happy birthday!

to my dad. you have given me so much to be thankful for.

thank you for your awesome donald duck voice that will always amaze little kids.

thank you for your disappearing thumb trick that is equally amazing.

thank you for knowing so much about US history.

thank you for knowing so much about most things.

thank you for being so logistical.

thank you for your notes and kind words that are always so meaningful and insightful.

thank you for not naming clint thor.

thank you for walking me down the aisle.

thank you so much for moving us to colorado. 

thank you for getting us a turtle that ran away.

thank you for being excited about nursing with me.

thank you for letting me play sports. it was worth a shot... (even if i did call my uniforms "outfits")

thank you for all you have ever done for me. i have been and will continue to be so blessed by you. happy birthday, dad. i love you.

-kelsie.

family.

we had the best time while my parents were visiting. we are so incredibly blessed to have two sets of parents who love us well.

we spent friday night hanging out in georgetown and my mom had to get some dc cupcakes. i was skeptical. i mean, i love a cupcake from safeway about as much as any other. but the cupcake i had was incredible. the frosting was just buttery goodness. 

saturday we headed to pennsylvania to see the gettysburg battlefields. it was fun to drive around and it was quite educational for me. i don't think i ever learned american history... or if i did, i clearly replaced that part of my brain with something else...

 (my dad and honest abe just hanging out. probably discussing some war strategies...)

ellie got to come which made her oh so happy. can you tell??

sunday we went to church and then headed to the newseum to see the Elvis! exhibit. my mom looooves her some elvis so she was super excited.

we then went and did a quick browse through the american history museum. we visited the national cathedral monday, and managed to fit some shopping in before they left.

we had a wonderful weekend and we're so grateful for them! thanks for everything!!!!

-kelsie.

ps- the top photo is an iphone picture, but i edited some of the others with a trial of photoshop elements. have you ever used it??? it seems fairly user-friendly as i have very little experience with editing software, but i would love some input from someone who has used it! any advice??

almost. there.

(image via here)

i'm SO CLOSE! only about 24 more hours of living on regina spektor pandora, diet coke, coffe and a very gracious husband. and then... SUMMER! 

my dad has been up to some very exciting things and i couldn't be happier for him. yesterday i learned one of his favorite quotes that seems so applicable for right now (and probably forever):

it is a quote from a teddy roosevelt speech he gave in paris, france and was later included in his published work Citizenship in a Republic – 

 

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt

thanks dad. i love you, i'm proud of you and i'm so excited about your new adventure. 

-kelsie.