Kids and braces

My beautiful daughter and friend. :)
Here is a cute pic of the kids this year at Valas pumpkin patch. You can see Matt and Shelley's braces.. they look so cute in them. Nick and Holly are posing as usual. lol

15 YEARS

In June Richard and I celebrated our 15th wedding Anniversary! I still remember that day like it was yesterday and I am so grateful for the wonderful marriage that he and I have and for the beautiful family we are raising!

June 15th 1996


June 2011.... STILL in love :)
And our love has grown into a beautiful family!!!! So thankful for my eternal family!

Nick's special day.. January 2011

When we went to Nauvoo, Nick told me that he felt spirit so strongly. I know that his testimony has grown since his baptism.

I am so grateful that Nick made the decision to be baptized. He was so excited to do it and I know that he will be blessed. Of course it was a beautiful day watching his daddy baptize him a member of the church. One we will always remember.. I am glad that my sweet hubby is worthy to baptize our children. what a blessing!!!

It's been a year... where to start?

Really?? Am I really this bad of a blogger? Wow.. It has been an entire year.. Not much has changed. Our kids are getting bigger and they sure do keep us busy. We just enjoyed a beautiful Christmas season and I am sorry to see it all end. We probably had one of the busier Christmas holiday breaks ever. Christmas Eve was spent with my parents and my brother Henry's family. My brother DeJay and his family came for a week after Christmas. It was sooo fun! We got to go ice skating, hang out and play games, visit and sing around the guitar and piano. We spent New Years in with Richard's family. Richard was able to go to a Broncos game with his brother and had so much fun. We enjoyed bowling and games and shopping with his family and we miss everyone already. I think I am still in shock that it is all over. I absolutely love the Christmas season and I am always so sad when it is over.. but, I am looking forward to the new year. Does anyone else think that each passing year keeps going faster and faster? Isn't there a pause button I can push somewhere? Matt is in High School and I can't imagine him growing any bigger and growing up. All of the kids are doing wonderfully. We are grateful for such sweet kids.

NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY......

No, we didn't have another child.. BUT, we have a Golden Retriever named Daisy. I swore forever I would never have a dog.. Too much work and the pee and poop everywhere. But, when I met this 4 1/2 year old dog I knew that she belonged to our family. Our wonderful friends the Pattersons moved to Valentine, Ne where they adopted this sweet doggy. She was having a hard time staying in their yard and kept wondering off (the previous owner allowed her a lot of freedom).. so they asked if we would want her. Long story short, we adopted her in September and we have all fell in love. She has totally captured my heart. She is the most exceptional dog. Really and truly the most sweet and wonderfully well behaved animal. She never makes a peep.. she has never had an accident in our house and is so gentle. The moment I saw her I knew that she had a gentle and sweet spirit. Her favorite thing to do is to go "bye, bye" with me in the car. We are so grateful for our sweet girl Daisy.

Here is some of the highlights from 2011:

Matthew: Sang solo in the Choir concert, plays the trumpet awesome,played football, bowls for the High School bowling league, went to Youth Conference and is old enough to go to church dances. He got braces. LOVEs to play Call of Duty on the PS3. He looks forward to turning 15 this spring and getting a permit.. (YIKES)

Shelley: Played a lot of Volleyball, plays the piano and flute. She is a beautiful 5' 10" young woman and enjoys to listen to music and have fun with her friends. She loves YW and went to Girls camp this year. She also got braces and is enjoying 7th grade.

Nicholas: Got baptized last January.. (what a special day). He played flag football and played basketball. loves to play the piano and practices all the time. He got eye glasses and spent his summer doing daring tricks on his bike. (scaring his mother all the time). He is so sweet and made sure that Santa got a special letter just from him.

Holly Anne: Holly started Kindergarten and mom has missed her so much! She is a big girl who sings and dances and cracks us up all the time. She is a bit of a drama queen.. but she is hilarious. She loves her friends and loves to play. She is a pro at riding a two wheel bike (been doing it since she was 4) She can beat me at a game of Checkers and loves to play "Go fishing" with cards. She looks so grown up holding her cards in her hands and being silly.

Mom and dad: Richard got a promotion this year he is a manager at Signal Design at the UPRR. He is busy working and being an awesome dad and hubby. I love him so much! We love watching our Huskers play football and Broncos too! I still teach piano lessons and I still love it. We love our membership in the LDS church and we are so thankful for the peace and happiness it brings us each day. A highlight of our year was when we went to Nauvoo. It was so wonderful to be with our children in such sacred places.We know that we are so blessed by our Heavenly Father and our Saviour.

2012..We look forward to the new year and hope that we are able to reach the goals we have set for ourselves.

