Happy Birthday, Kathi!

Here's a shout-out to my future mother-in-law, Kathi! She is a wonderful woman who has a deep love for her family and is willing to help out those who need a hand. She is generous with her time, attention, and opinions. This is a woman who tells it like it is, which is a trait I can admire. I've heard horror stories from some friends regarding their MIL's, but I feel I got lucky with mine. She has taken me in and made me one of her own, which I absolutely appreciate. And best of all, she raised a wonderful man, for which I am truly, truly grateful. So Happy Birthday, Kathi! You are wonderful in so many ways, I just don't have room to blog them all. Enjoy the day and the whole year to come.

What are friends for?

My friend has so graciously stated that she will forgive me for being a liberal Democrat. And I have to object. When I was a Republican, I was considered liberal. Now that I've gone to the other side, I think I am considered a conservative Democrat. But I'm pretty sure my friend thinks that all Democrats are liberal. Based upon that logic, maybe I am a liberal Democrat.

But I forgave her for being a clenched-up conservative Republican, so all is well.

Seriously?

When your presentation is supposed to be 30 minutes long, that doesn't mean to take 50 minutes. Especially when you're boring. Why doesn't the professor stop them? I think he was bored to sleep.

I know I am bored to tears. Literally.

Random Date Night

On Saturday night, Kevin and I went up to do a session in Oakland, but, amazingly enough, the last session starts at 4 PM. We got there at 5:30. So, denied at the temple, we decided to wander around and see all the pretty lights that were up. And I insisted on a few pictures, just because. It seemed a shame to waste a "dress-up" opportunity.

Because no one gets tired of pictures of the two of us, right?
The City from the top of the temple
A proper view of the temple lights.
And then we went to dinner afterwards at the most amazing Thai food place in Livermore. Loved it. Food was amazing, beautifully presented, and pretty decently priced. Pumpkin curry. Yum!

The Great Christmas Tree Hunt!

The weekend after Thanksgiving was preparation for getting into the Christmas spirit at the Athey house. We loaded up kids, adults, and dogs and away we went to the Santa Cruz mountains to find and cut the perfect tree. It was cold outside, some people got lost, and some people were tired and cranky (and not necessarily the two-year olds), but we found the tree and a good time was had by all.

One of the cutest almost-two-year olds EVER!
Dad Athey--our fearless leader in the great Christmas Tree Hunt, 2009
Dan and his tight pants--a holiday memory to cherish for years to come.
Jessie in her seasonally appropriate and stylish neck wrap. It is so important to have the right outfit for every occasion.

Redecorating

You will likely see my blog going through some renovations in the next little bit. I decided it was time for an upgrade and am trying on some new backgrounds for size, just to see how they fit. Since I can't really go after my living space the way I would like (no time, and why put a lot of effort into decorating/arranging when I'm moving in three or four months?), I thought I would put my creative juices into my little blog. So bear with me, and enjoy the changing views.

Thanks

December is almost upon me (well, all of us) which means I can start thinking about putting my fall decor away, and transition into winter/Christmas decorating. But before I go forward with the winter season, I have to pause and reflect on all the many things I am thankful for. I have a ton for which to be grateful. So in no particular order...

I am thankful for:

1) School being almost over. But even more so, the many educational opportunities I have and have had.

2) Kevin (see post here for some of the oh, so many reasons)

3) My ever fantastic family--Team Klima (and Davis)!

4) The Athey's, for making me one of their own

5) The gospel

6) Good, great, and fantastic friends

7) Vanessa! (you are a category in your own right)

8) Traveling the globe

9) This great country (warts and all)

10) All the many blessings that are too numerous to list off.

Needless to say, I am richly blessed and am very grateful to have so many friends and family in my life. I am exceedingly grateful for the month of November that encourages us to look at all the things we have been given and to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. So I bid adieu to fall, and welcome winter. At some point I am going to decorate for winter and the Christmas season. Maybe when I get a chance to breathe.

Be grateful it's not your family on here...

I just keep getting introduced to sites that crack me up. Check out this particular gem that Jeff and Jen (my future brother-and-sister-in-law) introduced me to. It has provided some very entertaining moments this afternoon.

