Aunt M's Retirement Party

Aunt Marianne retired after 34 years of teaching. We went to Danville to congratulate her.

Katelyn loves her Grandpa

She's giving him smooches.

Katelyn loved playing with big-girl Blaike and little Reese.

Katelyn loves on Grandma.

My Twinkies

On the Father's Day post I had a picture of Chris and Katelyn holding their hands the same way next to their face, and looking the same direction. I appologize for the blurry photo, but I thought coming into the room to finding the two of them sleeping like this was too cute. Had to share. =P

Mmm....Leftovers

So, I had 4 little potatoes hanging around, some left over ham steak, and broccoli and cauliflower. (And canteloupe for fresh fruit snacking.)

I whipped up some mashed potatoes with sour cream and cheese-whiz. Tossed in the meat (fryed) - Stuffed the ramekins - Tossed in the oven for about 15 minutes - Plated with sides.

Quick and Yum.

Movie Monday

Always a Lady... lol.

Take it down a notch...

Little Miss Monkey Pants here had to have her crib lowered this week. She pulls herself up so quickly, and we have caught her standing on the bumper pad, leaning over the crib. With the other mattress in she was just way too close to being able to flip herself out, and no one wants that.

In other K news: She is just starting to get the hang of squatting down when she has no where left to walk around the TV and Chair and crawls over to the swing. She has this figured, It's so amazing to watch her discover things like this. 

Magic Mike, Please.

Please tell me they haven't ruined this wonderful piece of art by making it a love story??



Hehehe...

A Major Problem for Miss K

She may look happy, but she was none-to-pleased right before I grabbed the camera. She wasn't bawling her eyes out or anything, just simply getting frustrated. She pulls herself up on the little movie cabinet on the other side of the television. She wobbles her way across the t.v. to the rocking chair she is holding now, and.....finds she has no place left to go. There is just too big of a gap between the chair and her swing for her to be able to maneuver the distance. She has tried though, and fallen flat on her belly and smack on her back. I can't believe she is getting so big!

Where's Waldo?

Granted it is not a very flattering picture for me, but who can tell me they honestly don't see Chris in her now? I may not have seen very many photos of him as a baby, but of what I have seen between photo albums and (great) Grandma & Grandpa West's hallway- I think she is looking a lot more like him nowadays.

Purple Bedroom

We've been in this house for a little over 2 years now, and we are still surviving the ugly striped doggy wallpaper in our bedroom. I'm thinking this needs to be our next project around the house.

We bought a new bed spread last year, and it is a really pretty tan with the bottom in shades of purple. Here are some pictures I think I might draw inspiration from when the time is closer.

Hmm.... and all three have different lighting styles. This could actually be a very complicated decision. Although, I must admit, as far as bedside lighting goes I love when hotels have the lights built into the headboard (like the pic below).

  

Just something to get me thinking about starting the project.

Two Photo-Shoots for you Aunt Di.

So, not too long ago Katelyn received a package with a large assortment of very bright and colorful clothing goodies from Aunt Dianna. She is so proud to show off two of the outfits that I got pictures of her wearing as a HUGE THANK YOU to Aunt Di. (This is post is just for you!) 

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Click HERE to view all the pictures from our "mini-session".  I took these with Chris's Canon Rebel T2i (Not sure if the EOS is important, but it's there).

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First we have the Pink Shots. These are just taken in her bedroom. I thought the pink-on-pink was cute, and I loved the lighting in most of the shots. I think some look like they were taken many years ago.

The second session is outside. We were on our way to the City Library for "Silly Safari" (a Summer Reading Kick off Party)! The outfit fit the theme of the event perfectly. I've never really been into animal prints until recently. Now that I have Katelyn, I have found them to be some of the most eye-catching prints for baby girls.

Father's Day Fun



We celebrated Chris's first Father's Day by going to the Hesston Steam Museum in Hesston, Indiana. We had such a wonderful time that we are already planning on taking a second trip back out that way soon. I was expecting this boring museum where all you do is walk around and look at things, but it was not that at all. It was exciting with real steam train rides, a working saw mill, an active Black Smith house, and beautiful picnic area (with LOTS of shady areas to beat the heat!) Check it out: http://www.hesston.org/

We already know that Chris has a crazy obsession with trains...an admiration that I think Katelyn inherited from him. She was tickled to be inside the old train caboose.

There are 3 trains that you can ride. (And the rides are a great length.) We only rode the "big" train, but they also have a Medium train which has different types of cars to sit in. (For example some were caged like an animal pin.) And then there is also a "miniature" train. It is for kids and adults, but it is so tiny you sit with your knees real high if you are tall. It's like a toy train that carries passengers!

Chris wanted to be sure we got a picture of the MACK truck for his daddy!

Anyone else see a bit of a resemblance? I caught them both just sitting like this watching the trains go by.

Father's Day was a very fun filled day for us. We started it off by visiting a church we've never been to, came home for sandwiches, went to Hesston's, stopped at the meat market on our way home, and had one of Chris's co-workers and his family over for burgers. Chris got to grill, make his delicious Macaroni salad, and ride the 4-wheeler. He was one happy fella, and Katelyn is proud of her daddy!

Movie Monday

Movie Monday has smiled upon us all this week. It also happens to be a short clip of our Father’s day outing to Hesston Steam Museum.  The Father's day adventure will follow at another time this morning. (I hear Miss K waking up.)

Photo Updates

Check out our pictures from London/Germany HERE.
Check out our NEWEST pictures HERE.

Yes, I did it!

Yes...I felt the urge to go back to the Vitameatagegamin blog title... why?? For no good reason other than the fact that I like to change the name everytime I make a new banner. I can't help it. However, I actually did leave "The West Family" blog as the ACTUAL title...(if that makes a helps any...?)

**You really can tell days when I wake up at 3 in the AM with nothing to do**

No Good

So, I haven't been doing a very good job doing a lot of things like updating the blog, posting pictures and videos, or as my mom reminded me on her vist yesterday... updating Katelyn's progress on the "1000 Books Before Kindergarten". I am keeping track of them in her binder and she is at 84. After her first 100 she gets a prize from the library. She also has two prizes to pick up for the Summer Reading Program from the county library.

We've been going to Storytime every week at the County library, and since she is enjoying that so much- I think we are going to start hitting up City library Storytime again now too. She has such a blast at storytime, and does everything she can to 'hang' with the walkers. They have a tunnel they crawl through, and she has no fear at all about pushing her way right though it with them. This week she got rolled on by a walker, but she didn't seem to mind. It looked like she tried to give him the old heave-ho and went back to whatever it was she thought she was doing.

Seriously...

This is where Katelyn thinks she needs to sit in order to watch the Television.

W.O.W

So, I've been locking myself in the guest room working on K's scrapbook. I'm done with all the pictures I have printed...Christmas, London/Germany, Easter left to go. My camera is dead, and I can't find the cord to charge it... I know it is here somewhere though.

I made a baby boy card for a friend that I think even Cathy might be proud of!... but I can't show you because my camera is dead with a missing charger. =/ It has a stuffed diaper bag on the cover and i stole the staying..."Momma's got a brand new bag" and on the inside it says, "...and it ain't filled with makeup." So cute!

Katelyn Update::: She is a crawling machine! Crawling everywhere! She is pulling herself up to the standing position now too. I think it is funny how she can care less about the toy on the floor, but as soon as I put it on the table it is the most fascinating thing. =) It's cute. she works so hard to get it. The other morning I woke up to her with hands on the rail of her crib, on one knee, and with one foot hanging out the bars over the top of the bumper pads. She was trying to escape! LOL!