Katherine

Just Look How Far You've Come.

2011-04-01T17:32:00.006-06:00

Last night we had the opportunity to listen to a fantastic talk given by Sister Adair for our Relief Society birthday celebration. I was touched and will try to summarize what she said, although I probably will not do it justice. She began her talk by relating an experience that took place as she hiked Mount Ararat, one of the highest mountain peaks in Turkey.

Due to the ice-covered peaks, we were using ice axes to slowly make our way up the mountainside. About 45 minutes from the summit, the ice ax of the climber just ahead of me came loose from his pack and struck me in the forehead. As the guide calmly cleaned and bandaged my "flesh" wound, I told him I didn't think I could go any further. I was physically tired and the weight of my injury seemed to much for me to bear. Our guide looked me straight in the eye and said "But just look how far you've come." In my mind, I re-traveled along the path that had brought me to the point I was at now; from Utah to Istanbul, into Turkey to a remote village at the base of Mount Ararat, and then 4 days of strenuous climbing to reach just below the summit. Mustering the remaining strength and will I had left, I finished the climb, and it was worth every setback I had encountered.

Sister Adair then applied this experience to our own lives. We are all struggling up our own snow-capped mountains, trying to reach the summit. Because we live in a fallen world, we are guaranteed to encounter hardship, setbacks, and our own "flesh" wounds along our journey. But as we allow it to work in our lives, the power of the Atonement can heal any pain, loneliness, or sorrow we may ever experience and help us continue on when we feel we must give up.

So the next time you feel like life has dropped an ice ax on your forehead, remember to look how far you've come and then to face forward and continue in faith toward the summit.

Daffodils and Daisies.

2011-03-25T17:28:00.001-06:00

Last week was one of those ridiculously busy weeks that has you running from dawn until dusk just to get everything done. On Saturday afternoon, I had finished my final test and was walking down the Testing Center stairs towards the tv screen that tells you your test score. At the base of the stairs there is a windowsill where people leave notes for friends, and I am definitely among the number that always takes a quick glance as they pass to see if they are lucky enough to have a note waiting for them. As I glanced over, I noticed a Gerber daisy sitting on the windowsill and I immediately thought of some cute boy leaving a flower for his girlfriend/wife. But when I got closer, "Turk" was written on the note and I realized that my sweet sister had left me a flower. I was grinning from ear to ear the entire way down south hill and when I opened our front door there was a vase of daffodils sitting on the table with tickets to Tangled and a note to "Princess Katherine" which said...

These daffodils are yellow,
I wish they were from some fellow,
Single, handsome, dark and tall

Riding a noble white steed,
His hair ruffled by the breeze,
Someone to catch you when you fall.

But since they are not,
And I can't conjure one up,
We'll settle for the next best thing.

Let's go watch Flynn Rider!
He's a lover, not a fighter,
And maybe tonight in our dreams,

We'll have hair that is long
And a man to sing us a song.
But for now it's just you and me.

Dreaming of our prince,
And a magical kiss,
While enjoying being single and free!

Love,
Princess Becca

In Becca's words, this poem was a culmination of 18 years of creativity built up. I think that poetry writing is just one of her many talents that is just waiting to blossom. She is so amazing and kind and I feel so blessed to be her sister.

Summer Bucket List.

2010-07-09T10:12:00.008-06:00

At the beginning of each year, my family would compile a "memory list" of all the fun things that we wanted to do as a family that year. The list was then posted on the side of the fridge where we could keep track of all the family memories we were making. With this tradition in mind and to help ensure that our summer was not totally wasted with sleeping in and studying for tests, Melinda, Ashlee and I made a Summer Bucket List.

Disclaimer: The following list is a work in progress and may be added to at any time if an adventure arises.

Hike Mount Timpanogos
Float the Provo River
Make a fort in our living room and sleep in it
Hike Y Mountain
Go to Heber and get a shake from Granny's
Scone party
Triple Tandem Bike date down the Provo River Trail
Manti Pageant
CD 15 Photo Shoot
Hike Mount Nebo
King Cone Competition
Pedicures
Homemade Pizza
Weekly Temple Trips
Lay in the middle of University Avenue (our plan is at 3:00 am when everyone else is sleeping)
Friendship Bracelets
Shooting
Provo Farmers Market

Some of the completed adventures include...

