Katelyn is 5!!

Yesterday, July 29th, Katelyn turned 5. It's hard for her parents to believe. Five years ago I gave birth to a baby girl; a baby her father and I had prayed and prayed for. Five years. How is that possible? It's bitter-sweet, really. While we are extremely proud of the young lady we're raising; incredibly blessed by every day we share with her; and constantly filled with joy by the brightness she has brought to our lives; it is hard not to miss the sweet innocent baby she once was.

Katie is not a baby anymore. I have to remind myself of that every day or she will! At 5, she is growing into her independence more and more. At 5, she has learned SO much already. At 5, she is intelligent, sensitive, affectionate & caring, active & imaginative, creative, inquizative, funny, friendly, loving, beautiful(inside & out); she's happy and healthy~that's what matters most to us! While I miss the little baby she once was, I very much enjoy the independent young child she is now. We have SO much fun together. I have been extremely blessed to be home with her these past 5 years, & I can honestly say I feel we've made every moment count. I have so many wonderful memories of our first 5 years together.

This fall Katelyn will start Kindergarten. Once your child starts school, the years really start to fly by; any parent of school-age children will tell you that. Again bittersweet. While I look forward to a wonderful Kindergarten year, I keep getting this feeling that before I know it I'll wake up and she'll be starting 5th grade!! Silly I know, but if the next 5 years go as fast as the first 5 years, well...

Even though we celebrated Katelyn's birthday with a party on Saturday, we still celebrated her real birth-day on the 29th. She woke up to presents from us on the kitchen table. It was kind of like waking up on Christmas morning, only no tree. She was SO excited!! My friend Jennifer had suggested that Katelyn was at the perfect age for the Playmobile sets, so we gave her the Veternarian set. She was thrilled! She loves to play with animals; Pet Shop is another favorite of hers. We also gave her Scrabble Jr. & a puzzle. Katie & daddy love to do puzzles together!

After we returned from my weigh-in at Weight Watchers, I spent 3 HOURS putting all the Playmobile stuff together for her! OY!!! (Sad thing is Mike could have done it in 30 minutes!!) Oh well!

After playing with her new toys for a while, we decided to go to a movie. I had to think of something low-key as she's been sick since Sunday, but was starting to feel better. And it was COLD on her birthday! Go figure-July 29th and it was 55 degrees & raining! Typical Colorado! We saw "Ice Age 3" & it was really cute!

When Mike got home from work, we headed to "Chili's" for supper; a favorite restaurant of ours. (Plus I knew at Chili's they'd sing to her and bring her a dessert, which they did!) She was so excited! She stood on the bench of our booth and several waiters and all the surrounding tables of people sang to her & clapped! Then she dove into the chocolate cake & ice cream dessert they'd brought her. YUM!

Happy Birthday sweet Katelyn, our 5 year old girl! We love you with all our hearts!
Mommy & Daddy
XXOO

More Birthday Fun!!

Ed, Gabby, & Phoebe in the whirl pool




Katelyn's doggie b-day cake~Thanks, Terry-it was delicious!




Katelyn's pal Jonathon




Katie Crews & Miriam




Cara & Bree

Swimming Fun!!

Katie and her daddy going for a swim




Katie and mom (Katie holding good friend Zoe's hand)





Jen & Anton




Katie and her good buddy Brynna




Katie's buddy from school, Sydney, & Syd's dad, Brian

Katelyn's 5th Birthday Party!!

We celebrated Katelyn's 5th birthday on Saturday, July 25th(her actual b-day is the 29th). Jen and Anton surprised us with a visit too! Jen & Eric arranged to buy a new car here in Denver and it just so happened to coincide with Katelyn's birthday weekend! YEA! After Jen did her car negotiations, we were able to take Katelyn & Anton to the Butterfly Pavilion-it was so much fun! I love having Jen and Anton here; my sister and nephew came for a visit! I say we do it every year!! (Oh, and I love the new BLING girl!)

Anyway, we had 19 children, 17 adults, and 3 babies at Katelyn's birthday party-WHEW! Special thanks to ALL the adults who really helped me pull that off! My friend Terry made the most delicious "Dog" cake ever! My friend Jody cut the cake(all 40 pieces or so), and EVERYONE else helped to pass out the cake and ice cream, drinks, extra plasticware etc.! Jen was my "go-to" girl for anything else we needed-thanks my friend! Seriously, I appreciate ALL of you!! I couldn't have done it without each of you!! Thank you! Thank you!!

