CLEARLY THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNS OF POSTING..

..in a while. A lot has changed but some things have stayed the same.

I still have my awesome nephew, the Cole-ster. He is now over one year old and is touched with the ability to make everyone in the same room with him absolutley die laughing at his unintentional hilariousness, and be in awe of his seriously cute self. (at least i think so..)

And now we have sweet little Isabelle who is so adorable and cuddly and precious and beautiful..but a totally different "vibe" than Cole. She is real snuggly and fragile and sweet and she -no lie- sounds like a sweet kitten when she cries..its probley even sweet at 2am, right Holly?..

I will have to say that Dad and I are totally pumped about having an excuse for going trick-or-treating again. This year i actually dressed up, (which i was way unnaturally exited about..of course), and took Cole out with Dad around the neighborhood.

So it was me: Aunt Katie-pirate, Cole: miniature sleepy-pirate, and Dad: speed-racer as he pushed Cole from house to house super-speedily as if he thought all the candy would run out in the first 30 minutes. I know people thought we were nuts..dad didn't want Cole to miss the experience of ANY,(did you get the ANY..), of the spooky houses.

When we came to the next one that was at the top of this GI-GAN-TOR hill, will this rediculous amount of like a trillion tiny/steep stairs that you had to brave all the way up, in order to even GET to the long waiting line of crazy parents and kids..i didn't even look at Dad cause i knew this house looked to popular for him to pass up.

Dad ended up pushing Cole up this nutty hill while I ended up waiting in the line and holding out the candy bucket at the top of the stairs. And even though i called back over my shoulder- Real Loudly- " SAY TRICK OR TREAT COLE!", it was clear that Cole was now taking me trick-or-treating, and i was the craziest of all Aunts..We had a blast.

There is another girl now working at the fire Station which i was really nervous and wierded out by at first, which is kind of strange to admit. It took me by surprise that i would feel like that about there being,"Another One", (as the guys put it), i think because i have been the only "One" for so long, and what if she was mean or competitive or something? (Ok maybe IM the one who is competitive..)

But after i met her and she is now on shift..i really, really like her! It is so strange because now when we go to do our shift work-out on work mornings, i have a buddy -another "ONE"- like me to chatter to about as many girly things as we wish.

Work is still enjoyable but im really trying to "hang in there" till i get into nursing school, and then i can just focus in on school.

I do like my job and being able to do it..being able to be "Tough" i guess while working with all these guys. But maybe one of my most favorite and interesting things about getting to work here as well as becoming good buddies with them after all this time, is when i have brought around guys i was dating.

Its so funny because usually, i tell them about guys i like or date and they always laugh or imput there opinions on my dating affairs, (which im always eager and fasinated to hear cause who better to ask for advice on a guy situation than a guy?), so when i have brought up the actual guy i have been telling them about..its always really secretly funny to watch them meet.

Usually when i have brought in my dating-interest, (or outside/personal-life guy), in the station, they stand and shake his hand firmly while both looking at eachother also firmly in the eye. It was even worse when they met Scott last year, (All of them made a point to stand and shake hands with him), cause they knew he and i had become good buddies and could tell i really liked him.

I love it cause all the sudden i realize i am witnessing a total guy thing and i feel..protected or special or something but definatly..like a girl. Not that i forget that i am one at work..but it just really doesn't factor in anymore at work to me-i guess i've just been here to long. Its kind of embarrasing to admit, but its like my secret enjoyment- The whole meeting-process thing and me just being a total girl for a split-second.