kate.

Starting Over...

2011-07-25T15:56:00.002-06:00

After five years, there is no easy way to move on. Things will inevitably remind you of him, will make you realize that your life has changed immensely in a matter of seconds and you'll constantly be reminded that things will never be the same.

Whoever said break ups were easy for the one who initiates it, was wrong. It was a decision I had contemplated for some time, knowing it was in both of our best interests, but it was never easy. I delayed and delayed hoping that the feelings would go away, or somehow I could sleep through the whole break up, move on, and find someone new process. Well, I'm in the middle of the moving on phase and I'm wide awake.

I'm sad for the end of that chapter because I thought it would spill over into a whole new book. However, I don't make the rules and I can't predict the future. So, here I am, scared and excited to see what the next chapter brings.

Thank you all for the support through my craziness.

Girls Night Out - Park City

2011-07-25T15:40:00.002-06:00

My three Army ladies and I decided to take a small getaway to Park City to escape the stresses of everyday life and the girls could use a break from the Army life.

We stayed at the Marriott, went to dinner, did some hot tubbing (where teenage boys followed me around), ate lots of chocolate and shopped shopped shopped!

This is us, in a nutshell

Cassie, Me, Aubrey

I don't know how I would have survived the last year without these two.

Cute Sara. Love her.

One of the many pictures that emerged from the backseat.

I guess I'm always on my phone...this time, Googling.

I'm a giant.

This is my attempt at throwing my hands up in the air.

My touchdown face...while watching Food Network

Sweetest, happiest baby ever

Bryce Canyon Half Marathon

2011-07-25T15:22:00.001-06:00

Tacey heard that the Bryce Canyon half was a great course and a favorite among the locals. So, we signed up and drove the 4.5 hours (neither of us realized how far away it was) to Tropic, Utah.

The weekend started out with a free hotel, fireworks and a full moon. From that point forward, I knew it was going to end up being a good eventful weekend. I was not disappointed.

Tacey and I had to catch the shuttle in Tropic at 4:30, to be bused up the canyon. Race starts at 6am. It's the moments between waking up at 4am and the race start when you think "Hmm...why do I do this?" (these thoughts also run through your head at mile 7, and again at mile 11)

This course starts with a slight incline for 1.7 miles and then for the next 4.5 miles it is a sharp decline. From mile 7 to the end is rolling hills, aka total death. If it weren't for the nice doctor I met at mile 7, I might not have finished. He kept me company (and encouraged me to keep going) until almost mile 11. I pushed through to the end of the course thinking I was going to hit my normal range of 1:54-1:57; however, I broke my personal record by 8 minutes!! I kind of wanted to pass out when I was finished, but it was well worth it :)

Date: July 16, 2011
Race Time: 1:46:31
Age Rank: 20 out of 161
Overall: 219 out of 1019

Finishing up. I always wondered why my back hurts after a race...well, this picture explains it.

Documentation of my new PR.

Tacey and Me

Tacey lookin' good. Me being delusional.

Ragnar Relay - Wasatch Back 2011

2011-07-25T11:46:00.001-06:00

Am I really that crazy? I can't stay away from the Wasatch Back! This was year 3 and I think after year one AND two, I wasn't sure I would come back again. However, here I am blogging about year 3 and I'm already signed up for year 4. I think running has become an addiction and the Ragnar Relay keeps fueling that fire. I do love it though!

Somehow I was talked into being Runner 10. This runner does THE "Ragnar". I was Runner 9 my first year, so I did the first 3.6 miles of Guardsmans' Pass, but this year, I did the second half, 4 miles, and gained more elevation. However, now that I've done both, I think the first 3.6 miles is harder. Just sayin'

The first run was a quick 3.7 miles. It was sooo hot, but the firefighters were so nice to hose us down as we ran by. There was so much traffic because of construction that I actually beat my van to the finish line. This would not be the last time we were stuck in traffic and our runner had to wait for us.

Second run, 2am. Coldest and scariest run of my life! I was running on a trail that was intermittently lit with some random little lights. The water stations had been deserted by the volunteers and the only way I could tell if there was another runner was the red flashing butt lamp we have to wear. I thought I was running so fast, but it was one of the slowest 7 milers I've completed. I kept thinking "If someone were to kidnap me, no one would know." Terrifying.

Third run, THE RAGNAR. It went better than I anticipated. I booked it up that mountain as fast as I could. I think I did it in something like 50 minutes. Yeah, that sounds slow, but it was not easy.

Good news, I did not fall this year! That's always a good sign, right :)

Pictures are more exciting than my words, so here you go:

My Sissy's first Ragnar run ever! I think she is hooked!

Spencer is the token male of our group and we couldn't imagine Ragnar without him.

This viking is my new boyfriend. Doesn't he have a sweet booty?

Rockin' the running skirt in some HOT Utah weather.

Cheeseball. Love her.

Sissy love at the first big exchange: Snow Basin

Our team! (Minus runner 1: Katie)

Van 2!

Shelly (8), Kati (10), Spencer (11), Ashleigh (7), Lisa (12), Reb (9)

This picture cracks me up. Lisa had just finished showing Reb and me her flirting skills. She makes it look so effortless. Obviously, I slept through the whole thing.

Van 2, Day 2. Showered and ready for run #3.

Our team after Van 1 finished

Reb was Van 2's cheerleader. Lisa was the mist-er(not to be confused with mister)

It was Sissy's first year doing Ragnar and we put her as Runner 9. Blame Lisa.

"Oh Sissy, I'm so glad to be done. Have fun going up the next four miles."

Gaining 1,600 ft in elevation over 4 miles is a lot harder than it seems on paper.

The more elevation I gained, the higher the snow pack

Guardsman's Pass in June

So glad to be done!

The Roos girls conquered the "Ragnar" mountain

DONE!

My New Best Friend

2011-06-12T09:37:00.000-06:00

My new best friend is good for me. He helps me be a better runner, makes me cry sometimes because he beats me up and he is always there for me. What more could I need?

The Foam Roller is amazing! How was I an avid runner for five years and never own one of these?! After long runs I get the worst hip and IT band soreness. This works like a charm to make sure my legs are properly stretched and ready for the next run. Also, you can do different exercises with it. Multi-faceted and fabulous.

If you're a runner and don't have one. I highly suggest you look into it. For $15, it could save your life. Okay, maybe not your life, but at least your legs :)

I even taught Jackson (18 months) how to use it. He really just enjoys rolling over it until he face plants, but he can't get enough. Bek, next time I'll get a picture. You'll crack up.

Revenge of the Maple Bacon

2011-06-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

I think I am addicted to racing. Last Saturday was the Fight For Air Run/Walk. As you are aware, I wait until the last second to sign up for races. On this one, I had multiple opportunities to "win" a spot in the race. However, since I am not baby sister who wins everything under the freaking sun, I waited and waited until it was too late to sign up.

So, the next best thing, run it with Lisa who could always use a pacer! Okay, I may have invited myself to be her pacer, but she is so good to me and conceded to let me drag her through the race.

The course started at the Park & Ride on about 6200 South and Wasatch Blvd. It was super cold and uphill. Oh boy, two of my very favorite things. Lisa rocks uphill running, she just does. I, on the other hand, would rather poke my own eyeballs out. We make our way up Wasatch Blvd to about 45th (?) and proceed to weave through Holladay. Eventually, we meet up with the 10K runners back on Wasatch Blvd. This is where we find Jessica and cute Olivia. This is Jessica's first race and she is a rockstar by pushing a stroller through these less than desirable conditions. I offer to take a Olivia for a mile or two, so Jessica can enjoy some running with just herself and not that additional 40 pounds. Wow, you never realize how amazing running mothers are, until you run uphill with a stroller. Thank you Olivia for giving me some perspective and a good workout for my calves!! :)

After giving Liv back to her momma (a cop totally thought I had stolen her...because that wouldn't be obvious?), Lisa and I made it down 27th South to 17th East and headed into Sugarhouse Park. By this point, my stomach has started to do that "Uh oh, you better find a bathroom" churn. My mind starts racing because I couldn't think of why I would have to use the restroom before the race was over (Background: I never go to the restroom during a race. Always before and that is usually good enough). Lo and behold, the fat girl inside of me could not pass up the opportunity to eat a maple bacon donut, the day before. It was National Donut Day, that was an excuse enough for me! Anyways, that maple bacon donut was started to have revenge on my stomach and little did I know, we still had about 3 miles left.

I swear there is a standard direction of running around Sugarhouse Park and we went backwards, which was okay because we could see the finish line on the other side of the park and booked it to make it there. Well, the joke was on us because we had to run the park twice before crossing the finish line. Lisa cursed the whole second lap and I felt like I was waddling so I didn't poop my pants. Needless to say, after crossing the finish line at 2:15, and running 13.7 miles, we were ready to go home!

Lisa, Me, Liv and Jessica

For the record, I still LOVE donuts. Try Beyond Glaze, you won't be disappointed.

May Race - Ogden Half Marathon

2011-05-22T22:25:00.000-06:00

Over the last couple of months I've been running with Tacey (Emma's sister-in-law). She and her mother-in-law, Patty, have been training for the Ogden Half Marathon. This was their first half marathon and prepared so well for it! Since I am the girl that waits until the last minute to sign up for races, I didn't have a spot for this race (it sold out in 5 days!!). Well, lucky for me, Tacey and Patty were supposed to run with Millysa, but she was sick and not able to do it. So, my name was Millysa for the day and I got to run :)

I wore my Running Army shirt again for this race and was floored by the outpouring of support from other runners. Before I started the race, I had someone thank me for my sacrifice and Mr. Army's service. About mile 8, a lady tapped me on my shoulder and proceeded to tell me that her husband had just returned from Afghanistan the night before, and was waiting for her at the finish line. I was so excited for her, and a little sad for myself. About that same time, I had a few other ladies come up to me and tell me that they loved the shirt and were so grateful for my soldier's willingness to serve. By that point, I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I thought I was going to start bawling right there. Of course, the volunteers at the mile 9 water table were National Guard/Army Reservists. I stopped for water and every soldier I passed thanked me, and I had to laugh because I'm just the one home and I should be thanking them (and I did :).

As I rounded the corner onto Grant Ave. (mile 12), I was ready to be done. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Then, this man and his wife came up next to me, and asked where my soldier was serving. I answered and the man continued to say that I was keeping an amazing pace and my soldier would be so proud of my accomplishments while he is away. And to tell Mr. Army that this couple was so appreciative of our sacrifice. That was enough to get me through the last mile. I didn't meet my goal of under 1:50, but I still have a few races to beat that time!

Date: May 21, 2011
Race Time: 1:54:50 (This is tentative, the race results online are incorrect)
Age Rank: 22 out of 180

Getting to the finish!

The booty may look big, but the calves look muscular :)

That would be me, in the front, with my arms raised because I'm so thankful to be finished!

Tacey with A&T. She did amazing!

I LOVE this picture. C was so excited to run through the finish line with Grandma Patty. Patty was rockstar, and finished strong!

We survived!

I don't know why we posed like this, but I like it :)

April Race (#2) - Salt Lake Half Marathon

2011-05-22T21:59:00.001-06:00

The Salt Lake Half Marathon has become a tradition. Four years ago, I ran my first half marathon, and it just so happened to be the Salt Lake Half. This race is soo expensive and unorganized, but I keep doing it year after year. So Reb and I paid a small fortune and set out for SL Half Marathon #4!

Date: April 17, 2011
Race Time: 1:55:33
Age Rank: 60 out of 345

Pre-race in my new shirt.

I made this shirt for the race. I kind of love it.

Sissy sportin' her new outfit

Finished! JW is obviously ready to go home.

April Race (#1) - Salt Lake 10 Miler

2011-05-22T21:35:00.010-06:00

Rebekah has done the Salt Lake 10 Miler for the last few years, and I usually miss the opportunity to do it with her. This year, I finally joined on the bandwagon and signed up. Lisa tagged along as well :)

This race starts at East Canyon and goes two miles UP Little Dell and then 8 miles down Emigration Canyon to This Is The Place state park. I LOVE this race. I will definitely be doing it again!
Course Map

Date: April 2, 2011
Race Time: 1:23:28
Age Rank: 2 out of 18

I love me some Dubster. Though he doesn't look too thrilled to be with me.

The finishers - Lisa, me, Rebekah

I just wanted to show you how big my booty is :)

I got a medal!!

2nd in my age division!

Want more? Check here

March Race: Canyonlands Half Marathon

2011-05-22T21:30:00.001-06:00

On March 19th, Lisa and I took a short jaunt down to Moab to run the Canyonlands Half Marathon. This Half is so popular that it has become a lottery. So, Lisa begged me to enter the lottery in December so we could run it together.

Well, it just so happens that I got into the race, and Lisa didn't...fail. In February or so, Lisa was able to buy a spot through a charity and we still were able to run it together!

We were both really excited to run this course. We heard it was gorgeous and such a fun race. I think I can speak for both Lisa and myself when I say, this was not my favorite race. We had 25mph headwinds, which caused sand/dust to go everywhere, it was so cold in the beginning (waiting two hours up the canyon for the race to start), and then I got the worst half marathon time I've had. I was kind of upset. However, it gave me a starting point for the year, and so I can only go up from here!

