New Trainer

Remember when I told you about my trainer drama/saga here? Well today was the first day with my new trainer, Mr. Nick Trubee. I got there early, was a little nervous, and a little excited. I haven't been in the gym for almost 2 weeks and was ready to get back into the routine and sweat again.

I didn't go to the Johnson Center much in undergrad because it is just so big. I prefer to workout in a smaller gym and not be surrounded by so many people. The Johnson Center is a little intimidating to me simply because there are just so many people and at this time of year it is packed. As my first real time to train here, I felt a little green and sorta like a freshman all over again.

When I made my way to the front desk, I asked for a lock because I had to store my keys and member card. Y'all I thought I was back in the halls of Graves Co. High. It took me a FOREVER to get my lock undone and then I had to walk past man-pit. Man-pit is the weight area and there are so many guys down there. I hate man-pit because it is mainly meatheads who have big arms and a tiny brain lifting weights. They sit on the benches, watch ESPN, and drink their gallon of water. Please.

Once I got through man-pit, I found Nick. We hit it off immediately and I can't wait to start training with him. He gave me a thorough health assessment complete with blood pressure check, weight/height, BMI, skin folds, flexibilty test, heart rate monitoring, a push-up test (I did 30 thank you very much!), and a strength test. We went over my results and overall I am healthy and everything is in the right range. Now, there are things we can most certiantly work on but overall, I got a good report.

In between each test, Nick and I chit chatted. He and I share quite a bit in common: 25, engaged, in long distance relationships,and have dated our fiances for a long time. We talked wedding: anything from colors, to honeymoon, to proposal. But we didn't just talk wedding, we also talked seriously about my health goals, his training methods, his thoughts on food, etc. Overall, I feel like Nick is a legit trainer and will help push me further along. Our first training session is tomorrow and I am anxious to get started.

In the words of Bubba Sparxxx, get it right, get it tight!!!

Joyful

Last night I did the nasty cry, over the phone, and poor Jace had to hear every sniffle in my sob. Last night I was fed up with law school. I hate the transition back into the semester and have a mini-breakdown each semester. I also had a breakdown in July, which has become an annual thing. July to me means that summer is almost over and school will start back up. When school starts back up it means we have to go weeks and weeks without seeing one another. I realize I have these tantrums and I am not happy about it. It takes me about a solid day to get over them and sweet Jace just listens to me and lets me get it all out. I will regain my humor and happy go lucky self soon but for the time being I will most likely be a complete pill and be in a bad mood.

The breakdown occurs for many reasons. I get tired of being apart. I get tired of Jace living in the library or as Andrew Smith calls it, "Jace's perch". I get tired of Jace being under pressure. I get tired of not having fun with my best friend. I get tired of seeing people post pictures of themselves on Facebook having fun with their friends. I get tired of seeing couples around campus. See, I just get mad at everyone and everything. It is no one's fault. It is just me being jealous, a little bored, a little lonely, and a pinch of sadness.

However, my spirits were lifted today when I read "tis so Sweet". I don't know Megan or Russ but I have followed their adoption story. Megan is a standout Christian and really motivated me today. Her post was on being joyful even when we don't feel like it. Well last night I didn't feel joyful at all. However, after reading her post today I realized I should be joyful that Jace is in law school. I should be joyful that I have a fiance that lets me cry and just listens. I should be joyful that I have found the one whom my souls loves (Song of Solomon 3:4). I should be joyful because in 9 short months, all of this stress will decrease.

What are you joyful for today?

Trainer Saga/Drama

Y'all the trainer saga/drama has finally ended. Let me tell you all about it...

Danny had to leave me because he got a job with a gym in Winchester. I am so happy for Danny because he can take on so many more clients and make more money. Who doesn't want to make more money? My last training session with Danny was on Sunday and I worked hard, didn't complain, and did as I was told. He said he would talk with some of the other trainers at the Underground and see if they could take me on as a trainee. I thought we had someone lined up and then the bomb dropped.

