tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32725834262258031472024-03-13T02:34:23.556-05:00The Hilfiker's Nebraska AdventuresLiving life in Nebraska with my darling hubs, Jeff, and my sweet boy, Josh. Oh, and who can forget the rambunctious dog, Bella? Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-81812592641562174902013-02-25T14:33:00.001-06:002013-02-25T14:33:13.757-06:00What's new? 7 months, really?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8EGMh5g3lHyLbppn6YWdgyNLuIGWUjIxZXEVBqxqNlYvTxf3dD_q0UnkosWRgcVQxE2vXlAIyG7Ul4b3sMmV9CmRsc0QsX2ChjLxGtx1tO23sGz8QyBKGQwknozwYNcp1wxL-m-fkWs/s1600/Christmas+Tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8EGMh5g3lHyLbppn6YWdgyNLuIGWUjIxZXEVBqxqNlYvTxf3dD_q0UnkosWRgcVQxE2vXlAIyG7Ul4b3sMmV9CmRsc0QsX2ChjLxGtx1tO23sGz8QyBKGQwknozwYNcp1wxL-m-fkWs/s320/Christmas+Tree.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvKm1bnNjrHdMbAJfDUJ9chdjes6loS5-UNzNz2wKGuraVEcvdbbF1geo2cYcnNpRTOOSZO6mFFS2gjyGt-lhRJ2rUAFok2omzhiPEBvPbSfStfchy8hb1UO3yBIgypNZ37vOD0H4qk0/s1600/Birthday+Party.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvKm1bnNjrHdMbAJfDUJ9chdjes6loS5-UNzNz2wKGuraVEcvdbbF1geo2cYcnNpRTOOSZO6mFFS2gjyGt-lhRJ2rUAFok2omzhiPEBvPbSfStfchy8hb1UO3yBIgypNZ37vOD0H4qk0/s320/Birthday+Party.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGJwIoIFZUkzPZy1vaizW1ztPGRGnx8KiR0iLZYeRfR73JSMfEWBSHA0yp_A5g3rwurgd5wFUlzxp7werocm_vkKMLFeUP_cCMZqv98AY3f2YHVfKCwF-_78HcEbbee9S0pR8_2xbNDI/s1600/Christmas+Program.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGJwIoIFZUkzPZy1vaizW1ztPGRGnx8KiR0iLZYeRfR73JSMfEWBSHA0yp_A5g3rwurgd5wFUlzxp7werocm_vkKMLFeUP_cCMZqv98AY3f2YHVfKCwF-_78HcEbbee9S0pR8_2xbNDI/s320/Christmas+Program.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRjkRpjyEt8X5vIAbgj4GBOpGZY4bchVANrebFHiRxwlJGYTdGJoGYF3X38eaBdS9vQqqE-Me68wzjbEJaMHPAM4eb3RAY5Tc0rrjujtXsua16Vtd_Pcwe4F4fN_noqWyOtEzEBc6ASo/s1600/Sadly+Best+Pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRjkRpjyEt8X5vIAbgj4GBOpGZY4bchVANrebFHiRxwlJGYTdGJoGYF3X38eaBdS9vQqqE-Me68wzjbEJaMHPAM4eb3RAY5Tc0rrjujtXsua16Vtd_Pcwe4F4fN_noqWyOtEzEBc6ASo/s320/Sadly+Best+Pic.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN29YWiXazkECh8bapguI48cEm9YDGws_VycTiJhoSA992c4Ggcyu-btdTB8wIGKYorOx8iB-xHmRAPkKztSa3h0k25KgO7e-QUx10mM6ASKlMG8C4KR_jhc3FDipIs99LCbSNT1PzsEk/s1600/Plaques.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN29YWiXazkECh8bapguI48cEm9YDGws_VycTiJhoSA992c4Ggcyu-btdTB8wIGKYorOx8iB-xHmRAPkKztSa3h0k25KgO7e-QUx10mM6ASKlMG8C4KR_jhc3FDipIs99LCbSNT1PzsEk/s320/Plaques.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLwuk6wlSQlv0-D3yBxUIWc1RDByzMT71MjGvCvJ-pcdDeczzDoQgx86IIVFCc9SoQv_ODt6bYEXlRmyDKQSWRHZij_x1j9bb9YKtNS5HYpl8LHjiSF_GVnXnBXmpJKuRYCOK2ERb9F8/s1600/Tom+and+Baby+Ben.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLwuk6wlSQlv0-D3yBxUIWc1RDByzMT71MjGvCvJ-pcdDeczzDoQgx86IIVFCc9SoQv_ODt6bYEXlRmyDKQSWRHZij_x1j9bb9YKtNS5HYpl8LHjiSF_GVnXnBXmpJKuRYCOK2ERb9F8/s320/Tom+and+Baby+Ben.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b7D4LIXaQTnOy6DCzoaBGpmZmjJhDkcNY9JBrOMOBhry4mFanfEEJvizckwoWSA9nO9YdcEC9poXLirbbmP6QNIQgh1lqoP-ge3_85YTmCqTe4ca4J3oa-X8wFl3F73VKuhXzLVlebo/s1600/Cub+Scout+Cake.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b7D4LIXaQTnOy6DCzoaBGpmZmjJhDkcNY9JBrOMOBhry4mFanfEEJvizckwoWSA9nO9YdcEC9poXLirbbmP6QNIQgh1lqoP-ge3_85YTmCqTe4ca4J3oa-X8wFl3F73VKuhXzLVlebo/s320/Cub+Scout+Cake.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpjDJixRBd7yAAwa-wvsQcUp74_ozXbWsotE8LaZssLn20621A2q1c2ytO80jTuEROkO_OhQsDD69DFSxeeoAep4fd62l4SsCoDt3Pb4YS_67AhPjMh87ybt5Q4AZq89iX7eubvpL6d0/s1600/JHilfiker+003+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpjDJixRBd7yAAwa-wvsQcUp74_ozXbWsotE8LaZssLn20621A2q1c2ytO80jTuEROkO_OhQsDD69DFSxeeoAep4fd62l4SsCoDt3Pb4YS_67AhPjMh87ybt5Q4AZq89iX7eubvpL6d0/s320/JHilfiker+003+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCybe3pujcVNTZ83E4ahGm-w7vzPn_OE6fVYkFpBNbYAfnPsh3AgcioaTAMnWrXegToEsRsGHXX-TzP3K-igAWHEm68t3SuhtrpECwCb6RLfugeuaL_yKpS8gmyw8N_FHAPRGtUrqxx8/s1600/JHilfiker+004+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCybe3pujcVNTZ83E4ahGm-w7vzPn_OE6fVYkFpBNbYAfnPsh3AgcioaTAMnWrXegToEsRsGHXX-TzP3K-igAWHEm68t3SuhtrpECwCb6RLfugeuaL_yKpS8gmyw8N_FHAPRGtUrqxx8/s320/JHilfiker+004+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22EbU6gGqhLGDmzCYzMh_rK7RY5_vAYy6-3ZUskBmeSqYjSggqYZ_jq__SMxD13Jma6D-olyvtweiTRVWCmnsomsFaqv0wMh-6R5M45wveQSeb-fU6GXllZrTY0iyLg3cTAlX_U1RZ9M/s1600/JHilfiker+005+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22EbU6gGqhLGDmzCYzMh_rK7RY5_vAYy6-3ZUskBmeSqYjSggqYZ_jq__SMxD13Jma6D-olyvtweiTRVWCmnsomsFaqv0wMh-6R5M45wveQSeb-fU6GXllZrTY0iyLg3cTAlX_U1RZ9M/s320/JHilfiker+005+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D6tdvjq8QPS3VvqPXokKQJn4vyWRxfb_Adg3s5JtpxhlyRygYvPmmwq_zMpzd12lySstcRR-kQvCK6V8T-0aIBCU-1MJVaGnl4zAkN4ZExUTp3p3jR5Y_3NYdT_3lnpryk7bZiL6-kM/s1600/JHilfiker+006+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D6tdvjq8QPS3VvqPXokKQJn4vyWRxfb_Adg3s5JtpxhlyRygYvPmmwq_zMpzd12lySstcRR-kQvCK6V8T-0aIBCU-1MJVaGnl4zAkN4ZExUTp3p3jR5Y_3NYdT_3lnpryk7bZiL6-kM/s320/JHilfiker+006+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVbZm-D7d0Nko0-PEkJeHbEZZNkHpmPmSccAH-jL-fyyAUx9H9vEW9KWJfHFJiZRWrnxMMHseAHwk9SrZKONnyLU2JLS_5NYHaEhqgADLwJEKcluhRyZ_WyN6p6U7wu21v-sIqaAJD7g/s1600/JHilfiker+007+hz+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVbZm-D7d0Nko0-PEkJeHbEZZNkHpmPmSccAH-jL-fyyAUx9H9vEW9KWJfHFJiZRWrnxMMHseAHwk9SrZKONnyLU2JLS_5NYHaEhqgADLwJEKcluhRyZ_WyN6p6U7wu21v-sIqaAJD7g/s320/JHilfiker+007+hz+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW3b2NyLtGd4EVBL-LaVv2f1T7i0YjvBqOKpMKUYu19cuR2NRHd4rt8V5pyzyIXF1rPnbwD86-Rby-gSpdeT8AhR9FwmhTGXJpc0fxhtrWgE1Z3KV45fo9B51JtuGWRmrL04mUJv8kD8/s1600/JHilfiker+008+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzW3b2NyLtGd4EVBL-LaVv2f1T7i0YjvBqOKpMKUYu19cuR2NRHd4rt8V5pyzyIXF1rPnbwD86-Rby-gSpdeT8AhR9FwmhTGXJpc0fxhtrWgE1Z3KV45fo9B51JtuGWRmrL04mUJv8kD8/s320/JHilfiker+008+WEB.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouued184uMm0Tf8Mx_eMpkkJ59hCq3UFzTVYw1YWiercTbKjcUbtwljCKlYh_zk-Gf_nCLGoNu2QTRDFwgWMDtsQVxFZspgWeH_jZQHgJUIOoAfNpQK-Gvj_ZO_nRhgSLZBM-fOW1TtA/s1600/JHilfiker+002+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouued184uMm0Tf8Mx_eMpkkJ59hCq3UFzTVYw1YWiercTbKjcUbtwljCKlYh_zk-Gf_nCLGoNu2QTRDFwgWMDtsQVxFZspgWeH_jZQHgJUIOoAfNpQK-Gvj_ZO_nRhgSLZBM-fOW1TtA/s320/JHilfiker+002+WEB.jpg" /></a>
To my maybe one reader (that isn't me), please forgive my lack of updating. It isn't for lack of things happening, just for lack of remembering to update my blog! The pictures (that I think are above... who knows) are from our visit with my sister, Kara, and my niece Natalya (Taly), and nephew Nikolas (Niko, Neeks, Neeky Boy). Oh, and of course, my sweet boy, Josh. You don't realize how quickly they all grow up until you get them together and realize that, it wasn't so long ago that Josh was that size! While our visit was way too short, it was great seeing my sister and the kiddos. The pictures are from the end of July.
