Family, Food and Fun

This Christmas was, by far, one of the best I've ever had. Having my family here with us was just wonderful. We ate way too much food, laughed until our sides hurt, and took lots of ridiculous pictures. Some of the most memorable moments include playing lots of games...

baking cookies...

and making music.

We did the ceremonial reading of The Night Before Christmas and the story of Jesus' birth on Christmas eve and exchanged presents on Christmas morning. I got a cozy bathrobe and a matching pair of slippers, an Estée Lauder makeup kit, a Dunder Mifflin travel mug and stress ball (which Callie bought at the NBC store in NYC... so awesome!) and assortment of other cool things. Of course, a major highlight of the morning was finally being able to open my special gift from Justin.

Late Christmas morning, we celebrated with the Vaughans in Lugoff. My family (with the exception of Callie) met Emily Grace for the first time. We all had so much fun!

The day after Christmas, we went to the movies and saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which I absolutely loved. If you haven't seen it yet, you should.

The last couple days of our time together was spent playing more games, eating more food, and watching more movies. All in all, the entire week was excellent! I should also add that my parents and siblings were superb houseguests; they always cleaned up after themselves and helped out wherever they could. I'm going to miss them so much, but there is some good news: Justin and I are planning a trip to Michigan in May of 2009 to see my baby sister graduate high school. So, even though spring seems far away now, I imagine the time will pass by quickly, and soon we'll all be together again.

I hope your holiday was as fun and exciting as ours was!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

A Little Christmas Cheer

As far back as I can remember, my family has kept some special Christmas traditions. Every Christmas Eve, we would gather by the tree and listen to a reading of "The Night before Christmas," followed by the story of Christ's birth in Luke chapter 2. Since I got married and moved out of state, my family hasn't been together for Christmas in years, and this holiday season will be the first in a long time where we will get to enjoy the fun traditions we used to share. In honor of their visit, here is the poem that my dad will read to us on Christmas eve. Enjoy. :)

The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Tis the Season

Another semester is behind me, and it feels good. Final exam week was rough - I had one exam every day for five days straight, and by the time Friday rolled around, my brain was pretty much liquified. But, thanks to a beautiful invention I like to call caffeine, I pulled through.

The same day that I took my last exam of the semester, Justin came home from another two-week trip. It has been so good to have him home; at long last, it really feels like Christmas is coming! Today, we went Christmas shopping together and stopped at Zales to pick up my present, which Justin insisted had to be wrapped and put under the tree until Christmas morning. I didn't put up too much of a fight; I'll only have to wait 12 more days. Can you believe how fast this month seems to be going by all of a sudden? I know I can't!

Speaking of which, in just 10 days, my family, who I haven't seen in over a year, will be here with us! I am so incredibly excited to see them. What is Christmas without the people you love? Because of my amazing, thoughtful husband, my awesome in-laws and adorable niece, Emily, my loving parents and siblings, and my best friend, who is 21 weeks along with a sweet baby girl, I feel especially blessed this holiday season. I don't always take the time to look around and consider all that God has blessed me with, but let me tell you - it's a long list.

As December quickly ticks by, I'd like to challenge you to stop and take a few minutes to think about everyone you're thankful to have in your life. And if you haven't lately, let them know how much you love them! On the first Christmas, God gave the ultimate gift, and it is our responsibility to make sure that trees and presents and lights and stockings don't take away from the true meaning of the holiday. Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas and everything that comes with it. But it means so much more than all of these things, and I don't want any of us to forget that.

So, to you and yours, I wish you a wonderful Christmas season filled with love and joy!

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Elf Yourself!

It's that time of year, folks! The trees are up, the malls are packed with Christmas shoppers, and elves are dancing the Charleston. Not with me on that last part? Check out this video and you'll see what I'm talking about. :)

Go to www.elfyourself.com and you can be an elf, too.

Happy Holidays!

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Senioritis

About an hour ago, I changed my status on Facebook to something about being on the third page of a five-page history paper. Well, I just now realized that I've completely gotten distracted and haven't done a thing for an hour straight! I think it's safe to say that I'm pretty burned out at this point, and am just counting down the days till the semester is over and I can enjoy the holidays. Not that I'm not already feeling festive- oh, I am. I keep the Christmas tree lit up every minute that I'm home, and listen to Christmas music every time I'm in the car. This is by far my favorite time of year! Still, this semester seems to be dragging on and on now that the end is in sight. You'd think it would be the other way around, and that I would sit here and say, "Wow, I can't believe it's almost over!" Well, you know what? I can believe it. I'm counting my blessings and trying to remember that very soon, finals will be over and I'll be eagerly awaiting the arrival of my family. In the meantime, though, I have a strong feeling that my decision to quit drinking coffee every day will soon be overruled by the need to stay awake long enough to study for finals week. Next week, I have an exam every day, Monday through Friday. Yeah... SO not looking forward to that. But enough whining. Have a good week, friends!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Are YOU a Follower?

Are you tired of checking up on favorite blogs on a daily basis, only to discover there are no new posts? If you become a follower, Blogger will automatically tell you when your favorite bloggers have posted a new entry. Just log in and go to your Blogger dashboard, then scroll down to where it says "Blogs I'm Following." Click "add," and enter the URL of the blogs you want to follow. (www.sbuxsweetie.blogspot.com, for example.. cough cough)

So, what are you waiting for? Become a follower! :)

Love and Lattés,

Katie Faye

Let the festivities begin!

The last piece of turkey has been eaten, and so has the pumpkin pie (which I did, after all, decide to bake!). Santa has made his appearance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, signaling the start of the Christmas season.

Last night, we caved in and put up our Christmas tree, but were disappointed when all three strands of lights died. A late night run to Wal-Mart solved that problem, but the look still wasn't complete, since we decided to ditch the old, cheap ornaments we had been using since our first Christmas together (they were plastic, Dollar Tree bulbs). So, today we went to Lowe's and bought some new, pretty ones. Finally, this afternoon, our tree was finished.

Justin and I also went to run a few errands today, which included stopping at Zales to have my rings cleaned. While we were there, I tried on several wedding bands.

I should pause for a moment to explain why, after three and a half years of marriage, I would try on wedding bands. Justin told me - before the new car - that for Christmas, he wanted to "upgrade" my gold band to a diamond one. I was ecstatic, but agreed to put off the purchase when we decided to buy the car.

That said, we didn't plan to buy a new wedding band today. I just wanted to try a few on to get an idea of what I liked. Everything was pretty, but nothing stood out as "the one." I decided to try on just one more... and there it was. It looked perfect next to my solitaire. A simple, dainty diamond band. It was beautiful! We had the information written down so that we could come back for it later, but then we realized that, thanks to the big after-Thanksgiving sale they were having, the ring was 40% off. How could we pass up a deal like that?

So, we bought it!!! It had to be sent off to be sized, and I won't have it for a couple more weeks. I know the anticipation is going to kill me! I would post a picture, but the one I picked isn't available through the website, so you're just going to have to wait!

