Zach and Katie

Don't mind me if...

2011-06-21T10:11:00.005-05:00

I sign my name like this from now on: Katherine Ashcroft, RN, BSN

I passed the NCLEX (!) and now I can officially move onto the next chapter of my life. This chapter will be called "No more school for a little or a long while." It's crazy that I have been in school for 17 years!

I have been hesitant to announce this, for fear of failing the NCLEX (which I thankfully did not!) , but I accepted a job offer a month ago! I will be a "Perioperative Trainee" for six months, then will sign a 2 year contract with Huntsville Hospital and work in one of the OR's there. This means that in July and August, I will learn all about being a circulating nurse in the OR. What's a few more months of "school work" to someone who has been in school for 17 years? Then, I will have an orienting rotation through two of the OR's at Huntsville Hospital. I complete the program in December, and work in an OR thereafter. While I precepted in Labor and Delivery, I really enjoyed the time I spent in the OR. I had never really thought about being an OR nurse until this last semester. I am so very excited to begin working, and to do something that I absolutely love to do! I am also excited to start buying scrubs!

This past Thursday was my 22nd birthday. My family (both Zach's and my side) made it so special! Zach got me a bike! I am looking forward to going to the greenway and riding our bikes together (he got one for his birthday a few months ago). They are also matching! How cute! Then we opened presents with his family (Camille and Nicholas came down, too, and it was very fun to see them!). For dinner, we went to P.F. Chang's with my parents, Aly, and Kent, and our good family friend, Mary, served us. It was a very fun day! Zach and I ended the day by watching a movie. I, of course, fell asleep 30 minutes into it.

The next day, Zach and I went up to the Nashville Temple. I love the spirit and the peacefulness that I feel in the temple; it was a great birthday treat to feel of my Savior's love for me. The Nashville Temple holds a special place in our heart since that is where we got married. Zach took me to The Cheesecake Factory for a late lunch. It was his first time, and I am so glad that he loved it as much as I do! We brought our dessert home and shared it with Carolyn and Bert after going to the pool with them and Nicholas.

I took off the majority of the weekend to just relax before my test. Yesterday, I tried to stay busy in the morning, so that time would pass faster. Time was moving so slow before the NCLEX started at 2. I was out of there at 3:45 after 113 questions, and was just hoping and praying that I passed. It is a computer adaptive test, so it cuts off the test when it is 95% sure that you have passed or failed. It was a hard test for me, and I was kind of bummed when it did not cut me off at 75 questions (the least amount of questions that it could give you.) The computer must have known that I was pretty bad at select all that apply questions because at least 1/3 of my test was select all that apply haha. But all that matters is that I passed, and I am an official Registered Nurse.

I am so glad that I can just relax for the next few weeks before I start my big girl job :)

A Morning in the Life of Katie Ashcroft

2011-05-23T12:13:00.003-05:00

4:50 AM: Alarm clock goes off
Zach gets up, turns on the light, turns off the alarm, and gets back in bed
Katie covers her eyes with her arm and returns back to sleep
5:15 AM: Phone alarm goes off
Zach rolls over and asks Katie to scratch and/or tickle his back
Katie scratches his back for 10 seconds, and falls back asleep
5:30 AM: Another phone alarm goes off
Katie says, to heck with sleeping! And checks facebook and CNN for the latest news (oh, how she has always loved checking the news!)
5:40 AM: Yet ANOTHER phone alarm goes off
Zach gets up and gets ready for work
Katie gets up and makes her handsome husband's lunch
6:00 AM: Zach leaves for work
Katie either A) returns to bed for an hour, B) browses facebook, blogs, and news for an hour, or C) starts studying for the NCLEX to get it over with for the day
7:00 AM: Katie eats a breakfast consisting of almond milk, special K berries cereal, and half of a banana. YUM!
7:30 AM: Katie exercises before it gets too hot for the day
8:30 AM: Katie showers and gets ready
9:30 AM: Katie feels like she needs to study some more
12:00 PM: Lunch time!

The end! (What a pointless post, though I do find our amount of alarms humorous)

Comments From Strangers and Other Meddlers

2011-05-14T12:51:00.006-05:00

DISCLAIMER: The following is a collection of what I find slightly humorous, yet slightly disturbing. It is not meant to be a complaint, and is not speaking to anyone in particular. In all honesty, it’s pretty much talking about strangers who like to get “all up in someone else’s business”. :) ENJOY!

Lesson #1: If you have something critical to say to a parent, don’t say it and go parent your own kids.

I came across an interesting website the other day with stories about rude comments from people to a mother or father. Most of these unnecessary comments had to do with their raising their children. Yes, we all may have our own opinions when it comes to parenting. I know I already have my own opinions and beliefs when it comes to me and Zach raising children someday. Some of these opinions may have to do with breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, home births vs. hospital births, starting infants on solids at 4 months vs. initiating baby led weaning and feeding, and homeschooling vs. public education. But, you can raise your own kids that way. No one should just assume that their way is the better way, or push it upon someone else. I don’t have any kids yet, so I know I probably don’t know half of it. But, what I do know is that when I do get pregnant and have children, I will be really bugged about having perfect strangers come up and rub my pregnant belly or tell me to put socks on my baby when its 90 degrees outside! Most of these stories are just plain ridiculous. But, the sad thing is that they are TRUE! However, I do believe there is such a thing as a helpful comment. I am not saying that “Katie knows best,” and I am not talking to my close friends/family. But, when people you don’t know or barely talk to come up and give you unnecessary and critical “advice,” I think that is wrong. Odds are that you are only seeing 5% of the story.
Check out the website: http://www.thatbabylookscold.com/

Lesson #2: Try not to be a meddler in someone else’s marriage

Now that I am graduated and Zach and I have been married almost two years, we are starting to get those comments. You know the ones. The ones that someone should just keep to themselves. For example, “You should start having kids.” Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind getting the nice question, “When do you want kids?” occasionally from family or close friends (don’t worry, blog friends. All of you are privy to asking me this question occasionally). But, please don’t tell us what we should do. Isn’t that between me and my husband and Heavenly Father? Isn’t it up to us to pray about it and receive personal revelation for our family? I just don’t understand why I have to explain myself and my decisions to pretty much perfect strangers. Actually, what bugs me most about this is that what if Zach and I were trying to have children now (we’re not yet… don’t start any rumors J), and we kept being told to have kids and get pregnant, when I was an infertile Myrtle (I hope I’m not)! I guess that’s my fear! So, don’t just assume that each marriage is exactly like yours, there are always variables.

