tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70327486155012538792024-02-18T19:36:05.571-06:00My Journey as a Johnson Girl...formerly a Fedota DollFYI. If you click the mouse below you can feed my fish! :)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-75120698966521035582013-01-07T22:05:00.003-06:002013-01-07T22:05:52.208-06:00I just couldn't wait!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">Dave's brother, Peter, is an aspiring photographer and was given a really nice camera a few years ago as a Christmas gift. He is quite talented in his patience and ability to capture some of the most beautiful things in nature...from a bud as it open to dew on a spider web! I could look at his photo albums for hours...and often do. :) </span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">When Dave and I first got engaged (a year ago now) we had tossed around the idea of asking Peter to take a few engagements photos for us. We hadn't yet looked into wedding photographers and were hoping to take some pictures together over the holidays...unfortunately our wishes for a white Christmas last year didn't come true and we let the opportunity for photographs slip away. When we returned to the US for the fourth of July we were able to meet with Sandy, our wedding photographer, and took some awesome pics (if I can be a little biased) but again the weather didn't agree with us 100%. What should have been lush green grass with a crisp Chicago skyline background turned out to look like a sandy beach with some fog (I posted a few pics a while ago...just scroll down). We had an absolute blast taking our pictures and it was great to meet Sandy!!!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">Fast forward to Christmas day. With cloudless blue skies and fresh fallen snow Dave and I looked at each other and knew this is what we were hoping for...just a year later!!! After a relaxing morning of opening gifts and snuggling on the couch, Dave and I threw on our coats and headed outside with Peter in tow! He was such a good sport. Which one you ask? Peter? or Dave? BOTH!!!! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">Oh My Gosh!!! For someone who doesn't typically photograph humans Peter did an A-MAZ-ING job! HECK!! They look downright PROFESSIONAL!!!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: inherit;">We cannot thank Peter enough! And Dave too...thank you honey for putting a happy face on and having so much fun with me in the snow!!! :) XOXO</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He didn't entirely want to do the heart...<br />okay...he didn't want to at all...<br />but THIS is how amazing he is to me! :)</td></tr>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-76181512310211363512013-01-05T17:18:00.001-06:002013-01-05T17:18:45.389-06:00Wedding Fun with the Fiance! :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">I cannot begin to explain how wonderful (albeit crazy at times) my winter break has been this year! Dave arrived home on December 15...rather than December 24 like we thought may have happened! Although I had to work the week of December 17-21 it was nice to know that Dave was on this continent and in the same time zone as I am...I forgot how much fun it is to be able to CALL him when I feel like I want to! YEAH!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Knowing that we had a limited time together we made a "wedding to-do" list for our two weeks together including a cake tasting, registering and a few others. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Dave and I ended up having a rather busy two weeks "off" but with him only in the country for a few weeks we had to fit it all in! Our whirlwind vacation included spending Christmas in Wisconsin with his family (both immediate and some extended!), made it up to Madison for a night with amazing friends, a stop at the outlet mall in Kenosha, dinner and drinks in Palatine with more good friends, ringing in the new year in Florida, back to Wisconsin for dinner with another couple, registering in both Wisconsin and Illinois, another engagement photo session (with his brother as the photog!), hanging with 3 little ones (1 week old, 3 month old and an 8 month old!)...our last "event" is celebrating Christmas with my family tomorrow before Dave flies back to the UK. Phew! Lots to do...but oh so fun and being with friends and family is what the holidays are all about! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">So...why the "wedding fun" title...well...we've had SO MUCH FUN this week just being together and checking things off our list! We began registering up in Wisconsin...I had the clipboard and pen...Dave got the gun (although I think I had more fun with it!!). We started with Macy's...they were FANTASTIC! We were a little skeptical going in to register on the day after Christmas but quickly found out that not many people are in the homegoods section at that time...we were in and out and all smiles! It was so fun to think about our forever home! We had to keep reminding ourselves that we are requesting things for our new life together and although we may not have space for these items right now...we will hopefully have a beautiful house in which to put them some day! :) We continued registering at the Macy's in Illinois and added Bed Bath & Beyond to our list. I knew that an appointment was needed on the weekends at BBB but wasn't sure about a random Thursday...we arrived at BBB around 2:30 and left to pick up dinner around 8:30...and we'd barely made a dent in the suggested items...but we went al a'carte for our knives and cookware rather than with big sets...so that took a lot of time! :) We ended up back at Macy's two more times...the same with Bed Bath. When all is said and done...and I'm hesitant to say this...but I think we may be finished!!! AHHH!!! SO REAL NOW!!!! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">We also scheduled our cake tasting last week. Although the lady that Boulder Ridge works with is out in the middle of NOWHERE...literally!!! It was a blast! We tried 5-6 different cake flavors and 10-12 different fillings along with 2 frostings. She does NOT do fondant...YEAH...as neither Dave or I really care for fondant. I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag as far as flavors/filling/design go...let's see if I can stick to it...let's just say...we agreed on 2 cake flavors, 2 fillings, 1 frosting and 1 B-E-A-UTIFUL design! Funny enough, the sample cake picture Dave and I both liked the most that we found online was actually one of hers...so she knows exactly what we want...and we know that she can pull it off!!! GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!!!! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">I also found out (today actually) that my bridesmaid dresses have officially been ordered and should be ready in May! Who knew it took 4 months to make a dress...weird...but YEAH that we can check another box on the list!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Finally, we bought our wedding bands! :) We went back to the store where Dave bought my engagement ring from and they were so sweet to us! Although both rings have come in and are ready for our wedding, the store is going to keep them in their vault until July! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Okay...Dave is finished researching steak knives and vacuum cleaners...I'm off to go enjoy our last 24 hours together! XOXO</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Palatine, IL, USA42.1103041 -88.03424000000001142.0160731 -88.195601500000009 42.2045351 -87.872878500000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-126482473198467102012-12-03T21:15:00.001-06:002012-12-03T21:15:15.182-06:00Thankful! :)
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Okay, so everyone on Facebook and with the blogs that I follow spent the month of November coming up with list of things they are thankful for. So I decided to jump on the band-wagon and make a list of my own...but I wanted to add a twist! I have been blessed with an amazing schedule this year and kids that make everyday new and exciting...so I wanted to remind myself of all the...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">“Umm…what should we do
about the fire?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Erin F. – an amazing desk
buddy and a true role model in more ways than words can begin to describe
(teacher, wife, mom, friend)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Sharing excitement for a
student’s achievement…even if it’s not in my own class<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">At times being the only
cheerleader a student will ever have<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Ever changing acronyms…if
you don’t like one…just wait…in a few years it won’t be used anymore and there
will be a new one to replace it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(IEP,
SIP, PLC, PST, PLT, FCS, FACS, ESL, ELL, etc.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Being able to update
grades from home…not that I do it often…but I do appreciate having the ability
to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">‘11-‘12 8<sup>th</sup> hour
foods…enough said!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But really…any 8<sup>th</sup>
hour foods! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Jen M. – A wonderful mentor
and friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone I can vent to and
will help me see the light at the end of the tunnel when I get turned around!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Sometimes a little hands on,
arts and crafts time is all a student needs to succeed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Having students seek me out
for assistance…even if it’s not for my class…or even a class in my department!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">My ESL
students…Meese...bowing…laughter every day as we try to understand each
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Christi P. – A leader taking
our department to the next level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
truly does have a heart for teaching and helping me become the teacher I’m
destined to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Dress up spirit days – pj
day, college night, Fridays, neon night, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Watching students get into
college<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">BTIO – Real Care baby
project!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sending high school students
home with electronic babies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fun times!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Kristie W. – My teacher
running buddy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A truly admirable women
who can balance a full life, teaching, benevolence and faith…and make it look
easy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Having a student come to me
for support; a “can we talk” moment; a confidant <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Seeing a student in public
and having them smile at you and introduce you to their parents…and have the
parents smile back at you and say thank you or I’ve heard so much about you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Watching students grow over
the course of a semester or school year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Students who have the
ability to fit into places they probably shouldn’t – cabinets, refrigerators,
lockers…you name a space…they’ll try to fit in it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Courtney Y. – A woman who
taught me how to be an adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An amazing
hostess, entertainer, and friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
constantly amazes me with her memory and thoughtfulness!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Gingerbread house/Holiday
Cup Cake contests<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Being able to laugh at
myself…sometimes that’s what it takes to reach a tough kiddo <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Friday night lights; high
school musicals; the squeaking of shoes on the basketball court; the roar of
the crowd at a pep assembly (may be wishful thinking…but this year was way
closer!); supporting students as they discover their dreams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Spontaneous karaoke in the
classroom…songs change depending on the class – summer hits of the 90s;
country; R&B…oh the things they come up with</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Parent emails thanking
you for helping a student learn (how to help in the kitchen, do their laundry,
etc)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Lindsey Y. – a truly
remarkable teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so thankful for
the ideas, concepts, and spirit she has brought to our department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s also my wedding planning buddy as our
weddings are 3 months apart next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Having co-workers that will
help pick up the slack when you feel like you can’t go on anymore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Student: “Ms. Fedota…I’m
about to tell you something that’s probably not really appropriate to tell a
teacher…but I don’t know who else to tell”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Me: “okay, just know that if you or someone you know is hurting
themselves or others I have to tell someone” Student: “Oh man…okay…I guess you
can tell…all I was gunna say is that my butt got bigger this weekend” (I
