thank goodness it's friday, for REAL.

This glorious day that is Friday could not have come soon enough.

It's been one of those weeks that just feels like it's never. going. to. end. Sleep has not been my best friend, so between not sleeping and having to get up and be coherent and focused at 4:40 every morning, I've been a bit of a zombie the last few days.

Yes, zombie-like and emotional, because when the sleep escapes me, the emotions and tears just flood all over everywhere.

There might have been a mini-breakdown last night when I slept 30 minutes past my scheduled nap wake-up time and was convinced my entire night was ruined. (Note to self: Perhaps things are too crazy and busy and out of control when you have to schedule a nap. Remember this.) Once I was up, I headed to the gym but it was just one of those nights where my heart wasn't in it, I was on edge, and I had zero desire to be running... so I left. This very rarely, if ever, happens, but I just had to listen to my body and mind last night and get the heck out of there. I did, however, come back to a clean kitchen, with all of the chicken and veggies that I was making for dinner prepped and waiting for me (love him). Dinner (Good Seasons Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken, Creamy Parmesan Orzo, roasted asparagus) turned out quick and easy, then I packed for our little weekend trip, which we're leaving for right after work today.

Earlier in the week, we had initially made plans to have zero plans this weekend. We've been going and going and just wanted to relax and eat good food and watch football. Wednesday night, we get a call from Brian's brother-in-law, asking if we have plans for the weekend. Well, since we planned to have no plans, we technically were busy... but we gave in.

His best friend has a family beach house on the North Shore of MA near Gloucester, the town that The Perfect Storm was filmed in/based on, and he, Meghan, and several other couples are getting together there this weekend. It's a fun (wild) group of kids, so we decided that since it'll probably be one of the last beachy weekends of the summer and we were otherwise going to sit on the couch, we'd make the trip, only in good faith that we'll be able to watch plenty of college football tomorrow.

Apparently this is the main street in Rockport. Looks like a happenin' place.
I'll report back with my own pictures after the weekend.

Other than that, things have been pretty low-key around here. Because I'm twiddling my thumbs and watching the time tick by until I leave for the day, I'll share a few of my favorite things of the moment. Enjoy!

Adelaide at Sweet, Sassy, Southern and Classy recently blogged about trying L'Oreal's new EverStrong shampoo and conditioner... and loving it. I was browsing at Target earlier this week and came across this Deep Replenishing Masque... and I am in love. My daily hair routine includes the blow dryer and the Chi, so I'm always on the lookout for a good deep conditioner that does the job well, but doesn't weigh down my hair, and at a little under $8, this is perfect. I've used it twice this week, letting it sit for the entire time I'm in the shower, then letting my hair air dry afterwards (obviously at night), and my hair has never been softer, and I've gotten several compliments today on the shine and how healthy it looks (and I'm so not bragging ladies but really-- everyone loves a good hair day). Love love love. This has definitely peaked my interest into trying out the shampoo and conditioner.

Being the book nerd that I am, childrens books remain to be some of my favorite/the best books I've ever read. Everyone remembers Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear?, The Very Busy Spider... I love them all to pieces. Well, the geniuses over at Stride Rite decided to work with Mr. Carle himself and develop a line of shoes featuring characters from his most popular titles. Please look at the adorable green caterpillar on the velcro strap. I love the idea of giving the shoes along with the book for a baby shower / birthday gift!

While perusing the wonderfully overwhelming crafts area of Martha Stewart's website, I came across this idea for my glass hurricane vase-- love it! I'm going to fill the inside with pumpkins and straw and other spooky items and use a black Halloween-ish ribbon for the top, and then change out the ribbon and remove the spooky stuff to last me through fall!

H&M completely overwhelms me with all of its cheap prices and grabby shoppers, but I had an hour to kill on Wednesday afternoon waiting for Brian, so I dropped in... and I'm so glad that I did. I found this shirt for $9.99 and it has made my day/weekend. It has really light red lines mixed in with the stripes, and it hits a little higher than mid-thigh. It's SO comfy (but wrinkles to heck). Today is casual Friday, and I'm sporting it as we speak, with jeans and a white cami. Love!

All I have to say is that on the way to the beach this afternoon, we're passing the only Sonic within 150 miles of where we live. My menu has been planned since yesterday, my excitement is a little sick. I cannot wait for the gloriousness of a Diet Vanilla Dr. Pepper.