Organizing a ward trip down to Manti to see the Cottam family star in the Manti Pageant.

A CD 15 Photo Shoot with Melinda's frame. . . her newest addition to her wedding decor.

With three foot-tall ice cream cones from Maceys and a time limit of 60 minutes to finish, we set out on our greatest adventure yet. . . the first annual KING KONG competition! Ashlee and Melinda both thought that I would be no competition, but with the chocolate ice cream slowing them down and the help of my hollow leg, I managed to finish just minutes before Ashlee, with Melinda coming in shortly after. Needless to say, a killer stomachache followed our short-lived victory and we spent the remainder of the day either moaning on the couch or trying to walk off the stomachache and 6,000+ calories we had just consumed.

Run Daniel, Run.

2009-09-19T18:26:00.001-06:00

On Friday afternoon Daniel called me to tell me about his cross country meet that was being held about a mile from my apartment...and began in 20 minutes. So I raced back from campus, jumped in my car, picked up Becca, and raced to the meet. It was so much fun to see my favorite brother (who is 15 years old) racing around Kawanis park. Becca and I were definitely his biggest fans.

Sprinting to the finish line. Daniel continues to amaze me with how great he is doing at Wasatch and for trying out for the cross country team...something I would never do. Keep up the great work. I love you!

Harvy.

2009-09-18T19:47:00.000-06:00

Meet Harvy. Ashlee is taking anatomy this semester and he has become one of her best study-buddies for helping her get an A+ on her tests. To thank him for all the study help, Ashlee gave him a tootsie pop and brought him home to meet all of her amazing roommates.

Ashlee thinks that Harvy is her man...

...but what she doesn't know is that Melinda got her first kiss from him.

OUCH! Harvy that really hurt... (said with a British accent)

Sadly the most social thing we did all week was hang out with Harvy for a couple hours before Ashlee had to return him to the anatomy lab so that the next anatomy student could get help from him to ace their test.

Happy Birthday: Casa Dea #15 style.

2009-09-14T20:56:00.002-06:00

After two weeks of getting settled into our new apartment in Casa Dea (#15!), learning the best way to cook and grocery shop, and trying to manage the constant flow of homework and studying for tests, our apartment decided to celebrate our birthdays, all which fall within four months of each other. Melinda, Charlie, and Ashlee made good use of our 8 phonebooks by making paper chains and pomander balls from the yellow pages. I was subconsciously cheering them on while sleeping on our super-comfortable couch under the Happy Birthday sign.

Ashlee and Melinda also made a DELICIOUS funfetti double-layered cake, complete with sprinkle frosting and a candle for each of us to blow out. There so many sweets already hiding in our cupboards and then we make more that I wouldn't be suprised if we gain the "Sophmore- sixty" by the end of the year. Oh the price you pay for roommates who are marvelous cooks. :)

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes. One more year until I am no longer a teenager but the big 2-0! Crazy...time goes way to fast.

Temple Trip.

2009-07-31T22:21:00.003-06:00

With two temple dedications within the past few months, Salt Lake is the luckiest county in the country (confusing I know!) . I was dying to go to the open house for the Oquirrh Mountain temple but summer term at BYU was consuming every spare minute of my time. Finally my grandma and I siezed the opportunity to go on one of the last days of the open house...talk about procrasination. It was so beautiful and I don't think that I could pick a favorite part, although the Celestial room and Bridal Dressing room were absolutely gorgeous. Someday... but definetly not in the near future.

Grandma Laurel, Nolan Pope, and me standing in front of the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

Tuna Salad.

2009-07-24T20:10:00.001-06:00

Today for lunch my Grandma Laurel and I made the yummiest tuna salad and I just wanted to share with you all some of the delicious things we added in case you are getting tired of the uncreative version of tuna with mayo, mustard, and pickles. You don't have to add all of these things but any combination would be very yummy!

Boiled Eggs

Pickles

Celery

Carrots

Frozen Corn or Peas

Apples

Cheese (yummy melted on top)

Craisins

Sunflower Seeds

Wheat Germ

Avocado

Mandarin Oranges

Grapes

Enjoy!

Patrick Family Reunion.

