loving and caring. One way that he showed his love, especially for Grandma, was in how he wisely saved and invested finances, so he could provide for her. This was very important to him, even to the end. Even in the last stages of Alzheimer's, one of the things he continued to ask about was how they were doing financially. He was a great provider.<br /><br />We are very thankful that unlike most Alzheimer's patients, Grandpa never forgot who we were. Sometimes it took a little prompting, or hearing our voice, but he did recognize us and knew who we were. He was always happy when family was able to visit and often talked about "his two beautiful daughters" or asked about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Scott and I feel so blessed that our sons have been able to know their great-grandparents in a more in-depth way than most people ever have the opportunity. Grandpa has made a profound impact in Christopher and Ian's lives, which they will never forget.<br /><br />Grandpa was the youngest of 11 children. He still has one older sister, who survives him. Of course, he leaves behind his wonderful, loving wife of 61 years, Dorothy. In addition, his twin daughters, Sandra (Bill) and Linda (Ken), his grandchildren, Kim (Scott) and Bill (Mell), and three great-grandchildren, Christopher, Ian, and Austin.<br /><br />It has been Grandpa and Grandma's wishes that they both be cremated upon their deaths. Grandma will keep Grandpa's remains until her passing, at which time, they will be buried together. Therefore, there will not be a funeral or memorial service at this time.<br /><br />In the spring, we will be having a full military ceremony at the national cemetery in Battle Creek, near Fort Custer, where he will be buried. There will be a color guard, the playing of Taps, and a 21-gun salute. We think that Grandpa would have been very please with this ceremony to honor his memory. Grandma will also be presented with a memorial flag at that time. If you would like to attend this service, please let one of us know and we will make sure that you are notified when we set the date.<br /><br />In lieu of flowers, Grandma would like to put any gifts into a trust fund for the great-grandsons' college education. Even though Grandpa was never able to attend college, it has always been very important to him that his future generations "get a good college education".<br /><br />Thank you for the special part that you have played in either Grandpa's life or in one of our lives. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers, as we are going to miss Grandpa tremendously. While we are sad that he's gone, we are happy for him, as he is now in the presence of his Lord.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Kim (for the whole family)Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-89877679796130069972006-12-18T19:59:00.000-05:002006-12-18T20:07:07.202-05:00Christopher's Band ConcertChristopher had his first band solo in the Christmas concert last night. He did an incredible job! We're very proud of him!<br /><center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b_VmtCzJZSQ"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b_VmtCzJZSQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /></center><br /><br />Ian did a great job at his concert last week, too, but he wouldn't let us video tape him.Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1164338556494223312006-11-23T22:14:00.000-05:002006-12-18T14:48:52.248-05:00Thankful<a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/praying-772325.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/praying-766986.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yes, it's Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for this year. We have been so blessed.<br /><br />For those of you who we haven't been able to talk with over the past month or two, I'll give a short recap. I had some health problems...flu, then pneumonia, then one morning, I collapsed (passed out). Well, to make a long story short, I had multiple blood clots in my lungs. It was pretty scary for a little while, to say the least.<br /><br />Through it all, though, we witnessed God's hand, His comfort, and His protection.<br /><br />It's one of those times that make you realize that in the end, none of the material "things" in life really matter. It's pretty eye-opening...and you live your life a little differently when you've been through something like this.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving!</div>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-78554177982601979512006-11-01T17:55:00.000-05:002006-12-18T14:40:26.690-05:00Bread and Water...Hold the Bread, Please...<a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/bread-708039.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/bread-705728.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Having recently discovered that I have either a <a href="http://familydoctor.org/236.xml?printxml">gluten intolerance or Celiac</a>, I have gone to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet">gluten-free diet</a>. It's been truly remarkable how much better I feel. Eating gluten-free isn't the easiest thing to do--wheat, rye, barley, or oats seem to be in <em>everything</em>, in some form or another. The good thing, is that when I accidentally do eat something I shouldn't have, it reinforces my commitment to the diet (because I feel so horrible when it happens!). Here's a good article that talks about gluten-free vs. low-carb:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><br />Low carb diets are gaining in popularity largely because many people feel good on them. The theory is that excess carbs stimulate excess insulin production, which leads to all kinds of health problems. It's a valid theory I am sure, but that's not all there is to it. A large part of American's calories currently come from sugar, refined fats, and white flour - which contain few nutrients. A switch from a diet based on empty calories to a nutritionally dense diet of meat and green leafy vegetables would dramatically improve any lab rat's health. But the situation is much more complicated than that...<br /><br />A small but substantial number of low carb dieters discover quite by accident that when they cheat on the diet, they don't feel particularly bad unless the meal contains products made from wheat. Even a bit of breading on the meat in a low carb meal may give them a shaky "hypoglycemia attack" or their headaches or joint aches may return. Sensitivity to wheat products is masked by the fact that most Americans eat some flour in every meal and most snacks. When someone avoids refined foods and carbs in general long enough for symptoms to recede, occasional exposure may reveal the true cause of their symptoms. Not everyone spots the connection, but when it is pointed out and they begin paying attention, a significant number of low carb enthusiasts begin to see it plainly, and switch to gluten free.