Merry Christmas! part 2

We drove back to Kansas City this morning after a wonderful & crazy holiday weekend with my family.  I'm feeling a little bummed that all the holiday festivities are over, but am keeping my decorations up until the Epiphany on January 6th...or spring, whichever is more convenient. :)  I love the glow our Christmas tree casts over the living room at night when none of the other lights are on...will be sad to put it away & deal with the dreariness of winter!

On Thursday night we had a low-key dinner with Jeremy's dad, exchanged gifts, and even got to play a little Wii Mariokart.  It was a lot of fun & very relaxing.  After they went home, Jeremy & I had our own gift exchange, enjoyed a little more peace & quiet, and then headed to bed.  It had started sleeting early in the afternoon, changed over to snow around dinner time, and when we woke up i checked the weather & found this:

Blizzard!?!  Uhh...this is Missouri right? Gah!  And we're supposed to drive to St. Louis!!  There was about 6-8" of snow on the ground, and all reports said it was too treacherous to drive.  I was so bummed!  After doing a little more research, we decided that we'd plan to get on the road around noon, since reports indicated the storm would be tapering off & MODOT would have been able to get some of the snow cleared.  Four hours later we were pulling into my parents' drive, so all in all not too bad.

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting with family almost nonstop, and I just loved it.  We played lots of games, ate good food (I was even responsible & didnt STUFF myself!) and just generally enjoyed having everyone together.  I am grateful to be blessed with such kind & loving and FUN family members! (check out the photos below of my nephew Colin & Uncle Dennis - following an all-out nerf-gun war at the Emge Christmas Extravaganza!) 

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas!!  It's a a little early, but since I have a rare bit of spare time, I thought I would turn the crank & get the blog rolling again, and at the same time do our first Christmas letter as a married couple.

Source

  So, 2009...what a year!  We started the year by sending out save the dates for our upcoming wedding.  Christmas Eve 2008 marked the one year anniversary of Jeremy's marriage proposal, and with the wedding date set at April 25, 09, only four short months remained.  Every time I think about the night Jeremy proposed I just get butterflies!  We spent Christmas Eve together, just the two of us, and it was the kind of night you read about, or see in the movies.  After dinner we were enjoying a quiet moment taking in the view of the Kansas City Plaza from our room on the 10th floor of the Intercontinental Hotel - softly falling snow, beautiful lights outlining the buildings - so picturesque and touching.  A magical Christmas Eve night.  I think I might be the only one who noticed all that though, because Jeremy was so nervous!  All at once, I realized he was getting down on one knee and asking me to spend my life with him. He worked so hard to plan the evening, and make it memorable, and it turned out perfectly.






Fast forward a year - we were getting ready to kick the wedding planning into high gear!  The next four months leading up to the wedding in April were a blur!  We tied the knot on Saturday April 25th, and the following Monday left for a week of sun & relaxation in St. Lucia.  Bliss!  Since then it's been all downhill.  Kidding!  Each day I am thankful for the companion I've found in Jeremy & look forward to all the adventures & challenges yet to come for us.

Aside from the wedding - which, my goodness...everything else this year pales in its shadow! (and rightfully so!)  So...yeah, that thing called life?

Well, a year ago, aside from getting ready to send out save the dates, we also made the decision for me to return to school in preparation for eventual enrollment in nursing school.  This was a big decision and a leap of faith for both of us, since it entails a pretty big change of career for me.  The first step: complete prerequisites at the local community college.  I enrolled in Chemistry and managed to eke out an A, but was so busy with wedding planning I don't think I remember much from that semester!  I took Nutrition online during the summer session, and in the fall completed Anatomy & Physiology.  Whew!  That last class was killer...four days of lecture a week, two of them with a lab after.  Still, the material was fascinating, and Jeremy got the benefit of my newfound knowledge each  night as he picked me up from class.  Most nights I was so excited with what I learned I managed to regurgitate a 50 minute lecture into the 5 minute drive home. :)  Talk about cliff notes!  In any case, with each class that passes I am more excited at the prospect of this new calling!  Now to just get into a nursing program.






