Quasi's Bell Tower

Thai is hard

2012-01-30T18:26:00.006-05:00

today we got rye's first letter and this was his picture at the end:

you can do it riley! we are praying for you, buddy!

day tripper

2012-01-29T15:51:00.015-05:00

yesterday we hopped on a bus and took off for NYC

we met jeremy's family for a day of serious fun.
we had a delicious lunch and fancy desserts at caf un deux trois,
we saw Mary Poppins on Broadway and were quite impressed,
i just had to have the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious bag,
we walked around times square and checked out the street vendors
where i bought a beautiful green scarf for only 5 dollas,
we visited the m&m store and bought some pretty m&ms,
we walked around a bit more and saw the empire state building,
and then we boarded a Boston-bound bus and were home before midnight.

i love a day trip to NYC... can't wait to do that again!

made my day

2012-01-26T18:41:00.003-05:00

we recently had a schedule change where i intern and the boys can't go to the Y on thursdays anymore. so me and the other intern volunteered to run some sort of workout group on thursday mornings. we were planning on doing yoga, but we don't have enough mats donated yet, so today i brought in the 50 minute cardio dvd by jillian michaels to do with the boys.

none of them wanted to do it. they thought it would be dumb and too easy. so i told them they must be afraid that they can't keep up with me. well, that got some of them out of their seats and moving. a coworker also offered some dunkin donuts coffee for whoever made it to the end, so that helped too. i started with 5 boys doing the workout with me and 4 others watching from the couch, the lazy bums!

the workout consists of seven different circuits and not one kid did all of them with me. they were dropping like flies! it was hilarious. there were lots of water breaks happening and some would come back 10 minutes later to either workout some more or join the lazy bums on the couches. 2 of the kids ended up pulling themselves together and joined me again for the last couple circuits.

anyways... it was awesome. and i am in way better shape then a whole bunch of teenage boys. okay, only 5 teenage boys, but it was fun... and a killer workout.

riley's turn

2012-01-25T15:03:00.004-05:00

little brother #1 came home from his mission in august, and now it is time to send out little brother #2. thank heavens this is the last time we have to do this. i just don't think i can take much more. these two years better fly by! i am going to miss him. we skyped last night and rye was all ready to go. he will be an AWESOME missionary!

he is off to serve the Lord for two years... in THAILAND! i am so proud of him!

i love you riley! be prepared for lots of letters and pictures in the mail.
i don't want you to forget what i look like.

the debate

2012-01-23T21:47:00.009-05:00

jeremy was watching the debate, but he had
to turn it off. it makes him too nervous.  he doesn't
like it when people argue (or "debate").  he decided
that maybe it wasn't his type of show.
he is such a funny boy.

childhood treat

2012-01-20T21:57:00.004-05:00

we started the night planning to make some oven-baked churros,
but the main ingredient (frozen puff pastry sheets) could not be found at our grocery
store. so instead we bought some pie crust dough, covered it in
cinnamon and sugar, baked it for 7 minutes, and voila!

cinnamon and sugar pie crust cookies

my mom used to take the pie crust scraps whenever she made a
pie and make these treats for us when we were little. they are delicious.
one tip: enjoy them with a glass of milk.

turbo brushers

2012-01-19T09:38:00.004-05:00

jeremy scored a free sonicare toothbrush
from school. well, all the students did. they each
received some code to order one online last week.
it came today and surprise, he got TWO!

we called the place to see if they were going to let us
keep it or if they wanted us to send it back. this was the
guy's first response, "Maybe you should try your luck
at the lottery."

and he let us keep it. crazy!
they are almost $200.

we are pretty lucky!

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 33

2012-01-18T08:53:00.003-05:00

today i wish i could knit this chunky cabled cowl.

i am too afraid to attempt to knit this. it calls for 2 strands of yarn at the same time as well
as cabling, and i haven't done either. someday i will try to knit this, but today i only
wish i could knit it. anyone want to hold my hand and walk me through the pattern?
maybe we should start a knitting group...

pencils are fancy

2012-01-17T19:10:00.007-05:00

i have begun using a little thing called the pencil. used one lately??

i forgot how great they were. i have been an avid pen-user since i was allowed to use pens in school during those awkward teenage years. i have really only used pencils for math classes and standardized tests until just recently. i have been using a pencil at work that randomly surfaced at my desk and i have decided that pencils are rrrreally handy. no scribbling on my cute agenda if something gets rescheduled and no scratching out things in my notes if i spell it wrong the first time. erasers are great; random patches of chaotic ink are not so great. i think my notes might be in pencil this semester.

donut run

2012-01-16T09:57:00.007-05:00

i like to do something fun for breakfast on a day off, so this morning we checked out
kane's donuts. it was named one of the top ten best places for donuts in the whole country.

well, they did not disappoint! they have TONS of flavors. i loved the chocolate honey-dipped
and the chocolate with chocolate frosting. word to the wise: only get one. these things are
HUGE! (good thing we had buddies to share with!!) i have an old fashioned glazed waiting for me as
soon as i can work up an appetite again. i think we found our go-to donut shop!

bowling: candlepin style

2012-01-15T08:14:00.001-05:00

i had no idea there were different types of bowling, but up here in the new england area they have this thing called candlepin bowling. it's different from regular bowling in that the pins are pretty much just tubes, the balls are smaller and all weigh the same, and you get three throws per frame instead of two. candlepin bowling was invented in the 1880s in a town just an hour west of us: worcester, massachusetts (pronounced wuster... figure that one out). anyways... we went candlepin bowling last night and had a blast. i think i almost prefer it over regular bowling.

our scores were pretty low, but we did better the second time around. candlepin bowling is a lot tougher than regular bowling. the record high score is 245 out of 300, which was matched last year by some guy at a bowling alley just 16 minutes away. how crazy!? well, it's a fun game! totally looking forward to more candlepin bowling! maybe next time i won't get so many gutter balls. more info on the game here and here.