Time: 1:57:27
Age Rank: 28 out of 167

This is Travis. She works with Lisa and was pretty much the only reason I made it through this race alive :)

Travis, Me, Lisa - Salty and Finished!

The whole gang

Pretty awesome view.

Waiting for the race to start. Chilly!!

More info and pictures about this race...go here

Running Challenge

2011-05-22T21:01:00.000-06:00

While Mr. Army is deployed, I've made goals for myself to keep from dwelling on deployment, and to remain active.

Therefore, I decided in February that I would run a race every month from March to the end of deployment. I thought I ran quite a few races, per year, before, but already, I've found that doing one every month is more challenging than I anticipated. I love it! It keeps me going and I get medals. Who doesn't love that?! :)

I have a *tentative* schedule for races, and I hope that I can fit all of them in!

March: Canyonlands Half Marathon
April: Salt Lake 10 Miler and Salt Lake Half Marathon
May: Ogden Half Marathon
June: Ragnar - Wasatch Back
July: Deseret News 10K
August: Top of Utah Half Marathon
September: Top of Utah Marathon (I pray I don't chicken out :)
October: Halloween Half Marathon

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions...

2011-05-08T22:19:00.000-06:00

And we all know that I'm full of good intentions. I planned on writing about the exciting things I was going to do for 400 days, and now I'm 7 months into deployment and have totally fallen off the blog wagon.

Well, I have a few things I've been working on and want to blog about my progress. Between the house, running and cooking, I think I can start to write blogs that exclude Mr. Army (which, was the reason I stopped blogging in the first place).

I promise I will be blogging this week. A few posts I have in the works:

Running Goal (One race per month until the end of deployment)
My Favorite Recipes
De-texturizing the bathroom walls
First Pole Dancing class (strictly for workout purposes only!)

More to come...

DEAL! Evolve Day Spa & Salon

2010-10-31T16:10:00.000-06:00

Is anyone looking for a new hair stylist? and to get a $50 gift card for only $25?

Well, I LOVE that salon AND my stylist, so I bought a $50 gift card on Groupon. Unfortunately, I didn't read the fine print when it mentioned that the Groupon was only for NEW clients.

Does anyone want to buy a $50 gift card for $25 to Evolve Day Spa & Salon?

You can profit from my mistake :)

If you're interested, let me know!!

Photography...

2010-10-26T22:26:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I love photography. I try to take my camera everywhere I go, even though some times it becomes more trouble that it may be worth. But, even if I get one good picture from a day, it's worth dragging around with me.

Because of my love for photography, I finally decided it was time to start taking some classes so I can fully utilize my camera and enhance my picture taking. I think I am on the right track to becoming a good photographer, I just need some tweaking. So...off to school, I go!

I started taking a night class from a local art center to show me all the awesome things I can do with my camera. It will help me to take the "perfect picture" and eliminate most of the post-picture taking editing.

As my skills grow, I hope to make this hobby a little side "job", but I want to keep it fun. For now, I'll keep practicing :)

So...I've been thinking, I need some "subjects" to photograph. Anyone interested?

M&M Wedding

2010-10-26T22:07:00.000-06:00

After Mr. Army left, the excitement with the H Family was only gearing up. Miss M and Mr. M took the plunge and here are some fun pictures to document :)

Heather did an amazing job on the cake. Yum!

J, Little J and Me

Not the best picture of him, but he was my PERFECT helper with the serving.

Can't get enough of each other :)

They even had matching shoes...impressive!

3 Weeks of Excitement!

2010-10-26T21:50:00.001-06:00

Before Mr. Army had to say goodbye, we tried to pack in a few fun activities...see what we've been up to:

Vegas Briefings:

As soon as Mr. Army came home from trainings, we headed to Vegas for some briefings. We spent most of our time in conference rooms, but we had some spare time to hang out with other couples and just wonder the strip. We are kind of too cheap to go to shows and all that jazz, so we find entertainment in the interesting people that Vegas attracts.

During a meeting break...trying to fit in some college football watching.

I told him I wanted dinner, and he told me to take this picture first. Pervert.

One of my new favorite pictures of him

Shooting Range:

As if Mr. Army won't get to go to a shooting range in the next year, we thought we'd take the youngin' for a little shootin'.

Teaching little J on the Shotgun.

Sibling Bonding.

Little Miss is not afraid to get dirty

Love this kid.

She has better accuracy with a handgun than her military brother...and it was her first time. AMAZING

(and it's probably good that he carries an M-4 and not a 9mm)

I just like this picture because you can see the recoil and shell.

Soccer Game:

Little J had a soccer game, and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to support him, so we loaded up the camera and headed out on a freakishly hot Saturday.

He is quite the defender

I love this picture, hehe.

Go get'um Little J!

Happy Birthday Mr. Army (only a few months early):

Since Mr. Army won't be here for his real birthday, his family decided to celebrate it now. It was a surprise, complete with silly stringing us at the front door as we walked in. Classic.

Saluting the birthday boy

For Mr. Army's 25th birthday I made a homemade German Chocolate Cake, and failed miserably. It tasted okay, but looked disgusting. I thought three years was enough time to lament my failure and I tried again. Still needs some work, but looks a lot better. (Little J helped me decorate)

German Chocolate Cake from 25th Birthday...look at that sad frosting!

What a goofy smile. Love him anyway :)

Farewell My Love:

We can't really discuss many details of his departure, but he is gone, and I miss him!

Our last sunset together for a while. Aw...how cute? (are you all gagging yet?)

Miss Me, Yet?

2010-10-05T21:42:00.002-06:00

Have you missed me?! I'll be coming back to the blogging world shortly...Mr. Army is headed out, so please bear with me.

Want pictures to hold you over? ...I took some family photos and there are even some of Mr. Army and me.

See you in a few days...I have a lot to update!

Mockingjay...1980s Blinds...Utah Football

2010-09-04T21:05:00.006-06:00

So, the three of you that keep up with my blog know that I have been working on projects to keep busy while Mr. Army is M.I.A. Well, I can mark a few more things off of my list.

First: Mockingjay

Did you start reading The Hunger Games trilogy like I suggested? Well, if you haven't, I have all three and I'll let you borrow them because I have finished the third and final in the series. A lot of people were disappointed, but I had my closure and I still think the series was fantastic. I read each book in about two days, it was that good. My house still hasn't recovered from the messes I neglected to attend to while being so immersed in the books. Oh well, totally worth it!

Second: Utah Football Season Opener (Utah vs. Pitt)

I've been waiting 9 months for football to return into my life, and thanks to Mr. Army "attempting" to take classes, we were able to be in the MUSS again. Thanks to deployment, Emily gets to share 5 out of 6 home games with me. Poor Mr. Army, can't even enjoy the fruits of his labor to get the tickets.

In case you weren't sure, we won! 27-24 OT

Em and me enjoying the view from Row 22.

View of the South end zone.

This picture makes me laugh, I guess he wanted to play too.

Crazy lady! One of my favorite parts of home games.

Wynn working his magic in OT

We WIN!

Third: Bye Bye 1980s Blinds

Remember those ugly 1980s blinds in my living room that were bringing down the cuteness of my kitchen/living room? The ones that I have waited for either Mr. Army, or someone other man that could use a drill to help me remove and put up curtains instead? Well today...they were put in the dumpster.

Last night I was thinking of what my project for the weekend should be, and the blinds kept coming to mind. I have been putting it off because I "needed" someone to help me remove the blinds and put up the curtain rod. I don't really like asking for help, so I throw the idea around casually, hoping someone will say "Hey Kate, I'm going to come to your house tomorrow morning and help you." Ha, right...

Anyways, this morning after the gym, I made a trip to the Target for the curtain rod, and got to work on removing the blinds. When I started, my thought process went like this "Okay, I'll get as far as I can and then I'll call John and beg for help when I can't continue alone, and I no longer have any window coverings." Thankfully, I must have listened when Mr. Army taught me how to use my drill because I was able to make it through the whole project solo! Though, I will not lie, putting up the rod wasn't as easy as I was hoping. I can put a screw into the wall, but it is those stupid little screw covering things that protect the dry wall gave me trouble. (don't you love how I don't even know what they are called? I'm so mechanically minded, not.)

A picture since I don't even know what they are called.

BEFORE: advice-when the blinds are older than you, it's time to update.

AFTER: the curtains are actually from when I lived in one of my apartments, and they match the wall PERFECTLY!

That is about as exciting as I get for now...but stay tuned, I'm sure I will get bored and try something else :)

Nightstand Make-over

2010-08-29T21:37:00.003-06:00

A few months ago, I was on the hunt for cute black nightstands to match my bed and dresser, but was not really excited about spending hundreds of dollars on a table, with a main purpose of holding my alarm clock.

So, Mr. Army and I were taking a little grocery trip to the Walmart (don't judge me), and we met this lady in the parking lot that was selling all of the furniture from her storage unit because she was moving. The fact that we even stopped to talk to her was out of the ordinary for us, but I saw the nightstands and wondered how much she wanted. I ended up paying $60 for the pair of real wood nightstands that just needed a new paint job.

I've had these nightstands for probably 5 months and every time I looked at them, it would make me cringe. I like when things match, and I have an idea of the way things should look. Therefore, a change was in order. I think I was hinting to Mr. Army to complete this project for me, but he kept saying "Kate, I don't think they look so bad..." aka 'These are ugly, but I'm only going to tell you they look okay so I don't have to paint them myself.'

Well, with Mr. Army gone, I have projects and an agenda. Last weekend's project was the nightstands. $6 worth of spray paint, and a little sandpaper...I'm extremely pleased with the result. Check it out!

Before

Loving the sun bleached top?

After

a few nicks in the wood...already there, but I think it adds to the effect :)

Ta-Da! I think they turned out to be pretty cute alarm holders.

Time Consuming...

2010-08-09T23:43:00.002-06:00

So, being that I am alone most nights since Mr. Army is gone, I am trying to stay busy with different hobbies.

Hobby One: Cooking (more like Baking)

Last night I made what I like to call "Bite Size Candy Cookies". I used this recipe , but since I'm not a huge Rolo fan, I decided to mix it up. I ended up using Rolos, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers. Personally, I could eat the Snickers ones all day long. Someone, please come visit so you can take these off my hands!

Also, if anyone has fun recipes, please send them my way. I love to try new recipes.

Hobby Two: Reading

When I went to the Shakespearean Festival a couple of weeks ago, we went to a bookstore where "The Hunger Games" caught my eye. I know that a lot of people think I'm so behind the times, but that's how I roll. Wait to read the first book until the last one is about to come out. Now I only have to wait two weeks, while the rest of you have had to wait forever. :) If you haven't read these books, please please please look into reading them. I finished both in a week and can't wait for the third book on the 24th.

What books have you read lately, that you loved?

Hobby Three: Goals

I've decided it's time to really start watching what I eat...again. I do well for about six months and then somehow fall off the wagon. I've written down goals that I'm trying to accomplish with my weight, and work out schedule. Yes, I'm dorky enough to even make a chart and put it on the fridge.
Also, I have wanted to work on other personal goals to keep me motivated and progressing in life. Sometimes getting in a route, which we all know I love to do, ends up putting me in a rut and I lose track of some of the things I love to and/or should do. So, I have daily goals, and more long term ones that I'm working on. I'm a little OCD, it's okay to think that :)

These things are definitely keeping me busy, but I can't pretend that I am not totally wishing away the last month of Summer. I miss Mr. Army and September is not coming fast enough, but I'll enjoy my time to improve on all the things I love.

More Condo Updates!

2010-08-09T23:23:00.001-06:00

I'm working on several different projects in my condo to make it more "Kati", and I'm far from being finished, but I thought I would show some of the ones I (meaning Mr. Army and I) have finished.

Remember here and here where I mention that I have this awesome TV that my amazing boyfriend mounted to the wall, but I refused to take a picture of, until said boyfriend put the ghetto cords behind the wall? Well...he did it! and he was even impressed about how good it looks.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I must say that Mr. Army saved us a lot of money by being so handy with his "inventive" skills. Now I'm ready for ya'll to come over and hang out with me!

The master bath was really lacking in the decorative department and since I am super picky about how things look, I had a hard time finding any art I liked, to put in that bathroom. My sister and I went to the Farmer's Market one Saturday morning, and one of her friend's has a booth there with his photography. I saw this picture and could not pass it up. If I had more money, I would buy all of his photographs.

Since Mr. Army has left for training and then will be leaving for deployment, I've been trying to figure out what to do with the Army junk room. I'm leaning toward an office, that might have a futon or something in case anyone needs a place to stay. So, this is my first piece of furniture for this room. As of now, it will house Mr. Army's clothing that won't be used for a year, but it might turn into something else later. I think it is so cute, and for $65 on KSL.com, I can't complain.

