Snow Baby

My grand niece, Kaytlyn Griffith is a big fan of the snow. In fact, you might call her a Snow Baby, except that at 10 years old, she isn’t really a baby anymore. When you hit those double digits, you can’t be called a baby. Nevertheless, Kaytlyn lives the snow. When it’s snowy out, Kaytlyn is outside in it. Last weekend, when Powell got a lot of snow, her dad, Josh Griffith we outside and shoveled all the snow he could find into a big pile, and Kaytlyn spent all day playing with their dog, Trump on the pile and sledding down it. As far as Kaytlyn is concerned, her dad is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now I think, that given Kaytlyn’s Snow Baby tendencies, that her dad needs to bring in a bunch of dirt this summer and build her a snow sledding hill for next year, because her mom, Susan Griffith was telling me a couple of days ago that it would be great if they had a sledding hill nearby, and since they have ended ugh land for it, they might as well have a sledding hill. Of course, Kaytlyn isn’t so snow crazy that she really wants to be out in it when it’s -20°, but there is a point when the temperature starts to rise and it’s finally above 0°, and everyone starts to feel happy again. That’s when Kaytlyn has to get outside in the snow. That’s a true Snow Baby.

Kaytlyn and her dog, Trump are best friends. Trump is an 80 pound teddy bear. He absolutely loves Kaytlyn. They play outside together and hang out together inside too. Next to Kaytlyn, Trump looks huge. Nevertheless, he would do anything for Kaytlyn. Trump is a special dog. Trump is deaf, but that doesn’t make Trump a dumb dog. They family has taught Trump sign language so they can communicate, and it has worked. I find that amazing.

Kaytlyn won three awards in one day at her school. That is a pretty big deal, and quite uncommon. She is a great friend to other kids at school. Her parents have really pushed the anti-bullying techniques, because they want her to help make a difference in the life of other people. I think that maybe the time spent with Trump has helped in that area too. Kaytlyn has learned that just because someone is different, whether it is deafness, shyness, or some other disability, doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with them, and that they still have value, and should be treated with respect. Kaytlyn knows these things because of the wonderful upbringing she has received from her parents. Today is Kaytlyn’ s 10th birthday. Happy birthday Kaytlyn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!