I have been a very baaaad blogger!

Lets all say this together!

SLACKER!

I have totally neglacted my blog. I shouldn't. I really enjoy blogging but I have been so busy.

Instead of trying to update the last several weeks of not blogging, I will just post some cute pictures from the last couple of days.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Busy!

Can we say FAR behind?! Ya know that thing called life? Yeah, it got busy. Work is slowing down for the season but the house is going to start in full force here soon!

Instead of making a big update...I will just update with my 365. Pictures are more fun anyways right?

Chiplote! Nuff said ;)

We got TONS of snow that stuck around for a day. Enough though to make 4 snow men & have plenty to spare!

We spent most of the day at the house burning the trees we cut down in the back. And also planting 8 new trees.

Some of the big demo has begun! Holy Moly!

October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Every year I light candles for the babies that were lost.

The view from the living room to the kitchen! Oh my! The walls were in rough shape so we had to take them down only to put them up again! The old owners took horrible care of this place!

Now isn't THIS a big change! The room looks so much bigger without that wall there!

I love my kiddos!

I am super in love with this picture. It is my current desktop background!

11:365 SNOW!

On October 10th 2009 in the wee hours of the morning we got SNOW!!!!

I can't lie. I love the first snow of the season. I really do. It's so pretty & romantic looking. The novelty is new right now & it's bliss. But in 7 months I will be hating it & wanting to come back in time & kick myself in the butt. But for now. I will enjoy it.

My 365 is early I know. I have a wedding today! Woo!

10:365 Batteries

For the last several months my Friday nights have been spent with these guys!

Yup. Batteries. Friday nights are spent charging countless batteries for my extrnal flash for my Saturday weddings. As much as I dislike not being able to go out Friday night like all my friends, I wouldn't change being able to shoot weddings. It really is a fun job. I come home with countless stories that half the time people don't believe. I meet so many amazing couples & people & really have the time of my life. It isn't an easy job & I work my bum off but it is fun. I am lucky I get to do what I love & get paid for it!

9:365 Broken!

So I have a really good reason for being late on my Project 365. The picture was taken yesterday but the post had to wait until today.

Why?

Well take a look!

Yup. That is Kegan in a sling. No he didn't break or sprain his arm. If you ask him he will tell you the doctor took out his bones. lol Nope. They didn't do that. What they did do was take pictures of his bones. AKA an x-ray. Why? Because my monkey child broke his collarbone! If you would have asked me who would break a bone first I would have said without any hesitation "KARIE!" She is truly a monkey.

Not this time. It was Mr. Kegan who fell down the stairs & has a hairline fracture on his collarbone! Holy Crap! The fracture is titty bitty & she said he doesn't really even need the sling. But is giving us one so that he learns to rest it a bit.

I had no idea just how common collarbone breaks are. She said in the summer she sees that almost daily. Kids falling off the jungle gym is the #1 thing followed by falling down the steps. I also had no idea how easy they are the break too! Eek!

This years seems the year of broken. Kyle breaking his ankle, Kegan with his collarbone & Karie with her chin & tongue. Does that mean I am next?!?! *knock on wood*

But, as you can see in the picture he is in high spirits. It doesn't even bother him. He isn't in any pain & could care less honestly. He only has to wear it for a couple of weeks & will have it off by Halloween.

What a monkey!

8:365 Lumerjacks

Today we made some major progress on the yard work. 2 of the big dying trees in the backyard are no longer! NICE! Kyle's good friend Bozer came out & helped take down the trees. He was a God send let me tell ya!!

The boys took down the first tree. The kids & I sat outside for a bit & I took some pictures but went inside before the tree came down. Kegan was oh so excited to see it fall saying "OH MY!" really loud!

I took the kids home & the boys worked on the second tree getting all the semi dead branches at the top down. When I got back it looked like a giant tall stick. Then I heard "We are letting you cut it down!" Um what?! Me?! You want ME to cut down this tree? For real? HA!

