Katie and Mo

Florida next week!

2009-04-15T18:16:00.001-07:00

I am all propped up on the couch inhaling chik-fil-a while hubby is out fishing with bff Grant, this means I get FULL reign of the tv! So I am watching LOST, lost as I always am trying to figure it out and I don't have Mo here to explain things to me every 5 mins!

In other news!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! We are leaving for Florida next week to go visit my daddy and stepmom. I haven't seen my dad in over a year and we haven't been to visit them in FL in 4 years, so I am very excited to hop on a plane, take a break from work, and spend some time with family! I forsee a lot of lounging, playing some music and singing in my daddy's awesome music studio and enjoying some good home-cooked meals!

I hope everyone's Easter weekend was great! It was so stormy and rainy on Easter morning and when we left church it was monsooning outside! So, we decided to brave it! I rolled up my pant legs and we ran to the car, holding hands and giggling like a bunch of 3rd graders! I think it was the most fun I had all day!

Well, back to being lost with LOST! LOVES!

xoxo
Katie Kates

Life in Houston

2009-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

GEEZ!! Well, after nearly a year of being on a blog hiatus (I say this, but I still stalk other people's blogs, I know, I'm a cheater!) and with our move to Houston and away from so many family and friends, I figured what better time to start it up again!

Please bare with me as I feel so completely new and awkward to this blogging experience since it has been a ridiculously long amount of time since I last posted a blog!

As most all of you know, Mo and I recently packed up our life in Baton Rouge, where we called home for nearly the past 5 1/2 years, and relocated to the BIG city of Houston! We are loving it so far and really have been out exploring every weekend to see what this gigantic town has to offer!

Yesterday while we were walking the trails at George Bush park on a BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon, we were listing all of the fun things we have done so far since living here:

1. We take full advantage of the dog park near our house! Bailey and Molly love it. Bailey always seems to steal the show while swimming after his ball in the pond. This ball has become a complete and utter addiction for this dog. I mean, withdrawals like you would never believe. Have mercy!

2. We're in Texas y'all! We both bought our own handguns and love going to the shooting range when we get the chance! I know this doesn't seem like something I would love, but I do. I think it's that Indiana girl in me!

3. We've driven around alot looking at homes recently and figuring out what neighborhoods we want to live in and dreaming of our next home, most likely the one in which we will start our family! Very exciting times!

4. We recently spent the afternoon at George Bush park. We packed a backpack full of water, snackies, and a blanket and spent the afternoon walking the trails and lying under the trees relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We both agreed that it was probably our most favorite thing that we've done since we've been here!

Whew, I almost feel a sense of relief finishing this post! I am BACK in ACTION!!

I truly hope everyone is having a fabulous start to this new week! Remember this week our precious Jesus who died on that cross for OUR sins, when we are so not worthy and later ROSE from the grave. Joy!!

Love you all!

XOXO

Katie

GEAUX TIGERS!!!

2008-06-03T16:34:00.001-07:00

Yay! HE is GOOD!!!

Less than 30 seconds after I posted my last blog, I received a phone call from the LSU Athletic Department and was offered a position as the new Administrative Coordinator for Swimming/Diving, Soccer, and Softball! For those of you who do not know, Mo has worked as the Athletic Dept. for about 4 years now, so I am quite familiar with that environment! And of course, I accepted!!!! It was NOTHING of me, but totally the Lord the way that this job was offered to me! So now I get to work for LSU Athletics (if you live in Baton Rouge, you know there is nothing better!) AND work in the same building as Mo, which is really a lot of fun since everyone knows him! I never realized how much I actually knew about the department and how many people I actually knew as well until I started the job! SO cool! I started on Monday and so far have had a fantastic first couple of days. Of course, like any job, there will be moments when I want to pull my hair out, but so far, it's been smooth sailing!

I am SO HAPPY to report that in less than two weeks we will be packing up the car and driving to HOUSTON to see our jenny juice and Grantley! I could NOT be more excited to sleep on a sleeper sofa! It is going to be tons of fun and great great conversations! We miss them terribly!!

I hope everyone is having a refreshing week! Love to you all!

xoxo

Katie

Housewife!

2008-05-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

I am really lovin this whole housewife thing! For the time being, anyway! I know it would get quite boring after a while, but how much fun is it to be able to get all of my laundry done, dinner cooked, and the house cleaned up everyday before hubby gets home! For those who know me and my OCD cleaning behavior, this makes my heart very happy!

The Lord is at work y'all! I have had some VERY promising interviews this week! So now I am just sitting back waiting for the phone calls, so please be in prayer that the Lord will open the doors that he chooses and closes the others!

I have truly been clinging to this verse this past week. It brings such comfort to know that I am in control of nothing - everything is in his hands!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” - Philippians 4:6-7

I hope this brings some comfort to you all as well! Love to you all!

xoxo

Katie

Season of Change

2008-05-23T07:09:00.001-07:00

Right now Mo and I are in a serious season of change! I am not complaining about this, it is just taking us for a ride, that's all! I am trying to look at this as an adventure!

1. Our best friends moved. While we are not here moping around and throwing a pity party for ourselves, it has changed our routine a bit, especially on the weekends, but we have stayed busy and have been having fun! Plus, I am anticipating a trip to the big TX very soon and that will be oh so exciting!

