The McKethan Family

Halloween 2011

2011-12-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely I will catch up! My little "Angelina Ballerina" had a fantastic Halloween! She loved dressing up...oh, and the candy! However, we need to work on our trick or treating skills. She didn't make it past our neighbors Mel and Maggie's house!

Posing with Payton

She concentrated very hard on decorating her pumpkin.

Love this pic of Kate and Daddy

NuNu may not appreciate me posting this pic...but I just had too! Oh the things Grandmothers will do for their Grandchildren!

Build A Bear

2011-12-30T18:48:00.001-08:00

When we brought Kate home from the hospital we were trying to think of something fun to do with this brave little girl that had just been through way too much... and we remembered a gift card our dear friends Jordan and Courtney had given Kate for her birthday. What a perfect time to use it! It was just what we all needed...a little normalcy and a smiling baby girl!

We tested out all the bears and touched each one...literally

Kate chose her bear and we watched as "Lovey" got her heart and stuffing.

tested her out in the stroller...it was pure luck we made it out of the store without the stroller

And to Kate's house she goes where she sleeps in her bed every night!

Summer Fun

2011-12-30T18:30:00.001-08:00

Bare with me...I am still playing catch up. :)

I downloaded the pictures from my camera and phone to the computer and I am ready to go now! I found a few more vacation pictures and some pictures from our backyard water fun!

Gulf Shores Vacation!

2011-12-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

A vacation to Gulf Shores was just what we needed! It was a relaxing vacation spent with family. We stayed in an amazing condo, located on a beautiful golf course, that was a short walk to the ocean. I was a little nervous about the long car ride to get there, but Kate was a trooper! She LOVED the ocean and everything that Gulf Shores had to offer.

Kate ran in the ocean....

She and Payton played in the waves, laughing hysterically!...

She ate snow cones and shopped...

the boys played golf...

We went to the amusement park and rode the carousel (over and over and over!)....

until Kate's cheeks were red!...

she built sand castles and hunted for shells with NuNu...

She LOVED the ocean and could have spent hours in the water. I can not wait to go back! Thank you NuNu and Papa Boone for an amazing vacation!

Bump In The Road... Pause In Blogging...

2011-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Blogging is a wonderful way to hold on to memories and give Kate something she can look back on as she grows older. It also helps to serve as her "baby book". However, we had a "bump" this Summer in Kate's road through life and I had to take a pause in blogging. Kate got sick this summer and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I have been completely consumed with learning more about Type 1 Diabetes and how to best care for her. Every extra bit of energy I have has been given to her.
Kate has been amazing through it all! It has not slowed her down one bit. She is our blessing, strength, inspiration...our little Hero.
With that said... it is time to start blogging again! And boy do I have a lot to catch up on! Bare with me as we travel back to the Summer and hopefully by the end of Christmas break I will be caught up! :)

The Wedding

2011-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Keith's brother Brian and Caree were married on July 16th. What a beautiful wedding it was... and so much fun! Keith was in the wedding, so my job was to keep Kate quiet and still during the ceremony (hence no actual wedding pics). :) She did a great job and was ready to cut loose at the reception. Her and Payton (her new cousin!) danced and danced. I was able to snap a few photos of the dancing!

Kate had to observe the dance floor before joining in...

I joined her a few times!

We had such a great time and are so happy for Brian and Caree! May God bless their marriage with many many many years of happiness!

4th Of July

2011-07-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

We spent 4th of July weekend in Mineola for NuNu's birthday. But, we kicked off the weekend with our neighborhood bike parade. It was beyond HOT! Kate loved seeing the fire truck and police cars. She has become fascinated with big trucks lately.

This is her face when the fire truck turned on it's sirens!

I have several posts to catch up on... so stay tuned for Uncle Brian and Aunt Caree's wedding and vacation posts!

It's A Girl!

2011-06-10T14:21:00.001-07:00

Rosie! Alice, one of Grandpa's horses, had a beautiful baby girl just a few weeks ago. It was perfect timing, as we were headed to Grammy and Grandpa's house the day after she was born. Kate LOVES horses and she was so excited to see baby Rosie.

Grandpa held her so we could get a good look at little Rosie just one day old!

Alice kept making protective Mama noises that Kate was not so sure about!

And of course we can't leave without some swing time...

2 years old!

2011-05-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet little 5 pound baby that fit so snuggly in my arms is now 2 years old and barely fits on my lap! Each day I love that little girl more and more. It is certainly getting harder to type up these update blogs, because she has so much going on now.

I will begin with her stats...

Weight: 30lbs. (90%)

Height: 36 1/4 in. (95%)

While Kate began life 3 weeks early and for sure on the low end percentage wise for weight, height, and head... she has now grown leaps and bounds and finds herself on the high end. :)

What is she up to? Oh where do I begin!
* she is still a pretty good eater
* her favorite food is pizza..oh, and tomatoes! I have to hide them in the frig or she will eat a whole container of cherry tomatoes.
* LOVES to walk around in other people's shoes, especially high heels that click on the floor :)
* has a small crush on Robert from one of her Barney movies!
* enjoys coloring... still switching from right to left hand...even though Daddy thinks she's a lefty like him
* sometimes we catch her "reading" books to her babies
* counts to 6 consistently... sometimes she gets to 13
* all letters are "ABC"

* knows most colors
* would rather be outside playing than anything else
* her best friend is Rookie (or as she calls her "Rooker B")

* most common saying is " _____ what doin?"

I could go on and on... but those are the basics.

We are looking forward to a fun filled summer full of swimming, playing outside, trips to the spray park, visits with the Grandparents, Uncle Brian and Caree's wedding!, and a vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge and Gulf Shores!... and hopefully more blogging. :)

Easter 2011

2011-05-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing Easter weekend filled with family, friends, egg hunts, bounce houses, petting zoos, and most importantly amazing worship.

Here is the little missy dressed for church on Easter Sunday.

After church our families came over for an Easter Egg Hunt and a delicious dinner!

Kate did so much better hunting eggs this year! Kate and Payton loaded up on lots of treats!

On Saturday (I got a little out of order loading my pictures)...we headed to church for an egg hunt, bounce houses, and a petting zoo. Kate is a bounce house pro now!

During the egg hunt Kate would go up to an egg... sit down... open the egg...and THEN put it in her basket. Needless to say, with 100 kiddos hunting eggs we didn't get many. But, she was so excited anyway! Sweet girls Payton and Rowan were nice enough to share some of theirs. :)

Kate has become fascinated with "bunny raps". She loved the ones at the petting zoo and every night she has to look for them in our front yard.

What an amazing weekend!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kate!

2011-04-29T17:41:00.001-07:00

Kate had a great 2nd Birthday party! We had our family and friends over for a Barney Birthday celebration. Kate loves Barney, so it was important that he be the party theme. :)

Opening presents with Jenna... they were so cute passing the presents back and forth
Kate had a blast all day...except for singing "Happy Birthday"...not sure if it was Daddy's singing or the crowd of people singing at her, but she did NOT like it. :(

Then she was back to playing with her friends.

