Happy new year! (Day 1)

So anyone who knows me knows I like to do what "I" want to do...not what anyone tells me to do, or what the crowd wants to do...even if something's a good idea, and good for me, I can tend to wait 5 minutes & then decide to do it because "I" wanted to.  Dumb...I know I have control issues, and maturity issues, and apparently problems with authority. :)  I like to call it being spunky & independent. (cue eye roll)

Case in point?  During our first year of dating, Jeremy & I were out with friends & had been drinking quite a bit.  We all were loading into a car getting ready to leave, while someone was waiting for our parking space.  I was concentrating more on talking to someone than I was on getting in the car, and apparently was taking my sweet time.  Jeremy tried to get my attention, "Get in the car!!"  Instead of getting in, I laughed & said "Are you telling me what to do?"  and he of course said "YES! Get in the CAR!"  I paused briefly & decided to get in, & while tripping over myself I mumbled "ok, but i'm getting in because I want to, not because you're telling me to..."

Ok, so enough rambling.  So I know I need to get in shape...and I know I've said I was going to in the past...and we all know how that turned out...so I waited for all the other new year's peeps to get in the gym & give up on their resolutions so i would have plenty of space to see how I liked getting back on the wagon.  I'm not pledging to run a marathon, a half marathon, or even a 5k.  I'm not saying how many pounds I want to lose, or what size clothing I want to wear at the end of it. 

However...last summer my friend mary & I made a decision.  As we sat drinking our beverages on a raft in a river in the ozarks, watching a skinny little thing wearing a black bikini float by, enjoying that we had finally gotten to an age where we were comfortable with our bodies (um, yeah right)...we decided that next year we would be the ones in the black bikinis...and no, not THOSE girls who think it's a right instead of a priviledge.

So...there it is.  I want to look better in my bathing suit.  Pretty vain...but I also want to be healthier, take fewer medications, be firmly ON the wagon, maybe driving it, by the time I start nursing school in august.  Once that starts if i dont have the health habits firmly going, there won't be any time or mental capacity to start. Classes for the spring semester start this week, so my pledge is to streak through my spring semester.  Ha - NO nakie pictures.  Sorry kids.  I pledge to do something every day, whether it be yoga, running, whatevs, until the end of this semester.  We're talking early to mid-May...this is doable.  I'm thinking of it like a 3rd class i'm taking this semester, and the homework is to keep the motivation rolling.  The end result is to have enough motivation that it has become a way of life, so that i have a snowball's chance in heck of staying sane/healthy through the next year of books and clinicals and stress.

With that said, without further ado....

DAY 1!!
Starting weight = 185 lbs (gah! please dont judge me...)
Starting measurements:
     Chest - 41"
     R. Arm - 11 3/4"
     L. Arm - 11 1/2"
     Waist - 40"
     Hips - 45"
     R. Thigh - 21"
     L. Thigh - 21"

My streak starter:
40 min on the treadmill at an incline of 1 (is that 1%? dunno...)
10 min was warmup & cooldown at a pace of around 3.4
30 min was a slow jog at 4.7
At the end the mileage was about 2.6 miles...huh. that's farther than i thought i could go...but it was a comfortable effort & I didnt want to overdo things on my first day.  Would be embarrassing to puke all over the fancy treadmill in front of the gym rats regulars.

What I ate today:
Breakfast - Smoothie made of 2 pears, 1/2c blackberries, 1/2c blueberries, 1c skim milk, 3/4c lowfat vanilla yogurt.
Snack - 12 oz can of low sodium V8
Lunch - an orange & leftover chicken/artichoke/gorgonzola/mushroom pizza from Waldo pizza, 2 pieces.  (I know...but you cant let that stuff go to waste!!).  Also 28 oz of ice water.
Snack - mozzarella string cheese
Dinner - chicken breast, spring mix salad, 2 Tbsp caesar dressing & maybe 2 Tbsp shredded italian mix cheese.  Also 2 -12 oz diet cokes.  Which i justify b/c i was parched, and didnt have any sweets all day...usually I have a 32oz diet dr pepper every day, so I'm still down 8 oz, right? :D Right.  Tomorrow will be better.
Snack - Hot tea, and a 100 calorie pack of light microwave kettle corn. (maybe on the kettle corn...as of the writing of this post i havent made it yet, and might just go to bed early instead)    

So, just day one, but I'll take it.  Not a bad start.
Day two?  Stay tuned.........

Say Yes to the Dress...erm...Scrubs?

Remember this post?  Well...these guys said no, but These Guys said YES!! I heard back in August, and I think it has finally sunk in.  Maybeish.  Can you imagine me in scrubs, with a stethoscope around my neck?  Or starting an IV, or helping a doctor with a procedure?  Eek!  I am starting to...as it sinks in...mostly am really really looking forward to a job where I can care for people first hand.  Really looking forward to that.  After the year of hellacious courswork & clinicals....it's definitely not a cakewalk ahead.