2. I started a new job several weeks ago that I was very excited about, because you're always excited when you start a new job, right? Well, sadly, it turned out to be a job that after prayerful consideration and discussion with family and friends, I knew I had to leave. Not only was it misrepresented in my interview, but my first two weeks there were so stressful and overwhelming that it was affecting my sleep, my body, and the rest of my life! I saw my coworkers who have been there for quite some time feeling just the same and that's when I got on my knees in prayer and was given a very clear answer. While I am completely 100% confident in my decision and have the support of my husband and family, it is still frustrating to feel as though people are looking at me like I am a "flake" who can't stay at a job! I KNOW, however, that this is not true and that the LORD has that perfect job for ME. I am thankful for this challenge he has given me to step up and rely solely on HIM for counsel. So for the time-being I am Mo's housewife, which I am guiltily enjoying! Please be in prayer for me that I find that "perfect" job.

3. We are moving about 25 mins north of Baton Rouge to Zachary! While at first, I was very hesitant about this move, I am starting to become excited! My parents have a home that they will be moving out of this summer so they can travel and downsize. Such a blessing this is, but they have offered for Mo and I live there FREE while we rent out our townhouse here in Baton Rouge and stash away some savings! Their house is older, but has a LOT more room, and a HUGE yard for the puppies to play in, so we are very excited! This could be temporary for the next few months or it could be permanent - it all depends on what the future holds after Mo graduates in December. There will be a lot of work to come in the following months, but we are confident that it will be very rewarding!

4. Mo is graduating in December. Let me tell y'all - this poor precious man has been in school for what seems like 98092830923094 years! He went part-time, took a year or two off here and there, went part time some more, then full time! He will FINALLY be done come December and I think we are both starting to realize this! Woohoo! It is very exciting, but also very scary in that we will be making some serious decisions in the comings months that will have a great impact on our lives!

I know this post wasn't very exciting, but I guess it was more of an "update" post since so much has been going on! I promise the next few will be more fun! Love to you all!

XOXO

Katie

Bubble Wrap and Packing Tape

2008-04-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

No, we are not moving. But our best friends are. It hit me this weekend when my dear Jenny's apartment where we've spent countless hours talking, watching the AKAI in the guest bedroom, hearing the boys play xbox in the living room, and sharing meals together was transformed from a comfy, cozy, home to just an apartment filled with moving boxes surrounded by bare walls. I think we were all a little shocked by the end of the day to see the progress we had made in our packing endeavor. While we were excited we had gotten so much done, to look around and see the transformation was a little tearful.

This week will be a tearful week I am sure, but I look forward to all the exciting trips we will be making back and forth to visit, all of the phone calls, and the gmail chats that will be had! Jen and Grant have become such steadfast, strong friends to both Mo and I and while we are so very sad to see them move 4 hours away, we are very excited to see what the future holds for them!

Here are some sweet pics of our preciouses!

So here's to not saying "Goodbye," but "See you soon!" We love you both so very much and are so excited for this opportunity the Lord has blessed you with!

XOXO,

Katie

Randomness

2008-04-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ok sooo Jen tagged me for this listing 7 random things about myself business and here it goes!

1. I wash my feet obsessively. It cannot be healthy how fanatical I am about washing my feet before they touch my sheets. I take a shower when I get home from work therefore my feet are clean. I may walk around the house for awhile and jump into bed to watch some TV, but not before washing my feet. If I get up to go get a snack, I must either wash my feet before entering the bed again OR dangle my feet over the side of the bed so they do not touch any bedding (this is only until I can wash my feet, for example, on commercials). This is wierd, yes I know.

2. I speak Cruzan. I am a white girl, yes, but I did spend many years living on an island in the Caribbean. People who are native to St. Croix are called Cruzans. They speak a dialect called "Cruzan."

For example:

English: "Where is Jimmy?"
Cruzan: "Wha pa de Jimmy?"

English: "I don't want to hang out with that girl."
Cruzan: "Me nah wan ah lime wit de gyal."

English:"What happened?"
Cruzan: "WHAPPENED?!?!?!?"

I believe that provides you with some adequate information on speaking Cruzan!

3. I don't like cars. I am an SUV girl. I used to have a Nissan Xterra and I miss it so very badly!However, because of gas prices my husband refuses to let me have one! Maybe I am trying to overcompensate for being so short, perhaps?

4. Mmmmbop! Need I say more??

5. When my throat or ear itches, I oink like a pig to make it stop. Mo screams while I am doing this in an effort to make me stop. It never works.

6. When I was 13 yrs. old I talked to Justin Jeffre from 98 degrees on the phone. My best friend's family was friends with his family and she called me one night while he was at their house so I could talk to him. I almost died - and he wasn't even the cute one...

7. I used to own a Dallas Cowboys starter jacket when I was 11. I was cool.

How's that for random!?

KAT

UPDATE!!

2008-04-19T15:04:00.001-07:00

I'm back and I will be in action, I promise from here on out! There will be many more blogs full of exciting details about our lives here in Baton Rouge!! (Did you believe that exciting part?!) j/k! We do have some very exciting moments!

Update #1 - I am so very sad but filled with joy for our friends Jen and Grant as they are MOVING TO HOUSTON! Jen is from Houston, her family is there, and I know she has missed this place tremedously! What an exciting opportunity the Lord has presented to them and I fully trust in Him that he will continue to provide and show His glory to them! We will just be picking up kleenex all over our house for the first few weeks as we will miss them tremendously! ;) However, I know there will be many visits between us and about a billion phone calls thanks to Sprint to Sprint!

