Thanks for the memories #8

So today is a very special thanks for the memories.

I'm thankful for my sister... who just got engaged to this incredible guy!

Not sure how to make it bigger but you get the idea. This is Emily and her fiance Luke!!!

OK first off, here's why I'm thankful for my sister. Emily is 4 1/2 years older than me (almost exactly - she was born August 13, I was born February 22, literally a week away from exactly 4 1/2 years), 5 in school. I was definitely not an ideal little sister in a lot of ways... and there were times she would torment me too (like telling her kindergarten sister if she told some 4th grade boys she was in love with them I'd be allowed to play in her room)... but underneath it all Emily was constantly there for me. This is the girl that in 5th grade was often late to class cause she had to walk her sister to kindergarten, drop me off, give me a hug, and tell me she loved me every day. This is the girl that stuck up for me when kids made fun of how skinny I was, or how my brace looked. She constantly encourages me and loves listening to me nerd out about old houses and museums. Granted, she's also the one that nicknamed me "Skankfest" in 6th grade and says stuff like "Katherine needs a hott firefighter that can lift her up and cook for her!" But for 23 years, she has been an amazing role model for me. Emily is most definitely one of the strongest people I know, the girl has been through more than I can and will say and always comes out stronger and better because of it - how many people can say that? There have been times in my life where I've been scared to do things, but I look at Emily and say "if she can do it, so can I". Emily, I'm so thankful that you're my sister because you've been the best one I could have ever asked for! I love you so much!

Why was it so important for me to post about Emily today? See, my super smart, talented, beautiful, incredibly strong, inspiring, and amazing older sister truly found her perfect match when this hott guy came through Shreveport, Louisiana playing Hamlet in a tour for the American Shakespeare Center. Yesterday, these two made it official when Luke proposed. Emily had NO idea that it was coming this soon and literally curled into the fetal position bawling when he got down on one knee :-). I'm SO happy for them!

I'm gonna write a 2nd post talking about Emily AND Luke so this one doesn't get SUPER long. I just wanted to say how thankful I am to have this amazing woman as my older sister and to have such a great guy coming into our family!

So for now I'll end this by sayuing...

CONGRATULATIONS EMILY AND LUKE! WE LOVE YOU!

Thanks for the memories- #2 a day late

Here I'm all excited for the Thanks for the Memories series, and I slack off on the second day of it. Sorry! I was at Mom's shop all day and we were swamped. I'll make up for it by doing 2 posts today.

I'm thankful for... my old school friends Meagan and Effie!
Note when I say old school, I mean we went to school together years ago, not that "they're old school" :-)

1. This is my best friend from high school Meagan. Oh the trouble we caused... ("Ben", "The Notebook", Sr. Rosemary - "having a bad day Meagan? hope it gets better!", "POPCORN!", and so many others)... good times, good times. This girl absolutely defined my HS experience, especially my senior year, and I STILL wouldn't change a single day of it (well maybe one or two days)... she is AMAZING and I love her like a sister. It's hard for us to find time to hang out a lot anymore and our relationship has changed a little, but we're still in touch and all it takes is one of us sending a text that says "Boys suck" and the other is there. I LOVE YOU MEAGAN!

2. Effie. Yeah I didn't have a pic of me and Effie together (BTW this needs to be remedied IMMEDIATELY) so I picked a super cute pic of her in Europe eating quiche. Effie and I grew up together, literally - we went to elementary school at Robinson together till the 3rd grade, then did a couple shows together (Effie do you remember you, me, and Ariel Simon singing "I'm too sexy for my fishing pole" during Steamboatin?). We lost touch for a while but got back in touch when I reconnected with her sister Emma who went to SEA for a few years/during the rage of AIM (it was pretty new at the time) in HS. Lost touch again until the summer after I graduated when our mom's ran into each other and we realized we were both in STL. Grabbed coffee together... fast forward a year and we're close friends again. Effie's such a great friend cause she knows where I and my family have been and understands where I'm at right now, cause she's there too in a lot of ways. I always look forward to coffee or happy hour or open mic night with Effie!! LOVE YOU GIRL!

Just wanted to say thanks for all the memories you two have given me over the years! I love both of you, and we need to hang out more!!!!

Check the blog later today to see who ELSE I'm thankful for - part 3 in the series!

BTW, if there are any girls in ST. Louis that are looking for something to do the night before Thanksgiving, call me - there's a preview night for the new restaurant in Lafayette Square across from Mom's shop where Soda Fountain Square used to be. It's gonna be run by local fire fighters and they're families... but some of them are single and probably hott... I know at least one is cause he came in last night... come on, we can scope out local hott fire fighters, how fun is that!

Thanks for the memories - #1

First "Thanks for the memories" entry! This is a series where I say thank you to all the people I'm thankful are/have been in my life, it'll go up to the Monday after Thanksgiving (when we do our family Thanksgiving) and hopefully once a week after that.

First up - LPUMC Youth group
I'm starting with them because A. I'm seeing them in a week, B. I went and saw New Moon with one of them last night :-).

This isn't everybody but it's a good recent picture (yes Alex IS in a pink sweater with a cow on it). 7 years ago my family went church shopping - my requirement was that they have a good youth group. I go visit Lafayette Park UMC with them and meet Sarah (2nd from left, next to Brian in the right) and Cassie (not pictured). 15 minutes after I meet them, they invite me to go whitewater rafting with the youth group. Kids I knew 15 years hadn't done that at my old church.

Since then we've become great friends. My friends in college would hang out with HS friends on break, I hung out with my youth group. I don't know what I would've done on those breaks in St. Louis without these guys! Everyone's all spread out now - Alyssa's in New Jersey, Sarah's in Iowa, Brian just moved back to St. Louis after getting out of the air force, Mackenzie's at Mizzou - but we still keep in touch and I consider them some of my closest friends. Everytime we're all back in town, we make sure we hang out and it's always a blast. We have so much fun and I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

There is one person that I've kinda lost touch with - Cassie. Last I heard she was living somewhere in St. Louis with this really weird girl who's super skinny and a big nerd and wants to work in museums and has a blog...
I'M JUST KIDDING!! Cassie and I live together and she's an AWESOME roommate!!!!!!!!!! She's always there when I need her, whether it's for a good laugh, to remind me not to fall into old traps, calm me down when I'm freaking about stuff, or someone to swoon with me over Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner ;-). I LOVE YOU ROOMIE, thanks for putting up with me, you are amazing!

So I just wanted to say thank you to everybody in my old church youth group who accepted a weird, skinny kid who came to visit with her parents and stuck by her for years. You guys are amazing. I love you. Can't wait to see you guys next week!! Thanks for the memories!!

Tune in tomorrow to see who else I'm thankful for!

BTW - seeing these pics again, I realize I should not wear that much dark eyeshadow... def does not work for me...