2009-07-19T19:36:00.003-06:00

As a result of my over-achieving decision to take summer term at BYU I wasn't able to go to the Oregon coast for the Brutsch family reunion (my mom's side of the family), which made me very sad. But taking place the same week up Provo canyon was the Patrick Family Reunion, so after I was done with classes on Thursday afternoon I enjoyed the beautiful drive up to the cabin and then spent a couple days with my Dad's side of the family.

On Friday morning we held the traditional "17th of July" with sprint, 3-legged, and sack races along with the pie eating contest and the balloon and egg tosses. Katie Patrick and I (far right) were super speedy and won the 3-legged race.

All the teenage girls that were at the reunion. On Friday night most of the teenagers stayed up until 5 am playing Phase 10 and Catch Phrase and then pretending we were all asleep when any adults came down to check on us...I don't think they were fooled. :) A bat that got into the cabin and was dive bombing us at about 3 am added to the excitement.

My Grandma and I in front of the cabin right before we packed up and headed home.

Eagle Scout.

2009-07-05T22:21:00.001-06:00

Today my younger (but definitely not little) brother was awarded his Eagle Scout award. For his project Daniel tied over 100 fleece blankets that were delivered to an orphanage in Mexico when we went down over Christmas break to build a house. You don't usually think of people in Mexico needing blankets but the area where we went gets fairly cold during the winter and those wonderful children were so grateful. I am so proud of my amazing brother and for his willingness to serve. He has always been so kind to me, even when we were younger and I wasn't very nice to him. My mom always threatened that one day Daniel would be bigger than me and able to "beat the tar out of me" and now that it has happened I am grateful for his forgiving and loving heart. :) There isn't another 15 year old boy that I know that I would trade for Daniel and I feel so blessed to have him as a brother. I love you "D" and am so proud of the good things you are doing with your life. Keep up the good work!

Land of the Free.

2009-07-05T18:29:00.001-06:00

On Saturday morning, Mum Laurel and I loaded up our lawn chairs and snacks and headed over to Provo to watch the Fourth of July parade. I remember in years past getting up at 5 am with my family so that we could stake out a good spot along the parade route, but with only two of us this year we were able to get a perfect spot under the trees without having to wake up at the crack of dawn.

Waiting in the shade for the parade to start. Although I loved the BYU float and the MTC float with all the missionaries (especially the Sisters!), my favorite part of the parade was seeing all the veterans and standing with my hand over my heart as the flag went by. I am so grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and for those men and women who have fought and are continuing to fight to protect them. I love this country and feel so blessed to be an American.

After the parade we drove down to Wales for the Fourth festivities, which featured food, entertainment, and two very silly clowns. Brother Brower (left) in our ward is a long-time clown and asked Daniel (right) to help him. I was impressed what a good clown Daniel made...and how good of a shot he was with his flower squirt gun!

Besides squirting me with his flower while we were taking this picture, Daniel also became quite the balloon hat maker. I think the nose and white suspenders should become a permanent part of his wardrobe. :) The biggest disappointment of the day was that the fireworks were cancelled because of rain and lightning but other than that it was amazing!

Mormon Miracle Pageant cont.

2009-06-28T16:06:00.000-06:00

As the Mormon Miracle Pageant comes to a close I feel a wave of mixed emotions: exhaustion from doing pageant six hours a night after commuting back and forth to Provo for summer term at BYU, sadness for another year of pageant being over, and spiritually filled from the missionary experiences and spirit that I felt throughout the pageant. Our family has loved having family and friends come and see the pageant and we are so grateful for your continued love and support.

The Larsen family from Boise came to watch their amazing actress daughters Laurel and Anna Sue be in the pageant.

Although I loved performing in the pageant each night, nothing can compete with being a cast missionary. Each night before the show began some of the cast members had the opportunity to welcome the crowd and ask for missionary referrals. I loved having the chance to be a missionary, even if it was only for a couple hours each night. Although it was a ton of work participating in the pageant, I wouldn't have traded the experiences I had and the spirit I felt the past four weeks for the world.

Mormon Miracle Pageant.

2009-06-17T14:49:00.008-06:00

The month of June is here again which means Manti Pageant callbacks, rehearsals, costume fittings, and performances for hours every night for the next couple weeks. Our entire family (excluding Dad) and two of our Larsen cousins, Laurel and Anna Sue, from Boise ID have been working hard to learn their parts and are loving being part of the pageant. Here are a couple of pictures of us practicing on the temple hill...with more pictures coming soon of the aspiring Cottam actors and actresses decked out in stage makeup and costumes.

