Even in Hawaii...

It's Christmas

We've had to play a little extra Christmas music in our apartment, and in our car, and on our ipod this season to make it feel like the holidays have arrived in Hawaii. It's strange to see all the lights and decorations and not be bundled up sipping cider. Yet, even though it takes a little bit more effort to get the 'Christmas Spirit' into our lives here, we're really feeling it!

This Christmas will be our first Christmas away from home. Which is bittersweet- we'll miss being around family so much but we're excited to begin our own family traditions and be 'us'. The other night Nate and I got to talking about Christmases growing up and the traditions we had with our families. Here are a few we are planning on incorporating into our own (granted some will work better when there's more of us...)

-Throw carrots on the roof Christmas eve for the reindeer

-Incorporate a service tradition into the Holidays (still working on the exact service)

-Have a Christmas lights tour... drive around gazing and drinking cocoa/eggnog

-Watch THE Christmas movie. We want a specific one, but again that's a work in progress

-Have two trees: a nicely decorated one and another for the 'fun' ornaments and a little more eclectic in a separate place

-Have a traditional Christmas Eve dinner with signature dishes (yum)

-Christmas Breakfast (same every year... we're thinking crepes)

It's quite exciting to be starting out and planning these things that we will someday be doing with our family. For now, we're going to be quite busy trying to get all this done...

I have unintentionally taken a break from social networking... I've never been very good at it or keeping in touch, even though technology makes it quite easy! So here I am, trying to make up for 'lost time.'

We have been back in Hawaii since mid August, and started our lives back up again... work, school, the whole bit. I have a heavy load this semester (and knowing my track record with blogging) you may not see me too frequently. Good news is, Nathan is a superhuman and keeps hearblack nice and updated for us. We're also still maintaining our etsy and enjoying that joint hobby.

Just wanted to share a quick recap of our summer travels. What a blessing it was to be able to go and meet so many amazing people, eat incredible food, and see, hear, smell some awesome beauties.

Switzerland- Internship


I miss our friends from Caux. I have never been in such a diverse group of people (and BYUH is up there in the diversity factor!), and it was great to hear the perspectives and learn from brilliant and energetic youth from around the world.

Berlin- visiting family, soaking in the beauty

We stayed with a cousin of Nate's in Berlin. It was wonderful to meet her because she hadn't met any of her cousins before. We looked at old pictures of Nate's Grandpa and shared stories. We loved the quaint street where we stayed... amazing food, shopping, sites. A real treat.

Sweden- great friends, eats, cobble stone streets... lovely times

The Swiss have it good, let me tell you... castles in the water... sheep wandering with cheery little bells ringing from around their necks... chocolate so dreamy and creamy, I can't even explain...

Loving it here, enjoying the internship, the people. We've made a lot of friends... it'll be sad to leave it all. After this we'll be visiting family in Berlin, friend in Stockholm, then back home to Hawaii. No matter how amazing we're finding everything, we're really looking forward to going back home. Not homesick, we just miss our little apartment, friends, and life there.

Over the last month of being here, I've had a lot of time to reflect and think. I've come to the realization that I take a lot for granted. It's hard to explain exactly what I've noticed... so I'll give it a go...

Most of the time 'the life of Katie' is all giggles and tickles and I am in an almost surreal-floaty-dream world, unconscious... verge forgetting that I am ALIVE. "Ironically" it takes a trial or a stressful period to pinch me to wake up and then not too long after, I naturally sink back into the blissful floaty world I'm (dis)engaging in. I don't want to keep sleep-walking. I want to become more aware of my surroundings, people who I encounter, and the circumstances I find myself. I want to be present.

Because of this realization, I've started on a personal regime to "smack," not just pinch, the reality back into me. More than being present personally, I want to be present for others...

From meeting people from all over while here, hearing and seeing that there is a lot of hardships going on all over the world, I have nothing to complain about, nothing to hold grudges against, no reason to fixate on the past. God has given me so much, allowed me to grow in nearly-magical circumstances.

So what do I have to give?

I will start by being present now and in the future, so to truly be in touch with those around me. I will appreciate life, mine, and all others'.

One.


One year.




ONE YEAR today. Wow.

I'm excited to take on the future, an eternity ahead of us.
Man, I'm seriously the luckiest. Nate is such a super husband. He is ever caring, ever helpful, ever loving. I can't even explain how lucky I am to have someone who'll put up with my crazy hyper spasms and {frequent} tweek-outs. Seriously.
... And he still loves me!

I couldn't be happier. I'm especially grateful to be married to my best friend and my inspiration.

