A time to be thankful.....

As I sit and write this, I look back on the past months...year...and am thankful for so many wonderful, caring, generous people. While we welcomed Baby Kate in July, we weathered the many challenges the year offered us with the help of those who love us most. We are very blessed.

We are thankful. We are thankful that we have the most amazing family, for living so close to my mom and dad and for my sister and her family being "just across town". We are thankful for the family that lives far away and made sure to call often. We are thankful for our friends near and far - the new friends we have met since being here in Texas and the many friends we miss in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Seattle, Florida etc etc. We are thankful for all the Girl Scout mom's who made us dinners (oh my did they!) when Baby Kate was born, and for the Lucas Ladies who made sure they were not left off the meal calendar and brought dinners and more dinners when the Girl Scout mom's were done! Sofie and Mary Beth....the book club ladies who also hijacked the meal calendar in order to make sure my family was fed. Robert and I were just amazed, shocked, grateful for all of this. Thanks to all of you!

Thanks to EVERYONE that sent well wishes, gifts, cards and love to Baby Kate and her fantastic Big Sisters - Grace and Olivia. Kate received the most beautiful gifts and most of all a lot of love.

One more thanks....to Kelly and Kim who have a new catering business (K&K Catering....very fantastic!) and who made sure to have me as their employee when I needed to get out of the house most! I loved getting out for a few hours, talk to adults and to help cook! They were both generous with their friendship and my salary....ha ha. (I am the most over-paid caterer in TX)

We know as we end the year that we are surrounded by love. We realized this year, there are no "old friends" and "new friends" but instead, lasting friendships we will cherish.

Last, we are thankful to start a New Year! We welcome 2010 and look forward to what the New Year has in store for our family.

The Lindstrom Family, December 2009 (Breakfast w/ Santa)

Robert, Laura, Grace, Olivia and Baby Kate

Thanks to the Allen Fire Department

Once we were at home we realized what a big deal it was to deliver a baby at home....when you weren't planning on it! We wanted to make sure and thank the men that came to our house and brought Baby Kate into the World. In August we went to visit Allen Fire Station #3 and show our thanks. We made cards, brought brownies and took lots and lots of pictures.

On a side note, (since it's now December and I am back-tracking in my story telling....) the Girl Scouts and I brought Baby Kate to the Fire Station again to visit in December, and brought holiday cookies and toys for the toy drive. The Fire Fighters were overjoyed to see us again and delighted to get to see the baby they delivered!

Welcome Baby Kate Camille

Okay, as promised I am back. I am inspired by the fact that tonight I have finished my holiday baking...I can now with a clear mind write about Kate coming into our lives back in July. Good God!

Anyway, she arrived at 12:30am on a Tuesday morning. Robert and I had just gone to bed (at 11:30pm Monday night. (yes, that's just one hour earlier than her birth time....) I wasn't sure I was in labor, but once I started having contractions she came so quick we were unable to get out the door, much less to the hospital. My mom arrived in time to help me to the bedroom, and my dad got the girls outside to the car in hopes that we were leaving soon. (uh, no..) The Allen Fire Department arrived just in time to deliver Baby Kate Camille. Yes, born at home. Later the Firemen tell me they were only there 2 minutes before she was born. This is the short version, there are many many funny bits and pieces of the longer version.

Here are some of my favorite answers to the many many questions we had:
1. No drugs - they don't give epidurals (spelling?) at home
2. 6 Allen Firemen - not the same ones that I visited with the Girl Scouts to deliver cookies and Christmas wishes thank GOD!
3. Bedroom cleaned up fine thanks to my sweet husband and very hardworking mom
4. Rode in the ambulance to the local hospital where we stayed for one night
5. Delighted with all girls....think of the $$ Robert saved on baby clothes!

Big sister Grace is amazing with both of her little sisters!

Big sister Olivia was so proud that she was no longer the "baby"

The next morning Grace and Olivia came for a visit...they were overjoyed!

Moments after we arrived at Allen Presbyterian Hospital

Laura and Baby Kate at the hospital

To blog or not to blog.....

Last post May 8, 2009. Oh my. I have been overwhelmed with the thought of sitting down to write something fantastic about the girls. Instead....I have found a million other things to do each day including sitting and watch Baby Kate gooo goooo gooo at me. (for hours) The last time I posted to our blog I was about 12 weeks away from Kate being born - not knowing whether she was a boy or a girl yet. Today, she fills our lives with joy. There's so much to tell that I feel the need to back track a bit and fill you all in on what has been going on at the Lindstrom house.

Stay tuned.....more to come!