Update #2 - I know it was only about 4 months ago that I was writing very enthusiastically about my job at the LSU Childcare Center, but seasons change, and while I will miss many of the children I have grown close to at the center, Mo and I feel like it is time for me to move on as I've been offered a very exciting opportunity/position in my field. As of May 1, I will a Case Manager/Family Service Coordinator for Louisiana Early Steps. This is a state-funded program that provides services/resources to children ages 0-3 yrs. who are experiencing developmental delays. So basically I will be responsible for coordinating services between the families and the service providers (Occupational Therapists, Speech and Hearing Clinics, etc.) While I am SO VERY excited about this opportunity and thrilled to learn and grown in my field, I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. Ultimately I will have a caseload of 50 families for whom I will be responsible for. Please please pray in the comings months that I will have peace with my new position and that I won't experience too much anxiety!

Other than that exciting news, the hubby and I have just been enjoying our weekends together! Mo has been getting plenty of kayaking, fishing, and golfing in while I have been cleaning, shopping, and preparing for the spring! For those who don't know the wierd side of me, I LOVE to clean - it is very relaxing to me. There is nothing like a clean, organized house. It makes my day. However, I know it drives my husband CRAZYYYY!

Oh! AND we just ordered the TomTom ONE. With my new job, I will be driving all over town meeting with my families, and we've been wanting one anyway, so here it is! I can't wait until UPS arrives at my door!

Well my precious friends and family, that's about it for today! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Love you all!

Katie

Thankful

2008-03-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

This morning as I sat in my car outside of work, I was trying to cram in a devotion, grasping for some nugget of encouragement that could get me through what I knew was to be a hectic day. The nugget: Start a journal where you list 5 things from your day that you are grateful for. Here are mine:

1. Easter parties at school! There is nothing more exciting to a preschooler than stuffing easter eggs full of candy, making easter baskets, participating in an egg on the spoon relay race, and eating junk food to your hearts delight while sitting at a festively decorated table with 30 of your closest friends! It is even more exciting for an adult to watch all of this!

2. It is spring break this week so traffic around campus has been just phenomenal! 10 minutes to work - holla! The smallest things are sometimes the best!

3. The donuts in the lounge. Let me just say that the ladies I work enjoy food as much as I do and they are eager to share with the rest of us, so yay for the teacher who brought donuts for all of us today!

4. Dinner with Jen and Grant. I can't even begin to explain how much I needed this time with them, both Mo and I. The Lord really led our conversation and I feel so rejuvenated!

5. My new shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Only a girl can really understand how exciting this truly is!

6. Most of all I am really grateful for this:

I hope all of you are experiencing wonderful little blessings throughout your week!! Have a safe and happy Easter everyone!!!

KT

A little of this, a little of that!

2008-03-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

To start off, I just want to say to Lindsee how awesome it was to meet you this weekend! Chick fil a has never been so fun as it was Saturday sitting there talking for what was probably two hours with two very precious ladies! The conversation was great, even though it was interrupted by the girl whose mother never taught her to pick up her feet while walking! I am glad you are back home safe and sound and hopefully next time we will get to hang out more!

So I promised pictures from our Key West Vacation which was nearly 3 months ago, and here they finally are!!! Hope you guys enjoy! We sure did!!

God Bless!!!

KT

Praising Him

2008-03-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

On Thursday night when I got home from work, the LAST thing I felt like doing was being social. This however posed a problem because we meet with our newlyweds bible study on Thursday nights! So for about 15 mins, I whined about how I was tired and didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't want to get out of my pajamas that I had already put on or have to put a smile on my face and be pleasant with people. I was TIRED!!

Oh poor pitiful me! Let me tell you that Thursday night was one of the best bible study sessions I have sat through in a very long time. We typically have a little agenda or guide that we follow each bible study session, but that night was different. As we were sitting there with each other, catching up on the past few weeks that we hadn't met and just generally enjoying each other's company, we all began to open up about our recent struggles of genuinely and sincerely PRAISING JESUS for where we are right now in our lives. First of all, it felt so good to be able to open up comfortably to these couples and to express these feelings. We all agreed how we tend to get so caught up in searching for the perfect home, getting that promotion, graduating, etc. that we forget to PRAISE HIM for where we are right now at this point in our lives. For each and every thing that we have been blessed with. For our home, whether we think it's too small, for our jobs, whether we think we should be making more money, for where we live, whether we would choose to move to another location. I learned that instead of anticipating Mo graduating, making more money, moving to another city - I need to focus on the here and now and what HE us calling me to do in my current situation. It's good stuff people!

On a much lighter note, Mo and I went on a camping trip to celebrate our 2 year anniversary! It was so much fun! We had zero distractions from each other that weekend - no TV, Wii, internet, phone calls - it was heavenly! We met Roscoe the racoon who kept invading our campsite, and who, on the last night of our stay, was wounded by my husband who threw a log at him because he was within three feet of our tent! Yikes! Here are some pictures!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

God Bless!!

Ohhhhh the weekend!

2008-02-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Since I have started my new, ever-exhausting job working with preschoolers, I have come to CHERISH my weekends! I have become extra stingy with my free time and am snuggling up in my bed a whoooole lot more! While I LOVE my job and the sweet faces I get to see everyday, it is so super draining and forces me to stay on my toes all day!!!! I know many of you can attest to that!

