Been a while

Ok so its been sometime since kathi has posted. Blame it on Farmville and Facebook. Alot has been going on since we last posted. I am not going to run thru everything though. But Sawyer has since turned 1, started walking, and says "Dazee" more often than Dad. Seth was in spring Soccer with me as coach, started Kindergarten which he is enjoying and went to the annual Father Son campout. Sam was in swim team and did REALLY good for her first year, started 3rd grade and is now in cheer. (Ricka Racka firecracker sis boom ba...Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny RAH RAH RAH)
Sean started swim team also and he did GREAT. He is on the safety patrol and is now in 5th grade. He is playing violin in school and made the transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts and is very excited about scouting. Steven is now a Junior in H.S. and is doing good. He is working now and is getting focused on wrestling this year. Kathi is working hard as a labor/Delivery/Post Partum R.N. and enjoying it at the hospital. They all went to Idaho for about 10 days this summer, while I finished out bookcases in our den, which I am a very proud of. I went to Cleveland in May to see the family and take care of Mom for a week. We just had Kathi's parents out the past week and that was fun. Always enjoy visiting with them. Anyhow thats an abridged version of the Gilmans summer. Will have some new pix also coming up.....stay posted.

Catching up

As life goes along, I don't think we are doing anything to blog about. But when I reviewed my pictures there has been a lot of little things. So here is a picture by picture update on our winter months.

Steven Lettered in Wrestling last year. Then again this year. He Lettered at weight 215 and 175. This year, family members gave money towards his Letterman Jacket for his Birthday. We finally got it and $650 latter...

Here in Washington the kids get a "Winter Break" the week of Presidents Day. This is in addition to "Spring Break" which is coming up soon! It is hard to come up with things to do with the kids because the weather is still yucky and the house is still too small. That's when it comes in handy to live so close to the city! One day we went to the Zoo with our friends and neighbors.

While we were at the Zoo the people who worked there kept hurrying us out of certain areas. We were starting to get suspicious when they finally said that we had to "proceed to the nearest exit" I guess a monkey had gotten out of its cage and they were not able to keep it isolated in one part of the zoo! So we went to an enclosed Merry-go-round at the Zoo and ate lunch. By time we were finished they had caught the monkey and we were allowed back into the Zoo again! It made for great excitement and a good story to tell!

We also spent a day at Seattle Center and the Pacific Science Center! It is always a fun area and we can easily spend a whole day there and without getting bored and not having to spend a lot of money! Seattle is great! I love it here!

On another day...
A co-worker of mine directed me to a great deal on a dinner/show called "Under the Gypsy Moon" at Teatno ZinZanni! I didn't know what it was either! but the tickets were such a great deal that I couldn't pass them up. Brian was out of town that week and so I went with my girlfriend, Rebecka. It is an original Circus Tent downtown next to the Seattle Center, that has a wonderful variety of entertainment and acrobats while they serve you a 5 course dinner! It was so much fun! Here is the website so you can get the fun effect.
www.zinzanni.org
As I said before the show was "Under the Gypsy Moon" so we got to dress the part!
This is my Gypsy interpretation!
(I had to have a tiara!)

Our winter here has been colder and snowier than any we have experienced here in Seattle! Often this winter we have woken to snow on the ground, but it frequently was melted by mid-day.
This is my pond in the back yard. I love how it looks with a skiff of snow on it!
You have got to love my wagon wheel and milk can.
In Idaho you see that everywhere! Here in Washington...well people thought I was a little weird but it is growing on them!

Now you are updated on our winter months!
Tomorrow is suppose to be the start of Spring! Hopefully our adventures will become abundant.
Best Wishes to you all!

Happy Birthday Sawyer!

Girl's Trip Gone Bad

My friend calls me up and says "Kathi, let get some time away from the babies." So she rents a FABULOUS Condo at Crystal Mountain and I rented my ski gear and away we go.
We have three nights to relax, ski and just have quiet girl time.

