Weekend Getaway

Mitchell and I had a great getaway to the Farm with Toby & Bug! We spent the weekend relaxing, sleeping, cooking, and fishing :). I caught my first fish!! (I'm 30-haha!) We had lots of fun. The dogs really enjoyed exploring the new scenery (they slept the whole day on Sunday). I'm a lucky lady to have such a great husband! It's important to make the time to spend together - even in a crazy schedule of Vet School :).

Katie & Mitchell

Burt's Pumpkin Patch 2011

We had a wonderful trip on our Annual Family Outing to the Infamous Burt's Pumpkin Patch :). We all met for a yummy Chick-Fil-A breakfast and then ventured on to purchase our pumpkins & treats at Burts! We enjoyed a hay ride, boiled peanuts, and the chilly weather. Too bad Sharon, Dee, and Granddaddy couldn't make - we missed them!

Mitchell and I are so lucky to have such great family!!

And, we love our house :) haha. Thank Goodness since we've spent a lot of time and effort on it over the years! Enjoy the pics.

Katie & Mitchell

Mitchell's 29th Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mitchell! :)

We had Wonderful Weekend celebrating Mitchell's 29th Birthday. He isn't quite a member of the 'Dirty Thirty' club, but he's almost there! We spent the weekend in the Mountains at his grandparents vaca home. We enjoyed an afternoon of relaxing, playing scrabble, walking, eating great food, and watching the UGA football game. Today, we enjoyed an afternoon on the lake celebrating the big day.

We are so lucky to have wonderful family and friends! :)

Love ya Mitchell. Happy Birthday!
Katie

Playing Catch Up

We haven't updated the blog in quite some time! So, I'm not going to back track to get us up to speed, but I will say that we had a wonderful summer together! :) We enjoyed a River Trip to Florida with Mitchell's Dad and Melissa and sister and family. Then we headed North to Indiana to celebrate my 30th birthday with my siblings Andy, Amy, and Kyle. The Quads were together for our first time in awhile for the big birthday celebration :). Mitchell and I then took our first vacation by ourselves since our honeymoon 4.5 years ago! We rented a house on the gulf and just soaked up the sun, scalloped, and boated. It was wonderful! Can't wait to go again next year. I worked at Sugar Hill Animal Hospital - loving every minute of it. I got to see a lot and learn a lot. I also got to enjoy laying out on my days off :). Mitchell is still working at Brand Bank, fishing, and being the wonderful husband that he is!
I started back to school, 2nd year of vet school! Things are going A-ok! I miss my free time and I miss being with Mitchell, but I will say that I am one lucky lady! My husband is wonderful! He's so supportive, cooks for me, cleans for me, etc. And, listens to me during my 'crazy' moments.
We are growing in our relationship with God every day. God has really been speaking to us to be better witnesses to others...I am so thankful that we have listened. I'm so thankful for the many doors that have opened for us, the new friends that we have met, and the many surprises yet to come.
This year, we have lots to look forward to! Me finishing 2nd year and hence getting half way to the finish line in vet school :). My brother Andy getting married in October. Us watching our nieces & nephews grow to be such beautiful girls and boys. We welcoming Sarah and John's second child in January! A few of our good friends welcoming their first babies :) And, us possibly finishing the downstairs.
Most importantly, loving each other and loving life together. Along with Toby & Bug :)

God Bless,
Mitchell & Katie

A wonderful weekend!

We had another wonderful weekend :). Friday night, Mitchell and I enjoyed an evening in Athens for a Scholarship Dinner at the Vet School. We appreciate every penny we can get! :) Then Saturday we enjoyed a day with Savannah, CJ, and Dee and Granddaddy at the Country Club. We took Savannah fishing and then spent an evening under the cabanna enjoying a delicious dinner just Dee, Granddaddy, Mitchell, and I! Today, I walked 11 miles this morning in the park since I have a cracked rib (painful) and can't run, then church, and we helped with the special needs children's lunch afterwards. Definitely a learning experience! We enjoyed it! And we enjoyed seeing our Life Group! :) This week is my last full week of classes (Thank Goodness) & that's about it! A final exam on Thursday! Hope you have a great week! ~ Mitchell & Katie

Easter

Happy Easter!! :) We enjoyed a beautiful day with Granddaddy, Dee, CJ and Savannah, Bill, Sharon, and Wes and Will. We went a lovely church service. Enjoyed delicious food and beautiful weather! I missed my parents and siblings today - VERY MUCH!! But, I am lucky to have a wonderful family here as well :). Have a great week!