2010 in Review

I can't believe that 2010 is almost over! I really believe that your life just goes into fast forward mode as you get older. We have had a pretty basic and busy year. Enjoyed spending time with our loved ones this past Summer and our children have grown and kept us busy.

We are so grateful for our blessings!

I am not a great blogger, but would love to do better at writing and journaling about our little family.

This year:

January and February: Nicholas turned 7! In Feb. I hurt my back pretty bad.. didn't enjoy that too much ;). We had a lovely Valentines day and Shelley was busy playing Volleyball.

March and April: Birthdays anyone? Richard turned 38, Matt became a teenager, and Holly reached four years old! We ate lots of cake :) We enjoyed Easter and stayed busy with the everyday life.. school, work and piano.

May and June: Had the Spring Piano Recital where the 3 older performed. In June, we attended the funeral for Richard's grandmother Bernice. Saw all of Richards family in Idaho. That was really nice. We went to the Wiedrich Family reunion in Colorado up in the mountains. It was so wonderful! Shelley stayed in Wyoming to help with her new little cousin Maddison.

July and August: Celebrated a fantastic block party for the Fourth of July! Went swimming lots with the kids. For my Birthday several friends took me out and surprised me! (I have the greatest friends here) The kids went back to school. Matt started 8th grade, Shelley the 6th, Nick started 2nd and Holly started Pre-school... although she would still like to stay home with mom.

September and October: Husker football started!!! Matt played football for his Jr. High. Loved the weather and went to a fantastic Halloween party with amazing friends to sing Karaoke!!!

November and December: Saw lots of family over Thanksgiving and through the Christmas Season. Shelley turned 12 and started Young Womens. Matt and Nick played Basketball! Enjoyed and LOVED the Holidays and had a magical Christmas with my parents in town visiting. Looking forward to a new and exciting 2011!

The Children are doing so well. Read about their activities in the posts to follow!

I am so thankful for an amazing family! We are so blessed with such amazing friends. Really, Omaha is the coolest place to live. We feel like we belong here and love our Church family, our jobs and our friends! We Wish you all a wonderful New year and hope that you had a magical Christmas!

Holly Anne

Isn't she darling? She is so sweet. She constantly tells her daddy and I how much she loves us. She loves to twirl our hair when we snuggle her. She started Pre school this fall, and actually isn't a huge fan. She doesn't like to leave me home alone.. and would prefer to stay home with mommy. It is good for her though, and I know it will help her prepare for Kindergarten next year. (Which blows my mind!!!!) She loves to go to Primary and she sings Primary songs all the time. Sometimes mixing up the words, which makes it pretty hilarious. She is so loved by her siblings. They think everything she does is the cutest. I can't believe our baby is so grown up! We are so lucky to have her!

Nicholas

Nicholas is so fun! He has grown up so much this year. He's makes us laugh all the time. He is doing a great job as a 2nd grader and is reading really well. He has been learning piano and loves sports. He played Basketball this fall. He would wear sweat pants every day if I let him, and usually I have to argue with him to get him to wear a nice shirt and jeans. Silly kid. He loves to spend time with his family and is excited to get baptized in January. He is such a cutie too!!! I love all those precious freckles!

Shelley

Beautiful Shelley! She just turned 12 and is in Young Womens! She loves Volleyball and is Very TALL! Already over 5'7" plus! She is so sweet and loves babies. She is a great babysitter and a wonderful help around the house. She is doing so well at the flute and especially the piano. Learned "Fur Elise" this year. (Her mom is very proud;). She is a wonderful daughter and friend!

Matthew

Matthew is a great kid! We are so lucky to have him in our family! He is a delight to have around.. loves the Gospel and achieved many wonderful things with Scouts this year. He loves sports. He is a huge Husker fan, wonderful example, great big brother, friend and son. Isn't he so handsome??? We are so proud of him. Became a teenager last April.. can't believe how grown up he is! He played football and Basketball this year and has excelled in school!!!

Could someone please tell me why my posts will only put pictures above my text instead of below? it is so annoying! Do you see what I mean? I wanted this photo to go underneath what I wrote. Ugh.. I am so technologically challenged. This is a picture of the kids on Christmas Eve. They had so much fun with their cousins!

Still here

My Valentine!

Here is a picture of me with the love of my life! Isn't he so cute?

Last week was a long one! We found head lice in Shelley's hair and consequently spent the following days vacuuming, washing bedding, going through her hair and making sure we were getting it all gone. Holly got a very mild case.. and that flipped me out at first, but we got a prescription cream for the girls... and it took care of it. It was so exhausting though. It was all encompassing for almost a whole week. It cost so much $ and just really was no fun at all. But, we survived! Thanks to prayer and the strength that I know only comes from Heavenly Father. We are all doing better this week. We are all sick and tired of winter! Seriously, I don't know why.. but every February I freak out because I am just sick and tired of being cold!