<br /><br />The gluten free diet excludes all the baked floury and sugary junk foods, the buns and breads and pastas that were off limits on the low carb diet anyway. But it allows all the fruits and vegetables that are off limits on a low carb diet. Rice and corn are allowed, and rice and corn pastas are available. There are gluten free breads available, which range from terrible to pretty good. Label reading is required, just as on the low carb diet, but with a different slant. Products containing wheat, spelt, barley, and rye are must be avoided, including hidden gluten from malt, or soy sauce.<br /><br />People who accidentally discover their reaction to wheat assume it is an allergy. In most cases, it is an intolerance, not an allergy. That means that shots or other allergy treatments will not eliminate all the problems and dangers of gluten for those people. Unless proven otherwise, it is best to assume that gluten reactions may change, but will never be "grown out of" as so many doctors say of childhood celiac cases. What are the symptoms of gluten sensitivity? There are so many that it's best to categorize them as a) deficiency symptoms, b) brain effects, c) immune system effects, and d) miscellaneous.<br /><br />The classic reaction is Celiac Disease, a slow progressive damage to the villi of the small intestine. It begins in the duodenum, where iron should be absorbed, lactase should be made, and where the hormone to tell the gallbladder to dump should be made. Thus iron deficient anemia, lactose intolerance, and gallbladder problems should be red flags for this condition. Poor gallbladder function means poor absorption of fats and oil soluble vitamins, with dry skin a common symptom. As the damage spreads, the celiac may eat more and more just to maintain a normal weight, or may lose weight no matter how much they eat. Deficiency symptoms that eventually occur can include anemia, sore mouth, numb or tingly feet, even senile dementia, from B12 deficiency. Poor dream recall, stiff hands, sciatica or carpal tunnel syndrome, and eventually arthritis may result from B6 deficiency. Depression or grouchiness from B3 deficiency. Anemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia, fibrocystic breasts, miscarriage, or birth defects from folic acid deficiency. Low thyroid function and fibrocystic breasts from iodine deficiency. Poor sense of taste and smell, stretch marks, body odor, smelly feet, white flecks on the fingernails from zinc deficiency. Poor night vision from zinc and vitamin A deficiency. In general the damage done to the intestine probably leads to leaky gut and susceptibility to Candida overgrowth. But intestinal damage is only the classic reaction, and years of other symptoms may precede them.<br /><br />Gluten and a similar protein found in dairy products, casein, both resemble opiates. Some people become very sleepy after meals containing wheat. Severe cases have been diagnosed as "narcolepsy". Others may develop panic attacks. ADD and ADHD have been associated with gluten intolerance. Autism has been repeatedly been associated with gluten and/or casein. Many cases of schizophrenia have been caused or worsened by gluten. Any regular intake of an opiate-like substance implies that addiction could take place, and certainly many people have admitted a sort of addiction to baked goods or dairy products.<br /><br />Many "incurable" autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, thyroiditis, pancreatitis, and juvenile diabetes have been linked to gluten and/or casein. In vitro tests have shown that when gluten is added to the blood of celiacs, the cells that fight cancer stop working. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma is the #1 cause of death in untreated celiacs.<br /><br />Miscellaneous effects: Irritation to the gut affects valve function and leads to acid reflux at the "cardiac valve" and autointoxication from the iliocaecal valve not closing properly so bacteria get into the small intestine where they don't belong and overload the liver with metabolic byproducts.<br /><br />Now for the really little known information:<br /><br />Gluten intolerance is often associated with poor Sulfation. Glucosamine sulfate builds joints, but other sulfates are needed to repair the lining of the gut to keep out undigested food. Poor sulfation may cause or worsen allergies or gluten sensitivity, and may cause the dark circles around the eyes known as "allergic shiners".<br /><br />The antigliadin test is notoriously insensitive, so another test is often done with it, for "endomysial antibodies". This is a very sensitive test, but all it means is that you are attacking your own muscles. This may explain why so many people with Fibromyalgia turn out to have gluten sensitivity.<br /><br />Gluten sensitivity is common in obesity.<br /><br />Spelt is very controversial. Beginning in the 1940's American wheat breeders brought in germplasm from high protein Russian wheats, so that modern wheats are very different from the oldest wheats like spelt. Spelt contains gluten too, but some people swear they react to wheat but not spelt. These people may simply have a wheat allergy.<br /><br />A totally different theory says that it is the molds in stored wheat and bread that are really wrecking people's health. Spelt is usually grown on a direct contract and bypasses the usual storage and milling routes that common wheats go through.<br /><br />For more information, including how to get tested and whether you can trust the tests, see www.enterolab.com. For contrast you can look up the Paleolithic Diet, The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and the book DANGEROUS GRAINS.<br /><br />Copyright Donna Hudson 2004. This information is given for educational purposes only. For comments and corrections, contact <a href="mailto:redherring@tnaccess.com">redherring@tnaccess.com</a><br /></blockquote></div>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1151377169286534122006-06-26T22:41:00.000-04:002006-12-18T09:56:02.384-05:00Summer Has Arrived...<a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/1993-Boys-018-768115.JPG"><img style="CLEAR: all; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/1993-Boys-018-765023.JPG" border="0" /></a> I just happened to run across this picture and it made me smile. The boys certainly don't look like this anymore, but they sure were cute at that age! I don't have a very current picture to post, but maybe soon.<br /><br />Life certainly is busy around here. Christopher is going to be playing football in the fall and Ian is looking toward running track. Both boys did a great job in school this past year--almost all A's with a few B's mixed in. Ian also marched in the Memorial Day Parade...his first marching experience.<br /><br />Scott's still enjoying his new job and had a chance to go to Orlando for a conference with work a few months ago. Next year, the same conference will be in Washington DC and we are all going along. It will be a great family vacation.<br /><br />Kim's been busy with websites. Some new sites include: <a href="http://allthegoodstuff.com">All The Good Stuff</a>, <a href="http://prairievillefarmdays.com">Prairieville Farm Days</a>, and <a href="http://soggybottomlabs.com">Soggy Bottom Labs</a>. So, if you're looking for some great fudge, some country music, or a puppy, check them out! Special thanks to <a href="http://victoriaclough.com">Vicki</a> for a great job on the artwork for the Prairieville Farm Days site!