As part of the curriculum I have to have 15 cr hrs at Rockhurst, so I'm workng on that now.  I was very fortunate to be able to enroll in evening classes, which will let me keep my full time job for the next year until nursing school officially begins.  Yay for that!  This way I can pay for these crazy expensive credit hours as I go instead of having to finance them in some way.  I think I have been living in a land called denial when it came to the expense of private schools.  I went to a public university for my first degree, and when I went back to school in 2009 it was to community college.  Hoo boy!  What a difference.  At this point my opinion is that TSU and Rockhurst are pretty solidly comparable schools.  Wouldn't that be a topic for discussion...or another post. :)  Maybe I'll table that for after my first semester here is behind me.

So anyways, back to the point...you are reading the blog of a nursing student! Eeee!  The countdown has begun...T-Minus 10 months to full time school, an experience I have yet to have the luxury of enjoying.  My husband is THE ONE that is making this happen for me...without his love & support it probably would have been even longer before I'd have been able to do this.  He's a wonderful guy, that one.

Anything else new? Hmmm...well, the weather is cooling off, which is good because the humidity is my nemesis...but then so is sub zero weather.  I'm trying to soak in as much of this gorgeous weather that I can!

Beyond that, I'm just really really busy.  On top of the 6 credit hours this semester - Ethical Theory & Abnormal Psych - I was promoted to manager in a new group at my current job, and it has definitely been a humbling experience so far.  I get to deal with clients directly now and have a 3 people reporting to me, and while I enjoy both of those things immensely, it can be daunting some days.  Being a manager, esp in client service is not for the faint of heart...as a good friend recently said, "I have learned that pleasing everyone is hard, but pissing them off is way too easy."  Oh well...can't win em all. 

Have a good nite loves!


p.s...sorry about no pictures.  It's late & I'm decompressing from the day...hope to have something for you in the next post. You know, when Christmas rolls around... ;)

Ta Da!

Oh man!  Guess what!?  Heh.  I'm posting again, and it's sooner than Halloween!  AND...I have pictures too, as promised!  Talk about a happiness bonanza. :)

I found my camera, and managed to find the charger for it too which was a good thing because it was d-e-d-DEAD.

Here are pictures of the baby blanket I made for my friends.  I thought it turned out to be such a cute afghan, but next time i will actually pay attention to the part of the directions telling me how to measure the gauge.  Turns out using a 4.0mm instead of a 4.4mm hook makes a difference. Hm.  Who knew? Oh well.  I plan to make another one of these some day...really liked the basket weave pattern & the girly border.

Looky what else was on my camera?  Wedding cake!  We had New York Style cheesecake for our wedding cake, and my mom did a superb job of wrapping it up.  After sitting in our frost free freezer (say that ten times fast!) for a year, which i hear is not the best for keeping things frozen long term, that cake was still in fine form!  Even so...it was so much cake that we couldnt eat it all even by having dessert every night after dinner for a week.  I'm pretty sure I didnt mean to celebrate my anniversary by gaining 10 lbs.  Oh, the things we do for love.  Love of cheesecake, that is.  NOM.

 

And, lest you think that I am someone who crochets & eats wedding cake all day, here is proof I do take some things seriously.  I mean, a girl cant do the YMCA at her wedding without feathers. And friends who enjoy funny poses & hats as much as she does!

Life on the edge...of being a blog...

So wow...it's one of those deep questions.  Is a blog really a blog if the blogger doesnt frequently post blogs? Will have to think on that one for a bit.

The last post was written in February...with snow on the ground and cold, cold misery in the air.  But, temperatures have warmed, and life is now good!  Except for that humidity.  But whatevs, i'll take this weather any day over snow & chattery teeth.

The spring semester wound to a close in early May, thank goodness! Now we can put microbiology behind us & concentrate on getting into a good school.  Hopefully one of them will take me...or both! Should know by the end of july/first week of august...any & all good vibes sent this way would be stellar!

Not long after the semester wound down, I met my mom, grandma & aunts & cousins in Rocheport for a girls weekend. It was SO much fun!  We all had a great time, and while I knew I was related to amazing women, this weekend just reinforced that feeling. We rented a house & while we were there went walking on the Katy trail, went antiquing around town, took a cooking class, and had a tasting & dinner at the winery up the road.  I HIGHLY recommend such a trip.  We had a great time.  You know, except for that a/c that broke.  Details, details.

Hmm...what else? Weeelll...I've been thoroughly enjoying my summer break from school by being as crafty as i can!  So far I have made NINE reversible aprons from this pattern.   Here they are being modeled by some very lovely women...well, you can sort of see them...but everyone got a different apron made from some very cute cotton fabric (if i do say so myself!).  Can you see me being a cheeseball in the background?  Guess this is what a night of making aprons with zero sleep will turn a person into. :)

(photo credit: the beautiful & talented http://chickinczech.blogspot.com/)

About a week ago we hosted a baby/bridal shower at our apartment for some girls I work with (one was getting married, a different one having a baby), and I promptly got to work on a baby afghan after finishing up the supercute aprons. 