Lesson #3: Understand why Katie has been stressed out studying for her boards lately

A client has had a nasogastric tube connected to low intermittent suction. The client is at risk for which of the following complications?
A. Confusion
B. Muscle Cramping
C. Edema
D. Tremors

Answer below:

(The answer is B. Potassium is lost during nasogastric suctioning, and a sign of hypokalemia is muscle cramping)
Do you feel sorry for me? No? I didn’t think so! :)

Leave a comment if you have a story of a stranger telling you how to parent your child. It still baffles me that someone would do that!

Thoughts and Thanks

2011-04-14T11:37:00.003-05:00

THOUGHTS

I graduate in 3 weeks and 2 days with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Recently, I ran into someone that once said something impolite about me always being the last to do something. That's enough to cut anyone's self esteem. I was proud to say that I would be graduating with a college degree in a few weeks. (I hope I wasn't too prideful...)

I become an official Registered Nurse sometime this summer when I pass the NCLEX (and if I pass it the first time, I get a kitty!). I can't wait to sign my name on documentation, Katherine N. Ashcroft, RN. Yes, I am pretty excited to have a title haha.

I am so excited for my sister to get married this summer :) I am looking forward to her coming home for the summer so we can plan her wedding. I have missed her so much this year! I am also looking forward to her fiance coming out to visit.

Yesterday was my last day precepting (interning) in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Huntsville Hospital. After 180 hours/ 15 days, I know for sure that this is what I would love to do for my nursing career. It is such a blessing to see at least one miracle everyday, and I learned so much from the staff and my preceptor. I have enjoyed assisting patients through labor, helping in the OR during C-sections, and the delivery experience, among many other things. I am sad that it's over, but I hope I will someday find a job in L&D.

THANKS

Zach is such a great husband, and I am so thankful for the support he has given me through nursing school. He has helped me to achieve all of my aspirations, and I am so happy that he is always by my side. I love him so much :)

I am so thankful for my parents and his parents living so close by to us. They help us out in so many ways.

For our beautiful house. We are so blessed to be living in a safe neighborhood, in a house that is just the right size for us, and for our excellent neighbors :)

That I am graduating college soon, and will hopefully start working a real, professional job this summer.

That both of my sets of grandparents are coming for my graduation. I love visiting family, and I love when family members visit!

That I have achieved many of my goals in life: graduating high school, going to BYU(even if it was only for a year haha), marrying my husband in the temple, and going to college.

I am thankful that I will be able to be with Zach for eternity. I look forward to our future together.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-13T13:50:00.008-06:00

I know I would blog more if I took more pictures, so I will really try my hardest to take more pictures from now on!

Zach's brother and his family came out to Alabama the week before Thanksgiving, and we had a really fun time. We got to see our neice again, and spend time together with Zach's family. It was the first time we had all been together just us and Zach's side of the family. We then celebrated Thanksgiving with Zach's family a few day's early. We are looking forward to doing a family vacation every other year starting this next year! :) I only got a few pictures on my phone, so here are a few cute ones of our neice and nephew.

Then, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Aly was supposed to come home! But, there was a snowstorm in Utah and she wasn't able to fly in until Wednesday night :(. We were so glad when she finally made it home, but sad that we lost a day with her.

A few hours after Aly got home, my aunt and uncle and their three kids arrived from Pennsylvania. We had a fun time with them here, but I was sorry I had to study during their stay here, and not spend as much time with them. We enjoyed soup and Gigi's cupcakes that night in preparation for Thanksgiving the day afterwards.

Zach had to work on Thanksgiving this year, which was a bummer, but he still got to enjoy leftovers of our Thanksgiving meal. After our big meal, we let our stomachs rest until we went over to our friends house for dessert. I think there were at least 10 pies total, and they all were delicious. My dad and me making gravy My dad carving the turkey My cousins and Kent at the table The rest of the family On Friday, I spent the day studying, and played with my nephew and cousin (who are about the same age) with trains and marbleworks. The boys enjoyed watching the Alabama vs. Auburn game. As soon as the game ended, we left for Monaco to watch Harry Potter (Aly took the two smaller cousins to Tangled since she had already seen HP, and LOVED it). Saturday, we got up and got ready to go to Nashville. We arrived at the Opryland Hotel around 2:00, checked into our rooms, and walked around a little bit until our dinner reservations. We ate at the Mexican restaurant in the resort, and really enjoyed the fajitas and homemade guacamole. After dinner, we went to ICE!, which is an exhibit that was based on the classic movie Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. All of the ice sculptures were really neat, and then we got to slide down some ice slides at the end. At the end of the night, we said goodbye to our family from Pennsylvania and Aly, then went to sleep and got to sleep in (I hadn't slept in in a long time, so I was excited for that! haha). Zach and I were really thankful for my parents for invitng us to go on a small, relaxing vacation before my finals week started. We had a lot of fun staying at the Opryland hotel, as we had always wanted to stay there. My dad took Aly to the Nashville airport early in the morning, then once we all woke up and got ready, we decided to try a restaurant called the Loveless Cafe. It was DELICIOUS, and I would gladly go back anyday. It is this southern restaurant in the area of Bellvue in Nashville that is famous for its biscuits. Their "Biscuit Lady" was on Throwdown with Bobby Flay and won against him, that's how good this place is. It used to be a motel, so the restaurant is the center building, but in all the old motel rooms are cute, little shops I browsed while we waited to be seated. After we stuffed ourselves silly with a traditional southern breakfast, we headed home where I began to finish studying for finals. I sure have disliked having finals the week after Thanksgiving the past three years since going to UAH, but, GUESS WHAT?! ... Next Thanksgiving, I won't even be thinking about finals at all while I cook and enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner. YES! Now, that is something to look forward to! Sorry this is 6 months late :) I will try to post Christmas, soon. I have been busy with my last semester of nursing school, and I graduate in about a month!

