Happy Summer Solstice, everyone! You probably know that it was last Friday, and for us it marks the weekend of the summer that we have our annual Celebrate The Solstice party here in Denver.
This year we featured a badminton tournament - we had 8 teams participating and the grand prize went to myself and our good friend Mark Digan! I must say, we made a great team and I was hugely impressed by Mark's badminton skills. It's a good thing that it was the Summer Solstice because the tournament went on until we could barely see the "birdie" as it was flying around. The whole thing was really fun and I think we'll continue on the badminton tournament for years to come! I only wish we had taken some photos to post up!
The party wound down around midnight and I think Jeff made it into the sack around 2:00 - all of which are surefire signs of a good party! Kate stayed up until at least 9:00, which goes to show how much of a partier she is too! Here's a photo of Kate in her Rolling Stones onesie - she's a true "rocker".
Ahhhhhh, here we are - summertime! There's nothing quite like 90 degree weather in June to make you realize that summer is officially here! Kate is a happy camper with her new crawling skill - even though her little knees have rug-burn all over them from cruisin' around... We've had a few more exciting events happening in our house recently, within the last week Kate began successfully pulling herself up which we discovered after a nap one day: She also has began to hold her own milk bottle, and have I mentioned that her two bottom teeth are coming up now more and more everyday? I also discovered that a top tooth is coming in today! We recently started swimming lessons for her:
And over the weekend it was 90 out, so we made it over to the pool, which Kate did enjoy, but it took a bit for her to get into it. Here are a couple photos of her progression: So, yes - we are enjoying summer so far and Kate continues to be great fun!! Oh, and did I mention that is always amazes me how well you get to know your neighbors in the heat of the summer (I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing):
Our anticipation has finally been met!! Kate decided to put it all together this morning and crawl in several consecutive motions. For months she's been rolling around and lifting her hands and knees, but today for the first time she used all of her skills in coordination to crawl from point A to point B!!
A big thank you goes out to Papa Joe for the crawling training regime that he and Kate endured when we were recently in Wisconsin - all of that hard work and training has finally come to fruition!! Here's a video of some of the highlights from today:
The only disconcerting part is that the "toy" Kate wanted to crawl to was the TV remote!! She has been practicing her new skill all day and we're realizing how much baby-proofing needs to be done around here and how much busier our lives just became.
Finally!! Here is a quick video of The Price is Right episode that I was an audience member for. I am two rows from the back in a dark pink shirt. The second half of this clip shows a guy being "called down" who is sitting just two seats directly in front of me, then he runs right by me and behind me... Enjoy it - I know I did!!!
Greetings! We just got back today from a trip back to the Midwest "homeland". We were there for about 10 days and had an absolutely fabulous time that included 54 holes of golf, several dinners out, two days on our own while Kate hung out with Nana K and Papa Joe, plenty of wine, beer & cheese, the it's "cooler by the lake" weather of Milwaukee, a classic midwest flea market, a nice visit with my Grandma Cash and plenty of late nights. It sure was fun! I did drive through Iowa in the heat of the storms and tornadoes last night, during which we actually had to pull over and take shelter for an hour or so of the drive. So, we were glad to arrive home safe & sound this morning after a bit of a hectic drive back. Not surprisingly, Jeff has now officially sworn off Iowa on the list of places he wouldn't mind residing (I don't think there has been a single time we've drive through Iowa without hitting severe weather).
I'm hoping to load up current pictures and videos of Kate this week and post them up for you to look at. I hope all is well with you!
Well, between visitors, sicknesses and traveling for work the last couple weeks have been busy ones! I apologize for the lack of posts - but this is truly the first free night I've had in quite some time.
About two weeks ago we had a long weekend that entailed a Branch invasion (I think I may have written about the anniversary celebration we did while everyone was here). Well, when everyone was here Papa Joe swore that he'd have Kate crawling by the end of the weekend! Here's a video clip of some of the "training" activities that ensued that weekend. Kristin is also in this clip coaching Kate (and Jose!).
The day before they left I came down with a cold that lasted several days. Then the work week took over our lives, as it usually does, and by Friday we were overjoyed as the weekend came into view. Jeff and I had an amazing opportunity to attend the Rockies' game on Saturday night to celebrate of our good friend Matt's 30th birthday. Originally Jeff was going to go and I was going to hang out with Kate, but instead our friend's Jesse and Amy (who gave birth to Landon two months ago) were having Jesse's mother, Kathy, come over to watch Landon for the night and she was SOOOO generous to offer to watch Kate at the same time - what a wonderful woman!!! We couldn't wait!! So - we took Kate over and got her comfy (along with two bottles of milk, a pacifier, portable crib, an extra outfit, diapers, wipes, toys, her bedtime toy and favorite blanket - not to mention a jar of jam and a batch of cookies for Kathy to say THANK YOU!) and we were off!! What a night! 6 whole hours of freedom and adult conversation and an opportunity to relax. It couldn't have been more fun. We returned to their house and found out that Kate behaved herself and Kathy claimed she was "great" - what a success!
The weekend really couldn't have gotten any better, until I woke up in the middle of the night severely ill with what I could only believe was food poisoning from the brat I had at the stadium. It turns out that is was a 24 hour stomach flu, because Jeff was lucky enough to get the same thing Sunday night. I had plans to travel for work on Monday, so when I woke up Monday morning feeling much much better I was incredibly grateful - but Jeff and I were both so worried that Kate would get sick. It turned out that Jeff was feeling almost 100% back to normal by the time I had to leave Monday night and so off I went. We both were crossing our fingers that Kate wouldn't get nearly as sick and Jeff and I did. Sure enough, there is something to that crossing your fingers technique because all she wound up with was a touch of diarrhea - thank you thank you thank you!!!
Now I'm back home from my trip and everything is getting back to normal. That is until next Tuesday when I head our for another work trip to Seattle!
Uh, I'm not too sure what to write here... 30, brownish/blonde, blue eyes, my sign is Cancer, I like long walks on the beach and an early evening in the sack! Too bad this isn't a personal ad, huh!!