My Top 10 List

WARNING: A somewhat nauseating post below. Read with tolerance.

Ten Reasons I Love Kevin (in no particular order)

1) He brings me flowers for no reason. Just because he knows I love them.

2) He listens to me babble about stuff I've always wanted to do, or miss doing, and then arranges them for date night (ice skating, Fuddruckers, etc.).

3) He loves me enough to not love me enough (for the next four months...).

4) He understands when I am a wench, and just hugs me to help make it better.

5) He is amused by my craziness.

6) He thinks I'm beautiful, and tells me so.

7) He doesn't really get my love of shoes and all things girly, but he doesn't mind waiting for me to get ready to go out, and will try and help me decide between two pairs of shoes.

8) He listens to my concerns, and doesn't brush them off as unimportant. And then he tries to understand and help resolve the issue.

9) He understands that my friendships are important to me, and doesn't begrudge me the time I spend with my girlfriends.

10) He hates talking on the phone, but he'll talk me home when I'm driving back from class late at night.

For all these reasons, and so many more, I love you tons, Babe.

A Time to Give Thanks

I love fall. It is one of my favorite seasons. I especially love November because, as a Davis/Klima, we eat and I am very fond of that activity. But I also love November for the fact that it is an opportunity to reflect on all the things we are thankful for, leading up to the big feast. Thanksgiving usually gets lost in between Halloween and Christmas, but I hold a special place for it in my heart (and not just because of the food). So I would challenge you to not lose sight of Thanksgiving and instead use the month of November to remember all the things we are thankful for. And there are many things for which to give thanks.

A Girl Can Hope...

Katy (aka Terry) and I were hanging out at the Athey house the other night (where Kathi so nicely fed us...much thanks for that!). After dinner we saw a sight that will hopefully continue long years down the road. I REALLY hope Kevin is still helping with chores after we're married.

A New Skill

I mentioned the other night that I needed to get my oil changed, so Kevin offered to do it for me. I was ridiculously excited by that and wanted to learn how, as well. So I went over to his house, borrowed some coveralls, jacked up my car and got to work. I feel very self-empowered and am still ridiculously pleased with myself for that little accomplishment. It was surprisingly easy (and I thought I looked pretty cute in the coveralls). I think I am going to learn how to change a tire next. I have the feeling Kevin and some other people are a little appalled that I don't know how to do that. But hey, that is why I have AAA. Thanks, Babe, for the help and the life skill!

Rockin' the coveralls. It is important to have

the right outfit for every occasion.
Becoming one with the underside of my car. I really did do

a lot of the work--and learned a valuable life skill.
Kevin made sure I did it correctly.

An Ode to Becky

I've mentioned my future SIL Becky previously, but she has provided me with some great material lately, so I felt the need to dedicate a post especially to her. I came over to the Athey house one night to find Becky breaking in her wedding shoes (the big day is fast approaching--approximately 5 weeks to go to Dec. 19th and wedded bliss!) and somehow coordinating her heels with her PJs. That is a fashion statement I can appreciate.

Last week, Becky went through the temple for her own endowments and it was a marvelous experience to be there with her. The Atheys have a tradition for after someone goes through the temple. They go to Fenton's afterward for food and ice cream (for those of you who saw the Pixar movie UP, Fenton's is a real place in Oakland. Super yummy). I LOVE this tradition. After we came home around 10:30 PM, Zac (Becky's fiance) and Dad Athey went back to working on Zac's truck and putting the brakes back together so Zac could drive home to Santa Rosa. It was a very eventful evening.

So here is to you, Becky. You are a fabulous person who is warm, funny, friendly, kind, and incredibly talented. I'm glad I've gotten to know you since I moved into the ward, and am grateful that we were able to become friends. I like to think it bodes well for our future as SILs. You're marvelous and fabulous and will make a beautiful bride. But I am even more excited to see you continue in your journey as the wonderful woman I already know you as.

You have to admire a girl who can coordinate

her heels with her PJs! And rock the hat, on top of it.
The new business casual look.
Becky and Zac share a moment at Fenton's.

Zac and Dad Athey having a male bonding moment.

