North Carolina

Summer 2013 Trip to NC

That trip to North Carolina I mentioned in my last post? Pictures!

p.s. Only one year of this until I’m caught up.

p.p.s. Andy was at GenCon with friends, which is why he is absent from all these photos. Also, thanks Mom and Dad, for making that 8-hour drive with me. Not sure I’m ready to do that alone with all three kids (still).

“It was different, going to sleep with all that new breathing in the house.” —Cynthia Rylant

Labor Day Weekend in NC

beautiful Katy; beautiful Colleen

Luke

Katy reading to Colleen and James

the beautiful/terrifying spider waiting for dinner on their front porch

climbing Jack’s beanstalk at Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem

catching flying scarves

initial pictures

making donuts

Colleen climbing

a trip to the grocery

tower building

happy Pop Pop

Katy and Tom, storytelling

“But in the east the sky was pale and through the gray woods came lanterns with wagons and horses, bringing Grandpa and Grandma and aunts and uncles and cousins.” —Laura Ingalls Wilder

Happy 1st Birthday, Colleen

It seems like it was only a few weeks ago I was driving, in the middle of the night, alone, to meet my first niece—to meet you, Colleen. And here you are! With your amazing Mama and Dada, eating a cupcake.

I left my home with Nini and Pop Pop, after putting your cousin Sophie to bed on her 4th birthday. We drove through the mountains to see you. We’d drive through most anything to see you. You received lots of presents (including a tea set Sophie picked out) but perhaps one of the best gifts was for your mama—Nini made a handmade fabric scroll, with the texts that were sent and received the day we waited for you to enter this world. People say the world is losing its gift of storytelling because of technology but these texts tell a story, a beautiful story. I cry every time I read them.

You got some new wheels.

You had many family and friends visit.

You loved your new water table, from your mama and dada.

But, as always, you loved their snuggles, more.

The next day we went to the zoo. I remember taking your cousin Sophie to this same zoo, with your mama and dada, before you existed. And here you are. Almost always happy. Almost always smiling. Almost always content. As your aunt, I’m sometimes jealous of the way you so easily go to sleep—and stay asleep. Of how pleasant you always seem. But I’m also grateful, for you giving that gift to your mama and dada. I hope you know how crazy in love with you they are, how you can see it in their eyes every time they hold you, look at you or even talk about you. I hope you read this when you’re 16 and know how lucky you are. I can’t wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you. And (your mama will get this) I can’t wait to give you gum.

Happy 1st Birthday, sweet, sweet Colleen.

And Happy Making It Through The First Year of Parenting So Fabulously, Katy and Tom.

Love,

Aunt Kara

“Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.” —Jean Paul Richter