One Year Anniversary!

2010-08-11T13:50:00.008-05:00

This past Sunday, Zach and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary! To celebrate, we bought a couple tickets a few weeks ago, and decided to fly to Utah for a few days to celebrate, see family, and meet our new niece. I am horrible at taking pictures (I only took a couple on my phone, and, thankfully, my brother-in-law took a few others that I will get).

Since we would be gone on our anniversary, we celebrated with our parents and families out here in Alabama the Sunday before our anniversary. We also celebrated Kent's 16th birthday that day. After dinner and presents, we ate the top tier of our wedding cake. It surprisingly still tasted yummy and was still moist, after a year in the freezer!

On Wednesday, we left for Utah. We flew in and out of Huntsville for a relatively good price (gotta love Expedia!), and got to Salt Lake City around dinnertime. We stayed Wednesday night at Zach's grandparent's house and had fun eating dinner and talking with them.

The next day, we got up and got ready for a busy and fun day! To celebrate our anniversary, we really wanted to go to the Salt Lake City Temple. We got to Temple Square, walked around, and went to the visitor's center. A fairly recent addition to one of the visitor's centers is a scale model and replica of the Salt Lake City Temple. It really is a beautiful piece of artwork.

Then, Zach and I went in the Salt Lake Temple for a temple session. It was a very spiritual experience, and was a great way to reverently celebrate our anniversary.

Afterwards, we went to pick up our good friend Shane, then drive down to Provo to visit some friends.

We ate lunch with Shane, and then we (I) went shopping! I got my niece a cute present, and me a cute sweater, earrings, and headband from Nordstrom. And, I got a cute skirt from Down East.

I am literally counting down the days until we get a Nordstrom closer than Atlanta. Nordstrom opens in about one year in Nashville! Yay! And, what's even better, is I will be out of school and hopefully have my own grown-up job :)

After shopping, we stopped into Express to see my friend Stephanie while she was working, and drove to meet Chelsy and officially meet her husband Greg at their house. Courtney was also there so we could catch up! It was like freshman year reunion!

For dinner, Shane, Chelsy, Greg, Zach, and I ate at Tucano's which is a Brazilian steakhouse in Provo. It was delicious, and we were all stuffed afterwards.

We had so much fun visiting with our friends who we hadn't seen in quite some time, and cannot wait to see them again.

On Friday, my brother-in-law (L), sister-in-law (A), and their cute daughter (baby A) came down from Logan, and we got to meet our sweet little niece. She really is very adorable and I am so happy I have one precious niece, and one adorable nephew. That night, we got together for a family dinner with some more of Zach's family, and had fun chatting and catching up for a few hours.

Saturday, Zach and I packed our things, said goodbye to his grandparents, and drove to Logan to spend more time with Zach's brother and his family. I love going to Logan and Hyde Park with Zach because I get to see where he grew up, and Cache Valley is a beautiful valley.

We met L and A for lunch at Cafe Rio (my favorite restaurant in Utah), then went back to their house. They live in Hyde Park, which is a cute little town just north of Logan. I love when Zach drives me past his old house because he point out his old house where he lived for the first 13 years of his life, then points at his aunt and uncle's old house next door, and then his grandparent's old house next door to them. I always thought it would be fun to grow up and live down the road from many family members. Within a few blocks lives other family members, which makes it fun and easy to visit everyone :)

We played with our niece, and talked with L and A, then decided to hit up some sales at the mall. Zach got some nice new polos, and so did L, and we found some cute baby clothes. Here is baby A sleeping in her stroller while we shopped:

For dinner, we went to this excellent Steak and Seafood house in Logan called Hamilton's. If you are ever in Logan, I definately recommend this place. We all enjoyed our meals, and left happy and full. A and baby A then came to the hotel that Zach and I were staying in to go swimming. At 5 months old, she really enjoys the water! And, stayed in for a good 20 minutes even thought it was pretty cold water. Meanwhile, Zach and L watched a UFC fight which they really enjoyed.

Sunday was our first anniversary! We both agreed that this year had gone by really fast, and are both even more happily in love with each other after a year being married. We didn't make it to church, but got up and visited Zach's mom's side of the family, and visited with Zach's grandma. Afterwards, L grilled some food for us once he got home from church, and we enjoyed the beautiful weather outside.

Then, we walked to go see Zach's great grandma Florence. I had the opportunity of meeting her 3 years ago, and we got to see her again. She is the awesome age of 100, and is great at telling stories. We had so much fun visiting with her.

After visiting with L, A, and baby A, we had to say goodbye to A and baby A because they had something to go to. L, Zach, and I went to the Beehive Grill, which was another excellent choice. Afterwards, we went to Zach's cousin's place (actually it's his dad's cousin's son... so would that be 2nd cousin? or 2nd cousin once removed?) to catch up with him and his wife. He and Zach were quite the mischief makers when they were in elementary and middle school! Then we said goodbye to L.

Monday, we drove from Logan to the airport. We stopped at a farm and country store called Smith and Edwards and picked up some candy, then left Utah for home.

It was a fun trip, and we already miss our family out in Utah. And, hope to visit again sometime soon to see those that we didn't get a chance to see!

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-05T15:01:00.015-05:00

Zach and I had so much fun on spring break with my family to Mexico! It was a week full of at least 80 degree weather, the sun, the pool, the beach, and family. Also, it was a week full of Aly's 18th birthday celebrations :)

We left town on March 12 after Aly and Kent got out of school, and headed up to Nashville to spend the night near the airport. At the Marriott up there is where we had the first of many celebrations for Aly's birthday. My parents didn't want to bring all of Aly's presents to Mazatlan, so Aly was able to open the majority of her presents 3 days before her actual birthday. We let Aly open her presents and we got some very yummy dessert.

