alright, that list everyone's doing...

here it is.


1. I have no allergies, don’t need glasses and am hardly ever sick.
2. I don’t have wisdom teeth. As in, never have had them, never will.
3. I was randomly paired with a roommate my freshman year of college whose name was also Katie. Her last name also started with a B!! True story people. Thru college, there were 3 to 4 Katie’s in our group of friends at any given time, and THREE WERE KATIE B’s!!!
4. My entire family- both sides- originated in Buffalo, NY. Parents grew up there, married there, had myself and the sibs there, and then we moved to the Midwest as wee ones. Miss the extended family.
5. I broke my right middle finger my senior year of high school playing powderpuff. I pulled someone’s flag towards the end of the game, and when I had a stinging pain in my finger, looked down and saw the top knuckle pointing off to the right. Out of instinct, I popped it back. It hurt. We let it go for two weeks and it got all green, huge and nasty before we got it checked out. Then I had to have surgery, put pins in it and wear a big splint. It was kinda fun!
6. I didn’t taste alcohol til I was at least 20. Even then, it probably was like a sip of a relative’s drink once a year or something. Just wasn’t really interested in all that growing up.
7. I love to read. Always have, ask my parents. Remember the show Reading Rainbow back in the 90’s? (hahaha!) I hear my parents once had a bday party for me themed from that show. I love fiction, and non-fiction. Mostly Christian themed, but other stuff is good too. Gotta love a good Grisham.
8. At the ripe age of 23, I’ve been to: Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Bahamas and Guatemala. LOVE to travel outside the country- especially Spanish speaking cultures. (see #9) Also done a good amount of traveling here in the States as well. So much more to do!
9. I minored in Spanish in college. Es verdad.
10. I was on the track team in high school for a few years. Wasn’t that great at it, but did it for the exercise and to be involved in something athletic.
11. That being said, I was in show choir and marching band all through high school. That makes me sound like a total geek, but, I wasn’t a geek. Those were just the things I was good at. It was fun times. I was also in the musicals all four years and played a lead in Bye Bye Birdie.
12. I think my brother Andy and I got the shaft in names. Our sister’s name is Noelle. She got the cool name and we got the boring names that everyone else was named in the mid to late 80’s. (whenever I bring this up my mom protests and says our names have meaning, blah blah)
13. Before my mom got pregnant with me, they had been unable to conceive for several years. They were considering adoption… then I came along and their worlds were changed forever ☺ They had two more kids within 4 years. Thus formed the Bautz family.
14. Our family has three cats that my sibs and I got to pick out when we moved to Ohio in 1995. Mine is Ramona, Andy’s is Pepper, and Noelle’s is Misty. They are cute and still living. My mom is VERY attached to them.
15. I love rollercoasters and theme/water parks. The youth group summer trips to Cedar Point were the bomb!! Also been to Kings Island many a time. I have rode the Superman ride in Six Flags Atlanta where you are on your stomach. It was pretty cool.
16. I have a thing for being tan. I tan really well , and wish I didn’t care about skin cancer so I could tan in the winter. I feel like I look a lot better with a tan. ☺
17. I LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC. Anyone who knows me knows this. Seriously, I just love it and know all the songs and most popular groups and stuff. I’m not as up to date these days with it as I once was, but I still strongly believe in its ministry and listen to it all the time. I could talk about the best songs, or most powerful, etc etc for a long time.
18. I don’t know how to ski, snowboard, or waterski. I want to, and hope to learn soon, but just haven’t had the opportunity to learn.
19. I like to workout and eat relatively healthy. I think this started late in high school and thru college. I do it too look good obviously, but also b/c it’s just good for your body and mind—for so many reasons.
20. With that said, I LOVE POP! Dr. Pepper and I have had a loving relationship for many years, and I love pop of all kinds. It is my weakness. Moreso than candy (which I also love) or all other kinds of sweets (which I love but choose not to eat much of). In college, it was Rickers pops and SLUSHIES, now it’s Polar Pops baby!
21. I am a music person. It’s my thing. Most of you know that I sing, majored in music business in college, studied voice for four years, sang in Chorale, etc etc. It’s just… who I am. I can’t not sing.
22. I can sing classical stuff. I think some people might be surprised to know that. First soprano (the highest parts). I kinda miss stretching out that part of my voice. (love to AU Chorale forever)
23. Being a wife and mother are two things I look forward to most in this life. I know my time will come in His time.
24. I have a tendency to just say whatever it is I’m thinking… I’m just kinda open like that, and I get laughed at a lot. It’s just my personality—def. outgoing. I like to joke and point fun and laugh.
25. Worshipping thru song with other believers is one of the best things on earth.
26. I have only been in love one time, and it didn’t happen til I was 22. Hopefully the next time it will be for good. It is one of God’s best gifts.
27. I have this thing with cutting my toenails… I just hate them to be long! Ahhh! My family teases me a lot about this.
28. My parents mean the world to me. Next to God, they are my everything and I would be lost without them.

grown up snow day!

