How the Cats Handled the Tree

There's a reason why we put the tree up late at our house. The picture below is just one instance out of about 1,000 instances this Christmas season.

Wilson and Gilbert were in the tree more than Mr. Limpet. General Washington behaved the best.

The North Pole Village

Katie and Jennifer worked together again to build their impressive North Pole village. They always do such a good job, and it adds lots of cheer!

Aunt Jennifer and I love to get hugs!

Remembering President Carter

We were sad to hear that President Carter passed away last weekend. It made us automatically think back to the time we got to see him at a local bookstore. Since there were so many people, he wasn't able to have long conversations with people. However, he took the time to acknowledge Katie, who loved anything related to presidents. She was a little shy, but she did say hi to him. When we left, she was very proud to have an autographed copy of his book.

Awhile after that experience, she wrote President Carter a letter. He wasn't the first president she had written a letter to, but it was by far the most personal letter she received in return. It meant a lot to her to be acknowledged by such a kind man.

There wasn't time to take photos with the president, but we were able to get one of just him as we got close.

Thank you, President Carter, for being you.

Our Tree

It was getting close to Christmas, so Katie and I decided to take a deep breath, get ready to deal with the cats, and put our tree up. 

As soon as we got our tree out, the cats started chewing and exploring.

They got even happier when the tree was upright.

I was happy with the tree, and so were the cats! It wouldn't be long before we started our collection of ornaments that the cats had taken off the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving came, so it was time to get out the big stuffing pot. Even though Katie has outgrown the stuffing pot, we still make her try to sit in it like she has every single Thanksgiving.

It was much more comfortable to stand in the pot, but...

...I at least tried to sit for the joy of my family!

A Taste of the 80s

Katie got to experience a taste of the 80s when my sister, Jennifer, took her to a Cyndi Lauper concert. 

We had fun together! Aunt Jennifer used to listen to Cyndi Lauper when she was growing up, and I think she has some good music too!

A Birthday Party

Katie got to celebrate her friend's birthday with a pajama party. It was so much fun for her!

I love spending time with friends!