Daniel is part of the Joseph Smith vignettes and looks very happy to be holding a girl's hand.

Becca tried out and got the part of a wicked High Priestess.

Julia, mom, David, Laurel, Benjamin, Anna Sue, and Daniel all decked out in their Christ in America costumes. Don't they look amazing?!

Alisa and I were both cast as Mary Henshaw and I have loved getting to know her as we have practiced trudging across the plains, dying, and then coming back at the end for our Roberts.

David, Julia, me, and Jade waiting to rehearse our next scene. There were three Roberts and Marys cast for the pageant and Jade and I were paired together.

Although it has been tons of hard work and we are beginning to experience pageant fatigue, we wouldn't miss the opportunity to be in the pageant for anything. We hope you can all come and experience the Manti Pageant and feel the amazing spirit that is present.

Cottam Definition of Goober.

2009-06-17T14:17:00.005-06:00

adj. a goofy, nonconforming individual that does funny things with the intent to make people laugh.

Daniel was walking around the house the other day with no shirt, no shoes, and no problems. Ignoring his older sister's plea to put a shirt on he decided to creatively make his wardrobe more modest.

Another goober moment in the Cottam family. Becca taught David to swing around his head and say "Hey There Little Pretty Lady" and he kinda went wild with it. It makes me laugh everytime I watch it so I hope it makes your day.

P.S. His bouncing eyebrows are the best part :)

Doctor DVD.

2009-06-01T19:46:00.001-06:00

This morning I accidentally cut my finger on the apple slicer, and upon seeing the cut David quickly ran and got his first aid kit. He told me not to be scared and then explained how he would use each of the items in his homemade kit to doctor me up. The dialogue went something like this with David pulling each item out of his first aid kit...

"I will use the things you use to clean out the potatoes in your ears (Q-tips) for the blood and then use the thing you put on before the band-aid (anti-bacterial ointment). Then tie the band-aid on with string and paper clips. I have cough drops and a book too that will make you feel better."

After he had gone through the lengthy process of putting a band-aid on my finger and I had thanked him he said...

"You're welcome. You can just call me Doctor DVD!"

Graduation.

2009-05-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Today was Wasatch Academy's graduation and my amazing little sister graduated from High School and is now moving on to bigger and better things (aka BYU!!!). We had Baccalaureate in the morning, where they had an inspirational speaker and a number of the Seniors perform musical numbers. Following a delicious lunch we had graduation and Becca swept the board of most of the academic, athletic, and service awards that were given and gave a spectacular speech about her experiences at Wasatch Academy. It was so great to have Mum Laurel, Grandma Loni, and our cousin Lindsey there to help us celebrate Becca's accomplishments. Congrats Becca!

I was so busy taking a million pictures of graduation with Becca's camera that I kinda forgot until the end to take any with my camera so I had pretty slim pickings on the pictures for the post.

Beaches and Swings.

2009-05-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

Friday morning we bid farewell to Anaheim and headed north to spend the day with Ghazi and Tante Esthere on the beach. It was wonderful to see them both again and while there we were royally spoiled with good food (including Ghazi's famous hummus), good company, and a great view of the beach. We couldn't get enough of the beach this trip and spent most of Friday afternoon and Saturday morning playing on the beach, catching crabs, and trying unsuccessfully to get tan before we left California. But the most amazing thing about the beach was the swing set we found. I absolutely love swings and to have a swing set on the beach where I could look out at the waves while I swung was heaven. After a delicious breakfast at IHOP we said goodbye to Ghazi, Tante Esthere, and California....and headed back home. Thank you Tante Esthere and Ghazi for your kindness and generosity. We loved spending time with you!

David did a pretty good job burying himself.

Dad enjoying the soft sand and warm sunshine

Brrrrr...

David digging for crabs.

Julia the seaweed queen. She spent hours rescuing the adrift seaweed from the waves.

Walking along the Beach - David. Benjamin. Julia. Dad

I don't know what it was about this trip but I loved taking pictures of my beautiful family (yes I am a little biased) holding hands and looking over their shoulders.

