Large, Lovely Home: Historic Urban Neighborhood

New Reduced Price + New Central AC!!!

• NEW PRICE of $199,950, NEW 5TON EFFICIENT CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING 
• 3250 Square Feet of Historical Charm with Modern Touches
• 4 Large Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths, Ample Living Space
• Nice Corner Lot on Wide Streets
• Solid Brick Home (3 Layers Thick!), Good Roof, Updated Windows 
• Fully remodeled Kitchen with Open Plan and Exposed Brick Walls
• New Back Deck, Back Fence with 2 Gates, Custom Fire Pit, and Sand Box
• Updated Lighting on Dimmers
• Large 2nd Floor Laundry Room with Deck Access
• Huge 3rd Floor Mother-In-Law Quarters with Full Bath, Full Kitchen, and Deck with Views (This space is a huge bonus!)
• Gorgeous woodwork throughout home with huge pocket doors
• 3 Beautiful Original Fireplaces
• Solid Stone Foundation, Large, Clean Basement (Never Damp!), New Water Softener,  New Radon Mitigation System Installed
• 300 AMP Electrical Service
• Large Efficient Furnace 10 Years Old, Recently Serviced and in Great Condition
• New 1st Floor Bathroom is a Must See
• Large Closets and Storage Space Throughout Home
• Playground right across the street
• Acres of Park, Trails, Frisbee Golf, and Rock Climbing 2 blocks North. (Cliff Drive)
• Amazing Local Bakery within walking distance. (Boulevard Bakery)
• Summer Farmers Market within walking distance. (New Roots for Refugees)
• Taco Trucks with the best food, Authentic Mexican Grocery Stores (Limes 5 cents, and Cilantro $1, and home made tortillas!!!)
• Bike Ride to River Market
• Quick Hwy Access to get Anywhere in the City
• And did I mention GREAT PRICE and oh yeah, BRAND NEW 5 TON AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!

This is what I call a lotta bang for your buck folks! No midtown home can compare for this price! Our neighborhood association is very active, a good group of folks. Our neighbors are nice, and our street is quiet. I'm here all day and keep my front and back door open over half of the time (on nice weather days)!  

So go ahead and send your Family Friends, Creative Colleagues, and Aunts from Atlanta on by...they won't wanna miss the opportunity to buy this home.

Why are we leaving this lovely home? We love design/build and are excited about a new project. We want to get closer to Michael and Tegegne's schools. 

Contact Eric B to schedule a showing. 816.529.7171

With Love and Anticipation,

Kristyn

Fields Benjamin: 8 Months

Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands! Hi Baby Fields. You are so cute. Dad noticed you've got my ears, Iman ears. Some say you look just like your dad, and more like Hensley as you grow. You are so much fun, easy going, and snuggly. You are kind of rough and tumble with Tegegne already. You love to stand, holding on tight. You sit very well and rock yourself to your tummy. Will be crawling very soon. You have waved a few times. Like to eat everything. Since you still have plenty of breast milk, I'll fill a bottle with almond milk if we are out and about. You have two bottom teeth, two top teeth, one of them is half way out and one all the way. A little snaggletooth.  Your baths are now with Hens and Tegegne. Your favorite toy is Moose, in the first and last picture. Daddy and Tegegne and you had some great boy time this weekend.

Love you, Bug.

Mama

Featured Friend: Friday

1. Tell us about yourself and your family. 

Our little family started just 3 years ago in 2010 when Nick and I got married.  Then a year ago, Judah was born and has added the most incredible dynamic to who we are.  Nick works at Premier Marketing and is a photo wizard.  Seriously incredible.  He also has a photo company called SCOUT visual, so he stays busy with that as well.  I am an art teacher at an urban school that is grades K-5.  Judah stays with family and good friends while we work and saves lots of energy for fun with us at night and on the weekends!

2. You are the coolest art teacher, but what else do you do? 

Along with teaching art, I stay busy with a few little "hobbies".  I sell vintage clothing and other little treasures at a place called 600 Central here in Kansas City.  It's such a cool store with 4 floors of incredible vintage furniture and goodies.  Judah has gotten really great at helping me explore the city for great vintage finds.

