Another Kaileigh Story

The girl is so funny. As we were heading to Alicia's Wedding shower yesterday one of the girls riding with us said..."Katie could you please hurry I need to use the bathroom" and Kaileigh responded "you just need to hold your patience."

Telling another story she stops me and using her hands to talk and says...Mom I don't mean to be rude but that girl was just getting on my nervous!


At the nursing home when we stopped to see Granny one of the nurses stopped to be introduced by Granny to Kaileigh and the nurse says to Kaileigh...you sure are a pretty little boy (joking) and if looks could kill.

As granny was walking us out to the door she asked Kaileigh if she was going to say bye to her friends and Kaileigh said...Probably not...She had been so good all day but enough was enough...

I tell you she keeps up laughing all the time!

Wedding Bells!

So my sweet baby cousin Alicia is getting married in May…To the sweetest guy we could have hoped or prayed for! He is so sweet to her and he loves her so much. Not to mention my kids think he hung the moon. Anyway, both kids are in the wedding. Kaileigh is the flower girl along with another little girl. She is very excited and cannot wait till she can wear her princess dress. Kalebh is also in the wedding as the ring-barer. He isn’t as thrilled about it but wants to do it for Ben and Alicia. We went to have him fitted for his tux and well to say the least I was NOT allowed to take pictures! But, I can tell you he is going to look super handsome! I think he really is looking forward to it just needs to hide his excitement!

Alicia is going to be a beautiful bride and I can’t wait to see her. Both Matt and Alicia are more like siblings to me and I am thankful for that! However, we as adults know that no one should out shine the bride…for some reason that is hard for my four year old princess, diva, rock-star to understand. So, I would say Alicia has her work cut out for her…Take a look at these pictures and see for yourself!

Kalebh's 2 Eyes...now 4!

Well, the time has come for one of the kids to get Glasses…Kalebh! And might I say he sure is looking sharp. He says it makes him look smart. I told him he is already smart they just make him look more handsome! For the most part we have done a pretty good job keeping up with them, cleaning them and remembering to wear them to school! They need to be adjusted a little but we will get that done our next trip to Lubbock. All in all I think it has been good for him.

While having his eyes checked we have learned that Kalebh has a rare thing for kids called retinal vessel tortvosity. We don’t know much about it other than it is most common in older people with high blood pressure. So, we are looking at that to see what we need to do if anything. Our wonderful pediatrician is going to send us to a pediatric eye doctor here in the next month or so. There is no pain related with this but Kalebh has had some really bad headache so I guess we will see if the two are related. Who knows? So, we would take prayers for this if you are willing to spend a few minutes praying that they will know just what to do if anything has to be done.

So what you have been waiting for…PICTURES!

Here is Kalebh being fitted for his glasses…this is my favorite!




And here he is handsomely in his new glasses!



Now if we can keep them clean, unbroken, and not loose them...I will call it a success!

Happy Easter!

I love Easter. It is such a great reminder of what our Savior did for us. Growing up in Deer Park there was a very sweet man that would sing every Easter Sunday and to say I loved this song is an understatement. The message was great! "He's alive, He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven Heavens gates to open wide He's ALIVE." I can sit and picture that moment every year at Easter time. Such a sweet sweet reminder of the wonderful blessing of people my life has been filled with in many different locations!


I also love worshiping Sunday morning with our church family. I love seeing my kids all dressed in new clothes and so proud of them, hunting eggs, eating as a family. I just love it all! This year our church held an egg hunt during Sunday School it was a great time for them to all be together. It was sure a lot of fun. There was one golden egg which held nothing. Later to be explained as a reminder of the empty tomb. Kaileigh has been talking about that all day. She loved that!



We spent lunch with my Mom and Dad, Edith (Chad's Mom) and Chad's grandparents who keep Kk during the week. We had such a wonderful time....I made Prime Rib for the first time...Yummy! and not too hard.



And I even used my very nice dishes!!




We had a great time all being together. I loved having my mom and dad here as well! It was lovely!

Kaileigh had a program and parade of hats at school. Noah's Ark does this every year and I am sure going to miss it next year. They can buy a hat or make a hate. This year we decided to make a hat. We had to take a stuffed bunny and take his ears and tail but he was okay with it...we asked him first. (We watched Toy Story) The hat turned out so cute! Thanks to help from Gammy!