laughed out loud!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Thanksgiving
and she felt her pants were a little tighter than usual!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">My meetings can’t possibly
take more than 50 minutes (and there’s a bell to tell us when to begin…and when
to end!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Getting invited to the
bowling team holiday party…each student invites their favorite teacher…and I’ve
been invited for the 3<sup>rd</sup> year in a row…by a third student!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(yes...I am walking a little taller today!!!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Having a nurse in the
building when you don’t feel good and just need someone else to tell you you
are sick!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Watching my students grow
and mature each year…they start so little (even the seniors) and watching them
leave my classroom a little older each June never gets old.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Giggles, notes, texts,
decorated lockers, flowers, balloons…you can always tell when a teenage girl is
going to have a good day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(in the same
way though…you can always tell when they aren’t!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">That moment when the quiet
kid FINALLY talks!!! And then doesn’t stop!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">When the students help
each other…and you can hear them communicating (and at times using phrases you,
youself, often use!) and working together to accomplish a task!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Comments may be: “that’s not really kitchen
language” or “NO…don’t sit on the counter…you’ll get booty juices on it” or
“soooooo” or “I mean…seriously?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess
they really do listen to me when I talk!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The days where you are more
productive then your to-do list has to offer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I love adding things to a well scratched off list during the day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a good feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Teaching something new to
students and then listening to them explain it to others!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh the joy of them “getting” it!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Getting to know your
students on a personal level (not in a creepy way…but in a way that you realize
you have become more of a mentor figure to them)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">That moment when you’re
teaching and you realize you need to do something to capture their attention
and bring them back in…so you scrap you entire lesson and teach in a different
way while standing on a table! (Always works wonders…until someone busts you
and tells you you can’t file workers comp for an accident you caused
yourself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing I haven’t fallen
yet!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Having your students
invite you into their inside jokes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such
an honor!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Learning about all the new
technologies that are out there…snap chat, facetime, remind101, twitter,
etc…and having the kids laugh when I get them mixed up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Getting to collaborate with
some AMAZING colleagues and try to make things connect across different
classes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">WANTING to continue learning
so that you can be a better teacher for your students!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And coming up with new, exciting, inventive,
creative ways to deliver content to your students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Getting texts from students
that they are REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoying their homework over the
weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But seriously…they are having fun…and
sending pictures as proof!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Laughing with your
students so hard that you find yourself with tears in your eyes!</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It’s great when they can see you are human
too!</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">I know I am a little last with my list...but I really am thankful each and every day for not only a job as a teacher...but a job that allows me to do something that I absolutely LOVE each and every day! XOXO </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-33641987690766716492012-11-25T17:44:00.002-06:002012-11-26T11:38:31.090-06:00A few e.pics! :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5pWAii8US9sqGr8mCxMnzY5KG5TY2shcI507Lph16hj97_vkHEVvB-zcxDEEevFTsVnyaYwfsEo6Xf7FjU66yUiGIjq45yienJ7_Du4X3zgs_j3lAkr66WASS7NMaysvPTimD7TD-1dU/s1600/0098_SB1_6719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5pWAii8US9sqGr8mCxMnzY5KG5TY2shcI507Lph16hj97_vkHEVvB-zcxDEEevFTsVnyaYwfsEo6Xf7FjU66yUiGIjq45yienJ7_Du4X3zgs_j3lAkr66WASS7NMaysvPTimD7TD-1dU/s320/0098_SB1_6719.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Just a few of the pictures Dave and I took this summer! We had a blast...but it was SO HOT!!! 105 in the shade...and as you can tell...rather hazy but the sun was out at least! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">We were both in good spirits...but man...was it H.O.T.T.! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0giWLbmc2GGGgIwEfuFaCgBPnD-KQ3QWkUzaCyBSaRW-CpO_H-SiRiLd0zfkG0CFz2iRa2tgYYtYMoVNDRTc_J6NdmcGKj7eHvQGlguBylDsctsRCiE25ZJtGxLtbXsWVhd0uPrjmVNu/s1600/0036_SB1_5997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0giWLbmc2GGGgIwEfuFaCgBPnD-KQ3QWkUzaCyBSaRW-CpO_H-SiRiLd0zfkG0CFz2iRa2tgYYtYMoVNDRTc_J6NdmcGKj7eHvQGlguBylDsctsRCiE25ZJtGxLtbXsWVhd0uPrjmVNu/s320/0036_SB1_5997.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCEOFrCufkcE89jY_l8_DKbqrpi-zPdaqAiPsPfNw-5OahY55pVGldSnxqaIJtor710EhvyFoxCy04EempoBSqPj1ikpUmQYKKfhZgNtQdQdZ8_FU6aMKcVPByNVBPUjDgUN6NzCkuqLb/s1600/0037_IMG_9076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCEOFrCufkcE89jY_l8_DKbqrpi-zPdaqAiPsPfNw-5OahY55pVGldSnxqaIJtor710EhvyFoxCy04EempoBSqPj1ikpUmQYKKfhZgNtQdQdZ8_FU6aMKcVPByNVBPUjDgUN6NzCkuqLb/s320/0037_IMG_9076.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HgLO8AcU2mJ-3qB-BPTvfP0oKtHrqFA0GDt2VTK__qsOXtjd3aSW8jlVuc8ltuKaIuo4nq7Go6d5_C3nAFAGvaYrc9So0VX5sscGbVbO5JJf68AmeBkHFgfsuOfkV8Xd_z8D_fjCylI4/s1600/0006_SB1_6045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HgLO8AcU2mJ-3qB-BPTvfP0oKtHrqFA0GDt2VTK__qsOXtjd3aSW8jlVuc8ltuKaIuo4nq7Go6d5_C3nAFAGvaYrc9So0VX5sscGbVbO5JJf68AmeBkHFgfsuOfkV8Xd_z8D_fjCylI4/s320/0006_SB1_6045.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZuV1cNJue4y5WxP9zMtR-nsETHDt6Juh_-Tx5S_yx6yxPwBzB6xMIU1Ex5C5m9HolRN-UpHB_m_elL9cJuCy09FZXTqjcsfELT9s1Ey1SmWdZcOfaNW6FgshLGd_GEMZHvpqlOOo-_ut/s1600/0067_SB1_6201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZuV1cNJue4y5WxP9zMtR-nsETHDt6Juh_-Tx5S_yx6yxPwBzB6xMIU1Ex5C5m9HolRN-UpHB_m_elL9cJuCy09FZXTqjcsfELT9s1Ey1SmWdZcOfaNW6FgshLGd_GEMZHvpqlOOo-_ut/s320/0067_SB1_6201.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-42927688072989746562012-11-25T17:37:00.004-06:002012-11-25T17:37:52.194-06:00My First 15K <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Nope, not 15 thousand...rather 15 kilometers...of running!!! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuxSuw8XubgDtvXvpH4HSJBgSCt_wtJd-fcTAKli1cXlhTLymRBwZA4gTzM3gC1HtJtFb7dMS8vZ3QhE4H6eeDYsME-yZYeQEMbPVmxkth-HjsPnI7-jG8iKJIkoBPkW58WcQmc7bv9Ni/s1600/IMG_1687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuxSuw8XubgDtvXvpH4HSJBgSCt_wtJd-fcTAKli1cXlhTLymRBwZA4gTzM3gC1HtJtFb7dMS8vZ3QhE4H6eeDYsME-yZYeQEMbPVmxkth-HjsPnI7-jG8iKJIkoBPkW58WcQmc7bv9Ni/s320/IMG_1687.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">At the start...SO MANY PEOPLE!!!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">The past few years my brother and I have always run the Chicago Hot Chocolate 5K together. Last year, following his marathon, I thought it might be neat if I got up the nerve/courage to run a little bit further! Well, when this year's Hot Chocolate came up I was convinced that this would be a good thing. I started training (with a little (okay lot) of help from my brother) and figured if I could run 1 I could do 2, if I can run 2 I can run 3, if I can run 3 I can run 4...well you get the idea! So I started running with a few girls from school and by myself. I noticed that I can run the loooong runs on my training schedule solo but it was WAY MORE FUN to run with a buddy...now I get why so many runners have dogs! Hehe. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Jared was able to be with me as I branched officially onto the second hand when counting consecutive miles! We ran 7 together on one of my first long training runs. I was able to then have the mental courage to do it again...twice more...and longer...before we actually ran the hot chocolate. We had quite a group running by I was SO fortunate to have my running mate at my side the entire time! :) Bear stuck with me the whole time...with so many words of encouragement! XOXO!!! I LOVE THAT LITTLE BROTHER!!!!! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIF1q3hyphenhyphenMuGo-3tio1qVDDa6JKRq3AqAgyeb4NkD3XlRbCJg1YSnuufnFzH6UyhX34W3dTgzllnvU6D_BTXTxqQAIT0ecK7JQObqdepkdNySAGiesnQAp_6JRv9XgrgutXz0kECZzVTKY/s1600/IMG_1692.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIF1q3hyphenhyphenMuGo-3tio1qVDDa6JKRq3AqAgyeb4NkD3XlRbCJg1YSnuufnFzH6UyhX34W3dTgzllnvU6D_BTXTxqQAIT0ecK7JQObqdepkdNySAGiesnQAp_6JRv9XgrgutXz0kECZzVTKY/s320/IMG_1692.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">The crew (or at least a minor part of it!)</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">The best part about this race (aside from me accomplishing a great achievement!) was the fondue at the end. The hot chocolate itself was a bit of a let down...but the yummy melted chocolate and bananas and rice krispies and pretzels were SO WORTH IT! :) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30TMZN3TUQXi1W7IgJ1JlJnJ0BKvS1BBMmx7ZufhWL6S66FtNPaJqMLi1rScKU_Kq2lvHh2hKCvhABhsxNJQB_3wlrIGLQ5YQyn3yHuUbpgj7-M-dgeejhAX2aDjGIUZhtvCtjMgq4E5c/s1600/IMG_1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30TMZN3TUQXi1W7IgJ1JlJnJ0BKvS1BBMmx7ZufhWL6S66FtNPaJqMLi1rScKU_Kq2lvHh2hKCvhABhsxNJQB_3wlrIGLQ5YQyn3yHuUbpgj7-M-dgeejhAX2aDjGIUZhtvCtjMgq4E5c/s320/IMG_1689.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">So much trash...but SO YUMMY!!!</span></td></tr>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-84054224397036911192012-11-25T17:13:00.001-06:002012-11-25T17:13:28.142-06:00The Big 2-9<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Yup...you read that correctly! I have officially entered the late 20's. Now some will argue that I entered this phase at 27 but I disagree!!! I have to admit...I am very excited for all that 29 has in store for me! But before we look ahead...let's take a short trip down memory lane...I figured I would highlight one key event in each year of 28 before I close the door on mid-20's and enter my late 20's all systems go!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">October 2011 - My little bro runs his first marathon </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Fu_6YVfOXyUWHfni5ZqZaiMsARS1Tw3q-Ko_y10O2JeXsNadqKEUfmoblnpqKa1wanIwHXTcoRNqpUdLqaTxqhp5Rd787GhP_-BW12c-UYFllPBw7RSI9OrKOSWuDLiSE1an0aL9fHDN/s1600/IMG_0079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Fu_6YVfOXyUWHfni5ZqZaiMsARS1Tw3q-Ko_y10O2JeXsNadqKEUfmoblnpqKa1wanIwHXTcoRNqpUdLqaTxqhp5Rd787GhP_-BW12c-UYFllPBw7RSI9OrKOSWuDLiSE1an0aL9fHDN/s320/IMG_0079.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">November 2011 - Hot Chocolate Race with my little Brother</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">December 2011 - My best friend asked me to spend the rest of my life with him! <3</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">January 2012 - Ringing in the new year in Naples, FL</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymjHBJ9vXOO0N4A0gZ8RnB2MMA_ubNSTQAAWv6iFMnZ5bXSjm20RZcWLcEXLZjmmUgcuDcxRyY1PrNuDruENiazmOu0YMyU1d4_s0pfYDOL94mGq3mGSMe_5mHhzxy4MKG2fHS1j1W0Jc/s1600/DSCN8440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymjHBJ9vXOO0N4A0gZ8RnB2MMA_ubNSTQAAWv6iFMnZ5bXSjm20RZcWLcEXLZjmmUgcuDcxRyY1PrNuDruENiazmOu0YMyU1d4_s0pfYDOL94mGq3mGSMe_5mHhzxy4MKG2fHS1j1W0Jc/s320/DSCN8440.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">February 2012 - Ski trip to CO for Valentine's day weekend</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC889a0Sg3Jyyn7QyhgaUO70P6sKna_i0zegmALhGUsmlRsx900ZMpqY3YYUrCED8xsqw2pkG79dy1N6jP_IRlkqbpOfArC-F1XmbWMVgq4ZUxFgdB0W5dZ0pE-TH4zyHKl_csmIEivlVY/s1600/IMG_0675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC889a0Sg3Jyyn7QyhgaUO70P6sKna_i0zegmALhGUsmlRsx900ZMpqY3YYUrCED8xsqw2pkG79dy1N6jP_IRlkqbpOfArC-F1XmbWMVgq4ZUxFgdB0W5dZ0pE-TH4zyHKl_csmIEivlVY/s320/IMG_0675.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">March 2012 - St. Patrick's Day in Chi-town with two of my closest friends!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-go-RsXadHbGhzytKomISIBEYOffKv5gOWvaRWhcw1dwIhWiujvGiHjoIURsi-DiPfXJM59G9DcmynjBunYSxCORJFkFj0WxL8hvpeEM1NV9Pr4ltn4YwsaszLz_107XJ6RwxMtBa780f/s1600/IMG_0769.