Introducing Katy Lady

Katy, Katy, Katy.  I can't possibly tell you all the things I love about Katy, but I'll try.  Mostly I just love Katy.

Katy, helping me paint our rental.

Katy is amazing.  She has like 75 kids.  (Okay, maybe it's 8, but it's still a lot - with a set of twins in there somewhere.)  And she's super chill.  Maybe you'd call her a free range parent; I'm not sure if she would or not.  I do know that when my kids would play at her house when they were little my phone calls to have them sent home went something like this:

Me:  Is Hannah there?
Katy:  Maybe.  I think I saw her a while ago, but I'm not sure if she's still here.  I heard some of the kids playing in the basement.  I think some of them are in the backyard.  And sometimes they like to play on the dirt hills out behind our house.  They also might be on Paula's trampoline.  I'll ask Sarah.

We did always find them, and they were fine.  Where was Katy when all this was going on?  Under her tree in a comfy chair reading a book.  I'm sure everything important was taken care of before she lost herself in her book.  She did keep 8 kids alive and healthy and happy and wonderful.

Katy's kids many years ago, so I hope she's okay with me sharing this.  Photos by Jennifer Grigg.

She's kind of annoying sometimes, in her Mary Poppins-like wonderfulness.  She always serves vegetables at dinner (always homemade), including things like brussel sprouts - and her kids eat them!  She regularly uses her solar oven to cook dinner.  She coaches her daughters's basketball teams.  And although I've spent many, many hours with her and her kids over the years, I've never heard her raise her voice.  (Well, maybe coaching, but just to be heard over the crowd, never in irritation or anger.)

She's never self-conscious at all about photos.  She says the key is to wear sunglasses all the time, but she doesn't have any qualms about photos without them either.  I'm kind of jealous about how little she worries about that.  It's probably because she's so darn cute.

Me, Katy, and our other amazing friend, Jen.

She doesn't gossip.  Like, ever.  No matter how much I might try to pull it out of her.

There are times I want to beat her for her persistence on certain topics (but that's more a statement about me and not her).

And while she sounds irritatingly perfect, she's so genuinely loving and kind that it's impossible not to like her.

She pushes me to be better than I am, but never, ever judges me for who I am right now.  She lovingly listens when I prattle on about the struggles in my life; she's pretty much my therapist.  She'll do almost anything I ask her to do on a hike, like hold a great-big-giant snakeskin for a photo, although she's learned to say no when I suggest we just head up that mountain a bit to see what's over there.  I often head up difficult spots without much thought about how we'll get back down.  And while she sometimes gets irritated with me for how often I stop on hikes to take pictures, I know she still loves hiking with me and is glad I take them.

Katy, holding the giant snakeskin we found on one of our hikes.

She's wonderful.  I adore her and her children and her husband and consider them family.  I'm so grateful to call her my dear friend.  And I'm excited to share a bit of her with you.

Katy and Kevin, her husband.  I just love them!