<br /><br />Since the last post, we have had to move Grandpa into the Alzheimer's Unit full-time. It was just getting too confusing for him to switch back and forth between the settings. For the most part, he seems happy there, but he does miss Grandma. He is <em>Resident of the Month</em> this month, so they are having a party in his honor, which he should enjoy. Grandma is recovering from a recent fall; she fractured 2 vertebrae in her neck, so it's been a rough patch for her.<br /><br />Guess that's about it for now. Take care, everyone! <a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"></a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-17042372166719457162006-10-12T21:40:00.000-04:002006-12-18T09:48:38.828-05:00Bad News...Good News...Well, the bad news is that our toilet overflowed for about 20 minutes while no one was home, which spread throughout the house. Because it was water from the toilet, it was considered "contaminated" water and whatever it touched has to be replaced...which included all of the carpet in our house...upstairs and down!<br /><br />The good news is that we have homeowner's insurance and they will be covering the cost for the new carpet, as well as the cost of the professional cleaning team that came in to extract the water from the floors and walls. God is so good.<br /><br />We've decided to repaint before the new carpet is installed. We're starting with the boys' rooms. I'm sure there will be pictures along the way, so I'll post them as they are available.Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1117672203718404352005-06-01T20:17:00.000-04:002006-11-23T23:10:31.283-05:00Memorial Day Parade 2005<center><br />Christopher's 1st "marching band" experience.<br /><!--<br /><span><embed src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/MemorialDay2005.wmv" width=320 height=250 autostart=false></embed><br /><br />If you can't view this online (because of a slow connection or using a browser other than Internet Explorer), you can <a href="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/MemorialDay2005.wmv">download it to view on your computer</a>.<br /></span><br />--><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y8dJvIntv60"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y8dJvIntv60" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /></center>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1164338016509071382006-11-19T17:08:00.000-05:002006-11-23T22:23:25.960-05:00Fall Photos 2006<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Christopher & Ian 2006 081-763611.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Christopher & Ian 2006 081-760029.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />My friend, Kris, took some fall pictures of the boys & they turned out really great. <a href="http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=churchdrama&aid=576460762346149514&pid=&wtok=Sl37v8VAOZeJtCoZSZEQVQ--&ts=1164337373&.src=ph">Take a look</a>, if you'd like!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1164337315939112932006-09-10T19:56:00.000-04:002006-11-23T22:01:55.953-05:00Fall Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/band-781243.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/band-778044.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Summer has come and gone since I last updated this blog. We just stayed around home this summer. <br /><br />The boys did some weight training and Christopher had Band Camp and lots of band rehearsals...marching band is a big thing around here. He wasn't sure he was going to like it, but he really does. It's been a great way for him to get a jump-start on meeting some new friends at his new school.<br /><br />Both boys took trips to <a href="http://www.michigansadventure.com">Michigan Adventure</a>--Ian with a friend and Christopher with the band. There were lots of video games and movies and chores...oh, my!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1164115938978074632004-12-14T15:11:00.000-05:002006-11-21T08:52:35.070-05:00Personality TestTook a personality test at <a href="http://bloginality.love-productions.com/">Bloginality</a> and it was pretty interesting. Here are the results:<br /><strong>You are an ENFP! <br /><br />As an ENFP, you are Extraverted, iNtuative, Feeling , Perceiving.<br />This makes your primary focus on Extraverted Intuition with Introverted Feeling.<br /><br />This is defined as a NF personality, which is part of Carl Jung's Idealist (Identity Seeking) type, and more specifically the Champions or Inspirer.<br /><br />As a weblogger, you may not be consistant in posts. Although, if you find a specific focus on their journal or a very flexible manner of writing, it may be more fufilling. Because you are warm and see so many posibilities in life, you may inspire others to follow in your footsteps with a journal.</strong><br /><br />It's not <em>totally</em> accurate, but there's a lot of truth there. Some of the things in the <a href="http://bloginality.love-productions.com/enfp.php">follow up links</a> were pretty interesting...<br /><br /><strong>Careers for ENFP Personality Types</strong><br /><br />Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. <br /><br />ENFPs generally have the following traits: <br /><br /><strong>Project-oriented <br />Bright and capable <br />Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills <br />Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people <br />Able to relate to people on their own level <br />Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own <br />Future-oriented <br />Dislike performing routine tasks <br />Need approval and appreciation from others <br />Cooperative and friendly <br />Creative and energetic <br />Well-developed verbal and written communication skills <br />Natural leaders, </strong>but do not like to control people <em>(Okay, I struggle here)</em><br /><strong>Resist being controlled by others <br />Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it <br />Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories <br /><br />ENFPs are lucky in that they're good a quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented. </strong><br /><br />The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. <br /><br />Possible Career Paths for the ENFP: <br /><br /><strong>Consultant </strong><br />Psychologist <br /><strong>Entrepreneur <br />Actor <br />Teacher <br />Counselor <br />Politician / Diplomat <br />Writer / Journalist </strong><br />Television Reporter <br /><strong>Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist </strong><br />Scientist <br />Engineer <br /><br />VERY interesting! Pretty accurate, too!<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFP.html">Personality Page</a> was very interesting, too.<br /><br /><strong>Portrait of an ENFP - Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving<br />(Extraverted Intuition with Introverted Feeling)<br /><br />The Inspirer</strong><br /><br />As an ENFP, <strong>your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.