Brave Women

Ashmae is an artist that I think is pretty cool.  

I have her SLC Temple painting and her Love Birds painting that I just adore:

Besides being an awesome artist, she is also a great advocate!  She started an awesome movement called, "We Brave Women" and is now on Kickstarter for her project called "Brave Women Art Cards."  She has painted and researched 50 amazing women in history and wants to make a deck of art cards that share a painting and brief history of each woman.  

History is biography, written mostly (if not always) by men and women are often left out of the accounts. There are many of the women that she has included that I know nothing about... and that makes me so sad.  I want to know more about these women that have come before me and the amazingly brave things they have accomplished.  I want the women around me to know.  I want my future children to know, that women can do big and courageous things that can change the world.  I want them to know that they can do those things, too.

I am passionate about her project and would think it's totally cool if you feel the same way.  Feel free to check out her Kickstarter to buy your own deck and then (please!) spread the word.  I am definitely buying at least two decks.  I want to give one to every little girl for their birthday.  Celebrate the brave women in your life.  Celebrate the brave woman that is YOU!

a sacred occasion

Today marks 18 years since I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received the Holy Ghost as a constant companion.  I was only 8 years old and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  It started me on a path that leads to Christ.  A path filled with comfort, love, peace, strength, and happiness.  It's not a path void of trials and hardships, for that path exists for no one.  It's a path where Christ promises to be there for me when I am struggling, whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.  I in turn promise to represent Him.  I promise to stand for truth.  I promise to lift others' burdens.  I promise to live righteously.  I promise to always remember Him.

At 8, I didn't fully understand the depth of this sacred covenant.  I knew it was a step I needed to take.  I knew God was proud of me as well as all of the adults in my life.  I knew that I felt happy and filled with peace.  I knew it was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  I am so grateful I added the faith and testimonies of my parents upon my own small testimony to take that important step.

I now have a much deeper testimony of God, Jesus Christ, their love for me, and the plan of salvation.  I know that when I keep God's commandments I am blessed.  I know that He is there for me even when I feel abandoned.  I know that He knows me, loves me, and is rooting for me.  I know that He sees the full picture and I can trust Him when I am confused.  I know that He wants me to be happy and successful.  I know that I feel His guidance most when I am praying and reading the scriptures daily.  I know that I have a lot to work on and through Christ, I can become the being I am designed to become.  I am so grateful that I have this knowledge and for the loving people in my life that have helped me along the way.

on the eve of my birthday

it's very early in the morning.  it's still dark and i can't sleep.  today is my last day being 25.  which means tomorrow is my birthday... and you still have time to buy me something. ;)  it's the best day of the year and i'm so excited that it has finally arrived, i can't sleep.

today is my friday at work and i just have a few loose ends to tie up and tomorrow we will be off on a new adventure.  we will be heading north to commune with nature in the beautiful acadia national park.  i will be sitting under the stars, hiking, eating s'mores, maybe swimming, drinking hot chocolate, and biking, all with good company, to my heart's content. is there anything better? i submit, there is not.  i love a good camping trip.

i usually am pretty obnoxious about my birthday, but this year things feel different. (although this blog post proves i am pretty obnoxious about my birthday.) even my boss noticed that i haven't been talking about it as much.  maybe it's because i can't eat my favorite wafer cake anymore and i just don't want to think about it.  that was one of the main reasons i wanted to go camping on my birthday.  i can't take wafer cake camping... so i will just put a candle in a s'more and call it a birthday celebration.  maybe camping can be my new birthday tradition, since wafer cake is now out.  

i may be less obnoxious about it because i am spending my birthday doing exactly what i want to be doing, having some grand adventure.  i'm not working, wishing i was playing and need others to help make my day seem exciting. i feel like if you have to be at work, you might as well let others help you feel like your birthday doesn't stink.  ok, maybe that's dramatic, but i like my birthday to rock!  and a camping trip to beautiful maine is how i am making that happen.  maybe i will always take the day off, because i am loving this. 

well, it's getting lighter outside... and i need to get hopping.  here's to my last day being 25!

Here I am...

7 years later.

I started this blog 7 years ago, when I was a young sophomore attending BYU.  I wanted a place to write about the college experience where my family and friends could stay updated if they so pleased.  So Quasi's Bell Tower was born.  It has seen me through some awesome times, some hard times, and everything in between.

