Oh hey thanks!

So as I went perusing my blog I noticed the craziest little thing.  I have officially gotten 1,001 page views....

Seriously? 

This simply makes me laugh!  

Who actually reads this?

Ok lets be honest, probably half of those were me checking out my own blog reminiscing, but still.

Regardless, thanks! I think? :)

Ode to my Sister ;)

To the goobie girl that can always make me laugh.  

How I love you.  

But why?  Let's break it down shall we?

-She tells me of her crazy dreams where I have adorable babies... or kittens? lol

-She goes out to eat with me and watches movies JUST ABOUT every weekend.

-She listens to me whine about men :)

-She fills me in with all her date stories... the good, the bad and the ugly

-She sometimes wakes me up to go get breakfast after work

-She puts up with my oddities 

-She comes to visit even though parking by my house sucks large amounts...who likes to parallel park anyway??

-She sometimes blogs about our adventures. Can anyone say 10 seconds of sisterly fame?

-She freaks out with me about Bachelorette sightings.

-The best part is she lives right on close to me!  Love having her within spitting distance... well ok I can't spit that far, but you know what I mean.

Love you Jay Jay!

Once upon a Disney vacation...

So, um, Disneyland is amazing.  It's so much fun!  At the moment I don't feel much like posting a million pictures of the trip.  Maybe later?  Regardless, there were some really great moments that I shall share with you know.  You are welcome :)

*I was watching Sean pack up his room and I had his journal.  He wanted to pack it and so I threw it to him.  A picture of Christ flew out of it.  His response:

"You just threw Jesus.... I hope you're happy!"

*Sean demonstrated the electric fly swatter he gave to his grandma for her birthday.  I stopped after he zapped one and I said wait... where do they go??  His response:

"It depends... the little ones?  They go everywhere."

*We needed to get cash so we went to the grocery store at like 10pm one night.  I hate going to the store just to get cash because you search randomly for the things you "need" just so you can get cash back.  You end up having a conversation such as follows: 

"Hey um can I get a stick of gum and $100 dollars please?"

*I was getting ready for bed and Sean plugged in his lap top to the side of where I was going to sleep.  We had just discussed how expensive computers are.  He set it on the ground by my bed.  As he was leaving the room he felt the need to remark:

"Oh and please don't step on that."

My response, "What?  That thousand dollar stepping stone?"

*We stopped at the gas station to top off his car before we started on our drive from Cali back to Salt Lake.  I looked up at the pump when he was done and I was impressed, the screen read $4.16.  So I remarked to Sean:

Katie: "Oh you only spent $4.16!"

Sean: "Oh really?  That's it?  Katie, that's price per gallon."

Katie: "Oh, lol well it was only like $12."

Sean: "Great, 3xs as much.  Remind me not to put you in charge of my finances."

*All through Disneyland I would always stop for bathroom breaks, and Sean never had to go.... I never will understand that, but that's how it was.  So needless to say, I need periodic potty breaks.  Anywho, Sean was calculating how long it would take in order to get back to Salt Lake.  He figured it would be a little over 10 hours.  After a second he stopped seriously and said:

"Well that's not counting all your potty breaks."

Seriously, this is just the tip of the ice berg when it came to all the funny conversations that were had.  Long story short, good times were had, fun memories made.

Power of Conversation

Does anyone ever get tired of all the gidgets, gadgets, and convenient modes of communications?  

No?  Just me?

For whatever reason today I don't like it.  I don't want to call, text, email, or facebook my way through my friends/fam.  Sometimes there is absolutely no replacement for face-to-face contact.  The conversation is better, the humor is more heart felt and better reciprocated, the feelings more genuine.

Nope, just not today.

"We need to ask more questions and listen more deeply. 

We need to seek first to understand, rather than to be understood. 

We need to be the sparks for challenging, inspiring, engaging talk, willing to ask the hard and important questions and to provide honest and authentic answers.

We need to be comfortable with the messy, wonderful process of truly engaging with each other around what is important to us."

Olympic Thoughts

Did anyone catch this tear jerking scene from swimming the other day?  If you didn't go look it up: http://www.sbnation.com/london-olympics-2012/2012/8/2/3214875/ryan-lochte-michael-phelps-nathan-adrian-celebration.  Nathan Adrian was swimming the 100m freestyle the other night.  He wasn't expected to take the gold up against Australia's "The Missle".  Long story short, he took it by 1/100th of a second.

  

They interviewed him about the whole thing afterwards. I have never listened to a more humble Olympic winner, and it made me so proud to be an American.  Meanwhile... back in the warm up room, his teammates Lochte and Phelps stood watching.  Their reaction (seen above) honestly almost made me cry.  :)  Go watch it.  