</strong> Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system. <em>(Still struggling with internal feelings.)</em><br /><br /><strong>ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it. </strong><br /><br /><strong>ENFPs have an unusually broad range of skills and talents. They are good at most things which interest them. Project-oriented, they may go through several different careers during their lifetime. To onlookers, the ENFP may seem directionless and without purpose, but ENFPs are actually quite consistent, in that they have a strong sense of values which they live with throughout their lives. Everything that they do must be in line with their values. An ENFP needs to feel that they are living their lives as their true Self, walking in step with what they believe is right. They see meaning in everything, and are on a continuous quest to adapt their lives and values to achieve inner peace. <em>They're constantly aware and somewhat fearful of losing touch with themselves.</em> Since emotional excitement is usually an important part of the ENFP's life, and because they are focused on keeping "centered", the ENFP is usually an intense individual, with highly evolved values. </strong><br /><br /><strong>An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals.</strong> Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others <strong>may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility</strong>, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving. <br /><br /><strong>Most ENFPs have great people skills. They are genuinely warm and interested in people, and place great importance on their inter-personal relationships. ENFPs almost always have a strong need to be liked. </strong>Sometimes, especially at a younger age, an ENFP will tend to be "gushy" and insincere, and generally "overdo" in an effort to win acceptance. However, <strong>once an ENFP has learned to balance their need to be true to themselves with their need for acceptance, they excel at bringing out the best in others, and are typically well-liked. They have an exceptional ability to intuitively understand a person after a very short period of time, and use their intuition and flexibility to relate to others on their own level. </strong><br /><br /><strong>Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery. They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves. This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP's family members. </strong> <em>(Whoa...)</em><br /><br /><strong>An ENFP who has "gone wrong" may be quite manipulative - and very good it. The gift of gab which they are blessed with makes it naturally easy for them to get what they want. Most ENFPs will not abuse their abilities, because that would not jive with their value systems. </strong><br /><br />ENFPs sometimes make serious errors in judgment. They have an amazing ability to intuitively perceive the truth about a person or situation, but when they apply judgment to their perception, they may jump to the wrong conclusions. <br /><br />ENFPs who have not learned to follow through may have a difficult time remaining happy in marital relationships. Always seeing the possibilities of what could be, they may become bored with what actually is. The strong sense of values will keep many ENFPs dedicated to their relationships. However, ENFPs like a little excitement in their lives, and are best matched with individuals who are comfortable with change and new experiences. <br /><br />Having an ENFP parent can be a fun-filled experience, but may be stressful at times for children with strong Sensing or Judging tendancies. Such children may see the ENFP parent as inconsistent and difficult to understand, as the children are pulled along in the whirlwind life of the ENFP. <strong>Sometimes the ENFP will want to be their child's best friend, and at other times they will play the parental authoritarian. But ENFPs are always consistent in their value systems, which they will impress on their children above all else, along with a basic joy of living. </strong><br /><br /><strong>ENFPs are basically happy people. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas. Many go into business for themselves. They have the ability to be quite productive with little supervision, as long as they are excited about what they're doing. </strong><br /><br /><strong>Because they are so alert and sensitive, constantly scanning their environments, ENFPs often suffer from muscle tension. They have a strong need to be independent, and resist being controlled or labelled. They need to maintain control over themselves, but they do not believe in controlling others.</strong> Their dislike of dependence and suppression extends to others as well as to themselves. <br /><br /><strong>ENFPs are charming, ingenuous, risk-taking, sensitive, people-oriented individuals with capabilities ranging across a broad spectrum. They have many gifts which they will use to fulfill themselves and those near them, if they are able to remain centered and master the ability of following through. </strong><br /><em><br />Jungian functional preference ordering for ENFP:</em><br /><br />Dominant: Extraverted Intuition<br />Auxiliary: Introverted Feeling<br />Tertiary: Extraverted Thinking<br />Inferior: Introverted Sensing<br /><br /><em>Wow! That is me to a tee! Almost scary--I only answered 4 questions in this little quiz! Yikes!</em><br /><br />Here's more:<br /><a href="http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFP_per.html"><br /><strong>ENFP Personal Growth</strong></a><br /><br />What does Success mean to an ENFP? <br /><br /><strong>ENFPs are motivated in everything that they do by a desire to understand the world around them. They are constantly searching about. Mentally and physically, for input that will help them to better understand the Big Picture. They are open-minded to new people and new experiences; they're eager for the opportunity to understand what the new people and experiences are all about. ENFPs use their understanding of the world to serve the agendas of their value systems. An ENFP's value system often includes respect for the needs and desires of individual people over the needs of a social group. Their respect for the individual makes them dislike controlling others, and being controlled by others. ENFPs are passionate about their beliefs, whatever they may be. They often stubbornly adhere to their value system regardless of threats to its validity. They are more concerned with keeping true to what they believe than they are with expectations or demands from the social group that they function within. ENFPs dislike personal criticism, because it threatens their validity as an individual and the validity of their value system. ENFPs may internalize anger rather than express it; their respect for other individuals makes it difficult for them to hurt others. An ENFP's feeling of success depends upon the availability of opportunities to grow their understanding of the world, upon feeling that they're living true to their personal value system, and upon the condition of their closest relationships. </strong><br /><br /><em>Allowing Your ENFP Strengths to Flourish </em><br /><br /><strong>As an ENFP, you have gifts that are specific to your personality type that aren't natural strengths for other types. By recognizing your special gifts and encouraging their growth and development, you will more readily see your place in the world, and be more content with your role. </strong><br /><br /><em>Nearly all ENFPs will recognize the following characteristics in themselves. They should embrace and nourish these strengths: </em><br /><br /><strong>~They're exceptionally perceptive about people and situations. They're often able to quickly and accurately assess where someone is coming from.