Central Indiana got a foot of snow dumped on it in the past day! For Indy alone it's the most in THIRTEEN YEARS! =O

This is what I saw out my window this morning at like 9am.
And this is why I did not, could not, go to work, like the owners of all the cars out there.

When I walked out this afternoon to brush off my car, I laughed a lot out loud. It had sooo much snow on it! This guy that was stuck trying to get out of his parking spot (like EVERYONE else in autumn woods apts and beyond) was confused about why it was funny.

Needless to say, I watched a few brave souls spin their tires and burn rubber trying to get out for like 3o mins to an hour... it was crazy. Also needless to say, no plow entered our side of the complex until oh... 5:00pm AT LEAST.

What the crap Autumn Woods?? All you can manage is one measly plow track for a day such as this? I have nothing but cuss words to say about this, ha! I was by myself, shovel-less and there was no way I was getting out. It would've probably taken me 5.2 years just to get out of my spot, and then 4 more years to get onto the main road. Ahhh! The snow will be much more fun and enjoyable tomorrow when I can get where I need to go and can look at its prettyness.

Yay for my first grown up snow day. Will I have to make this up?

full weekends

Well, another week has come and come, along with the weekend. It seems like every weekend this days I've got something going on. I sang at church this weekend, which I always love, but it always makes for a full weekend. Then life group, then Extreme Worship... all good things, but make for a full schedule!

holy cow it's 9:52pm. Ahh! I've been home for a whole 2 hours today. and here I am looking at blogs, facebook... I swear, it's the common issue for everyone these days! haha!

it's been a great weekend all in all though! back to it tomorrow. I wish I had the day off like the guys I work with do. But, they put in a LOT longer of a day than I did today. They deserve it.
I just stood up there, smiled and sang in heels in front a large amount of people... no big. ;)

In other news, I am just so excited for one of the guys on student ministry staff that is having twins!!! Their first time! I know they've been wanting this for awhile, and we are so thrilled for them. I sang a song this weekend called "Hallelujah, What a Savior" (vicky beeching) and in it she says "we glorify the Giver of life." I thought about that and praised Him today for giving life to these two babies in Jami's belly! Each child that is conceived is of God, in any and every situation!

So, this week. Zumba Tuesday. Hopefully seeing my fabulous friend Erin for some quality accountability time, also hoping to meet the sibs for dinner one night, and parents coming down on Saturday to help reorganize and paint my office at work! It NEEDS it. I don't have a window which makes it all the more necessary. Their help will help me out SOOOO much.

Starting on the One Year Bible reading plan, and gonna do my best to keep up with that. AND starting to read Mistaken Identity, that book about the girls that were mixed up in the Taylor Univ. car crash! So excited!! Finished The Shack. whew! Emotional! Loved the way the author personified the Trinity. I have trouble envisioning the three in my head (as do most people I think) and this was a neat way to imagine it. Do you think there will be the three when we get to heaven, or just Jesus/God? I'm confused about that!! haha!

anyways, yeah it's now 10:04 and I have stuff to do. peace out

hello 2009

alrighty. So I continue to slack at the whole blogging thing. I sometimes feel like blogging is apparently only for married people, or couples with kids... but, whatever, hopefully people like to hear about what's going on in my life.

here we are in 2009. there has been SO. MUCH. CHANGE. in my life this past year. And yet, looking back, I don't feel like it was a super tough rough awful year despite all that change. Most of it was good change...the type of change you welcome, albeit stretching and challenging!
So, here are some of the things 2008 held for me (not in chronological order):
-graduating from college
-car dying/buying a new car
-got my heart broke/healing from that
-finding an internship all by myself
-moving to Indy
-getting an apartment, insurance, a 403b (?!?!), and oh yeah, a JOB!
-post graduation vacation with friends
-stuff changing with parents marriage
-youngest sibling in college!

haha. yeah, it's been a lot! But like I said, only some of that was really tough. The rest was just like, "well, here goes nothing, hope this goes well!" haha. It's like when you graduate from college, and aren't one of the people that moves back home (laame, but not judging...), or gets married, it's like 'crap, how do I figure out how to lease an apt., pay bills, budget, use insurance (STILL have no idea... do I have to pay for a check up? I need one).... all that grown up stuff, ahh! Thank you Lord Almighty for my wonderful, loving parents who have been so helpful. I would be LOST without their guidance. However, I do think I have done a pretty good job handling the whole grown up thing so far. The very unwelcome gift New Years Day brought me was STUDENT LOAN payback. UGH! Still trying to consolidate...help?! I hate being the first child sometimes, parents are clueless about first time stuff! LOL.