Danny texted me Monday night and said that the Underground will no longer let students train. I have no clue why and so I had to figure out Plan B. There is a gym available for faculty and staff at UK but it doesn't have trainers. Now, I need a trainer. I need the trainer for accountability and because I know they will push me harder than I will push myself. There are many days that I just want to go straight home from work, I am tired, I am in a blah mood and I can hear the couch calling my name. But instead, I go to the gym. I go because I have paid money for a training session and someone is waiting for me. And I have also found out through Danny and Rob that my trainer becomes a friend and somewhat of a therapist for me. I like to think that I am killing two birds with one stone: therapy and gym time.

This week I trekked over to the Johnson Center (the JC)  and inquired about their personal trainers. They told me to fill out a form and they would get in contact with me when they found someone. I have to train after work and this seemed to be a problem, until today! I heard from my new trainer, Nick Trubee, that we are scheduled for next week! Thank goodness we can start next week because I have had fun on my almost two weeks off. Next Tuesday, I have to come in an do an initial assessment. Doesn't that sound scary? All I can think of are burpees. I loathe burpees.

I will let you know how it goes and if I survive.

Have a good weekend everyone!

New Friend

Y'all I have a deep, deep love for animals. I love almost all animals and am particularly fond of my two girls: pup and Big.

43 lbs of love

The Notorious BIG

Lilly--RIP

Little Momma--RIP

I have 3 in Heaven, RIP Lilly, Lady, and Little Momma.

I love animals so much that I told Jace he could propose with a kitty with a collar that says, "will you marry us?" I was going to call her Marry (get it?). Needless to say, the kitty proposal didn't happen and I am still waiting for a sweet little kitty. Well I think I finally got her! Yesterday I was doing the dishes and I saw two cats on our carport. With wet soapy hands, I went outside to see how friendly they were. There was a big, grey, male cat and then this sweet little black and white cat. She was precious. I thought after the initial sighting, she would make her way back to her home or make the rounds through the neighborhood.

So tonight, I was doing dishes and she was back! I think I have a new friend now. Little kitty is skinny as a rail and I am determined to fatten her up. I brought out a little dish of milk for her and she drank just a little. She purrs and seems happy as a lark. I sure hope the Teak is ok with all of this. When I suggest that we need a pet she tells me to play with the neighborhood animals. I have befriended the little dog behind our house, named him Rusty (who is really a girl), and fattened her butt up! She knows to sit beside the fence and I will come and pet her. Trained like a true dog, I tell you!

Poor Jace knows about my deep love and realizes that we will eventually have a zoo. I have told Jace repeatedly that as soon as we get out of the apartment living stage and are ready to become homeowners that I am getting a kitty and he is getting a grill. In addition to kitties, I want an English Bulldog and his name will be UK (pronounced ook) just like the bulldogs from UGA. Jace wants a Golden Retriever and his name will be Murray, for Jace's Alma mater. Maybe a chocolate lab too. Then sometimes I have a wild hair and want a miniature pot belly pig. Actually I want two. Their names will be DeWayne and Priscilla. When I think about my pot belly pigs I laugh. Can you imagine me calling my piggies home, standing on my back porch, in my thick country accent? It would sound like DaaaWaynnnneeee!!! Makes me laugh. Jace just rolls his eyes.

I will let you know if my new little friend sticks around.

Food!

I need an apron and let me explain why...

Yesterday Liz emailed me and wanted to know if I could have dinner with her. I could and we decided to meet up at a local Mexican restaurant. We had dinner and a margarita and got caught up on life. It was a lovely meal and we were there for at least two hours catching up. Sometime during the conversation, I looked up and here came two friends and former Ag. Ambassadors. Then two more walked in. All of us girls were Ag. Ambassadors and I don't know the last time we were all together. Since Liz and I were done with our meal, we paid our check, moved to their table, and ordered another round of margaritas. We laughed all night long and I was in the Mexican restaurant for 4 hours. Needless to say it was a great Monday night.