On March 13, we got up at 4:30 in the morning to fly to Mexico. We were so anxious to go and get out of the rainy weather!

Our plane arrived in Mexico in the early afternoon, we met up with my granparents at the airport, then we took the shuttle to our resort on the other side of town.

The lobby is so pretty, and smells amazing. The pictures don't do it justice. My mom and Aly bought the fragrance they use to make the lobby smell so good. It's called African Violet--how exotic!!

After checking in and walking out of the lobby, this is the view that welcomed us:

The view from our room was so beautiful. Our room had a balcony that looked out over the beach, the ocean, and some palm trees. My parent's and grandparent's rooms had bay windows that let tons of natural light into the rooms, and had just as gorgeous views.

The rest of Saturday, we ate lunch poolside, went swimming, and took a walk on the beach.

Sunday was the day with the worst weather. And, compared to thunderstorms, rain, and snow, it was not bad at all--it was just cloudy. We began our day by going to La Puntilla for brunch, authentic mexican food, and fresh fruit.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we went to the mercado (market), and were greeted by the smell of fish and poultry being gutted by the butchers. It is a fun place to go, though! Zach and I bought a marble chess set, so now all Zach has to do is teach me to play chess!

Monday was Aly's birthday!

We lounged in the pools the first part of the day, and drank (virgin) miami vices at the swim up bar. (Notice: me holding up Zach's foot...I'm not sure why...).

My parents got Aly a pretty tropical flower arrangement and a spa gift card for her birthday. The flowers made the room smell so good!

That night, we took the shuttle into town for Aly's birthday dinner.

This is probably our best picture from the trip. We were slackers on taking pictures, and some didn't come out so well, but we were having way too much fun to notice!!!

We went to Pancho's for dinner, and Aly was sung to by a mariachi band.

She was also given the BEST CAKE EVER!

She shared dessert with us. As you can see, when it came to my turn for a bite, I stuffed my face. Actually, the cake was very moist and soft, but when I got a (big) bite with my fork, it fell off my fork, I caught it with my hand, then tried to put it in my mouth.... and missed my mouth... haha.

The rest of the week was spent swimming, lounging, reading, eating, playing nerts, and having fun. One night, we went to Los Zarapes for dinner. The owner does some fun and neat magic tricks, they make their salsa right in front of you as hot as you want it, and there are authentic dancers and singers for entertainment. Notice the salads on our table. When all you have had for your fruits and vegetables for the past few days has been refried beans, avacado, and tomato, it was nice to get some lettuce!

We also had another birthday celebration for Aly, and I enjoyed the best coconut ice cream I have ever had, before we headed back for the night.

While the boys played sports...

The girls painted pottery.

I don't have any "after" pictures of our pottery, but the people in charge of the pottery stand at the resort fixed our mistakes, embellished our painting, and glazed the pottery. Now, I have a pretty plate on display in my kitchen, and my mother in law has a flower pot.

There were lots of animals at the resort. There were wild birds, and birds in big bird cages. There were peacocks both white and colorful.

There were iguanas and flamingos. And, there was the returning gecko. Yes, this little guy returned to the ceiling of our balcony every single night after sunset.

Oh, how I love listening to the waves and falling asleep!

On Thursday, we spent the day at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan (the sister resort to Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay), and spent time jumping the waves and hanging out on the beach, in the ocean, and at their pool. Zach and Kent had fun joking around together the whole week. I think Kent is glad he has a "brother" now.

Kent and Aly also went jet-skiing on the ocean.

Thursday night, we went to this really good restaurant and had some good seafood and Bananas Flambe. You know the good caramely juices at the bottom of a plate? Well, Zach offered some to my mom and said, "Do you want the rest of this sweet stuff?" My mom took it as, "Do you want the rest of this, Sweet Stuff?" :) Now my mom wants to be called "Sweet Stuff" or "Sweetie" for short when she is a grandma (which is not anytime soon!!). Here is a picture of Aly and I before dinner. My grandma picked some pretty flowers to wear in our hair.

Friday, Zach and I got a couple's massage. Isn't he a sweetie? :) It was the shortest 80 minutes of my life haha. I could have laid there all day! Zach has got me massages before, but this was BY FAR the best. The spa at the resort is so nice as was the gym.

We met up with my grandparent's friends who live in Mazatlan part-time and their daughter and grandkids visiting for spring break for dinner. Afterwards, we had to pack up :(. We left bright and early Saturday morning, and after a few delays and a car ride home, got home around 9:00 PM. I was sad to see we never once got a group shot of everyone on the trip. The adults liked to shy away from the camera. We will have to get one of all 8 of us when my grandparents come visit this week.

Zach's 23rd Birthday

2010-04-04T11:59:00.006-05:00

Zach's birthday was pretty low-key, but fun. On the day before his birthday, his mom took him out to Lowe's to pick out some stuff for the garage and for lunch. He had a lot of fun! :) Then, that night, we went to my parent's house for dinner, presents, and brownies and ice cream. On Zach's request, we had bacon cheeseburgers and Private Selection Extreme Moose Tracks (Zach's favorite ice cream). He got a shop vacuum and a video game from my family.

The next day was his birthday. I made him his favorite dinner--pasta--and his favorite dessert--no-bake cookies. He also got a Zoku popsicle maker and garlic artichoke pizza maker from Williams-Sonoma, some church pants, some flip flops that were useful on spring break, and a shirt.

I love you, Zach!

A Recipe and a Happy Birthday

2010-03-03T08:06:00.003-06:00

Today is Zach's birthday! I will post more about his birthday with pictures later, but I just wanted to publicly announce that I am so glad he was brought into this world 23 years ago! He is a pasta lover, and so I am making this pasta dish that he likes. I cannot get credit for this dish, it is my Aunt Ceil's. The only thing I added is artichoke hearts. (Can't you tell I LOVE artichokes?! :) ) If I remember to, I will also take a picture of the finished dish.

