Stories & Pictures

February 2014

 

 

Wow, how did that month go by so quickly?

We had another snow/ ice event and missed a week of school.

 

Then the kids started track season, and the weather was thankfully cooperative.

Love to see them run, and Kelly is also doing the high jump this year even though her coach calls her a midget.  She is the only female high jumper, so he is proud of her in spite of her shortness.

Two track meets a week keep up busy, plus practice every day after school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went to Blairsville to teach a program on scrap quilts and was lucky enough to have a sunny day for the drive into the mountains. 

 

This kids (and friend Sara) went to the Imagine Dragons concert. Bill waited outside and can testify that it was loud even from his location. They had a blast and that's all that matters!

If you need us, we will be running, watching a track meet, or driving to or from one. 

We are just so thankful for happy, healthy kids. 

 

January 2014

Where did this month go? Seriously, it's hard to believe it is almost February. Ack.

Here's the highlights of what happened around our house...

The kids went back to school after a nice long holiday break.

We baked amazing Doubletree Copycat cookies.

I released another new quilt pattern.

The kids all got sick with high fevers and a cough.

The kids all got better fairly quickly.

Bill and Danny ran a 5k. (David and Kelly still had fevers.)

I went on a fun quilt retreat with my friends.

Bill spent the night in a Kroger after being stuck in "snowmagedden" for 8 hours.

The kids got a week off school to  play in the snow.

I quilted...almost every day.

We made a few new smoothie recipes. Yum.

The boys ran almost every day. So did Bill.

Bill went to work, flying to a bunch of places, but no place particularly interesting.

We ate lots of chili, loaded potatoes and scrambled eggs.

The weather has not helped, but Kelly has gotten to ride a few times.

The kids went to their first track and field practice, there will be many more in the next few months.

We got some serious snuggle time in with the doggies.

I did a few thousand loads of laundry but I'm still not caught up.

We had plenty of sleepovers and fun with friends.

We may have gone to Leon's for ice cream a time or two.

The boys got their sports physicals updated and impressed the doctor with their growth spurts and weight loss. 

Our grocery bill exceeded our mortgage.

0 out of 3 teenagers in this house want to drive, so I'm still carpool queen.

We laughed a lot, loved a lot and remembered how truly blessed we are to be together.

It was a pretty good start to a new year.

 

2013 Review

Feeling a little too tired (or maybe just lazy) to rehash what turned out to be a fairly decent, albeit busy, year for our family. Instead I've just decided to share our Christmas letter, so if you're on our card list you can skip it, it will look familiar...

Knott News 2013 edition…

 

This year was crazy and wonderful and busy, but mostly it was healthy, and for that we are so grateful!

Danny and David just turned fifteen and are freshmen in high school! They both had a great first season of running on the high school cross country team and sign up with their dad for every 5k or 10k available. Placing first and second in their age group had become a habit, until this week when they moved up to the next age group. No doubt they will simply rise to the challenge. They are doing really well in school and while they don’t particularly like schoolwork, they are determined to do well. They continue to be best friends and talk late into the night, every night, but they can also drive one another crazy in no time flat. They stay busy (when they aren’t running) with their computers and talking to friends online. Sleepovers, campfires and making their own pizzas top their list of favorite things currently.

 

Kelly recovered completely from her leg surgery, in December of last year, and is back to doing all the things she loves. She was a true champ during her months of recovery and hardly ever complained about how much she missed riding and running. She’s a sophomore this year and continues to have amazing grades in all of her honors classes. She is quick to point out that she’s really not that smart, she just tries hard. Her humor and quick wit have entertained us on a daily basis. At sixteen, she is now working part time at the barn and still riding every chance she gets. She has also started running the occasional 5k with her brothers and Bill. She’s sporting contacts instead of glasses. Her kitty Luna has turned into a very sassy cat and is totally adored by all of us.

 

Diane has been way too busy with her quilting business, in a very good way. Being published in four national magazines this year started the ball rolling, and there are several more planned for next year. Teaching workshops and doing lectures on quilting are filling the calendar and it constantly amazes Bill that people pay her to talk for an hour. He’s been listening for free for years!