<br /><br />~They accept and value people as individuals, and are strongly egalitarian. They believe that individuals have the right to be themselves, and are very tolerant and accepting of most people.<br /><br />~They're often deep and intelligent, and may be quite brilliant in their ability to tie things together. They're wired to look for connections in the external world, and so they may mentally put things together more easily than others.<br /><br />~Their interest in understanding the world usually makes them in tune with what's socially acceptable and what isn't. This may help them to be popular and likeable.<br /><br />~They're highly creative. This ability may be used in an artistic way, or may be used to generate ideas and new ways of thinking.</strong><br /><br /><em>ENFPs who have developed their Introverted Feeling to the extent that they apply judgement to all of their perceptions will enjoy these very special gifts: </em><br /><br /><strong>~They will have the ability to follow through on projects they've begun.<br /><br />~They will be less gullible and malleable, and generally more able to discern between "good" and "bad", rather than accepting everything without question.<br /><br />~They may be highly artistic.<br /><br />~They will have the ability to focus and concentrate deeply on tasks. This enhanced ability to think and process information internally will make them more capable on many levels.<br /><br />~They will balance out their desire to meet new people and have new experiences with the desire to put their understanding to use in some way.<br /><br />~They will find more meaning and purpose in their lives.</strong><br /><br /><em>Potential Problem Areas </em><br /><br />With any gift of strength, there is an associated weakness. Without "bad", there would be no "good". Without "difficult", there would be no "easy". We value our strengths, but we often curse and ignore our weaknesses. To grow as a person and get what we want out of life, we must not only capitalize upon our strengths, but also face our weaknesses and deal with them. That means taking a hard look at our personality type's potential problem areas. <br /><br /><strong>Most of the weaker characteristics found in ENFPs are due to their dominant Extraverted Intuition overshadowing the personality to the extent that they don't apply judgement to anything. Or, they may use their primary judging function (Introverted Feeling) to support the agenda of Extraverted Intuition, i.e. to rationalize and support the idea of welcoming all experiences and accepting all individuals.</strong> In such cases, an ENFP may show some or all of the following weaknesses in varying degree:<br /><br /><strong>~May be what many would call a "sucker"; vulnerable to schemers and con artists.<br /><br />~May get themselves into dangerous situations because they're too eager to push the envelope of their understanding, and not willing to apply judgement to anything.<br /><br />~<em>May feel intense anger towards people who criticize them or try to control them. But will be unable to express the anger. Left unexpressed, the anger may fester and simmer and become destructive.</em><br /><br />~<em>May blame their problems on other people, using logic and ration to defend themselves against the world.</em></strong><br /><br />~May develop strong negative judgements that are difficult to unseed against people who they perceive have been oppressive to them.<br /><br />~May get involved with drugs, alcohol, or promiscuity, and generally seek mindless experiences and sensations.<br /><br />~May skip from relationship to relationship without the ability to commit.<br /><br /><strong>~May start projects but be unable to finish them.<br /><br />~May be unable to stick to a career or job for any length of time.</strong><br /><br /><em>Explanation of Problems </em><br /><br />Nearly all of the problematic characteristics described above can be attributed in various degrees to the common ENFP problem of wanting to understand and experience everything at any cost. If the ENFP does not learn how to discriminate things and people in their external environment, the ENFP will begin to use their judging function (Introverted Feeling) as solve a "rubber stamper" to support their agenda to seek out experiences. This is a natural survivalistic technique for the ENFP personality. The main driver to the ENFP personality is Extraverted Intuition, whose purpose is to understand the world as one Big Picture, seeking connections and meaning in everything. If their ability to seek understanding is threatened, the ENFP shuts out the threatening force. This is totally natural, but unfortunately the individual who exercises this type of agenda protection regularly will become more and more unable to apply judgement to anything. When the unbalanced ENFP does apply judgement, it will generally be skewed to support their subjective agenda. <strong> They will always find justification for their own inappropriate behaviour. </strong> They will be unable to finish anything that they start, and generally wander through life from experience to experience.<br /><br />It's very common for ENFPs to resist applying judgement until they feel they truly understand a person or situation. However, part of the understanding process includes using discernment to classify qualities. If the ENFP shuts judgement off entirely, he or she will not achieve their ultimate goal of understanding; rather they will jump from experience to experience in a purposeless fashion.<br /><br />Anger can be a problem for anybody, but may be especially so for ENFPs who have not sufficiently developed their Introverted Feeling. The desire to keep everything non-judgemental, combined with the tendency to use Introverted Feeling as justification rather than true judgement is a recipe for suppressed anger. These are very contradictory forces. "I hate you for judging me" is an ironic feeling, but is unfortunately common. <strong>The inability to apply judgement, or to accept negative judgement prevents the ENFP from expressing negative judgement, and therefore causes them to stew in their anger, rather than deal with it.</strong><br /><br /><em>Solutions </em><br /><br /><strong>To grow as an individual, the ENFP needs to focus on applying judgement to all of their perceptions. This means they need to decide how they really feel about people, places and things, rather than allowing their feelings to hang open indeterminately. The ENFP needs to understand that developing their ability to discern qualities does not threaten their ability to understand the world, but rather enhances it, and enhances their personal changes for achieving a measure of success in their lives.