Currently, I'm working on changing the 1985 blinds in the living room to curtains, and will hopefully switch out the 1970s closet doors eventually. If anyone has any ideas of what doors I should put in there, please let me know! I'll keep you posted on new condo improvements :)

Vegas- 4th of July

2010-08-09T22:49:00.001-06:00

It's true, I am a month behind posting about Mr. Army and my trip to Vegas, but better late than never, right?

We thought it would be a fun opportunity to get away for the holiday weekend and spend a little time together before Mr. Army had to go to training. We had so much fun, that we forgot to take a lot of pictures...

I found an awesome deal on hotels.com on thought it would be fun to stay at Treasure Island. Once we FINALLY got checked in (I'm pretty sure we stood in line for about an hour), we entered our room to find someone else's stuff in it. I was a little freaked out that TI would double book the room, so of course, I went back down to the front to complain. As we were going down the elevator, Mr, Army was coaching me on being stern and not giving in, to make sure we were comped the room, or upgraded. Well, I must have done well because they upgraded us to a suite that had two windows facing the strip. The picture above, and two below show the nice view.

Taken the next morning...obviously right after I woke up.

One of the reasons we decided to go to Vegas was to see if we could find a fun place to watch the most hyped heavyweight fight in the UFC...ever. Well, we found a really awesome Skybox type place that had TVs everywhere, but we were a little late and there was only standing room left. Therefore, we thought we would be walk the strip to find another place...shouldn't be hard, right? WRONG. We walked the whole night until we got to the MGM Grand where the fight was held and they weren't even showing it! But, they were preparing for Wanderlei Silvia's birthday party.

I asked the "bouncer" to see if there was anyway we could get into the party. He handed me a VIP ticket, a wristband, and told me to come back at 10:30. Then he told me that I couldn't bring Mr. Army with me because he wasn't wearing pants. True story.

I still can't believe I was invited to Wanderlei Silvia's party!

View from our room at night.

Mr. Army's magic with the manual settings on the camera. Not too shabby for the first time :)

It was a good show!

As Promised...

2010-07-15T22:42:00.000-06:00

Our picture from the "dinning" out.

Though it really was our DINING out, it was kind of more like a dinning out based on the turn out of the party :)

Ragnar Relay (Wasatch Back) 2010

2010-06-23T19:41:00.002-06:00

Well I did it. I finished another Ragnar Relay! After last year, I seriously considered not doing it again. Between the lack of sleep and the irritated stomach, I wasn’t sure I could …stomach…another go-around. BUT, I am SO glad I did. This year was a lot less stressful for me. For some reason, I was more nervous about each run, but my body was able to remain stable and I wasn’t reaching for the Imodium every five minutes.

Spencer, Kati, Lisa, Bryan, Stein, Ashleigh (aka Van 2)

Ashleigh is 14 weeks pregnant and did AWESOME!

Bryan was amazing! He runs so fast!

Spencer cracks me up. This picture makes me laugh every time.

Lis was such a good team captain, and she rocked the Ragnar!

The best exchange (19)! The volunteers were awesome!

(This next part is mostly record keeping so I can remember everything, but it does include the story of the fall and pictures!…so maybe it’s a little interesting).

Our start time was 10:30am this year, which was about an hour and a half later than last year, and therefore, van 2 didn’t start running until about 5:30pm.

I was Runner 11. Full of hills. Supposedly easier than the two “Ragnar Hill Runners”, which I was last year. You reach the highest point of the entire relay. All of these things didn’t sound so bad. I was definitely up for something somewhat challenging, but wasn’t against having it easier than last year. Well…it wasn’t easier than last year. Whoever said Runner 11 is easier than Runner 9…lied.

Anyways, my first run (7:30pm) was 3.8 miles and deemed very hard by the running manual. This little dozy was 2.7 miles straight up to Snow Basin, and then another mile straight down. I thrive on downhill, and I couldn’t wait until the last mile for the downhill…the only problem was, I still had two.seven miles of pure uphill to accomplish first. I won’t lie; I was mentally defeated by that mountain the moment I set foot on it. I had told myself that I wasn’t an uphill runner, and that my training runs uphill were less than adequate. I could have done a lot better, but I let the hill get the best of me. My last mile (downhill) was accomplished in 6 minutes and 32 seconds, which I’m pretty sure was because I was so upset with my performance on the first two miles. I finished in 38 minutes. I was not impressed with the way this relay was starting…

I look excited, but trust me, I was freaking out.

Aw, the mist.

Not excited with my time...

Second Run: 5.5 miles around Rockport, considered moderate. The second run was the one I thought the least about. Moderate...how do you gage, moderate? I choose to think Moderate meant Easy. And…for the most part, I was right. This run, at the gorgeous time of 6:30am, was windy, and chilly. I was bound to make this run more successful than my last. I was on a team. This wasn’t just my time, this was theirs too. And so I started, and so did the side ache. I ran the full 5.5 with a chilly side ache, but I did it with a smile on my face. 50 minutes isn’t an amazing time, but I would take it.

This is what you look like when you haven't slept all night after running and sitting in a car for hours.

Third Run (the fall): When runner 8 was finishing up their 3^rd run, our team captain received a text message saying “Due to an unforeseen obstruction, runner 11 will have 1.5 miles added to their last run.” I had already committed us to being finished with the whole thing at 6:30pm, and that was being ambitious; therefore, the news that my 5.4 very hard mile run was now going to be 6.9, had me less than thrilled. As I was preparing for the run, I just kept repeating that I didn’t like to head out for a timed run, when I didn’t know what terrain I was about to encounter.

The first 2.8 miles of the run were the same as expected. I finished the top of “Ragnar” (Guardsman’s Pass), and then ran down the backside. I passed eight people in the first 2.8 miles and was feeling pretty good about myself. Then, I reach a spot where my team has pulled over to give me water and one of my teammates says “Kati, this is the last time we’ll see you before the end of the run. Can I give you this water?” I decline because quite frankly, I can’t run with a water bottle in my hands (and neither could anyone else, given that I found about five water bottles on the trail as I was running). Anyways, there was a volunteer sitting at the opening of this trail, which was about 2 ½ feet wide, and she mentioned that I would be trail running for 3.5 miles. Okay, and off I went. I was somewhat cautious in the trail because how embarrassing would it be if I fell and had to show up at the finish line all dirty and bloody (maybe that was my signal to the universe to show me or something). After passing one more person, and running two more miles (incline and decline), I come out onto this dirt/gravel road that is about a 6% decline. At this point, I am running right behind a girl that is about 15, who is so concerned that I was going to pass her that I held off until she started to walk…and then I passed her. The gravel road went for about a half a mile and I could see the opening to the next trail run, along with a water station to the left.

The girl I had just passed stopped to get water and the volunteer at the water station proceeds to try and get my attention. I can see her out of my peripheral vision, put my hand up and say (probably more like yell) No thank you. She keeps waving her hand with the water and starts coming closer. By then, I start to take out my headphones to hear her and I look over. BAM! I am sliding down this dirty loose gravel road. Panicked, I hurry and get up; just in time for two volunteers to say, “Are you okay? You need to go find one of the biker volunteers to get you some help.” First thought: and what is this biker going to do? Put me on his handle bars and ride me to the finish? I don’t think so. While hyperventilating I say “No, No, No, I have to finish. I have to finish. I told them I would do it in under an hour.” And off I went. Two people passed me as I entered the trail, and I followed the girl with the pink camo for the next 1.7 miles to the finish. I don’t remember much of that run, and in all honesty, I have no idea how I made it. But I finished…in exactly an hour (for the record, the run actually ended up being 7 miles).

So ready to finish.

Once I crossed the finish line, the adrenaline wore off, and I realized that I was pretty beat up…so much for not coming across the finish line dirty and bloody. Immediately, I ask for an Aid Station. If you know me well, you know I don’t ask for help. I knew this wasn’t something I could deal with myself, at that moment. One of the finish line volunteers states “No Aid Station here, you have to go to the Canyons.” Great, thanks. Thankfully, Lisa is prepared and has a nice first aid kit in the car. I might have looked like a burn patient, but she cleaned off the wounds and wrapped me up, so I could be momentarily okay. Thanks Lis!

Oh...my hands don't look so good. (notice the elbow)

Look how pale I am...no good.

The Finish: We make it to the Canyons, find what is left of our van 1, take a few pictures, and wait for Runner 12 (Spencer) to cross the finish line. As Spencer approaches, we all gather and run to the finish line together…at 6:37pm. Even with all of our mishaps, we still did it. I was so excited and all I could think about was getting down the gondola, finding Mr. Army and going home.

Hamburger hands, bruised hip and calf and ripped pants :(

Most of the team at the finish line.

Go Spencer!!

Mr. Army was so gracious to really clean out the wounds, and re-wrap so I didn’t look so much like a 2 year old that decided to place both hands on the stove. Sadly, I hadn’t eaten in too many hours, and my body freaked out, and I almost passed out. Don’t worry, I’m okay.

All is well today, and I can’t wait for next year!!

Calf bruise and hand cuts as of today...sorry, not showing the hip.

Baby Yoda and Blog Catch-up

2010-06-08T21:21:00.002-06:00

I've been a little M.I.A. in the blog world because, well, I'm boring and there isn't a ton going on that is worth blogging about, except for Ragnar training. Less than 2 weeks!? eek.

Here are some pictures of baby Yoda (Mr. Army's new name for JW):

Auntie, I'm really excited about your new cooking utensils.

Pure enjoyment.

what?

He even slept while I mopped the floor.

What a cute kid.

Project Organization...

2010-06-08T21:11:00.003-06:00

So, I have this problem...it is called "the constant need to have a project".

While Mr. Army was gone for drill last week, I was bound and determined to turn the spare room's closet from the place to put all of our junk, to the place that stores all of our junk in an organized way.

Let's be honest, I was too embarrassed to take before pictures, but here is what we have so far:

I guess I like green.

Trust me...it looks a lot better. And don't judge me that my food storage (ish) and Mr. Army's closet happen to be the same place. And yes, the top shelf is lined with 6 protein powder containers. I need flavor options. (that is a whole other "problem")

I was so proud of my closet success, and then Mr. Army came home and this is what happened to the room. Thanks a lot, Army and all of your necessary junk. :)

Memorial Day Backpacking...

2010-06-08T20:09:00.003-06:00

Every year since we started dating, I drive Mr. Army crazy during the Spring and Summer (and sometimes even Fall) to go camping. And since Mr. Army FINALLY got a backpacking sleeping bag, I was really itching to get the backpacking season going full force.

Therefore, for Memorial Day we decided to do an over-night hike just around Bountiful because Mr. Army wasn't sure if he would have to go to an Army training or not. So, we drive up to Bountiful Blvd and just started looking for canyons (way to be prepared, we know.) Anyways, about a mile away from my house, we found Holbrook Canyon. It was a great hike, although we had to do a lot of bush whacking (have you ever seen Mantracker? That's how I felt, most of the hike).

Here are the pictures I know that is all you care about :) (click on to enlarge)

About a half mile into the hike...I think I was making fun of him, and thus the face.

I love nature. If you knew me when I was younger, you would know how weird that is to hear (see) me say that.

Mr. Army bought the most amazing water filter. The water was so good!

Me waiting for Mr. Army to filter our water...also, I was trying to get documentation that I was actually on this hike.

I have no idea what he is doing.

We were a little dirty...

I was collecting wood for the fire, and Mr. Army decided to take over the camera.

My battle wound...for the record, I am still recovering from this one.

View from where we decided to camp. Love it!

I'm a mess, but it is still a pretty cute picture.

thoughts of the day...

2010-06-03T13:11:00.003-06:00

it's been a short work week, and i still feel like it should be friday...
a dear friend is going through some unthinkable sadness right now, and i can't stop thinking that nothing i say will help.
i am having a bittersweet feeling about summer. i love love LOVE the weather, but i don't really feel like spending another summer without bbh.
speaking of bbh, deployment and i are having a tug-o-war, and i'm pretty sure i'm about to lose.
ragnar is in two weeks from tomorrow. makes me a little nervous.
i hope court mcgee wins the ultimate fighter this season.
i am itching to finish season one of true blood, so i can move on to season two.
i need to take some classes. photography and cooking, at least.
i want to be crafty, but have no idea where to begin
my pool opened this week, and i'm supposed to help monitor chemical levels. i know nothing about pools
i turn 24 in about 3 weeks. my life is nothing like i planned it would be at 24
i love camping, and backpacking...even when i come home and my legs look like my boyfriend beat me (or we got a cat that hates me)
i feel a strong urge to bake. if you live in the nsl/bountiful area, or feel like taking a trip up there, call me, guaranteed i'll have some treats for you
i'm going to vegas for the 4th of july, and can't wait. it is kind of my birthday present to myself...and kind of mr army's present to me, though i'm not sure he realizes that yet :)
my house is a mess, and i feel that every time i clean it, it gets messy very shortly there after. i thought that only happened when you had kids?
most of the people i work with live in virginia. i think it would be much easier if i could just work from home
i need a tan
i could really go for a hamburger/fries and some good fry sauce. delightful.
grocery shopping is a MUST tonight or tomorrow. i am foodless.
i think i'm going to take up boxing and/or cross fit. i like to mix it up.
confession: it is a constant battle to be content with where i am in life. i'm working on it.
my new favorite treat = protein shake root bear floats. don't knock it til you try it
i think i should be a stay at home mom. oh wait, i guess i need to be a mom first, dang.
my corner cubicle of death alternates blowing warm and frigid air. i spend half of the day taking on and off my sweater.
running is my favorite pass time. love it.