 

Bill is currently a Captain on the 767 for Delta and still based in Atlanta. He flies both in the US and overseas. His trips constantly change, but his mission of bringing home the occasional surprise for the kids and Diane remains.  We did manage an amazing few days together in Brussels enjoying the gorgeous city and partaking of the local chocolates and waffles. Bill is wonderful at driving carpool, making coffee, doing yard work and cooking dinner and running with the boys and Kelly when he’s not flying.

 

Buddy and Bailey remain completely confused as to why the family feline detests them so much. They are still trying to be friends with her in spite of the daily rejection. It’s quite pitiful. They do get their share of human love, and the occasional doggie treat helps.

We hope that all of you are doing well, staying healthy, and having a wonderful holiday season with the people you love most. We always look forward to the news and photos from far away, and hope to hear from you soon!

Best wishes for a wonderful 2014, 

 

The Knott Family

 

15 years ago...

We lived in Roswell.

We had a beautiful little girl who was not yet 16months old.

I was pregnant with twins and went into labor 8 weeks early.

We went to the hospital thinking it was a "false alarm" so we just had a neighbor stay with Kelly.

At 3:15 am we met David, who was all of 5 lbs and adorable with just a bit of brown hair.

I was shocked that he looked just like Kelly had when she was born.

At 3:36am we met Danny, who entered the world feet first and all of 4lbs 6oz but every bit as adorable as his brother.

We watched in shock and fear as the medical teams worked on our baby boys.

We waited to hear they were going to be just fine.

We were bewildered by all of the wires, tubes, and machines that they were connected to.

We worried.

We waited.

We worried some more, okay, lots more.

And then just after Christmas, we finally got to bring our babies home.

Since then...

They have been sweet, silly, naughty, loving, active and wonderful every day.

They have grown into amazing young men that we are SO proud to call our sons.

They have started high school, and worked hard for good grades in their honors classes.

They have run many miles before, during and after their cross country team season.

They have shown great gentleness with our pets.

They have shown mercy to each other and their sister many times.

They have taken a few opportunities to drive each other crazy as well.

They are best friends with each other and Kelly.

They are taller than their mom.

They talk late into the night, every night.

Their laughter fills that house at least once a day.

Their laundry and shoes adorn the floor constantly.

They are simply the best two teenage boys we could ever ask for.

We are so lucky to be their family and call them ours.

Happy 15th Birthday David and Danny!

We love you so very much, forever.

 

 

 

Hello December!

Hello cold weather and coats, scarves and mittens.

Hello blazing fires and hot coffee!

Hello 'a mile a day' challenge throughout the month.

Hello boys birthdays, how can they be 15 already?

Hello JingleJog5k and all the fun that goes with it!

Hello final exams and horse riding and running.

Hello shopping and wrapping and giving.

Hello decorating and lighting and feeling the magic.

Hello cards and greetings and mail from friends far away.

Hello cooking and baking and sipping and tasting.

Hello family from Arizona and North Carolina, welcome for the holidays.

Hello recording it all in our 'December Daily' memory keeping.

Hello joy and laughter, time together and making good memories.

Hello December, so glad you are finally here!

 

Happy Thanksgiving

To you and your family from ours, may it be blessed with friends, fun and plenty of good food!

Happy Thanksgiving.

This week...

This week I finished another quilt, and Luna seems to approve. She rolled around on it for quite a while. 

The kids had lots of tests before they begin thier one week break from school. It's going to be a busy break with two work shifts at the barn, one riding lesson, field day for all three at school on Monday, eye doctor appointments for two on Tuesday, Thanksgiving celebration on Wednesday because Bill goes "on call" Thursday. Then we are all running/walking the Turkey Trot on Thursday. At some point we want to watch the new Hunger Games movie, and since these kids won't stop growing, we need to do some shopping as well. 

I am feeling truly  thankful for all of it, even if it will crazy busy. 

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you,

Diane

On the run again...

Tuesday night, the kids participated in the MCJROTC ceremony and it was the coldest night of the year so far! I could see poor Kelly shivering from across the field! But they insisted the cake afterwards was worth it! The boys have decided they like this program as much as Kelly does, so it's been a great decision for all of them. 

Yesterday, Bill and the boys ran a local 5K to support the human society and Kelly volunteered at the race to earn points for  her Beta Club participation. I stayed snug and warm in bed, but they all had a wonderful time from what I hear. Danny and Bill both placed first in their age groups, and Danny placed 2nd overall. David placed second in his age group right behind his brother. 