KLIMA-ween!

Halloween has long been a huge deal in my family. My dad goes all out in the decorating department (as seen in photos below) and has a ton of fun with it. It is always entertaining to watch people slow down when they pass the house so they can look at the setup. And when the random strangers wander in to the house (it has happened a few times--for some reason they think it is open to the public), it is always entertaining. But I love Halloween and the fun that goes with it. I can't wait to take my kids trick-or-treating with my dad someday. I think all involved will have a blast.

I dragged Kevin home with me this year to experience Halloween, Klima-style. He seemed to enjoy it (at least he didn't say different). But I think he passed the test, so my dad is letting me marry him. Good thing, because I already bought the wedding shoes!

The missionaries came over to teach an investigator. He's been waiting a long time to hear the gospel.
I guess it just isn't Halloween without a flaming pumpkin in the family graveyard.
The wizard of the family--my Dad!
My mom's Sunday School class. They came over for a party, and we scared the heck out of them! Good times.
Good food, good times! I LOVE Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Here's to my Mom! Her birthday was yesterday, and of course I am late in posting, but better late than never.

I have to brag about having the worlds greatest mom. She is one of my best friends, and is always there for me. She listens to my worries and concerns, supports me in all I do, does whatever she can to help me, and offers her advice when I ask for it (and doesn't barrage me with her opinions unsolicited. I love that quality!). When I think about the Relief Society motto, "Charity Never Faileth," it always makes me think about my mom. She genuinely cares about people and will go out of her way to help them and make them feel important and special. If I can be half the woman and mother she is, then I will have accomplished a great deal and be a very lucky girl. I could go on and on, but I don't want to make her blush (too much).

So Happy Birthday Mom! I love you lots and am very fortunate and proud to be your daughter. You're the best!

Adventures in Babysitting

Saturday was a Scouting day. Kevin is the scoutmaster in his ward, and this month they are working on the Citizens of the Nation merit badge. Part of the requirements are to tour the State Capital, visit a museum, and visit a place that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Basically, a trip to Sacramento. Since I am the history geek of the group, I was invited to come along. We toured the state capital, learned a little about the state's history, went to Old Sacramento and toured the train museum, then wandered Old Sac for a little bit. With all the great history there, for some reason the boys were VERY desirous of finding a candy store and spending their money there. We found one and I think that is the part of the trip they liked the best. Even better than the In n' Out we had for dinner. It was an exhausting day, but a fun one. I enjoyed myself immensely. But man, sheparding those scouts is exhausting.

At the train museum.
Bonding with the state bear. I call him Humphrey...just because it seems like a good name for him.
A teaching moment at the state capital.

The Scouting group in the State Capital rotunda
Representing Eureka...my "home sweet home"
The State Capital
The adults weren't the only ones exhausted at the end of the day.

Grandma Tour 2009

This past weekend was a whirlwind of family visits. On Saturday Kevin and I drove out to Chico to visit my Grandma. Grandma was having some technological problems, and so Kevin stepped up to the plate and tried to fix them (that's my man!). The computer was easily taken care of, but the printer was beyond hope. After staying the night in Chico, we were off to Kevin's Grandma Helen in Grass Valley area. We had some lunch and visited for awhile, and then hopped in the car for the ride home. In between, I managed to do some homework and took care of some studying that I had been procrastinating. It was a good weekend, and an excellent road trip with one of my favorite traveling buddies. Now we just need to work on the random side trips when on a road trip. Good times!

Apologies

I was extremely busy this last weekend with school, work, and the various date night activities. So there are many posts of various things and events. I'm sorry to throw so much at you, but I know you are all fascinated by my life and its happenings. So enjoy the many and varied posts below.

Star Wars...In Concert!

We all love Star War's, and Kevin might love it a little bit more than most. So for his birthday, we went to see Star War's, In Concert! It was fantastic. A full symphony orchestra played the music from Star War's, and the guy who played C3PO was the narrator. Different scenes from all six of the movies were shown as the orchestra played. It was amazingly cool and I enjoyed the whole experience. And let us not forget the special treat of seeing some people (children AND adults) dressed up as characters. Just because. It was the whole Star War's saga in approximately two hours. Perfect.

