a new year

2011 is just around the corner. 2010 was quite the eventful year..... lost a kidney, went to prom, graduated high school, worked at kamp, started college, pledged a sorority, made new friends, got a boyfriend, finished my first semester of college.... lots to be thankful for. I am blessed far beyond what I deserve. I am ready to start a fresh year (2010 is at full capacity)! I was thinking about everything I'm looking forward to in the new year. For christmas I got the Beth Moore bible study, Esther, that I've heard amazing things about. My mom, Meg, and I are doing it together! I love studies that dig deep into scripture. So excited to start it! Also for Christmas, my parents got me a plane ticket to Tucson! This is going to be my first time going and I am FREAKING OUT with excited!! I get to meet Louie's family and all his friends. It's supposed to be absolutely beautiful there AND.... here's the best part..... its supposed to be in the 60's while I'm there! EEEK! haha ok so the weather isn't even close to being the best part but a pretty big deal compared to the dreary weather in KC these days. I swear I havn't seen the sun in weeks! Im leaving Jan. 7 and come back the 12th (the countdown is at 10 days... yes more countdowns). Next, my friend, Tim Lindquist is selling me his Canon d50 for an amazing deal! Oh my word! I have been saving up for this camera for a VERY long time and finally have enough to have one of my own! AAAHH! Thank you thank you Tim :) I've always loved photography and now I finally have the equipment to get started! I aspire to have a blog like Jami Nato's someday! Oh my word its so stinkin darling... you need to check it out thenatos.blogspot.com! Also in the new year I'll be the new Arts Chair for KKG, which will be a lot of time and responsibility but so much fun! I'm already designing some of the banners for this semester. I've got a lot of excitement ahead of me this year! Bring it on 2011 :)

jingle jams

TOP 15 SONGS TO PUT YOU IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT:

1) Christmas Lights....... Coldplay

2) Christmas Tonight (with hillary scott)..... Dave Barnes

3) Carol of the Bells......... Emmy Rossum

4) All I Want for Christmas is You............*NSYNC

5) Oh Santa........ Mariah Carey

6) Winter Song...... Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Micaelson

7) This Christmas...... Chris Brown

8) Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel...... Dave Barnes

9) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas....... Relient K

10) Baby Its Cold Outside........ Drew and Ellie Holcomb

11) Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow......... Michael Buble

12) Auld Lang Syne......... Ben Rector

13) The Christmas Song....... The Raveonettes

14) Silent Night........ T Swift

15) White Christmas....... Frank Sinatra

the countdown is officially at 13 days till christmas..... yes i'm one of those people with a running countdown..... don't judge me! haha

psh finals week shminals week

So this week is supposed to be high stress, lots of cramming, headaches, yadda yadda blah blah blah! I'm so stinkin blessed though ...lemme tell ya! I have one final I have to study for that's not even accumulative (aka just study the night before... sorry mom just being honest) and then a final in Comp 1 that is just gonna be an in-class essay or something easy like that. PHEW! Seriously, this is a moment when working my booty off all semester pays off! Im just honestly so thankful for a stress- free finals week after a kind of stressful semester.... an AMAZING semester.... but a stressful one. So excited for christmas break! Over a month off baby! whoop whoop! I loooove christmas in KC! Ok I just love christmas in general! The food, the christmas lights, the tree, christmas music, peppermint hot chocolate... mmm makes my heart smile! I love all the traditions and time to just spend with the fam jam! I feel like the christmas season really got started this week! We had our Kappa Kissmas semi-formal that Louie came up to Fayetteville for! Then last night we had a huge christmas feast at the Kappa House and wore tacky christmas sweaters! so... Dear finals week, please just get over with already so I can go home. Much appreciated. Sincerely, Kate.

shanksgivin

Since I happen to be one of the most unoriginal bloggers on the internet I decided to live up to that standard and name the top 50 things I'm most thankful in the spirit of (belated) shanksgivin' (in the most absolutely random order):