eggplant

2012-01-14T11:16:00.010-05:00

yesterday i ventured to the yarn store for some yarn. i needed
to knit something. i found this beautiful eggplant super chunky yarn and
deemed it perfect for my new project. this easy knit infinity scarf. i followed
the pattern exactly, but used size 13 needles instead of 19 to make it a little tighter.

i love it! its close to my neck when i double it up to keep me extra warm.
the best part... it only took a few hours. so it looks like i can knit another something
this weekend. back to the yarn store i go... maybe for some orange yarn this time.

something to remember

2012-01-13T17:46:00.003-05:00

found on pinterest

just because

2012-01-12T09:03:00.003-05:00

i slid these cards into jeremy's backpack yesterday.

he's my favorite.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 32

2012-01-11T12:05:00.004-05:00

today i wish for something to
organize the scarves, gloves, and hats around here.
(because it's getting out of control!)

i found this shoe organizer solution on pinterest. any other suggestions??

taco soup

2012-01-10T18:29:00.010-05:00

almost every night i want soup for dinner. it just warms my soul when
its cold outside. we had a skiff of snow out there this morning, but now it looks
like it never happened. and i am not sure how i feel about it. part of me wants
us to glide right through the frigid winter into spring without any harsh
weather. the other part of me wants snow, snow, and more snow.
you know... to experience the boston winter. if its going to snow it better be big.
so big that i can't leave my house. i would love to be stranded with jeremy and
spend my days drinking hot cocoa, eating delicious soup, and
watching movies with him.

if you are also in a soupy mood, you can whip up some taco soup.
that's what we had for dinner and it's delicious!

taco soup for the crock pot soul
1 can of chicken, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa

dump the ingredients (and their juice) in a crock pot and you are golden.
so easy!! cook on low 4 to 6 hours. or on high for an hour - like we did tonight
because sometimes we don't plan dinner that far in advance.

stuff to work on

2012-01-06T13:41:00.002-05:00

i am so sad to see 2011 go. is anybody else? it was such a good year.
2012 better be just as fun... or else! here are some goals to keep me focused.

keep working out
i got back on the bandwagon in mid october. and i love it! regular exercise keeps me sane. so i am just making it a goal to keep working out. it makes me happy and it keeps my body healthy! i am also toying with the idea of running another 1/2 marathon sometime this summer. but that seems like a lot of work. so we will keep it at exercising at least 30 minutes, 5-6 times a week for now.

print pictures
this was my goal last year... and i printed ONE picture and that was a couple of weeks ago. so it must be my goal again. i cannot be defeated. so this year i will print my favorite pictures and make a collage of some sort. what's the point of taking pictures if they just sit on my computer?

learn to like at least one vegetable
(besides my one and only green beans) vegetables are just terrible. but alas they are good for you. how inconvenient. i attempted to try numerous veggies in 2010...and it didn't work out very well. so i am at it again. since i am aiming to learn to like only one vegetable this year maybe i can do it!

enjoy every moment
last year i wanted to "be brave" with all the changes that i knew were ahead. this year my motto is to enjoy every moment. i know school might get hard and i might hate it every once in a while... but i signed up for this. if it wasn't hard then i would be mad that it costs so much. the hard times help me grow. so i will learn to enjoy every moment this year, not just in school, but in life as well.

paint my nails every week
why? because i always need a random goal that makes life more exciting and painted nails are WAY more fun than the natural sort. i bet i will have quite the nail polish collection when the year is through.

spend new years eve in new york city
wouldn't that be AMAZING! i dream of doing it sometime, so why not officially make it a goal. i would love to be in times square and count down with millions of my closest friends. i HAVE to do it if i am this close to new york city. maybe we can make it happen this year.

any new goals for you? do you have a motto for the year?

the blues

2012-01-05T22:14:00.006-05:00

do you got 'em?

i call them the post-christmas blues... because who wants christmas to end??
NOT I! its a sad day when i realize christmas is over.

anyways... the blues. they are rough sometimes.

when i went to work on tuesday the whole morning i was thinking, why the heck am i doing this? why do we live so far away from family? maybe we should move back... i don't really need to go to school. do i even like this? why am i here?...

and then i met with my client that i hadn't seen for two weeks. and then i remembered...

i remembered that i love what i do. i remembered the hopes, dreams, and aspirations i have for myself. i remembered that i can be brave and do hard things. i remembered that life is really wonderful and that i am so lucky. i remembered that i am EXACTLY where i am supposed to be.

and that is how the blues were conquered - a good phone call to the fam helps too. how are you battling the january blues? starting a new hobby? painting your nails every week? what helps you?

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 31

2012-01-04T18:45:00.004-05:00

today i wish for ear warmers. like these from target.
it's COLD out there!

bananas!

2012-01-03T21:13:00.003-05:00

i got bananagrams for christmas...

and we just can't stop playing it.

we played it almost three times a day
over the break and now at least once
before we go to bed.

it's always a fun time.

plus you pack up the tiles into
a very portable banana... what's not to like?

happy new year!

2012-01-01T22:38:00.003-05:00

hope 2012 is as sparkly and fun as 2011!
goals are soon to follow...

last friday

2012-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

last friday we checked out the lights at temple square. it was a fun time.

the kiddies (we are best buds)

and then we ate some delicious food and drove around to look at more lights.
it was a great night with my family before we took off for home.

coming home is hard

2011-12-31T23:05:00.005-05:00

we arrived home today and less than 5 hours later
i was skyping with this cute bunch:

family is the best and our two week vacation was AWESOME.
i wish it didn't have to end. too bad we can't permanently live in vacation
mode and just hang out with family all the time. that would rock.

miss you guys already.
good thing i have jeremy (and skype) or i would be a real mess.

