i call her kitter katter

My children are going through withdrawals.
They are missing their "little sis."

Chris and I miss her, too.

My niece, Kathryn, has been staying with us for the past few weeks.
But she left to stay with grandma for awhile.

She is one of a kind.
So smart and full of life.
And hilarious comments.

We loved having her here to boss us all around.
And love on.













Kat has been staying here because her parents have been at the hospital caring for her new baby brother, Max. He was born less than 2 months ago with a little cleft lip. He went in a few weeks ago to get it repaired. But things didn't go too well afterwards. He has had complications and we are all rooting for the little guy to turn a corner and start getting better so he can get out of that place! Poor Mike and Jen have had a rough time trying to watch out for him, but they have been so strong.

Kathryn was dragged all over the place with us as we wrapped up summer and started school. She was Carson's constant shadow and had to know where he was at all times. Austin was her daily backyard playmate. They spent so much time building forts and jumping on the trampoline. I loved how her hair went CRAZY every time she jumped. Carlie was her little mother and loved reading her stories, giving her baths, feeding her, and putting her to bed. Kathryn wouldn't let me call her Carlie, though...she is her CJ. The first Sunday she was here, we didn't have a dress for her to wear to church. I was just planning to put her in some of her shorts (didn't think it mattered.) But Carlie found one of her shirts with ruffles at the bottom that fit Kat just like a dress. Too cute. She had fun playing with other cousins, going to a birthday party, enjoying Wahooz for a last day before school celebration, playing at the park, hiking, eating ice cream, visiting mommy and max at the hospital, swimming, eating the first nectarines off our tree with uncle Chris, going to the movies, and lots more.

The other evening, after Carson, Carlie, Kathryn and I returned from a visit to the hospital, Carson found a funny stuffed monkey which he gave to Kat. And at bedtime I overheard him telling her a very sweet bedtime story about the monkey. He told her she had a mommy monkey, a daddy monkey, and little brother baby monkey. But the little brother monkey got really sick and had to go to the hospital. He told her a whole nice story about the monkeys. I can't recall all the details.

But in the end, the baby brother monkey got all better and the whole monkey family got to go home together and were happy.