It wasn't a joke. The boys chopped at it a bit & Bozer started in with the chain saw but the rest was up to me. Let me tell ya that was an AWESOME experience! I LOVED IT! The rush you get with all that power. Oh fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Our back yard now looks like crap! There is trees EVERYWHERE! But, it really shows off just how big our yard is.

Tomorrow one of the many things we have to get done is to plant the 8 new trees! Yay!

I am really excited with all the work we have done! This is my official 365 picture!

7:365 This is Halloween!

So remember the song from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas" that has "This is Halloween" in the song? Yea. It has been not only stuck my my head all day but also in Kegan's. He hasn't stopped singing it. lol

In light of that I decided to dress Karie in new Halloween dress. Sadly you can't see her adorable Halloween leggings I made. The dress I had the idea in my head head for well over a month. It came out great. A little longer than I wanted but since it is so cold out, it works great. The Hat matches great. Thank you Target!

But, today's picture really should have been Twins related!!! Did you watch the game! Holy buckets I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! 12 innings & the Twinkies take it!!! AL Division Champs baby!!!! HOLY CRAP! They take on NY tomorrow & we will be cheering them on!!!!! They deserve this!! <3

6:365 Are you ready for some Football?!?!?

This is a day late...but for a good reason. My picture is from yesterday though so I am not cheating! lol

If you aren't from Minnesota or Wisconsin you may not know the bitter rivalry between Minnesota Viking & the Green Bay Packers. When I say bitter, I mean BITTER! It has always been this way, well for at least as long as I can remember. The games between these two are insane. The fan are crazy & you stop whatever you are doing to watch the game.

Now if you are any kind of football fan at all you know who Brett Favre is. Or if you have seen "There's Something about Mary" or even the new Sears commercial. He is a big name. He played for the Packers for 16 years. An amazing QB who holds many records. Well, in August, this former Packer became a current Viking sending Packer fans into a frenzy! There "King" has betrayed them & I don't blame them for feeling this way. Favre is an amazing player than any team should be grateful to have. But, he is playing for the rivals! Way to kick Wisconsin in the face. But us Minnesotan's? The Minnesota Nice? We welcomed Mr. Favre with open arms. But like I said before, we wouldn't? Even for an almost 40 year old he is an AMAZING football player. You can't deny that.

Well, last night was the first time since Favre became a Viking that he played against his former team. The Packers.

Most of Minnesota & Wisconsin shut down to watch such a momentous game. To most of the country it was just a football game. But to us, this was probably one of the biggest games! This was, what I described it as last night, "The Viking Packer Superbowl". Honestly, that is how people were/are treating it.

It was a late game starting at almost 8! It ended after 10 but we were glued to the TV. It a great game!

If the Viking's win it would not only bring us glory but it would mean that Favre has beat every single team in the NFL.

Well, guess who came out on top?!

That's right baby!!! The Minnesota Viking's!!!

You could definitely hear the cheers around the state for that one!

I watched it with my 2 little Viking's fan & my mom & aunts.

I snapped a cute picture of my mom & Karie during a commercial break!

Welcome to Minnesota Brett!!

5:365 Kegan

This weekend, besides the couple of photoshoots I had, was spent shopping. Not for the house, although I did window shop for that, but for myself & the kids. Fall has officially arrived which bye bye shorts & hello sweaters. If you know me, you know I am a deal hunter. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. Finding a bargain is like a drug. I love it & I am not afraid to admit my "cheapness" lol.

During sales times The Children's Place really has some of the best deals out there. They have great quality clothes. Even at non sale prices they have good prices, but sales prices are just SICK! %40 off already reduced merchandise! I didn't make out with that much. It was so busy that I could barely walk. I did manage to walk out with two shirts for Kegan & a poncho for Karie for under $30.

Both those shirts were under $15 total! Just crazy & oh so adorable. I attempted to get a cute picture of the two kids together. Karie didn't want anything to do with it. Totally unlike her. Kegan on the other hand was so into it. Saying "Cheese!" and titling his head like a little model. Could he be any cuter? Honestly? No, I don't think so.

