NEW BLOG

Hey Everyone!  I'm getting married and I guess I'm expected to blog about my new family.  ;) I created a new blog called lilyfam.blogspot.com for Jordan and I if you are interested in following!  Love you all and I'm so excited to be with my whole family in the temple!

Katie Coats future Liljenquist!

June 19th- Boo ya!

I have always looked up to this guy so much.  I'm so happy he's marrying such a beautiful, confident, fun girl!  

I like this picture of them.  Power couple.

Sorry I don't think Kirst was quite ready for the picture but welcome to the family!  We love you!

May 11th-A day to remember!

I can't sleep because I am giddy so I decided to write me and Jordan's life story for whoever wants to hear it.  I first met Jordan on May 4, 2007 at his baptism.  I went with some of my friends and remembered thinking he was a really great kid.  Jordan was dating my friend Natalie's older sister and we all went to the Manti Pageant together as a group.  The whole trip I thought his last name was Relinquist.  On the way home we had a really good talk about the gospel, relationships, ect....I remember thinking Jordan was  a really great person and I wanted to date someone like him someday.  About a year later mission time came for Jordan and we went on about three really fun dates.  The night before he left for the MTC, we went boating and he tried to do a backflip behind our boat but it was more of a back flop.  I wrote in my journal that "he would jump so high and just fall right on his back, but then get right back up again.  That's exactly how the mission is going to be for him.  There will be discouraging times, but I know he'll be able to face them".  Pretty deep for a 16 year old eh?   Anyways that night we both shared our "conversion stories" and he kissed me on the cheek!  We wrote on his mission as friends and got to know each other pretty well.  I thought he was pretty goofy and his letters always made me laugh. I liked that he sent me chocolate and a handmade Valentines card!

Well, I'm just going to be honest when Jordan came back from his mission sparks weren't exactly flying.  We had A LOT of awkward moments.  My all time favorite was us walking around Rexburg and me being out of breath trying to catch up to him.  He was always so determined to get wherever he was going but I guess he was still in missionary mode.  I told him I had a lot of cute friends he could ask out and he said, "that's not what you tell someone you are interested in".  Sooo...that little love fizzled out.  We still talked every once in a while as friends during the semesters that followed and got to know each other really well.  I wanted to like him again but couldn't get myself to.  Finally, after coming back from a semester in Hawaii I came back to Rexburg and was on the dance team.  I had the best group of roommates I've ever had in my life and they gave me lots of boy advice.  They had heard a little bit about Jordan and he hung out with us a few times.  My friends Jill and Melanie were working with him over the summer and they kept bugging me about going on dates with him.  In the middle of the semester he moved up to Rexburg and started working for Dish.  He took me on a date to Mill Hollow in his "Jordan from Dish" uniform.  I remember thinking he looked really cute.  Finally one day my roommates needed brown sugar so they went over to Jordan's apartment to ask if they had any.  Jordan had brown sugar and that sealed the deal for me for some reason.  haha I know that sounds cheesy but to me it seemed like he was just always there for me when I needed him and the brown sugar symbolized that.  We decided to start dating and I moved to Twin Falls for nursing school but Jordan wasn't giving up on me.  We visited each other every weekend.  There are lots of other small details but basically I fell more in love with him every day!  He helped me so much through my first semester of nursing school even when I got a little crazy.  This summer Jordan has been working for a crop duster and he told me his boss is going to let us go for a ride in it next week.  I was so excited and secretly thought that would be a pretty sweet place for him to propose.  However, Jordan didn't want to go with predictable.  He went golfing with my dad while I hung out with his wonderful family and then we went on a 4-wheeler ride to the top of D mountain.  It overlooks the whole town and there was a beautiful sunset.  We were just casually talking about our day and he read a scripture to me that he really likes.  Then all of a sudden he was like, "Katie, I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore".  haha I didn't exactly know what to say to that.  He continued by saying that he wants to spend every day with me and then got on one knee.  My response was, "Are you serious?"  haha he said, "Yes, will you?"

.....