Lastly, I want a kitten. Like, as in yesterday. My morning was spent browsing breeder websites, and have decided that I specifically would love to spoil and love a precious little Himalayan baby, just like one of these. The sweet boy on top steals my heart, and the one below is named Whiskers O'Toole, who went to live with an Irish family. Oh, I die. The name just kills me. Who can think of a name like that?! I envy the creativity. Brian despises cats and I've never lived without one, so my need for a kitten is a constant battle between us. A man cave in our future place has been promised, on the condition that I get a cat.

He has no idea who he's dealing with, my friends :) Sooner rather than later, I will have a sweet kitten to spoil.

Have a wonderfully happy weekend, y'all, and hook 'em!!

I die for BabyGap and the loveliness that is Fall.

It cannot possibly only be Tuesday.

I need the weekend, stat. Or just tonight, which equals a midweek date night at Panera, followed by a 6:40 showing of The Town, after which I'll likely be knocked out in my bed by 9:30.

Yes, we are boring and we are little old people and we embrace it.

Things have been pretty boring around here lately. We spent the weekend at Brian's parents house so we could visit with his oldest sister (in town from Baltimore and expecting a baby boy in February!), he could play golf, and I could help his mom decorate for a baby shower that she hosted on Sunday. It was nice-- we went, we stayed, we left. Just stopping by for a visit is one thing, but when you're in the house too long when there's a mission/task involved, things can get a teensy bit intense, so we headed back to our place early Sunday morning.

Brian parked on the couch to watch football, and I headed out, in desperate need of 'me' time. Y'all, I have to admit, although this baby is obviously not my own, nor will we even be officially related (yet), I CANNOT STOP SHOPPING. It is as if the condition of baby fever has taken over my body and just propels my feet into Gymboree/BabyGap/The Children's Place. They have a mind of their own, and there is no helping the sickness.

My debit card apparently has a mind of ITS own too, considering I purchased the following without a second thought in my mind:



I cannot even stand the cuteness of the crabby shorts ( The little red onesie has a crab on the sleeve, and there are tiny crabs embroidered into the shorts. I also found a navy tshirt with a big crab outlined near the waist, and the inside of the crab is the light red white and blue plaid material. I can't find it online but it's precious-- trust me. Meghan loved the corduroy pants because "He'll look like a little old man!," and I found a white and royal blue baseball tee-type onesie to go with that. The little baby blue set is also soo soft and warm and just... snuggly, and apparently a potential frontrunner for baby boy's coming home from the hospital outfit (points for me!).

I'm now just stockpiling for the baby shower in November, which gives me a good amount of time to space out my damage. Brian doesn't get nearly/at all as excited as I do about my purchases though, so you can bet I'll be posting the goodies here.

And for myself, I purchased this:
How stinkin' cute! Considering I just stocked up on 3-wick candles from Bath and Body Works, I thought that this little haunted house would be the perfect accompaniment. I'll take a pic once the decorating is complete-- I'm having to hold back, considering it's only September 21st.

Building from that, I LOVE Halloween/fall. Big time. I especially love decorating and baking and cooking that comes with this time of year. I'm feeling all kinds of crafty this season, so I'm on the lookout for good decorating ideas for small space. Hint: if you have any, any at all, I'd LOVE to hear suggestions! I'm looking for a simple wreath that I could make for the front door (I've seen lots of wood/berry combos that I like). I also just bought a tall, circular class container and have no clue what to do with it. Last Christmas, I filled a similar piece with different ornaments, but what do I do for fall? A website said I should fill it with nature-- pinecones and colorful leaves.

Bugs live on/in/around these things, my loves, and though I may be all about the nature, I like to leave it outside.

I'm currently perusing Better Homes & Gardens online-- I'll post ideas as I see them. Almost my lunch time, then 3:30 will be here before I know it... it's my mantra. I try to convince myself of this daily.

And with that, I leave you with these:
I die.

Brian said unnecessary, I said he's wrong. They're in my Gymboree shopping cart. To match the crabby shorts, y'all! Someone justify my taking the plunge here and purchasing these little babies :)

I left my heart in Texas...

Well, I've been to Texas and back with The Boy.

