The Day After Thanksgiving

Yay! It's here! It's Christmastime!! WOOHOO!!!!! I'm super pumped. I look forward to this time the whole year. WOO!!!

Today is Black Friday. I have actually never gone Black Friday shopping. Shocked? I guess there are multiple reasons: I've never had money for the big money items, I don't like to wake up when it's dark, and it hasn't ever seemed worth it to fight insane people for smaller stuff. I know I need to experience it, but I see all these things on the news where people act like total idiots and even injure others, and it really doesn't make me want to get involved. If someone was mean to me or something I would probably just cry. I'll take my Amazon shopping with free two day shipping over that craziness anyday! (-: Although, if eventually there is a big money item I really want, and I have the big money, I'll probably join in on the fun (or at least send Mark to join in!).

So, if I didn't shop, what did I do today?

Well, it has been tradition in our family, and a tradition we plan to keep, to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. So, after Mark and I got done with our part time jobs, we loaded up with a couple of friends and went to the local Christmas tree farm. Our first tree as a family! yay!!!

We searched the farm high and low...

And finally found the perfect little tree for me and Mark!! Brinkley liked it, too!

So, after we found the tree, of course someone needed to cut it down, and since I'm so buff, I got right to it!

Oh bummer, how did this picture get on my camera? Okay, I guess maybe I didn't really cut it down. Tree Farm Boy cut it down for us.

Timber!!!

You'll have to wait to see what the tree looks like in our apartment. (-: After we got the tree we went in the little gift shop and got some free apple cider and my sweet friend, Katie, bought us our "Our First Christmas" ornament. It has our names on it and is so cute. Yay!!! Then we drove home and put up the tree! Yay!!!

So, what did you do today? Did you brave the masses? Do you ahve any day after Thanksgiving traditions? Get any awesome deals? (-:

~Kathryn

My New WONDERFUL Vacuum!!!!

****Before I start this post, I'd like to say that somehow, Mark's one post received more comments than of my other posts. Where's the love, people?!****

One thing that has been really frustrating to me over the last few months has been the lack of a good vacuum, thus the lack of clean carpet, thus the lack of a tidy looking apartment. Thus, a higher than necessary stress level.

The vacuum I had been using is apparently super nice, but something isn't right with it, and I haven't had the time or money to investigate and fix the problem. It kept spitting stuff back out.

Like I always do, I decided to do a little research. Shout out to Amazon.com!!! I got online and found a vacuum. An inexpensive vacuum. A vacuum that had 4.5 stars with over 1500 reviews. This is legit, people. Reviews said things like the vacuum is awesome, a great deal, and almost just as good as vacuums that cost several hundreds of dollars. So, they definitely had my attention, because I don't have several hundreds of dollars, and I need an awesome vacuum.

Taking advantage of my Amazon Prime membership, I ordered the vacuum for $76 with free two day shipping. I ordered it yesterday, and folks, it came a day early.

So, what do I think of this new little number? Well, here I am, testing it out:

And just so that you can see the results, here are the before and after pictures of my rug. The photos don't really do it justice. Let's just say the rug has been given new life.

Before:

After:

Here is one of my favorite qualities of vacuum cleaners, a quality that I haven't been able to enjoy in a long time. Yes, folks, those are vacuum marks on the carpet. ahhh....

Just so you can see how much fun I was having, here's another shot of me vacuuming. Might I add, this is extremely easy to use, much easier than my old one. I'm in deep focus, there, and little Miguel is helping.

So, what do I think of my new Hoover Tempo? I think I'm in love.

~Kathryn

Waiting...

Sigh.

I'm sitting at the office building at my apartment complex waiting.

For a locksmith.

Because I locked my keys in my car.

Me = Awesome.

Since I'm sitting in here I decided to write a blog post. So now you can all feel sorry for me. (-:

On the bright side, I ordered a new vacuum cleaner that should be arriving today and I'm pretty stoked about it. Shortly, there will be before and after photos and a run down of my new purchase. So get excited.

Good luck to you all - keep your keys with you at all times!!!!

~Kathryn

The Other Blogger

Okay, guys, here's the other half of this blog site. Mark decided he would be up for doing a blog, and this is what he decided to do - ten things about him. So read, enjoy, and comment so it will encourage him to post more! (-:


Here it is - enjoy!