I love these last two pictures of Julia and me....

Encinitas.

2009-05-18T10:18:00.000-06:00

Thursday morning Melinda and I rode the train from Anaheim to Encinitas and then spent the day being very lazy and seeing some of the sights in Encinitas with her family. The first (and most amazing) stop was at the flower market. I have never seen anything quite like the huge warehouse full of every flower you can imagine but I was in heaven...especially with the rows of Gerber daisies in every color. After the flower market we ran some errands, soaked up some sun by the side of the pool, made caramel brownies, and watched Pirates of the Caribbean after Melinda was horrified that I had never seen it before. Overall it was a lovely day spent with Melinda and her amazing family. Thank you Melinda for sharing your beautiful family with me and thanks to the Wilkins for the wonderful day!

Melinda and Della in the freezers at the flower market. Look at all those gerber daisies!

Disneyland.

2009-05-17T23:28:00.000-06:00

Wednesday was spent at the Happiest Place On Earth where we did 35 attractions (rides, shows, etc) throughout the day. Once again the weather was beautiful and there were hardly any lines. When asked what his favorite rides were David answered "Big Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn, and Space Mountain"...the three biggest roller coasters in the park. What a fearless kid! Due to Melinda's expert knowledge of all the "special" things there are to do at Disneyland if you are just willing to ask, Julia, Benjamin, and David got to be up in the ship cabin on the Mark Twain Riverboat. As we sailed around the island they got to pull the whistle, ring the bell, help the captain steer the riverboat, and were made honorary captains of the Mark Twain. Later in the day we also went to see the Jedi Training Academy and Julia, Benjamin, David, and about 20 other kids from the audience were chosen by the force to be trained as Jedi's. Upon the completion of their training, the stage rose up and the stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and Darth Maul appeared. Then after their unsuccessful attempts to convince the newly trained Jedi's to join the dark side, each Jedi fought Darth Vader with their light sabers. So fun to watch and to cheer on the Jedi's and a great way to end another day.

My beautiful family and Melinda walking down Main Street in Disneyland.

In front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. We got to walk through it which was a first because it had been closed for years. The coolest part was the picture of Sleeping Beauty's dress at the very end that changed color...blue! pink! blue!

Benjamin, Melinda, Julia, and David sailing the Mark Twain around the island.

I love this picture because it perfectly shows what my sister is like. Ready to face anything, stand up for what she believes, and never willing to back down even when her opponent is feet taller than her and a lot scarier.

Activate! Left shoulder, right shoulder, left leg, duck!, left leg, right leg, to the head, deactivate. See what an amazing Jedi I would have made! It's ok because Benjamin had the combination down and did it perfectly.

Darth Vader definitely didn't intimidate this Jedi. David fought amazing and even used his height to his advantage...he didn't have to duck. :)

The three Cottam Jedi's after receiving their diplomas as honorary graduates from the Jedi Training Academy.

Mum Laurel, Benjamin, David, Katherine, Melinda, Julia, Mom, and Dad riding on the trolley in Toon Town

California Adventure.

2009-05-17T23:21:00.000-06:00

Tuesday morning we got up early, packed our lunch, and then spent the day in California Adventure. The weather was absolutely perfect, there were no lines, and our excellent tour guide Melinda knew the ins and outs of everywhere we went. The only bad thing about the entire day was I realized how old I must be getting because I actually felt sick after going on multiple "wild" rides in a row, something that doesn't happen very often. I experienced a mini mid-life crisis and was forced to go and ride the Bumper Cars and Caterpillar Train in "a bugs land" to assure myself that I am still a kid at heart. We also went to the sourdough and tortilla factories (yea free samples!) and rode Soarin' Over California and the new Toy Story ride five or six times each - definitely our favorite rides of the day.

Riding on the Caterpillar Train

Mum Laurel, Julia, and Dad on the Mickey Ferris Wheel overlooking Paradise Pier

I am not quite sure what happened here...I think David fell asleep at the wheel and hit a "Daddy long-legs" that was crossing the street. Julia was horrified, I am not sure why Benjamin was smirking, and the three lovely ladies in the back were all ready for the picture to be taken.

Meeting Goofy...lets just say that Dad was in awe, inspired, speechless, and felt like he had died and gone to heaven. Don't you just love that smile?