I am very excited to say that our Newlyweds Sunday school has started up again after the holidays - yes, we were a bit delayed! This weekend we will begin the study "The 5 Love Languages" - I am extremely excited to dive into this study as I feel I need a minor tune-up in that area! It's always refreshing to learn new things about your spouse and to invest time, energy, and focus into your marriage!

Speaking of marriage, our TWO year anniversary is coming up on the 25th of this month! I can't believe it has been two years since I walked down that aisle with all of my friends and family watching, speaking those vows to my husband, and celebrating with all of our friends and family! Time flies! I'm not quite sure what we are doing to celebrate this year - last year we went to Houston and it was FREEZING the entire weekend!!

Today I went to perform my ultimate duty as an American citizen - I voted! I was very excited as I hid behind the curtain looking at this "thing" I didn't quite understand! It took me about 10 seconds of panicking to realize which buttons I needed to push, but I did it and am very excited, as silly as that sounds! I voted in 2004, but had to vote with a paper ballot and that was much less confusing! Maybe I am just being dramatic! Me????

I'm sure this blog seems quite random - I guess I just have to get back into blog mode, it has been a while! I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend with their friends and families! Much love to all of you!

KT

Oh my word!

2008-01-29T18:56:00.001-08:00

I am so embarrassed at my lack of blogging this past month and a half and apologize to those who actually check to see if I have updated!

WOW - where to start!! December was a month full of excitement and wonderful happenings! We went to the beautiful Florida Keys and had the most fantastic time together - I even got to KISS a DOLPHIN!! Woohoo!! Pictures will be posted soon for those of you who haven't seen any from the trip.

Christmas was very special as we spent the morning together at the house opening presents and preparing Christmas dinner, which we shared with our sweet friends Mark and Laura. Goodness, Christmas seems like ages ago!

I started my new job at the beginning of January. I know I said before that I didn't want to spill the beans on my blog about where I work, but I feel that it is probably pretty public information anyway so I might as well go ahead and say. I work at the LSU Childcare Center on campus. I absolutely love it and am so excited to be working daily with preschoolers whose sense of humor, honesty, and innocence never cease to amaze me! Mo works only a few buildings away so we get to carpool and have lunch almost every day. Some people might think that would make you sick of each other, but I honestly have not been this happy in so long! It is so great to be able to share lunch with your spouse and have that mid-day checkup on each other to either vent, share stories about the day or just be able to hug each other halfway through the day! I just feel so fulfilled at the end of the day, especially when those sweet little creatures give their goodbye hugs! Priceless!

So there is somewhat of an update! I am super exhausted and ready for bed so that will have to be it for tonight! I love you all and am sorry for the super-delay in updating!!

XOXOXO

Katie

Concert

2007-12-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

Yay for a beautiful concert last night full of amazing music and worship! Here are some pictures! Please excuse the blurriness - that's what happens when they say "No Flash Photography!" Booo...

Waiting in line! It was cold so we drank hot chocolate!

Before Jen broke out in hives for what reason we still do not know!

More waiting - at least we were inside at this point!

Scary faces

We were certainly bored Daniel Kirkley

Aaron Shust

Natalie Grant

Yay for FREE concerts!!!

In Better Hands

2007-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have been loving this song lately:

In Better Hands

By: Natalie Grant

It's hard to stand on shifting sand

It's hard to shine in the shadows of the night

You can't be free if you don't reach for help

You cant love if you dont love yourself

There is hope when my faith runs out

Cause I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down

It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground

So take this heart of mine there's no doubt

I'm in better hands now

I am strong all because of you

I stand in awe of every mountain that you move

Oh I am changed, yesterday is gone

I am safe from this moment on

There's no fear when the night comes 'round

I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down

It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground

So take this heart of mine there's no doubt

I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down

It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground

Its like the world is silent though I know it isnt true

Its like the breath of Jesus is right here in this room

So take this heart of mine there's no doubt

I'm in better hands now I'm in better hands now

The words just speak volumes of comfort to us Christians - that no matter what our story is, or what our future is to come, we ARE in better hands now! It also doesn't hurt that the woman who sings this song has a voice that just takes my breathe away! Gorgeous!

And the best part!

Jen and I are going to see her tonight in concert!!

Holla!! I am so excited!!

Will post pics!

Love y'all!!

Katie

He's So Good!

2007-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

He is so good people!

I am no longer in need of finding a job, the Lord has taken care of that! Let me tell you my story about trusting in Him.

As everyone knows, a couple of months ago I quit my very safe, secure, well-paying job to jump into this opportunity of helping my mom to open her store! Well it is open, and while we have had mostly pretty slow business, there have been some very encouraging moments as well! People love the store and are starting to realize we are here and are not only looking, but buying now as well! And that is what we need! While this is very encouraging, about a month ago, I realized that this isn't a job that best fits my personality. I need people! I need co-workers! When I quit my job and took this chance I told myself, the Lord WILL take care of me. He will NOT let me suffer if I am trusting in Him.

Well he has taken care of it! And rewarded me beyond what I expected. Not only have I been provided with a job, but it is one that I have been praying for AND one in which I will be able to use the degree I spent four and a half years earning! I feel so blessed that I have been rewarded for my faithfulness to him. Because of all the craziness that happened with Lindsee I don't really want to be too specific, but I will say that I will be working at LSU (only a few buildings away from my precious hubby wubby) and I will be working with children! I have wanted to work at LSU since I graduated and had to leave my student worker position, and I am so happy I will be returning! He is so good!!!!

