and another little sneak peak

Lisa posted some more pictures on her blog!! Check them at at www.lisawoodsphotography.com/blog

Enjoy!

A sneak peak

Lisa, oh how I love her, posted a little sneak peak of the wedding pictures from the church!! I can't wait to see the rest! They all should be up by next Friday!!! YEAH!!!

The honeymoon

Well, I am now officially Mrs Wick!!! I guess I can't really saw officially in the since that I have not changed any of my information so I still sign Catherine Goode...but in the Lords eyes I am Catherine Wick!!!

Our first honeymoon was quite romantic. If you have not heard this story this is pretty much what happened...
Saturday, 10/18 Got married
Saturday, 10/18 in the evening, had a dance party and stayed up with all of our friends until about 1:30 AM
Sunday, 10/19 Woke up at 5:30 AM, said goodbye to family that stayed at the same hotel and then went to my parents house. Loaded up Valerie's car with our luggage and hit the road...WITH VALERIE IN THE BACK SEAT

Valerie may be the first person ever to come on a honeymoon and not be married :)
She did make it clear that either Brian or I would be driving the whole way. She was just going to be sleeping in the back seat...and that is pretty much what she did.

We finally got to Tucson around 9:30 PM Tucson time so 11:30 PM Dallas time...and waiting for us at the back door was Amanda my other roomie. So...the first day of the honey moon = Brian + Catherine + Valerie + Amanda...I can just tell you a whole lot of kissing wasn't happening that day! :) JK We unloaded the car and all crashed!

But now the exciting news!!!!!!!! Brian and I have officially planned our OFFICIAL HONEYMOON! We will be traveling to Whistler BC over New Years to snowboard and wish in the New Year with a bunch of snow!! We will leave on Christmas Day to go to Seattle for a couple of days and then drive to the Nita Lake Lodge where we will spend the next 5 days! I'm so excited we finally booked something.

Sorry I haven't posted pictures of the wedding yet. You can get on Facebook to see what some other people posted. I talked with Lisa, my photographer, and she said they should be up by next Friday. I can't wait to see them!!

That's all I've got for now.

Married life has been great the last week and a half! We still like each other a lot!

YEAH!! :)

So it is about time that I updated again! :)

I apologize that it has been so long! I have had a couple of eventful weeks! I quit my job at Chick-fil-A, had a fabulous wedding shower in Dallas, have been working at Starbucks full time and have some pretty good leads on the full-time job front!

Yesterday was my 27th birthday! I received so many sweet phone calls, facebook messages, and a couple of wonderful cards! Brian did a fabulous job of celebrating my birthday!!! He came up to Starbucks in the morning and brought a bouquet of flowers.

When I left work and he had left a card on my car dash. I got home and he had left 6 gifts on the kitchen table. I called and he said I could open any of the 4 cubes. He bought four 4-packs of Starbucks Double Shot Light energy drinks! :) Hilarious gifts to open! I left the last two gifts for when he got off of work! They were really nice yoga pants and great running socks! :)

We went out to dinner and then grabbed a delicious glass of wine at 58 degrees and Holding. We wanted the tiramisu but they don't serve it there any more.

Veeves and I went to the mall today! She bought me two super cute tops! As we walked around we stumbled upon the puppy store! :) And this is what we found...

She is 9 weeks old and I want her so much! Brian doesn't want a dog right now! :) Blah blah blah blah blah blah!

Shannon came over so we could all watch Sex and the City the Movie! Fabulous! :) It has been sprinkling on and off all day but the weather has been beautiful and pretty much sunny all day. While we were watching the movie I looked out side and saw this!!


Gorgeous and front my front yard!!!!

Blessings...and only 23 days to go!!

For more pictures and thoughts on the Austin extravaganza...check out my moms blog!! She posted a couple different posts about it all!! And added some super fun pictures!!!!