I can't help but admit that I'm feeling a bit heartsick at the moment for home. No matter where else you may ever go, there are some things that just can't beat the comforts of where you come from. The minute that our plane touched down and I stepped into the Austin airport, this little wave of calm came over me. And then we stepped outside into the steamy air (at 11:30pm, mind you) and I REALLY knew that I was home.

Our time in Texas was wonderful.

I ate all kinds of yummy, non-Weight Watchers friendly foods, including but not limited to the following:

corn cakes
pigs in a blanket
my mama's guacamole
real, honest to goodness amazing mexican food (enchiladas, rice and beans... the works)
QUESO AND SALSA WITH HOMEMADE CHIPS
jalapeno poppers
spinach dip
my daddy's ribs
jalapeno sausage wraps
homemade breakfast burritos
takeout breakfast burritos
sunday dinner (roast, mashed potatoes, blackeyed peas, cornbread and sweet tea)
Chick-fil-a
more Sonic drinks than I could keep track of. we'll just say that there is A LOT of diet vanilla dr. pepper pumping through my veins right now

Our trip didn't revolve around food, but all of the eating sure didn't put a dent in our enjoyment. For the first time ever, we didn't have a jam-packed itinerary, so it was nice to just sit back and relax and enjoy ourselves.

We did make the trip to Dallas on Friday afternoon to meet up with one of Brian's roommates from college, who now works in Houston. A co-worker of his had a box at Cowboys stadium that night, so the three of us met up with a group of people and celebrated the Superbowl Countdown at Cowboys Stadium in style! (I have a bunch of pictures, so as soon as I can get them uploaded, I'll post them!). It was so so fun. Lots of old Cowboys spoke, Jerry was of course there, Emmitt gave a little speech, and then Tim McGraw performed for an hour. We met up in downtown Ft.Worth afterwards and had a really great time that led to an awful time waking up the next morning... so worth it though :)

Now that we're back in Boston, it's so hard to get back into your previous routine while thinking of how nice it was to be away from it for awhile. I'm working on it, but it's sure not easy.

Like I said, I have a ton of pictures and will be posting them asap. Until then, my bed is calling my name.

Goodnight, y'all!

And you thought that Boston only had Irish folk...

This past weekend, Brian and I headed into Boston for the St. Anthony's feast in the North End, which is the VERY Italian area of the city. Like, people still sit on their front steps and chit chat in Italian while people tote fresh bread and pastries from the bakeries and Tony Soprano-esque men crowd outside of restaurants near their Caddies and discuss who only knows what in big, boisterous accents.

Basically, I love it. It's a really old part of the city, and is pretty unchanged/unrenovated, compared to the updates that other parts of the city have experienced. It's neat to stand on a median between downtown Boston and the North End, and see the skyscrapers on one side, and the old red brick buildings and awnings on the other. It's a fun place to visit, even after having lived here for three years, and the food is 100% authentic, unbeatable, a-ma-zing Italian. LOVES!

As for the actual feast, here's a little tidbit that I borrowed from the website:

In Boston, Saint Anthony is honored by the Italian-American community of the North End with the largest Italian street festival in New England. Since 1919, Saint Anthony’s Feast has been celebrated on the weekend of the last Sunday of August. Called the “Feast of all Feasts” by National Geographic, this authentic festival offers parades, religious & cultural services, entertainment, Italian foods and novelties all on the beautifully decorated streets of the North End.

And now, prepare for picture overload. If you've been to Boston before, I apologize in advance, but I'm just going to play tour guide for all those who haven't :)

Several bars leading towards Faneuil Hall in the downtown area.
I've lived here 3 years and still take pictures like a tourist :)

"Do you think if I throw money at him, he'll move?" BGK
This guy kind of creeped me out.
You can't really tell, but he was staring directly at me *shivers*

Quincy Market! Love it.

So I don't know what's up with Kraft Mac & Cheese, but they're all over Boston. We were out for dinner a couple of weeks ago and were given two bags full of Kraft products and pot holders, and then we come across this!
You know you love it :)

The huge, crazy farmer's market between downtown Boston and the North End. I wanted to stop but thought it might be pretty picked over already. Oh well.

The North End! You can't really tell, but the sign in the middle between the buildings says "Welcome to the North End! Home of St. Anthony's Feast!" Yay!

