Name:
Kim Sirmans
Kids’ names and ages?
My son Julian is 4, and my little girl Ella Grace will be 3 in a couple weeks
Where were you raised?
I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida
How long have you lived in NWA and what brought your family here?
We just moved here two months ago from Florida. My husband is a finance guy and took a job as a research professor with the Walton College of Business at the UofA.
What was the last song you sang along with?
ha! I am currently singing the “Days of the Week” song in my head: my kids were jamming out to it this morning on the way to preschool 😉
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
My brother and sister live in Destin, FL and we always enjoy our time there (who doesn’t?!). It’s going to be strange not having it just an hour and a half away anymore! But I’d say some of the most incredible places I’ve been on vacation would be Aruba, the Republic of Panama(!), or the Virgin Islands. The Lord made such a beautiful world for us to enjoy:)
Your favorite place so far in NWA?
That is hard to choose! We have found quite a few gems we love! To eat- I’d say Stone Mill Bread or Briar Rose Bakery (I love carbs); outdoors- Devils Den, War Eagle Caverns, or biking around Lake Fayetteville. I love the classes at Fayetteville Athletic Club! And I also LOVE how many adorable locally-owned shops and boutiques there are in NWA.
What about your favorite chick flick?
Also tough! I finally narrowed it down (to six! ha!) by thinking about which movies I’d try to watch if they were on TV. Let’s go with “Father of the Bride” (1 & 2!), “A League of Their Own”, “Baby Mama”, “The Blindside” and “The Help”
When/where did you first meet your husband?
We met at church when we were about 10 years old.
Was it love at first sight?
No, not quite! As we grew up, we always had the same mutual friends, but never really saw much of each other (we attended church at different times and went to different schools). Then he asked me to his senior prom when I was a sophomore. I was so excited simply to go to prom as a sophomore! I knew he was nice and cute, but at the time he was also very shy. However, it didn’t take long for me to become smitten with his kindness, gentility, humility and humor. (The fact that he played guitar and sang in a band didn’t hurt either;) We’ve been together ever since!
His family used to tell me how nervous he was to ask me to prom: he’d dial the first six digits of my telephone number and then hang up over and over again. Finally he decided he wanted to ask in person so he found me at church and asked me there. Sometimes I think about what life would be like if he hadn’t gotten the courage up, and still to this day, I thank him regularly for asking me to prom.
What are a few of your favorite parenting moments so far?
Even though my son is “all-boy” he and my daughter are both very affectionate. Some of the sweetest moments have been spent snuggling in the morning. Julian will put his hands on my cheeks and quietly says things like “you are the most beautiful mama I’ve ever had.” I also love waking up and seeing my little girl just smiling at me. I can see in her eyes her pure excitement and anticipation for all the fun the day might bring. In those moments (and always), she is so enthusiastic about life. It is such a good way to start the day! I love watching them learn new things and gain confidence through doing so.
A few days after we arrived in Arkansas and as we were waiting for our moving truck to arrive, we went to the Rogers Aquatic Center. My little 4-year-old wanted to go across the floating leaf and lily-pad path where you have to go across a rope “monkey-bar style” to get across.
Well, he was too small to do that, but he was undaunted in his determination to get to the other side. So he figured out a way and jumped from float to float. There was a group of four or five teenage boys behind me just cheering him on, clapping, and encouraging him. He made it across and was just beaming! It was such a sweet moment and such a kind welcome to Arkansas!
Incidentally, he wanted me to go across after him, so I did. When I made it to him, I picked him up and gave him a big hug and said “I’m SO proud of you!” and he hugged me tightly back and said “Thanks! I’m so proud of you too!”
What’s your favorite way to get your kids laughing again after a hard day?
An almost foolproof way to get my kids laughing again is just to be silly with them. We’ll sing songs in a silly way or dance around. Another way is to play “Red Light, Green Light”
What’s a meal you make over and over for your kids?
Do peanut butter sandwiches count as a meal? 😉 Really, we are all about easy and try to be healthy, so we’ll do chicken or salmon on the grill and veggies a lot. They also love Taco Tuesday 🙂
Your most-loved hobbies?
Since moving here to Fayetteville I’ve taken up biking and hot yoga! I love taking pictures of my kids and documenting their lives. I enjoy cooking and baking and serving a dish or dessert I can be proud of. I have strong opinions politically and enjoy (and sometimes cringe) learning more in that arena. I also love learning more about (and striving to grow in) the gospel.
What’s your idea of a relaxing day?
Having nothing to do except go outside and play with my family 🙂
One word to sum me up …
friendly or passionate 🙂