Katelyn has been really into swimming this summer and taking private lessons at the Erie Rec. Center. So naturally we decided to have a swimming party! She chose a dog- theme for her party, of course! And since her favorite color is blue, all of the decorations were blue. (The Rec. Center didn't have "dog" party goods) It worked out really well! We spent the first hour of her party in the "party room" where we had cake and ice cream and opened gifts. Then it was on to the pool for the remainder of the party! I have to say I think everyone had a really good time!! I saw lots of happy smiling faces! My thrill-seeker friends Tera & Cara (and Jen was in on it too) even got me to go down the huge waterslide! IT WAS AWESOME!!! I screamed the whole way down, but what a rush! AND not only did I go down on my back, but they (TERA!!) talked me into going down on my stomach! WOO-HOO!! We had a blast! What wonderful memories! I just have to say how blessed I feel to have such wonderful friends. Friends truly are the family you choose for yourself!

I also want to say a special thank-you to the Hu's for making the drive up from Parker! Katelyn and I will really miss seeing you guys at school this fall, but we'll have to make plans to get together as often as we can!

Denver Children's Museum

On Thursday we joined our neighborhood friends the Haakmeesters, the Chubbs, the Schneiders & Tera's sister, Shillawna & her daughter Anslie, at the Denver Children's Museum. We had SO much fun!! I am embarrassed to admit that this was Katelyn's first visit to this museum. I have some pretty serious mommy-guilt over it actually. It's not like Katelyn is void of museum-going experiences, but this is the best Children's Museum I've ever been to!!

The museum is organized into different "playscapes" so the children can discover, explore, PLAY, and interact with one another. There's so much to do, you can't possibly do it all in one visit. But that just means there will be new stuff to explore on your next visit! And there's something for everyone from the wee little ones to upper elementary. Katelyn spent her time in 5 of the playscapes: 'Art a la Carte', 'Click Clack Train Track', 'Under My Feet and Over My Toes'(reportedly her favorite playscape!), 'Ready Vet Go', and the 'CMD Fire Station #1', with a real fire truck equipped with all the bells and whistles!




Of course my budding artiste had to paint a picture in the 'Art a la Carte' room. When we return, there is also a puppet theater to explore and a stage area for dancing!


Katelyn loved playing with the trains!


Katelyn, Felicity, and Brynna had a wonderful time dressing as little woodland creatures and exploring the "tunnel room" as Katelyn called it. Ahh, aren't they cute!!


You can imagine our surprise to find a Veternarian playscape! At this time, Katelyn plans to be a Vet when she grows up! She loved this room and enjoyed playing with Brynna too!


CMD Firestation #1 is incredible! There is a life size firetruck that the kids can pretend to drive, hoses, sirens, and even a Dalmation firedog-you know Katelyn loved that!!!


Like I said you can't do it all in one day so when we return (SOON!) we'll have to check out the 'Junior Jobsite' which is only there thru September 7th and definitely 'The Market and Restaurant' playscape. There's also storytime and wonderful outdoor play equipment that Katelyn would love to explore on a cooler day! Oh, and Jen, when you & Anton come next summer we're adding the Children's Museum to our must-do list-he will love it!! Check out their website at mychildsmuseum.org

The Wyobraska Wildlife History Museum

While on our trip to NE, we had the opportunity to visit the Wyobraska Wildlife History Museum. Disclaimer: While I don't deny anyone else their 2nd Ammendment Right, I am NOT a fan of hunting, nor do I own a gun. There may have been a time when humans depended on hunting for their very survival; but for me King Soopers will do just fine. You want to shoot a pheasant or a goose and then eat it for your Christmas dinner, I'm fine with that. You go hiking in the back country and get attacked by a mountain lion and have to defend your family, I'm o.k. with that too! But why would you want to pay thousands of dollars to go to Africa to shoot and kill a lion who's just sittin out on the savannah minding his own business? I don't get it.