Between our awesome new car and my amazing Christmas gift, not to mention the fact that my family will be here in a mere 25 days, this holiday season is shaping up to be one of the best EVER! Let the fun begin! :)

Love and Lattés,

Katie

From Me to You...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Santa came early this year!

Yesterday, Justin and I drove to Georgia to pick up our early Christmas present to each other.

I couldn't be happier with our new car! It's technically our first car together, since Justin bought the Corolla before we were married. It is extremely spacious inside, with three rows of seats. The back two rows fold down to give even more space.

As I told my best friend, I can picture this car with a couple carseats or a Christmas tree in it. It's a good reminder that these past few years, we've been working toward something. We're still not quite "there" yet, if you know what I mean, but we're getting closer. I am so, so thankful for my sweet husband and all that God has blessed us with.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Love Love Love

This afternoon, I was sitting behind the Information Desk at work when a delivery man walked in with a green, rectangular box. I said the usual, "Hi, how can I help you?" and he said he was looking for "Kathy Vaughan." Okay, what? First off, I'm Katie - not Kathy. And secondly, I definitely wasn't expecting anything. But, I politely said, "that's me." I signed for the box, and squealed when I noticed the word "flowers" on the side of the big, green thing. The delivery guy must have thought I was crazy, because I blurted out, "It's not even a special day!" He laughed. Once he left, I opened the box to find these:

Along with the roses was a sweet note from Justin saying that he misses me (he comes home tomorrow from a two-week work trip) and just wanted to let me know how much he loves me. I kept the flowers on my desk the rest of the day and received lots of "oohs" and "aahs" from coworkers and customers. I smiled like an idiot all afternoon, but I didn't care! I am so lucky to have such a sweet, thoughtful husband. This Thanksgiving, there is so much to be thankful for.

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Turkey Day!

As Thanksgiving approaches, there is so much to look forward to. Of course, the whole purpose of the day is to celebrate all the blessings in our lives, spend time with loved ones, and remember the ones we can't spend time with.

But, let's be honest. When someone mentions Thanksgiving, the first thing on everyone's mind is the FOOD.

Of course, I am looking forward to the turkey, cranberries, side dishes... all of it. My contribution this year will be a whole cranberry sauce. I've made it before, and it reminds me of the one my mom likes to make. I could eat a huge bowl of it!

Anyway, today there's only one thing on my mind...



PUMPKIN PIE. Oh, man.. there's just nothing like it. The Vaughans aren't huge fans of it, but to me it just isn't Thanksgiving without a nice, big slice of pumpkin pie with a generous helping of whipped cream on top. So, here's my dilemma. Do I bake a whole pie that only one or two others will help me eat, or do I stick it out and try to get myself a slice somewhere else? Decisions, decisions. Any ideas?


Love and Lattés,
Katie

Confession

Hi, I'm Katie, and I'm a Christmasaholic.

As much as I love the holidays, I have often scoffed at the people who put up their Christmas trees in early November and the businesses that put out Christmas merchandise as soon as Halloween is over. I even remember talking last year about how it's a shame we don't spend more time thinking about Thanksgiving before diving into the Christmas season. Well, it is with embarrassment that I admit to you that I've got an acute case of Christmasitis this year.

Today I listened to this on the way home from class:

This CD has quickly become one of my favorites to listen to during the holidays. I mean, who doesn't enjoy some JG every now and then? He's got the smoothest voice I think I've ever heard. Also, his arrangement of "I'll be Home for Christmas" gets me all choked up every time I hear it. We all know the chorus:

I'll be home for Christmas

You can count on me

Please have snow

and mistletoe

and presents under the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

if only in my dreams...

For the past two Christmases, Justin and I haven't been able to make the trip to Michigan. Last year, I was incredibly blessed to have my sister here for the holidays, but of course, I missed my parents and brother so, so incredibly much. Every time I hear "I'll be Home for Christmas," it brings back a flood of memories that make me pine for the Christmases of my youth. The "if only in my dreams" part is what always gets me.

Today when I listened to it, I got a little teary eyed again, but for a different reason: this year, my family is coming to celebrate Christmas with us! People say that home is where the heart is. Well, a piece of my heart always stays with my family, no matter how much distance separates us or how long we are apart. So, in essence, this year I will be home for Christmas, and let me tell you -- it is an amazing feeling!

Now, I don't plan to put up the tree early or anything like that. I love autumn, and want to enjoy the season while it lasts. But if you happen to stop next to me at a red light and see me singing my heart out to "O Come All Ye Faithful," don't think I'm crazy... just blame it on the Christmas spirit that came a little early for me this year.

Love and Lattés,

Katie

A New Era

Right now, it's on everyone's minds and is the center of conversations across the country: the election, and President Elect Barack Obama. I, for one, have mixed feelings about the results of this controversial and historic election. In the words of John Wayne, "I didn't vote for him, but he's my president... and I hope he does a good job." The Bible says that we should respect our authorities, and I plan to. However, I can't help but feel a little disappointed to have, in essence, lost. This was only my second time voting in a presidential election, and I have voted Republican both times. I must say, it feels strange to have voted for the losing side. Sort of feels like a let-down.Even so, I sincerely hope that Barack Obama is a great president. I hope he proves me wrong. I hope he is able to pull our economy up by its bootstraps and accomplish some great things in the next four years. Sure, I worry about his "share the wealth" idealism, which has obviously not worked out for other countries in the past. I also worry about what will happen with the wars we are currently fighting, and hope that Biden's experience with foreign policy will be just what we need. And yes, as a Christian I worry about the morality of our country under such a radical presidency. A lot of what Obama says simply sounds too good to be true. The fact is, you just can't please everybody.

I should mention that it is, indeed, historic for the United States to have elected its first African American president. We are moving forward in a lot of ways, and that's awesome. I'm not trying to cheapen the magnitude of that huge milestone in our country. All I'm saying is, Barack Obama is not a messiah. I'm just being realistic. The U.S. has fallen into some awful circumstances in the past few years, and by winning, he has inherited a huge mess. It's going to take time, people. Even if he does have some good ideas, it's not over yet.

At the moment I am still a bit in shock, and have to spend some time processing the implications of Obama's win. In the meantime, I will be praying for our country, and holding out hope that America under Obama will change for the better.

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Halloween

This year, Halloween was an absolute blast! Because I had to work a full 8-5 shift at work, I had to wake up a little after six, which was pretty rough for me because I'm currently trying to kick my coffee addiction. Anyway, I took care of the dogs, showered, and donned my costume. I went as Elizabeth, the director (my boss's boss) at work. I wore a grey pencil skirt, pink top (Elizabeth always wears something pink), and a blonde wig, and I carried a Mountain Dew (Elizabeth's drink of choice) and a notepad - something she always has on hand. I must say, I was pretty convincing.

So I was out the door by a quarter after seven. My plan was to swing by Krispy Kreme on the way to work and pick up some Halloween-themed donuts as my contribution to the office Halloween party. When I made it to Krispy Kreme, there was a line of cars wrapped around the building and an equally obscene amount of customers inside. Bummer! I didn't have time to wait, so I begrudgingly left empty handed and went to work.

