A little update on JD and Katie

JD and I at Venice watching a little kid skate like a pro!

The School JD is working at

JD and I are doing great. We are so excited for Christmas...well let's be serious I am really excited for Christmas! This is my favorite time of year. I love to give presents, even though this year it is going to be hard to do that I would love it if I could do something for everyone. I remember on my mission how much I loved this time of year with the snow and the service it definitely reminded me of why we celebrate at this time of year...it is not just the birth of our Savior but I also like to think of his life and the gift that He gave to us. Repentance is possible because of Him and because the love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of us. I know that JD and I have been blessed this year. While we have faced our fair share of trials we have grown so much. We have learned to communicate more and to be more compassionate to each other. We are still learning to live within our means...and I believe strongly that all of these things are the ingredients for a healthy marriage and life. I am so grateful for JD and all he provides in my life. He is a good man with a good heart.

JD has been working for Morrow Meadows for a little under a year and is currently working at a school in East LA. It is going a long smoothly and he is learning a lot under his journey men. I am still at Wells Fargo and even with all that has happened within this last year with my job I really couldn't be happier there...not that I want to stay there for too much longer but change is good and the changes that have happened there have really been a blessing...even when I wasn't ready for them to happen nor wanted them to happen it was still the best thing to make work worthwhile and a learning atmosphere.

Our Animals and Their Adventures

The Little Girl and me (I look hideous)

This is Shiva

Henry "Scadoosh"

Let's start with Henry. He is my very first cat. JD bought him for me right after Christmas last year and I love him very much. Perhaps one might say that it was past his time to be fixed but we just got it done. When we brought him he was completely "stoned" the poor little guy couldn't walk and his eyes were dilated almost all the way. While I felt bad for Henry the most peculiar part was the way that Shiva acted...she sat in the corner of the room and would not approach Henry or as JD likes to call him Scadoosh. Instead she sat in the corner of the room and growled and would not drop her gaze from him. Even in our relentless attempts to get her to play with her fish she would not take her eyes off of Henry. Eventually we put her in the other room because she was getting to anxious to allow her to stay out with my precious baby Henry. I believe he is the most beautiful cat ever!

Shiva still isn't sure if she likes us too much. She is starting to come a little bit closer to us...especially when we have food. She does all she can to steal our food...even if we are willing to give it to her she would much rather steal it from us then take it out of our hands. Just this last week I made (probably my best dish) Creamy Chicken Parmesean and she decided she loves noodles with sauce on them. I would swear we have dogs with the way they beg for our food. But just like with boys the same can be said for our beautiful cat Shiva...the way to her heart is through her stomach!

Now for The Little Girl, she truly is the ruler of our household. She is by far the coolest animal we have ever owned with her crazy personality and huge presence in the room. One of my most favorite things that she does is when she wants to be invisible she flattens herself to the ground and lays really still for about 20 seconds...all the while she is planning her attack on one of the cats or my feet. Just this last week I was going to pick up JD from school and she wouldn't let me get out the door without pursuing it so I gave up and decided to take her along. She was nervous at first because I had to get gas. I put her in my purse and took her inside to pay. She of course was peeking out the top and then was very excited as I put her on the trunk of the car so I could pump the gas. She was all over the car and I think she even thinks that she is the ruler of the car as she perched herself on my shoulder so she could see all that was going on as I drove down the freeway...I know I took the picture while I was driving but rest assure I have done this plenty of times and never had to take my eyes off the road.