Have a Knapp: January 2012

We were SO pleasantly surprised when our in-laws announced they were going to join us for Christmas this year. Normally we would have traveled to their house along with Joe's brother and family but since they welcomed our newest little niece Aubry into the home in November it was way to soon for them to travel and the choice had been to have Christmas at home this year. Instead we got the best of both worlds. We got to enjoy being home, participate in our Christmas Eve and New Years Eve programs at our church AND have Grammy & Grandpa! We got rather spoiled...and I dont just mean the girls with the gifts they brought, although that was true too :) Here are some highlights, I admit I didnt get the camera out nearly as much as I would have liked but honestly, many times I was just enjoying relaxing too much :)

Grandpa & Anna are quite the pair :)

Grammy danced with Anna, taught her to clap and...the picking her nose we will just say she learned on her own :)

Gatta make sugar cookies! Katey LOVED making/aka eating sugar cookies with Grammy :)

Then we went outside to wait for Daddy to get home,

Christmas Eve we let the girls open one gift, pre-arranged new jammies to wear to Christmas Eve candle light service!

After an AWESOME service is it was off to bed in anticipation of Christmas morning!

Such a fun morning with LOTS Of awesome gifts! Wish I woulda taken more pics but got swept up in the moments :) Such fun memories!

I can't believe my baby, my little 2 1/2 week early, water-breaking-under-the-christmas-tree surprise is THREE!!! I know everyone says it goes fast...well I dont need to complete that thought. I can not say its been all warm and cuddly moments full over overwhelming love, I assure you that 2 had its difficult moments...more than a few. But her smile, her laugh, her imagination and her love for life...I just can't say how much they have affected me. She is my companion, my playmate my reason to go to the bakery every time we go into Fred Meyer or try on the goofy hats in the clothing section. I love how she HAS to have a blanket AND a pillow for every baby before she can go to bed and how both their and her covers have to be perfectly stretched out in all four corners before all is well. I love how she perches in the window to watch for Daddy to come home and RUNS to the door to get the first kiss before mama can. I love how she LOVES to share things with her little sister...even things that maybe aren't the smartest (yesterday it was almonds), but that she simply wants to make sure Anna's not missing out. I love how I have 30 seconds to 2 mins of guaranteed cuddle time when she wakes up from her nap and comes and finds me (unless its the weekend and then its to Daddy). I could really go on and on...and I should in a journal somewhere (yeah brilliant idea who's taking bets on it happening?) but I wont right now. There are too many pics and other tidbits to share...just know this will definitely not be my shortest post :)

Fist her birthday morning!

Daddy made her crapes and she got to eat on "God thinks your special today" plate! (ok he thinks we are special every day but we still reserve it for special occasions :) )

"Katey, how old are you?"

Love the forced camera smile...but thats what I got :)

A few days before her birthday I asked her a few questions to start a tradition. Every year (maybe starting at 3 i'm going to interview my loves and compile their answers (gatta love pinterest!).

I have to preface this by reminding you all of the memory of a 3 year old, the answers are defiantly not the answers I would have answered for her but these are the ones she gave...so for some of them I put my observations is parentheses)

1. Whats your favorite color? Pink

2. Whats your favorite toy? That one ball uncle David gave me (haha the thing that she could see...prob favorite toy at this point is her baby dolls which are in all shapes and sizes)

3. Whats your favorite fruit? blueberries!

4. Whats your favorite tv show? Super why (specifically the "Rolling Rice Cakes"episodes, we've seen it so may times i could puke...then quote the whole thing :))

5. Whats your favorite to eat for lunch? Mac & Cheese (yep, or crackers & cream cheese)

6. Whats your favorite outfit? My pink pants (yep anything comfy, not jeans, skirts or sweatshirts)

7. Whats your favorite game? Shoots and ladders

8. Whats your favorite snack? blue berries

9. Whats your favorite animal? Ducky

10. Whats your favorite song? Jesus Loves me

11. Whats your favorite book? Daddy's little girl (or Llama Mama books)

12. Whats your favorite friend? Lily (Lily Siebert-pastors 9 year old daughter- She LOVES Lily but her best friends are probably Zac & Ty Pietzold)

13. Whats your favorite drink? Juice

14. Whats your favorite thing to eat at breakfast? Pancakes with no rasberries (she likes them on top but not inside!)

15. Whats your favorite thing to do outside? Play in the snow

16. What do you like to take to bed at night? My babies & my polka dot blanket

17. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Marshmallows

18. What do you want to be when you grow up? go to work with Daddy and work on computers

19. Whats your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Play guitar and Go fishing

20. Whats your favorite thing to do with Mommy? read my bible book

21. Whats your favorite thing to do with Sister? read books with Sister

So here is where the pics really take you away. Katey has soo many friends so her birthday part reflected that :) We decorate to make gingerbread houses (which was a blast but entailed Jeremy, Lisa, Joe and I working on them late into the night the night before.. hence why Katey has Ty's jammies on in her birthday morning brakfast photos). But the kids REALLY seemed to love decorating...ok the younger ones mostly just ate the candy, but all in all, it was fun! (Thank you Tracy Cary for the photos from the party!)

Joe said they looked like gingerbread outhouses....and decorated it accordingly :)

Ty helping Joe put the finishing touches on the AMAZING chocolate cake he made :0

Zac trying VERY hard to wait patiently!

But eventually friends showed up and the fun began

And MAYBE a little tasting as we go :)

The finished pieces started to come together...Some VERY creative minds...but not so patient tummies :)

So blessed by so many good friends!

Then it was time to open presents!

And CAKE TIME!!!

So congratulations Bug, we love you a bushel and a peck and can't wait to see what next year brings!

PS: I made a slideshow that we had showing at the party that is a review of Katey this last year... If you haven't already seen it take a look, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

http://gallery.emilyknapp.com/kateys3rdbirthday

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Blocks & Sister "Love"

Christmas!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Katey's 3 years Old!!!