Kate wants a puppy

I have a problem. I love animals too much. Well I don't really think this is a problem but apparently the pets do. We just got back from Utah and my sister's cat named Pal is living with the Parents. He is a pretty cat and lives up to the cat species- sassy and better than everyone else. Mostly he just wants to be left alone, but I can't leave him alone. I'm like a little kid, I see the furry feline and I have to pet it. He is just so soft and sweet- when he wants to be that is. I even kissed (on the head), this cat until I saw him trot up to the porch with a bird in his mouth. So now I keep this killer away from my face. But other than that, I can't resist him. And then there was my sweet old dog Wicket Lawrence Harvey, the best Shi Tzu you could ask for. Now this was really one of the pets that I couldn't resist. I would follow him day and night, and like pal, he would run from me day and night. I would swaddle him in baby doll blankets (see below), and take really good care of him. I tolerated his old man stink and gas problems, I took him on walks, bathed him, shared my bed, I even shared my ice cream cones with him. We were the best of friends, in my eyes at least. But I've decided I need to get over this animal love addiction so that when we finally have a dog, it will be my most loyal friend and not run off to Bill as soon as he walks in the door (like when my sister would come home from college, you couldn't peel Wicket from her side, he loved her cold bedroom and small cuddly bed- in fact, he loved her so much that when she brought home her fiance, he peed on him and or his things numerous time). Maybe I've just been going through animal withdrawal my whole life. Maybe a soft furry blanket would do the trick. Bill write that down, soft furry blanket for next gift exchange. By then I will be ready for woman's best friend- a puppy.

Happy New Year- almost

Deena Kastor, she is a champ- this will be me! Happy New Year one and all!

Who knows if I will be able to wake my self up tomorrow to write and actual new years post, so you are getting it on new years eve. Here are my new years resolutions: eat right, get in shape, and start training for my new favorite day of the year- Patriots day, the day the greatest marathon in the world takes place. And to keep myself accountable, I just might be posting my daily regime on my blog, so if I'm a slacker, scorn me for it. I need to be tough!

Last night I was laying in bed thinking about the marathon and I got really excited, so I excited that I couldn't go to sleep. My adrenaline was rushing and all I could think of was the thrill of the race. Some of you may think that marathon and thrill don't belong in the same sentence, but once you run one, you will know better. Even now, I'm breaking a sweat thinking about the Wellesley girls that you can hear at least a mile away, heart break hill, the cheering crowd, Legal Seafoods, all the people you meet. It is incredible and I can't wait. To start off my training I had to get the shoes of champions. Gold shoes means gold medal right? Anyways, the training has begun so Boston here we come!!! (so clever, I should have written this whole post with a little more of a rhyming flare)

We're Here!

Just wanted to let you all know that we made it to Utah safe and sound, so you can stop holding your breath now. However, the flight was extremely turbulent.... bumps with smelly people and lots of babies. Great combination.
Now to my next item of business. I just finished Anna Karenina and I need to talk about it. So if you've made it through this book- please comment (you know, what did you think, did you like it, how about that ending, favorite and least favorite character, you get the gist of it). If you have not read the book, read comments at your own risk!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas and Gnocchi

I must say I love this time of year. I know it sounds so cliche, but I do. Christmas is such a festive time of year. The only time when you can do such silly things as buy a giant fake tree and string it with lights, garland and decorations and keep it in your house, make incredibly big socks that would be really uncomfortable to wear just so you can stick an orange, some nuts, and a little gift inside, wear ugly Christmas sweaters and Christmas socks and stand on random peoples doorsteps and serenade them with holiday songs. But it is also a time to spend with family and friends celebrating the birth of Christ our Savior- which I am really looking forward to. We are flying out in a couple of days and are excited to spread some Christmas love and cheer to all we come in contact with (you've all been warned). But since we can't visit everyone, consider this your Christmas news letter.