1. crafting
2. chai tea latte with caramel
3. black friday shopping
4. christmas lights
5. wifi
6. KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA
7. christmas pageants
8. My mom: best friend and role model
9. My dad: my biggest supporter and teddy bear
10. cheer bows
11. my dog's barking collar (only when its working)
12. comfy couches
13. my macbook
14. Louie: a boyfriend who is a true leader in Christ/ his dedication is inspiring
15. pictures and memories
16. birthdays
17. kick butt nephrologists and urologists ;)
18. my hair (I was never guaranteed to have it right now)
19. sunflowers
20. my home
21. Megan: my (other) best friend and funniest person I know
22. that fresh laundry smell
23. hot glue guns
24. the PUSH girls
25. Kanakuk Kamps
26. cashmere
27. Dalton: big protective brother... don't know what i'd do w/o ya
28. Kansas City
29. acrylic paint
30. dance
31. QuickTrip
32. my dr. pepper with a shot of vanilla
33. those moments when you laugh so hard you can't breath
34. my digital watch
35. yoga pants
36. photography
37. my TOMS
38. Scripture
39. disney princesses
40. movie trailers
41. cookie dough
42. my education (even though im REALLY dreading writing this 5 pg research paper tomorrow. bleh)
43. Italy
44. culinary arts
45. a healthy (but lonely) kidney
46. my bike
47. Pandora
48. hammocks
49. discipleship
50. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lived the life should have lived and died the death I should have died.

THE weekend

This last weekend I could easily say was the highlight of my semester. For those of you who remember, I said I'd explain "the boy" further once November 11th came. Well this last weekend a certain boy flew from Tucson, Arizona to KC to see me. His name is Louie Christensen (yes feel free to fb stalk haha). We met working at Kanakuk this summer. I was working in the kitchen and he was a councelor. He tried to get me to come on a night off with him but I kept saying no because, of course, I was too oblivious to figure out he was trying to ask me on a date. haha typical. We've been talking/skyping ever since. He quickly asked if he could come see me in KC. So sure enough he bought a plane ticket and we've had a countdown going for about two months. I was in such disbelief that this weekend had finally come. We had the most amazing time together.... went on our "first date" (haha only took 5 months to finally go on our official first date)... went horseback riding and 4-wheeling at the Trott's ranch... got to meet all my family and friends... got to go to church together. I wish you could all meet him. He's pretty much a one-of-a-kind guy. He waited 5 months to officially ask me to be his girlfriend just so he could ask my dad's permission to date me (which i would NEVER ask him to do but he wanted to). He's an amazing leader and is such a light for Christ at the University of Arizona. He's starting BYX (a christian fraternity) at his school and works with International Justice Missions. It's not really hard to brag about him. Long distance relationships are so different. Your time together is so much shorter but so much sweeter. For the first time, a boy in my life has been such a blessing in my walk with the Lord (not a distraction). I find myself even more dependent on Him. It's such a blessing to be dating a true leader who loves the Lord. I'm gonna be honest, it's a little weird for me to be blogging about a boy. Haha but if I'm going to be honest about how God is blessing me and working in my life right now then I have to share about Louie. My poor kidney's relationship status is still single but as for the rest of me..... IM TAKEN! haha.

My blog layout has been lookin' a little lame-o if ya ask me. I love all the layouts on shabbyblogs.com but I'm having trouble figuring out how to apply them to my blog so if there are any blog fanatics out there, give me a shout! I'm slightly incompetent when it comes to these things. ha! I think I'm going to turn this post into a buffet of random goodies going on in my life right now... I just started this book called Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy. I've only dug into the beginning of it but it is REALLY good so far. One of my best friends loaned it to me and she said it was amazing! Im excited to get deeper in it. Work in the studio has been cut back a lot this week after that insane photorealistic project, which has been so refreshing and much needed! This week I have two tests and a 6 page paper due so I'm feelin' a little anxious over that! EEK! I went to the Ben Rector concert this week and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The openers were phenominal too... check out Goose and Drew Holcomb on iTunes... They'll melt your face! Hmm what else?... OH, haha, funny story... last night I was in my dorm working on homework (like any other cool kid does on a saturday night). Everything on campus was closed and I don't have a car so I cant drive anywhere and I was STARVING!! I was skyping with Louie (ok I suck at keeping secrets... yes Louie is "the boy"... there, its out now... ya happy?! haha) and whining about how hungry I was. NO idea how he thought of this, but he decides to get on Dominos Pizza's website and order me a pizza from the comfort of his own home in TUCSON ARIZONA!!! haha sure enough, twenty minutes later a hot delicious pizza is delivered to my dorm! Oh my word it was sooo gooood! I don't think pizza has ever been so satisfying! haha! Seriously.... WHO DOES THIS!?!? Raise your hand if you think I should keep this boy around............. yeah I think so too! haha! Well I definitely need to get better at updating the blog more often but I feel like I say that in every post! Hope yall have a fantastic week :) peace, love, and pumpkin spice lattes!

