Getting To Know Me!

 My name is Kate C. I am 24, and I love: reading, blogging, skiing, quilting, cooking, going to estate sales/yard sales/antique shops, but especially being home with my family. I was born in Lubbock, Texas but my family moved from there to Illinois and then western Massachusetts, where I did most of my growing up. My dad was the first person from his family to leave Texas. Our ancestors immigrated to Texas from the Czech lands in the late 1800's. That has been one of the neatest parts about moving to the Houston area; generations and generations of my ancestors lived only 30 minutes or so away from Katy!

I spent my junior year of High School in Rennes, France on a study abroad for 9 months. There I got to live with an LDS host family, ski the alps, visit the Louvre, have my first kiss, but most importantly: learn French. I will always remember how I felt singing the hymns the first Sunday at the local branch; I knew that even though I was really far from my family, I still had a home in the church.

I went to BYU and switched majors several times. I was admitted to their Photography BFA program, but discovered it was not interesting to me. Then, I switched to Middle East Studies and Arabic. I went to Jordan for a study abroad. There I learned how to walk discreetly, turn down a marriage proposal, eat a diet of mostly rice and bread, haggle, but most importantly: learn Arabic.

When I returned, I took a semester break, then went back to Jordan to live with an awesome Muslim family that I had met the first time. They have five daughters around my age. I did my own "study abroad" of sorts, and there were pros and cons: more and less freedom. It was an adventure, that's for sure. I was able to travel a little through the Middle East before I came home. I went to Lebanon, Egypt, and Israel/Palestine. When I got home, I switched majors to French Teaching. Why? I had figured out that I wanted to teach High School or Middle School Arabic.  "Arabic Teaching" didn't exist at BYU, but I could get certified to teach Arabic after I got a teaching license in something else. I also minored in TESOL K-12.

                                                                                                                                                                       

I should mention that I met Danny my freshman year at BYU, we dated for four months, then he left on his mission. I wrote him every week, and also dated a lot. But he is my true love. When he came home, we dated for another seven months before we got engaged. His family is from Colorado. We were married in the Boston Massachusetts Temple in May 2008. He had an internship in Boston, and we lived there for the summer after we got married in a teeny tiny studio apartment. It was heaven.

Before I graduated, I was hired to teach Arabic at a charter Middle School in Lehi, UT. I taught there for a little over 2 years. My second year teaching, I taught two classes from material that I developed, while at the same time taking 21 credits from byu including several online classes, student teaching in French...and being pregnant! That was a busy time!

During my third year teaching, there were a lot of political problems at the school. Danny and I realized that he could graduate in December and get a job, which was a semester earlier than we had thought. We prayed about it a lot, and I decided to quit my job early to stay home full time with Jane. It was a hard decision because I teaching Middle School Arabic was my dream career.

We were very blessed because Danny got two job offers soon after applying. We chose the job in the Houston med center because it felt right. I am grateful we did, because I love living here in Katy! I especially love the friendships we've made so far, and I really hope to continue to make friends with everyone in our ward and neighborhood.



                   

I have been a stay home mom for almost two years, and it has been more rewarding and challenging than I could have ever expected. We have two children, Jane (18 months) and Dan (5 months). I feel very blessed. I was just called to serve in the Primary over Activity Days for girls. I am very excited, and happy that it will give me a chance to meet more of you!

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Getting To Know Me!

My name is Brittany B. I was born in Ogden, UT to Stan and Cheryl Page and am the oldest of six children (2 brothers and 3 sisters). I lived in the Kamas-Coalville Utah area until I was 8 then moved to Evanston, WY for 7 years then to Durango, CO for 3 years where I graduated from High School. For many reasons, but most importantly to be near my grandparents who lived in Coalville, I accepted a scholarship to attend Weber State University, where I met my husband Andy and where I graduated with a degree in Zoology and Chemistry.

Weber is also where I had my first daughter, Caitlin, who spent lots of time on the road with me watching her dad play football. From Ogden, we moved to Nebraska where I had my son Cole and where I received my masters degree in biology in 2000. After graduating, I was hired by BP and have worked in the oil and gas industry for the last 10 years moving between Houston and the Rockies. My son Connor was born in Farmington, NM and my daughter Chloe was born in Durango, CO.

