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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

bye, 2008!


out with the old
and in with the new!
time to celebrate!!

{who says christmas cookies are the only ones you get to decorate?}

Monday, December 29, 2008

new years

{from here}

the days in between christmas and new years are some of my favorite. still during the holiday season, there are many tasty treats and delicious meals to enjoy. with a new year and its respective resolutions just around the corner, i adopt the mentality of, "i only have a few days left to eat like this." so i indulge.

but even sweeter than taking in a few extra calories here and there is the way we take stock of the past year. a year of our lives is almost over, and a new one is about to begin. what did we do right? what did we do wrong? what did we do?

i'm so grateful that God gives us this fresh start. we make plans to do this, change this, start doing this, and sometimes our resolutions stick. most of them dwindle, but either way, our souls are stirred and we are confident in change.



{from here}
yes, i plan to eat healthier and work out almost everyday. afterall, i have a wedding and the "LGN" diet as motivation. but more importantly, especially in the season of life that im in (engaged), i am reminded that my life is not about me. therefore, shouldn't our new years resolutions be focused on others? more specifically, on how we treat others.

like anything good in life, satan tries to creep in and ruin it. true love is so good, and so is being engaged. it's the best. but satan gets into my head and temps me to focus purely on myself and my parties and wanting attention on me. sick.

i hope i can be a better friend and servant this year, as we are all called to be. man, im grateful for a fresh start with a new year...even though Jesus gives us one every single day.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Friday, December 26, 2008

a christmas miracle!







after many years of
waiting, wishing, hoping, praying,
my christmas dreams were finally realized
when i opened my
last present under the christmas tree:
a nikon d40!


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

try, try again

DIY wedding invites stealing my heart.
My mom is way too traditional to ever go with this.
Who am I kidding, so am I.

Speaking of traditional, I've spend the past week and a half or so coming to terms with the fact that First Baptist Waco wouldn't let Ross and I get married at their beautiful church on a holiday (a pagan holiday I might add). In fact, I've gotten really excited about it. Ross and I even found beautiful seesucker suits for he and the groomsmen to wear and sweet eyelet dresses for the girls. A 4th of July outdoor wedding, complete with preppy clothing & BBQ: my dream!

Well, when my dad found out we didn't get the church, he had a few things to say:

1. "Katie, I get what I want in life because
I think of creative ways to get it."
2. "You already got a no. Keep trying until you get a yes."

Guess what? Today we got a YES!

Although I love the IDEA of an outdoor wedding, tradition tugs at my heartstrings (and at Ross' too). So, it looks like we get to have a church wedding (at the church) after all! Our wedding is an incredibly special and important religious ceremony, not just a cute photo-opt.

Seersucker will of course be welcomed at the rehearsal, obviously : )

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

rockstar diaries


the rockstar diaries:
an adorable blog
about "taza and husband"
and their cute life adventures.

cutest little married couple.
until july 4th, that is.
hehe

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

finally



finished with finals.
time to relax &
enjoy the simple pleasures
of home for my
last single Christmas.


Monday, December 15, 2008

darn church!

well, i experienced my first wedding planning heartbreak. the church i had my heart set on will absolutely not have a wedding during a holiday weekend.

i'm taking this as a blessing in disguise for a couple of reasons:
1. an early reminder that where/when/how we get married really does not matter.
2. that church would have been pretty expensive & i reject our cultures idea that weddings should cost more than some families make in a year.

i'm in love with personalized DIY ideas...{from here}

this couple used this picture for their save-the-dates. besides the cute coffees and clever book, the newspaper was digitally edited to have a picture of them and another of their cat.


this process is a blessing, and my heart will not be broken again. if something doesn't work out, it's because there is something even better waiting to be discovered.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

can't help myself

well, my dear friend katie knows me well. she thought i would love this color palette, and she is so right. navy, yellow & white it is. classy, preppy, and fun: that is so us, haha :)

the best part (besides the groom): we're getting married on the 4th of July! So there will be some subtle hints of red
getting married on the 4th of July means some pretty awesome things:
1. The entire country is celebrating!
2. We get to watch fireworks on our anniversary every year!
3. We won't have to go into work, and we will sometimes get a three day weekend

anyway, i will find out about the church tomorrow. i reeeeaaaalllyy hope it is available. if it is, ross and i can start working on all the fun details for our wedding. we've been to 10 weddings together, so he's got some opinions & ideas... it's awesome. my fiance rules.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

we're engaged!



{Our Story}

It's hard to find words when you are overflowing with joy.

