Nineteen Years Ago Today.....

An amazing 19 years ago today, Miss Katelyn Michelle Naomi Rice made her entrance, straight from her Father in heaven into this world. She is our fifth child, a sister for Allison after three brothers. In fact, before I even got to hold her, I made sure Daddy called sweet Allison to tell her she FINALLY got a sister! She came on her own terms. I asked Dr. Matson why she wasn’t crying…He replied, “Oh, she’s just angry!” And that sweet little baby, who became “the Empress” ruled our home. She knew just what to do to get EVERYONE to do just what she wanted!

Now, you think that number 5 would have a rather difficult time being known, but not Miss Kayty! She was the only colicky one. (I say to this day that if she had been the first Rice, she also would have been the LAST Rice!) Colic IS real. We walked her, we did anything, and I mean ANYTHING to make her happy. We were all like a bunch of trained seals, while she led our circus. And that continues on to this day. Kayty was the girlie girl, running around in a swim suit 12 months out of the year (and we had no pool then), or that pink Little Mermaid dress that the kids all hated! (It was literally threadbare…don’t know which one was finally brave enough to get rid of it and suffer the wrath that might follow) She loved Naomi, her baby doll…still sits on her bed in her bunny suit that Kayty got for her this Halloween. She hated pants or shorts, loved dresses (now…no way) and her shoes…Oh, her shoes…she just loved them, and still does to this day. I do believe she could provide shoes for an entire Third World Country! She has always loved hot pink, but instead of dresses and bows, it is now teamed with black and skulls. Her bedroom is hot pink and black camouflage with skull accents!And yet, with all this bright, bubbly and ever high maintenance body, there is beautiful music. Kayty has always loved to sing. And she sings and sings and sings. When she was in elementary school, since all Rices had to play an instrument, she played the alto sax Ethan once used…she hated it, and actually was demoted from the intermediate band back to the beginning one. Mom talked with here (heck, I still march in the Play It Again Band every year!) and it was decided that she should try the piano. Man, there was no stopping her then. I am the envy of ALL moms, for I never had to remind her to practice. She just loved the piano and singing what she wanted to while she played what she wanted to. Her attending a performing arts middle and high school made her talents grow. She is now in her second year of college, majoring in vocal music education, minoring in…..Geology! Yep, this singing, sweet, indoor kind of girl LOVES geology…she loves volcanoes! What a hoot!

Kayty works at the perfect place: Party City…She truly is a party in a body with hot pink hair! She loves to buy gifts for everyone. She makes goody bags for tons of friends every holiday. I admit, I was a bit worried last year when she made basketball treat bags for her college basketball class…mostly guys…but they loved it. She loves to buy music, watch movies, drive her car-big brother Doran is painting it …black, with hot pink skulls on it, playing basketball, rocks, Legally Blonde – went to her first musical last year, bought her own tickets and came home full of tunes...carbs of any kind (we all sit in amazement, for she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over 3 yrs. ago…endocrinologist okays it, as long as she takes her insulin shots …and even that, she was soooo amazing to me. We were there in intensive care in Flagstaff…they spoke of shots and I just sat there as she slept thinking that there was NO way she was gonna be able to do this…the next day, she gave herself a shot, and me and dad(no insulin, just saline) and she manages it without missing a step…she even kept up her grades and graduated from high school with her best friend one year early!

I find people finding fault with the Duggars, a family who recently had their 19th child. Now, I know having a large family is not for everyone, physically or emotionally, but I can attest to the fact that, no matter how many you have, each one is unique…brings rare things to your life that you would never ever have had if you had not ventured to bring that child to the earth. Kayty brings so much to our home and our lives. You KNOW how Kayty feels. She is all out there…nothing to be shy about or ashamed of. She LIVES what she believes and loves everyone. Her friends are the dearest too her, but she never neglects her family…all of us look forward to her surprises…and Aunt Kayty makes the BEST goody bags.So, Miss Kayty, hurry home from your busy day at school…get the balloons you ordered from your store…and enjoy your birthday party you have invited soooo many that mean so much to you. And thank you for making the last 19 years so full of life for all of us. You, my sweet daughter, are truly unforgettable! Happy Birthday!