P.S. I have our memorial weekend backpacking trip to post soon, promise.

Army Dining Out

2010-05-24T22:04:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday, Mr Army and I went to his Army Dining Out, which is basically the prom for the Army.

I spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what I was going to wear. I tried on every prom dress I have...all about 6 sizes too big, though a couple I think I might have tailored because they are pretty cute. Anyways, an old bridesmaid's dress did the trick...but I'm a slacker and didn't get any pictures. Don't worry, in awesome prom style, we got our picture taken :) I will post when I get it. In the mean time, here is what we wore:

this dress

these saucy red shoes (ones on the left)

and Mr. Army looked great as usual, in this:

...Sorry I've been kind of MIA...nothing really exciting going on.

Calzones!

2010-05-09T21:31:00.002-06:00

So, I found another recipe idea that I thought would be awesome to try, calzones. Mr. Army LOVES calzones, but will usually settle for pizza, and therefore, I thought we could forget pizza night and try homemade calzones. Yum!

Rolling out the dough...without a rolling pin; it wasn't as hard as I anticipated, thankfully.

Mr. Army trying to cook the frozen sausage. We both thought the other one was going to pull the sausage out to thaw. whoops.

The prep area, and fix-ins

All ready for baking! ...mine is the ugly one on the left.

We buttered and put cheese on the top to make them pretty. Mine is still the ugly one on the left.

Done, delightful and ready for eating.

thank you, bakerella!

2010-05-09T21:18:00.001-06:00

I am always looking for new recipes to try out, and these cake balls, by bakerella were PERFECTION!

I made German Chocolate, and Red Velvet cake balls for Mother's Day, and both Mr. Army and my families loved them.

Bake a cake, let it cool, and transfer to a bowl.

Make your frosting, or use prepackaged.

Mix the cake and frosting together, and then roll into cake balls.

After you have refrigerated the cake balls for 2-3 hours, you can drip them in chocolate.

Mine aren't as pretty as bakerella's, but I'm sure they tasted just as great.

All ready for eating :)

Want the full recipe? go to bakerella, and enjoy all of her awesome recipes.

Best Burger, Glee and a Little Barefoot Running

2010-05-05T14:06:00.002-06:00

So, Mr. Army and I have a constant craving...some may even call it an obsession. We love burgers and fries, we just do (I can just hear Lacy gagging a little). Anyways, we decided one night to try a new burger place since we are still trying to become acquainted with the options Bountiful has to offer. Well, we hit the jackpot with Best Burger. It is right off the freeway at 2600 South, and has the BEST fry sauce I've ever had. It is just a little fast food joint (kind of a Hires/Shivers taste) that I'm pretty sure Mr. Army and I keep in business. Forget In-N-Out...go here! (please don't comment about how I am an In-N-Out hater...I'm not, I just don't think it is worth the hype).

Glee, oh how I love thee. I didn't get into Glee when it first came out because I am a creature of habit, and tend to have a reluctant attitude towards all new shows...until they are on the approved list. Once I saw that posting, I decided it was time to dabble in a little Glee, and I'm sure glad I did. There is one episode where they are doing cheer leading auditions and I honestly cried, I was laughing so hard. If you haven't checked it out, you should.

And finally, the results are in on barefoot running...10.0! I was really nervous to try barefoot running due to the effect it had on Mr. Army's calves, but I already had the proper "shoes" and was not about to let that $80 go to waste. Therefore, on Sunday, I went for a run around my neighborhood in my Asics and then took a short detour to mi casa to change shoes. I ended up going just a little over a mile in the Vibrams and loved it! I wasn't fatigued at all, and it was a refreshing change of pace.

For the record, I was a little sore the next day, but I still could walk and worked out as usual, minus running. The soreness only lasted a day, yesterday I ran 6.5 miles with no problems (not in my Vibrams).

Well, there you have it...that's what been going on in my neck of the woods. More excitement than you can handle, I know.

MS Walk!

2010-04-25T12:08:00.001-06:00

Two of my sisters, and I walked for MS on Saturday (yesterday) for a guy that one sister currently works with, while the other sister and I used to work with. Anyways, he was diagnosed with MS recently, and we wanted to raise money, and support him in this. Therefore...we walked:

Emma, Me, Beck, JW

John even came along for the walk.

And then a lot of JW, because we love him so much! :)

Condo Updates

2010-04-22T21:37:00.003-06:00

Since I haven't posted much about my condo recently, I thought I would post some pictures about the improvements I've made over the last two or so months.

First, I have found that I am a little obsessed with having door "ornaments" and changing these said ornaments for each holiday. Thankfully, I found one I love that can stick around for a while. My dad is an extremely patriotic person, and I think he passed that on to me. Also, considering I have a boyfriend in the military, I found this star to be quite fitting. Cute huh?

Next, remember how I changed the picture over my bed to the living room because of that stupid Ikea commercial? Well, Mr. Army convinced me the picture looked better above the bed, and so...I changed it back. This is how it all worked out. I'm pleased with the results.

I've had a lot of compliments on the coloring of my living room. One of the neighbors even said "You must be a U fan..."

I changed the sheets as well. You wouldn't think 600 thread count would really be that big of a difference...it is.

The tan blanket at the base of the bed is a little lame, I'm working on finding a fun colored one to replace it.

Also, I FINALLY got my new TV. Thank you Samsung 8,000 Series LED. But, I refuse to take a picture of it on the wall (where it replaced the cute flower picture) until Mr. Army puts the cords behind the wall. A little white trash, but we're slowing moving up in the world. As for where the TV used to be, and the place that still houses all of the electronics. Ta-da!

I don't know what to do with that Rooster thing. I love it, but I don't know if I like what's in it. Any ideas on how to fix it?

Last, but not least, I've learned that I'm a little OCD. Okay, maybe you already knew that, considering I vacuum three times a week, and clean my granite counter tops daily (my new favorite cleaning product is Soft Scrub Total, amazing!) I digress. Well, I got bored one evening and decided to reorganize my movies. They are now alphabetical, and then sorted by type. And, of course the books and box collections had to offset each other for it to be aesthetically pleasing. Gotta love it :)

13.1 Done...Again!

2010-04-19T19:40:00.001-06:00

Well, I survived! The very few people that follow my blog, know that I was not as prepared for the Salt Lake Half Marathon as I should have been. BUT, I ended up getting a personal record on this course and I couldn't be more excited. 1 hour 52 minutes. I can't complain with that.

I ran the first 10 miles in 80 minutes = 8 minute mile, for 10 MILES. I know a lot of runners (okay, maybe just Lacy) can run an 8 minute mile for such a long time, but I have never been able to do so. I wish I would have had Gu, or some sort of energy boost at mile 10 because mentally, I was set on 1:45, but my legs just couldn't do it. Oh well, next time...I'm serious, I am definitely working to do it next time.

Okay, you can see the pictures now. Enjoy.

I was SO nervous. Still don't know why, but I was extremely prepared

Did I mention, I was signed up as a 36 year old Male? Don't believe me? Check out that picture.

Pre-race Hotness

I find this picture to be kind of funny. Gotta love my Paradise Bakery cookie stash.

She's my sister and she's a rockstar

Best friends for 20 years, crazy as ever

She just had a baby 4 months ago, and she ran a half marathon. Amazing.

Go Beck Go!

Walking for Ren-Donate to the National MS Society

2010-04-15T13:05:00.001-06:00

On Saturday April 24th, I'll be participating in the Walk for Multiple Sclerosis. My sister mentioned that a co-worker, that I used to work with was just diagnosed with MS, and a team was being formed in his honor. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to support Ryan, and to spread the word about this walk.

We are trying to raise as much as we can for this great cause, and would LOVE your help!

Click here to donate to the National MS Society (once on the website, click on "Donate to Walking for Ren" above the thermometer).

Every dollar counts! The firm that Ryan works for will match your donation dollar for dollar, so nothing is insiginificant. And, the donation is tax deductible, which is always a nice plus!
To read more about Ryan's story and progress, go to his blog.

Thanks for your support in such a great cause!!

Dine-O-Round!

2010-04-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

Twice a year (Fall & Spring), approximately 35 restaurants, in downtown Salt Lake, participate in what is called the Dine-O-Round. Each restaurant has a special Dine-O-Round menu, usually including a few of their popular items, and a flat rate for lunch and/or dinner. This gives people the opportunity to try restaurants they have never been to before, or that are normally too expensive.

I'm so excited!! You should check it out: Dine-O-Round

You've Had a Birthday, Shout Hooray!

2010-04-08T22:43:00.003-06:00

Mr. Army's cute little sister had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and we got together to celebrate. Her meal request: Alice Springs Chicken. If you've ever had that at Outback steakhouse, you'll know how divine it is...trust me, the homemade version is almost better!

Miss J is always so sweet and makes birthday cakes for everyone else and therefore, I offered to make the cake because no one should have to make their own birthday cake. Cake request: Red Velvet. (I'm starting to become an expert).

Mr. Army and I gave her some cute Downeast shirts and a fun little purse. Okay, let's be honest, I have each of those shirts I gave her...I'm in love with that place.

I made the cake, but gave her the pleasure of decorating :)

Think of a good wish!

Mom and brother thought they should help blow out the candles...

Happy 14th Miss J! We love ya!

See ya in two!

2010-04-08T22:19:00.000-06:00

The baby of the Roos family left on his mission yesterday, T.H.E. mission. We'll all miss him. I don't think any of us realized how hard it would be to say "see ya later" (he doesn't do goodbyes).

Love you baby brother!
Houston...please take care of him.

Dumpster Diving.

2010-03-30T14:08:00.003-06:00

The title is intriguing, isn't it? Sadly, it is exactly how I spent my Monday morning.

I'm not a big fan of Mondays in general, but spending 40 minutes in a dumpster at 6:30 on Monday morning makes me a little concerned about how the rest of the week will turn out...

Anyways, you don't care about how my week is going to turn out, you just want to know why I was in the dumpster. Well, about 6:15 my alarm went off and I had already decided that getting out of bed at 6:40 would still give me plenty of time to get ready for work. So, I started going over the things I needed to do for the day, what I should wear to work, and then all the things I needed to take to work...and where all of those items were.

My thoughts:

"Black slacks, cleaned and hanging in the closet. check"
"Mustard yellow shirt. Good option, yet have to wear that specific bra. Is that bra clean? Yeah, I think we're good there."
"Ipod...charged and in the purse."
"Work ID Badge...in the...oh my...it's in the bag I used for lunch on Friday, in the car, but I cleaned out the car on Sunday. That bag is...NOW IN THE DUMPSTER!"

I don't think I've ever leaped out of bed so quickly in my life. Since I work for a government contractor, getting the badge was a pain in the butt to begin with, and to replace it would be a nightmare. Not only does that badge give me access to the building and my office, it is how I log onto my computer. Also, it has my pass code token for logging in remotely. So many valuable items, now in the garbage. Not only that, but I knew that the garbage was picked up early Monday morning, giving me a very small window to start looking.Therefore, I spent about 40 minutes, in my pajamas, going through garbage. At first, I was like this:

But soon realized that if I was going to make any progress, I needed to actually get in the dumpster. So, I got my trusty flashlight from the car and jumped in. Remember how I said that the garbage gets picked up on Monday mornings? Well...that means that I got to go through a week's worth of trash. I was optimistic because I had only thrown it away the prior afternoon. Unlucky for me, some newlyweds had opened their wedding gifts and the garbage was now on top of my missing badge.

Slowly, I started to find remnants of what was in the bag with the badge, but no sign of the bag or the badge. I had removed so much of the trash, and was starting to really worry. Then, all of a sudden, I found the bag, and the only thing still in it...the badge. I almost cried, seriously. I stuck the badge in my hoodie and jumped out of the dumpster just in time to see the garbage truck pull up.

If that wasn't lucky, I don't know what is!

...all that for a stupid card.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-03-24T14:49:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those moments when you have this ~~intense~~ unbearable craving? I'm sure some mother out there has had this during pregnancy, at least. Yeah...I've never been pregnant, but I still get cravings.

Craving of the week: Red Velvet Cake.
I haven't had it in years because it just isn't something that anyone has requested; therefore, no one makes it. Maybe if I grew up in the Western household I would have it more often, but I didn't, so I don't.

Anyways, we all know I have a sweet tooth, and this complex where I try to make it healthier to somehow convince myself it is okay to eat. Because of this, Cooking Light (by Taste of Home) is my best friend. I don't know what I would do without it. And, as always, it came through when I was looking for a Red Velvet recipe.

I made these cupcakes on Sunday and sent them with Ben to his family dinner (sorry Roos'/Grows, the recipe didn't make enough for the whole family). He came back and said his family loved them. His little sister emailed me to tell me how amazing they were. Well...I must agree that this recipe did the trick. My craving his been satisfied and now have a new fun recipe.

