Katie and Drew: August 2009

Drew has a new nickname for me...Summer Katie. During the summer, Summer Katie cooks, cleans, is a touch more relaxed and friendlier, and has more moments to fawn over Drew when he comes home from a hard day at work. Summer Katie likes to play Frisbee golf or go to the beach on a whim. Summer Katie likes to work out everyday without being strongly persuaded/motivated by her husband. I think you get the point. But alas, as many good things do, Summer Katie is coming to an end. Work began again last Monday and we are gearing up for the RA's to arrive this Tuesday and for the big push of training and our beginning of the year festivities. Although my summer break is over, I have been pondering the question of how can I be "Summer Katie" everyday (or most days) of the year and not just during my 7 week hiatus. No huge epiphanies for a solution have sparked, but a few words did come to mind: Simplify, Gratitude, and Slow.

I was sitting waiting at the airport yesterday and heard the conversation of an older couple behind me. They had apparently just spent several weeks sailing, touring through beautiful locations and staying in posh hotels and now were heading back to their home in England. While they were talking about how wonderful their time had been, they decided to approach the front desk and asked if they could upgrade to first class. The woman at the desk apologized and told them that first class was all checked in and full so they wouldn't be able to make the switch. The older man thanked her and sat down to let his wife know. Upon hearing the news, her demeanor changed and she scowled saying, "I guess this is just not our lucky day". The man stated that he actually felt very lucky...they had just had a wonderful vacation together. She scowled again in disappointment and he replied in a cheery voice "At least we are not having to swim across the Atlantic". It struck me how often I can be that woman. I could have just been blessed immeasurably and when something doesn't go just the way that I had hoped, my heart scowls and my outlook is poor. I would rather be like the man who gratefully savored what he had in his life and was even able to see that things could be worse when something didn't go as hoped.

This summer I have been doing a lot of personal pondering for various reasons. One of the main pushes in that reflection is that in 2 days I am turning 30 and for some reason, that milestone has been very difficult for me. I've thought about all of the things I haven't accomplished that I thought I would have at this point in my life-children, greater financial stability, a house, no longer struggling with my health and weight, having a career path mapped out, etc. Fear and anxiety have rooted themselves in my heart for the past months and this past week has been full of tears. Yet here I am, 2 days before I hit the big 3-0, and there is no way any of those areas will have settled in the next 48 hours, leaving me wondering what type of response I should have towards that reality. My attitude towards this isn't allowing for a posture of grateful reflection of what has happened in the last 3o years either. All the love, laughter, and growth in my family, all of the friendships and conversations God has given, my educational and professional accomplishments, the places I have been able to visit and explore, the fact that although it is not perfect, my body has carried my spirit around faithfully daily, I found my love, Drew, and am blessed now by his family, and the list goes on. Today I am trying to align my heart with that of the man's heart sitting behind me at Gate 28 to Amsterdam...

Because I haven't taken much time to slow this summer, I also haven't let you all know what I have been up to...and as I try to look forward with hope, I know looking back with gratitude at the things that I have experienced will help me to do so. Here is a quick snapshot of the life of Summer Katie...

May...June...July...
*Fun visits from Crystal and Heidi *Ended my second year at Biola in May and said goodbye to my amazing team *Learned to Paddleboard at Drew's REI party-They were store of the year for the entire nation!! *Disneyland *The Beach with Drew watching surfers

*Portland *Family Camping for Mom's birthday *Dates with old friends in the beautiful City of Roses *Seaside with Mom and Alex *Walks through the Rose Garden and the Arboretum *Fourth of July with Dad and Carol and the clan by the waterfront *Fifth of July Party at Mom's-Alex decorated this first fruit pizza *Cherry picking and other Hood River fun with the Cody's *Oaks Park with little man *Saint Cupcake and Theatrepubs *Nike 6.0 x-games skaters, snowboarders wakeboarders and BMXers performance *A weekend with the Josts *My early 30th birthday party compliments of Mom, Liz, and Alex *Good conversations, This American Life, and sleep on our drive back down to Cali with Drew

*A California visit with Rod and Margi *Beach cruisers in Newport *The ferry to Balboa Island *Frisbee Golf *Wii family fun *A visit from Jake (A Powell family friend from England) *Hollywood *The US Open of Surfing *Harry Potter-The Half Blood Prince *Finished the first week of my third year at Biola!!