HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE

How can I describe Katie? The only way I can think to describe Katie is through a quote from her favorite author… Dr. Seuss… and it says this..” Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” There is no one out there quite like Kate. Let’s see if I can bring you into her world.

… she quit ballet classes when we were younger because the teachers socks would hang off his feet… Kt there is no one alive who is youer than you.

…she will have checked that she locked the front door about 9 times before she leaves the parking lot, yet still turn around when she gets up the street to check one final time… there is no one alive who is youer than you.

…she can work on a painting for months that all of us see as perfection, and she still can’t see why we want to hang it up… there is no one alive who is youer than you.

… she begged our mom to be taken out of pre-school cause the teacher made her dunk her graham crackers in milk… there is no one alive who is youer than you.

… she finds that the entry music to sports center is a great lullaby to a good nap… there is no one alive who is youer than you.

…she is the only person I can lay on the bed with and laugh for hours about absolutely nothing… she is kind hearted, beautiful, talented… she is my sister and my best friend… there is no one alive who is youer than you.

…she loves David with all of her heart and is going to make you the happiest man ever for the rest of their lives… and I have always been able to see… that when David looks at you Katie… he knows… there is no one alive who is youer than you!

I am truly happy for the both of you… and can’t wait to see what the future brings to your lives. But it would not be a true speech if I did not give some advice to my new brother in law… and to be true to Katie’s love for Dr. Seuss… David… I hope you take the advice from Horton the elephant when he says… “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent.”

To David and Katie!!!!

(THIS WAS ACTUALLY MY SPEECH FOR KATIE AND DAVIDS WEDDING... BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT FOR HER BIRTHDAY... SUMS HER UP!) 

 

We all went to Kobes for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate my beautiful sisters 25th Birthday!!!!

 

Here are some of the photos...

 

Mom and Karly... my mothers eyes look gorgeous here huh!?!

 

Marshall & Nikki... we all love spending time with these two!

 

Kobes is one of Karlys favorites... they cook the meal right in front of you! The chef kept saying "OOOOHHHH" and Karly would yell it back at him! Usually I can't get this girl to eat meat at all, but this night she decided she loved lobster...=/

 

Todd and Amy made it out to celebrate with Katie too!  

SISTERS!...We had such a fun night!

 

Katie is going to hate me for posting this picture...she hates morning pictures... but I think she is beautiful any time of the day!... On Katies actual birthday, Amy, Kar and I surprised her with starbucks chai tea, mug and a blueberry muffin...YUM!

 

Katie could not wait to get her hands on her bug...

 

Aquarius buddies!

 

Karly playing in Katies laundry basket!

 

Always ready to try to climb ANYTHING!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT KATE! You are such a special part of our lives in so many ways, and we thank God for you every day! WE LOVE YOU!

 

We also got free tickets to the Date festival in Indio...

 

... they had a petting zoo...

 

...which we knew Karly would LOVE...

 

... she ran around that place making sure she pet ALL the animals! 

=)

 

They had amazing food at this place...

 

...including the BEST shaved ice we have ever had! It was like soft snow... sooooooo good!

 

Karly... doing her fake laugh... cracks me up!

 

It was a beautiful day! Time for another photo session...

We had a good afternoon at the Date Festival... thanks mom for treating us to lunch (pulled pork sandwiches, baked bean, coleslaw and slow roasted corn.... YUM!)

A Memorable Mammoth Trip

Last weekend we went on a trip up to Mammoth Mountain to do some snowboarding. I had not had the chance to snowboard since mine and Ricky's honeymoon in Tahoe, and we had never rode Mammoth Mountain, so we were really excited to go up and have some fun!

 

David did all the research and found us a beautiful condo to stay in that was just a gondola ride away to the bottom of the ski lifts...can't get much better than that!

 

Karly was ready to get on the road early Friday morning...

 

We, of course had to stop for a bite to eat. Kar chowing down on the rest of my sandwich.

 

Karly and I had a bit of a cold to start out the trip. We slept almost the whole entire 6 hour drive up there and arrived feeling much better!

 

The icicles just out the slider of the main floor to our place.

 

"Ok Dad... Show me how this is done!"

 

She will be out on those slopes with us sooner than we know it!

 

We arrived to mammoth at about 3:30p.m. on Friday, so no snowboarding that day, we just relaxed by the fire...

 

...and cuddled in for the night!

 

And of course took a few photos =)

 

The next morning, we were all sooooo excited to get going! I stayed at home with Karly for the first morning... my mom tried snowboarding for the first time, and with Katie's help she did pretty well. But was very tired after the morning was over and decided she wanted to stay home with her granddaughter instead =) It was also Amy's first snowboarding experience, she did really well, carving on her first day! 

 

Kar and I stayed home and played dress-up while they were gone!

Then it was time for me to get out there!!! We had an awesome group to go with... the "couples" stayed together...(Nikki & Marshall, Katie & David, Ricky & I) we ended up going to the very top run and coming down "Daves run"... my first time ever doing that, it looks completely scary at the top, but was actually a really fun ride down! WE ALL HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME! (Amy and her b.f.f. Becca stayed on the bunny slopes to get some practice time in... they are for sure getting it!)

 

Mom and Kar rode up with us on the gondola and saw us off... Karly loved the gondola ride!

 

Here are a few views right out our windows from the condo!

 

It was really beautiful! 

 

After snowboarding all day... the hot tub sounded like a great plan to all of us! 

 

The boys in there cute robes =)

 

Karly had so much fun!

 

Family shot!

 

After a four day trip, it was time to say good bye to our condo and head home...

 

...we honestly had so much fun though, who wouldn't with this much snow!!!

 

Karly was awesome with the long car ride home too, 

 

It does help when you have grandma playing with you the whole way!!!

 

and when you have yummy food to grub on... we stopped and got lunch at the famous Schatts bakery... BEST BREAD WE HAVE EVER TASTED!!!

Potty break and a chance for my husband to, in his own words "throw some rocks or something"... weirdo A.D.D. guy... can't sit still for too long! =/

  

This is one of my favorite shots... Karly loved the long bumps in the road (you know... the ones that make butterflies in your tummy!) ... she would make this face every time we went over them! We honestly had such a blast, we went with a great group, had yummy food, had perfect powder, thanks to David found a beautiful place to stay, and made some great memories... WE WOULD LOVE TO DO A SNOWBOARDING TRIP EVERY WINTER!!!

______________________

Just a few home photos to finish up...

 

Karly smiling at Auntie Amy who found her climbing in the drawers...

 

"Oh shoot, mom found me!"

 

She does this new thing that when I point at her and tell her no, she points back at me! Takes everything in me not to laugh!

 

"Alright, guess I better get out!"

 

Playing with Aunt Kate!

 

This is the outfit Auntie Sue got her... cracks me up! SCREAMS AUNTIE SUE... completely 80's! LOVE IT!

 

Kisses

 

Excited to see grandma when she saw her come back from her walk!

 

We have had beautiful weather lately... Amy, Kar and I just laxin in the grass!

 

Climbing trees with grandma...

 

Love her!