Spring Semester Photo Updates: Scene 3

By this time in the photo updates, I was hoping to have at LEAST made a good dent in them so that I could start uploading all the CURRENT stories/photos...

...but I haven't.

This is sad because there are a lot of fun/cute/memorable things going on NOW.

And I refuse to go ahead and do the current ones because that would be OUT OF ORDER.

Out of order = unacceptable.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am an "overachieving-perfectionist-in-recovery."

MUCH recovery and MUCH better, but that's a story for another time ;D

Bad things happen on the home front around mid-terms...
Like dirty laundry mountains

My lil study buddy...
He likes to curl up beside my desk,
So we made the "Dodgie Cave"



Dodgie Podge likes the heating pad too...
But I'm a little distracted at the moment, thinking about how easy it would be to do a fundoscopic exam on his massively dilated pupil...




Folded clothes AND love notes???
Man, my hubby is a keeper ;)



Awwww... those are so pretty...
And, um, that moment of the semester (in the recent-past) was SO busy
that. I. don't. have. a. clue. where. they. came. from.


Yeah, still dont... whoe...

Mommy's Valentine's Roses - how beautiful!!! :D
One of my favorite rose colors!

Oh my gwah! Love them! How cute are they!
Our class took Lonnie and Sarah out to celebrate their wedding.
Lonnie is in our PA class and Sarah is his Irish, kindergarten teacher bride-
ADORABLE!

oh, and Lonnie was a bit late- of all nights Sarah accidently left her ring at home and Lonnie just HAD to go back and get it, ha!

Gotchaaaaaa

The hubbies:
Whitney's hubby Chae, Karolyn's hubby Steve, My hubby 'hubby', and Annie's hubby Jeff

Some PA girlies!
Jennifer, Annie, a little bit of Joy (ha!), me, and Whitney

More PA girlies - Cathy, Tiff, and Charlie
PLUS Cathy's Dr. Hubby - Ashwin

Awesome people!
Richard (in the red, and in our PA class) with his (then fiancee, now wifey!) Natasha
AND A.B. and Tiff - both 2nd year PA students :)

Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Myers
Told ya'll. Those two = ADORABLE

Jeff and Annie Laughlin!!!
Love, love, love them!
Such an awesome couple and a blessing to have as friends!

Tiff and A.B.
Can't wait to be celebrating THEIR engagement/wedding
Almost there ;)

I. Love. Me. Some. TIFFANIES!



Life would NOT be the same without them!
Constant giggles, talking, smiles around these two :D



Da whole gang!!
Well most of us...

Silly photo!!!

Click on the photos to enlarge
For your entertainment/laughter purposes...

Napping on the Vera

Haha, I PROMISE he does more than NAP!

I guess because this is the only time Dodgie is being STILL and photographable :D

Washin my car!
And looking HOTT!!!
Boy am I lucky!

The hose... had seen better days...

A RAINBOW!!!! See it?!?

He's spae-shul...
But we love him...

Time to be Simple, Time to be Still, Time for Spring!

Its the simple things now a days, guys... The simple things.

Most of you know that my Grandma Bonnie passed last Wednesday.

A piece of my heart went with her, that will always be with her.

But there is such bittersweet comfort in the piece of her that will always be with me.

I can't process like I want to, like I need to, right now. I am in the middle of this "10-finals-in-2-weeks" marathon. I have to focus right now. Gran wouldn't have wanted it anyway else.

Little things comfort me. A hug from a girlfriend. Tucking Scripture in my heart. A furry puppy's kisses. My sweet hubby taking care of me.

And... Darling lil Spring goodies/recipes like the one that I stumbled upon on a Pioneer Woman Post

This Easter Egg Cake is simply - way to cute...
And simply - way to simple!
The simple recipe is right - here

This darling little Rose cake I intend to attempt soon!
The girlie that did this, Amanda, has the most adorable blog:
i am baker
You MUST check it out - you won't be disappointed!

Fun things guys!

Tonight after a lo0o0ong day...

That came after a lo0o0o0o0o0ong week...

Hub hub and I took our pup and went to Lowe's Garden Center so I could buy some herbs! I am so pumped!!! I will repay Grayson with yummy, YUMMY food! Pictures and recipes soon to come ;D

Man oh man, while we were there they had the most darling flowers and produce! It reminded me of the (small part that I saw) of the movie - "It's Complicated." Which was an ok-ish movie. But the character Meryl Streep plays has the most LOVELY garden

I have ever seen!