It's been awhile!!

It's been a long time since I've written! :) I honestly can't try to even catch up on everything that has happened with Mitchell and I over the last couple months. I got to spend a fabulous few days with my family in Indiana! I spent time with my handsome new nephew Nolan, little Miles, and beautiful Reagan, and happy Emerson! It was wonderful. It's amazing how little babies/toddlers have their own personalities and characteristics. It was wonderful seeing my brothers and sisters and my parents! Gosh, I miss them! We are so excited because Mitchell and I are going to celebrate our (the Quads) 30th bday with everyone! How fun is that?! I think it's been too long since we've been together on our actual birthday! I'm almost done with my first year of vet school-Yay!!! It's been a wonderful experience!! Mitchell is the best husband ever!! We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend, vaation together, and time on the boat. :) I couldn't be happier!! God is great - truly Great!! :)

Nolan Dane Arrived!

My little nephew Nolan arrived! He is healthy and handsome! Miles is a big brother now:) Congrats Amy & Travis! Can't wait to hold him!

The Holidays

Mitchell and I had a great holiday season :)! I had such a wonderful time visiting with my family for an entire 5 days! It was so fun! I saw Reagan for my first time. What a beautiful little girl! I got to spend the night with Sarah & John and wake up to some delicious homemade breakfast :). Then, I was off for the day to hang with my nephew Emerson! What a cutie. Emerson is the most happy baby I've ever seen. It was fun! Then, I got to see my little (but really bigger and bigger every day) Miles! We made a ginger bread house together...Ok, well actually it was Amy, my mom, and i making the house but it's ok! :) Miles had better things to do! I spent the night with my parents a few nights, spent the night at Amy and Travis's, spent time with my grandma, and visited some old friends. Oh! And, I can't forget to mention that I went to Jamie's Soda Fountain! (had to give it a little shout out). So, my trip to Indiana was fantastic minus the fact that Mitchell wasn't with me! However, I flew back on our 4 year anniversary and he surprised me with a rose and the fabulous idea of taking the entire day off of work to spend with me! We traveled to Thomasville to get our new living room chair, did some antique shopping, and ordered pizza for dinner because we were exhausted! (I'm a pretty cheap anniversary date-haha). Mitchell and I made an amazing Venison Tenderloin for christmas eve dinner, attending christmas eve service, and woke up in our own home for the first time ever! It was wonderful! We are usually always on the GO, but this year we stayed close to home. Christmas day, we spent Mitchell's family. We had a fabulous brunch at Sharon and Bill's house and then off to Granddaddy's house for a delicious dinner! It was a great holiday! We hope you all had a great Christmas!

Loving Life Together!

We made it!

Well, we made it! Mitchell and i survived our first semester of vet school! :) I couldn't have done it without him. How did I get so lucky? God truly does have a plan for everything. It's amazing how things in life work out. Mitchell and I have so much to be thankful for - for the past, the present, and the future. So many good things to look forward to!

I couldn't sleep tonight, so I thought I would do a little catching up on the blog since I've neglected to do so for about the past 5 months. Tonight, I'm just extremely lucky to have such a suppoortive husband and best friend! We celebrated with a night out for dinner and a few glasses of vino :).

The holidays are hard for me - missing my family like crazy! But, the great news is that I get to see them on Friday! I'm so excited! I can't wait to get my Miles, Emerson, and Reagan fix :) And, I can't wait to spend time with my siblings and parents!!!