Hope you enjoy :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes (serving size: 1 cupcake)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

Cooking spray

10 ounce cake flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk (I used lowfat because I couldn't find nonfat)

1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons red food coloring (I just put in enough to give it a good red color, no measuring)

Frosting:

5 tablespoons butter, softened

4 teaspoons nonfat buttermilk

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I didn't use quite that much, just go by how sweet you want it)

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare the cupcakes, place 30 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine cake flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and unsalted butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and 1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add white vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and food coloring; beat well.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. To prepare frosting, beat 5 tablespoons butter, 4 teaspoons nonfat buttermilk, and cream cheese with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla; beat well. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes.

Deal of the Day: Restaurant Coupons

2010-03-18T14:22:00.006-06:00

So, we have recently learned that I like to save money. Okay, more like, you learned that I am frugal, cheap, etc.

Well, I think that I'm going to start doing deals of the day, of the fun stuff I can find. This may not happen very often, but I am thrilled when I find a deal and therefore, feel the rest of you might be able to benefit.

As for today's deal, http://www.restaurant.com/. A friend of mine told me about this website, and how him and his wife would get giftcards for super cheap to pretty nice restaurants. Good Food? Cheap? I'm sold.

Well, I signed up for the free website and didn't think much of it because I didn't have time to look into all of the restaurants available. Soon, I started receiving emails about deep discounted giftcards. Of course, I was now intrigued and had to see what kind of fun things I could get.

I ended up purchasing three $25 giftcards for $6!!

That is 92% off! Getting a $25 giftcard for $2 dollars, is a deal in anyone's book, I'm pretty sure :)

The coupons last for a year, so it's not like you have to spend them immediately...so awesome!

If you like to go out, and don't like to spend much...this is the way to do it!

Let's face it...I'm a walking advertisement. I should get paid for this stuff!

B&K All The Way

2010-03-16T00:11:00.002-06:00

If you hadn't noticed...I LOVE pictures. Taking them. Getting them taken of me. Love it all.

Mr. Army...not so much, but every once in a while, I can convince him that it's time for pictures. Yesterday, I got lucky :)

They aren't the best pictures in the world of us, but it's documentation...that we're still alive and well!

Somehow, I even got Mr. Army to pose for some solo pictures in my, not so put together, studio. The editing is very minimal, so please disregard the yucky background...but I must say, I have a dang cute boyfriend.

This one is my favorite.

Mr. Army's favorite.

Welcome to our Sunday afternoons...aren't we the most exciting people you know?!

FroYo, How I Love...Yo?

2010-03-16T00:00:00.003-06:00

I love sweets. This is no secret. Therefore, I will try to find every place possible that will sell "healthy" sweets. Frozen Yogurt is what I consider a "healthy treat". Packed full of sugar, but guess what? Fat Free Baby!

Anyways, there is a place down the street from my house called Yogurt Stop where you serve yourself any kind of frozen yogurt, add toppings and then pay by weight. Delightful! I just found out that they are opening one up the street from my parents house too...I literally squealed when I saw the Coming Soon sign. If you want to try it, call me; I'll even pay :)

If you aren't much of a frozen yogurt person, or if you're in the mood for trying something new, I heard about this place called Sub Zero in Centerville. You pick your cream (custard, frozen yogurt, low fat, etc), your flavor and your mixins. Then, they use liquid hydrogen to make it right in front of you. I manipulated Mr. Army into going over the weekend and he said he found a new favorite place, which definitely means this place stands out because I take him to every ice cream/frozen yogurt place I can find.

...This blog really has no point except to share my love for ice cream.

Barefoot Running.

2010-03-15T23:49:00.002-06:00

As some of you may know, my boyfriend has a knack for finding the most unusual and sometimes ridiculously crazy projects. Most of the time, I laugh in disbelief until he proves that it works (whatever it may be)

Well, the wild hair idea of the week: Barefoot Running.

At first, I wouldn't even let myself think about trying to run barefoot, but after some research and intriguing discoveries...we bought these...

Yeah, they are a little funny looking, but OH so comfortable. Running in these "shoes" will help to teach you how to change your running style. Most people that run, are "heel strikers", which means your heel will hit first and then you will distribute your weight forward. With barefoot running, you will bruise your heel with the heel strike approach, and therefore you need to adjust by landing more towards the ball of your foot and distribute your weight back.

...Mr. Army has been reading up on a blog called Barefoot Ted for some inspiration and tips for running barefoot.

Mr. Army actually tried the running today and said it was amazing. He felt that the run was more enjoyable and fun. I am a little nervous to try it, but will do so and let you know how it goes!

Obsessed?

2010-03-11T22:18:00.002-07:00

Okay, so I may have a little obsession with...coupons. I know it sounds a little silly and maybe slightly ridiculous, but my new hobby is to see how much I can save, on everything. My sister was so gracious to feed this addiction by introducing me to coupons.com Mr. Army amuses me by laughing and asking "do we have a coupon for that?" every time we go out to dinner or need to go to the store. He may laugh, but I'll tell you what, I save money honey!

The other day, I was watching T.V. and saw a commercial for Soft Scrub Total. After the commercial I really wanted to try the product, but would only do so if I had a coupon, since it wasn't a necessity. Well, lucky for me, a coupon came in the mail a couple of days later. (Is it odd that I get excited about cleaning products?)

An example of my savings...tonight, I had to do some grocery shopping and saved $7.90 in coupons alone. Coupled with price matching, I saved over $17.

With my savings, I bought a new movie...don't worry, it was on sale too :)

P.S. If you want to know of other websites and ways to get coupons or save money, I might be able to help you out!

Training Time!

2010-03-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time again...the races are coming and I need to get into shape!

I have this complex where I cannot be left out of any race when I know more than two people that are running it. Therefore, the Salt Lake Half Marathon is calling my name...again.

I ran it two years ago for the first time. My time was 1:55. Not bad, not a record. Then, last year I did not intend on running the Half because I had a minor snowboarding accident and messed up my ankle. Lo and behold, the morning of the race, I put on my shoes and helped Miss Lisa cross the finish line. I have no idea what our time was, but I wasn't really in it for the time; I was in it for her.

Now, this year, my goal is to run the SL Half in a faster time than two years ago. Can it be done? Yes. Will it? We'll see. The race is in 6 weeks and have I run 13 miles yet? That's a big fat NO.

I'm working on distance: longest run this month 8 miles

I'm working on speed: quickest two miler this month 15 minutes (fastest ever was 13:23, so you can see the improvement needed)

And the best part of it all...I get new Asics this week!

I may need help staying motivated to run distances...anyone want to drag me out on Saturdays or Sundays?

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

2010-03-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe is my favorite ever. I love when bananas start to turn black because then I get to make this awesome bread. I have modified the recipe to not have any oil or refined sugar, so here you go. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas (I usually use 4 medium bananas)
1 1/4 cups honey (the recipe actually calls for brown sugar, so it's your call)
2/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup fat free egg beaters (or 2 eggs)
1/3 cup applesauce (the recipe actually calls for oil)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts (or some like raisins)

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only, of two 8X4-inch loaf pans or one 9X5-inch loaf pan.

2. Stir together all ingredients until blended. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes (I'd wait about an hour or so to wrap in tin foil, etc.)

Hope you all like it as much I do :)

Homemade Sushi!

2010-02-28T10:12:00.001-07:00

Mr. Army has been talking about making sushi at home for quite some time and so yesterday, I decided it was time for us to actually do it, instead of constantly talking about it. Mr. Army is such a great cook (not that you have to cook anything besides the rice) and therefore, our first time homemade sushi was delightful!

Mr. Army and all the stuff...ready to go!

California Roll fixins. So good!

Putting it all together...

Sushi Burrito.

It made a lot more sushi than we anticipated.

The final steps...

Yummy finished product!

I let Mr. Army make sushi and to keep myself busy, I made whole wheat (no oil or refined sugar) banana bread. SO GOOD :)

Well, that was our Saturday night. And if anyone wants to come to a sushi party, we are willing to host!

Knock Knock...

2010-02-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Knock Knock...
Who's there?
Blogger Failure
Blogger Failure who?
Kati...

I am a horrible blogger, but here are some updates.

Decorating...

2010-02-17T22:22:00.004-07:00

So, I have been in my condo for three months now and I am working to make it decorated to the ultimate "kati standard". This is difficult because first, decorating becomes expensive sometimes, and second, I am so picky.

Recently, I saw an Ikea commercial with a couple in their bedroom, which looked oddly close to my bedroom. Well, that was because the bed, dresser and picture above the bed were the exact same as mine. In Ikea's defense, I did buy these items at their store, but having my room just like a store floor display was a little much.

Therefore, I decided to move the picture that resided above my bed, to the living room, since I have struggled trying to find the perfect picture for the living room.

I think the picture looks pretty good above the couch. It completes the living room, finally. Unfortunately, now I don't have anything above my bed. It is blah, boring, blank and so dang ugly! The previous owners had some pictures above their bed, and now I have holes to cover, which will be fine, but I need some new art. Anyone have any art ideas for me?

Maybe I can find another Ikea picture :)

This is where my new TV is going to go:

Sadly, this picture will stay there until I get my tax return. Please hurry IRS!

Babysitting JW = Photos!

2010-02-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to watch this little guy while his mom went shopping and he is such a good baby! As you can tell from these pictures, he thinks his auntie is a little crazy...oh well, I love him!

Mr. Army's 27th Birthday

2010-02-17T22:04:00.001-07:00

Mr. Army turned 27 on January 7th, and since it was the SEC championship football game, we decided to do Outback take-out and I made some chocolate cake.

In lieu of his birthday...here are 27 things I love about Mr. Army:

I love the way you smile.

I love your skepticism about anything anyone tells you.

I love that you have this rough exterior, which to some is so intimidating, but you are truly gentle and protective.

I love how you know everything, or at least something about everything.

I love your stubbornness, and how you try to pretend not to be stubborn.

I love how excited you get when something turns out as you had hoped.

I love your calculated effort. You may take a while to make a decision, but it doesn’t mean you have stopped thinking about it. You weigh every pro and con possible to ensure you are making the right decision.

I love when you dance, especially when you dance, for me, for a solid 2 minutes, before I turn around to see.

I love your creativity. You can make anything yourself and come up with the most logical way of doing so, with the most unlikely materials.

I love when you greet me: “Hi Beautiful”.

I love your sense of humor. You are constant entertainment. You make me laugh daily; I seriously can’t get enough.

I love your calm demeanor. Even when you’re stressed, you are extremely calmer than I am on a normal day. You give me balance.

I love your support. You push me to do the things I love and the things I don’t love, but need. You even let me cry when you don't understand why I need to.

I love how unconventional you are. You strive to be your own person and not follow the trend.

I love the way you look in a uniform.

I love that you wear BCGs, all the time. Seriously, I think they're cute.

I love when you tease me, and then get offended when I tease you.

I love your cooking skills. You can make up a recipe and it always turns out awesome.

I love your talkative days. I could listen to you for hours. You always have something interesting to say.

I love how you're such a great teacher. You teach me new things continually, and are so gracious when I sound like a fool (usually :)

I love that you are a listener. Even though sometimes I don't think you're listening, you never cease to amaze me when you mention something that I would have never imagined you would remember.

I love your adventurous side. You aren't scared to try anything; you make me a little more daring.

I love that you're a little bit of a nerd. The National Geographic, and History channel...need I say more?

I love how hard you work for the things you want. You really do live with your desired end in mind. Sometimes I think you surprise yourself with how well it works to do so.

I love your sweetness to your baby brother and sister. You would do anything for them, and it shows.

I love that you will hang out with my family, and you like it. They are a little intense and slightly crazy, but you handle it so well.

I love you, and me, together.

Baby JW...

2010-01-01T22:36:00.002-07:00

Since my sissy is just a little preoccupied being a new mom, I thought I would post some pictures of my adorable nephew!

He looks just like his dad, no doubt.

Sweet, calm baby

He has this little scowl. I love it!

Christmas with Us!

2010-01-01T22:24:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure with each passing year, the holidays come and go quicker than the year before. Though this is the case, I still get excited for some time off of work to spend time with family and friends that tend to be neglected throughout the rest of the year.

Mr. Army and I joked that it would be easier if one of our families were Jewish, so we could spend as much time as possible with both families. Well...both our families celebrate Christmas and therefore, we split our time, or split up to cover more ground. It all worked out in the end and I was glad we had the opportunity to spend time with our families, but also to have our own Christmas, on the 26th.

Instead of writing every detail of my Christmas, I feel you'll enjoy pictures more:

This is my tree, with all of the presents ready to be given! ...I loved my tree, can you tell?

The lamp my parents gave me for Christmas. It matches my bar stools and kitchen table perfectly.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Our annual Christmas Eve PJ Picture. We all look very attractive.

John made Christmas morning so much fun. He was like...a little kid on Christmas. haha. He was really surprised about the PS3, as you can tell.

Who knew I would be so excited to get all six Harry Potter movies? I know...I'm a dork.