Thanks for being mine Nate.

An update, and tribute (a little late) to my fathers

Oh my.

It's been far too long and we've had far too many adventures since I've posted last. There's no way to catch up. So a brief overview... we left for Oregon early June to visit my family. We were there for my little brothers' graduation. My have they grown. It blows my mind to think... they are d-o-n-e with high school! What good brothers they are! They have so much potential and I can't wait to see where there futures take them. My mother did a lovely little ode to my brother Jacob here.

I loved being able to see friends and family. We spent our free time hitting up estate sales, garage sales, and thrift stores. My am I lucky to have a husband who enjoys that as much as I do (or maybe more... yes, perhaps.) We even were able to get out to the coast! Though the sun finally came out, it was freeezzzingg!


I left early the week before father's day, and was sad I didn't get to see my dad on father's day. But I called him, and he was visiting family in Idaho. He is so great. I couldn't have a better dad. He taught me many things, and I owe him so much. At heart, I will always be a daddy's girl. I remember when I was little following him around to hold his tools while he went around fixing things on the house. He taught me how to work and be self-motivated. A skill that is greatly needed and appreciated! Love you forever dad!


Came up to Canada to visit with Nate's family and hang out for a little while. Canada is beautiful, though it's been almost as rainy as Oregon! It is greener than I've ever seen it. We went canoeing out in a giant puddle turned lake the other night even. It's been fun to see our friends and family up here! Our nephew is getting so big and is quite a bundle of joy! It seems that skype helped him familiarize him with us. He wasn't shy at all!

We celebrated my father-in-law on Sunday with a BBQ. Makes sense... manly meal. It was a sunny day (shock!) and we were able to eat outside on the porch. Ron is such a great guy, always making people smile and laugh. He doesn't have an antagonizing bone in his body. So optimistic, clever, witty, and full of compassion. I am so lucky to be in his family. He helped raise me one good husband! Thanks for everything Ron, love you.


Hope Father's day and the start of summer has been great all around.

We are excited to leave for Switzerland FRIDAY!

I'm so excited to visit family and explore Oregon and Canada soon. This is our last week in Hawaii for awhile. Which is sad. We will really miss our friends, our plants, our lives here. But two months isn't TOO long, and we're sure to come back with a great load of adventures trailing behind.

Oregon Coast here we come!

he's 3964 miles away. me no likey.

thank gooodddnesss he comes home tomorrow.

a lovely little essay recommended by a friend: The Bird and the Machine by Loren Eiseley

Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there. I have had a really blessed life, full of loving women and mother figures. I wouldn't trade my childhood and those involved for anything. I have learned so much from these women and am indebted to them forever for what they've taught me, the beauty they radiate, and the love they share.

Grandma Cleone Linford is one of the strongest women I know. She has always been so vivacious and healthy. I remember growing up how she'd love to paint my nails, she would spend so much time and care on each little nail. She is incredibly driven and independent and emanates power and love.

Grandma Searle is a star. She is the ultimate home-maker. There's nothing like waking up from a nap at her farm and smelling fresh bread and new potato soup. She has mastered being a mother and continues to teach her granddaughters and great-granddaughters her amazing talents.

Grandma Grace has not been in my life for very long, but has had a great impact on me. She is the nicest woman ever. She always has a smile and is incredibly genuine. She loves people and makes sure EVERYONE in the room has a friend.

Mother. Takes after her mother-STRONG. She is woman hear her ROAARRR!! I love my mom so much. She is my best friend, my confidant, my exemplar. She has shown me how to be truly compassionate and charitable. I admire her in so many ways and owe my life to her.

Shelley is the epitome of happiness. Her laugh and smile are contagious and rub off on everyone around. She literally GLOWS. I have always been impressed by the sincere spiritual nature that Shelley embodies. She is talented in every aspect of her life.

Suzie Q. A wonderful gal. She has an amazing sense of humor and outlook on life that has carried her through many hard times. She is so optimistic and cheerful. She brings so much life into a room- everybody loves her. She is wise beyond her years. She is my champion of the world.

Vera is a mother through and through. I have admired the way that she has brought up her children and how she immediately took me under her wing when I came into her life. She is beautiful in every way. She cares so much for her family and would do anything for them. She has sacrificed so much for their well-being and has inspired me to do so as well.

Fairy Godmothers- Melissa, Lucia, Jamie. What a great group of ladies. Seriously. I am honored to have them as my guardian angels. They are a luminous lifeforce- together or separately. They are so beautiful and bring so much laughter and happiness into my life.

