*HALLOWEENS OF THE PAST*

Pictures of the fam & friends on Halloweens gone by. I think the pictures speak for themselves. My Halloween intentions have never been to look "cute" :)

(I have no idea the years of these...my concept of time is gone.)

As you can tell, I really get into carving pumpkins. :)

*THE BLUE FLIES ARE BLACK*

(part one)

*The blue flies are BLACK*

The blue flies are black
The crown is forlorn
Grows old in its case
With a vacant face
The beaten backlash
of thunderous thorns
Aiming for wounds
already are torn

Creation and causes
nothing but masks
They wail and weep
Studder defeat

Fallen…

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

The dawn is soon coming
Why is it so!?
The wrenching and smothering
The pits and the fits
Leave me, leave me, leave me alone!

A price indeed
penniless shame
Mocks as a mustache
Self pity sings blame
The holes from handshakes
Shrapnel and faith
What can it merit?
Pain and fame?

Walk to the isles
Shores in the west
Salt stings!
Flavor is green
Wounds of those thorns
Deep and mean

The blue flies are black
The blue flies are black!
(breathe out silently)
Never, never, never come back

~ A girl named Kim Curtis

*STANDING SHADOWLESS*

“I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening To silence”

~Thomas Hood

*ONCE UPON A TIME...I WENT ON A MISSION*

"I hope they call me on a misssiiooonnnn" hahah Sister Schow, me, and my awesome jacket! Oh and of course the beautiful Provo Temple.My first district, the greatest girls ever! This is the typical MTC pose. Pointing to where your going to serve in the world. That would be me, far right. :)The awesome geek squad. :)Liston, Mclane, Curtis, and Schow.The infamous Elder Liston and his companion, Elder Mclane. :)

In 1995 I chose to serve a mission for my church. I was called to the The Toronto, Canada East mission. I was so happy about where I had been called and truly looked forward to going. I was in the missionary training center for two months. Not only was I called as a proselyting missionary but I would also be working in the geneology centers as a geneology missionary. And THEN I stayed in the mtc a little longer at the call center (I can't remember the exact name of that) and answered questions of those who wanted to know more about the gospel.

My first week was crazy. My companions name was, Sister Lynette Schow. Oh how I loved her! She was hilarious! She kept everything entertaining. For those of you who know me well, you will know that I often say "Rock on sweet rocker!"...that saying came from her! We went to the temple early one morning and as we were walking she woke us up by saying "Rock on sweet rocker!!!" really loud. She was classic.

I found out that first week that I would have two districts. I remember walking in my first day only to find that the room was girls only. WHAT!?? NOOOO! I mean, come on! I had to have the male gender in my classes. And then, to my relief, I found that my companion and I would be in another district as well. One with all girls and one with all guys. (You can imagine how happy the guys were to have two girls in their class.) You should have seen their faces light up when we walked in the door. :)

I found out quickly that they were very...um...UNIQUE! I think maybe you could call them "The geek squad"...yeah, this was going to be very interesting. I took my seat and slowly glanced around the room. *Sigh* But then I caught the eyes of one of them. He was looking at me with a puzzled face. And then I was puzzled...suddenly a light goes on! We had both gone to Orem High School. It was Russ Liston. We never really knew each other, but we had mutual friends. Both of us smiled as it was a relief to see a somewhat familiar face. He was NOT part of the geek squad. He was very cute and it made it much more fun for me to go to class. And no, we never did anything wrong, it was a silent crush. :) Throughout our stay at the mtc, I think we both had a deep mutual respect for each other. He was my friend from heaven, I knew that. He was truly one of the pure hearts of the earth. I also learned to love the geek squad quite a bit. :)

My companion and Elder Liston made my MTC experience. There are days that you think, what on earth am I doing? How am I going to make it? I remember one particular day that our district was outside for a break and Elder Liston was standing next to me both of us staring up at the mountains. He kept his head straight ahead and this was our converstaion,

Elder Liston: Sister Curtis, don't you wish you were camping right now?
Sister Curtis: Yes.
Elder Liston: Do you realize that our houses are only a few miles from here?
Sister Curtis: Yes.
Elder Liston: Should we make a run for it?
Sister Curtis: YES!

We laughed and then turned back toward our district and headed back to class. We had testimonies of The gospel of Jesus Christ. We were servants of the Lord and on His errand to teach His children the plan of salvation. We would fulfill what we were called to do. We loved the Savior more than we loved ourselves.