Saying good-bye to old friends

Moving forward is hard....needed...but still hard.
I have been in Tucson for over two years now. The first job I got when I moved here was at Starbucks. I have been very thankful to be able to keep that job for the last two years. I have had other full-time jobs as well...but always kept the Starbucks gig on Saturdays to help pay for my coffee habit! :)

In the last two years I have also worn the same shoes for every day on the job at Starbucks.

This past Saturday my shoes felt different. When I went home I pulled my shoes off and looked at the bottom. The are completely worn flat and one of the shoes had a hole in them.

I decided that it was time for them to be retired. Sad...but needed...


But for the really sad story...
My favorite gray cotton shorts. I have had the shorts for almost as long as I have known Brian. I received these shorts when I joined the RL Turner High School Tennis team my senior year...in 1999.

These shorts have been worn multiple times a week since that time. I am sure that I should have turned them in at the end of the school year as they were part of our 'work out uniform'. Over the years and many washings the elastic has started to wear....actually, it doesn't exsist at all any more. Yet I still wear them proudly.

Brian hates these shorts and to be honest I completely understand why. I would totally fit in with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch of the early 1990's with these shorts...if you get what I mean :)

I wore them out Friday night to run an errand to FedEx Kinkos. I couldn't let go of them the whole time because they kept falling down. I decided after that it might be time to 'lay them down to bed for good'. :)

This is a PTL moment for Brian and Valerie...but for me it is moving on, moving forward, letting go of my security blanket...

After I threw them in the trash Brian put his plate of food on it for added insurance as he put it.

Austin, TX shower

Last weekend I was so blessed to go to Austin!!
I flew to Dallas and met my mom at the airport. We made our way to the Alexanders house in Austin! I had a wonderful shower with a bunch of my wonderful college girlfriends and Come before Winter friends!

It was such a blessing to spend time with everyone. And the gifts were fabulous too!!! I got my Vita Mix blender from all of my Come before Winter teammates!! YEAH!!!

I don't have many pictures. Most are on my mom's camera.
Beautiful floral design from Karen Alexander!!!! I love that woman!

The Future Mrs. Brian Wick!!!

Pretty gift that apparently Jake thought was his first...ask Lindsey McCrary for that story!! :)

Mom and me

Me & Chez!!


On Saturday morning I took my bridal portraits. Lisa Woods, my wonderful college girlfriend, took all my bridals and will be doing the wedding photography as well!

Here are some of the pictures...just don't tell Brian about them!!! Enter in 'My friend Cat' in the search box on the top right of the home page.

I'll be heading home with Veeves next weekend for the Dallas church shower!! Lyndsey is coming in too so the whole family will be together for the weekend!!

Love...bye!

Our weekend in Puerto Penasco, Mexico

This past Saturday and Sunday Shannon, Greg, Valerie, Brian and I went to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Mexico. It is about a 4 hour drive from my house to the Sonoran Sun Resort.

We got there around 11 am on Saturday. Our room was not ready so we just changed into our bathing suits in the bathroom and went straight out to the beach!

That is Brian and Greg lounging...


When we finally got our room. Shannon, Valerie and I unloaded the car and went to our room. This is the view of our hotel from out balcony...so beautiful!!


On Saturday night we met up with some other Tucson friends, Matt & Marci, for dinner at the Friendly Dolphin and then went to dance at some bar a little ways down the street.

We were all safe, had a blast and wore our sun screen. I was the only one who got red but it has now calmed down a bunch. It never hurt badly...it was just red.

I think that no matter how hard I try not to have a picture like this, Brian will always make this face when I am trying to have a cute moment captured on film.


Brian and I on the balcony


Brian and I right before we left for dinner


A cute one of Veeves and me!


Valerie, Me, Shannon!



This picture is not from Rocky Point...but a cute one of Valerie and me last Sunday!!

I'M ENGAGED...again :)

Brian called the jeweler after we met for lunch! He was able to squeeze us in right then. We fixed my ring in about 5 minutes and we are all back to normal...and as the jeweler put it, "engaged again"!!!