Bill has just finished his first semester here at the UofC and as far as I can tell has really enjoyed it. He has loved the scholarly atmosphere and all of his professors. He finished his 2 finals last Monday and since then has had some well deserved r and r. Let me tell you, he worked his butt off. In addition to school, Bill was called as a primary worker- Valiant 11 or whatever it is called now, and he loves it. He comes home singing all the primary songs that he learned for the day. In addition to school and church, Bill is a brave brave man. He braves the elements for none other than his wife- ie wind, rain, cold, snow, wind, snow, cold, wind, and snow. Today in fact, he dug the car out of a 16" snow drift for 10 minutes while I waited in the nice warm lobby (due to my high heals of course). He is such a champ, and he is mine!

As for me, well there is really nothing to say. I'm working for the university in the department of Medical Center Development where people donate obscene amounts of money to the hospitals, medical school, and biological sciences department. I'm the secretary/receptionist which keeps me fairly busy and it has been a great job thus fair. Just cross your fingers I will get hired on as a permanent employee. On the church side of my life, I'm on the enrichment committee, which has been a great calling. And finally, to keep myself busy I work out with Barack Obama, explore various shopping centers around the city and I occasionally drop in at the International House of Pancakes- not to be confuse with IHOP, to eat none other than pancakes.

So Merry Christmas all, we love you and will see you..........sometime.
And here is a picture of our Christmas tree and stockings and what I made for dinner today- gnocchi with a tomato mushroom sauce and chicken! It was pretty darn good!

My Twin

My dear friend JoSue said she found my twin on campus. I was so excited, I've always wanted to know what I looked like from a non-biased point of view. And if this really is my twin, she is cute so hopefully that make me cute? Well I'll let you decide- does this girl look like my twin?
My BYU ID photo from 2002.

"Happy Birthday" from the Senator?

Yesterday was my 24th birthday- can you believe? I am so old. Because I am getting so old, I went downstairs to the fitness club to work out my arthritic knees (no I don't really have arthritis, just starting to train for the greatest race in the world) and go for a run. Low and behold, who comes in with his body guard- none other then Senator Barrack Obama. I don't know if it was his body guard or his fashion advisor, because he did not have his shirt tucked in- so I'll go with fashion advisor. I'm on the treadmill finishing up my workout and he gets on the treadmill one over. Here is the best part- he talked to me! Yes ladies and gents. he initiated a conversation! It went like this:

Senator: "Excuse me."

Senator: "Excuse me."

(It took me a minute to realize he was speaking to me)

Me: "Yes?"

Senator: "Was there someone on this treadmill before me?"

Me: "I do not believe so, it was empty when I got here."

Senator: "oh okay, I just found these-" he held up a pair of glasses.

Me: "oh, sorry."

Wasn't that enlightening. Had he known it was my birthday, I'm sure he would have added a Happy Birthday into the conversation. He is that kind of a person.

We both proceeded with our workouts and he was rather amusing to secretly watch yesterday morning. He was running pretty fast and got quite winded- he would go for a few minutes at a fast pace and then he would jump onto the sides of the treadmill (you know, with the belt still moving, but feet on the frame of the machine). He did this a lot- he should of thought about the consequences before he became a chain smoker. But I guess he needs to get in shape before elections come around. Thanks Barack for a great end to my workout!

Cold Dark Winter

It is officially winter here. A cold 20ish degrees and snow. Would you believe we got snow before Utah? Madness, I know. A total of 3-4 inches in the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately, it has been so cold and cloudy this week, that there is still 3-4 inches on the ground. Anyways, here a a few pictures from our windows. (and you will see that rush hour was especially bad because of the snow!)

6 Honest Things You May Not Know About Me

This is my first tag, and I think it is really exciting- at least for now.

1. I used to wear glasses in elementary school because my eyes didn't work together. Those glasses wearing days of elementary school were filled with face injuries. My glasses were like a magnet to rubber balls on the play ground. For instance- I remember distinctly in 5th grade standing on the black top talking to my friends and looking up- just in time to see a red rubber ball come sailing across the playground and nail me in the face. Luckily my crazy eye problem ended and I was then able to avoid countless face injuries. But in high school I started wearing glasses again- my smart yet fake glasses and I would only wear them on test days, or just when I needed to be smart. I loved them. And now, I just read Hollywood's blog about glasses for $8, and I'm strongly considering buying some new smart glasses.