I kept in touch with both Sister Schow and Elder Liston. They became Russ and Lynette after their missions. :) We all hung out for a few years and then they both got married. And you know what happens when your friends get married. They pretty much are dead. You rarely see them again. I hope I run into them someday...maybe I'll find them on facebook. hahah

I will forever be grateful for my MTC experience. For Elder Liston and Sister Schow and all the other wonderful people I met there. When I held my Missionary tag in my hands today, I got a little choked up. (Shocking, I know!)but I can say, that although my mission didn't turn out the way I had planned...I served my Heavenly Father well and I'm glad I went.

ps. You don't have to tell me how cute I was and how awesome my 90's clothes were...I already know. Bah hahahha Sick and wrong!

*THE FIRST OF DAY OF AUTUMN*

When I woke up this morning I was just laying in bed thinking about stuff and this song started to play in my mind. Funny enough, it has always been one of my favorite fall songs. I love when the record player comes on in my mind and it happens to apply perfectly to the moment.

Yesterday was the first day of fall. Fall holds special promises for me, but who knows which fall that will be. I guess only time will tell... :)

*MY CYNDI LAUPER GLOVE*

I have always had really bad circulation, especially in my hands. They are always cold. My desktop is so old and it is built in a way that your arm is up higher to use the mouse on the computer- which causes the blood to flow to my elbow and leave my hand looking dead-like and freezing! So last month, I had had enough! I can't afford a new desk...er...I would rather spend my money on a new pair of shoez. (priorities..priorities!:) So I decided to grab an old winter glove that doesn't have a match and put it to good use! I cut the fingers out of it and WALLAH! My very own Cyndi Lauper/Michael Jackson heat glove! My hand is now warm-ER. Yay for my clever ideas! hahahaha

ps I'm warning you right now that you might be seriously jealous and want to make one of your own.

pss Sometimes I'm so embarrassed of myself, it's awesome! I almost wrote about deodorant today, but I'll save that for another time. Ha!

*MAY CHRIST LIFT THEE UP*

Moroni 9:25

"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever."


More soon...

*A FAMILY IN NEED*

I recently read about this heart wrenching accident and wanted to offer up both my love, faith and service to this family. I am thinking of the ways I can help...and I hope all my friends will too. God bless them.

"On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinnear, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinnear passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.

Christian & Stephanie remain in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%.

For the past four years, Stephanie has welcomed us into her charming abode through the NieNie Dialogues. Far from being a product of creative editing, the Nielson’s don’t just shine through the selective lens of a blog. They are ingenuous examples of family devotion, eternal romance, and Christ centered faith. This site is dedicated to their welfare & recovery."

*LEHI ROLLER MILLS IS CALLLING!*

Footloose is probably one of the greatest movies to ever come out of the 80'z. I loved it! It became one of the greatest classics and is still loved by many. Here are my top 3 reasons why I love it.

A. Kevin Bacon had RAD hair.
B. It was filmed mostly in Lehi (Lehi Roller mills), which was the next town over from where I lived. (Some of the kids in my ward/church were in it!)
C. THE DANCE SCENE!

Being a young dancer at the time, I had never seen anything so kool. I think I played that part over and over a million times. I would practice in my room all the time and dream that I was the one doing that dance scene. It was glorious!

20 years later or so I find myself living in Lehi and STILL wanting to pull off that dance. I am bound and determined to never leave this town without heading over to the 'mills' and strutting my stuff. I've got a tape player, the jeans, the shoez, and the MOVES! Practice makes perfect and I have been practicing. Just now I was going over the routine and I think I broke my shoulder. Okay, probably not...but it hurts. This is not a joke! I'm getting better every day. (I don't know if I can pull off the Gymnastics.)

Now, as part of this blog, I'm going to show you not only THE dance scene, but the spoof on it from Flight of Conchords. If you haven't seen the spoof, prepare yourself to be in a fit of laughter!

Enjoy!

*THE dance*


*THE spoof*


Stay tuned for *MY* video! These guys ain't got nothin' on me!

*A STAR WAS BORN*

Not more than a week ago, I found myself wondering with the rest of the world, who is Sarah Palin? Who is this woman who John McCain has called forth from the land with limited sunshine? My first impression was that this lady seemed out of place in the rough and often times cruel, political world. Well tonight I got a good slap in the face reminder of not judging a book by it's cover.

