Nicole

This is my dear friend Nicole; the sweetest, kindest, 

most Christlike person you will ever meet. 

On February 17, heaven was sent another angel. 

Heavenly Father had called her home after battling cancer for years.

Nicole and I met a little over a year ago and BYU-Idaho. 

We were in the same ward, and that's how we became friends.

The first thing I noticed about Nicole was her ability to be friends with everyone.

She was so happy and always had a smile on her face.

My favorite memory of Nicole is sitting for hours and hours talking 

in my room about everything. (This was a weekly occurrence.) 

We went to our Tuesday night yoga class,

and had snowball fights with random boys.

We'd go to our ward activities,

and talk about our 'baby' crushes.

On weekend nights, we'd hang out with the boys of apt #401

and watch scary movies (actually not really, Nicole and I would talk 

in the kitchen and make no bake cookies while the 

boys and Emily watched the scary movies ;)

We grew so close.

Our winter semester ended, and Nicole went home to Washington,

and I went home to Arizona.

We talked on the phone, trying to keep in touch.

Each time I would talk to her, she was so positive about everything.

We'd laugh on the phone, reminiscing and saying"remember when...?"

Even though we were a few states apart, she was 

still one of my greatest friends.

It's been very difficult for me to realize that Nicole is no 

longer on this Earth anymore, that I can't call her up on 

the phone anymore whenever I want.

There have been lots of tears shed.

I don't know why Nicole had to go through this trial,

but what I do know is that Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children,

and we will all return back to him someday.

Heavenly Father will not give us any trial that we cannot handle,

and he knew that Nicole was strong enough to handle this one.

I am so thankful for The Plan of Happiness.

It has given me so much comfort these last couple of weeks.

It truly is a plan of happiness!

I am thankful for the knowledge that I will see 

my sweet friend Nicole again, 

that I will be able to embrace her with the biggest hug,

and that someday, 

we will once again sit on our beds and talk for hours and hours;

and that makes my heart very happy.

I know that Heavenly Father puts people in our lives for a reason.

Nicole changed my life for the better.

I am thankful for Nicole's Christlike example to me,

for our cherished friendship,

for her faith and obedience in God's plan,

for her strong testimony,

for her positive attitude,

and for her beautiful spirit that exudes happiness!

You are a true friend. I love you, my sweet Nicole! 'Til we meet again...


http://mormon.org/me/66qj

My friends become Mrs.

Can being a bridesmaid be considered a hobby? 

I sure do consider it a hobby.

It is so fun to be apart of my friend's special days. They have been waiting for this day for their entire lives and I get the privilege to be apart of it. 

I soak up that moment wedding dress shopping with them. I soak up the moment when they walk out of those beautiful temple doors with their new husbands in hand, showting and cheering. They did it. I soak up the moment of seeing them glow in their beautiful wedding dresses. I soak up the moment of giving them the biggest hug. I soak up the moment of taking pictures and everyone smiling from ear to ear. I soak up the moment of seeing my dear friends completely and utterly in love with their perfect man. It is so fun and it makes me so happy.

And that, my friends, is why I consider being a bridesmaid a hobby.

some facts

A few facts about me.

1 :: I'm signing up to run a race that's in March. A half marathon race that is!

2 :: The semester ends in 3 weeks-- 3 WEEKS!!!

3 :: Little sis and I made yummy rice krispie treats tonight. I may or may not have eaten a half the pan.

4 :: We had a Doris Day movie marathon this weekend. I have loved her since the day I was born.

Happy thoughts

There is a cool, windy breeze. The sun in shining. There are a few scattered clouds in the sky.

It is a happy day.

-I am thankful for life's twists & turns.
-I am thankful for a healthy body and mind.
-I am thankful for beautiful Arizona sunsets.
-I am thankful for my new fall boots.
-I am thankful for school, as difficult as it is.
-I am thankful for time spent with those I love.
-I am thankful for prayer.
-I am thankful for kind people.
-I am thankful for fruits and vegetables.
-I am thankful for missionaries.
-I am thankful to live in a few country.
-I am thankful for cuddling.
-I am thankful for my eyelash curler.
-I am thankful for babies.
-I am thankful for the gospel.

i am THANKFUL

       ...and i am HAPPY.

Random thoughts on hump day.

• Is it just me, or is everyone, I repeat everyone engaged. It's true. Everytime I log into Facebook, there is a new status update that someone in the Facebook world is engaged...and you should see all the wedding receptions I have been invited to. At one time, I had 8 different wedding events to attend. Am I happy for all these lovebirds? Yes. Did I attend any of these lovebirds weddings? No.
• Speaking of Facebook, I believe it is good for one reason: networking. I joined a Higley Friends page advertising my piano lessons and within 5 hours I had 13 students. SCORE!
• I ate too much of mom's homemade granola this morning...and I had a stomach ache all day. I would rather have granola over candy/chocolate any day! strange. i know.
• love love LOVE the weather this afternoon. rainy. cloudy. bliss. 
• I am on the hunt to find a pretty, modest lace dress. I have found many lace dresses, but to my dismay, they are short. All I want people, is a lace dress that hits my knee and is flattering. Is that too much to ask!? I'm dying for this lace dress & am determined to find one!
• I very much enjoy mom and my daily morning 3.5 mile runs. They are fabulous and we both agree that it is the best way to start the day. Then we come home and drink our yummy green smoothies filled with spinach, cherries, blueberries, frozen banana, protein powder, and pears. mmm...
• Lastly, I LOVE free food. Last Wednesday, Jessie, her friend, & I went to the temple and then to Joe's for their free food special. It was wonderful.