Creamy Chicken, (Artichoke), and Tomato Pasta

8 oz. pasta (I use bowtie or tortellini) ( Iuse a little more pasta)

3 shallots, chopped

1T. olive oil

2 chicken breast halves--cut into bite-sized pieces

1t. fresh garlic

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 T. italian parsley

2 (10 oz) jars/containers of alfredo sauce

3/4 c. oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. basil

1, 14 oz. can/jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1. Cook pasta

2. In large skillet, cook shallots and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken. Cook and stir until no pink remains.

4. Drain fat.

5. Carefully add broth, basil, and parsley. Cook for one more minute.

6. In a 2 qt. baking dish, combine pasta, chicken mixture, alfredo sauce, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, milk, 1/4 c. parmesan, and pepper.

7. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

8. Cover and bake for 15 minutes on 350 degrees F.

9. Uncover and bake 10-15. minutes more, until top is slightly golden.

ENJOY!

Six Month Anniversary and Valentine's Day

2010-02-19T15:00:00.003-06:00

On February 8, Zach and I celebrated our 6 month anniversary. I can't believe that it has already been six months since we got married! We are very much enjoying married life. I made yummy cupcakes for our six-month anniversary and we toasted with sparkling grape juice. It was fun!
Zach and I aren't big on celebrating Valentine's Day, but we do like to acknowledge it :) Zach got me flowers and a sweet card, and I made chocolate covered strawberries and cupcake bites for Zach.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2010-02-15T10:28:00.003-06:00

This is such a simple recipe, but is loved by many!

1/2 block of frozen spinach (thawed, drained, and chopped)
1, 14oz. can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise

Mix together, place in an oven-safe dish, and cook in oven, uncovered, on 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Enjoy with chips, crackers, or as a topping on sandwiches or burgers.

Looking forward to...

2010-02-03T09:54:00.009-06:00

SPRING BREAK!!

Spring break has been constantly on my mind since Christmas Break ended. After one break from school, I eagerly look forward to the next one. I have even already made our packing list to fit into two carry ons, a large purse, and one checked bag since we have to pay for checked bags now.

Zach and I are going to Mazatlan, Mexico with my family and dad's parents. Never heard of Mazatlan? I'm not surprised. Before my grandparents bought their timeshare there, I had never heard of it and had no idea where it was. So here's a little map of the west coast of Mexico:

As you can see, Mazatlan is north of Puerto Vallarta and east of Cabo San Lucas. The last time we went to Mazatlan was three years ago. As I looked through the pictures, I couldn't help but notice how much we had changed since I was a senior. Now, Aly is a senior and doesn't have braces anymore, Kent is finally taller than Aly, and I am married! Family vacations are my favorite, and I can't wait to go!

Here are some things that I am looking forward to about Spring Break:

Watching the Sunset

Celebrating Aly's birthday

Riding in a Pulmonia

Great beach hair

Relaxing at the pools

Getting a virgin strawberry daquiri at the swim up bar

Painting pots poolside

Eating tamales

Watching the cliff divers

Hanging at the beach

And best of all...spending time with my hubby!!! We have never been to the beach together. I am so excited!!!

Foodie

2010-01-25T20:09:00.010-06:00

While my taste buds may not be as refined as a food critics, Ratatouille's, or all the chefs on Food Network, I would like to consider myself a "foodie." I not only love food, but I love trying new things and experimenting with new recipes and ingredients. The only downside to having a more refined palate is that my grocery bill tends to go up each time I want to try a new recipe.

I have always loved food. I think it all started when my body needed a lot of food. I can remember being in third grade and getting thirds at the dinner table--eating more than my dad. But, the only reason I felt the need to eat that much was that I was always at the gym doing gymnastics. Looking back at this now, I wonder how I ate so much, and still appeared malnourished.

For the first 17 years of my life, I hated cooking. Just being in the kitchen stressed me out. My mom always tried to get me to help her, but I wouldn't know what to do AT ALL. A few days after my junior year, I burned some soup. Campbell's alphabet soup to be exact. I ate a bowl of the alphabet soup, and there was about an inch left. I put on the lid to the pan, walked upstairs and to the other side of the house to the gameroom, and watched TV while I ate. Then, I got tired and took about a two hour nap. When I wake up from my nap, I notice a burning smell. I go downstairs to the kitchen and notice that I never turned off the stove! Good thing the lid was on because once the pan cooled off and I opened the lid, there was black ash where the soup used to be, and you could still see the shape of the alphabet noodles.

Then, in my senior year of high school, I took a culinary class. Initially, I didn't take it to learn how to cook, but to take up one of my electives and to eat some food! This class was right after my Cheer PE class, so it worked out that I worked out first, got hungry, then got to eat. I learned how to make pizza dough and homemade pizza sauce, beef stroganoff, and many desserts. I also learned all of the technical sides of the kitchen (what slicing, dicing, chiffonade, and julienne meant AND about the types of pans and many foods).

Since my culinary experience, I have improved so much more! I love to cook with my pampered chef stuff from my bridal shower, find new cookbooks, grill, and attempt to make new things. My mom and I made pasta a few weeks back with her new KitchenAid attachment. Neither of us had made pasta dough before, so the first batch didn't have enough flour, but the second batch was really good!

Since becoming a "Foodie," I love the Food Network. I think I didn't absolutely love it before because I had only seen the shows when I was just watching other people cook (i.e. Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals.) I will watch these types of shows if nothing else is on, but I absolutely love The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives because I love eating out and can actually go to these places. It will be much easier to go to one of these restaurants than to get Rachael Ray or Giada to come to my house to cook dinner :) I am also a fan on Alton Brown because I love how he puts a learning spin on things, and The Worst Cooks in America because I always like a little drama and competition.

So, if you actually got to the end of this post, and put up with my rambling, now you know why I love to cook. I am going to post recipes in the future, but I thought you needed a little background information.