Ten things you should probably know about me if you are reading this blog:

1. More than ever I believe that natural ability or ‘talent’ is highly overrated. This viewpoint was initially stirred by a combination of Malcolm Gladwell and Geoff Colvin, but the more I think about it and observe anecdotal supporting evidence, the more convinced I am. The only thing that I’ve ever been particularly good at is accumulating useless trivia, and that’s something I started doing when I was about six years old and never stopped. Don’t get me wrong—I won’t be confused for Ken Jennings—but I picked up more random facts about history and geography before middle school than most people do before college. But that wasn’t because of natural ability—I just spent a lot more time on that stuff than most everyone else. This revelation has been simultaneously humbling and inspiring.

2. I LOVE dollar menus at all fast food restaurants. Anywhere I can eat well for two or three bucks is a winner in my book. It has really been a determining factor for when I eat fast food. The places that don’t have dollar menus better have really good food or they’re not going to make it. I’m glad Sonic finally joined the party.

3. I have had a love-hate relationship with following politics for the past six years or so. Every journalist is human, so of course various biases will always exist. Because of this, when I really want to learn about something, I read op-eds. Who better than to sell (or decry) an idea than someone who supports (or opposes) the idea? The beauty of op-eds is that biases are mostly transparent, rather than hidden. You generally know where the columnist stands, so you are free to explore other assenting and/or dissenting opinions.

4. I am obsessed with Amazon.com. I have a full wish list and make virtually all of my purchases of books, music, or movies there. It almost always has the best prices, the best consumer information, and the best selection, so there’s no reason to go anywhere else. I even have the perks of Prime membership now. As a confession, I still do go to other bookstores to physically check stuff out—mainly books.

5. I don’t dislike movies, but my attention span and tendency to fall asleep prevents me from watching very many of them. I actually own at least three movies that I haven’t even seen yet—two of which I have owned for more than a year. It’s very rare that I set aside 90-150 minutes to watch one by myself, so unless it’s something that also interests Kathryn I probably won’t be sitting down to watch it. And even if I do actually sit down to watch it, there’s a good chance I will fall asleep, regardless of how good the movie is.

6. I love to read but often have a terrible time finishing books. I might start a book and read on in faithfully for 2-3 days, but I get busy doing other things and don’t pick it up for another 3-4 days and by that point I’ve lost it. Because of this, I rarely read fiction.

7. I spend way too much time on fantasy football between August and December and am in two different leagues. Last year I won one of them and broke even in the other. My reward for the league I won was $80 (from a $10 buy-in). I think if I broke that down to how much time I spent on the two leagues in preparation and during the season, it probably came out to about ten cents per hour. Not sure if this year will turn out as well…

8. I am adopted. It happened when I was less than three weeks old. I couldn’t have asked for two finer people as parents. I feel that I am a living example that adoption should be an option for people who face unwanted pregnancy. I have never met my biological mother, but if I do, I will have a tough time holding back tears thanking her for not aborting me when that would have been the convenient thing to do.

9. I love Kathryn’s family as my own. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more interesting, or more inspiring group as the family of my significant other.

10. I was essentially indifferent to dogs when I started hanging out with Kathryn, but very quickly the exposure to dogs that came with that softened me up a bit. My love for them has now culminated in Brinkley, a standard poodle, who I treat as my own. My life is so enriched by him that I can’t believe that I was ever indifferent to these wonderful animals.

FIDGETER!!!!!!!

I had an interesting conversation with my boss this week. The conversation between myself and my boss went something like this:

My Boss: "blah blah blah blah when you fidget blah blah blah blah blah"

Me: "Wait, WHAT?! I fidget? What do you mean I fidget?"

My Boss: "(picking up a pen) Well, you know, like this...."

He then proceeded to take the pen and click it incessantly and then rub the end of it all over the desk and just roll it around on the desk.

I was shocked. I had been totally busted. I had been accused of being a fidgeter.

But that was just fine. I would just stop fidgeting. I declared to my boss that I would no longer be fidgeting, and properly placed my hands neatly in my lap - and didn't let them move.