I did some Christmas shopping today and I'm back at it tomorrow. I love getting people gifts! It's the best!

I have 3 weeks off! How exciting is that?! I'm going to get a lot of running in, reading some enjoyable books, work on finishing the upstairs, completely cleaning out the attic spaces,etc., hanging with friends, visiting my old stomping grounds-Merial, Catching up on some Greys Anatomy, and just relaxing. I can't wait!

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving in Thomasville

We had a great Thanksgiving in Thomasville, GA with Mitchell's dad and Melissa! We had a sac race, which Mitchell and I did pretty good at considering our height difference :), a hay ride, and I shot a gun! I shot the target a couple times - perhaps I'm a natural. And, we enjoyed good food, shopping, hunting, etc. The holidays always go by so fast!

Catch Up!

It's been a while since I've updated our blog!! Those of you who keep checking it - this is for you :). Life has been wonderful the past month, but very busy for Mitchell and I! I am in the middle of my first round of exams in vet school, so that means a lot of study time, little sleep time (I officially love coffee-haha), and little time for much else is going on right now for me! But, that's ok because Mitchell has been taking care of me, the dogs, the house, and everything else. I couldn't do this without him! He's become quite the 'chef' in the family and quite the house cleaner and grocery shopper. And, he's good with doing laundry too! :) Since most of my time is spent with school, I don't have too much to write about. We celebrated Mitchell's birthday at the beginning of the month! It was nice to get out with the family for an afternoon of putt putt and dinner. I'll post pictures very soon! Mitchell was in a fishing tournament a few weekends ago on Lake Lanier. The boat was recently updated with a brand new cd player, thanks to granddaddy! Our small group has officially started meeting again after a break over the summer. We are looking forward to that again!! Mitchell is doing great at work, as always. Life is good! We couldn't be happier! We honestly have all we need in life - there are so many people with far less. We are fortunate. Hope you have a great weekend!

A Rainy & Good Weekend so far!

Since Mitchell and I are on a single income/vet school income now, we don't get to experience the fine dining like we use to :). But, that is ok! Last night, we got to do a date night out for dinner and guess where we went?! SONIC. Yes! Thanks to my old co-workers at Merial who so graciously gave me a gift card (knowing that I love their beverages)! It was fun, a little silly, but we've learned to enjoy the simpler things in life! Today, Mitchell woke up at 4am to go fishing with Josh and Jim! They caught 2 fish and were real trooper fishermen - fishing in the rain! I took the day to run errands, study some anatomy and histology, and did a 12 mile run in the rain. That may sound awful, but it actually was refreshing! After looking at the anatomy of the vertebrae and skeleton of a dog for hours, it was a much needed break! Tonight, Mitchell is being the great neighbor that he is and helping Matt and Linda lay hardwood floors. And, our new neighbors moved in today! We are excited to have them! The house next to us has been empty for quite awhile. Our dogs got some new puppy friends too! (I heard them all day - haha). Hope you have a great Sunday and a great week!

Parent's Visit to Georgia for White Coat Ceremony at UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

I have to say that I have the best parents and husband anyone could ask for! Mom and Dad flew from Indiana to join Mitchell and I at my white coat ceremony for vet school. How awesome is that?! They were here for only 2 days - short trip full of lots of love! :) We ate at Flying Biscuit in the city for brunch on Saturday - YUM. The biscuits are delicious! And, Mitchell and I got to take them to the lake on the boat for their first time. It was fantastic! It wasn't a sunny day, but it was relaxing. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and drinks that evening. Today, we traveled to UGA for the white coat ceremony at the College of Veterinary Medicine. I'll post pictures next! My parents and Mitchell's support is just truly amazing - I'm so lucky! The next four years are going to be tough, but I'll make it because I have them backing me 100%. Anyways, we finished the weekend with eating yummy pizza and getting ready for school tomorrow! My parents are flying out tomorrow and I'm heading to school for my first day of classes! I'm ready to get started - I am a nerd, I know :). Have a great week!