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-go-RsXadHbGhzytKomISIBEYOffKv5gOWvaRWhcw1dwIhWiujvGiHjoIURsi-DiPfXJM59G9DcmynjBunYSxCORJFkFj0WxL8hvpeEM1NV9Pr4ltn4YwsaszLz_107XJ6RwxMtBa780f/s320/IMG_0769.PNG" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">April 2012 - Spring Break in London</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">May 2012 - Bearie graduates from Marquette</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kceJwlij6UUsItjmVItIqdmXOdaAReBAOGa4DWj3hDUjK9NwxJsoE1zB2Y1Z1EalNSa8UcTPJu1w1-uuPmldKGF1dQDEp5DwsnyhVUy-UdzNO-hquOivnZb2K0Nut1E1Zp8OG3wlz6t6/s1600/IMG_1012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kceJwlij6UUsItjmVItIqdmXOdaAReBAOGa4DWj3hDUjK9NwxJsoE1zB2Y1Z1EalNSa8UcTPJu1w1-uuPmldKGF1dQDEp5DwsnyhVUy-UdzNO-hquOivnZb2K0Nut1E1Zp8OG3wlz6t6/s320/IMG_1012.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">June 2012 - My Best Friend's Wedding (well end of June/start of July)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">July 2012 - 4th of July in WI</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EQVrsOR5YCr1g2IIupR74a8yALUBxZje_vmYNvokCeMSxtiTpkBfaTSgZhXnNug4FrknFQb8fOAYdsgpAvzaTV4W931z0J9kEji9V-Ex_q39bqFKgh9nAaxxX1wU51Pn25j4hbw6O0JQ/s1600/DSCN9679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EQVrsOR5YCr1g2IIupR74a8yALUBxZje_vmYNvokCeMSxtiTpkBfaTSgZhXnNug4FrknFQb8fOAYdsgpAvzaTV4W931z0J9kEji9V-Ex_q39bqFKgh9nAaxxX1wU51Pn25j4hbw6O0JQ/s320/DSCN9679.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">August 2012 - Summer 2012 Olympic Games in London, England </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">September 2012 - Start of my last year as Ms. Fedota </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">All in all I have to say 28 was an amazing year, but 29 is shaping up to be rather spectacular! I am looking forward to spending lots of time with my friends and family, finishing up a GREAT school year, more travel (CO, FL, UK, EU...who knows where else I'll end up!?!?), and marrying my best friend! XOXO :)</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-33553411585537813552012-10-02T20:37:00.000-05:002012-10-02T20:37:00.220-05:00Wedding Fun!!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">AHHHH!!!!! We are almost to the 9 month countdown!!! YEAH!!!! I am getting so incredibly excited to marry my very best friend and the man of my dreams! :) I cannot wait! As much as I don't want to give up the K-FED nickname...I am getting so excited to become a J____ girl (sorry ya'll...Dave's just not 100% on the whole blogging thing!!!). Anyways...I have been checking things off the to-do list left and right here and we are well on our way to planning a fab par-tay for July! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Some of the most recent check marks include:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Hotel contract - I did fairly well on this one...not as great as I negotiated with the reception venue...but not too bad</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Shuttle to/from hotel - the more people who stay at the hotel the better! BOOK your rooms now if you know you're coming! :)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Bridesmaid dresses - 1 bridesmaid tried it on last week; 3 more trying them on on Monday! YEAH for an A-MAZ-ING bridal party who are awesome women!!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Centerpieces - I think we've got it to what we want...now it's time to price them out! Mom and I both agree...we need to get better at delegating what other people (who have totally already offered) could do! I guess us control freaks :) don't really have to do it all ourselves! </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Invitation wording - Dave has been working on this! SO CUTE and I love what he's come up with! Nice job baby!!!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Website updated - kind of...but it is getting there!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Save the Dates mailed - YES! Such a good feeling! I invited my aunts and a few cousins over to have an address the save the dates party and we got them all addressed in like 30 minutes! We even put the 5 year old to work...she was a FANTASTIC stamp putter-onner! :)</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I am SO EXCITED for this winter! We have so much to do...but Dave will be home so we'll be getting a lot done together! :) LOVE THIS GUY!!!!!! XOXO</span><br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-24996305019849327712012-10-02T20:18:00.003-05:002012-10-02T20:19:58.423-05:00Homecoming<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">I thought it was time for another school post! Our school's Homecoming was a little early this year but it made for great weather throughout the week (too bad it rained during the football game...which brought with it a chilly cold front for the day of the dance!). However with the craziness of homecoming (every day is a different dress-up day for school spirit) came Open House and 4 different bell schedules in one week! AHHHH!!! Talk about feeling behind...I never felt like I could catch up with what I needed to get done on any given day! Here's a glimpse of the week (I can only imagine how crazy it was for a student council sponsor!):</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Monday - PJ Day (my favorite day of the year!!!) - normal bell schedule</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Tuesday - Western Day (jeans, boots, flannel...niiiiiiice) - late start for the kids meaning teachers were in meetings all morning...bell schedule #2</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday - Class Color Day (Frosh-blue, Soph-red, JR-green, SR-gold, faculty-black...simple enough!) - normal bell schedule</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thursday -Decade day...which means...YUP...the roller skates made yet another appearance!!! ALSO...Open House...meaning early dismissal...bell schedule #3...also means teachers get to go through their day TWICE!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Friday - FHS Spirit Day (support your team...wear yellow and green...yup, I just made that up!). </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">Light Up the Night - Neon Day (see pic below if you didn't look their first!). I definitely went all out this year! Too bad I had most of the clothes to start...really! Who does that?!?!? Anyways...there was a pep assembly at the end of the day meaning...you got it...bell schedule #4 for the week! I took part of the faculty dance number this year and had a ball...I think part of the video can even be found somewhere on youtube! HA! Friday night was also the homecoming football game...complete with a golf cart parade. This year I had 2 carts in the parade (Operation Snowball and Culinary Club).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">After the crazy week...I slept like crazy that weekend! :)</span><br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-51607086365185806752012-10-02T19:53:00.001-05:002012-10-02T19:53:31.387-05:00Start of the School Year<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The school year got off to a flying start...probably because I had to hit the ground running this year. I scheduled my flight back to the US for as close to the beginning of school as possible (looking back now that may have been a poor decision...although I LOVED the extra time with my lovey man!) I arrived back in the US on Sunday evening, Monday I had a meeting at school, Wednesday was our teacher institute and Thursday the kids arrived. Holy Moly did that week go F-A-S-T! :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">As a welcome back to school project I made each teacher in the department a gift (curtsey of pintrest!). Each lady of FCS received a new tumbler "filled to the brim" with excitement for a new school year! SO FUN! :) It contained little treats like lifesavers, bandaids, rubberbands, erasers, animal crackers, 100 grand & payday candy, stickers, gum, etc. I just thought it would help everyone transition back to school with a little more ease! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This year I am teaching 2 classes I haven't taught in a long time! I am no longer teaching LOYO or Child Development but instead I have picked up Consumer Management and Life Studies. I LOVE both classes so much! My Consumer class is a required class for graduation however I teach a sheltered section for students in the ESL program. We move at a slightly slower pace but they receive the same information! They are a constant source of entertainment for me...especially since I've had most of the students in foods before! Life Studies is a predominantly freshman class...and wow...did I forget how cute they are when they all get together! I have 2 sections of LS with about 15 girls in each! LOVE THEM!!! Although the class covers the four main domains in FCS (Foods, Fashion, Child Development, Interior Design over the course of a year) I like to also add a focus on surviving high school and being a good person. These girls are like sponges and soak up whatever you tell them! It's great!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Also new this year is my position as a cooperating teacher. For the first time I have a student teacher. She is with me (and another teacher) until the end of November. (She started on Day 1!!!) She's doing a great job and the kids really respond well to her. I can't wait to see what neat lessons she may create for my classes! </span><br />
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-87653081551121857212012-10-02T19:34:00.000-05:002012-10-02T19:34:13.314-05:00A little updating is necessary!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Ummm...can we just be honest here and say...WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO!?!?!?!?!?! I truly cannot believe that it is OCTOBER already! WOW! SO...that means I'm up for a little updating...too bad it has taken me 6 weeks into the school year to finally have a little time to myself to get this done! :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">So let's start where we left off! OLYMPICS BABY! We just received our iBook we made from our time at the Olympics. I am so thankful we had the opportunity not only to go to the games but also that we were smart enough to get it all into a book as quickly as possible so that we wouldn't forget anything! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Following our time at the games we realized that there were so many things we wished we had done while we were chillin' in London! It is very typical for me and Dave to overbook ourselves when we travel (may I remind you of our crazy 8 days in Italy last summer???) so it really did not surprise us that we did it yet again! We spent so much of our waking hours up on our feet touring the city and sites that by the time we got back to our hotel we only had energy left to shower (and even that was tough!) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">Oh the memories! I still look back on our pictures with such excitement!!! It feels unreal! We are definitely hoping that we will make it to the games again in the future! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-70166922815641115802012-08-12T11:04:00.007-05:002012-08-12T11:04:59.956-05:00Just a little tease!So the highlight of our summer in England has definitely been the London 2012 Olympic games! We (and when I say "we" I actually really mean Dave) were fortunate enough to get tickets for a number of events through the ticket lottery. We knew we were lucky but it really sank in when as we talked to other people that have lived in England their whole lives and did not receive any tickets. As I am SO excited to get ALL my memories down on paper (or, uh, the internet?) I feel I owe it to many to post a little teaser update with a few pics and the brief outline of our experience!<br />
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Our Olympic Adventure actually spanned two weekends. (We took a day trip to Bath during the week of vacation Dave took from work to celebrate the games! That will be a later post as well!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I look slightly scared to be taking a<br />picture with Dave...I think I was just<br />trying to keep my eyes open! :)</td></tr>
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We started our experience on Saturday August 4, 2012 at Earl's Court towards the west end of town. This venue was actually used that last time the Olympics were in London (1948). We were there to see Men's Indoor Volleyball. Our helpful handout that came with the tickets suggested getting to the venue 2 hours before the start time to avoid the lines...well...we did this...and got through the lines, security, ticket scanners, and into the stadium in under 20 minutes! So...we had about 90 minutes to take it all in before the fun really started! We were able to see two different men's volleyball games:<br />
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Germany v. Tunisia </div>
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German victory in all 3 games<br />
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Great Britain v. Poland </div>
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Polish victory in all 3 games<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our 100s of action shots!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave outside the arena! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near our seats! :)</td></tr>
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Sunday August 5 found us at Horse Guards Parade awaiting our turn to watch the ladies compete in a little beach volleyball action. It was announced earlier in the games that if the temperature was below 17 degrees celsius (62.6 degrees fahrenheit) the ladies could cover up (they typically compete in sports bikinis). Since we had tickets to the latest session of the day we were really hoping we would get to see the US ladies play! And we were in LUCK!!! We actually got to see two different sessions of the games:<br />
