August 5th, 2010 by Kateastrophe

So I have a question for you married peeps.  Did you cry at your wedding?  Or even on your wedding day?

See, I didn’t.  I got a little blurry eyed when the sealer in the temple pronounced us married for time and all eternity but I didnt’ get any real tears because I was just so HAPPY!  Now, I’m not saying people who did/do cry aren’t/weren’t happy.  I was actually shocked that I didn’t cry because I’m a HUGE bawl baby.  I cry a lot.  At lots of different things.  So my expectation was that I would cry all the live long day.  But that day I didn’t.  It was almost like I physically couldn’t!

I remember my sister-in-law bursting into tears of joy when she and her husband were married.  I don’t remember if my sister cried but I don’t think so.  I have been to several other weddings but not a ton and I’m thinking it’s about 50/50 but I’m curious as to what you think. 

Anyway my point in asking this was . . . well there was really no point other than to introduce my topic which was that my little (HUGE) brother got married this last weekend!  I cried like a baby when she came down the aisle.  My sweet brother got all teared up too.  I’m sure everyone in the room did.  It was amazing and gorgeous and everything a wedding should be.  My youngest baby brother was missing which was rough.  He’s finishing up his Army training and we didn’t think he could come but then his commanding officer told him he could come and there was much rejoicing in the land until there wasn’t anymore.  The commanding officer of the commanding officer caught wind of it and said absolutely not.  We missed him a lot all day long.

There was some . . . interesting family dynamics taking place so there was some tension.  My parents are divorced.  Have been for 23 years.  Dad remarried about 14 years ago and we love our “other” Mom, Lisa.  But they are getting divorced now and the term “messy” doesn’t really adequately describe what’s going on here.  Also, Lisa has a new boyfriend and Dad isn’t so peachy-keen on that.  My Mom remarried about the time Matt and I got married and there’s been some weirdness there.  THEN the brides parents are divorced.  Her Dad has also been remarried for a long time but it seems that might not be working out either.  Do you see where I’m going with this?  Lots of people who used to be married but aren’t and lots of people who are married but might not want to be all in the same room for a family event where we all had to behave.  HIP HIP HOORAY!  Lucky for us we only had one “incident” and it was between the least likely parties - the “other” Mom and boyfriend.  Interesting and strange all at the same time.  And it didn’t really affect anything substantial so we all came out unscathed. 

The person who didn’t come out unscathed was one of the groomsmen.  Long story short, his ex-girlfriend showed up as a guest of an invited friend and that was no bueno.  He proceeded to drink himself stupid, have a fight with his NEW girlfriend and somehow found himself on the 15th floor of the Marriott pounding on every.single.door then passing out IN THE ELEVATOR but with his head OUTSIDE OF THE ELEVATOR while the door tried endlessly to shut.  We shall just call it a party in a box.  Security wasn’t so happy and neither was my just married brother with the threat of everybody being kicked out of the hotel if he didn’t handle the “situation.” 

Never a dull moment, right folks??

My only personal complaint for the whole day was that my hairstylist personage didn’t quite understand what I meant when I said I wanted a loose, sideswept bun type thing.  I ended up with a huge mass of curls shoved to one side.  It didn’t look bad it just wasn’t what I wanted and it took FOR-EV-ER.  Also, I don’t know what in the hell she did with hairspray and a curling iron but my hair might never recover.  My pride and joy, my once silky locks have turned into course, puffy . . . something that’s not my hair.  I’m using massive amounts of conditioner (which I never ever use) in an attempt to repair some of the damage.  We’ll see how it goes. 

Small pieces of drama aside, Sean and Kristin were married and happy and gorgeous like Ken and Barbie and we’re expecting Malibu Barbie babies at some point in the future.  I’m super excited to have Kristin in our family even though she is tiny and tan.  I look like a giant pale and tragic vampire next to her but what can you do?  She’s Polish (I think?) and I’m Irish (I know) and that’s just the way it is.  At least somebody in our family is likely to have tan babies.  Mine will for sure be iridescent. 

Wait a minute . . . how did I get from wedding to babies so fast?  I must totally be Mormon.  Weird.

July 5th, 2010 by Kateastrophe

I’ve been keeping a secret from all of you.

It was supposed to be a great surprise that I was going to share when the time was right, but as luck and the laws of nature would have it, now it’s a sad surprise, which really isn’t a surprise at all.