2. I heart jackets! Some people love to accessorize with rings, earrings, necklaces, you know, a little bling bling. Not me, I love jackets. A jacket can make or break an outfit. I mean, you need a jacket for all occasions- rain, snow, shine, warm, chilly, windy- thus you need: down, gortex, trench, faux fur, wind breaker, fleece, soft shell, hard shell, and of course, just a cute jacket (and it's on sale Bill- talk to me about sizes!)

3. I was a Miracle! Well I'm sure/hope my mom and dad would say so. My siblings on the other hand would consider me another M word- Mistake. How mean.

4. I hate whistlers. I think this strong hatred comes from my dear sister Liz who would yell at me to stop whistling when we were young. So now I don't whistle, and when someone is whistling in public- ie- bus, train, elevator, sidewalk- I want to yank their whistler out.

5. I'm all signed up for the Boston Marathon- 2008!

6. My dream car growing up was a mini van- because I hated sitting between Chris and Liz on the long drives from Kansas to Utah. Both are tall, and both felt justified in sitting spread eagle- thus taking up my tiny allotment of space in back seat. All I wanted was captain seats. My dream car never came, and it never will. Audi Allroad- here I come (in many years)! You may call me the Wagon Master!

Now, I will tag......Liz, Mari, Nan, Suzy, and Katherine. Get to work, I need something new to read!

Thanksgiving Update- Belated

Forgive me for this long awaited post on Thanksgiving. I don't have much access to Bill's computer since he has been studying for finals since before the great feast. So here is the Thanksgiving update now- only a little more than a week late.
Oh Thanksgiving, so much to say where to start? The feast was great. We had a great turn out with Bill's parents in town and a few friends from the ward and back home. We had tons of food!!! That probably deserves way more explanation points but since this is a blog and not a talk directed to the primary children, I will reserve them for a later date. We had so much food, I don't think anything was even half way gone from delightful green bean casseroles, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn bread, berry pie, lemon meringue, ginger carrots, you name it, we had it. The food turned out fabulous, and we really couldn't have asked for better company.
Bill was in charge of the turkey and did a great job, I made home made rolls and they actually turned out! I also made 2 pumpkin pies and an apple pie- these were not as successful as my rolls. In fact, at 2pm (1 hour before the feast) I got fed up with my pie crusts and ran across the street to Village Foods to buy some crusts. I totally cheated. Oh well, they still tasted good. Anyways- oh yes, and the stuffing. We had more than you can imagine, we probably should have taken it down to the local soup kitchen, we could have fed 50+ people and still had left overs. All in all, it was a great day! Here are the only pictures that were taken with our camera, for more extensive, and I mean way more extensive pictures, email Bill's mom.

Oh the Vanity

I thought I would do a little interview with.......none other than myself. I know it sounds vain, but who else am I going to interview at work. Enough said, here goes:

Interviewer: Hi Kate, what a lovely purple jacket you have on.

Kate: Oh thanks, you are too nice. My sister picked this out for me. She might as well do all my shopping.- (shoot a wink at Mari)

Interviewer: Well lets get started.

Kate: okay, ask away.

Int: So where have you lived in your almost 24 years of life?

Kate: Well I was born in the good ol' Midwest- Kansas City- land of the rolling his, then my family moved to Utah, I lived in Jackson, WY one summer, and now my spouse and I reside here in Chi town.

Int: Kansas has rolling hills?

Kate: Why yes, at least the the eastern half has hills. It is a wonderful state.

Int: Well you do look like a Midwestern girl.

Kate: What does that mean?

Int: I don't know, moving on. What is some of your favorite foods?

Kate: Everything, I love all food! Specific foods, I would say, bangers and mash, anything with carbs- (bread, pasta), peanut butter, sushi, nutella, chicken coconut kurma, and portobello ravioli. Yum! But I will pretty much eat anything.

Int: What won't you eat?