The morning passed by quickly. Word of my costume spread throughout UTS and dozens of coworkers trickled into the Information Desk area to laugh and take pictures of me. When Elizabeth poked her head in the door, I was with a customer but she burst out laughing anyway. Once the customer was gone, we had a good laugh and had our picture taken together.

When the time came for the Halloween party, I entered the costume contest. Each contestant had to walk in front of a small panel of judges and "do their thing." There were a lot of great costumes. "V" from V for Vendetta was there, and so was Joe the Plumber. Captain America (Stephen) and an "iCARE zombie" (Katie) made appearances as well.

When it was my turn, I walked up, accessories in hand, including Elizabeth's actual nametag and Blackberry, and said a few of her famous catchphrases such as "Hey, happy people!" and "Stop the bus!" I also stopped for a moment and pretended to send a text to someone on the Blackberry. Well, apparently I was convincing to the judgest because I won the contest! My prize was a giant bag of fun-size Snickers bars. Deeelicious!

The rest of the workday was smooth and went by quickly. Afterwards, I came home to find my hubby, who had been away for a two week work trip. We went out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse, where there were tons of people in costume. After that, we returned home for a night of Guitar Hero: World Tour.

All in all, the day was great, start to finish. It was a nice distraction from all the craziness that has been going on lately between school and work. I hope everyone else had a great Halloween!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

My Dog, the Supermodel

I love both my dogs, but just had to brag on Ellie for a minute. She is so pretty, and so very expressive! I took these while she sat in her favorite spot by the window and basked in the sunlight. I love my baby girl!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Unbelievable.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting so fed up with the anger and hatred fueled by bipartisan politics. Now, I'm all about free speech, and think it's fine and good for people to voice their opinions regarding the election and the candidates involved, but I've been seeing some serious hostility between Republicans and Democrats throughout this election. To me, it is just ridiculous to get angry to the point of violence over politics. It really gives us Americans a bad name. Why can't we just agree to disagree? If you can't accept that roughly half of the country's population will not see eye to eye with you politically, then I suggest you move to a place where the decisions are made for you. We should be proud of our democratic process! So let's all behave ourselves, and be nice, and VOTE this November 4th!

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Sweetest Day

Today is Sweetest Day, and I didn't even realize it until a few minutes ago. For those of you who haven't ever heard of Sweetest Day, click here.

Now, I've never celebrated the holiday, because - as you can see from the wikipedia article - it was basically created by candy companies as a commercialized sort of thing. Still, it's kind of cute to think that today is a day to remember the sweet ones in your life.

Beginning yesterday evening, Justin and I have had a lot of fun just being with each other. Last night, we watched From Dusk till Dawn, a film Justin had seen years ago, but one that I had never watched. It was seriously the weirdest movie I think I've ever seen. The director, Robert Rodriguez, does some interesting things with it, but things just get ridiculous about halfway through and stayed that way until the end.

When the movie ended, it was only about 8:30. Noting how gorgeous the evening was, Justin and I started musing about how nice it would be if we could sit on our little porch and drink hot chocolate. So, we spontaneously decided to go to Wal-Mart and look for patio chairs. While there, we discovered that the usual outdoor stuff had already been replaced with Christmas trees and other miscellaneous holiday items. Not wanting to leave empty handed, we browsed through the store and picked up a few small things. On the way out, I stopped to try my luck at the game where you try to pick up stuffed animals with a giant claw. Justin helped me strategize, and we grumbled in defeat when the claw landed in the *perfect* spot but then failed to grip the stuffed toy I wanted. Oh, well. It was still fun. :)

We returned home to hang out and watch a little Leno before going to sleep. We must have been really tired, because this morning we slept in till about 10:45. We were shocked! We never sleep in that late. Guess we both needed the rest.

After lounging for a bit, we set out to enjoy the afternoon. We strolled through Petsmart and admired all the cute dogs, and then we went next door to Jewelry Warehouse (which just happens to be the place to buy all things Gamecock). There, we bought USC flags for my car, a cute Gamecocks t-shirt for me, and a USC UnderArmor baseball cap for Justin.

By this time I was starving (hadn't eaten breakfast, since we got up so late) so we went to Moe's for a late lunch, where we shared a Joey Bag of Donuts. Holy COW was that delicious.

Full and happy, we walked around Sandhill a little, stopping at Gamestop to preorder Rock Band 2 -- yes, we realize how dorky we are. Finally, we went to Kirkland's, where we ended up buying a cute Halloween decoration for half price.

All in all, I have really enjoyed the time spent with my hubby this weekend. I hate to break it to you, Hallmark, but when people love each other, they don't need cards and candy to show it. Sometimes just being together is enough.

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Ahhhh!

This is going to be a short one. I've gotten a bit behind with my blogging - sorry about that. I'm in the middle of several different things for school and have a history midterm this evening. If it weren't for the much-needed paycheck, I would definitely be thinking about cutting back my hours. It's just impossible to get everything done when you're a working, full-time student.

I've got a lot of fun little things happening over the next few weeks: a pumpkin carving party at a coworker friend's house, Halloween, fun at the fair with coworkers (for a second time, actually) and of course - my birthday! So, soon I'll have plenty to talk about... if I can only find the time!

More to come...

Love and Lattés,
Katie

The Bet

Last Friday afternoon, I made a bet with a coworker friend, Stephen, that he wouldn't be able to "rick roll" me five times in a week. If you're sitting there wondering what the heck I'm talking about, click here. The bet was to begin Monday, and he had to get all five rick rolls in by 5:00 Friday.

When Monday rolled (no pun intended) around, I will admit I wasn't even thinking about Friday's conversation. So, when I came in to work and checked my Facebook, I totally did not expect this note to contain a rick roll. Alas, it did. Strike one.

"Okay," I thought, "game on." Minutes later, I received an e-mail from my boss, Corey. Attached was a link -- supposedly to a work-related document -- but, you guessed it: Rick roll number two.

I was determined not to let it happen a third time. I refused to click on any link or open questionable e-mails. I was feeling pretty good, and smiled my way out of the office for a minute to run some test forms to the folks that operate the Scantron machine. When I came back, a customer was waiting to be helped, so I opened my web browser to pull up the iCARE page, and BOOM: rick roll number three. I couldn't react as dramatically as I wanted to, thanks to the customer, but nevertheless Stephen was feeling pretty good about himself.

Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon. I had gone out for a short while with my BFF, and came back to a video game playing husband on the couch. As we chatted, I sat down next to him and opened up my laptop. I opened my "favorite links" and clicked on Facebook, and... yeah. Rick roll number four. As it turns out, my own HUSBAND had betrayed me to help Stephen out with the bet. Not cool. I was seriously determined NOT to let #5 happen.