2011

2011-12-31T10:20:00.004-05:00

in pictures

january
[jeremy got accepted to dental school in boston]

february
[we celebrated our wedding anniversary! we turned 2]

march
[i got accepted to grad school in boston]

april
[jeremy graduated from BYU]

may
[we camped in southern utah]

june
[i ran a 1/2 marathon and got a spiffy medal for it]

july
[we got some sun at huntington beach]

august
[we moved to BOSTON]

september
[i got to see sammy for the 1st time in 2 years!]

october
[we toured fenway park]

november
[we visited rockport, ma - and it was BEAUTIFUL]

december
[we played in DISNEYLAND for 5 straight days!]

what an awesome year!? i'm excited to see what 2012 brings.

moves like jagger

2011-12-30T19:10:00.002-05:00

our last movie for two years... rye is heading to Thailand in a few weeks.
how will i manage without him?!?

"Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5

for the nieces and nephews

2011-12-27T09:39:00.002-05:00

this Christmas we gave our nieces and nephews the Make Way for Ducklings book
with a picture of us by the duck statues in the Public Garden downtown. now they can
see where we live. we totally stole the idea from our friend cher, but what can i say... she's a GENIUS!

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T18:38:00.011-05:00

last week:

jeremy: christmas isn't about presents, katie...

me: yes it is!

i love presents just as much as the next person (and then some!) and we didn't open presents until 2:00 this afternoon. it was pretty much torture. but i got these BEAUTIFUL boots.

awwwww.... i LOVE them. i also got lots of awesome movies, pretty scarves and cardigans, yarn that is just waiting to be made into fun things, a day trip to NYC, and other fun stuff. christmas is the BEST!

i love presents and they are my favorite, but in all seriousness i really do love focusing on Christ. i love reading the account of His birth in luke 2, singing christmas hymns, and contemplating His love for each of us. i know that my savior lives. He loves me and He loves you. through Christ i know that i can be forgiven of my sins and become a better person. by coming to Christ in my trials, i feel peace, comfort, and strength. i love that we have time to focus on Christ, His example, His life, and His sacrifice for us. may you have the true spirit of christmas in your hearts throughout the christmas season (and maybe get some fun presents along the way).

the fun never stops

2011-12-23T21:33:00.007-05:00

tower of terror - another favorite
the whole fam rides this one

today was our last day at the happiest place on earth. we definitely had our fair share of churros, fast passes, and lots of fun. what a way to start the christmas break!? thanks for the grand adventures Walt! it's always a good time. tomorrow we will spend 10 lovely hours in the car together to get home before christmas. awesome. we have quite the stash of christmas cds to get us through.

a favorite

2011-12-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

we LOVE space mountain!

sam, rye, me, my daddy, and some stranger

die hards!

2011-12-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

look who opened the park today!

oh yeah!! we were the FIRST in line on main street.
we rode space mountain, matterhorn, big thunder, and indiana jones all before 9!

look at the sea of people behind us. it was NUTS!

california screaming

2011-12-20T20:25:00.007-05:00

is WAY too much fun!

me, sam, and rye
(the rest of our party gets all woozy if they go on the really fun rides)

3 days left at the happiest place on earth!

number one priority:

2011-12-19T22:00:00.007-05:00

SPLASH MOUNTAIN!

it was our first ride of the day and we were the only ones riding it,
so we stayed in our trusty log and rode three times in a row.
what a way to start the disneyland fun?! we are having a BLAST!

D-Land

2011-12-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

HERE WE COME!!!

one down

2011-12-16T15:09:00.008-05:00

1 semester down, 3 to go

the word on the street or among my classmates rather is that if we survive the first semester
then we will make it to graduation. since it looks like i will be graduating someday, i
headed to the bookstore after my last class of the semester today to pick up some
simmons gear. i have to show some school spirit!

we are the sharks.

so how has the semester been you ask?
AWESOME. exhausting. stressful. everything i dreamed it would be.

i love it. social work is definitely for me.

pretty pictures!

2011-12-15T21:42:00.008-05:00

remember those pictures we took before we ventured off to boston...
here are some more! i LOOOVE them.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 30

2011-12-14T10:01:00.002-05:00

today i wish for...

the finals craziness to be over. it is pretty much over for me (just one more paper to write- luckily it's a short one) and jeremy is sooooo close to being done, too. his last test is tomorrow.

i'm going crazy! but we are almost there!

myfitnesspal.com

2011-12-13T22:02:00.005-05:00

have you heard of it?

more importantly have you tried it?

my mom created an account and then told me i HAD to check it out... and now i am telling you that you HAVE to check it out. well, only if you are interested in a free tool that helps you meet your healthy living goals.

first you enter in your goals, and then it figures out what your diet should look like if you want to achieve your goals. you can enter in your food and exercising daily and it keeps track of everything for you. it even has some fancy app for your smart phone to make it all even easier. so if you have a fitness or healthy eating goal, i totally recommend it. you can even be friends with other people that use it. you can create groups and post questions in forums. it's a huge online community of people trying to be healtheir... it's definitely a good time!

anyways... it has been super motivating for my morning workouts! yay for getting sweaty!

in one week...

2011-12-12T18:36:00.004-05:00

we will be in Disneyland with my fun family.

will someone please tell me how i am supposed to finish my finals??!

i am trying to write my last long paper and i keep dazing off, picturing space mountain, indiana jones, dole whips, churros, splash mountain, etc and running around the place with the whole family. it will be fun. WAY fun. i can't wait....

ok, now i really need to get going on this paper. it's due wednesday and i have about a paragraph.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

some greenery

2011-12-10T12:05:00.009-05:00

the following took place over texting the other night:

A: Hey would anyone be interested in some cute house plants?
I am downsizing. They are succulents. They need very little water and small pots.