this post needed a little color... eh here's a random pic from a pep rally for your viewing pleasure :)

the beast

This past weekend I finished the papa daddy of all projects! I had to blog about it because it consumed a whole week of my life that I will never get back! haha. I tallied how many hours I spent in the studio that week..... take a good guess.... nope higher.... even higher..... I tallied SEVENTY HOURS in the studio! Yep! Its the truth! The project was a montage of 5 photo realistic sketches of parts architectural structures around campus! Each sketch took me approx. 12 hours! Most nights I was in there till 3, 4, or 5 am! The last night i was working on it till 5:45am and had to BE at class at 8:30am! I was slightly delirious the next day, to say the least! Working in the studio that much makes you wonder if you're wasting your life away in this little cave. This got me to thinking about why all this work is worth it (besides that puny piece of paper I get in 4 yrs... by the way I want a friggin gold trophy when i get done with this program... just sayin). But in all seriousness, my motives need to be working as if I were working for the Lord and not for men (Col. 3:23). This is what will make my time have eternal value. I've also been trying to be intentional with my time in the studio with other interior design girls. I already got to share my testimony with some girls and how Christ has transformed my life. I know that I might be labeled as the "religious girl" but be praying that the news of the gospel might plant seeds. I desire to be a light in the place God puts me. Nevertheless, I WILL say that I was really proud of my work! I think they were pretty good replications of the photos I took. I took pictures of the sketches so I hope you like them :) Let me know what you think!!!

the big ONE NINE

Let me begin by apologizing for being the worst blogger EVER lately! Can't believe how long it's been since my last post! I am ashamed! School has been nuts! BLEH! But I am NOT gonna talk about school right now because... GUESS WHAT..... its ma birfday! hip hip hooray! The big ONE NINE baby! What a crazy nineteen years it's been... but really! This past year has made me realize that not everyday is guaranteed. You hear that everyday is a blessing... but it truly is. We are never entitled to tomorrow. I am so so blessed to have a nineteenth birthday! I really do love those American Cancer Society commercials about celebrating more birthdays! mmm gets me every time! haha! Ok ok enough with the sappy stuff... wanna hear what I got for my birthday?????
My mom came down to Fayetteville on a whim to hang out with me on my birthday which was SUCH a blast. We had a spa day together and got to get a little spoiled and pampered! It was HEAVEN!!!! I went home last weekend to celebrate my birthday with my family and got a bunch of fall clothes! Then when my mom came up she brought me probably one of the best birthday presents I've ever gotten!!! Oh my word... STILL slightly freaking out about it. How do I explain this??.... Well at the beginning of December we have our winter formal called Kappa Kissmas and my present is that my parents are flying "the boy" down to Arkansas for the formal! I know I know.... who's "the boy"??? I think I wanna keep it TBA for right now! I don't know why.... partly because that is a WHOLE other blog post and also because I get awkward and flustered explaining it (but you will hear about it soon... lets say november 11ish). Can't believe I'm putting this on my blog! oh my word MOVING ON!!!!! So yeah a pretty darn good birthday! I'm trying not to think about being in my twenties next year because that totally freaks me out! EEK!

a shout out to ma girls in yearbook!

So it has come to my attention that I have not been doing the best job keeping up with the blog! Sorry guys :/ I've actually been waiting to get these pictures of my latest interior design project from a fellow id girl but I just can't wait any longer!!!! I was trying to think of what to blog about and I have gotten a couple comments from my kc girlfriends and I thought I would dedicate this blog post to them!!!
MEGAN: I met a kappa tonight that loves The Grinch just as much as we dooo!!!! grinch lovers UNITE! YAY
EMILIE: Get back into my life please!!!! Guh i miss your stinkin beautiful faaace!
ALLIE: Thank you for initiating the yearbook comments! Can't wait for you to come visit! Keep seeing your twin on campus and its starting to freak me out! ha. miss your goofy self!!!
MO MO: DOWN A SIZE AND A HALF.... and this time i'll keep it off! haha. do yourself a favor and get to know haley holmgren (kappa grinch fanatic)
COURT: There is a picture in my room of us in our tacky xmas sweaters in the yearbook room! miss your sassiness!
ALLYSON: I miss your crazy driving and your hispanic influence in my life!
STEPH: I miss my twin :(
KRISTEN: one word... HOSPITALITY!!!! i miss the lindquist fam jam! i wanna see the jr baby bump!