California.

2009-05-17T22:11:00.010-06:00

This past week the Cottam clan (minus Becca and Daniel who both still had school) and Grandma Laurel took a trip to California. We left on Sunday afternoon and stayed overnight in Las Vegas where our three bedroom condo was upgraded to a Suite because the resort had overbooked the rooms we had reserved. Needless to say we were all a little excited because these country bumpkins have never stayed in a Suite. The next day we drove the rest of the way to California, stopping for lunch at In-N-Out Burger (a first!), explored Downtown Disney while Mom and Grandma did the grocery shopping for the week, and spent the afternoon at the beach with my roommate Melinda and her family. It was so much fun... especially roasting hot dogs and smores in the bonfire on the beach.

I just love this picture...four of the most important people in my life holding hands, walking down a beautiful lane of palm trees (I love how green everything is in California!), and looking like they are confident and ready to face whatever comes their way.

The Pirate we befriended in Downtown Disney

Upon our arrival at the beach David excitedly exclaimed "Dad look it's real sand!" For the next few hours he built sandcastle after sandcastle and then watched as the waves washed each of them away. He was so engrossed in his work that when I broke his concentration to take a picture he wasn't very happy...hence the annoyed look.
For the next few hours he built sandcastle after sandcastle and then watched as the waves washed each of them away. He was so engrossed in his work that when I broke his concentration to take a picture he wasn't very happy...hence the annoyed look. :)

Let the Races Begin!

2009-04-25T17:08:00.001-06:00

Today was the Pinewood Derby for the cub scouts and Julia, Benjamin, David, and I (yes I am still a scout at heart) all raced our cars. We all did great with Julia winning 1st in the family catogory, Benjamin winning 1st in the bear den, and David and I cheering eachother's cars on as they raced down the track.

"The Viper"

My personal favorite..."The Y"

"The Speedster"

The Cottam racing team

A Week of Finals and Goodbyes.

2009-04-24T16:48:00.003-06:00

Well this past week has been filled with with a lot of goodbyes and finals. Victor is now an official missionary and entered the MTC on April 15 (tax day!). Although it was a tough final goodbye I am so glad that he is serving a mission and can't wait until it is my turn. The rest of the week was spent studying like crazy and then standing in line for hours at the testing center to take my finals. After finishing my last final at 10:30 on Wednesday night my roommates and I made a run to Wendys and then pulled an all-nighter to finish cleaning our rooms and packing. At 4:30 am we bought breakfast (muffins and milk) out of the vending machines and made our final trek of the year up to the top of the Y to watch the sunrise.

Nathan, Melinda, Staci, and Ashlee on the Y

The final thing to do before I left was to say goodbye...but luckily they are just for the summer. Overall it was an amazing end to a fantastic freshman year.

Conference Weekend.

2009-04-06T17:48:00.001-06:00

On Saturday Victor and I went to the morning session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. It was such an uplifting experience and although we were up in the nosebleed section the spirit was so amazing. I loved when Elder Eyring spoke about how the disciple who accepts the oportunity to grow will be given the Lord's help to overcome the trial and how sometimes the hard things we are asked to do serves as the relief that others need. I am amazing every conference how certain talks seem like they were written to strengthen and direct me at that time in my life. I spent the rest of the weekend with my family at my Grandma Laurel's house where we were fed well and frequently. Mmmm. We also got to spend some time with Grandma Loni on Sunday afternoon and celebrate Easter a week early so that I could hunt for Easter eggs too. :)

Julia and David looking for Easter eggs. We forgot the easter baskets at home...but grocery sacks work just as well.

Daniel's excitement for egg hunting could not be contained and he was forced to break out into song part way through to express his excitement.

Klutzy Kate.

2009-03-19T22:49:00.003-06:00

It was such a beautiful day today and the fact that I had difficulty walking up stairs, running on flat ground, and eating food just added to the excitement. At lunch I managed to spill food on the sleeve of my shirt and my backpack and I tripped and bruised my knee while walking up the stairs after class. But the best showing of my talent today happened when we were played soccer. While sprinting for the pass, I managed to trip over the ledge of the basketball court (about an inch tall) and sprawl on the ground with the soccer ball hitting me about a second later. Now don't you all wish you were as talented as me? :)

The Adventure of Donating Blood.