After everyone had gone home, Liz gave me a cutting board and the Pioneer Woman's latest cookbook as an engagement gift. So sweet. I was so thankful for the cutting board because we don't have one and Jace thinks a paper towel is a cutting board. I flipped through the cookbook today and my mouth was watering. Ree took pictures of each step and it is very user friendly. After flipping through the book, I decided I need a Kitchenaid mixer, lots of lemons, limes, butter, different types of vinegar (red, white, balsamic, rice), and probably an apron. I also need a honkin' kitchen with marble counter tops and a farmer's sink.

I love reading cookbooks and Taste of Home magazine. Mom and Teak take Taste of Home and I told myself I would start taking it as soon as I became a wife. Now that doesn't mean I will make all the scrumptious food but I sure do like looking at it. Now, I am not a cook, a baker, a fryer, flour sifter, or griller. However, I love food. I love it fried, baked, cooked, sauteed, raw, grilled, marinated, broiled, smothered, and most importantly made with love. I pray that my skills in the kitchen improve not only for my sake but for Jace's. I think this cookbook will help me and it has inspired me to get in the kitchen more. But let's not forget the traumatic episode when I burned rice. How does one even do that? It resulted in tears in the kitchen and nice long hug from Jace who then suggested we go get something from town. And we did. It was delicious. Not even pup ate my rice.

I say all this to let the world know I am motivated to cook, bake, fry, and put lots of love in my food. Please pray with me as I go on this journey. More importantly pray for Jace!

3L

Today Jace starts his last year at Mississippi College. He is a 3L and I have mixed emotions about it.

I am unbelievably proud of him and his accomplishments. He is so driven and all his hard work is beginning to pay off. I try to stay humble about it all, but some days I want to shout from the rooftops of how proud I am of him, how great he is doing, and where we are headed.

I am also a little nervous. This isn't our first rodeo, so we know the pressure he will be under and the strain it puts on our relationship. We know there will be late nights at the library and groggy phone calls. We know he will live in his "perch" on the 2nd floor and read until his eyes hurt. We also know the LLM application process is about to begin. 

I am also a little sad. Sad because this is his last year in MS. I never thought we would fall in love with Jackson or meet so many wonderful people like we have. It has become a second home to me and nothing is better than touching down in Jackson, feeling the warm sun, driving down a brown road, and smelling pine trees. The friends Jace has made have also become my friends. They are all wonderful people who have a great sense of humor, are intelligent, driven, and will make fine attorneys.

Both Jace and I are also ready. We are ready to get this year going. In nine short months, he will graduate and then life will really start happening. Last night we ended our phone call with "let's do this". We are both so ready to be together and to live every day together. So, I want these nine months to fly by but at the same time I want them to last a little bit longer. I want the year to last a little bit longer so we can soak up MS more and spend more time with our friends. See, mixed emotions.

To all the 3Ls who started their last first day of school, congratulations!

Pie! Oh My!

Today was pie day! Apple, cherry, peanut butter, chocolate, lemon, lemon/orange, coconut, coconut/oatmeal, fruit medley, peach, butterscotch, black walnut, tomato pie, and so much more. Those are just a few of pies I taste tested today at the State Fair. We got started at 9 AM with the apple pies and I started off strong. I was taking generous bites at the beginning of the day but by the end of the day I was forcing the fork into my mouth. Here is how everything went down...down my throat that is!

I was in the culinary wing of the Convention Center and there were tables and tables and tables of food. Breads, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, wedding cakes, jams, pies, pizza, and anything else you could bake up. Tables are covered with butcher paper and are numbered for the culinary category. Once all the entries in the category are organized, we could begin cutting. We would cut a generous portion of pie, lay it on the table and all taste test from it. After taste testing all entries, we would then determine the top 3.