I like sports, especially Volleyball, and get up at 4:30 to run/workout 5-6 days a week. When I get free time I love to read. I just finished the book "Unbroken," which I would highly recommend. My favorite color is green. My job took over my life last year as I helped BP by providing environmental council to the executive team throughout the entire spill and continue to do so as the Chief of Staff to Gulf Coast Restoration Organization - Science, Technology, Environment and Regulatory team. My hope for 2011 is to reduce my work hours and get more time with my family. I meet lots of famous people, unfortunately they are almost all politicians.

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Getting To Know Me!

Hi! I’m Emily C!  I have been in Nottingham Country Ward since 2001. I have no brothers or sisters and is an only child living at home with my mom. My dad passed away on July 5th 2004 when I was 14 and that has been a difficult experience to go through. It hasn’t been easy for me and my mom to have to get through life on our own with the unfortunate circumstance of losing my dad but we have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends in the ward that love and help us the best that they can. I am now 21 years old and is an adult. So far that hasn’t been easy but I’m trying to make the best of it. I have a pet dog named Bonita “Juicy”. I like to go shopping, put pictures in the photo album, scrapbook, and listen to 60’s music, facebook, go to movies, read, and do things with friends. My favorite color is pink. I like exotic foods like Indian or Greek just to name a few. I like people that are patient and understanding with me about my Asperger’s Syndrome and are willing to make the effort to have a friendship with me. I have been writing a book about my life with Asperger’s Syndrome to help people understand and learn about it. If I could live anywhere in the world for a year I would want to live in Southern California.

I went on vacations to Southern California, New York City, Las Vegas, and Hawaii. The places that I would like to go on vacation to would be Miami, Key West Florida, Cancun, Maui, San Francisco, Greece, Paris, and Tuscany. If I had a million dollars I would spend it at GUCCI, PRADA, FENDI, Juicy Couture, Coach, and Tiffany’s. I got to meet Donny and Marie when I was in Las Vegas last May. My mom got VIP seats for their show and it was so neat to be able to meet them. They just seemed so nice and down to earth. I also got to see the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. The only down side was that the tour bus broke down on the way to the Grand Canyon but other than that it was a good experience. My mom is going to graduate from college in May and she is very excited. I was going to start the process of transitioning into getting a job, but my job coach that I was going to be working with moved out of state and the job coach that replaced him isn’t willing to take on his clients because she has her hands full with her own clients so I’m going to have to switch over to another agency. I’m not sure how long that will be. I am very relieved about it because I’m not too keen on the idea of getting a job. I’m just really scared, but when the time comes I’m going to have to face that fear and move forward.

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Getting To Know Me

My name is Whitney G, I'm 25-years-old and have lived in Texas for almost 2 years, been in the ward for 1 year.  I grew up in Seattle and went to college at BYU-Idaho.  I majored in Communications Advertising with a minor in Business. 

I currently work for a nonprofit called Faith In Practice.  We are a Christian organization that does medical missions in Guatemala.  I head up our main fundraiser, plan events and design all our materials.  I love my job and am blessed to be able to go to Guatemala this month to serve as a member of one of our teams of volunteers.  I am a little nervous about going; I have never had to get shots just to visit a place before!

During my free time I love to design things. I am totally self-taught, but got my skills to a point where I could open my own little business www.whitneygillisdesign.com. I design birth announcements, wedding invitations, Christmas cards...pretty much anything. 

My best friend is a long haired Chihuahua named Bentley.  I love him most when he sleeps on my lap but sometimes I have to put him in the "doggy snuggie" my mom bought him to calm him down when i am trying to work, he hates wearing it!

I have been teaching in primary for quite some time now so I don't get to know many people over 4-years-old in the ward.  I love my calling, the kids are so sweet and I love seeing them grow in the gospel.  Many of them surprise me with how much they already know and understand.

I love crafting, reading, doing aerobics classes at the gym and wish I was better at interior decorating.

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Getting To Know Me!