I still have more clothes to get. I got myself two tank tops at Express. They have the BEST tank tops hands down anywhere else. I wear them daily & they last so long. During their sales you can get their $20 tank tops for $7.99. Score. I also got myself two sweaters. $15 each which isn't bad at all. I am tempted to get a couple of more. I am a weirdo like that. If I find a shirt I really like, I will buy it in every color. Makes it so much easier since I think everything looks insane on me. Plus, I like things that are more classic & the styles these days are just...out there.

Karie got two ponchos & one shirt. I couldn't find anything out there that I really liked. Old Navy normally has really cute things so that is the next place I will hit. Possibly the Outlet mall to see what I can find. I LOVE the Outlet! Kegan made out with a lot more. 2 hoddies, 5 shirts, 2 pairs of pants & a play coat. He needs another pair of jeans for sure & a few more shirts. I am debating getting him the same coat I got him last year. It was so cute & I still love it.

Off the subject of shopping my weekend was great work wise. I love shooting weddings but it is really nice to have a weekend "off". I haven't had one off in a while. Today I met an internet friend of mine to do her engagement photos. We had been friends for a long time. We were friends before she even moved to Minnesota. Before she even met her Fiance. We were lazy & never met until today. I had a blast walking around shooting pictures in Minneapolis. I am itching to edit some photos. I am staying at my moms for a few days & her tiny little screen just doesn't do it for me. lol

Now off to bed before I chat your ears eyes off! ;)

4:365 Hawk

As many of you know, or have read, we have a little 9 pound dog named Hawk. Sadly, Hawk has been staying with Kyle's cousin because he is having a tough time at the place we are living. Long story short, he doesn't like my in laws dog so he pees in their house. Thankfully Kyle's cousin can take Hawk for a while so we didn't have to put him up for adoption.

This weekend I am staying at my mom's house so Hawk was able to come home for the weekend!!!! YAY!

I cannot tell you just how amazing & wonderful it is to have my dog back. I always felt like something was missing when he was gone. Every time I came home I always expected to hear him barking. I still check the bed before I sit down to make sure I don't sit on him since he LOVES to mess up the bed & lay under the covers. I really really really missed him.

I spent so much time cuddling with him already. I have to get as many cuddles as I can in right now since I am not sure when I will see him. This weekend I didn't have a wedding so I have an entire Saturday off for once. Well, besides the photoshoot that I had this morning but those few hours are nothing compaired to a 10 hour wedding.

It is bittersweet since I know come tomorrow night he will be going back. =( I already told Kyle I can't drop him off. I know I will cry. I know we are getting him back but it still isn't easy to see my little man leave.

3:365 Kitchen Demo

The demo in the kitchen started. As you can see the kitchen is now even uglier than before. I honestly did think that was possible. I have to say though, I like the wall paper. lol I don't want it all over but I think it would be cute to some how save it & frame it. I bet I could get some cute vintage art out of it. Our kitchen will have greens & oranges so I just might try.

You can see on the floor by the pipes the reason we have to gut the kitchen entirely instead of just being able to redo the kitchen. You can see the sub floor that looks more like saw dust. AWFUL. There is also a hole in the wall. A slow leak ruined everything.

The wall needs to come down. All the walls in the kitchen actually. All the floors. Nothing, besides the windows, are staying in the kitchen. Kyle bought a new Fridge yesterday. Got a sick deal at work. The fridge that is in there right now will go into the garage. I debated selling it on Craig's List for like $25 but Kyle wants it for a beer fridge. It will be nice to have it for extra space if we need it. I am sure we will too. We can never have too much freezer space.

We picked out our cabinets, the color we want is AWESOME. We also picked out our counter tops. SO pretty. They are Granite. A pretty black & green. The only thing we haven't really picked out is the black splash. After everything is up I hope to have a better idea of what I want. The other thing is lighting. Kyle hates what I like. We'll see. I am not ruling it out.

The kitchen still has a loooooooooooooong way to go!

It's like the saying goes "Things get worse before they get better." That saying is oh so true for this kitchen!