Most of the Grow cousins in our traditional picture

Elliot made my Christmas! He was such a good sport about Mr. Army and my wrapping techniques. We wrapped his gift card in my kitchen-aid box with all of the styrofoam. Cut a slit in the styrofoam and just stuck the card in it. It took him a good 5 minutes to figure it out. It didn't help that Adam found the card almost immediately and held on to that piece of styrofoam, while Elliot ripped the box apart.

And now he is in the box...

Dad asked for a remote controlled fire engine that shoots water. He was chasing the dogs around the kitchen/living room with it. He is still a kid at heart, gotta love him :)

Isn't she gorgeous?! I could take her picture all day long. B and A, I love your child, in case you weren't sure.

The Sunday after Christmas, our immediate family got together to open gifts since schedules are crazy on Christmas Day. We missed you Beck and Rach!

Our only picture together for Christmas and he is being a dork. Oh well, I still love him.

Emily and John got Rockband...that was one thing I wanted for Christmas.

I bought her this shirt, and if she could talk I'm pretty positive she would tell you it is true. She loves her aunt Kati almost as much as I love her.

H Family Christmas Party. Mr. Army, his siblings, grandparents and soon to be brother-in-law.

Just some fun Christmas pictures I took and felt like sharing.

I really like this one.

Polar Express!

All in all, a great Christmas! I now have dishes and silverware, fun new movies and...ROCKBAND! If you read my black friday post, you know that I was bummed that I didn't get my Rockband deal. Mr. Army was super secretive about his gift to me and when I opened the gift under the tree, it was the Rockband game (no equipment included) with a note "Just because you're awesome". Slightly confused, I looked at him and he told me to check the main bathroom's tub. He had been hiding my gift in the tub for about 4 days and I was completely surprised (fyi, I have 2 bathrooms. I don't go 4 days without showering :)

Want more pictures? Check here

Kitchen-Aid!

2009-12-13T17:35:00.002-07:00

Two posts in one day...the world may be coming to an end. Anyways, I thought this snowy day would be perfect to break out the Kitchen-Aid to make some cookies. It worked WONDERFULLY!

Here are some pictures to document our fun of using the Kitchen-Aid for the first time...

I'm slightly slow and spent half the time trying to figure out how to get the lever to stay up. Don't worry, I finally got it.

Our finished product: Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Mr. Army's job was to stand there and look pretty. Aren't his glasses sexy? hehe.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2009-12-13T13:10:00.003-07:00

I believe the beginning of the Christmas season is Black Friday. I anticipate those sales all year long and then regret getting up that early, just to find out that you weren't there in time to get the one deal you wanted. This year...Rockband. Oh well, life goes on. I'll focus on what we DID get.

Mr. Army and I decided to go to Logan for the deals to see if we could get shorter lines and more opportunity for the best deals. We promised his little brother that our first priority would be the Xbox 360 package at the Best Buy. So, to ensure that we did not let Jonathan down, we woke up at 2:45am and stood in line until 4:30 to get a ticket that said we were guaranteed an Xbox. We succeeded!

This is big brother Mr. Army showing his excitement for making little J's Christmas.

Sadly, I didn't have as much success with my Black Friday deals, but since I bought a condo, my first priority was the couch. A couple of weeks ago, I went to my Body Combat class and decided it was time to get a couch...so I did!

Here is the couch and chair. I'm still trying to figure out how I want to decorate the wall, but we'll find something. Please note: I have moved the flower picture, for those that saw the Facebook picture.

P.S. Mr. Army will kill me if he ever sees that I put these on the blog. :)

Once I had a couch, it was really time to get ready for Christmas. This is my first year having my own tree, and so it will get better every year, but here is what we have this year. Also, I included my cute "Merry Christmas" sign that I picked up at Tai Pan. I LOVE Tai Pan, and it is dangerous that there is one down the street from work, but it has definitely contributed to my cute house!

Also, this is a little late, but my brother-in-law put up my Kitchen Table and I am super excited to have it. Thanks John!

Christmas is coming! ...and I'm not a huge fan of the snow, but it looks pretty gorgeous right now. Probably because I'm sitting in my warm house knowing that I don't have to go anywhere.

And the changes are...

2009-11-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I have had some big changes in the last week or so and it has been a bit more overwhelming that I thought it would be, but I'm loving it all.

Starting a new job and buying a house all in the same week

...can't really beat that.

New Job!

2009-11-21T07:23:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, I started a new job this week. I am now a Program Control Analyst.

It is definitely a change from my last position. I am used to being the "go-to girl" in my job and now I am feeling a little useless because I can't really help out with anything at this point. I know, I need to be more patient with learning new things and a new industry.

They tell me that it will take about 9 months to grasp everything that we do in our department and how it all works together. ...I give myself 3 months and I'll figure it out.

So, if I am a little MIA for a while, I am dedicating myself to figuring out my new life that takes up 8 hours of my day :)

I did get the internet this week and don't work nearly as much as I used to; therefore, I should be able to update the blog more often. yay for that!

New House!

2009-11-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it! I bought a condo!

I couldn't be more excited...well, actually, if I had a couch and had my kitchen table, I might be a little more excited. BUT it is kind of a dream come true. I know, that sounds a little dorky, but I love it!

If you go here, Condo Pictures you can see some pictures. I'm still moving stuff in and therefore, I will update the album once I get more situated.

Enjoy :)

Mr. Army's AIT Graduation

2009-11-13T00:51:00.014-07:00

This post is long overdue, but I felt Mr. Army's graduation deserved some recognition. Even if it is coming a month and a half after the fact...

Well...we made it! 17 long weeks of Sunday night phone calls, letters, and counting down the time until it was over. I still think it went by faster than anticipated; Mr. Army will beg to differ.

On September 25th, Mr. Army graduated from his Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as a Combat Engineer. I am really glad I had the opportunity to be at his graduation; it is quite the experience. When I graduated from college, I never realized that 4 years of working for a piece of paper could mean so much. And after listening to Mr Army's stories and being at his graduation, I know he worked just as hard in those 17 weeks as I did in 4 years.

This is my favorite picture of the day. I'm not sure why, but the energy was overwhelming when they were marching in. Doesn't Mr. Army look serious?

They did a little presentation where it showed a solider of all of the wars (ie. World War I, II, and Vietnam, etc)

Being called up for his "Trailblazer Award". Only 6 out of over 200 privates in his company received this award. What a great honor. He still says it was no big deal, but it is, trust me.

Mr. Army with his "Battle Buddy". They are distantly related...somehow. From what I know, they are a lot alike. Random how they ended up in the same MOS and platoon in the army.

Mr. Army and his family, minus 2 sisters.

Mr. Army and me...I love how when you are on base and in uniform, you are not allowed to show affection. This is why Mr. Army makes it look like I have cooties. Who knows, I just may.

Good Work Babe! I'm proud of you :)

Can You Feel It?

2009-11-10T13:58:00.001-07:00

Changes are coming for this little Miss...get ready to hear about it!

Despite it All...

2009-10-13T21:12:00.005-06:00

Despite the fact...work is so daunting I could scream.

Despite the fact...I've done everything as quickly as I can to close on the condo; I still must wait until November.

Despite the fact...I haven't been able to bring myself to go running in the mornings.

Despite the fact...I have to drive 80 miles to see sanity.

Despite it all...this face makes my day so much better.

Inspiration...

2009-10-01T16:22:00.004-06:00

I am fairly certain most of my blog readers have called it quits on even checking here because, let's face it, I'm a bit of a slacker. BUT I should be having some fun blogs coming up.

As for now, I'm going to tell you about seeing my inspiration...

What I mean by that is...I have read about this girl (okay, maybe slightly blog stalked). This particular woman has the most amazing life: good husband, great gorgeous children, she's talented, and from what I can tell, insanely nice. Just over a year ago, her and her husband were in a terrible plane crash and by a miracle, they both survived. Some, if not all, are aware of who I'm referring.

After something tragic like this happens and life as you have known it changes, naturally you may feel as though you can't continue or get stuck in a sort of helpless mentality. Nie Nie is not this way. She has picked up her life and continues to work with what she has been given, loving every moment she has. It can not be easy, but her strength has helped get her through.

Every time I read her blog, I want to be a better person. I want to change my some times cynical attitude to one of a more positive nature. I worry and gripe about the things I don't have, instead of being thankful and appreciating what I do have...

Anyways, as Mr. Army and I got off the plane in Chicago for our layover to Salt Lake, we went searching for a place to put my stuff (he travels lighter than myself :) And as we sat down, my eyes glanced to the window to find Nie Nie and Mr. Nielson sitting. I instantly pull out my phone and write a text message to Mr.Army telling him how amazing these people are and their story is incredible. He just stares at me with a look of "how in the world do you know these people and why are you so excited?"

I realized, to me, they were like celebrities (you know the moment you realize that you know everything about Reese Witherspoon, even her dog's name, but she wouldn't know you from Eve?) That aside, I was so excited. This girl that I thought about almost on a daily basis and how she has inspired me more than she will ever know, was sitting 5 feet away. I debated back and forth approaching them...

I chickened out, of course. And if she were to ever find my blog, her and her husband would, I'm sure, know who I was...the girl sitting next to us, trying not to stare, but this awkward giddiness.

I'm ridiculous, but that made my day.

Read more about about Nie Nie here and here

Tis the Season...

2009-09-21T15:48:00.004-06:00

Tis the Season for Utah Football! (yeah, I know I'm a little late at posting since we're headed into our 4th game). But I feel that I should share the struggles I had to go through to get my season tickets and how the team better start pulling it together or my trouble to get my tickets will be in vain.

The Wednesday before our season opener, I decided I should pick up Mr. Army and my tickets so that I would actually be able to go to the Thursday game. Therefore, I left my house early and headed to the U before work. Little did I realize, there is construction EVERYWHERE on campus and it took me about 20 minutes longer than anticipated, just to get to the Alumni House.

Once I get there, I'm feeling rushed; so, I quickly gather all the necessary items to pick up my tickets and jump out of the car. As soon as I stand up, my skirt decides not to join. Down the skirt goes right to my ankles. I was so focused on getting to work on time that I just picked up the skirt and held it up while still walking. I'm pretty sure that whoever saw this happen will be telling their friends for a while because, to them, it didn't even seem to phase me. It fell, I picked it up, I continued on my way...all in one swift motion.

For any of you that have known me for sometime, you know this is not the first time that my skirt has fallen off in public. I guess this is now my trademark...sad, but kind of hilarious.

Well, I got my tickets, made it work on time and then to the game. Unfortunately, the student ID reader said I wasn't a student and so I had to pay $10 even after paying all my MUSS fees. Lame...

My boys better make it up to me. I dropped my skirt to see them play. Now that is dedication!

The Sweetness of Baby C!

2009-09-18T08:00:00.013-06:00

I had the opportunity of doing a "little" photoshoot for my niece Baby C while mom and dad took big sister out to a movie.

Within in the two hours they were gone, I soon discovered that this baby LOVES having her picture taken, which worked out well for me. She is one of most photogenic babies I have ever seen and she loved the flash of the camera. This resulted in a few hundred pictures (of which I will put on the photo blog soon). For now, enjoy these ones.

I just can't get enough of her! so cute!

Thanks B & A for letting me take some fun pictures!

i love family.

2009-08-30T15:32:00.008-06:00

Though we may be weird and all very different from each other...I couldn't live without them.

Closing In...

2009-08-23T19:38:00.005-06:00

Summer is coming to a close...BUT

Football starts in less than 2 weeks and this crazy guy comes home in 33 days! I love fall.

Fort Leonard Wood

2009-08-23T17:37:00.009-06:00

I sent Mr. Army out for his 14 week adventure thinking that would be just that...14 weeks. Well, as we were closing in on week 8 he told me that his AIT graduation was September 25th. Hmm...that is 17 weeks, not 14. Yes, it's true. The army lied to me.

After getting over the initial shock of not having things go as planned (you would like I would have learned by now that they never do), we decided that I would make a visit during week 10 while Mr. Army had some time off in between Basic and AIT.

I headed out on the 6th not really knowing what to expect, but I was too excited to think about anything, but making it to the base. After what seemed like 2 days, I made it to Fort Leonard Wood just in time for him to get an "on post" pass for the day. Since it was on post, we had to stay on base and he had to keep in close distances to his "battle buddies". I met some of his company and took a tour of the base.

Over the course of the next two days, we tried to pack in as many "normal" things to do as possible. We went out to eat, shopping, movie, and driving...alot. Oh, and don't forget the junk food. I wish I had a picture of Mr. Army taking a bite out of each one of the dozen assorted donuts he was "really really craving".

All in all, by the time I made it home the following Monday, I had flown 2,300 miles, driven 1,000, missed a flight and much needed sleep, BUT I'd do it again tomorrow.

I was a little bit stressed when it was time for me to leave and therefore the background of the picture isn't so great, but he still looks good! He's so official :)

E + J = L 4EVER

2009-08-19T11:25:00.015-06:00

Though this is nearly a month late, I thought I would acknowledge the marriage of my baby sister E to the lovely Mr. Lawrence.