</strong><br /><br />The ENFP concerned with personal growth will pay close attention to their motivation for making a judgement. Are they trying to really determine the objective value or merit of something, or are they trying to defend their individual right to not be judged or controlled? <strong>The goal when judging something is to not let your personal agenda influence your opinions. Obviously, this is not entirely possible, but it is the exercise to keep in mind. You want to open your mind to judgement without feeling threatened, and without using your own judgement in a defensive, rationalizing mode.</strong><br /><br /><em>Living Happily in our World as an ENFP </em><br /><br />As can be seen from the above, some ENFPs can have difficulty fitting into society. Their problems are often due to feeling different from others because of their dominant Intuition, and being unable to stick to anything long enough to feel a sense of accomplishment. They feel like they don't fit in, and can't find the place where they belong in the world. The ENFP who consistently makes decisions and applies classifications to their ideas will be able to turn their ideas into reality, and experience the feelings of accomplishment and success that accompany being effective. <br /><br /><strong>The key to personal growth for the ENFP is competent execution of Introverted Feeling.</strong> It's difficult for most to understand what this means, much less incorporate that directive into your life. I have created some action-oriented suggestions that will help lead you down the path towards more effective use of the Introverted Feeling function. Specific suggestions: <br /><br /><strong>~When you feel angry or resistant towards someone who you feel is criticizing you, take this as a cue that you are not judging effectively. When that happens, take a step back from your anger and try to really hear what the person is saying objectively. Rather than expending mental energy in defining how the other person is wrong, try to judge what the person is actually saying.<br /><br />~Periodically make lists of goals and accomplishments. Revisit your goals and accomplishments as often as you'd like to maintain a sense of direction.<br /><br />~Spend time alone regularly for the purpose of thinking through issues in your life.</strong><br /><em><br />Ten Rules to Live By to Achieve ENFP Success </em><br /><strong><br />1. Feed Your Strengths! Make sure you have opportunities to have new experiences to feel your quest of understanding the world. <br /><br />2. Face Your Weaknesses! Realize and accept that some traits are strengths and some are weaknesses. By facing your weaknesses, you can overcome them and they will have less power over you. <br /><br />3. Express Your Feelings. Don't let anger get bottled up inside you. If you have strong feelings, sort them out and express them, or they may become destructive!<br /><br />4. Make Decisions. <em>Don't be afraid to have an opinion.</em> You need to know how you feel about things in order to be effective. <br /><br />5. Smile at Criticism. Try to see disagreement and discord as an opportunity for growth, because that’s exactly what it is. Try not to become overly defensive towards criticism; try to hear it and judge it objectively.<br /><br />6. Be Aware of Others. Remember that there are 15 other personality types out there who see things differently than you see them. Most of your problems with other people are easier to deal with if you try to understand the other person's perspective. <br /><br />7. Be Aware of Yourself. Don't stint your own needs for the sake of others too much. Realise you are an important focus. If you do not fulfill your own needs, how will continue to be effective and how will others know you are true to your beliefs? <br /><br />8. Be Accountable for Yourself. <em>Don't waste mental energy finding blame in other's behaviour, or in identifying yourself as a victim. </em> You have more control over your life than any other person has.<br /><br />9. Assume the Best. Don't distress yourself by assuming the worst. Remember that a positive attitude creates positive situations.<br /><br />10. When in Doubt, Ask Questions! Don't assume that the lack of feedback is the same thing as negative feedback. If you need feedback and don't have any, ask for it. </strong>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1138586504304752692006-01-29T19:52:00.000-05:002006-01-29T21:01:44.356-05:00The Latest...[Warning: Proud parent moment ahead!]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/spellingbee-721559.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/spellingbee-719172.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>The boys <strong>both</strong> made it into the school-wide spelling bee this year! So, there were about 13 kids, grades 6-8 going up against each other for the top honors--<strong>and two of them were ours!</strong> Both of the boys did really great and we were proud of them. Ian got knocked out of the competition with the word "regency" and several rounds later, Christopher got knocked out with the word "visually". He was the in the last four standing. They're both great spellers!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/funwith-753148.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/funwith-750950.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>In other news, we had a very nice--and quiet--Christmas. We were both able to take some time off while the boys were on Christmas break, which was really nice. We didn't go anywhere or do anything...very relaxing. We did see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369441/">Fun With Dick & Jane</a>, which was really funny. We wanted to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363771/">Narnia</a>, but we haven't made it to that one yet. Ian did see it with a group from school last week on a field trip and he said it was very good. <br /><br />We've had to move my grandparents into a more specialized assisted living facility--one that deals specifically with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease">Alzheimer's Disease</a>. Grandpa has had some really bad episodes in the past few weeks, with some pretty drastic changes, not gradual, as you usually see with the disease. So, now they are in a really nice place where Grandpa can go to the Alzheimer's Unit for about 5 hours during the day and participate in activities that are geared toward his specific needs. During this time, Grandma can rest or socialize, knowing that he is being well-cared for.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/bull-775709.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/bull-773793.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>The boys went to snowcamp with the church and had a really good time. They played snow football, went sledding and tubing, and Christopher even rode a mechanical bull! They had a speaker and a 1 a.m. bedtime! They came back <strong>very</strong> tired!