Over the summer I took golf lessons, something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  I played a few full rounds with Jeremy at local courses, and played 9 holes with mom once in St. Peters, and in all cases really enjoyed being out in the nice weather & get some fresh air & exercise at the same time.  Jeremy has played golf since he was in high school, and it really is amazing how much we enjoy sharing this hobby.  Now if I can just convince him how much fun it would be to take dancing lessons!!







Between school, Jeremy's fishing expeditions in the spring, golf in the spring/summer/fall and the wedding, we have had a very full year full of growth, fun and adventure.  Factor in our periodic trips to O'Fallon & Springfield to see family & friends, and you can see we lead a life that is constantly on the go.

In all that has come about in the last year, one thing has become crystal clear.  We lead a life full of blessings, and recognize that without our Savior none of it would be possible.  May the celebration of His birth and the Christmas season stay with you all through the coming year.  Please know that we think of you often & hope you are well.

Love & hugs,
Jeremy & Katie

Father's Day

In honor of Father's day, some famous dads we all know & love:

And then of course, the best one:

That's my dad!! :) I'd like to send him some good Father's Day vibes! This weekend Dad, Tony, JN & I went to JN's dad's place at the lake for a fathers day getaway filled with fishing, napping, bbq/smoking and general relaxation. I think a good time was had by all--at least it seemed that way! We were pretty bummed that Randy was too sick to join us...it definitely wasn't the same without him there.

On my way down to the lake on Friday, I got this text message from Dad: "The beers are too cold. I had three and they are just too cold." :) I know I laughed at that for a good 20 min. Once I arrived, the boys were sitting on the deck, cold beers in hand...ready for a great weekend! Everyone was in good spirits, looking forward to a relaxing couple of days. We spent the evening shooting the breeze & catching up, and later on JN, Tony & I got on the 4wheelers & took a drive to show Tony around, and even do a little off roading.

The next morning we got up early & headed out to the Lake for some fishing on dad's boat. I didnt get a fishing license until Sat. evening so i didnt fish, but was quite content chilling in the boat working sudoku, chatting with the guys & enjoying the peaceful morning on the water. There was one small catfish caught, so we brought that home, but other than that it was just casting practice & feeding the fish. :) We headed back to home base for lunch & so Tony could get the ribs into the smoker, and then we headed to the pond for a little more fishing. JN showed off his fly fishing skills (i was impressed! and i want to learn now...) and dad & tony fed the fish some more. It was getting hot so we headed back so dad & JN could nap, & tony & i went to walmart to pick up some odds & ends. When we got back, the guys were still sleeping, so we mixed some cocktails & started dinner. It was really nice to hang out with Tony--its rare that we get to spend time just us, and it reminded me of what a great guy he is--good natured, great sense of humor, and an all around loveable guy. Anywhoo, after dinner (bbq/smoked ribs...mmm...) we drove to the dam & did some more fishing. Since I had my fishing license by this time, I did get to fish...and I baited my own hook, tied some fishing knots to attach the hook to the line (i lost soo many hooks...) and actually caught 2 fish!! They were the only keepers the whole night! Woot!

When we got back JN helped me clean the fish, then i went & took a MUCH needed shower. Tony & JN took off to play cards with some neighbors & dad & i just chilled with drinks, talked & listened to music. It's been a very long time since dad & I have had that kind of quality time together just the 2 of us, and I really enjoyed it. We usually dont see too much of each other, i'm usually with mom shopping & whatnot, so i definitely appreciated having the time to spend with him. We caught up on how things are going with the fire department, things he's working on & helping out with, and how things are going with JN & I, our jobs & househunting & such.