I haven't blogged for some time now, but I can attribute my lack of contributions to my continued state of speechlessness. I feel like my heart is making my throat too full, but that doesn't sound pretty.

The week before my birthday, Ross asked that he and I spend all day Saturday together to celebrate my birthday, and I gladly agreed. We planned to start out the day by making breakfast, then visit the Cameron Park Zoo for the first time, then check out a local winery, eat dinner at 135 Prime, and finish the evening with a walk around campus and maybe enjoy some of our newly purchased wine and my house.

The weather was gorgeous and we accomplished all of the fun things we wanted to do. After dinner we strolled around campus only to find the Christmas tree was not lit, and a homeless man tried to sell us his bike (bless his heart, Ross was so anxious he eagerly gave the man some money and told him to keep his bike too). We eventually came upon my favorite building on campus, the Harrington House. It is a beautiful historic home, and I was able to spend some time in it this summer when I worked for one of Baylor's facility managers.

I noticed a light was on, and Ross and I peered through the windows. While I looked through one, Ross pulled out a key, unbeknownst to me, and opened the door and whispered, "it's open." i followed him in and suggested that we probably shouldn't be in there. He continued to wander through the house, and I suspiciously followed him.

As soon as we came upon my favorite room with a beautiful stained glass window, I stopped in the doorway. Candles and flower petals were scattered across the room, and Ross started to play music from his ipod speakers some of favorite songs. I knew what he was doing but I couldn't believe it.

We danced in the candlelit room with pounding hearts, tear soaked faces and the sweetest words. Most of what Ross said is a hazy memory, but I vividly remember the sight of him getting down on one knee and asking me to marry him. I dropped to the floor and said yes, and started laughing with joy and excitement. Before we left the room we prayed together, and I don't think I have a sweeter memory.

To my surprise, right as we walked out of the house a white stretch limousine pulled up and whisked us away. We sipped on champaigne, laughed and repeatedly exclaimed, 'i get to marry you!" We pulled up to my house to find a surprise party with our families and dear friends from both Waco and out of town. I was completely shocked, overwhelmed, grateful, and full of love. Thank you so much friends!

Thankfully, after celebrating with everyone, Ross and I were able to escape for one last ride around Waco in the limo, which included a trip over the suspension bridge.

Anyway, I can't believe I get to marry such an incredible man, and I am so excited for us to start our life together. I just had to get that all out there and now I can continue with blogging as usual. Can't wait to explore all of the wedding blogs : )

I should note that I am currently in the middle of finals, and I have never studied less before...I've been a little distracted.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Friday, December 5, 2008

thanks a lot, alarm clock.

{from here}

oversleeping, panic
missed class, late assignment
hyperventilating, complete with tears

still, a voice in the back of my head kept saying:
"katie, this morning you woke up!
you are alive- rejoice!"

thankfully, i have very helpful roommates
and understanding professors.

the world, as far as i know it,
actually did not end this morning.

rejoice!



Wednesday, December 3, 2008

missing you

How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December's bareness everywhere!
{William Shakespeare, "Sonnet XCVII"}


Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.
{Charles Schulz}



wishing i'd stop missing you.
it's annoying; i need to work on my research paper.
thanks a lot.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

pencils & pancakes



this week: 3 papers & 2 projects
ugh.
but these tiny pencils & pancakes
make me really happy

Monday, December 1, 2008

life motto


"if everyone had a puppy- there would be no war"
-my dear friend j.lew
how true is that?

this afternoon as i lounged on the couch
reading a book for history,
one puppy resting on my leg,
the other by my head.
as i let him chew my finger
he snorted softly
and my eyes watered as i looked into the
tiny, brown, innocent windows into his soul
{yes- dogs have souls}
completely overcome with love.

we are capable of so much love;
that's what life is about, after all.
i hope to experience this much love everyday
for Jesus, my family, friends, neighbors, school, work...

puppies have a way of stirring the soul.

no place like home





aka: thanksgiving break



surprise bundles of joy.
a celebration feast.
early morning sweating.
new additions to traditions.
an elegant affair.
speechless.

{aka}

two sweet & playful foster puppies
{everyone fell in LOVE}
a birthday dinner for a friend
{my oldest one, in fact}
our 3rd annual
turkey trot
{my faithful boyfriend ran too!}
turkey made by my uncles girlfriend & her mother
{it's hard, but i love how families expand and endure}
my cousins
debutant ball
{dancing the night away with cousins
in fabulous baton rouge}
also, i've completely
lost my voice...
all the more reason get into extreme study mode.
or blog, hehe



thanksgiving break, i'm thankful for you and the many adventures & quiet times to always seem to hold. you're wonderful.

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