<br /><br />My cousin is getting married in February, so Scott will be playing the piano for that. We haven't met the bride, yet. We're looking forward to seeing some family at the wedding that we haven't seen in a while.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Groundhog_Day-701984.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/Groundhog_Day-797951.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>Oh, and the "big day" will be upon us before we know it...my favorite holiday of the year...no, not Valentine's Day...<strong>Groundhog Day!</strong> I'm not working that day, so the party won't be as big, but festive just the same! I do love that day! It's the first real look toward the hope of Spring--which is a pretty huge deal when you live in West Michigan, where you might not see the sun for 10-12 days in a row.<br /><br />Taking life one day at a time...Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1130168964190314402005-10-24T11:42:00.000-04:002005-11-05T19:44:33.366-05:00New Pictures Online<center><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kimsmith" alt="click to see more" target="blank"><img src="http://scottandkim.net/images/compressed.jpg" border="0"><br /><br />More Photos Here!</a><br /><br /></center>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1130170044741711232005-10-24T10:30:00.000-04:002005-10-24T12:14:40.716-04:00Potential X-Games Contestant?<img src="http://scottandkim.net/images/Skateboarding.jpg" align="right">Christopher took his first skateboarding lesson on Saturday at the skate park. He wouldn't let me take my camera, so I snagged this one...this is NOT Christopher! Someday, maybe, but not quite yet. :o)<br /><br />He had a lot of fun and even learned to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollie" target="blank">ollie</a>. (An ollie is an aerial skateboarding trick during which the skateboarder does not grab his board with his hands, toes or accessories attached to the skateboard.)<br /><br />Way to go, Christopher!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1128907510095251102005-10-09T20:07:00.000-04:002005-10-09T21:26:13.816-04:00Great News!Scott got a new job! He will still be working for <a href="http://rbc.org" target="blank">RBC Ministries</a>, but he will now be the "Mailing and Postage Coordinator," instead of a Project Manager, which he has done for about 9 years. This will be a really good change for him. He will be responsible for all the outgoing mailings that RBC does and will be working extensively with the <a href="http://usps.com" target="blank">U.S. Postal Service</a> and other delivery services <a href="http://usp.com" target="blank">UPS</a>, <a href="http://www.fedex.com/" target="blank">Fed Ex</a>, etc. RBC is the largest mailer in W. Michigan, so he will be assuming a huge new responsibility. He is really looking forward to the challenge of this new position. It will involve more travel than he's had to do before, but it won't be all the time. It will be one grade level higher, too, which is good.<br /><br />I have also assumed some new responsibilities at <a href="http://rbc.org" target="blank">RBC</a>. I am now answering email that comes in via the website and through the ordering email address. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now and am really enjoying it. (I <i>am</i> the Email Queen, after all!) This is also a grade level increase for me, which is nice. I am still answering the switchboard, too. I continue to update our intranet as necessary and have been doing some letter writing for <a href="http://www.rbc.org/ourjourney/today.php" target="blank">Our Journey</a>, the newest devotional from <a href="http://rbc.org" target="blank">RBC Ministries</a>.<br /><br />My web design business, <a href="http://dramatic-design.com" target="blank">Dramatic Design</a>, has been going crazy for the last month or so. I've been really busy, which has been great. I've got several brand new sites just up and running. Please stop by and visit:<br /><ul><br /><a href="http://creagiouskids.com" target="blank">Creagious Kids</a><br /><br /><a href="http://jesscorealestate.com" target="blank">Jessco Real Estate</a><br /><br /><a href="http://dodtransport.com" target="blank">DOD Transport</a><br /><br /><a href="http://soggybottomlabs.com" target="blank">Soggy Bottom Labs</a><br /><br /><a href="http://thornapplefinancialcenter.com" target="blank">Thornapple Financial Center</a><br /></ul><br /><br />I also just finished a redesign on <br /><a href="http://hastingsfamilydental.com" target="blank">Hastings Family Dental</a> and am currently working on one for <br /><a href="http://thefaithjourney.net" target="blank">The Faith Journey</a>.<br /><br />So, life is very busy right now...but in a good way.Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1127008744288567452005-09-17T21:50:00.000-04:002005-09-17T21:59:04.296-04:00Progress on Our GarageOur shakes are up on our garage now! Our friend, Jim helped Scott put them up today. (Thanks, Jim!) It makes the house look so different. We need to do a little touch-up on the paint, but you can't see it from the street. :o) Here are a couple of pictures!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/P1010006-791088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/P1010006-788470.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/P1010005-759396.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/uploaded_images/P1010005-754888.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1124131750010807762005-08-15T14:35:00.000-04:002005-08-15T14:49:10.046-04:00Hershey ParkWe had a great time on our vacation. Part of it was spent with extended family, helping to put an addition on Scott's parents' house, which I may write on later. At the end, though, we took the boys to <a href="http://www.hersheypa.com/attractions/hersheypark/index.asp" target="blank">Hershey Park</a>. We had a blast! Here are some pictures (click to see the larger version)--<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/characterslg.jpg"><img src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/charactersth.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/chocolatefactorylg.jpg"><img src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/chocolatefactoryth.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/rollercoasterlg.jpg"><img src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/rollercoasterth.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/falconlg.jpg"><img src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/falconth.jpg"></a><br /></center><br /><br />As it turned out, Ian is a rollercoaster maniac! Christopher preferred the spinning rides. It worked well that way. Even though I loved rollercoasters while growing up, I just couldn't force myself to get on them this time around. Scott, who NEVER liked rollercoasters, bit the bullet and rode them with Ian. (What a great dad!) Christopher & I went on all the spinning rides together, since Scott was pretty sure they would have made them hurl. :o) The kids can't wait to go back again!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1116615741559504452005-05-20T15:02:00.000-04:002005-05-20T15:41:04.383-04:00AMAZING!