coral

i got these coral jeans today and i LOVE them!

i love them even more because i waited for the perfect moment to buy them and got an
awesome deal. i had a 30% off a regular priced item coupon that was good for this weekend
only (which took $18 off the price) and then i had $40 in gap rewards that i have
been saving, so my grand total came to $1.96. oh yes... these jeans are wonderful.

tune in!

feeling the need to be inspired??
tune in to general conference this saturday and sunday.

you won't regret it!

crow pose

image from here

i was finally able to get into this pose today
and hold it without immediately falling on my face. i was out
of control excited about it and i have been telling everyone all day. i definitely
did not look like the girl above... but i was able to balance for longer
than i ever thought possible. i couldn't believe it. i really thought that i
would never be able to do crow pose.. and today i did it. i kind of surprised myself.
practice really does work, i guess. can't wait for more yoga!

makes me wonder... what else can i do that i think i can't?
not just in yoga... but in life!

grapes

guess what team??

i have discovered that i like grapes.
yes sir!

i know they aren't vegetables, but i still think it is something to celebrate because now i like eight fruits instead of just seven. (count 'em: strawberries, bananas, oranges, peaches, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, and GRAPES)

i have tried grapes a few times over the last couple of weeks and when i had eaten about six of them i realized that maybe i like them. so i bought some of my own to eat. they are pretty good. the juice inside is delicious... but i really don't care for the skin. how do you get past that? it's the worst when i have enjoyed and swallowed the delicious part, but i'm still gnawing on the skin. yuck! i'm still eating them though, i think i just need to get used to the skin because i'm not going to take the time to peel my grapes.

writing writing writing

i have six weeks of school left! and then i get a week off and then i start summer classes, but let's just focus on this semester. i have six weeks of school left! YAY! i counted and in those six weeks of school... i still have SEVEN papers to write. AAAHHHHHH! how will i get it all done??

i have three due in the next week and a half, and then two weeks of just presentations and reading assignments, and then BAM! four papers due all at once at the end of april. i am going to be a mess. a hot mess.

consider yourself warned.

my buddies

i saw this picture last night with the comment from sammy,
"Look who I ran into on our moped adventure!"

and i burst into tears.
then i made a countdown for when my momma comes to see me (41 days!!).
i miss my family.

it's YOUR day

happy birthday momma!

you are an awesome mom and friend. thank you for always being
there for me. you are such a wonderful example to everyone you meet.
thank you for teaching me how to be happy and how to truly enjoy
life. what wonderful lessons to learn! i am such a lucky girl. you make our
family so fun, mom. i love you! have a great birthday...
you sure deserve it!

xoxo,
your favorite daughter

a change

i have finally decided... i go back and forth all of the time, but there is no stopping me now.

i have decided to grow out my bangs.

and i think i can do it. i first cut my bangs back in 2007 to help conceal my lovely scar i acquired after running into a door and every time my bangs start to get into that stage where they are toooo long i think to myself, maybe i should grow them out. and then they drive me crazy and i cut them again. so this is the time... i am going to grow them out and see what life is like with my forehead joining the party.

any tips on how to stay sane in the process?

cousin matt

the world lost a great person yesterday.

he is such an inspiration of hard work and determination.
our hearts are broken even though i know we will see him again.
until then... keep riding, matt.

another article here.
obituary here.

twenty-three point five

today is my half-birthday!
woot woot.

i am half-way through being 23 (weird!) and i'm having a great time.
i really like being 23... it's a good number. good thing i have 6 months left to enjoy it.

i have been telling jeremy for the past couple of days that my half-birthday was coming.
jeremy didn't think much of it which is too bad because celebrating half-birthdays sure sounds
like fun. he's probably not too fond of the idea because i am ALWAYS looking for
an excuse to celebrate with presents.

do you celebrate half-birthdays? do you ever notice yours?
i think i need half a cake or something...

burritos and a brownie sundae

last night we were both in the mood for some burritos, so we went to
one of our favorite places around here and we ordered almost identical dishes.

i got the chicken burrito with rice and beans and jeremy ordered the beef burrito with rice and beans. that happens to us all of the time... we go out to eat and order the exact same dish. i guess we are a little boring when it come to eating out. on the way home from dinner we stopped at friendly's to get a forbidden fudge brownie sundae to go, so we could share it in the parking lot. i'm not sure why, but i love doing that.

our green

hope you didn't get pinched!

jeremy wore the same shirt last year. funny.

almost everyone we saw was wearing green today. i think it is so funny.
does everybody want to wear purple with me on april 10th?

six pack

and i'm not talking about chiseled abs.

this guy was sure ready for the weekend. good luck with that buddy!

my puffy vest

i rediscovered my love for the puffy vest after i found it to be the PERFECT item of clothing for these early spring days. i feel like i finally understand the value of the puffy vest. at first i was kind of confused about when to wear it and what to wear it with. i have found that it is best to wear it over a long sleeved tee and i am good to go. it's warm in the morning when it's a little brisk, but not too warm that i am sweating in my coat when the afternoon sun comes out. plus anytime i wear it, i am always reminded of riley and our sweet videos, because truth be told it was purchased for this one. fun times! i just LOVE my puffy vest.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 40

today i wish for this four leaf clover ring.

how about a little luck on your finger?

p.s. happy PI day everyone (3.14)! have some pie tonight!