I started this blog before Jeremy ever moved into Liberty Square, before we ever dated, and fell in love.  Before I went on a backpacking adventure through Europe with my mom, before I went to Romania to work in the orphanages, before I had my life-threatening blood clot while living abroad.  Before I married the perfect man for me, before I graduated from BYU, and dreamed of going to grad school.  Before my brothers left on their missions and finally came back again.  Before Jeremy and I got accepted to dental school and grad school in the same city.  Before I moved to Boston to learn, grow, and explore this beautiful place.  Before I made it through grad school, got my ideal job, and spent my time dreaming up day-trips.  Before my life became such a wonderful adventure and found that I love writing about it.

I love that my blog has captured these beautiful moments.  Every so often I find myself (and Jeremy, too) looking through old posts and reliving the memories.  I love that we can look back to better remember all of the fun things we have done.  Sometimes I feel pretty nostalgic about the past adventures and I just want to be transplanted back to that time and place.  In those moments I have to come up for air and remember... the adventures and fun continue.  They are added to our experience and life becomes richer and fuller.

This ever changing chronicle helps me fully appreciate the past because I can reread our adventures and struggles I have conquered.  It helps me fully enjoy the present as I reflect and write about what is going on in my life.  It helps me look forward to the future because time and time again I learn, we keep having fun, it's not something we run out of... EVER!

May the grand adventure continue.

she's amazing

who?

my momma

she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a year and a half ago and they still haven't found a drug that works for her.  she has been living in constant pain for months and months and do you know what?  she is still living life to the fullest.  my mom is a trooper.  today she started the first round of a new drug, which is administered by way of a 5 hour infusion.

her instagram from the experience:

"After another 'drug failure'. I am getting a new drug... This one is an infusion, I get to sit in this comfy chair for the next 5 hours."

always looking on the bright side.  she took her iPad and a book to read and she was all set.

about 20 minutes into her infusion, i got this email she sent to all of us kiddies:

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important."

-Thomas S. Monson

Joy in the journey is a good thing to remember....have a joyful day!! Xoxo

 i was overcome with amazement and gratitude for the wonderful woman i get to call mom.  she chooses to enjoy life, even when things are painful, inconvenient, and extremely tough.  i know at times, she feels frustrated and overwhelmed by her bout of poor health combined with lack of answers/solutions from the doctors.  that is real and crucial to acknowledge.  at the same time, she impresses me with her strength, her positivity, her faith, and her hope for solutions to come.  she is a courageous example and a beautiful person - inside and out. 

you amaze me, mom.  i'm proud to be your daughter forever.

praying that this drug works!

about time

i have had issues with Barbie for years.  

i think i played with them when i was little for about a month and then i was through.  i would rather play outside with the boys.  then as i studied sociology i became more and more biased against them and the impossible beauty standards they may (or may not) subliminally be establishing for girls world wide.  i mean the girl couldn't even exist in real life with those proportions.  well finally somebody decided to do something about it and he also includes research about body image and eating behavior.  you can get all the deets over here.

deficient

coming back to real life after spring break is sure a doozy. throw in a significant time change, a snow storm, and a sniffling husband and we are a real delight around here. but things are going well i suppose, everything except for spring.  that is not going well at all.  i got a little sneak peek of how wonderful and refreshing temperatures above the 50s can be last week (they were actually almost in the 70s!!) and i am suddenly so frustrated with this looooong winter we seem to having.  i was enjoying the snow... but now i am officially done with enjoying it. forget it. i refuse. i am ready for some sun and so is my bodily vitamin D supply. did you know that almost everyone living north of philly is vitamin D deficient?  true story.  jeremy told me so.  someone else confirmed it sometime in the recent past, too.  turns out that the sun hits everywhere north of philly (so that includes ME!) at some weird angle and during the winter months the sun rays we get are void of vitamin D.  crazy.  i am thirsty for the stuff i tell you.  summer is looking real good right now. i need a hot pool day right about now so i can soak in some sun.  dreamy.  spring, please come soon.  we would be really grateful.

p.s. off to utah again tomorrow for a WEDDING!  it will be a quick trip, so here's to more cross-country flights.

let's talk

about self-care.

self care is all about taking the time to take care of yourself.  and we aren't talking about personal hygiene here, although it can be included. self care is about taking breaks from the busy-ness of life to make sure you do the things you enjoy.  i LOVE doing things in the name of self care.  homework to do... nope i need to knit for 15 minutes because i need to take care of me.  if you love to paint your nails, by golly schedule out time to paint your nails regularly.  if you like to read for fun, make it happen and make it happen often.  if you find yourself overwhelmed, take a break to color if that's your thing.  i have found that if i forget to make self-care a priority, i get more stressed, anxious, and worn down about everything i have to do.  self-care is one of the best things i have learned about in school.  sometimes my teachers will take a break from the material we are supposed to be learning to just check in about how we are doing, how we are managing grad school stress, and what we are doing for self-care (i love that my teachers are social workers!!). self-care is something we ALL need to do.  we often put others before ourselves. we end up taking care of everybody else, all of the time, especially the moms out there.  that leads to worn out, grumpy people in my opinion. we need to do self-care and we need to do it with intention. deliberately set aside the time to do something for you.  it's funny (or not) how the things we "need" to do always get done, but the things that we enjoy doing often get pushed to the side continually.  i always finish the paper that's due, but i never go back to do the things i would sometimes rather do but don't because of things i need to do.  i better stop now before i confuse myself.  