I also do hair for weddings and other special events on the weekends (mostly in the Summer when I'm on Summer break.  (www.loveyourbobbypins.wordpress.com).  I enjoy getting to know all the sweet brides and being a part of such a special day in their lives.  I love having several artistic outlets to keep me busy!

3. Will you share some stories from the classroom? (Katie does THE best impressions.)

I love getting to be a part of my students lives on a daily basis.  It's so amazing to be a part of encouraging them and growing them into the incredible people they will be.  They already possess so many qualities that I am constantly envious of.  They are alive, free and unbelievably creative.  They are amazing.

 

I absolutely love hearing my kids talk about life and such.... They say hilarious things.  A few of my favorites off the top of my head:

"Mrs. Welch, all deez people be coffin (copying) offa me cuz minez be lookin crispy." (crispy means good)

"Welch, I straight up saw yo double ganger dis mornin.  Seriously. Same face. Same body." (doppleganger)

"Mrs. Welch, I wish I was deaf or Austin was mute because I am SO sick of hearing him talk.  Like...I seriously feel ill!"

"I done dug deep in ma heart for dis drawin, Ms. Welch.  I be rockin too thick here on dis drawin like da dude on Twilight.  Ya know?  He a'int got no shirt on cuz he a star.  Den down here I drew a buncha top hearts with top hats on"

I mean... they're brilliant, right?  Seriously.  They are hilarious and their creative minds constantly give me ideas and challenge me, and they're hearts do as well.  I am so blessed to get to do life with them everyday.

I do however, keep a stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Dr. Pepper for rough days. Most days are prefaced with prayer and asking God to make me like Him in His grace and love, because lets be honest... after about 145 questions about....nothing... I start to lose my mind. :)

4. Why is being a wife to Nick and a mom to Judah so awesome?

 Being a wife to Nick is the best.  He is the most laid back, patient man I've ever met. He loves well and is constantly serving me and teaching me how to be a better person.  He loves God with his whole heart and just lives it so humbly.  Watching him be a dad to Jude has been one of my favorite things about our marriage... it's such an amazing connection.  Judah has both of our hearts entirely.  He is just the epitome of life and joy.  I am constantly thanking God for who Judah is and that I get to be his mommy.... I can't even believe it. I have wanted to be a mom since I was about 5 years old.  I seriously carried around a life size doll until I was 12... ha!  Judah is everything I've ever dreamed of in a son.  I couldn't be more in love with him.  

5. Thinking of adding on to your family?

When we got pregnant with Judah we were sort of in the process of finding out about adoption.  We felt doors closing in a lot of different directions with adoption and when we found out we had a little nugget growing in my belly, we decided to put adoption on hold.  One of our first conversations when Nick and I met was about adoption and how it was a make or break deal with whoever we married because adoption was so heavy on both of our hearts.  We are thinking one more biological babe then adoption after that.  My heart beats a little faster even thinking about it.

6. Describe your dream house? 

Oh dream house, when will we ever find you?  We like a good mix of old and modern.  Nick loves clean lines and white everything and my heart falls for the history of a place and the stories that happened there.  I think the dream home would be an old fire house or building turned into a modern mix.  High ceilings, lots of brick, wood floors and white walls.  It would have to have a big back yard for our 120 lb. Weimaraner, Moses.  Maybe someday the dream home will come along, but our tiny bungalow is the place for now. :)

7. Judah Bear is just over one. What are some of your best moments with him so far?

I have life changing moments with Judah everyday, it seems. He teaches me so much about life and my own heart.  I would say some of my best moments with him have actually just been normal times at home, talking.  When he said, "MaMa" for the first time, I melted straight onto the floor and cried.  It was the best.  Also, bedtime every night is so sweet.  I love reading to him and when Nick and I surround him and kiss his head a million times before he goes to sleep, it's just one of those life moments where you feel like everything is right with the world.  I'm so grateful that I get to have that moment every night.  He's  a blessing.