I was pregnant, due January 28th.   As of Wednesday, I’m officially not anymore.  There’s no real reason anyone can give me as to why, just that the baby didn’t make it and we can try again when we’re ready.  It wasn’t planned and I would say I was initially thrilled, but a life is a life and a pregnancy is a pregnancy and so I’m mourning the loss and as we all know, everyone mourns differently.  I’m actually doing really well and I’ve been able to gain a lot of perspective through this experience. I’d thought about not ever saying anything here and just leaving it as a something that was private, but for some reason that doesn’t feel right and certainly doesn’t feel like me.  Maybe there’s someone else who needs to hear what I have to say and this is the only venue where they’ll find it.  I’m not really sure.  I just know the feeling I got to share this loss with the world was very strong so here I am.  I’d started another blog to document my journey to motherhood and initially I was going to erase it, but I realized that as sad as it might be to have it there, it’s my journey and I’m going to share it with you.

It starts at the beginning and as of tonight, the end of this particular journey is there.  I hope to be able to use it to share more journeys with you but for now this is all I’ve got.  I won’t say enjoy because I’m not exactly sure that’s the purpose, but I hope you get something out of it.  I can tell you that I did and it’s documented at Growing Kateastrophe.  The tagline now seems painfully ironic . . . but I’m me and it’s me and I’m not changing it.  But I probably don’t need to explain that to any of you.

May 21st, 2010 by Kateastrophe

My mother is amazing.  Maybe the most amazing human being that ever existed EVER.  OK maybe I went too far there but I’m just putting it out there that she’s awesome and everyone says so.

Now that I’ve gotten that part out of the way I will share with you the story of that one time, last week, when my mother drove almost me to insanity via a paper doll.  A paper doll named Flat Stanley.

My amazing baby sister and her husband both graduated from the LSU Nursing School last week.  For the momentous occasion, as much of the family as could manage made the trek to New Orleans to celebrate Southern style.  This posse of awesomeness included my (amazing) Mother, my Dad (who flew in from China) my Grandmother, myself and my sister’s best friend and spouse.  The logistics of the trip were a bit tricky.  Dad had rented a car, Mom and Grams had not.  Meagan and Lukey (aka Sister and Husband) had their tiny little Nissan.  Some of us were staying in the French Quarter and some of us were staying in student housing apartment occupied by Sister and Husband about twenty minutes away.  If we all tried to fit in one car it was no bueno.  So Dad and Mom ended up in the same car a lot.

In case you didn’t know this already, Mom and Dad are divorced and have been for almost 24 years.  They are polar opposite human beings and I still to this day am unsure of how they EVER got along long enough to have four kids.  Love them both, but seriously, it’s that bad.  They do a good job of getting along at kid centric occasions such as weddings and graduations but it’s still a wee bit stressful on us kids because we try to keep them separate but equal if you know what I mean.

Dad and I are a lot alike in our travel styles.  We’re very organized and we’ve always got a plan (usually three plans, just in case).  You take away our plan and our heads explode.  You make us late for the plan, and our heads explode.   No Plan = Big Mess to Clean Up.

Mom is what we like to call a “Free Spirit.”  I doubt she’s ever been on time to anything in her life.  She TRIES to plan, but when she does it sort of explodes into craziness.  She likes to live in the moment.  It’s great, but it’s a bit hard on The Plan.

{Example?  We were all trying to stay in the same hotel but we weren’t sure if we could pull it off.  Mom found a hotel she OHMAGOSHHADTOSTAYIN and booked not one, not two but THREE rooms “just in case.”  This would have been fine but I think she thought the hotel was going to catch her or something because she booked them all under a different last name.  She then asked me to finalize everything, since I’m the travel planner extraordinaire and when I called the hotel to confirm ONE room and cancel the others, they couldn’t find jack.  It took me an hour to unravel the mess.  SEE?  Explosion of craziness.}

So, as you can probably tell, Mom relying on Dad to get us places wasn’t such a great idea.  Kate coming along for the ride made it a worse idea.  Dad + Kate=Mega Plan.  Dad+Kate/Mom= WTH JUST HAPPENED?

The morning of the commencement ceremony, The Planners wanted to be early to get good seats.  Mom went for an eight mile run and got back exactly 30 minutes before the plan was to be set in motion.  Mom then jumped in the pool to cool down.  Then she carefully rung(rang?) out her bathing suit, then she showered and started to get ready.  45 minutes later (as the plan is slowly dying a painful death) she think she’s ready to go and we’re on our way out to the car, I hear “Oh no!  Flat Stanley!”

