An Awesome Idea for a Proposal

So when the day arrives that I have found the love of my life...Will somebody please pass this on to him for some inspiration! I just love this!

Kelm Kitchen Remodelling 2012 Part 1

 2012 the Kelm home is getting a new look...

Here is the old kitchen. See the pantry in the corner?

And the square window above the sink.

First change made was the window. Now is opens up and down, instead of side to side. I love the arch on top.

Because of the arch created, there is now a gable on the outside of the house.

Next came a new sliding door. Much nicer! However 6 foot sliding doors have to be special ordered now. So they got a 7 foot wide door and had to cut the wall. These doors have the blinds built in between the glass panels.

Mom discovered Devin and Michael left their own messages in the floor back in 2005. I had to add my own work of art for 2012!

This wall looking into the kitchen from the living room was also extended.

The newly built cabinets arrive!

The pantry got knocked out!

The cabinet installation begins. Don't they look pretty?

The walls and parts of the ceiling had to be re-textured, so the kitchen got blocked off.

The "missing" parts of the doors will be filled in with glass panels.

Now comes the tile! We are getting closer....

For the birds

 My lastest form of entertainment while I am home.

I bought a bird feeder.

I get a lot of visitors.

Sometimes they share.

And some are not birds. The squirrels annoy me. Hello dude, it's called a "BIRD" feeder!

And the little ones are good at cleaning up what is left behind. 

I don't know what it is that is so delightful about watching the birds. When I eat breakfast I open the shades so I can see them. Little things in life...

Adventures in food

 Adventures in food...

Friday I was a true Austinite...I went to a food trailer off of 6th Street. The name is Cool Haus. 

They make ice cream sandwiches.

Step 1... select the ice cream flavor...

Step 2 is to select the "haus", the cookie you want. 

I had one ...

and the other...

 It came wrapped in an edible potato paper. 

 So that's a candied bacon ice cream, on one potato & butterscotch, and one red velvet cake cookie!  It was delicous! I swear! I totally recommend it. 

Then today I was feeling like cooking a bit and decided to make the worlds tastiest omelet. 

 And because my mother still has an incomplete kitchen, I'm making her dinner again. Crockpot chicken tacos. Chicken, salsa verde, and taco seasoning. Yep, that is 6 hours of slow cooking goodness to shred and put in tacos! 

Ain't life yummy?

Family Ward

In the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we have a term called "ward".  Simply put, it is a congregation set up geographically. Each ward is lead by non-paid clergy, a Bishop. Each ward is part of another larger geographically distinguished body called a "stake". There are 10 wards in the Austin, Texas Stake. I currently attend the Walnut Creek Ward, and the bishop happens to be my very own dad! I used to attend the Mt. Bonnell ward, which is a different kind of ward. Rather than be set up geographically by an area in the stake, it is for singles, ages 18-30, that live anywhere in the stake. Singles who turn 31 return to the regular "family" ward where there are church members of all ages. Now that we've got that down...let's get to this blog entry...

In September 2011 I began attending the Walnut Creek ward. It was the ward I grew up in. I thought leaving the singles ward was going to be the hardest thing ever. Turns out, it was not! I was so ready to move on to the next chapter! I was promptly given an assignment to teach the Relief Society (the women's organization), I had an instant group of people that I knew and who remembered me, I got to sit by my mom and get back scratches, and the bishop of the ward is the man who loves me more than ANY man in the entire world. We share the same building as Mt Bonnell ward, and I often cross paths with them and say hello. Never once have I looked back longingly at the singles ward. Besides, I live in an apartment complex with over a dozen other members of the church, both single and married...so I am surrounded by people I know everywhere.

The past few months I have made a few observations that has helped me see why I know I am where I am suppose to be, which has truly helped me see I am blooming where I am planted...

1.) Children! A family ward is full of them! One Sunday a father was helping pass the sacrament with the Aaronic Priesthood. As they reverently passed it, his little girl could be heard saying- "Daddy!, Daddy!" She excitedly pointed and waved to her dad. When he returned to sit with the family she screeched with joy! Later her mom went to sing with the choir. This time she screamed with unhappiness- "Mommy!" She wasn't so happy about that one. It was adorable to watch.

Yesterday as the choir finished and returned to their seats I heard a child say- "All done!"

Last week for Mother's Day four children, ages 7 & 8, and four teenagers were the speakers. "Out of the mouth of babes!" What truth these kids testified of. They eloquently taught about the Family Proclamation, reading scriptures, and taught us that moms feed us, pray, take care when we are sick, are peacemakers, teach us not to doubt God...and one teenager said it takes a "brave, strong woman to be willing to raise a family".

Finally a few weeks ago a family with twin pre-teen girls sat in front of me. The girls were cuddled in a shawl wrapped around the two of them, sitting shoulder to shoulder. It warmed my heart! 

2.) I get to see mom's in action.

There one mom named Jamie Peterson. She is supermom to me. She has 4 adorable little girls that I have been blessed to baby sit a few times. She is so well rounded, she has an education in law, she is a runner, a photographer, and certified as a scuba diver.

There are two moms who are also Relief Society instructors and due to different circumstances, they come to church without their husbands. They have their hands full but they are great examples to me of strong, faithful woman who would sacrifice everything for their children. One Sunday I observed a sweet moment between one of the moms and her daughter. The daughter kept grabbing her moms face, kissing her on the lips, and giggling. She did it over and over again. Oh so tender!

One family has a son who often gets up on Fast Sundays and bears testimony. He is 10 or 11 and the testimony that comes out of his mouth blows me away. He builds on things previous speakers shared, so you know he is listening. I heard that when his 8 year old sister was baptized earlier this year, she went around and shook hands with all those that were in attendance. This family indeed has goodly parents.

3.) Variety of people from all walks of life.

There are old and young. Healthy and sick. Single and widowed. Young pregnant women, and vibrant middle-aged.

A man passed away in March that we've known since moving to Austin in 1989. His name is Eddie Davis. the opening song the following Sunday was "Families Can Be Together Forever". My heart ached for his wife Pam, and the pew full of his family. I thought- oh how hard hearing this song would be. But then I thought, no this song is about hope and joy, and God's love.

4.) My dad, Orlando Kelm, as a bishop...

My dad is my number one fan. Like I said, he loves me more than than ANY man in the whole wide world. I love him back no doubt! Being in his ward however, I have learned to love him as a bishop. He is always encouraging the members of the ward to hang in there and to give ourselves more credit for the good we do. He is quick to teach that coming to church and taking the sacrament is our way of telling God, ok, I didn't do perfectly but I am willing to keep trying. All we are expected to do is to keep trying. I love it! And I love this man!


My ward really does feel like family...  I am learning the lessons I need to help me be my best self in the future, hopefully as a wife and a mother.

Blooming Where She is Planted!