Anyway, this particular museum houses over 500 species of animals from all 7 continents. Meaning someone went on a hunting trip, killed the animal(s), stuffed them, mounted them, and brought them to this museum to be displayed. Not exactly my idea of a good time. However, I did think it would be an interesting experience for Katelyn to see these animals up close. There were also many opportunities to touch the animals and that was actually pretty cool. And besides I wouldn't want to come face to face with a real Grizzley or a real Crocodile. And traveling to Africa or Asia or India-not high on my list of places to visit some day.

So I put my moral compass aside and agreed to go to the museum. Glad I did. We had a wonderful time and learned A LOT. All of the animals are diplayed according to their habitat and arranged in the most life-like dioramas I've ever seen. The animals were so well preserved that they looked real and I actually got freaked out a few times. I mean you have no idea how big a Grizzley really is unless it's standing in front of you close enough to touch. And a lion? Huge! Lions just don't look that big on t.v or even at the zoo. Ever touch an African Nile Crocodile hide? Yeah, no plans to do that, right?! The museum is also home to a life-size replica of an extinct Baluchithere(Balu-ka-thir), a hornless Rhinocerus which was the largest mammal known to date. "Ricky the Rhino" as it's called is 19 feet tall and 30 feet long. I tried and tried to get a picture of it, but it was just too big for my camera. You can check out the museum's web site if you want to see a picture of one:
www.WyobraskaWildlifeMuseum.com

My girl can swim!!

Is there anything better to a kid than the hotel swimming pool?? I don't think so! On our trip to NE this time we stayed at a different hotel than usual. I have to say what a pleasure! Even though the Hampton Inn in Scottsbluff is a bit pricier than the other choices, it was such a better experience and SO worth the money!! Sometimes you really do get what you pay for!!

Usually I cringe at the thought of staying in hotels-the rooms are never clean enough for me. The beds are always uncomfortable. I don't even want to talk about the grimy carpets! But the Hampton Inn, the newest hotel in town, was really nice! The room was clean enough, the bed wasn't too bad, and the full breakfast bar was awesome! But like I said if you ask Katie what the best part was, she'd say the swimming pool!!!

Every evening after a long day, it was so refreshing for all of us to go for a swim! Katelyn has been taking private swim lessons this summer and she's doing really well. At the hotel pool, she even took a few strokes on her own without anyone holding her!! YEA!! She is getting much more comfortable in the water and seems to have the basic idea of how to swim! To Mike and I learning to swim isn't optional, but absolutely necessary! It's a life skill like any other! And of course momma had to take some pictures of her little swimmer! Man I love my new digital camera!

Chimney Rock

You might be surprised to learn that the state of Nebraska is rich in our nation's history. If you know where to look, Nebraska has many historic sights to visit. You may also be surprised to learn that I LOVE history, especially American history. I am most interested in the history of the early pioneers who traveled across our vast prairie states. I come by my love for history quite naturally, as both of my parents are total history buffs!!

While on our recent trip to NE, we made the 15 minute drive to Chimney Rock, about 1 mile south of Bayard, NE. Nearly half a million pioneer travelers saw Chimney Rock as they made their way on the Oregon, California, Mormon, and even the Pony Express trails from the early to the mid 1800's. Many of these travelers kept diaries which have been compiled into books. I love reading their first-hand accounts of what life was like while they made their journey. A journey I can't imagine making. It might interest you to know that no other sight along the Oregon, California, or Mormon trails garnered more attention than Chimney Rock. According to the brochure I picked up at the Chimney Rock visitor center, "the monument signaled to the pioneers that the second phase of their journey west-the difficult (Rocky)mountain passage-was about to begin." Thousands of these folks actually scaled the tall spire so they could carve their names on the rock. Unfortunately over time Chimney Rock has significantly eroded away so none of the names are visible today.

I think my first introduction into this period of our nation's history came when I was a young girl reading the Laura Ingall Wilder books. I mean who didn't love "The Little House on the Prairie" tv series??? I can't wait until Katelyn is a little older so we can read the books together(I still have my original set!)