Kate: Chicken enchilada casserole, Hawaiian haystacks, banana boats, olives, and Smith's Chinese food.

Int: Interesting. So what is your favorite color?

Kate: Blue.

Int: Religion?

Kate: what is my favorite religion? Judaism.

Int: no, what is your religion?

Kate: oh, Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints or Mormon. All I can say is the Church is true!

Int: No Malaysian?

Kate: Nope, that is just my good friend Anne Curry.

Int: Okay, we will wrap this up (I know you readers don't like to read long posts, especially without pictures) Last question- What is your favorite highlighter color?

Kate: hummm, that's a tough one, but I would have to say, yellow, nothing like a good neon yellow highlighter. I could color a whole page with a highlighter just because. It is the perfect color of bright yellow.
Kate: Are we done?
Int: Yep, I will try to think of some better questions next time.

Stay tuned for the next installment, whenever that may happen.

Oh the Holidays

In preparation for the great feast tomorrow, I'm posting a little commercial that, unfortunately, I think is really funny, and could add to your holiday feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cookies

I know you all have been waiting for this amazing recipe for a very long time. Wait no longer, because here it is. Trust me, these are delicious.

Spicy Pumpkin Cookies (or Kate the Great's Delicious Pumpkin Cookies)

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Add dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheets by the tablespoon full; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven.

optional: chocolate chips, walnuts, etc. Use your imagination.

There you go, for all your extra pumpkin puree from you delicious pumpkin pie, make some cookies!

Thanksgiving

I had a dream last night that Anne Curry from the Today Show was coming to Thanksgiving this year. Why you might ask, I don't know, but she and her family came, and we had a wonderful time. We talked about her trip to the South Pole, and about working on the Today show. It was very interesting. Then I asked her about her religion:

me: "Are you Christian?"
Anne: "No."
Me: "Okay, what about Buddhist?"
Anne: "No, I'm Malaysian."
Anyway, that was the end of our religion conversation, because after she told me she was Malaysian- as in her religion is called Malaysian, I was confused.

So Anne Curry if you are really coming to Thanksgiving, please RSVP ASAP and tell me what you are bringing.

In addition to the upcoming holiday, (and I'm not sure why this is relevant) we got a new shower curtain and curtains for the family room! Hurray! Oh yeah, this is relevant because the Dana and Maggie are coming and we are having people over, so now our apartment looks more complete.

Spice up your Friday

I know some of you have seen this already, but I think it is pretty funny, and I thought it would be a good way to end this ridiculously long week. Enjoy.
*It kind of reminds me of Music and Lyrics with Hugh Grant and Drew Berrymore.

I'm in a slump

I'm in a slump, I can't bring myself to cook any more. Why is being a good little wife so hard? I look at my grandma Harvey and admire her for cooking every meal every day. I look at my Mom and admire her for cooking dinner every day, and then I look at myself. I made a goal when we moved her to Chi town to cook 3-4 meals a week. This week I've cooked one- Sunday dinner because the parents were in town. The rest of the week has been "Fend For Yourself" days. I guess it doesn't help that Bill gets home at 5 he says "I'm not hungry, they fed us at school." Stupid school, why won't they feed the wife too. I can't blame this slump on Bill, there is just nothing that I really want to cook or that sounds good. The only thing I want to eat morning noon and night is.....BREAD! How I wish there was an all carb diet. Oh Pioneer woman, won't you please come and save me- I need something exciting to cook! So I'm open to suggestions, comment away and I will guarantee a tasty meal when someone comes to visit!

And of course, all my meals look this good- that is when I cook.

A Harvey Holiday

Well the Harvey parents came out for the weekend, and I think it is safe to say that a good time was had by all. I figured I would post a few pictures since Dad's camera died on day Saturday. So here they are.

Millennium Park

Boat Tour

More boat tour

More Millennium Park

Bill and his twin

Happy Halloween

Hope you enjoy the movie clip- Scary Mary- oooooooh-ahhhhh- very scary.

the end is near

Well it is official, my last day here in Development is on November 9th. I have 2 more weeks, which is great, but then I will be returning to the temp pool. So there you have it. Luckily my boss said he would give a great recommendation, if that is any consolation (which I suppose it is).