K: I want succulents!! Are they small?

A: Yes!!!!

K: Ahhh! Can I have one?

A: Want me to bring them over and let you pick?

K: Sure!

and that my friends, is how we scored these beauties:

i LOVE succulents.

hopefully, they do better than our love fern.

field trip

2011-12-09T19:57:00.006-05:00

after my classes, i visited jeremy at school with my camera in tow.
this is some of what the cute boy does in school:

fun stuff!

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 29

2011-12-07T17:09:00.008-05:00

today i wish for water color lessons.
doesn't that sound so exciting!

this awesome print can be found here. we can add it to my wishlist, too.

i love everything art. i love to paint,
i love to draw... but i don't ever draw anything great. just doodles.
i would love to take art classes.

crunch

2011-12-06T19:25:00.003-05:00

it's currently crunch time and will be until december 14th.

papers, papers, papers, and more... papers.

i keep dreaming of the sweet relief that is bound to come when i turn in my last
huge paper and i really want that dream to be my reality... right now.
can't these papers write themselves?

8 more days of madness.

i think i can do this. i hope i can at least.

the tale of our very first christmas tree

2011-12-03T08:03:00.016-05:00

it started with the debate...tree or no tree? real or fake?

a fake tree seemed like it wouldn't be an option because we don't really
have a place to store it - although it would be nice to have a tree last longer
than one year. a real tree would require the purchase of lights and then it dies and
makes a mess, so the money didn't seem worth it. with such a busy week, we would
have to wait until the weekend to buy it and then we would only be around
to enjoy it for two weeks. by yesterday morning, i had resigned myself
to the idea that we wouldn't be getting a tree this year.

fast forward to last night, we are at target looking for an ornament
to buy for a christmas party and we wander over to the trees. lo and behold...
a $25 4-foot lit Norway pine calls out to us. the heavens almost parted
because of it's glory. its adorable, already has lights on it, and it's a christmas tree!
we love the little gem so we check the box and it can definitely fit in the back of
some closet... and jeremy asks, "should we get it?!?" and of course i say, "YES!"
and start squealing with excitement before jeremy reminds me of where we are.
i hurry to round up an unattended cart and claim the perfect tree as our
very own before we can change our minds.

our very first christmas tree!

it has nothing on it but the lights it came with... we love it!

in the mail

2011-12-01T21:42:00.004-05:00

i signed up for the holiday gift swap a few weeks back...
and then i furiously knitted 5 cowls to send off.

hope they like them! my favorite is the ice blue/purple combo in the middle.
i can't wait to see what homemade goodies i get in the mail.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 28

2011-11-30T09:24:00.002-05:00

today i wish for a new christmas cd.
i think i will buy one every december 1st for the rest of my life... starting tomorrow!
i am leaning towards The Lower Lights for this year.

any other suggestions?

the current debate

2011-11-29T19:17:00.001-05:00

should we get a christmas tree?

cons: we are only hanging around here for three more weeks, we
don't have anything to put on it, and we are poor students.

pros: we found small real trees for $20 and... it's CHRISTMAS!

would you like to weigh in on the topic?
please do!

missing the will

2011-11-28T20:42:00.007-05:00

currently i'm:
overwhelmed, without the will to do anything about it.

i am not ready to come back from a long weekend
off and tackle all of my big papers. just. not. ready.

i want to do all things christmas right now. i can hardly contain myself.
i want to decorate, shop for christmas presents, sip some hot chocolate, bake
delicious holiday treats, and listen to christmas music.... instead i'm
staring at a blank page on my computer attempting to at least get
started... on something - ANYTHING!

this isn't looking good... why does procrastination hit
when i only have three more weeks to push through?

ahhhhhh!

i have got to pull it together!

a douglas fir

2011-11-26T17:27:00.011-05:00

today we cut down a christmas tree!
it was my first time ever. they don't have many tree farms in vegas. we walked along until we found the perfect douglas fir to claim as our own (well, for jeremy's parents). jeremy did a great job hauling it back to the car.

it's now lit, decorated, and looking beautiful!

i want to cut down my very own tree every year!

we took a drive to PA...

2011-11-25T23:25:00.008-05:00

and we spent the evening at Longwood Gardens.

they had beautiful displays and christmas trees galore. it was very impressive.

we were especially inspired by the gingerbread men... we are making some tomorrow!

may the christmas season begin! oh hooray.

turkeys & trees

2011-11-24T22:01:00.008-05:00

we had a lovely day today.

we arrived in baltimore early this morning and pumpkin pancakes
with homemade syrup were waiting for us. YUM! we watched the parade, knitted,
played some cards, fit in some naps, and took a nice walk along the gun powder
river. the weather was gorgeous! the turkey dinner was great... we ate way too
much - just as planned! j's mom made the cutest little turkeys and had one
at each place setting. we followed dinner with tons of pie i just couldn't
refuse. it was great. then we overloaded our thankful tree with leaves that
had things we are thankful for on them- it's a family tradition of mine.
the finished version is here.

hope you are spending the day with family &
friends and loving every minute!

give thanks!