I had to get Brian. He was irritated because we both thought there were actually no festivities until later that night, because there was no music, there were no street vendors... no food... I was beginning to regret my planning.

And then we turned the corner, and all was right with the world. Since the parades and everything were at nighttime, the main point of being there during the day was to eat.

I warned Brian that there might be an unladylike amount of eating going on. Attractive, right?

Arancini are rice balls, which I'm so determined to make. Pasta, deep dish pizza...

... cannolis, oh sweet heaven the stack of cannolis...

Love the pretty street decorations!

St. Anthony. Ignore Brian-- his presence was accidental. So you can kind of see, but people go up to the alter and pin money to ribbons streaming off of St. Anthony.

So of course I had to do it. I got so flustered because the man on the right wasn't very nice,
and there were tons of people watching and waiting in line...

... so I posed. My dad told me to say three Our Fathers and four Hail Marys after he saw this picture. I did not intend to look this sassy in this picture. I was stressed with all of the people watching me but I wanted a picture, and the hand just flew to the hip. The thing is, I NEVER pose like that. With St. Anthony and the babe in the background, and all of the religious symbols, there I am on the ALTAR, sassing it up. Brian was dying laughing.
Mwah, love you too!

Italian band/singer. They were good. And loud. I was irritable. And hungry. And hot. Not a good combination, so I probably didn't appreciate them as much as I could have.

Kettle corn-- in action!

Sweet mercy, there were SO many people, and it was so so hot.

I liked how everything at this place had meat sauce. It made me happy.

We found a Bertolli cooking demonstration. Seeing Brian head for the EVOO-soaked sweet onion topped bread was the fastest he'd moved all day. But it was SO good.

My own little heaven.

Covered apples that were completely melting in the heat.

When we finally ate, what did we pick? Old faithful sausage and peppers on a roll. Yes, it's enormous. Yes, I ate the entire thing. Yes, had Brian not been with me, I would have tasted my way through that entire festival.

Please excuse me. My face had melted off, and the lady that offered to take our picture wanted the classy "100% Italian" tshirts that were hanging behind us in the picture. I was flustered.

Adios, North End! What you can't see is the ginormous pina colada gelato that I had in my hand to make the drive out of Boston worth it. Super yum!

Well, that's that. I have every intention of going back next year and actually eating from several vendors. It's a personal goal that I feel very feminine and delicate in declaring. "I eat way through feast. Rice balls. Meat Sauce. Fried Ravioli. I taste all!"

Happy Friday, y'all.

Sick with no taste and no voice = miserable.

Y'all, I have been SO sick.

Brian woke up last Saturday morning complaining of a sore throat. It went on all day and I couldn't figure out what may have caused it when he announces, "Well... it maybe could have been the community water jug at softball last night."

Oh hm, ya think?

So the sore throat continued over the weekend and then BAM! Monday morning hits. He wakes up with a really scratchy throat, and I'm fine. Tuesday he wakes up with a sore throat, while I wake up with the scratchy throat. Wednesday he wakes up with the stuffy nose and congestion, while I wake up with the sore throat. Thursday he wakes up feeling pretty good, while I wake up and cannot breathe. Today he's all fine and dandy, while I have no voice. Literally. So we played tag all week with symptoms. It was kind of nice by the time yesterday got here and I could look at Brian's cold clearing up and say, "Oh okay, that's where I'll be tomorrow." And I am. Just in silence.

On the downside, we had our THIRD restaurant week date last night at McCormick & Schmick's and I KNOW I was feeling bad because I didn't take any pictures of my meal. Know why I didn't take any pictures of my meal?

#1. Because I couldn't breathe while I attempted to eat
#2. Because I COULDN'T TASTE ANYTHING.

Yep, that's right. About mid-day yesterday, my tastebuds were taken over by this cold, and I couldn't taste a thing, which was really weird. If something was sweet or salty, I could taste that general spice or feel on my tongue that something was tangy, like with the balsamic dressing on my salad, but I couldn't. taste. anything.