Calm before the storm...

So a new storm blew into Hyde Park this morning. Unfortunately not the kind of storm that I could wear my cute new rain boots, but a different storm. The storm that only comes with a celebrity siting.

So I was in the gym this morning, running on the treadmill and it got really quiet all of the sudden.....and then the one and only walked in- Senator Barack Obama. It is true. Then the storm broke loose. A weirdo GSB student said robustly- "Good morning Senator." And then a few old women chirped in with their good mornings. Well I didn't say anything. I thought, nobody really wants to talk to anyone while they getting all sweaty and gross. But don't worry folks, he got on the treadmill next to mine, and it was exciting. I tried so hard to keep a huge grin from forming on my cheeks, and I was successful, but it was extremely difficult. I mean, who do you know that works out with a presidential candidate. You never know, I should get his autograph so that if he does become president, I can say that we broke a sweat at the same gym. Pretty cool. But here is the best part, he said "Hey, I know you, you're Kate Weaver, runner extraordinaire! Can I get your autograph, so when you become pro, I can say I knew you as an amateur champ!" I said, "Of course senator, and don't worry, my friend Chelsea and her husband are voting for you!" Okay, well this last part didn't exactly happen, but just like I was thinking about asking for his John Hancock, he was probably thinking about asking for mine.

Anyways, here are the gory details, he tucks his shirt into his workout pants. I wondered where his advisor was, because if he had been there, he would have made him un-tuck his shirt. And second, he only walked on the treadmill, no running. Guess he should have thought twice about becoming a chain smoker.

So there you have it, Senator Barack Obama in the Regents Park fitness center.

My accomplishment for today...

I beat Niles Tiles three times in a row. Just another day at work. Give it a try, it can amuse you for hours.

Comftable and Furious!

Meet the newest member of the family- not Bill, the banana chair. It arrived Saturday October 20 around 1pm ct, probably about 8lbs and 12oz, and around 45 inches long. Isn't it cute. It currently lives in the office, but occasionally it will mosey on into the family room for Wii time. It is a pretty happy little banana chair, and it loves its new home, and its family and Bill and I love it too. Now don't be jealous everyone, I know you all wish that you still had yours from your childhood. I remember mine, well not mine specifically, but Grandma and Grandpa Harvey's. I would always sit in the banana chairs to watch hours of Tom and Jerry
Well you all are welcome to come on over and see the banana chair for yourself and remember those good old day in your old banana chairs. Think about it, thus far only the Harvey parents and the Weaver parents are schedule to come see the chair....I mean us. So jump on it and schedule a vacation in the Windy City with Bill, Kate, and Banana Chair.

Someone Can't Wait For Thanksgiving!!!

Yum, I... I mean, someone can't wait for Thanksgiving this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are we in Florida?

Check it out, this picture was taken at 5:30 pm ct. Yes, I know it is kind of hard to see and it is really dark, but that is the point. This my friends was a crazy hurricane like storm that pounded the Midwest- some my call it Erin, others Andrew, I prefer "Carol" like one of my co-workers that can be dark and luminous (name changed for purpose of anonymity). This storm was full of rage and anger and blasted through Chicagoland with a vengeance.
5:00 pm ct rolls around and it is pretty nice outside...warm and the chances of rain seemed far off. So I decided to walk home and stop at the market to pick up some flat leaf parsley. Well as soon as I walked out of the market, it started sprinkling, so I pulled out the umbrella. Then it started raining harder and I must mention that I saw a bum go up to a planter box, grab a hand full of dirt and stuff it in his mouth....gross.
Back to the story, it started raining harder, and then the wind kicked in and turned my umbrella inside out (hate it when that happens). To make a long story short, it was so windy and raining so hard that I was drenched all the way up to my rain jacket. You couldn't see in front of you and all the planter boxes were so full of water that they spilled out rivers of mud. Hurricane Carol, like my co-worker, brought forth mass chaos- people running and screaming everywhere...which lasted well into this morning. But today, it is a little nicer. Still windy but no rain- that is yet. But I think that hurricane Carol, the inland hurricane, has moved on to sandier pastures, known as the East. Arrivaderci Carol!