Kelly and I spent some time at the barn last night with friends around the bonfire. Luckily the fire kept us warm and the friends kept us laughing!

Hope your week was wonderful as well!

Diane

Tricky Business

Raising three teens is not a simple task. Don't get me wrong, I totally love every minute of it...well, except the part about how messy their rooms are.  But you may have noticed a post or two appear here over the past few months, only to have it disappear again. Seems, I have a few extra editors in the house. I totally want to respect their privacy but sometimes, what I think is okay to share, is not what they think is okay to share. But I've had some comments from folks who were regular readers saying they miss this little window into our adventures. 

So I'm going to try again (wish me luck!)

This summer was filled with fun and challenges. We spent lots of time relaxing and playing but we also spent (mostly me) lots of time travelling to and from NC because Mimi had back surgery. She is recovering well now, but it was quite the rocky road for a bit, and I know she's glad to be on the other side of that! 

Back to school, meant all three kiddos went to HIGH SCHOOL. What??? How can that be? Didn't I just have these babies? Never the less, they all were happy to see their friends and have a regular social structure again. Oh, and the classes are going okay too. Two out of three have straight A's and the other only has a few B's. Honestly, I wish I could have said the same for myself at that age! 

Kelly is still riding at the barn and enjoying her work there once a week. I think she could live at that place and be just fine! She is also now 16, and we had a huge party to prove it! She invited about 20 of her closest friends over for a campfire/swim/cookout party. It was so much fun, and it was good to see how funny and silly a bunch of really cool teenagers can be. It's even better to know that she has recovered fully from her surgery last year and is back to all her regular activities. 

The boys started cross country and were at the school at 6am every day this summer to train. (Not my favorite taxi duty!) But all the hard work paid off and they have had a wonderful season running with the team and enjoying the friends they have made. They have even competed in a few community 10K and 5K races. 

Bill is still flying a 767 at Delta and is almost always on call. At any moment he could leave for Europe, or Orlando or New York. It's not been too bad, and he has been able to stay mostly stateside, which is easier on the time zone body clock. He has been running with the boys and proudly displays the photo of Danny and him crossing the finish at the Peachtree Road Race. 

Meanwhile, my little business Butterfly Threads Quilting is keeping me super busy. I've had a dozen quilts either published in magazines, books, or calendars. Some are still in process, so there is much packing and shipping of boxes back and forth. I've been very pleased with my steady trickle of business at my ETSY store and my calendar is booking quickly with teaching and workshops! I have teaching contracts lined up for January through June and am so excited to be sharing my love of quilting with so many eager quilters! It is truly rewarding, even if it is exhausting. 

Luna continues to entertain us on a daily basis. She is so sweet and sassy and entirely too rude to the dogs. They still think she might play with them, and are sadly disappointed by indignant hisses each time they try. It's really kind of pitiful. But they get lots of love and belly rubs from the humans in the house, so they have a really good life in spite of the feline rejection.

For now, we are just maintaining the daily crazy that is our schedule, and still managing to sit down to dinner together every night to hear all about who's done what. It may be a bit crazy, but I wouldn't trade these days for anything! Living with three teens is far better than I ever could have imagined, and I know that these days will be gone all too soon. 

I will try to give you more regular updates (and hope that my editors will not delete them!)

Please know that we are doing well and would love to hear from you in the comments or by email. 

Take care,

Diane

Can I Call a Time Out?

I just want to know how this summer got put into fast forward without my permission? Seriously, at this rate, I will look forward to school starting so we can S L O W D O W N for a minute. 

The boys have to be at school every day by 6:45 AM for track. Kelly has to be at the barn by 8am for riding and then there are the kids social schedules...oh my.

I am enjoying being chauffered every where by Kelly who is practicing her driving skills, but seriously.

In the past two weeks I've given two guild presentations, led an all day workshop, taken two trips to Dahlonega for sewing machine drop off and pick up. Kelly has been to the barn countless times, and ordered new boots at the tack store (not nearby!) and had to pick them up. The boys are at least going to bed earlier because of the early morning runs.

We have had numerous sleepovers and social outings. We've been to the pool, the aquatic center, and various parks and running trails. We've also been to the quilt shop quite few times, thankfully!

We've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and a few other special events that are fun, but my calendar looks like a crossword puzzle!

I just feel like every day is a sprint to the finish, and I'm ready for some summer relaxation...any tips on where I could find some?