I could prolly go on and on listing all the people i miss right now! Meeting all these new people in college is great but it doesn't replace all the precious people in my life that are too far away right now!!!! LOVE YALL!

week #1 COMPLETE

Well my first week of college is under my belt! Phew! It was exhausting having to pretend I knew what I was doing all the time (I was clueless 24/7)! ha. The older Kappa girls have been so helpful with giving me rides, directing me to the right buildings, etc. I'm really loving my classes. My major (Interior Design) is a little intense. I've already spent about 20 hrs in the studio this week working on projects... sometime during those 20hrs I considered switching majors once or twice! But it really is growing on me... just a little overwhelming at times. On the social side of my college life I have been spending pretty much every extra minute with the KKG girls. We had an awesome full out dance party at the house last night.... this is what I live for people!!! haha. Oh there was also a football pep rally this week which was a blast. The Kappas got all painted up in our blue and blue! Ally and I clearly could not pass up the XXL cookie monster shirts in Walmart! haha LOVE IT! Keep praying for me this week :) Everything is super fun but super overwhelming right now! Well... bring it on week #2!!!

can i get a DRUMROLL?!?!

Sorry I've been super busy with sorority events ever since bid day but I'm so excited to finally announce what sorority I'm in! So you ready you for this?!?! DRUM ROLL PLEASE............. you reading the blog of a KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA now!!!! baaaaah! I'm literally SO EXCITED! And no the pictures don't lie... a TON of kc girls are all kappas! God has unpredictable plans! It was totally the Lord that revealed where I needed to be because I know I don't worship a God of confusion and he gave me clarity in my decision. Raise Him and Praise Him! So excited that my Kappa sisters can read my blog and actually comment now! wooo! go nuts ladies! haha. Here is the beginning of what will be an obnoxious 4 year collection of kappa pics!

brace yourselves

Well everyone... history is about to be made tomorrow! I find out what sorority I am in!!! Today was "Pref Night" and it all comes down to two. For me it was Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi! BAAAAAH! My heart is heavy with anxiety! Can't wait to make the big announcement tomorrow! woo! I'm just curious which one yall think I'm gonna be in..... please enlighten me :).....

movin on out

Well this is the end of the road. I'm all packed up and we're leaving tomorrow morning for fayetteville! AAAH weird! My 18th birthday was weird enough for me but this is REALLY weird.... the end of my childhood has come :( I have a MOUNTAIN in my room of every possible dorm accessory known to man (sponsored by your neighborhood super target ha). I also have all my art supplies ready for my studio classes which I'm pretty excited about. And then there's the shoes.... oh my word the SHOES!!! I was telling a friend that I need to pray for my wretched soul because there are people in third world countries running around barefoot and shoe-less and I have a line of 20+ shoes laid out on my floor! Not okay! But everything is loaded in the cars... yes thats plural... i managed to, single handedly, fill two full-sized SUV's with my stuff! Ridiculous! We leave tomorrow morning, spend the night in a hotel and wake up early to move D and I in! It's gonna be an adventure! Can't wait to show pictures of the dorm :) Have an awesome weekend!

my morning cup

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." - John 15:16

Father God,
You are everything that is good, holy, just, mighty, and powerful. Why do I continue to come back to your throne as an idolater?! If I know, believe, and understand that You are the one true God, then I shouldn't continue putting the gods of this world (facebook, internet, boys, college) before You. Even though my wretched heart will fail me daily, YOUR faithfulness will never fail me! It never has. I desire to bear your fruit that is eternal. Blot out my iniquities Lord and continue to provide the tools and opportunities I need to bear Your fruit. Thank you for loving me and using me in my brokenness! Amen.

Thought I'd share my heartbeat this morning. Hope it blesses someone. It's a beautiful Tuesday... take time to rest by the wayside- He's not in a hurry to spend time with you today :)

where can a order a rwandan baby??