2011-11-24T09:02:00.002-05:00

in the spirit of thanksgiving, here are 100 things i am thankful for:

jeremy (my HOT husband), my fun parents, my little brothers, jeremy's family, cell phones, skype, traditions, airplanes, popcorn, knitting, colorful yarn, easy knitting patterns, hot chocolate, ice cream, temples, good friends, working out, neon workout clothes, my ipod, music, smiles, hugs, jeremy's kisses, love, laughter, Jesus Christ, prayer, my scriptures, my testimony, getting into grad school, jeremy getting into dental school, living in a fun place to explore, friendly's, cameras, fun new lenses, a new computer, tennis courts, the basketball season hasn't started, we don't have cable (and i LOVE it), good movies, my internship in Romania, the Romanian orphans, my blood clot, life, faith, modern medicine, my moccasins, my hair, nail polish, warm blankets, going to sleep, lazy sunday mornings, a clean house, touring Europe with my momma, my childhood, disneyland, huntington beach, s'mores, bright swimsuits, chinese food, pictures, memories, blogging, books, turkey, pumpkin pie - with LOADS of whipped cream, christmas music, the giving christmas spirit, mittens, scarves, warm coats, my bright yellow backpack, public transportation, rainy days (when i have no where to be), fireworks, sparklers, metallic anything, rubik's cubes, vacations, crunchy fall leaves, ducks, the color orange, our car, learning new things, meeting new people, peace, opportunities to serve others, warm cookies, fun socks, time, family, grandparents, children, weddings, our apartment, my bed, pillows, flowers, health, and YOU!

there is always something to be grateful for. have an enjoyable day!

painting soothes my soul

2011-11-23T14:33:00.004-05:00

today i had the day off (YAY!), but jeremy still had school (BOO!). so i headed to the closest pottery painting place to thoroughly enjoy myself.

i had a grand old time with the owner - i was the only customer. she was calling me all sorts of names, kiddo, toots, honey. she was great! she had christmas music playing and we chatted about all sorts of things: how justin bieber butchered the christmas songs that morning on t.v. - the traditional versions are much better, how television now runs 24 hours a day, how sundays used to be a day of church and family, how kids don't ever play outside anymore, and on and on. it was such a funny and relaxing morning. i can't wait to get my piece back!!

i love to paint! it is so... just relaxing and therapeutic. glad i found the cute place!

(no picture of what i painted. sorry! it is TOP SECRET! it's a christmas present. hooray for christmas!!!)

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 27

2011-11-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

today i wish for boot socks.

or i guess just tall, thick socks. i love this warm and cozy look.

i'm impressed.

2011-11-22T19:14:00.003-05:00

the little brothers pulled through!

i got this little buddy in the mail today.
thanks sam and rye!

the very worst

2011-11-20T16:44:00.008-05:00

yesterday i experienced the very worst thing in the world.

it was terrible.

i hopped in the shower washed my hair, put conditioner in my hair, and i was about to shave my legs, but... the water was getting colder. i kept turning it warmer - the warmest it would go -and it got colder and colder. so i decided to just deal with the hairy legs for another day and finished rinsing my hair in the cold cold water. by the end of the shower i was so frustrated (and freezing) i was sobbing... uncontrollably and muttering how i HATE cold showers.

jeremy came in to see what was wrong and i just cried and cried, saying, "i'm so cold! i'm just so cold!" i retreated back to the bed, still crying, and curled up underneath the comforter to try to bring back some warmth to my poor soul. jeremy came in to check on me and asked if i was feeling better. i told him "kind of" and that cold showers are the very worst things in the world! holding back a laugh he said he wasn't so sure. but i made certain he understood... they are the VERY worst things in the world.

needless to say, he made sure i got the first shower this morning and it was nice and HOT!

i think the whole thing reminded him of this incident.

a winter float

2011-11-19T21:21:00.003-05:00

a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream in hot chocolate

delicious! also awesome with peppermint ice cream.

tonight

2011-11-17T19:06:00.005-05:00

is yoga night.

i love thursday nights. the weekend is almost here and i get to yoga.

yoga is a deceptive activity. it sounds easier than running or other aerobic activities, so it's easier to start it, but before i'm even ten minutes in, i am quickly reminded of how hard it is.

so right now... i love yoga. the answer may change when i am in the middle of the workout tonight, but right now i love it.

any suggestions for great yoga videos? i would love to get more into it.
currently doing this one.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 26

2011-11-16T08:51:00.001-05:00

today i wish for a Boston Red Sox shirt.

since i'm a true fan these days. can't wait to go to some games this summer!

we LOVE presents

2011-11-15T16:51:00.004-05:00

last night i sent this to both of my little brothers:

ummm.... quick thing.

if you plan on getting a christmas present from me, i better get a birthday present from you.
just cuz i'm in boston, doesn't mean you don't have to get me anything...

much love!

i understand it was a little hectic for everyone in september: parents just moved, sam just got back from his mission, both of the boys were adjusting to college life, we were in boston, blah, blah, blah... but come on! my birthday comes around only once a year and it is very important to me. so today i texted both of them and asked if they had any thoughts on my birthday present - mostly to see if they were taking me seriously. these were the replies i received seconds later...

from riley: "its a done deal. don't even fret."

from sam: "its already taken care of! its on its way to Boston :)"

WOW! they pulled that together pretty quick. in less than 24 hours. so if you want something from somebody... just tell them you won't get them a christmas present. it worked for me! but maybe presents are just really important to my family. haha!

knitting a cowl

2011-11-13T17:35:00.012-05:00

while shopping a couple weekends ago, amber and i spotted this:

we loved it, but didn't love the $44 price tag...
so we studied it and decided we could just make it instead.

and IT WORKED!

here's the finished product:

i used 10 mm knitting needles, and this yarn. i cast on 86 (although i might cast on less in the future to make it smaller) and just knit 2, purl 2 over and over. i did 5.5 inches of each color, then i twisted it once and sewed the ends together. then i tacked the edges to the center (one on top, the other on the bottom) at the seam to create more shape - does that make sense?! and BAM! mission accomplished. it only took a few hours and the yarn cost about $5! and i still have half a skein left of each color. LOVE IT! this may be my go to Christmas present this year... if i can manage to find the time to knit to my heart's content!

a day off

2011-11-11T19:00:00.018-05:00

today we found ourselves in need of a small adventure.
i guess the east coast actually celebrates veteran's day and jeremy and i both had
the day off of school... so with the veterans in our hearts we were off.

we drove north past trees that were exploding with color and landed in Rockport, MA.
The Proposal was filmed here, so we had to check out the cute little place.

it was BEAUTIFUL!

we wandered in and out of the cute shops while we took in the incredible views.

i love row boats... i dream of having one. i think i told jeremy that like 5 times today.

after a while, we were starving and chilled so we ducked into the Red Skiff for lunch.

the hot chocolate was AMAZING and the sandwiches were huge.
we are still stuffed from lunch. i just love local places.

then we meandered home on windy roads along the coast. i love it here!

countdown

2011-11-10T21:18:00.005-05:00

i just couldn't help myself. thanksgiving is almost here and then
christmas is around the corner! so i gave up on the homework and
played with construction paper for a while. 37 days til the semester
is over and we head to d-land. woohoo!

