Katherine Livia

Katherine is one year old. 

What a wonderful year of firsts.  Smiles, laughs, teeth...the list is endless. 

The joy and love I have felt as a parent really cannot be described with words.  It's a feeling, deep inside my inner being, that lightens up every time I think about her, smell her or even hear her.   Katherine, just her existence, has made our lives more complete.  Her chubby legs, sweet dimple and gurgling words have been an added bonus. 

Last weekend we celebrated this little lady and her beautiful boisterous spirit.  Before the party, my sister expressed to me that the first birthday is special because not only is it a celebration for the baby but also it is a celebration and a right of passage for the mother.  I agree with her. 

The first birthday is a day to look back upon the multitude of events that had just occurred and then..breath.  On her birthday it seemed as if the past twenty-one months of carrying a child, delivering a child, nourishing a child rushed through my mind, body and soul.  What a beautiful overwhelming emotional ride.  I will hold on to it all my life.

Katherine is one year old.  I have no tears and sadness, only treasured, lovely memories of the first year of our little lady, Katherine. 

My Monica Closet

I pride myself on home organization, sometimes even to a fault.  However, there are three areas of my home that off-set some of this hyper-organization: the kitchen desk drawer, the guest bedroom closet, the top right dresser drawer. These are my Monica Closets (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=monica%20closet).

Today was chosen to be the first ever Kitchen Desk Drawer Clean-Out Day.  What prompted me to do this?  Since Katherine recently turned one (that's another post in itself) my kitchen needed  to be rearranged.  Goodbye bottles!  In my excited state to get rid of all things bottle I also targeted all unnecessary items in the desk drawer.

This drawer has been haunting me since the day we moved into the White House two years ago.  It has become a black hole for all things miscellaneous.  I realized this even more as I was cleaning it out today.  What did I find? 

35 pictures of Katherine

6 pairs of scissors

24 manuals

2 cigars

1 phone

11 keys

3 rubber bands

1 sticky wine opener (gak!)

25 cents

39 receipts

2 greeting cards

1 piece of granite

3 safety pins

1 tape measure

4 packages of post it notes

Fellow junk drawer friends let this be an encouragement to you!  Your junk drawer (closet, bedroom, cabinet) can also no longer exist.  Take back the space and claim it as your own!



before



after

http://www.friends-tv.org/zz814.html  

A Month to Celebrate

This past week I asked my Granny if she would have ever thought, while celebrating her birthday throughout her life, that one day she would be sharing her birthday month with three of her great-granddaughters.  Her answer was "never in my imagination" and the the conversation moved forward. 

It got me thinking.  What does God have planned for me and what areas of my life do I know, deep down inside, will happen. 

Since we are in the month of August (named after my favorite Roman emperor, Augustus) it's only right that two of the things I have had gut feelings about actually turned out. 

Marrying Randy White

Randy and I met at Yukon High School in 1998 and started dating that year.  Our high school romance did have an end at the start of our freshman year in college, but there was something about "us" I couldn't shake.  Randy was the one and it wasn't until four years later that God reintroduced us.   

Katherine Livia

In 2010 God blessed Randy and me with Katherine making her the 7th girl in my family.  Girls 7, Boys 0.  Before Randy and I found out Katherine was a girl I would say how I thought our baby would be a boy.  I wanted so badly to be the "chosen one."  I wanted to give my family the long awaited son. Alas, my mouth spoke contrary to my heart, I knew I was carrying a girl.

So here it is, the month of August.  A historical month, where my prophetic (or not) instinct has led me to two of the best days of my life.  Five birthday parties and two wedding anniversaries to go, I can't wait.

The history of August

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August

Things we like to do in August

http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=121&m=20

http://www.dallasobserver.com/events/15th-annual-hatch-chile-fest-2268977/

Randy grilling green chilies the night before Katherine was born