A few hours ago, Sarah Palin gave an incredibily FIERY and powerful speech. The kind that leaves the mouth agape. Within minutes I think she had most of America on the edge of their seats and listening intently. Any speculation that came from the media and the dirty laundry they pulled out, took no presidence over what was now... right in front of their eyes. She completely proved that John McCain is smart as a whip in choosing her. He just pulled out the big guns! I guarantee that not only did she awake the swing voters but the Democrats are sweating bullets tonight.

She is my kind of girl- a full blown spit fire! A spit fire with integrity and strength beyond what anyone would have guessed. She showed that we should never underestimate those who APPEAR weak. I also was fascinated by her depth and candor. I think in the coming weeks and months she will prove that she is not a one night stand, but rather a true north star.

That is also how I feel about John McCain. His roots run deep in understanding. I believe the suffering and trials he experienced for and in behalf of this nation will prove themselves to not have been in vain. The insight and clarity that is gained from such trials are going to present themeselves as keys to unlocking the light that has been hidden in our country since Ronald Regan. I feel peace at the idea of him being at the white house. I think he will stick true to the values that our forefounders built this country on. I like when Palin said,

"We are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and...a servants heart."

Those words are simplisticly profound. And when one governs that way, they are blessed and so are those under their influence and care.

To a girl that is mostly apathetic about politics because of how brutal and contentious it has become, Palin gave me the last notch I needed to make a vote.

(Oh and btw, to the media out there, a little reminder from Palin, You play with the bull your gonna get the horns! :) WATCH OUT!

*TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE*

While stuck in my house during the winter storms, I went through some old photos one night and decided to put together a video of the boys I've loved growing up. It was fun to make because I have a lot of fond and fun memories. I've been really blessed to stay good friends with a good 75% (maybe 65% haha) of these guy's. As for the rest of that 25%? It was not meant to be...some wounds are deeper than others and it's hard to make amends(on both sides.) And of course some wander off and you never see them again. I have to pat myself on the back for the great taste I've had growing up! ha! I picked good souls and I have ALMOST no regrets. haha Every person who has come into my life was there for a purpose, I really believe that.

I took this video off of YouTube for awhile and decided to post it again. When some people saw it they said, "You sure liked alot of boys!" and I need to point out a couple things. Some of them I loved from afar, some of them didn't know I existed, Some were just crushes, some of them I dated, and a couple of them I was in love with. My first crush was in Kindergarten. Chad Burburt or Berbert?! Apparently I cried when he moved away. Does that tell you anything? :)
What can I say...I'm 34 years old and I've had some time to love. "In life, we must love along the way."

ps. There are a few boys whom I never had a picture of but I'll always remember them too. If I ever run across a picture of them...I'll add it. As you will see..there's still room. :)

*A HOP, SKIP, & A JUMP TO BICKNELL, UTAH*

On the spur of the moment... Val, Wayne, and I decided to jump in the car and headed south. We ALL needed a weekend away and were desperate for some Red Rock. Wayne gave us the idea of staying in "Bicknell, Utah"...ever heard of it? Neither had I. It's smack in the middle of several different places that we thought of going. We took a different route then the norm. It was like a back road that was more scenic. It was great! We ended up going to Captial Reef & Goblin Valley. Both are amazing! We laughed and laughed like little kids and had the best time. All of us kept saying, "I SO needed this trip." All three of us love photography, so basically thats what did the most. Pull over...stop...take picture's...eat good food...sing songs...and repeat. :) I love both Val & Wanga to death and that's what really made the trip.

Here are a handful of my favorite shots. Yay for Bicknell!

ps. There are 3 pictures of the same pie on here. It will not leave my blog. I tried 3 times to take the extras off. I guess your just going to have to wish you were there to taste it! YUMMMMMMM!

*CAT HAIR*

PREPARE TO PEE YOUR PANTS!

My friend sent me this link and I laughed until I was sick! It is the most funny/disturbing/rediculous site I have ever seen. Those poor cat's!