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 25

2011-11-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

today i wish for these awesome slippers.
perfect thing to keep my feet warm this winter.

here she is...

2011-11-08T21:01:00.005-05:00

my momma!

i skyped with my mom today. it was AWESOME! i even
gave her a tour of the place. i love technology. i need to
skype with mi familia WAY more often. miss you guys!

massachusetts

2011-11-07T20:32:00.004-05:00

i don't know if i will ever be able to spell the name of the state where i now reside. it is just sooooo complicated. even in writing this post i titled it "massachusets" and then had to put it in google to see if i spelled it right... and no i didn't.

you would think after living here for three months that i might have it down.

nope.

massachussets?

nope.

massachusettes?

nope.

massachusets?

nope.

two s's?! two t's!!? it's such a complicated thing. and then i think i have it down right... and then the next time i need to spell it out, i get it wrong again. the poor kids that live here that have to learn how to spell it. man!

it's rough.

so massachusetts... don't take it personally, but i may never learn how to spell your name.

friendly's

2011-11-05T21:11:00.004-04:00

just some ice cream at friendly's

i think i need to go everyday in order to try all of the delicious flavors

he's my best friend

2011-11-04T21:56:00.005-04:00

i was about to hop on the subway to head home after school when jeremy called me. he had a break between his classes and i was going to pass his stop on the way home... so we devised a plan to rendezvous at the T station. he snuck me into his library (just kidding, i signed in as a visitor) and we studied together. (it reminded me of the days at byu when we saw each other way more frequently throughout the day and studied side by side at the library.) we studied, he slept, i read, we laughed. we eventually headed home together as the sun set and left behind a sea of bright orange and lavender. it was beautiful. one day i just want to do nothing but take pictures of the sky, from sunrise to sunset. it stops me every time.

we were starving when we got home, so we headed to dinner almost immediately. we were seated right away, but the rest of the time the whole joint seemed to be in slow motion... and it was perfect. it was just what i needed. lots of time with jeremy. just talking, laughing, telling stories, sharing worries, catching up. sometimes we study too much. we forget to just be with each other.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 24

2011-11-02T09:49:00.001-04:00

today i wish for a watch.
nothing fancy... i just need it to tell the time when i am at work and can't
carry my cell phone. they also seem to have a shortage of wall clocks at work. i prefer this one:

i like the plainess of it and the bigger face of the men's versus the women's variety.

upgrade

2011-11-01T21:10:00.004-04:00

i ordered a new laptop last week and it arrived today!
woohoo!

my old laptop was on its last leg. it would disconnect from the internet constantly, shock me if i held it wrong, windows repeatedly froze so i couldn't open the things i minimized, and the battery lasted a whopping six minutes. it became quite the task to do the simplest things. it was time for an upgrade... and this new one is ROCKING! it's smaller, lighter, faster, and WAY cooler. it's just great. i need to get back to my homework, but i really just want to play with my new toy...

oh by the way, i named it charlie. welcome to the family!

pumpkin pancakes

2011-10-31T16:22:00.001-04:00

yesterday we had these!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1 cup yogurt
¾ cup milk
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt,
baking powder, baking soda, and spice. In a separate bowl,
beat eggs well with electric hand mixer until frothy;
add yogurt, milk and pumpkin puree. Mix well. Pour
the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until
just blended.

They are delicious with Buttermilk syrup:

1 c buttermilk (or make it by putting 1 T of vinegar
or lemon juice in a measuring cup, add milk to equal
1 cup, let stand for about 5 minutes)
1 cube butter
2 c sugar
Bring to boil and then remove from heat

Add:
2 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
Cinnamon to taste

Make sure you prepare it in a large pot,
because of the foaming. Serve warm.

and now have them as many times as possible this fall!

october nor'easter

2011-10-30T20:41:00.011-04:00

a nor'easter came our way last night

and left us with our first snow.

so i enjoyed a chocolate-ly cup of hot coco.

i'm a fan.

2011-10-29T19:44:00.001-04:00

jeremy's parents are visiting for the weekend. so we have ignored everything having to do with school and are having a blast! today we went into the city to have a look around. one thing we saw was... FENWAY PARK!

wow... it was such a cool tour! so much history. i am now a red sox fan through and through! i need a shirt asap. we are already planning on going to lots of games next season when fenway park turns 100 years old!!! woot woot!

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 23

2011-10-26T08:10:00.008-04:00

today i wish for delightfully smelling hand sanitizer.
the subway is not the cleanest place and there is always a bug going through the house of boys this time of year.

my friend has creamy pumpkin... and i am obsessed!

little things

2011-10-25T20:07:00.002-04:00

after a kind of rough day at work, i went to the gym to run out my frustrations. i ran for three miles, felt much better, and then ran up the stairs to our apartment. i entered to find jeremy already making dinner. sometimes it's the little things that mean the most.

he's the sweetest.