July 27, 2009

Happy as a clam...

The Roos children. We are a good lookin' group of rejects :)One big happy family.Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

I was told I wasn't being a very good maid of honor because I wasn't following E around constantly. So, here I am, being a crutch.A few of the bridesmaids at the reception. The dresses turned out better than expected.

The polka dot wedding cake and Nascar groom's cake. Just fyi, he has decided to freeze the groom's cake and not let anyone touch it.
The first dance. My job was to load the wedding approved song list to my ipod. I downloaded the song they were supposed to dance to for their first dance, but neglected to actually put it on my ipod. We didn't realize this until about 3 minutes before the first dance. I calmly pulled E aside and said "Don't freak out...we don't have the first dance song. Any others that can be a replacement?" Thankfully she was awesome about it. I felt terrible.
The darling Noelle, displaying exactly how we all felt by the time the reception ended.

As always, more pictures are found in the photo gallery

Happy Day!

2009-07-16T08:11:00.011-06:00

I finally decided to buy a nice photography camera and it came in the mail yesterday. In lieu of this...I started going through some of the pictures I took with my other camera. Now I have an even better camera for better photos. Enjoy some old ones, and be prepared for fun new ones! Riley J. laughing at the scary homeless man following us around.

John telling Emma she has a big head.

I guess they're kind of cute :)

Patty is convinced they never show affection. Here is proof.

Emily's favorite picture of John from the shoot.

Riley J's modeling skills.

I originally was not in love with this photo. It is growing on me.

Classic Emma.

He is probably making fun of her.

Cute baby brother.

Obviously my editing is not perfect, but I'm working on it. I love this stuff.

Let's Play a Game...

2009-07-05T16:12:00.002-06:00

Its called catch-up on the blog...

...I think I did a pretty good job. Hopefully you enjoy it :)

Birthday Week...

2009-07-05T15:44:00.010-06:00

I decided this year I needed to document birthday activities because I am less than exciting in my daily life and therefore, when I do something entertaining, I need to make sure I have proof. Welcome to my birthday week documentation:

Spoon Me gives out free yogurt for your birthday...I kind of went twice that day. Delightful!

Birthday movie - Transformers!

-I also went to dinner that night with the girls, but I know that Lacy doesn't like getting her picture taken, so I refrained.

California Birthday Shopping:

I had three minutes to get ready to leave for California since I woke up about 45 minutes after I was supposed to leave. This is literally everything I took with me.

My travel buddy and cousin, Ms. Stacey.

Me and all the hud I bought. I love the Orange County Marketplace.

I should really try to not get sunburned when I go outside.

The little fire engine...our transportation for the day.

Court of Honor

2009-07-05T14:53:00.006-06:00

Well, the baby of the Roos children is growing up. This last week we celebrated Riley's Eagle Scout award by attending his court of honor.

The bald eagle starting picking at Riley's shirt. He was a little nervous.

Some of the family that came to support Riley. We're a good lookin' group*Siblings! (minus 2)

*The baby in E's arms is actually B&As. Just for clarification.

Ragnar Relay - Wasatch Back

2009-07-05T10:08:00.026-06:00

The Western ladies convinced me (last December-ish) that I should run the Ragnar Relay with them this June. With it being so far away, I paid my dues and didn't think much about it until May. Then, I finally checked out the maps and looked at what my 3 runs. 3.5 miles - Easy, 6.8 - Moderate, and 3.6 - Very Hard. Okay...totally do-able. Well, Ragnar decided to change the course in late May to accommodate all the teams. Therefore, my 2nd run changed from 6.8 - Moderate to 9.6 - Very Hard. I was a little worried about this. I don't struggle running 10 miles at all, but after running once and running in the middle of the night on "very hard" terrain, I doubted my capabilities. Regardless, I put on my shoes and prepared for one of the most fun and testing experiences.

June 19th and 20th - Logan to Park City:

Van 2 getting ready for our first set of runs.

Lisa and I matching...first time, but not the last.

It's true...we do love Jessica. She was the most patient driver!

My first run: 3.5 miles - 27 minutes - ridiculously hot. I had a wicked sunburn from that point forward.

Me, Lisa, Ashleigh before Lisa rocks her hilly run.

She ran all the up that hill...she is a rockstar!

Whitney, Ashleigh, Me, Spencer: waiting in the van, basically what we did for many hours.
This is our whole team at Snow Basin (minus Runner #1 - Katie), she was starting her 2nd run.Spencer and me being cool...what else?

After we ate at Snow Basin, we thought we had a couple of hours until we needed to run again and therefore, we headed to Morgan High to catch some shut eye. But who actually goes to bed at 8:30-9pm? Not any of us. We tried to sleep, but about 10:30 we got a phone call that it was time to get ready for our 2nd round of runs. Off we went.

Lisa and I: Matching again...though she knows how to actually wear her headlamp correctly. Whoops. I was so excited to see the van every time they stopped to give me water. Spencer was so nice to come out in the cold to give me support, even when I started to yelling to make Lisa get out of the car to take pictures.
This is me...somewhat delirious explaining that I really have to go to the bathroom and can't get my pants untied.
After an hour and 26 minutes and 9.6 miles of running, Kati, how do you feel? ...

"Kati, how do you REALLY feel?"

Do you love the burn line on my forehead? So awesome.

Ashleigh passing off to me for my last run.
At this point I just keep thinking "It could be worse. I could be in full army gear and combat boots. Life isn't so bad right now."
Finishing my run and passing off to Spencer.
Preparing and then conquering the Ragnar Hill aka Guardsman Pass.

We did it!! This is our whole team. I enjoy the second picture because the photographer says "Hey girl in the front, get your hand off the team number!"

I can't wait until next year, or even for Ragnar Las Vegas! This was an awesome experience and I recommend it to anyone who is up for a little challenge.

If you want to see more pictures, just head over to my photo page http://picasaweb.google.com/rooskati

Enjoy!

Cherry Creek

2009-07-05T09:23:00.013-06:00

Before Mr. Army left for basic we decided to finally go on a backpacking trip (that I had been begging him for us to go on for about a year). I told him I wouldn't let him live in down if we didn't go before he left. We had more than enough backpacking stuff and we should just go...so we did! Mr. Army's job was to find a good hike up around Logan that would be a good adventure for a first time backpacker, such as myself. He choose Cherry Cheek, which leads to Naomi's Peak, up around Smithfield.

I was so excited, until we pulled up to the trailhead and realized you had to cross a little river to even start the hike. I was pretty optimistic the first time, but after about 7 times crossing that river, I became a little irritated not to mention wet and muddy. Below is documentation of my trek across the river. It was freezing cold and I must have sensitive feet because I did like walking across the rocks.

I don't give Mr. Army enough credit for his photography skills. All the scenary pictures were taken by him and I'll pretend I taught him how to take a great pictures, but I think they turned out well, even if it is of Spencer and my rear ends.

It ended up being a successful trip and I figured out some things to do differently to make it a little easier on my feet. Mr. Army (and Spencer) were really patient with me as well, which helped. Next time I will rock that mountain :)

e&j engagements...

2009-06-08T22:50:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to take the engagement photos for my little sister and her fiance. She posted some on her blog and so take a look!

...I should post more because she posted some goofy ones ;)

oh my dear...

2009-06-03T15:43:00.005-06:00

Dear Schwab,
Will you please send me my money so I can buy my little house?

Dear Cute Red Brick House,
Please don't let anyone buy you before the Schwab man sends my money.

Dear Mr. Army,
Good to hear your voice today, even though you could only call for "official business". You sounded tired and a little beat up. Keep up the good work, love you.

Dear Cough,
Go away, it would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Time,
Can you slow down when I need you to...but speed up when I'm ready? Just a suggestion.

Dear Sugar,
I miss you. Chocolate is such an essential part of me. One day we will be reunited.

Dear Legs,
We have a big race coming up, please hang in there. We're almost ready.

Dear Girls,
I miss our lunches. I think we need to fix this.

me.

Bye Bye Mr. Army

2009-05-29T10:27:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, Mr. Army started his 14 week adventure of basic training for the Army Reserve.

It's an exciting adventure, but I'll miss him!

Good Luck Babe!

David Eccles School of Business presents Ms. Kathryn Rooster

2009-05-11T10:16:00.007-06:00

Mark and I before the ceremony. We met right before our first year at the U, and both graduated in December. Also, we started out as Marketing majors, but I jumped ship and joined Accounting.

Billy and I graduated together too! ...except he is cooler because he now has a Masters.

This is some kid I thought was really cute and just asked him to be in a picture with me. Just kidding.

Adam and I. We went to pre-school together and haven't been in the same school since then, until college. Now we are at graduation together. I still get to one-up him by saying I actually graduated in December.

-Well, I did it. I'm done. I sealed the graduation deal on Friday night. As you may know, I graduated in December, but decided to do the whole ceremony thing. Since I can't really have any event go exactly as planned...let me tell you my classic story for this event.

I am standing in line with my name card, after joking with the girls I was sitting with that the announcer would not be able to say my name right. Little did I know as I handed her my card that she would not only say it correctly, but would add another syllable "...Rooster". I instantly jerk back to look at her as she stumbles to correct her mistake "Roos...I mean, I'm sorry Kathryn, Roos." A rush of Rooster text messages ensued. At least I have a good story, right? :)

GRADUATION!

2009-05-05T22:20:00.002-06:00

Alright Everyone!

I'm going to do it...I'm going to do the whole graduation celebration.

What: David Eccles School of Business Commencement
When: FRIDAY
Time: 6:45pm
Where: Huntsman Center

I would love to see anyone that can stand to sit through it. I promise it is shorter than the whole University commencement. :)

Quote of the Day

2009-05-04T13:19:00.000-06:00

“Every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us"

No matter how unreasonable others may seem, I am responsible for not reacting negatively. Regardless of what is happening around me I will always have the prerogative, and the responsibility, of choosing what happens within me. I am the creator of my own reality.When I [review my day], I know that I must stop judging others. If I judge others, I am probably judging myself. Whoever is upsetting me most is my best teacher. I have much to learn from him or her, and in my hearts, I should thank that person.

- Bill Wilson, "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 88"

Maverick Dad

2009-05-04T09:34:00.003-06:00

For my dad's birthday, my mom bought him this flying experience deal. So, they took a trip to Arizona to see Boo, Rach and Jelly as well as to try out some flying. Here is the fun video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0DubNBI7uc

-I'm slightly retarded when it comes to blogging and therefore only know how to put the link and not the actual video. I'll work on that.

A little quiz fun.

2009-05-01T10:04:00.003-06:00

Well...it has been forever and I don't know if anyone still actually checks my blog, but here is a little bit of fun for you. I will post some pictures a little later, promise.

1. Last beverage→water
2. Last phone call→Noelle and my mom
3. Last text message→Ellen
4. Last song you listened to→Second Chance by Shinedown
5. Last time you cried→Wednesday

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice →do you even have to ask that? yes.
7. Been cheated on? →Yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? → Not really
9. Lost someone special?→Yes
10. Been depressed?→Yes
11. Been drunk?→Yes

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12. Red. love it!
13. Key Lime Green
14. Coral - upbeat and quirky but not obnoxious

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made new friends→Yep. new job, new friends.
16. Fallen out of love - Nope
17. Laughed until you cried →Yes and I love that
18. Met someone who changed you→ Yes
19. Found out who your true friends were→Yeah, I guess so. Some times people surprise you and other times, you just know.
20. Found out someone was talking about you → They prefer to whisper, or email.
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list→ My blog list? no.

TRUTH
22. How many kids do you want to have→3-4
23. Do you have any pets →personally no, but I want a puppy.
24. Do you want to change your name→Nah, I have finally come to like it.
25. What did you do for your last birthday→went to dinner and then had cake and ice cream with melrose
26. What time did you wake up today? 7
27. What were you doing at midnight last night?→sleeping
28. Name something you CANNOT wait for→to buy a house!
29. Last time you saw your father→Sunday
30.What is one thing you wish you could change about your life→ I wish I stood up for myself more.
31. What are you listening to right now →a song called Best Days by Matt White
32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom →Yes.
33. What's getting on your nerves right now? →my impatience

PERSONAL:
34. What's your full name →K E R. initials will have to do on this blog.
35. Relationship Status →Single
36. Zodiac sign →Cancer
37. Male or female→ Female
38. Primary School→DE
39. High school →EHS
40. Hair color →Brown...I think it needs to be dyed again.
41. Long or short →more long than short, but it is kind shorter than I usually have it.
42. Height →5' 5"
43. Do you have a crush on someone? →I'm not in 7th grade.
44. What do you like about yourself?→I like my legs, and I think I can be understanding
45. Piercings →just the ears
46. Tattoos →Nope
47. Righty or lefty →Righty

FIRSTS :
48. First surgery →Nadda
49. First piercing →Ears at age 7
50. First tattoo →Nadda
51. First best friend →Lisa
52. First sport you joined →Well, I started dancing at like 3, but the first sport would probably be soccer.
53. First pet →Bear.
54. First vacation→California? Not sure.
55. First concert →Neil Diamond baby!
56. First crush→Taylor R.
57. First alcoholic drink→A pina colada. Someone spiked it. The person I was with was mortified because I was not into that.

