i've been everywhere, man

Hellooo Dolly!

I have not read or looked at 1 blog since last Friday...wowzers!

Our life is busy and I have taken a little blog break.

and...I'm back.

Last week I had a good excuse to take a break. We made a trip. A loooong trip.

From Little Rock to Austin to Clovis,NM to Pagosa Springs, CO and back with an extra stop in Lubbock.

I feel like singing Johnny Cash "I've been everywhere, man".

Now, let me tell you something. If you want to get to know your in-lawed family. Don't do it this way.

No, no, no...I'm only jokes. It was a great way to spend time with the Taylor's and I loved it!

We spent lots of time playing games, laughing AT someone, listening to lots of different music, talking and reading alone. Hey, the last one's necessary at times.

Overall, it was a success.

We flew, we drove, we skied, we conquered.

from the Austin airport...

to nowhereville, TX full of giant windmills....

To Las Vegas...we won't tell that story....

to the roadside on Wolf Creek Pass while they clear and avalanche and my family makes a snowman and has a snowball fight while I video and take pictures and stay out of it...

To another nowhereville, NM gas station...

meanwhile, this was the view...

or this was my view....equally exciting. j/k, i'd rather look out the front window

To Lubbock, TX for the night and dinner and a movie for Dels birthday...

Finally to Georgetown, TX for Christmas!!!!

We made it!

Of course, there a a gagillion more pictures and videos. Someday, perhaps I will get around to posting those!

Newlywed lesson learned on this trip

if you aren't use to spending EVERY SECOND with your spouse...

Ok, let me stop here and explain something. On this trip, GT and I rode in the van by each other, slept together, skied together, played games together, ate together, flew together. You get the picture.

Here's what I learned.

It's important to make this happen occasionally.

We actually enjoyed it and I think it helped our friendship. Not that we needed it.

But, we remembered why we're BFFs and why we like to spend time together, not just be married and go through our normal work day together.

I love my guy and really missed him when we had to go to the bathroom. I got use to him being with me constantly.

Happy weekend eve,

Kate



belated birthday

Happy belated birthday to my dad!

His bday was Wednesday and I just didn't post about it.

So, here it is.

Of course, I only have some recent pics of him, but they'll do.

He'll probably hate that I even posted about him at all.

But I love him and his humility.

I love my dad because:

He's happy when we're happy.

He loves GT

He allowed us to go to wonderful places and never made it about him.

 He sits on the back porch with me and loves to be outside as much as I do

 He built that pond and stocked it and loves to fish out of it.

He's a real man.

He loves me.

"Daddy's hands, soft and kind when I was cryin'. Daddys hands, hard as steel when I dun wrong."

It's true. I love him for his firm discipline but ability to show me an unconditional love.

 Because of that I have a very strong respect for him and absolutely adore him.

 He loves my mom and I have never doubted that.

His needs are never first.

and they look gorgeous together.

 He always sits like this. Always.

And he doesn't take himself too seriously.

He knows how to relax and enjoy his family

He is the hardest worker I know.

There's no excuse when a job needs to get done.

No complaints.

He is an awesome Randaddy (I gave him that name).

He's Pa. Just like his dad. Who was my Pa.

My dad came from a good man. That might be why he's so great. His dad was great.

He planted wildflower seeds on his property in the winter just for my bridal portaits in the spring.

He puts up with the kagillions of pictures mom and I take. All while taking our family on awesome vacays. 

He loves the same things that I love.

We can ride in his truck for an hour and say nothing at all and we're ok with that.

Or we can talk the entire time and solve the worlds problems.

There are many more things that I love about my dad.

That's a start though.

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY DAD!

Also, yesterday was Wood-e-rows 1st birthday.

He's happy in the woods.

2nd day we owned him.

Maggie and Woodrows shared a bed since day one.

Still are...1 year later.

Reminiscing,

Kate

It's a wrap...State Champs What?

 A few weekends ago we had the pleasure of watching a record setting game.

GT's brother, Ty, helped coach a Mississippi High School, Lafayette, to a State Championship and be the first team to go 16-0 ever for a season. I love high school football.

p.s. for all you Louisianans...Mississippi say it La-FAY-it. not Laf-eee-et. Huh.

We and Garrett drove from LR and my MIL and FIL drove from Huntsville to my parents in West Money, then we all drove together to MS. We had a great time all being together. My parents and my inlaws...perfect. I know we're pretty lucky to have parents that actually like being together...hooray for family!

Anywhoooo, we had so much fun. I was fighting off a stomach virus from the previous 2 days...so ignore my snarls in all of the pictures. It was the only expression I could muster up. We really were happy and excited.

the run through sign. original. seriously.

 

Poor Ty...probably doesn't have any nails left.

Probably giving some life changing advice.

encouraging brosifs

hand shakes are for men

See Ty? right there. yeah, the guy with his arms in the air

 

The proud coach and wife sharing the joy with the fam

coach and gorgeous SIL/proud wife

the familia

 

before the game we went here

(sorry about the snarl, i wasn't appreciating the buffett at this point)

everyone else was pleased though, even though Mama ran out of peach cobbler

Hooray for athletic family!

Kate

Yesterday I did something...

that I don't regret.

At all!

I had one of these

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milshake

And I still don't regret it.

It was perfect.

