Oh how they grow!

I cant believe how much Katie has changed in just one year. I know she's still little but it's gone by so fast.

Last year:

Happy Halloween

We almost missed Halloween this year. When we picked Katie up from Kim's house she was still napping. Of course waking her up didn't go smoothly and then the nose started running at full force. But luckily after some meds and play time things perked up for us. I didn't get any award winning pictures but she had soooo much fun once we actually started trick-or-treating. She RAN to each door saying her version of trick-or-treat but once we knocked all she could get out was thank you before she was running for the next house. It was really cute.

I just had to add these pictures of Katie with her faviorite pjs and boots. She would wear the boots to bed and everyday if I let her!

Hi!

Hi is about all I have time or energy to blog about but I just wanted to move up the blog list! HA!

Take two

Here are some better shots of her face.

Photo Shoot

This past weekend we took Katie to my parents house for a photo shoot and these are some of my favorite. I haven't had time to edit or enhance any of them yet but I thought I would share. There are no shots of her looking because she was to preoccupied with the horses.

This is her trying to entice the horses to come closer by screaming "JACK"! Very ladylike right?

Careful with the fingers. Fearless I tell you! She screamed NO when she had to get down. Here's a few for you dad! I have so many great memories from my childhood and by the looks of things, so will Katie.

This is from a few days ago. I was busy blogging and she was entertaining herself with stickers!

Again, turn your head for a minute and she'll find trouble and/or dirt!

I'm pregnant!

Wow, our family has been blessed again! We just found out that Katie is going to be a big sister! As of today, I am 4 weeks and 2 days. Finding out so early is both a blessing and a curse! It seems like March 30th is a lifetime away and for this little one, I guess it is. My first doctors app. is Aug. 5 and I'm hoping we'll get an ultrasound picture to share with everyone. Thanks so much for all your well wishes!

Grandma's House

We are so thankful that Katie will grow up knowing and loving both sets of grandparents. It has been a Sunday ritual for Scott and I our whole relationship, to go to church, visit his parents for lunch and visit my parents for supper. Katie is creating so many lasting memories for all of us. I was just lucky enough to capture a few with my camera (witch is starting to become an essential item every time I walk out the door - you never know what's going to happen)

She helped pick the garden but started eating the squash before we even made it inside. So there was no waiting to slice the cucumber! We were just lucky to peel the top half and wash it off before she started in on it!

We feed the extra cantaloupe to the horses.

So proud!

She waited all day for her daddy to get home from drill. She put the boots on herself and I helped with the hat!

Such A Big Girl!

Everyday Katie is finding some way to remind me that she's growing up. Last night she dug out a bottle of fingernail polish (passion red) and pretended to paint her toes.

I guess we're also starting to potty train. It wasn't really on my mind to do right now (at 18 months old) but if she's going to tell me that she is pee-pee, I guess I'll take her. She would sit on the big potty and now I've bought her a smaller seat that fits on top. She seems to really like it and even started using it as soon as we got home. I bought her first box of pull-ups today!

I don't know what we'll do if something ever happens to Ginger the "horse". This poor dog is VERY loved.

Summer Fun

This summer has been so much fun with Katie. She's growing up so fast that my camera shutter can't keep up! I just know that if I blink, she'll be off to college! The school year is fast approaching and I have such mixed feelings about going back. As an individual, I need the routine of getting dressed and out of the house (and oh yeah, there's that whole making a difference in the world and steady paycheck!). As a mother, I so desperately want to spend every moment in the floor, surrounded by toys, with Katie's arms TIGHTLY around my neck saying "I love you" (although she sounds more like one of those talking dogs that you see on funniest home videos).

Play Date

Play dates are hard work! Yesterday Katie and I went with Jenna and her kids to school to survey our situation and get a list started of tasks that needed to be done before the beginning of the year. We didn't get much done.......our room wasn't clean yet and the kids were in to everything! So we decided to ditch that idea and head to the mall to eat lunch.

This idea was no better than the first. It was all fun and games.......until.......some random three year old boy picked Katie up and tried to cart her around. She didn't like that so much! After some crying and little snuggling, she was ready to head back for the playground. Then it got really busy. There were kids everywhere, and it was hard to keep track of a busy one year old! Especially a one year old that thinks it is funny to just run away and disappear! The kids had fun though. We knew it was time to go when Katie stopped playing dead in her tracks, squatted.....and became quite red faced!

We went back to Jenna's for naptime. We layed nap mats out for all the kids to lay on. Katie was NOT having any part of napping. After trying tirelessly to get her to just lay down (that's the first step, right?) I gave up and we headed home kicking and screaming. Oh, the drama of a toddler!

Katie loved riding with her friends....and.....got to watch Dora in the van!
Caroline and Katie shared lots of stickers.
Cleaning mommie's classroom was hard work!
These blocks were so much fun!
Katie was to busy watching out for random kids who could possibly trample her to look at the camera!

Happy 4th of July

Cozumel

Cozumel, Mexico. The land of blue skies, white sand, and BAD drinking water!

Thank goodness we had a rail on the window or we would have just rolled over and down nine stories in the middle of the night.

CHEESE!

Although the hotel didn't have a "beach" the water was beautiful.

Who needs toys when you have a cousin and an empty cabinet.

Katie's first beach trip was not as photogenic as I had hoped. The air was hot, the sand was hot, and the water was rough.

X-carte was a beautiful place . . once we got there. We had to WAIT an hour for a ferry, then we had a one hour ferry ride across to the main land, and a 45 min bus (that's right as in public transportation) ride just to get there.

There was a lot of walking throughout the park/zoo. Stroller?...ha! Daddy's such a sucker.

Katie loved the aquarium

Mayan Ruins

The show was fabulous but once Katie tumbled head over heals onto the people in front of us and came up with a HUGE goose egg on the back of her head, it was time to call a taxi.

As you can see, the first boat trip was very calming. We went snorkeling and to a private beach.

Although the private beach was covered with horseflies, Katie did learn to love the sand. The surf was much calmer here.

Our second boat trip was a success. We caught fish! The only problem was we caught both fish within the first 45 min and then nothing for the next 5 hours! Meanwhile, everyone was getting sea sick.

There were two platters of fish. . . and that was only part of the larger fish! It feed all 11 of us for two nights.

It's the last night and we survived the week. . . time to celebrate!

Ahhh. . .