From a weight-loss perspective, this would be positive/miserable to never be able to taste anything. I mean, I love food and flavors way too much to wish having no sense of taste on anyone, but as I was eating and NOT tasting anything, I realized that I really had no desire to continue eating anything. My bleu cheese and candied walnut salad? A few bites did me in because I couldn't taste those candied walnuts and therefore didn't want anymore. My apple and sage stuffed pork tenderloin? Brian said it was delish, but I had to take his word for it, and after three bites I was done. The fresh bread and butter? TOTAL mindless indulgence! I could taste neither the bread NOR the soft, melty butter, yet I still ate my entire piece. I just told myself that if there was anything that I could imagine the taste of, it was warm, fresh bread with melty, salty, delicious butter. Brian kind of summed it up with the comment, "Everyone would be skinny if they couldn't taste anything, because you could just eat salad all of the time and never crave anything bad, because you'd never had the taste of the bad stuff." Which is so true. I had a bite of his chocolate cake for dessert, and I couldn't taste anything, yet I went back for like, 2 more bites. Mindless, empty eating my friends. Kind of makes you wonder how often you continue eating unhealthy stuff just because it's there and you have the taste of it in your mouth, rather the actual need/want for it in your hunger.

Another study I'd like to do? Apparently there will be NO NFL FOOTBALL IN THE 2011 SEASON. I'll let you have your moment of silence. I wonder how drastically the levels of depression and frustrations in men will raise/lower, based on having no release every Sunday for several months. I mean, I'm not a guy and I even feel a little down about no football. Taking away football from a man is like depriving a woman of salt and chocolate during PMS-- you just don't do it.

This weekend should be semi-relaxing and lowkey. I have my WW weigh-in tomorrow morning at 8, then I'll likely stop by Target to stock up on gifts for my Texas Jack's 4th birthday, which was yesterday (love him! Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like supper at Texas Roadhouse and a chocolate cake. They know the way to that boy's heart...), then Brian and I are heading into Boston for the St. Anthony's Feast in the North End, which is the really Italian area of Boston. I am SO excited. I've been to Italian festivals in Connecticut before when visiting family, but Brian never has. He's in for a world of loud and rowdy folks, fun activities, and AMAZING food. I'm planning on an entire blog just about the feast, so be ready!

Sunday I've promised Brian that he can sleep in while I hit up the grocery store, as our kitchen is the barest it's ever been. We haven't eaten a home cooked meal in over a week, and my body's going through withdrawals for the good, healthy stuff. I know people do it, but I just can't imagine eating out almost every single meal. I feel gross and just blah. So, I'm stocking us up, cleaning the sick out of our bedroom, and roasting a chicken for supper with mashed potatoes. It's been in the 50s in the mornings here, so I'm telling myself it's just a head start on fall.

Have a happy Friday, y'all.

Happy 4th Birthday, Jack! :)

5k? Been there, ran that...

Well y'all, the 5k goal has been accomplished. Completed. Checked off of my "to do" list. I still kind of can't believe that I actually started and finished (which was a pretty darn good feeling, I have to say). While I have to admit that it wasn't the most challenging race in the world, it was also harder than I expected.


A few things that I came to realize either pre/during/post run:

1. Running on a real road is a whole lot different than running on a treadmill or a track
2. A ton of runners used the 5k simply as a warm-up to their much longer, more intense run immediately following. And y'all... these people that continued are the ones who came in first. Just crossed the finish line and kept on running...
3. It is necessary to practice the art of slowing down to grab water while not coming to a complete stop, so as to not take out the water children in the future.
4. Do not be insulted by the young kids who whip past you and who are laughing and joking and full of breath as they pass you on their way to the finish line. Do not be mad. Take breaths. Resist urge to trip.
5. Listen to your iPod at the perfect volume, somewhere between the pumping "Beyonce is so gonna get me across this finish line" and the softer "The cheers from all of these people that I do not know are SO what I need right now!"
6. The people that you saw warming up/sprinting pre-race are indeed going to smoke you. Embrace this knowledge.
7. It does not matter that this race took place along the ocean. You will not acknowledge, recognize, or even be aware of the scenery until you're done and find sand in your shoes.
8. Do not be insulted by the man who has passed you while pushing a double jogger stroller, loaded up with 2 older kids and all of their necessities.
9. Do not be insulted by the crazy man who seems to keep trying to personally race you. Ignore this man and run at your own pace. Ignore the fact that he is running barefoot and STILL beating you.
10. Never ever forget that feeling of turning the corner at a crowd of cheering spectators, realizing that that is indeed the finish line ahead of you, seeing that you beat your expected time to finish, and sprint across the tape.

