Sweet Nella

I have been following Kelle's blog for almost a year now, right after sweet Nella was born.  And Nella was born with a magical extra chromosome, along with the other 400,000 Americans living with Downs Syndrome.  And it hit my heart like a rocket.  I have to help.  The first words that mumble out of my mouth, I just have to help.

So the Hampton's are hosting their very first fundraiser to raise awareness to Downs Syndrome with Nella's ONEder Fund in honor of her FIRST birthday this Saturday!!

And...I just have to help.  So, all (and I mean ALL) orders from now thru Midnight on Friday, January 21st I will be donating 47% off ALL sales to Nella's ONEder Fund from bekima knits.  I can't wait to see how we can help out not only sweet Nella's family but ALL families affected by Downs Syndrome.

*Why 47% Tanya??  Oh, because I just roll like that...and read Kelle's words below if you're not familiar with Downs Syndrome...


A First Birthday Fundraiser for Nella's Rockstars

One year ago, on January 22, 2010, we welcomed our second daughter, Nella Cordelia Hampton. The thrill of her slippery little body being placed in our arms was quickly jolted when we were told she came with a little something extra...a 47th chromosome. And like many others who set out on this journey, we struggled through a range of emotions the following weeks. Support came though--through loving friends and family, through education, through falling in love with our daughter who turned out to be the greatest blessing and just what our family needed.
We are learning more every day, and, through Nella, we've discovered a new world of acceptance and opportunity for the many individuals in our world with Down syndrome.
To celebrate the anniversary of the beginning of this beautiful journey and our enchanting little one, we are asking you to join with us in supporting the NDSS. Please help spread awareness and create more opportunities for the world to understand that we are more alike than different.
The National Down Syndrome Society works to create a culture that fully accepts and includes the 400,000 Americans with Down syndrome. Your tax-deductible donation will help support the vision of a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life and realize their life aspirations.


Rock it out Nella's Rockstars!!

New Freebie Giveaway!!

FREEBIE GIVEAWAY 2011 - Here's the scoop!

When we reach 400 fans (likers) on Facebook, everyone will go in the pool to win a newborn beanie like this one, but you get to choose the color)

Even better..when we reach 700, a free hammock (again, in your choice of color)

AND at 1000 fans - a FREE newborn nest!!!

Start callin' all your friends and photographers, they're not going to want to miss this one!!

New Year - New Projects

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Years and didn't go too (oops) overboard on the eve of the new year!  Not that I know from experience, but a bottle and a half of wine gives a major headache the next morning, and all day for that matter.

Here's just some of the new pics I have to share from some new projects that I have going on...more to come! 

Thank you Lisa!!!!

It's been just a bit busy around here and some days I have to move new TOYS before I can even enter the family room.  Yea, 3 girls under 5 and their gifts, after Christmas, is a sight to see...

Wishing all of my readers a very blessed and bountiful 2011!!!!

Check it out this week for my new resolution list...

New Look

Do you like our new look?!

Check back...lots has been happening, but having 3 girls rotating coughs and having one with pneumonia has put the blog on the super back burner for a while.  I'll be back soon!!!

Shop Update and Coupon Code

Enter COUPON CODE: IRSWINTER2010 at checkout for my Inventory Reduction Sale to receive 40% OFF all Ready To Ship Items NOW thru the end of the year!!! These are all one of a kinds items...when they're gone they're gone!

Right now only ready to ship items are available. If you'd like to be put on a waiting list for custom orders, feel free to email me at ktfriesen@embarqmail.com with your order and I'll put you on the list. Custom items will not appear in the shop again until after Christmas. Thank you and Happy Holidays!!!

Blog Special Coupon Code

Hello to all of my followers!!

You're going to be glad you stopped here first...because you (yes YOU) will receive an extra 10% OFF of your entire order (even after the extra shopping discounts!) with a special coupon code starting at 12:01a on Thanksgiving day and running through 11:59p on Cyber Monday!!!  Aren't you excited?!?!

...and the code is GIVING2010...happy shopping!!


*This coupon code is only available online, through our shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/bekimaknits from 12:01a on 11/25 thru 11:59p on 11/29*

Black Friday Extravaganza

Our Holiday Boutique this past weekend was great!  But if you missed seeing bekima knits, you can check us (and our great deals) out this Friday at Elm Salon in Hastings!!!

Holiday Boutique 2010

I hope you can join us!!!

...please pardon my absense in the next couple weeks as I am workin my tail off to get as many things knitted as I can.

Happy Halloween

Ah, I am so utterly relieved and just a wee-bit sad that this weekend is over. 

We had Bella's (early) 4th Birthday party...with friends this year...this past weekend and it.was.a.blast...to say the least.  And trick-or-treating today...I cannot even describe how much candy is in this house right now.

More to come, but to be honest; a) I don't even have the pics on the computer yet, b) I'm tired, and c) I have absolutely no ambition to do anything that requires any more brain activity this weekend.

I'm pooped and going to bed.  I can't wait to share the fun with you all though!!

me

New Look - For Both of Us

So, hopefully you've noticed the changes...and like them :)

Have you ever tried or aspired to be something that just wasn't in you.  God just didn't give you those genes, and probably for a good reason.  I think that's what I was trying to do with the 'old' blog.  Not that is wasn't me, but I was holding back, afraid that you'd all think I was crazy for blurting out my every day happenings.  In reality though, isn't it comforting to hear that someone else's life is just as crazy, or can-you-imagine crazier, than yours?!  Food for the soul possibly.  Someone else on this great big earth is probably in, has been, or will be in my shoes, and maybe my words can be of comfort to someone at sometime in their journey on this earth.

