Waltzing Matilda

Day two:  A picture of you and a person you've been close with for awhile.

Chelsea Johnston. I have been friends with this girl since before I can even remember. From the time our moms visit taught together when we were two ("There are babies on the ceiling!") to now, where we're both grown up and going to college and being adults. She's been there for me through thick and thin. We've had a lot of thick, but I think the thin shines through. I think I've laughed my very hardest with Chelsea. We have COUNTLESS inside jokes and I'm so grateful to have such a funny, beautiful, awesome friend in my life. :)

Thirty Days

I've been doing a poor job of posting on my blog.

 The main reason for that is simply this: writer's block.

 However, I recently started reading my future sister-in-law's blog, and she is doing a "thirty days of introduction"...thing.

Each day is paired with a picture and something to write about it. Naturally, I'm stealing this idea. So, thanks, Lauren, for unblocking my writers block. :)

 Here is goes: Day One: A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

Facts: (I realize that I already have a blog post with fifteen facts. I'll try to make them different for you few people that regularly read my blog.)

1. Sometimes I miss being blonde. Then I thinking about going back, and I don't think I'd ever actually go blonde again.
2. I've lived in Utah my whole life and I've only been to one of the awesome national parks we have.
3. I'm an English major that happens to be a horrible speller.
4. I've always wanted to be a twin.
5. I love dogs. I've always known this, but lately I've been making Kameron look at pictures of dogs and I literally freak out while looking at puppy pictures. We're talking involuntary squealing, people.
6. I hate shopping for pants.
7. I will rarely make a semi-big/big decision without asking the opinion of someone I trust.
8. I'm not a drink-the-milk-after-you-eat-cereal kind of girl.
9. I believe there is no greater feeling than to laugh so hard you can't breath.
10. I have a fairly large collection of Beanie Babies.
11. If I have a lot of things to get done, I'll usually resort to doing none of them. I'm more productive when I have one or two tasks to accomplish that day. Otherwise I just want to sit around and forget about stuff.
12. I LOVE finding new music.
13. I don't mind when people say "Legit" but I can't stand when they say "Legitly." Just say "Legitimately." Please.
14. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate.
15. I love to read, but do it near enough.

There you have it! The start of my 30 day...thing. (And I just realized I'll have to finish this in Austria. Crazy.)

"She needs to sort out her priorities..."

Ron Weasley. He said it best.

I just finished packing up my room to move home.

And the thought just hit me.

This will be my last time living in Logan.

Almost five months ago, I started dating Kameron. As soon as I found out he would be graduating and getting a job in Salt Lake it really got me thinking. Early on I knew he was the type of guy I could see myself marrying. If I was to marry him, that would kind of throw a wrench in my future plans. No more Utah State. Maybe no Austria. No next summer on the A-Team.

So, I needed to sort out my priorities.

And it took a good long while for me to really understand what was most important to me. I remember sitting down on the floor in my living room talking to good old Zack Wilson. I remember expressing my worries to him. I had only been dating Kam a few weeks, but I had really begun to fall for him and had no idea what was going to happen when he moved. It occured me that I would never live in the same city as Kameron again unless this relationship ended in marriage, and I got worried that our relationship couldn't handle all of the "See you next weekend!"s that come from a long distance relationship.

So what did I want?

It would have been fairly easy to back out of the relationship at that point. I could have just assumed it wouldn't have worked out, told him I couldn't do the distance thing, and moved on.

Thank heavens I didn't.

In a very short amount of time, I began to realize what this kid actually meant to me. He wasn't someone I could just say "see ya later" to. He was so much more. In an equally short amount of time, we talked about marriage.

Now I seriously had to sort out my priorities.

Only this time, it was easy for me.

I absolutely love going to Utah State. It has been my home away from home, I've met countless friends I'll never forget, I found out who I really was, and I grew more than I ever thought possible. I can't begin to explain my attachment to this school.

But I love Kameron more.

That's what it comes down to.

I love Kameron more.

I feel like lately I've been getting a lot of people telling me they can't believe I'd leave Logan. That they never saw me leaving. That it's absurd that I'm dropping all my plans.

But hasn't my plan been to

marry a worthy man in the temple

since the age I even knew what the temple was?