I am so so proud of myself for doing this race. 5k/3.1 miles or not, I committed and I completed. It has not been easy to transition from a non-exerciser to an elliptical fiend to running all. of. the. time., but it's a transition that I've loved. Running is not easy and it's not always friendly to your body, but nothing feels quite as rewarding as finishing up a running goal.

For the cherry on top (I just have to add this), Brian and I went to dinner with another couple on Monday night and it came up in conversation about what our past weekend plans had been. Not even thinking about it, I said that I'd run a 5k Saturday morning and then relaxed the rest of the day. The girlfriend sighed and said, "Gosh, that's great. I've always wanted to be a runner but could never just make myself do it."

Holy. Moly. Does this mean I'm officially a runner? When you willingly sign up to run in a race... that makes you a runner, does it not? Holy goodness, I love that.

Katie F-- RUNNER.

And now for a few of the most unflattering pictures of my life.

Pre-5k.
Of course I had to strike a pose pre-run, in order to exhibit my athletic efforts, post-run.

Me and the boy, pre-run. His presence at my race was much appreciated, and I have to say that it was a pretty good feeling to look up and unexpectedly see him standing along the route.
Good sport, he is indeed.

So as I started off, I realized that I didn't tell Brian which side of the road I'd be on, so he could take my picture.
Obviously, he found me.

And... here she comes! It was about this time that I tried to control my breathing, knowing that Brian was taking my picture, so that I didn't appear as though I was gasping for air... even though I really and truly was.

So unflattering but real!

Wow. I have muscles. In my legs. In my calves.

Well, I finished in 29:17. Considering I used to run a 34 minute 5k, I was pretty proud of myself. Please excuse the grossness, but I was basking in the glory of my victory. Big mistake to follow: folding myself into the seat on the way home. I was so crampy, I truly thought Brian might have to just throw me over his shoulder and carry me inside.

Yay for 5ks!!

three years.

Brian and I celebrated our 3 year dating anniversary on Friday, August 6th. He had a softball game to play late that night and we were busy all day Saturday, then the week started up... and another week has gone by... and I'm now getting around to finally publishing the post that I'd been working on in honor of The Big 3.

There's this guy that I've been dating for three years today, and I kinda have a thing for him.

(first date, first picture, first experience in Brian's baaad sense of direction, hence our fanciness. august 6, 2007)

Three years, y'all. 1095 days. 26,280 hours.* When you're our age (23 and 24, with me being the cradle robber) and you've last this long, there's almost a feeling of accomplishment that you've successfully stuck it out and made your relationship work for this long.

(the night before Brian left to study abroad in Australia for a semester-- three weeks after the first date! talk about a whirlwind... august 2007)

It has not been easy. For all of the amazing and wonderful times that we've had together, we've for sure had our fair share of aggravated arguments, stubborn standoffs and frustrated fights. We obviously eventually made up after the weak moments in our relationship threatened to break us, and while it would be easy to say "I wish we never fought and never disagreed and things were just perfect," well... a) that's not realistic, and b) that's not something that I would hope for.

(Salem at Halloween 2008)

Agreeing to disagree, compromise, and learning which buttons to never not ever push are just a part of what makes a relationship healthy and strong and secure. We know that we have differences, but it's the different people that we are, with opposite personalities and views and beliefs, that make one really good couple.

(Graduated! Brian's celebration at Colgate, May 2009)

This past year has been a pretty monumental one in our little relationship. After our first two years together (minus summers and school holidays) were spent long distance, with the two of us going to school with 5 1/2 hours between us, we've had an entire year to really and truly get to know each other and spend endless amounts of time together (this is both good and... a learning experience). We moved in together late last August and came to realize all of the little quirks that we both have that had never really and truly been revealed. When you live apart, you go to the person, see their space, stay for a bit, and then exit the scene before Still Live Alone behaviors come out.