I know I am traveling backwards a little but before I got the wisdom teeth out (by the way- still feel like someone took a hole puncher to my mouth ugh) I had just gotten back from Colorado with the fam jam. We were visiting Dalton because he's been working at Camp Kivu all summer as the "manny" for the Braner Family. Yes, he is the only 21 year old guy I know who can handle 5 kids all by himself. He is a stud. The Braner kids consist of Hays, Maggie, Tiki (just adopted from rwanda this year), Dax, and Gabby (adopted from rwanda a couple years ago). They are the cutest, craziest, little kiddos you've ever met. Gabby and I had quite a few photo shoots together (she loved my camera) and she is the most beautiful little girl to take pictures of. Oh and you have GOT to check out Dax's twitter.... he has the funniest one liners of my life... its twitter.com/dax_ism... jordan sparks and taylor swift follow him. These kids are legit! haha. enjoy the pictures :) have a blessed monday!

spare parts

Lets play a game called "how many surgeries can Kate have in a year!?!". Yes, I got the ol' wisdom teeth out today! It was a walk in the park compared to my last surgery but woke up as a chipmunk this time! What a great excuse to eat milkshakes and frozen yogurt all day and not have to exercise afterwards... oh wait... that's been my life for the past 4 months! HA! I don't intend on losing any other body parts anytime soon, however, I tend to be a wild card when it comes to these things so who knows whats goin next. I was unfortunately not as entertaining as my friends and family would have hoped I would be after they gave me the "good stuff". But last night I DID watch some youtube videos of people who were nice and medicated after they got they're wisdom teeth removed. Ok so I tried to upload the video but it wasn't working! UGH! so just youtube "meg ryan after wisdom teeth" if you get the time! sorry... lame I couldn't just post it :/ but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!













Peace, Love, and Kidney-shaped clouds. Either God is trying to tell me that my kidney is in heaven with Him or im supposed to move to Africa! Im totally game for either message :)

the power of testimony

I have spent the last two weeks intensely working in the K2 kitchen. It was much harder than I thought it would be. I found it difficult finding my purpose sometimes while washing pots and pans on "bacon day" (aka three 5 ft stacks of pans coated with interminable grease). It was hard to see the fruit in my work, especially when I have a heart for discipling girls and somedays the only connection I got with younger girls was, "how much blueberry fluff do you want?" . I knew the Lord gave me a story to tell of His power and His sovereignty and His healing. I daily asked him to provide an opportunity to share my testimony and by about the 10th day I was there I began to lose heart but I just kept praying. Finally, on the last night, all the kitchies and i were doing crafts in the cabin and somehow I think someone asked if I'd share mine. It was all the Lord. I had been praying that when the moment arrived to share HIS story, that I would have the right words to say to put the focus on Him and not me. God provides. When I finished sharing, the girls response was such a blessing to me. They immediately turned to praise God and not my "neat story". It made me think of Romans 1:20 "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Meaning that when people look at God's creation, He reveals his divine nature and power so that there is no excuse not to worship Him then and there. I feel like the same is true for testimonies. God writes EVERYONE of us an amazing story so that we can share of how his invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature. It is such a tangible way to witness to non believers as well. Our testimonies are such a blessing and encouragement to each other so don't be afraid to share yours.
Well thats my nugget. I'm actually leaving for the airport in an hour for Durango, Colorado to visit Dalton (my big brother). He's been gone all summer and can't wait to see him :) Have a lovely thursday!

off to K2

I know I have not been faithful to the blog lately so I apologize. I am about to leave for Kanakuk Kamps to volunteer at K2! I know I know... my last post was just about getting back from kamp but now I'm going back! If I could only explain my love for kamp... it is easily my favorite place in the whole wide world. Whenever I go through the front gates, my heart starts racing with excitement and then I feel like I'm gonna be sick like I'm about to give a speech! haha! Maybe I just sound nutty but Kamp has THAT big of a place in my heart... It's like th master bathroom of my heart... my sanctuary! My bff from kamp, Laura Talton, came in town a couple days early before we drive down to kamp together. Laura is from Alabama and prolly best way to describe her is Charlotte LaBouff from Disney's The Princess and the frog (don't worry I provided a picture to jog your memory)! She is the most darling southern belle you'll ever meet. We will be gone for 2 weeks and I dont know if I'll be able to post while I'm there so this might be a "see ya soon" kinda post. But one thing that would absolutely make my day would be if I got letters from yall! I can't describe what a blessing it is to get mail and care packages (just a heads up- you usually wanna send it early bc mail is slow). my address is...