I also found out that this guy (Russell Holmes):

is a BYU grad.  Holla back.  Probably one of the most attractive guys on the US Men's Volleyball team and he just so happens to have graduated from BYU, is mormon, and went on a mission to London.  Not only this, but when the announcers talked about him, this is what they mentioned.  What great things to be remembered for, and what a great way to represent your religion and what you stand for!

One other thing that I have been thinking about.  Maybe it's because I am a girl, but I get so attached to these Olympians!  Honestly, not just the USA team members.  I LOVE hearing people's back stories.  You get to know them and where they have come from, their struggles and triumphs.  Watching them compete after hearing these, makes watching one million times better.  Their emotions after finishing make so much more sense.  You almost cry when they cry, or at least I do :)

Loving the games!!

3

First off, isn't this picture cute? :)  It makes me happy, though this is beside the point.  

Tonight I stumbled across a new tv show called 3.  Apparently it's about 3 friends who interview hundreds of guys at the same time, if they are interested then they ask them out.  I am not positive but I think that after that point it continues onto a Bachelorette type of show.... lots more dates with the different guys and sending the duds home.  I digress, my point here is that each guy has about a grand total of 30 seconds to "prove" himself.

This got me to thinking.  Do you think we really make up our minds about the opposite sex within the first few minutes of getting to know them?  Is that fair?  It seems a little bit ridiculous to me.  Have I been guilty of this?  Yup, guilty as charged.  Do we really judge someone almost solely on their appearance?  I mean, how else could we claim to "know" after a few minutes?  I don't know, I just feel like the whole thing is interesting.  I watched guy after guy get turned down by these 3 women and wondered how they really took that....  

Obviously I am over-analyzing this by about a million times, but think about it!

London Bridge

Ran across a news shpeal talking about the Olympics.  It gave a little glimpse of this little beauty.  How absolutely spectacular is that?  What I wouldn't give to go... really though.  Correction.  Let's make this picture sweeter... honeymoon in London during the Olympics?  Um... yes, I accept.  Hey a girl can dream right?  Well, men aside, I would LOVE to see this city during the frenzie.

They have like an entire park complete with crazy spiral lookout, live cricket games, and artificial clouds that rain....?  I dunno what that is all about but it sounds lovely no?  Something about this location that makes my happy little heart go pitter pat.  Who wants to come?? :)

A few things...

So I have come to realize a few things while living by myself/getting back roommates/looking for a new apartment:

1~ I don't like spills that aren't cleaned up.  If it's not mine it bugs me more.  Who spills something and then just leaves it there.... something I will never understand.

2~ I can handle a crazy messy room but can't handle clutter/nastiness anywhere else in my house.  Now don't get me wrong, there are always exceptions, but this is true as a general rule.

3~ You realize that your apartment might not be as bad as you always thought it was after searching for cheap new housing.

4~ I lock the door to my house ALWAYS.... whether I am inside or outside of it.... doesn't matter, it will be locked.

5~ I HATE studying without a deadline.  Why don't I just schedule it then?  I dunno, that would make me study under stress... heaven forbid.

6~ Having roommates really isn't all that bad in comparison to living alone... you realize it isn't really all it's cracked up to be after having conversations with yourself cause no one is around.

Reflecting.

A good friend of mine sent me a text I needed today.  It was simply a link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E) telling me to watch.  I sat there for 8 minutes remembering how blessed I am.  So blessed for my trials.  It got me to thinking.  My purpose here on earth is only so clear to me.  I like to think that somehow I picked my trials before coming here so someone else I loved wouldn't have to go through them.  Whether or not this is true I have no idea.  But I am so happy that they are mine.  We go through day to day with so much tunnel vision, or I do at least.  It's always me me me.  How do I look?  What would be best for me?  What is in it for me?  The thoughtfulness of my friend helped me remember that it's not all about me and that I am not alone.  I am here to serve and whether my trials are big or small, I need to make the most of them... they are mine for  reasons unbeknownst to me and He won't let me face them alone.