2009-03-16T22:29:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time Katherine and her friend Melinda went and donated blood in the Wilk. All went well until in their rush and excitement for a juice box and crackers Melinda fainted and started shaking. In frantic desperation Katherine recalled all the nursing knowledge that she had been taught but drew a blank and was forced to call upon the help of the knight in shining armor (aka blue scrubs) who had expertly drawn their blood a few moments before. About a half hour later Melinda had gained enough strength that they could continue on their journey to their St. Patricks Day family home evening activity where they gained spiritual strength to conquer the dreaded testing center later that night. The End.

Two very exhausted princesses from the magical land of BYU following Melinda's successful defeat of her Biology test.

My Crazy Week.

2009-03-15T17:04:00.005-06:00

This past week has been so crazy. Studying for my three midterms was a full time job in itself with homework and a 5K fun added on top. Actually the only reason I ran the 5K on Saturday was for extra credit in my Physiology class...cause who pays money to run for fun? Definitely not me. :) We had six girls (Staci, Kaylin, Desta, Lindy, Ashlee, and I) who ran from our floor in the 5K race and although running the race wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I was so tired and sore afterwards. Overall it was a great (and very stressful) week and I love my school more than ever!

I Love You!

2009-03-15T16:44:00.004-06:00

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my family...cause i do. Every time they come up to Provo they stop and visit their favorite college student and totally make her day 100 times better than it was. Anyways I just thought I would let you all know the sentimental things that have been on my mind lately. :)

Comedy Sports.

2009-03-08T16:55:00.004-06:00

Last weekend Melinda, Brad, Victor, and I all went to dinner and Comedy Sports in Provo. To tell you the truth I wasn't quite sure what Comedy Sports was and I was a little worried because my coordination is not that great and I am definitely not good at anything that has to do with comedy. But to my surprise we just got to sit in the crowd and laugh till our sides hurt and we cried...although Victor and I did volunteer to be part of one of the games. It was so fun and I suggest going if you have never been.

Marvelous Weekend in Wales.

2009-02-17T23:50:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you cross three crazy college girls, zebras and shooting clay pigeons in the middle of nowhere?....A marvelous weekend in Wales! We made the trek down to Wales on Sunday morning and were almost late for church because the doors of Staci's car were frozen shut. Then on Monday we showed Melinda and Staci the many attractions of Wales which included...

tromping in our boots through umm...mud to visit the zebras and miniature horses

and shooting clay pigeons up the canyon.

Like always it was an amazing (and to short) trip down to one of my favorite places in the entire world. Wales doesn't have skyscrapers or huge shopping malls where everything imaginable to buy is available. But that's ok because I loved growing up there and am so grateful for the experiences I had and the people that blessed my life while I was there.

Valentines Day.

2009-02-15T23:10:00.002-07:00

So I have never been a really big fan of Valentines Day and this year wasn't any different. I fought Victor for a month before and tried to convince him that we could just eat peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches (very yummy!) and watch a movie instead of making a big deal about it but I finally gave in...

When I got back to the dorm after my class on Friday there was a beautiful vase of gerber daisies on my desk. Victor was at state wrestling all day Friday and Saturday but he drove down during his lunch break and got in cahoots with my roommates to get the flowers up to my room before I got back from class.

For Valentines Day we went to Ruby River Steakhouse for dinner and it was so good. Victor then taught me how to make hemp bracelets, something I have wanted to learn how to do for months, and we watched Second Hand Lions. All-in-all Valentines Day turned out to be a lot less painful than I thought it would be. :)

Masquerade Ball.

2009-01-31T13:31:00.015-07:00

Last night Melinda, Ashlee, Staci, I and our dates went to a Masquerade Ball at the old Provo Town Hall. We had quite the adventure the entire week shopping for dresses at DI, making masks, trying not to be too excited, and getting ready for the dance but by the time Friday night rolled around we were ready and looking gorgeous. :)

Our group from left to right:

Victor and I, Melinda and Beau, Ashlee and Paul, Staci and Kyle

Gorgeous Girls :)

Beau is not really that short but he thought his mask made him look like a racoon so he was doing the pose for us. Oh and don't you just love Victor's white suspenders? I thought they were pretty amazing.