So, yes, I'm leaving the place that has helped shape me to the adult I am today.
Yes, I'm leaving friends that I'll miss more than ever.
No, I may not get my degree from the school I've grown to adore.

But I will give it ALL up to marry an incredible man for time and all eternity.

And so that's what I'm doing.

I'm not settling, I'm progressing.

Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.

Ain't it the Truth

Today I found a list of truths for mature humans.

And I shall share it with you.

1. I think part of a best friends job should be to immediately clear your computer history after you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment in an argument where you realize that you're wrong.
3. I totally take back those times I didn't want to take naps when I was little.
4. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Mapquest really needs to start their directions at like #5. I think I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there will always be a time at work where you just know you won't do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BluRay? I really don't want to start my collection over...again...
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save the changes to a ten-page technical report I swear I made no changes to.
14. "No not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this. Ever.
15. I hate when I miss a call by the last ring, but when I immediately try to call back and it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving the house feeling confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I bet that on any given Friday or Saturday night, more kisses begin with Miller Lite than with Kay.
20. I wish Google Maps had an "avoid ghetto" option.
21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize that I had no idea what was going on when I watched it when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-packed bags than take two trips to bring my groceries in.
23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
24. I have a hard time trying to decipher the fine line between boredom and hunger.
25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand what they said?
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in the front. Stick together brothers and sisters!
27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty and you can wear them forever.
28. Is it just me, or do high school kids get dumber and dumber every year?
29. There is nothing worst than that millisecond you are sure you are going to die when you lean your chair back too far.
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians. As a pedestrian I hate drivers. But no matter what mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.
31. Sometimes I'll look at my watch three consecutive times and still not know what time it is.


I hope you enjoyed as much as I did. :)

Have a wonderful day, my lovelies!

Looking on the Brightside

I have been trying incredibly hard to refrain from posting about my wedding 24/7.

I always got a tad bit annoyed with people that would update Facebook statuses, constantly blog, and never shut up about their wedding.

I get it now.

And things are really going my way! I bought a designer wedding dress off of KSL classifieds for a grand total of 60 dollars. SIXTY. I love it, and I can't believe I got such a steal. Savin' money all over the place! Everything's working out.

But today there was a slight bump in the road with wedding planning.

Kameron and I had our eyes set on this gorgeous barn in Mapleton. (Some of you probably know it.) I've gone to several concerts there, and my brother had his wedding dinner there a few years ago. It would be perfect for a winter wedding and with all the plans that I had in mind.

But then it fell through.

I guess Mapleton City won't let them rent it out anymore.

I was (and still am) so sad about it. It was exactly the place I wanted to have my reception. So now I'm trying to find a different place that I like even half as much that is still a good price.

While I'm still super bummed about it, my mom said something that I really loved.

"At least the groom is still available."

So, that helped me really remember the important part of my wedding. It's not where we have our reception but that I'm getting married to Kam in the temple.

I guess that's reason enough to be happy. :)

Question? Popped. Answer? Yes.

So it begins.

It was my birthday. My 20th birthday to be exact. I worked from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Welcome to adulthood, Katie.

(Turns out birthdays aren't counted as national holidays. Go figure)

The only thing getting me through the long work day?

Kameron Thomas Kasparian was coming up after work.

We were going to go to dinner. And then the rest of the night, I had no idea. He ended up getting to Logan around 5:40 with a sharp new hair cut and a dinner reservation at 6:00 at Le Nonne (quite literally the best Italian place I've ever eaten). Dinner was filled with good inside jokes, delicious food, and laughter.

I was very unsuspecting. I didn't think he'd do it on my birthday.

After dinner at one place, we went and got dessert at another place: Firehouse. We shared a Fahzookie (if you haven't tried one, you must).

SIDE NOTE: Can I say how much I love this man? I can? Well, I love him a lot.

Moving on.

We then went and parked by campus to take a little campus stroll. Instantly I knew where we were going. Not instantly: what was coming next.

I should mention at this point that Kam had something stashed behind his back. He told me not to look and I fought every urge in my body, but I never looked behind him.

We got to our "spot".

Now, I've told this story a lot of times and I still don't have a good way of explaining it. I'll give it another go. There is a structure of sorts behind the BNR building on campus. It has four walls. No ceiling. There are designs in said walls, creating slight holes you can see through. There are vines and plants, and it's a very peaceful, quiet, patio/garden area. Make sense? Too bad.