A Wonderful Weekend before school starts tomorrow!

We had another great weekend - as always :)!! For those of you who have noticed (wink wink), you will be surprised to know that Mitchell and I didn't go to the lake this weekend! I had Friday off which was lovely! After finding out that my amazing parents are coming to visit us next weekend, I super cleaned the house, ran errands, ran, and enjoyed being home with the dogs. I froze a bunch of meals for Mitchell and I to eat over the next two weeks just to help us keep some 'normalcy' during this transition of me going back to school and commuting 40 minutes every day. Saturday was another relaxing and productive day. Amy Tuggle and I went antiquing and I got a new desk chair! Exciting! Mitchell had a great time riding roller coasters at Six Flags for Lauren's birthday. I did not go with the group because, yes, I am scared of rides! And, I do experience motion sickness - even on ferris wheels - haha! We did have a great time celebrating Lauren's bday with the gang and playing Catch Phrase. The girls should have won! But, that's ok! Mitchell and I slept in till 10am this morning! We missed church, but I guess we just needed to sleep. I normally do not sleep past 7am on a given day and that's a even a stretch!! We got a lot done around the house today - cleaned the garage and got ready for our week to start. Tomorrow, I start orientation! I'll let you know how it all goes! Have a great week!

Lunch with my running buddies!!

Today I went to lunch with my great friends - "My Running Buddies" at Merial one last time. Tomorrow is my last day of work - well, for the next 4 years! It is hard to believe that I will not have to go back to the office after tomorrow. It is a little bittersweet because I've had the chance to work with some amazing coworkers and friends! I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and experienced more than I ever thought possible. But, after tomorrow, I get to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian! I couldn't have done this without my husband and best friend - Mitchell! He has been my biggest supporter over these last few months. I'm one lucky lady! And, our family has been extremely great too. I don't regret anything over the past several years because it has truly been a learning experience every step of the way. And, I look forward to the next four years...who knows what I'll learn, who I'll meet, and where we'll land after school is all done! Isn't that what life is all about? Trusting God and just walking with faith? I think so!

More Pics of our newest niece - Reagan Jane Randall!

She is beautiful! :)I just had to post these pictures. Our family is growing so fast! Amy and Travis will find out in two weeks if we will have another boy or girl addition to the family! Mitchell and I will continue to be the best aunt and uncle for the next few years until we have some cousins for them to play with!! And, Ella and Addison started at Primrose this week! They are growing so fast! Life goes by so fast!

Welcome Little Reagan Jane Randall!

Sarah and John had a little girl this morning!! She is Reagan Jane Randall! Born around 11:30am, 6lbs, with a full head of hair! The first baby girl on the Hardie side of the family. I can't wait to meet her!

Trip to Seed Lake with Fondren & Melissa & Friends!

Mitchell and I had a great weekend with his dad and Melissa! We got to spend time with them on Seed Lake at Scott and Betsy's beautiful house with Kevin and Pam too! It was dog central station with everyone's pups. A little crazy, but definitely fun. Although our ride forgot to pick Mitchell and I up at the boat ramp, we made it there ok :) Haha! The fisherman must have had a long night before!! We celebrated Scott's birthday, enjoyed a delicious meal, time on the boats, a great laughs and music.

This is my last week of work! Hard to believe that I started with Merial 5.5 years ago! Thursday is my last day! Monday is the start of vet school orientation week. Can't wait!

A Family Outing on the boat!

Toby & Bug had their first ride on the boat today! They were extremely well behaved! Bug was calm, which is amazing :) Toby actually swam all by himself! He just jumped right in and started swimming. It was so neat! We had a great weekend! We enjoyed a day on the lake with Heather and Holly and the kids, a mexican dinner with Josh and Lauren, a movie, a wonderful sermon this morning at church, and now we are relaxing in the AC! :) It was 96 degrees today! HOT. We are missing Miles 2nd birthday party tonight unfortunately! :) And, we are looking forward to baby Randall coming any day now! Hope you have a great week!