Happy Birthday Katie

I've mentioned our friends Bill and Denise's daughter Katie in blogs here before. She was one of the kids who was in the nursery at church when I worked there. Their family has been close friends of ours for a few years and they've been like family to us. Katie turned 5 this week and today was her birthday party. As part of her extended "family" we were invited to attend and we were happy to do so.

My favorite photos of the afternoon were of Katie opening her gift from her parents. Several months ago Katie misplaced her beloved "Cleo," a leopard she'd purchased from a "Build a Bear Workshop." Katie was heartbroken over Cleo's disappearance. Today her parents surprised her with a new Cleo:

Happy Birthday, Katie!!! We love you!!!

"He's the One"

At church this morning, our Kids Klub sang special music called "He's the One." The did such a great job and I'm proud of every one of them! None of the kids are mine, but I'm still proud to take pictures of their special events and post them as if they are. Most of them have been "mine" at one time in the nursery, and these that are 5th and 6th graders are "mine" as they are my Sunday School students. The photos I take aren't great as the lighting isn't the best for photography and I have to take the photos from way up in the sound room where I sit at a computer during worship services.

Here are all the Kids Klub Kids who sang this morning along with their "Kids Klub Khoir" director Mrs. Janice.

In the back row, the first 4 kids (from the left) are my Sunday School students. One other student of mine also sang this morning but is not in this photo.

Here are Riley and Katie. Riley is my friend Erica's daughter. Riley always has such a sweet expression on her face when she sings! In front of her is "my" Katie. I've posted blogs of Katie before. I'm very thankful for the many times her parents have shared Katie with me. We've always shared a special bond and she almost always has a big hug for me whenever I see her. I love how you can tell she's really singing out in this photo. She and her buddy Terryn did very well and did as they were supposed to this time. (I've posted before when Kids Klub presented a musical and the two youngest really hammed it up!)

Here's Terryn, Cheney and Mason. Cheney, I absolutely love your tie!

Many of the people from our church are involved in the upcoming Easter musical. After church today the youth provided a spaghetti lunch to raise funds for summer activities, then everyone involved in the musical had an all day practice until time for church tonight. I came home to take a nap because I'm sure Heather has shared her cold with me and I wasn't feeling well. (Gee thanks, Heather!) :0) Marty is in charge of the sound at church so he stayed at church all day, and Heather sings in the choir so she stayed too. Here is a photo Erica took of Heather during practice today. Heather has a solo she sings and I can't wait to hear it. (Thanks for the pic, Erica!!!)

Katie

Our friends Bill and Denise have 3 daughters: Bethany, Maggie and Katie. Katie was in the nursery at church when I worked in there from the time she was a newborn. I've mentioned before that Katie and I have always shared a special bond, one that probably formed in part due to the amount of time our families spent together when she was a baby, and the fact that she was in my nursery. We all have grown very attached to Katie, and she to us. She cried a lot when she was tiny and we'd all take turns trying to soothe her.





Katie recently graduated from the nursery when she turned 4 in August. I left the nursery to work full time in the church office last January. Recently I began working in the nursery again, only on Wednesday nights, temporarily. When Katie saw me in the nursery again she cried and cried to come back to the nursery, saying "I'm not a big girl yet, I'm still little and I need to be in the nursery."





Katie also adores Mr. Marty. And she has always loved his "martycycle." She has been fascinated with motorcycles since she was very little. A couple of years ago when we watched the 4th of July parade with Katie she was most impressed with the motorcycle cops!

I've posted before about a motorcycle I bought, then sold soon after. When I first bought the motorcycle, Bill and Denise and the girls were over so we took Katie out to see the bike.





Katie on Mr. Marty's bike. The only cute female I'll let sit on Marty's bike!

Katie on my bike.

"Where's the key Mr. Marty?"

"Turn it on."

Guadalupe County Fair...part 3...The Parade

There's a flu bug going around Erica's house, so I took her son Cameron to watch the parade with me and wait for Mathew and Heather who were both in the parade. Because Heather and Mathew were in the parade, we had to be there extra early. The positive side of that was we didn't have to search for a place to wait and watch the parade!

Here Cameron waits patiently for the parade to begin. He waited patiently with me for over an hour, baking in the sun.

Just before the parade began Denise and her daughters Bethany, Maggie and Katie joined us to watch. Upon arrival Katie wanted to know where Mr. Marty was. So, I dialed his number on my cell phone and gave it to Katie so she could call him and ask him where he was. Of course he didn't have the day off (I took a vacation day!) and he couldn't join us, but he was tickled to hear from Katie!

Here Denise, Katie, Maggie, Cameron and Bethany await the beginning of the parade. Katie just wanted a shade to sit in!!!!

I thought this was sweet. Maggie and Katie as they watch for the first float.

Cameron snapped this photo of Denise and me as we waited.

Finally!!! Here's the band, and this photo shows Heather in the very center.

The band was immediately followed by the Starsteppers Dance Team, of which Heather is also a member.

This is my friend Krystal, riding in the truck that is hauling the varsity cheerleaders.

This is Krystal's daughter Niki, on the cheerleader float.

Mathew's (also known as "Sunshine" by his teammates) waving from the middle of all those girls! He rode on a float for his school's sports and cheerleader teams.

This is Danie, a friend of ours who attends the church we do, with the rest of her tennis team, riding on a GVEC truck.

Here is my friend Shannon, with her son Dawson, on the 4-H float.

What a great day for a parade!!! Last year's parade was cold!!!!

Tonight.....Football against San Marcos.....Go Mats Go!!!

We missed you Erica, Jason and Riley!!! Feel better soon!!!