This morning we slept in until about 9:30...since it was already warm & humid we opted to pass on fishing & head to town for breakfast instead. After breakfast we came back & packed up...kindof a downer, but we were so hot & humid, i think all of us were ready for the comforts of home (and a/c!). The weekend was a lot of fun, but passed too quickly!! Even so, i hope that dad & Tony had a good time...We didnt get either of them anything big for father's day, but I have always been a fan of quality time/memories over 'stuff' as gifts. Hopefully this was a memorable weekend for the 2 of them. It was for me! :) Happy Father's day guys!

last easter & misc

In answer to a couple of questions about what happened last Easter...here's the story:

We had brunch at mom & dad's as is becoming the tradition...and along with brunch we had mimosas, which is also becoming the tradition. Well, mom mixed up the mimosas, and i had a few while helping cook the meal...and then had one or two while eating the meal...and maybe one while cleaning up after the meal...(man! i sound like a lush!!) So while we're cleaning up, i asked mom what she wanted me to do with the leftover pancakes. She handed me a plastic bag & said to put them in there. After putting them in there, i asked her, so what now? She said "just throw them in the freezer." Well, my brother had just opened the freezer door to get something out, so i took that as an opportunity to...well...throw the pancakes into the freezer. From across the room. Almost hitting him in the head in the process. :) To me at the time it was no different then someone saying 'can you pass me a roll' at dinner & having an uncle toss it across the table (this has happened btw)...but judging from the laughter & looks of shock on my mom & brother's faces, perhaps i had had one too many mimosas. It's not my fault they were so good!! I spent that afternoon sleeping it off, and woke up with a hangover...just in time for easter dinner at my grandmas. nice! :)

this year was a little different...i did have a couple of mimosas while helping out with cooking brunch...but with the memory of last year fresh in my mind, i kept myself in check. I did get to take a 3hr nap, but it was because i had to get up at the crack of dawn to go to mass, not because i was sleeping off a morning bender. :)

in other news....
Today after work i went for a run around the downtown airport with my friend danica...i thought for sure she would just smoke me during the run...she just got done training for a 1/2 marathon, and is one of those speedy, skinny, gazelle-like runners...but i was able to keep up!! We kept close to a 10min/mile pace, and i was even able to keep up with her during the last speedy kick at the end. :) :) We did 3.6 miles, and are planning a 5mi run on wednesday. it feels good to be back running again...i feel like i'm dusting off the cobwebs!

happy monday everyone...hope your week is off to a good start. :)

xoxo

Easter Weekend

~sigh~
this is me being relaxed & contented...mark the calendar, this doesnt happen very often!! I'm in the middle of a super-long weekend, and enjoying it immensely. It's been a long time since i've blogged, sorry bout that...i'll try to be better, i promise...

I had thursday off from work, so i spent the day cooking for the cooking exchange this weekend & then joined some friends over at Jason's for a bbq and some bocci ball. If you havent played this game you should...it was lots of fun! (i'm sure the margaritas i was drinking while we played helped with that...)

Friday we had the day off from work, so I got up early & drove back to StL to be with the familia for Easter weekend. Mom & i spent the day shopping...I start a new job on the 24th (woot!) and with the unusually warm weather recently i have learned that my current summer wardrobe is out of date, insufficient, and mostly doesnt fit...so...off to the mall to find new clothes! :) I found a TON of stuff at NY & Co...That store is like Target to me...i walk in, and almost always come out with stuff i know i dont need but absolutely cant live without, and always am like $80 lighter. After this shopping trip my bank account is quite a bit lighter than $80 now, but we wont discuss that....anywho, we spent the day shopping, and then came home where mom made some yummy seafood stir-fry for dinner. After that & a glass of wine, i was done for the night! It was only like 8:30 & i was sooo ready for bed...i managed to make it until like 10:30, but it was tough.