Now some pies are better than others. You have to remember that these pies were probably made this weekend. I say that because on one apple pie there was a little mold. We didn't eat that pie needless to say. Some pies are not fully cooked and are runny. Others have burnt toppings. Some are bland. Others are thick. Some crusts are hard. You see, not all pies are made the same and that is what I had to judge today.

By lunch I was sick of pies. So when they needed me to judge pizza pies I was excited to taste something a little more savory. An FCS agent and I cut a piece from each pizza, heated it up in a toaster oven, and then judged. We had probably 20 pizzas which was nothing compared to the number of fruit and cream pies we had to judge.

After we got through the pizza pies, the official state fair culinary guy passed around a lunch ticket for everyone. I looked at it and wanted to laugh. How was I supposed to eat lunch? I had been eating since 9 AM! So during my lunch break, I passed Freddy Farm Bureau, walked through the elephant ear and tasty dog stands, and made my way to Cloverville and caught up with the District 7 agents. After getting caught up, I thought I was done. Nope...we had to finish up 10 more pies. We placed our ranks and I grabbed my bag, now I was ready to head home. Just a second. How could we forget the pot pies and calzones! 5 pot pies and 3 calzones later, we were finished.

Overall it was a great day. There are many wonderful bakers in this state. But please don't ask me over for pie anytime soon!

So much to tell ya...

Y'all today was such a great day and I have to share with you!

I got a phone call today at work from Pam and she asked me if I like pie? Do I like pie...umm...I love pie! Guess what this ol' girl is doing tomorrow? Judging pies at the Kentucky State Fair! Apple pie, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, chocolate pie, coconut cream pie, butterscotch pie, lemon pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and every pie in between. I will probably be sick as a dog afterwards but it will be fun while we are judging! Now some people turn up their noses to judging food at the state fair. They don't know how clean the kitchen and cook are and are afraid to taste test. I, for one, am not scared. Bring on the pie. I will let you know how it goes.

Remember when I blogged about my 20 seconds of courage HERE? Well today I called the volunteer coordinator at the Hope Center and I have the opportunity to serve homeless men a hot meal Thursday night. I absolutely can not wait! I hope to grow from this experience and learn something about myself, my community, and my faith. I am going to try to volunteer whenever my schedule permits and am so ready to get started. Be looking for a blog post about my experience soon.

I came home tonight and the Teak whipped up a fabulous dinner. In our house, she cooks and I clean. Well tonight, I cleaned...I cleaned my plate! She made homemade blue cheese dressing...HEAVENLY!!! It was rich, creamy, and so blue cheesy. You have to love blue cheese to want to try this dressing. Here is the recipe:

-1 package cream cheese (dear Lord!)
-blue cheese crumbles
-pinch of garlic powder
-Milk

The more milk you use, the thinner the dressing so make according to the consistency you want.

The Teak made up this recipe and it is so good. Don't you want to have a big ol' wedge salad now?! We sure did!

I feel like I have only talked about food so far and that is a problem. You see it is a MAJOR problem since I might be losing Danny. Danny has taken a job at a gym in Winchester and I don't think we will be able to train in the evenings after work. Danny and I have been together since January and Lord knows he has heard every problem, law school frustration, wedding plans, work issue, moot court hatred, Master's milestone, and any thing else I could possibly think of during our 1 hour workouts. When I talk to Danny it is like talking to Lauren or Whitney. It is straight girl talk and he just listens to me...and then tells me to do more reps and do it faster next time. I will know more this week if we can continue to train or not. It is sorta like a breakup and I hate to leave him but he has a great opportunity to go do his thing somewhere else. I gotta find a new trainer by the end of this week because I will eat my weight in pie tomorrow!

Until then...

What I swear by...

TGIF!!!!!! Y'all this week dragged by for me. Every morning I woke up and  thought to myself, "it's Friday", only to realize that it was in fact not Friday. Cruel way to start the day.

