I BELIEVE...

I believe in happy endings.

I believe in saying hi to strangers.

I believe in early mornings if there's coffee.

I believe in making a change for the better even if it's not easy.

I believe in lazy Saturdays and productive Sundays.

I believe that the little things mean the most in life.

I believe in date nights even when you've been dating for years.

I believe there is something greater than this world.

I believe in making a difference no matter how big or small.  

I believe in girls nights full of laughter.

I believe in love, passion, and happiness.

thanks little miss momma for a good start to my Thursday!

I'd rather be cruising... + Never forget the ones that mean the most

FYI This post is on picture overload... You've been warned.

I'm back after traveling across the country and living at sea for a week. What. An. Experience. Alaska is so different than home. The mountains,

glaciers,

and wild life

is insane in comparison to Michigan. It was wonderful! Some of the highlights would have to be zip lining,

seeing the glaciers and waterfalls,

and the dog sled ride/meeting the puppies.

When we weren't in Alaska, we were on our cruise ship which, have I mentioned how much I love cruising?

Such great views,

food, shows, activities,

and memories. Holy cow the shows were AMAZING- I seriously think that might have been my favorite part. I looked forward to them all day everyday. The theater brought back so many memories of our studio performing on the few cruises we went on back in the good ole days...

That was so long ago...and makes me feel so old. Our first cruise was in 2005 I believe.. is that even possible?

Wow. That vacation will always go down in history as one of my favorite trips- not because of the places we visited- but because of the bonds I created and the huge performance of a lifetime we gave.

The Junkie Girls were practically formed on that cruise. Sure, we were all friends before but preparing and rehearsing for that cruise really brought us together. The entire ship knew us as the dancers and we loved all of the attention. Basically we sent in a audition tape, the cruise line watched our tape, liked us, invited us to come on one of their trips and be the entertainment. We put together some of our best competition pieces and took the competition team on the ship to perform. If we weren't lucky enough the first time around, they invited us back again in 2007.

What an experience of a lifetime. I will honestly never forget either trip.

Daydreaming about my high school days and our two cruises together really made me reflect on my friendships and my best friends. The Junkies got some horrible news last week and it really has made me step back and appreciate each of my friends in a whole new light. It was the kind of news that makes you think about life, the short time we have, and the things that are actually important. I think this tragedy really showed the Junkies that we are there for each other through thick and thin and that even if we all aren't close to each and every girl in the group, we have somebody in that group that we can count on today and the rest of our days no matter how long it has been since we last talked.

So the Junkies. Quick recap- 9 girls, all dance together, spend 3+ days a week together, become best friends for life. We were a tight knit group of girls all through high school

and are still today.

Our last recital was one of those experiences that I'll never forget... we cried an insane amount. It was honestly out of control. We even cried on stage for the whole world to see...like I said, crazy.




I talk to each of them at least once a week and they definitely keep me sane on my rough days. With that said, of course things change when we all move away and start new lives away at college. It's not that it's hard to maintain these relationships because we're best friends and it's just easy but at the same time it's still hard to adjust to the changes we all went through. First off, a few girls trailed off and we don't see them as much. Some of the girls aren't as close to each of the other girls as they used to be. It's tough. There are fall outs. Sometimes people change.

Moral of the story- never forget the ones that mean the most.

Javon + Summer Must Dos

Bryan meets his little brother Javon this week. Bryan and Javon were paired up through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program where children are given a mentor/friend who will be there for them no matter what. Bryan plans on treating him as a part of his family and nothing less. It's adorable. He has so many ideas of what he wants to do with him this summer alone. I don't want to steal his thunder but I'm pretty excited to meet the little guy...er...young man...I need to remember that he's 14 years old! 

I'm very excited for Bry but still waiting to hear back from the woman in charge of the program in our area so that I can get my application/interview process started and have a little sister of my own! I can't wait...the idea of me and Bry taking our little siblings out to do all these awesome things that they have never had the opportunity to do, gives me butterflies. It really can't come soon enough. 