Unfortunately I'm a fun hater & have no pictures for you of the afghan...but it was pink & brown & white, and just all around soft & cushy & wonderful.  It even had baby pink fleece binding on the sides to cover up the color changes.  CUTE!  Aside from the recipient being a July baby & thus not so much in need of warmth, I'm hoping it will be a keepsake for her.

After finishing up the baby afghan, i decided to make a SECOND baby afghan!  Crazy, right?  Nah.  So this one is pink & light green & white.  Supercute too. I dont have a picture for you yet b/c my camera is dead, but I will post one soon.  And by soon I mean sooner than Halloween. :)  And btw...this second baby afghan is NOT for me. Or for an offspring of mine (which i have none).  Or for an offspring which we are expecting (which we are NOT).  While I do have baby fever & readily admit to it...the sometimes blogger of this here blog is not about to be a babymomma just yet. :)    Side story...this weekend i was showing my grandma my progress on the afghan & she asked me with a twinkle in her eye in ever just so the right tone of voice..."and...so who might this blanket be for?"  Hehe...sorry, not so fast...unless than whole nursing school thing doesnt pan out.  Then maybe.  Ask JN.

So ANYway.  I guess I've been going through craft withdrawal b/c i have crammed more craftiness into the last month and a half than even martha stewart herself could shake a beautifully hand-painted self carved stick at.  Oh yeah, i forgot...i altered some clothes in there too.  Details.

So...if anyone is out there still reading...please tell me i'm not the only crafty crafterson out there...what are you working on for your summer projects?

smooches!
kt

These days...

I haven't posted in a bit, so I thought I would pop in to say hello! It seems our time is governed by what's going on over the weekends these days...a month is over before I even know it! Where did February go??  I was lucky enough to sign up for a couple of shifts at the HL this month, the first & last weekend, so there's a little money in the bank.  The other 2 weekends left in the month we were out of town. Where did we go?  I'll give you two hints:

   

(source & source)

Did you guess? 

Last weekend we were in StL visiting my family & also so JN could go to a IDPA match in troy.  He hasn't heard where he placed in the match yet, but they did a qualifier afterwards and he classified as a Sharpshooter! He was 9 seconds away from qualifying at Expert (it goes Novice-Marksman-Sharpshooter-Expert-Master), so pretty good day for him. Lookout world!  While he was busy with that, I was spending the day with my mom & dad, and visited Historic Main St. in St. Charles.  It had been such a long time since I'd been there (other than pics for the wedding) and I really enjoyed the time we spent there.  We ate at Louis & Clark restaurant, and enjoyed the mild weather (there was sunshine!) while wandering in & out of the shops.

Weekend before last, Valentine's day weekend, we were in Springfield for JN's mom's wedding.  The weekend went by very quickly, given that we didnt arrive till 1:30am on Saturday morning & left after breakfast on Sunday.  I was so tired!  Usually when we go out of town we have to wait until JN gets off work from the OG, which can be anywhere from 8pm to 11pm.  Brutal.  Anywho, we went right to bed when we arrived & slept through until almost lunchtime!  It was kindof funny, JN got up & left pretty quick, saying he needed to go to walgreens to get some carmex, and then was gone for like 4 hours!  When I texted him to find out if he went by way of Arkansas (there's a walgreens less than a mile from where we were) he said that he got "lost" and was on his way home.  Lost?!  Huh.  Lost in a certain sporting goods store?  Or maybe found a fly shop that confused his sense of direction? Heh.  Riiight. :)  That evening we went to a little church nearby for the wedding & dinner following, and it was a nice evening.  The ceremony was a small & intimate one, with just immediate family.  My new in-laws are a big family, so it was kindof exciting to me to meet all of them because that side of JN's family is pretty small (his mom only has one sibling).  I come from a big family that's pretty close, so I am looking forward to getting to know the new extended family.  Although - all of their names begin with the letter J, so it will be a challenge remembering who belongs with what name. :)

Hmm...what else is new?  Umm...well, today marks the one week mark of my being on the South Beach diet.  I hate that its called a diet, mainly b/c in my mind that indicates that it will be short lived, but i'm really hoping to make some positive changes that will stay with us.  The first 2 weeks of the program are pretty restrictive, so it's been hard for me to get this far.  I've fallen off the wagon in the evenings the last couple of days, and the first couple of days i was really grouchy & headachy because of low blood sugar, but I'm hoping I'm over the hump & the second week will be better than the first.  Also, today I worked out for the first time since the KC Half Marathon, and while it felt good I was pretty pooped because I havent had many carbs over the last 2 weeks.  It was hard to push through that, for sure!  I'll be glad next wednesday when I can start adding fruit back into my meals. 