Sometimes I feel like this little gal...

a little lost, a little confused, a little out of place.

But like Thunderella and "the Little Train that Could"... I CAN.

Thunderella's Song

There is something wrong
Thunder scares me
Even though I know
I'm in good company

You are not afraid
But I'm not that strong
You are all so brave
How can I still belong?

What makes you you?
And who am I?
What can I do
Without blue skies?

If the sun can keep shining bright
Then why can't I shine too?
If the moon can light up the night like moons are meant to do
And the ocean stays deep
(Whoops, ah!)
And the earth always turns
(Ooh, ooh)
If the sun can keep shining bright
Then why can't I shine too?

If I can learn from someone who's smart
Or pretty
Or cheerful
Or bright
Then I can be the best that I can
I can, I can
Get it right!

If the sun can keep shining bright
Then that's what I must do
And if the moon can light up the night
Well I can do that too!

If the sun can keep shining bright
Then I can
I can
I can (Whoo!)
I can get it right!

Caux, Switzerland

I haven't blogged in a while.

Spring classes have started. I'm only taking two and they're pretty good. One's right up my alley: Issues in Current Anthropology: Material Culture, and the other a Leadership and Management class that's an elective option for the Peace Building Certificate. More of a business class, it's stretching me out of my comfort zone and helping me grow. Which, is good.

When I'm not in class I study, work on etsy projects, do projects for work, explore, do yoga (downloaded some great yoga podcasts that keep me goin), plan for our summer adventure. We will be interning at the Initiatives of Change Conference in Switzerland! I can't wait to be in Europe.

Some interesting interests as of late:

an adorable paper company

a catchy little tune that makes me smile

a good friend's innovations

Kelly's adorable homemade movie

Spring break in adjectives: simple, quiet, restful, penitent, fresh, creative, pure, friendly, rejuvenating.

Perfect.

Because graduation's on Saturday, many people are leaving and selling things that they can't take with them. I bargained and haggled me a great deal for a yoga mat, and was so excited that I rode the whole way home with it in my bike basket smiling, plopped it down on the floor right next to Nate's, and immediately attempted Nate's infamous yoga move. He does this cool thing where he's essentially doing a 'hand' stand on his forearms, so a forearm-stand I guess, and kinda curves his feet around. And what happened when I tried... flat on my head. I wasn't even home for more than a minute and was on my head. I rolled the mat back up and leaned it against the wall. Haven't unrolled it since...

Nate can't touch his feet quite to his head like this flexi-lady but he's at least got some nice curvature. You get the idea.

I on the other hand...

...That night as I was washing my face, I looked in the mirror and saw I have a small raspberry/rug burn on my forehead by my hair line. I burst out laughing. A momento of my failure. I need to keep practicing I guess.

We had a lovely Easter. We went to a nearby ranch and helped lead horse rides for kids after they had an Easter egg hunt. Sunday we watched conference with our lovely Bischoffs and then had the most scrumptous feast following. It was like Thanksgiving.

We've been making driftwood creations like crazy. If you like what you see, visit our store and bring some beach to your home. Each item is original and made with lots of love.

We've been celebrating since our busy events for work have passed. My "One Week" for work went well, and I was so tired by the end, but it was worth it! One of the days we folded Japanese Origami peace cranes. They are so beautiful. Nate's conference was great, as expected. We can finally have full night sleeps!

This weekend we've had many a fun play dates with the Bischoffs. We love their company! We had a fun day off on Friday, thanks to Prince Kuhio.

And finals are approaching, imua! (let us move forward in Hawaiian)

Yesterday we spent the whole day relaxing. It was great. We both needed the rejuvenation. We loved the weather and ended the day with a great pumpkin pie and attended Culture Night.

So we've been really busy lately, and hardly been able to rest. Nate's been working really hard helping plan a conference for this week. He's doing great and trying to balance school with that is quite a challenge.

We have been really lucky even though we're busy to spend time with some lovely people. Nate's cousin Shayla and her husband were here for almost two weeks, and we had so much fun with them. We had a great Valentine's celebration with them and their stay had great weather.

We were also able to go to Town and celebrate with our friends Paige and Doug. It was Paige's 21st birthday and we were grateful to be able to spend that time with them.

We feel lucky to be surrounded with such great people all the time.

Happy moment of the day:

I actually made a good dinner! I don't like making the same thing over and over again because I get tired of eating it so I'm constantly experimenting and trying something new-- which can sometimes lead to an unfortunate little meal. But tonight's dinner, great.