Some more background on Flat Stanley for you.  Mom’s husband’s granddaughter (got that?) gave Flat Stanley to my Mom MONTHS ago.  Mom forgot about Flat Stanley.  Mom lost Flat Stanley.  Mom found Flat Stanley and then Mom brought Flat Stanley to New Orleans to complete her task, which I believe is technically taking one or two pictures in New Orleans.  Weeeeel, Jan turned that one into a documentary of Flat Stanley’s life as a Southern boy and decided to bring him everywhere.  But see, there’s this whole problem of slight disorganization and MOM KEPT LOSING FLAT STANLEY.  And she’d freak out and go looking for him and guess what that does to The Plan?  If you guessed “shot it in the head” you would be correct.

She proceeds to rip all her clothes out of her suitcase, all the papers our of her briefcase and all the stuff out of her purse madly looking for a PAPER DOLL.  Of course by now The dying Plan has become The “shot in the head execution style” Plan.  Dad and I are having internal panic attacks and trying to smile through the pain.  Mom is still looking for Flat Stanley and Grandma is . . . well being my awesome Grandma.

It takes a few minutes to locate him and no less than 25 minutes late we are out the door.  My Dad, who in a previous life would have been shouting expletives involving a word beginning with “F” at everyone by this time, is driving down the road and smiles at my Mom and says “You know, if we went and made color copies of Flat Stanley you’d never have to worry about losing him again because you’d have MANY of him.”  Mom agrees it’s a good idea but NEVER DOES IT.  We proceed to rinse and repeat the above story in slightly different situations for the rest of the trip.

As I’m sure you can imagine, over the course of the next four days the list of people who hated Flat Stanley had increased from 2 to about 745,000.  I guess it’s a good thing Mom was protective of him because when we went on our swamp tour, I almost introduced Flat Stanley to Joe the 15 ft. Alligator.  As “luck” would have it, Flat Stanley made it back home with Mom safe but I think the rest of us are scarred for life.  If my future children ever bring home a Flat Stanley they’re going to be very confused when Mommy grabs it out of their hands and runs away screaming at the top of her lungs, never to be found again.

Thanks a lot, (truly awesome oh how I love you)Mom.

March 16th, 2010 by Kateastrophe

I keep laughing about this story so I thought I’d share it with the interwebs. 

A few weeks ago I flew to Columbus to see my Dad who was in the country from China where he lives most of the year.  We had a grand old time, hanging out with family and talking.  The only hinderance was the strict guidelines of the “Diet from Hell” (as I’ve been calling it lately).  It was a little harder to find things to eat when we were eating out all the time.

The last morning we were there, I awoke to a grocery bag full of “diet approved” breakfast food and Dad offered to make me eggs, one of his specialties.  I took him up on the offer with the stipulation that he had to use half the yolks because I couldn’t have that much fat.

He mumbled something under his breath and barrelled into the kitchen.  He was still sort of grumbling a few minutes later when I went in to offer my assitance and I noticed him leaning over a bowl with a cracked egg in his hand and a distressed look on his face.  He looked up and said “I can’t figure out how to do it!” 

“Do what?” I asked.

“Cut this damn yolk in half!”

I just sat down on the floor and laughed until my sides hurt.  My sweet Dad, trying so hard to follow my diet guidelines had thought I literally meant HALF yolks.  What I really meant was half of the yolks.  Four eggs, two yolks.

The light went off in his head as I laughed and pretty soon I had my delicious, half yolked breakfast.

I guess besides being hilarious it made me realize that my Dad loves me enough to attempt to cut a yolk in half, and that’s pretty awesome.

June 21st, 2009 by Kateastrophe

I spent a good part of my life wishing for my Dad to be what I wanted rather than what he was.

After a messy divorce, my Dad moved away shortly after my parents separated.  At first we were separated by most of the US when he moved to New York and we moved to Utah.  Then we were separated by a border when he moved to Mexico City.  Then finally we were separated by an ocean as his work took him to China.

Dad never missed a weekly phone call, but when you’re young and growing up in Happy Valley Mormonville, having a weekly call with your Daddy doesn’t really count when other kids dads are taking them camping, out for dates or even just coming home every night for dinner.

