Bragging Rights

Sometimes a mama's just gotta brag.  

I've never been more proud of my little girl.  She's weaned.  She sleeps in her own bed.  She is an incredible eater.  She uses manners.  We took her to see Toy Story 3 and she sat perfectly through the whole thing, even while other little kids were running around.  She is very artistic - she will sit and color for a half an hour at a time.  She loves to sing (and sometimes she's even on pitch!).  And her hair is finally long enough for a ponytail!

Now I'm not saying she's perfect.  She has some serious issues with selfishness and yelling, "Mine!"  And we're no where near being potty-trained.  But all in all, I am so proud of her and very happy with her abilities at this age.  

At her first movie.

Sliding.

Enjoying some watermelon.

Oh, and she's beautiful!

House Hunt Adventure

One night last week with nothing to do, my sister Chelsea, our friend Elizabeth and I started looking at houses for sale online.  We weren't looking for any other reason than just for something to entertain us.  We looked at houses that were equal in price to mine, and also the most expensive houses on the website.  We found quite a few GIANT houses and some really cute small houses.  

The next morning, Chelsea had to leave to attend Nordic Fest, which left Elizabeth and I with nothing to do.  In very little time we had decided to go on a House Hunting Adventure.  (It's capitalized because it was epic!)  We wrote down the addresses to our top five favorite houses, looked them up on a map so we could visit them according to distance away from my house and what side of town they were on, and off we went!  

The first house we went to was out of sheer curiosity.  It was in a really sketchy neighborhood and was actually in the historic register for Des Moines.  Built in 1886, it was a classic Victorian that I may have thought about purchasing if it weren't for the possible drive-by shootings and also for it's resemblance to the Addams Family residence.

Now this is definitely a situation where you can't judge a book by it's cover.  The interior is absolutely beautiful.  All of the bedrooms are HUGE and remind me of something you'd see in a movie.  (You know how all teenagers in movies have rooms the size of my master suite?  Ok, probably bigger.)  

                                      

Seriously, I would've killed for a room like that growing up!  And check out this bathroom...

   

 

Sigh....  It's beautiful.

And the details just get me...  Why can't they build houses like this anymore?  Simply beautiful.

Oh, and the price, you ask?  $150,000!  It's a steal.

Family Reunion, Then and Now

Dear Followers, (Yes, all 11 of you!), I am so sorry for how long it has been since my last post.  Vacations (& summer in general) really take a toll on my blogging.  However, they make for some good posts.  Enjoy!   Sincerely, CK

It is amazing to me what can happen in 6 years.  That's how long it has been since our last family reunion.  My family owns an amazing cabin in amazing Custer, South Dakota.  It is nestled nicely in the Black Hills, between a couple of beautiful lakes, and only 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore.  The perfect setting for our huge family.

This is a picture from our Family Reunion in 2004. 

Two family members in this picture have passed away since our last family reunion.  My cousin Al Berry, (far right with the jacket with stripes down the arm), who was an amazing actor (He was actually in the beginning of the movie Halloween 3),  and just a treasured family member that we loved.  And of course, my sweet sweet Papa, (center of the picture, sitting down in a light blue shirt), who we miss so much each and everyday.  

We have had our share of sad things happen since this picture was taken, but also our share of great things.  Since this shot was snapped, we have added at least 9 new family members, who either married in or were born into the family.  

This is a picture from our Family Reunion 2010.

Please note Haven throwing a huge fit in my arms....

The reunion was an absolute blast.  It's always so much fun when our family from Seattle comes out to see us.  (I've already made a point to take a trip to see them this fall.  And while I'm there I may or may not take a trip out to Forks, WA!!)  It was really nice to be able to get to know the new family members and actually spend more than a few hours with them.  We all just bummed around the cabin, had a campfire and played Catch Phrase, ate a LOT, went hiking, and went to the lake.  

There were actually so many of us that our cabin couldn't accommodate everybody.  Some of the family had to rent cabins across the street just so everybody would have a place to sleep.  At one point there were 40 family members at the reunion.  My Aunt Pat is a savior and would get up early most mornings and cook a breakfast for the whole gang!  And not just cereal either.  I'm talkin' eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast - the whole shebang!

It was the best time.  I wish we could do it every year, or at least every other, or at least every 3!  :)  (Hey, I gotta be realistic.)

Here's a quick photo recap of the trip...

My Aunt and Grandma working in the kitchen.

Three little cousins, Haven, Asha, and Josiah.

The cabin.

The aforementioned campfire Catch Phrase night.

Cousin Kyle while the boys were ballin' it up.

Three beautiful West Coast cousins, Emily, Savannah, and Haley.

A bunch of us hiking Sunday Gulch.

Haven in the hiking backpack with Daddy, Chelsea, and Elizabeth.

Big group of us out for some outstanding prime rib!

My immediate family - descendants of my Grammy Beverly. :)