Kalebh wanted to go see his sister in her program so bad! Or just wanted out of class...hmmm I am going with the first :) None the less she was thrilled he was there!




Hunting Eggs at Gammy's house...always fun!




Daddy trying to help KK



Coloring Eggs is always fun....and even more with your Cousin!




Man, Peter Cottontail even stopped by! Speaking of Peter Cotton Tail....Kaileigh still has her bunny and he is still alive and well! Mean...but well! Happy 1st birthday Peter!






Love to All,

Noise???

The kids are at my Mom and Dad's for a few days before Chad and I got and join them later this week. They left Saturday after Kalebh's basketball games...He scored the first points of the season and the last! Wahoo Kalebh!
So Saturday night Chad and I went to dinner, walked around United and then rented two movies from Red Box.
Sunday we went to church and then headed to Amarillo for a day to get some needed shopping things done and saw a movie and dinner...very nice date...day!
I have very much enjoyed the time with just Chad but whew it is sure quite around here. And who knew Chad and were so boaring without Kalebh and Kailiegh.
Chad is at work today. Me home alone, getting clothes washed, watching a movie, and that is it...see we are boring.

What I have learned. This time is great for everyone. We all love and appreciate each other more when we have a break. The kids love my parents and I am so blessed to have them and for them to be willing to care for them for a few days!

Love you Mom and Dad!



These are about the only times Kailiegh is still and/or quite! But, so sweet!

Stock-Show Part two (what I have learned)

Where to start…I will start by saying that it was one of the best times of my life. Growing up we didn’t camp, we didn’t do outside activities…okay we would go on picnics and we would fly kites but nothing like this…with animals. I am not much for animals’ altogether. And, no matter how much fun I tell you I had I really still didn’t have A LOT to do with the pigs. I would pet them when they were clean and then I would tell everyone else what to do. ( I have always been good at that) Anyway, I loved watching my family work together. Kaileigh was all into and Chad and Kalebh were so sweet working together to get the job done. My cup runneth over as I watched all of this take place…to say the least.

**Note – None of these “lessons” are in any order what so ever.




Things I have learned as my first year as a stock-show Mom!
• While driving to San Angelo I kept seeing these high fences and I just wondered what in the world could that be. They were oh a good 15 feet or more. And, then all of the sudden like a light blub went off…DEER LEASES! I bet those people are holding those poor animals hostage. Chad later informed me that they were most likely Deer Leases but that the State pays so much for people to put those fences up because it keeps the deer from running out onto the high way…hmmm who know?
• Carnival People – No matter how old you get they are still really creepy. One night we took the kids after the rodeo to the carnival. Let’s just say…I got an earful from a man running the train which KK wanted to ride about how he was strung out on drugs and then got clean but didn’t pay child support and so his “women” would never let him see “him boy”…then the man starts CRYING. Well, I can’t go anywhere because “him has my girl”. Whew…glad that was over…so Carnival people are still creepy!
• I learned while being at the stock-show for 3 days…people will not only fry anything and sale it for some unreal amount of money…people will actually buy such fried food and EAT IT! Let’s see…fried pickles, Twinkies, peanut, butter and jelly sandwiches, snickers, and this list could go on FOREVER. While Kalebh’s friend was cleaning out their pig pin Chad told him “hey watch where you dump that stuff…they will fry anything and sale it around here.” And that was the truth!
• Pigs Eat! That is all they do is eat…and sleep…and poop...I tell you I couldn’t believe how much those pigs were eating…it was crazy
• On another note Pigs are gross…in the middle of the show ring, walking to the show ring or just about anywhere they will stop to do their “business” I kept thinking…don’t these animals know we are trying to help them “win” and they are not even helping themselves…they have to be all disgusting right there in front of everyone!
• While in San Angelo we were given tickets to the rodeo…what a nice gift. We had a blast! We sat right over the shoot where the horse and other races started…not the bull shoots but the other side. Anyway, KK and Kalebh loved every second of the rodeo. It was so much fun. As I was watching the steer wrestling I thought to myself “when you think your job is bad thing about the guy that has to get into that shoot at the butt of the cow to send him out into the ring.” Not only is that a very small shoot but you are at the butt of a cow…yuck! The rodeo was good. If ever in San Angelo during this time. I would very much suggest going!
• The best part to me about the WHOLE stock-show was watching life in my kids eyes. Everything is bigger, better and so much more when you are a kid. It was a blast watching them at each thing we did. I loved it!
• House-Keeping in a hotel = WONDERFUL. It is so nice to come back to the room and be a clean room. I would leave in a hotel just for that reason if Chad would let me 
• Stock-Show people…are just different. When I say that I mean different in an awesome, great, fun, sweet way. They help each other out no matter what, the help your kids, open doors, haul things, clean pigs or other animals…and about all the love each other. I saw that first hand at both stock shows and it has just warmed my heart to be apart of such an amazing thing!
• There were lots of people to meet at the stock show. Chad knows a lot of people from his job and it was so fun to put peoples faces with their names. There was one guy that was working the gate in the show ring and he and Chad are friends. However, this man leaves in San Angelo area and works for FiberMax (the competition to Delta and Pineland) So, as Kalebh was walking through the gate showing his last pig he looked up at this sweet man and said “FiberMax stinks!!!” and walked on with his pig. The man busted up laughing and looking to find Chad in the stands. The thing is when people see Kalebh…they know he is Chad’s.


