Two Birthdays and A First Day of School

At the end of July Katie and I flew to Michigan to see my parents and sisters. My one sister drove up from Florida and my other sister moved back home to take care of my folks, so it was one of those rare times where we were all in one place at the same time. We celebrated Katie's birthday in Michigan--two weeks early--and in Texas on the actual day and Monday was the first day of school. So here are the pictures since they will save me a 1000 words each.

 My Aunt Fern and Uncle Al live on the property that my mom grew up on. The well in the above picture is the well that she used to pump water from when she was a little girl, so my mom wanted a picture of Katie and her by the well.

 My sister Linda, who drove up from Florida, brought her German Shepherd Bailey. My Aunt Fern and Uncle Al have a pond on their property, so Katie entertained herself and Bailey by throwing rocks in the pond.

 We had a birthday party for Katie in Michigan. Even Bailey had to wear a hat. She was none too happy despite my Aunt Fern telling her that she looked beautiful.

 Katie with her Michigan birthday cake. It was a My Little Pony cake as were all the decorations.

 After Katie's birthday party, Linda, Bailey, Katie and I went to our cousin Cheryl's who has a place on Lake Superior. Here's Katie testing the water. Lake Superior never really warms up, but Katie was bound and determined to go into the lake.

 Katie and Bailey. . . 

 and more Katie and Bailey frolicking in the Lake.

 Katie with my cousin Cheryl's White Pyrennes Lola. Lola is one big puffball and a sweet dog.

 Here's Katie's Texas birthday. I reused the My Little Pony decorations. Thrifty!

 Rick set up a treasure hunt for Katie. The first clue we delivered to her on her breakfast tray. She had to solve the riddle. The answer to the riddle would lead her to another location on our property. She was back and forth across this place, at the mailbox, by the water treatment shed, at the Quonset Hut. There were 10 clues in all. In the picture above, she had to scale the entrance to the missile base to find the next riddle. Yes, she is at least 20' in the air.

 The last riddle led her to Level 1 of the Launch Control Center in the missile base. There she found her big birthday present which was a Hummer bicycle.

 We also got her a matching Tour de France helmet and gloves. She will proudly tell you that her Hummer has seven speeds while Mommy's Hummer only has four. She forgets to mention that mine has four tires and engine.

 Opening presents in Texas. By the expression on her face, she likes the paintable birdhouse.

 Ah the joy of unwrapping presents. I managed to catch a little piece of pink paper in flight right in front of her face in this picture.

 She likes her present. Another Lego Friends building set. Now Rick on the other hand doesn't look so thrilled. Perhaps it is the odds that he will be stepping on Lego parts for the next few weeks.

 Making a wish and blowing out the candles on her beautiful butterfly cake.

Now jumping ahead to this past Monday, here is Katie on the first day of school and her first day in second grade. She got her hair cut about a week prior and I had curled it that morning. She's was a little nervous about the first day and really didn't have an appetite. After school and after tae kwon do, she broke down crying. Her best friends, twin girls who were in foster care, have been taken in by an biological aunt who lives elsewhere. We knew it was a possibility and it was confirmed last week, but after the first day of school and they were not there to play with at recess, it hit her pretty hard. Yesterday she started crying on the way to gymnastics. My heart just breaks. The twins' foster parents are going to get me the phone number for the aunt and I am going to call and see if Katie can talk to the twins on the phone and then we will go from there.

That's pretty much the last month. Actually more has gone on, but when you only post once in a blue moon, the little day to day funny things fall by the wayside. Ciao! 

If a picture is worth a thousand words than I am off the hook.

Over a month has past since my last post, so it is time for a new one. To update you would take oodles of time and numerous keystrokes. Therefore, I'll give you the abbreviated text version and rely on pictures to give you the details.

Katie danced in The Nutcracker as a Tiny Angel; was in Abilene's and Anson's Christmas parades with her cheerleading team; visited with Santa at the Mall; received another report card of straight A's; and is growing and learning.

Rick is finally on his well-deserved and much-needed, month-long vacation. We have had snow already this year, but the dusting was gone by noon. The weather has been cold for the last few weeks--30's to 40's in the morning. It gets warmer as the day goes, but the temperature just drops once the sun drops below the horizon. I've decorated for Christmas, but have not gone all out like usual. The Christmas spirit eludes me this year. I try to fake it for Katie's sake. My dad has cancer and his treatment options would possibly buy him more time, but nothing will eradicate the cancer. He has turned down the options available and has chosen at home hospice. Right now he is holding steady and doing well.