Josh and Jeff competed in the St. John's Cub Scouts Annual Feller's Cake Bake. The only people who can work on the cake (planning shopping, baking, decorating, clearning up) are the scout and their dad or another male role model Jeff and Josh won for "People's Choice" and "Best 50 Years of Scouting" themed cake. Last weekend was the Blue and Gold banquet where Josh received his plaques. He placed 7th (I think) in the Pinewood Derby and will be attending regionals on March 2nd.
We visited Kara, Taly, and Niko a couple days after Christmas. The three kids weren't really cooperating in my picture taking efforts. Oh well! On the way down to visit Kara, we were able to stop in Oklahome City to visit with my cousin Tom, his wife Katie, their sweet baby Ben, and Uncle Dick and Aunt Lois. We enjoyed supper with them at Tom and Katie's house. It is so nice to be able to catch up with family!
Christmas was not so great for me this year! I managed to catch a HORRIBLE sinus infection December 23rd. It pretty much knocked me on my butt for about five days. Thanks to Uncle Dick for the Z-pak!
January was back to school time for Josh. Jeff got a new work pickup which we got rear-ended in about 48 hours later. We have all been suffering through many chiropractor appointments to get our back/neck/shoulders straightened out. We are doing much better. I also managed to get influenza A literally the same day. I was out of commission most of that week and coughed for three weeks. No fun!
Jeff has been keeping busy with work. We have had a bunch of snow here lately. Yuck!
Josh is staying busy with school and anticipating the beginning of spring soccer. He is recovering from mycoplasma right now. We are a mess I tell ya!
I am busy with work and Josh.
Bella is turning 3 on Thursday. We are looking forward to her outgrowing the puppy/chew on everything stage. Unfortunately, they say with labs, that can be as long as five years... great...
Until August,
KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-29003757202921277192012-07-09T14:41:00.001-05:002012-07-09T14:41:47.135-05:00Photo Book<object width="425" height="425" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-ui.swf"/><param name="flashvars" value="configXMLURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/config/config-share.xml&slideshowModuleURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-module.swf&projectGUID=1AbtW7lm1csbdD&swfName=slideshowFlashContent&showReplay=true"/><param name="menu" value="false"/><param name="quality" value="best"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><embed width="425" height="425" align="middle" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="wrapper" quality="best" menu="false" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="configXMLURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/config/config-share.xml&slideshowModuleURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-module.swf&projectGUID=1AbtW7lm1csbdD&swfName=slideshowFlashContent&showReplay=true" src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-ui.swf"></embed></object><p style="width:425px;margin-top:0;text-align:center;"><a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1AbtW7lm1csXSA&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=115">Click here to view this photo book larger</a><div style="margin-top: 10px; width: 425px; text-align: center;">You'll love award-winning <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books" style="color: #6666cc;">Shutterfly photo books</a>. Start your own today.</div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=photobook&c2=blogger" /></p>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-5749651975873022882012-06-12T22:09:00.002-05:002012-06-12T22:14:25.575-05:00Colorado SpringsFor our family vacation this year, we decided to go to Colorado Springs and Denver. We have completed the Colorado Springs portion of the trip, so it is time for a photo update.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJOC0ZfDGbHuuTlIx0tH3MJztKDKQ5mjc1YC8FKz_vUWZU0aoySUHZeKRGwY6O2yQMtLw43jMgRbxdRtQqswuqYs235OXgxlUuTBuRVlaHeJaOlfaMDVSb1UH_lAT9q4nGpk1d2Baono/s1600/Air+Force+Adademy+Chapel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJOC0ZfDGbHuuTlIx0tH3MJztKDKQ5mjc1YC8FKz_vUWZU0aoySUHZeKRGwY6O2yQMtLw43jMgRbxdRtQqswuqYs235OXgxlUuTBuRVlaHeJaOlfaMDVSb1UH_lAT9q4nGpk1d2Baono/s320/Air+Force+Adademy+Chapel.JPG" /></a>
Air Force Academy Protestant Chapel... amazing!