She loved this tunnel in the bounce house.

Daddy played hard too!

Love Grandpa in the background...Kate did her best to get EVERYONE in the bounce house!

Funny how almost all the pictures are in the bounce house. I think we got our money's worth! Kate was so blessed to share this special day with her family and sweet friends. It was a great day! Kate has her check up at the doctor next week. I will be sure to post her stats and all that she is up to at 2!

The Zoo!

2011-04-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

We did not have a whole lot planned for Spring Break, but we knew we wanted to take Kate to the Zoo for the 1st time! She loves animals and one of her favorite videos is Barney Zoo. We could not wait to see the look on her face when she saw all of her favorite animals. She did not disappoint us. I can not get enough of seeing things through her eyes for the 1st time. Priceless!

Little Missy ran and ran! Grandpa took Kate to pet the chicken.

All of my pictures were side views..she would not take her eyes off the animals!

The zebras were by far her favorite! We made several trips back to see them!

While Daddy's Away...

2011-02-20T17:21:00.001-08:00

.....the girls will play! Keith was gone all weekend to a football clinic, so Kate and I headed to Grammy and Grandpa's house Saturday for some country fun (where bows don't stay in, she can get dirty, and there are animals everywhere)! This little girl LOVES to be outside and she was in heaven.

She looks so big here...

Kate is trying to give Lilly a kiss. Lilly is not too sure!

She was determined to get Lilly.

little picnic in the grass

playing keep a away from Ruby

Then Grammy got out the bubbles. Of course Kate had to do them by herself.

And she got pretty good!

Happy Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet baby Valentine!Cheese!

Dressed and ready for dinner with Daddy. We must have a little appetizer before we go.

....and along with our appetizers there is always Barney close by!

Snow Day

2011-02-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Really we have had 4 "snow days", but today was the first day we had actual snow and not ice. It was beautiful! Last Christmas we had snow, but Miss Kate couldn't walk yet. This time we were super excited to see how she would react. She LOVED it! This little girl loves anything outside. All bundled up and ready to go!

Checking it out for the first time...

Rookie loves the snow too!

I kept trying to get her to look up at me, but she was way to interested in looking at the snow on the ground!

If it is going to keep snowing like this in Texas every year, we are going to have to invest in some better snow gear. Poor Kate was soaked and her boots weren't the best for snow. She was not ready to come in and for about the next 30 minutes she would bring me mine and her boots that were drying by the door. She even put her gloves back on! We have no doubt she would have stayed out there for hours!

We have so enjoyed this "surprise" week off... and the snow was just the icing on the cake!

Movie Star

2011-02-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

While I am trying to catch up on blogging, I wanted to be sure to include these two videos from the Christmas holidays.

This first video is of Kate in her princess shoes. When Keith would get home from work she would run and put on these shoes, grab his hand, and walk him around the living room and kitchen. It was precious! She would always stop at the Christmas tree to talk to the ornaments.

The next video was the neatest thing! The Fire Department cruised through our neighborhood blaring Christmas music, with Santa on top of the Fire truck! Santa waved at all the kids and threw them candy. I so hope they do this every year, because I had just gotten Kate out of the tub when they came by our house.

Christmas 2010 "Hudson" Style

2011-01-30T17:13:00.001-08:00

Yay! I got the Christmas pictures from Grammy! So...here goes Christmas 2010 "Hudson" style. Since Grammy was the sole picture taker this year, her and Grandpa aren't in any pictures. I will do better next year!

We started off the holiday season with a new tradition of going to "Ice" with Grammy and Grandpa. Kate LOVED it and was in awe the entire time!

Here we are waiting in line. Kate was a trooper as we had to wait a while.

about to head in...

Everything was carved entirely out of ice. Amazing!

Do we look cold? We were!

The Gaylord Hotel was decorated amazing. I bet Kate said "ites" 100 times!

We do not get together with the Hudson's near enough, but when we do it is always a blast! Kate was in heaven when she walked outside and there were cows ("moos") right at the gate.

Kate with her cousin Rachel and Aunt Sue

Opening presents

Thank you Word for sharing your ice.

Christmas Eve is always spent at Grammy and Grandpa's house. Kate got a kitchen, a baby doll, stroller, and an Elmo purse!

Kate had a fantastic Christmas. We were so blessed to spend it with family. I am already looking forward to the next holiday season!

Christmas 2010- McKethan Style

2011-01-10T07:45:00.001-08:00

Christmas was an especially fun time this year with Kate! She took every experience in and enjoyed every minute. Christmas "McKethan" style starts out with the McKethan Family Christmas party. This year it was hosted at Aunt Jo Ann and Uncle Johnny's house. We ate, visited with family, and had our traditional white elephant gift exchange. Finally, we got a family picture with our wiggle worm!

This picture is for NuNu of her future ballerina.

This is as close as we got to Santa....Kate was so excited when he walked in the door, but she liked him best from afar! :)

Kate has really started to LOVE her Uncle Brian!

Papa Hollis just thinks she hung the moon!

Kate and Papa Boone

Now, on to Christmas Day at Papa Boone and NuNu's house. We had a blast watching Kate open her presents. No paper and boxes this year...she LOVED all the toys! Her favorites were definitely her doll, doll buggy, and red wagon.

This wagon is very special. It was actually Keith's when he was a boy. Papa Boone has worked very hard to refinish it. It looks brand new! Kate LOVES it!!

And....the doll buggy! This little girl probably walked 10 miles around the house pushing this buggy. She would walk by and say "Bye Mama, Bye Daddy, Bye NuNu, Bye Papa" every time she passed us! She is also very particular about what goes in the doll buggy. Too funny!

Aunt Betty taught Kate how to say "cheese". She will say it now when we take her picture. :)

Papa Hollis and all his grandchildren and great grandchildren...very special picture.

Silly Uncle Brian! It is no wonder she is starting to LOVE him so much!

Little present thief!

Kate had a great time this Christmas. We can't wait until next year! Seeing Christmas through a child's eye is truly amazing!

**Stay tuned...for Christmas "Hudson" style, where we attended the Christmas Eve service at church, started a new tradition of going to Ice at the Gaylord, and had family fun on Christmas Eve! ...as soon as I get the pictures from Grammy (hint hint!)

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-16T18:54:00.001-08:00

Miss Kate was a fantastic traveler this Thanksgiving as she made her way to Papa Boone and NuNu's house...then lunch at Aunt Betty and Uncle Ed's....then off to dinner at Grammy and Grandpa's house. It is a good thing this girlie likes to eat! Kate had a great time with her family and got to see aunts, uncles, and cousins that she does not get to see often enough. We are so thankful that Kate is surrounded by such a loving family.

Kate loved playing with Darcie...she would take her to see the puppies outside!
I am pretty sure Kate is trying to get Danie to take her to see the puppies in this pic :)

Kate so enjoyed playing with Aunt Betty.