You can tell that i'm out of practice...I went to the gym after work & since I was just going home afterwards I didnt bother to change back into my work clothes.  Seems reasonable but I think it was a fail.  During my walk home from work I looked a little like these folks (which you need to check out this post...pretty funny concept, i totally would have participated had i lived in NYC!):

 

(source & source)

I had forgotten my running pants!  Talk about a failure to plan ahead.  And you know what I was thinking as I walked out into the cold?  "Oh!  My hair's wet, I better put up my hood so I don't catch cold."  Hehe...nevermind my NAKED legs.  Oh yeah, and the snow on the ground (today's hi: 29degrees; low: 12)...d'oh!

Moving on to the new year

After sitting in our apartment for too long past the new year, our Christmas tree finally came down this weekend.  I was so sad to see it go!  But, I was more sad to see a dark tree in the corner of our living room every day.  I think this is my least favorite time of year, because its so dark, dreary and dirty all over the place.  And, after such a hopeful & generous Christmas season, it's depressing to get back to the daily grind!

This weekend we cleaned the apartment, which was the product of our taking down all the holiday decor.  Also caught up on laundry & homework & sleep.  Not an exciting weekend, but a productive one nonetheless.

To avoid this post being entirely of the debbie downer sort, here's some good news.  We recently had an addition to the family:

(image from automotive.com)

Her name is Millie, she's 11 years old and has a very good temperament. :)

My grandma purchased this car from a family friend who had neuropathy in his feet & ended up driving it through the back wall of their garage a couple of times. A little bent & bruised, but not too much worse for wear.  Grandma ended up not needing the car, so I purchased it.  She's got power everything - seats/windows, cruise control, a remote control unlocker/trunk popper thing, and floats over the bumps in the road like a cloud...definitely the cushiest old car I've ever had.  However, I tend to drive like an old lady in this car because I'm still getting used to my boundaries...all the cars i've driven before (except the beloved 1989 Chevy Caprice) were much much smaller.  I think its kindof  funny that I drive this way because I don't think i fit the description of the average Buick LeSabre driver.

This is a very welcome addition to the family!  We've been a one-car household since July 2008, and while we've learned to share it has not been all fun & games & sunshine & rainbows.  Let me tell you, standing on the corner of Linwood & Broadway at 9:00pm waiting for the bus so i can go home from school is NOT fun!  Also, with the addition of Millie we are able to enjoy having 2 cars & the freedom that comes with that without an extra car payment.  She is not glamorous by any means, but she's very cushy, and safe, and gives us some more freedom. 

Welcome Millie!! :)

The Last Decade - Newlywed Style - part two!

So I bet you have been waiting with baited breath for the next installment! It was like pulling teeth, but I did manage to get some details of the last decade from The Husband.  Without further ado, here is his last decade!  Please bear in mind that he's not a very talkative guy, so i had to take some creative license here.  Oh well, at least there's a second installment....

2009 - got married, aka lost my freedom; visited another country for the first time (st lucia) (oh wait, except for when i went to mexico in 2004 christmasish time))
2008 - went fishing at Roaring River for the first time, moved downtown, survived engagement pictures & wedding planning
2007 - moved into midtown, proposed to the love of my life, got a fly fishing rod for christmas, traded my manly Ford Explorer in for a cute Honda Fit.  there was also QT nearby where i was able to still get coffee conveniently every morning.
2006 - started dating the love of my life, moved into the wornall apartment where i enjoyed being able to get QT coffee very conveniently every morning. started working back at the OG but this time not in columbia.  love that place!
2005 - met the love of my life, started working at my current location of employment, graduated from m-i-z. also worked at BWW part time, until i quit on valentines day 2006.
2004 - i was in college, bought my Ford Explorer, wrecked my Volvo, interned at the gates of hell a credit union.  oh yeah, also went to mexico around christmasish time
2003 - i was in college, was a roofing lackey during the summer, lived on a diet of dr pepper and funyuns while sweating my body weight in water every day hauling shingles everywhere.
2002 - went to m-i-z in the fall, started working at the OG in columbia my favorite job ever
2001 - worked at a heating & cooling place making ductwork & went to community college.  also worked at a car dealership where i drove cars & wrote tickets (not like a cop but for services). 
2000 - graduated from high school, raced mustangs and evaded The Law like smokey & the bandit

when asked "do you have goals for the next decade?"  JN says:  "nope."

if you know my husband at all, you should know this is his way of saying "please stop asking me questions and take your laptop back in the other room". :)  I'm sure he has goals, but for now i will leave him be.

The past decade - Newlywed-style!

My cousin's wife gave me this idea, and I thought I'd test Jeremy & I's memories to see where we've been for the last 10 years!  First installment - the wife!

2000 - The year two - thousand....Anybody remember those skits from Conan O'Brien? :)    Hmm...well, i dont remember a ton about that year, other than that it was partly my junior year of college, partly my senior year.  I lived with my dear friend Erin, who was the best roommate E.V.E.R. I loved living with Erin, and we had great times together in the 2 years we lived together! This year we lived in a house above some army ROTC kids, and it was a crazy, fun fun year.