Ashlee and I may be a little bit biased but we both think that our guys are pretty amazing. They remind us of little kids sometimes...after the first time they met they were "best friends". For most of us when we were younger we would be instant friends with someone we met on the playground, but these two did it at nineteen.

Victor and Kate. Thanks Becca for letting me borrow your dress. It was amazing and matched perfectly with Victor's white suspenders. :)

Obviously dancing makes you hungry because about midnight we were all starving and had to make a run to a 24-hour IHOP. Mmmm.

Fabulous Weekend in Wales.

2009-01-21T18:43:00.018-07:00

To finish off our great weekend down in Wales Ashlee, Melinda, Victor, and I went snowboarding up Fairview canyon. It was a beautiful day and the few trails with powder that we found among the many hard-packed trails were amazing to snowboard on. And guess what...I landed my first jump! I thought I had gotten at least a couple feet of air but my dreams were quickly crushed when Victor informed me that he liked my "bunny hop."

Melinda and I both spent a lot of time sitting in the snow among the trees just enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery...aka we aren't very good at snowboarding yet. :)

Ashlee and Melinda bulding a snow fort. Being from California neither of them have ever built one before but I was very impressed with their snow-fort-building skills.

Julia on the other hand has built one to many snow forts and is doing it the easy way....smart girl.

Both David and Benjamin kept going off the jump and then running back up to the top of the hill to ride back down again. Their excitement for life makes me smile.

Pistol Packin' College Students.

2009-01-18T23:43:00.013-07:00

After two weeks of hard work at school my roommates Melinda and Ashlee made the trek down to Wales with me to spend the weekend. Upon our arrival my amazing dad was anxiously waiting to take three college girls shooting up the canyon. I know we look very intimidating with those big guns... but don't worry the only things we shot were a bunch of cans. :)

With the help of Dad and Daniel we were pro shooters in no time

Don't they look like movie stars off of a really intense action film?...they even have the stylin' movie star glasses.

...and then there is the blond that looks like she doesn't know what she is doing. Seriously who gave this girl a gun?

Here we are with the big guns. It's to bad that our arm muscles aren't identical to the size of the guns we were shooting. Oh well. All in all we were quite the shots...just call us Melinda, Ashlee, and Katherine Oakley(the long lost cousins of Annie Oakley).

I looked out the window and what did I see...?

2009-01-10T12:11:00.005-07:00

Since I have felt a little sleep deprived all week, I decided to make good use of my snooze button and sleep in this morning. When I finally rolled out of bed at 9:30 I looked out my third floor window and beheld a beautiful sight...a hot air balloon floating right over BYU campus! I know it seems kinda crazy to be getting excited on a cold winter morning about a little balloon full of hot air but it made my day. :)

Back to the Grind.

2009-01-06T22:57:00.006-07:00

Wow I am not doing so hot on my goal to keep up on my blog... but don't worry I have an excellent excuse because I didn't see one computer with the internet in Mexico that I could have used to keep everyone posted on our amazing trip. (details and pictures coming soon!) After spending ten days in Mexico I drove back early Monday morning to be back at BYU for my 8 am Human Physiology class and am now trying to cope with the start of another semester and the foot of snow that has fallen over the past 24 hours. So far my classes are going great and my schedule, which includes English 150, Human Physiology, Chemistry, Book of Mormon, and a history class about the impact of the printing press, is keeping me busy and out of trouble. :) I am glad to be back with my roommates and friends but am already missing my family and my hometown of Wales. My excitement and anticipation for this new semester continues to build and I feel so blessed to be able to attend such an amazing university. Life is good and although it is sometimes tough, I have learned that with the "not so good things" in life comes incomprehensible joy... and it is those few moments of joy in our lives that make it all worth it.

Journal of my Wonderful Life!

2008-12-21T20:33:00.002-07:00

As my mom can attest to...I am pretty horrible at writing in a journal. I don't know what it is about writing in my journal but no matter how many times I commit to faithfully write in it each week, it only seems to last for about a month before my journal gets covered with dust from being stashed some odd place and unopened until I decide to commit once again. So I am hoping that by creating a blog my journal writing dilemma will just disappear. (probably not but it is worth a try right?) So if it seems like my blogs are getting few and far between just remind me of my goal to become an amazing journal writer. :)