The rest is history.  haha I said yes!  His parents cried and welcomed me into their family with open arms.  I love them.  We are blessed with amazing families.  Jordan completes me.  I've seen him in so many different situations and he always acts the same.  I know that I definitely don't have all the answers but if I trust in God and have faith he will bless me.  I love that Jordan loves God more than he loves me and that is the most important thing in the world.  He is my best friend!  I can't wait for the privilege to be Jordan's wife and discover new things about him every day.  Our goal is to be a power couple and it is up to us to make it come true.  That monologue was probably more than you wanted but it felt good to write all those things down.  Goodnight everyone!  OH...and caution these are unedited and taken by mom.

Awkward starfish.

School's out for SUMMA!!

Yippee!  I am done with my first semester of nursing school at CSI!  I thought it would never come.  I can honestly say I learned the most about how to study than any other semester.  I really struggled with tests at the beginning but my last two tests I got a 94 (the highest grade on that test) and an 84 on my final.  I was so excited.  I know I couldn't have done it without the Lord and the great people in my life.  I learned so much about people.  I love how diverse my nursing class is.   They come from all over the world.  I love how hard working they all are.  I am now the youngest person in the program so I have so much to learn from all of them.  I learned a lot about myself.  I learned why I believe what I believe a lot more because I wasn't constantly surrounded by everyone who believes the exact same things I do.  It was challenging but so good for me.  I'm excited to see what this summer brings me.  I'm excited to work for Miller's research and my friend Macy and I are teaching dance lessons!  Life is so great.  Here's a picture of my clinical group.  People say 1st and 3rd semesters are the hardest.  I've learned that caring in nursing is having the knowledge to keep people safe.  It's a work in progress every day.  Bring it on!

Baptism and friends!

It's been an awesome couple of weeks.  I had the amazing opportunity of being roommates with a really special girl named Courtney.  She was born 95% deaf in one ear and 98% deaf in the other.  She has undergone a lot of speech therapy and speaks really well in addition to wearing hearing aides.  She has been taking the discussions this semester and decided to get baptized even though her family is very against it.  She asked me to speak at it.  It was a very special day.  I'm so grateful that girl was put into my life at this time.  

My roommates Rosa, Hailey, and friend Brooklyn

My friend Melanie got married last week!  She was such a beautiful bride!  She is such an amazing cook.  Steven is so lucky to get such an amazing person for eternity.  I am excited for their happiness.

Meanwhile this is what I am doing...

These are my nursing buddies who I spend 80% of my day with.  I am the youngest person in the program now!  I have two tests, two clinicals, and two assignments left.  Please pray for me that I will remember all the things I've learned.  In this picture I said, "look really stressed" and those are the faces they came up with.  

I love life.  It can be as serious, goofy, or spontaneous as you make it.  We always have a choice and we are never alone.  

Conversion!

Great news!  My roommate who has been taking the discussions this semester is getting baptized on Saturday and she asked me to speak on baptism!  Let me know if you have any good thoughts!   Nikelle showed me this video and I absolutely love it!  Please watch it!

http://vimeo.com/2120177

Inspiration

It was such a fun weekend in Boise with Emily and Kris.  I seriously needed that.  I can't wait for Spring Break!  My plans are to catch up on homework and relax!  This semester has challenged me in so many ways-spiritually, mentally, and socially but I am grateful for the experience.  I know the Lord will never give us more than we can handle and we are never alone.  Two things have given me great inspiration lately:
1.  Family-I seriously love each and every one of my siblings and their unique examples in my life.   Being the youngest is great because I have so many examples to look to but is also hard because I feel like I can never measure up to them.  They make me want to be better!  My parents have shaped me into being the person I am.  I want to be just like them.

2.  My Faith
This includes not only my religion but the word faith in general.  I've been sitting in on my roommate's discussions with the missionaries and have truly realize how amazing and simple the gospel is.  I love it so much and know even more that it brings so much happiness.  No earthly joy can compare.

Faith is a knowledge of things not seen but true.  This concept can be hard for people to understand but it is so powerful to me.  I know that if we just have faith and EJTTE.  (Endure JOYFULLY to the end) we can be happy eternally.

NEXT FRIDAY

The Hunger Games movie is coming out!  I can't wait!  Watch the trailer to get stoked!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNxb28j5C1w&ob=av3n

Lost Gem!!