You can say I have a new passion burning deep in my soul.  I've been touched by a lot of things lately and I can brutally tell you I am seriously stuck on a lot of things going on in our lives right now.  But we'll be ok, we'll make it through, we have Him on our side and we're gonna kick this journey into some serious fun (and probably more craziness).  I totally feel like I'm freaking you all out right now, but I do have some purpose to this...there is an ultimate goal and although it's still in the play books, it's soon going to be released out in to the field of play.  And we'll just see how it goes.

So welcome, new and old, to the new bekima knits...behind the scene.  Random chatterings of owning and operating a home based business with 3 kids under the age of 4, and our life adventures that are going to take us places.  Oh, they are going to take us to some great places. 

Oh, and if you're wondering who the other is in the 'both of us'...that would be me, I got a drastic new hair color yesterday (thank you Britt and I LOVE it!) and I feel like a whole new woman, ready to conquer the world.  Watch out world...here I come!

Peace and Goodnight :)

Just a Few of My Favorite Things

...that sounds so totally Christmasy right now, which by the way is less than ELEVEN weeks away!  Slow down time warper!

But really Autumn, a.k.a. fall, is my favorite season of them all.  So here are a few of my faves from the season.

Scarecrow Makin'
Every year, when the wind has blown enough leaves off the tree, we take out this old mechanics suit, rake some leaves, trying to avoid near collisions with littles and the ends of rakes run by other littles, and stuff this dude till the beer gut shows.  It happens every year, and the guy just looks...well like a stuffed, ridiculous looking man...with a fake pumpkin head.  And we love him.  Well, most of us love him, Kira thinks otherwise of him.

Fun in the Sun...without the heat.

Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but when you've had enough, you've had enough.  Anticipating that time when the air turns cooler and sweatshirts welcome me back with open arms.  Love.  Cooler weather gives outdoor activities a bit more flare, no more need to worry about burning hot slides, slathering the sunblock, or opting for the indoors just so Mama doesn't have to bear the heat...for yet another day.

Yes, this girls is as chill as they come...not a care in the world

Outdoor Learning

This girls continues to amaze us.  She rocks at letters and is slowly learning numbers, and I think she knows more than she lets on to me.  Last week we were getting ready for our party and I had, just prior to this, made her a hopscotch game on the porch...up to 10 like usual.  She kept coming up to me and asking me how to write the numbers that follow Mr. 10 and I would tell her...didn't think much of it and was too busy (shame on me!) to go and see what she was so curious about them for anyway.  Coming home later that night from errands I peeked at the porch before going in and she had written numbers 11-16 (15 and 16 were slightly illegible...not the point though)..and the girl doesn't even write the numbers 1 thru 10 for me!  Apparently something we're doing is right...

Halloween Prep

Ah, one of my favorite holidays!  The girls went all out (and probably D & A too) a couple weeks ago trying on all kinds of halloween get-ups.  Party planning is in the works...Miss B's having a Halloween Birthday Party this year and she.is.so.excited.she.can.hardy.wait!  More to come...

Sorry D...had to do it :)

Baby, Oh Baby...Lake that is.

As I sit here typing, watching my dimly lit reflection from the computer screen in the girls' beauty salon...I'm stuck.  Not sure what to write about, but know that deep down inside there are so many words, stories, and things that I want to bring to life in this space.  I still don't know; but what do we really know?

I know that these people are my lifeline (along with several others), but these are my core, my rock solid team, if you will, that we can count on for anything...


Grandma!



Uncle Brooks and Brittney!

Uncle Brady and Courtney!

Grandpa!

I cannot say enough about how much I love my team...my parents, brothers and their ever-adored girlfriends.  They are truly the best and thank you for enduring our family for 6 days in ONE cabin!  And we're actually thinking of doing it again next year...crazy!  I have to say though that we had a blast and up north on labor day weekend, after most of the schools were already in session, we basically had the place all to ourselves.

Wanna see some of our highlights?!  Good, I thought you'd never ask...and better late (by over a month) than never right?!

 Can we say...collision is in the near future?!

 I think they did actually catch a fish...maybe...

 Not a fan of the life jacket...not a fan at all.

 'Big' boy canoe races

 They can seriously talk him in to A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G

 Wilma the HUGE pet muskie

 No nap makes Miss K a tired little chica!

 

 

Not all of my pics need an explanation...

and this, this would be the one that falls into the 'needs explaining' category. 

 Through this rainy covered window is my hubby, the water-filled boats owner, and my dad (he'd be the one on the right, standing in the front of the boat so no water continues pouring over the back of the boat).  Needless to say, this exact thing happened LAST year in the SAME town (different lake)...after both times myself suggesting that maybe they should take the boat out the night before we left, "nope, we might go fishing in the morning".  At least this year fared better than last when the ENTIRE back end of our boat was under the water, involving half a dozen guys bucketing water out of the boat, a tow to the boat landing and a water logged motor.

This here...would be what last year looked like.

 

Ah, the lessons of life...never trust the weather, who knows what God has up his sleeves.  And maybe next time, someone will listen to the wife...third times a charm right?!  Love ya Buddy!

 

I just have to share, totally different subject...you know me...I have huge plans, great ideas and super-uber-duper awesome things in the works for bekima knits and our family...stay tuned!

 

~me