I love that there are only three toys left in the toy basket...Kate kept Papa Boone busy with all of them!

Little Missy in her turkey day outfit.

I am at the mercy of the Grandma's cameras still...and I think my mom was so busy cooking and playing with Kate...that she didn't take any pictures from her house. And....the animal craziness! It wasn't enough that we took Rookie over there with their dog Ruby and cat Lilly...but while we were eating dinner Kate points and says "Meow!". The dogs ran in the living room where the "barn" cat, Charlie, had gotten in. Kate and the dogs were loving it...Grammy was not! :)

We were so blessed this Thanksgiving to be able to spend it with family and share this special holiday with Kate.

Fall Fun Catch Up

2010-12-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Be ready for a marathon of blogs from the McKethan family!...starting with some Fall fun. We have been super busy here enjoying the holidays and along with my camera breaking, blogging has taken a back seat. But...it is time to get back on track!

Kate and I made a last minute trip to Grammy and Grandpa's house on Halloween afternoon to visit a pumpkin patch near their house. Kate had a great time in the bounce houses, climbing on the decorations and playing in the play houses. She ran and ran and ran!

Here is Kate and Grandpa taking a break from running!

Kate loves "Meows"

Bounce houses are one of her favorites!

This is what most of my pictures of Kate look like!

We first took a train ride around the property. This is the inside of the train station (and a profile of Great Granny Jo..she will love this!)

Kate before we checked out our church's Fall Festival...not sure what Rookie is up to!

Stay tuned for the next post... Thanksgiving!

Free Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

2010-11-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year....to be ordering Christmas cards. I don't know what is more fun...taking pictures and picking out Christmas cards or getting cards in the mail! I love to look through all the choices and I LOVE to see what everyone else has picked as we receive them in the mail. If you love Christmas cards as much as me you MUST check out Shutterfly. We ordered our cards from there last year and they turned out great! They have TONS of choices, which you can see by going to Shutterfly Holiday Cards. The best part is being to edit and easily put your pictures in the cards. You can see exactly what they will look like before you order. It is super easy!

Here is our card from last year... (Sorry it is so small!)

These are a few of my favorites for this year...

The super fantastic news is if you are a blogger, you can sign up to get 50 free cards! Just simply click on this link to sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Shutterfly offers great discounts and has tons of other things to order in addition to cards, such as photo books, posters, and calendars. Have fun ordering your Christmas cards from Shutterfly!

Tibbals Fall Carnival and McKethanville Fun!

2010-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Let the Halloween festivities begin!!
Friday night Grandpa came up to take Kate and I to dinner and to my school's Fall Festival. Because of the rain, they had to move it inside, which was pretty crowded. It took Grandpa and me to keep Kate from running off...so we didn't get too many pictures. She LOVED the bounce house, but was not a fan of cotton candy.

This picture is kind of blurry because of the net, but Kate was laughing so hard!
Kate and Grandpa...no smiles...she was trying to figure out all the kiddos.

Saturday we drove in the pouring rain to Papa Boone and NuNu's house for the annual McKethan Halloween Party. I look forward to this every year! We had tons of food, smores, pumpkin carving contest, family fun, and a pinata. We usually have a hay ride, but the weather wouldn't cooperate. The rain however did not bother Miss Kate. She ran and ran and ran!

Miss Piggy

Running in the rain!

Trying to get a family picture is hard these days!

She even wore the hat for a little bit!

I just love this costume! She might not one day!

Kate LOVED talking to her baby cousin Tyler. She would whisper "Hi baby" to him over and over.

Keith and I did our best at our first family pumpkin carving contest. We decided to carve Kate's name in it. We made it a little too big, but over all it turned out pretty good. :)

Despite the weather we had a fantastic weekend! We are looking forward to our annual "baby" Halloween party, our church's Fall Carnival, and of course football this coming week!

We're Back/Birthdays!

2010-10-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Runnin around the country with no shoes on!

Grandpa and Kate petting the kitten

Kate looking for the kitten (he escaped...can't imagine why :))

I wish this pic wasn't blurry...but I had to post it anyway!

This past weekend we went to my parents house to celebrate mine and my dad's birthday. We always have a great time when we go there. We watched football, Kate ran around the backyard chasing the kitten, pet the horses, ate Babe's chicken :), and enjoyed being around Grandpa, Grammy, and Great Grandma Jo.

I could list a thousand excuses why we have been absent from the blog world...including I can't get my camera to turn on :(, football season with a football coach hubby, and the beginning of school. But, the important thing is we are back!

I don't even know where to start with Miss Kate. She is growing, changing, and saying more words everyday. She is an absolute blast!

Kate loves...

our dog Rookie
babies (real and fake)

to say the word "baby"

half time at football games

playing outside

eating and eating some more

bubbles in the bathtub

toys that talk to her and make music

going to Mrs. Krystal's house while Mommy and Daddy work

flowers (to say the word and touch the real things)

being spoiled by her Grandparents

Kate is saying new words each day and now she is starting to say phrases. Her favorites are "Where's Dada?", "Where's Kiki (Rookie)?", and "Where's baby?".

We are looking forward to the fun we have in store for October...Fall Festivals at school and church, football games, and the McKethan Halloween Party. I promise to do a better job blogging (I'll just have to borrow a camera!).

15 Months

2010-07-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is one happy girl at 15 months! Kate had her checkup today and she did great. She is developing normally and the doctor was very pleased.

Stats:

Weight- 23lbs. (50%)

Height- 31 1/2 in. (75%)

Head- 18in. (50%)

What Kate is up to lately:

- She LOVES to eat! We pack snacks everywhere we go. She eats most anything (except cornbread and bananas).

- Eats with a spoon and fork (using her left hand all the time)

- Stopped drinking out of bottles at the beginning of Summer

- Can say the words....dada, mama, baby, bye bye, ball, and dog (anytime you start the car she waves and says bye bye)

- Kate LOVES to "read"...She is constantly bringing us books to read to her. She makes a point of sitting in my lap before I start to read. We take books in the car with us and she will talk and talk as she looks at the pictures.

- Also in the car she likes to play peek a boo with her blanket.

- Her favorite toys change often, however right now she loves this pink bear that NuNu got when we found out she was a girl. She carries it around with her saying "baby baby".

- When she sees something she likes, she will say "woah".

- She continues to play very well with Rookie. She has started backing up and sitting on Rookie when she is laying down. Poor Rook.

- Kate is one busy busy little girl. She plays hard and if she could stay outside all day long that would be perfectly fine with her.

- With playing hard, she also sleeps very well. She sleeps from about 8pm to 8:30am (with a 2 hour nap during the day).

We have been blessed with an amazing little girl, who is changing, growing, and learning new things every day. We love her more than words.

Playroom Preview

2010-07-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

After Kate's Birthday this year...we decided that our "dining room" was needed for a playroom. We have spent this summer looking at ideas and buying things here and there. This week it all started coming together. I thought I would post a few pics for the Grandparents that are anxious to see it. We are still in need of some things for the walls and a cubby for toys. Here is what we have so far...

