BIG NEWS!!!

Kate is growing up so fast! She now can put her shoes on by herself. CONGRATULATIONS KATE!!!
(I love it when kids have their shoes on the wrong feet!)

TURNING 90!!!!

Brad's Great Grandma Mish is turning 90 next week so we had a party with all of her posterity. It was a great time and you could tell she had a great time. All the family that lives around here came to the park and had a potluck dinner and cake. Then we make a book for everyone to put notes to her. She knew we were getting together but didn't know that there would be a book. She was so excited to get the book and couldn't wait to sit down and read it. Several times she would open it and try to read it but someone would start talking to her, so she would put it down, but right when they left she picked it up again. Brad has been so lucky to know 7 of his great grandparents. And now Kate has had the opprotunity to know a great, great grandma and to know 6 great grandparents. She has so many grandparents when we tell her that we are going to grandma and grandpa's house we have to be specific because you can tell she doesn't know which one we are talking about. What a blessing.

Here is a 5 generation picture. (Great Grandma Mish, Grandma Marlene, Jay, Brad & Kate)

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Grandma Mish and my Grandma Verdell's birthdays are 2 days apart. So my grandma is turning 90 this year too and we are having a party for her also. How amazing it would be to live that long and to see so many changes in the world. Both of these ladies have seen a lot in their lifetime. What an honor it is to know them.

DID YOU EVER?

Do you remember watching TV this way? I remember laying on the ground trying out all sorts of weird positions.

FATHER-DAUGHTER CAMPOUT

Kate had a big weekend. She got to go on her first camping trip with her daddy. Brad bought her her own sleeping bag, a new hat and all sorts of treats for their outing. They left on friday after her nap and came home saturday at noon. She had a great time. They called me from the tent that evening to tell me about it. They already had dinner and were going to sleep for the night at 10pm. Kate had such a great time running around the tent and going in all the cubbies that they didn't go to sleep till midnight. Then around 6am they were awakened by the neighboring girls and so their day started early. (Kate is a late sleeper and will sleep to 9-10 if you let her) They had breakfast and played in the creek. She was the youngest one there so she was the first one in line for the pinata. I'm sure she did the most damage! She actually had a hard time considering the bat was bigger than her. She had a great time with her daddy and when they walked in she didn't want to come inside and wanted to stay with her dad. Can you blame her? She spends so much time with me inside on my recliner. I wouldn't want to come home either.

But that wasn't all the fun for the day. She got a blow up pool for her birthday and we finally blew it up. We got one big enough for me to lay in (with all my pregnancy bigness). So Kate and I played in the pool for an hour or 2 while Brad organized the shed. It was an eventful day, for Kate and Brad anyway. Brad was so busy that day. Not only did he go to father daughter and organize the shed, he also canned some powdered milk, grocery shopped, cleaned the house and did some laundry! All while Kate and I played in the pool. How unfair and unfun is that!! But he never complains and has such a wonderful attitude. He is such an example to me and how I need to be better at not complaining.

THANK YOU BRADLEY FOR ALL YOU DO!!!

THIN MINTS

Girl scout cookies...how we LOVE YOU!!

EASTER

We had a weekend of Easter celebrations. On Friday we went to the Park with the Anderson family and colored eggs and had an egg hunt. Grandma helped Kate and J.J. color the eggs and they did a great job. They were very careful and didn't make a huge mess.

Then they had an egg hunt. Thank you to uncle Matt who helped Kate hunt for her eggs. She didn't really know what she was doing but caught on by the end.

She figured out where all the goods are stored and it wasn't long before all the eggs were empty and her basket was full of garbage.

Then on saturday we went to my parents house for another easter hunt with some of her cousins. She is the kind of kid you want to have an easter egg hunt with because she's not that aggressive, as you can see. She is taking a rest on the couch right in the middle of the hunt to check out her spoils.

Then we decorated a few eggs at our house (on the ground or coarse so I can participate easier). By this point she knew what was going on and loved decorating and hunting for all the eggs.

It amazes me how quickly kids can make a mess of things.

What a fun long weekend with the family. But we were really tuckered out.

DOCTOR VISIT

Well, I had an outing today!!! I went to the doctor and everything is going great. They measured our little girl and gave us an estimated weight of 1 lb 14 oz which puts her in the 40% range. So we are right on track and she is growing great. Last time we did an ultrasound she had her foot in her face and she did again today. Just the thought makes my back hurt but I guess it is comfortable for her. Yesterday she was moving like crazy ALL day. I think she wore herself out because she hasn't moved as much today. I am at 26 weeks now and am excited because I have 10 more weeks to safety. If I can make it to 36 weeks then all is well and she is big enough to stop worrying. Then I get to get up at 37 weeks; if I haven't had her by then. So we're on the count down!! It's amazing to think that she's growing inside me and in 3 short months she will be in my arms. I am excited to see her and figure out her little personality. We were talking at our appointment today about how this child will change my life more than I will change her life and it is so true. Brad and I have grown up so much since we have had Kate and I can only assume that we will learn and grow so much more with girl #2. I look forward to it!!

I know Kate is going to love being a big sister. She loves babies and talks about them all the time. Her new favoriate show is Elmo's World. She'll tollerate the first part of Sesame Street but she really is waiting for Elmo's World that comes on at the end. Every time the music starts she looks at me and says "Elmo ask baby!" There is a part in there where he asks a baby a question and she loves it and looks forward to it every time. Any time there is a baby around she has to say hi to it and hold it if she is lucky. Here she is with her cousin "baby saa" (sara). She loves her and talks about her often. She is coming down to visit this weekend and I know that Kate will be talking about her for the next few weeks.