A letter to Jasmine-Happy 5th Birthday

Happy Happy 5th Birthday to my beautiful daughter Jasmine Emma! I can't believe it has been 5 years since you were born. I remember the night you were born so perfectly. It was getting real cold out but there wasn't any snow on the ground yet. Your due date was on the 21st of October but I wanted to meet your pretty face so much i had them induce my labor early. You took 21 hours to finally get here but it was worth the wait! We were all speechless and so happy when you got here...i clearly remember this special moment when you reached up and held your father's pinkie finger and watching the tears run down his face, how proud and happy we both were. You had beautiful thick black hair and these piercing blue eyes...you were perfect. I have so many years of such amazing memories with you and I am so proud to be your momma. The memories all have been running through my head this morning, the mornings watching cartoons and laying in bed laughing tell mid afternoon. The trips in the car and you singing "Country girl shake it for me girl" haha. The time down at Stoie's bridge when you were playing in sut and you got it all over your face. The time you got a really bad flu bug and holding you and rocking you for two days straight because that was the only way to comfort you so you could sleep. The time you caught your first fish, you were so excited! Now it has been five years and I am missing your birthday. There is no apology or excuse that can make this ok, but I do know I would do anything to be there with you! Your dad has strict orders to send me lots of pictures and I get to talk to you on the phone later and I can't wait!!! I love you more than the moon loves the stars and the sun loves the sky, Happy Birthday my baby girl! I love you so much! Love, Momma

Norstebon Family Recipe

This entire journey so far has been so life changing for me...I have learned so much about myself this whole way and have changed only for the better. I have seen so many family's that are broken and heard stories of people that don't even speak with there family. This breaks my heart but reminds me of how lucky I am.

I am Kimberly Emma Norstebon and I am damn proud of it! Being a Norstebon is not just a name it is a life style and a privilege. It means that family is always first, that you must have way more children than you planned on, and that success is measured by who is laughing the loudest when we get together. Being a Norstebon is being selfless on certain occasions and sharing your beer, stating your opinion loudly at all times even if no one cares, and fighting vigorously for what you believe in no matter what. Being a Norstebon mean's loving with every bit you got even your enemies, indian leg wrestling at every family occasion, and knowing the most miraculous nights happen around a bon fire. Being a Norstebon means for Christmas we knock over our tree every year, take cleavage shots as a formal photo, and all our friends show up because yah we are that awesome to be around.

Being in my family is something miraculous that i wish others could learn to do with their families. My best advice for a family recipe like this is let the BS go, forget all the small stuff and drama. Appreciate who and what you have. Always be there for each no matter what. And also know when to and not to over step your boundries... this is especially important. You need to be able to have your own life and your family doesn't need to run it for you even if your screwing it up. The best thing that had happened to me was hitting rock bottom. My family watched it all happen but did nothing...why...cause i needed to learn. But when I finally hit this point they helped me pick myself up again.

A beautiful Storm

I love storms, from a snow storm, to a tornado, and especially thunderstorms. The day usually starts off quiet and calm, than the clouds roll in and it begins to thunder than followed by lightning. The wind blows and the rain pours down. Full of chaos and force. I have always been fascinated by this since I was a little girl. The most beautiful thing about it is the rainbow at the end with the sun shining brightly. I have endured many storms of my own, some smaller than others. But I have found there is always a rainbow at the end. Life is never fair and when a storm has appeared it may seem like it will never end. I have had more magical amazing moments in my life than storms, but sometimes it takes a storm for us to hold on to these moments. I have watched my life crumble around me, but I have always had someone to help me put it back together again. In the end I have become wiser for it and there is always a reason these things happen, a bigger purpose, even if you don't see it at the time. I watch friends/family struggle with things that they shouldn't have to go through, but I was taught by a very wise woman that the best help sometimes is no help at all. Sometimes as a friend, family, or even parent you have got to watch them fall flat on there face and just be there for them when it happens. I feel everyone has there own path so how can you tell a person what to do or how to feel, you can't. So my best advice if you going to help them is to ask what do you want with your life? Are you going to hide or run from the storm? Or are you going to embrace it and enjoy all the things god gave us? "It's never to late to be what you might have been." - George Elliot A marvelous first step to this might just be a black cup of coffee and an open ear that you trust. This is one thing I learned from back home, going for coffee is like therapy, at least for us women.

"AFTER THE STORM BY MUMFORD AND SONS"

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.

Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.

And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and mine so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before."