Other beautiful things that are happening

- LSU is going to the National Championship game!! Yaaaay!!! Please keep your fingers crossed and pray that Mo will be called to work down there for the game and that we will get to go!
- In less than two weeks, we will be off the the Keys! Please pray for safe travels, good weather, and lots of fun while we are down there!
- Christmas-time! I love it, love it, love it! I love the music, the Christmas trees, the Spirit of giving, the reminder of the birth of our Jesus Christ, and of course, the food!
- I have kept that 10 lbs off that I lost a month ago and I am super-excited about it! Jen is too because she got to take away two pairs of my jeans this weekend that fit her beautifully! Yay for awesome, free jeans! We have both lost weight and should be rewarded with great jeans, don't you think so?!
- We got a Wii! This I KNOW was by the grace of God - this is a funny story which ties into how I got the job on campus - I basically responded to an ad online about a Wii, went to the people's home, and when I met them, I realized it was the woman who I had sent my resume to that morning about this particular job I was later offered. I stayed for about 45 minutes talking to her about the job and when I went in for my interview a couple of days later, everyone knew the story!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! Stay warm and don't forget to drink your hot chocolate!!

Katie

Wii are crazy!

2007-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend and got to spend time with their family, friends, and loved ones! Oh yeah, and gorged on embarrasing amounts of food! I know I did...

Does anyone want to know how I spent my day off yesterday? Well I will tell you!

A typical Monday for me consists of sleeping in, cleaning the house, working on laundry, and grocery shopping. It's my day off, but I try to get all of my wifely duties taken care of while Mo is away at work and I don't have someone behind me messing up something I just organized! Bless his heart, but he is not the tidiest, but I suppose that's why he has me!

This is not how my Monday played out yesterday. We wanted a Wii. Yes, that little box that can brings hours of pleasure that is virtually impossible to get your hands on at this point in time. On a consumer note, it is the comparison of what the Tickle-Me-Elmo was a few years back. Now something I have to admit about myself is that if someone tells me I cannot have something, I WILL find a way to get it. It's not a good thing. It is a very bad thing that can drive me absolutely crazy, as well as others around me. Well this is one of those cases.

Mo and I drove around on Sunday night, stopping at several stores looking for this Wii. This is how most of the conversations went:

Me: "Hi, do y'all have any Wii's?" (I already feel silly for saying the word Wii)

Person who works at Gamestop/Target/Walmart/Gameware/Best Buy/Compusa: "No." (Rolling their eyes and acting annoyed that I would ask such a heinous question)

Ok, well this was not OK with me. Apparently. Because the next morning I woke up and started at Best Buy, made my way over to the mall and stopped by Gameware, Gamestop, then Walmart, Target, another gamestop, a different Walmart, another Gamestop, another Gameware, another Walmart, another Walmart, a Kmart, Target again, and another Gamestop.

Is there something wrong with me!!!??? Seriously, I do NOT want the Wii this bad, I only want it because someone is telling me I can't have it and I don't like that!

While I was at one Walmart, I walked up and asked if they had any - yes they did - and the guy standing in line in front of me got the last one (BTW he would not make eye contact with me - I think he sensed my anxiety over the Wii) - Well I THOUGHT this was the last one! But then I saw one behind the counter - and asked "What about that one?" I was told that the customer was going to get cash out of the ATM because her credit card wouldn't work and they were holding to for her. I said "My credit card works just fine. And there is a Wii right there and I can buy it right now." They said "No." I was sad.

I finally went home defeated, exhausted, my little legs were sore from running through parking lots the size of a football field.

That night Mo and I decided that instead of a Wii, we would join the XBOX 360 bandwagon since a lot of our friend's have Wii's. This morning Jen officially welcomed me to the XBOX 360 Widows club!

Quite honestly, I do NOT care about video games or anything that has to do with them, but it's fun to me and I enjoy joining in with friends when they are playing them. I guess I just had to prove the US Consumer market wrong and show them that I could get a Wii if I wanted one! But I didn't, and that's ok because I actually had a lot of fun yesterday playing my little "Find the Wii" game! haha!

Isn't it funny when you begin to put things into perspective though? Here I am searching desperately for this $250 toy when there are children and families all over the world who don't even have a bed to sleep in at night and play with sticks for toys. I am beyond grateful for the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me and for everything that Mo and I have been given. I don't have to worry about being cold at night. I turn on the heater. If I am hungry, I walk to my refrigerator and grab some food. If I am bored, I turn on my TV or play on the internet. So who cares about a Wii or an Xbox....so while I might not have been cleaning the house all day or working on the laundry - I was learning something about myself and changing something about myself...and I supposed that is worth more than all of the Wiis in the whole wide world! (Had to throw that in there!)

God Bless you All! Love ya!

Katie

Whole Wide World

2007-11-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

I don't even know what to say about last night's episode of The Bachelor: The Final Rose - so sad. I agree with Jen that he should not have proposed to either one of them if he couldn't make that promise. And honestly, who can truly make that promise to someone in a span of 6 weeks. That aside, I am dissapointed in how Brad pulled out these women's deepest emotions - it was almost as if he was just desperately searching for something to cling to. Jen and I sat on the edge of the bed about to ralph all over ourselves as we awaited the final outcome. Who knows, what I do know is that if I have to hear Jenni say "whole wide world" one more time, someone's gettin slapped!