I spent one summer with him in Mexico, another in China and then sometimes we’d meet in the middle in Ohio for family parties and holidays, but overall, my father was largely absent from my day-to-day life.

Outwardly, I didn’t care.  It was what it was and nothing I did was going to change that.  Inwardly, I think I cared a bit more.  Dad to me was a phone call or a check to help pay for school stuff.  He was like a floating figure.  My Dad but not my Daddy.  And I wanted a Daddy.  I wanted the family picture with the mom, the dad, the four kids and maybe the dog . . . but I was never going to get that.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned a lot about my parents and what may or may not have happened.  I’ve learned more about their personalities, their triumphs and their flaws.  I was with my Mom all the time so these things weren’t so hard to learn about her.  It was my Dad that I had to really take time to understand.

I don’t profess to know everything about him, but I can tell you that I have learned a lot and that I understand him so much better.  I may not agree with all of his actions, but I can tell you that he was there for me, whenever I needed him.  He always encouraged me and really, truly believed in me.  He’s always told me that he doesn’t worry about me because he knows I will always be ok.  And I’ve realized I got that from him.

There are so many children who had completely absent fathers.  Who never met them or never hugged them or felt their love.  There are even more children who have that perfect family picture but it’s a facade.  Dad is in the picture but not part of the story behind it.  My Dad never pretended to be something he wasn’t.  He’s apologized for his absences and tried to help us understand his intentions.

I realize that even though I never had the Dad I thought I should, I have something much better.  I have a Dad who loves me no matter what . . . even if he doesn’t know how to show it. I have a Dad who supports me no matter what, in whatever way I need.  I have a Dad who tried and tried to do the best he knew how with his children.  And I can tell you that we all feel loved.  And that’s the most important thing.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.  May you all try to do the best you know how and make sure your children know they’re loved.  I promise you, that will be enough.

January 21st, 2009 by Kateastrophe

WARNING:  THIS MIGHT BE THE LONGEST POST EVER.  Seriously. 

So, I’m a Mormon, right?  And I’m 28 (woah).  And my husband is 33 (with a beautiful baby face that makes him look not a day over 25.  Jerk.).  We’ve been married for almost four years.  And we (shhhhh) don’t have any kids.

What’s that you say?  Mormons?  Without four kids in the fourth year of marriage?  Surely you jest!

Surely I do not.

Now, despite what I know some people think, I DO want kids.  I do want a little girl to dress up and teach how to be a princess, and I want a little boy that Matt can teach to play sports and all that boy stuff. 

I just don’t want them yet.  I don’t have all the words or reasons to explain why.  I think some of it has to do with growing up really fast and helping my Mom so much with my siblings.  I think some of it has to do with the fact that I sort of mother EVERYONE and EVERYTHING so I’m sort of exhausted by that whole thing sometimes.  I think some of it has to do with really loving my job and my freedom and two incomes and all those selfish things.  And I think some of it is that I’m just not ready. 

But sometimes I think the biggest reason is that I have all these little angels in my life, courtesy of my best friends.  I not only have the most amazing girlfriends in the world, but they have the best kids in the world.  I was thinking about all of them today and I thought I’d write a little tribute to my little bebes.  Would you like to meet them?  OF COURSE YOU WOULD!  I’m going to try to go in birth order here, but my apologies to my ladies if I mess it up.

First was Alayna.  Oh my goodness this girl came crashing into my world and with one blink of her giant, gorgeous eyes, she stole my heart.  This picture is a few years old but I absolutely love it.  She is smart and funny and EXACTLY like her mother, which is a total bonus because I LOVE her mother.  We were buddies from the beginning and I’ll never forget her famous question “cha doin Kaaaaate?”

Next came Princess Madeleine.  Again, the second I saw her, sucking vigorously on her mothers pinkie (something I think ALL of her mothers children did as babies) she stole my heart.  I spent a lot of time with Maddy until I moved to Phoenix and she is SUCH a ray of sunshine and joy.  Sometimes her mom and I laugh because people mistake her for my daughter, as she doesn’t look a whole lot like the dark haired, olive skinned woman who gave her life.  Maddy is a girlie-girl through and through and sort of reminds me of myself at her age.  Crown and all.  (Again, this picture is a little older, but captures Maddie perfectly!)