2001 - This was a mixed up, busy, bittersweet year.  It started off terribly - I lost my friend Steve in a tragic accident in February, and bumbled my way through the next few months trying to make sense of the loss & cope with the grief.  Thank God for family & friends to lean on, because I did a lot of leaning during this time.  A lot of my friends at Truman graduated the following May, which was great for them, but somewhat sad for me!  I was sad to see them go!  But, this was my last year of college at Truman.  I studied abroad for 3 weeks at the end of the Spring/beginning of Summer semester, spending a week in Belgium and two weeks in Russia - Moscow & St. Petersburg.  I studied the emerging European Union, got to tour NATO headquarters, got lost in Bruges, got to touch the North Sea, toured Antwerp, studied at the Univ. of Moscow, toured the Kremlin & Stalin's tomb, walked through Red Square & past St. Basil's Cathedral, experienced an 8-hour red-eye train to St. Petersburg, toured the Hermitage...and much more!  That's just the highlights!  A life-changing experience, for sure.  The last semester was a blur, ending with GRADUATION!!  And a move from Kirksville to StL to KC, all in the span of 2 weeks.  Whew!

2002 - Moved to Kansas City & started a new job.  Pretty much didn't know a soul in the area, save for my cousin Sarah, and an old BF.  Made lots of new friends, and lots of trips home to StL.  After 9mos in the metro area I got smart & moved closer to my job & into downtown KC.  I also volunteered with the ACS late this year, starting a long relationship with the organization in memory of my Grandpa Norb, who lost his battle with cancer that March.

2003 - I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, and turned over a new leaf in an effort to get healthy & stay there.  I started running & changed my eating habits - in August I started training for my first marathon.  In October I ran my first half marathon - the Kansas City Half Marathon sponsored by Humana.  Also did a handful of other races, including the Great River Road Race in Alton the day before (or was it the day after?) Thanksgiving.  I did my last long run, 22 miles, around Lake St. Louis (literally)...with mom right there the whole way, knitting scarves for fundraising in between driving to each of my 2 mile water & fuel stops. That's one heckuva coach!  I also started working part time for the ACS in the spring of 2003, with my first shift falling on the one year anniversary of Grandpa's death...definitely gives personal meaning to the work done here.

2004 - Started the year with my first marathon in Hamilton, Bermuda with a time of 5:02; mom came with me & was one of my greatest supporters - she helped me to raise over $5,000 for the American Stroke Association!  I also had lots of help from friends & family in the form of running buddies, fundraising buddies & supporters, and just good vibes overall!  This was also the year I kicked the smoking habit, definitely  no small feat.  This was also the year I moved into the HL as the resident.

2005 - I ran TWO marathons this year!  The Walt Disney World marathon in Orlando Florida in January, and then the Chicago marathon.  I ran both of these with Mom, and we fundraised for the Disney marathon - an additional $3k!  And guess what - i ran THREE half marathons that year too!  Art & Sole St. Louis in April, Louis & Clark in St. Charles in September, Waddell & Reed in KC in October.  Talk about an overachieving year!  Who was that girl?!  Oh yeah, and if you can believe it, I squeezed in a trip to Italy with 3 of my BFF's!  We spent a week in a villa outside of Milan, and it was just amazing!  It was a little like the movie Planes Trains & Automobiles at times, but overall a memorable & relationship building trip for us. If it wasnt for sure before, it was now - these girls are FAMILY.

2006 -  I've racked my brain & can't come up with what races I ran in 2006.  It looks like for awhile my life was defined by what race i was training for.  But, 2006 was still a big year.  I started dating Jeremy in April, started a new job at the Big C in April also.  In August I moved out of the HL & in with my dear friend Denise.  So i guess that's enough change for a year!

2007 - Yet ANOTHER marathon this year...the Chicago marathon.  That race now qualifies as both the best & worst race in my life yet.  We only made it to mile 15, and I was a dehydrated, sore, sorry mess at that point.  They called the race due to lack of resouces (they ran out of water) and heat warnings. No lesson lost though, I decided to stop running for awhile until my heart was in it again.  It wasn't such a bad year though!  On Christmas Eve 2007 Jeremy proposed!

2008 - This was the deja vu year.  I returned to the mutual fund world, working alongside Jeremy & lots of old friends again for the first time in 2 years.  Also returned to the HL as the resident.  Funny how life comes full circle.  Spent the year planning for our wedding.

2009 - I got married! In April I married my heart Jeremy, surrounded by our family and friends.  Followed by a week in St. Lucia, aka Paradise.  In January I went back to school & had a 4.0 year, albeit one class at a time.  Also managed to get back on the running wagon & ran the Kansas City Half Marathon with my amazing & inspiring Mom.  Then I fell right back off the running wagon.

Reflecting back on all of that - goodness!  It was a busy 10 years!  There was a LOT of growing up done.  High highs (marriage, marathon finish lines), low lows (losing friends and family).  Personal growth.  No wonder I'm so tired!!

Hopes for the next decade, in no particular order:
-Run some more marathons!  Make exercise a more regular & less fitful part of my life.
-Graduate from nursing school, find a job I love so much that I dont mind going to work.
-Buy our first house.
-Start a family.
-Travel & experience new things!  this one's kinda general, but applies!