Kids are Mean

This morning while I was lying in bed, unable to sleep, this song came into my head that was sung to this girl that I went to elementary school with. Unfortunately, I don't remember the actual name in the jingle, just the name that my classmates inserted, it goes like this (her name was Becky) "Big Big Becky, put it together and what do you get, a big big Becky construction set". Yes Becky was kind of over weight, but wow, kids are so mean. It got worse, her last name was Peed, and guess what, Becky Peed really did pee her pants in sixth grade during math class. Do you think she ever lived that down...lets just say elementary school was a tough time for her. Then there was a girl name Jennaway- I blame her parents for this nickname- again my mean classmates had a name for her too- it was Bengay or Bennagay, just depended on how obnoxious they wanted to be. Sadly, I still chuckle over this nickname- it is pretty clever and again, very mean, but what were her parents thinking when they named her Jennaway? Bill and I have sworn that when we have a kid someday, we will run all of the names we chose through a sixth grader and see what kind of insults can result from the name. Lucky for me, my name is so common that there were always 3 or more Katies in every class I had. Thus for my elementary career, I was labeled Katie H. Nothing too stupid can come from Katie H....the only stupid thing that came from my name was "The Harvster" but I consider this relatively humane. And finally we have Mrs Anderson, wife of the local mortician/English teacher at AFJR. She was crazy to begin with but there was always this rumor going around that she wore mortuary make-up. I even remember one kid asking her about it during the middle of class. We thought her face would melt off because of this make-up for the dead. So what name were you called, or what did you call other people? Don't be afraid, we all have a guilty past, and besides, you can't be held accountable for your juvenile actions in elementary school, right?

My Favorite Wedding Gifts!

This morning on the treadmill, I was just thinking about some of my favorite wedding gifts. So here we go, in no specific order.

Numero uno: Garlic Press, I love this little sucker. It makes using garlic so clean and easy and because of it, I use it all the time. And who doesn't love a little garlic mashed potatoes or garlic in your soup, the list goes on.

Numero due: Bill- I suppose he counts as a wedding gift...I got to keep him didn't I. Like I said, this is in no specific order, technically, this should go first, but I think my garlic press is more available than my spouse right now- probably because it doesn't study. For pictures- see side bar of "spouse."

Numero tre: Kitchen Aid- who needs a Bosch when you can have the Master and Commander of of all baking appliances. This baby can whip up the toughest batches of cookies, the lightest cakes and brownies and the fluffiest whipped cream. Ahhhhhhhhhhh- can you hear the angels- I think I even see a halo. Plus it is so aesthetically pleasing!

Numero quatro: The greatest pan ever- the one Mari gave me. I don't know how to describe it but it is probably my most favorite pan. It can brown meet, saute onions, grill any vegetables I want- including full sized asparagus as well as make a delicious golden mushroom soup. Heck I could prepare my filling for a pumpkin pie in this pan. You name it, it can be done in this versatile pan (you could even wash your first born in said pan). Costco doesn't sell this pan- just the mother of cooking- Martha Stewart!

and finally-numero cinque- the down comforter. This blanket is my little bundle of joy. Well in the morning, it's a bundle- Bill is a messy sleeper. Warm, cozy, soft, and fluffy is what makes my 12 hours of sleep blissful. Maybe that is why I don't like to work, because it requires me to leave a happiness that can only be achieved by warmth- something that my office lacks.

And that is it lettuce and yentleman- but first- What are your favorite gifts from you wedding?

*disclaimer- I'm not an idiot- these are not misspelled Spanish numbers- they are Italian, but thanks for your participation*

Chicago Marathon!

