Happy New Year!

Yes, I know this post is a day late but after New Years Eve and yesterday.... I am pretending today is January first!

2013, where did you go? I feel like the last 1/2 of 2013 just flew by. Time to reflect (requirement of bloggers.... though being that I only blogged 10 times in 2013 I don't consider myself a blogger anymore. #fail)

Be prepared for a ton of pictures! 

 In December of 2012 we lost Reed's dad... it was decided (for several reasons) to wait until the end of Jan to have his memorial.  While it was so sad to say our final goodbyes the service was amazing and a great tribute to his years here on earth.  While we all cried and hugged each other tight, we also laughed and loved.  We were able to spend time with family and friends who we rarely see and for that I am thankful!!

Pate and Reina having fun on the piano 

I went out to Dudley's shop with my camera to capture it "just as he left it".

Everyone needs 13+ saws, right? 

 Happy 2nd Birthday to Payton!

March was a busy one! We once again were forced to say goodbye to a loved one.  Reed's grandma (Bam) passed away the first week in March (just five days before we were headed to NM).  Reed flew home early to attend her funeral, while the kids and I came days later for Traci's wedding.  Despite the fact that we were all still grieving the loss of those in Heaven, we had a magnificent time in Las Cruces.  We were able to see friends and spend more time with family. The wedding was perfect and the bride was gorgeous! 

Reed and Bam (taken in Jan)

My MIL sewing the wedding date into one of Dudley's shirts that would
then be sewn into Traci's dress. I love this picture!

family pictures in the orchards 

waiting for his duties to begin

I think these two make the cutest Flower Girl & Ring Bearer 

I was honored to be asked to read at the wedding

Tuttle Sisters! 

In May my newest niece Meda Grayson was born! At the end of the month Kailee and I traveled to TN to meet her and celebrate McKenna's 4th birthday!  I did a lot of baby holding! 

Seeing these two play makes my heart full 

Kailee spent a full MONTH at Mammaw's house! She had the time of her life (they both did) and was busy the entire time! I am so happy she'll have these summer memories forever, though I'm not sure I can do 4 weeks next summer.  How about 2?  Over the 4th Liz and Tres came to KY for some good old Kentucky fun! Liz and I surprised Tres & Reed with their late birthday present and we made them jump out of a plane!!!

Catching lighting bugs at Mammaw's! 

They survived! 

Jim Beam

LOVE THIS GIRL!!!! 

This cowboy melts my heart

Both my cowboys

We spent the first weekend in August in Texas with Liz & Tres and enjoyed the XIT Rodeo! At the end of August MoMo came and we spent the weekend shooting skeet and enjoying KC. 

Don't mess with my MIL, she's a good shot. 

#ShamlessPlugTime We have two little models in our family.  The kids are in the catalog & online for The Fort Western! They had fun having their pictures and it gave me an excuse to be the crazy photographer mom.... and we all got paid for it! It's a win-win really!  http://www.fortwestern.com/girls-western-wear/      http://www.fortwestern.com/boys-western-wear/

In October I had my ten year high school reunion, LCHS c/o 2003.  I am so glad I went, I had the best weekend with friends and Amanda was so gracious to let me stay with her!! 

Friend and I 

The three Amigos 

Aunt Kristin and Mammaw threw Kailee Rae a surprise party! She loved it.  We were in Kentucky for my great aunt Chris's 100th birthday party! It was awesome getting to celebrate it with her and seeing family!  

Cousin shots! We missed a generation of cousins but they were there too.

Aileen (96), Merle (90) and Aunt Chris (100)

Being around my cousins makes me so happy.  I am so proud of the men they have all become!
We are missing 3 of the other cousins

Next generation cousins
(again, missing my 3 nephews in this.... one day!)

My beautiful sister and mom 

Porcelain Doll, Wreck It Ralph, and Fix It Felix 

Thanksgiving with Mammaw!

Christmas with the Tuttles

I love my family!