In the next installment - cross your fingers that i can get the last 10 years out of JN!  I've only been here for about 3 1/2 of them, so there's 7 years to go! :)

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!

And so the summer begins

Welcome back old friend! It's been a long, long while...over a year! So much has happened in that year...i'm into bulletted (sp?) lists these days, so here's the highlights:

• JN & I celebrated the one year mark on April 2, 2007, and the two year mark on April 2, 2008. This is now officially the longest relationship I've ever been in! And it's with BY FAR the best one in the bunch. For sure a keeper.
• To follow that last thought--he IS a keeper...and apparently thinks I might be as well because he proposed on Christmas Eve, 2007. AWWWW!!! I still get misty thinking of it. :) Mark your calendars for April 2009.
• TWO job changes--I was working at the Big C in accounting when I posted last...then I moved to HR in the following June, and this last May I returned to the company I worked for first out of college. So now I'm back to SS, under the same client (but in a diff dept), and working on the same floor as JN. So far all changes for the positive.
• Survived my 10 year HS reunion...as my cousin's husband noted "a lot of smiling & polite nodding"...but also good to see a lot of friends i hadnt seen in a bit!
• Survived the experience surrounding the 2007 Chicago Marathon. Adversity builds character, and sometimes the worst experiences in life can teach you as much or more as the best experiences. While I dont look back on that race with any trace of fondness, I am glad I experienced it--made me realize what happens when you combine a failure to seriously train for an event and the event organizers end up failing to be adequately prepared. Next time I need to do more to CMA (no...not the country music awards...its short for cover my arse). Also I realized that my mom is my biggest & staunchest supporter...that was such a low point for me as far as morale & physical ability goes, and she was still with me the whole way, doing her best to motivate me. My mom is The Best. Bar none.
• In May last year I moved in with JN...hugemongous step! We cohabitate pretty well most of the time...sans that one week or so a month when my horrible hormonal side takes over. Beyond that we do pretty well.
• Umm...not sure what else to add...i think that sums up the major highlights...i'll probably blog on it if i forget anything else...

So here's what i hope for you to hear about in the near future/coming year:

• Wedding Preparation. When i'm online it's what i'm reading about, when i'm talking to mom it's what we're discussing, and now that another one of my friends just got engaged, it only encourages me more. :) So far I've loved the majority of the process...still have about 10 1/2 months to go, but really have not had too much stress about the details as of yet.
• Physical Fitness. Common theme huh? Yeaaahhhh....about that....So I'm at my heaviest EVER. Right before I turned in my notice to the Big C, I visited the dr & my blood pressure was elevated. My weight was at 181. I've noticed my hands swelling & tingling. I'm sure my cholesterol is horrible. I'm about to marry the love of my life, I want to be around him for a long long time, and also want to have kids & be around for them for a long long time too....So if I didnt have a good reason to do this before I most certainly do now. I risk losing all of those things if I dont, so I'm going to make the changes again and am going to try to make them stick this time. I also have a wedding dress to fit into...when i got fitted i told the lady i wanted to lose weight & she said she hears that a lot & the reality is that most of the time it doesnt happen...i REALLY want to prove her wrong. :)
• House Hunting. The longer we're in this apartment, the more we want our own place. We're saving for a house as I type, and I can see us buying a house or condo within the next year.
• SSDD. Daily drabble...fun & not so fun happenings...trials & tribulations...excitement & adventure.

See ya soon! :)

Chirp, Chirp

yeah...do you hear that? that chirping noise? it's crickets...you know, the sound of silence? heh...yeah, those crickets must be tired since they've been hanging out here since october. I figured I'd give them a break & come out of my winter hibernation.

Hmm...so what's new? Since October?? yeah, that's a lot of stuff to write. I just read the last post & in it I was talking about doing the Oklahoma City Marathon...hmm...good thing i didnt actually register for the thing, b/c i did pretty much zero running. Actually, that's not true...i probably ran a combined 20 miles total from the last time i posted, but about zero of those miles were in training for a marathon. Not long after I posted, I started working a second job, so in addition to my lack of motivation to get out of bed & start training, i also had the job taking up the time i would have spent training. Convenient huh? :) you know it's bad when i'd rather work an additional 18ish hours a week instead of work out. It's not really like that tho...i guess i really didnt want to run much, when it's cold out you just want to stay in bed & conserve energy the energy needed to shiver your way to & from work every day. I did however want to pay off my considerable credit card debt...if i keep up the current schedule, things will be paid off in a year.

I've dubbed this the year of the credit card. It's D-Day for those things!! If i have anything to say about it, the balance will be zero by this time next year. Just in time to replace my currently old but holding up alright car. Or maybe get a house. Or do something equally financially ambitious with my newfound financial freedom. We'll see. My wonderful BF is inspiring me to be more frugal with my money, so i'm giving him all the credit. :)

Hmm...this is also hopefully that i make The Change to my lifestyle. By The Change i dont mean THE Change...i'm not hoping for menopause! Umm...no, i'm hoping that i can make peace with eating better & exercising, and make it part of my life, instead of something i did once and talk about like it was the good ole days. This last week I ran/worked out monday through friday, and then--get this--i ran just under 6 miles today! WOOT! :) i have to confess, i probably walked close to 5 minutes of the total time i was out there, but am proud that i made the distance.