RIGHT NOW:
58. Eating →Nothing
59. Drink → water
60. I'm about to → try and work
61. Listening to →itunes
62. Waiting for → Dustin's birthday party, and Wicked!
63. Want kids? →Someday
64. Want to get married?→Someday
65. Careers in mind? →Photographer. Personal Trainer. Mom. I guess I could stay an Accountant too.

WHICH IS BETTER:
66. Lips or eyes →I like eyes.
67. Hugs or kisses →depends, usually both!
68. Shorter or taller →taller than me.
69. Older or Younger →older thanks.
70. Romantic or spontaneous →how about romantically spontaneous?
71. Nice stomach or nice arms → both would be nice, but arms.
72. Tattoos or piercings?→neither
73. Sensitive or loud →sensitive, but not femmy sensitive, and not loud.
74. Hook-up or relationship →Relationship
75. Trouble maker or hesitant→Trouble maker

HAVE YOU EVER :
76. Kissed a stranger →No
77. Drank hard liquor →Yes
78. Lost glasses/contacts →Nope
79. Cried yourself to sleep→Sadly, yes.
80. Danced in the rain→Yeah. It is fun at the time, but then your jeans wear about 20 pounds more and everything is stuck to your skin.
81. Broken someones heart →Yeah, I am told I'm not very gentle when I do it either.
82. Had your own heart broken →Yes
83. Been arrested → No
84. Turned someone down→Yep
85. Cried when someone died → Yes
86. Liked a friend more then just a friend →Welcome to my life from 8th to about 12th grade. Gay is gay any way you look at it.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
87. Yourself → Most of the time :)
88. Miracles → When they happen...eek, that is bad huh?
89. Love at first sight →Nope.
90. Heaven → Sure
91. Santa Claus → If you don't believe, you don't receive.
92. Kissing on the first date →Not preferably, but I've done it.
93. Angels → I am one. just kidding.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
94. Is there one person you want to be with right now? I guess you could say that.
95. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? →not boyfriends, but I've dated more than one person at the same time. Too much hassle.
96. Do you believe it’s possible to remain faithful forever?→yes
97. Where is your favorite place to vacation? Some where warm.
98. What's the one thing you cannot live without?→my family
99. What is your biggest pet peeve?→hypocrites.
100. One thing that most people don’t know about you → I feel like I'm constantly trying to prove myself and I want to be loved. -That sounds ridiculous, but it's true.

I like to...

2009-03-05T09:30:00.003-07:00

Beck did this on her blog and I was curious so I thought I'd try... Google "{your name} likes to" (with the quotation marks) and see what the first 10 hits say about you.

Kati likes to:

1. be in pictures

2. keep Paul on his toes (I'm not sure who Paul is, but I'm sure I'd keep him on his toes)

3. play football, soccer, basketball, and hokey.

4. hang out with her boyfriend

5. sing because she feels that music has the power to change the world.

6. rub herself in cheese ...(um, okay?)...

7. exercise at the gym during off hours and is trying to improve skill in order to get ahead professionally.

8. disappear into the night and chase bugs under the lights.

9. take on responsibilities not only to prove to herself but also to prove to her parents she is a responsible person.

10. dance.

Bonus Round: Kati likes to: show off.

-These are oddly true...minus the rubbing myself in cheese :)

What do you think?

Can't Get Enough...

2009-02-19T21:47:00.002-07:00

You know it is one of those days when:

-It's 5am, you have everything ready to go and can't find your heart rate monitor. So, you spend 15 minutes going back and forth from your bedroom to the car and end up finding it at your feet next to the car door.

-You lose a button on your favorite sweater.

-You shower at the gym just in time to head to work, then you realize you forgot a bra. It is amazing what an unused running tank and a scarf can cover up.

-You have every person in your 5 meetings jumping down your throat until they realize the numbers they are looking at are exactly what they should be.

-Your roommate spends the whole night drinking and you can hear her laughing while you are in your room in the basement.

-You drink 3/4 of a Sobe before you realize it isn't the lean kind and you have consumed 200 more calories than needed or wanted.

-Your socks don't match.

-You find out that you can only borrow half as much as you thought originally.

-The house you love is in "Sugarhood"

-You hear at least three times in an hour and a half "You don't live here, why are you here? Are you really moving back?"

-And it is has been four days since you have seen sanity.

Oh, how I can't get enough of these days. :)

My 25 Things...Plus One!

2009-02-17T21:58:00.003-07:00

This is my Facebook 25 things about me tag, but I added another item because...quite frankly, my #26 is a frustration at the moment. It is a struggle for me :)

enjoy!

1. I love cereal. I could consume all of my daily calories in cereal. I prefer to eat cereal with Light Soy Chocolate Milk.

2. Speaking of cereal, when I go grocery shopping, it is mandatory to have a cup of cereal as soon as I get home. When I buy bread, I must eat the end piece. I do this before I even put the groceries away, even if I'm not hungry...I don't know why, I just do.

3. I spend 85% of my time worrying about food and working out. Thoughts like “have I eaten too much? Have I eaten enough? Am I eating junk? Have I worked out today? Did I burn enough calories? Should I go again?”. I spend the other 15% of my time worrying about other people. Conclusion...I worry a lot.

4. Running is my life saver. If I have had a bad day, no matter what happened, I can go for a long run and when I'm done, everything seems so much better.

5. I hate my apartment, it is a money pit and I try to avoid it at all costs. I want a house more than anything.

6. I always have an agenda; if I tell you I don't...I'm lying. I make lists, I have ideas, and I have a plan for the way I think things should go. I am always thinking of something new I'd like to accomplish. I'd like to think it makes me prepared, or maybe just paranoid.

7. I love to cook, but I hate making food just for myself. I could cook all day long if I knew someone would eat it, but I really struggle coming home from work and making myself dinner.

8. I have thick skin. It takes a lot to really bother me, but when something does...I'm really down for the count. Unfortunately for the people that offend me, I have a hard time trusting them again. I'm trying to work on it.

9. One of my life goals is to get married and be a mom, even though sometimes I will tell you otherwise.

10. I am not a fan of the doctor or medication. I would rather tough it out then actually have to go sit in a waiting room, pay a co-pay and then a bill, just so the doctor can tell me I can't do something or that I'm sick. Which brings to my next point, I'm stubborn.

11. I try so hard to please everyone, to the point it ends up making me unhappy. It is a vicious cycle.

12. I just took a concealed weapons permit class. I want a revolver… for my own safety and maybe just so I can have a revolver.

13. I love UFC fighting. I would love to go to Vegas to see a UFC fight night in person. It may make me sounds a little guy-ish especially considering my #12, but I still love it.

14. I have a degree in Accounting, but have ALWAYS thought of it as my back-up plan. I hope to own my photography studio.

15. I am a little OCD when it comes to dirty dishes, I can’t stand them. It has even gotten to the point where I do other people’s dishes…at their house. Yikes.

16. As I get older, I’m convinced animals hate me. This is probably why I am reluctant to get any sort of pet. I tell people my children will be able to have goldfish.

17. I have always wanted to learn how to play the violin. My parents decided to surprise me with a violin for Christmas; now I have to find a good teacher.

18. When I hear a song I like on the radio, I have to find out who sings it and what it is called. I tend to ask everyone I am riding with the names of songs and then I get so confused/frustrated when they know ALL the words and not the title to the song.

19. I’m a tight wad. I try to deny it, but it is true. My favorite thing is to see how much I can save on my groceries. I use coupons, and that makes me happy, even when I only save .35 cents. I tell you, it adds up!

20. I have seven siblings, where I reside pretty much in the middle. I am my dad’s favorite. I don’t say this boastfully. We all know it’s true and we just accept it.

21. I hate grilled cheese sandwiches more than pretty much any other food. It has to have ham with it, made in a sandwich maker or I just won’t eat it. The smell of them cooking makes me gag, and ironically it is one of the family favorites. Guaranteed I ate cereal on those nights.

22. Growing up I wanted to be famous. I thought that being a model or actress was right up my alley except I forgot that I didn’t know how to act and I sure as heck didn’t weigh 90 pounds.

23. I love birthdays and celebrating birthdays. Therefore, I remember birthdays. If I find out your birthday at some point, I will remember it. Half the time I feel stupid calling people on their birthday because they had no idea I even knew it was their birthday. Oh well…I remember :)

24. I live for Fall, specifically football. From September to pretty much January you will find me going to every Utah Football game, and watching as much NFL as I can. The hoodie weather and excitement is almost too much to contain.

25. I want to be in an Iron Man triathlon. I watched a show that followed all of these people that were doing the Iron Man and they are all so different, but have this one common goal, to finish. One guy in particular said that he would never give up unless for medical reasons, so when his legs gave out on mile 6 of the marathon, he walked. Now that is dedication. I will do it.

26. I cannot be trusted with electronics. I have been through several ipods, and you would be AMAZED at how many pairs of head phones I go through. I have to have a back up pair on hand just in case they get destroyed on the way to the gym or at the gym. Sad, isn't it?

I'm Famous...Well, Sort of...

2009-02-16T20:22:00.001-07:00

My personal trainer has a website and I think you should check it out because a) she is a great trainer and if you need one, she is awesome and b) I am on the website!

www.ajakayser.com

Pure Enjoyment...

2009-01-28T17:43:00.002-07:00

Do you know those days when you run...not because you need to burn 600 calories and not because you need to get that workout in...but simply for the pure enjoyment of running?

Oh how I love endorphins.

Settled...Finally.

2009-01-04T18:10:00.007-07:00

Well, I moved again and I finally...FINALLY got my bedroom put together. After a minor meltdown, buying a bed that was too big, putting together a dresser by myself with the mistake of putting a drawer together backwards (long story) and...I have a finished product. Hopefully the rest of the duplex will be cleaned and have all the junk put away soon. Come and visit!! I'm sure I'll get lonely :)

Look Out Cruel World!

2008-12-31T12:38:00.003-07:00

I did it! I finally graduated! ...okay so four years is average, but sometimes I felt like it would never end.

Not that I need it, but I won't get the diploma until like April. Lame, I know. Anyways, I now have a Bachelors of Accounting from the David Eccles School of Business.

I was always told to be patient and it would be worth it in the end...alright cruel world, make it worth it :)

Workin' the 9 to 5...or 6.

2008-12-31T12:26:00.003-07:00

Well...it happened...after 20+ interviews, 3 offers, 2 declines and an accept later, I am officially an employee of McCann Erickson!

McCann is a global advertising agency that does work with companies from Verizon to Microsoft. The Salt Lake office houses about 200 employees.

I accepted a position as a client accountant. I started on the 18th and worked for four days until the office closed on Christmas Eve. So, I will settle in on the 5th, working with 9 others working on the finance team. I will be able to work with another department to service our clients and make sure we come in on budget and open and close our advertising jobs on time. Yeah, I know it sounds boring, but it is a job and I am so excited to get started!

Those Days...

2008-12-12T20:42:00.003-07:00

Do you ever have those days where your socks don't match. Your finals are almost too much to deal with. You have had 5 interviews this week totaling 17 overall causing the problem that you can't remember what you wore to the first interview and are afraid you might wear the same thing when they call you into the second interview. You need to move, but you just don't have enough time. You are secretly hoping that Christmas isn't that close so you have enough time to shop. And all you want to do is run. Ever have those days? Yeah... me too :)

*I made sure the tops matched just in case someone could see them. And no, I did not wear them to the interviews.

Giving Thanks.

2008-11-27T11:52:00.002-07:00

The last couple of days I have been going through a lot of the things I am thankful for and fortunate I am to live the life I live. After reading others lists of thanks, I couldn't help but write one up of my own.

Family: Whether I like it or not, they will always be there for me. Recently, I have found that family is really what gets you through the rough times and will always support you. I love that we all get along even though we are all so different.

My Feet: I am really hard on my feet and expect them to just keep going even when I don't protect them the way I should. They give me one of the greatest joys in life, my ability to run. I don't know what I would do without that.

Unemployment: Yeah, this is a little opposite of everyone else, but there have been some very positive things about my unemployment experience. I have been able to do projects I have been putting off and also I have been able to pay attention to areas in my life that have gone on the back burner because of work. It has been a nice change of pace.

The Girls: I don't know how I would get by without the advice and hilarious commentary of those two. Daily facebook emails and weekly lunch/dinner. They keep me sane.

Friends: From roommates to high school friends to everyone in between. I am grateful for all of them. I think I go to the grocery store way more than necessary, but it is usually with a different person from Melrose every time. High school friends for those times when you just need a little trip down memory lane. And to all of my other friends...they all keep my life interesting.

Utah Football: The highlight of my fall and something that will always bring us together. How could I not love it?

Talents: Over the course of the last month I have tried to work on developing my talents. I am thankful that I have the ability to cook, decorate, take pictures, and even clean (yes I find this to be a great talent).

I hope everyone has a great thanksgiving and can enjoy everything they are thankful for :)