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyiZm47OKejSloaLYrJiVq7O6KD3xzTRsN3IEPCo6VYvMbwGb3se35O0ebMPzGeQIKUMm-ORqEsY_KgQBdHDhkV85cMDAHHO7DKENeau6PIAqpH5ZZ8n5E2BZbup6wWLZxlmt1L05-LU/s1600/Air+Force+Academy+Catholic+Chapel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyiZm47OKejSloaLYrJiVq7O6KD3xzTRsN3IEPCo6VYvMbwGb3se35O0ebMPzGeQIKUMm-ORqEsY_KgQBdHDhkV85cMDAHHO7DKENeau6PIAqpH5ZZ8n5E2BZbup6wWLZxlmt1L05-LU/s320/Air+Force+Academy+Catholic+Chapel.JPG" /></a>
Air Force Academy Catholic Chapel
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4UwHlu8uoC0Vtka0MxDIPE6h2KFsut-t_1QL-XwJ4piRmRKmBNzCCiXTLT1_7vCNs_0MJfC3digKlmF7QBDycTU16_BDKvV7IT5LynE3aBUSKWNxMhfLn_DPh6f0imkGb774WgLhdTk/s1600/Chapel+Organ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4UwHlu8uoC0Vtka0MxDIPE6h2KFsut-t_1QL-XwJ4piRmRKmBNzCCiXTLT1_7vCNs_0MJfC3digKlmF7QBDycTU16_BDKvV7IT5LynE3aBUSKWNxMhfLn_DPh6f0imkGb774WgLhdTk/s320/Chapel+Organ.JPG" /></a>
Air Force Academy Protestant Chapel Organ
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX72ClG4OYF-x5rllWRCx27yHrK8lNVBGPZupEdsu5cZtptrlgUfCN4-N850e4UKlfAea929LHxeeVVvLppD4-8rTfl2GYnZyccIJUPUusf5V7C4fz9Soizq1ULkV93-PRVhplpx1dPEQ/s1600/Garden+of+the+Gods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX72ClG4OYF-x5rllWRCx27yHrK8lNVBGPZupEdsu5cZtptrlgUfCN4-N850e4UKlfAea929LHxeeVVvLppD4-8rTfl2GYnZyccIJUPUusf5V7C4fz9Soizq1ULkV93-PRVhplpx1dPEQ/s320/Garden+of+the+Gods.JPG" /></a>
Garden of the Gods
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLCYnUa5FnCti0-_2BWHRvw4Q2oM3be7_KnREG5JgoJUc-vC_OB5ZkbEhIoqZj1_DRbKIYVHv-IwYihbVOCyT3yk0PyappDP0nKLxeZ4SQCr4PJH1VvgCf6pAw1G6XVxU8BdVVkHIcyM/s1600/GOG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLCYnUa5FnCti0-_2BWHRvw4Q2oM3be7_KnREG5JgoJUc-vC_OB5ZkbEhIoqZj1_DRbKIYVHv-IwYihbVOCyT3yk0PyappDP0nKLxeZ4SQCr4PJH1VvgCf6pAw1G6XVxU8BdVVkHIcyM/s320/GOG.JPG" /></a>
Garden of the Gods
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGa4GMCMoOCf82sQCI0DVlthWXzeM8UYSRiE5L4ZnO34fK3RZITFJHqtVovRG6aFwhFs9IA5aMm6NkYWtoKvmG6rQsb5Ne2xD7FLqDAXf5eyX1zONn_s6WVHo5y2PTxEB9pyU5d-gSBY/s1600/Jeff+and+Josh+GOG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGa4GMCMoOCf82sQCI0DVlthWXzeM8UYSRiE5L4ZnO34fK3RZITFJHqtVovRG6aFwhFs9IA5aMm6NkYWtoKvmG6rQsb5Ne2xD7FLqDAXf5eyX1zONn_s6WVHo5y2PTxEB9pyU5d-gSBY/s320/Jeff+and+Josh+GOG.JPG" /></a>
Jeff and Josh at Garden of the Gods
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKyXhjK87D127H-0svmibiZaYOddrDa6OQfYjVyPSyF2xm8-X3Goy6pJVkbQK3swLvCGvYaHaNDJBHVO5S6yxIX-ZqzU9AvGlNc-3H89uhFTRlMKppMyrg2seci9j1L7Je5iAw1XQjL0/s1600/Giraffe...+Up+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKyXhjK87D127H-0svmibiZaYOddrDa6OQfYjVyPSyF2xm8-X3Goy6pJVkbQK3swLvCGvYaHaNDJBHVO5S6yxIX-ZqzU9AvGlNc-3H89uhFTRlMKppMyrg2seci9j1L7Je5iAw1XQjL0/s320/Giraffe...+Up+close.JPG" /></a>
Our friend the giraffe... up close and personal! Awesome!
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkUMfzDtAni5CA9CSmmsEktQvtQzBOwuDIwi-tSnRBCxZGmELOpjtGzyBaYUUzRrRDdYqbb6pVNYSlPTHs4eoEQ62KVGvq7uISm24iGpOk28XXEh8Webut47C-5iRJqcqVs31FRYSGuc/s1600/Moose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkUMfzDtAni5CA9CSmmsEktQvtQzBOwuDIwi-tSnRBCxZGmELOpjtGzyBaYUUzRrRDdYqbb6pVNYSlPTHs4eoEQ62KVGvq7uISm24iGpOk28XXEh8Webut47C-5iRJqcqVs31FRYSGuc/s320/Moose.JPG" /></a>
Moose! (Don't be fooled, it was at the zoo!)Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0Colorado Springs, CO, USA38.8338816 -104.821363438.6359796 -105.13722039999999 39.0317836 -104.5055064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-57751218484918651052012-06-02T19:59:00.001-05:002012-06-02T20:00:55.172-05:00JenniferTwo weeks ago I was told that my friend Jennifer has breast cancer. I worked with Jennifer at JC Penneys, and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding, her son Caden is my Godson. To say that she is very dear to my heart would be an understatement. Yesterday my friends Amy, Heather, and I were able to attend Jennifer's first chemotherapy treatment. She did amazing. What a strong woman. She is a true inspiration. I have no doubt that she is going to kick this cancer's butt! I look forward to making many trips up to see her in the future!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX9mtmOd6W2aZIQYtPFQJTfbu0N8i0qYTRZKbaX0a1RVXP8IO12yPwj0HCgU91RVFU5BJ50b7YlmJC_tzDhiq4s7eEBzKSdczbdFx43a2nFu7EfC_uGsVMUs-UM_7oOZoau15mRvrcAU/s1600/Jennifer+%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX9mtmOd6W2aZIQYtPFQJTfbu0N8i0qYTRZKbaX0a1RVXP8IO12yPwj0HCgU91RVFU5BJ50b7YlmJC_tzDhiq4s7eEBzKSdczbdFx43a2nFu7EfC_uGsVMUs-UM_7oOZoau15mRvrcAU/s320/Jennifer+%25231.jpg" /></a></div>
My Jennifer!!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UBPGtqN8RNemowmETp8XoaVjGuICSdCpy7OaSkoktUj7PiQtdipZOxHPzyHXZ4b9Tux3skiXANYTHYONoECAFplSIRzbA7SDXpsJofkKCbcRZ4sUMGaDc54qyYhyphenhyphenjQ8noG2Z3hQfgl8/s1600/Fab+Four%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UBPGtqN8RNemowmETp8XoaVjGuICSdCpy7OaSkoktUj7PiQtdipZOxHPzyHXZ4b9Tux3skiXANYTHYONoECAFplSIRzbA7SDXpsJofkKCbcRZ4sUMGaDc54qyYhyphenhyphenjQ8noG2Z3hQfgl8/s320/Fab+Four%2521.jpg" /></a></div>
The "Fab Four!" Amy, Jennifer, Heather and KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0Sioux Falls, SD, USA43.5499749 -96.70032743.4579074 -96.8582555 43.6420424 -96.5423985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-25631535094325946272012-04-11T23:08:00.002-05:002012-04-11T23:14:23.225-05:00Big Weekend Coming Up!We are busy preparing for Josh's First Holy Communion this weekend. We will have a housefull on Sunday afternoon. Josh is getting very excited. Honestly, I am excited for the whole thing to be over. He told me today that they are practicing for the next three days. They got to have the host (wafer) again today. We had a good Easter. It was just the three of us, and as usual, we had a very non-traditional holiday. We went to church on Saturday evening to see the new Catholics from our parish have their first communion, and confirmation. Sunday, rather than taking part in a "normal" Easter dinner, for lunch we had Buffalo wings and for supper Jeff smoked a pork butt. Good times!<br /><br />Friday Jeff and I each took the day off and the three of us traveled up to Sioux City to finally get my new car. We are now the proud owners of a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. It is so different from the Honda, but I am loving it. I find myself trying to come up with reasons to drive it. I am a weirdo! <br /><br />Jeff is actually here all week, and is even taking Thursday and Friday off to get the house ready for all the company. Hopefully he won't drive me crazy! Lol!Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-62875629704143964652012-04-04T22:44:00.002-05:002012-04-04T22:56:55.740-05:00Spring Has Sprung!I think that Spring started springing back in mid-February. I am happy to say that it seems to be here to stay! We actually had two days this weekend that the temperature was in the 90's. Jeff is enjoying the weather as it allows him to get the yard work done that is calling his name. He got the flower beds all spruced up just in time for Josh's upcoming First Holy Communion. <br /><br />Josh is spending more time outside these days as well. Bella is enjoying his company and annoying both him and Jeff. Josh likes to ride his bike, kick his soccer ball, and bounce on the trampoline. Oh, and this weekend he broke out the sidewalk chalk. He is quite the sidewalk chalk artist! He is also enjoying the last few months of school. We got his report card for the third quarter and he had all A's and B's. We were pretty happy with his improvement, but Josh still needs to work on slowing down and double checking his work. <br /><br />I am staying nice and busy with work. I like the money part of it, but I sometimes feel a little stressed when Jeff is out of town, I am busy, and I need to get Josh. So, I am very thankful for those times when Jeff is home! Unfortunately, this is not one of those weeks! Jeff is in Casper, Wyoming doing some shake ups with the employees. He seems to be enjoying the after hours part of this trip. I, on the other hand, have been very bored at night with no one to talk to! So, I am researching my new car. That's right, I am getting a new car! I have been BEGGING Jeff forever and I finally have him convinced that I can afford a new car. I don't think that when he listed the Honda on Craigslist on Sunday morning that he thought it would be sold by that afternoon. LOL! So, I am doing my best to find the car of my dreams. It has not been easy. I have it narrowed down to either a Chevy Equinox, or a GMC Terrain. Essentially the same vehichle, just a little different on the outside. My only problem is that I cannot seem to find the one I want. I want one that is white with black leather... apparently they are either very popular or they just don't make them! But, I am going to keep looking! Hopefully we can find something by Saturday, as that is the day that the Honda goes bye bye! We will see. <br /><br />Josh's First Holy Communion is just a little over a week away. He is super excited. He had his First Reconciliation (confession) last Wednesday. Boy was he excited to get that out of the way! He was so proud! <br /><br />Not much else to update on right now, so I suppose that I may as well sign off!Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-29069129642648660192012-02-16T23:29:00.007-06:002012-02-16T23:34:13.319-06:00Company!Kara, Taly and Niko came to visit last Friday on their way up to South Dakota to visit Papa and Pauline. We got the kiddos pictures taken. Here they are!