Ok, I'm exaggerating. Maybe not better than Ina Garten's. But come on people, she's Ina Garten...

But look at Meryl's from "It's Complicated" !!!

Sigh... I mean look at this...
After seeing the amazing things at the Garden Center I was reminded that I want a garden like this.
Immediately.

And I will have a wicker gathering basket, like this but larger, consistently laden with veggies and flowers.

The garden portrayed in the movie is a French potager garden. It combines the practicality of an English kitchen garden (which I need) and the lovliness of a flower garden (which I adore). Basically it's an "ornamental vegetable garden."

So lovely. So perfect. Sigh...

My favorite thing so far this week has been this passage of Scripture I have tucked away into my heart, Scripture that has seen me victoriously through pains and difficulties I have yet to fully process:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

 

1 Peter 1: 3-7

 

A beautiful passage to meditate on as we prepare for Easter and the celebration of life that we have found through faith in our Lord Jesus' victory over the grave! Amen!

 

Blessings - Katie ;)

Spring Semester Photo Updates: Scene 2 "Come and Listen..."

“…Let me tell you what He has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

Had a wonderful catch up time/phone date with a dear girlfriend from undergrad this afternoon, Lindsay.

I think she may be second, only to Grayson, on the “Shoulder I’ve Cried, Laughed, and Snotted On Most” list.

Catch-ups not only are the opportunity to find out the current state of affairs in your friend’s life, but to also get a “step-back glimpse” at your own.

Our verdicts?

We’re both blissfully happy.

Absorbing His blessing.

There's so MUCH I want to simultaneously process and share here right now, but hardly even know where to begin! For now I will wait...

I will say that the Lord has called be back to intentional, constant, daily Scripture MEMORY. Not just reading and cherishing, but solid memorizing. Sowing it into my heart, and experiencing its bursting forth with life and freedom.

“I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me LIFE.” Psalm 119:93 Amen.

So for my birthday Grayson got me a few pink Moleskin journals, small enough to tuck inside my purse and carry wherever I go. I have been filling those pages non-stop with precious bits of life I want to tuck inside my heart.

The first verse?

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8

Phew... Amazing. Refining. Convicting. Restoring.

I wish I could share and process all that has been on my heart, all that Christ has been leading me through. It would take an entire weekend I’m afraid…

So for today, it’s just these precious Scripture “Bits of Life” and a few more pictures :)

Dodgie jumped in here one day while I was studying, and I actually DID have to take him to a Monday evening class that NEXT week! He was an ANGEL and everyone loved him - even the professor, who has had Yorkies before :D

Before...
Stress ulcer everytime I opened my closet

After...
Beautiful! Ahh the organization ;)
SOMETHING in this crazy life feels ordered

El Seestor - Caroline!
Came up with the in-laws for the weekend

What a hottie ;)
And we're at Mash House of course

They have this special disappearing spinach artichoke dip...

Obviously Gray didn't get any of the disappearing dip

I love heem ;)

HAHA!!!
Down for the COUNT!!!

Little Dodgie Podgie

Looking a lil on the shaggy side - groomer wasn't until next week
But STILL couldn't get ANY cuter!

My Handsome Boys

Remember those dreary snow-covered pansies from another post???

How BEAUTIFUL are they now???

Weekend trip - had a lil tag-a-long ;)
This is also right BEFORE the groomer...

And here he is AFTER
That lil peanut hiding under all that hair ;)

Daddy and Mommy were heading out for a foreign mission trip and Mama wanted a quick photo for her bedside ;)

My Valentine's Flowers

Beautiful

Blessings :)  -Katie

Stop What You're Doing...

... and go make this yummy Ginger Steak Salad by Pioneer Woman.

Please, please, please??? I'll be your "bess fwien."

And then after you taste it = you'll be mine.

It really puzzles me. Did you know that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE cooking?

Yeah, I didn't think you did. Because I never share recipes and food stories!

It is because... I am one of "those."  A "recipes-are-just-guidelines" one of "those."

Which makes sharing my 'non-existant' recipes VERY difficult.

This is unfortunate, because I am a fabulous cook. Or so my husband tells me. Well, he doesn't really 'tell' me. He just proposes all over again at each meal, right before falling into a food coma. That counts right?!?