I am desperately hoping that he will propose to one of them tonight on After the Final Rose, but I am not that lucky, and apparently, neither are Deanna or Jenny!

Ok back to reality!

Mo's brother Sam has decided to come visit for Thanksgiving, so it will be nice to have a little out of town company over the holidays! I am certainly looking forward to the Thanksgiving spread! I am trying my hand at a Green Bean and Artichoke Casserole and frosted pumpkin squares - mmmmm! Let's hope this goes well!

Happy Holidays everyone and don't forget to praise the Lord for all of the wonderful blessings in your life. While life can certainly bring us struggles it is so important to focus on our blessings and be thankful for what we have been given!

XOXOXO

Katie

Lazy Dayz

2007-11-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

How much do we love lazy days?!

Today was absolutely glorious - I slept in until 10am! Mo made me a yummy breakfast and then we headed off to the store to help my mom with some computer stuff! When we came home, we proceeded to lay on the couch all night, watch the LSU vs. Ole Miss game, which by the way WE WON, and flip through the channels while snuggling with the puppies - it has been nice.

So while this blog may be a bit boring to everyone else - I am completely relaxed and loving it (as long as I try not to think of all of the laundry piling up in the other room!)

Update on the job search: I had an interview at a law firm on Thursday and it was so hilarious - now you ask yourself - "Can an interview really be that hilarious?" Yes my friends! It can be! My "interviewers" were two guys my age who are the legal assistants there at the law firm. They love The Office just as much as I do and proceeded to bring to my attention that the copy machine in the office is the same copy machine that is so prominently featured in the opening credits of The Office. I was asked what type of animal I would be if I could be any animal - I said a mongoose so I could live in the islands again! We talked about Sprinkles and Garbage and laughed pretty much the whole time. It seemed like it would be a great place to work, so hopefully I will get a call sometime this coming week!

Thursday night was the Thanksgiving dinner for our Newlyweds class that our friends Matt and Julie opened their home for. It was a blast! I love it how when it came time to eat - the guys and girls immediately separated - girls at the table gabbing away and guys in front of the TV watching footballNaturally! It was great though and I am so thankful for great friends like this! It also makes me truly appreciate my husband and the fact that I have found my partner in life, it is a great feeling!

So tomorrow is Sunday and hopefully it will be another day full of relaxation before the week gets here, I mean, I'm going to need all that relaxing before I have to shove all that food in my face come Thursday!

Have a great rest of your weekend everyone! I love y'all! And for the ones I haven't met yet, I love y'all too and hopefully we will meet soon!!!

Katie

WANTED: A job!

2007-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so if you read my earlier posts, you know that I recently quit my job to help my mom open her own jewelry store which has been a dream of hers for awhile! Well the store is open and it is beautiful and full of exciting finds, however, I am finding out that this may not have been the best fit for me!

See, I am a people person - I like having coworkers - even if they suck, I like interacting with people daily and I enjoy the "watercooler" talk, etc. So I am finding that I am getting pretty lonely here, which is fine, because everyone has their different desires for what they want out of their job, and I am just finding that this might not be the best place for me! Praise the Lord that my parents are supportive of this and only want my happiness!

Sooooooo, I am looking for a job! I forgot how much I hated this process. I truly despise this process. While it is exciting to think of all the possibilities that are out there, it is also sickeningly nerve-wrecking how you are required to sit down in front of a person or a group of people and be scrutinized, asked scripted questions - "Give me an example of a time when you could have done better at your job, etc" Everyone knows those types of questions - and I hate them with a passion. I freeze up, forget my last job, or what classes I took in school to prepare me for this job and I tend to think I sound like a dummy - apparently I don't or I would have never had a job, but still! That is how I feel so that's how it is! ;)

So pray for me as I am going through this whole process of finding a job again! I know there is a job out there that the Lord has for me, it's just a matter of me listening to him and finding that job!

On a lighter note, I have lost about 9 pounds in the last 3 weeks! My pants are literally falling off of me and I couldn't be more excited! My goal is for both Mo and I to continue to eat healthier so we have many many years together! On the converse, we are having Thanksgiving dinner for our newlyweds class tomorrow night and I must must practice self-control!! Ahhh! What is that!? Self-control at Thanksgiving dinner?!?!

On a football note, Saturday night my baby was working the LSU vs. LA Tech game so I decided I would fight the crowds and meet up with him and watch the game from the suites! It was a blast! I had a glass of wine and watched the game with Mo, Jeff, and Melissa and chatted! Then the best part was when Lee Greenwood (composer of "Proud to be an American) rocked his American flag jacket during halftime when he sang "Proud to be an American" and the whole stadium stood up and was singing it to the top of their lungs, hello, can you say goosebumps! So awesome, and it took me back to 3rd grade when we sang it at school, haha!

Ok, well that's about it for now! I hope everyone is having an awesome week! And don't forget that next Monday is The Bachelor: The Final Rose! Oh my gosh! I'm voting Deanna will get the rose! Either way, fun will be had as Jen and I are throwing our own little Bachelor party that night and I'm sure there will be screaming and/or tears...we shall see!

Peace out!

Katie

Vacation!

2007-11-08T08:20:00.001-08:00

Ok so it has been quite some time since Mo and I have been able to go on a vacation, just he and I - actually it's been since our honeymoon in February 2006 - every other vacation we have been on since has been to visit family, etc. so we think this is much overdue!