Living Vicariously

Have you ever lived vicariously through other people?  What have I done recently??  Oh moved to work in Dallas Tx, went to a Mets game, had a photoshoot, played with my two babies, and cuddled up on the couch with my hubs to watch a scary movie.... oh wait, nope none of those were me.  Lately I have been living through blogs.  I don't think it's such a good thing.  They make me jealous.  I am too busy looking at their lives to live my own.  So maybe I don't go out with friends to do random things, and when I do, do I ever document it with blog worthy photos??  Um... no.  But, maybe I should.  But then I think, what?  It seems so pathetic to go do things just to post them on my blog.  It's like putting on a facade for the world to make them think I am one of those "cute, funny, clever, busy bloggers".  Truth is, I'm not.... I'm sooo not.  But maybe if the thought of that gets me out of my house and on to fun adventures, maybe blogging jealousy and vicarious living isn't such a bad thing.

design BuG

slate grey emanating a feeling of closure, intimacy, comfort

personal picture

softly adorned pillows embodying style and flare... you-ness

wall art: sass

Something about interior design that just screams creativity.  It tells a story, that is if you let it.  To those who say a pillow is a pillow or to heck with slate grey as opposed to dim grey.... let the room speak for itself, it'll likely have a story to tell ;)

Why "Reflections in a Raindrop"?

You ever have those moments where you re-evaluate your life?  Ever look at yourself and ask if this is who you really want to be?  In a way I guess that is where the name for this blog came from.  You look at your reflection and decide if you like what you see.  I have had one of those weeks.

Where am I going?  

What do I really want to do?

Am I living my life the way I have always wanted to?

Am I taking life for granted?

What would I do differently in an ideal world?

I guess my point with this post is to help you think about your life.  Look at it.  Is it all that you want it to be?  Are you living it to the fullest?  Let's be honest, I'm probably not.  Maybe it's time to make a few changes.

The last of NY~ A lovely smathering of photos...

Gradumikation

Happy Graduation to all!  

I can't believe it's been a year....

Saratoga Springs, NY~ Day 2

One picture to say it all...

Not bad eh?

Ok so maybe a few more cause Saratoga Battlefield and the country side were too dang beautiful.

Battlefield above and below

Saratoga Springs, NY~ Day 1

Alright, if you haven't been convinced that you need to come to NY by the end of this post,

you are nuts. Loving this.

Reason #1

You can eat paninis in cute little tea shops that look like this:

**the panini looks like this, not the tea shop ;)

Reason #2

You can share the company of this lovely lady :)

Reason #3

You can go antiquing to your hearts content and find gems like this little beauty!

Fun little old box covered inside by old wallpaper and newspaper from May 31, 1823.

The paper reads, "As already observed unless a man feels the solemn weight and importance of the subject on which he speaks, it is not possible he should be eloquent." Amen 1823. Amen.

These shoes were so dang cute! Sorry so blurry....

Reason #4

You get to help your parentals pick out crazy new rugs for your front room!

City so nice they named it twice

Who's excited to spend their birthday in NY NY???? That would be me :)

The moment when....

~you pray you said the right thing

~you hope you gave the right advice

~you wish you had heeded that small prompting

~you wonder if you had waited a moment longer if it would have changed anything

~you realize that you might not get a second chance

~you realize what could have been

It's funny how life teaches you it's lessons. Sometimes I wonder if it is the most fair... aka it's not, but you definitely end up getting the point. I guess it's just what you decide to do after those moments of realization that make YOU who you are. Don't like it? Then change it.

This is home

Due to recent events my version of "home" has gotten turned upside down a bit. I have come to a new realization lately. Where is home?

{1} the place where me, mom and jay are all perfectly content chatting away at 2am and falling asleep in the same double bed.... comfy cozy no?

{2} the place where my dad kills me with his quiet but genuinely awesome sense of humor

{3} the place where I feel like I belong even though I don't feel like I have a physical place to belong anymore

{4} the place where I am fine with being the accusee of giggles in the wee morning hours because jay and I are quoting movies

{5} the place where we can do absolutely nothing and me being ok with it because they are around

{6} the place where Kensi is doted on mercilessly by the whole crew

Whether the east coast or midwest- Anywhere they are, I am home. <3

the ones that come & go

To all the he's.

the time he kissed me on the cheek

and I felt like a million bucks

the time he told me we fought like

an old married couple

the time he brought me a gatorade

and the nastiest cold medicine I have

ever had because he knew I didn't feel good

the time my heart hurt because

I told him I didn't feel the same way

the time I very sincerely thought

I was going to throw up when he

told me I wasn't right for him

the time he told me I was beautiful

the time he still talked to me after

I threw up in his sportscar

the time he simply chatted with

me when there were a million more

exciting things going on at the lake

the time he texted me at 5:30am

because he knew I was up at work

the time he made me realize how

well I deserve to be treated

the time I called him to come watch

a movie when I felt like crap and he

canceled his plans to come.... and didn't tell me

the time he told me I deserved better

the time he was completely and

painfully honest about his mistakes

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the "ones that have come and gone"