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Brazil v. Germany </div>
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We cheered for the Germans (1 because my cousins are living there right now and 2 because they only covered up the bottoms...while the Brazilians kind of looked like Orcas!)</div>
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Brazil won the first 2 games so they didn't play a 3rd </div>
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Czech Republic v. USA</div>
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Obviously we were cheering for the red, white and blue!</div>
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USA won the first 2 games so they didn't play a 3rd </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy couple after a USA V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll block that spike!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USA in the white! </td></tr>
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Monday August 6 found us at the Olympic Park! YEAH!!!! We had morning tickets for Men's basketball but our tickets allowed us to stay in the park as long as we wanted! :) YEAH!!! Aside from the prelim rounds of basketball, the Olympic Park was also home to the Olympic Stadium (the ONLY place you could see the torch...needless to say...we didn't), the Orbit (looks like a really short rollercoaster...not really necessary...just a tourist attraction!), the Velodrome (what's up bikers), the Aquatic Center (hello swimmers & divers), and the BMX track(we think) (I wasn't (and still am not) convinced this is an olympic sport...sorry). SUCH FUN!!!!!!! We got to watch the live taping of the Today Show (they wear a LOT of make-up), take our picture with the rings, and did a lot of walking! Our helpful handout for this venue failed to mention that it was a 2 mile walk from the Underground Station to the entrance!!! Oh...and then another 25 minute walk to the actual b-ball arena once you entered the grounds! HA! We were a tad late for the game! But we were okay with that!!! We got to take in two basketball games this time including:<br />
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Australia v. Russia </div>
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We wanted the Aussies to win...and win they did...barely! 82-80</div>
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Lithuania v. Tunisia</div>
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I was hoping Lietuva(lee-et-too-va...how the fans chant) would win...and they did! 76-63</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Olympic Stadium!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the entrance to the park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave doing the BOLT in front of the B.Ball Arena </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Men's Basketball</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the RINGS!!!!</td></tr>
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Thursday August 9 found us back in London for our final event of the games! Friday August 10 we had tickets to the 5:00 game between Spain and Russia...we really wanted tickets to the 9:00 game between Argentina and the USA! After a little successful negotiations we were able to purchase 2 single tickets to the US game and quickly sold our tickets to the first game! YEAH!!! The only downside was that since we purchased two single tickets they were SUPER far apart (1 was down in the 100 level; the other was up in the 400 level). So we decided that I would take the good ticket first and then Dave would get it for the 2nd half. I didn't want to see him go all the way up to his seat and since there were 4 seats next to me open he just sat there for as long as he would be allowed to...which ended up being the ENTIRE GAME!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!! So to keep in form like the upper portion of this update I'll say this: We were able to watch the following men's semi-final basketball game at the Greenwich Arena:<br />
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Argentina v. USA</div>
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We were hoping for a US victory - and we got it! 126-97</div>
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To say we had a blast would be a MAJOR understatement!!! We loved our time...but our feet were a little upset! Deck shoes (as much as I love you my sperries!) are not the best footwear for walking miles and miles each day! Oh well! Such is life!!! </div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-16341593056745910302012-07-31T08:32:00.002-05:002012-07-31T08:32:29.528-05:00Remembrances<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">I found myself taking a trip down memory lane yesterday and didn't really realize I was there until I felt the tears on my cheeks. (We ALL know I'm a cryer...so the tears could have been because Finn and Rachel broke up again (or was it Finn and Quinn?) in season 2 of Glee...or because I was tied...much more likely...regardless, there have been many wonderful people in my life that left before their time that I think of often with a smile!!!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><b>Grandma Kitty </b>- okay...now we KNOW I'm tired if this is the first thing that I write about!!! Grandma Kitty was my dad's mom. We lived with her for a while while our home in Palatine was being built. I have so many memories of watching the Cubs play on TV with the sound off so we could listen to the radio announcers. We would set out lawn chairs to save parking spaces in the city for my parents upon their return from work. We would ride the El...just for the sake of riding the El. We would walk Tedo (not a real dog...but a pound puppy dog that we would tie a string around and pull down the street). And every time it rains I think of a poem we would repeat on our morning walks if it was raining. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>One misty, moisty morning, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>When cloudy was the weather, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>He began to compliment, and I began to grin, </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>How do you do, and how do you do?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><i>And how do you do again?</i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Seeing as it has been raining during some of my stay here in England I have found myself repeating this nursery rhyme time and time again. And I smile when I think about how it's kinda like England. As I walk home from dropping Dave off at the bus I see the same faces and have started to smile and say hello as we pass! :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><b>Uncle Joe</b> - with the Olympics being televised (ALL THE TIME) live in London I can't help but think back to my first experience with the games! Back in 1996, 2 of my dad's brothers lived and worked in Atlanta, GA. With all the hype around the games the Fedota brothers were fortunate enough not only to have tickets to a wide variety of events (tennis, track, swimming, softball...to name a few) but also to be a part of the games. One brother (Joe) was an envoy to the Bahraini athletes (big into sailing but sadly didn't medal). He was basically in charge of the team and was responsible for making sure they got to and from each other their events. So fun! My other uncle (Gary) was on a team of people who did all the pedestrian traffic signage. At the start of the games he would stand on top of buildings and watch where foot traffic backed up or funneled funny and then the team would work overnight to create signs for new traffic patterns. Joe's wife was working for another teams consulate at the time and was working with their athletes as well. (Such an involved family). I remember with fondness the humor that Joe brought to each and every situation. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><b>S.E.F.</b> - SEF was taken WAY before her time. We lived in the Chi Omega house together (for the semester she lived there) and then lived in an off-campus house with 6 other ladies. SEF lived in the attic - it was like her own little sanctuary up there...so much space! She definitely drew the long straw when it came to room picking - while Carebear and I were stuck in the basement...oh but we loved our dark little space down there (possums and all!!!!). :) SEF was such a positive, cheerful, funny, and inspiring young woman. It's hard to believe she was needed in heaven 6 years ago. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Okay - I really don't want anyone to feel like I left out a loved one who deserves to be recognized here. This was just meant to be my thoughts as I sit and watch the mist fall over the mountain (hill?) outside the window. There really were no intentions here! Other than to say that sometimes, and it happens to us all, we miss people in our hearts more than I minds will us. </span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-25499187574946966452012-07-30T06:44:00.001-05:002012-07-30T06:44:01.665-05:00Working Backwards!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">As I was so excited yesterday at all that we had accomplished I didn't realize that I hadn't updated about our spontaneous day trip to Gloucester on Saturday! Whoops! So I'll work a little backwards and update you all about our unplanned Saturday! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">After staying up super late to watch the LIVE coverage of the opening ceremonies, we...oh I should probably talk about that for a second first!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Okay...the OPENING CEREMONIES! WOW! I forgot how fun it is to be in the same country as the Olympics! :) Well...the last time was in '96! There is such an amazing feeling over here in England as the games drew clearer! (and now that they've started the hype has just gotten bigger!!!) Dave and I invited another couple over to watch the opening ceremonies. It was great fun (both to watch the event on TV as well as play with the couples cocker spaniel Charlie (some of you may remember him from a few posts last summer!)). As the countdown coverage to the ceremonies began we had to laugh at what we were seeing being covered (ducks, sheep, hay, a maypole, etc.). The couple we were with began to talk about how embarrassing it was...but then we watched the event and it was much more different than we originally anticipated! And at the end (although it went quite looooooong) it was a very nice opening ceremony. Some Londoners were disappointed in who actually got to light the torch (but may I remind you that the theme of the games is "Inspire a Generation" and to me...what a better way to inspire them than having them be part of the ceremonies!). Personally I loved the fireworks at the end...but for those of you who know me...I love me a good fireworks show!!! :)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_zdbPcvRDuTN2fDGtQWPqk_2VPNtWzY2CMt2LpVD5G-xrqIsgk-5EQeby_3qTBHFdJak273RVei2KWUrWC6H5r-EaQRp2q84J_K_FwplaUl67A0LyDdBrhP3MJAlwbVdbLWVChoSi2mE/s1600/DSCN9863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_zdbPcvRDuTN2fDGtQWPqk_2VPNtWzY2CMt2LpVD5G-xrqIsgk-5EQeby_3qTBHFdJak273RVei2KWUrWC6H5r-EaQRp2q84J_K_FwplaUl67A0LyDdBrhP3MJAlwbVdbLWVChoSi2mE/s320/DSCN9863.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The Swallow Bakery made Olympic cupcakes! <br />So of course we had to get a few! (Too bad I at part<br />of the green ring before I thought to take the picture!!!)</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaly7RBQN1Qw__Lf9AYmnrK4G4Gw7IiTGe9CZCYuhnWC0lxjv4D7xYigeocQuVDAUy0j1sQHiIyCE-9ydrQ9idSS8rDHKKw9fGIxfxBLU_MIO7w7_t2JQDwsoo5IWGKcnILk3F91jzeLd/s1600/DSCN9824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUaly7RBQN1Qw__Lf9AYmnrK4G4Gw7IiTGe9CZCYuhnWC0lxjv4D7xYigeocQuVDAUy0j1sQHiIyCE-9ydrQ9idSS8rDHKKw9fGIxfxBLU_MIO7w7_t2JQDwsoo5IWGKcnILk3F91jzeLd/s200/DSCN9824.JPG" width="150" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Now, on to Gloucester (pronounced glaw-ster). Dave and I woke up early for a Saturday after a late night and realized that it was going to be a very nice day (in the lower 70s). We hopped on a bus (and 5 pound note gets you a day pass...kinda like a hop on/hop off pass!) and headed east. Gloucester is a port town and rather lovely! There is a beautiful cathedral you can tour and a bunch of very cute pubs! Thanks to Dave's old roommate we were armed with our Good Pub Guide! What a remarkable gift...it highlights 5000 pubs all over England, organized by area. We were able to hit up two pubs in one day! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_wwkLUMbICI9m8ndCWTnI_317OrFzKW6W4dy9cD2MMDOSHGVhYNyQvkxyZO1C0LtlK8QnH3n0kVvv9KCgVg9BYWyEUAFW97uNIXFfiS_ZqH7FEG6XFaOEngSAW6avpuwdARMohdSMZeX/s1600/DSCN9818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_wwkLUMbICI9m8ndCWTnI_317OrFzKW6W4dy9cD2MMDOSHGVhYNyQvkxyZO1C0LtlK8QnH3n0kVvv9KCgVg9BYWyEUAFW97uNIXFfiS_ZqH7FEG6XFaOEngSAW6avpuwdARMohdSMZeX/s200/DSCN9818.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Shadows in stain glass! :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj353MYAOq6m8EUw2uTrwe6ZNxnuUulAhg9Vk2CdwrqgF_Izu1mDtrjdLHwMULPqYxVML4woI3G56BSxXgSp0XW561RxzDya_fWeK06R3gAsfWPRFsGiJGAmgdBeu_q1SlHSkaBkWm-vqNI/s1600/DSCN9840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj353MYAOq6m8EUw2uTrwe6ZNxnuUulAhg9Vk2CdwrqgF_Izu1mDtrjdLHwMULPqYxVML4woI3G56BSxXgSp0XW561RxzDya_fWeK06R3gAsfWPRFsGiJGAmgdBeu_q1SlHSkaBkWm-vqNI/s200/DSCN9840.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Taking in the sites at the marina! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddb_dEP3J3Of9DoJuRqrKT_Oo_XV_45_HovtaWfnYSgkLOdp9FnvR-UYOe8-nGS4YzDf5tNQhfsSlnCTlmk1kD-GevTMjjU731_fft2Xhg_TpLACgxWG11ZLMoKW5DwLTDBQ_EnyN7wG7/s200/DSCN9825.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Welcome to the halls of Hogwarts!<br />Nope...not kidding...they really used<br />this hallway for filming!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskVIYT1ZUtPLRakL3WEDl_s3RasaUubYduDBmEivItCUXpyQfX8q8p7iLM3Lt8_bwfVUnvBM6Ff820pAccbo5Q0_zaGkxNScKb5-AEZoTgblD8cqlaOPAJ9LrcdMjzNNSuXwlW8ogmqpU/s1600/DSCN9822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskVIYT1ZUtPLRakL3WEDl_s3RasaUubYduDBmEivItCUXpyQfX8q8p7iLM3Lt8_bwfVUnvBM6Ff820pAccbo5Q0_zaGkxNScKb5-AEZoTgblD8cqlaOPAJ9LrcdMjzNNSuXwlW8ogmqpU/s200/DSCN9822.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Little guy on the right...<br />head in his hands! <br />Just too cute! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWleaKXa6WjN-ZgDtytq9uPXBd2V1YotigbtWeLeRHBtU7jQF_LPMLl2VsTUvwImSPxQpuVCYmgGf8BavU6qUnvqMJZ9R3aLXfg1Fz7ONa2oUS180E1Sg1Nf-hVva_vLZvy16PU2Q0_z-6/s1600/DSCN9835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWleaKXa6WjN-ZgDtytq9uPXBd2V1YotigbtWeLeRHBtU7jQF_LPMLl2VsTUvwImSPxQpuVCYmgGf8BavU6qUnvqMJZ9R3aLXfg1Fz7ONa2oUS180E1Sg1Nf-hVva_vLZvy16PU2Q0_z-6/s200/DSCN9835.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Who doesn't love lunch in a<br />quaint little pub!?!?</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">While we were touring the cathedral we were asked to move along a little more quickly than we had wanted to tour but it was because there was a wedding scheduled for half past one. Dave is such a wonderful fiancee and waited with me the 10 minutes until the start of the wedding so we could see the bride! She was beautiful and it was so cute to see how nervous she was! She only had 3 attendants with her and they walked behind her (in green dresses...very similar to the color we are looking at for our wedding!). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqeQyQnzpZLeWhcgOtfU1_8lEk9hyphenhyphenEg1b6YGz58S8YRLWdLSphob4jOMi5ER3rsgxr_YXTMpYV-b_Vz1cGMpIxxaBRcZ5dsaBBrzxx2urH4DXLRKodm_cJXqkoJdBrkY2XH9HK_ZVtWrL/s1600/DSCN9827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqeQyQnzpZLeWhcgOtfU1_8lEk9hyphenhyphenEg1b6YGz58S8YRLWdLSphob4jOMi5ER3rsgxr_YXTMpYV-b_Vz1cGMpIxxaBRcZ5dsaBBrzxx2urH4DXLRKodm_cJXqkoJdBrkY2XH9HK_ZVtWrL/s200/DSCN9827.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Talk about an awesome aisle! </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6Hn_oVoOWZuu5KabrrPSCC99b3YAB-Tqo-QQ4J5qmH8xG8HA3h_w0l75aMMpAISLIMi28aIgJOKh5E8bedKjRzy52t_zaiSgzC46QFv3KDnIZbCr64pevN2d6HlJtKLXYM5eKdIGBTmU/s1600/DSCN9833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6Hn_oVoOWZuu5KabrrPSCC99b3YAB-Tqo-QQ4J5qmH8xG8HA3h_w0l75aMMpAISLIMi28aIgJOKh5E8bedKjRzy52t_zaiSgzC46QFv3KDnIZbCr64pevN2d6HlJtKLXYM5eKdIGBTmU/s200/DSCN9833.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Following our time in the church we headed for lunch at the Village Inn...a really cute pub in a courtyard...I had wonderful teriyaki chicken and Dave had a tuna/mayonnaise wrap. Mine was SOOO YUMMY!!!!!! We then walked to the wharf and enjoyed looking at all the house boats in the harbor! I don't really think I could ever live on a house boat for a very long time...but it would be neat to travel in one for a day or two! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Af0KlgAjJh9KYe-ZyqejNO2A9eW4GlPOQHsERjR63e3zPa2vEQGRbzEL-XH-hbauzXcyWC5Mh3Tm9EJwyzXJAW88JPwdJR5BALD_69xev8QFOW4cPAHF78Df_gP9xcbvbOHZ-O5pTUiV/s1600/DSCN9859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Af0KlgAjJh9KYe-ZyqejNO2A9eW4GlPOQHsERjR63e3zPa2vEQGRbzEL-XH-hbauzXcyWC5Mh3Tm9EJwyzXJAW88JPwdJR5BALD_69xev8QFOW4cPAHF78Df_gP9xcbvbOHZ-O5pTUiV/s200/DSCN9859.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">As we were walking back to the bus station we came across a cider/beer/blues festival at Cafe Rene (pub two to check off in our book!) and stopped in for one! It was beautiful in the sunshine so we found a bench and enjoyed our surroundings (too bad the bench was in a cemetery!)!!! I have to be honest, I am loving every minute of my time with Dave this summer!!! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJyEzaRR1U4xuPvNz_hqVklbBZGW4Pwd_8339wplTCjhAJlWpu5jXK2PqBYozPFt7_FoVtKg0VWtwvoFsHpYCrzt99X2lZnHz1tAapcJs5t6oApx2nXHV02b9vN_yIssJFU2r7e6cDwGI/s1600/DSCN9848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJyEzaRR1U4xuPvNz_hqVklbBZGW4Pwd_8339wplTCjhAJlWpu5jXK2PqBYozPFt7_FoVtKg0VWtwvoFsHpYCrzt99X2lZnHz1tAapcJs5t6oApx2nXHV02b9vN_yIssJFU2r7e6cDwGI/s200/DSCN9848.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">My perry cider had 5.5%! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZKR3RYxmmMDcP4v5ipl9QPN4xSs3EYJM5pcw7P_mRmuwCN4kZ8VtRKyr7rqhgPY3U0IASv6Ehwe9MgYc1svzCPikjCSxfpYJ1IZromjvQL0m7oQuUTDPX7eAyvUpSGNhZnryl-EoE3iW/s1600/DSCN9855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZKR3RYxmmMDcP4v5ipl9QPN4xSs3EYJM5pcw7P_mRmuwCN4kZ8VtRKyr7rqhgPY3U0IASv6Ehwe9MgYc1svzCPikjCSxfpYJ1IZromjvQL0m7oQuUTDPX7eAyvUpSGNhZnryl-EoE3iW/s200/DSCN9855.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;">Something just feels wrong about this!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Gloucester, UK51.8642449 -2.23815651.8250229 -2.31712 51.903466900000005 -2.159192tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-48214339997947984452012-07-29T12:35:00.000-05:002012-07-29T12:35:15.555-05:00A Busy Day!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">For being a Sunday afternoon (technically evening now that it's 6:30PM) we had a very productive day. Of course we've constantly had the television on due to the LIVE coverage of the Olympic Games but we did manage to get out and about in town for a short while. So what made today so accomplished, you ask! Well let me fill you in!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">As some of you know Dave and I were fortunate enough to have a very travel-full summer last year and took many pictures and made even more memories. Around Christmas Dave created a hardcover photo album of our trip to Rome/Pompeii. We got so many compliments on the book and have been wanting to do one for our trips to Paris since we received the Rome book (as we affectionately refer to it as). SO, beginning last night Dave and I sifted through over 1000 pictures and picked out our top 100 (okay...it was like 125 but who's really counting?)! As Dave drifted off to sleep last night I got a second wind and really got started on our Paris book. Today was full of promise as we finished off the book (50 pages in all) complete with captions and comments! SO FUN!!! We cannot wait to see the real deal!!! As Dave edited the Rome book I tried my hand at the Paris book...and as soon as someone reads through both books that will become plainly obvious!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">Furthermore, today we were able to book our tickets to see the musical Les Miserables here in London during our Olympic weekend (next Saturday evening!). It only took 3 attempts (we may now have 6 tickets actually!!! HAHA!!!) and we are very pleased with the seats we were able to find with less than a week before the show! SO EXCITED!!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">We also got out of the house for a little walk through High Street and a stop at a pub for a pint while we discussed what other activities we would like to take in while we were in London for the weekend (we are staying in London from Friday August 3 - Monday August 6...with events on Saturday (men's indoor volleyball), Sunday (women's beach volleyball), and Monday (men's basketball)). YEAH!!! It was really surprising how much on the things in London on our top 10 list we've already been able to tick off! :) How fun! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">We are definitely fortunate kids and we realize how lucky we have been with what we have been able to do these past few summers! As much as we would love a lifetime of travel opportunities like this...it will be nice to settle down together once we're married and live like a real life couple!!! :) XOXO</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-2019555872307928372012-07-27T10:17:00.004-05:002012-07-27T10:17:30.976-05:00A Decent London Update!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Okay, I've put it off long enough! I've now been in England for the better portion of 3 weeks and have yet to tell of my TWO trips into the big, Olympic hosting, historical city! So, I've unloaded the pictures onto my computer and can now post a few from our trips!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">TRIP ONE</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The first trip to London this summer was this past weekend (Saturday July 21). Dave had a co-worker from the US over for a few weeks and she had never been to London. She was off to London and we figured we would tag along! Dave and I had never been to Windsor Castle (the Queen's residence when she's not at Buckingham Palace) in Windsor, England (which is a quick train ride from Paddington Station)! We were only into London for the day (unfortunately) so we made sure to get an early start (the cab for the train picked us up at 5:15AM) and made the most of our day! We started at Windsor for the morning...touring parts of the castle (dressing rooms, meeting rooms, dining rooms, state rooms, the church, etc.) and even catching the changing of the guards. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kCmEEmR2s5aOkuaoRrlLcwzLF2kpAnEMKi1RocCjUWuiAUvBuxaWb5gKSLlzkptc9V9_rtoZ-WVNr9noC2qcSXjXmvCKMaoWL9U-TrSzVfI8eoYWSAPYM5AFQzuMvTwc_ji_dN7fimik/s1600/DSCN9687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kCmEEmR2s5aOkuaoRrlLcwzLF2kpAnEMKi1RocCjUWuiAUvBuxaWb5gKSLlzkptc9V9_rtoZ-WVNr9noC2qcSXjXmvCKMaoWL9U-TrSzVfI8eoYWSAPYM5AFQzuMvTwc_ji_dN7fimik/s200/DSCN9687.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHgMOzxuVD7hjIilOm7AdrpkU-oKTr7H2vapJrjzLOfy6Wej36r6C5RoC6N8vcvrI1qjNtBMxkQuGfLgmsbGgZldmjkl9TmPNupt74OwsBlt4ardieqwJvEQ4gO89tPVY0kAOn5eiF8_g/s1600/DSCN9689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHgMOzxuVD7hjIilOm7AdrpkU-oKTr7H2vapJrjzLOfy6Wej36r6C5RoC6N8vcvrI1qjNtBMxkQuGfLgmsbGgZldmjkl9TmPNupt74OwsBlt4ardieqwJvEQ4gO89tPVY0kAOn5eiF8_g/s200/DSCN9689.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp87GmBctlaKRCZbMTgUrQmey2syWfTKKxGj92ju_DaK7xzSLSa0XtW_GyoAXKAZMKT_ghAfOb7O0ZkwJ891J9Ytz9SPLBY_InR2kmTfbOC9a-VxaO3tguSBwGYSsNFUxW2XYa5J30stF/s1600/DSCN9699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp87GmBctlaKRCZbMTgUrQmey2syWfTKKxGj92ju_DaK7xzSLSa0XtW_GyoAXKAZMKT_ghAfOb7O0ZkwJ891J9Ytz9SPLBY_InR2kmTfbOC9a-VxaO3tguSBwGYSsNFUxW2XYa5J30stF/s200/DSCN9699.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Notice lower right...we packed for the trip!!!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4gmEIkE0m5LVpEfHcHIXrCBZ2oY8Z3YvgB3bldyt5qoShqNhl4oZfLMx8dgVbLkQvRoRsGleEOhPQuAVpueGKMHFw5uPf4FrQ16qAtc7N6OnGdxEOtQxqqF_WIBbsd_WUsQFLBca113/s1600/DSCN9697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm4gmEIkE0m5LVpEfHcHIXrCBZ2oY8Z3YvgB3bldyt5qoShqNhl4oZfLMx8dgVbLkQvRoRsGleEOhPQuAVpueGKMHFw5uPf4FrQ16qAtc7N6OnGdxEOtQxqqF_WIBbsd_WUsQFLBca113/s200/DSCN9697.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMaAUfODWt_ovVbxlwL6EGTVmxU36wCuS_a6lOaeKcPeWZhwSzB1C1HKhynBb29PVzGM4uCMv_P8xd1chWbuXIlxHnTIwPZ-XmjXWHWPooHosgDcRo78H8bfSaJQt0PsQGgMYN9QeIOBb/s1600/DSCN9691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMaAUfODWt_ovVbxlwL6EGTVmxU36wCuS_a6lOaeKcPeWZhwSzB1C1HKhynBb29PVzGM4uCMv_P8xd1chWbuXIlxHnTIwPZ-XmjXWHWPooHosgDcRo78H8bfSaJQt0PsQGgMYN9QeIOBb/s200/DSCN9691.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">My Favorite Window in the WHOLE place!!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT296V-zuUO9PZ59HUetlqO8uCZSFgYg3oeUpc63iNC4-Uk8e5akST8g4NFQ_jyWxcT5pJX6mVVSndQqvS134HzQc_UYJaYLNr6E592RW2iA0egH7OwRrgnDf55_xPT15kRXFW-OQTp5J/s1600/DSCN9702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT296V-zuUO9PZ59HUetlqO8uCZSFgYg3oeUpc63iNC4-Uk8e5akST8g4NFQ_jyWxcT5pJX6mVVSndQqvS134HzQc_UYJaYLNr6E592RW2iA0egH7OwRrgnDf55_xPT15kRXFW-OQTp5J/s200/DSCN9702.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">My new favorite place to read...<br />minus the 1,000s of people<br />who walk by each day! :)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtkxURsw-a6prW6ng4U5vlVHmQ7oYqpJxcFPnh-vWbOSB02tZxwgPUxJ-aTwHF7NF3LV3V6FTM2oDn5tWMc0JdAloR7bZTZ4mwcHEjuvqYnDuYTINGzLhhMEZldsDRRYDl7o3lt9-h4_W/s1600/DSCN9708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtkxURsw-a6prW6ng4U5vlVHmQ7oYqpJxcFPnh-vWbOSB02tZxwgPUxJ-aTwHF7NF3LV3V6FTM2oDn5tWMc0JdAloR7bZTZ4mwcHEjuvqYnDuYTINGzLhhMEZldsDRRYDl7o3lt9-h4_W/s200/DSCN9708.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">"Oh, hey Kate!"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnzXb299_LVofbDpQpUZfSAGtJzLpZlasB_n0sP_BaizuMR3qUq_YQBiv9FT-7akDHEGGqkIhB6R4CpJqDODiFIzd5CJNtYsLLK9ybMOoucjVYM1vurGk1pKv_XWcYhXvFTrMwRgQvRVL/s1600/DSCN9715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnzXb299_LVofbDpQpUZfSAGtJzLpZlasB_n0sP_BaizuMR3qUq_YQBiv9FT-7akDHEGGqkIhB6R4CpJqDODiFIzd5CJNtYsLLK9ybMOoucjVYM1vurGk1pKv_XWcYhXvFTrMwRgQvRVL/s200/DSCN9715.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Changing of the guards! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2bRhyphenhyphena7-VryvAVHEtm0hfmv1f-RJRIXRoXVQ-uHcU7xrIy0vCLNI7vTLur68nNHlgm537mefQicJ221vLDxRrMgBlvk_7o7w4VYipt6Rdn5jHpebwHqHqBq0JA5i1qAAC4cC4L3XzYmt/s1600/DSCN9724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2bRhyphenhyphena7-VryvAVHEtm0hfmv1f-RJRIXRoXVQ-uHcU7xrIy0vCLNI7vTLur68nNHlgm537mefQicJ221vLDxRrMgBlvk_7o7w4VYipt6Rdn5jHpebwHqHqBq0JA5i1qAAC4cC4L3XzYmt/s200/DSCN9724.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The beer transportation for the cute<br />little pub we found!