I thought I would end this post with two recommendations and a recipe:

Recommendation #1: If you are ever in Florence or Nashville and want to try a new place to eat, try Demo's when you're hungry. If you have already been here, I hope you agree with me that it's great!

Recommendation #2: If you are ever in VA, NY, PA, MD, or around those areas where there's a WEGMANS, drop what you are doing and drive to one. It is seriously the best grocery store I have ever been to!

Wolfgang Puck's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

3 c. elbow macaroni (or another short pasta)

2 c. heavy cream

3 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. salt to taste

1.) Combine noodles, broth, and cream. Bring to a boil and stir.

2.) Cover and put on low for 20-25 minutes.

3.) Stir in cheese and salt.

4.) Serve and ENJOY!

Honeymoon

2010-01-22T12:46:00.002-06:00

Since Christmas, I have thought about using my blog to make a blog book. But, by doing so, I want to include everything since I got married. I'm not going to catch up on every little thing, but I think I should probably write about my honeymoon so I can remember it.

The day after our wedding, Zach and I woke up VERY hungry. We hadn't eaten much since the luncheon up in Nashville. I think the only thing I ate at my reception was a few bites of cake, and a snowcone. [Thank you SO much to whoever got me the snowcone. I don't remember who it was, but it was very nice of you!]. I remember watching people in line getting food, then going for seconds, while I was pretty much anchored in place in my dress. Eventually, my mom came close enough for me to get her attention, and I asked her to PLEASE package up some food for Zach and I to take home. But, sadly, by the time that got done, the chicken salad sandwiches and Zaxby's chicken were gone. So, we ate that our wedding night, but still woke up hungry! As we hadn't gone grocery shopping yet, our breakfast ended up being Ravioli and Alfredo sauce. I would call pasta and alfredo sauce the Zach and Katie "go-to" meal. We aren't too boring, though. I usually try to add something to it to make it seem like I tried to make dinner (artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, homemade alfredo, etc.). Anyways, for some reason, our first breakfast as a married couple sticks in my mind because it describes us and what we like. Good thing we had it here! There wasn't much else!

We still had some family in town, and some we hadn't seen except on our wedding day. So, we wanted to say goodbye to them before we headed out on our honeymoon. We went to my parent's first because I needed some of my dad's prescription cream. (On our wedding day, I noticed I was developing this rash on both of my thighs, that itched REALLY BAD. [Crystal, it looked like AJ's rash]. I'm still not sure what caused it or if it was an allergic reaction, stress, or a heat rash. But, it started itching our wedding night. After Zach and I had gone to sleep, I woke up to Zach nudging me and saying "Katie, stop scratching." So, it was itching, and I was scratching in my sleep. This persisted for about 3 weeks, and spread to the entirety of both legs.) So, we went to my parent's and said goodbye to my grandparents and family,then enjoyed another large snowcone and loaded up on some spinach artichoke dip and some other leftovers from the reception. Then, we went to Zach's parents and said goodbye to his grandparents, aunt, and uncle.

Then...

We left for our honeymoon. Since I started school a week later, we didn't have too much time to go on a honeymoon, finish moving my stuff over to our house, buy books, go grocery shopping, etc. So, we decided to stay nearby and go somewhere we hadn't been before... Chattanooga, TN. We arrived there around 7 their time, and stayed in our room the rest of the night. The next day, we ventured out and visited the Aquarium first. It was so much fun! And, actually the only picture we have from our honeymoon is a souveneir one that they took at the Aquarium, and my eyes are mid-way blinking. Yes, Zach and I both forgot our cameras!! We stayed in Chattanooga for three nights, and left for home that Wednesday. While in Chattanooga, we enjoyed seeing the penguins, butterflies, and sharks at the Aquarium; watching the 6th Harry Potter movie in the theater, shopping, swimming, going on walks, eating ice cream at this fun place, and going to Sticky Fingers. I had been wanting to try this Italian restaurant in Chattanooga for a while called Tony's Pasta Shop and Trattoria. Zach and I love Italian, and were actually disappointed at this place because we had heard good things about it. The service wasn't that great, and we didn't enjoy the food at all. I ordered lasagna, and, no joke, there was one measly noodle on the bottom, two cups of sauce with some ricotta, then another measly noodle to top it off. Then, that was baked with like a cup of mozzarella cheese (I guess I'm partial to Italian blend, parmesan, or just a little bit of mozzarella.) So, if anyone has been to this place in Chattanooga, what did you order if you liked it? I may be willing to try it again. I just know a lot of people recommended it. All in all, we had an EXCELLENT honeymoon and stay at the Chattanooga Marriott. It was fun being only two hours from home, but in a charming city with a lot to do! Zach and I are coming up on our 6-month anniversary (in 2 1/2 weeks), and I can't belive we have been married that long, but it's also hard for me to remember what it was like not being married to my best friend.

Let's see if I can keep this up! I would really like to just get used to blogging, and it seems kind of fun. Sometimes, I have thought about updating, but it just seemed like nothing was going on that was important to write about. So, in addition to writing about every-day life, I want to come up with some more ideas on things to blog about. If anyone has ideas, let me know! I will probably include recipes that I like or any crafts I do (the latter, which are once in a blue moon.) But does anyone else have any ideas? They would be greatly appreciated!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-20T08:34:00.011-06:00

This year's Christmas break was so relaxing and fun. I finished my first semester of Nursing School with 3 A's and 1 B, which I am very happy about. My last final was on December 8, and I didn't have to go back until January 11, so I began my break by "sleeping in." At least, I tried. I kept getting up early since my body was used to it. I decorated our Christmas tree and Zach and I got our passports the day after my final. We are so excited to use them when we go to Mexico for Spring Break!!

