Thanksgiving weekend!

For Thanksgiving we went North to spend time with Staci's extended family. Matt and Jill Von Feldt welcomed us all to their new winter getaway on Mt. Baker. We had a great time and enjoyed some much needed family time!


Katrina didn't mind the snow but wasn't so fond of her outfit and not being able to move around well!
The "Simons" part of the family played a great game of Uno back at the condo, even Katrina, Avery and Ethan got in on the action!
These little bundles are actually Avery and Katrina trying out the slide! Katrina wasn't so sure of it but Avery loved it!
Too cute not to share! Katrina and Avery best buddies!
Dad and Katrina both seem a bit tired here I think this must have been post turkey dinner! Katrina loved the sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie!
Grandma Joyce Came to the condo to visit! It was a great distraction for Ethan, and Katrina was finally able to play with his airplane!

Daddy's Home!

In early November Scott was able to come home for a weekend! We had a great time and were happy to have our good friends Skip and Sarah up to visit!
Mom and Dad were able to go out for the first time without Katrina! We had a great time going to dinner but we were both chomping at the bit to get home to Katrina!
Here she is modeling a new dress that mom had to buy to match the shoes!
Katrina is growing so fast! She looks like a big girl already! Here she is smiling as usual!
Katrina Insisted that she got to have one of Dad's new hats! It almost fits!
Aunt Sarah and Katrina playing together!
Uncle Skip and Aunt Sarah just "had" to bring Katrina a giant Hello Kitty Doll! It's only about twice her size!
Daddy and Katrina crawling around together!
Katrina loves having Daddy around!

Happy Halloween

Katrina's first halloween! Yesterday we went to the Burkes to spend the day with cousins. Katrina and I were tag alongs to the Griffiths Halloween party. We had dinner and took a stroll through the neighborhood as the older kids asked for tricks or treats. After that we stopped by Auntie Laura's to see what kind of treats she had. It was a fun night ! Today we had some friends over for our mommy group .Here are the bumble bee's Kaelyn, Katrina and Elyse.
Auntie Laura rocked out as a lady from the 1980's. ( IS that really far enough back to be a costume?)
By the time we arrived at Laura's Katrina was so sleepy. She took a nap before her pictures.
Wide eyed we finally got the dressed up duo together!
Here we have Avery and Katrina demonstrating pollination.
And of course, our little Pirate Ethan! Is that a face to fear?

Katrina and Staci go to D.C

At the end of Sept. Katrina and I flew to Maryland to visit Mom and Fran. We had an very packed schedule sightseeing places like the National Zoo, Smithsonian museum, National Book Festival, National Art gallery and Arlington . You will not see pictures of those places. We forgot the camera! However, we do have pictures of us at a very cool park and Mt. Vernon.Like mother like daughter! Katrina loves to swing!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
At the park we saw the crossing where the small train runs through the park. We hoped for a ride but the train wasn't running that day. I guess we will take our first train ride with Dad.

Katrina wasn't as excited about the slide as she was with the swing but it was still pretty cool!
It's been awhile since mom went on a slide, geez maybe even a whole year! Occupational hazard I suppose.
Our little lady getting all cleaned up for bed! What a cutie!

So contemplative, To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question.

Grandma Joyce and Katrina playing on the floor.
Looks like grandma is still a pro!
Poor Katrina had such a busy week she took most of her naps on the go!
She was very happy to just be at grandma's house playing in the evenings.

Relaxing on the deck with Grandma Joyce.....
and Grandpa Fran.
We had such great weather Katrina could hang out after dinner on the deck in just a diaper!
We went to Mt. Vernon and here we saw the gristmill making corn meal. Katrina was fascinated.
Then we went to the restaurant and had a fabulous lunch. Katrina tried everything to taste our food but, alas her efforts went unrewarded! She ate oatmeal.
Mt. Vernon ( George Washington's house). Katrina was bored on the tour so she went outside with Grandma.

"Now this is much better then the stuffy old house"
A thoroughly exhausted Katrina finally gets some rest! What a great trip. Next time Dad will have to come with us!

Katrina goes to work with Dad

For all those that don't know, Scott has been busy building his RR contracting business. Since June he has been working in Eastern Wa. and Idaho. So, Katrina and I try to travel over to spend time with him at least twice a month. On one of our trips we actually got to go to work with Scott.Katrina takes her job seriously and puts on her safety vest. Unfortunately it is very, very hard to find hard hats and steel toed boots her size.
Uncle Gary was also doing some work for Scott and learning to operate a bridge crane.
Katrina says, " Uncle Gary don't looked so stressed! This is a piece of cake! Let me show you how to do this!"
"See you just move these levers and away we go! Now if only I could figure out how to stand alone!"

"At least I can drive the semi by myself" and yes she is steering by herself (of course it is a hyrail truck on the track which means it won't go anwhere, hopefully).

All this hard work wore her out. She took a quick snooze in the cab while dad used the boom on the truck to move huge boulders off the track. She slept right through the bumps, and loud bangs as the rocks were dropped on the bed of the truck.
"Honest dad, I am rested now I won't fall asleep at the wheel! You take a rest and I'll drive the next shift."

A babies work is never done! Onto the next bridge we go!

This is just one of the many fascinating bridges Scott is working on! I don't even want to know how he repairs the timbers on it!

Scott is always working hard! Now he is putting the next project together!


Katrina also worked the boom on the semi. Anything Dad is doing Katrina wants to be doing! Can we say "future owner of Cahill General Repair?"
"Oh Dad, let me try! Is this how you do it?"

After a busy day at work Katrina takes her place to debrief with dad. What a day! Job well done to both of my hard workers!