Tom Hiddleston

I just need to straight up get this out of my system. I have a whole noggin full of good things to blog about, but I can't CONCENTRATE. I watched Avengers on Tuesday, and it's been destroying me ever since. So, without further ado, Tom Hiddleston.

 

Yeah, this is borderline obsession. Tom Hiddleston is rather good-looking. Yes, I'm completely smitten, and yes, it's completely stupid. But you know what?! I just graduated from high school and got a job, so I feel perfectly justified in being a little ridiculous. I think I might buy myself a new pair of shoes too! How about THAT?

*whew* I feel better. :)

Love always,
Kate

Heh heh heh!

I just plugged Percival in to charge and he made a loud and obnoxious beeping noise.

"Shh," I told him, "That noise is loud and I need to sleep! I have work in the morning!"

And then I smiled and giggled, like this: :) *giggle!*

....... heh heh. I have work in the morning! *giggle giggle*

Love always,

Kate

Not Graduation.

I feel like I should write a sentimental post about graduation, but I don't much feel like it today. Maybe tomorrow, or next week. Nope, here's what I want to blog about.

I came home from graduation practice about half an hour ago, and I just saw the cutest thing. The sprinkler was on, and it was watering the front garden as well as the lawn. In the front garden, there is an orange rock. A somewhat flat rock which makes quite an excellent seat when it's dry. It has various and sundry chunks missing from the surface. All these little pockets had about an inch of water in them. And in that little inch of water on that little orange rock was a teeny weeny sparrow taking a bath. I stopped pulling into the driveway so I wouldn't scare him away, and I watched him splash and wiggle in the water for a couple of minutes. I don't know why it made me so happy, but now I am irrationally cheerful. :)

Love always,
Kate

A Day in Photographs

Today has been the loveliest of days. I am just going to show you some pictures. With some captions. Because it's such a lovely day!

My angel Marylou brought me CAKE. And a LETTER!!! And FLOWERS! Golly, she's sweet.

Story: My dad and I gave my dog a very serious haircut and bath today. The haircut is awful and it screams death camp survivor. I tried to take a picture, but evidently he's too upset with me to come out of his doghouse, so maybe I'll get it later. :)

Snapdragons are the grandest flowers.

This isn't a very good picture of it, but the sky over the mountain was just wonderfully gray and angsty. I love angsty clouds. 

The roses in my yard are in full and violent bloom. Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?

Contrary to popular belief, I do indeed have toes.

This bug did not want to be photographed. So I named him Frederick and followed him around for about 2 minutes.

My parents got me a cute graduation sign. They are good parents.

I just really enjoy pink roses.

Marylou snuck over to my home. (We're watching Sleepless in Seattle!)

There is a veritable plethora of cherries on this tree. I can't wait 'til they're ripe.

Here are some cute chickens. They live in my yard.

Graduation robes (?!)

 This is the divine cake and the beautiful flowers that Mary made me. She is too sweet for words.

Mary wants to graduate too. (You are too young. Go enjoy high school.)

Clearly, I have the greatest life ever. I'm graduating in two days and life is a lovely place to be. Happy Tuesday! :)

Love always,

Kate

A Bit of Poetic-ness

I feel like a lazyhead when I don't blog, because I'm terrible at keeping a journal and this is a good substitute. I hereby resolve to do one or the other. I like this one, because I can type a lot faster than I can write. Although I do like keeping a journal. Hmm.

Anyhoozle, here's life. I'm graduating from high school on Thursday. I have very mixed feelings on this subject. I feel ancient and learned in many a way, but in a lot more ways I feel very tiny and young and inexperienced. I'm so excited to move on to a new stage of life, but I'm also scared half to death. I'm enthusiastically awaiting meeting my new roommates and making new college friends, but I can't begin to fathom what I'm going to do without the friends I've made in high school.

In all seriousness, I'm clinging to these last three days with every fiber of strength in my body. It's definitely not the actual high school I'm going to miss; it's the people. It's the memories. It's the love and happiness I've found in unexpected corners. When I close my eyes, I see the smiling faces of the friends I've come to know and honestly truly love. I want to cry (and sometimes do) when I think that I won't ever see some of you again after this year. Time and life will send us along very different paths, and I'm sure I'm going to lose friends in that awful vortex of growing up. I just can't believe it's already come to this.

 But in spite of all that, I really am just overwhelmed with love and gratitude for you. You, my darling friends, are the icing on the cake. You are my roses in summer, you are my snow in winter, you are the sunshine in my sky and the four-leaved-clovers in my field. You are bubbles and stars and warm breezes. You are hugs and tears and ukelele chords. You are brand new laces on old sneakers and lilacs outside the window. You are fuzzy purple blankets and surprise brownies on the porch. You are anchors and nets and easy chairs. You are wet grass and trees on the mountain. You are the Harry to my Ron and the Anne to my Diana. You are what makes my life beautiful. I'll never forget you, because you have made me who I am. Thank you for these years and memories; they've been amazing. :)

Love always,
Kate

Two Very Amazing Young Men.

Whoakay. Here we go. I'm already starting to tear up, and I haven't even written anything yet.

Today, I was privileged to attend the farewell meeting of two of my very dearest friends. I hate writing cliche things, but it's so true; I have learned SO MUCH from these two fantastic (and goofy) young men.

(I really like these two boys.)

As I sat and listened to them bear their testimonies of Christ, missionary work, and the love they feel for their family, I was completely overwhelmed. I think I accidentally frightened John Wilson because I was crying so hard. I just couldn't hold back my feelings--I was so grateful for both of you, and I've been putting off this blog post all day because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get this right. But I think I've pretty much got it figured out, so here we go.

Matthew has taught me that no matter how rough it gets, you should always have a smile on your face. He helped me realize that the destination is less important; the joy truly is in the journey. He stuck with me through some pretty tough moments, and I doubt if he'll ever know how much it really meant to me. Matthew, thank you for being so incredibly kind to me and to everyone around you. The light of Christ radiates from you in large amounts; it draws people to you, and I know you're going to be the most incredible missionary. The people in Brazil are sure in for a treat :)

Andrew has taught me (probably unintentionally) that nobody is unimportant. I doubt if he ever knew it, but as I've gotten to know him over the past couple of years, I've been deeply, deeply touched by the way he reaches out to those around him. Andrew, you have a special and unique way of making people feel very important and very loved. When I'm with you, I honestly feel my Savior's love for me because of your goodness and kindness. You are going to bless and change lives, my friend. Again, the people in Brazil are in for a treat.

Between the two of them, I've realized something very important about myself. Christlike friends (like these lovely gentlemen) are an enormous force for good in my life. I can earnestly declare that I wouldn't be who I am today without the Woodruff twins. When I'm around the two of you, I'm inspired to be better than I am. I want to learn more about the Savior because I can tell that you love him. Thank you both for being yourselves; you're incredible, amazing, wonderful, gentle, handsome, good, worthy, goofy, spiritual, intelligent, funny, inspiring, joyful, and radiant people. I love you both so dearly, and I send you away on your missions with all my heart because I know that the Lord needs your love and talents somewhere else just now. I wish you both the best of luck; I know you're making the best possible decision in your lives at this moment, and my heart is bursting with love and pride for you.

Hymn 293 "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good"

Each life that touches our for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those we love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior's name
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord above.

Matthew, I love you.
Andrew, I love you.

Thank you a thousand times over for everything you are and everything you do--see you in two years, my lovely friends. :)

Love,
Kate