Our 2013 Christmas Card

Front 

Back

What do I want in 2014? Resolutions/commitments/things I'm excited for/whatever you call them

• Feed my family better (twist on lose weight/eat healthy), I want to do a better job at planning out our meals so it doesn't feel so thrown together an last minute.  Last minute= unhealthy choices! 
• Continue to pray out loud with my kids, focusing on bedtime prayers. 
• In 2013 we started saying grace before every meal as a family and now I catch Kailee doing it even when she is eating a snack or quick lunch without us and Pate reminds us if we start to forget. #success 
• Take a trip, just the four of us (we always take our vacations to see extended family- not that we don't LOVE you all... but it's time to have a getaway with just us). 
• Kids to Disney World, we've been planning on taking them for years but "life gets in the way".
• Journal (hopefully daily I'll be happy with once a week! ) I used to keep a journal but haven't in years. 
• Day one= done
• Start running again!, I've started and stopped more times then I'd like to remember.... it's time to start and not stop. 
• Ride!!! I have 160 acres to do it on and four horses (well the pony doesn't count but you get the drift) to choose from.  I can count on two hands how many times I saddled up in 2013! 
• Go to Texas and hold the newest niece to our family!!! Miss Cuddle Puddle Tuttle/Peanut! ;-) 
• Plan a trip to NM to just relax and see family/friends, with nothing on the agenda but that. (I haven't told Reed about this plan yet)

High School Reunion

This past weekend I had my high school reunion, it seems like a lifetime ago but I guess it was just 10 years.

I flew in for a quick weekend and spent it with Manda! It was so great, it's been too long since we've spent quality time together. I was able to squeeze time in with Sarah & Lizzy as well, I also poked around the equestrian center... let me just say girls... they have it better then we did (as far as the EQ center goes anyway). I guess what is what happens when you are on the first years of EQ as a varsity sport.

Like Manda said "this is the Katie and Manda I remember"

Marlys, Manda, and I goofing around

After we enjoyed the Fair/Rodeo on Friday night Manda & I spent time flipping through old photos, scrapbook and bless her soul for saving them they should REALLY be burnt  notes we'd written to each other! We laughed until Amanda cried... then I started tearing up laughing watching tears roll down her cheeks.  It was hysterical!  Pretty sure Marlys and her brother thought we were crazy.

Without giving too much away (you would all think A LOT less of us) they were about everything from classes, girls we didn't like, boys, partying, football games and boys. Okay, 95% of them revolved about our studies  latest crush.  They were embarrassing to read and if our parents had ever found them we would have NEVER left the house again.  Gosh, we were dumb.

Saturday we spent the afternoon shopping and then we had drinks with my all time favorite social studies teacher! Such a good time!

We then headed back to Manda's to get ready for the reunion dinner.  Manda and I had talked about how we weren't so excited to tell them same story over and over again. You know "I'm married with two kids, I work for Nestle Purina, I live just north of Kansas City... etc."  The idea of sounding like a broken record did NOT sound fun. But we were also curious as to who had changed and just in general who was going to show up. So off we went... but not before 1k pictures of course!

bathroom picture 

I told her to stand there and she responds with
"I don't know what to do with my hands?!?!"

 The night over all was fun and it was so great to spend time with Manda, Randi, and Regan... I didn't mean to NOT make the rounds and spend time with everyone but it just kind of happened that way.  It'd been 10 years since we were all together so we had a lot of catching up to do.

Here is a throwback to the three of us 10 years ago... I think we all look the same... 

Before I knew it the night was over, at least for Manda and I, we opted out of going to Double Eagle for more drinks... we were too tired! lol Though it looks like we missed a good time.

I will say, I don't think I sounded too much like a broken record... though I have discovered I can't lie... people would ask "oh, do you like living there?!?!" Me- "Well, Nope, no I don't but it will do for now." haha. Oh well!

My vote is in 10 more years we just throw a kegger in the desert (red solo cups and all) for old times sake, maybe we can get more of the 400 people we graduated with to come.