These are pictures on one wall of Kate and Rookie.

Keith and Papa Boone hung these rain gutter book shelves today. (Thanks Taren for the awesome idea!)

Thank you Mom and Great Granny for making the pillows and window seat cushion!
NuNu bought this rug that goes perfectly with all of our colors...

A huge...HUGE...thank you to the Grandparents and Great Granny for all they did to help out with the playroom. Kate LOVES it!

Piggies!

2010-07-16T19:40:00.001-07:00

Yay! Kate's hair is long enough for pig tails! So...I had to let her sit in the sink and play in the water while I did it...but it worked! The pictures aren't too great, but hopefully you can tell. It won't be long before we can have a pony tail!

The Hudsons

2010-07-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

It is a long time overdue for the Hudsons (my Dad's side of the family) to get together. My cousins drove in from Florida and South Texas for a few days. We had such a great time visiting with everyone. Kate was in heaven as she played and played. She slept until 10:00 the next morning! I can not wait until we all are together again!

The 2nd cousins (Raychel, Kate, John Duke, and Word)

My cousin Keith holding Kate in the rain. She wanted to run out in it sooo bad. The little stinker would stand on the porch and stick her toes over the edge.

Kate loved playing with Raychel. She was playing peek a boo with my Uncle Johnny's hat. You can see how wet she is!...we were already on our 2nd outfit :)

John Duke was holding Kate over his head and she was cracking up!

All the Hudsons love Dr. Pepper!

Keith and I are blessed to have such a wonderful family. We cherish the time spent with them. We are so grateful that God has surrounded Kate with such wonderful loving people.

4th of July Fun and Happy Birthday NuNu!

2010-07-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

4th of July is especially fun around the McKethan house because not only do we celebrate our freedom and give thanks to the soldiers who help provide it, but it is NuNu's birthday!! This past weekend we headed to McKethanville (Mineola) to celebrate. The whole gang was there...Papa Boone, NuNu, Uncle Brian, Caree, Payton, and Papaw Hollis. The weekend was full of playing in the pool, digging in the sandbox, picking tomatoes, watching fireworks, church, eating at Olive Garden, and lots of visiting. Of course, with all that was going on I didn't do a great job of taking pictures (shame on me for not getting a picture of the birthday girl). But here are a few of the fun times we had. I hope NuNu had a great weekend and a very happy birthday.

Kate was so sleepy during the fireworks. She pointed and said Ah!

Kate and Payton playing in the water

She LOVED getting her hands in the sand.

Love this face!

Dallas World Aquarium

2010-06-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

It is just way too hot to do much of anything outside...so we took a trip to the Dallas World Aquarium today. Kate loved it! She loves going anywhere and watching all that is going on around her, so this was perfect for her. She kicked back in her stroller and took it all in. She would point and talk to all the animals. Below are a few pics of the animals we took. Notice in the picture in the left corner (it is a monkey with a baby monkey on it's back). Too cute!

Beatin' the Heat at the Pool

2010-06-24T19:04:00.001-07:00

Tuesday Keith and I took Kate to the neighborhood pool. She was a little unsure at first, but in no time she was off and splashing. She especially liked the waterfall hitting her in the face!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-19T20:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the very special men in my life....

Daddy

Grandpa
Papa Boone

Uncle Brian

Papaw Hollis

I honor you today for the amazing men that you are! Thank you for loving me, always being there when I need you, and making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

I love you so much! - Kate Grace

To my Da Da,

I want you to know how much you mean to me and how much I love you. We have the best time together! I cherish our time playing airplane, riding in my little car, reading (and more reading), listening to music, chasing each other around the living room, and our good night sugars. You are the best and I love you to pieces!

Daddy's little girl,

Kate Gracer

Summer Loves

2010-06-15T09:36:00.001-07:00

This summer has started out fantastic! We have had the best time watching Miss Kate discover new favorites in addition to food (this child can eat!), being outside, bringing us her books one by one, being chased around the house, Sesame Street, ......

She loves riding in her Little Tikes car...

Kate and Rookie have become best pals!

Swimming!

...and Kate has also started to talk all the time. Most of it is in her own little language, which is in this high and sweet little voice. But, she has started saying ball, dog, and tree. She has also gotten good at pointing at Rookie when you ask her where she is. :) We are taking in each day and enjoying all of Kate's Summer loves!

Memorial Day

2010-06-07T21:43:00.001-07:00

Better late than never! We loaded up the car (Rookie included) and headed to Grammy and Grandpa's house for Memorial Day. We also got to spend time with Great Granny Jo! We had a great time eating hamburgers, running around the backyard, feeding the baby ducks at the pond, and swimming! I am not sure who had more fun...Rookie or Kate! It is always nice to get together with family. Thank you Grammy and Grandpa for such a great time!!

Silly Silly Girl

2010-05-09T18:33:00.001-07:00

There is just nothing better than hearing this little giggle. My heart overflows....

Birthday Pics cont....

2010-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

So...I still need a lot of work on blogging. Hence the reason it has taken me so long to get the pictures organized to post of Kate's birthday. Long story short....in the process of creating her birthday blog I deleted some the pics in the process. So....let's try again! :)

The most amazing Grandparents a girl could ask for!

Oh, the goodies!

and more tissue to play with!

Kate and Grandpa

Kate and Papa Boone

Kate Grace is One!

2010-05-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is 1! What a year it has been...we could have never expected this precious girl to bring us so many blessings. From the moment we laid eyes on her we were in love. She truely is a gift from God and we celebrated her first year of life with family, friends, food, and fun!

The invitations were sent...

The food and decorations were ordered...

Kate got all dressed up for her guests...and she was ready to party...

her best friends all came to celebrate (here are just a few)...

The Diebold family

Camdyn, Ella, and Macey

Kate and Jenna

Kate enjoyed spending time with her family...

Kate and NuNu

Hunter, Sharon, and Trendon

Lovin' on Daddy

Great Grandpa Hollis and Great Grandma Jo (I love this picture!)

Uncle Brian

Kate LOVED her cake. She even threw a little fit when I finally took it away. I couldn't choose which picture to post...so, I made a collage of my favorites!

Kate's 1st birthday party was a wonderful day! We so appreciate all those who came and celebrated with us.

Happy Easter 2010!

2010-04-04T19:15:00.001-07:00

We had an amazing Easter! Kate's first Easter will be one to remember. Miss Kate got to sit in the "big church" this morning... she walked (yes walked!) a ton for all her family to see... and she got to spend the day with Grammy and Grandpa, her Great Grandma, NuNu and Papa Boone, Uncle Brian, Caree, and sweet Payton. We had a delicious meal, had a blast spending time together, and the Easter Bunny came by to hide some eggs for Payton and Kate! Here are a few pictures from throught the day. Stay tuned for walking video to be posted soon!

After finding one egg...that is all Kate needed. She was content to rattle and chew on it the rest of the hunt!