Listening to Bry talk about all the things he wants to do with Javon and all the places he plans on taking him make me start thinking of all of the things I want to accomplish this summer before it's over...

Summer must dos:

walk the beach at night 

watch the sunset

BBQ with friends

finish AT LEAST 3 more books

girls beach day

Tigers game

picnic at the park

bike to get ice cream

create the bryan and me photo book I've been saying I want to make

take an early morning run 

make dinner from our garden veggies

...

Newest addiction

My newest obsession: pinterest.com.

I can't tell you how many times I run across pictures of things that I want to save but have no idea where to put them. Not to over do it but...pinterest has changed my life. No I'm not a home owner. I'm not married, or engaged. I'm not redoing my bedroom or making my own clothes and I do not have my own classroom yet. With that said, one day I hope to be doing all of these things and now I can save all of the awesome pictures and ideas I see for down the road when I need them. I swear, by the time I buy a house I'll have a picture in mind for every room in the house. Really, it's addicting.

That is all. Good night friends!

Well here goes nothing...

It has been months, maybe even years since I've wanted to start my very own blog. Every time I try to start writing I end up feeling overwhelmed and give up before I start. I have written and deleted the first sentence of this first entry countless times. I feel like my mind is running a mile a minute trying to figure out what to write about next. I've decided that no matter how long I wait or how many ideas I come up with, this first entry isn't going to be easy! I guess I'll start off my telling you all a little bit about me...

My name is Katie and I grew up in a loving family of four in southeast Michigan. My Mom is the best one around...I know everyone says it but I see more of my Mom in me each and every day. She's a writer actually (maybe I should have asked her for some blog advice...). My Dad is my hero. He has been through so much and still has the most positive outlook on life. Zach is my (not so little anymore) little brother. He is 15 and just ending his first year of high school. The six year age gap between us has never stood in our way. We may fight but at the end of the day he's always asking me for homework help, teaching me how to fish, or asking for a ride to the movies. We also have our 14 year old westie, Max. He is definitely an old man but we love him... he has been a part of our family for practically as long as Zach has!

I moved to Grand Rapids to attend Grand Valley State back in 2008. Now as I approch my senior year of college, it's hard to imagine my life any differently. I miss my family and friends back on the eastside of the state each and every single day but moving away was the best thing for me. I learned a lot about myself, my friends, and growing up when I moved out. When I decided to go to Grand Valley I wasn't exactly sure why I chose to move here. Luckily after living here for three years, it all makes sense- I love it here! The west side of Michigan is SO much different than back home. Everyone is so much more laid back over here. I miss the hectic days back home but I must admit, it is a nice change. I love being 20 minutes away from Lake Michigan. I can go there on a Tuesday night to walk the beach, see the sunset and be home in time to get a good night's sleep before work the best day. It's great.

If I hadn't chosen Grand Valley, I would have never met Bryan. Bryan is the boyfriend I was always hoping I would find. He can make me laugh, keeps me on my toes, convinces me to try new things, and is my best friend. To say it simply, I'm crazy about him :).

What else is there to say really...well here is me in a nut shell:

What else is there to say really...well here is me in a nut shell:
My name is Katie, Katherine really- I was named after my great grandma.
I would be lost without my family.
Bryan is the best boyfriend in the entire world and I love him very, very much.
My friends mean the absolute world to me even if I don't get to see some of them very often.
I danced for 18 years now and it will forever be a part of my life.
Grew up in southeast Michigan and my heart will always belong there.
Been raised as a Christian & my faith is important to me.
I'm a math major at GVSU and have plans to be an elementary school teacher.
Since I was raised in Hockeytown- I love my Detroit Red Wings...and now that I'm in GR, I love the Griffins too. Grand Rapids is definitely beautiful.
Also a Tigers fan- I miss being able to go to tons of their games every summer growing up...
I believe everything happens for a reason and as cheesy as it is, I'm living every day to its fullest because I know what's meant to be will find its way.
I love life but hate change & the idea of growing up.
I'm all about giving it all you've got.

That's it for now.