As an adult, I prefer to read the autobiographical accounts from the real pioneers. I am completely humbled when I read about what they went through walking alongside covered wagons for hundreds to thousands of miles. I can't really fathom the hardship and heartbreak they suffered on their journeys. So many babies and small children died on the journey. My heart breaks for those mothers(and fathers)-they loved their children as we love ours today. Husbands buried wives and wives buried husbands along the way. Many people became sick and died from Cholera because they didn't know the water wasn't fit for drinking. Many people were bitten by Rattlesnakes. Some people were attacked by Indians. All of the people suffered through horrible weather conditions. Can you imagine wearing a dress that covered you from head to toe sewn from itchy linen or wool material walking alongside a wagon in 100 plus degree heat?? I think about what those women went through and I know the dear LORD brought me into the world in 1969 for a reason!! You know they didn't take a bath every day. They didn't have Secret deoderant, Kotex maxi pads, makeup, toothpaste, lotion....can you imagine how they must have smelled?? I suppose no one knew any different. But still, I'm thankful for ALL of the modern conveniences I have today. I think about my little girl, about to turn 5, walking for miles every day across harsh prairie terrain. I'm so thankful for modern medicines, cars, air conditioning, heated houses, and the list could go on forever!!

All of the people who made these long journies did so with devout faith, conviction, and the promise of a better life when they reached their destination. I admire them for their courage, tenacity, and faith in GOD.

As much as I enjoy visiting historical sights, having Katelyn along is just the icing on the cake for me. I love sharing history with her! She has so many questions and is so interested in everything we do! I can just about see the neurons in her brain firing away as she gathers more knowledge about her world. It's one of the greatest joys of parenting for me! As Katelyn gets older, I look forward to more educational trips like: Washington D.C. & the Smithsonian-I've never been and I can't wait to share that experience with her. In a couple of years we'll take her to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument-I've been several times and I know Katie will love it! I'd love to go back east and tour the Civil War monuments, the Antebellum homes, etc. There's so much to look forward to and I just can't wait!!!

Scottsbluff/Gering, NE Trip

We visited family in Scottsbluff, NE from July 9-12. My mom lives in Scottsbluff and Mike's mom lives in his hometown of Gering, NE. The two towns are joined which makes visiting our mothers/Katelyn's grandmothers very convenient. We had 2 main reasons for our visit this time: to celebrate my mom's 61st birthday and to visit Mike's mom who is in a nursing home in Gering. MarJean, my mother-in-law, is in failing health. Hospice has been brought in to oversee her care at this point, and we are told she will pass soon; although no one can give us a definitive timeline. At 81 pounds, Jean is a mere shell of the person I first met 13 years ago. She is literally wasting away, although her mind remains reasonably in tact. It's so sad. During our visits with Jean she mostly slept, fading in and out of consciousness. Mike and I continued to "talk" to her and Katelyn made her "ColorWonder" pictures. We know in our hearts that she "felt" our presence and that having her family with her brought her a little joy. Each of us kissed Jean and told her we loved her. In a way, we said good-bye.

When we weren't visiting Jean, we did "touristy" stuff with my mom. The pictures above are from our trip to the small zoo in Scottsbluff. I remember visits to the Scottsbluff Zoo when I was a child, but it has changed & improved SO much. The animal enclosures are much nicer and this summer they added a splash pad for the kids. Katelyn had a great time playing in the water and then we toured the zoo.

Our Little Skater!

Today Katelyn went rollerskating for the first time! WOW~she's a natural!! She had such a great time! We met our friends, Jennifer & her daughter Shea, & Pauline, Jennifer's mom, at Skate City for the "Pixie" skate time. Jennifer's niece, Jessica, and her daughter Ashlynn joined in the fun too. Ashlynn's been skating since she was 3 & is just amazing. The "Pixie" program is every Thursday for 2-6 year olds from 10-11:30. I was so impressed with the instructors-they were just wonderful with the little kids. They did the Hokie Pokie and the Limbo, and most of the music was geared toward the younger crowd as well. After an hour, the kids had a snack and a drink. Today they received a special ice cream snack to commemorate the 4th of July. Also, all the kids who wore red, white, and blue received a special goodie bag prize!! All this for $4.50!!!

You may be wondering if I dawned a pair of skates too, and that would be a big um NO!! I haven't been to a rollerskating rink since 1982. Oh and get this~I was telling Jennifer & Jessica that I hadn't been rollerskating since probably 1982, and Jennifer turns to Jessica and says, "Hey Jess, isn't that the year you were born!!" THANKS JEN! Talk about feeling your age!HA!

By the time we left, Katelyn was hot and sweaty-she must have had a great work out!! It's hard work keeping your balance! We all had lunch at Wendy's to finish up our morning together! What a wonderful time! We'll definitely be doing this again!