Katherine Elizabeth (Katie) - Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was Katie's 17th birthday!

Katie is our 8th grandchild and 3rd granddaughter.

She is an important part of this very large family.

And an even more important part of this smaller, large family.

I wrote about Katie in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell you a lot about Katie 'through the years'.  And the following pictures will show how she's changed physically 'through the years'.

So now I want to talk about what Katie's been up to during the previous year - and it's been a busy one for her!

First of all, she spent Christmas in Florida with her family.

And the week between Christmas and New Years in Gulf Shores with her large extended family.

In early February she started dating Thomas, a very nice young man that we met when we visited last spring.

And then, that giant step that so many teens look forward to..... On February 29th she got her driver's license.

Katie played volleyball this year on a very talented travel team.

And was MVP on her high school volleyball team along with first team all conference and 2nd team all region.

So it's no coincidence that she also started getting tons of letters from colleges giving her lots to think about in the next year or so.

And, Katie got a job this year at CVS for which she thanks her brother David probably because he graduated and went off to college leaving an opening.  And I'm betting he put in a good word for her too.  

Also this year, Katie got a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta!  She paid the down payment herself which depleted her savings but thanks to her job, she's built that back up again.

She moved into David's room after he left for college and decorated it "kind of girly but really pretty".

And she went to her first country concert - Darius Rucker - which she loved.

Also, she added that she started her junior year this year and school got hard.  I don't think that will be a problem for Katie though because she always applies herself and she's always conscientious, and she's never afraid of hard work.

   She's always been a Daddy's girl.

but she's a Mom's girl too.  They are very close.

And she's close with her brothers

She's helpful

patient and loving, (proven by the fact that she is always surrounded by her younger cousins who adore her.)

And unfailing sweet.  

I could also mention that she's smart, creative, sensible, and almost perfect but I don't want to get too carried away.  I'll just suffice it to say that we're extremely proud of her and love her very much!  So Happy Birthday, Katie!  We're hoping you've had the best one EVER (for about 4 days now) and that the coming year is even better.  We love you!

Lori Anne - Yesterday and Today

Lori's birthday was last Friday.

Lori was our first child, she was a very good baby, and was by far, the most beautiful baby I had ever seen.

Lori is an important part of this core family,

an important part of this large, expanded family,

and an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Lori in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell you a lot about Lori and the following pictures will show you a lot about her and how she's changed 'through the years'.

But right now I just want to talk about what's been going in the past year for Lori and it's been a busy one - full of changes in every aspect of her life.  Since her last birthday, she has left her old job, her old address, and her old loneliness far behind.  With Marcus working in Pella, Iowa and her youngest child off to college in Indiana, Lori realized there was no good reason to remain in Nebraska so she moved to Pella to be with Marcus during the week and not just on weekends as it had been for so long.  There she found a great townhouse that she loves, a job in a veterinary clinic that she loves, and a happy, fulfilling life that she loves.  Oh, and a puppy, Farrah, that she loves too.

Also in the past year she spent the holidays in Gulf Shores with her giant extended family.

And she and Marcus managed a long weekend getaway with her brother and his wife in Florida.

In all those previous posts I've covered Lori's personality many times over.  And I've certainly mentioned her resilience and ability to adapt to changing situations and the events of this past year definitely prove that those are some of her strong points.  But I'm not sure I've covered how much she loves her little ones ...

and not just HER little ones but also all the little ones in her extended family.  And they all love her right back.

Sometimes her lap almost isn't big enough.

She also loves her fur babies.  Farrah isn't her only one.  She also has the old girls (shelties) Lilly and Lolly.  And a much loved cat named Cy.

 Lori is the consummate mother to her three beloved children and a loving wife to her husband, Marcus.

She's helpful,

and fun

and she loves some glam!  Especially vintage glam

In fact sometimes I think she's a throwback from a bygone era.

She loves her family and she loves to be quirky and she's tons of fun.  But more importantly, she's wise, insightful, and understanding.  We are so lucky that Lori is part of our family and I'm glad she had a good birthday!  So now we're wishing her a year better than any so far but not as great as the many more to come.  Happy Birthday, Lori - just a little late.  We love you so much!