2:365 Knit

It has almost been 2 years since I learned to knit. It was shortly before Christmas of 2007. I owe it all to my girlfriend Jess. She had a knitting party & taught a few of us wannabes to knit. It was a pain at first & thought I was NEVER going to get it. Slowly but surely I did. Within a month I was knitting a ton. I even knit while I was in labor with Karie.

Last year & again this year I am knitting pumpkin hats for the kids & whoever else. They are simple & cute. I bought two more skeins of orange yarn today & went to town on Kegan's hat. I already made Karie's & Kegan REALLY wants his done. He is always trying to wear hers & it just doesn't fit.


I just love to knit. Sitting around knitting & drinking a nice hot cup of coffee. Aww it doesn't get any better than that!

HOMEOWNERS & Official start to my 365!

You read that title right! WE ARE OFFICIALLY HOMEOWNERS!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!

After a 1.5+ years searching & 30+ offers one finally stuck & today we made it ours!

Honestly though, it doesn't seem real. I thought, and told myself, that when I have the keys it will feel real. But it doesn't. lol I know it will, it will just take some time. Maybe when I see that bank account a lot lower than I am used to it will sink in ;)

I also am starting my Project 365 today. I said many moons ago that I would start my 365 on the day we close on a house. Today we close so it's very fitting that this is my 365 picture of the day!

1:365 KEYS

Those are THE keys! Nothing special but those little things mean the world to me right now!

I can't believe we are homeowners!

Check out the house. The siding will be going in about a year or so but a new paint job did a world of difference!!

I don't LOVE the green & wish it were darker but it looks light years better than it did before.

I leave you with a kiss!! <3

I am BEAT!

Today was spent at our future home with my mom, aunts, Kyle, Bozer, Fitch, Tim & my FIL trying to get as much of the house done as we could. We got some good news that FHA wasn't coming until Tuesday so we didn't have to stress like we orginally were.

We got the entire garage done, the back & front of the house & almost all of both the sides of the house. We racked up all the paint chips (FHA doesn't approve it if there are any paint chips) which was a pain in the butt! Saturday my family was over there working. They cut the grass, twice over, and ripped out a bunch of crap in the back. It looks great so far! It made me reazlise just how big our back yard really is. It also gave us a look at the back fence, which is a piece of junk. I am going to go talk to those neighbors once we move in & see if that fence is theres or ours. If it's ours, it goes. If not, we will just put up our own fence. Hawk can totally get through the holes & that is the last thing we need!

Everyone is just beat. We worked our buns off! Kyle & I couldn't do it without the help of our friends & family. They helped SO much!

We were so busy that I didn't get a chance to take many pictures. Bummer! But that is okay, there is plenty of time to take pictures once we have the keys. SO EXCITED!

I didn't realize how big of a dork I look when I paint! lol

OMG Panic Mode!

So we close in a few days. Wednesday. Eeek! But as previous posts said we have to have everything done for the FHA final approval by Monday. Monday is coming SOON. VERY soon! We had some snags in our help with my FIL & all the work has stopped.

Can we say PANIC!

Thankfully Kyle has Sunday off. He called in some favors & I am SO grateful that some of his friends are able to come help him. Beer & a BBQ on Sunday for the boys! My family is going over tomorrow to do what they can to help. My mom & 2 of my aunts. My other aunt is going to watch the kids since I have to shoot a wedding & Kyle was to work. My uncle might make it over too which would be great!

The garage is all primed & only the front & part of the side of the house. There is a little bit in the back that is primed but not much. One side hasn't even been touched.

Forgive my crappy iPhone picture. I didn't have my camera with me that day. Surprising I know! But it does happen from time to time. So you can see how far with the primer it has gone in the back. The whole left side of the house hasn't been touch. The right side only about 8 or 9 feet up has been done.

Not to mention we have some painting to be done inside & some trim work to do also. So needless to say there is quite a bit of work still left to do & I am freaking out.

This whole home buying process hasn't been easy for us. Not even one little thing has been easy. It has honestly, been pure hell! The thought of looking for another house in the future, since we won't live here forever, kind of has me wanting to vomit. Hopefully the next time around won't be so rough. Can I just win the lottery please? Then I won't have to deal with any of this crap. I can just pay someone to be stressed for me. Haha! If only right?

