The little dog that could

He's the dog who can do what you think he can't

and often things you hope that he won't

but, he does.

and I love him.

So, I left Woodrow in his pen yesterday morning around 6 when I left for work.

we usually put a bolt in the top latch of his pen door, because he can easily work his way out otherwise.

GT has installed an additional latch on the bottom, that is very hard to open by humans.

Not hard for the dog that could.

mind you, the top latch is at my eye level.

So, we bolt it.

I couldn't find the bolt. And was running late for work.

Whoops.

My bad.

When GT gets back from hunting that morning, Woodie is gone.

Gone like a freight train.

That's ok...he'll come back. He always does.

Then, it's lunch, no dog.

Then, it's after work for GT, no dog.

Then it's after church and work for Kate, no dog.

No dog = practical thought loss for kate.

Let the frantic search begin.

Gt knows that Woodrow really is smart and will come home or someone will find him and call (that practical thought that I had quickly lost).

I make signs...after 15 hours. A little premature? Probably, but it was the longest that he's been gone.

and did I mention that I have a very unhealthy attachment?

I call my mom(what we all do when we just need someone sympathetic to cry to when we know that we're probably overreacting) and she says, "Kate, he is a very smart dog...he'll come home. By tomorrow morning, you'll find him and don't worry, he's fine."

Ok, mom.

 Knowing that she was probably a little worried, too.

We go to sleep.

I just let it go.

He's fine, right?

Oh well.

Next morning, today, text message received at 6.

from mom...Woodrow is here. at our house!

I'm on my way.

Here's the kicker.

I.can.not.make.this.stuff.up.

My dad got up at 6, per usual, walked down the hall and thought it to be a bit chilly in the house.

Turns the corner to see Woodrow and Maggie laying on Maggies bed.

and the back door to the house is open.

I repeat. I.can.not.make.this.stuff.up.

He stinkin' opened their door, people!

2.5 miles away, through the woods. 24 hours later. Woodrow finds his 2nd home. and 2nd bed.

Woodrow gets picked up by me.

 I walk the walk of shame, taking down my premature "Missing Dog" signs around the surrounding neighborhoods.

We go home and he's out.

Working the streets all night long is exhausting.

Surely, he learned his lesson.

We sure learned a lesson.

Another Newlywed lesson:

we still have a lot of learning to do about eachother.

GT is a patient man....for that, I'm thankful.

He drove to the store and bought me some duct tape so I could put up signs, even though he knew I was being a bit ridiculous.

Now, i'm going to start detaching myself.

It's unhealthy.

If you're a dog lover, you can relate to this post.

If not, you can't.

You probably  just think I'm crazy.

I've been thought to be worse things...I can handle crazy.

just glad my Woodrow is back home.

Now, i'm late for work.

with my deepest love for the stupidest dog,

Kate

it's always better when we're together

GT and I are grateful to have a good 1st year of marriage under our belts.

To celebrate our first year of wedded adjusting, forgivenss and understanding bliss, we thought that we'd do a bit of traveling.

Somewhere along the way, we got our wires crossed and neglected to plan our trips in congruence with one another. whoops.

In order to demonstrate our on-the-go, busy lives...I created a diagram of our travels.

This is just a map of GT's travels since last Thursday. He still isn't home. (yah, that's Iowa.)

Luckiliy, we were able to be together with my family at the beach for a few days.

I think i'll do a heel click when he finally gets his trottin harness on and heads towards home.

This is just a map of my international travels this summer.

Far enough away from my man.

He's going with me next time.

Brooks n' Dunn.

There have been many travels we have taken together, also. And I like those most, duh.

His new travel life with Buck Commander is pretty sweet though.

This week has been exceptionally great for the company and i'm thrilled that GT is a part of the big deals!

He's meeting some fun people, going to new places and making incredible connections.

Hooray for working in the hunting industry and with my family, b/c then I like going with him more.

I'm proud of my hubsters. He's a hard worker.

Remember that time I decided to do a Sunday Portrait Series?