Kate Phillips
20 K-2 Drive
Lampe, Missouri 65681

Hope to hear from you! Can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back! Well it's 1:05 and I was supposed to leave 5 minutes ago! O boy! Be praying for safe travel! ciao

How've ya been old friend?

Well i havn't posted anything in FOREVER! What is the deal?!!? Get your act together kate! Thought I would catch everyone up on my "summer of george" (please don't tell me I'm the only one that still watches seinfeld). This weekend I got back from volunteering in the K1 kitchen. What a blast!!! My highlight of the trip was definetly getting to know Kirby Merrill, a 24 year old gal with Down's Syndrome. We ended up having more in common than I thought... we both love quick trip hot dogs, Lady Antebellum and Faith Hill, we both have to make our beds right before we get in, our brothers are rooming together at KU next year and the list goes on. She has such a heart for the Lord and His word.... I would always find her with a gazillion highlighters and her open bible. I admire the way she so eagerly dives into the word and strive for that same eagerness. love ya kirbs :)
In other news.... I'm working on Rush stuff right now and getting all my recs ready! ATTENTION ALL SORORITY BABES: if you were a Pi Beta Phi, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Zeta Tau Alpha, or Chi Omega then God Bless your soul because i would LOVE to send you my resume and get a rec from you!!! I would be eternally grateful :) I'm sweatin over here trying to get as many recs as I can muster up!
What else is new?.... hmmm.... oh I'm nannying for a family this week so if anyone has suggestions of fun places i could take the kiddos or activities we could do, LEMME KNOW! To conclude I have a little prayer request- I'm having really sharp pains in my incision area that are abnormal for me so be praying we can figure out whats goin on or that it will go away! Thanks for tunin' in :) Have a fantastic Thursday!

weekend at the lake

Just got back from the lake! My grandparents live down in shell knob on table rock. We got some great sunbathing done down at the dock and I even managed to catch a couple fish! On Sunday, Meg and I drove down to Kanakuk and visited the Donyes at K2. It was such an amazing day... one of those days you feel like God ordained. We ate coffee cake, went to church, I got to reunite with some of my favorite staff and kampers. It was really neat to talk to all the Kamp people that have been praying for me all spring. Right as Meg and I were about to leave kamp Joe White comes riding down on his 4-wheeler and stops to take a picture of us. When he saw my visitors name tag he said, "Why, you're Kate! Debbie Jo and I have your name right by our bed and we pray for you every night. We keep thanking God that you are healed." I was totally floored!!! Then we stopped and he prayed for me. When we were done he said, "I didn't know if I was going to be able to do that this summer. I'm so thankful I did. God is good!" It was so humbling. I had goosebumps the whole time. It is still amazing to me to hear about all the people who were praying. I am so thankful to have such an amazing community of believers behind me.

memories

we played this video at my open house. it's just a little slide show of ally, danielle, and i's favorite high school memories. hope you like it :) let me know what you think!

college chaos

How many letters and emails can you get from a university?? Really though! There is so much to keep on top of... rush enrollment, housing, orientation, math placement exam! It's craziness! How do I STILL not have my social security number memorized? Oh and I opened a checking account today! Being a grown up is overwhelming and sometimes a little frightening at times!
I actually had a great getaway today though! I hopped on my bike with my ipod and bible and went for a ride and then stopped in the park and had a quiet time! It was so perfect! But then I started to think about this episode of I Shouldn't Be Alive that I saw about this girl who got abducted and shot in a park (sometimes my imagination gets the best of me) so I headed home! haha! I shouldn't be exposed to cable! It was a lovely outing while it lasted though :)
The anticipation of college can get a little overwhelming, but thank you Jesus for sunny summer days!

the low down on FLORIDA!

I had such an amazing time in Florida! aaah! I could just relax and enjoy some great fellowship. I got to lay out, go boating, play in the ocean, watch the sunset, eat chicken salad under the cabana... I had the time of my life! The girls and I spent a good chunk of time laying by the pool. Who cares if we end up wrinkly old women... it's ALL about the tan! I would also like to report that it was sunny and partly cloudy everyday and it sprinkled for about 10 minutes one day (but that was IT)! The weather was PERFECT! I'm so thankful. I took about 300 pictures on the trip, which was a chore to upload; however I dwindled it to 5 of my fav pics that I thought summed up the trip! Hope you like 'em :)

fLoRiDa!!!