Hurray for the Chicago Marathon! My friend Chelsea and I decided to go watch the marathon this morning. I know most of you think that watching people run isn't fun, but I would say we had a great time.....right Chels. Chelsea lives in downtown, so I just road my bike into the city via the trail that goes around the lake and met her at her apartment. It was only 8 hot and humid miles from our apartment to hers, but riding my bike was the best option- way cheaper and faster. We wore our Boston paraphernalia and cheered on the runners at miles 3 and 11. It was pretty crazy considering there was 45,000 people racing- see bottom picture. We both felt kind of sad that we weren't joining the throngs of people in their journey of suffering, but now I know what Bill sees- and he will see plenty more. The best part about the race besides not being able to see the finish was getting home in time to listen to conference, hurray for CT-11:00-1:00pm conference sessions. So there you have it, Chicago marathon 2007- so everyone schedule a trip to Chicago for Chicago marathon 2008!

Hallelujah

We have a great word, pretty diverse. Well maybe not too diverse because it is probably 65-70% white graduate students and the rest African Americans from the south side of Chicago. So our ward can be pretty exciting at times. Lots of converts. So every Sunday, Bill and I are excited to go to church because you just never know what is going to happen. Well this last Sunday was pretty calm- nothing to exciting- until Sacrament meeting. It was great, I loved it. The primary got up to do a musical number and it was fantastic. I'm laughing just thinking of it. The children were all standing so reverently with their teachers and the chorister and then the music began. I wasn't familiar with the song they were singing, but it was gospel like. One of the teachers pulled out her sand blocks and then the chorister and all the children started swaying back and forth to the beat- and getting really into the song. They even used dynamics throughout the song- it was impressive. It was so fun! I was just waiting for their arms to be waving and burst of hallelujahs. Of course I can't do justice to this musical number in this blog, but take my word for it. At the end of the song, I whispered to Bill "I feel like we should be clapping" and low and behold quite a few people started clapping and there was also a giant "Amen" from the back- this guy says loudly Amen and uh-huh frequently.

Hyde Park

I just thought I would provide for you enjoyment an article on Hyde Park. Nothing too fancy. The map displays where we are in the city of Chicago. And I pass this house every day when I walk home from work. It's for sale and its so cute.

All Grown Up

Well he is all grown up, can you believe it. My little genius husband started law school this week. This was his first day of class. Go Bill, Go Cougars, and what the heck, Go Maroons. For a weird version of this picture, see Bill's blog. And for regular updates on our life here in Chicago, keep checking my blog, because Bill is slacking on his blogging responsibilities, and what else do I have to do but blog.

Do Tell Me

If there is a way to view what everyone voted, someone tell me so I can find out who all you naughty voters are. I should have constructed the poll so that you could only vote blond. I know at least two of you.....Bill and Derek. Maybe what you guys are trying to tell me is that my hair is chameleon like- in that my hair color changes to match the situation. When I am feeling brainy, my hair is brown, or when I'm delightful and fun to be around, I'm blond, and when I'm a gem- I think my hair is golden colored, and finally when I'm annoyed, I'm a red head. It makes perfect sense, because I was slightly annoyed at the law school dinner- thus she called me a red head. But don't worry Bill and Derek, you're still not off the hook.

Moving Sucks Part III- the end of the Saga

Well I've put off ending this saga until the last of our furniture arrived. Low and behold, it is here, so moving sucks is officially over, for at least 3 years. Our couches finally arrived on Friday morning, there was nothing happening with orientation so Bill stayed home all day waiting for them. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to a room full of furniture, it has been a long and arduous 2 weeks sitting on the floor. But what I was really surprised about was the color. For some reason I thought they were going to be more cream colored, but I'm very pleased with their tan color, they look great. Now I just need to go to Pier 1 or somewhere to get some accent pillows etc, and hang the pictures, but now we officially have a home!! So here are the couches, plus the ottoman, and yes Bill is already studying- (these pictures were taken on Saturday, and Bill studied the whole day- school doesn't start until Monday).
As for the next picture, it is 1 gallon of milk from Costco. I made the great journey to Costco and target on Saturday, I had to drive on 3 different freeways to get there, but I made it. My heart was pounding the whole way. But why I posted the milk, well why ask, isn't it weird looking. This is how all Costco milk looks, and they sell it in singles not doubles. Aside from my journey to Costco and Target, I also found a diamond in the rough- Hyde Park Produce. It was wonderful- every kind of fresh produce you can imagine and all of it for cheap- Bok Choy, Leeks, Egg Plant, Rhubarb, bins full of fresh herbs, lots of cheese, fruits I've never heard of - it was heaven. I think I will be making a trip there every week.