Wednesday was great - not a single rick roll, not to say Stephen didn't try a few times. I outsmarted him ALL day and was extremely proud of myself.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon. Stephen had been busy all day at work and had not even made one attempt, but still I kept my guard up. I had to run a company errand, and flitted out without logging out of my computer - big mistake. When I came back, a good friend was here, visiting from grad school. I gave him a big hug and he, Stephen and I talked for a few minutes. I absentmindedly opened my work e-mail account as we were chatting and saw a message from Corey's boss, Elizabeth. Attached to the e-mail was a link to a photobucket account full of work pictures. You can tell where I'm going with this, I'm sure. RICK ROLL # 5. From a BOSS. This time, I was not so demure in my response. I almost knocked my chair over when I jumped up, and I think I may have even screamed - good thing there were no customers this time. :) I pushed Stephen into the wall and then just about collapsed because I was laughing so hard.

It was over; he had won and I had lost. Just a couple more hours and I would have made it... ouch! I bought Stephen a Coke from the office vending machine, as per the terms, and presented it to him on one knee as if he were a knight, and the Coke, a sword. Our entire department came in one at a time at intermittent periods throughout the afternoon to laugh about what had happened. All in all, I don't care that I lost. This week is one of the best I've had in a while!

Gosh, I love this job.

Love and Lattés,
Katie

PS - If you want to see a video clip of my reaction, as taken by another coworker, click here.

A Bit of Silliness

If you haven't been to http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ yet, you need to go. So hilarious!

Here is my 1964 yearbook photo:

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Spoiler Alert!

If you are a fan of The Office and haven't yet seen the season premiere, don't scroll down!

AHHHH!!!! It finally happened! Jim proposed to Pam OUT OF NOWHERE! I was home alone watching the episode and I had to laugh at myself when I realized that I had been sitting there with my mouth open for about a minute straight. How exciting is this?! Of course, we all know that something will keep them from tying the knot right away. Maybe those new friends Pam is making at school? Hmm... I can't wait to see where the writers go with this! I am just so happy :-)

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Love Love Love

As we were driving on Sunday afternoon in our nice church clothes, we were listening to Norah Jones and being the adorable couple that we are... it started to rain, steadily at first and then it really started to come down.. on an impulse, he pulled the car over on the side of the road.. We both got out of the car.. I was barefoot, and the grass on the side of the interstate was cold, but I didn't care.. it was raining hard enough that by the time we got to each other, my hair was stringy and my eye makeup was running... he took me in his arms, and with the sound of the rain on the car and the thunder in the distance, he kissed me so passionately that afterwards, we just stood there, shivering, nose to nose, rain dripping off of my eyelashes.

That wasn't an exerpt from a romance novel.. it was something I wrote in October of 2004 during my first trip to South Carolina to see Justin. I had completely forgotten that I used to write down my thoughts on livejournal.com, and recently stumbled upon years of memories when I came across my old account. It was like discovering a time capsule... very cool!

My sweetie comes home from a two-week work trip tomorrow. I can't wait to see him! It's been four years since I wrote about our kiss in the rain, and we are still just as much in love now as we were then. I'm a lucky lady. :-)

Love and Lattés,
Katie

I Dare You!

How many of the 100 most commonly used words in the English language can you name in five minutes? I, an English major, only got 51%. How well can you do?

http://quizicon.com/quiz?id=37

Ode to Autumn

Fall came today. Not in the literal sense, though, because it doesn't officially start for a few more days. But as far as I'm concerned, autumn is here and I am loving it. I can't put my finger on why the arrival of fall puts me in such a good mood. Is it because my birthday is in November? Because of the changes in the weather and the reds and oranges that brighten the landscape? Because the holiday season is upon us? All of these are good reasons, but I think mainly I just enjoy the feeling of fall. I love the crisp chill in the air, the smell of the fall foliage, the pumpkins, the cider... all of it. I always start to feel so festive this time of year in preparation for the months ahead. Even if I have to do it alone, I still carve a pumpkin each year, and I've also been known to eat my fair share of candy corn. Why don't I get the "warm fuzzies" during springtime and summer? Those are great seasons too. Perhaps it's because I'm a Michigan girl at heart, and life just isn't complete without scarves and mittens, hayrides and hot chocolate. I don't know about you, but I say bring on fall, and winter too!

Love and Lattés,
Katie

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." -Albert Camus

Remembrances

This month marks an unhappy anniversary for me. In a couple weeks, I will have been away from my parents and brother for an entire year. It was wonderful to see my sister the two times she visited. Being with her brought back a flood of emotions and memories, and I miss her already, too. There is just something very strange about a family being separated for so long. Since I last saw my family, I have celebrated a birthday and a wedding anniversary, I have become an aunt, and I started a new job, among other things. It seems to me that milestones like these are meant to be shared with family, and it always seems a little impersonal to do everything over the phone and through e-mail. I miss them so much. I miss Mom's affection and Dad's encouragement. I miss Clark's ability to make me laugh, and the fact that there is never a dull moment when Callie and I are together. I miss Skye, the family dog. I miss the home where I spent years growing, changing, making mistakes and learning from them. I miss the sounds, smells, sights, textures, and tastes of my youth, which are already starting to feel like a distant memory.

The past year has had its ups and downs, and of course one of those downs has been the distance between my family and me. Still -- and what I am about to say may surprise you -- I wouldn't change any of it. Would it have been nice to see my family on a regular basis over the past 12 months? Yes, definitely. Do I miss them like crazy? It drives me to tears sometimes. But by being separated the way we have been, the encounters we share now are so very special. I have gained an appreciation for things I never even paid much attention to before. I hope that in the future, we don't have to spend another whole year apart, but if we do, we will get through it because we are strong, and the bond that holds us together can withstand any amount of time.

Love and Lattés,
Katie

A Taste of Home

August 11-20, my little sister, Callie came to visit. I can not put into words how awesome it was to have her around! I haven't seen Mom, Dad, or my brother, Clark, in almost a year and sometimes I go crazy thinking about the distance. So, to have Callie here for a while was a nice taste of Michigan, and a reminder that even though we're far apart, it's always easy to pick up right where we left off before.

We squeezed a lot of fun into a fairly short length of time. Justin was able to be home for the majority of her visit, which was wonderful! The three of us watched scary movies, ate pizza, played board games, and laughed - a lot. We also took a trip to Lugoff so that Callie could meet my niece, Emily, for the first time.

Once Justin left for work, it was just the two of us, and we made the most of our girl time. We went shopping, did at-home facials, and perfected our cannonballs at the pool. We took some fun photos to chronicle the occasion; the facebook album I put together can be seen here:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2253533&l=57179&id=12621607

Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to Callie on Wednesday morning (drove her to the airport in Charlotte and did NOT get lost... yay me!), go straight to work, and start classes the next day. This is definitely going to be an intense semester. The weight of it all didn't quite hit me until last night, when I got a little teary eyed talking to Justin on the phone. It's strange being around so much love and laughter, and then suddenly finding yourself alone on a Friday night with a long to-do list and all your loved ones scattered across the country. It's not the first time this has happened. So, I did what any tired, lonely, overworked person would do: I ordered takeout Chinese food and watched a bad Mandy Moore movie. :) Oh, and then I chatted with my best friend for a while, and also bought a $12 pair of jeans from OldNavy.com. Not too shabby!