Today I had to run to Bare Escentuals in the mall and pick up some new lip gloss and concealer. No one needs to see my chap lips or dark circles. It is for the greater good for me to purchase these products.

I swear by Bare Escentuals and it was the Teak who introduced me to it. Well, I have been hooked for about 2 years now. Before BE, I was an Avon,Covergirl, and occasional Clinique makeup kind of girl. Nothing wrong with these products at all and they have great prices. However, BE steps up the game just a little bit more. You may pay a little bit more but I promise it lasts for a long time. (If BE wants me to be a sponsor, I would gladly do so!)

Now this is awful to admit, but when I walk into Bare Escentuals they know me. When I say know me, they greet me with a hug and "how are ya Katie?". I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. The makeup lasts a long time so its not like I run in there every day. I just attribute their hug and greeting as good service. Even though I could get BE at Ulta or Macy's, I keep going back to the boutique because of their service.

Donna is my girl that hooks me up. She is always pushing a new product on me but my little budget won't allow for all her fun and enticing products. Today I was strong and stuck to my budget and walked away with only the lip gloss and concealer.

What type of makeup do y'all use? Something you just swear by?

Everyone enjoy your weekend. Here in the Bluegrass it feels like a lovely Fall day and I plan to soak it up!

Until next time...

The Sisterhood of the Bride Bag

Hi Friends!

Do you know what today is? August 3, 2012. In exactly one year, I will greet my best friend at the end of the aisle and together we will walk down as Mr. and Mrs. Jace Stamper! How crazy is that? I can't imagine the emotion, excitement, and pure joy that will be packed into that day. If I think about it too long I start to tear up! I am still on cloud 9 about our engagement and have been soaking up every moment of wedding planning!

I have found that with wedding planning I have a ton of stuff. This stuff includes my Southern Living Wedding Planner binder, engagement cards, programs from friend's weddings, samples of invitations, revised editions of guest lists, a stack of wedding gown pictures, business cards, an etiquette book, and so much more. All of these things need a place and a central location. This is where the sisterhood of the traveling bride bag comes in.

When Whitney got engaged I bought her a Bride's Bag. The bag is sorta like Mary Poppins carpet bag because it is incredibly deep and holds everything! Now almost 3 years later, this bag has gone through 3 or 4 other brides. These brides all have a common thread...we are all friends of Whitney. After I got engaged, Whitney called me and said that is was now my turn for the bag and I picked it up last week. It was filled with wedding stuff from the other brides--magazines, bobby pins, rose petals, books, receipts, etc. It was fun to sort through what other brides had left in the bag. There is a sisterhood in this bag and it has special meaning for me! In a way, the bride's bag has come full circle and now I am the one using it!

Source: Google Images

I am thankful to share this bag with so many women and am thankful to have such a dear friend in Whitney.

1 year y'all, 1 year!

Zumba Class

I have had this blog post in my head since Monday night and have been dying to share with y'all! Since I had the opportunity to work from home Monday, I got to go with Mom to her Zumba class that night! I am so proud of Mom for exercising twice if not three times a week in her Zumba classes. She loves it and has formed some great relationships. Her friendships keep her accountable and we all need that when it comes to exercising.

We had our water bottles, signed in, and were ready for class. I have been with Mom before but it has probably been a year since then. One thing I love about the class is before the workout begins, all the women stand in a circle, hold hands, and pray. Always good to have the Lord on your side when you know you are going to sweat to death.

After Amen, we all get situated and do a warm up activity. Then we get down to business. Now I know I am a white girl and there is about 2% of rhythm in this body but that doesn't mean I don't love to shake it. Y'all they played the best songs. I look over and ol' Sandy is moving and a grooving to Nappy Boys, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, and Justin Beiber! Then they put on Proud Mary. Honey we were all rollin' on the river and my legs were a burnin'!

Y'all I laughed through the entire hour. It was so much fun. I would mess up and laugh at myself. I would watch the other women and they would make me laugh because only a select few had legit moves. But the worst was when I could see some woman's tan line from where her butt ends and her thigh begins. It took every bit of me to not bust out in laughter.