We went up on a Monday afternoon so we could get checked in and check out the area for skiing the next day. There was fabulous snow and the Mountain was so pretty. It had been awhile since I skied last, but I promised my husband I would take it easy and not do anything to crazy.

The Condo was newly renovated and the owners did a great job! It was a really nice place to stay with a big flat panel TV, a wood burning stove and a great kitchen. How could this not be the perfect get away!?

We woke up that Tuesday at our leisure! No crying babies! No "mommy I need breakfast". Just piece and quiet! Then we bundled up and headed for the mountain! I stopped someone to take this photo of us, Rebecka was so embarrassed. He he!

We went and got our ski passes and headed up the mountain. We were going to start of easy but that lift wasn't open so we just headed straight to the top. Well, it was raining and I didn't ski as good as I remembered I could. I think I ended up falling down the hill more than anything else. I finally told Rebecka to go on with out me and I would catch up to her later.
Well, later came and she called me on my cell. I told her that I was heading down to the lodge...I was the one in the sled with the Red Cross on it...ya, that last fall was a doosy!

I completely blew out my knee!
I had Brian come and get me that night. Rebecka stayed to finish the trip.
Well....that night it started to rain. Flooding closed the only road to the mountain and shut down the Ski Lodge. My friend was stuck up there for 3 more nights with NO skiing and no way out.

We both decided that next time we are going to the spa!

A Day with Granny and Papa

After all the Thanksgiving turkey and Pumpkin pie, everyone went back to their everyday lives, but we got to have Granny and Papa all to ourselves! Well, It was just Seth, Sawyer and I the rest of the Gilman's had to go back to work and school.

We got to have lunch at Burger King and then go feed the ducks along the Snake River.

Then Granny finished Sawyer a crib quilt.
And Seth got to make play do clay with Granny.
It was another happy day in Idaho with our favorite Granny and Papa!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Okay, so I am finally getting around to catching up my blog. So here ya go...

This is Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's house. It has been really fun going to my parents for the last couple of years. I love when we can all get together like this. I hope it is something we will still do even after Mom and Dad die!

This is the sister-in-laws wondering when they are done with their "day at the in-laws" duty!

I love how Lisa brought her own deck of cards! Jason and Bethany chillin' with Granny on the couch and my Daizee Dog laying claim to a lap.
Jason and his new wife Nichole.

Awe...newly weds!

Lyle holding my little Sawyer.

One of these ain't like the other.

(Sawyer was a little fussy)

Alan, happy and full of turkey! All the many cars in front of Mom and Dad's house. I think it made Dad happy to see so many people at his house. We had licence plates from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington.
The 1st and 2nd cousins eating dinner.
We had three tables set up in Mom's little house.
Dad, Ann and Roger full of turkey and waiting for dessert.
Nichole, Susie, Lyle and Mom waiting for their dessert!
It was a happy day in Idaho.

My children always love to go home. But they are a little sad that Cheryl and her family are not there to play with.

Steven is Driving!!

So this Friday Steven went in and took his drivers test. He passed and did well and got his drivers license! He was ready to rock and roll!

So, I gave him the motherly lecture..."drive safe, you don't want to get in an accident on you first day driving solo." and all the other stuff you tell them before handing the keys over.

Well, shortly after that I was out running errands and somebody hit me!!! So I called Steven and told him not to worry I did it for him!

Then...

When you are a teenager and just got you DL and your parents OK where is one of the first places you want to go?!

THE MALL!

Steven tells me, "Mom, I'm going to meet some friends at the mall. I'll call ya later."

So later he calls...

"Mom, I changed my plans. I'm leaving the mall and meeting my friends somewhere else."

"Why?"

"Well, I was in JCPenneys and heard some gun shots and I guess there was a shooting and I'm too young to die so I left!"

"OH!"

He said it was really close and he booked it out of there. Then he got stuck in traffic, cause EVERYONE was trying to leave! Two boys were shot and one died the other is stable. They believe that the shooter new the victims.

Boy, he has a great story he can reminisce on when his kids start driving.