Today was one of those low self-esteem days everyone has once in a while.  Going to FHE helped though!  My bishop told me he saw me on the news and I had no idea what he was talking about until I remembered the scholarship I got a couple years ago!  It was fun to come across this little gem again!

http://www.ktvb.com/archive/64284272.html

Ups and Downs

Life can be such a roller coaster.  Some days you feel full of faith, confident, and on top of the world.   Other days Satan gets the better of you and you couldn't feel worse.  Today is one of those worse days.  Being at CSI is a challenge for me mentally, socially, and spiritually some days.  I think my mom puts it best as "living among the Lamanites".  It's hard to go from living with your best friends, going to devotional every week, and having a "strict" yet wonderful honor code that keeps you safe to trying to find where you fit in.  I love school and I love the fact that Nikelle is up here.  I am so grateful for the opportunity we've had to rekindle our friendship.  I'm so happy for her that she is going to BYU-Idaho but it really makes me wonder...what is the next step in my life?  Where are my bosom friends?  However, enough of that silly rant I am soooo grateful for the good family and friends that are in my life.  This weekend I got to be a bridesmaid in my bosom friend Nichole's wedding!  It was such a neat opportunity!  I am so grateful for the good influence she has always been to me.  Here's some pictures of recently ;)

    

CSI-Twin Falls-Crime Scene Investigation

My roommates always used to tease me that I am going to a school called CSI.  They think I should make my own murder mystery show.  With the people here I think I could manage that.  So here's the case:  A new chapter in my life is beginning.  Two days ago I moved up to begin my time as a nursing student in Twin Falls.  I've been super optimistic about it and anxious to start.  I've prepared for the worst and hoped for the best!  My nursing class is filled with very diverse people from various places like Korea, Croatia, and Ghana.  Most of them have kids and other big responsibilities so I feel very fortunate that nursing is all I have to worry about.  I am definitely out of my comfort zone, but it is going to be good for me.  My roommates are.... interesting but I will make more friends!  Either that or start smoking pot with them...(haha kidding mom).  But seriously I want to write a book about all the interesting and diverse people in the world.  This experience is going to teach me so much about people and make me an even better nurse.  Although life never turns out how I plan it I am so grateful for it and for all that the Lord has taught me.  I know that he loves all his children and I need to do the same.  Come what may and love it!!  Case closed.

 I typed in "dancing nurse" in google images and that's what I got.

FAMOUS!!

I am seriously going to miss jamming with this girl. She is one of my best friends. We have a bond through music and relate on so many levels.

Snowboarding and changes

Hey there blog!  So I feel like my life has kind of changed drastically in the last 3 weeks but it really hasn't.  I've known this boy---Jordan since I was a junior in high school.  I was reading over my journal and laughing about what I wrote the first time I met him.  I wrote, "I just want to know everything about that boy.  We have so much in common it kinda freaks me out".  Sounds like a teenager right?  It's funny how much that statement is true though.  Jordan and I do have a lot in common and we always have fun when we are together.  We went snowboarding with his roommates yesterday and my body is definitely feeling it today.  There were powdery places and places where the trees were still sticking up.  Two of Jordan's roommates broke their bindings and scratched their boards on the trees because they jumped right into them.   Jordan's roommates said I was the best girl snowboarder they have ever gone with because they never had to wait for me--they must have not been with very many girls ;).  I wasn't busting out backflips like Jordan was but I did do some rails and jumps!   It feels good to be a snowboarder.  Even though we are "facebook official" (which doesn't mean we are getting married by the way just that we are dating) we have a great time.

Jordan's roommate Kris got a hold of my camera and these are the pictures he took...

In other news...today was my last Sunday as the Relief Society President.  I taught the lesson about the Lord's timing.  It was definitely a hard one to teach because I am still trying to learn what I am supposed to learn from the people who are being put into my life and the new experience I am going to have as a nursing student at CSI.  Change is so hard for me.  I look at my roommates laughing and talking about anything and wonder what I am doing leaving this place.  I am going to miss the people here so much.  They have each changed my life for the better.  It is hard for me to imagine how things will be at CSI but all I can do is put my faith and trust in the Lord and know that things are going to work out.  I am grateful for all that I have been able to learn.

Extravadance

Just in case I haven't advertized enough....come to my dance show this weekend!  It's going to be awesome!  I love my team!  I'll post pictures!