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2CcKhW0nDsbuokYUGb89LyPE9W-xFXRlyIUeaPatlL5PEsJ7UqYmFxXuYVQ_WyRoLxf_ik57eF54PWwQbLzCibNUhYkv53L5Er_WlgYL4holXRE-BMJvaD3oPZKRrffXreIV2GXwq84/s1600/Scan2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2CcKhW0nDsbuokYUGb89LyPE9W-xFXRlyIUeaPatlL5PEsJ7UqYmFxXuYVQ_WyRoLxf_ik57eF54PWwQbLzCibNUhYkv53L5Er_WlgYL4holXRE-BMJvaD3oPZKRrffXreIV2GXwq84/s320/Scan2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709973551864935602" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzk9CBnar-wxpZmEzuEeKLkUmziMGgA6XARYX-NQyKhkv3MWzC3NbikGG38J9_LsluyeN4AeEg-ihPKell2ifo2ypnPPbEbxflP2TWShBB0DnqJgZ-uFgk2RT7KUXPq8HY14Bok_trl4/s1600/Neeky+Michael+Jackson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzk9CBnar-wxpZmEzuEeKLkUmziMGgA6XARYX-NQyKhkv3MWzC3NbikGG38J9_LsluyeN4AeEg-ihPKell2ifo2ypnPPbEbxflP2TWShBB0DnqJgZ-uFgk2RT7KUXPq8HY14Bok_trl4/s320/Neeky+Michael+Jackson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709973367769710034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPioZje28kKVzbs32UP1W_KuoIA885XP-CSmaWeiO9tS8F0gAoiGdRNK7_Zz5mjZfeq4GPPjZtCZ2IDYxR3HTgkyJcBmMiUj9lssqKvtY14YxFtMJIwfmadyjzPTSa0bGiCcaPx9w5HLk/s1600/Taly+Close+Up+Hips.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPioZje28kKVzbs32UP1W_KuoIA885XP-CSmaWeiO9tS8F0gAoiGdRNK7_Zz5mjZfeq4GPPjZtCZ2IDYxR3HTgkyJcBmMiUj9lssqKvtY14YxFtMJIwfmadyjzPTSa0bGiCcaPx9w5HLk/s320/Taly+Close+Up+Hips.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709973263392897906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9zrDygkBSDifgnoSXsM2gHsMVDCYa2JGjuopd3DO4hhfGBU-DU4ziK1fGqJcgpBSw3AiF7TFLLfQDJSFDulpYXLSgusIhPcY3p1FgfyaYBCWBpNJNcOcsM62RTf9ePR-55K7g8-jLbo/s1600/Josh+Chair.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9zrDygkBSDifgnoSXsM2gHsMVDCYa2JGjuopd3DO4hhfGBU-DU4ziK1fGqJcgpBSw3AiF7TFLLfQDJSFDulpYXLSgusIhPcY3p1FgfyaYBCWBpNJNcOcsM62RTf9ePR-55K7g8-jLbo/s320/Josh+Chair.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709973167565348978" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWe91Gcy97Bb-j4jYJZA9vCExHJaTclYD5eVuXfMo0U36Lk5mvr-MVdoC6QPu_-B9nbjPyGctt62oPet3tZf23jwZn_B9p3s4Rj6H1ZwCiepMt2_gBZzrqsJVtFBWl524iClZA9X4iDA/s1600/Back+to+Back+Looking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWe91Gcy97Bb-j4jYJZA9vCExHJaTclYD5eVuXfMo0U36Lk5mvr-MVdoC6QPu_-B9nbjPyGctt62oPet3tZf23jwZn_B9p3s4Rj6H1ZwCiepMt2_gBZzrqsJVtFBWl524iClZA9X4iDA/s320/Back+to+Back+Looking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709973027791535538" /></a>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-9047353077609127122012-02-08T21:19:00.002-06:002012-02-08T21:22:36.859-06:00Baby KendylToday Josh and I got to visit with our neighbor Audra. She brought over her new baby Kendyl for a visit. What a good time. Kendyl is adorable, and a great baby! It was also nice to have a chance to chat with Audra. We have lived by them for almost three years, and this is really only the second time that I have talked to her. <br /><br />Josh had a good day at school. I felt terrible because when I picked him up, he was still wearing his snow boots. I asked him why, and he said, "Because you didn't pack my shoes! I had to wear them all day!" Whoopsie! Bad mommy award goes to me today! <br /><br />Less than two days and Kara, Taly and Neeks will be here. I can't wait. I miss them when I don't see them for so long! I just wish that they could stay longer.Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-48004435246633764462012-02-07T21:34:00.003-06:002012-02-07T21:41:35.399-06:00Always goneNothing major to write about tonight. Just thinking that it seems like Jeff is always gone lately. I miss him. <br /><br />Josh and I ran some errands tonight. We did some birthday shopping for Niko and Lincoln. We got to go to the Helzers for a playdate for about an hour. When Jeff is gone, it is really nice to be able to have that adult interaction, even if it is only for a little bit.Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-1152085405147544202012-02-06T23:27:00.002-06:002012-02-06T23:38:33.399-06:00Winter is Here! Dang it!I guess I shouldn't complain. It is after all FEBRUARY! We just had our most significant snow on Saturday. 11.5 inches in well under 24 hours. It was just crazy. The wind wasn't awful, so we didn't end up with the terrible drifts that we had the last two winters. Thankfully Jeff was home and able to get the driveway cleared before leaving for Washington State... again! This is his third week-long trip to Moses Lake, Washington since the beginning of the year. Good times. <br /><br />On the work front, besides going out of town ALL. THE. TIME, Jeff was recently promoted to the position of COO at DBI. This all transpired after Erv passed away. Hopefully Jeff will take well to this new role. <br /><br />I am still staying busy with my medical transcription work. It has been very interesting. I am down one client, but I am totally fine with that. With Jeff traveling a lot for work, it helps that I can get done a little earlier so that I can go pick Josh up.<br /><br />Speaking of Josh... he is doing fabulously! He is enjoying school and Cub Scouts. The Pinewood Derby is coming up this Sunday. It was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but with all the snow, it was postponed. He and I recently got our library cards, so he has been reading... a lot! The past couple of days have been spent building a huge fort and throwing snow balls at Bella. <br /><br />We were able three weeks ago to see our niece Hannah get baptized. Pretty neat. We are preparing for a short visit from my sister and her two kiddos, Niko and Natalya. We can't wait. They arrive on Friday early in the afternoon and leave early Saturday morning. We are going to get the kids pictures taken. So, hopefully I will stick to my word and actually post some pictures on this blog! I am just terrible about that!Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-8676755576288857332011-10-14T22:35:00.002-05:002011-10-14T22:53:51.778-05:00Where Does the Time Go?I cannot believe that October is already almost half over! Like the blog title says, "Where does the time go?" Tonight will be a quick update on the happenings with our family. I hope to update later this week after Josh's birthday... the big 8!<br /><br />Jeff is staying busy with work. He is travelling a lot. He has taken on the role of Den Leader for Josh's Cub Scout Wolf Pack. We just had our first meeting last Friday night. It was only organizational, so totally boring for the poor kiddos, but I feel like we got a lot accomplished, and I know that Jeff is up for the task. He is very organized and can delegate like it is nobody's business! <br /><br />I am staying very busy with my work as a medical transcriptionist/chauffer (for Josh). It is so nice being able to stay at home to work. I don't make nearly as much money as I did at my previous jobs in KC, but I have to say, it is a heck of a lot less stressful (the majority of the time). I do miss the adult interaction (a lot). Listening to doctors all day just isn't the same as actually being able to have a conversation with a real, live human being! Oh well! I am enjoying the occasional "Ladies Night" with my good friend Jen. I am so glad that I was finally able to find someone that I can relate to up here, and that lives close! She has it timed... 7 minutes from her door to mine. She is awesome. And I just adore her boys!<br /><br />Now, onto the most important member of the family, Josh! Josh is doing amazing. He is loving school. We are struggling with getting him to LISTEN to directions and take his time. The teacher assures me that this is normal for boys, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it! Josh is counting down the days to his birthday... 4 more! Closer to 3 now! He is super pumped, as he is having his birthday party at LaserQuest this year. It has been three years since he has had a birthday party that included his friends. This year, he is having his friends, and he is having his cousins Allen, Allison, Brittany, and his "brother" Brice. So, since they are coming, it will be an even more special day as he looks up to them so much! I am really excited to give Josh one of his gifts this year. He is SUPER into anything related to the weather. This is going on 2+ years at this point. Last year for his birthday we went to the local TV station in Lincoln and he spent the afternoon of his birthday in the Weather Center with the chief meteorologist learning all about how they do the weather forecast. Well, since then, he has found out that about The Weather Channel (TWC). He is OBSESSED with TWC. He knows all the programs. He knows all the TV personalities. His favorite is Dr. Forbes, the severe weather expert and creator of the TorCon (an index that can predict the likelihood of a tornado in your area). Josh made me "friend" Dr. Forbes on Facebook. I was able to get in touch with Dr. Forbes and find out an address for TWC. Jeff wrote a letter explaining a little bit about Josh's passion about weather, and how much he respects Dr. Forbes. Dr. Forbes quickly sent a personal letter and autographed photo back. We didn't tell Josh about the letter that we sent to Dr. Forbes. We are having the letter from Dr. Forbes and the photo framed for his birthday. It is going to be awesome.<br /><br />In September over Labor Day weekend, we surprised Josh with a trip to Kansas City to Worlds of Fun. He hadn't been since he was 3 (I think). He actually braved the Mamba and the Prowler. He wasn't a fan, but was so brave! We also got to see our friend Jenny, her husband Scott, and their daughter Elizabeth. They are having a baby in December, so it was fun to be able to see them on our trip down there!