Not Different Bad, Different Good

Christmas...What do I say about this Christmas? I would say that it was a pretty damn good Christmas.

I did my best to man up and stop hating life for the curve balls it throws at me and I checked my feelings at the door. 

I got dressed up in a cute new outfit that I got for Christmas and I hung out with my family, drank a few mimosas and enjoyed a really great night.  Last year I had to work on Christmas, and although at the time it felt like the happiest day of my life, I think that this year beats it...And no, not just because I got to drink mimosas with  my family.

This year was so much different. It's the last Christmas where I'll be living in my parents house. It's possibly the last Christmas that I'll sleep in the same room with my sissies and watch The Grinch on Christmas Eve. It's the last year that I'll go Christmas shopping with my dad to pick out the perfect present for my mom.  

It's not necessarily different bad. It's different good. I'm growing up. I have learned so much in this past year. I've learned about myself and about the people around me and what it really means to be a family.

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This year, I gave lockets to most of the women in my family (I didn't think everyone would wear them.) I am really terrible at buying gifts, so it was a quite a relief to find something so early that I knew everyone would love.

I won a blog giveaway a while back and fell completely in love with my prize, so I bought everyone living lockets.

 Let me tell you, they were a hit and the best present I've ever given. 

This one is mine. The ribbon is for pancreatic cancer and the star is the "Army Strong" deal. I would highly recommend these babies. Such a huge hit on Christmas day! I may even try to host a giveaway if the designer will work with me! I'll keep you posted :)

My other favorite gift I gave was my mom's. I always have a hard time buying for her. How do you show your love for the most influential person in your life who has done more for you than anyone else?  It's hard. Well, I opted to go sentimental instead of material. 

Our tree is covered in ornaments with my face on them and also some really weird ones that I made. I was a strange lil' thing. So, I decided that since I hadn't made her an ornament in a while I'd give her a few for Christmas. 

I used my favorite materials. Paper plates, paper sacks, and toilet paper tubes. 

You would think that it wouldn't have been all that great, but they were a hit. (she won't admit it, but I know in my heart that they were her favorite gifts ;)

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Christmas day was really a great time. I looked adorable in new Christmas outfit.

 I finally figured out how the work the hair wand I got last Christmas, I wore my locket (I hadn't put it on yet in the pictures...) I got some great gifts, ate delicious food and spend some quality time with my family. 

Today, I went to work, left early, and hung out with my girl who is heading back to her real life as a Marine on Friday. 

We ate way too much food at the Cheesecake Factory.

And she let me walk into Victoria Secret...so...of course, this happened.

Then I hit the gym in my Muggle Sweatshirt, killed it, fell down (so embarrassing.) And here I am. Over-describing two days in one giant blog post.

If you stuck with me for this long, please, treat yourself to a cookie. You deserve it :)

Happy Wednesday and may your Thursdays totally rock your socks off. 

In The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Initially, I created a vlog post for this, but I just couldn't get it right, so I decided to stick with my strengths and just write like usual.

Every Thanksgiving, I take a little bit of time to show my gratitude for all of the wonderful blessing that I have in my life. Objects, people, opportunity, and so on and so forth.  The following will be more or less a list of things and people. I mention you by name, so if you're just feeling like reading what I have to say about you, the things I am thankful for will be in bold type :) It won't be hard to find yourself!

There are many things in this world that I have to be thankful for. First and foremost, I feel that I should give thanks for my amazing family. 

Family, You have all be so very patient with me. I have had a very rough year and a half or so and every one of you have done nothing but be supportive. I have made a lot of life changing decisions that affect more than just me and it means the world to me that you have been here through thick and thin to help me to succeed in all of my overly ambitious endeavors. 

Responsibility.  I am so thankful for all of the responsibility I have as of late. It is teaching me how to be a grown up. It has taught me that if I'm not looking out for myself, no one else is. Of course, there are people around that will be supportive of me, but they do not hold my fate in their hands. I do. I am so thankful for that. 

Technology and communication. I cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am for modern technology. Without it, I wouldn't have healed as I should have. I wouldn't have been able to keep up a wonderful and emotional long distance relationship. I wouldn't be able to hear my best friend's voice or see his face...It is a great think that I take for granted. I will so appreciate it after I write letters for 3 months...

Bloggy World.  This blog has seriously been such a fantastic blessing in my life. Like I said earlier, I have had a hell of a year and half or so. I have been able to put down everyone of my thoughts here, and I have been met with such support. From strangers, no less. Honestly, having this blog to talk to has enriched my life in ways that I don't even fully understand just yet. 

