Party Girl

We celebrated K's 2 years with a party yesterday.

Before the guests arrived she practiced blowing out her candles.



I love the look on her face here. It is if she is daring anyone to take that cupcake away from her!



Grandma and Grandpa with the party girl.



Katie and Bryce (the only guest in the toddler stage) enjoyed playing with all the open gifts.



I think the thing Katie enjoyed most about the party was everyone sitting around watching her play.



How lucky is Meme?!

She was chosen, by Katie, to be in the dancing show.

Look what I noticed on Katie's bookshelf.

Every stuffed animal and doll has been removed from the shelf except one. That one is named, by Katie, "No, Papa." She got him for Christmas from my parents. They thought she would like it because it looked like her Papa. She didn't. I thought it might grow on her if it was on her shelf with her other stuffed friends. Clearly not working.

rad like dad

jon went to a bicycling training camp over the weekend.
k and i went to see meme and papa.
katie rode her bike for the first time.

Last weekend Jon rode 100 miles at the HHH in Wichita Falls. He finished it with a 20.5 mile per hour pace. The next morning he jogged 5 1/2 miles pushing a jog stroller. I'm impressed!

With Jon out of town, Katie and I spent time with Meme and Papa and the relatives in that neck of the woods. I tried and tried to get a good picture of Katie and Bryce (Katie's second cousin or cousin once removed - I get confused.) They were like repelling ends of magnets. Here is the best I got. Makes you appreciate photographers of the young.
Could be a rival for Katie's claim to fame as the cutest baby in the world!

Papa was able to convince Katie to try the swing in his backyard. She loves it now. "Wee, wee!" is her name for the swing. All fear cast aside, she was ready to explore the entire playground near our house this morning. She even went down the slide by herself! I intended to go with her, but she was too fast for me to catch. Abbey went down the slide and ate two packets of horseradish she found in the mulch!

Peek-a-Boo, I Sea You

Katie went to the aquarium yesterday with Meme, Papa, Hope, Uncle Heath, and me. Meme and Papa bought her this t-shirt since Katie has starting singing the song, I See You, from her music class.

Point to the turtle:

















Point to the shark:

Parents' Day Out

Meme and Papa kept Katie today so Jon and I could have a date.



Look at Jon's lunch! He had the country fried ribeye.

Traveling Shoes

Katie and I went to Galveston with Meme and Papa this past weekend. The island hasn't fully recovered from Hurricane Ike yet. You can see the water line marked on the buildings on the Strand in the picture of Katie with her Papa. Many shops and restaurants are still closed for repairs. With only about three shops open on the entire Strand, it felt like a ghost town. I think we may have been the only tourists on the island.



Katie's favorite thing was walking on the beach with Meme and Papa. Papa held her while running into a flock of seagulls. Katie thought it was so funny. I wish I had it on video. It would make you laugh too.



Two things she did not enjoy:
1. Putting her head in the photo op cutout to make her look like a sailor.
2. Letting her left foot touch the grass. The right foot was no problem.




We got home on Sunday. On Monday, Katie and I went to the grocery store. What made this trip special was the fact that Katie wore shoes for the entire ride to the store and the first half hour of the shopping. This is amazing! Shoes usually only last about 15 seconds on her feet. I had to put the shoes on again later in the day to get the picture.

First Christmas

Katie's first Christmas was wonderful. She loved opening gifts. Especially gifts stuffed full of tissue paper. She clapped and pointed (her newest skill) at her favorite things.

Christmas eve - Katie is wearing her fancy Christmas dress to the candlelight service. Dusty/Granddad is taking the picture.



Why we make New Year's resolutions. Mom's poppy seed cake!



Christmas morning - Look what Santa brought!



Christmas morning - Katie politely reading the gift tag before opening her present from Jon and me.



Christmas dinner at Grandma and Granddad's



First day of Kwanzaa at Meme and Papa's



A gift for me - see video link for a demo



Katie's first Christmas created such an appreciation for God's gift of his son to us. While rocking Katie in my arms at bedtime, I am filled with overwhelming love for her sweet stillness. I long to keep her little and holdable forever. These feelings really brought home to me what an awesome sacrifice God made for us. I would not give Katie's life to save a million saints. Yet God gave baby Jesus to us to save millions of sinners. I always knew the truth of the nativity story. Katie's preciousness drove it home. I feel so grateful and indebted to a God that would love me this much. He is amazing.

Mad Dog!

Katie loves her pacifier so much. She can smile, cry, talk, and even spit up while it is still in her mouth. This picture is proof! Meme and Papa were here to see this lovely moment.