I am so excited! One of my graduation gifts is a mother/daughter trip to florida with my mom, meg, and I and THEN all my best friends and their moms too! There's 12 of us. That is a LOT of estrogen, people! Here's the possible problem though- I looked up the weather and it is supposed to be thunderstorms ALL week! O my word! I know I have made myself notorious for silly prayer requests but He says to make your prayer requests known... so gosh darnet I'm MAKIN EM KNOWN! haha! Please be praying that it is sunny and beautiful weather. I've been looking forward to this trip since November and now even more since this looong spring. Somedays all I could think of while I was in the hospital bed was laying out on a beach in Florida! I am leaving EARLY tomorrow morning and then getting back next friday! Actually half of the girls are already half way there on a plane as we speak! Be praying for safe travels :) ciao

ALUMNI COMIN THROUGH!!!

Well folks... its over. High school is no more. finished. gone. forever. WHAT!?! I can't believe that it's over! It really does fly by. This last week has been craziness because of my open house and graduation all in the same weekend so I haven't been able to blog lately but I'm back on the horse again! Yeehaw! Is that how the saying goes? Anyway, I guess I've hit quite the mile marker! This week has really been emotionally spending. I think it's because this milestone is so much sweeter knowing that I was never guaranteed I was going to make it there. Okay so maybe that sounds morbid but thats how I see it! God is so unbelievably good to me. We wake up almost every morning acting like we were entitled to this day but really it is a gift. It's really hard to live with that mindset sometimes but it is such an important principle... to live with a heart of thanksgiving. I am so thankful for all the amazing high school memories that I have, I'm thankful for the incredible fellowship I have, for the opportunity to have a high school education, for supportive parents, for the ability to graduate after missing a whole quarter of school... there is so much to lift up in thanks to Him. When you have a heart of thanksgiving towards your Master, you gain a clearer view of His glory.

YOU'RE INVITED

My graduation open house is rollin around the corner! THIS SATURDAY... can you believe it?? I am having it with my two very best friends AND future razorback companions, Ally Smith and Danielle Trott. We're callin in the hogs for this party! WOO PIG SOOOIE! Haha don't judge me for my Arkansas ways! There is gonna be AMAZING food- we're not talkin the typical potato salad and sheet cake! NO MAAM! Me and the girl's favorite foods will be there... Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy Johns, Bo Lings, BBQ brisket, and about 700 of grandmas homemade cookies! We take the saying, "Go Big or Go Home" very seriously :) And that's not all... We'll also be featuring an inflatable moon bounce (slide included)! No, we're not turning 6 but I like to think of it as celebrating our childhood! Anyway, everyone is invited! Here are the details...

Saturday, May 15th
5-7 pm
My House :)

Follow up

I had my follow up doctors appointment yesterday. I wish you all could see my scar! It's beautiful! There's about a 3'' by 3'' area under my scar that is numb and the doctor said that those nerves heal 1 millameter every 6 weeks. Haha patience will be key! He told me I could go back to regular exercise and activities 6 weeks after surgery so I've got 2 weeks to go. YAY! Confession: I definitely tried a sit up last week and the dr. just told me that I could get a hernia trying that this early :/ whoopsie... well now I know! I've already set the date for when I can ride horses again at Danielle's house! I continue to move forward everyday towards a normal life! My open house, graduation, and summer are all rolling in so quickly! Pretty soon I'll be starting school at Arkansas! Look out life... here I come!!!

sleep trouble

For some reason lately I have trouble falling asleep. It is so frustrating because I can't fall asleep for at least an hour or two after I get in bed. I feel like I'm five years old again because I dread bedtime... seriously dread it! It's because I know for the next couple hours I'll be up all by myself at home while everyone is enjoying their rem cycles and Im stuck hopelessly staring at the ceiling! It is so frustrating lying in bed trying to trick myself into falling asleep! Even during the night I don't get restful sleep. This is so annoying because I am the QUEEN of sleeping! It is one of my few talents! I have my follow up drs. appointment in a couple days so I'll ask my doctor about it... guess this would be a good prayer request :)

human again :)

