Same As Usual...Painting and Base jumping

Sorry I have not updated in a long while! I'm back to more regular posts now. Everything is the same as usual. Amelia is just thriving along. Her new hobbies include as follows (in order of frequency): base jumping -noun- the extreme sport of parachuting from the tops of very tall manmade or natural objects (it's how she got that pretty rug burn), Painting (anything, especially her body), somersaulting, and eating bagles (anything bread-like). My new hobbies hopefully include running again. I ran for the first time today after a long break and IT FELT GOOD!

A Cate Family Christmas '08

We Had a wonderful Christmas! And a great Birthday for Amelia(She's two, and showin' it). Preston, Amelia and I travelled to Alabama to see his Mom and Dad, two sisters and their husbands and kids...Whew. It was tons of fun (and some fighting over toys)...the kids, of course, however, the guys all really took to a dirty santa gift that practically electrocuted the slowest player to push a button on some device that plays this psychotic music over and over again. It's called Lightening Reaction Revenge "this time it's personal". REALLY, I would recommend it to any party-goer wanting to liven up the place.

ABC...It's Easy As 1,2,3

I Have to brag just a smidgen about our smart(genius)daughter who revealed to us today that she knows her ABCs...all of them! We have been playfully reciting it out with her having no real goal in mind, but I suppose they really are like little sponges. She boastfully let Preston know at Ingles while shopping for much needed paper products (how can anyone run out of paper towels, Kleenex, baby wipes,and toilet paper all at once???),anyway, when suddenly, out of the wild blue yonder, Amelia announces her alphabet geniusness (did I say that already). And, I missed it all sense I was at work, so preston recounted the moment like this: She shouts it for others to hear, or for others to join in, saying A!B!Ceeeeeee!Dee!Eeeeeee!!f.(whisper)g.(whisper).Hshhhhhh!Ieeee!J. K. Lllllll!Mmmmmm!Nnnnnn!O.(whisper)PEEEEEEE!Q.R.Sssssssss!Teeeeee!U.Veeeeee.W.X.Y.ZEEEEEEEEE! I asked Preston on the phone if he made a big deal or a BIG DEAL about this. He said that he cheered, but it was a little subdued. I WISH I could have been there to cheer her on. I hate missing these small/BIG deals. It's the small/big deals that make this parenting thing so fun! I am well aware that others out there, those who have kids doing the EXACT same thing as mind, hitting all the same milestones as mine ("let me guess, her favorite word is 'No'")may not be as impressed with this feat. But, most first timers are equally enthusiastic about these small things. To me, it's like she's doing everything she is designed to do at all the correct times. It's amazing to me! There is such a beautiful design that takes place, and I have front row seats for it. There will be many more of these small/big deals to come. I look forward to cheering it all on, even when I can't be right there to see it.

The Rest of Our Trip

Our trip to Winnsboro was wonderful! We got a good bit of outdoor time with the cousins. Preston, myself and Little A stayed at "the cabin" on "the farm" at my Dad's place. Most of the pics are of us chopping down our Christmas tree this past Friday. Such a hallmark family moment. Amelia totally dug the outdoor time, wanting to go there every waking minute. I still can't get over how funny it was to see little Calie (Logan's youngest and closest in age to Amelia)trudgging through the brush, trying to keep up with the tree hunters, all the while holding tight to her precious baby doll and worrying that her bow may somehow fall out onto the dirty ground. Callie, YOU GO GIRL! Way to be a sport, I love ya.

Gobble Gobble (Day 1)

Suzannah's update

Just wanted to give a quick little update on Suzannah. Her surgery went as good as could be expected. I have gotten lost in some of the details, don't want to be misinformative, but all in all, her lymph nodes are cancer free, and there is no need for chemo (A-mazing!!!). We are all so relieved.

Halloween Hooplah 2008

I'm starting to really love Halloween! I mean really love it! And all because of WORK! Growing up, we always dressed up, but it was never too big of a deal. I remember always having so much fun though. As an adult, however, and at WORK no less, Halloween has become something I anticipate joyfully. It's like really being a kid again. Our small department at work put a good bit of thought into what our "look" is going to be in the weeks approaching the big day. Hopefully, it is obviouse that this year we were Alice In Wonderland. There was a lot of creativity involved in this process...none of these dead-on, perfectly peiced together outfits were store bought THANK YOU VERY MUCH!...oh, and that's me as a blond.
And Miss Amelia Bug was none other than a pink poodle. She refused to put on the hood, so the she was more like a headless poodle. She sure did cozzy up nicely to the cutest kangaroo on the block though! Kangaroo and Poodle had a blast chasing each others' tails. Preston, who used his radiation mask to frighten all the little ones, looked more like an albino spiderman peacock. We both took Amelia a couple of blocks over to "trick or treat". They block of a stretch of road for all of the trick or treaters. The houses are decked out and there must have been more than a hundred carved pumpkins within two or so blocks of each other. It was spooktacular! (Sorry, dumb)