Mom & I are running the Chicago Marathon this fall...and the Lincoln Half Marathon this May, and the Bix7 this July, and another half marathon this fall, sometime between the Bix and the marathon itself. Why are we running all these things, you wonder? Well, the last time we ran the Chicago Marathon, we shied away from the heat of summer, and instead of actually training like we should have, we halfheartedly suffered our way through the summer, never getting the needed miles in. We hope that by planning fun runs throughout the summer, we will be inspired and motivated to keep running & get the needed miles in. I am hoping too, that i can get back to my Bermuda time, or beat it (5 hrs).

So there you go...an update, and some pipe dreams, all in one post!

xoxo
katie

lazy day

Today is one of those days when you just want to stay in bed allllll day....it's a cold, rainy, grey day outside. Guess what i'm doing? I'm still in bed!!! :) I got up around 10:00 today, but got out of be just long enough to grab breakfast & my laptop. Then it was back to bed, and i have spent the afternoon playing on my computer.

The last week has kinda been a bumpy one, so it feels good to just lay around and be lazy. I havent been too lazy though...did you notice the changes to the blog? I upgraded, added labels, some lists on the sidebar, updated my profile...oh yeah, and changed the template. This one is ok, but i would like something that is inspiring when you open up my page. I know, I know..you're saying to yourself, how can it get more inspiring than the words of wisdom in each post? ;) Hmm...well, I want something to inspire me to write more, and also to run more...i want some picture, of a place like Big Sur or something, and some runner in the middle of it. You know, inspiring! :) If you know of a blog template that's easy to install--i'm not good with the html coding thing at all--could you let me know?

In other news...
I have decided to run the Oklahoma City marathon. Training started officially (for me) 2 weeks ago...according to the schedule i should have run about 20 miles total by now. So far, the running total is...um...less than 7. :\ Guess i need to get moving, huh?

a trip home, the zoo and a pubcrawl

As the summer was coming to an end, I was looking forward to my schedule slowing down a little bit...it seemed like as soon as June hit, we had something going on every weekend through the end of August, and those somethings were always at least a 2 hr drive from home. It was definitely a fun summer, but I was looking forward to more quiet weekends, ones that didnt involve living out of a suitcase & paying for expensive gas. :)

Well...that hasn't happened so much...it's gotten better, there are more weekends that are quiet & not jam-packed with stuff to do, but there are still plenty of booked weekends in there. Such as, 2 weeks ago when I went home to visit the family. Jeremy came with me, and we had a blast taking the kids to the Pumpkin Patch, and hanging out with family. On Sunday the 2 of us had an afternoon date --we went to the StL zoo-- to sortof celebrate being together 6 months (hey-it's a big deal in this battlefield of love that is the dating world!). :) Talk about a great weekend!

Here are a few pictures of the kids at the pumpkin patch:














































On a side note...This last weekend we had the fall pubcrawl in Westport...talk about a ton of fun! My friend Buscher flew in, and my friend Brad & his roomie Kirk drove in to be on the team. It was so much fun...altho it's been a looong time since i've had a weekend with so little sleep! Blogger's being slow so i will post the pictures next time, but rest assured, there are some gems in there! :) haha...

weariness, quarter-end and a new flavor of turkey

~sigh~
I am le tired....today I was at work & waiting in the cold morning air for the shuttle at 7:10a.m. Lately I have been an earlybird, last week i was at work before 7:30am every day! Who is this girl, you say? Well, it's a girl who has a very sweet boyfriend who helps her get up in the morning. In my more recent years, i havent been opposed to getting up early, as long as i wasnt the one who had to get me up at that ungodly hour. :) Jeremy has been the brave, brave man who attempts to wake me up at 5:15 or 5:30, so I can be ready & on the road in time to be at work by 7. What a guy, huh? :)

Lately work has been getting busier though...the quarter closes this saturday, so we are trying to get a ton of stuff done in order to get everything on the books before we close them. That is why i am so le tired...today i worked pretty much straight through until 6:20...that's 11 hours!! you wouldnt think sitting at a desk that long would wear you out, but it does!

The highlight of the day was lunch...last night at the grocery store deli i found some sundried tomato smoked turkey. YUM! you dont even need mayo on this sandwich...mustard & cheese is just fine...it was really good.

Is it sad that the highlight of my day is a turkey sandwich?

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's birthday! Happy birthday!!!!

In honor of the occasion, I thought I would blog about my mom. I dont remember every having one of those days in school where you bring your parents to school & brag on them to your class...career day? i think that was it...anywho...here's what i would say if i had a career day now. :) (i'm a dork...it's ok, you can say it...)