Yeah, another series I failed to follow through on. Wanna know why?

Tomorrow will mark 8 weeks, save 1, that GT and I haven't been to church together on a Sunday b/c one or both of us have been out of town/the country.

So, when we get back in the swing of things...pic taking with be cranked back up.

Luckily, we both love traveling and the reasons for which we travel. Granted, we'd rather have eachother as travel buddies. It's always better when we're together.(thanks j.johnson for the lyric)

I have few pics of us at the beach this week.

here's one with Beau!

in the closet

watching Mickey Mouse Club

and a sneaky one

Happy trails to us...until we meet again...

Kate

wedding music

I was never the little girl who had her dream wedding planned out.

The only thing that I was sure of, was the music.

Music can change the mood, it can change your emotion, it is so powerful.

I knew that I wanted certain songs because I "feel" them. you know what I mean?

I still love the music from our wedding and love the playlist on my iphone.

It makes me happy and nostalgic and full of joy.

Music is such a great way to escape to a certain moment in time because of an emotion.

listening to this right now...i am so thankful for that Saturday 1 year ago.

My favorite day ever.

Seating of our grandparents

seating of our parents

groomsmen and gt

bridesmaids processional

my dad and i

lighting the unity candle

exiting the church.

for my love.

no other reason, but for his happiness.

Happy Anniversary to the absolute love of my life.

my heart would surely break without you.

Now, to celebrate, I'm off to Ghana.

love,

Kate

The day that changed our lives forever

I almost forgot.

Yesterday, April 18th, marks the date that I met my boyfran.

ain't he cute. that double plaid thing is hard to resist.

such a refreshing style.

one of our first photos together. pretty accurate prediction of our relationship.

our witnesses to our new love

the match making group.

 actually just the cute girl on the end and her hubsters(he's the one with a pink lei). The Cones

can't you just see it in our eyes? (please ignore my awkward britches)

this is when GT asked me to marry him

j/k. but i did really like him by this point. it was probably the killer dance moves he was pulling off.

a perfect first date, i'd say.

I'm thankful for that Saturday in Frisco, Tx at Pizza Hut Park.

I'm thankful for Jimmy Buffett and his music and the ridiculous crowd it gathers.

I'm thankful for the Cones, Lauren and Patrick. They knew a match when they saw it and made it happen.

I'm thankful for the past 2 years with my man. We've been together since the minute we met.

He's a keeper and my favorite person in the whole world.

I'm thankful that he liked me back.

Here's some JB to send you on your way.

If you want to hear more about how much I love my boo, you can ask. I'll spare everyone else.

Fins up!

Kate

our house is a very, very, very fine house

We stopped by our house in LR this weekend on our way to North Carolina.

Yeah, it's on the way. Rather, I made it on the way.

The point is...we haven't seen our house in 2 months. It looked pretty good.

Why isn't anyone buying this house???

So, I got kind of emotional. I wasn't crying or anything, but just feeling a bit nostalgic. It was our first home together, you know? That's pretty important. It was my first house to decorate without the help of a female roomie. GT and I worked hard on that house. The man built a deck, added on a laundry room, painted every room, fixed just about everything and layed sod in the yard. We brought Woodrow home to that house.

It was OUR little love nest. I love that house.

But, no one else does.

Anywhoo.

Of course, I went through the house taking pics.

(thank goodness for my shake-it app on my iphone...my real camera is done for. so it's iphone or bust)

mamaw jo made these curtains. old school appliances (=many burnt-bottomed cookies)

home-made china cabinent(hand-me-down from GTs uncle) that i refinished

messy desk. mom bought it for me in nursing school

my sewing desk in the sunroom bought at a thrift store for 25 bones. old golf bag from a garage sale.

guest room photos of my mamaw lou and aunt janie. probably 2 of my favorite things

husband. fave thing in the house

guest room. i love quilts so very much. all guest rooms should have a quilt.

hallway decor that i made in college.

our nest.

guest room again. i will always love this pier one purchase. applique was made for me.