Make sure you check out the *About us* part of the website. Can you say Coo-Coo?!!
(And no, I would NEVER torment my cats like this!) hahahaha

http://www.kittywigs.com/

*TITHING*

In High School I found myself trying really hard to teach myself the importance of paying my tithing. I had a plain white envelope with the word *Tithing* on it. On the back of the envelope I gave myself the stern rebuke, "Do not touch! This is the Lords money KIM!" Those words were suppose to give me the power and courage to not "Rob the Lord" of those Tithes & Offerings.

Well, being tempted one day I came to commit the sin of stealing from the stash. But then I suddenly saw that there, under my own encouragment to choose the right, these words were written below...

"Thanks, Love the Lord."

I would have guessed that the Lord had really written me a thank you note if it wasn't for the recognizable handwriting of my sister, Jen. She's always been such a clever little bastage! Our whole family got a kick out of that and I still laugh my head off over it. What a funny girl!

Jen, your ACE and I heart you! Thanks for being the Lords mouth piece from time to time. :D

*I COVET*

I WANT this purse! I saw it in this photograph and it was like MAGIC. Like it was meant to be mine. So I did a search to find it. I found one similar for, oh, TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS! I guess the stars are not aligning for us to be together.

Any of my friends in New York want to keep an eye out for a knock off?!

*Pouting*

*JOURNALS*

So I stole this idea from my best mate, Wayne. I thought it was really kool and decided I would make it a part of my blog. (Thanks W.D. ;)

I started keeping a journal at age 8. And in my early teenage years, I was given the counsel to keep a book of rememberance all my days. I can honestly say, that so far, I have been 100% obedient. I have in my possession over 30 journals. No joke! Most of my most precious moments in life are written on paper. I like to call them "Kim's Golden plates" hahaah Truthfully, they are THAT special to me for more then one reason. One of those reasons came less two years ago. I went into the hospital to do ECT. (Electric shock therapy) for my depression. After 16 sessions of being electrocuted (If you can laugh at it...you can live with it)I had lost a GREAT deal of both short and long term memory. Coming home I felt so lost and soon after I started re-reading my journals and feeling like I was reading about someone else's life. It was crazy! I found myself laughing, in tears, in awe, and feeling very blessed that the I had been told to keep a record of my life. I also saw myself from a different perspective which was a neat experience.

So, with that much said, every so often, I'm going to go back in time and read/write one of my journal entries from the past on this blog. I think it will be fun and very interesting.

Today I'm going to share a page from my first journal! A gorgeous Hello Kitty Diary! hahaha Here we go!

*August 16, 1984*

"Well Sherri had her baby. Two O clock in morning. My friend slept over. We were up the whole night. First we waited until my little sister Jeni was asleep. THEN we played family fued. It was fun. Then we decided to get some rest. We started to fall asleep and then the phone rang. We both ran to the phone and it was Pam. Then it was my mom. It's a BOY! 9 pounds 5 ounces 21 inches. Well his name is Dallas Robert Curtis. He is so cute. I love him alot. He does not cry much he just wimpers. Sherri came home from the hospital at 7:00 he was in his green pajamas. Before Sherri came home I had to go to stars. It was booring. We have a performance tomorrow and thats why we had to practice. That's all."

(I highlighted my favorite parts :)

hahah I find it interesting that tomorrow is Dallas's Birthday. (that page is literally the one I turned to! kool!) 24 years ago I wrote about a little baby in green jammys. How excited I was to have my first nephew and little did I know what he would really mean to me. The years have passed and I have watched him grow into a great man of God. He truly is a modern day Moroni. His influence on me has been great and I feel blessed to be his Aunt. Happy Birthday, Dallas! :)

On a ending note, what would my family do without me? I am the family historian because you are all lazy butts when it comes to keeping a journal! The details of Dallas wearing green pj'z are crucial to future generations! God bless me and golden plates! ;)

ps. Dallas, I bought you a new pair of green jammy's. I'm sure the others are worn out. They have footy's and everything! heh heh

*MR. BLEU*

I love my little nephew, Bleu, so much! He has this really tender little spirit and everything about him just touches people's hearts. He is the kind of little boy who will sit on your lap and talk to you about anything. He makes the funniest expressions and sometimes I laugh so hard at things he says. His imagination is so cute and creative. I really feel a special little bond with him.
My sister took these pictures of us this week at Grandmas house. I think they show how much I love him. :)

*CHRISTIAN THE LION*

So many people have already seen this, but I just LOVE it. It touched my heart so much. It's worth watching again. :)