Looking back on my relationship with my mom over the years, the thing that stands out to me the most is how close we are, and have been. Sure, you know those teenage years were rough...I remember asking mom how she ever got through it, b/c i know i was a real pain, and she jokingly said "Prozac"...hehe...at least, i hope she was joking...in her shoes i think i would have needed something much stronger...like Jack Daniels maybe. But I digress...even through all of that we still had a better relationship i think than many of my friends and their mothers did. I remember feeling sorry for girls who just resented their moms & everything they did...my mom was my friend too, and i thought they were really missing out on having such a close confidant, someone they could always always count on to be there for them. I think that has been the biggest gift my mom has given me, her friendship and support over the years. Sure, putting me through school, roof over my head, food in my stomach...all important things...but through all the challenges she has been there for me. That is a huge thing...something everyone should be so lucky to have. Thanks mom! I hope you have a wonderful day!!


Today mom is driving to kc to spend a couple of days with me in celebration of her bday...it's kindof an annual thing, every year she comes to kc & we spend her bday together. On the agenda: shopping, pedicures, good food. I am really looking forward to it!


Here are a couple of pictures of my beautiful, amazing mom.

steal of the century

Yesterday I was reading one of my daily blogs and read about this girl, who writes for Mind of Mencia, who just ran her first marathon in Hawaii.  She wrote about her preparation for it, and then a separate entry for the first half of the marathon.  Reading that brought back all the emotions & reactions I experienced during my first marathon, in Hamilton, Bermuda.  The anxiety of preparation--do i take this? no..i wont need it...but what if i do?...better take it...well, i dont want to bring too much...what is everyone else taking?...ok, enough-i'm leaving it...ok fine, i'll bring it with me.  Imagine agonizing about this over everything you take.  Even after having made a list of what you will need.  Then there's the anticipation at the start line, the feeling of excitement as months of blood sweat & tears culminates in a few 'short' (ha! whatever!) hours of running...and then dragging yourself through those few short hours.

 

Reading that made me want that feeling back...I felt the same way after reading David and Abbie's postings about their first triathlon...David had blisters at the end, Abbie's legs were shaking from the effort.  They helped each other through it, and the same as Pamie, didnt come in first, didnt come in last, but FINISHED.  It's hard for me to get my butt off the couch, but there's no prouder moment than when you cross that finish line.  And no better feeling than when you get to sit down (collapse) afterwards in a heap of sweaty smelly exhaustion.  Doesnt that sound like fun??? :)  I want that feeling again!! 

 

So, this weekend i think mom & i are going to look into marathons to run in april.  I found a couple of international ones (London & Paris), and a few domestic ones (Nashville, OKC, Dallas, Big Sur).  Stay tuned...

 

Oh, and on the topic of the subject line....my company has a classified ads, and i found an add for a mattress.  JN has been needing one BAD--his was his great grandpa's, and i think it was worn out when he got it.  This mattress that he got, it's a Sealy pillowtop...only a couple of years old...i looked & a new one on sale was like $700 bucks.  Guess what he got it for?  $65!  and this was after the guy asked $100 OBO.  :)  We picked it up last night, and it is a ginormous improvement over his last one.  Makes me want to hit the garage sales...so i can find more steals of the century!

testing..1..2..3

This is a test to see if i can blog via email, without having to do anything of the logging in sort of stuff...

Am hoping this will be a way for me to blog more...you know, since its soooo hard to actually go to the site & log in n stuff... :)

long time no see

yeah, so about those promises to write every day, exercise all the time, blah blah blah...dont remember? yeah, me neither. nevermind then. :)

Lots of changes these days...just moved out of the HL & in with my friend denise deniserson...i'm liking living there, except its farther away from my BF. It's been an adjustment, but i think it's a definite change for the better not dealing with the stress of the wicked witch of the west anymore (the director). My evenings are now free to do whatever (yay!)...altho that 'whatever' now usually consists of anything that costs no money (boo...). JN (the BF) and i read this book his grandma gave us, The Total Money Makeover. Nothing really new in there, it was pretty much one long pep talk to spend less, get another job to make more, and pay more stuff off. oh yeah, and stop using your credit cards. It was genius. :) So...jn & i have been trying to live very cheaply, and pretty much succeeding. For less than $6 a day we have been eating breakfast, lunch & dinner. I feel like those kids in el salvador sally struthers was always going on about... "for less than 6 cents a day you can feed a child for a month!" Hmm...i wonder what we'd have to reduce our grocery shopping to in order to get it under 6 cents a day! i'm not sure i want to find out.

This weekend i have been in stL visiting family for the first time in what seems like forever! i think it has only been like 2 months, but that seems like a long time when i've been used to going home ever 4-6 weeks. what a difference an extra 2 weeks makes. Mom & i spent a lot of time working on a scrapbooking project we've been working on for awhile now...and the rest of the time was spent playing with the neice & nephews & hanging out with friends. it was great! only downside was that jn was in kc...next time i'm dragging him with me! :)