Today, I will be attempting to draft Justin's fantasy football team for him while he directs me over the phone. This will be interesting!

More to come later. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Love and Lattés,
Katie Faye

So much to write, so little time!

Since I am at work, and have, as usual, been extremely busy lately, today's post will be a bit condensed. I am going to attempt to update about an entire crazy week all in one post. Here goes!

Wednesday, August 6th

was our 3 year wedding anniversary. Before work, I got an awful phone call from my best friend, Jess. A friend and coworker of mine, Will Boling, had been in a horrible accident and had lost both of his legs. He was in the ICU. I seriously almost passed out. What sad, sad news. I went about my workday in a somber mood. Justin and I didn't do anything special for our anniversary; we just spent some quality time together at home and packed for vacation.

Thursday, August 7th

we dropped off Daisy and Ellie at a boarding facility and headed to Charleston, SC to celebrate our anniversary. Photos of the trip can be found here:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2250432&l=c33b0&id=12621607

We toured an old plantation, stayed in a Wyndham hotel for free (thank you, travel points!) and I even got to hang out with some sheep (see pics). We also went to the South Carolina aquarium. We had so much fun! Thursday evening we had dinner at the Charleston Crab House, and watched a stormy sky through huge windows while we ate. Overall, a great day.

Friday, August 8th - Sunday, August 10th

we spent the first half of Friday in Charleston, checking out the battery and rainbow row. On our way out of the city in the early afternoon, we were stopped in traffic in our little Corolla when we felt a huge jolt and heard the ugly sound of metal on metal. It turns out we had been rear-ended, and not just by anyone.. by a priest, all dressed up in his priestly attire, white collar and all! What a story. Took care of that business, and we were off again. Justin called his mom and told her what had happened, and she seriously did not believe him at first!

Around 2 pm, we arrived at Myrtle Beach and met up with the rest of the Vaughan clan for the second part of our vacation. Pictures of our stay there can be found here:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2250448&l=89a5d&id=12621607

At the beach, we went to Ripley's aquarium (yes, we love aquariums!), ate at Hard Rock cafe, and of course, spent lots of time in and beside the ocean. We had fun oohing and aahing at my adorable niece, Emily, and she was just perfect.

There were only a few minor hang-ups. For instance, Justin and I had to sleep in separate twin beds since the only 3-room suites at our hotel had a set layout with a king suite, a queen bedroom, and a "kids" room with two twin beds. It was sort of funny to be separated like that, but it wasn't a huge deal.

On Sunday, we went to Alligator Adventure and ate at Wild Wing Cafe, where we tried our hand at darts. I was terrible at it, but I still had fun. :)

Sunday afternoon, we returned home after picking up the dogs from the kennel. That's when the real fun began (note the sarcasm).

Monday, August 11

we got up at 6 am so that Justin could make it to the airport in time to pick up my sister in Charlotte. I checked my e-mail and found out that Callie's flight had been canceled, and that she had booked a new flight that wouldn't arrive until the evening.

In the middle of my morning routine, I discovered a big pile of dog poop in the crate where Daisy and Ellie sleep. Cleaned it up; not fun. I dismissed it and went on with my day. Went to work, and came home psyched to welcome my little sis to SC.

Justin and I went to the airport together and found a parking spot, which was more difficult than anticipated. Still, we made it to the US Airways section of baggage claim and I almost lost it when I saw Callie practically running down the escalator, a huge grin on her face. It was such a great feeling to be able to hug her after not seeing my family for so long!

We didn't make it back to Columbia until about 11 pm, and the first thing we did was stop at Sonic to get my hungry sister a Coney dog, and to indulge in some yummy slushes.

Made it home, took care of the dogs; Daisy was acting a little funny but I chalked it up to her being a goofy chihuahua. We watched some Olympics coverage and went to bed around 12:30.

Tuesday, August 12

was my parents' 30 year wedding anniversary. 30 years! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Woke up a little early, excited to spend more time with Callie. Fed the dogs, and was not thrilled when Daisy threw up her entire breakfast not long after eating it. Took her outside, and (get ready for a nasty image) she had bloody diarrhea. I freaked out and called the vet, and ended up taking her in at 4:30 for a checkup.

My poor little Daisy was diagnosed with stress colitis, which was apparently brought on by the stress of being boarded. We were given meds, and some special prescription food for her sensitive tummy. Went home, glad it wasn't something worse.

As the evening wore on, Daisy got worse. We force fed her a pill which she vomited back up about 5 minutes later, and she was constantly squatting to poop. In the house. I felt SO bad for her. FINALLY, around 11 pm, after a full day of no eating or drinking, she perked up enough to eat a few bites of food and drink some water. We were also able to give her a pill, which thankfully stayed down. Whew!

As of this afternoon, she is still doing well, which is a huge relief since we were ready to take her to the vet first thing this morning.

Today has been rainy and disgusting so far, so I hope Justin and Callie aren't too bored while I'm at work. This evening, I am looking forward to some more hang out time with two of my favorite people!

That's about it for now.. I'd better stop writing before this turns into a novel!

More to come.

Love and Lattés,

Katie

YAY!

If you know me at all, it's no secret that I really, really miss my family in Michigan. Sure, I've acclimated well to being a South Carolina resident over the past three years, but I still think about the people I had to leave behind all the time.

Well, I called my sister a few days ago to tell her how homesick I've been, and to enjoy a goofy, sisterly conversation, and somehow within 24 hours, my amazing parents had bought her a plane ticket!

That's right, folks.. the Cothern sisters will be reunited again August 11th, and she'll be here until the 20th. Watch out, Columbia!

The timing is perfect. Justin will be out of town for work, and I would have been stuck spending my only break from school at home by myself. I will still be working part time while Callie's here, but she plans to use that time exploring USC's campus. I.am.so.excited!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Thunderstorms, toads and geese... oh my!

Summertime in South Carolina always brings three things with it: storms, toads, and geese. This time of year, you are pretty much guaranteed to see all three of those things where we live. This year, I have managed to take photos of all three "gifts" of summer. First of all, storms.

I took this photo on I-20 one day when I was driving to Lugoff after work to have dinner with my best friend. Within about five minutes of taking this, it was raining so hard that I could barely see the road! Overall, summertime in the South is beautiful. But as the old saying goes, when it rains, it pours! We've had a couple doozies this year, one of which knocked out our air conditioning for nearly 3 days. Boy, was that miserable!

***

Secondly, summertime in South Carolina (or at least at our apartment complex) brings with it an infestation of toads. The little guy in the photo below actually kept me out of my apartment for a good five minutes one day. He thought it would be a good idea to hang out on my doorstep, with his body squished up against my door, all the while giving me this look that said "I know your type. You don't much like amphibians like myself and won't touch me. I can sit here for hours, babe."

Well, after a few minutes I finally got up the guts to move him, but I still refused to use my hands. So instead, I picked up our welcome mat and gently nudged him with it until he hopped away from the door. Whew! What took me so long to think of that?

