Giant Trees and New Jobs

Keeping up with these photos has proven to be a weakness!  I just don't think of posting every day, and most days I forget that I even started this.  This probably shows how good I am at keeping New Year's resolutions, right?  I'm SO good that I even forget to make them!

I think I'll just pick up where I left off.  Day 12. A Photo of You

This is probably the most recent picture taken of me.  Last week Grant and I used our final Wedding Target Gift Card to purchase a new Christmas Tree.  I have been wanting a full size tree for a long time now and I finally got my wish.  Gosh, it's good to be married and to have an excuse for these things.  The conversation in the store went something like this:

Katie: "This is the one I wanted!  Do you like it?"

Grant: "It's beautiful... but looks awfully big."

Katie: "It's not that big"

Grant: "I don't know about that."

We proceeded to put the HUGE box into our cart.  Once we got home we had nowhere to store the big box, so we just decided to put the tree up (even though it was before thanksgiving).  We had to rearrange a bit of furniture and in the process we realized that we really did get a big tree.  Or maybe I should say that I realized that we had bought a big tree.  Grant was being dramatic about it and I collapsed on the floor laughing about it.  I laughed so hard that I cried.

Needless to say, the tree is big but it is perfect.  That is once we moved the extra chair out our living room.

In other news... GRANT GOT A NEW JOB!

This has been a long process for us, but Grant was offered a part-time position as a Youth Minister at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Warrenville.  We first heard about this position in the summer through our friend Amy (who also works there).  It was a pretty exciting opportunity, but at that point we were not able to think about what we were doing next week, let alone for the next few years.  Grant decided not to pursue it for many reasons.  We have been set on picking up and moving after we finish Grad School and our time in Res Life here at Wheaton with hopes of moving closer to one of our families.  What has happened over the last few months as we have settled into marriage is that we've also opened up to different possibilities, ones that even include us staying here in the midwest a little longer.  Then we heard in October from someone else that it was still open.  Suddenly it seemed like perfect timing.

We are both very excited about this opportunity.  I am excited to see Grant do something that he is so gifted at (and yet doesn't always realize it).  I am excited to be a part of a small church and to build new connections.  I am also excited that we already have friends in that church and that we're not starting totally from scratch.  At the same time, this transition is bittersweet.  We have both loved and appreciated our church that we've been going to for the last three and a half years here.  It has not always been easy, but it has been home for us.

I'm a little behind...

I'm a little behind on this one.  I was held back on Day 8 of the photo challenge because I thought the the prompt was terrible.

This will be my attempt to catch up from the last few days.

Day 8: a photo of your favourite band/musician

Okay.  So Nat King Cole is NOT my favourite.  But I pulled out the Christmas music on Friday (when Grant and I set up our tree) and he is consistently my favourite for Christmas.  That, and the Home Alone soundtrack!

Day 9: A photo of your family

The most recent family photos are (of course) from our wedding.  This is my family.  I love that my mom must have said something funny and the rest of us are laughing.  This is a sight you see with us pretty often!

This is my new family and they're wonderful.  You couldn't ask for better in-law's and I'm very blessed!

Day 10: A photo of you as a baby

I don't have many digital photos of myself as a baby but Lindsey had posted this on facebook a while back.  I'm not sure what I'm scowling at, but I think it accentuates the fact that my nose was (and still is) so small.

Day 11: A photo of your favourite film(s)

Hands down, my favourite movie.  I'm not totally sure why, but this is always my go-to movie.  That, and Grant and I joke about how I married this guy:

Frank Navasky.  Grant often asks if he is like Frank.  In most ways he is not.  But there are a few striking similarities.  One being Grant's passion about very specific things and his complaints about others.  If you know Grant, you know what I mean.  He does not like typewriters though... that's too bad.

Someone I Love

Day 7:  A photo of someone you love

This is Grant.

(Warning: The following is cheesy)

He makes me coffee in the morning and tea at night.

He got me addicted to The West Wing and Alias.

He does the dishes (and will even wipe the counter off although he hates doing that)

He cooks dinner with me and for me.

He loves his family.

He goes on adventures with me.