Now we have Miss Ava.  From the moment I walked into the hospital room to meet this little cherub, I knew there was something special about her.  She is awesome.  When she was tiny there was a lot of crap going on around her and she came out of it with a perma-smile and the best attitude ever.  She is a total fashion diva and is (almost) six going on eighteen.  Again, the picture is old, but I had to use it.  I love this girl.

Next is Blake.  Blake is PURE ladies man . . . always has been.  He had me at hello.  Well, before that really.  Blake is gorgeous, kind, funny, generous . . . all the things you want in a man PLUS he has a rockin’ sense of style and plays a mean game of Sorry.  All your hearts are about to be broken though, he’s in love with a girl at school named Eva.  Shoot.

Next is my Rylie girl.  Rylie was born during a funny period in my life, right before I met my husband . . . when I had black hair.  I don’t know WHY that’s relevant, but I’ve always thought it was funny that the pictures of me with Rylie right after she was born show a VERY different version of me.  Rylie cracks me up.  She apparently talks about me ALL the time, but when I finally show up to see her, she gets really shy and nervous.  Her dimples could melt the coldest heart and she is such an amazing little girl.  She calls me Auntie Kate and I just love love love it.

Sammy Sam Sammer.  What to say about Sam.  Oh yeah.  I LOVE HIM.  He is so stinkin’ awesome and funny and gorgeous and awesome and great and awesome.  Last time I stayed at his house he insisted on sleeping with his cars in his bed and scared me to death when he moved around and they rolled against the wall.  He smiles ALL THE TIME.  I love him.  SEE?  How could you not?

Now for Cache.  OH how I love me some Cache.  I got married just a few months after Cache was born so I haven’t spent as much time with him (or the kids that follow him) as the ones up above, but Cache is HILARIOUS.  His Mom would tell us stories of clever little things he’d say or do and have us rolling around laughing.  It’s not surprising  because his mother is hilarious.  His personality is so unique and awesome.  And guess what?  Today is his birthday!  Happy Birthday, little man!

Next is Mr. Nathan.  I just had the pleasure of getting to know Nathan a little better and he is so freaking cool.  He has every word to Linkin Park’s “Shadow of a Day” memorized and gets mad at his Mom if he doesn’t get to do his special move to “Human” by The Killers.  Did I mention he’s three?  Yeah,  three.  He’s got a big, hilarious personality.  He might just be the death of his mom, but at least she’ll die laughing!

Brandon comes next in the long list of my loves.  He entered the world with a huge mop of curly black hair which eventually grew out blonde and somehow turned into a black tipped mohawk.  It. Was.  Awesome.  As is he.  He is ALL boy and so much fun.  His love for his mother is unparralelled  and he loves to snuggle.  His birthday is also today and he is going to school for the first time ever!  I’m so excited to watch him learn and grow!  He is SO very special to me.

 Now for Alli Grace.  I introduced you guys to Alli a few posts ago, but she’s obviously worth mentioning again.  Alli has one of the biggest personalities I’ve ever encountered.  She has me wrapped around her little finger and I cannot resist when she sits on the carpet and carefully pats the spot next to her and says “Ka-eeey, sit!”  I just want to squeeze her!!

Isaac comes next.  I always had a special place in my heart for Isaac but I got to spend some more time with him recently and WOW do I love him.  Isaac has really struggled in his short little life and I’m amazed at how he’s learning and growing and at the sacrifices that have been made to help him out.  He just melts my heart with his crystal blue eyes and constant laughter.  Oh so sweet.

Little Lucy joined the world next.  Like her mother, she IS JOY.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her not smiling and giggling.  She is just amazing.  And would you look at her?  WATCH OUT WORLD!

 Avella my bella came next.  She and I haven’t spent a lot of time together, but she is like a round ball of amazingness. She is her Daddy’s clone and so freaking awesome.   She spent some time at my house a few weeks ago and her laugh and smile are so contagious!

Now for Cole.  OoooOOOOOooooh.  Cole is just a sweet little cherub!  He has these rosy cheeks and blonde hair and perfect smile and OOOOOooooOOOOH.  I just want to hold him close forever.  I mean LOOK AT THIS BABY!

Last but CERTAINLY not least is Miss Nora.  She was my birthday present this year and I just got back from spending two hours holding and feeding her.  I’m so amazed that just three weeks ago she wasn’t here and now I can’t imagine the world without her.

So now you have met my loves.  Aren’t they precious and amazing?  I know there are going to be more joining them in the future and I can’t wait to meet the little spirits that my best friends get to bring into the world.