Check out the Grandmas with their cameras! Too funny!!

Kate was so excited to play with all her Easter goodies!

After church in her Easter dress...

Spring Break 2010...a little late!

2010-03-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Spring Break! We spent a lot of time with family and soaked up every minute we had with Miss Kate. We started our week off with a shopping trip with Grammy and Great Grandma. We found a sweet little Easter dress at a boutique owned by one of Grammy's friends. Kate had a great time shopping with the girls.
The rest of our week included lots of spring cleaning, a trip to McKethanville to visit NuNu and Papa Boone, a playdate with Addison, a birthday party for Ella, and SNOW!

This picture just sums up Spring for me! Kate Grace, flower in her hair, with the breeze blowing in her face! Love her!
At Papa Boone and NuNu's house Kate got a new hat from their trip to Gulf Shores (this will come in handy at the pool this summer.) All she needs is a camera around her neck and she looks like a little tourist!

Kate got a new swing that Daddy and Papa Boone hung in a tree. This will be lots of fun! Aunt Betty came over and brought Kate a sandbox too! We can't wait to see her dive into that! Kate had a great time at McKethanville. We also got to visit Uncle Brian, Carrie, and Peyton while we were there.

Kate and Addison had a long overdue playdate. Kate is just one day older than Addison, so it is fun to get them together and watch them explore.

While most of the week was sunny and warm...we finished Spring Break off with SNOW! We tried to get some pics of Kate in the snow, but this time it was way too windy...

What a great time we had at Ella's 2nd Birthday party! The kids all wore their PJ's and ate yummy doughnuts. Kate sat at the table with the "big kids". She ate her fruitloops and yogurt melts, as her chin barely reached the top of the table!

Who needs a high chair!

Thank you Ella for a fabulous party!

During the break we were also able to get some pictures for Kate's 1st Birthday invites.

This is just a little preview... :)

Best Friends

2010-03-12T18:41:00.001-08:00

Every night Kate's favorite thing to do is play with Rookie. She loves Rookie...and I am pretty sure the feeling is mutual (most of the time!). We were able to catch some video of them last night. Keith and I could watch them for hours. Kate loves to tease Rookie with her bone and poor Rook just goes along with it. I am so glad that they get along so well.
We are super excited for Spring Break! We get to spend some good quality time with family. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I will do my best to put up some blog posts of our week off!
** Please excuse the basketball game in the background... :)

Our Valentine is Walking!

2010-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well...sort of. She has the help of a toy that my Grandma (Kate's Granny) gave her for Christmas. Kate has been cruising around tables and pretty much anything she can pull up on, so I decided to try out this toy today. She loved it...as long as it was moving. When she would run into something she would get so mad (I didn't get that on video:)) She just popped right up and off she went. We made several trips around the living room today.

Snow Bunny

2010-02-12T13:55:00.001-08:00

Yay...a snow day! Keith and I were so excited to be able to spend the day with Kate Grace...IN THE SNOW! As you can see from the pictures, Rookie was pretty excited too! I tried to keep her confined to a towel I put over the snow, which worked for a little bit as she took everything in. She stuck her face down in the snow and got it all over her head. She thought that was too funny. What a great day and a memory we will never forget.

Kate's Lil' Valentines

2010-02-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Camdyn Reece

Kate, Emma, and Macey

Last Saturday was the annual baby Valentine Party hosted by Melissa. We were so excited to see all of Kate's friends and their mommies. Kate had her Valentines all ready to go... then she woke up not feeling so great with a low fever. Bummer! We didn't want her presents and treats to go to waste, so we headed over to Melissa's for a quick visit. Kate was a trooper, but we didn't stay long. The kiddos are always so sweet to Kate and she is blessed to have such great friends (and so am I!). Happy Valentine's!

Big Girl Church

2010-02-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday as Keith and I sat in the family room at church, trying to keep Kate busy and chasing after her as she crawled to various visitors, we decided this week we must try to take Kate to "Big Girl Church" (the nursery). So, this week we did it! When I handed Kate off to the teacher she just looked at me confused, but didn't cry. I thought that was a pretty good sign for Keith and I to enjoy the message. I think for the most part Kate did really well, however when we picked her up she was crying. :( Hopefully, next week we will pick up a happy baby. We are so proud of our little girl's first trip to "Big Girl Church". Even though she is playing and meeting other babies for now, I feel like this is her first step in her walk with God.

Before church...smiles

After church...teary eyes :(

9 Months!

2010-01-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

It has been waaaayyyy to long since I have posted. Kate is now 9 months old! My how time is flying by. We are trying to soak up every moment. She is one busy little girlie! Kate had her doctors appointment on Friday, which was the kind I like (no shots!). She was very good and did all her "tricks" for the doctor. Here are her stats:
weight: 18 lbs. (50%)
height: 29 1/2 (95%) :)
head: 17 (25%)

It seems Kate is learning something new everyday. She is definitely keeping her Mommy and Daddy on their toes.
* two teeth on the bottom
* eating solid foods...loves anything mashed...not so fond of the chucky ones yet
* loves to eat cheereos
*her favorite fruit is applesauce
* says mama and dada
* waves bye bye (not always on cue)
* claps her hands when she is excited
* loves to play with anything that is not a "toy"
* pulls up on anything that she can get her hands on
* crawls everywhere...poor Rookie!
* she recently has started to cruise around holding on to things
* enjoys playing with hair... she gets tickled when she gets a handful of dog hair, people hair, and her Papa Boone's mustache!

I will be putting up some more posts soon of her crawling and her first visit to the church nursery!

Kate is concentrating very hard and trying to get the camera. Love those brown eyes!

Favorite toy... the remote control!
She loves to play at the coffee table.

My little laundry helper. She tries so hard to figure out how to climb in the dryer!

Hook 'Em!

2010-01-08T21:11:00.001-08:00

Kate had to show off her cheerleader outfit that her Uncle Brian gave her for Christmas. It fit her perfectly for the big game. The football game turned out to be a disappointment, but the cheerleading was fantastic!!

Oh, What A Year!

2010-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

2009 has forever changed our lives, with the birth of our precious Kate Grace. Each day is filled with new adventures. It is truely a "God thing" watching the world through her eyes. As we bring 2009 to a close, we look forward to all that 2010 has to offer. We wish all of our friends and family a blessed New Year!

New Year's Eve was a big milestone for Kate (more for me!). Kate had her first overnight stay with her Grandparents. Keith's cousin got married on New Year's Eve in Beaumont. So, we loaded up the car with all of Kate's things and Rookie to go and spend the night at Grammy (mom's new name :)) and Grandpa's. They were super excited and Kate's Great Grandma came over too. It was a full house with Kate and three dogs. Keith and I missed her like crazy, but we are so thankful Kate has such fantastic Grandparents that take such great care of her. Thank you mom and dad for taking in our two sweet girls for the night!

Great Grandma and Dinger, Mom, Kate, Dad with Ruby and Rookie..what a group!

