Happy Birthday Kato!!!!

Happy 28th Birthday to my beloved daughter Kate!

Kate made her appearance at St. Mary's Hospital in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, April 22, 1978 at 2:26 p.m. She was two weeks early by the Dr.'s calculations and weighed in at 6 lbs., 4 oz. and 20 inches long.

After a stay of a couple of days at the hospital, Kate came home and began getting the lay of the land. Her Grandmother Brackett was there to help out and Kate returned the favor by letting her have the early a.m. shift during the scream-a-thon that became a daily/nightly ritual.

She is pictured at the left with me on the day after her birth.

The first year of Kate's life was very long. She hated being a helpless baby and as each milestone passed and she became more independent, her attitude improved considerably.

In the blink of an eye, Kate was chomping down some cake on her first birthday. Her party had an all-star cast including her Grandparents Marge and Jack Gibson, her Grandparents John and Wilma Brackett (she is pictured with her Poppi B. at right), Poppi's sister Aunt Madaline and her husband Merle, Madaline's son, Cousin Barry and his new bride Tova, and Aunt Gail Morris and her family.

Kate impressed one and all by taking five steps between her father and mother that day with all the witnesses. It may be noted that she didn't walk independently again for two months!! Talk about a show off!

A few years later, Kate and I went to Disneyland with our long-time friend Chris and her daughter Mallory to celebrate Kate's 4th birthday. To the left, she is pictured on her bike wearing her souvenir Mickey Mouse ears and T-shirt.

During her Junior year of college, step-sister and bosom buddy Sarah was studying abroad at the University of Leeds in England. We decided to celebrate their mututal 21st birthdays (Sarah is in one week on the 29th) by taking Kate to England with us when we visited Sarah. The girls took a 24 hour trip to Paris while we slept off the trip and we ended

up in an Edinburgh, Scotland pub to celebrate their first legal drink together. (Even though neither was quite 21 and the drinking age in the U.K. is 18). Aren't they beautiful??

Kate continued to grow up to be a wonderful woman. She's married to Steve and mother of the amazing Mr. B.

So, on your 28th birthday, I say to you, my darling daughter, happy, happy day and many, many more. I love you tons!!

xoxoxoxoxo
your mommo