Home Owners At Last!

I got my wish!
We are moving!

I don't feel like Nate and i were really actively looking for a house it all just kind of happened on its own. We both were always on reality website looking at properties getting ideas for our future house seeing what was out there. That week Nate and i both had been sending each other more MLS# more than usual. He sent me one Friday afternoon that he had received in his email and told me to take a look. I don't know what his thoughts really were the first time he looked at it. But as i was scrolling through the MANY photos that listings normally don't have. I was trying to figure out what was standing out to him instead of actually looking for me. As i got to the yard and the deck i started to get his picture. So that's when i started back at the beginning of the photos looking for myself. I have gotten to the point when i look at photos now from all my extensive time watching Property Brothers ( BEST SHOW EVER!!) I take down walls add new things here and there. Which has probably made me a lot less picky in my house buying process cause i can see a bigger picture than what is already there. Anyways through out the weekend we kept looking back at those photos talking about the things we liked and wanted to update. We even drove out to the neighborhood to see if we liked it. WE NEVER DID STUFF LIKE THIS EVER!! Finally we decided to see if we could even get qualified so we could get it out of our systems. To both of our surprise we did! So we set up an appointment to actually go and see the house. I new i wouldn't be completely ok with the idea of only ever looking at one house so we picked a couple others too. The first one we went to was a MEGA disappointment just pulling into the neighborhood and seeing the house i knew it wasn't for me. We looked anyways and i hated the ENTIRE house. The second house was the house we had been watching for a couple days we knew exactly where it was and were super excited to go and finally look through it. It did not disappoint we did get a little nervous with how many other Realtor cards were on the table from showing that had happened that day. We knew if we wanted we needed to jump on it. We put in an offer that next morning and it was accepted later that afternoon. Sadly this was at the beginning of April and our close date is not until the END of MAY. We still need to sell our double wide trailer. So we have been plenty busy. I never knew how long getting everything with the lender took, this has been the most nerve racking part of the entire thing! But we are officially approved and close on our house May 27.

Get ready for before and after project OVERLOAD!!

Rainbow Double Birthday Cake

This cake was MASSIVE!! I was asked to create a double birthday cake for my niece and nephew who had just turned 1! I was told something simple... Well as you can tell i don't really know what SIMPLE is. I got slightly stuck when coming  up with an idea because i needed something that would work for both genders. Thats when Tiffany came up with the idea of doing a Rainbow cake and here is the result!

More New Callings... We Need to MOVE!

Nate received another new calling he was released from assistant scout master and was asked if he would be the 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency as well as the Scout Master. He of coarse willingly accepted and is loving every second of it so far! Sunday was full of meetings and chances as they are switching to the new counselors and switch people roles. He said he felt a small glimpse of what it was like for his Dad every Sunday when he would have meetings all day long. So proud of him!

A couple days after Nate received his new call i received a phone call from a member of the Stake and went into panic mode! I sent Nate a text telling him that we needed to move.. I was getting noticed by the Stake so we have obviously lived in the same house for to long now. ( a whole whopping year and a half!!) I wont even write down what i was afraid of because then it will come true. It was definitely a sigh of relief when i finally was able to sit down and see what call they had in store for me. I feel like this calling was hand picked for me! I was called as a Youth Specialist for the Multi-Stake Youth Conference, it is basically a mini EFY. I attended EFY every single year i was able to even twice one summer, I LOVE EFY. I am so excited for this new calling even though it's just temporary.

New Year - New Goals - New Changes

2013 has come to an end and i must say i am not very upset about it..... i am ready for 2014 and the new challenges and trials that come with it.... BRING ON 2014

Attend the temple regularly at least once a month.. this is only 12 TIMES  which is very doable.... so i am adding another part to this one! There are currently 13 operating temples in Utah so i think a goal of visiting 6/13 this year isn't shouldn't be to hard right? (when i told Nate about the different temple he said "Why only 6?" well 6 are in a reasonable distance plus St George since we are planning on taking Madi to The Little Mermaid this summer anyways so we will already be there.