 

Our Home: For the Holidays Part I

The Pendleton Heights Holiday Homes Tour was a success. Four hundred and eighty-eight tickets were sold, and children under 12 were free. That made for a steady flow of people from noon to 5 in our house on Saturday! It was quite enjoyable to share our labor of love with family, neighbors, friends, and other folks. Thanks for coming on the tour! Thanks friends and family for giving the tour (we had docents in each room telling history, remodel stories, saying where artwork and furniture came from, etc!) Having people we know and love here made it all worth while. Several families and students from Michael's school came through as well. That made his day! 

Hensley, you enjoyed a special day with Gramma Debby, as you are least interested in greeting many people. Tegegne, you greeted with me and told folks that our house was built in 1905. (but most of the time you entertained people as a cheetah in the front yard). That was until your cousins came. You have talked about Ava non-stop since she left! Fields, you also were held by family and friends all day.  

Thank you so much, Aunt Deanna, for documenting the day!

Love you all and Merry Christmas!

Kristyn

Fields Benjamin: 1 Month

Oh sweet Fields! You are one month old. If I posted these photos in order the last would be first. You don't like being fully exposed! Right after I bundled you up it was all good. You are the cutest little crier though. Your sweet little donkey is not doing the trick of soothing you just yet.

We love your tiny little self. It is obvious to me that you were 3 weeks early, because you still seem so new. Tegegne and Hensley love holding you. Hens holds you at least twice a day, and gets the biggest grin on her face. You are realizing you have a voice, and like to cry a bit before settling in to sleep. Your routine has been eat, wake time, then sleep. You eat for like 15-20 minutes, then stay awake for 15 (and 30 minutes if we're lucky, ) then you sleep. Night times aren't too bad, but we are looking forward to your first all-nighter! (You wake to eat around midnight, 4am, and 7am.)

People are amazed at your hair. I love it too! So far we've heard you look like Grandpa Cleve (Grandpa Ben's dad), and maybe Uncle Eric too. Then there's your dad. And sometimes you look like Hensley. Eventually you'll look like Tegegne too. And a little bit like me.

Love you toot toot,

Mom

Daydream Friday: Celebrating!

Kirsten Lewis Photo.

Happy Weekend! Michael had his last day of school yesterday and we are celebrating all weekend! Well, we kind of started celebrating last night. Backyard BBQ with 80's dance music (which had all 4 of us dancing our booties off!), put the kids to bed and headed to Neighbor Larry's for a fruit pickin' date (apricots and raspberries...yum!). Toured a neighbors well-designed home and another neighbors pre-estate sale. 


Tonight we'll go to an outdoor theatre for this show.


Tomorrow we'll have a yard sale (with mostly kids toys which we were overloaded with), go to the neighborhood grill-out, and go to this movie. And did I mention that we'll have a sitter tonight and another one all day tomorrow? And tomorrow's sitter is a good friend and doing it for free!


Here are some other things you may enjoy to kick off your weekend...


1. This photographer is awesome. I love her style AND she is coming to Kansas City to do an advanced workshop for photographers!


2. Wouldn't you love a sweet outdoor spot like this? 


3. Have a friend that is having a baby? If so, I hope you know about this! It's a super duper kind way to bless families with new little ones. 


4. Have kids? We are going to make something like this for an outdoor place to play! 


5. This looks like an interesting and yummy thing to throw on the grill! 

Big Red: Balloon

Please meet Big Red Balloon, Scuba Boy, and Tea Party Girl! These balloons typically last a month inflated, but ours popped half way through! That's what those 1980's popcorn ceilings are good for. 

I must mention that Michael found the photographer, Toyokazu, that inspired this photo shoot. His photos of his daughter on the road in all of the different outfits and props are sooo good. He shoots with film, which is how he gets that gorgeous finish. 

I know the last post was a heavy one, so I tried to come back with something light and airy like this big balloon.

(photos by lauren)

Conversations: And the Daily

Tegegne: Mommy, what should I play with?
Mom: You could make a village with your little cars and your big Tonka trucks could take over the village.
T: Oooorrrrr?
M: Or you could play baby, and you could be the daddy...and the mommy.
T: Well, I don't want to play those. I'm bored.
M: You know what? I'm okay with you being bored. Because when you're "bored" you just might become creative and invent something. 
(Then you stomped off with an umph and found a balloon and proceeded to keep it off for the next hour.)


