The Countdown is on.

Hello, Is this thing on? I have.....

...an announcement!

I AM ENGAGED! To be married....to a girl.....

YUP.

OK, so I doubt anyone actually checks this anymore, and those of you who do probably already know all this, but I wanted to put it all out there and share some photos, especially for those that aren't facebook type people.

Here is the story:

Kate suggested we go on a bike ride on Friday, which worked out perfectly because I had planned to ask her (not because it was 8/8/08, but because the timing was right) this weekend, and I wanted to do it outdoors in a picturesque setting. I, as any other fella, wanted it to be unique experience for us.
Kate has been more than hinting for the past months that she wanted a DSLR camera so I decided to incorporate this into the engagement process as well: #1 because I wanted to throw her off the trail #2 because I really did want to give her the camera #3 I wanted something to take pictures of the event with. So I told Kate I had a gift for her, but that it could only be used outside (a lie).
Back to the bike ride, we couldn't get the bikes up and going so Kate suggested that we go for a run. I told her she couldn't use her present if we went for a run, but that we could go for a walk at the same place we were going to go mountain biking at White Clay Creek State Park and I would give it to her there.
We head out for the walk and Kate is trying to talk to me about these books I've been reading for Apologetics class, and Tim Keller's book A Reason for God, and how they line up, and all this other stuff. Meanwhile, I'm freaking out inside, and can't even process full sentences, and on the outside putting forth all the effort in the world to remain cool.
As we're walking we come to a bridge that Kate had wanted to see, and it looked like as beautiful a setting as we were going to come to, so I suggested we go down by the creek below the bridge for a look. We bushwhacked our way down to the water and looked around for a few minutes ending up on a boulder in the creek. After more outward small talk and inward turmoil I asked if I could give Kate her present. Of course she said I could. On the camera over the past week with the help of Mikey, Jeffer and Abram I took pictures of myself at places where Kate and I have spent time together, activities we love, and things we've done together. In each of the pictures I am holding a dry erase board with it saying in each consecutive photo "Kate" "I Love You" "Will" "You" "Marry" "Me?"
I gave her the camera and she freaked out telling me how much she loved it, etc. I told her I'd already used it a little and took some pictures, and helped her get to the right screen to get the ball rolling. As she soon as she saw the first picture she said she knew what was happening, and as she was looking as the pictures I was down pulling the ring out of my backpack and getting in position on one knee. When Kate saw me on one knee, she got down on her knees too, which was hilarious, and then got back up saying, "oh, wait, I'm not supposed to be down too" we were both laughing which helped me tremendously with what I was about to say. So, I asked with the words I had already used in the pictures and asked her to marry me. She said yes, we kissed, we took some pictures with the camera. I read Proverbs 31 The Wife of Noble Character, which I truly believe I have found, and much of what it says is true of Kate. Then we called our parents, took some more pictures, and lingered in the moment for just a little while longer, and finally made our way back to the car.
It was just like I imagined it only time moved much faster. I can hardly believe the whole thing was over before it began. I am, of course, thankful she said yes, and I am very excited about spending the rest of our lives together.
OK, that's the story, here are the pictures:














































































I forgot that I don't have the "after" pictures because they are on the camera, which is now in Kate's possesion. So you'll have to check our her facebook (if you have it) to see those. Here is a picture of the ring though......

Thrift Store #2

So, it hasn't turned into a weekly post yet, but i'm making steps in the right direction.......kinda. the first part of this didn't happen at the thrift store, but at "the sale" as it is called here in Easton, at christ chruch. it is a gigantic rummage sale that takes place on 3 floors of the church, it's rediculously large.

Things I obtained:

*Burberry driving cap

*Old-School Patagonia jacket

and a few other odds and ends.


Now, what I got today. This is so random.....
I did something I never thought I'd do. I bought a peice of art at the thrift store. It's an odd exception though. I was walking past the section of what is generally ugly landscapes with barns, and the forest. I don't know what it was about this that caught my eye, it was probably a relection off the metallic silver frame, but i picked it up. Take a look.




Yeah, it's a line drawing of Kansas City. It's pretty cool. Downtown in the foreground, and then out of this photo is Mission Hills, the Stadium Complex, Swope Park, Prairie Village, and some other landmarks. All it needs now is a new frame!



ps. I met Kate's parents this weekend, and wore a suit i got at the thrift store to the wedding.....

Once again.....

...the Cats knocked off Texas.



41-21. 20 points worth of domination.


GO CATS!

UPDATE: Debuting in the top 25 after the sweet win at #24. Man, I've missed seeing that.











Oh yeah, and don't blow it against KU next week.

Something new...

...for the ol' neglected blog.

i've decided that i, in the spirit of many of my friends whose blogs contain a re-occuring subject, would start one of my own.

the subject will be my finds at the thrift store. i make a near weekly pilgramage to the local goodwill, and almost always come away with something pretty spectacular. it may only interest me that people give away all kinds of things that are really pretty valuable. looking back over the year, here is a list of things that i've found with the approximate value listed next to it:

*brioni dress shrit ($400)
*lacoste polo ($85)
*head titanium tennis racquet ($70)
*patagonia polo ($45)
*peter and wendy (first edition) by jm barrie ($1000)

and some other good stuff too.

for this week:

patagonia capilene base-layer long-sleeve shrit ($45)
-the sweetest part of this is the 'return of the jedi' all-terrain armored transport that's silk-screened on it.

alright, so you get the idea. i'm looking forward to having this little deal as a way to continue to stay connected to the ol' neglected blog.