The guy in the red long sleeve shirt is the FiberMax man!

• Little Chad…Like I said above…Kalebh is little Chad. Every little thing he does reminds me of his Daddy. He is tender hearted but he is all about having a great time. He loves to make people laugh but he always wants everyone to be happy. Just love him!
• You only had 2 seconds to impress the judge. Whew it was stressful! Here is a picture of one of our 2 seconds with the judge.



• Saw a pig stress out for the first time! Wow…who knew a pig was so “touchy” as he is stressing out in the ring I wanted to say…HEY pull it together no time for this…but I just sat there…feeling sorry for the owner more than the pig.
• Apparently stock-show runners (people in charge) cannot count. They put the classes in numbers…but we would go from 8,9,10 to 31,32,33…no clue what that is about.
• During the stock showing I learned that Chad knew a lot about all of this and I understood that I didn’t know a lot. He did a good job trying to keep me in the “know” but for the most part I was just so proud and thankful that he knew what he was doing…kind of!
• We learned a hard lesson the first day of the stock show…saying good-bye is never easy even when it is a pig. Kalebh showed his first pig…and favorite pig Luke. He was a Hampshire. He was pretty and was fun to work with (so I hear.) Anyway, he went to the dead-sea right off the bat and then to the truck. As soon as he left the pig I could see this wasn’t going to be good. (Chad didn’t move around there as fast as I thought he should so I got up and went) But, what he boiled down to is this is where my MOST IMPORTANT job came into play…being a Momma. Poor Kalebh started crying. He was said to leave Luke, he was sad he didn’t win and it was a hard life lesson on saying good-bye combined with not winning. And, in that moment I understood my job/purpose as a stock-show mom…To be there to love and cheer them on no matter what! Here is our last picture with Kalebh and Luke!


• Life lessons…not winning, saying good-bye and having to work hard. Kalebh and all of us learned so much about working even when it is cold. Breaking water. Walking pigs even when you are tried and have a lot of homework. Cleaning pens. It isn’t all about winning and Kalebh has learned that now I think. Just hard to take in a first. He is glad to have the break from the animals but I know he is already looking forward to it next year…as we ALL are.
• We made relationship that we will have forever. And I am thankful for that.
• I hated and loved having two cars in San Angelo. I didn’t have to go to the barn as early because I had my own car…but that drive home was killer. BOTH kids went to sleep and it was just me and the old radio…and whew I sure like the drive home a lot better when Chad is doing the driving!
• Kaileigh offered a lot of entertainment the whole time. She was so good to jump in and help, scoop or wash. She was wonderful. She is ready to show some animals already. She loves it!
• Valentines Day – To say the least this was the best Valentines a girl could ever ask for. I got to spend 3 days with some of the most enjoyable people I know. I got to see Kalebh grow a little, got to hang out with Kaileigh and most of all we made some life long memories. We had a blast and I am already to set the dates to go next year.
• Speaking of next year I feel that it is very important that EVERYONE know this…I am no a professional! I will be a part of the pig picking and the pig buying. I sat up in those stands and watched class after class of pig shows and I know what we should do and what to look for. If we don’t win it will only be because the judge didn’t get the memo that I knew what I was doing! I am looking forward (kind of) to go to sales, and starting with the new pigs. I have been researching and looking into ways we can make this an even more wonder experience for us all. Because, I now know…we are in this for the long haul and I DO NOT want to miss a second of it!