i spy a deer head that i tried to hide in the study.

i liked these words. so i bought it at the hospital gift shop.

my man built this. by himself. boo-yeah.

that picture hung in my papaw shacks nursing home room. it makes me think of him.

not really decorated right now. usually there are flowers in those urns.

i love my table. world market rocks my face off.

nerd alert. i like the "t" door mat. it makes our house feel like a family house.

i realize that everything i love about that house will come with me.

nothing about the actual house is valuable to me...emotionally. it's the little things in it.

mostly, the things that make me think of people. the pictures, mainly.

so i'll do it again, i'm sure with another house.

well, i'm over it.

thanks for looking.

and tell everyone to move to North Little Rock and buy our house!!!

happy mondee,

kate

a Big Friday update

Here's a big update on the last week of our lives.

the days of our lives, if you will.

and if you won't...i completely understand. i couldn't help my self.

these updates will be in list format. this is because my brain needs an outline or nothing would ever get said or understood.

1. I'll start off with something that I haven't done in a while.

A Newlywed Lesson

Let your husband drive.

Epic, I know.

I'm the kind of wife that likes to think i'm awesome at directions and sometimes they don't work, but yet I continue to be adamant about our whereabouts. GT and I had a great "discussion" Sunday night in the car trying to get somewhere that I confidently knew how to get to. Confidence is not always good.

It's a long story that I won't bore you with. Mostly, because you might not think the same of me once I finished.

It all goes to say...sometimes you just need to shut your mouth and let your husband drive.

Somehow men, or at least my Man, has an innate sense of direction that almost never fails. almost.

love him for his patience. for sure.


2. Monday was my Mamaw Jo's 80th birthday.

80! I'll tell you one thing, 80 ain't what it used to be.

That's my Mamaw Lou with Mamaw Jo. She'll be 80 next month, too.

I've got good genes, huh?

She makes all of her 18 grandkids and 21(i think) great-grandkids feel like they are the favorite.

here are my Mamaw Jo and Papaw Shack on their wedding day.

I miss my Pap very, very much.

I am so blessed to have had an incredible example of love in a marriage and family.

Those two...i tell ya, they could love you til you couldn't take it anymore.

I could never say enough about my Mam. She is who I strive to be.
My aunt Chrys said it so well: visit here to read her blog about this awesome woman.


3. We had a blast in Sugar Land with Tommy and Brice last weekend!

the boys being really cool

Brice (b-dawg) and me after some fro-yo.

Do you have those friends who you can just sit and talk with for, like, ever?

We could've visited for days straight with these 2, but made the most of our short weekend. I love them and am so thankful for the time we got to spend...and the money at Target!

I absolutely love that GT and Tommy have been bff since birth so Brice and I can be so close. Luckily.

Love me some Waldrons.

I can't wait to see them again.

4. So, adults aren't so bad. I'm working in the adult ICU's and guess what? I'm survining and actually liking it.

Whoda thunk it?

I seriously thought that pediatrics is where my career as a nurse would be spent. But, that goes to show that I am completely naive regarding Gods plan for my life. I do love me some kiddos, but am finding a soft spot in my heart for those older than me...ha. It helps that the people I work with are very kind and helpful.

5. Meanwhile, back at the ranch. GT has spent his week helping in the filming for a new DVD thingy for Duck Commander. While I was working indoors, he was eating delicious crawfish-dishes at Kay and Phils while they filmed. I'm thinkin' he likes his job.

6. I miss these guys during my 12 hour work days

I think that'll do.

We're just living and living well.

hope you are too!

happy weekend folks,

kate

weekend of Love recap

You know how some people say "the first year of my marriage was sooooo hard" or

"that was the best year of our marriage, we had a blast"?

We spent this past weekend listening to couples share their testimony and stories from their years of marriage. Many shared their stories of fights and many of their bliss.

We, GT & I, are still trying to figure out what kind of 1st year we are gonna have.

j/k, I joke.

but, seriously.

i'm kidding.