SO I am excited to share a recipe for Ginger Steak Salad ( < click, click, click! ) that I followed!!! Yes!!! I can faintly hear my mother-in-law Susan's excited applause ;) 

Cooks Notes:

Well, ok, the steak we used we had grilled the night before (because how BEAUTIFUL has it been outside lately???) using a homemade Mango Teriyaki Marinade and not the marinade in the above recipe.

Also - I doubled the dressing so I could have some more on hand :) For the dressing, I had no limes so I squeezed a fresh blood orange and did half sugar/half splenda. And DONT SKIP the fresh minced ginger!




Mmmmm... Blood Oranges.
We have quite the long-standing love affair.


I also topped mine with: caramalized onions, toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and crumbled goat cheese.

And right about now Susan's excited applause has probably burst into laughter, because I suddenly realize I didn't quite follow the recipe EXACTLY like I thought I had.

But it's all for the better, right??? MmMmMmMm :D

As my darling Paula Deen would say:

"Love and Best Dishes, from My Kitchen to Yours."

Blessings - Katie :D

Spring Semester Photo Updates: Scene 1 - Snowpocalypse

Photo Updates!!!!!!

Really wanted to throw up the rest of the Christmas photos... But I decided "It's March."

But then again... I'm from the South.

Which means... I can throw them up in July when I get a hankerin' for  Christmas.

So I will instead begin with this semester's beginning.

Christmas photos, see you in July. I'll crank the Manheim.

Dodgie Podgie. I see your lil cute butt.

And now I see your lil cute face.

And now I see you nuzzling up to my hunky hubby.

MmMmMmMmMmM
Coffee Press. Walker's Shortbread. Praise the Lord.

Look at silly stinky!! Such a good traveler :D
Just sits in my lap, in the warm sunshine, and sleeps....
(I'm sure I won't be saying the same thing when I have 'non-furry' toddlers that I'm attempting to travel with)

I'm pretty sure the windows in this house are MY age.
And when you stick your hand under them, it feels like El Nino blowing in.
Hence = the funky-do-it-yourself-window-insulation- kit.
(I-probably-didn't-need-that-many-hypens.
I-like-them-shhhhh.)

Funky-do-it-yourself-window-insulation-kit = meet my husband.
They... grew on each other.
After Grayson tamed him with my hairdryer.
This goes under my "Newlywed Memories: We'll Laugh About This Later" File



And look!!! Just in time!!!
Kept us warm during thot thar Snowpocalypse!!!



Life in the South ceased to function for about 4 good days.
All my Northern friends guffawed.



My purdy Violets said "Forget this junk!"
And took a nap.
And woke up 2 weeks later looking gorgeous.
I like beauty naps too, purdy Violets.



Grayson drove to work in 6 inches of snow so they could cancel half an hour later.
No comment.
But my snow buddy is home - yay!

Dodgie wants to know what all that white junk is.
He prefers the hot air vent.
I hear ya lil buddy.

Snowpocalypse Survival Food: Loaded Baked Potatoes!!!
I like sauteed veggies on mine.
Grayson's potatoes swam in some Ranch, drowned, and died. Grayson, baby we kill our MEAT.

One day, Grayson will skip the potato altogether and go for straight ranch.
His unphased wifey won't bat an eyelash on that fateful day.

Mmmmm roaring fire to melt off all the snow from our Snowpocalypse expedition

Dodgie's scoping out the scawwy woodpile/fireplace to make sure its 'safe'
Good boy, honey

And now he wants a treat for his efforts.
There is a speical "Dodger Puppy" area in my cerebral cortex that can't tell that face no.
Seriously, there is.

My handsome boys!!!

I CAN'T BUH-LIEVE IT SNOWED THAT MUCH!!!

***mute the music below!!!***

And watch Dodgie-Podge playing in the snow if you need a good smile :)

Blessings! -Katie

Just a Taste...

I

need to blog

need to blog

need to blog

I kno0ow!!!

So here's a lil appetizer...

Mmmmmm... Oh wait, I mean a figurative "appetizer", but that was yummy right???

My life lately:

Week 1: Three Midterm Exams

Week 2: Three Midterm Exams

Week 3: FOUR Midterm Exams

Week 4 (last week): NO EXAMS!!!

So literally EVERY night for the past 8 or 9 nights has been spent enjoying friends and lots of wonderful people :D  Ahhhhhhh life...

My blog misses me. I miss my blog. A post is in the works. Promise. So stay tuned!!

Blessings - Katie