1. Mount Timpanogos
2. Oqurrih Mountain
3. Salt Lake
4. Provo
5. Draper
6. St George
7. Jordan River
8. Logan
9. Vernal
10. Manti
11. Monticello
12. Ogden
13. Bountiful

FINANCES! 
Budget meetings!!
        To keep us both always informed.. a budget does no good if you both aren't on the same page.
Be DEBT FREE minus our mortgage and car loans.
Save money for a rainy day and a HOUSE

New Callings
Nate was released as my co-teaching partner for Sunday School 13-18 class and called to be the Assistant Scout Master. I was informed that i would be doing a life sentence in Sunday School and they had no plan on releasing me anytime soon.. (Nate said its karma for always making him teach..... so now i have to do my time)
I on the other hand and making a new goal to rededicate myself to my visiting teaching calling! Nate has always been good about doing his home teaching so i need to do the same!

Halloween 2013

Happy Halloween

Fall Fun!!

Cornbellys for date night.

Fall is my FAVORITE time of the year and sometimes Nate just gets dragged along for the ride! For the most part he is a good sport at letting me have all my fall fun! Although he has told me that i take Halloween way to serious.. I am okay with that! Hopefully one day my children will appreciate it!

Had my first HOMEMADE CARAMEL APPLE attempt... As you can see trial one was a big fat FAIL!!! I tried the Giada recipe from foodnetwork.com that i had watched her make on her show.. well hers looked better.  Then researched some tips and tricks and apparently cheap caramel unlike Giada's advice is not the way to go.. Peter's Caramel you are my new favorite! But since i am a perfectionist and i like my treats to not only taste great but looks great i needed a confidence booster so here are Sugar Cookies. 

This was my first try ever doing outlining and flooding with Royal Icing. Other than my arm wanting to fall of by the end i was pretty happy with my results!

I was also able to go to Hee Haws with my Mom and sisters. We had lots of fun! Even though it was cold and only my mom and I wanted to be there... 

My Kind of Luck

Have you ever been in the drive-thru at the bank and wondered "what if/can the tube could get stuck?" 

The answer is YES it can. How do I know WELL.... it happened to ME! 

Yes i was in the drive-thru at the bank needing to get some cash back ( not the normal $20 you can get from the ATM) So i filled out a withdrawal slip put in my drivers license and sent the tube into the teller. A moment later a lady got on the screen but not the normal... questions like.. "are you Katelyn?" "is there anything else you need?"...ect... She mentioned that the tube HAD NOT COME THROUGH, that she was going to try to send it back to me and i would just need to resend it. I waited a moment NOTHING she popped back up "ANYTHING?" NOPE! We tried this back and forth for awhile, even putting in another tube to try and knock it out of place but NOTHING WORKED! They mentioned it had never been stuck that bad and that they would need to call a maintenance man..

Meanwhile my DRIVERS LICENSE is in that tube.. Obviously with my awesome luck right now the first thing that crossed my mind was that i would get pulled over, and have to give this ridiculous story to a cop EXPLAINING why i did not have my license on me....Thankfully i never got pulled over.

 The bank called later that day saying that had got it out but BANK HOURS are AWFUL so i had to wait to get it back! 

 Sometimes things happen that you never thought could happen!

It's Contagious!

Everything Thursday my work treats us to lunch. This week was my turn to pick up we had all agreed on Costco pizza. Since i was paying with a work card i needed to stand in the forever long line just to pay. This sweet tenderhearted woman in front of me noticed that i didn't have a cart and  i wasn't holding anything, and urged me to step in front of her. Knowing she had a cart that in my eyes wasn't that full polity i declined knowing that she was there before me. She then encouraged me to step ahead of her again telling the cashier that it was my turn at this point i couldn't refuse and accepted her kind gesture. As i was walking out the exit i ran into her again and thanked her that it was very nice of her she smiled and replied i would hate to be stuck behind me with my giant cart. I smiled back as she walked away i'm sure not knowing how much that little kind gesture meant to me. Its definitely contagious though on my way to my car i complemented two random strangers and got to see their smile too. I'm sure to some people this was just such a simple thing but for me today it was perfect.

Valentines 2013

Normally for Valentines we do a mini SLC vacation. 

This year with other things going on it just wasn't in the cards. But that doesn't mean it still wasn't great! (.......as long as we don't discuss the events leading up to it... and the almost canceled holiday..... but we wont talk about that.... )

Nate sent me a delicious Edible Arrangement which was perfect because the night before i was not feeling very well and food didn't sounds great. But FRUIT really hit the spot.

Nate had been going back and forth all day if he wanted to keep our dinner reservations or do it on another date... because of me not feeling well and he had a sore in his mouth making it hard to eat normally...... 

We did end up keeping our reservations and we ate at Market Street Grill and Nate had purchased us movie tickets for Safe Haven. 

I was excited!!!