4 years

2011-10-24T17:43:00.003-04:00

on this day in 2007, jeremy
kissed me for the first time...

we've been kissing ever since.

baked

2011-10-23T21:13:00.004-04:00

we made the cookies today.

look at all those white chocolate chips! there are peanut butter chips in there, too.
love it! jeremy declared these the best cookie we have ever made.
woot woot! they are DELICIOUS! go here for the recipe.

autumn...

2011-10-22T16:12:00.002-04:00

is beautiful around these parts!

tie-dye fun

2011-10-20T16:48:00.005-04:00

i tie-dyed with the kids at work today. they LOVED it. one kid came up to me after and said, "katie, this is the best group we have ever had since i've been here." they were super helpful in setting up and cleaning up, too. they are great kids!! and their shirts rocked. here's mine:

i am in charge of "craft group" every three weeks. any ideas for cheap crafts i could do with teenage boys? i was going to do marshmallow guns, but my supervisor nixed the idea because of the gun reference (plus the boys would probably make it dangerous some how). anyways... suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 22

2011-10-19T11:52:00.006-04:00

today i wish for these cookies with some hot chocolate and a movie.

peanut butter oatmeal white chocolate cookies

it's rainy here today... so i just want to go home forget the homework we have to do and watch a movie with jeremy while sipping on hot chocolate and eating cookies. i guess i will have to wait until the weekend.

slackers unite

2011-10-17T17:22:00.006-04:00

alright...

i have been slacking off in the workout department. i mainly have been working out on mondays only. so weird, right? i have found that it's a lot harder to make time to work out when i feel like i should be reading for my classes or writing my papers. soooooo.... i have become a slacker. :(

has anybody else been struggling with staying motivated to work out?!? its easy to be lazy in the fall i have decided. you wear more clothes... so you feel less exposed and less conscious... maybe?? i just made that up, but i know i'm working out when swim suit season comes around.

none the less... i am struggling with working out. so let's do something drastic. who's with me? let's unite and plan to work out and keep each other motivated. i, katie, solemnly pledge to workout 5 days a week until the end of time. HA! just jokes. but in all seriousness... i, katie, solemnly pledge to workout 5 days a week until the end of the year. whew! i can do this! because working out makes me feel better about myself, it's good for my body, and it can be like 30 minutes. i can do 30 minutes a day.... so can you! oh and if i don't workout 5 days one week, i will not throw in the towel. i will just try harder to make time to take care of myself. wanna join me?

well, i did the 30 day shred today... so i am off to a good start! now i just have to make it happen on tuesday... one day at a time.

my little friend

2011-10-14T16:33:00.008-04:00

every wednesday and friday when i take the 3:40 bus home, a mom and her two little girls get on the bus one stop before i get off. the mom always sits next to the younger sister and the older girl sits somewhere close. they are probably around 4 and 6 years old. a couple weeks ago the older of the two sat next to me. i asked her if she was excited for the weekend and we chatted before i had to get off. ever since then, she usually waves when she sees me and her little sister waves, too.

today, the cute trio boarded the bus at their usual stop. the girl sat a couple rows behind her mom, then looked around and spotted me. she furiously waved and noticed the empty seat next to me. she started making her way over to sit next to me, but an older lady swiped the spot before she could get there. her little face was so sad as she settled back into her empty row. so before the bus got up to full speed i jumped into the seat next to her. she was so surprised and gave me a big "Hi!" then she showed me all the things she wanted in the toys r us ad she was carrying. my stop was next, so i told her to have a great weekend and that i would see her next week.

she is just great. i have no idea what her name is, but she is my little friend.

paper overload

2011-10-13T21:18:00.005-04:00

i have so many papers due in the next couple of weeks. aaaahhhhh!

i have two due tomorrow that i have been working on all week and i just finished the second one. i need to go back over both of them to make sure they are somewhat coherent, but i also need a break because i can't see straight at this point.

on a happier note, tomorrow the weekend starts! which means i will have more time to work on my papers. haha. isn't that great?

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 21

2011-10-12T08:55:00.002-04:00

today i wish for some brown leather boots that look something like this:

but this color is sold out in my size. bummer. they are found here.

eighty degrees

2011-10-10T18:32:00.005-04:00

we have had some lovely weather this weekend - sunny and in the
80s (in the middle of october!). so this afternoon we had to play some tennis
before it gets cold. tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60s. brrrrrrrr!
well, i have to go write a literature review... fun stuff.

night at the fair

2011-10-09T17:59:00.011-04:00

last night we visited one of the oldest fairs in America. it was great. we saw bunnies, goats, cows, sheep, horses, bees, and pigs. i totally want bunnies and goats. we also rode the ferris wheel, ate lots of goodies, and i made a beeswax candle for $1 (what a deal?!). it was a fun night for sure! sorry for the picture overload...

i think we will have to go every year!

riding the T

2011-10-07T17:31:00.011-04:00

to get home from school, i walk for 10 minutes and hop on the subway. i'm on the subway for 15 minutes and then i catch a bus which usually takes about 20 more minutes before i arrive at my humble abode.

today on the subway...
a disheveled man was taking up at least three seats with his bicycle and big bag. he was on the phone when i got on and i sat down across from him. the conversation didn't go well because he hung up the phone and started cussing. he was not happy. a couple stops later the man grabs his bike and announces to the packed car, "Everybody separate. I just found out I got to work this weekend when I thought I was going to have the weekend off...." he went on to mumble something about the government and some other things i couldn't make out - he wasn't making much sense. the way was parted and he steered his bicycle off. at the next stop a tall man exited saying, "Everybody separate. I have the weekend off."