Help me Obie Wan Kanobe...I've lost my mind!
Where the magic happened (I couldn't use my flash, so the pics are kind of bad. Sorry!)
The obligatory couple shot.

Playtime!

This is what I do in class on Wednesday nights. Jealous?

Fun with Fall

On Saturday night I had my first experience with a corn maze. The night was fun and full of the sounds and scents of autumn (one of my favorite times of year) and we had fun running around the corn and trying to find our way out. Kevin's younger brother (whom you know as Twinkie) happens to be dating a very good friend of mine (you all know her as Terry) and so we had a double date. I love fall and all its activities. Super fun!

Obligatory ring shot
Twinkie has some digestive issues--lacking a large intestine has some strange side effects...
Terry and Twinkie...you have to love the name alliteration
Aren't we just too cute for words?

Shopping Extravaganza!

Last weekend Vanessa and I embarked on an incredibly fun-filled weekend of pampering and shopping. We went looking for wedding dresses (for me!) in Sacramento and decided to turn it into a major girly event. Since it was Conference weekend, we went up Friday night and stayed in Sac, got up the next morning to watch Conference (and gave ourselves facials, manicures, and pedicures while watching AND taking notes). Then it was off to the dress shop, where we had tons of fun and took lots of pictures. And I can't post them here for obvious reasons. But you'll see me in the final choice in about six months.

After the wedding dress extravaganza, we hit DSW and the Folsom outlets for a little retail therapy (weddings are stressful on a girl...). And as always, we had way too much fun together. The shoe store offered some particular delights.

My partner in crime!

The purse that doubles as lingerie!

We thought we had both found scary, ugly shoes, but I think I won with the sequined bits of ugliness. They are shoes a two-bit hooker would wear on Second Street. At least Vanessa's red selection puts her in the high-priced escort category.
I think these were the worse offender's in the store. I love Steve Madden shoes, but he let me down with this monstrosity. At least it gives Vanessa some ankle support.
I am fascinated by these shoes and would not mind owning a pair. I don't know where I would wear them, but I'm sure I could figure something out.

Grade school or Grad school?

Only in graduate school is it kosher for the students to have field trips on a fairly regular basis (there are 4 in one class, alone), and to play with Legos. We have a class where we have to design a part of a city, and Legos are the buildings. So, I played with Legos tonight, and get to play with them every week for the next five weeks. So, grad school is basically play time. I can live with that.

Sparkle Motion...Live!

I can't stop watching the Sparkle Motion video. It cracks me up every time I watch it (and sometimes I just need a good laugh). Since I enjoy it so much, I thought the rest of my public would enjoy it as well. So hopefully you can view it (and find it as funny as I do). I am the light on the right, and Vanessa is center. An old friend from the LBC, Meredith (for the benefit of readers who are not familiar with some of my friends from SoCal), is the light on the left.

But basically we went last at the talent show and brought the house down. I think we were the best thing going that night. Not that I am biased or anything, of course. But enjoy!

I finally get it!

I finally get how people who are getting married only talk about their weddings. Because there are so many details in the planning that it just consumes your life. If anyone asks how you are doing or what is new, that is the only thing that you are doing. Food, music, decor, flowers, photography, clothes, guests. It is all-consuming. I am trying so hard not to be that girl who bores everybody with wedding talk, but honestly, it can be hard because I don't have a whole lot else going on. My saving grace is school, because I have something else to share and talk about. But people can only pretend to be interested in my "inner geek" (i.e. planning, architecture, history, etc.) for so long. So my conversational topics have become vastly diminshed and limited. But I'm doing my best to keep up with the goings on in the world, and being able to hold my own with those around me. But forgive me if I lapse into wedding talk too much and too often. It really is all that is going on with my life. I love it. I'm ectstatic that I'm marrying Kevin. But I understand how boring it is for the rest of the world (trust me...I've been on the other side...often).

A New Addition to the Blog Family

You might notice there is a new blog listed under my long line of "peeps" attached to this blog. It is titled "Our Wedding Blog" and contains some general information regarding the wedding. Look for some updates, information, etc. But you will still get updates and other fun facts on this blog. But stay tuned...