I hope all of you are staying warm and bearing the winter the best that you can!

Hugs!

This I Know

In the book club I belong to we are reading a book called "The Language of God" by Francis Collins I think.. (sorry the book is not by me :)

I am so terrible about actually reading the books lately, that one of my sweet friends actually got the book for me this time. So, I have been reading. It is really insightful. It is a Scientist's proof that God does exist.

A leading Geneticist (spelling?) writes about his journey from Atheist to a Faithful Believer in God. I have always been sure of my faith in the Lord and Jesus Christ. I have always been sure of my testimony of the LDS church. I have always been sure of my testimony of the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. These things are as real to me as the air that I breathe.

It was interesting though to see that it is harder to disprove God's existence then to prove that he does exist. There are so many answers that Science cannot explain. So many people want Evidence. If we have EVIDENCE than we would have no need for Faith. I don't need any evidence... but it is refreshing to see that such a brilliant man would take time to write this information down. I am just in the beginning stages of the book, but it is very cool.

I can't imagine not having the knowledge that I have. I know who I am. I know where I came from. I know where I am going when I die.. I know Heavenly Father loves me and my family.. and each of us are his Children. I can't imagine the pain our Father in Heaven feels when we think we can live our life happily without him in it. I can't imagine a life where he isn't the center of my life, my home and my family.

I am looking forward to 2010! I am looking forward to growing and becoming a better person each passing year!

So, these were the things on my mind tonight.. pretty deep huh:)

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Snowed in on Christmas!

We are enjoying a lovely Christmas Eve with family! The Weather is very fierce outside, but it is warm and cozy and magical inside.

We have enjoyed lots of good food. We have had already enjoyed a Polar Express train set given to papa from nana. The children are so excited for Santa to come!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good night!

Merry Christmas!

I am so awful this year! I never got Christmas cards sent out! So I am going to do a quick update for all my friends and family that check this ocassionally! We are all doing well and are happy to report that finally ready for Christmas! It is a good thing since it is in 2 days :)

We hope that each of you are healthy and safe this Holiday season! We are so thankful for such good friends that always fill our lives with such joy! We are thankful for our beautiful and awesome families that support us and give us such happiness too!

We are thankful for our membership in the Church! We are so thankful for our testimonies of the truthfullness of the Gospel! Richard and I love the Lord with all of our heart and we are so thankful for the Saviour, Jesus Christ! We love this time of year that we have to reflect on his birth and life, and of course his atoning sacrifice.

Our children are all doing so great. They are such blessings in our lives and Richard and I are so thankful to be their parents! Each day brings a new story and laugh.. and always a moment to just feel gratitude for wonderful kiddos. Of course, we have our challenging moments too. :).. We aren't raising super heroes or anything.. :)

We just wanted you all to know how grateful we are for our relationship with you and wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

Much love to each of you!

Richard, Katy, Matthew, Shelley, Nicholas and Holly Anne

Stop Your Swineing!

Okay, so I am a nerd with my play on words huh? We have had a rough week. It started with Richard leaving town for a couple of days for work. His first day gone Matthew tells me he has a heaviness in his chest and was coughing. He had no fever, but I kept him home from school. By Wednesday he had a fever of 102.. so I took him to the dr. The diagnosis... H1N1... Swine flu!! Yikes. I was pretty surprised.. I called piano students and said to stay far from our infectious home. By Wednesday night, Rich came home and Nick started running a temperature too. By Thursday night his fever hit over 105!!!! We took him to the E.R... and the diagnosis.. surprise, surprise.. H1N1. He was so sick. They said he was dehydrated. Before we left for the hospital Richard gave him a Priesthood Blessing that his fever would come down quickly. By the time we got to the Hospital.. it was already down to 103. After we returned home from the E.R. that night (after midnight) his fever was 100.. and for the rest of his illness NEVER was above that temperature again. I always marvel at the power of the Priesthood. Nicholas had faith in his blessing and so did we.. I am so thankful for the knowledge my family has in the Gospel!!
So our boys were wearing little masks the rest of the week to prevent anymore of us from getting sick. They were so sad to be stuck behind those things for so long. At this moment.. no fever Matthew now for 72 hours.. and Nick for 24 hours. We made it!! So far no one else is sick. I hope that stays. Richard has a cold.. but we don't think it is the Swine Flu.
So, we are hopeful that it stays calm over here!!

First Day of School Pictures

Holly wishes she was big enough to go too!

First Day of School 2009

Shelley sporting a new hairdo! I know I am biased.. but these are some cute kids!

Matthew is in 7th grade, Shelley is in 5th grade and Nick is in 1st grade!!