after the funny subway ride, i hopped on the bus with the magic three numbers - the route that takes me home. i was busy reading for one of my classes when at the last second a giant round man boarded the bus. he headed towards the back and realized he knew the man sitting next to me. he extended his hand to greet him and as he did i was overwhelmed with an awful stench. i hope my face didn't show it. he proceeded to stand directly in front of me with, get this, not one hand, but BOTH hands reaching up to the bar above for stability. both pits were just dishing the smelliest of all smells right in my face. it was gross. to make matters worse, the driver decided to take a detour which ended up making this pleasant bus ride even longer. i was very pleased when the giant round man with the smelliest of smelly pits got off the bus one stop before mine. it was time to get some fresh air.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 20

2011-10-05T09:34:00.001-04:00

today i wish for a blazer.

of any color, but with elbow patches for sure.
pictures from my pinterest

knitting away

2011-10-03T18:44:00.008-04:00

i finished my hat saturday, so i knitted something else to keep my ears warm.

and it was soooo easy! it took just over an hour to make. it is the perfect
pattern for new knitters. it's easier and WAY quicker than a scarf. i think i will have to knit
some more of these for the cold winter ahead... and in a variety of colors of course.

i'm a knitting fool!

craft night...

2011-10-02T21:45:00.005-04:00

with the girls while the boys were at priesthood last night.we made fall wreaths out of burlap. oh yeah!
it was messy stuff, but it was pretty easy. and now my door looks so festive!

three years

2011-10-01T09:13:00.004-04:00

exactly three years ago i was diagnosed with my blood clot...

in romania. it was a traumatic experience for sure.

i think my favorite version of the whole ordeal is from robby, my field facilitator. i feel like my record glossed over the things that i didn't want to necessarily remember, and robby's doesn't. i often forget how scary it was. i think back and say to myself that was kind of crazy, but re-reading it makes me remember. remember that it was terrifying, remember how scared i was. looking back on the experience it was one filled with love and support from strangers turned into friends. one filled with miracles, absolute miracles.

read robby's account here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.

just arrived

2011-09-30T17:13:00.004-04:00

i bought the boat shoes!

and i LOVE them!

what a great start to an already awesome weekend.
it's awesome because i don't have a lot of homework, i get to
be with my hot husband almost the whole weekend, we get to watch
general conference woot! woot!, and remember how i get to eat sweets?
yeah, this weekend ROCKS!!

weekends are extra fabulous

2011-09-29T22:52:00.009-04:00

and so are YOU!

i am trying the whole "don't-eat-desserts-during-the-week-thing." i am not sure it's that great. i haven't had any sweets for four days... woot woot! but now i am just REALLY looking forward to the weekend - way more than usual with these no bake cookies on the counter just staring at me. i keep planning all the delicious sweets i'm going to eat. so far a strawberry shake is definitely on the list. probably some caramel popcorn, too. what would you add? wait, don't tell me... this whole thing is supposed to be a healthy eating initiative. maybe i should limit it to ONE dessert each weekend. but that sounds hard. hopefully, i can reign it in this weekend and not go a-wall and eat everything in sight. wish me luck...

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 19

2011-09-28T08:10:00.001-04:00

today i wish for pretty silk scarves.

so colorful. i bought a square silk scarf over the weekend and i am addicted! i need lots of these!

trying to relax?

2011-09-26T17:11:00.003-04:00

follow these steps:

step #1
google the word "mandala"

step #2
click on "images"

step #3
pick a design you like
(a black and white one)

step #4
copy & paste into word

step #5
print that sucker

step#6

now, color!

like so:

feel relaxed? coloring is the best.

nit and pearl

2011-09-25T17:42:00.008-04:00

or should i say knit and purl. haha!
ok, that was lame. so anyways...

i started knitting a hat this morning. here it is so far:

i forgot how much i love to knit. it is so relaxing. i have a number
of projects lined up, so i better get going on them. i'm excited to make hats, ear
warmers, and scarves for the brutal winter that is bound to come.

now, that it's officially fall, let the knitting season begin!

ten minutes away

2011-09-24T11:14:00.002-04:00

oh, did you want to see our beach?
i went last week with some of the girls before school got crazy.

we wanted to get some sun in before the summer ended. i can't wait
to explore some of the other beaches around here next year.

fishtailing it

2011-09-23T20:46:00.002-04:00

my first time ever! online tutorials are great.
i thought it looked pretty good.
too bad my shorter layers completely fell out of it by three. eh, oh well.

i'm loving this.

2011-09-22T18:56:00.007-04:00

i just finished my first week at my internship.
woot woot! (i go there 3 days a week and to school the other 2 days.)

sunday night i was a nervous & scared, and now i am just all sorts of excited. i have a fabulous field placement this year working in a residential treatment center for boys 13-17 dealing with drug abuse. i get experience in individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. i already have three clients, so they really just throw us right in. it is fascinating and i have learned so much already (drugs 101, anyone?). the people i work with are incredible and just so helpful and nice. i can't believe i lucked out with such an awesome placement, especially when i hear the horror stories of a few of my classmates. i am pretty busy, but i LOVE it. i feel clueless, but i still LOVE it. i will be learning so much in the next 8 months.

WISHLIST wednesday: No. 18

2011-09-21T08:40:00.001-04:00

today i wish for BOAT SHOES!

i think these are pretty sweet! could i pull them off?

every year is my favorite

2011-09-19T22:21:00.012-04:00

today was my birthday! YAY!

{self portrait at 23}
last year's here.

it was kind of a busy day with my birthday being on a monday. it was the
first day of my internship for school and jeremy had a full day of classes. we pretty
much celebrated the whole weekend though which was great. maybe we will celebrate
the rest of the week, too (that sounds AWESOME!). tonight we...

opened presents,

blew out 23 bright candles (woot woot!),

and ate cake and ice cream.

we had our famous wafer cake with black raspberry ice cream.
it was DELICIOUS! more info on the awesome cake here.

i am officially 23! the last year has been so exciting, it was my favorite.
but every year is my favorite, so i can't wait to see what the next year brings!
thanks jeremy (and family & friends) for making my birthday so awesome!