My Job & The Military. I love my job. I love that I have a job in a place where jobs are so scarce for some. I am so grateful for all the skills I have learned, the friends I have made, and the experience I have gained. 

The military...oh my. Something I never thought I would ever get to be part of, I am going to get to experience. I can't simply describe to you what that means to me and how thankful I am for this chance to live my dream. 

Friends:

in no particular order :)

Will, I don't think you know this, but you have the ability to brighten my day. When you were deployed and I got the chance to talk to you, it made me so happy that I was in a good mood for the rest of the week. Although we have had our ups and downs, I feel like I can always count on you. You will always be honest with me, support me, yell at me, and make up with me when we fight.  I am exponentially thankful for your friendship and I hope that it means half as much to you as it does to me. 

[I feel very sad that I couldn't find a single photo of my bestie and me together]

Christian, I barely know you. Some could argue that I don't know you at all. But it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I've known you all my life. Although when we first started talking, you had zero obligation to me, you let me rant and be annoying. You probably think that I'm totally insane, but having you to talk to had a really positive effect on me that you probably cannot understand.  I hope that one day, we can actually hang out. Talk in person at least! Be real friends, not just the texty kind. 

Kelsey, you and I could be apart for any large amount of time and pick up a conversation like we never stopped talking. I know that I can always lean on you for support and that you will never leave me. I am very thankful for you and for our friendship. I believe it's the lasting kind that won't waver despite distance or time weighing on it. 

J...I can probably just call ya by your name on here now, but you're just...J in my bloggy so that's how you'll stay I guess. I'll keep it brief here, but I am very thankful for you. I am thankful for you and for your family and for all of the awesome adventures that we got to have together. I still think about you every day and it's getting easier to think of you. Instead of being upset, I can just...remember and be okay. I hope that you, too, are thankful for me and for what we had...

Day Family, I don't know how to say how thankful I am for you all. I have never felt so at home in someone else's house as I do in yours. I have learned so much from you all. I built lasting relationships that I know will never disappear completely. I know that if I ever needed anything, I could turn to any one of you and get the help that I need. I love you and I hope that I never have to live without you all as at least a small part of my life. 

And all of my wonderful friends new and old in general! I have some of the most fantastic people in my life...Without you all, I would not be this person that I'm growing into. And oddly enough, I'm actually starting to like that person. It has been a long time since I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw. You all have played a large role in that change. I love you guys and I hope that I have a continued friendship with everyone that is currently a part of my life. 

This past year or so has been...difficult. I have faced so many trials and have been forced to deal with many things that I didn't want to. I have been broken in many ways. I have been hurt and damaged. I have made detrimental decisions. I have made smart and great choices. I have left behind a few things and picked up some new ones...I am thankful for this life that I live. It's not perfect. In fact, it's so far from perfect, one might call it a little dysfunctional, but I don't care. I am thankful for it, not regardless or the bad, but including it. Without it, I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't be Katie. 

And Katie is just not such a bad person to be...

What are you thankful for?

Progress Report!

It feels like I haven't blogged in forever! Don't forget about my "50 Followers" DefineBliss giveaway! Today is the last day to enter!

She was at a show this week! Here is what her booth looked like!

Adorable!

Today's post is a bit of a mish-mash of everything. Usually, I throw down the Sunday Social, but I was tied up this weekend so I didn't get around to it.  And also, I wasn't really in the mood to blog. I've promised myself that I will never blog when I don't feel like it.  Blogging shouldn't be a chore, right?

I had drill with my reserve unit this weekend.

This month, we did an APFT. If you follow me on Twitter (@camocolored) you know that I passed!

Push-Ups: 26 ( I did 32, but only 26 of them counted...)

Sit ups: 60. (I could have done more. Next time, I will!)

2 mile run: 17:06 (my goal was 17:00!!)

I was sooo proud of that. I was more worried about the run than anything and I completely surprised myself. I think that I also surprised the soldiers around me. The SPC. That was counting for me sounded completely shocked every time I did a push-up. It sort of pissed me off a little. You should never judge a book by it's cover...But at the same time, I got satisfaction out of being a surprise.

I also looked much better in my hand-me-down uniform.

See that fuzzy patch in the center where my rank insignia is supposed to be? Well, because I passed my APFT, it won't be fuzzy anymore!! Woo!

I also "adjusted" my patrol cap so that it fit me a little bit better.

Yay for safety pins!

 I also got to see one of my old friends from the Marine DEP that is stationed in North Carolina. We had a good time talking politics and hanging out. We agree on like...everything so it was pretty easy to talk about. No warfare with words.