***

Last, but not least, geese. One day, just a couple weeks ago, I was pulling into our complex with our Chinese takeout when I saw something amazing: a family of geese, walking in a straight line. Momma goose in front, goslings behind. I know this isn't something revolutionary, but for some reason that image was so awesome at that moment, that I knew I had to get my camera. I parked quickly and ran inside, throwing the Chinese on the coffee table and grabbing my Nikon. "Be right back!" I yelled to Justin. He stared at me with a completely puzzled expression. Unfortunately, by the time I got back to where the geese were, they had already made it to our complex's manmade pond and weren't in their perfect little line anymore. Still, they let me walk really close to them, and I took this:

Sure, they leave droppings everywhere, which my dogs like to try and eat whenever they can. (Gross, I know!) Even so, I kinda like the little guys. As I walked around them, they all had their beaks to the ground, pecking around for something to eat; all except one. The "babies" were so big that I couldn't decipher which was mom anymore, but as you can see in the photo, one goose always stayed "on the lookout" and watched out for the others as they ate in peace. I just thought that was neat. :)

***

Now, I could talk about many other things that come with the Southern summer season (try saying that three times fast!), like the heat for instance, the humidity, or the insects and spiders (EW!). But the three that always stick out in my mind are the storms, the toads, and the geese. Without these things, it just wouldn't be summer where I live.

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Three Things

Three Things...

that I'm thankful for:
*awesome friends and family
*weekends
*my non-stressful job

that I want to do before I die:
*become a mother
*see the Eiffel Tower in person
*make a difference in someone's life

that I did today:
*spoke French
*ate a sandwich with cranberries in it
*replenished my supply of quarters for parking

that I would do if I had a million dollars:
*open up a gigantic no-kill shelter/rehabilitation center/rescue for dogs
*buy an airplane so I could visit my family whenever I wanted to
*see the world

that have shaped my personality:
*my faith in God
*my wonderful parents and sibs
*being a wife

that I plan to do this weekend:
*spend some quality time with my husband
*sleep in
*hopefully see The Dark Knight

There's nothing super exciting to blog about at the moment; I'm really just trying to stay sane for a couple weeks until this rapid-fire French class is over. The good news is, Justin and I are planning a trip to Charleston for our upcoming anniversary. I am very much looking forward to a break!

More to come...

Love and Lattés,
Katie

3 Day Weekend

This July 4th was a memorable one, that's for sure! For the first time, the whole immediate Vaughan family - all 3 couples - were able to go out on the pontoon together. When we arrived at Lake Wateree, the weather was beautiful. It was around noon, and the sun was high in the sky. I lathered up with sunscreen - my fair skin doesn't tan so well, and I'd rather not burn!

Almost immediately, the crew separated into two groups. The men stayed toward the back, in the shade, and the ladies laid out in the sunshine, chit-chatting until the guys turned the music up loud.

It didn't take long to find the perfect spot, out in the middle of the lake. Captain Dad lowered the anchor, and we jumped in for a swim. The water was warm, except for a few shockingly cold patches. We talked and laughed and swam around the boat, and I felt about eight years old. :)

Before long, we all decided it was a good time for tubing. We climbed back into the boat except for Tim and Shannon, who got on the two-man tube together, ready for action.

The captain started up the boat and off we went, but it seemed like we weren't picking up much speed.

After a minute someone shouted that the anchor was still lowered.

Oops.

After that situation was remedied, we continued with our expedition. After Tim & Shannon, it was my turn. I rode on my belly for a while, and eventually got brave enough to sit up on my knees. What a rush! Next was my father-in-law. He was a tubing inspiration!

We stopped the boat for another quick dip, and realized that while we had been goofing off, we had failed to realize that storm clouds were beginning to roll in. As we moved toward the shore, the grey clouds seemed to be following us. The temperature was dropping fast, and we came to the conclusion that we needed to get going.

The wind was picking up as we walked back to our cars, and while we drove away, the rain came.

Tim and Shannon went to pick up baby Emily from Shannon's mom's house, and Justin and I stayed in Lugoff to have dinner with his parents. After that, we went home to lounge around a bit. Justin took a nap on the couch while I made myself look a bit more presentable.

When he woke up, the night was still young so we decided to go see the 8:00 showing of Hancock at Sandhill 16.

On the way in, we walked past two people - a dating couple, from the looks of it - sitting handcuffed on the ground while their car was being searched. Nice. I gripped Justin's hand a little tighter. This was supposed to be a nice area! We shook it off and continued with our date.

In the lobby, we laughed at an arcade game which was much too expensive to play ($2!) and had a very obvious misspelling on it.

The movie started off well, but about halfway through we started to hear a really strange sound that was obviously not in the soundtrack. It was a loud booming noise, sort of like thunder. Justin whispered to me that he hoped it wasn't gunfire; my mind immediately pictured the strange scene we had passed in the parking lot and I have to admit, I got pretty uncomfortable.

The echoing booms got closer and closer together, until they were so loud that we couldn't even hear the movie. All of a sudden I relaxed and laughed to myself. I cupped Justin's ear and whispered "honey, it's the 4th of July."

Why someone decided it would be a good idea to have a fireworks show so close to a theater is beyond me - it pretty much ruined 15-20 minutes of the movie for us. But the whole thing was pretty funny. I guess we know now what theater NOT to go to if we happen to get the movie urge on the fourth again.

So that was it for our Independence Day. Family, fun, and fireworks -- although we didn't actually see any ourselves except for a couple small ones in our neighborhood on the drive home.

***

On Saturday, we brought Ellie to the in-laws' to let her run around and burn off some energy.

She made a friend.

After a short visit, we returned home to relax and play our gaming systems (yes, we're nerds.) Oh, have I mentioned I got a Nintendo DS? I did.. and it's pink! I love it.

We also watched Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby together and enjoyed a good laugh.

Sunday we went to church and spent a little time catching up on some housework, since the weekend had taken its toll on our apartment.

It was nice to forget about the monotony of routine for a few days and just enjoy summertime. It's been a while since I've been able to do that. :) I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Tarnished
By Katie Vaughan

The garage was dark and damp and the faint odor of gasoline hung in the air. Claire’s bare feet were cold against the concrete floor. She heard nothing besides the muffled sound of crickets and toads. Her head began to spin; taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. It was difficult to see – the three small windows were crusted over by years of grime – but a small ray of moonlight pouring from a hole in the ceiling revealed a pile of boxes, a tool bench, and an old lawnmower clustered together in a corner. A man was slumped over the tool bench, his bloodied face tilted upward and the fingertips of one arm brushing the floor. Fighting the urge to gag, Claire brought one hand to her mouth and jumped when she felt that her fingers were wet. A step toward the light revealed a thick, crimson fluid on her fingertips. Blood! She felt no pain except for the pounding in her head, so she dismissed the idea that it was hers. She wiped her shaking hands on her thighs, soiling her jeans.