My name is Marea G.  I know it takes awhile to get used to saying my name.  It's pronounced (Mar-E-a).  It means "of the sea" and many people tease me about how I grew up near the ocean and did every water sport imaginable and became a lifeguard.  I did synchronized swimming for many years, water polo, swim team, water skiing, wake boarding, surfing, started learning scuba diving, sailing, river rafting, and kayaking.  My favorite thing was coaching the swim team every summer.  There were over 50 kids (ages 7-17) and the team usually won at the District meet every year.  :-)

I was born in Anaheim, CA and moved to Houston when I was 2.  I moved back to California (Venice/Santa Monica area) when I was 9.  I graduated from Venice High school (the school they used to film the movie Grease!  It still looks almost exactly the same) and loved being on the swim team & basketball team and still keep in touch with my best friends from there.  I have on sister that lives near Pasadena, CA.

In the year 2000, I was married in the Los Angeles Temple to Jacob.  From the first day we started dating we have never been apart.  We knew each other freshman year of BYU but didn't start dating until after his mission.  Our dating story was kind of funny.  You'll have to ask us about it!  The same year I graduated from BYU with a BS in Conservation Biology, emphasis Wildlife.  I also loved singing in the BYU Chorale while I was there.

I've lived overseas twice for a very short period of time.  Once I lived in Scotland at a summer boarding school.  That was an adventure.  I toured London with a group of Americans and then lived at the school in Scotland for several months learning everything from British History to Archery.  And once I lived with Jacob, right after we were married, in Sweden.  He had served his mission there and got an internship for 3 months with Johnson & Johnson.  That was also an adventure.  If you're uncoordinated & don't speak Swedish never take an aerobics class in Swedish!  It's also not a good time to learn to drive stick shift or lock yourself out of your house when your husband works far away.

I also enjoy genealogy and have added over 350 names to one side of my tree in just the past several months.  It is a miraculous work and I can't stop!

But, the majority of my time, right now, is spent with my family.  I love staying at home with my three children.  Ryan (8), Krista (6), and James (17 months).  They bring me so much joy.  I never tire of being a mom.

We've lived here for almost a year now and love this ward.  I serve in the primary and am a bit shy.  But, I'd really like to get to know each and every one of you!

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Getting To Know Me!

My name is Erica H.  We’ve only been the ward for 4 short months so many of you don’t know me.  I grew up in Salt Lake City.  I am the third of four children, two older sisters and a younger brother.  While working in college, I met a friend who insisted that I needed to marry her brother in law.  The problem was, he was on a mission.  I sent him a casual letter and we quickly became friends.  Over the course of a year, while writing often we got to know each other well and 6 weeks after his return home, we were engaged.  Quick yes, but it worked for us!

We’ve been married 6 ½ years and he has been in school the entire time.  He is currently finishing his last semester and I couldn’t be more thrilled!  We have three girls, Megan (5), Allison (4) and Rebecca (2).  Megan just started kindergarten this fall and surprisingly, all of my worries and fears of my oldest being gone all day long have been replaced with a quiet home and a happy child.  I’m learning that children adapt and are capable of much more than I anticipated for such a young age.  Allison started preschool and is learning to not live in her sister’s shadow.  And Rebecca is two.  There isn’t much more that needs to be said.  She has a lot of attitude and as much as it drives me crazy at moments, I love it all the same! 

We have been in the Katy area for 3 years.  While Matt was finishing his undergraduate degree we felt a need to leave Utah.  Houston seemed like the perfect place (why I am still not sure.)  We found a job and we moved.  It has been a roller-coaster ride for sure, but one we have enjoyed.  We have learned that the only way to function is to ask for help, which is still difficult to do.  Matt is the youngest of 7 children and we are the only ones who have left Utah.  We miss being around all of our family, especially as the girls grow and they are missing out on the relationships with cousins but the growth and opportunities we have had here have all been worth it.  I sure wish I had spent more time in those mountains while we were there!

When we moved to Katy, we rented our home unsure of what the future would hold.  We just bought our first home and although I love it, the “settled” feeling is not normal for us.  It is hard to imagine that this will be my home for longer than a 12 month lease.  I’m trying to get used to the idea that settled is a good thing for us all.

Things I love include: homemade bread and jam, an early morning run right as the sun is coming up, a good book that captures my mind and emotions, watching my children play in the back yard and date nights!

I currently serve in the Young Women’s organization and I love it!  I’ve served in Primary for years so was unsure about this change but I have quickly developed a love for the girls and the purpose YW’s serves. 

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