Signing off for now…THE STOCK-SHOW MOM

You and me Fly

Last week when we had gotten home from San Angelo we had this huge horse fly in our house. We tried for days to kill that thing and we couldn't. Well, Wednesday night when we got home from church Kalebh had realized the fly had gone into the bathroom. So, Kalebh runs and gets the flyswatter and heads for the bathroom. He slams the door and says "It's you and me fly!" I laughed and laughed! Well he is in there for a good 10 minutes and you hear him knocking things over and talking and mumbling. And then FINALLY you hear a loud SMACK and Kalebh yells in victory "GOTTCHA!!!" hahaha!!! Oh how I love this child!





This story with Kalebh reminds me of a time when we lived on "the farm" in Artesia and some baby kittens had gotten into the storage where mom had all her Christmas stuff stored. Mom and I sat on the back porch laughing as my poor Daddy was having to chase those stupid cats. Well, he had enough of our laughing and enough of the kittens and he slammed the door to the storage with a broom and all Mom and I heard was "It's you and me cats!!!" at this point you could say Mom and I were on the edge with laughter! Oh what fun times!

And here is a picture of Popau with all of his "cats" now. This was at Christmas on a boat ride out around Houston




Happy Saturday!

Oh sweet Kaileigh

This is a picture of Kaileigh sitting in her brother's hamper talking on Facetime to her MiMi.



One the way to church the other night Chad and I were talking about the exciting wedding coming up in May of my BABY cousin Alicia. Anyway, Kaileigh stopped Chad mid-sentence and said "Daddy when can I get married"
1. She had been a little toot ALL afternoon. Driving us all crazy!
2. She is 4
So her sweet Daddy said..."well at this rate will will just pray for the man that WILL take you."

That Kaileigh is mess but she keeps us on our toes, and laughing for the most part.
God knew what I needed when I spent all of those hours praying for a sweet little girl!

She is sweet....when she is asleep :)

Stock--Show Part One

We have ended our first season of stock-shows! And you know at the start of this whole process I had said I will be happy to watch and take pictures but I will not have any more to do with the pigs than that! And, that held pretty true until the pigs were clean and at the county stock show. Anyway, I did pet them and enjoy being around them. There is something about a stock-show that makes everything different. I wanted the very best for Kalebh I wanted him to win. Well, we didn't win he took a 5th place on one and a 2nd place on the other. He did good, had a great time and learned a lot. As did I. We had one pig that has given us trouble since Christmas so I can say we weren't sad to see him go after this last show. Kalebh was amazing walking the pig and staying right with it.

Kaileigh also go to show at the county stock show in the PeeWee show. She was as cute as the come...just love that girl and she is really into those animals. She doesn't get that from her momma at all!!! That is fo sho!

The pigs took a lot more work from the time the county show was over until the San Angelo show but the boys stayed with it...Measuring their food, making sure they got what they needed and no more no less...it was really a show to watch the whole thing!

But, really all 4 of us learned a lot of many different things during this time and we are all very much looking forward to next year. We are excited not to have to get up Saturday to have to go feed, break water or anything like that we will all just sleep in. Kalebh learned that it isn't always fun but in the end it was worth it...A great Pig Season was had!









Coming up next....What Katie Learned while becoming a Stock-Show Mom!

iPad to good use

I have decided to it the iPad to good use. I have uploaded the blog to my Jo,e screen in hopes to make it a lot easier to write blogs! However when I want to have a blog with pictures I will still have to get out my laptop out. As I haven't found the best way to get my pictures on my iPad.

Today was Kalebh's first basketball game. How much fun!!! He had a lot of fun and really did good. He missed all practices last week due to stockshow (blog to come) and so he did well. He scored the first basket for his team. We were soo excited.







Kaileigh is all about visiting or cheering during Kalebh's game so she is having a great time.

Next game Saturday!!!

Love to all,