I rang in the New Year with my best friends from college. We didn't really do anything exciting, but it was so fun to eat out, laugh, drink some wine, talk, light sparklers and reflect a bit. What a treasure those girls are. :) We are all different in many ways, but just have a great time with each other anyway!

Some things I'd like to do in 2009...
-discipline myself in my walk with the Lord and continue to daily surrender to Him
-fall in love.... again, and hopefully for good this time! (cheeesy, i know, but come on people)
-become totally irreplaceable in my job
-help lead my life group closer to Christ and to each other
-keep up the gym thing and lose some annoying flab
-become a better friend to my new friends here
-make a point to be involved in the kids at North Beach's (my church's youth group) lives

so yeah. here's to blogging some more as well! Thankful for year 23 of my life and for the mighty and compassionate God I serve, and the things He has done in my life. It's in Him we live and move and BREATHE... all of it... it's in Him.

each year, every year, in life or in death-- we are HIS!!

December??

I am not good at blogging apparently. For a person that likes to communicate, you'd think it would be easier!

I've decided that since I don't have cable, I waste a lot more time on Facebook. It's a problem. Like, I've been messing around on Facebook for like an hour. I should be in bed. I have to work tomorrow, and I will not want to get up. I did work out tonight though which is good.

Starting tomorrow, the rest of my week and weekend is pretty much swamped. With fun stuff mostly! Weds. night I have a big small group thing with my high school girls small group, Thursday night my brother is coming into town and I am taking him to the train ( i know, right?), Friday night I have plans with the roomies from last year, Saturday I sing and have a christmas party, Sunday I sing, watch the Colts game, and have the big annual Christmas party for all of the Worship/Tech Arts volunteers! Whew!!

I am going to be working on a secret Christmas present for my parents. They will FREAK! Hopefully it goes well, I will have to be working a good amount on it!

ok... I should head towards bed.

from the inside out

so, if you know me, you probably know that I love Hillsong United. I didn't really get into them until maybe my freshman/soph. year of college, when they really exploded. I'm also a music person, so I'm always taking about new songs and lyrics and all that... haha.

First of all, I recommend all of their albums from "More than Life" all the way to their newest one "I Heart Revolution." Their lyrics are challenging, songs rocking... I really think the Hillsong church has cultivated over the years an incredible environment for unabashed, incredible worship.

one of my faves is a song called "from the inside out." it's one of those songs that proclaims so many great things about our Lord, as well as putting words to the rawness of our hearts. one of the lines says "Your will above all else, my purpose remains, the art of losing myself in bringing You praise."

doesn't that line just hit you right between the eyes? His will above all else? MY purpose? the "art" of losing myself? all in an effort to bring my Savior praise. I think I will be striving my entire life to get to the place where it is HIS will above all else. I have a pretty strong will of my own-- and I'm not sure that my "purpose remains" in seeking His will foremost. I'm working on it. I love how it says the ART of losing myself, like it's not just like begrudged calling we have as disciples, but an art, something to be practiced and perfected. Losing myself. I'm okay with losing myself to Christ. To live is Christ and to die is gain, right?

"and the cry of my heart is to bring You praise from the inside out, Lord my soul cries out!"

it's stuff like this that make me thrilled to be doing what I am doing. worship is not just music, or an awesome band or cool lights, or even a big auditorium. it's our hearts connecting to our Fathers, crying out to Him through song and giving him glory in a special way. we're going to be doing that through all of eternity, and I for one am going to be READY!

so I haven't blogged in almost two months...

I have been keeping busy.

But I think I shall blog again soon, for anyone who cares. It seems like the majority of people blogging are mommies from 25-40 telling stories from their lovely family life....

well, I'm not a mommy, all I got is me, myself and I to talk about so, hope that still is interesting to someone!

I need to get ready for bed now. Nite nite.