Kate playing in her learning house from Grammy

Christmas at the McKethan's

2009-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning we woke up and loaded the car for McKethanville. We spent lunch at Aunt Betty and Uncle Edward's house. We played a hilarious game of pictionary and opened presents.

Kate and Uncle Brian

After a long nap Kate was ready to open her presents from Papa Boone, NuNu, and Uncle Brian.

NuNu got Kate a HUGE stocking!

NuNu's pretty tree

Kate laughing at Uncle Brian

We had an amazing time celebrating Kate's first Christmas. We are so thankful for our family. Kate has amazing Grandparents that helped to make this Christmas very special.

The Meaning of Christmas

2009-12-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

While we have truely enjoyed all that the holiday has to offer...parties, presents, shopping, candy, Santa, friends, family, sweets... we must remember the most important reason we celebrate... the birth of Jesus! Even though Kate is too young to understand, it was very important for us to take her to church for the Christmas Eve service. The music, candles, and message were amazing. I am pretty sure Kate had a great time as she let out a few laughs and squeals!

White Christmas in Argyle!

2009-12-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

What a special Christmas! Not only was it Miss Kate's first Christmas, but it also snowed on Christmas Eve for the first time in years. It is truely a time we will never forget.

We ran outside for a quick pic!

Grandma and Grandpa's front yard. So pretty!

Kate had the best time with her Grandparents and Great-Grandma. We ate yummy food, watched the crazy dogs chase each other, and watched the snow pile up! Kate was too funny opening her presents. With each gift we felt our house get smaller and smaller! I am not sure who had more fun...Kate or her Grandparents!

Just look at all the toys around her! Bath time just got a whole lot more fun!

This little doll was Kate's favorite present. She smiles every time she sees it!

Every toy had to be tested by putting it in her mouth.

Santa!

2009-12-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

Two malls and two Santa's later we had some great pictures! We headed out to North Park this afternoon for some shopping and Santa. Little did we know, being our 1st time, the North Park Santa is a VERY big deal. Apparently, you get a ticket...come back in 6 hours...and then wait in line for another hour. Having an 8 month old, we decided that wasn't the best idea. So, we headed to Firewheel to see their Santa. There was no line and he looked like the real deal! Kate checked him out and gave a little grin.

McKethan Family Christmas Party

2009-12-20T15:46:00.001-08:00

The weekend has been full of parties! Saturday night we headed to Crandall to Aunt Jackie's house for the McKethan Family Christmas party. Kate loved opening her presents, especially the paper of course. She was also amazed with the 5 foot Santa in one of the bedrooms. It sang when you pushed a button. Kate watched it for the longest time. I hope she is that excited when we see the real Santa tomorrow!

Kate is checking Santa out!

Kate and her Great-Grandpa Hollis

A big Thank You to Papa Boone, Mike and Sharon, JoAnn and Johnny, Justen and Megan, Jim and Jackie, and Bud and Billy Sue for the fabulous gifts for Kate!

Baby Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Our good friends, The Cannaday's, invited the couples and babies over to their house for the annual Baby Christmas Party. We had a great time! Zach is an amazing cook and we ate and ate. The kids had such a great time playing, while Kate had a great time watching them. She tried to join in the fun, but she is just not quite mobil enough just yet. It is always a good time when we get together. We are blessed to have such a great group of friends.

Too much fun!

I know this isn't a very good picture....Camdyn was giving Kate the sweetest kiss. By the time the picture was taken they were rolling over on the floor. I need a faster camera!

The beads were a hit with all the kids. The older girls wore them....Kate ate them!

1st Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Kate and Darci

Kate had a very special Thanksgiving. We were worried about the traveling we would be doing, but she handled it like a champ! We started out at Papa Boone and NuNu's house. We spent Wednesday night there and ate lunch Thursday morning. Kate loved playing with new toys and visiting with her Grandparents, Uncle Brian, Great Grandpa Hollis, Aunt Betty, Uncle Edward, and cousins (Matt, Stacy, Dani, and Darci). Kate even sat at the big table with us in her highchair. No turkey and dressing for her just yet...but next year I am sure she will have a plate full!

After lunch we were off to Argyle to see Kate's Grandma and Grandpa. We had a yummy dinner and visited with her Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma. Kate got a kick out of watching Rookie chase my parents new puppy, Ruby. Kate enjoys going to my parent's house and watching the horses. We can already tell she is going to be an animal lover!

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I got busy visiting and did not take many pictures. I really need to work on my multi-tasking!

Little Reader

2009-11-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Kate loves it when her Daddy reads to her!

NuNu up for a visit

Keith and I both being teachers, we see everyday how important it is for kids to read or be read to everyday. We have been reading to Miss Kate since she could focus. :) She loves books and for now she will sit so still when you read to her. We hope she will continue to enjoy books as she gets older. Here are a few pics of her enjoying her favorite books. Thank you Grandma for her absolute favorite, Fluffy Chic!

6 Months

2009-10-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Wow...it is hard to believe that six months with our baby girl have already gone by. She is changing and doing new things every day. We cherish every moment with her and thank God for bringing her into our lives.

Yesterday Kate went to the Dr. for her 6 month checkup. She was much more at ease than at her 4 month checkup. It might have something to do with the white paper laid out on the table! She was in awe of the way it looked, sounded, and tasted! As soon as I would get one piece out of her mouth...in would go another piece. The doctor said she can always tell when a 6 month old has been in the room! Kate checked out great and only cried for a few seconds when they gave her the shots. Whew!

Here are her stats:

weight: 15.5 lbs. (50%)

length: 27 1/4 (90%) :)

head: 16 1/4 (25%)

Kate has been busy these last few months. Below are just a few things she has mastered:

*eats cereal twice a day
*looks when you call her name

*responds to our voices (especially her daddy!)

*reaches for and grabs anything that catches her eye

*rolls EVERYWHERE

*starting to scoot

*sits up by herself

*sucks her toes

*puts herself to sleep with her fingers

*loves to play peek-a-boo

We are so thankful for a happy, healthy, precious baby girl. She is the love of our lives!

Halloween at McKethanville

2009-10-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hayride!
Little Ladybug

Trendon and Kate

Saturday, Keith's family had their annual Halloween party at his parent's house. It is always so much fun each year to visit with family, eat Papa Boone's special chilli, carve pumpkins, go on a hayride, and watch the kids bust a pinata. Kate had a great time! I think besides getting to see her Papa Boone and Nunu, her favorite was the hayride!

Fall Carnival

2009-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Friday, Tibbals had their annual Fall Carnival hosted by the PTA. I volunteered to work at it, so Grandma came up to entertain Miss Kate. They go all out with bounce houses, games, face painting, and tons of food! Kate got to spend some time with Camdyn. Here are a few pics. Thank you Taren for the precious bow!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Keith and I took off work today to take Kate to the Dallas Arboretum. Except for the cold weather we had a great time. Kate loves to be outside and look at trees, so she was in heaven! We got some great pictures of Kate and the pumpkins. It is so nice to have these family days. I wish we could do it more often. We have had a busy week of parties and pumpkins....and there is more to come. Tomorrow we have the Fall Carnival at school and Saturday we have the McKethan Halloween party at Papa Boone and NuNu's house. I just love this time of year!