Slogger... Blog slacker

I stole this word from a friend of mine... it totally fit me to a tee.
Let's bring you up to speed.....
It has been a busy month around here. School is going well for the kids. I think we are finally establishing a routine. I am getting my piano schedule organized and things feel like they are going well there. Holly is sick again, but that is nothing too unusual. The Doctor thinks her tonsils swell up partly because of allergies. So we are going to try singulair and see if that helps any. I had a fabulous August and got to spend time with an old dear friend.. Jamie. She flew to see me with her 2 kids. It was so wonderful. It totally reminded me that true and good friendships never go away and they stand the test of time!
I turned 32 last month... I am now officially double the age necessary to drive and date. That makes me feel pretty old. However, I do have a 12 year old.. I suppose to be any younger would be quite scandelous :)
KIDS NEWS....
Holly says the funniest things lately. The other day I was painting my toe nails, she came up and asked if I would paint her "ponytails" too. I then asked if she meant toenails, she replied " silly me, ponytails go on my head." She is so cute and funny.
Nick is really enjoying the first grade and loves to read. Getting better everyday. Shelley is in a Pom class this year and Holly is taking a dance class too. It is so sweet.
Nick plans to play Basketball soon and Matthew is busy with Jr. High.. (can you believe he is in Jr. High?) and plans to play basketball this year too. We have very busy and good kids!
Football fun....
This is a fun time of year. We are involved with Fantasy football, and currently we are not doing so hot.. but it is fun to do it none the less. We love watching all the Football games and especially cheering on the Huskers!!! I look forward to the leaves changing and to the temperatures cooling a bit.. not a lot, just a little. Pumpkin cookies and Apple Cider... I love Fall!!!
Lofty goals....
I am the organist in our ward and I have decided that despite the scariness of playing it, I am going to be the best one I can be.
I have decided that I am going to be a skinny girl again.. My mind is made up.. but, my body is like "whatever" ;). So, I will keep working out until I am sorda skinny again!

Cute hubby..
Richard is in the Elders Quorum Presidency as the 2nd Counselor. It has been a good change for him. He is really enjoying it. I am always amazed how he raises his hand whenever service is needed anywhere. He is always so willing to go the extra mile.. such a good example to me. He is a good husband and I am so thankful he is my husband and the father of my children.

Addicted to Politics..
I have really been upset by the current situation in Washington. I am a total Conservative and do not like Big Government. I have found it very challenging to stay positive about the direction our Country is headed. I know that there are many wonderful citizens who are standing up for what they belive in. (Like my parents going to Tea parties and such :) I am absolutely against a Public Option in Healthcare.. I am absolutely against anything where the Government's voice becomes louder then the peoples. But, I won't spend too much time on this issue.. this could be a whole post on it's own. Richard worries I get too obsessed. I am just concerned. Through all of this I have pondered a lot about my Great Grandfather John Hart who signed the Declaration of Independence. I try to support an agenda that would support what those founding fathers envisioned when they risked everything by signing the Declaration! Ultimately, I am so grateful to be a citizen of this great Country.
Conclusion...
I will try to be a more consistent blogger.. I know so many of you wait with bated breath for my next post. hee, hee.
We are so blessed. We are happy and life is Good!!!!
Pictures to come soon.. in Katy style, they will be a bunch all at once... cause that's how I roll.

The video below is of a song that I wrote for a man named Lynn "Doc" Cleland. He is pulling a handcart in honor of his Great Grandmother who was one of the first pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley. We met him here in Omaha while he was on the trail. I saw him on the news and then saw him our ward that Sunday. He asked me to write a piece of music to go with a Documentary he will be making after he completes his trek.
He asked me to compose something that was low in the beginning and had the melody of "Come, Come Ye Saints" The melody is definitely inspired by this hymn and also has a variation of that hymn through out the piece. One melody came to me when we were driving one evening to find Doc to walk with him. There is a part of the song where it changes keys.. it goes into a lower almost sad melody. While I was sitting at the piano I tried to imagine what it might have been like to be Sarah Goode Marshall. I tried to imagine the hardship she must have had being a widowed woman with 5 children. I am sure there were very dark moments during the trek, but her faith always sustained her through those moments. The melody then goes back to the original theme of "Come, Come ye Saints." I thought it should end as if she were entering the valley and the conclusion of the song should end with the "All is Well" part of the Hymn.
I know this is a very choppy explanation of the song, but it gives Doc an idea of what I have been working on. It still needs a lot of work and needs to be obviously notated and fine tuned.
It has been a neat opportunity to do this and work on this piece. I don't think I am a composer by any means, but it has been thrilling to hear my thoughts come out into music onto the piano. His website is www.faithgreaterthanpain.com You can read about his journey there!