Someday, I’ll have babies of my own to post pictures of and brag about, but for now, these 15 little angels are enough.  I am so very lucky to get to love each and every one of them and watch them grow up into amazing people — just like their mothers.

January 8th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

To steal my girl Julia’s phrase, Holy Johnnies I have a lot to catch up on! Sheesh!

So many fun and crazy things have happened in the last week, I’m going to cop-out and pull out the bullets! Wheeee!

• Remember the baby I mentioned in my birthday post? Well, she arrived safely on my birthday and promptly stole my heart – best birthday present EVER. Kate’s bloggy friends, meet Nora. Nora, meet the Internets.

  

   

  Also, just for fun, meet the other gal who’s stolen my heart, Nora’s big sister Alli, showing off her new dalmation. Awwww

   

  

   

• My birthday was awesome. It started out as a total downer but by the end of the day I was loving life. My be-fri Hannah drove ALL the way from Utah with her little family to surprise me (which she did as I was getting out of the shower. That girl’s lucky my towel stayed on!) We had a big New Year’s Eve party at our house and had tons of fun playing Wii Fit and We Ski. Matt got me the coveted Canon SLR flash (soooo fancy) and all in all, it ended up being one of my most memorable birthday’s ever.

   

• Remember that post I wrote about that one day at work where they let a lot of people go? Yeah, let’s just say it happened AGAIN, and I made it through the cuts AGAIN. We’ve basically cut the company down by more than 50% in the last six months. Yikes. I’m breathing a HUGE sigh of relief to still have my job right now – and to top it off got a sort of promotion. No raise to go with it, but increased responsibilities and a better title. In this economy? I’ll take it!

   

• After making it through the gauntlet of cut-backs, I spent the evening screaming my lungs out at the Fiesta Bowl. I’m a HUGE Buckeye fan so the last 16 seconds REALLY sucked, but the rest of the game was so so so much fun. I really thought my Buckeye’s were going to pull off a miracle there for a minute. Oh well. There’s always next year, right?!? I also got an extra special treat at the game. Chris “Beanie” Wells mom accidentally sat in the wrong seats before the game started, so she was directly behind us for a few minutes. After the error was discovered and she went to the right seat, I reached into my gift bag from Tostitos to get my Jalapeno Tortilla Chips and discovered chewed gum stuck to the salsa container! That’s right folks, I think Beanie Wells’ mom spit her chewing gum into my gift bag. If her son wasn’t so awesome (and HUGE and probably MEAN) I might have done something about it. Instead, I shook off the nasty and carried on with eating my chips. But not the salsa. I mean, I don’t like the stuff anyway but EW.

   

• I usually make a big long list of New Year’s resolutions, but I decided on just one this year. Eating dinner out a max of 2x per week. I think this will help me achieve lots of goals in one. Weight loss, money savings, getting more organized at home, getting food storage together . . . I think this ONE goal will at least push me in the right direction for all of those. Wish me (and Matt) luck because OUI it’s hard to cook every night when all these amazing restaurants tempt me with their yumminess!

   

• Have I ever told you guys that I’m obsessed with The Killers? No? Well I am. For several reasons actually. First, um HI Brandon Flowers and his beautifulness. Second, their music is, in my opinion at least, AMAZING, and third, it’s one of the only music groups my husband and I can agree upon. SO, listening to The Killers has become a necessity in our little family for road trips because we have very few choices that don’t make one or the other want to vomit. We’re limited to U2, Eminem (you heard me) and The Killers, and I quite prefer option #3 the mostest. SO, this very long explanation leads me to the BIG NEWS. I’m flying to Denver where I not only get to see my BFFF Brillig (OHMAGOSHSOEXCITED) but we have tickets to THE KILLERS CONCERT!!!! (OHMAFREAKINGSOEXCITEDICANHARDLYBREATHE!!!!) I cannot think of a better weekend. Brillig, her little family of Brilligites, my birthplace of Denver and BRANDON FLOWERS IN PERSON!! There will be squeeeing and screaming and maybe some fainting. By Brillig, of course. I’ll be tooootally cool, calm and collected. Tooootally.

   

• After Denver, I get a two day visit from my amazing and illustrious step-mother Lisa. She hasn’t been to Phoenix since I moved here so I’m VERY excited to see her and convince her sun-loving self that 300 days of sunshine and pools a year are the bomb and she should move here.