so do something you enjoy today... all in the name of self-care.  what will it be for you?

sometimes

sometimes a single day can just be too overwhelming.  

everything seems hard, or complicated, or unfair, where everything
 seemed fine the day before.  things that seemed so manageable morph into things that
are too much to bear.  suddenly, there are new things to take on, decisions 
to worry about, and people to pray for. 

and it all happens so fast. and for a moment, or for more than 

a moment, maybe a whole day, it all seems like the worst. like nothing 

else could possibly complicate life.

then...

 the prayers are said and the comfort comes.

the time is taken and the mind is rested.

the phone calls are made and the soul is rejuvenated.

sleep is enjoyed and the body is ready.

and slowly the worst is manageable again, even welcomed, 
because the worst is never the worst.

hello there!

hello there birthday month!

boy, am i excited to see you!?
because my birthday is the best day of the year!
well, it's my favorite day... that's for sure. it always sad to see summer
coming to a close, but knowing my birthday is a mere 18 days away
makes it all okay. i tell you - september birthdays are the best!
it helps to have something to look forward to besides homework.

last year my birthday fell on the first day of my internship, which was
kind of a bummer. it was a tiring and stressful day. this year i have my birthday off!
(i have nothing on wednesdays this whole semester... woohooo!) so i have the whole day to do
whatever i want. oh yeah! i love day dreaming of what fun my birthday week will
bring... and then i specifically write it all down so that it actually happens.
this year's preliminary plans include: a pinata, a floating lantern, and
chocolate fondue. but who knows... a pinata has been on the list for years.

it will be a fun couple of weeks.
i will just be dreaming up my birthday wishlist.

dash dot dash

jeremy and i each got our semester charlie cards today
and i thought using morse code would be fun to tell them apart.
the top one has a k on it, the bottom one has a j on it.

morse code is the coolest. i totally want to learn the whole alphabet.
i already have my name memorized. see?

_ . _ . _ _ . . .

katie


what could i do with morse code? besides get some awesome jewelry.
anyone want to start communicating with dots and dashes?

it's official...

i love everything about the olympics.

the camaraderie, the anticipation, the heartbreak, the victory, the tears, the sweat, the national anthems, the flags, the amazing stories... i could go on and on, but i'm busy watching the games.

poolside

today was the first day of summer!

hooray!

and it was a summery day indeed. it was way hot around these parts. it got up to 96 degrees today! - the hottest day we have had so far. i got home from class around 1 and headed straight to the pool. i was in my swimming suit within minutes of walking through the door. i was exhausted from an emotionally draining racism class as well as navigating through the roasting, and sometimes smelly, public transportation system.

so the pool was just what i needed. i laid in the sun and slid into the cool, refreshing water each time i felt like the afternoon's heat was taking over my skin. it was just what the first day of summer should be. i ignored the papers i still need to write and the articles i still need to read and i just existed and only existed... for three whole hours. it was glorious. and i have the pink nose and cheeks to show for it.

i also enjoyed some of that left over grasshopper pie... it's a holiday after all.

june

i just love june.

i think i could stay in this month my whole life.
something about the time between spring and summer just gets me.
maybe it's because the sun finally came out this week.
maybe it's because life seems to move a little slower and there are far less deadlines.
maybe it's the promise of upcoming trips to see our families.
maybe it's because we haven't been hit with the heat of the summer yet.
maybe it's because i feel like i still have a whole summer ahead of me.

i don't really know what it is... but this month is rather delightful.

rain

guess what has been happening around here?
a whole lot of nothing.
(beside camping in the living room)
because it has been raining all week.
which means i am sooooo BORED.
but i'm getting all sorts of homework done.
the weather experts say this rainy weather is supposed to continue.
joy.
don't they know that i want to play tennis and sit at the pool all day?
IN THE SUN!
at least all the greenery around here will continue to be delightfully green.
that's good, i guess.

here's to some more rain, for the sake of the pretty flowers...
and because it's coming whether we want it or not.

tanked

if you don't want to read my ramblings for the day then here is the quick snippet:

sometimes my self-esteem is tanking... and then i workout and resolve to eat less crap and to take better care of myself. and then i am ok again.