72 degrees

oh yes, that is what my car thermometer read today... and in the middle of march!

CRAZY!

all of this sunshine is making me dream of summer.
all i can think about are beach days, fun trips, more free time,
less stress, longer days, warm nights, summer walks,
lazy mornings, playing tennis, less papers to write, etc, etc, etc.

ooooo... it will be so nice, but it's still eight weeks away.

is it too soon to make a paper chain count down??

really, is it? ... well, i have to get back to my paper... bummer.

outside

today was a BEAUTIFUL day (62 degrees!!). it was just perfect.
when i got home from work i was dying to run outside in the sunshine and so were my white legs!

so i took off. the plan was to run wherever, for however long i wanted. i didn't want to feel trapped by a set route, or time, or anything. so i just ran, listened to my breathing (the passing cars, too), and loved every minute. it was great! when i finished i had no idea how far i had run or how long i had been gone. i felt tired, but i wasn't dying. it felt so good that i figured i must have run only 2 miles, but when i mapped it online it was nearly 4. i was hoping for 3, so i was pleasantly surprised.

it was my first run outside since we moved to boston (over 7 months!!). and you know what?? running outside instead of on a treadmill was way more enjoyable (although i tend to run slower... oh well). i was running more for me, instead of a certain distance, time, or number of calories burned. i tend to focus on the numbers on the treadmill instead of my body. i set up all sorts of rules in my head about when i slow down or lower the incline, etc. i end up playing mind games the entire workout instead of actually enjoying it. running outside just got me in a wonderful place. i am so excited for the beautiful weather ahead. i want to run for me more often.

running outside is my new favorite.

uninformed

well super tuesday came and went and don't worry... we both voted.

i don't really pay much attention to politics. i find that people mostly base their opinions on the crazy things they hear about the opposing candidates and they continue to listen only to the stories that fuel their current views. from the candidates there are usually unrealistic promises made on all sides as well as a lot of scrutiny and negativity (and so much money that it kind of makes me sick). it's safe to say that politics is something i largely avoid.

so to help me out i called my mom and asked her who i should vote for just to make sure. my parents are more knowledgeable when it comes to the political sphere of life and we generally have the same views. but i found that their expertise was more helpful when we lived in the same state, because there were two other items on the massachusetts ballot that i had NO IDEA about. luckily, i had asked jeremy who he voted for so i made sure i voted for different people so that our votes would cancel each other out.

even with my little scheme i felt terrible walking out of that fire station. i just picked random names. sure i exercised my right to vote... but i was so uninformed i felt irresponsible. next time i will try to do more research, so i know a little more about what and who is on the ballot.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 39

today i wish for a pina colada popsicle.


found this gem of a recipe on pinterest. i'm hoping to try it out this weekend.
blend & freeze: 1 can pineapple chunks in juice, 1 banana,
1 can coconut milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

maybe they will help me get through the days i just want something sweet.

3/9/12 UPDATE: i made them... they aren't that good.

process group

quick story from my internship:

yesterday we had a process group (a group where we ask the kids what they want to talk about or "process" that's hopefully related to staying sober). my co-facilitator asked if anyone had a topic they wanted to process. one boy said, "i want to process the streak in katie's hair.... i think it's awesome."

suddenly questions were shooting at me from all different directions, including "is it natural?" funny kids. i mostly just smiled and said thanks trying not to actually entertain the distracting topic. my co-facilitator stepped in, "now that we have processed katie's hair, does anybody have a topic more relevant to recovery?" luckily, a client did and we ended up having a great group discussion.

my streak is only a few inches long these days... but i'm glad some think it's cool rather than totally lame since it's so grown out.

birthday celebrations

here's what we did for the birthday weekend:

day 1 - saturday

we ventured into the city to spend the afternoon at the museum of science.

they had soooo much stuff there.
my favorite part: the real bones of Cliff the triceratops.
jeremy's favorite part: the geckos!

then we made homemade pizzas and watched moneyball.


day 2 - sunday
we went to church and then opened presents as soon as we got home.


jeremy was surprised with an ipod touch from my parents!

he couldn't believe it. he's been playing with it all day.

next on the agenda was a nap, then a roast and mashed taters for dinner,
and we finished off the night with funfetti cake, cookie dough ice cream, and a movie.

hope it was everything you dreamed of cute boy!

oh boy... i'm married to a 26 year old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!


(x-country skiing in north conway for our anniversary)

you are my favorite. very favorite in fact.
thanks for making me laugh ALL THE TIME.
you make life so fun. i am the luckiest girl.
i'm so glad we get to celebrate you today!

here are 26 reasons why i love you:

1. you call me “sweet girl”
2. you work hard
3. you tell me i’m beautiful
4. you believe in me
5. you love your family, and mine
6. you think i’m so brave
7. you are a good kisser
8. you sing all of the time
9. you are happy
10. you take kissing breaks when we are studying
11. you have sweet calf muscles
12. you buy me fun presents
13. you encourage me to dream big
14. you are soooo handsome
15. you let me take lots of pictures
16. you think i am funny
17. you tell me you love me every day… lots of times
18. you dance with me at parties even when you don’t want to
19. you are kind to everyone
    
20. you are funny - so funny
21. you text me love notes
22. you are humble
23. you make my heart melt
24. you love the gospel and live it
25. you pray for me
26. you are a good person - through and through

thanks for being YOU!