Mr Nate is a little movie ruin-er though!!! Okay i wouldn't call him a ruin-er that is a little harsh but he has this ability to know exactly what is going to happen! My sister saw the movie at a different location and called me after and both of us were SHOCKED not sure how he had it all figured out!

Thanks for seeing Safe Haven with me... even though i know you secretly enjoyed it ;)

My New Years Resolution!

Since we have been married i have been pretty good about decorating for HOLIDAYS. That is UNTIL we decide that we aren't going to be staying at our current apartment for as long as planned. As soon as that happens all decorating is done, i might as well put everything in a box... SERIOUSLY.
 Sooooo... that being said i have never been able to get any of our places to be completely decorated with NORMAL decor.
So that is my goal for the year.. To make our house a home. To actually use the book shelf as a book shelf and not just a storage unit.... To hang more than just a cluster of pictures... To CHANGE the pictures so its not just wedding and engagement photos. Luckily for me i have Pinterest on my side and i can get plenty of inspiration so i can attempt to stay on budget!
Other goals include; catching up on our yearly photobooks, trying new things, possibly adding a member to the family, and being a better at writing in my journal both scripture and personal.

Welcome 2013

Nate had plans to go ice fishing on New Years Day, so i made plans with my sister. We decided to go to the AQUARIUM! Is there a better way to jump start the new year?? I THINK NOT! It was nice to have a sister day and some what escape reality. We both love the aquarium so we felt right at home. She even made me touch a shark! Yes i touched a shark in UTAH! 

Year in Review 2012

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Christmas 2012

We were very blessed this Christmas season. Nate had lots of opportunities for side jobs and we were able to get the things we were needing and wanting. We spent Christmas Eve at Janet's and had a Mexican inspired dinner and a dance party in the garage. Nate and i decided on our way home that it would be beneficial for us to do presents when we got home so we could attempt to sleep in. So that is what we did.

Christmas morning our alarms went off and i was definitely not ready to be up for the day but we had lots on our agenda. So i got up and started frosting sugar cookies. ( icing not so great for breakfast) We did our usually my moms house and Alexis' then we went to Les Miserables!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thanksgiving Celebration

Sometimes i am awful at taking pictures when i need to..... I thought it might get easier since i have been die hard into Shutterfly lately... but NO.
Thanksgiving this year was with my Dad so i don't have a fun nervous story of me trying to figure out how to make some tasty Thanksgiving necessity. Nate got up early that morning to go hunting, and Molly and i hung out in bed and watched the Macys Day Parade. We got up to the Sundance Lodge/Cabin my dad had rented about 1 and we ate dinner about an hour or so later. Since the whole family had traveled in from all over my Dad & Michelle planned on doing Christmas the same weekend. Everyone stayed at the cabin from Wednesday - Sunday. ( except for Nate and I who travel to and from each day) They planned games and activities for each day that included prizes! It was fun to spend time with everyone since we aren't able to see them very often. It did make Nate and I want a Pool Table and a Ping Pong Table we spend lots of time enjoying both. Maybe one day when we don't live in a double wide trailer.
Of coarse i went BLACK FRIDAY shopping!! I couldn't convince Nate to go to Walmart with me ( not that i blame him) So my dear friend Rachel was more than happy to join me, and man was she a good pick for that venture! She was FEISTY got in and got exactly what she wanted! Since she was amazing and came with me i headed over to Target with her. Target was ALOT more organized it just took longer to get into the store but once you were it was WAY easier! I got a good stock of movies and BOTH locations.. After that we split ways and i went to pick up Nate for Kohls which was really the only places i have even planned on going to. Nate had fallen asleep so when i went to wake him i told him to hurry and get dressed so we could go.. to my surprise he pulled back to covers and was ready!..... he had gone to bed completely dressed!
My list was pretty straight forward at  Kohls so we did the usual divide and conquer. Nate was supposed to get his list and head straight to the register LINE. Which he did NOT!! hahah He thought the line wasn't very long.... ( he wasn't looking at the right line)  So i found something in the jewelry counter so i could check out there, it saved us about 3 hours in the check out line and it was WORTH IT! My planning paid off for the most part, i only went over my budget by about $30. BUT it did make it so i got one more Kohls CASH soooooo it was really like only going $15 over but i have other rewards too..... SOOOO if you really think about it i was UNDER BUDGET!!!!

Katelyn's 22 Birthday

So since on my birthday i was on a strange doctored order diet that included no sugar or glutten and a few other odd things. 

i decided i wasn't going to make my cake... on my birthday. 