The week before Christmas, me and a few ladies from the ward threw a baby shower for one of our friends who was just able to adopt! The shower was really fun, and I helped to make a really cute diaper cake. Since I started Nursing School a week after Zach and I got married, we haven't really had much time to spend with each other. While we had a weekend here and there to spend together, there was usually stuff we had planned to do (or needed to get done.) Zach had some unused vacation days and took off from December 17- December 28. It was so nice to relax and spend time together without having to worry about tests, homework, or work. The weekend before Christmas, we got our new plasma TV delivered and our new Bluray player. And, after church that Sunday, my friend from school came over for dinner and we watch Ratatouille. The next week was spent by watching movies, playing games, and spending time with family! The day before Christmas Eve, Zach and I went up to Nashville to visit Camille, Raj, and Nicholas. We spent the first part of the day hanging out at their house, then we went to look at the lights at the Opryland Hotel once it got dark.

For dinner, we went to The Aquarium, and ate some yummy seafood. After that, Zach and I drove home. While we were up in Nashville, my dad and Kent put a floor in our attic (for Zach's Christmas present) so that we can actually store things in it now! On Christmas Eve, Zach's parents, and my family came over to our house to eat dinner, dessert, and play games.

Then, we told Zach we had a present for him, but that it was too big for under the tree, so we put it in the attic. He was pleasantly surprised :)

After we played Apples to Apples, our families went home, we opened up our Christmas pajamas, read Luke 2, and we anxiously awaited Christmas morning! I woke up before Zach on Christmas morning, and made a nice breakfast of eggs, chocolate chip pancakes, and bacon. After breakfast, we noticed that Santa had come, and so we got to open our stockings!

Then, we opened our presents, in turn, and found that there three presents from Santa under the tree: Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Yahtzee. Now we have games that we can play! I got Zach a video game, some CDs, candy, and some seasons to a TV show he likes. Zach got me the Owl City CD, the Harry Potter movies on Bluray, and some clothes. Then, we got ready for the day, and headed over to my parent's house for Christmas there. They were still opening presents when we got there, so we joined in on the fun! First, we opened our second stockings that Santa so generously filled with a 100 dollar bill each, candy,and some other goodies.

Then we opened presents with my family. Zach got some grilling spices, a nice pair of church slacks that he loves, and I got a curling iron, some kitchen stuff, and some earrings. My parents also got us two 72 hour kits, subscriptions to the Ensign and New Era, and a wedding scrapbook. We also got some money from my grandparents, and some presents from Zach's grandparents and Lucas and Angie. It was very sweet of them to think of us even though they don't live nearby. Once all the mess from the presents was cleaned up, Zach and Kent played with Kent's new nurf guns and video games upstairs, and I relaxed and talked with my mom. Around 3:30, Camille and Raj arrived from Nashville, and we went to Zach's parent's for Christmas there. Nicholas was so fun to watch open his presents! Once all of his were opened up, he helped the rest of us open ours :) Zach and I got Nicholas a little Thomas the Train set that he had fun playing with.

And, from Camille, Raj, and Nicholas, I got a candle and cute kitchen towel, we got an ornament for our first Christmas and Zach got some Mother Goose Popcorn that he loves. His parents gave me a giant cupcake pan (yum!) and a quilt rack. And, Zach got a nice watch, church socks, and some homemade Reeses.

His dad gave us $100 in the cutest way! He made it look like a shirt and bowtie!

Sharing Christmas between two families (three if you include us) was not as hectic as I thought it would be. I think it helps that we live 5 minutes away from our parents, and our parent's live even closer to each other. We were not expecting as many presents as we got, so Zach and I are VERY thankful.

We spent more time with family the weekend following Christmas, then it was back to work for Zach. I spent the rest of my break watching Alabama win the National title, shopping with my sister, watching some movies, reading Dear John, and making homemade pasta with my mom. It was a very fun break, but am glad I am back in school. Clinicals will be much more fun this semester now that they are not at the nursing home. I will be at the hospital at least once a week, and just learned how to start an IV. I am very excited for this semster, and can't believe I graduate in less than a year and a half!

Excuses...excuses...excuses....

2009-09-21T13:11:00.022-05:00

I have so many excuses for not updating my blog since May. All are valid in my opinion, but I apologize to all of you who kept wondering when I was going to update again!

Excuse #1:

This summer was my third year lifeguarding on Redstone Arsenal. It's a job I have loved, but after being out in the summer sun all day, the only thing I want to do is relax! My wonderful co-workers threw me a surprise bridal shower one day. It was so fun and sweet of them! Thank you :)

Excuse #2:

School. Over the summer, I took my last prerequisite class for the nursing program: Anatomy & Physiology II. I took my final July 31. Then, on August 19, I started the nursing program! I love it! It is a lot of work but very fun and interesting! For once, I actually enjoy reading most of my textbooks :) This past Wednesday was our first clinical day at the nursing home. I have never been a fan of nursing homes, but it wasn't as bad as I thought! I get to give flu shots in a few weeks, too! Woohoo!!!

Excuse #3:

It's almost impossible to upload pictures to my laptop. I don't know why. So, we may never have my bridal shower pictures on here unless they are still on my mom's camera. Which, by the way, was really fun! Thanks Quincy, Kristy, and Aly for throwing it for me! And, thanks to all of you who came! Now, I have Zach's computer to work with which doesn't have the stupid slow photo software that came on mine.

Excuse #4:

We got married!! It was such a fun, spiritual, and eventful week! Kent's birthday was August 3, Zach and I went to the temple on August 4, family started coming in town on August 5 and I had my bridals that day, we had a lot of preparing to do on August 6 and my bachelorette party was that day at P.F. Changs, Kent got his Eagle Scout award on August 7, and we were married in the temple for eternity on August 8!

Now for the pictures! Thank you so much, Kim! You captured so many beautiful memories for us :)

Coming out of the Nashville TN temple

All of our family and friends

Siblings

Some pictures of me and Zach

Cousin Vaughn came!

My garter and cute shoes

Shoes and bouquet

I just love this picture! I want to get it framed and to find a great quote in vinyl to go with it!

Look at that handsome groom!

A few pictures from the reception

Garter Toss

Who is going to catch it?!