Now my husband can be a procrastinator, especially when it comes to large sums of money - buying a car, booking a vacation, etc - which I guess I should be grateful for! We have talked about where we have wanted to go for months and could never decide on anything!

Sooooooooo, how surprised was I when he ACTUALLY purchased two airline tickets to................................................KEY WEST!!!! Hollllllaaaaa!!!! We are leaving Dec. 16 and coming back on Dec. 21, just in time for Christmas!

I cannot even tell you how excited I am right now! We had been talking about Key West and I thought we MIGHT go, but I guess it's definite now and I could not be MORE excited to spend 6 days in a sunny paradise with the love of my life!

If anyone has ever been to Key West, I would love suggestions on where to stay and things to do! We are flying in to Ft. Lauderdale, renting a car, driving to Key West, and then staying at different Keys as we make our way back up! Suggestions are welcome!!

So even though this day is totally gray and cold, I am SO excited to be leaving on a jet plane next month to sun and sand!

P.S. The flight is non-stop - could this get any better!!!!!

I hope everyone has a fantabulous day and is thinking about how they are going to celebrate the holidays next month!

Love y'all!

Katie

Cold Weather

2007-11-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

So! I haven't been doing this for a week and apparently, according to Jen, I am slacking! I have to agree that I probably am ;)

Wow! Where to start! I dropped off the hubby on Friday afternoon and then Jen and I headed to Kasey's house to hang out and fellowship with some other women from church! It was much needed! There was entirely way too much food, which of course made my night, and some really great conversation that night! Praise the Lord for wonderful women of Him!

Friday night I had a little trouble getting to sleep in the big bed all by myself, but to calm my fears, I turned the TV on out in the living room and found Nick at Nite - this helps me feel like I am not all alone in the house!

Well that might not have been such a great idea! See, Bailey, our mini daschund FREAKS OUT when the doorbell rings, and not only is it if OUR doorbell rings, but if a doorbell on the TV rings, he has lost it! So about 3 different times during the night, I am awoken by Bailey barking and going nuts out in the living room - I walk out all groggy-eyed and realize that it was only the doorbell ringing on the Fresh Prince of Bel-air - holla! So back to bed for me, and I only have to go through this 3 times that night - I know I probably should have turned the TV off, but I was LONELY ok!!!

Saturday was a work-filled day for me, but an absolutely beautiful one at that, so I didn't mind that much! After work, it was off to Jen and Grant's for me for a little Legally Blonde: The Musical Time with my Jenny Ju Ju! Grant just loved us for this - they also loved me because I came barging into their house insisting that I MUST watch the LSU vs. Alabama game that was on at that very instant! Tiger girl y'all, sorry! I do love them for this, and Grant even brought Jen and I pizza - mmmm, pizza and Legally Blonde, what more could a girl truly ask for?!

So fun was had in the Isaminger household Saturday night - I believe we stayed up talking until about 2:15am, it was fantastic and I wouldn't have traded that night for anything! Grant even participated! He was so great to put up with us all night and he is such a wonderful husband to Jen! Yay for Grantley Isaminger!

Sunday morning it was off to church for us! Yay for our church, I absolutely love it and the friends we have made - after church we went to Walk-on's but I did NOT like what I ordered so bummer for that :(

I was so excited to get home and get the house all spic and span for my baby's arrival! Let me tell you guys, this was not of me, but the Lord, because I don't think I have ever been that motivated to clean clean clean! And the house wasn't even that bad! I gave myself a mani and pedi, SHAVED MY LEGS! AAAND curled my hair b/c that's how Mo insists that I wear it ;) Then it was off to the airport in New Orleans to pick up Mo mo!

So since then, the week has been pretty mundane, but I LOVE this weather and it being dark when I get home. All I want to do is jump in a bubble bath and wear snuggly socks all night! It's fantastic!

Ok, well that about does it for the update! I hope everyone is having a motivated week! Love y'all!

God Bless!

Katie

Happy Friday!

2007-11-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! I am so excited for the weekend to be here although I have to work tomorrow, it will keep me busy while my sweet precious pie is out of town! Speaking of, he called earlier and arrived in Tampa safe and sound!

After dropping him off at the airport in New Orleans, grabbing a hot dog from an On the Run gas station (I was hungry!) and driving 45 mins back home, I passed the Tanger Outlet Mall and could NOT resist - I did happen to find some great fitting jeans on sale as well as a cute sweater for 6 bucks! Not a bad deal!

So now I am relaxing and about get ready for Jen to come meet me and we are off to Girls Nite! I am so going to wear my new jeans and sweater and no one can stop me! What now!

Ok short blog for today, but I'll post pics tomorrow!

God Bless!

Katie

Under the Weather

2007-11-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you who aren't aware of this, Louisiana weather is about as up and down as a rollercoaster ride - one day it's in the 80's and warm and the next it will be in the 50's and freezing (to us, at least!) Needless to say, many people get sick this time of year, and right now I am one of them! But hopefully with the help of my friends Nyquil and Sudafed, we can kick this thing in the butt!

In other news, Mo is leaving on Friday to go meet up with his dad and two brothers in Tampa, Fl. Mo's brother Sam a.k.a Sam the Man or Sammy goes to school at the University of South Florida, so he got tickets for Saturday's football game and they are all attending - this means, yes, that I will have a weekend all to myself, to shop, get a pedicure, and just lay around in bed eating junk food (who am I kidding, I do that even when he IS home!) Anywho, hopefully I'll get in some quality girl time!