I have a baking addiction so i couldn't just go without, since i have been planning my cake for a LONG time i will post pictures when that actually happens! 

My actual birthday was great Nate took me to dinner and a movie and it was great just to spend time with him!

Halloween 2012

Not much to say about Halloween, this year wasn't to exciting we did the normal! 

Stopped by to see Brianna who wasn't even in her costume yet!! Then headed to Janet's for the neighborhood trunk or treat.

 This year was different for costumes though Nate asked ME what we were being for HALLOWEEN what?!!

 No begging you to do it with me?! 

I guess i am finally starting to wear on him, and i guess it helps that i don't ask that he dress up like Peter Pan or something funny like that!

This year we were Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf!

YAY for home made costumes!

Molly was going to be a pumpkin but she was WAY to little for all of the ones at the store! 

SO we just got her a cute Halloween shirt to wear!

I also made some YUMMY Halloween Cookies!

 

 

He is going in for a kiss not to eat her! LOL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

New Addition

So we did something slightly crazy.

I was innocently browsing some classifieds for puppies.

You know... just looking. I had already been in contact with a breeder and we were planning on waiting until spring to get a puppy.

I came across this add for an adorable little Malt-shi-poo (Maltese, Shih tzu, Poodle mix) 

So i did what anyone would do i came home and showed Nate what i had come across while browsing the web.

To my SHOCK!!! He said lets go look...  Let me tell you this- no one just looks at puppies.

I told Nate not to let me get one unless i was completely in love with it because i really was holding out for my pure breed Maltese.

BUT THEN..

 It was seriously love at first sight. 

A couple hours later she was heading home with us!

We can't get enough of this little pup.

She is ridiculously ADORABLE (in Brianna's words) loving, clumsy, curious, all wrapped in one. 

AND sometimes a little MONSTER but we love her dearly, how could you not?! 

She is the perfect little early birthday present!

MEET MOLLY!!!!

First day!

Just cuddling!

Treyson loves to play!

Isaac loves to hug and kiss her!

Sleepy puppy

Out cold!

Blessing in Disguise

We have news.... We're....... MOVING! We were planning on moving into Nate's brother Morgans basement apartment coming this fall. Everything was planned and in the process of being ready. Well things change and we had to make other arrangements.So we just bought our VERY OWN PLACE in OREM. I am not going to lie i was kind of upset when our plans fell through we didn't have much time to figure out something else. But it has turned into a blessing we weren't expecting ( not that you ever really expect blessings but that's not the point) It at happened super quick, my brother AJ heard we were looking for something and started calling around before i knew it i had several phone numbers in my possession of people who i needed to call. One stood out most of all to us so we called up the lady and she said that she was selling it first come first serve which made us super nervous because our lease at Pleasant Spring.. ( evil apartment place) was not up until October and its still AUGUST.. Thankfully everything fell into place because a week later we were holding the keys to our very own place! We immediately ( literally the night we got the keys) started painting the master bedroom, i have been wanting to paint since our very first place but it makes NO SENSE to paint a rental! The place was in great condition and has good paint already so really it was just because i wanted to. There was only a small amount of touch up paint that needed to be done. We got the carpets cleaned a few days later and then got some smelly goods in there because it smelt like an old lady.. and not in the good way.
We had talked to our apartment manager and asked if we could move out and we would continue to pay until a new renter moved in and she told us that was not an option.. LAME!!  Then three weeks later Nate went in basically asking the same thing just in boy terms and she told us just to move out as quickly as possible and when someone moves in the contract will be broke! OMG is that not what i wanted three weeks ago?!! I feel like that is VERY sexist! So long story short i walked in the door and we instantly start packing! We started Friday afternoon with the assistance of Nate's little brother Michael. We got all the big stuff over and finished that night. Then Saturday i had to work so my sweet husband moved the majority of the stuff over by himself!
Unpacking did not go nearly as quickly as it did in our other moves we learned we have little to no drawers ANYWHERE! So we still have random who knows boxes that we will dissolve eventually.

The new place is coming together quite nicely. I will be excited when the decorating is finish or at least in the works so that it feels more homey. 

Here is a PREVIEW

Master Bedroom BEFORE paint

Master Bedroom AFTER paint

Kitchen View from FRONT DOOR

Kitchen View from the HALL

Bathroom Cabinets this is what all of them look like

I will post more when the boxes are gone!