Party Party!!

2009-10-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

My precious lady bug!

My camera skills need some work, so I wasn't able to get a picture of everyone. They were way too busy!

Kate Grace had her first party for all her little friends. What a blast! I love it when all the babies get together. Not only is it the best entertainment, but I so enjoy watching them grow up. Kate got all dressed up in her ladybug costume! She tried her best to be a good hostess... however about half way through she fell asleep! I knew she was tired, but I thought with all the playing she would stay awake until everyone left. Nope! She laid her little antennas down on my shoulder and went right to sleep. The life of the party she is not (just yet!). Thank you to all of Kate's friends for coming to her Halloween party!

5 Months

2009-10-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 5 month birthday Kate (a little late, but Mommy's camera was acting up)! Just when we think she can't amaze us anymore...she does! Each day brings new interests, noises, faces, and accomplishments. Here are just a few things she has been up to lately:

*eats cereal and loves it

*recognizes our faces and voices (she always gets a big smile on her face when she sees her daddy each day)

*recognizes Rookie (she used to not pay any attention to Rook, but now she laughs everytime she sees her)

*her eye/hand or should I say eye/mouth coordination is very good :)

*Kate is starting to cut teeth and drool everywhere!

*she sleeps very good at night and takes two good naps a day (especially for the sitter)

*she tries to crawl...she has her arms ready and legs ready, but the tummy is still stuck!

*she rolls and scoots on her tummy

*moves around on the saucer and bounces it up and down

*still loves to look at books and for you to read to her

Here is to another month of wonder! We love her so much and thank God everyday for our little angel baby.

Uncle Brian and The Giggle Box!

2009-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

There is nothing sweeter than Miss Kate's laugh. We can't hear it enough. Papa Boone, NuNu, and Uncle Brian came up to visit on Sunday and go to dinner. Kate put on quite the show! She loves her Uncle Brian and thinks he is so funny! She went on for a long time...but this is just a little snipit. :)

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

2009-10-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

We headed to Argyle to celebrate my dad's and my birthday. We decided that instead of going out to eat like we usually do, we would grill steaks and hang out at my parent's house. We had a great time! Kate got to love on her grandparents and pet the horses. We saw the horses at the fence, so we took Kate out to see them. We were surprised when Alice (the horse) started sniffing Kate, she reached out and started petting her nose! My mom ran inside to get the camera. Grandpa gave Alice carrots to get her to come back over to us. Everytime he would give Alice a carrot, Kate would crack up laughing. It was so funny! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for such a fun evening.

Chatty Chatty

2009-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Cereal time is very entertaining for us! We look forward to it every night. Kate loves to eat her cereal, and Keith and I love watching her...from her sneezing with a mouthful, sucking on her fingers, sticking it in her ear, and to lately her talking. The other night she started a full out conversation with me. I am not at all sure what she was saying, but it was very important I am certain. It was hysterical! Of course when Keith went to get the camera, she was more interested in him than talking. But, we were able to get a little clip.

Happy 3rd Birthday Hudson!

2009-09-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Kate with Lindsay's mom, Kathy
She is not so sure about the goat!

My best friend Lindsay's little boy Hudson had his 3rd birthday party on Saturday. To celebrate they had a petting zoo! There were chickens, bunnies, ducks, goats, and a pony! Kate loves anything outside, so she had a great time. Keith had a football game in Lufkin on Saturday, so Grandma (my mom), Kate, and I loaded up and headed to Fort Worth. I absolutely love watching Kate discover new things. Her little personality has been shining through lately. She is the light of our lives!

For Uncle Skeeter

2009-09-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

Uncle Brian,

Anytime you want to take me out on a dinner date, just let Mommy and Daddy know!

Love you,

Kate

Bye Bye Snuggy

2009-09-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Since Kate was born we have wrapped her in a Snuggle Me blanket. We have tried a few times to put her to sleep without it, but she wakes up everytime. Well, on Saturday night I heard her fussying in her crib. When I went to check on her she had completely kicked out of the Snuggy, flipped over on her belly (where she prefers to sleep), and had put herself back to sleep. She slept until 9:30! I had to wake her up for church. Needless to say no more Snuggy and I had to go buy her some big girl PJs! Here are a few pics of Kate after her bath last night. She is ready for bed in her PJs.

Yummy!

2009-09-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to see how Kate would like cereal. Sunday night she got her first taste. She actually liked it (I think)! Most of it went all over her face, hands, and down her onesie. But, some made it to her mouth and she seemed to enjoy it! While I was running her bath, Keith was holding her. He said "Why is her skin so dry on her legs?" ...it was cereal!! :) I think most of the mess was Mommy error. I definitely need more practice.

1st Football Game!

2009-09-01T14:43:00.001-07:00

Uncle Skeeter

Kate went to her first (of many!) football games Saturday night. The Skeeters played at Pizza Hut Park. Kate got all dressed up in her Skeeter Football onesie. Originally our seats were right behind the band. Not good! The first time they cranked up Kate looked at me with a look of fear! Needless to say we weren't there long. We moved far away and she was much happier. She did a great job of cheering them on. Towards the end of the game she was so sleepy, so we were lucky enough to have passes to an inside area. I think from now on we may just make it to half time!

Happy 4 Month Birthday Kate!

2009-08-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

Kate Grace is 4 months old today. She is growing so fast and doing new things everyday. Kate has experienced a lot of changes in the past few weeks. Keith has started football season. He is cherishing every moment he has with her. Kate has her Skeeter gear ready for the first game!

Now that I am back at work, Kate has been going to the sitter. She has adapted very well. She seems to really like it. She is doing a lot better than me!

Last week we made a trip to the doctor to check on this funny breathing sound that Kate has made since she was born. They said that when babies are first born their breathing is irregular and does not sound like ours. Well, Miss Kate has continued to make this congested sound and we thought we might want to check it out. We were referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor in Dallas. They put a tube down her nose (not fun!) to look at her throat. They diagnosed Kate with Laryngomalacia. Basically, her Larynx has fatty tissue around it and is causing her to make that sound when she breathes. She should grow out of it and hopefully the worst part of the whole deal is the tube down the nose!
Kate has had a busy couple of weeks. Here are a few things she can do now...

rolls over very easy
laughs outloud constantly!
very aware of her surroundings
loves to look at the trees
taking longer naps
sleeping through the night (yeah!)
grabs toys and sticks them in her mouth
likes to play in her bumpo, saucer, and on her activity mat

Too Funny!

2009-08-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today I had a workshop to go to before school starts. NuNu came to stay with Kate and spend some quality Grandma time with her. It was hard for me to leave, but it was a good way for me to ease into leaving her with the sitter. Kate must have had a great day because she has been laughing all afternoon. Not only did she take a 2 hour nap...she woke up so happy! Kate has been laughing outloud for awhile now, but I finally got it on video. Precious!