Below are a few pictures and I hope they are worth a thousand words.

Family Christmas Picture 2012

 Katie with some of her fellow cheerleaders waiting to board their float for the Abilene Christmas parade

Katie lost her first baby tooth Dec. 15, 2012. It's the gap on the bottom front. The gap on the top front has always been there!

 Katie at Santa's Wonderland at the Mall

 Katie's 2012 Santa Picture

Katie after she visited with Santa at the Mall. She got the Elf hat from one of Santa's elves.

As the holidays approach, my prayers go out to the families and the community of Newton, Connecticut. My wish for you is that the quiet peace of the season remains with you throughout the year. Merry Christmas.

Father's Day Post

We celebrated Father's Day the Saturday before the official day. It was Kate's idea since Rick is usually pretty busy on Sunday's trying to get stuff done before he flies out at 5 pm. It worked out rather well and we had a relaxing day.

The gifts that Kate got Rick for Father's Day were a one cup coffeemaker for the lake house and an iPod Nano. Rick is so very tired of flying, but his music on the Nano alleviates some of the boredom and irritation from being cramped up in a RJ for hours.

Katie wanted to make a sign for her father, so we got poster board and adhesive foamies from Hobby Lobby. Below is the result.

"Happy Father's Day........................................................Dad."

Katie didn't think it was right to have just floating heads of our family, so she drew our caricatures some bodies.

Another Father's Day surprise that we did was place an ad in the local paper with a picture of Rick and Katie and wishing him a happy Father's Day. Rick was really touched.

For dinner I made some real comfort food, which Rick appreciated after the hotel and fast food that he eats all week long. Rick had a good Father's Day, as did Kate and I.

Christmas in January

Finally, finally, finally. Here is the recap of our Christmas, including pictures.

Two weeks before Christmas, Rick's Uncle Butchie, his mom's brother, died unexpectedly. Uncle Butchie was battling some health issues, but what killed him was not one of those; it was his heart. Needless to say, Christmas was a bit difficult for my in-laws. To add to the sadness, my mother-in-law's only sister, Cookie, died shortly after Christmas a few years ago. Now my mother-in-law has only one sibling left, a brother. Also, as the eldest child, she did not expect to outlive her younger siblings. As far as Christmas, Rick's mom and dad drove over from Florida. It was good for them to get away for a bit and Katie does brighten any room or mood.

As usual, Katie got her picture taken with Santa Claus who was at the mall. As tradition dictates, the five of us went to Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner. Rick and his dad figured out one of the games and consistently hit the jackpot. Katie ended up with 800 tickets.

Christmas Eve had us going to the candlelight service at the Methodist Church in Anson, where Rick is a member. The new lady minister was not there and various members of the church conducted the service. As we were leaving, Rick asked why the minister was not there and Curtis, the greeter, said because she was dead! She died about three weeks ago. You can tell who hasn't been to church for a month.

Christmas Day started later than most people's because Katie stayed up late and did not get up until 8:30 am. Santa partook in the snack that she left for him and took the carrots to the reindeer. He left her a nice note. Katie did well in the present department; however, she only got two presents from Santa because of her behavior in November. (She was a nightmare as she pushed the boundaries.) She got her coveted high-heel, black boots and a jacket from Santa. The rest of her presents were from us or other family members. Her big present was a 4-wheeler which she was excited about. However, she was over the moon about the cowboy boots that Rick and I got her, as well as the BB gun. She is so proud to have her very own gun. I got a new-to-me ceramic-top convection oven/stove, which I actually got a week before Christmas. Since I figured that was my "big" present, I didn't expect the sewing and embroidery machine that I unwrapped Christmas morning. I was very happy. Rick also got his mom, Katie and me matching cross necklaces. The Lord's Prayer is laser etched on the center stone, which you have to use a magnifier to see. The presents that had us, my mother-in-law and I, laughing were the two pairs each of Forever Lazy's we received from Rick's dad. We dubbed them our Teletubbies; however, after we stopped laughing we realized they were very comfortable and warm.

Rick's parents left before the new year, so Rick, Katie and I celebrated at home. Katie wanted to stay up until midnight, but the Doodlebug didn't make it. She fell asleep a little after 11:30 pm.

School started back up on the 3rd and Katie was anxious to go. She really missed school and her teacher. I think the socializing figures big into her love of school.

