Category Archives: family

Some of my favorite things!

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Father’s Day weekend was a flat-out fantastic weekend. But I’m not here to talk about that.

I’ll get to it later.

And yes, I know it’s unlike me to go out of chronological order, and it’s killing me a little bit, but last night was just too awesome not to share right now.

{and also easier/less time consuming…just being honest here, folks.}

We took Rylee to her first baseball game.

Of course, there’s a lot of you that are probably like…neat, Kat. What’s the big deal here?

Well, here’s the thing. It was probably way.more.awesome. for me than it was for the kid.

Last night had so many of my favorite things wrapped up into one!

First of all, I love-love-LOVE baseball. I grew up going to Em’s games {our local minor league team}. I have such fun memories as a kid going to these games. Andy loves baseball. I love watching him watch a sport he loves. I mean, he’d much rather be playing than watching, but whatever. Then there’s the whole thing that baseball means summer! SUMMER!! Yay! And of course there’s the snacks…locally made ice cream served up in a “batter’s helmet” bowl. Nachos. Pepsi. Popcorn.

Ach, I just love everything about it.

Now throw in the fact that I got to go with my 2 favorite people in the world. And we had some pretty kick-ace seats {thank you Em’s for those awesome tickets!}.

It was a recipe for a great night.

For being 4 years old, and for her very first game, Ry did pretty well. She got antsy a couple of times. During the 4th inning we got up and stood in line for the ice cream and snacks, that helped break things up. Then she was occupied with eating as much popcorn as she could shove in her mouth for the next few innings. At the top of the 7th, she told us she was ready to go. We stayed to watch the Em’s bat one more time then we took off. {It was also about 9:30 PM…way past her bedtime!}

This night at the ball park was just what we needed after a stressful spot after work….the Buick died on me during my drive home last night…twice. {For the record? Figuring out your hazard lights don’t work when you actually need them is less than ideal} Andy had to meet me at my dad’s (about halfway between work and home) and then we had to get home, eat dinner and rush to the game. All the while trying to figure out next steps with this car. Blech. But like I said earlier, more on that later.

Hooray for summer!!!

It hit me recently…we’re old.

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Yes, I realize I’m not even 30 so the fact that I’m calling us old is sort of ridiculous, but it is true.

I’m not exactly sure when it happened. I mean, I’ve always been an “old soul”…opting for working or staying in as opposed to going out through college…things like that. But somewhere along the way, conversations have turned from traveling and nights out to washing machines and water filtration systems.

I had my very first “I feel old” feeling when I went to my first OB appointment for this pregnancy. I sat in the waiting room by myself. Checking work emails on my phone. Looking around the room I saw girls…they just seemed so…young. Girls without wedding rings. Girls with baby-daddy’s sitting next to them. Girls wearing sweatshirts sporting the name of their high school alma maters…assuming they were in fact out of high school. I took mental notes…holy shit, I’m the oldest one in this room right now. How is this even possible!? I’ve always been the youngest.

Then even more recently Andy & I were talking finances… Investments and 401Ks and IRAs and childcare costs and insurance deductibles.

You know, super fun adult type stuff.

He brought up the idea of selling his motorcycle.

I froze.

That just seems so…practical.

And permanent.

And practical.

I mean, it makes total sense…he hasn’t really ridden it in a couple of years. His back isn’t in the best of shape to be riding it anyway. It needs a new front tire. We live in Oregon, so really he only gets a few months of decent riding weather anyway. And, those months he would/should be able to ride it, he won’t be able to because he’ll have the girls. And while it does get great gas milage, the amount of money we’d have to put into it with the tire and what not wouldn’t be worth it for just a few weeks of saved gas from not driving the car.

But he loves it. And it’s not like we make payments on it. We bought it with cash just a couple of months after we got married.

But the extra money would sure be nice, especially considering we’ll have some pretty major medical bills coming up. And with the amazing deal we bought it for, we’ll almost make that up completely…even nearly 7 years later.

But I never got to ride on the back of it. And damn, does he look super hot in his riding get-up.

And I know him. Even if we could afford another one later down the road, he’d never buy one. So this would be it.

He asked me what I thought about the idea of him selling it. I told him it was his decision, because it’s his.

But what I was really thinking was… no! don’t sell it! we’re still so young! you need to have fun too!

But, it turns out we’re old. And practical.

