Happy Birthday Katie V. -July 2

Another year has come and gone. I can't believe that my Katie is 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were pushing her around in the stroller to get her to stop crying, now we can't get her to stop talking. I remember trying to get her to say "ma ma", now she speaks full, intelligent sentences and counts to 13 (next comes 18, 21), and when she wants to, she knows her ABC's and how to spell her name ("k", "a", "t"" what comes next?... I don't know"). She loved being an only child but graciously moved into the big sister role. She loves to create things and pretend, she loves to read books. She asks me to define words or phrases that she doesn't understand. She is stubborn and independent and feisty and loving and unbelievably kind. Basically to sum it all up we love Katie, our family wouldn't be the same without her amazing personality.

To celebrate her 3rd birthday we kicked it off with a Birthday Eve party with my family at a park in between my house and theirs; my mom and younger siblings, Flossie and kids, and Crystal and kids came to join the fun.

Carson and Gabby are on the other end

Marcus and Addy hanging in the swings

Baleigh trying to entertain Marcus and Addy

Gabby and Katie picking out which cupcake they want

Baleigh, Karleigh, Seth, Gabby and Emmie

Scotia and Addy

Marcus enjoying my cupcake (I think Katie took these last two pictures)

After lunch and cupcakes all the kids found their way down to the river
Katie, Gabby, Alisa, Carson, Emmie and Cohen
Yes, Katie took her pants off!


The next morning was the big day that we have been talking about for months...Katie's birthday!

It started with breakfast and then opening some presents from us and then some that Grammy and Grandpa sent her.

Katie has been asking for Thomas the Train and train tracks for longer then we have been talking about her birthday. She got Thomas and George and a bunch of cars. Then we took her upstairs for the real surprise...

She was so excited!

Then we made her birthday cake
Katie (wearing the outfit she got the day before from cousin Karleigh) helped out with the whisk from her kitchen--it gave her an extra thing to lick.

Mark came home early from studying for the bar and we took Katie to see the movie "Up". My sister Heather watched Marcus and Addy for us.
After the movie and picking up balloons we were ready for the main event.

Talia came to help celebrate

Addy is ready to eat some of the cake