Anywhooo, we had an awesome weekend at the WFR Marriage Retreat, along with 40 other couples.

Not only did our marriage receive a boost, but we were able to get to know couples at WFR that we'll be spending time with for...well, ever. It really is very encouraging to hear "experienced" couples share their struggles and helpful tips. Our first year so far has been wonderful but we realize that we are far from being exempt from Satans' attacks on marriages. This weekend we learned ways to help us keep our guard up against that stupid devil.

We also had a lot of fun.

We played games for 4 hours,  way too late for this lady, one night and my face hurt from laughing.

real old man?

or woman in an old mans mask hitting on Pauls wife and making Paul nervous?

the group

the wifeys

the newest newlyweds...awwww

our table at dinner one night

The "real" Val Day, yesterday, was just as wonderful.

I have no real stance on the day. I'm neither the girl who says "valentines day is a forced love day, i will not celebrate my love because someone told me to" or the girl who says "i want flowers and chocolate, i deserve it" and cries when she gets neither.

It's a nice day. Gifts are always welcome and I'm happy to show my love, forced or not.

We took my cousin, Bella, to her horse-riding lesson at our friends, Tony and Kims.

Then we went to Cheniere Shack, my fave eatery.

Both of these are my favorite.

Neither of these are fancy.

Both of these welcome, if not require, jeans and boots.

Neither of these require makeup.

the end.

Bella in her lesson from Jossie. She's 8 and is awesome.
We talked about Justin Bieber...alot.


Hope your Valentines day was perfect, according to your kinda perfect.

loooove,
kate

Love is in the air

happy lovers day to you and your lover...

...whoever or whatever that may be

via

in the spirit

with lovely admiration,

kate

wordless wednesday

Because I wanted to share, it's been a while:

http://vimeo.com/13440173

and I'm limited on words today.

kate

giggle gaggle

attn: Newlywed lesson attached

We moved in with my parental units on Saturday night. Here's an update.

We are still in-love and still love my parents.

Actually, it still feels like we're on a vacay or here for a long weekend.

The fact that I still haven't unpacked anything, except my skivvies, probably has something to do with that.

I'll get to it eventually...maybe...we'll see. (long groan, i hate unpacking... insert pathetic whine here)

So far, we love being in WM. We see family everyday, get to watch cousins basketball games, GT plays on a bball team, go over to friends' houses, eat lunch together, let our dog run away and find him at a family members house, walk across the yard to my uncles house to GT can get his laptop fixed. Things like that.

We have been rather busy though and it is different having another couple in the house all of time, your own parents or not. It is definitely not a bad thing, don't get me wrong here. We love being with them and enjoy hanging out. But, it is different. Last night GT and I sat together in one chair and laughed out loud at Jay Lenos intro thing.

Here's the newlywed lesson:

take time to laugh at something together.

it is good for the soul.

watching tv all of the time together is not necessarily good, but sharing a laugh over the same thing is healthy.

cheesy or goofy as it may be, our bodies like it and we like our bodies to be happy. or something like that.

(from 2009)

We laugh at ourselves often, too.



kate

We're on our way, pack up your packs!

We made it!

West Monroe, safe and sound.

Yesterday was a day that I am happy to be done with. I think moving out the little things is harder than moving out the couches, desks, beds, etc. Who wants to pack up all the "junk drawer" stuff and clean out all of the closets? Not me, fo sho.

Our cars are packed to the brim and I plan on tackling those boogers today after church.

Random

Let me warn you: if you want a dog that can sleep anywhere, anytime and for a ridiculous amount of time...get a black lab. if you want a dog that can have a ridiculous amount of energy and play for hours...get a black lab. if you want a dog that will lay beside you on the bathroom floor when you're puking your guts up...get a black lab. they're perfect.

This is how little nugget head managed the move.

Quite a mover.

One minute before we left though, he was like this.

Crazy hyper one second, sleeping for hours the next.

I'll take 'em and and prob another puppy.

Happy home,

Kate