It has been ALL panic though. My aunt L & I went shopping today for things for the house. Mainly the bathroom & kids bedrooms. She was beyond kind & bought us SO much stuff. Kegan got all new bedding, which I might add is so awesome, a lamp for his room, shades & a few other things. Karie got all new bedding & a new lamp. Finding her shades wasn't as easy & I think I will end up sewing those myself. She went from, in my mind, having a purple room to a pink & brown room. OMG it's so cute though. Pictures of it all will come eventually. I already picked out chocolate & steal blue for my bathroom ages ago & finally found the PERFECT shower curtain. Did they have it in stock anywhere? Nope. Not even online! It's new so I am not worried. Plus I don't need it right away. They said their website it updated hourly. I will stalk it until I get it. lol I did get a curtain rod & curtain holders.

It felt awesome out buying things for the house. I know that when we are handed the keys to our house on Wednesday I will cry. We have worked so hard for this. It has been a very long year & a half search. Longer if you count the 6 months before that I search Edina Reality online for homes. Either way, it has been really long time. Too long for this mama.

I just have to keep postive. Even though I am in total panic mode I have to stay postive. Even though I feel like I am losing control, or that I never had it to begin with on this house, I have to believe that it will turn out fine. I have some many awesome friends & family there to support & help us any way they can. I am so grateful for that. My support system ROCKS!

1 Week!!!

2 posts in one day?!

Yup!

Not only are Kyle & I celebrating 6 years but WE CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE IN 1 WEEK!!! OMG!

FIL has been over there working on the outside. Only 2 full days & part of 1 was Kyle able to help since he had to work. I hadn't seen the house since Sunday but I saw it today. I am SO glad I did. It is coming along nicely but holy crap does the green look AWFUL. It looks NOTHING like the sample. Only one coat was put on. It was just....bad. We are going to have it tinted darker or exchange them for another color. Something a lot darker.

But it's coming along. The electrician is fixing what needs to be fixed tomorrow. The guy redoing the main floor bathtub was there today.

Ekk!!!

Check it out!

I know awful right?! It's SO much lighter than the sample!!

You can see it's coming along!!

It looks like a new house from halfway down!! Oh & our BEAUTIFUL mailbox! lol

I found this one on the internet:

Think Kyle would be okay with us getting one like that???   Yea....I don't think he would either! lol

6 Years

I can hardly believe it has been 6 years since Kyle & I's first date. We were just babies then. I was still a teenager! Oh how the times have changed. 2 kids, a dog & now a house. Could it be anymore prefect? Well, if we added a white picket fence to the front of our new house it would be. ;)

6 years ago we ate Chineese Food, drank wine (shhh I know I wasn't 21) and watched funny movies. Even took a few pictures with my crappy digital camera that I had back then.

6 years later I am spending the day with the kids because Kyle has to work until 10. :( But I did make him breakfast in bed & let him sleep in for about an hour. We spent a little bit of time taking some pictures, because anything photo realted is the way to my heart!

These past 6 years have been filled with ups & downs but after all is said & done I am so happy. We are far from perfect but we are perfect for each other!

Get to know the Coopet Family

I should probably get around to introducing myself & my family. It is a family blog & most of you know my family is some way or another. But for those of you who stumbled upon my blog & don't know me, here is a little intro!

If you haven't figured out already, I am Kimi or MamaKimi as I am known on the interweb. Right now I have blonde hair, I am kind of spunky & always sarcastic.

I am the oldest of 4 & the only girl. Lucky me. ;) I always want to be a girly girl but I find jeans & tee so much more comfortable. I must admit I have been trying. I do my makeup & hair daily! That is an accomplishment seeing that I am a mom of 2!

If I had to categorize myself in a mom group I would say I am a SAHM. For the most part. I work as a photographer shooting weddings for a company but also do photography on my own. I love it. It is a huge passion of mine & it's great getting paid doing something I love.