Kent!

Bouquet Toss

A few things I have been doing...

2009-05-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

Wedding planning
Starting my A&P II summer class
Lifeguarding
Cooking for Zach

...life just got a little busier!!!

Flower Crisis!

2009-05-21T07:52:00.005-05:00

My flowers were the first thing I picked out after I got engaged: Peach Chiffon Mini Calla Lillies (also called Peach/Apricot).

I even based my colors (coral, a softer pink, sand, and ivory) off of the flowers rather than the other way around. But, they are a newer variety, and the florist we are using can't get that variety! I was so bummed! They were the only flowers I was going to use. We found them wholesale online, but we are not creative enough to make bouquets, bouttenieres, and corsages. So, my mom and I came up with a plan so I will still get the simplicity and elegance of only using mini calla lillies, but will still get to use the florist: use ivory mini calla lillies from the florist, and supply them with the peach mini calla lillies! The lady at the florist agreed (Yay!) So, it is ending up working out great!

I Walked into Zach's House...

2009-05-19T08:35:00.005-05:00

...and saw this:

What a sweetie :) We had been engaged probably a week or two. Of course, Zach didn't want to be in the picture, though!

Country Music

2009-05-16T09:28:00.002-05:00

Today, I am going to the Sugarland, BILLY CURRINGTON, and Matt Nathanson concert with Kenzie, Chante, Aly, Eliza, and Cassie (and maybe Kent and a friend). I am so excited and am so obsessed with Country music and Country concerts. I have gone to the concert on the arsenal for the past four years. Two years ago, it fell on my birthday and we were so close we got to touch Dierks Bentley :) I have only been to one "non-country" concert: Britney Spears in 2000 (at the end of fifth grade!) haha.

Here is a list of concerts I have gone to:

1. Britney Spears
2. WMZQFest 2004 and 2005 (lots of artists including Charlie Daniels Band, Brian McComas, Gretchen Wilson, Reba McEntire, and a ton of other good ones that I just can't remember because they were so long ago
3. Keith Urban
4. Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts
5. Big and Rich and Tim McGraw
6. Brad Paisley
7. Josh Turner and Carrie Underwood
8. Heartland and Dierks Bentley
9. Kellie Pickler, Rodney Atkins, Taylor Swift

Now, who I would love to see in concert would be Miley Cyrus, Josh Gracin, and Lady Antebellum and (finally) go the CMA Music Festival.

I have two new favorite songs "Runaway" by Love and Theft and "Wild at Heart" by Gloriana. Go check them out!!

Trip to Birmingham

2009-05-16T09:11:00.003-05:00

Two days ago, I found some ties at a department store here in Huntsville for the wedding party. They matched PERFECTLY and were on sale. But, whenever something seems to be perfect, a problem always seems to arise. There were only seven...and we needed at least nine. So, the guy called around to "nearby" stores and found four more for us--at the Galleria in Birmingham. Of course, I was not going to go down there by myself, so Kenzie and I decided to make a trip out of it :). (I need to get better at this blogging thing... I don't have any pictures).
After getting the ties at the Galleria, and getting my makeup done at Bare Escentuals (I am obsessed with all their Bare Minerals makeup--and, Mom, my birthday is coming up!!!), we went to The Summit so Kenzie could enjoy her FIRST TIME at The Cheesecake Factory! It was very good, and we both had TONS of leftovers. I usually get the Chocolate Mousse cheesecake, but I went for the Cookie dough cheesecake and Kenzie got the Praline cheesecake. You can't go wrong with Cheesecake Factory's cheesecakes!
Then, last night, we made homemade pizza at Zach's house. Mine had pesto, mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese blend, Feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, and marinated artichoke hearts. It was so yummy! I forgot to get the spinach to put on it, that would have made it even better! All in all, it was a VERY fun day!

10 Reasons I Love Zach

2009-05-14T08:17:00.003-05:00

10. He is my best friend
9. He knows when to be funny and when to be sweet
8. Even though we are both arachniphobic, he vacuums up the spiders :)
7. He eats the food I make (even if it's really not that yummy)
6. He ALWAYS opens the door for me (and makes me shut it so he can open it if I open it first)
5. He makes the best bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches!
4. He will watch TV shows and movies he doesn't particularly care for, just because I want to see them
3. He is understanding and always gives me good advice
2. He is always there for me, and loves me even when I'm stubborn
1. He calls me "princess", and treats me like one too :)

Wedding Day Attire

2009-05-12T08:38:00.006-05:00

A list of things I have bought already:

Wedding Gown

A list of things I still need to buy:

Shoes

Comb for hair

Comfortable dress for family luncheon

Yikes! I have a lot to do! I have ideas for the things I haven't bought yet, but I haven't been able to find the perfect item in the price range that I need :)

Engagement Pictures

2009-05-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

For those of you who do not live in Alabama, I will let you know that the past few weeks have been filled with dark clouds, rain, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. We have had at least one tornado warning a week for the past month it seems. So, I will just say that Zach and I were LUCKY to get such great weather last Thursday for our engagement pictures! We went to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens (where Zach proposed to me) and found some great architecture, a field of wildflowers, and a butterfly garden among many other picture-perfect places!

I love this picture. Zach and I both have blue eyes and look good in blue, so we decided to wear blue and white. The spring sky looks so blue!

At the botanical gardens, there is a really nice butterfly garden. I had never been in an enclosed one before, and it was really fun. It was really hard to get a butterfly on my hand, though, because all they wanted to do was eat the nectar out of the flowers.

And here are some more of my favorites (I have so many, I probably will end up posting more):

New Blogger!

2009-04-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

After over a year of blog-stalking, I finally have given in to starting my own blog. I'm not really computer savvy, so we will have to see how much I really know how to do. Hopefully, I get the hang of things :)

Zach and I got engaged on April 1! I thought it would be nice to start a blog since we will be our own family soon, and so our family and friends can get to know Zach and I better.

I'll start soon with pictures :)