It has been a little dehumanising to not be able to do anything on my own or live life as usual. However, I am hitting a turning point in my recovery! Today was my first day back at school which was pretty big. I also went to lifetime fitness and walked almost a mile on the treadmill and got in the pool for a little! WOW now that I'm reflecting on all I did today I'm pretty impressed with myself! Way to go Kaaate! woo! I think I'm gonna continue to try to exercise everyday to gain my strength back! I also discovered at lifetime how great the pool is to test my abdominal strength without killing myself! Even when I'm just standing still and I loose my center a little I'll start to topple over! haha! It's so great to be living a little more normally lately! Still got a good bit of healing ahead of me but I'm getting more used to living the "one kidney life". OH for example, yesterday my mom subscribed to a website that emails you kidney-friendly recipes every month! TOO FUNNY! Now I'm just trying to enjoy my last two weeks of high school- wow that is crazy to believe this chapter of life is coming to a close! Thank you for all your faith and prayers in my healing! ITS WORKIN!!!

beth moore conference

Today I had the privilege of going to the Beth Moore, So Long Insecurity conference with Emilie. I've never heard her speak before or read any of her books (besides the Praying God's Word journal but I don't think that totally counts). I was really excited but didn't really know what to expect either. It was STELLAR!! Well first off, it was a 4 hour conference and I have the same attention span as my dog these days and I didn't have ONE space out moment... not ONE!!! I know that sounds stupid but thats a big deal for me while I'm on pain meds... only Jesus can captivate my attention for that long! Can I get an AMEN! haha! But the message that she gave was amazing. I kinda thought that she'd talk about body image or how "even models get airbrushed" or something along those lines but she didn't. She talked about insecurity at it's root. I loved that! She walked through Ephesians 4:17-24 and created these six statements of what a secure woman is. She talked about how insecurity was an inward destruction on ourselves... how our lack of forgiveness is a reflection of our insecurity and how our forgiveness and grace to others reflects how much we believe in God's forgiveness and grace towards us. That forgiveness point really hit home for me! Her wisdom was so refreshing! It was one of those moments like when Peter says, "You are the Christ" and Jesus says, "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven."... it was like THAT kinda wisdom; it didn't come from Beth Moore's creative thinking, but it came straight from God. mmm love that stuff! I love those things that make you feel all fresh again!

My Official Diagnosis

I just received the pathology report back from the Mayo Clinic a couple of days ago. I thought I would share my official diagnosis. My tumor is called Angiomyolipomas, which is a benign tumor. It took a while to diagnose it because there were so many abnormal and rare characteristics to the tumor. Angiomyolipomas is composed mostly of fat and some smooth muscle but my tumor was made of almost all muscle. Also, the average age of patients with this tumor is 43! This tumor is also known to almost always occur in the right kidney but mine was in the left.
On March 5th, 2010 the doctors told me I had a cancerous tumor in my left kidney... I started a blog and hundreds of people from all over the country began to pray for me... a month later I went into surgery to get my kidney removed... the pathology came back and said the tumor was benign. These are just the facts of my past couple months and there is no denying the amazing miracle that has happened. The Lord's hand is so visible! I have been fervently prayed over and felt the healing hand of God. I hope my testimony is an encouragement to your prayer life! Your prayers have been such a gift... thank you :)

PROM!!!

Last night was my Senior Prom that I have been anticipating since my surgery! I had the most AMAZING time! I went with one of my best friends, Matt Bickley, which was such a blast! Our whole class squeezed into the biggest limo in KC (literally the biggest) and drove downtown to this cool loft with an incredible view of downtown KC! We had the after party at my house and our whole class pitched in to get a spiderman inflatable! Haha it was legit... to look at... couldn't exactly jump on it yet :/ but whatevs! I stayed up till 3 am... let me repeat myself... 3AM people! This is an epic moment here! I only had a 20 minute nap that day and I lasted the whole night! I can barely make it through a quick errand to Hobby Lobby these days! Call it what you like but I believe there was some serious divine intervention here! Thank you for all your prayers! God is truly putting an amazing healing touch on my body! It might sound silly but it was nothing less than a miracle that I had enough energy to get my hair done, put on a dress, take a hundred pictures, get in a limo, go to prom, go to the after party, and ENJOY MYSELF! Thank you for praying for even the silly things like enjoying prom!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the night...

The Arkansas girls! Woo Pig Sooie!


The proud parents!


It's my Senior Prom and I STILL haven't figured out how to put a boutineer on my date :/ how embarrassing


The senior girls!


It was the PAPA DADDY of all limos!!!


Sister pic! you could spot us a mile away in our obnoxiously bright colored dresses! haha