Seriously?

You would think that by the time a person reaches a higher education level (i.e. college) they would know how to conduct themselves in a public restroom. But I walked into the women's restroom in one of the buildings after tonight's class and it was the biggest mess I've ever seen. Toilets weren't flushed, paper was strewn around the floor, and there was hair in the sink. Seriously. I've been in truck stop restrooms that were cleaner than that. Truckers are cleaner than college students. Who would have thought.

Just one of those days...

Today is just one of those days. I've been pretty exhausted and stressed out this whole week. School, wedding, moving, and all other sorts of things have culminated in making me not the best person to be around. And I think it affected the office in which I work, because today all four of us in there are dragging. We all hurt somewhere (head, back, hands, all over...), and we are just not in the best of moods. So that resulted in an emergency trip to Safeway, for donuts, Diet Coke, and peanut butter M&M's. Not the best breakfast you can think of, but entirely necessary to our continued survival of getting through the morning. And the rest of the day. I must say, so far it has worked because we are all a little more chipper and have a bit more energy. So thank goodness for massive amounts of sugar.

Movie Viewing

Kevin has finally seen Singing in the Rain. So that makes two down (we watched the Wizard of Oz before going to see Wicked) and one to go...Footloose. I am thinking I might need to have a movie night with this movie as the primary cinematic viewing feature. Good food, good fun, good times. Slowly but surely Kevin will be exposed to some of the movies that are part of the vast social mileu.

Shout Out!

Saturday was moving day. It was over 100 degrees, and there was some heavy lifting to do down stairs from one place and upstairs to another. But I had a great team that was tremendous and without whom nothing would have been accomplished. So here is a shout-out to my amazing moving team; Kevin (who is kind of contractually obligated at this point for things like this, but I love and appreciate him even more after the move), the Athey clan (my future parents-in-law, and future siblings-in-law, Twinkie, and B., all of whom I absolutely adore), and Terry and Sherry (all names changed to protect the innocent...or you just know them by other names from past introductions). So thank you, thank you, thank you, to the most amazing team. I am grateful for family and friends such as you.

Love...Twue Love

Is it wrong to kind of want the Love...Twue love speech from the wedding in the great Mormon girl classic "Princess Bride" to be incorporated into my wedding day somewhow? I think it would be kind of hilarious.

Because lets face it, love, twue love, is the reason we will be gathered that day. And I really want to have some fun with it.

A few facts and details...

So here are a few facts that everyone has been clamoring for.

We are getting married March 27th, 2010 in the Oakland Temple. There will be a reception later that evening.

We are getting married then for a few reasons.

1) We like that date and the time it gives us to get things organized, etc.
2) That is the beginning of my Spring Break, so we have a nice chunk of time for the honeymoon (woohoo!).
3) I am kind of anti getting married around holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) because there is enough going on around that time period without adding another stressor (i.e. a wedding) into the mix. Besides, I want my anniversary to stand alone as its own little holiday.
4) We met during Conference Weekend, and we'll be getting married the week before Conference. I like the idea of our wedding (and future anniversaries) occuring at that time. It is a nice memory and now I get to celebrate it as my wedding date.
5) It works for us.

But as I have more details I will let you know and keep you all posted. Because I know you're excited and just can't wait. : )

Super Ineligible

As you may have heard, I got engaged on Saturday night (thus cementing my ineligible status). Many have asked for the story, and as I am only to happy to appease my adoring fans (plus share my incredible news), I am posting the story here for your reading pleasure.

About three weeks ago, when Kevin and I were out on our regular date night, he handed me an envelope. Inside were tickets to Wicked, playing in San Francisco. I was extremely excited, since I love the show. I spent the the time eagerly anticipating the day of the show. The day arrives and Kevin picks me up (looking incredibly handsome in his new suit) and we go to dinner at Postino in Laffeyette. It is a really nice Italian resturaunt with incredible food. After dinner, and while waiting for our dessert, Kevin says, "You look amazing tonight, but I think you are missing something." And I, who had spent a good portion of the day getting ready, did not fully understand. He hands me a jewlery box, and I open it to see the most gorgeous engagement ring sitting in the box, and he asked me to marry him. I was a deer in the headlights and just started shaking. It was pretty bad. But I managed to say yes, and he put the ring on my finger. And it was really the most perfect night.