Plus, the other day, I got to Skype with one of my other Marine buddies who's on deployment right now. That was awesome. I don't realize how much I miss him until I get to see his face and it makes my week. It's great, but it is also hard to have all of my best friends so spread out...

So that's about it. I'm still living life, kicking ass and taking names, having a little bit of fun, and working like a dog to be the best that I can possibly be.

Happy Monday, Bloggy World

(if there is such a thing as a happy monday...)

Change

First of all! I got my anniversary present last night! My ring! I have been feeling so naked without it and I am sooo happy to have it back where it belongs. The thing about wearing a ring, is that I don't love it because it's beautiful and I love it more than any piece of jewlery I've ever owned... (okay I do, but there is more to it.) I wear it because when I look down at it, I get to think about J and how I belong to him and no one else. It makes me feel good and even though I know it anyway, I love to have the ring to remind me. I mean come on, look at it...He picked it out himself without any help from me!

And now onto a completely different topic.

I'm gearing up for a yard sale and a complete room remodel. That means that I have gotten into all the crap on the top shelf of my closet and torn it all down and it looks like this.

Don't judge me for my orange walls...it's my favorite color.

I have found a few little treasure though that I am really excited to use in my new and improved room.

I found this cool little mirror and these plastic shelf things that I'm sure I can put to use and this clothes pin apron that my great grandma embroidered.



And I'm sure that I am just scratching the surface of cool stuff I'm going to find burried in my room.

I have also found a lot of stuff that I want/have to sell in our yard sale. Yesterday, some friends we play music with had a yard sale at their house and my sister took some of her old clothes and toys over there to sell. She make $35+ Which is pretty good when you're selling most stuff for a quarter.

It's funny, though, how I'll find something and I'll want to keep it because it reminds me of something. Like when I was younger I had the planets hanging from my ceiling with a whole bunch of glow-in-the-dark stars. I found them in a bag that I put them all in when I redid my room in highschool. My grandma bought me the solar system kit from the planeterium when I was in fifth or sixth grade and I stuck constellastions (yes, I did actual constellations...I was a nerd) up on my ceiling and putting them in a bag to sell to someone else is a lot harder than I would have thought. All I can think about is how excited I was when I got it and the big hug I gave my grandma.  If I remember correctly it was expensive. And it has pluto in it. I hated pluto, so whatever., but still, it's cool because it's not a planet anymore.

Basically, I'm discovering that getting rid of my old crap will not be as cut-and-dry as I would hope...But oh well I guess, when you grow up, things just have to change.  And usually, it's going to be for the better.

Vacation

On Sunday during work, I decided that I would fight the hard battle of getting someone to cover my shifts for a couple of days while I went on a family vacation. At first I was annoyed to be on it at all due to the fact that I would end up losing hours at work and not get paid as much. And that is never a good thing...but I'm so very glad that I decided to go.
After complaining about how camp spaghetti usually tastes, I earned myself the chore of cooking it for the whole compound camp.  It was really good though, so I'm not complaing anymore!
This trip is to a tiny potato town called Weiser, Idaho. Every year, they hold a national fiddle competition (what's the difference between the violin and the fiddle? There isn't a difference in the actual instrument. Fiddle refers to the style of music played on it.)

We go there and camp in the sticks behind these big buildings that used to be a college or boarding school (there's a big huge history to the area, but I can't remember. The buildings are big and old, that's all that really matters.) All week we play music until all hours of the night and throughout the day making new friends and reuniting with old ones.  This year just so happened to be really cold at night, so we folded down the sides of the wall tent and turned on the heater to jam. Unfortunately the heat got the best of everyone and they started sleepin on the job...

But some people managed to stay awake long enough to keep the jam going. It was probably around 12:00 am when I took this picture. Somehow, the later you stay up, the better the jams get.  But we could just be getting more immune to how crappy it can be sometimes.












The best part of Weiser is playing music with your friends that you don't usually get to see. The second best part? Yard Sales. Seems how this town is pretty small, this is the biggest week of the year for them. There's so many people from out of town that it's the perfecft time for a yard sale. These signs are just the beginning. There were more on the corners of most streets and signs were stapled to half the powerline poles. Needless to say, I had some awesome finds.

This the best used book store ever. I can't even believe how many printings he had from the 1940s and earlier. It's really cool to see.

This is the MINATURE MASTERS contest. They give really excellent musicians tiny instruments and ask them to play them. The kid in the yellow shirt was camp by us. He and his friend drove all the way from Ohio just for this contest. We fed them some pancakes and lent them phones and made friends with them. That's the best part of these things. Music brings people together :)

And that was my family vaction!