A New Look

  So what do you think?  Notice anything . . . different?  I got a makeover!! Yeah!  Last week on Type A Decorating, I won a giveaway of a new blog design by Shabby Creations.  I've been wanting a new design for quite a while.  I feel like I'm a "real" blogger now that I have a "real" design instead of just a copy and pasted one.  Oh, and I also have a signature, how cool is that!  Anyway, Michelle was great to work with.  She has some fantastic pre-designed stuff or she can do custom work, too.  So I got to pick from her premade designs, what a dilemma.  They were all so cute.  I picked some of my favorites, asked my girls for their opinions, not surprisingly we all liked the same ones.  I even emailed my sister, Leslie, and asked what she liked.  What's funny, is only one of the ones she liked best was one Cheyenne and I liked.  Anyway, when I saw the name of this design, Kimmy, I HAD to pick this one.  See, that's been my nickname forever.  When I was little, my family all called my Kimmy, I didn't really like it.  But eventually I grew out of the name, except for my Grandma C. she always called me Kimmy.  Then I became an aunt and I was back to Kimmy, although this time I liked it a lot more.  Sadly, all those cute little nephews and two nieces (yes, we're very short on the girls in this family, but I did my part. :) ) have grown up and only Leslie's little boys still call me Aunt Kimmy.  So there's some random information for ya! lol  I'm loving my new design, it makes me happy!  And it was a great birthday present.

Jon's present.

Speaking of my birthday, that's why I've been a little absent this week.  I'm just taking it easy this week, life's been a little stressful/busy lately.  So I had a great birthday!  It started with this awesome, surprise post from Leslie.  Wow, we've had a lot of fun together over the years.  I can honestly say she is one of my best friends, both my sisters are.  I'm very lucky that way!  And then more awesomeness, my parents took me out to lunch.  They are so cool!  I love so close to them.  I can visit them any time, they come support my kids' activities, we have birthday parties together (along with my brother who lives close, too), it's great!  I'm really going to miss them when they leave on another mission for our church in April.  Luckily it's not very far this time, so we'll still be able to visit them.  Back to my birthday, Natalie asked her dad to bring home pizza for dinner and Cheyenne made me a cake.  The boys made me some presents they had hiding under their bed so I couldn't peak. :)  Jon gave me a picture of a whale he drew (apparently a new skill he's quite proud of), a bookmark, and a new pencil.  Both boys gave me two jaw breakers and a gift certificate to make me some brownies - my favorite treat.  Cheyenne said the gift certificate originally said I could make THEM some brownies.  She told them that wasn't a birthday present and they said, "Well, Uncle Thomas gave YOU stuff to make HIM cookies for your birthday."  (See the whole story here.)  She convinced them it would be nicer this way and that she would help them.  What a good sister.  :)  Then a total surprise when Bill gave me a video camera!  This thing is so tiny!  Seriously, it's the size of my small, point-and-shoot camera.  I'm so excited to test it out on Saturday at Billy's basketball game.  My kids better watch out, we'll be videoing everything for posterity now. lol  All in all, it was a great day!  I got lots of birthday wishes, some great friends brought me presents, my kids were angels all day (no fighting!), what more could a person ask for.  Thank you all for a wonderful day!

P.S. I forgot to add that I added the new Linky follower on the right side.  Google is discontinuing Google Friends Connect for anyone who's not on Blogger on March 1.  There is also a rumor that they will discontinue it altogether at a later date.  (Pushing everyone to use Google+.)   What does this mean?  It means all those favorite blogs that you enjoy and read often will not show up in your reader anymore.  Solution - Linky Followers.  It's free to set up an account and it's very similar to GFC with one big plus - I love the fact that you can categorize the blogs you follow: blogs to check daily, family, friends, cooking, craft, etc., whatever you want.  So go sign up before you loose all those favorite blogs you're following.  I'd love it if you follow me, too.