Sweet Fall

I love the fall. For me, the signs of autumn encourage me, inspire me and remind me to keep my focus on the simplicities of life. Fall brings out the life inside of me. I am comforted by the crisp air, warm tastes and smells and how the sun shines on the trees and casts their shadows on the ground in a way unique to the season.

Yesterday, while I was working, I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the things I so dearly love about the fall so, I decided to write a list. What started as one memory soon turned into a page-full in a matter of seconds and could have expanded several pages further had I taken the time.

I am a lover of memories and associate one of the senses to just about every memory I have. When I feel the crisp air of fall, all I can think about is taking a long walk outside like I used to through my childhood neighborhood of Coulwood. An hour would seem like merely five minutes when I was walking up and down the hilly tree-lined streets wearing a sweatshirt and a ponytail. I think about registering for 5K races through downtown Charlotte and the excitement of being bunched up with hundreds of other runners just waiting for the race to begin while we are all trying to warm up our bodies because the cool morning weather chills our hands and noses. In the early morning or late afternoon, sitting by the fireplace reading with a mug of hot tea, comfy clothes and warm, fuzzy socks just makes me feel like all is right in the world. While I don’t have time today to write about more memories and pieces of fall that I love, I am going to make a conscious effort to write about them in the coming weeks.

I believe the reason I love autumn so much is because it is when I feel the most peace, protection and comfort. It’s as if God uses the fall season in my life to remind me of His love for me…that He will never leave me and everything is going to be alright. I am so thankful to God for fall and the three months of renewal it brings to the deepest parts of my soul.

- Kati

Two Year Wedding Anniversary!

On Monday, June 20, we will be celebrating our second wedding anniversary. This year, we will also be celebrating seven years knowing each other as well as seven years together (dating, engaged and married). Although we've gone through so much together over the years, we couldn't imagine spending a single moment without each other. With God's amazing grace and strength, we cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together -- learning, growing, loving and, most importantly, becoming more like Jesus Christ because of each other and how God uses marriage to challenge and refine every part of us.

Below, we've posted one picture from each of the years we've been "Ray and Kati":

Our First Photograph

(Met: September 11 / Started Dating: September 20)

September 2004

One Year Dating Anniversary

September 20, 2005

North Myrtle Beach, SC

2006

Trip to the Melting Pot

2007

Ray's Graduation from UNC-Charlotte

(We became engaged on January 18, 2008 at the Melting Pot)

December 20, 2008

Our Wedding Day

June 20, 2009

One Year Wedding Anniversary Trip to Asheville, NC

June 2010

Our Second Married Christmas in Orlando, FL

December 25, 2010

Two Years Married and Seven Years Together

(Wedding Anniversary: June 20 / Dating Anniversary: September 20)

2011

We Sorta Bought...a House!!!!

Yes! We did it! On Thursday, January 27, we signed the contract on our dream home! It's located in Davidson and it's perfect!

It has oak hardwood floors, granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms, tile in the laundry room and bathrooms, and it's a corner lot with a two car garage...awesome!

Here is the view from the front of the house:

We'll add before and after pictures after we move in, but we close on March 31!

Also, today we bought our first appliances as a married couple! After spending the afternoon at Lowes, Sears, HHGregg, and Best Buy...we purchased a front loading washer and dryer from Sears. They had the best prices and the best service. We worked with Jessica at the Sears Appliance Store at Northlake Mall, and it was great. We highly recommend going there for any major appliances!

More pictures to come after closing!

Hello 2011!

Happy 2011 Everyone!

It's going to be an awesome year -- I can feel it. I'm so glad to say "goodbye" to 2010 and "hello!" to 2011. This year, Ray and I decided not to make too many resolutions but, here are some goals that we'd like to meet:

Ray

1. Make health a priority and get to 165 lbs

2. Run a 5K (February 5, 2011!)

Kati

1. Practice baking and homemade gift creating

2. Run a second half-marathon (April 16, 2011!)

We also want to grow much closer to God in our relationships with Him, be more intentional about making each other a valued priority (weekly date nights are now non-negotiable!) and build stronger relationships with our family and friends.

For the end of 2010, we spent a wonderful week in Orlando, Florida. While there, we golfed, went to Disney World and relaxed! Here are some pictures from our trip:

In our condo

Outside our condo at the lake

Driving to Disney World!

On our favorite "ride" -- the monorail!

Us from 2007 at Epcot Leave a Legacy (center picture)

Hello Fall!

Wow! It has been forever since we've updated our blog. We've been keeping up with all of our friends' blogs but I guess it's time to stop neglecting our own. So, what have we been up to?

Well, we've been working a lot, playing tennis a few nights a week and have taken up a love for House and the beginning episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I guess with Ray working in healthcare, we've gained a love for all things medical related. We're not huge TV watchers so we've been catching all of the episodes on Hulu.

We are also so thankful that it is fall! It's our favorite time of year. We've been trying to get outside as much as possible (usually playing tennis) and have planned a long-weekend getaway around the end of October. We can't wait! Another thing we've been doing is dancing a lot...check out our pretty neat video:

Happy 4th of July!

We love the 4th of July and celebrating the amazing country that we live in! Since Independence Day is actually tomorrow, Sunday, our neighborhood decided to have its annual 4th of July parade this morning. It was a fun morning spent with our family watching firetrucks, horses, old cars, dance teams and more celebrate joyously for this very fun and very significant holiday! Below are images from our fun filled morning with our family, especially our sweet nephew Isaac who will be three this November.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

A Little Bit Random...

Ok, so this blog will be a bit random but we love random! About two weeks ago, our 1993 Ford Aerostar minivan died and we were forced to purchase a new car. After spending several days searching every dealership in Charlotte, and the surrounding areas, we ended up the beautiful car below. It was a great chance for us to compromise with each other and find something that would fit both of our personalities and budget.

Today, July 2, Ray had the day off from work so we have been able to spend the entire day together! This evening, we decided to cook one of our favorite meals: salmon, parmesan zucchini and squash and corn-on-the-cob. We try to not use very much salt when we cook and so we make use of herbs and Mrs. Dash A LOT. We sprinkle it on both our salmon and zucchini and squash to add wonderful, healthy flavor. Below is our newest flavor: onion and herb.

Below is our finished meal! We just boiled the corn, cooked the salmon for 15 minutes at 375 degrees and cooked the zucchini and squash with shredded parmesan cheese for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Delicious!

Our new door mat! We love it. We strive to live life simply and passionately...

Below is our newest art project: an octave of keys from a real grand piano! We are going to glue these together and hang them on one of the smaller walls in our kitchen. We both love music as well as antiques and this is the perfect new addition to our home decor!

Below is an photograph of Ray's grandfather, Ray Franklin Leach, in the Philippines during WWII with a wild monkey that he befriended. When Ray returned from the war, he brought back a beautiful Japanese flag signed by some Japanese soldiers. Because of Kati's passion for the Japanese language and people (she was a Japanese minor at UNC-Charlotte), she was so thrilled when we inherited the flag. Because the size is unique, we are having to create a custom frame. Once we've had the frame made, we will hang it up in our home!

The flag...