Katie Critchfield! Officially, but not so officially

Call me Critchfield. Just not in the legal since because I'm hanging on to the Johnson until I graduate. You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging in a long time. You may have stopped reading this blog. You may not even know who I am. Well, it is your lucky day because I am most definitely back in the blogging world, and it's time to get to know me. I have been sort of preoccupied the last few months and I had a crazy summer that ended with a few new accessories (i.e. some rings and a husband).

On August 7th Matt Critchfield and I were married in the Washington, DC LDS temple and then had a little party down in Virginia. All of which was meticulously planed by my lovely mother. No way could I have ever planned such a beautiful day without all of her hard work and willingness to watch me turn into a bridzilla. I guess it takes 6 whole weeks to photoshop my pictures into viewing shape (looks like I overpaid for my hair and make-up), but my photographer sent me a couple pictures to keep me pacified for two more weeks. Thanks to everyone who was part of our wedding. It was perfect and felt so great to be surrounded by so many dear friends and family.

Teeny Tiny bride and groom.

This is the last picture we took at the temple. I may look calm, but I think I was about two seconds away from tearing off my dress and jumping in the little pool. It's hot in August.

I've never been a big fan of kissing in public...but I seem to do really well kissing at the temple

This picture would be cooler if my back actually bent like a normal person's.

Here I am, all alone, just me and my thoughts.

Here is my wonderful family! On the far left are Jenny and Mark champoux with their children Justin and Brooke, then Erin and Kyle Stewart with their new baby Avery and Ellie (on the far right), then Matt and me, then my parents, Page and Woody, and my grandparents Bobette and Glendon. Not a bad looking group. I think Justin had the right idea about nap time.

Is it cheesy to say I think my husband is cute? It is? Oh. Well in that case, my husband is really, really good looking.

Wedding Weekend

No no no, not my wedding. One of my best friends, Caroline's, wedding! Caroline got married this past Saturday and had a beautiful wedding in Hilton Head, South Carolina at the Palmetto Bluff Inn. The weekend was so much fun and went by way too quickly. Caroline looked gorgeous and was amazingly calm and just plain excited all weekend. She and Mark are great together and I am so happy for them. Besides the nuptials I got to bring along Matt for a miniature vacation and some well deserved time away from Boston. The weekend consisted of pampering and endless delicious food, which was fine by me. Caroline arranged for her bridesmaids to have our hair and makeup done, and I was only teasted mildly by the professional team when my response to seeing my reflection was, "Wow, I'm hot!" Turns out that the secret to looking good is a professional hair and makeup team, a pretty dress, and 4 hours. It was great to see old friends again and have an excuse to party like a rockstar and dance to Lady Gaga's classic hit, "Telephone". Here are a few pictures of all the fun:

The beautiful bride in such a pretty chapel with a great view of the river/ocean

The gorgeous bridesmaids, and then me trying really hard not to look awkward

So hot right now...I think I was attempting a sexy face?

we clean up pretty good.

Ok, time to go back....meet you all there.

I've decided on a puppy

It was 45 degrees in Boston today. Which means everyone thought that it was summer so the whole city spent the day outside for the first time in three months. It was absolutely heavenly and it's quite amazing how you can convince yourself that 45 degrees is a pleasant temperature. I started the day off with a morning trip to Mike's Pastries for a lobster tail...so good...and then a pedicure with the roomies. Then Matt and I ventured into Harvard Square to soak up some local culture and get lost in the Harvard Bookstore, oh man I like bookstores. At first I wanted to buy the game bananagrams, but then I quickly changed my mind when we passed the most adorable dog I have ever seen. And I want this puppy. Puggles are so 2008. This little baby is a shiba inu and all data from preliminary research suggests this to be the perfect little starter dog. Come to Mama.

Happy Pseudo-Valentine's Day!

So Valentine's Day is in exactly one week. And if everything goes according to plan, that means that I will be spending Valentine's Day this year with my parents, in a hotel room, high on vicodin. I'm not sure that's exactly the romantic evening Matt had in mind, so we decided to have a pre-surgery celebration. Matt made this delicious dinner that took about 3 hours and clogged as many arteries. If someone had written about is in a food magazine I think it would have been something like this: "Each bit is an explosion of flavor in your mouth. One minute it's like you're on a gondola in Venice, and then next it's like you're sailing the high seas with Johnny Depp". Ok, so maybe it wouldn't include a pirate reference, but it was tasty enough to pillage for. I decided to contribute by making a dessert of some sort. I looked to Martha Stewart for some help, and I made these creme pastry raspberry things. One half burned/half soggy pastry, one pair of jeans, and one cornstarch explosion later, I had the recipe mastered. It was actually really simple, and it was the first time I have ever made cream from scratch. I feel a boston creme pie coming in the near future. Well my friends, this is probably it until I get my surgery on Thursday! I'll try to post something while I'm still a little loopy.

It really was that good

This is how I stand/walk/function these days. Do you see why I need surgery?

Try to look at this picture while imagining tiny angels strum harps and sing softly around the baked ziti

In all of its 1 million calorie glory

All this mess for two little pastries? wow.

don't tell matt!

I am officially really lame and ashamed of myself. But, I'm going to do this anyway. Matt came out to visit this weekend and here are a few pictures. The first one is actually at the BYU FSU game (we shouldn't talk about that much more). As you can see we are both very proud of being cougars. Since Matt and I were both sick and had to cancel our trip to New York, we pacified ourselves with a trip to New Hampshire to pick some apples and eat some apple cider donuts (the most delicious treats ever created). The last picture came out very squinty, so I had to do some mad photoshop to take out all the crinkles in my face...smooth as a baby's butt. Well, now my roommate is reading this. I'm uncomfortable. Don't tease me for this post.

I'm alive?

I don't know if anyone even reads this anymore.  Clearly I don't write on this anymore.  But I just wanted to let all my loyal followers, a.k.a mommy, that I am alive and doing well.  Nothing interesting to report though.  And definitely no fun pictures to put up.  Wow, I am seriously boring.  I think this blog may be on the out, so kiss this sweet page goodbye.  It's been a joy and a pleasure.  oh it's also US OPEN time and i've been watching it all day.  it's been amazing.  and i just saw a ballboy eat it pretty hard.  ok, i have ADD...gotta stop talking now.  

1st year of a doctorate program? piece of cake.

I SURVIVED! Booya! (ps why did people stop using this word all the time?  it sums up my feelings so perfectly).  it is over.  i have survived my first year in boston.  and despite all the complaining and the dramatic episodes, it actually wasn't too bad.  and i even managed to have a little bit of fun.  this whole experience reminds me of my first day of kindergarten, minus the nap time but with double the amount of animal crackers.  after our last final we wet to our friend's apartment and celebrated the freedom and the idea of finally having a summer.  after being in school for two years straight i think we deserve it.  

 

  

before i snapped this momento of our last final i actually said the words "you guys are going to want this picture one day!"  and thus i started to turn into my mother.

        

Paul and i share a birthday, one which was ruined by studying for neuroscience all day.  but if your birthday is terrible that means that things can only get better, right?