My life revolves around pictures. My camera is something you rarely see me without. I take well over 100 pictures a day & have many many CD & hard drives filled with pictures to prove it.

My hubby, Kyle, & I met in September of 2003. I was 19 & he was the "older man" at 24 almost 25. It was love at first sight for me. He is a hard worker. My "Daddy Bear" as I call him. He is oh so handsome & one of the funniest people I have ever met! We have our ups & downs and are far from perfect but we make it work.

On August 3rd at 11:52pm Kegan was born weighing 8lbs 9oz! He came out quiet but has made up for it ever since. He is a handful at times but he can't pass up a good cuddle. He is a Thomas the Train addict & love Chicken Fingers more than anyone I know. He is a blonde little spitfire with an attitude as big as Texas. Kegan is a little smarty. He learns very fast & loves to share what he has learned with anyone who will listen. Hearing his little voice always makes me smile no matter how I am feeling!

 

2 weeks & 2 days past her due date Karmidee aka Karie (Car-EE) was born weighing 8lbs 1oz. Everything in her life has been big. She wants to make sure everyone goes home remembering who she was. My labor with her was fast & CRAZY. She has already been to the ER twice in her short little life for the spills she takes. She is a clutz & a food lover. She is going to be the child who sneaks out of bed in the night & ends up on the top of the fridge eating cookies. I can't imagine life without her!

Now I can't forget my little dog Hawk. My little 9 pound MinPin. He is the best little cuddler around. He would give his back legs for someone to pet him & love him all day. He is a crazy spaz that the kids just love!


My should be simple but something always seems to complicate it. Fortunately, we always come out on top!

Let the work begin!

Even though we don't close on our house for 1 week & 3 days but work has already started.

Before we close FHA had a few things that they said needed to be done before they would approve an FHA loan. One of those things was painting the entire outside of the house. Orginally the seller offered to do the painting but after seeing what kind of job he did on other things, we said "You pay for the paint & we'll paint it!" That way we can fix the trim & do some yard work & other things that need to be done at the same time. My FIL & Kyle are doing all of the work which is awesome.

There is lots of be done. They are nailing in the siding, scrapping off old paint with a wire brush, sanding, taking down & putting up new trim, caulking the crap out of the holes, taking down bee hives that were in the trim & many other things that I can't remember off the top of my head.

As you can see a lot has been done but there is oh so much more to do. I am excited to get the color on. Even more excited to reside it. That needs to be done badly but we don't have enough time to do that before we close. Nor do we NEED to do it right now. The siding will last a few more years. The kitchen & bathroom however won't! Not to mention all the other things that need to be done!




Oh the joys of buying a fixer upper!

The Adventures of Househood!

After many many months of searching for a new home, seeing countless houses and putting more offers than most people do in a lifetime we FINALLY got one! FINALLY! It has been what seemed an endless struggle. We would fall in love with a home only to get beat out by an investor buying the house with cash. You can't compete with that. I would see myself living there. Imagining the kids playing in the back yard. Only to get my dreams crushed. I can't tell you how heart breaking that is. But finally we snagged our own.

I figured that today would be a good day to start my family blog. I had been throwing around the idea for quite some time & today seemed like the day to do it.

Why?

Well, because today we went to our future home & I saw the "Sold" sign.

SOLD! That is one of the best words I have read in a long time. It finally feels real. I even checked the MSL to see if it was still listed as active. It wasn't. Pending. OMG this is really happening! Everything on our end financially is squared away thankfully! We have a few things that we need to do house before closing. Painting the house & we told the seller we would do a few things inside also. He is a very old man & isn't in the best health so my FIL was kind enough to tell him he would do a few things for him.

1 week & 6 days and the house is officially ours!

Take a look at her now. She won't even look the same after we own her.

The kitchen & bathroom are getting gutted. Every surface of the house will be painted & hopefully the wood floors under the carpet are in good shape. I would love to be able to bring them back to life. I am a sucker for hardwood. Not to mention the basement which is my baby & future studio. I can't tell you how excited that makes me.

Welcome to the Adventures of Househood!