(new year's eve 2009)

I'm OCD about my bathroom being clean. I hang up my towels, wipe down the counters, clean water spots off of the faucet... it's my daily post-getting ready routine, whereas Brian drapes his towel over the footboard and forgets about it. I make my bed every single morning and am constantly smoothing the wrinkles out of the comforter; at school, the boy slept on one sheet with a purple comforter. ONE SHEET, my friends, that got washed when I went to visit. I've learned not to nag and he's learned that yes, there is indeed a towel hook on the bathroom door and yes, it DOES matter if the stripes on that pillowcase face vertical or horizontal. Compromise, people... we compromise. Brian can also play video games and watch sports for hours. on. end. This, as I've been told, is just typical man behavior and is the reason why we will have a "man cave" in our someday-home.

(Hootie and the Blowfish concert, August 2008)

Brian likes to recycle. He undoubtedly learned it from his dad, who will watch what you're throwing away in order to catch any piece of recycleable material and put it in the "to be recycled" pile in his parents' kitchen. I don't even think about it while I cook, often just throwing trash into a grocery bag and taking it to the trash chute, but I'm trying. Thinking I was doing a good deed, I picked up a bin at Target one day, with the intention of it holding our recycleables. Y'all, I created a monster. "Styrofoam-- NOT recycleable. Can, yes. Plastic tomato container, yes. Foil, yes. Again, Katie-- styrofoam, NO!" I love him for it, and he's so proud of his little separated recycle bin in the kitchen, so I let him have it.

(summer 2010)

The Boy also puts up with my MawMaw ways, and for this, he deserves a medal of honor. On certain days, I can go from full of energy to passed out on the bed in about 5 minutes. I can't eat or drink anything acidic without Nexium, and he shakes his head when he can hear my just-in-case pill bottles for all of my "ailments" rattling around in my bag. He's well aware that he's dating an 82 year old woman in a 24 year old's body, yet he still loves me.

(The Nutcracker for my birthday, December 2009... and please excuse the makeup and my look.)

BGK, you have made me so happy these past three years. While we've for sure had our moments, there is no one else in the world that I could ever imagine going home to at the end of the day and nobody else who I can't wait to spend my someday-forever with.

(Brian's sister Meghan's wedding, December 2007)

You meet me everyday at the train with a smile; you help me cook when I'm so tired I don't even want to stand up; you support me 152% in my running and my efforts towards healthy eating (and eat every meal with a compliment), and that means so much; you know just how to make me laugh, even when I don't want to; you have the most fabulous singing voice and treat me to your melodies all of the time... all. of. the. time.; you no longer gag when I eat bean burritos; you dance with me, even when you really don't want to; you drink wine with me, even though you hate it; you love that I love just the right amount of and have just enough knowledge of sports, yet am still all girl and would rather throw a sports party and entertain than be yelling on the couch with the guys; you don't complain when I come home on bad days and put on baggy pajama pants and my favorite stained sweatshirt.

(Plymouth Plantation, March 2009)

You get along well with my family (big stuff right there, my friend), play with Lucy, and pay just enough attention to the cats to get you by; you're just fine with staying in and having relaxing nights for our date nights; you see girlie movies with me, as long as I see action movies with you (like I said, good ole compromise); you don't complain when I insist on multiple Mexican nights for dinner; you let me plan our weekends/dates/trips to my little heart's content and just come along for the ride; you appreciate my goofiness and just laugh laugh laugh (may it be at me or with me, I really don't care).

(Brian's first trip to Texas! San Antonio, May 2008)

You encourage my snapping routines; you embrace my ungracefulness and inability to coordinate or walk straight; you love me even on my most moodiest of days and have learned to handle the tears that I can so, so easily cry; you're so smart, determined and focused, and you know what you want out of life, which is something that I completely admire; you can talk sports with my dad (and brother), which I always knew would be a dealbreaker when it came to qualities the guy in my life would have to have.

(Aaand... San Antonio trip #2, May 2009)

I love that I can trust you with no hesitations, and that I know you always have been and always will be honest with me. You take care of me and support me and love me unconditionally. You have happily embraced with me the fact that we've moved on from the lovey dovey honeymoon phase of our relationship, to the old married couple phase, and can laugh with me at stories of new couples who have yet to see what's still to come. More than anything, you are my true best friend. My life with you is happy happy happy and I am so beyond grateful to have found you and to get to share my days with you.

(Weekend with my family in Connecticut for my graduation, May 2010)

Happy Three to Us!

(sidenote: I initially wrote "8760 hours (I think-- my math skills aren't anything to brag about)," which is obviously true. Because it's so me, it stayed in the post).