Anyway, this is the spot that he first told me he loved me, and I shot it right back at him. (Another story for another time). Needless to say, it has sentimental value for us both.

He had me wait outside our little structure while he "set up my birthday present."

Honest to goodness, I still was kind of skeptical. I was kind of thinking it was just a normal birthday thing.


So, he comes back out to get me. Hand in hand we walked into our little structure, and there I find a little makeshift heart made of twigs, a rose, and a letter addressed to me.

I'm starting to get an idea now.

I pick up the letter and he urges me to read it out loud.

"Kaitlin Mae Felix. 115 days = 115 reasons. (In no particular order.)"

Oh yeah, this is happening.

I continue reading out things such as, "You make me giggle like I'm 5 years old, and secretly I love it" and "I think about you when you're not with me" and finally down to number 114: "You're the best friend I could ever have." These are 115 reason why he loves me for the 115 days we've been together. By this point, I'm shaking a little, I'm overcome with emotion, I'm anticipating what's coming next.

And I turn the page.

"Today is the 115th day we've been together," I continue reading. "It's also your birthday!! You are the most wonderful woman ever and I'm so happy I found you. 115 days is great streak, but I think it would be a little hard to keep track of eventually, so how about we just look at it a different way--forward instead of backward. This brings me to why I love you today.

Reason number 115: You said 'yes'"

Oh, this is happening. I stop reading and look up at him.

At this point the words are a tad fuzzy because my head was about to explode with excitement, but I think he said something along the lines of, "Well, I've gotta ask you a question before you can say yes."

He bent down on one knee, and said sweetly,

"Kaitlin Mae Felix. Will you marry me?

I said yes and attacked him with kisses before he could even put the ring on my finger. And I am in LOVE with that ring. It's perfect and even more perfect because it's from him.

So there is the story.

It's perfect and I'll remember it forever. That list he made for me was the kindest, most thoughtful thing anybody has ever done for me.

Kameron. This part's for you.

You, sir, are quite the catch. I couldn't ask for a more gentle, loving man to marry. You are my rock that I can turn to whenever I need help, guidance or security. I can laugh with you the way I've never laughed with anyone else. It's amazing to know that can last for an eternity. I can't imagine any life without you trudging along by my side, and I can't wait to see what our future holds. I love you!


I'll end this post with the ending of Kameron's letter:

"Eternity sounds a lot better, doesn't it?"

Sure does.

A Midyear's Resolution

I've made a goal.

Well, I've tried to make several goals this summer, but this is one of them:

Complain less.

Personally, I don't think I complain too much. (And right now I'm wondering if I really do, but don't realize it and people are thinking, "THANK HEAVENS FOR THIS GOAL!") But I think I may have a tendency to complain about the small things in my life that ultimately don't matter.

This last week I had the opportunity to see an amazing family receive an incredible blessing. Kameron's aunt Jess and her two kids, Jonah and Ellie, were chosen to be on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It still doesn't seem real that during the last week a completely new house was built from nothing, thanks to extremely generous volunteers and everyone else involved.

A few of you may have heard about Jonah Gomez, Jessica's 7-year-old son. He has two blood disorders, and because of that has to receive blood transfusions every 6-8 weeks. The only thing that can cure him is to receive a bone marrow transplant.

But there's the tricky part.

It's been extremely difficult finding a donor for Jonah.

This kid has been through more that I care to imagine in his short life. Not only has it been extremely difficult for him, but for Jess as well. She was living with her parents so she could be there for Jonah.

You think of the hardships this family has been through, and you expect Jonah to be sad and dragging. But he's not. At ALL. The kid has so much energy and a smile that could light up the world. I've only really met this family a handful of times, but I already love them immensely. And now they have a house where Jonah can safely live and hopefully Jess can relax a little bit. Not only that, but through the show, there has been a national outreach for people to get tested for bone marrow transplants. Amazing.

Now back to my goal.

If this family can be happy, energetic, kind, and loving while going through incredible trials...

I have no reason to complain about my minuscule "trials"

I am blessed with health, a great family, the true Gospel, and incredible friends.

What more can I ask for?