Today I woke up thinking 'man, i really would like to go for a run...' It's been soooo long since i've felt like i wanted to run...it felt good to actually want to get out there instead of my guilt at being out of shape that was motivating me to go. I put on my running clothes & walked outside to find mom working in the garden, looking at me like i've lost my mind. Usually it's her that is dragging me out for a run, and its never me getting up early on my own to do that, she has to wake me up. :) So, after she quit looking at me like i was an alien, we went for a run (which felt GREAT, btw), came home showered, and then went to the spa to get manicures & pedicures. Such is the life!! We were there for almost 3 hours!!! I also got my eyebrows done, which i recommend, but only if you know what to expect. It was the first time i've ever had them professionally done, and yeow!! it really kinda stings! But only for a second. Its worth it to not look like tarzan's jane anymore. :)

After we got back from getting our nails done, my friend sarah, who is a massage therapist, came over to give me & mom each a massage. again, i could totally get used to this!! i totally need to have that done more often...she said my neck & back were just a wreck, filled with stress knots & spots of tension. Probably will take a few more appointments before i totally get it all worked out, but i feel like a million bucks already. I told her that i'd like to keep a standing appointment for every time i come home...

We had my dad's side of the family's easter dinner tonite, & it was good to see everyone! We're home now though, getting ready to dye easter eggs & put the easter baskets together. Mom informed me that we're going to 8:00 mass tomorrow...that's right everyone...8 AM mass...dang that's early!! BUT, i will get to wear a new easter dress, and some WAY cute new easter shoes...so that's enough to get me out of bed...i think... :) Plus everyone's coming over for easter brunch afterwards, which will be fun to hang out with the kiddos! Although...after my behavior at last year's brunch, i think mom may be cutting me off after 1 mimosa...

Well, I hope you are all having as good a weekend as I am here...easter blessings to all!!

xoxo

Happy New Year!

Well, the new year is off to a pretty good start i think. I was at my parents' house this last weekend, and slept in until around noon or 1 i believe. Then (i know, can it get any better?) I was off from work yesterday, so i slept in AGAIN until like 11am, and didnt even change out of my pj's until 2pm. I am learning that heaven is getting to wear your pyjama's 24-7 and never having to get out of bed before you are good & ready...and then only to shuffle into the living room to watch tv. :) I hope the rest of the year goes as well...it certainly started off on the right foot!

On another note, I believe I have decided to go back to school. (gasp!) I've been thinking about it for awhile, but every time i get to the point where i apply for federal aid, i start having flashbacks of how stressful my last few semesters at Truman were, start hyperventilating, and end up having to go to my happy place. :) ok, maybe it's not that bad...but still, i cringe even thinking about having to write another stinking term paper...or having to participate in another group presentation....BUT...I am determined for this time to be different. No longer will I be juggling 5 insanely busy classes along with trying to decide which is more credit-card-worthy: the electric bill or the bar tab. I like to think i have my spending habits and my living expenses a little more under control now, and hopefully a clearer picture of what i want to do with my life & why i really am going to school (other than that it's just the next step). So the question is, go back for a new and entirely different degree, go back for an mba, or go back and get a masters in accounting? Those are the options i'm weighing....i'm not inclined to start in on a whole different degree, so i think the first option is out. As for the second...i am inclined to shy away from that because it seems like 'everybody' is doing it (i have a whole slew of friends who either just graduated with their mba or are working on it) and i'm not the kinda girl to jump off a bridge just b/c everyone else is. Even so, a friend of mine recently suggested getting an MBA concentrating in accounting, which i may consider...but right now i am leaning strongly for the last option, a masters in accounting. I'm wanting to go the way of auditing or at the very least work for a public accounting firm...so i'm up for whichever degree will get me to that point, but think that the masters in acct is the best bet.

First step is scheduling the GRE ($250...oy...must be some test...), then applying to schools, and then crossing my fingers that i get in to at least one of the places i apply.

What am i getting myself into? :)

Merry Christmas

I subscribe to this website that emails you an inspriational quote every day (well, with my work email filter it's more like 2x a month...), and today the below message actually made it through. I figured, of all the things to not be filtered out, this one was a pretty good one. i thought i'd share...it puts things into perspective i think.

Merry christmas everyone...