Claire did not recognize her surroundings, and she thought the man looked familiar, but the immense amount of blood consumed his features. As the instinct to survive took over, she scrambled toward the garage door. She ran her hands along the wall beside the massive door, searching for the button that would set her free. Her heartbeat pounded like a jackhammer in her temples as she attempted to suppress the panic that surged within her. Her fingers met with the handle of a shovel mounted on the wall, a sticky cobweb, and then the large button she had been looking for. She pushed it and nothing happened. She tried again with both hands. It didn’t work. Her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration.


Claire turned toward the center of the room and glanced at the moonlit corner. Her eyes narrowed in the darkness, and then widened as she realized that the body was gone. A dark bloodstain on the tool bench marked the spot where the man’s head had been just moments before. Claire’s breaths became quick and shallow. She felt like a caged animal. She pushed tangled blonde hair out of her face and spun around to reach for the shovel. She patted the wall with both hands, and jumped back when she felt bare skin against her palm. She rushed over to the tool bench and grabbed a hammer. The moment a bloody face appeared in the light, she swung with all her might and heard a loud crack. A second later, she felt something like a bee sting in her neck and she withered to the floor.


***


The smell of coffee roused Claire from a deep sleep. She sat up too quickly from the bed and brought one hand to her head, groaning. She stretched out her arms and studied her hands; they were clean. The room was bright with butter colored walls. Early morning sunlight spilled in through an open window and a cool breeze rippled a lacy white curtain.


A low creak captured Claire’s attention. She watched a glass doorknob turn, and in walked Adam Levi. He and Claire had dated as teenagers, and the last time she had laid eyes on him, they were both eighteen. Seeing him now, she felt the deep, aching pain again. She had tried to forget, but she knew she would never be able to erase the memory of the night Adam raped her.


He hadn’t changed at all in fifteen years, except that he had gained a few pounds and his hairline had begun to recede. He walked toward the bed, carrying a breakfast tray with one hand. She glanced at the tray. It held a plate of steak and eggs, a steaming cup of coffee, and a single pink carnation. He set the tray on the small night table beside Claire and kissed her on the forehead. “Good morning, darling,” he said, smiling. Claire did not speak. She only stared. His smile widened. “I know you’ve had a rough night, Claire, but everything is going to be okay now. I always knew you loved me more than him. You made the right choice.” Perplexed, her glassy eyes wandered and nausea gripped her stomach when she spotted a framed photograph of herself propped up on a dresser across the room. Claire’s gaze moved back to the breakfast tray and her heart beat faster when she noticed a steak knife glinting in the sunlight.


In one rapid motion Claire snatched the knife and stabbed Adam in the chest over and over again. She couldn’t stop. He fell to the floor and she let out a primal scream as she gave one final blow, blood spattering onto her face and white shirt. Knife still in hand, she ran out of the room. Crashing through the front door, Claire sprinted to the garage. She kicked herself when she saw a side door; she had not noticed it the night before. She threw the door open and hot bile rose in her throat. The knife in her hand clattered to the floor. The body was facing away from her, but she could see that part of the man’s skull was caved in. Claire held her breath and walked in a wide circle around him. Despite his bloody and bruised face, the daylight allowed her to see more clearly. The eyes that stared blankly at the ceiling were the same eyes Claire had known for years. The lips that remained frozen in a silent scream were the ones that had kissed her every night before bed. The gold band on his left ring finger, though tarnished with dried blood, matched the one she wore.

So....

Confession time. I know I haven't kept up with the blog much lately, and it isn't because I haven't had the time... it's more that I haven't had anything super interesting to say.

While I come up with something worth writing about, enjoy this video of me brewing coffee.

:)



Love and Lattés,
Katie

Love is Patient

Last night I was lying in bed, flipping through my Bible and decided to re-read 1 Corinthians 13 ("The Love Chapter"). Of course, we have all heard verses 4-8:

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.

6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.
Justin and I had this scripture read at our wedding. I've always loved it and can practically recite it from memory, but I don't often take the time to think about what it means. For some reason as I was reading this last night, verse 4 popped out at me as if it were written in 3D. Love is patient. Ouch. Lately I've been falling into that trap of impatience again. Sometimes I find myself wishing the day away, which then turns into a week (especially when Justin is out of town) or even a semester. I often catch myself saying "if we can just hold out until this lease is up" or "once I get my degree, then life can really get started".. but the truth is -- I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- this is life. Everything we do is a part of life. Even the inconvenient things and the "speed bumps" along the way.


Sorry if I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I'll be honest - this phase of life that I'm in at the moment can be pretty frustrating sometimes. I'm at that point where it's work, work, work and very little play in preparation for the life and family we want to have one day. I know that when we are parents and homeowners, we'll look back and be glad that we put in so much work in our "early years."


In the meantime, there is so much to be thankful for. I have an amazing circle of family and friends, and now a church family as well. I am young and healthy and am absolutely in love with my husband. I'm counting my blessings. :)


Love and Lattés,

Katie

Busy Busy Busy

This week has been pretty crazy for me, which is why I haven't blogged as often as I normally do. School and work have kept me pretty busy, and yesterday (Wednesday) was basically chock full of events, and I wasn't able to get any "me" time until the late evening. The dogs had their annual vet appointment. Dr. Holland had a lot of good things to say about them, except that my little Daisy is about a pound overweight.. whoops! I'm cutting back on the food and treats for her until she slims down some. I was feeding the recommended amount straight from the bag, but apparently those charts aren't always right. Huh.

By the time I was able to get some time to myself, I was in the mood to read the Bible before going to bed. I find that spending time alone with God really relaxes me and helps me to stay focused on the things that are important, rather than getting wrapped up in meaningless things as I tend to do from time to time - don't we all? I read a little from Matthew and Luke, and as I was flipping back toward Psalms and Proverbs, a 3x5 index card fell from the back of the book. I picked it up and smiled - I had forgotten about this! I wrote it in high school when a quote by Victor Hugo caught my interest, and had placed it there years before for safe keeping. In purple pen, it read:

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. "

How absolutely perfect for the day I'd had. It wasn't bad per se, but it was one of those days that caused me to lose sight of the big picture and start focusing on the nitty gritty details. Thanks, God... I needed that reminder.

Love and Lattés,
Katie

Random

The past week has been full of ups and downs. I'm not such a fan of my husband being gone for weeks at a time and spending Father's Day without my dad. I am, however, thankful for good friends, yummy food and a job that doesn't suck.

My dogs are pretty cool, too. They never complain when I want a snuggle. :)

As far as my life goes, nothing super interesting is happening at the moment. Just the usual: work 20 hours per week, class four evenings per week, and trying to squeeze in whatever fun activities I can.

I have added a new show to my list of "must watch programs": The Next Food Network Star. It comes on at 10pm on Sundays, and I don't know why but I'm hooked!

And speaking of TV, I'm off to watch an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8.. I am so addicted to that show!

Will post more later if anything cool happens...


Love and Lattés,

Katie

Father's Day

From our first Father's Day together

to my wedding day

and beyond..

I have always loved and admired you, and I always will. I miss you so much!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy.

One Green Apron

Ten black pinstripe suits stand in a row

Ten ties, ten pairs of shiny black shoes

Waiting for ten cups of coffee.

