Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Good morning!  I am in major thesis mode today, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet.  Frankly, I shouldn't even be blogging at all, but it's such an idyllic morning, I couldn't resist.  

So...  Here's what is making my morning so awesome:

Yoga (I have been AWOL from yoga class for what feels like a long time.  I MADE myself go this morning and am SO glad I did.  Although, when I go back on Thursday morning, I'll be wearing shorts.  I had a literal pool of sweat around me this morning.)

Breakfast and coffee in the back yard.  Cats playing, sun shining, breeze blowing.  I'm going to miss this back yard.

Knowing that today is going to be another very productive thesis day (once I finish writing this blog post).

Thinking about finishing my work early today (which means I'm going to have go power through) so I can make this Blueberry Raspberry Pound Cake from the blog Orangette.  If you like to cook or bake or EAT, you should really read this blog.  Then read her book.  Fantastic.

The anticipation of the final Jazz in June tonight.  We haven't made it once yet this summer, so we're going to make sure to go out with a bang tonight.  The weather should be perfect.  And I really feel like the night won't be complete without some pound cake.  Or at least maybe some ice cream.

I hope you're all enjoying your morning, too.  I'll leave you with a picture from Saturday night's anniversary dinner.  : )

And a new(er) picture of the baby bump.  Isn't she adorable?

  

I'd love to know...  What is making your day wonderful today?

One Year

One year and a little over one month ago, I was single and loving life.  I had just run my first half marathon and had come away from it with the best group of friends a person could ever ask for.  A group of friends that cared for me so much that they were really interested in finding me a nice guy to settle down with...  And that's how it all began...

I was having lunch with my good friend (and fellow runner) Meghan one afternoon when she brought someone to my attention.  He had been in our running class last spring and although had run with a different group, he was always smiling and so friendly.  Then...  He made this video.  And I was sold. (Seriously, watch the video. You'll see what I mean.) Cute? Check. Funny? Check. Cat? Check.

So, one Saturday afternoon at the beginning of last summer, I decided that I wanted to go to Bread & Cup (a local restaurant with awesome food) for wine and cheese that night. I asked on Facebook if anyone wanted to join me and the only person that responded was Aaron. We met, as friends (who didn't even really know each other), and ended up talking for hours. I knew there was something there. Two days later, he called to ask me out on a real date. And the rest is history. We have had a lot of ups and a few downs, but it's fair to say that today, we are as happy, or happier, than ever!

So, it's been a little more than a year, but tonight we are going back to Bread & Cup to celebrate our anniversary. I'm SO excited!!

Happy (Late) Anniversary, Aaron! And thanks to all of our family and friends who have celebrated with us and supported us over the last year! Now I just have to decide what to wear...

(Note: Yes, I realize that this is a dating anniversary and that some cynical people think it's silly to celebrate. I don't care! I think it's so important to celebrate as many good things in my life as possible. And this is a very good thing.)

Plugging Along

Hi!  It's been a while since I've posted - things have been a little hectic around here lately...  And, once again, I don't have anything super brilliant to say (do I ever?).  So, I'll just give you a brief update on all that's been going on and what's to come in the Exciting Life of Katie.

A few weeks ago, my mom and I drove down to Columbia, Missouri to look for an apartment (for me, for August).  It was an awesome trip and I'm really excited to live there!  Here are some pictures from the trip:

University of Missouri campus

The Anthropology building - my office will be the first window on the left, above the door (the one with no window ac)!

One of the best breakfasts I've had.  Seriously.

Columbia Farmer's Market

Amazingly, even with all of the sightseeing and EATING we did, I did manage to find a place!  It's a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment with a nice kitchen, in a very nice neighborhood, not too far from campus (maybe a 15 minute drive/30 minute bike ride), with a big front yard and a little forested area with a creek in the back.  Here it is:

I'll be signing the lease this week and moving sometime in August.  I'm not sure about when, exactly, I'll move my things down, but I will physically be living in Lincoln until just after August 14th (graduation!).

Since the Columbia trip, I've been filling all of my time with thesis work and volleyball camps.  Camp coaching is kind of brutal because it starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. with a break for lunch and for dinner.  The nice thing about them is that I actually enjoy coaching, so I can get my fix, and they're also pretty good $$.  I'll work one more in late July, but I'm pretty happy to be done for now.  For the next month and a half, I will be doing nothing but THESIS, THESIS, THESIS, with a tentative defense date set for "mid-July."  Descriptive, right?  Anyway, it's crunch time.  So, really, that's about it.  I have lots to do and a little time to do it in, with weekends almost totally full from mid-July through mid-August when I move.  I'll be taking this one day at a time, I believe.

Ok, one more announcement before I go...  

I'm going to be an aunt AND a godmother!  : )

My sister is due in mid-September and as long as the kid doesn't steal my birthday (which I have a sneaking suspicion Maggie is going to try to MAKE happen - haha), it's pretty exciting!  Looks like I'm going to have to start planning that baby shower pretty soon...