There is a portion of the class where the women use weights. To add a little somethin' somethin' to this portion of class, some women put on a belly wrap. Mom said she was good and didn't need that to enhance her Zumba experience! HA!

Source: Google images

I was really hoping we would get to do the Cupid Shuffle but we didn't do that dance. Mom and I can walk it out like no body's business and are prepared to do it at the wedding at any given moment.

By the end of the hour I had a little SWAS  going on (SWAS is "ass sweat" for short) Lord forgive me, but I taught all of Mom's friends what it stands for too. I did this in the church gym of all places! So next time you are sweating, you just tell people you have SWAS!!!

It was so much fun to go with Mom and I encourage you to take a Zumba class if you haven't before.

Weekend Recap

Hey Y'all. So much to tell you, so be watching for numerous blog posts this week!

Y'all this weekend was like a mini-vacation and I feel rested and rejuvenated. I got home Friday and visited with Mom. We talked wedding. She had questions, I had questions, and we figured out a few answers. Lord, we are already planning the breakfast menu the day of the wedding. Keith women plan and are organized and Aug. 3, 2013 will be no different! We had a wonderful dinner at home and then picked up Doris, a dear family friend, and had dessert at Chow 45. We all got something different and I think we all agreed the chocolate chip bread pudding was the best. By the time we finished dessert, Jace was in Graves County! He stopped over later Friday night and presented me with this little number!

My ring had to be sized down a whole size and I departed with it after our vacation in Seaside. It had been at least 3 weeks without my ring and wouldn't you know it, I saw everyone, their mother, and their dog during that time. Needless to say, I am happy to have it back.

Saturday I was busy as a bee. Pup had a day at the spa. She got a mani/pedi and a shampoo. Most women love this but poor pup is scared to death. It kills me to leave her but I consider it training for when my babies go to Kindergarten. While pup was at the doggy spa, I visited with my MeMaw. She was watching Bonanza and my Uncle Jim told me that she loves it. Now I have to be honest. I had no idea it was Bonanza. I am 25 years old and I have no recollection of that show. I remember Mama's Family, the Golden Girls, and the Cosby Show. Yet, MeMaw was happy and that is all that matters to me. Afterwards, I visited Dad. It was the prettiest day on the farm. The sun was shining, it was the perfect temperature, and it felt good to be surround by 122 acres.

After all that visiting, I had to pick up pup and her tail showed me how happy she was! Jace and I met up later in the day and hung out. Mom headed to a wedding and then we had to debrief about the wedding afterwards. That night, Mom, Jace, and I stayed at home and fixed a dinner that rivals any restaurant meal. We had grilled asparagus, grilled BBQ pork chops, crescent rolls, and baked potatoes. Not only was it much cheaper to stay at home but it was so much better. We rocked the rest of the evening away on the deck. It was so pleasant outside Saturday night that I could have sat out there all night long.

The perfect Saturday night!

The real treat of the weekend was Sunday. Normally, Jace and I travel back on Sundays and it cuts the weekend short. This weekend we got to spend Sunday at home. I had the opportunity to work from home on Monday and Jace was staying in town for a dentist's appointment. To have this extra day meant the world to Jace and I. We were in such good spirits all weekend long and I am happy to report not one tear was shed when we had to leave one another on Monday. These high spirits are still with us and I think excitement has taken over. We are excited that Monday was our last goodbye for the start of another school year!

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend. We didn't do anything we didn't want to, didn't spend a dime, and got to visit with family. I love spending time with Mom and I can't imagine going through wedding planning without her. Being with Jace and spending quality time with him was so nice. Those two allowed me to return to work with a rested and renewed spirit!

I hope y'all had a great weekend too! In the next blog posts. I will tell you about me attending Mom's Zumba class and the sisterhood of the traveling Bride's bag! Until then...