Mo with Sam and Liza last Thanksgiving

On Friday some women from our newlyweds Sunday school class at Church are getting together to have a "girls nite!" Holla! A girly movie and junk food it is! Not to mention precious time fellowshipping with other married Christian women that rock!

Also - please pray for Mo as he is carrying a full load this semester in school. He works full time for LSU and has an awesome job, but he is still going to school part-time and should finish up in a year, Lord willing! Anyway, while it is an amazing opportunity and blessing for us, he stays extremely busy during the Fall and Spring semesters, so please pray that the Lord will give him the strength to get through it all in one piece!!

Well I suppose that's it for today! Please pray for safe travels for Mo, that he will come back to me in one piece, and I hope everyone has a fantastic Thursday!

P.S. Don't forget to watch The Office tonight! I hear Karen is back in the picture! Holla!

Our Story

2007-10-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

So I guess for those that don't know mine and Mo's entire background, I will fill you in!

This just goes to show that the Lord is in control of all:

Mo is from a small rural town in Kentucky. He grew up on a farm with his 4 other brothers and sisters - they were wild and crazy kids and pretty much did anything their little hearts desired on their huge family farm.

I grew up in Indiana in a small rural town - I drifted back and forth from town to town around that general area, but yes I was born and raised a Hoosier! Holla y'all! My parents divorced when I was 5 and I ended up living with my Dad and Stepmom until I was 15.
Mo and I grew up about 2-3 hours of each other generally for our entire lives. So where did we meet?

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands baby!

Wierd, I know, right?

So how did this happen? Well around age 15 I really started missing my mom who lived in St. Croix. So I made this big life decision to move to St. Croix and live with my mom and Stepdad!

I had lived there for about 2 or 3 years when I met Mo! His family moved down to St. Croix from Kentucky and alas, we met and instantly fell in love - I was in my senior year of high school and after some very deep and truthful conversations we realized that we didn't want to end our relationship just because I was moving to Florida to go to college. So he made the decision to move with me and be by my side from then on!

We lived in Florida for a year and then moved here to Louisiana to attend LSU. My parents recommended it as that is where my stepdad went to school and he was from this area, so we thought, hey why not!

As I look back on this time I am amazed at how much Mo and I have both changed and grown in the Lord over the past few years. While we never faultered in our love and commitment to one another, I was a different person back then, but I know that my sins have been washed away and I am completely forgiven for any mistakes I made and it is so refreshing to be able to know that!

Soooooo! On May 13, 2005 Mo asked me to be his wife in front of a table of our family and friends after dinner!

Of course I said yes and we were married on February 25, 2006!

Yay! So married life has been wonderful and I am looking forward to many more years together!

Happy Halloween Everyone! Have a safe and fun evening!

Beginnings!

2007-10-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Holla y'all! First blog ever! The name is Katie and I guess this blog is about my life with my husband Mo living in the beautiful, but sometimes mundane city of Baton Rouge!

So my sweet and ever so enthusiastic friend Jen convinced me to start blogging! I guess I'll give it a shot and hopefully someone actually cares enough to read about the happenings in my life!

My sweet hubby Mo and I have been married for almost 21 months now and it is the best experience of my life! Marriage is such a learning experience, not only are you learning more and more about your spouse daily, but also many things about yourself - I'm sure most can agree that that part is not always fun ;) On a serious note though, I feel like the Lord is at work in me both as a wife and as woman of God. It is amazing!

Here is my beautiful sweet husband

I recently quit my job as a secretary at a corporate engineering firm to jump into an opportunity with my mom - she is a jeweler and creates her own silver jewelry by hand and has opened a store in Denham Springs! I guess my official title is manager - it is very exciting and terrifying at the same time because I have NO clue as to what I am doing, but hey it's a learning experience and I'm trusting in the Lord!

My man Mo aka Moses or Mohammed (no he is not Arab) works in the Athletic Department at LSU as a computer analyst - basically he fixes anything having to do with technology - it's a fun job for him and he works the games and gets to see those Tigers play in person - what better job could a guy ask for?!

Some things I love - My Jesus. My Husband. My Family and dear friends. Photography. Our Newlyweds bible study. Goofing off with my Husband. Snuggling. Playin chef. Making our home beautiful. Traveling. Shopping. Singing. Tubing. That silly feeling that you get when you're hanging out with the best of friends. Watching movies. Enjoying life. Chocolate Milk. The Office. Going out to eat with friends after church. My down comforter. Bath and Body Works. Tommy Nelson's Song of Solomon Series - it's amazing y'all! Christmas. Thanksgiving. Winter Clothes. St. Croix. Ok there's a whole lot more, but of course you can never think of these things when you actually have to!

Here are some pics from this weekend when we went to dinner and the movies with Jen and Grantley, I love love love them!! Praise the Lord for sweet friends that are as crazy and out there as you and your husband!

How fun was this weekend?!

Grant and Mo playing with remote control helicopters haha!

Sitting in the comfy chairs at Brookstone!

Here are some photos from a wedding I did last weekend!

Thanks for reading my very first blog ever! What'd ya think? I pray everyone has a fantastic week full of rest, health, and laughter!

God Bless!

Katie