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"> We took our time as we strolled through the grounds (although we couldn't get down into the gardens I definitely found my new reading nook (or at least an idea of what I'd like my future back yard to look like!). Dave and I pack for easy travel, bringing sandwiches, sweets, sours, and salts on our journey so we could a)save money and b)save time. We ate our lunch on the train back into London. We maneuvered the underground system quite well, yet again, and made our way to Hyde Park, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge! PHEW!!! We definitely did our fair share of walking for the day! For the first time we took a water taxi so we could really see Tower Bridge...with the OLYMPIC RINGS!!!! We tried to get to our favorite place to take pictures of the bridge but the area was closed for a concert series. :( But since I know we will be back in a few shorts week we didn't stress! </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbGGBayTQL3yG7Aii_QLCLPv3m6lW8aCxrCdndE4LWtx6PJQvVMYtEa801z3FyTvhI2nEI3Dwj73C06l9b2_g6mhJfefiCcRt26571-dic8sNFr-ckipyo9X9-NDhiJsQQwxxSlknnp1f/s1600/DSCN9725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbGGBayTQL3yG7Aii_QLCLPv3m6lW8aCxrCdndE4LWtx6PJQvVMYtEa801z3FyTvhI2nEI3Dwj73C06l9b2_g6mhJfefiCcRt26571-dic8sNFr-ckipyo9X9-NDhiJsQQwxxSlknnp1f/s200/DSCN9725.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EESh1Ig5MLkr3WQHQIEVOIjikkw-Jvj877zWgIVfoUkRQ6vgpUlClr8Y7E8vcPPdUZxT1is-93dx_s06iPxGL02AoVCk1anj9iuSmuxLGJRcThY1KHdF6swUuH854I559eVuPjEEF4e6/s1600/DSCN9739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EESh1Ig5MLkr3WQHQIEVOIjikkw-Jvj877zWgIVfoUkRQ6vgpUlClr8Y7E8vcPPdUZxT1is-93dx_s06iPxGL02AoVCk1anj9iuSmuxLGJRcThY1KHdF6swUuH854I559eVuPjEEF4e6/s200/DSCN9739.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">We also made our way over to Trafalgar's Square...but it too was closed off for a concert! At the time I was really really bummed because we couldn't actually see the Olympic countdown clock...but we could see the para-olympic (SP???) countdown...so at least it was something! We finally made our way back to Cheltenham around 10PM. It was a long day...but lots of fun! I'm really getting excited to know my way around London so well! I'm really getting a good sense of where I am and how to get to where I want to go next (which as some of you know...doesn't always come easy to me!!). HA!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">TRIP TWO </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Upon returning from our long day in London I received an email from my cousin Jennifer (in CA) asking what I/we were doing either Sunday or Tuesday as her husband Steve was coming to London for a few days for work. Well, we didn't particularly want to turn right around and go back into London straightaway but I did want to catch up with Steve. Dave knew he needed to work late a few days this week and Tuesday would be a perfect day for me to head into London and Dave not feel bad about being at work long hours! So we checked the train schedule and got me all set with a taxi and train! :) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">I arrived a few hours before Steve would be done with work so I took up some sights I had personally been wanting to see. I spent a a little over an hour in St. Paul's - which is where Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married. Just as we walked the walk Duchess Catherine walked on her wedding day, I was able to retrace the steps of Lady Di. Such a grand entrance! No offense All Saints in Palatine...but those aisles are definitely something to write home about! :) </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBGjCOu64k05UnJN16KdPu6v1AaxknxjLZJHtSjmKFTavGUjGonX6M2QLMAneMd8OaJkMDkht26uysrOzRHq1k1jLbKDrJeU9XEIuW6fDZgdrDpnzoR2XfSQGz4UlL3SH1YpxLp5Y7AGk/s1600/DSCN9765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBGjCOu64k05UnJN16KdPu6v1AaxknxjLZJHtSjmKFTavGUjGonX6M2QLMAneMd8OaJkMDkht26uysrOzRHq1k1jLbKDrJeU9XEIuW6fDZgdrDpnzoR2XfSQGz4UlL3SH1YpxLp5Y7AGk/s200/DSCN9765.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">St. Paul's </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-b-xJE_ZrJ-pADSltpG-cBDy2J0LtwsrUl1sQ82GS7NXB9cNkVgfgEgpyNq-oWig8fwO93XeaY-jgWYx6CUJctfwI8NzOLZ57bN-m5bzHbGeNGB9Qe7-OKFU8cC8R8r1D-Gqv738Z0Ez5/s1600/DSCN9778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-b-xJE_ZrJ-pADSltpG-cBDy2J0LtwsrUl1sQ82GS7NXB9cNkVgfgEgpyNq-oWig8fwO93XeaY-jgWYx6CUJctfwI8NzOLZ57bN-m5bzHbGeNGB9Qe7-OKFU8cC8R8r1D-Gqv738Z0Ez5/s200/DSCN9778.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">The pedestrian only bridge! </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AzBWgYE533NpgyCdMQG89ZZrSXdFA9eAzFIiVggP0iabMc56jFupZf23Z7S_JFvvuFuqBA91N3AspkUx_mjfYuNT7g4KgH4ewBklz2chNEKw08Z2lPqwg9uThro22NHDfRHxhqMNu38H/s1600/DSCN9777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AzBWgYE533NpgyCdMQG89ZZrSXdFA9eAzFIiVggP0iabMc56jFupZf23Z7S_JFvvuFuqBA91N3AspkUx_mjfYuNT7g4KgH4ewBklz2chNEKw08Z2lPqwg9uThro22NHDfRHxhqMNu38H/s200/DSCN9777.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XgBvwj56DR7YUqNOdtM2gRop4k7jGTjB1Nf9rg5ODEJ5O4AXsTQazA7VvW1_CqmW89vQJsU3Tx3ZANa2PRmXZwla9q47VpufaN6uqf8saZKIjDYlzV8Qpc8ahBr0aHu_2P-h5k2KyYxR/s1600/DSCN9809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XgBvwj56DR7YUqNOdtM2gRop4k7jGTjB1Nf9rg5ODEJ5O4AXsTQazA7VvW1_CqmW89vQJsU3Tx3ZANa2PRmXZwla9q47VpufaN6uqf8saZKIjDYlzV8Qpc8ahBr0aHu_2P-h5k2KyYxR/s200/DSCN9809.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN_4i1Ho7PSsYXzuCIXeYHJI6_kk0amiam5Hu8HRnSq3K27Chz6cmlQNkbCcuEwbmIK44LkwmGTfmNgyq6XqVcR7aCU__Zvk3hOHvacXQsH1UBeq6b5EXnBKfyq9KVU4BahFc0DRc2Y2A/s1600/DSCN9804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN_4i1Ho7PSsYXzuCIXeYHJI6_kk0amiam5Hu8HRnSq3K27Chz6cmlQNkbCcuEwbmIK44LkwmGTfmNgyq6XqVcR7aCU__Zvk3hOHvacXQsH1UBeq6b5EXnBKfyq9KVU4BahFc0DRc2Y2A/s200/DSCN9804.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">With the countdown clock! <br />It was a little sunny!!!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Then I walked the Millennium Bridge (funny youtube video about the construction of the bridge) and hung out in front of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and made my way to Trafalgar's Square once again! And guess what! NO CONCERT this time...I was able to get up close and personal with the Olympic countdown clock!!! Steve and I met up with no issue and I even got to chat on the phone with two of my favorite kids (Ryan and Sarah - Steve and Jennifer's children!)!!! So fun!!! We found a nice little pub for a drink and caught up before we walked towards the theatre district for dinner! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Speaking of the theatre district - my parents gave us an early Christmas present (yup...Christmas in July for me and Dave!) and gave us tickets to see Les Miserables in London!!! AHHHHHH!!!! We will definitely be taking advantage of this gift and booking our tickets soon!!! Just not sure if we want to try to go during the Olympic festivities or if we want to wait until the crowds clear out a little!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Okay! I think that's all I've got for now! I promise not to wait so long between posts next time!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">XO</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-54034881561673441182012-07-25T10:52:00.001-05:002012-07-25T10:52:41.104-05:00It's Finally Looking Up!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: inherit;">The sun is out! The sun is out! The sun is OUT!!!! Dare I say finally?!?!?! We've actually been blessed with sun for the past few days (I believe we've now gone 5 in a row without it!). And it's been getting down right warm outside as well! Today, on my daily walk to the grocery store, I could feel the warm sun on my back as I walked along the High Street and I found myself taking smaller strides at a slower pace! YEAH!!! There is a neighborhood pool just down the road from our flat and I could hear the kids splashing and laughing all afternoon! It's weird though...they sure don't like to wear much to cover-up when it's nice out! I feel like there might be an adult swim or something that happens around 2 because the streets get full of half-naked high schoolers with wet hair all riding bikes and laughing. It's quite cute to see...but they tend to get in my way (enter the upper 20 something being bothered by all these kids making noise!). HA! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: inherit;">Although there is some cloud coverage each day...it's such a change to see the blue sky behind the white clouds! We are crossing our fingers that the rain stays away for the Olympic games (which begin Friday!!!)! The weather report forecasts rain on Friday...but we'll see! If we all cross our fingers and say our prayers maybe the weather will surprise the rest of the world! :) Regardless of the weather, Dave and I are so much looking forward to the games here in London!!! </span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK51.897599 -2.07560951.8584065 -2.154573 51.9367915 -1.996645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-40205353683422796312012-07-16T08:30:00.001-05:002012-07-16T08:30:38.704-05:00The Lovely Magpie<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">Okay...so when I was younger my dad wanted my brother and I to continue our education throughout the summer with mini research projects...now he will argue that it was JUST ONE TIME...but for some reason when I think about summer vacations as a youngster I keep coming back to going to the library, looking up things in the encyclopedia, typing things up in (oh gosh, I can't even remember the name of the program...but I can see the font and ready to use pictures in my head clear as day!!!), and "turning them in". Ha! It probably was just once...and I think I researched the red-winged back bird...and funny how now when I see one...I always smile! :) As much as I give him a hard time for it...I remember that project with fondness! (And thinking more about it...maybe my research was on the painted lady butterfly (we sent away for the caterpillars and "grew" them into butterflies that we released at Parker Lake!!)!!!) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">And as I sit here, watching the rain for the almost 8th consecutive day, I find myself wanted to do research and track some data! So...for the brainiac that I am, here are the things I'm currently working on!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">-Tracking the weather...thrilling I know...but for the record...it has rained 7 out of the 8 days I have been here (8 out of 8 if we count nighttime rain!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">-Tracking my running...+30 miles since school got out (not where I wanted to be...but I could still break 100 miles before school begins in August!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">-Researching the magpie bird...didn't start out as research...just a simple google search...but I was curious! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">SO, here is what I've found about the little bird the English are so fond of! (Well, really not fond of at all actually!) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">While I was here last summer Dave began to tell me about the superstition that came with the Magpie...if you see one you must avoid eye-contact with the bird and say something to the effect of "Hello Mr. Magpie, how's your lovely family?" or "Hello Mr. Magpie, where's your lovely wife?". They are said to be able to predict your future with the number of birds you see at any given time...there is a rhyme that goes along with the birds. Now, whenever I see a Magpie I repeat the poem to myself to see what they have to say (after, tipping my head to them and asking about their family of course!).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><b>The Magpie Prophecy:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">1 for Sorrow; 2 for Joy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">3 for a Girl; 4 for a Boy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">5 for Silver; 6 for Gold</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">7 for a Story, never to be told</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">8 for Friendship; 9 for Love </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">10 for a Place in heaven above</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">And as I read a little more about the little bird I decided to blog the top 20 facts I came up with! So, here goes!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">1. They mate for life</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">2. However the ladies are a little frisky and it's estimated that 1 in every 15 chicks are not the partner's offspring...oops!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">3. The mother birds incubate the eggs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">4. Both parents provide food for a month in the nest after the chicks hatch</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">5. Closely related to the raven/crow/jay family</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">6. They are attracted to (and collect in their nests!) shiny objects (jewelry, plastic, windshield wipers (although those don't look shiny to me!)!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">7. They are highly intelligent birds...they can sense danger nearby </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">8. (Hunger Games Shout-Out!) They are like the mockingjoy and can mimic the call of other birds and human sounds</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">9. Large wingspan (20-24 inches) for their bodies (16-18 inches) but they don't like to fly for long periods of time</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">10. They are the only non-mammal and one of the few bird species that can recognize itself in a mirror! Oh the vanity! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">11. Their lifespan is 8-15 years </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">12. Over half of its length is its tail</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">13. They make dome shaped nests and line the bottom with grass for comfort...what smart thinkers! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">14. They are black and white...the black wings often have a blue or green or purple shine to them</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">15. The Magpie is an omnivore...eating both plants and smaller animals/insects </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">16. A group of Magpies is called a "tiding"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">17. Each Magpie as its own identifiable call...how interesting! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">18. They walk with a strut and can hop quickly when hurried</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">19. They are protected as a migratory non-game bird</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">20. They are true hoarders...they collect things from garbage to food from other animals and will hide it in their nests</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">So, dad, as much as I give you grief for it! Thank you for making me the lifelong learner that I have become! Never cease learning!!! :) </span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK51.897599 -2.07560951.8584065 -2.154573 51.9367915 -1.996645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-50343438186254400982012-07-13T09:38:00.003-05:002012-07-13T09:38:50.748-05:00ONE MORE YEAR!!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000; font-family: inherit;">I can't hide my excitement! ONE YEAR FROM TODAY I GET TO MARRY MY BEST FRIEND!!!!!!! I can't believe it! Well I can, I just have to look at my left hand for the proof! :) HEHE! We've gotten a great head's start and are well on our way to planning a wonderful party with our friends and family. Dave is such a wonderful man and I am truly the luckiest! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000; font-family: inherit;"> </span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-68993600985064313212012-07-13T09:17:00.003-05:002012-07-13T09:18:36.027-05:00Safe and Sound - in the UK!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>CHEERIO!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">So as Dave and I were sitting down with our respective MacBooks on our laps it occurred to Dave to check my blog. And wouldn't you know it...I've been in England a whole 4 days without an update! Whoops!!! What the heck was I thinking??? So, here is a little taste of my daily life here in England for the past four days! (And mind you...it has rained...DAILY...yes...you read that correctly...it has RAINED every day since we got back!) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>7:00</b> - first wake-up...the gremlin here doesn't do so well with this so she doesn't get up right away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>7:30</b> - finally get up (Dave is by now almost ready for work) and get to making my lovey man's lunch...yup...I'm suzie homemaker here in England...he gets a nice little sammich, crisps (chips), and fruit every day. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>7:45</b> - walk 0.6 miles to the bus stop with Dave, say our goodbyes for the day, walk the 0.6 miles home while making a nice little shopping list in my head.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>8:00</b> - watch mindless television for 2 hours (One Tree Hill (episodes shown in order!) & either Glee or Desperate Housewives (again...both shows have episodes shown in order)) while eating breakfast and planning out my day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>Mid-morning </b>- head to the shops for fresh groceries (or check the neighborhood garden to see if anything is up for picking) - we can typically go 2 days on basic groceries with the storage we have - but we do have more dry-storage areas so some things are in less of a demand! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>Lunch</b> - typically a sammich or soup</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>Afternoon</b> - nice little exercise walk (or leisurely stroll in the rain), laundry, possibly a run, shower, reading time</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>Evening</b> - Dinner with Dave, walk together, sit and relax (AHHHH....YES!!!!! I am relaxing!!! SO weird for me, this I realize!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><u>A few changes since last summer...</u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>I am trying to keep up with emails as much as I can...without checking them every second of the day!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>We are planning a wedding! :) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>It has rained every day (yup...kinda stuck on this one!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>There is a community garden - Dave and I each picked a potato yesterday and made potatoes for dinner last night - DELICIOUS!!! Sorry we forgot to take pics...we'll do it again soon and document the event at that point! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>I know my way around the town and am not afraid to take random streets (in the daytime at least!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>I realize that I don't have to each an entire baguette, by myself, everyday! HELLO wedding body! Hehe! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><b>-</b>The Olympics are almost here and everyone from airport workers to grocers are excited about it! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Okay...I think that about covers my first few days! I'll write again when I have a little more to say...or I'm just bored...probably next week sometime!!!</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK51.897599 -2.07560951.8584065 -2.154573 51.9367915 -1.996645tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-9510275929519343022012-06-16T22:19:00.006-05:002012-06-16T22:19:43.295-05:00A Dream Come True<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">I cannot contain my
excitement right now! I just finished
the most wonderful day with my parents and my future in-laws! The ONLY thing that could have made today absolutely
perfect would have been if Dave was home and could have joined us in our
festivities! I’ll lay out the day for
you with as much excitement as I can share through the Internet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">10:00 Families met at
Boulder Ridge Golf Course in Lake in the Hills, IL. Our parents have met a few
times before so this wasn’t a first meeting; it was still fun to have everyone
together!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave’s parents hadn’t seen the
venue yet and they fell in love just as quickly as we did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YEAH!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following some great conversation
we traded cars and the ladies headed out to look at wedding dresses while the
men headed to Lake Zurich Golf Club for a little afternoon golf!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">12:30 We had SO MUCH FUN at
Wedding Belle’s in Barrington!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met up
with a family friend and she took it from there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had tried on dresses at another store about
a month ago and found 2 dresses that I really liked so I knew the style I was
looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nice things about
Wedding Belle’s is that you buy the actual dress you try on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a few styles that they can special
order but for the most part they are sample dresses that other stores have sent
to them to sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what you see is
exactly what you get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided (since I
had the time) to try on a variety of dresses even though I had a dream dress in
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried on poufy Cinderella-ish
dresses, mermaid dresses, lacy dresses, beaded dresses, simple dresses, dresses
with straps…you name it I basically tried it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And let me tell you…SO FUN!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
narrowed it down to a single dress (the second one I tried on actually) and
every other dress was compared to the feeling I had in that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None compared (and the feeling I had today
did not compare to that of the one I felt in the dress I liked at the other
store).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they have you put the dress
you REALLY like back on and then they have you go downstairs and Marsha does
your hair and Adele finds the perfect veil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh my gosh!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all in
tears!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good, happy, loving tears!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could not believe the look of it all put
together!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dress, the hair, the
veil, the hairpiece (which my future mother in law offered to pay for!)…such an
amazing feeling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And…DRUM ROLL PLEASE!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;"><b>I SAID YES TO THE DRESS!!!!!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">That is all the detail you
get…especially since my fiancé reads this blog!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sorry honey bunny!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No freebies
here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I have to say is I love the elegance
of the dress and the feeling I had with it all together!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not wait to take it off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And knowing that it’s just chillin’ at my
parents house right now is killing me! I just want to wear it all the
time!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I have to put it out of
my mind!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">2:30 I cancelled the other
appointments we had for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you know…you know!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why waste your time and the time of
others!?!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">3:00 The ladies headed to
Lake Zurich to meet up with the gents and we enjoyed a few cocktails and some
wonderful conversations!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following a
tour of the clubhouse and some history of the club lessons with Uncle Mark and
Dad Fedota the Fedota clan invited the others to come see the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">6:30<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to All Saints and walked through a few
of the logistics that we already knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is all beginning to feel so incredibly real and it’s still more than
a year away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How crazy it that!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the addresses for the Save the Date cards
and am hoping to get those out in the next few weeks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AHHHHH!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is really happening!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">7:00<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tour of Palatine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave my future in-laws a nice little
driving tour (as much as you can direct from the back seat!!!!) of
Palatine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They saw FHS (where I teach
& went to HS), Pleasant Hill (my elementary school), the house I grew up
in, the condo I currently live in, the general vicinity of Durty Nellies, the
apartment I lived in when Dave and I started dating, and a few of the local restaurants
that Dave and I enjoy frequenting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">9:30<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conclusion of dinner at Gianni’s in downtown
Palatine and our goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want
today to end but I know it’s just the first of many wonderful days together
planning this amazing event for Dave and I! I can’t believe how much of a dream
this has been!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh my goodness!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, no WE, are so incredibly lucky to have so
many people who love and care about us! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">Off to sleep for this
chica! All this excitement really made
me tired!!! PHEW!!!! I know I will be having such wonderful