After that, we did go up to San Francisco to see Wicked. Luckily, I had seen it before, so when I was distracted by the ring and Kevin, I still knew what was happening on the stage. By the time we started driving home from the show, it had all really started to sink in. I'm crazy in love and just incredibly happy. But I have also posted pictures below. So enjoy. And stay tuned for exciting updates!

Me and my ring
Close up of the ring
The happy couple

Feasting

I love the random parties that come together. At work today, one of the girls was talking about the fresh tomatoes that are on the vine in her garden. We started talking about how good the combination of tomato, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and salt is. With a side of sourdough bread and butter, of course. So, as we left for lunch, one girl was in charge of obtaining the tomatoes from her garden and olive oil and salt from her pantry. Another was in charge of getting the mozzarella cheese, another a loaf of sourdough bread and I was in charge of dessert (which turned out to be incredible chewy double chocolate fudge brownies). We assembled together after lunch, and after we got some stuff cleared up, we feasted on our little snack. It was delicious. And we ate a ton. I am not hungry for dinner at all. But it was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed our impromptu feast. Good times, all around.

And the verdict is...

The polls are closed and the verdict is in...the winner is "Singing in the Rain," by a couple votes. So sometime soon, Kevin will be introduced to this classic of American cinema. One of the truly great movies of all time, with catchy tunes and references still used and understood today. To know Singing in the Rain is to know America.

I think watching this movie could be considered a patriotic duty, which, if I remember correctly, the Boy Scouts are sworn to do (don't they do their duty to God and their country?). So, as an Eagle Scout, I think it is doubly mandatory for Kevin to have watched this masterpiece at least once.

Winding Down

Summer is winding down. I have had a great time on my break from classes, but all good things must come to an end. I have a list of things I wanted to get accomplished this summer. Just places I wanted to go and things I wanted to see and do. Did any of them happen? Just two. I crossed off trips to the zoo and Sacramento. I've loved my summer break. Even if I didn't get a great deal crossed off the list, I have always had a good time. So before classes begin again, I get to go see Wicked next weekend, and the weekend after that I head home for a visit with the family (dragging Kevin with me, as I always do. But he enjoys it...or so he says). So there are still things to do with the summer. But the good times and carefree ways are coming to end. I've enjoyed them all, though.

Denied!

Kevin went shoe shopping without me. He did good, I like what he picked out. But come on. For a self-professed snob about shoes, don't you think I should have been asked for my opinion. Isn't that my job as the girlfriend?

The Classics

There has been some debate between myself and another person (ahem...Kevin), regarding some classic movies. I contend that the Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, and Footloose, are just a few movies that are classics for a variety of reasons. To watch them is to have an understanding of so many cultural references, not to mention the fact that they are just really great movies. I can agree that Star Wars (at least the three made first) are incredibly good movies. I like them, and grew up watching them. I even cried during Return of the Jedi when the little Ewok was killed in the battle towards the end (I was 7, and had become emotionally attached to them during the movie Ewoks and the Battle for Endor). But to ignore movies because they are musicals is just crimminal. So, I have decided that Kevin needs to see some of these movies (if he can introduce me to sci-fi stuff, then I can bring a little old school musical into his life). So, in order to help with my mission, I have included a little poll off to the side. Which classic do you think we should start off with?

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

This is a couple days late, but I've been lazy about logging on to the computer. Nevertheless.

Happy Birthday Vanessa! You are an incredible person, and I'm glad you're my friend. I look back over our years together (we've been a couple longer than you and Robb, and me and Kevin. The guys need to respect that!), and have laughed over so many things. Cracking your back when we were new roommates, massages in Thailand, the Beach House trips, and so much more. Valentine's Day at Costco. Tortilla soup and bakery at Hof's Hut and gyros at George's. The list goes on and on. Happy, happy birthday, my friend. The world is a better place because you are in it and I am just grateful for the wonderfulness that is you. May you enjoy the last year of your 20s.