That is the very short recap of the Christmas Season at Corinth West. Before the pictures, I leave you with this bit of wisdom. Chuck E Cheese's is a germ factory. Just ask my in-laws who left here ill.

 At Santa's station in the mall. Kate's not too sure about the reindeer.

Kate's official Christmas picture.

I love this picture of Kate with her Pop Pop outside of Chuck E Cheese's a.k.a. the Germ Factory.

Kate riding the clock lift in the Germ Factory.

 Christmas Eve day. Katie watching it snow. Since she was born, we have gotten snow around Christmas time. The poor child informed me that it always snows around Christmas because snow is required for the holiday.

 Our Christmas tree on Christmas morning before the ripping of wrapping paper began.

 Overflowing presents Christmas morning.

 Katie opening the high-heel black boots from Santa

 Test walking the boots.

 Katie trying to figure out what is inside the paper. It was a baseball bat and ball.

 Katie's first gun. It's a BB gun and she was very excited about her firearm. Did you know what the hot item was for kids this Christmas? Guns!

 Katie loving her new cowboy boots.

My mother-in-law and I in our Teletubbies and of course Katie who has to be in every picture.

We are pulling our Teletubbies from our sides to show off the rear hatch. I haven't worn clothing with a zippered backside since I was a toddler.

 The morning Rick's mom and dad were leaving Kate gathered up a couple of her tops and bottoms and headed for the door. She was going to Florida with Ga Ga and Pop Pop. The girl didn't even bother with a suitcase.

 Rick invited Cody to sit in his lap and Cody hesitantly accepted. (He is not allowed on furniture-Cody, not Rick!) However, once Cody, the consummate people lover, got up there he was in heaven.

Happy New Year, Kate.

This is the first year that Rick, Kate and I did not take a family picture which makes me sad. Anyway, that's it for this post. This girl needs to get to sleep. Ciao.

Thanksgiving 2011

We have returned from our Thanksgiving trip to Michigan's U.P. (Upper Peninsula). We were gone for nine days, but it went quickly. Cody did time at K9 Tactical's kennel and came back depressed and thinner. I think the goober was on a hunger strike to bring attention to his blight, cut off from his family.

Rick has had a cold for a few weeks now. Kate had it but recovered then caught another one and recovered. The two of them shared with me. Because of flying and breathing regurgitated air, my sinuses hurt like all get out and I am blowing my nose non-stop. Please don't say "sinus infection". I really can't deal with one of those.

My mom and dad have come screeching into the 21st century. They now have the internet available in their home. It was installed for my sister who has been taking care of them since August. We Skyped last night, but the quality of the video starts to tank until my computer freezes with 100% CPU utilization by Skype. It should not be that way. Just another item added to the to-do list.

As for The Nutcracker, Katie enjoyed being on stage. She even told me that she wished that she could be on stage all by herself. No surprise there. My critique of this year's The Nutcracker is that Sunday's matinee performance was an edge better than Saturday's evening show. The dancers were better matched to their roles. In general though I thought the show we attended last year was a more refined performance. My favorite role in the ballet is the peacock. Katie's ballet teacher, Mary Elizabeth, performed the part last year and she was outstanding. This year's dancers were good but they did not bring the same grace or mesmerizing movement than Mary Elizabeth had.

Below are two pictures of Kate in her stage make-up before the Sunday matinee.

"Nobody knows the troubles I've seen. Nobody knows my sorrows. . . . " 

The reason for adding the above picture is that I can't believe how long Kate's eyelashes are.  Apparently they are light colored, because when I added a touch of mascara they showed their true length.

The next few pictures are from our trip up north.

Kate couldn't get enough of the snow. Oh where, oh where did Rick and I go wrong?!

Throwing snow.

 

 Flowers from my sister Linda. She wasn't able to make it for Thanksgiving. She is in the middle of buying a house.

 Rick cutting Tom Turkey. It was soooo good.

Mom and Dad before the feast began

 Kate earning her dollar. She loves doing dishes so I don't know why I don't make her do them more often.

My cousin Cheryl, Kate and Cheryl's dog, Lola. Lola is a Great Pyrenees and a big ol' puff ball

Kate driving the Skylink at DFW

I will chat with you later when I have something of great importance to share with you. Okay, maybe sooner than that. I volunteered to work in the Tiger Store tomorrow and I am not sure why when I have enough to do around here.