He buys me flowers.

He makes me laugh.

He tries to do impersonations of me.

He goes to Starbucks with me (well, sometimes).

He loves to read and learn and loves magazines.

He loves bicycles... unless they're from Target or Wal-Mart.

He loves people.

He is flexible.

He laughs with me and at me.

He is up for anything.

He loves to go rock climbing.

He gets excited about the kind of wool in his socks.

He treasures his friendships and has great friends.

He is genuine and honest.

Seriously, I cannot say enough about him.  He is quirky and fun and loves me well, even when I am cranky and stubborn.  He is my friend and my husband.  And although his presence in my life makes me  aware of my own selfishness and brokenness, he also makes me more aware of God's grace and his love for me.  I hope (and pray every day) that these are not just the words of a newlywed, but the beginning of a life learning to live with, love and partner with someone.  

I pray that I will grow in love and respect for him each and every day.

Oh, Walgreens!

Day 6: A photo that makes you laugh

This picture cracks me up!  Grant and I were in Walgreens on Sunday getting passport pictures taken (for my green card application) and we had to wander around the store for a bit while they were printing. Grant saw this first and pointed it out to me, and I did a double take.  I thought he was just pointing at the Barbie-like dolls because of their clothes but no, no!  It was much better than that.  Seriously... is this appropriate?  I don't have kids, but I'm pretty sure I would not want to give this to any little girls that I know!  I do like that they are called "Lovely Patsy" dolls.  I wonder who "Lovely Patsy" is?  

I think that Miss. Blue and Miss. Pink are in need of some of this:

 Warning: Do not search for "Duct Tape" in Google Images.  You will find this picture, but it is amidst a plethora of horrible pictures too!

Day 5: a photo of you

What to say about this picture?  I don't have many photos of just me since I am usually the one taking the pictures I have.  This picture was taken kind of late at night, sometime in August.  Grant and I had come back from California, our honeymoon and then California again.  I was sad that our wedding was over (since the planning took up much of my spare time and I didn't know what to do with myself) and sad that I'd never get to wear my dress again.  We were also addicted to playing Super Mario on the Wii (which we got as a fantastic wedding present from Grant's cousins) at that point in the summer.  I am not sure exactly how it happened, but I had a idea, put the dress on and ran into the other room to get Grant out of bed to come play the Wii with me.  Unfortunately, my dress (as with most wedding dresses) was not that comfortable to lounge in, but the photo result was worth it.

Finally Finished & Happy Birthday

I did it!  I finally finished one of the sweaters I started two years ago!

This past Friday was my *cough* 29th birthday.  One of the ways I celebrated was not doing any school work and it was glorious.  I had finished most of the sweater so I went ahead and stitched it all together, knit the collar and the plackets (a word I never would have learned had I not started knitting) and sewed the buttons on.  I learned how to knit buttonholes too.

I included some pictures of the inside, partially because I was impressed with how this pattern went together AND (from what my mom has told me), my grandma would be proud. Apparently she used to always tell her kids that the back had to look as good as the front on things they made.

And finally.... this is me and my wonderful birthday gift from my mother- and father-in-law, Cerena & Gordon. (THANK YOU!)  I have wanted one of these yarn winder things forever.  I think Grant also loves it because now he doesn't have to hold the yarn while I make it into balls.

This weekend I heard Grant tell a group of students that everyone is nerdy about something... that it's not just people who like star trek.  I think in typing this post I may have just realized what one of those things might be fore me.

I think I'll stop there even though I have more photos to post from the weekend.  Grant and two of his friends raced their first Cyclocross race this weekend (which was a blast) so pictures will come soon!

Day 4: a photo of the last place you went on holiday

The last place I went on holiday was Barbados for our honeymoon.  It was beautiful and warm and perfect for us since it was their off season and few people were there.  Our memories of this trip are unfortunately clouded by the fact that Grant's ears filled with water and he couldn't hear all week and it was the beginning of my 5-months (and counting) experience of hives and a trip to the emergency room.  It was a trip to savour since we're not likely to have a week spent sitting on the beach or by the pool anytime soon.