So a couple hours went by. And I realized.

I fidget. A lot.

We're talking pen tapping, doodling, pen clicking, desk writing, chair spinning, the whole bit.

But I was bound and determined to stop.

A couple more hours went by and the fidgeting slipped out of my mind. My boss and a co-worker were in my office, and we were chatting.

Without realizing it, I was chatting away, clicking my pen, swinging in my chair, rolling my pen on the desk, not realizing that my appendages were totally out of my control.

Then my boss reared back and pointed his finger at me and yelled:

"FIDGETER!!!!!!!!!!!"

I have no hope. I am a Kathryn, the Fidgeter.

The Trikke

You may or not have heard of a Trikke. You may have seen the infomercials....

Well, my Granddaddy OWNS a Trikke.

Last week, Mark and I got to go down to Ft. Worth and spend a day with my grandparents, and with their Trikke. It's really pretty incredible. Apparently it's similar to skiing. I have actually never skied, but I believe it. It's HARD. My first few times on it I could barely get the thing to even move.

But, my Granddaddy can go UPhill. That's quite an accomplishment.

Still confused? Here's a pic:

That's my granddaddy... he's a rock star. But don't you worry, there are pics of me, as well...

And here I am again:

Yep. It's really difficult. But it's fun. And I bet if I did it regularly, I'd be in as good of shape as my Granddaddy! (-:

Maybe I should just get a bike...

Also, Happy Birthday, Granddaddy!!!

~Kathryn

Pre-Wedding Moments

***We are experimenting with blog titles, so hopefully it won't throw you off until we pick the perfect title***

I decided it was time for some more wedding pictures. I know last time I put up pictures of the decor, and this time I decided to put up some photos of some of my favorite moments from the day. These are mostly before the ceremony started, and I think my photographer really captured some sweet memories.

This first photo is my friend, Allison, who flew in from Denver to be there for my special day. It really meant a lot that she came and I think this pic of us hugging is just precious.

This next photo is of me, mainly talking to my Aunt Reba, my dad's sister. I was obviously really into whatever I was saying, and she just looks beautiful!

Here I am, laughing with my daddy!

The most wonderful surprise of the wedding was when our dear family friend, John G, flew in from California and surprised us! He had sent us a gift (GORGEOUS Kate Spade vases) and we figured he couldn't make it. He sure surprised us....

He had me in tears!

This cracks me up so I had to include it. This is me talking to Wes, who performed our ceremony, right before it started. Apparently whatever i was saying was pretty intense.

This is my Uncle Dan. He is one of Mark's favorites out of my relatives. Who knows what they were saying, and what I was thinking. ha. This photo just cracks me up.

Okay, this one is actually right as the wedding started, so I'll close with this one. More photos to come later.... we sang two congregational hymns, and here we are, singing the first, right at the start of the wedding.

I hope you enjoyed peeking into some of the sweet moments before the wedding! More photos of the actual ceremony and reception, etc, to come! (-:

~Kathryn

"A Classic Style"

When I hear the words "classic style", this is what I picture:

Something like Audrey Hepburn screams classic style. This weekend, however, I realized how many interpretations of this phrase are out there in the world.

Living in a one bedroom apartment begs for multiple purgings of stuff each year. One such purging happened this weekend. We went through the closet and threw away bags, clothes, shoes, etc, that hadn't been used in a while, were too old, didn't fit, etc. During this process, this is what the living room looked like:

Remember, Brinkley refuses to get out of photos. Sigh. Anyway, it's clearly a big mess, with more in the bedroom. So, we sat there going through tons of clothing items, and filled two trash bags full of junk to get rid of.

While cleaning out the bottom of the bedroom closet, I happened upon a certain pair of Mark's shoes. Shoes he has had since high school. Shoes that are over 10 years old. Shoes that are BLACK SNEAKERS. Sneakers that, completely unbeknownst to me, he WORE TO CHURCH a few weeks ago with his KHAKIS. I could not believe that my handsome husband was wearing old black sneakers with khakis to church, but when I looked down and saw them in Sunday School, I was slightly mortified.

So, I did what any wife would do: I announced, in complete seriousness, that the shoes had to go and that the only circumstance under which I would agree they could be kept would be if the shoes were  worn ONLY for camping purposes.