Outlaws

Scrolling through pictures on my external hard drive I came across this one.  

This was June 2011, which was only the second time Liz and I had ever hung out. (hard to believe)  This is literally the moment when we were dubbed we didn't come up with it ourselves "Outlaws"... who would have thought that name would have stuck! 

Pretty fitting.... haha. 

Who wouldn't want to be friends with this girl?!?! She's hilarious! 

Looking at these pictures made me realize how thankful I am that my BIL was smart enough to land this catch!! She's become one of my very best friends and I don't know what I'd do without her!!! Thanks Liz! 

Then there is my sister's kid. ;-)

Exhibit A:  

Look at my sweet child taking care of her little cousin

It melts your heart, right?  She loves her! 

Exhibit B:

Now take a look at Kristin's kid below:

Going in for the kill... 

Poor K.Rae never saw it coming.  Let me just say she is her mother's daughter! 

I guess it's okay now... they are besties again! 

Here she is taking out a nice little boy too...  

Just saying. Don't let their sweet smiles fool you.... they are wiry!!!  

*******************************

The reason Kailee and I made the quick trip to Memphis because Miss MK was having a party... it was so much fun to be there!!!  I cannot believe she is 4 years old! 

And of course we came to see this sweet little one!!!! I did this all weekend and it was wonderful!!! 

Col. Dorman was a rock star

* I wrote this on Memorial Day but did not posted... I never finished writing but oh well!!! Better late than never.*

I am so lucky to be the daughter, granddaughter, niece, daughter-in-law, and friend to some amazing soldiers!!! I've grown up with a strong since of country and pride to be lucky enough to live in the greatest country on earth!  My dad hauled us around the country as kids doing what he did best and serving our great nation.  This pride was instilled in him by his father, my grandfather Col. George S. Dorman, US Air-force.

West Point Class of '46

Let me start by saying my blog isn't going to do him justice but I wanted to share a little about my grandfather.... and share some links to prove he is really kick-ass.

I've always known my granddad was an amazing pilot and soldier but in the past couple years I've learned even more about him.  Last February, on Pierce Morgan new clips were released from the day of President Kennedy's assassination... my Uncle Buck (yup, I have an "Uncle Buck"- and no he didn't like it when we took him to see the movie!) was sitting listening to CNN when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in 42.5 years. He said hearing that voice out of no where was "surreal".  I cannot imagine.

The Raab Collection was nice enough to send this clip to me to share with my family, I tried to upload it to this page up kept getting an error message, so here is a CSPAN link to it. 

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/OneRec 

That's my granddad!  This clip was the first time I'd ever heard his voice and there is no mistaking that this is him... it's my dad and two uncles all rolled into one!! If you know them, you understand. I got chills the first time I heard it and listening to it again today.  

Today my uncle posted a link, that a friend of his found, to this blog (click on that!!) that was written shortly after the CNN bit.  I think it does a wonderful job of (at least in my mind.... my dad and uncle's will correct me if I'm wrong!!! trust me!) describing the clip, my granddad and a brief summary of his service to our nation.  I have to agree with the blogger: 

"There is no doubt that George Dorman was destined to rise to the highest levels in the Air Force"

Word!  Now, for those of you who ask me where I got my chin. The one that I've passed on to my kiddos, and that my nieces both have too???  Check out these four chins. It's a Dorman thing, we all have 'em! 

Granddad
Uncle Bob, Dad, and Uncle Buck

Granddad and Grandma Petie

And here is a football stadium that was named after my granddad in England (he had been stationed there).  Also, this is my favorite picture I like to make fun of them of my dad and uncle's so I had to include it! haha.   Oh, the '70's.

As I was writing this blog I was reading some other articles about my granddad and it turns out the blogger copied a lot of his blog from this West Point Page... oh well! Still all true! :) 

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1946/15725/ 

As I said, I'm the proud of the amazing soldiers in my life... past & present.