   

• After my visit from Lisa, I fly to New Orleans to see my sister, Tofutti!! (Ten points if you can name the movie that name comes from!). We are planning on a swamp tour, maybe some plantations, and of course, LOTS OF FRIED FOOD.

   

• After THAT, I’m in Orlando for a trade show. Yay. Trade show. Wheeeee.

   

• The DAY I get home from Orlando (yup, there’s more) my Mom comes to town. This means lots of late night chats and home décor shopping and I’m jumping up and down just thinking about it.

   

• Then we run into President’s Day weekend. No plans YET, but if I don’t have any, I think you’ll find me passed out on the couch from all the above activities.

   

And that, folks, is my version of playing catch-up. PHEW! Hopefully we’ll return to regularly scheduled posting . . . someday.

December 22nd, 2008 by Kateastrophe

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry you didn’t get a Christmas card from us this year. We were going to send one. We had the cards all ready to go and even had a blog friend help us out with the editing of the picture . . . and then it just sort of . . . didn’t happen. While we all know the reason is just plain old laziness, if I told you we were going green, would you believe me? No? It’s the fact that I still use paper towels and paper toilet paper, huh? Gives my environment hating butt away EVERY TIME!

This has been a fun and exciting year in the Murphy household. Or just a normal boring one, I guess it depends on your definition of fun and excitement. We worked a lot, played some and (wait for it) still aren’t having a baby. (I know, you’re shocked. We’re getting so OLD, right? We might as well start looking for alternatives NOW. I mean my eggs must have dried up YEARS ago!) I just killed a supposedly un-killable species of house plant so I am seriously in doubt regarding my ability to keep something that bleeds when it falls over alive. We’re getting our first niece, so that should count for something, right?

Matt is still working for the ever evil Homeowners Association Management Company, helping waste budget away your monthly dues (if you live in a dues paying community, of course)on frivolous things like street lights, community landscaping road pavement and security. Despite the housing market crisis, his company seems to be rolling in money but have used the excuse of the bad economy to put a raise freeze on their little world. Ahh the joys of corporate jobs.

My job continues . . . so far my four (almost five) years of working here have included; Twelve boxes of Diet Coke syrup ingested, eleven RFP’s completed, ten different laptops, nine system crashes, eight rounds of funding, seven corporate layoffs, six marketing directors, five different cubies, four CEO’s, three titles and counting, two nervous break-downs and a patridge in a freaking pear tree. I’ve made it through all of that so bring on 2009, beotches.

Our annual vacation this year took us to the Far East, specifically China. We learned many things there, but some of the most life changing were things like how to best stab a won-ton with your chopsticks, the appropriate way to shoot a snot-rocket onto the street, the feminine way to hock a loogie, why to always carry an “f-ing handkerchief”, how to piss off your hired tour guide so she refuses to come back and MOST important, how to turn left into speeding, oncoming traffic and not die.

Christmas this year will find us in rainy Southern California with my Grandparents, Mom and brothers and sisters. This is the first time they will all be together in quite a long time, so we’re excited (and scared). There’s sure to be hilarity and drama all mixed into one big bowl of fun. My family isn’t exactly known for our mellow holiday celebrations. Hopefully everyone will go home with their spleen intact and no trips to the hospital. (Mental or otherwise)

This year for my birthday and New Year’s Eve we’re throwing a little party at our house. I’m inviting several people from church so I’ve already begun working on substituting words like “s**t” with “oh darn.” Seriously. There’s a reason I don’t often invite church people over. I’m preparing myself now for the “sorry I offended you by saying the f-word while getting my a**, er BUTT, kicked playing Wii Tennis” talk now. Pray for me. (Hmm, I smell irony there. Hahah) I blame my father.

There have been a few wrenches thrown into the works of our year, such as my Dad and Step-mother’s thinking they are allowed to get divorced and my Mom and her husband’s thinking they should stay married (I kid. Seriously) but overall we are happy and healthy and that’s all we could ask for. Well not ALL I could ask for, just all I feel comfortable admitting I’ll ask for. (SHOES, I ask for expensive SHOES! And that the Buckeye’s can beat Texas. Neither thing I will get but it doesn’t mean I won’t ASK!)

So, while I’m hoping for a prosperous, cussing free New Year, I’m also hoping that all of you will get exactly what YOU want.