<img src="http://scottandkim.net/log/images/vader.jpg" width="300" align="right">That's the only way to describe <a href="http://www.starwars.com/" target="blank">"Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith"</a>. We didn't go to the midnight showing, but we did take opening day off of work and school to go see it as a family. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/20/film.starwars.boxoffice.ap/index.html" target="blank">CNN is reporting</a> that the movie raked in an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings around the country--<u>double</u> the amount that "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" last year. <br /><br />The movie masterfully wove the new and old movies together. Everything came together as the story unfolded and all the loose ends were tied together. For a Star Wars fan, it was perhaps the best of all six movies...it was for us. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet, but here are a couple of fun links:<br /><br /><a href="http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lightsaber.htm/printable" target="blank">How Lightsabers Work</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/vader-life.htm/printable" target="blank">Darth Vader: This is Your Life</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/interactive/entertainment/0505/quiz.star.wars/frameset.exclude.html">Test your Star Wars Knowledge Quiz</a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1116416529382008242005-05-18T07:42:00.000-04:002005-05-19T22:19:15.456-04:00Something You Won't Hear from Main Stream Media...<i>[Dr. Terry Law, President and Founder of World Compassion / Terry Law Ministries, and the World Compassion team have just returned from a meeting with Iyad Allawi, the new Prime minister of Iraq, as well as an extensive meeting and interview with George Sada, the National Security Advisor of Iraq. The primary purpose of the trip was to meet with the Christian Leadership of Iraq to discuss and arrange the distribution of the thousands of Bibles and Christian literature recently brought into the country.]</i><br /><br /><blockquote>During this trip Dr. Terry Law had an extensive interview with George Sada, the National Security Advisor of Iraq. Sada provided great insight as to the views of the Iraqi people and the liberation as well as their views on the American occupation. Of great interest was the discussion regarding the future of Christians in Iraq. "Allawi promised them that he would return everything back to the Christians that were taken by Saddam," said Sada. "Christian schools, churches all go back. Plus we will give you some more." Sada specifically mentioned the welcoming of the return of the International English School in Iraq and the Jesuit Baghdad College.</blockquote><br /><br />Read the full story here: <a href="http://www.highonserp.com/law/law_d/newsletters/issue18.html">Law Attorney - Humanitarian Aid Leader Dr. Terry Law meets...</a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1115326624999384282005-05-05T16:57:00.000-04:002005-05-05T16:58:39.106-04:00Iraq's Future: "Freedom and Democracy"<a href="http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/CWN/042905IraqFuture.asp" target="blank">Great interview of General Sada by Christian World News.</a>Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1115080669728438212005-05-02T20:32:00.000-04:002005-05-02T20:37:49.726-04:00Surprises!Well, the boys both surprised us this past weekend! Christopher decided he wants to play football in the fall, so we signed him up for that over the weekend. He has the potential to be really good at it, too. He's got the perfect build for football! Ian told us that he wants to runt track...something we never really thought he was interested in. He doesn't really want to do Cross Country, so he'll have to wait until next spring to start his new sport. He's a really fast runner, so he has a good chance to excel in that area. They're smart boys...they're choosing areas to try that they have a high likelyhood of succeeding in...very wise for their years. How often do we set ourselves up for success? Not nearly as often as we should, I dare say!Kimtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6736949.post-1115080281919725542005-05-02T19:50:00.000-04:002005-05-02T20:31:21.923-04:00Military Ministries Conference -- Saturday & SundayWe had a very nice afternoon talking over a long lunch at the hotel restaurant...just the two of us. It was great. I think the best part of the whole weekend was just being able to spend so much time together, reconnecting. Couples just need to do that from time to time--it's so easy to lose the communication in the busyness of day to day life. So, Saturday afternoon was a really nice, relaxing time in a very busy weekend.<br /><br />Saturday evening was a really nice evening. We got to know more about the ministry, and met more great people...some were from Michigan, too! Betsy told us about her ministry in the Grand Rapids area. She collects industrial scrap materials from businesses and recycles them for use in schools in for charity projects. I sat next to Beverly at dinner--wife of a Florida lobbyist (former senator and legislator)--and we had a wonderful talk. She was very sweet...very down-to-earth. We were treated to a great drama presentation, "The Cross", and heard more great music from <a href="http://tunneymusic.com/" target="blank">Dick and Mel Tunney</a>.<br /><br />Sunday Morning was neat, too. We packed up our luggage and went to <a href="http://www.langley.af.mil/1fw.asp" target="blank">Langley Air Force Base</a> for a "Change of Leadership" ceremony. Gen. Abel retired this year from the Military Ministries and this was his time to hand over leadership to Gen. Dees. They did the ceremony very much like a regular military ceremony would have been conducted. It was very formal and "official" feeling. Afterward, we were treated to brunch at the <a href="http://www.scottandkim.net/log/offclub.jpg" target="blank">Officer's Club</a>. <br /><br />From there, we went to the airport and waited...and waited... See, even though it was <span style="font-style: italic;">Late April</span>, Michigan was dealing with <span style="font-style: italic;">snow!</span> Our plane was over an hour late to arrive because it was coming from Detroit...which had 7" of snow! Well, that's Michigan for you! LOL! We had a really great time waiting, though, because we were able to fellowship with some new friends, Ann-Marie, David, and the Manthei's from <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&address=&city=Petoskey&state=MI" target="blank">Petoskey</a>. It's really neat how when you meet up with fellow believers, it's like you've known each other forever. I think it's like that because when it goes down to your core, you have a common basis for belief...everything else just seems to fall into place. It truly is a <span style="font-style: italic;">small </span>world!<br /><br />We got home about 9:00 and it was really great to see the boys again. They <span style="font-style: italic;">grew</span> while we were gone, though! It seems like they just do that every so often over night!Kim