Everyday around 330 I have to have a snack. Just gotta. It's my crash time.

So, I was out Christmas shopping away and spotted a Chick-fil-A. Jackpot!

Have I mentioned that I'm lactose intolerant?

Oh well. That didn't matter...I love ice cream.

It did matter about 30 minutes later when I was in TJ Maxx.

All that happens with my intolerance is some cold sweating and some killer stomach aches.

Then it just goes away.

In case you needed the details.

Luckily, I was able to walk it off without looking like a menopausal hot flashing woman.

TMI? sorry.

So do I regret the 73894 calories? Nope

Now go try one and try to think of something other than my ailments.

Thanks,

Kate

The good, the bad and the random

The good

Touch a Life

Check out this awesome organization that rescues children from trafficking and forms of slavery. Their work is in Cambodia, Ghana and Vietnam. One of my good friends, Rachel, is the Director of Project Development and I adore her and her heart. There is so much I could say about Pam Cope and her work, but you should read her book...amazing, or watch Patricks video.

I thank God for people who are so brave.

 

The Bad

it's freezing here.
i don't tolerate cold.
I think I need one of these:

The fur is dreamy
The baby I'd borrow and then give back. I don't really want one to keep.
I held a friends newborn the other night and he was like a personal little heater.
Not only was he sweet and cuddly, he was aiding in my warmth. Perfect.

The Random

So, I'm pretty wierd. I'm ok with that. Most of the time I prefer to be different.

GT often comments that he loves me because I'm so wierd. Thanks?

Last night while he was watching the end of that awesome Monday Night Football game, I was piddling around and kind of watching. Not sure what I was doing besides rambling and sporatically commenting on the game.

Gt says, "You're like your own animal"
I respond, "Huh?, like a horse or a lion?"
His response, "No, like a pretty one, a mermaid".

I'll leave it at at that.
You can decide who's wierd.


The normal one,
Kate

Thanksgiving week photo board

We did not just eat and lounge our way through Thanksgiving, although those 2 activities were the primary time-killers.

The whole family, except GT:(, spent the entire week at home in LA.

It was perfectly spent too, except for the part when my man wasn't there.

Here is the week pic by pic:

WFR had a baby blessing for our Beau.

p.s. it was Duck Commander Sunday as previously mentioned so that should excuse our attire.

hmm....well, most of us anyway.

Dad was the elder who prayed over Beaus' life and J&J's family.

My heart is so full of thanksgiving for my family

Then we took Beau on his first trip to Monroes' Pecanland Mall.

whoohoo! I can't hear you!?!? Oh yeah, there's not much to whoo hoo about.

Anyway, we had fun.

Little buddy loved this little carousel though (that's the emotion I decided on from this face)

Jamie and I on the other hand almost hurled. That thing was crazy fast, especially when you're taking pics.

Then we tortured him.

Not really, but, long story short. Who knew he wouldn't like Santa???

He's so friendly and goes to anyone...who would know?

But, isn't this just a classic "kid scared of Santa" pic?

Am I a bad aunt?

For years to come though, Jamie and I will remind him of the crazy dances and faces we made to try and get him to smile. We were "those" people going nuts to get a baby to smile...in PUBLIC.

Then he was really somber.

"Ladies!, quit making me go to the mall and smile with some random dude. Then just make a fool of yourself in front of everyone while I cry. From now on I will make no expression".

Point well made Beau.

Then he got happy with Gram Jo-Mama (hmmph)

One day we the horses on my parents' property. Dad is showing the way...or something like that.

Jake and Dad manning the lead

Then we fished in one of the ponds that my dad and Tony build. They're real men.

Someday I'll tell you more about Tony and Kim and their family. They're some of my favorite people...ever.

Then my cousin Donna had the women in our family over.

We ate..duh, then watched a "Christmas past" DVD they made for us.

LOOOOVED it. Our family is quite entertaining, even in still pictures for 30+ years. Seriously.

Then Beau watched his first basketball game.

Sadie played for the Varsity team as a 7th grader. She's a baller.

The boys played lots of basketball and yard football.

We'd (the girls) join in occasionally, but we were too busy cooking, ironing, slopping the hogs, cleaning and taking care of the baby....hmm....or something else.

Then we went skeet shooting. Yup.

thank you

Killed 'em dead.

blurry, but still awesome shot of Jamie shootin' 'em ded.

Then Beauzer laughed alot and we loved him alot.

There are approximately 29745839 pictures of him from this week. So if you

want to see them all email me katelynjkirby(at)gmail(dot)com.

Then the men fixed stuff.

Then Gram Jo-mama gots lots of lovin'

Then we smoorgasborbed ourselves at Thanksgiving lunch which was previously posted.

Then Beau was full.

He honestly layed like this during his bottle, wide awake, watching football.

He got the man gene. No joke.

Then we tried to take a family pic.

We got one. not this one.

Or this one

Perhaps this one.

Then we had an early Christmas, which deserves its' own post later.

Of course, we all just watched Beau...so stinkin' cute.

More to come.

Then everyone came to our house in LR,

and we played more!

Isn't that little train thingy super cute. he loved it!

Then we went to a game and we won't talk about the final score.

We watched Beau in his bouncy seat

And dad taught him how to play football.

All in all...I'd do it again. Even if you didn't pay me.