Mark appeared completely shocked and thought I was being totally unreasonable. He said that "people have been wearing them forever". Then he said it.

He deadpanned:

"They're a classic style."

A CLASSIC STYLE??!!! I started laughing and thought that was utterly ridiculous. He thought I was being outrageous, but since I felt so strongly, he ever so sweetly agreed they could be thrown out. (Praise the Lord.)

So do you want to see these classic style shoes that apparently have withstood every test of time and will always be in style?

I can already picture Audrey Hepburn in them.....

~Kathryn

Thankful

In the busyness and stress of life, sometimes it's easy to forget to stop and give thanks. With this being November and all, there's no better time to give thanks. Here are some things for which I am thankful:

Mark - I am so thankful to have such a serving, sacrificial, loving husband. I am so thankful that he is my best friend and was patient enough to date me for 4 years before I agreed to marry him! (-: I am so grateful for his love for the Lord and his wisdom. I am so thankful for the gift of marriage, and how I love him more every day.

My Job - Especially in days like these, anyone should be thankful to have a job. I am thankful that I get to work with really great people and actually enjoy my job. I am very thankful to have a boss that is an encourager, loves the Lord, and is fun to be around!

Our Apartment - While at times, it's hard to be thankful for a one bedroom apartment, I know that before too long we will look back on these years in the apartment as sweet memories of the beginnings of our life as a married couple. I am thankful we have a safe place to live and have everything we need.

My Health - I know it's hard to remember to be thankful for our health when we feel fine, but I am so thankful. Ever so often if I have some sort of pain I am so gently reminded by the Lord to have compassion for people that live in constant pain, and to be so thankful that, at least for now, I am healthy and whole and pain free. Praise the Lord.

Family - I love my family, all quirks included, and am thankful that most of them are believers. I pray for those that aren't and thank the Lord for their safety and friendship. I am also thankful to be blessed with wonderful in-laws - that doesn't always happen.

Friends - New and old, I have amazing friends. Friends that are fun to hang out with, friends I feel like I can spill my guts to, and friends who speak Truth to me and are willing to pray for me. I am always reminded what a gift my friends are, and they are not something to be taken for granted.

Transportation - I am so thankful for my '98 Accord! It has been SUCH a HUGE blessing to have such reliable transportation and I always remember that as I am driving around.

Salvation - I know it may sound cliche, but I am so thankful for my Lord. No matter what season I am going through, He is constant, always there ready to remind me of his love and truth. Life would be meaningless without Jesus, and for Him I am very thankful.

I could go on and on, but that's all for today. I think I needed to be reminded of those things.

So what are YOU thankful for?

~Kathryn

Stranger Danger!

For Halloween, Mark and I spent the evening at our dear friends, Leah and Tyler's place. We were very excited to get to help give out candy. I LOVE trick-or-treating. I think it is so fun, but because we live in an apartment, we don't get trick-or-treaters.

So, we loaded up and went to the neighborhood, and brought some candy. Shout out for pixie sticks! We had some chili, watched some football, made caramel apples, and waited for the kiddos to arrive.

Once the kids started arriving, Leah and I were each armed with a bowl of candy at the door. Those kids were so cute, and a little demanding. (ha!) After a little bit, Leah's niece and nephew came by and trick-or-treated us. They came right before a big rush of kids, so her niece and nephew (and parents) were in front of a large group. After we gave them, Woody and Buzz Lightyear (SO CUTE!), their candy, we, of course, invited them inside to hang out before they continued on their way to their grandparents'.

Well, the trick-or-treaters that were behind Leah's family were quite alarmed that the people in front of them were going into the strange house. They couldn't understand it. In fact, it apparently went against everything they knew and had been taught. I think they thought we were inviting them in, as well, and proceeded to be totally freaked out.

One little boy yelled out, "It's not safe to go inside!!!"

Then another child yelled, "STRANGER DANGER!!!"

ha ha ha ha.... we tried to explain that we knew the other kids, but I think they were too creeped out to believe us. They took their candy and left.

At least we know the school system is teaching children to beware of strangers.

We didn't invite anymore kids inside.

~Kathryn