Now, we’ve always been practical, but when did we get to be so old?

Circa 2007 - Pre Oldness

So…anyone wanna buy a motorcycle?

Tip from Kat: Don’t Do This

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So, I have this cousin.

She, alongside her Marine husband battled infertility for 6 {yes SIX!} years.

After the many ups and downs and doctor appointments and treatments, they find out she’s expecting!

Only then finds out that her husband, less than a year after returning from his last deployment and about a month before their miracle baby is due, is being deployed again for the umpteenth time {seriously, I’ve lost count how many times he’s been deployed}.

He will spend the first 5 months of their miracle baby’s life overseas somewhere fighting for our country.

And she will spend the first 5 months of their miracle baby’s life going it alone.

Anyway, here’s my tip for you.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, sit in your car in the grocery store of the parking lot and watch the video your cousin posted on facebook of  her Marine husband returning home from deployment and meeting their 5 month old baby for the first time.

Because you will bawl your eyes out.

And it will be a loud, ugly cry.

And tears will fall on your 33 week belly and soak your shirt.

And snot will run down nose.

And you won’t be able to find a tissue.

And you’ll still have to go into the grocery store to get those 3 things you absolutely have to have for the dinner your are hosting that night.

Then people will look at you funny for walking through the grocery store with your sunglasses on.

Seriously, just don’t do it.

You’re welcome.

*****

Side note? I am in awe of the strength some people have. Military families. Families struggling with infertility. I have so, SO much respect and admiration for every single one of you.

Especially you, my amazing cousin.

Extended Weekend? Sort of.

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Ry & I are home today. But not because we had planned on taking an extended long-weekend. Her mysterious non-stop cough is back. Along with a leaky faucet nose and a wheeze that just won’t die.

So we’re hanging out on the couch. She’s got a sippy full of juice and I’ve got a cup of coffee. We’ve got cartoons on and the Kindle Fire is charged. I’m hoping she’ll just naturally take it easy today…

Ha.

Hahaha.

So far so good though.

Later on today we’ll head out to pick up her inhaler prescription, buy a new humidifier (hers took a dump this morning) and I have my 32 week appointment for Baby Sister today.

Looking back on the weekend, I feel like we did both nothing and everything. If that makes any sense at all.

We went over to my uncle’s house for a BBQ celebrating my cousin’s college graduation. We went grocery shopping. We had a family movie night, popcorn and staying up way past bedtime included. We played legos…lots and lots of legos. We went to a birthday party on Sunday. Andy & Ry put together the crib. We pulled stuff out of Baby Sister’s closet that didn’t need to be there. The nursery is more trashed than it was last week, but I’ll still consider it as progress. We cuddled. We gave foot rubs. We had a lazy day on Monday. We slow-grilled baby back ribs. We made a double batch of creamy chicken taquitos all to freeze. Bonus: there was enough filling leftover to make them for dinner tonight!

See what I mean? We did a lot, but it was just enough to still feel like a relaxing weekend. Exactly what this little family needed!

Hope you had an amazing weekend!

My Girl. She’s 4.

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In case you missed it {not sure how you could have}…Rylee turned four years old last Friday.

I took the day off to hang out with her. Not something I’ve ever done, and not something I’ll get in the habit of, but we had a good time.

First on her agenda was to watch “all of the cartoons”…which really meant, not leaving after the “first George” like we do on typical days.

Next up was breakfast. A pancake, a scrambled egg and some yogurt.

For lunch, we headed to a local park and had a PB&J picnic lunch. And the entire park to ourselves.

Upon leaving the park, homegirl thought it’d be super fun to throw a HUGE tantrum…complete with “get your hands off of me!“… “I don’t like you” and… “you’re mean“, followed by… “I want Daddy“.

{for the record? I’ve never been happier we had the park to ourselves!}

Said huge tantrum? Followed by an epic almost 4 hour nap. So…yea…

That evening we kept it simple and had family over for lemon cupcakes {per Ry’s request} & ice cream.

Someone got a little embarrassed during the happy birthday song…

All in all though? Great Day.

And seriously? My baby is four.

*****

P.S. I’m never sure how family and/or friends feel about having photos of them end up on my blog, so I don’t typically post them, but I just love-love-love this one so much, I couldn’t resist. These are Rylee’s “extra grandparents” and mine & Andy’s “extra parents”. They’re the best. And clearly Rylee thinks so too.