"And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow
Stood puzzling and puzzling: 'How could it be so?'
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!
And he puzzled three hours, 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"
-----------Dr. Seuss, 1904-1991Beloved Cartoonist and Children's Book Author

Deep down inside we know
that the best gifts
don't come from catalogs
or shopping malls
They don't come in brightly-colored packages
or fancy envelopes
and they're not sitting under a tree somewhere...
The best gifts come from the heart.
They come when we look at each other
REALLY look at each other
and say 'You mean a lot to me'
or 'I'm so glad you're a part of my life'
A gift like that will never go out of style
or be forgotten
or be returned for a different size.
A gift like that can change the world.
----------Ron Atchison Inspiration Peak

christmas time!

Ok. I confess...I have finally succumbed to the christmas fever! (if you are a grinch, probably would be less painful to stop reading after paragraph 2...)

Now that it is finally december (actually i should be saying, it's december? already?) I feel like yes, we can now sing christmas songs with a clear conscience! It seems like every month has its holiday, so it's just wrong to celebrate a holiday before its date is due...kindof like celebrating your birthday a month early, there's something just not right about it! :) I started seeing christmas stuff out as early as September (sigh...it's going to be a long season...), and one of the KC radio stations started playing christmas music as early as october (scandal! it's not even halloween yet!), and then of course putting up the christmas decorations on thanksgiving in november (what?? I'm still drowsy from the turkey!!). BUT it is now december...so...deck the halls!

I've changed the ringer on my phone to the dance of the sugar plum fairies, put the few christmas decorations I have up in my apartment (it is a-dazzle with blue & silver-gorgeous!), started writing christmas cards, and am starting to accumulate christmas gifts for the chosen few I can afford to buy/make for. Plus, as if we need another reason to enjoy the season, how can you NOT get excited about all the great christmas movies out there!!! A Christmas Story ("you'll shoot your eye out!"), Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Its a Charlie Brown Christmas, aand...my all time absolute favorite (no matter what season)...Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase & Randy Quaid. Just thinking of that movie makes me laugh!! I can't even choose my favorite scene, every part of that movie just makes me giggle and laugh like i was 10 again & watching the 3 stooges...pure happiness...

So...grinchy people of the world beware...24 days & counting till the big day!!
Ho Ho Ho!! *<:D
(that's supposed to be santa btw...)

Gobble Gobble!

GobbleGobble! :) My thanksgiving holiday starts tomorrow...I took tomorrow off from work in order to head back to the Lou a little early for the holiday. I'm hoping to get on the road by 8 or 9am so that i can beat all the crazy holiday travelers on I-70...cross your fingers for me!

In my next to last post I mentioned that my sewing machine had been fixed, and that i was itching to make something. I came up with some good ideas, and decided to make a table runner & some placemats for christmas decor in my apartment. Figured, how much easier could it get, pretty much i'm just sewing in straight lines, right? Wrong!! :) I had to go & make it complicated...BUT....i think it turned out beautifully! The original pattern called for one long strip of fabric with some sheer borders on each end. I chose dark blue damask silk and then silver sheer borders...and then purchased silver thread to use for finishing touches. Well, after i had it partially put together, i decided that it needed to look more like the picture! In the picture the solid fabric had embroidery on it...i have a feeling it was already like that when the fabric was purchased & sewn in rather than being put on it afterwards, but whatever...i thought 'i can do that!' and set to work. (this is a phrase that has gotten me into more unfinished projects than i care to count. ) So, i drew some vines & leaves on the blue fabric with chalk, and then set to work with the sewing machine & my silver thread to trace out the chalk lines. After a few minor setbacks, learning how to adjust the tension on the machine, fine tuning the start/stopping process, i was rather proud of the finished product! The pictures really don't do it justice. It's also reversible, the other side is solid blue from one end to the other, with a silver sheer band in the middle and an outline of silver thread around the outside seams. The furniture in my apt is blue corduroy, and the candle accents i have are polished sterling silver, so the fabrics coordinate rather well. What do you think? :)
There's more where that came from...there are 2 matching placemats that are cut out, just waiting to be put together. Can't wait. So what should I make next??

Well, i'm off to pack & do laundry for the road trip tomorrow. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy thanksgiving....