Blog Birthday!

Today is the one year birthday of ThatGirlKate. Last year a group of blogging friends: Mark, Judi, and Josh Brage convinced me to give it a go. 180 posts and 50,000 hits later, this little blog has come a long way in just a year. Yes, most of those hits are from people searching “Lorenzo Lamas” or “pee pants” but still, they are hits, right Judi?

Blogging is an art form that is intimidating, alluring and challenging all at once, and it’s the author who is putting that kind of pressure on themselves. Just like any other art form, it takes time to grow and find your voice. Looking back over the last year of posts, I am a little stunned at some of the things I shared, some good and some bad. We all know what it’s like to post something that you regret, but that comes with the territory. You learn and move on. I am amazed at some of the posts that ended up being a real encouragement to others in their walk with Christ, making the scary transparency and vulnerability totally worth it. If God wants to use my insecurities, my downfalls and my questions to strengthen someone else, then so be it.

This year has been one of the hardest I have ever faced in my life. There have been some very dark, stormy seas. My prayer is that by 2nd birthday of my blog it will be filled with stories of life, hope, joy, miracles and maybe even a little new edition to our family. Something that we have been believing and praying for for a year and a half.

Thanks for reading my silly, little blog. I love each of you so much.

ThatGirlKate

Here is some of my favorite posts from this past year.

My hall of fame, if you will.

Snapshots from my childhood

Adrian Sudbury

Little Katy’s Summer To Do List

Music That Changed My Life

Chubby Girl vs Giant Pancake

Sleeping Man in Foyer

I am a weirdo and my cat is a sicko.

I am a bundle of contradictions. I want harmony but I find myself picking unnecessary fights. Why do I care if someone doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day or hates cats? I want to encourage people but I become judgmental and short. I want to have friends, see people, be social, but I make up excuses to not go out and stay home to hide. I call people back hoping I get their voicemail. I make plans and promises only to break them a couple days later.  I admire people who are patient and soft spoken, like Marie from my C.R. group. She is long-suffering and I can’t imagine anyone really annoying her. I, on the other hand, am brash and easily tripped up. There are days where every living thing annoys me. Why do I care if a person has terrible taste in music or that some people pronounce libRary libarry?

Today in our staff meeting, we were talking about a family who is going through a really hard time. My heart was feeling only mercy for them, really wanting things to change for them, but somehow those feelings traveled to my mouth and came out as judgmental and almost mean. I don’t understand it. It’s like two people live inside me, one is sweet and tenderhearted, the other is rude and impatient. Watch out, because lately it’s a gamble at which one you’ll get.

In other news- my cat drinks out of the toilet. Look at this sicko.

Kate is a cat on a leash

When we were little girls, my sister and I would take our 2 very fat, very de-clawed, house cats (Midnight and Charger) out to the back yard. We would hook their collars into a long leash that was attached to a metal stake in the grass. Even though we thought it was great fun for the cats, in essence it was really torture. These poor cats would walk until the leash was about to snap, pulling hard as they traveled in circles around the yard.

There was one bright, sunny, summer day where I thought I would give these poor creatures a bit more freedom and unhooked the leash from the stake. The next thing I knew Midnight jumped over our fence right on top of the neighbors waiting dog, Rufus.  It maybe was half a second, but it felt like I watched as the black cat came flying back. in slow motion, over the fence, legs a kimbo, tail a fluffy-puff like she had been electrocuted by the dog. Luckily she landed on top of me star-fish style on my head and all I had to do was pry her back nails out of my temples. I quickly brought her back into the safety of our house, the only real territory she had ever known.

You might wonder why I shared this quaint, cute little anecdote with you. Well for one I just remembered it today and it made me chuckle to myself a bit. But the real reason I share this is because I see myself so much in this story. I am the cat who looks out the window at all the places I have never been or experienced. I am the one who pulls tightly on the leash I have been put on and wander in circles wishing for more. I want to travel, I want to see, I want to experience. Every six months or so I find myself pulling on the leash, to be set free to wander. I find myself resenting the present, checking on flights and job openings, wondering what else may be out there for me and Dustin. I know that outside of God’s will I will end up in the figurative jaws of Rufus, which no one wants.

Just as God created cats to be curious, He created me too. He knows my desire to explore and experience. He made me to be the little adventurer that I am. And even though I don’t quite understand why I am on this particular leash, in this particular yard, with these particular people, I am ready to stop pulling against God and instead lay down in the cool, damp grass and enjoy myself.

In case you were wondering…

If you were wondering, like I was, how much we would each receive if the government took the $700 billion they gave to the banks for the “bail-out” plan, and divided it up among all of America (300 million people). Here is the answer: we would each receive $2,333.

This number might seem big to some since we are talking about every single person in the country receiving $2300, but it was actually small to me. I was thinking it was going to be in at least the ten’s of thousands. I guess in that case it is better to give it to the banks to get things back in order (hopefully) and not to me to spend $2333 on shoes and cat toys.

You would disagree, wouldn’t you Ripley?

Today I am 25!

all right, all right calm down

Life has been a bit busy lately, and is only going to be even more so since this weekend we are speaking at Rez’s JR HIGH CAMP!! and then I am going to Florida (sans Dustin) for a fun girls week with 2 of my best friends. What is funny is that I am going all the way to Florida for an awesome trip but all I keep thinking about it how I will be missing out on the weekly IHOP sesh, which are totes presh.

A couple things I am excited about:

1. Cars Night in Kid’s Church. Pictures of cute kids in pimped out rides to follow.

This is my car-specially made by Kate, Dustin, Mark and Judi.

2. The possibility of swimming with a manatee in Florida.

3. My new ring from the antique store that Mark and Judi took us to on Saturday.

4. Business cards with my name on them. First ever.

5. July 30th (4 year anniversary)

6. making lists.

7. the fact that you are reading this list.

8. having 854 hits on Friday, making 12,612 hits total!!!

Things I am not excited about:

1. Having 12,612 hits on my silly blog with nothing worth while for people to read.

2. Having only 8 things on the list of things I am excited about. Lists should stop at a nice, round number like 5 or 10.

3. Being at work this morning at 6:50AM and now it is only 9:16AM and it feels like it should be noon by now.

4. The possibility of swimming with alligators in Florida.

P.S.-I just like putting “for the love of picard” in my categories. It adds a little something, I think.

kitty joy

I have noticed a disturbing trend occurring at our home: friends come over and meet Ripley, to our dismay they discover a moody, brooding cat who growls and purrs simultaneously and confuses people. So I decided to post a picture of the kitty I know and LOVE, he is so happy. He is practically hugging himself! Look at that soft tummy and cute little head. He is so precious. This is a glimpse of the kitty we live with for all of those who don’t believe us. He really can be sweet and cuddly. I don’t know why he is Satan to our guests and I apologize on behalf of our cat. Please forgive his snobbery.