What's new? 7 months, really?

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, Katie

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Colorado Springs

For 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. Air Force Academy Protestant Chapel... amazing! Air Force Academy Catholic Chapel Air Force Academy Protestant Chapel Organ Garden of the Gods Garden of the Gods Jeff and Josh at Garden of the Gods Our friend the giraffe... up close and personal! Awesome! Moose! (Don't be fooled, it was at the zoo!)

Jennifer

Two 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!

My Jennifer!!

The "Fab Four!" Amy, Jennifer, Heather and Katie

Big 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!

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!

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!

Spring 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.

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.

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.

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!

Not much else to update on right now, so I suppose that I may as well sign off!

Company!

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!

Baby Kendyl

Today 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.

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!

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.

Always gone

Nothing major to write about tonight. Just thinking that it seems like Jeff is always gone lately. I miss him.

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.

Winter 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Where 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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

So much for a short post! Oh well!

Kate

Happy 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.

That is the short and sweet. I will update soon with a summer/vacation update.

Katie

I 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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

For Maddie

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!