Everything always works out. end of story.

I am so very blessed, and sometimes I forget that. Sometimes when things don't work out quite as fast as I want them to, I get discouraged. Sometimes I feel lost in the dark and sometimes I feel like I have no idea where my life is going. I try to remember not to get discouraged because everything always works out as long as I am doing what is right. Mom always reminds me that Heavenly Father has a plan.

And...

Just as I have those thoughts of discouragement, something wonderful happens! Just as I begin to worry & pray even harder, Heavenly Father blesses me. And I am thankful for that, with all my heart. 

I have been searching for a job since I got home from school last month, and nothing has seemed to work out. I finally decided to just teach piano again because that makes a whole lot more money that working minimum wage. Well, a few days after I decided to teach again, Sister Grant in my ward offered me a job at her dental office...WHICH IS PERFECT because I am going to school to become a dental hygienist. It's a two day a week job, so I can still teach piano too! I now have 13 piano students and a wonderful dental job. Can I get a hallelujah!

So, next time I get discouraged, I just need to remember all the many experiences I have had where Heavenly Father has blessed me and been by my side. He has a plan & I am ready for whatever he tosses my way.

Extreme Makeover

Elegant, Beautiful, & Perfect

Those are the words that describe my new room. I came home from Idaho to a completely different room. Before, it was bright green, kiddish, & not me. Now, it is calm, mature, & is perfect for me. The muted lavender color, the homemade curtains that Nettie sewed, the mismatched picture frames, and my cream bedspread make me want to drool. Nettie & mom put so much effort into every detail of my new room. I love it!

...And this is exactly how I felt when I saw my room for the first time...

Well hello there spring! Thank you for joining us today!

Today…


My alarm clock went off at 5:30am. I hit snooze.

I woke up at 6am instead.

I curled my hair. (Which is an accomplishment all in itself.)

I ate the usual for breakfast- oatmeal and a banana.

I was the first person in the library at 7am to study for my sociology quiz.

It turned out that we didn’t end up having a quiz.

I realized that I need to get more sleep.

I talked to my mom for a long time…

And I welcomed spring by soaking up the sun & exercising outside.

I wore sandals! :)

…and I painted my toenails because sandal weather is on its way!

I ate eggs and toast with spinach sprinkled on the top for lunch.

I didn’t have the motivation for school.

I went shopping for supplies for our ward Easter party.

And…I went on a date!

I would like to give a very special thanks to Idaho’s bipolar weather. Just when you think that you’ll die from slipping on the slush too much and turn into a popsicle… BAM! The next day is sunny sandal weather. All in all, it was a very happy Thursday.

Change.

"Kitty (Katie), I don't what you to change schools" says Hannah.

Hannah told me that today out of the blue. I had no idea what she was talking about, but then it clicked. I'm leaving for BYU-I in September! I'm actually leaving. I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over me. Things are going to change in the next couple of months. It's a bittersweet change.

Things I'm going to miss about home:

• MY FAMILY: words cannot express how much I love them.
• Sitting at the kitchen counter talking to my mom while she fixes dinner.
• Gospel discussions with my dad.
• Dad waking me up on Saturday mornings.
• Mom's homemade bread.
• Annie's contagious laugh.
• Hannah's sassy attitude.
• Cheering for James at his games.
• My mom's hugs before I leave for school.
• Neighbor kids hopping the fence.
• Our grumpy neighbor.
• Doing the dishes.
• My green room and big queen size bed.
• Laughing at Hannah's funnies.
• Telling Annie she looks cute every morning. She's so fashionable.
• Playing tennis with my dad.
• Dad's singing.
• Long walks with my mom at night.
• Working out with James.
• Waking up to seeing James do AB Ripper X.
• My job.
• Jamming out to Justin Beiber with Annie and Hannah.
• Giving James advice & James giving me advice.
• Wrestling with James and teasing him that I'm stronger than he is. :P
• Family prayer.
• Family nights.
• Making crazy commercials with my cousins.
• Playing catch with dad and James.
• Our green grass and orange blossoms.
• Mom proofreading my many papers.
• Seeing dad up on the stand every Sunday.
• Hearing my dad's testimony practically everyday.
• Always having a homemade meal.
• Mmm...the good fiber cereals.
• Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
• Ranger riding out in the desert.
• Having "Lorna Crepes" every special occasion.
• Dad's crazy stories of mom sleepwalking.
• Annie's energy.
• Seeing my dad squeeze my mom's tush.
• Playing the organ every Sunday.
• Green smoothies!
• My family's willing attitude to serve- all the time.
• Being the bishop's daughter.
• Laughing uncontrollably with James.
• My clean house.
• Our many, many family traditions
• Wonderful spirit in our home.
• All 6 of us laying on my parent's bed Saturday morning/Sunday afternoon.
• Dad's massager.
• Mom doing my laundry. (thanks mom:)
• Free haircuts!
• Wyoming honey. so good.
• Grandma's Piano Recitals
• The Coon's many get togethers.
• Laughing at Hannah constantly.