Happy Birthday Papa Boone!

2009-08-10T15:43:00.001-07:00

This weekend we headed to McKethanville (Mineola) for Papa Boone's birthday. Kate had her first overnight stay. She had a great time! She played in a saucer, bumpo seat, and with toys on the floor. The spoiling has begun! Kate went to church with us on Sunday. She was such a good girl the whole time (minus a couple of toots!). We enjoyed this quality time with family before football season starts. Happy Birthday Papa Boone! Kate sure does love you!

Roly Poly

2009-08-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Kate has been working so hard to roll over and yesterday she did it! She just woke up from a nap and Keith and I were watching her on the monitor. Before we could get to her room she rolled right over. We immediately heard crying! After we celebrated she realized it wasn't so bad. Today I got her new accomplishment on film. I think she must be pretty proud of herself, because today she didn't cry. :)

Woo Hoo!!

2009-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

She did it! Kate slept through the night last night. I am so excited! We put her down at 10 and she was asleep by 10:30. She slept until 6:45. Woo hoo...8 hours! I would love to say that I slept for 8 hours too...but I woke up at 3:30 (which is when she normally wakes up), 4:30, 5:30, and then I just stared at her until 6:45. After eating, she went back to sleep and is still sleeping at 9:30. Now she may not sleep the rest of the day! Keep your fingers crossed that she can repeat this wonderful milestone!

Heads Up!

2009-08-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

While little Kate was having some tummy time today I thought I would snap a few pictures of her holding her head up. She is getting so strong. We have noticed that just lately she is holding her head up so high! She will hold her head by herself all the time now...except when she gets sleepy :). Her legs are also super strong. If she is awake, she is almost always kicking those precious legs. We think she may crawl before she rolls over! When she is on her tummy she will hold that head up high and kick her legs. Now if we could just get her arms to catch up :).

At The Races!

2009-07-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Kate dressed up and headed to the race track. Keith's parents are part owners of a race horse, so whenever she runs we love to go out there. Kate had a great time visiting with both sets of her Grandparents and her Uncle Brian. They always make her feel so special. I especially enjoy it when we can all get together. Kate also proved to be quite the good luck charm!

3 Months

2009-07-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

The summer is going by so fast! I can't believe our little angel is 3 months old. She amazes us with new things everyday. We are trying to take in every moment before school starts. A few things she has been up to lately:

* loves to suck on her hand

* not a big fan of the pacifier (prefers her hands!)

* pulls her head and shoulders up

* so close to rolling over from her belly to her back

* loves taking baths

* beginning to drink 5 ozs. at times

* she is very active...kicking her legs and waving her arms

* smiles when you talk to her

* coos and laughs outloud (especially when her Grandpa and Papa Boone talk to her)

Honey

2009-07-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today Keith is spending time with the guys, so Kate and I decided to make a trip to Argyle to see her Grandparents. She had a great time visiting with her Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma. She got plenty of attention and loved being outside. We walked down to the barn to see Honey (one of her Grandpa's horses). Looks like she is going to be a cowgirl!

Oh, Baby!

2009-07-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Zach and Ella came by to visit this afternoon. Ella was adorable! Since her mama, Amanda, is expecting #2 we put Ella with Kate to see how she felt about babies. She is going to be a great big sister! At first she would just point at Kate and say "baby". Then she slowly got closer and stared at her. After a couple of minutes she was saying "oh, baby" and giving Kate kisses! Every time Ella would give Kate a kiss she would say "oh, baby". By the end of their visit Kate had Ella kisses on her head, toes, knee, and arm. What good friends they are going to be!

Catching Up

2009-07-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

My good friend Kim, her husband Tom, and their 3 precious girls were in town this week from Colorado. Kim usually comes in town once every 6 months and we try to all get together for lunch to catch up. We have now added 8 kids to our group! This was Kate's first time to meet everyone. The kids played great, while us girls were able to catch up. It will be fun to see how the kids grow and change with each lunch visit!

Kate's First Play Date

2009-07-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

2 Months Old!

2009-06-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Kate is 2 months old today! She has survived her first round of shots and got a clean bill of health from the doctor. She continues to change and amaze us everyday. Here are some things that she is up to:
*Weight-9.9lbs., Length- 22 inches
*she can hold her head up for longer periods of time
*she is starting to keep her hands open and grab things
*she loves to play bicycle and when you sing to her
*she is smiling all the time
*she is sleeping longer at night (about 5 hours)
*she can follow objects from side to side
*she will look at you when she hears your voice

Father's Day

2009-06-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Kate's first Father's Day was so busy we celebrated all weekend! We started Saturday with a trip back to McKethanville to see Papa Boone and NuNu. Kate also got to meet her great grandpa Hollis, Betty, Edward, Matt, Stacy, Darci, and Dani. She had a great time playing with Dani and Darci. We ate hamburgers, opened presents, and took lots of pictures. Well I should say NuNu took lots of pictures. I completely dropped the ball and don't have any pictures from Father's Day. I promise I'll do better!
On Sunday we headed to Argyle to see Grandma and Grandpa. Kate also got to meet Johnny and Sue. We ate chicken, watched the horses, and played with Rookie. What a great weekend! There is nothing better than spending time with family.

McKethanville

2009-05-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Kate made her first (of many) trips to McKethanville, where NuNu and Papa Boone live. She was great on the car ride, sleeping most of the time. Boone and NuNu were waiting anxiously to hold her. Kate spent the day playing and cuddling with her grandparents.

1 Month Old

2009-05-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

This first month has flown by. It amazes us how Kate changes everyday.

1 Month Updates:

*Weight-6.8lbs., Length- 191/2inches

*starting to smile at us

*turns her head from side to side

*beginning to pick her head up

*makes cooing sounds

*loves the fan and bright lights

*likes to ride in the car as long as it is moving:)

*enjoys bath time

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

What a perfect day! Kate is too young to travel, so all the grandparents came to our house for lunch. My parents (Grandma and Grandpa), my grandmother (Great-Grandma), Keith's parents (NuNu and Papa Boone), and Keith's brother (Uncle Skeeter) could not wait to get their hands on Kate. We had a great day filled with good food and lots of pictures!

Kate's First Play Date

2009-04-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Kate arrived 3 weeks early and 1 day before our good friends Courtney and Jordan had their baby girl, Addison. We were 2 doors down from each other in the hospital! Kate had the first of many play dates in the hospital. Courtney and Jordan live around the corner from us. Addison and Kate are sure to be great friends! We are excited to see them grow up together.

Kate Grace is here!

2009-04-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Our little blessing arrived today at 9:42pm. I began having contractions Tuesday evening and Miss Kate couldn't wait any longer to get here. She is absolutely perfect weighing 5lbs. 14ozs. and 18 3/4 inches long. We are so excited about our growing family.