dreams!!! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-28821920792447544852012-06-14T23:08:00.002-05:002012-07-02T22:13:39.099-05:00I don't think he knows what he's in for...<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Knowing that he wants to be as much of a part inplanning OUR wedding as possible Dave has graciously given up a few days of hisvacation here in the states to wedding planning! Oh what a man! I love that he is as into the planning anddetails as he is! I think at times he’sinto it more than I am! And I love himmore for that every day…even when I don’t think I want to admit it! Dave has gone on blind faith decisionsthrough me a few times in the past (I’ve done most of the contract negotiations(something I am not as comfortable with as some may think) and have narrowedthings down like photographers, florists, etc.) but seeing as he is home in theUS for a few weeks we’d both like to do as much in this time together as wecan! So I’ve started my list of WeddingTo-Do’s (which is tough when we realize that we are still more than a year outbut we have to remember that the next time he’s home we’ll be down to the 6month countdown!)!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Here is a brief sampling of the tasks on my list(any maybe I’m writing them here so I don’t lose the list!!!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Narrow down/select musicians(band, string quartet, jazz ensemble, DJ, etc.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Secure hotel (potentialtransportation/shuttle) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Select the groom/groomsmen tuxes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Narrow down centerpieces <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Write/submit the announcement tothe paper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Finalize guest list <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">*Send out Save the Dates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> *Meet with the pastor </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> *Finda location for rehearsal dinner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> *Engagement photo shoot</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;"> *Beginto form registry list ideas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Boy oh boy! I do know we will be so busy in the next few weeks! I hope to do as much as we can together inthe short time we have! I know it willbe a magical evening and just want to have fun celebrating with our family andfriends! :) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: inherit;">Ahhhh!!! I can’t believe how incredibly excited Iam! Now I just have to get through thenext few weeks!!! XOXO</span></span></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-9839424105721267042012-06-14T23:04:00.001-05:002012-06-14T23:04:56.006-05:00School's Out for SUMMER!!!!!!!!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Okay, it is time to officially switch hats!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Let’s take off the teacher hat and put on the
floppy sun hat! YEAH! SUMMER VACATION! Well, sort of! I am just about to finish my last school day
for the year! But where has this year
gone!? When I was growing up my dad
would ALWAYS tell me how fast the years will go by when I’m older…and I never
really understood what he meant. I mean,
to me, it’s simple…there are 365 days in a year (if it’s not a leap year of
course!), and there are 24 hours in a day in which there are 60 minutes per
hour. I always thought my dad to be a
very VERY intelligent man…but I just was NOT following his math! I mean, it’s not like you can literally make
time go faster. Yet now that I’m a
grown-up (scary thought I know) his statement could not be truer! It feels like just yesterday I was leaving
for England not knowing what to expect (at all)! (Note to readers…that was officially a year
ago!) And I can recall picking apples
and decorating gingerbread houses so vividly!
Then it was December and the best day of my life (thus far) occurred (we
got engaged!)! And it was being lazy in
Florida and skiing in Colorado and a spring break in London followed by a final
9 weeks of school. WOW! SO FAST!!!
But yet…it was still 365 days! SO
weird to me! How does that
happen!?!?!? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">I will be returning to London this summer, just not
right away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will being taking 6 credit
hours towards my +30 in the next 3 weeks…I know…I’m crazy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’d like to get as many done as quickly
as I can! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m taking an ELL (formerly ESL) course, a
Safety & Sanitation course, and a course that has something to do with
technology (I just can’t remember the name of it!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave will be returning to the US for 2 weeks
at the end of June/beginning of July and we are trying to get as much
family/friend time in as possible before we leave to head over the pond!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, our time is quickly filling up
between weddings, wedding planning, Brewers games, a favorite holiday (MINE…4<sup>th</sup>
of July!) and being lazy on the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon our return to London we have bunches of
things to look forward to: weekend trips with friends (hoping to get to Ireland
or Scotland or Wales), spending time together, the celebration of our 1 year
wedding countdown and of course our lucky fortune with Olympic tickets!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GO TEAM USA!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know that the summer will pass just as quickly as
ever but I am looking forward to some good old fashioned R&R! Bring it on!!! </span>(Of course…that means on like 4 days on the
calendar that I don’t have something already planned to do!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-46024106993670615982012-05-30T17:37:00.001-05:002012-05-30T17:37:40.786-05:00And then there were 6...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaids that is!!! Ahhhhh!!!! I have finally gotten to see all of the lovely ladies in my life to personally ask each one to be a part of our wedding celebrations! :) SO EXCITING!!! Dave and I went back and forth a little on the number of attendants to include but decided on 6 on each side (I won't say who was hoping for 6 more than the other!) and could not be more excited about it! As Dave hasn't finished asking his gents yet I won't spill the beans on them...but I will give you all the 411 on my leading ladies! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Matron of Honor - Karen...she's a cousin on my mom's side and a wonderful role model (even if she did just tear her ACL).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaid...Julie...another cousin on my mom's side (she's the mother of 3 LOVELY little ones and shows me what time management really looks like)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaid...Liz...a third cousin from my mom's side (it's always been the 4 girls on that side!!!) (she's currently living in Germany...yup...she even looks the part and speaks the part...such a talented woman I wish I saw more often!!!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaid...Kendall...my best (and 1st) friend on Parkplace Drive. We've been friends for almost 25 years!!! :) She knows me inside and out...yet we are about as different as we can be...it's true what they (?) say...opposites attract! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaid...Lindsey...a best friend since junior high (we actually were not 100% fond of each other when we first met...but time changes everything!). She's been with me through thick and thin! BONUS...I'm doing a reading in her wedding this summer! :) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">Bridesmaid...Carrie...my best friend from college and fellow Chi Omega! :) HOOT HOOT! I stood up for Carrie a few years ago. She was the first woman I asked to be in our wedding! She's full of wonderful ideas and I can't wait to pick her brain! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;">I wanted to ask the ladies in a creative way (even though when I tell people this they laugh at me)...I wanted it to be a memorable event for everyone! So I bought each one a card and wrote a personal letter explaining why she was so influential in my life. I presented them with the card and flowers (well...most got flowers) and finished each card with a silly little poem:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Roses are Red</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Violets are Blue</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Would you be a bridesmaid?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please say "I do"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I am so blessed to be loved by these wonderful women and can not wait to get rolling with all the plans!!! :) YEAH!!!!!!!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span><br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com1Palatine, IL, USA42.1103041 -88.0342442.0631856 -88.113204 42.157422600000004 -87.955276tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-58474681897623372452012-05-01T19:59:00.001-05:002012-05-01T20:00:56.984-05:00Save the Dates are ordered!!!!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">We officially ordered our Save the Date cards and can't wait to see them! They should be delivered some time next week! YEAH!!!! I'm hoping we can spend some quality time Mother's Day weekend addressing them and sending them out! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Dave and I actually worked together (via a very long skype date) to complete them together! We found the template online while we were together in March and have been sorting through pictures since then. We have agreed on four GREAT photos of us from our relationship! Then Dave surprised me with some AMAZING wording! He said I could take the credit...but it is all him! I am so excited to get started with more planning! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">Here are a few things on the agenda:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Photographer contract</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Address & sent "Save the Dates"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Dress shopping with the moms</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Videography (???)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-4th of July party (with 1/2 the bridal party!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Dave getting to ask the remainder of the guys to join him at the alter </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-Engagement photo shoot</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-ENGLAND for the Olympics</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">-End of summer/school starting = major wedding planning mode! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">YEAH!!!! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: inherit;">PS. Happy May Day everyone! :) XOXOXO</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Palatine, IL 60067, USA42.1112958 -88.060756542.0641783 -88.1397205 42.1584133 -87.9817925tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7032748615501253879.post-1032975924859261712012-04-25T20:55:00.000-05:002012-04-26T17:17:51.917-05:00Wedding Organization<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">So I took tonight off from school work and decided to really get into wedding planning mode!!! So I finally finished "The Binder"! Oh I am SO excited!!! We are really getting into the swing of wedding planning! But I'll be honest...it can be a little overwhelming at times! Dave is such a good sport at communicating with me as much as he can and help as much as he can even though he is an ocean away. I am envious of my friends who lived with their fiancees as they planned their wedding! There are so many times that I just want to show Dave something I've found but I can't because he's sleeping (seeing as that I do a lot of magazine looking at night...which is 1/2 way through the night for him!). So I have to save the really important things to show him on skype! But he's a trooper and is so wonderful to me and will sit on skype with me and look at idea after idea! (reason #23,534 why I am so excited to marry him!) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Anyways...I've been organizing things as I've accumulated them...but tonight it all came together! :) YEAH!!!! It's official...I have my own person wedding planning binder...with tabs, details, and pictures! (And yes, of course it's organized alphabetically! DUH!!!) Here are just a few pics of my master piece (and it's green (not pink) because clover (I think), black and white are our wedding colors!). </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrji_c7JKtP0tVDvSpVJ6YUPJe6Or4D9IjpghdsCNu1A56OuZwx7shWb_n1D_oAq1l_O5FWh9IswER0kgE0Km9FyIm0MzhVWKeRFQAMv7JtMIIqqDqO3H_Nu99oSDRu-XJZlO84BPxJdyI/s1600/DSCN0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrji_c7JKtP0tVDvSpVJ6YUPJe6Or4D9IjpghdsCNu1A56OuZwx7shWb_n1D_oAq1l_O5FWh9IswER0kgE0Km9FyIm0MzhVWKeRFQAMv7JtMIIqqDqO3H_Nu99oSDRu-XJZlO84BPxJdyI/s320/DSCN0092.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">My tabs in action! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqITJBHYSvC-I6TLgVYsUx_LmhzIAkwlC1UKgOaEHBxTVa4Fu4DpDEQstYaF4QMxE7QWtKyIkX7Uw155zQ2yAMOiXlLq2ovyTjKh3wBYv9JN6EWlDlgj8eov1apwBxNVYzVD_oc59Nxc0/s1600/DSCN0095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqITJBHYSvC-I6TLgVYsUx_LmhzIAkwlC1UKgOaEHBxTVa4Fu4DpDEQstYaF4QMxE7QWtKyIkX7Uw155zQ2yAMOiXlLq2ovyTjKh3wBYv9JN6EWlDlgj8eov1apwBxNVYzVD_oc59Nxc0/s320/DSCN0095.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;">Tabs again...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752426436650371538noreply@blogger.com0Palatine, IL, USA42.1103041 -88.0342442.0631856 -88.113204 42.157422600000004 -87.955276