We've been listening to an Elizabeth Mitchell's music station on Pandora. It's fun to dance around a bit while we do our thing.  


I also have a note for your sister.


Dear Hensley,


I love you so, but oh baby I must say you cry a lot. See, you would be so content if I could carry you everywhere. If I let you cry for a sec, you can sometimes get over it and play. You see, we've all got some adjustments coming our way. Mommy's tummy is increasing by the minute, and soon enough it's going to be mainly piggy back rides! 


I was thinking through this yesterday. How can I be in tune with your needs, but also get things done with less of your tears. One thing that dawned on me is that unless we are outside playing or doing something mega fun, you are still a two nap a day gal. And with summer coming, the afternoon nap should be later in the day so you don't lose it during dinner around 6. You still love sleep, and I cannot forget this! 


On a brighter note, you love really tight hugs and we are having the sweetest moments cuddling. 


Love you and Tegegne too,


Mom


(photo by lauren.)

Tegegne Dena: 4 1/2 Years Old

Oh, Tegegne Dena Jones. Your life blesses us so much. You are 4, almost 5. We are full of joy when we think of what God did in bringing you to us. You love riding your bike. Remember when Ababayeh taught you on your 4th birthday? No training wheels, just lots of pads. You were both determined even though you fell a ton. Now you ride like a champ. You are still inquisitive, and ask how everything works or why things happen like they do. You are growing up. You know that God loves you, and that Jesus cares enough for you to give his life. (And I'm crying, now.) You are well loved, my child.

We talked about Birth Mom a bit yesterday, but hadn't discussed anything regarding your adoption in a while. You said we should see her someday, so Lord willing, we will try. Otherwise, there's not been much adoption talk. Just family life as usual. People probably still look at our family and try to figure us out, but I must be less aware. It's nice. 

The other day we had two guys estimating our fence and you had been out riding your bike while we were all in the back yard. We were walking in the house, the two guys, you, Hens and I. One of the guys stopped and asked, "Do you know him?" referring to you! I gave him a look like are you crazy, and then replied, "Yes, I know him. He's my son!"

We are quite glad that we have these photos of the "little you." We look forward "big you" photos someday to go next to these. Since you love photo shoots, and such, we sent this last photo to the Gap Casting Call, in hopes to win a photo shoot and shopping spree! 

Love you bug,

Mom

(photos by lauren)

Hensley Ruth: 12 Months!

Hensley, I am chiming in a month late but with some very special photos of you on your birthday! 

Seriously Hens, we love ya. You sure did like your birthday cake baked by your dear 'ol dad. He actually made you two cakes. One for your photo session, and one for your party. Lucky duck. You are walking a lot these days, wrestling back when Tegegne tries to get you, eating some vegetables thanks to my new veggies-first-when-your-hungry motto, but let me be honest and say you still drop your plate and fork on the floor when you're finished. And sometimes your food. You and I have been getting the giggles more, which I absolutely love. And of course, I'll be the disciplinarian in your life, while your father thinks you do no wrong. He's smitten by you, kid. Your favorite things include stairs, "bunny", waking from a nap, brownies, muffins, being chased, and baths with bro. 

Your words include dada, mama, bubba, dog, dawc-ter (it means lots of things), God, bird. You've got your dad's toes and nose, and your petiteness comes from yours truly. A security lady at the library said, "Wow, she's tall!", but you're actually not tall. 

xoxo,

Mom and Dad

P.S. Thank you, Lauren Overton, for doing a fabulous job taking photos of our wee ones. 

Fun with Photos: Instagram

We love using Instagram with our Ipad. Do you use it? Look us up at michaelivan5...it's so fun to follow friends by photos!

Blue Lily: Photos of Families

 

By Blue Lily Photography. Aren't they cool? And their business style is unique. They travel. So, they set up their 2012 travel schedule on their website, and you sign up if they will be in your neck of the woods. Quite fun!