<br /><br />My dad and Pauline are doing okay. Dad is super busy with harvest. He loves it. Pauline is busy with work (as usual) and with the city commission. Not much new on their front.<br /><br />My sis Kara and her husband David, and Taly and Niko moved to Dallas at the beginning of August. They are living with my aunt Linda and her family until they are able to find a house. They haven't been having much luck on that front. They are hopeful that they will have something figured out by next Friday. They did find out last week that my nephew Niko might be deaf or hard of hearing. We are saying lots of prayers that he is not. They have an appointment with the specialist on Halloween.<br /><br />So much for a short post! Oh well!<br /><br />KateKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-29004094445752210762011-09-17T23:56:00.002-05:002011-09-17T23:59:53.782-05:00Happy September!I can't believe that it has been four and a half months since I last updated. Ridiculous! Things are going well here. I am staying busy with work and Josh! Jeff is staying busy too with work. Sadly, his boss, mentor and friend Erv passed away from colon cancer two weeks ago. Josh is doing good. He is in second grade now and loving it. He is a little sick right now with a sore throat. <br /><br />That is the short and sweet. I will update soon with a summer/vacation update.<br /><br />KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-2165068458451321892011-04-27T23:23:00.002-05:002011-04-27T23:35:53.135-05:00I Thought it Only Appropriate...With the highly anticipated (by me) Royal Wedding just hours away at this point that my blog design should reflect the occasion. So, for at least a couple of weeks, I will be featuing crowns on my blog!<br /><br />Things in Eagle are going great. Jeff is currently out of town. He will be returning tomorrow night... just in time to crash my wedding watching plans. Oh well. That is what DVR is for. Jeff has been keeping busy with work (the paying kind) and also work outside. He is hoping that we will have nice weather this weekend so that he can start getting our garden ready for planting (till it, etc.) He also is the proud new owner of a 16 foot utility trailer. He has been wanting one for so long that I told him he should just bite the bullet and get it over with. He has had it almost two weeks and has yet to use it. I see a trip to rent a tiller and get a bunch of mulch from Menards in our future!<br /><br />I am doing well. I am still doing medical transcription from home. I am trying to keep busy, and am beginning to see that things are going to start getting busy for me in the near future. My big excitement recently is getting Invisalign. I have had it just over a week. It is definitely a big change. I have a newfound respect for people that get traditional braces. These darn things hurt so bad the first 3 days I thought I wouldn't make it. They are fine now. I change my trays every 2 weeks, and so I anticipate every 2 weeks there will be a couple tough days. <br /><br />Josh is doing great. He just finished his Easter break and went back to school today. He is now 7-1/2. We celebrated at school with a cookie cake which was a HUGE hit! He also got to pick anything he wanted for supper. He chose McDonalds. I was regretting letting him choose. Gross. He is ready for the weather to get nice and stay nice! He enjoys spending time outside with Bella. <br /><br />Bella's big news is that she got an electric fence. Actually, I think that this might be bigger news for Jeff and me. It has been three weeks, and she is doing awesome. I think everyone (who can afford to have one) should. The man who installed the fence and trained her on how to use it told me, "She is REALLY smart!" Uh, what? Are we talking about the same dog? She is so dumb... loveable, but dumb! Well, it turns out, she is not dumb. She is just bored. She totally got the whole fence thing in under 10 minutes. The geese that live on the pond love to torture her, because it seems that they have figured out that she can't go past the flags. They stand just on the other side of them.<br /><br />In March, Josh and I travelled to SD to visit my Dad and Pauline while Kara, Natalya and Niko were home for vacation. We got to spend about 2 days with them. So much fun. Pauline taught Kara and me how to sew. We are now making memory bears for people who have lost loved ones. I gave away my first one this week. What a great feeling that was! I had no idea that I would enjoy sewing this much! I may drive Jeff nuts with my new addiction to JoAnn's Fabrics. I think that I just need to pace myself.Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-7225294917439042302011-03-17T18:07:00.003-05:002011-03-17T18:11:54.400-05:00For Maddie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUmWzkDnC7t-Qv9OZ4sJtuT9qJpCgqVZSFcLo1Wrs_osDlOHJp7CXU1JdiSitWXDlG4ipeDqaQkP2RJc7MP2OnkkGLpUEmIFlyDN3PTf239giAAODwd6Vdvz1xfNOhjFMclrWHQXIjoo/s1600/Goofy+Smile.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUmWzkDnC7t-Qv9OZ4sJtuT9qJpCgqVZSFcLo1Wrs_osDlOHJp7CXU1JdiSitWXDlG4ipeDqaQkP2RJc7MP2OnkkGLpUEmIFlyDN3PTf239giAAODwd6Vdvz1xfNOhjFMclrWHQXIjoo/s320/Goofy+Smile.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585190543720282786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHMhRkzs-ccYbwUSnGgdSQ19E-mwtM-H3flzVXfMryt5Zi5DwuSS_RCR4CEfnXCkDRc9YfhUg0TctjxhAWvQoIhsXJTgcgweQbI7-ztIA6_eBhawptYXcJkUsm-CpadwVAu8xRS6mhJc/s1600/My+sweetie.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHMhRkzs-ccYbwUSnGgdSQ19E-mwtM-H3flzVXfMryt5Zi5DwuSS_RCR4CEfnXCkDRc9YfhUg0TctjxhAWvQoIhsXJTgcgweQbI7-ztIA6_eBhawptYXcJkUsm-CpadwVAu8xRS6mhJc/s320/My+sweetie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585190320782418578" /></a><br />For my few followers, today's post will be short. I am attaching pictures of Josh that I took today. They are to honor the memory of Maddie, a little girl who's story I have been following on another blog. You can find a link to it under My Blogs (I think it is under "It Started When Two People Fell In Love". Today marks Maddie's one month Angelversary. She was just 4 months old when she earned her angel wings. Each day since, I have hugged my miracle Josh a little tighter. Fly high Maddie!Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-52031153493517857512011-02-25T12:35:00.003-06:002011-02-25T12:47:00.304-06:00Less than 1 month? I hope so!So, I was trying to update my blog template to one that is called I (heart) Spring. The computer won't let me do it. I hope that this isn't a sign that Spring is going to continue to stay away! It is less than 1 months away... right? The weather here in Nebraska is kind of questionable... still. We had some crazy snowstorm last night. It wasn't so bad, but it still took Jeff and Josh over and hour and a half to get home from school/work. Yikes!<br /><br />Things are going well here. I am still staying semi-busy with work. Jeff is staying busy as well. <br /><br />Josh is doing pretty well. He had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks, and had quit eating and drinking almost entirely (a bite or two and a sip, here and there). I finally took him to the doctor last Friday, and it turns out that he is having GI issues. So, for the next month, he is on a dairy free diet. This is no fun for a little guy who loves his milk. He is also having to drink prune juice mixed with Miralax. There are many tears every morning, but things seem to be moving better, so I think we will switch out the juice that we are mixing it with. Josh is going to be getting a retainer. We start the process next Thursday with "Smurfs". I had always heard of them being called spacers, but whatever. Then March 15th he gets his retainer. We are hoping that after a couple of months, both of his top teeth will be in front of his lower teeth! They assured us that this would be achieved quite easily! We ended up going to a different orthodontist after the original one had him bite on a popsicle stick for two hours a day for 3 months. We went back in and they said two more months. Um, that is a little crazy to ask a 7-year-old to do that for almost 6 months. So, the new ortho agreed that was crazy. Retainer it is!<br /><br />Our sweet (and totally crazy) girl Bella is doing good. She might beg to differ after spending months in the garage because of the cold temps. She is enjoying any time she gets outside at this point, and is looking forward to Spring, and warmer temps... aren't we all? She is turning 1 next Monday. How exciting! We haven't made any big plans for her big day yet, but hopefully we can find her a fun, indestructable toy! She had ruined everything we have given her EXCEPT her Kong. She ruins other toys made by KONG, but not the actual KONG. Hopefully the snow will melt and she can run and play all day on her birthday. Or, maybe an afternoon at doggy daycare with some friends is in order.<br /><br />My dad has started his radiation therapy. He seems to be feeling okay most of the time, although he says that his stomach starts getting upset. Also, for any readers out there, my stepmom's brother Gus was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread to the liver. Any prayers you can send his way, and the way of his family are greatly appreciated. He has a wife and two daughters.Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-86808007704471916232011-01-23T00:12:00.002-06:002011-01-23T00:33:13.407-06:00I'm So Over It!So, here I sit at 12:15 in the morning. It is not unusual for me to stay up late, however, tonight I am wide awake because Jeff is leaving in the morning for a week. That in itself is fine. What I am not happy about is the fact that we are in the middle of a snow storm. I really pushed for Jeff to leave this afternoon, but he couldn't talk his boss into it. So, this morning (Sunday) in about 3 hours (3:15 am), he will head out to Lincoln to meet his boss. And then from there, the two of them will trek over to Omaha. I am already dreading the morning and sitting around anxiously waiting for him to call and let me know that he made it. I am stressing about it already. Stupid snow. So, that is what I am over... SNOW! And WINTER! Let it be Spring already! <br /><br />So, other than the stress of that, things are going well here. Yesterday (still seems like today to me,) was Jeff's birthday. I wish that I could say that we did something exciting, but we didn't. We went to Lincoln in the morning and ran some errands. We ate birthday lunch at Taco John's and had birthday churros for dessert. We headed back to town for mass this afternoon, and then had our favorite for supper... One Eyed Dog. Love that place. And Jeff got his supper for free because it was his birthday week. Cool.<br /><br />Josh is doing well. He is still really enjoying school. Friday night we attended the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby for his pack. Jeff really enjoyed making Josh's car. For anyone reading, that is right up his alley. Josh didn't care at all. The top 5 cars advanced to regionals. Josh came in 6th. Oh well! There is always next year. This was Jeff and Josh's first go round, so I am sure that Jeff will do some extensive research between now and then. One of the older boys decorated and designed his car to look like an iPod touch on wheels. It even had a jack for the earplugs. It was really neat. <br /><br />I am doing well. I am working what I would consider pretty much full-time at this point. I am still doing medical transcription for my uncle. It is extremely interesting. I started another client about 6 weeks ago. This client is kind of two-pronged. They have both transcription and editing documents that were done with voice recognition software. I started wht voice recognition software editing in December and was able to get my feet wet with that. It was a challenge at first (that makes it sound like it isn't anymore... it still is), as it was a new specialty, radiology. It really is a whole new animal for me. I went to Yankton to train on the actual transcription portion at the beginning of January. It has been a real learning experience, but the lady who trained me sent me a note on Friday to say thanks and that I am doing a great job. That is always nice to hear. So, I am really enjoying the fast paced world of medical transcription. It doesn't pay as well as my old jobs in KC, but, I get to work at home. I can work in my pajamas (and I do most days!) In fact, this week, I didn't leave the house except to take Josh to school on Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally Friday I got to bust out of here. <br /><br />Jeff is keeping super busy with work as usual. He did a bunch of training with some guys from KC, Wyoming and the Mechanical Integrity guys from across the street from his office. This week he is going to Houston for a seminar (I think that is what he said it is.) Hopefully he will enjoy much nicer weather than we have here! I think that I will be calling the neighbor to see if he will dig me out tomorrow. I hate that! I wouldn't feel so bad about it if we knew them better. Oh well. <br /><br />My dad and Pauline are doing okay. My dad goes to the doctor on February 3rd to find out when he will start his radiation treatments. He will go five days a week for 6 weeks. I pray that this will be the answer to our prayers and that he will be healed. Cancer sucks. On another cancer sucks note, my sister-in-law Tara's dad has been diagnosed with lung cancer. I am not sure what the most recent news is, but he has had surgery, and I believe that they are waiting to see what his treatment plan will be. This is a very scary time for Tara and her family, and I am sure that any extra prayers sent her family's way would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Kara, David, Taly and Niko are fairing well (I think). They live in Tucson, and were thankfully nowhere near the tragic shootings that took place two weeks ago. Kara is coming to SD in March. Hopefully we will be able to get together with them while they are home. Niko is turning 1 on February 22nd and Taly will be 4 on April 9th. So much fun!<br /><br />Well, I should go get to bed.Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-88017570908888347622011-01-02T15:28:00.007-06:002011-01-02T15:46:01.839-06:00December and WeddingHappy New Year to my three or so readers... lol! I hope that anyone who reads this had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. A lot has happened since my last post. I started part of my new job. I am working at editing transcription for a radiology group. I am really enjoying it, and learning a lot! It is a completely different animal than plastic surgery! Everyday I learn something new. I think that between the two jobs, I am really cleaning the cobwebs out of my brain! It is a good feeling!<br /><br />I had the great joy of going to my sister's wedding during the month of December. While I did have a fantastic time, it wasn't without some drama! Poor Pauline got sick the first night that we were there, and we ended up having to call the ambulance. Thankfully, it was just a really bad case of the flu, and about 36 hours later, she was good to go. I had bothered Kara a lot about having the rehearsal dinner on Thursday, but it really worked out well. If it had been Friday, Pauline would not have been able to go. So, with Pauline down for the count, I got to spend Friday with Lois, Kara, Dad, Natalya and Niko. What a good time. It would have been better if we weren't stuck in the hotel room the entire time, but oh well! I also got to experience my first In & Out burger. My friend Kim (and many others I am sure) have been telling me about this place FOREVER. It was good, but I don't know if it was all that everyone cracked it up to be! I think 5 Guys is equally as good, if not better. I also got to experience Tucson only 1 week before Christmas. While I appreciated getting away from the cold Nebraska weather, I didn't really love fighting with all the people trying to do their Christmas shopping. While I realized that Tucson was only 1 hour from Mexico, I did not realize that everyone drives up to Tucson FROM Mexico to get their Christmas shopping done. Let's just say that it was... CRAZY!<br /><br />With Pauline feeling better, Kara, Pauline, Miroslava, Clariza and I headed to the salon on Saturday morning. Other than the whole ambulance thing, this was my least favorite, by far! My experience was awful. The lady who did my makeup was awesome, and I liked that. However, the old dude that did my hair, did not understand at all what I wanted for my hair. Even after we told him that I didn't like it and he re-did it, it was STILL awful. Do you remember the scene in Steel Magnolias after Shelby's funeral, where Sally Fields is talking to all the women. She asks to see a mirror and starts crying and says, "Shelby was right. It DOES look like a brown football helmet!" I had that moment and even referenced the movie while I was sobbing with Kara and Pauline on our way to do errands. Thankfully I am perfectly capable of salvaging my own hair! And Kara looked AMAZING! I don't think I have ever seen someone look so beautiful. <br /><br />After a couple hours of pictures, the wedding went off without a hitch. Kara and David are married... AGAIN! And the party started. We stayed until a little after 10 (11 our time) and then headed back to the hotel. Lois and I wanted to finish off our wine (that is a story for another time!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB__0bJdGZWL6E0qv3Nc7mfsK_fMuRJQ6guDrMVBCTcssF0iXWkBXhhCGzeMJx8uu9NXrpKRHENPu0I78WkMaRT80NU0PKYWLgAn94fsN6zM1Q14Ipq7KjCs2JbTYUC5gH0jwbnePqXs/s1600/DSC01594.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB__0bJdGZWL6E0qv3Nc7mfsK_fMuRJQ6guDrMVBCTcssF0iXWkBXhhCGzeMJx8uu9NXrpKRHENPu0I78WkMaRT80NU0PKYWLgAn94fsN6zM1Q14Ipq7KjCs2JbTYUC5gH0jwbnePqXs/s320/DSC01594.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557707510525438386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjOllzdjMmPvHBU0tjt0mQ7C9vi-69lVGHDQIGdYwAX42a1P7uUf9w5-T903B6vdCLiOLwkBnpTxKJGuO_MkU64liM8ghdkYwiHB_l_d_clpH3Qy_EO68ZZpEKW3sVnvtP2DOVD6QFIk/s1600/DSC01649.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjOllzdjMmPvHBU0tjt0mQ7C9vi-69lVGHDQIGdYwAX42a1P7uUf9w5-T903B6vdCLiOLwkBnpTxKJGuO_MkU64liM8ghdkYwiHB_l_d_clpH3Qy_EO68ZZpEKW3sVnvtP2DOVD6QFIk/s320/DSC01649.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557708016919792194" /></a>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-51452750569849397812010-12-01T23:56:00.001-06:002010-12-01T23:56:13.925-06:00JOB!I.GOT.A.JOB!!! I have been mostly unemployed since the move from KC, with a side gig doing medical transcription for my fabulous uncle. Today, I got a contract transcription job editing for a radiology group. The company that I will be working for has doctors and clinics and transcriptionist in the U.S. and overseas. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the radiology company that I will be working for is in... YANKTON! What are the odds?!? Needless to say, I am over the moon.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-68859344420871083102010-10-19T07:34:00.002-05:002010-10-19T07:39:58.831-05:007 Years OldI can't believe it, but my little boy is 7! That's right. Josh turned 7 yesterday. Sadly, he had to spend the majority of his waking hours at school, but we made the most of it. He got to open his big present, a bb gun, on Sunday. He loves it, and I must admit, so do I! BB gun might be making the Christmas list for me this year! I don't know if I have ever posted it on here, but Josh is a weather fanatic. He loves all things weather. His favorite dot com (what he calls a website) is weather.com. I found out that the dad of one of the kiddos in 1A is a meteorologist at a tv station in Lincoln. He said that we should definitely bring Josh in. What a great experience! We had so much fun. We got to learn about the weather, watch them tape the 5 o'clock news, and Jeff and Kevin even talked some Husker football. <br /><br />I will post pictures from Josh's b-day later. But, just to reiterate, what a fantastic day, with my fantastic boy. I am so very thankful that I was chosen to be his mom. <br /><br />KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-58455587445835101722010-08-25T13:47:00.001-05:002010-08-25T13:47:09.070-05:00DROIDI got a new phone! what's more, is that I am now able to blog from my phone. Not much new going on here. Josh is liking school. He told me that math is so much better than recess... really? I guess that is a good thing!<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2</div>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-19483899942583943082010-08-13T12:30:00.003-05:002010-08-13T12:48:33.977-05:00Too Long!Has it really been over three months since I last updated my blog? That is crazy! What I find funny about it, is that I get annoyed when the blogs that I follow don't update every couple of days. Hypocrite. Oh well. The last time I updated, Josh had three weeks left of kindergarten. Now, he has 6 days left of summer vacation. So, here is a recap of our summer and some pictures.<br /><br />May - We FINALLY got a new dog! Bella is a (now) 5-1/2 month old black lab. She is adorable and so sweet, but full of all that puppy energy that we hadn't experienced with Tommy for MANY years. So, it is very different. She is very much a hunting dog to. She loves to fetch, although she doesn't always do so well with bringing the ball back. She also caught her first bird, a dove, just last week. Gross. I think that Jeff may have to resume hunting now that we have her. We all love her to bits. She was just what we needed. Josh finished kindergarten. My dad was informed that his cancer has returned. :( <br /><br />June - Josh learned to ride his bike WITHOUT training wheels. He is so proud and just loves riding around. I wish we had more pavement for him to ride around on, but he rides on the rocks and grass too. Doesn't seem like there was much more in June... there probably was. That is a reason to update more often.<br /><br />July - Well, the drama of the month was me getting burned by an artillery firework. No fun. The good news was that the burn was small, and healed entirely in about 3 weeks. So, I am now rocking an even shorter hairdo than before. Josh and I went to Yankton for the Relay for Life. It was so stinking hot, but always a very moving tribute to loved ones (mom and Carolyn) who have lost their battles, and for my dad who continues to fight. It was a quick trip, as I went home the next day, but Josh stayed with Papa, Pauline, Grandma and Grandpa for about 5 days? I was so glad when he got home. I just miss the little guy so much. We were also able to go to Kansas City one weekend to see my good friend Jenny Rohret get married. We are so happy that she found Scott. Congratulations to Jenny, Scott and Miss Elizabeth. We were able to see my bff's Kara and Carrie and their families while we were down there, so it was a packed trip. We were there less than a day!<br /><br />August - Not too much has happened this month. Josh goes back to school the 19th. The 18th I have a job interview at his school for a teacher's aide position. I am hopeful that it will work out, as that is what I wanted to do when we moved up here. We'll see. Fingers crossed! Jeff leaves that day for Wyoming for a couple of weeks. So, it will just be Josh and I. We are going to my dad and Pauline's that weekend because my sister, David, Natalya and Niko will be visiting from Arizona. I am so excited to see them!<br /><br />Blogger is being a turd, so I will upload pics later!<br /><br />KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-49147534381078558052010-05-02T23:57:00.004-05:002010-05-03T12:38:53.389-05:00May 2, 1995 and May 2, 2010This day stinks. There is no other way about it. May 2, 1995. I remember sitting in the kitchen at my parent's home in Yankton, SD with my mom's best friend Carolyn Larsen. It is lost on me as to who else was there. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa? I don't remember. What I do remember is being super hungry... at 2am. My mom had been rushed to the hospital at approximately 9pm the night before. She had been battling cancer for just under a year (from diagnosis), but her struggle had been going on for about 18 months. We knew she wasn't going to beat the cancer, but we never would have thought that it would end early that morning. I was a senior in high school. I had spent the early evening of May 1st at a friends house addressing graduation invitations. At about 9, I got a call saying mom was really sick, and I needed to come home. The rest of what happened from 9 until about 2 is a blur. At about 2, Carolyn and I popped a Totino's Party Pizza in the oven. Not too much later, I remember seeing my dad and Pastor Bob drive into the driveway. Complete and utter devastation. My 12-year-old sister and I were now motherless. Even when you know it is the inevitable, it still sucks. I don't think we got very much sleep that night. I remember calling my best friend, Marie, at 7:30 to tell her. She was in the shower. She was on my doorstep, dripping wet by 7:45. I don't know to this day if she knows how much her friendship meant to me. The next few days were a blur of planning, family, tears and hugs. Fast forward to May 2, 2010... today. For some reason the anniversary of her death has hit me especially hard this year. Don't know why. I think it might be because, in 2 more years, she will have been gone more than half of my life. Let's face it, that is just sad. Not only that, but my "2nd Mom", Carolyn passed away from brain cancer almost three years ago. So, I was having a bit of a pity party for myself. I think once in awhile it is deserved. Anyway, I joined the Catholic Church April 3, 2010. I love our church. Our priests are awesome. But, I think what I like best, is the music on Sunday mornings. The music director at the church, Ellen Soukup, is AMAZING. A love of music is something that I shared with my Mom, Dad and sister. I have always been a huge fan of gospel music. Ellen is an amazing vocalist and pianist who can bring tears to my eyes during a regular church service... this did not bode well for today's service! We had received our weekly Catholic newspaper Friday a week and a half ago. On one of the inside pages, I saw a large picture of Ellen. It was announcing that she would be putting on a benefit concert for the Pius (Catholic High School) students wanting to attend World Youth Day in Spain in 2011. Obviously, with my love for Ellen's music, my interest was piqued. So, I read on. The concert was May 2nd, and it was honoring Mary, and our mothers here on Earth and those in Heaven. Well, it was almost more than I could bear, but Jeff, Josh and I went to the concert. It was amazing, and Ellen didn't disappoint. She was amazing. So, that is how I spent part of my day. Celebrating my mom's life. Also, I asked my friends on Facebook to leave memories of my mom. And they too didn't disappoint. Thanks to all my FB friends. Thanks to my family for putting up with my crazy the last week or so. Mom- I love you so much, and miss you more each day. I wish you could be here to see the women that Kara and I have become, and to see your grandchildren. I know you would be spoiling them like crazy. Love, Katie... PS- Take care of Tommy for Josh... he misses him... we all do. Katie<br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-4f420024ae5f9c93 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="4f420024ae5f9c93"></OBJECT>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-14550742193080772342010-04-29T18:25:00.002-05:002010-04-29T18:36:12.753-05:00March and April 2010Hey out there. So, what has been happening with us since my last post? Lots, I guess. My big news is that on April 3rd, I became a member of the Catholic church, after 7 months of weekly classes. It was a very exciting time, and I am excited that Jeff, Josh and I are all of the same faith now. I find that at the age of 32, I am finally to the point where I ENJOY going to church... took me long enough. On that same note, we enrolled Josh in the school at our church for the 2010-2011 school year, so he will be a St. John Jet. He is excited, but I am sure there is some anxiety about the switch.