All my love (and randomness)

Kate

November 30th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

It’s hard when family trauma gets in the way of the Holidays.

Thanksgiving was seriously great, but there was a cloud hanging over the day because it appears that my Dad and his wife of 13 years, the woman who is not my Mother but who I love and call Mom, are getting divorced.

I knew it was happening . . . it’s not like they broke the news ON Thanksgiving, but I don’t think it really hit me until that day when I got a call from Lisa/Mom and I realized my Dad wasn’t there.  He was in Ohio along with my sister.  Lisa/Mom was in Pennsylvania with my two brothers.  My Mom was in Utah with her husband and I was here with my husband and his family.  We were already all over the place with lots of splits and families to visit and now we’re adding yet another.

I know I’ve shared how hard my parent’s divorce was, but, as horrible as it sounds, I think this one might be worse.  We’re only a few weeks into it, and they’re still talking about trying to work it out, but it’s already getting ugly.  Us kids are already feeling stuck in the middle.

Quite frankly, it sucks.

My brother is calling us the 0-fers.  Dad and Mom didn’t make it.  Our amazing Step-father Mike passed away after only five years with us, my Mom’s marriage is currently OK but has been rocky at best, and now the relationship we thought was the most stable, is crumbling.

Now, I’m not saying my belief in happy marriages is dead, because it’s FAR from that, but it’s just been hard to watch my parents struggle so much, and really hard to watch my siblings try to make sense out of it all.  They don’t really bounce back quite as easily as I do and I know this is hard for them.

I feel like I’m living that movie Four Christmases . . . except with me it’s up to like twelve or something.

Bah.

November 26th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

WOAH.  It’s like, the 26th.  I’m not really sure where the month went but it’s definitely GONE.

So, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  I’ve pulled out my Thanksgiving pants (what’s it from??) and I’m ready to gorge myself.  I’m in charge of creamed corn and mashed potatoes for Matt’s family’s feast tomorrow and I’m glad I have those two because I rule at making both.  Gravy I cannot do.  Killer mashed potatoes and my Grandma’s famous creamed corn?  Yes please.  I feel a little weight gain on the horizon, oh yes I do.

We got some of our Christmas lights up on the house on Monday (thanks in-laws!  Love you!) and as soon as the baby shower decorations come down on Saturday, the rest of Christmas will go up.  I’m so excited.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love Christmas?  I LOVE CHRISTMAS SO MUCH!  I mean, I sort of feel bad for Thanksgiving because it’s not getting a lot of recognition this year but HELLO CHRISTMAS!  You are only three weeks away!  And this year ALL my siblings and I will be at Club Lynsky (aka Grandma’s house) in California.  And we’ve got mucho fun planned.  Family pictures barefoot on the beach, tickets to Wicked, secret surprises, delicious food . . . I am so excited I can barely stand it.

Then?  Guess what happens then?

Kate’s. Birthday. Week.

That’s right.  I decided a few years ago that having a birthday six days after Christmas wasn’t really ideal, so I’ve imposed a rule on everyone around me.  The second Christmas is over?  Celebration “Kate is Awesome” begins.  Selfish?  Absolutely.  Worth it?  You betcha.

And with that, I get back to celebrating Thanksgiving for just a minute.  I have many, many things to be grateful for, but here are my top ten:

1. My husband.  I swear I married the kindest man alive  and I am so lucky to have him.

2. My family.  I don’t know what I’d do without them and all of their craziness.  Not a day goes by I don’t talk to at least one of them and I’m so glad we’re all so close.

3.  My friends.  I’m not sure what I did to deserve girlfriends like I have but the older I get, the luckier I feel to have friends like I do.

4.  My job.  This is a crappy economy and I’m so blessed to not only have a steady income, but a career and a boss I love!

5.   My home.  It’s raining outside today and I can’t help but think that there are people out there with no place to keep warm and I am so grateful to not only have a house, but to have a house I love so much.

6.  My faith.  I know who I am and what my purpose on Earth is and I’m grateful every day for a loving Father in Heaven and for our Saviour Jesus Christ.

7.  Sunshine.  On a cloudy day I realize how much I love living in a place where the sun shines 300 days a year or so.

8.  Pedicures.  Trivial, but true.  I love having clean, well kept feet and heaven knows I couldn’t do it myself!

9.  Music.  I seriously don’t know how I could live without it in my life.

10. Diet Coke.  Shut up, I love it.