One green apron behind the counter

Wipes sweat away and lets out a sigh

As ten suits take their ten cups of coffee

And drink them in ten BMWs

On the way to ten corporate jobs.

Ten black pinstripe suits forget about

The green apron

Until the next morning, when they

Will come back again

To wait in line for coffee

And, as always, they will not leave a tip.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Tonight, some pretty huge storms came through Columbia. Since Justin is out of town for work, I will admit I got a little scared when I was standing at the window, watching the lightning flash in the night sky, and the power went out.


Ellie and Daisy were scared too. Daisy freaked out and peed on the carpet, and Ellie spent a couple hours in the farthest corner of the kitchen (see photo on right) until I finally coaxed her out with treats and snuggles.


When the power went out, I did what anyone would do. I lit a candle and scoured the apartment for all the other light sources I could find! I could have sworn we had a flashlight, but it was nowhere to be seen, so I had about 6 candles lit and strewn about the place. It was actually kind of romantic.. too bad I was home alone!


I called Justin as I was lighting the candles and as we were talking, it occurred to me that the microwave still had the correct time. That was odd; if there's no power, shouldn't that be off? Justin had me walk around the kitchen and check the other appliances. I was extremely confused to find that everything in the kitchen was working except the light. He then had me look out the window to see if any other lights were on. Yep, they were. My darling husband then instructed me to flip the breaker switch (which took me a few minutes to figure out, by the way) and when I did, BAM! A little hum filled the air and everything came back on! Whew.. thanks Justin! :) I felt a little silly for being so "girly" about the situation, but hey - this is husband stuff to me! I'm just glad that I noticed the microwave.. otherwise I might have gone all night with no power before figuring it out!


I posted a short video on YouTube of the storm. You can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeLvkh5elOs


It's not really that exciting, except for a really cool flash of lightning at about 48 seconds.

So that's about it for now. Expect more poetry soon!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

Columbia

Air so thick and damp, your skin feels moist the moment you step outside

Christmases that are green, not white

Hot sweet potato soufflé with a crunchy, sugary crust –

even when it’s not Thanksgiving

Porches with rocking chairs, big floppy hats, and sweet tea

People who are proud

And who go to church every Sunday morning

And make macaroni and cheese in the crock pot

And drive trucks

And go fishing

And sit on their porches

And watch the world go by

Funnies

I think dogs exist partially to remind us not to be too serious.

I offer the following photos as proof:

Ellie's "OMG LOL" face

Daisy at the tail end of one of those huge, whole body yawns

Haha... I just love being a dog mom! How can you not smile at those faces??

Last night, a friend/coworker and I were talking about the whole healthy lifestyle thing, and he challenged me to ride my stationary bike (that's ours in the pic below) for an hour. I told him he was crazy, and that I didn't think I'd last that long - the most time I've ever spent on that thing before is 30 minutes! But, after eating Subway for dinner and having basically nothing to do when I got home, I was ready to try.

The first 30 minutes went by fairly quickly, and then I started to get a bit tired. I was watching a movie on TV, something called A Lot Like Love. It was pretty cute and kept my attention elsewhere. :) When the 50 minute mark was hit, I got a fresh burst of energy at the thought of riding for a whole hour for the first time. With sweat dripping down the back of my neck, I did it! I made it an hour! I know for some of you out there this doesn't seem like much of a feat.. but I was tired, and today I'm kinda sore!

And speaking of the lifestyle change, I have been faithful (except for one night when we went to a movie and I had some Coke) to the water only rule - with the exception of one cup of coffee a day. How could I give that up, really?

That's about it for now.. I'll post something more interesting soon, if something interesting ever happens to me. Ha!

Love and Lattés,

Katie

The Good, the Bad, and the Brunette

Today sure has been interesting! Let me tell you why. This morning, I started my day with a steaming cup of Seattle's Best Henry's Blend. This was a treat as I've been drinking Maxwell House to cut costs! Once I was completely awake, I helped my hubby get all packed and ready to go to Virginia for work - he'll be there a week. Before he took off, he remembered he needed some new socks, so we headed to Wal-Mart to buy a few pairs. While we were there, I remembered I also needed laundry detergent and bottled water. Got them - made sure the water was Dasani because we are "that couple" who collects MyCokeRewards points - and were on our way. We stopped by Bojangles because at this point it was around 11 am and we both had not eaten anything yet. Tried the "Bo Berry biscuits" as per a friend's suggestion (thanks Stephen!). They were pretty dang good! Came back home, got the rest of Justin's stuff around, and hung out for a while.


We like our bottled water to be cold, so I put the Dasani in the fridge, and checked the little cardboard tray thingie they had been packaged in for the MyCokeRewards code. For those of you who don't already know this about Justin and I, let me tell you: we are almost obsessive about our MCR points. We have earned countless free Blockbuster rentals among other things by saving them, and people know this about us and often give us any Coke caps they may have accrued. But, I digress. So I find the spot where the MCR code is supposed to be - and it's GONE! It had been cut out, and by the looks of it an exacto knife had been used. Justin pointed out that it could have been the employee at Wal-Mart who stocked the shelves with Dasani. Whether or not it was, I am amazed to think that someone could be so selfish to walk around and cut out all the rewards points stamps from the packages of bottled water. What a bummer!


Fast forward a bit... after seeing Justin off, I sat alone for a minute, and as I looked around the apartment I quickly realized it was time for some serious spring cleaning. I moved the living room furniture around so I could vacuum in those places that don't typically get attention, and literally gasped after pulling the couch away from the wall. Our chihuahua, Daisy, likes to hide under that particular couch, and it seems that she has also been hiding a menagerie of things under there! I found:


*About 8 empty water bottles
*A pinecone
*Bits of leaves
*A Christmas tree ornament
*An empty mustard packet from a fast food restaurant
*A bunch of doggy toys
*A nice, big spot of dried vomit


That's right.. not only did our sneaky little girl hide a TON of stuff under there, but apparently one of those leaves (or maybe part of the pinecone) she ate came back up all over the carpet. Beautiful. Luckily I was able to get it all out with the help of some heavy duty carpet cleaner.


Approximately two hours later, the apartment was spotless and I was exhausted! I decided to dye my hair a darker brown. It came out a little darker than I expected, but I like it. I think it will fade a little bit after a few washes too, so I'm not worried! Is it weird that I always get the urge to go darker in the summer? I know most people tend to lighten rather than darken their hair during summertime. Oh well. :)


On a totally different note (I always was bad at transitions), tomorrow begins my new work & class schedule. No more getting up early for me.. hooray! Not for a little while, anyway. Now I'll be working the latter half of the day rather than the early morning shift, and I'll have class every day at 6 pm. I'm taking creative writing. Should be fun! I'm hoping to expand and tweak a story I started writing a couple months ago, which I just haven't had the time to work on in a while. Maybe one day I will introduce you all to the first chapter of my story, when (read: if) I'm finally satisfied with it.


Have a great day, friends!


Love and Lattés,
Katie