<br /><br />Jeff is getting busy with travel at work again... we knew it would happen! He and I planted a garden (or most of it) in the last week and a half or so. We are trying to grow radishes, beets, peas, green beans, sweet corn, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, and we have yet to plant the zucchini and cucumbers... maybe this weekend. Jeff also got the yard mowed for the first time this year. He bought a sprayer since we have our fair share of crab grass, thistles, and dandelions. <br /><br />Josh is enjoying what is left of Kindergarten. Next week we are going to be going on a field trip to the Lincoln Children's Museum. He is way more excited about this than I am... that is a lot of kindergarteners! We also got him signed up for T-ball. We were a little behind schedule, so he didn't get on a team in Eagle. We will be trekking to Waverly for the majority of his games, with one in Eagle. He will be on the blue team this year. We have a meeting on Sunday night to meet the team and discuss team names. I suggest to Josh the Bluejays. I told him to come up with some other ideas. So far, I have heard Blue Bulls (ummm... I think not), Blue Horses, Blue Dogs, Blue Cats... you get the idea. We'll see! <br /><br />This coming Sunday, May 2nd, will mark the 15th anniversary of my mom's death. While I remember it like it was yesterday, it still seems so long ago. It has been harder than usual for me for some reason this year. Not sure why. The pianist/soloist from our church is putting on a concert this Sunday (May 2nd) at the church celebrating Moms and those who cared for us. This singer brings me to tears during a normal church service with her beautiful voice and piano skills. I can only imagine what the concert will do to me, as I will be thinking of my mom a lot that day anyway, and my Chuckie is never far from my mind either.<br /><br />Well, I guess that is all for now.<br /><br />KatieKatie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-51091900874030469042010-03-05T21:57:00.006-06:002010-03-05T22:16:48.582-06:00Tucson Trip - Feb 2010 and New Nephews<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwgSIQQYWjt26j1sDKqN-kDo8afkUHZNGn34msqjWMJJnWF4iues_9tfM-c6vJxKyy1JxMBHFEKCLlSWCUYoi_5GOhK89PdYxIUE-_tKKUFicxRb7kdPEwm7C0Ejwp3kAJhucwVk3yWs/s1600-h/Hillbillys+1.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445369697400977202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwgSIQQYWjt26j1sDKqN-kDo8afkUHZNGn34msqjWMJJnWF4iues_9tfM-c6vJxKyy1JxMBHFEKCLlSWCUYoi_5GOhK89PdYxIUE-_tKKUFicxRb7kdPEwm7C0Ejwp3kAJhucwVk3yWs/s320/Hillbillys+1.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjYGeOECIMZNTxm7qrvYh6M2yY2Kp87W9BTustNn8myyz3xHP4mdY4ofDijMlLnY2NXCMnU5YnDmXtuYgHHE_y2dQa9HnjGUxRgoJfCjHpqenD_IXfv-9NHWKrySz14rdFSHH-YvIfK4/s1600-h/Josh+and+Mito.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445369148917051634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjYGeOECIMZNTxm7qrvYh6M2yY2Kp87W9BTustNn8myyz3xHP4mdY4ofDijMlLnY2NXCMnU5YnDmXtuYgHHE_y2dQa9HnjGUxRgoJfCjHpqenD_IXfv-9NHWKrySz14rdFSHH-YvIfK4/s320/Josh+and+Mito.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKUY6HwzHuqutIhm6-BXcBs3PNTkAtQRVfnEJtT4HtS83qS5-RDGbGlMMcO1y8lRHNH3XKrOPVupSzb3fxpPVGWOmw_PNHziiaR4mb5MbBfFVrxQ3dAwJqYTgTtHLXt1EEtI0wM3bd_s/s1600-h/Papa+and+Grandkids.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445368401963092434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKUY6HwzHuqutIhm6-BXcBs3PNTkAtQRVfnEJtT4HtS83qS5-RDGbGlMMcO1y8lRHNH3XKrOPVupSzb3fxpPVGWOmw_PNHziiaR4mb5MbBfFVrxQ3dAwJqYTgTtHLXt1EEtI0wM3bd_s/s320/Papa+and+Grandkids.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Hillbilly Papa and Hillbilly Josh, sunning their extremely white bellies! Hopefully the neighbors weren't blinded!</div><div> </div><div>Josh and Niko</div><br /><div>Papa, Niko, Taly and Josh.<br /></div><br /><div></div><div>Well, it has been two and a half months since I did a blog update. I think that is bad, but know that there are only a couple people who check this thing out anyway, so who cares!</div><br /><div>Since my last entry, we survived two more blizzards here in Nebraska, one of which kept everyone away from home for Christmas. So, we spent our first Christmas in Nebraska by ourselves. The snow started Tuesday, and we didn't leave the house until Saturday afternoon, and that was just to drive around and check out the snow... probably should have stayed home. The weather was so bad, that when we tried to make it to Lincoln for Christmas Mass, we got about one mile west of Eagle, and the roads were drifter shut, so it was a no go. </div><br /><div></div><div>January brought us three more snow days, so Christmas vacation didn't end until January 11th! Crazy! Josh was ready to be back to school, so that was great for him. My sister and her fiancee David finally made things official on January 5th.</div><br /><div>February has been an exciting month for our respective family's, and also sad for Pauline's family. On February 11th, Brad and Heather welcomed Lincoln James Hilfiker to the world. He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces. We haven't seen him yet, but are hoping to tomorrow. I've seen a couple pictures, and Grandma Del Rae assures me that he is super cute, and a good eater. February 22nd, Kara and David welcomed Nikolas (Niko) Omar Ash to the world. He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 7 ounces... she was only in labor for 5 1/2 hours, and actually complained that she felt like she was jipped out of the labor experience, because once she had the epidural, she slept until she pushed. That sounds like heaven to me!</div><br /><div>Pauline's mom, Marge, fell and broke her hip and collar bone February 18th. Pauline drove up to North Dakota the following day. The injuries, along with her other medical problems proved to be too much to overcome, and she passed away on February 28th. I only met Pauline's mom once, but know that it is difficult to lose your mom. </div><br /><div></div><div>Dad couldn't wait to get down to Arizona to cuddle his grandbabies, so Josh and I joined him on a whirlwind trip. We left Friday at 3pm, and got to Tucson Sunday about 1. Niko and Natalya were super cute, and it was great to see everyone, and see where Kara lives. The weather was nice other than the first day. We left Tuesday at noon, and got home Wednesday at 10 pm. If you counted, that is 5 1/2 days gone. Two down, two back, 1 1/2 there. We actually drove 16.5 hours on Wednesday. It was a really long day, and I don't think I will do that again. I am attaching some pictures.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3272583426225803147.post-51899073432733324742009-12-20T23:39:00.002-06:002009-12-20T23:49:29.220-06:00Happy Holidays - - 2009<span style="color:#006600;">Season's Greetings! Well, as 2009 draws to a close, I thought I should blog one more time. I know I am bad about updating, but I don't think that many people read this thing, so I don't feel too bad!</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Things are going good in Eagle. Josh is loving kindergarten. He has lost his two middle teeth on the bottom. No progress yet on the top. He just realized last night that he has some molars coming in on the bottom. They don't seem to be bothering him to badly! He had three snow days, not last week, but the week before. It was a lot of fun spending time with him, but he was very ready to get back and see his friends. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Jeff is still enjoying working at DBI. He hasn't been out of town for over a month now. It has been really nice having him home. He has been attending physical therapy for three weeks, as he tore his rotator cuff. He physical therapist has suggested requesting an MRI, and seeing an orthopedic doctor, as he should be 50% better at this point, and has experienced no relief from the pain at all. Poor guy. He rarely complains about being sick or in pain, and this has been bothering for over two months. Hopefully after the holidays, he can get it squared away.</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">I am just keeping busy with the same old stuff. Taking care of Josh, and medical transcription class. I think that my brain has a hard time getting all the cobwebs out. It will get done eventually! </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">I travelled down to Kansas City this weekend to visit my friend Kara. She is going through a bit of a tough time, so I'm glad that I was able to go, and that Jeff was willing to hang with Josh for an entire weekend. The boys had a good time, but as usual, I came down with something while I was gone. Not feeling the greatest now, and I'm sure staying out way past my bed time didn't help! I also got to see my #1 Carrie (I have a lot of Carrie's) for the first time since we moved. I knew I missed her, but I didn't realize how much until we got to hang out. Good friends are hard to come by. I feel that I have been very blessed in that category!<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">We are looking forward to Christmas with our families this year, as last year we didn't have time to travel up home. It will be a quick trip, but we will get it all in (as long as the weather cooperates! Fingers crossed!)</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Merry Christmas! I'll try to blog more next year!</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Katie</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"></span>Katie Hilfikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627609580599006939noreply@blogger.com0