my day as been all over the place

it got off to a bad start when i weighed myself. i have been dreading weighing myself, but today i did it anyway and boy it was not good. the month of may was full of TREATS out the wazoo and getting out of my 6 am exercise routine. so i have been eating desserts more often and working out most of the time, but not with the same intensity. although i have enjoyed the laziness of it all, my self-esteem has been tanking! eating crappy and not exercising may feel like i am rewarding myself but it really is the opposite. it is not worth it to feel like this about myself. so as of today... i decided to make some changes.

my new goals for my preferred way of living:
do my workouts in the morning. exercise 5-6 days a week. only one day a week for sweets. take my vitamins. don't eat after 8 at night. read my scriptures every morning and night.

i got started today with a good run in the sunshine. then i did some abs and stretched for 15 minutes. i looooove stretching. while i was in the shower i got a text that said, "Come play tennis!" so i hurried and blow dried my hair and headed out for another workout with the girls. i also read for school at the pool which was delightful and relaxing. i have stayed away from the sweets today and been more conscious of what i am putting into my mouth and asking if i am really hungry when i automatically reach for food.

all i can say that i am feeling loads better about myself than i was this morning. i hope i can stay motivated to keep my new goals. i told jeremy he had to help me! anybody else in the same boat? we should start an email support group! who's in?

summer time

oh glorious summer time!

jeremy and i each only have two classes this
summer term and we are loving it.
(his go until the end of june and mine go until the middle of july.)
suddenly we have loads of free time and not
much studying to do. the weather even cooperated
today, so we played tennis for 2.5 hours!
when was the last time that happened?!?
it was so much fun. we are playing again tomorrow
morning because we don't have to be anywhere
on fridays for the rest of the summer.
woot woot! the pool opens in just over a week
and i can't wait to thoroughly enjoy the sun
while i read for my classes and hang out with my buddies.

this summer will be a long and lazy one...
and i will be enjoying every minute.

i just can't

this week i decided, enough was ENOUGH!

i just can't eat another sandwich. i am so SICK of them. i have had a sandwich almost everyday for the past 8 months. yeah... you would be sick of them, too. my packed lunches have looked the same almost everyday: sandwich, mandarin orange cup, granola bar, banana, and a baggie of crackers or almonds. the sandwich rotates between turkey and cheese and peanut butter and jelly depending on who takes on the sandwich making task the night before for our lunches. i make the turkey sandwiches and jeremy makes the pb and js. but i just can't eat them ANYMORE! and i am not really sure why. is it because of the bread we purchased? have i just become so adverse to the dumb crust that i can't stomach it any longer? i don't know, but it makes packing lunches a little more tricky when i have no interest in the main course.

so rather than packing sandwiches in my lunches these days, i pack popcorn. oh yes. isn't that the sweetest trade off. i bought the huge box of single serving bags at costco knowing full well that jeremy doesn't really enjoy popcorn and probably won't eat a single bag. so now at lunch i just claim the nearest microwave at work or at school for 2 minutes and walk away unabashed with my delightful treat. i don't even share after i have infused the whole building with the glorious scent. ok, i usually offer, but no one has taken me up on it yet.

since the switch, lunch has been way more exciting. i am not too certain about the nutrition level of my lunches, but i am certain of one thing: popcorn is way better than sandwiches.

wild and precious

today was the last class of the semester for two of my classes. in one class we were told we could bring something to share if we wanted. most people brought food, but we didn't have a box of brownies around, so i made these dorky handouts for my classmates. who knew saying good-bye to a class could be so hard? i will miss those great people. social work is the BEST! anyways...

i discovered this quote last spring and it has become my new favorite. to me it means to dream big and go after the things you have always wanted in life. be courageous. it means that your life is sacred. don't waste it. be thoughtful and be deliberate about your decisions.

wild and precious... what great words.
the original poem here

a sick face

i have suddenly come down with something rather unpleasant.  

it is some sort of cold that i would prefer not to have.  you see, the weather is beautiful outside and what's worse than being a sniffling, red-nosed mess???  being a sniffling, red-nosed mess when it is nice outside.  when it's cold, it can be perfectly lovely to throw on some sweats and become a recluse on the couch as you watch your favorite movie over and over armed with loads of tissues, mentholatum, and hot chocolate.  but when it's warm outside, that does not sound perfectly lovely.  i want to be out and about in the sun working on my pathetic tan and enjoying whatever spring has to offer.  so in protest, jeremy and i played some tennis when i got home from school before the couch summoned me for some one on one time.  i am not letting this cold get to me.  i refuse!  it has only affected my face.

i am not sick... my face is sick.