Red Hair, I Don't Know What You Are Talking About

I know my hair is this voluptuous, but I swear it is not this color. I do not have red hair, yet numerous people here have commented on my red hair. Perfect example from the law school orientation dinner last night.
synopsis: Bill introduced me to a fellow student in his group- Katelyn
Me: Hi my name is Kate
Katelyn: great name- my name is Katelyn
Me: it's nice to meet you (notice how polite I am- Mom all your efforts haven't gone to waste)
Katelyn: Ahhh- a bee! Its following you!!
Me: I do seem to attract bees, there is always a bee around me at lunch for some reason.
Katelyn: It must be your red hair
Me: (Jaw drops)- ha ha, must be......

Red hair- I do not have red hair. This is probably the third person who has commented on my red hair in the two weeks we have been here. Maybe it is time to visit the hair dresser and return to my true blond self.

Curly Hair

The other day I thought, "hey maybe in this humid environment, my natural curl will reveal itself." So when I went to buy a new hair dryer, I found a great hair dryer that came with diffuser. Here was my attempt to help my natural curl come and show itself.

What did I learn, if you don't have any curl in your hair, humidity and a diffuser are not going to change the fact that there truly is no curl- they will just give you frizzy hair.

Bill stole everything

So I was going to blog about what we did today, however Bill stole everything- well at least all the pictures. I still think that BYU has great landscaping but he is right, the buildings do not compare. So to see what I was going to say, see Bill's blog. So for my bit of news, I have a job starting Monday!!! Hurray, it is just temporary but we will see, it could turn permanent. I think I will have to go into the city to H&M and buy some new pants so I look like a professional.

Looking Out My Window

I feel sad tonight. I just found out there is a Rilo Kiley concert in Chicago on Saturday, unfortunately tickets are a lot- and unless there is a miracle I don't get to go. bummer. But on the bright side, here is the view from every window in this apartment, you would almost think we were in Hawaii.

Not in Utah

Well for those of you who don't know, we are in Chicago and we are in our apartment. I'm not in the mood to pull up pictures just yet, but they will come- I promise. But during our expeditions around the city I've noticed some things to remind me I'm not in Utah any more.
So here is my list of "You know you're not in Utah when...."
1. There is a Jewish day school across the street.
2. You are the only white person in a busy grocery store.
3. There is more than one freeway and lots of tolls.
4. Rush hour starts at 2:30.
5. Green everywhere.
6. Costco isn't busy and the biggest brick of cheese they sell is not bulk sized- its actually quite small.
7.You have a door man- and he is big and all business.
8. They put ethanol in the gas.
9. There are one way streets everywhere.
10. Your apartment building is as tall as the tall buildings in SLC.
There you go, there were some other ones but I can't remember them right now, plus I don't want to scare anyone....

Moving Sucks Part II

Part two of moving has begun, or I suppose I should say has happened. I am sad to say we are officially moved out of Utah. We are nomadic right now, but our move will be complete on Monday at 12:30 PM CDT when we can start moving our life out of our crammed 5x8 trailer and into our spacious 26th floor apartment.
So we all know that packing sucks, but so does fitting everything we own into a trailer. Apparently we have a ton of stuff. Amazingly, we managed to fit everything into the trailer and car: books, t.v., metal shelves, and the bikes. Yeah the back of the car is sitting lower than I've ever seen it, but we've made it all the way to Omaha and the car...it's holding in there. Luckily there aren't too many mountain passes to go over. Lets just say, we are rolling with the semi trucks when it comes to hills.
Anyways- stay tuned for moving part III to find out if we made it to Chicago.