Thank you mister jeweler for getting that done so quickly!! I'm so happy! And he cleaned it so it is nice and sparkly again!!

They had to cut it off!

They amazing guys that saved my finger! :) Thank you so much!

**My hand was not caught in the garbage disposal though it may look that way. The firefighters wanted to try dish soap and water one last time before cutting it off.** Thank you Lyndz for pointing that out! I now understand why the phone call of panic was made! :)







The hole in the ring...that is all they needed to do!


It hurt so bad! Now it is just red and puffy...and still throbbing.

Something is wrong with my ring finger

On Saturday night Valerie, Amanda and I were (for some unknown reason) talking about wedding rings and how a lot of other countries wear their wedding bands on their right hand. I then go on the rest of my evening wearing my engagement ring on my right hand with no issues.
I fell asleep with my jewelry on.
I woke up around 4 AM, noticed and preceded to remove the jewelry.
My hands were swollen so I was having to work at getting my ring off. The problem...it wasn't coming off at all. I tried soap, lotion, Windex...nothing.

I decided to just wait it out because the bloating would go away at some point as it always has. I think I tried to hard in the middle of the night to get the ring off that my finger is now swollen and not coming down.
I soaked my hand in ice water to try to help. I worked at the ring in the shower. It has not started bothering me until now. It is continuing to swell and is now getting pretty puff and red. If nothing happens by this evening, Brian and I will be heading to the fire station to get it cut off. This will obviously be the worst case scenario.
The pictures really don't do it justice but it is the best I can get right now.



Roomies!! (Amanda, Veeves and me)


Me and Veeves right outside of the party room


Me, Brian and our friend Kristin and Megan's 30th birthday party at the Dubliner

Trantula pictures

This is the spider I was talking about earlier!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDZZZZZ

It's your 29th year on earth...and the first day of the 2008 Summer Olympics...I don't think your world could get any better!!

LOVE YOUR GUTS!!! Happy birthday!
<3 Cath

Finally...

I apologize that it has taken me forever to get back to a computer. I have been having a lot of technical difficulties on top of just being stinkin' busy with life!

Amanda (my roommate) saw a tarantula in front of her car on Saturday night. It was still there yesterday afternoon being eaten by ants...but I had not seen one of those here until now.

I took some pictures but have not loaded them into my camera.

This morning Valerie and I played tennis. I ate breakfast and got ready for the day...she took a shower and went back to bed...anyone surprised about that one? :)

I will try to update a little more...but to be honest...until I finish the Come before Winter Canada/Bosnia video I should not be doing anything else.

Love your guts!

A shout out to Katrina...you are the reason I finally sat down to do this! :)

The Wildlife around the house...

I saw two havalina (nasty wort hog looking things) last Saturday on my way into Starbucks at about 3:45 AM. I didn't get pictures but man they were gross...and just non-chantly crossing the street into Tohono Chul Park...right by our house.

Brian, being a boy, decided we was going to catch a lizard. He was successful. It bit him on the finger but then didn't move until Brian dropped him outside. Of course, when he caught the thing he ran into the house to show me and Amanda.

Then there was the snake right outside the house...don't have much to say about that except...GROSS!!!!

Enjoy the pictures!

The Come before Winter Update!!

Finally...I know! I must apologize for taking so long to update but life is hectic and there are 50 million other things going on. I'm just glad I finally got all my thank you cards in the mail! :)

My travels from Tucson to Dallas were quite uneventful. I was able to get to Dallas a day early to do wedding planning with mom and spend some time with my family. I met up with the rest of the team on Friday at DFW and off we were to
Sarajevo...with a 12+ hour lay over in Vienna, Austria.

Mariana Long, the author of the report below, was a missionary in Vienna in the 60's (and maybe early 70's). She gave some of the team members a mini tour of Vienna. We walked Stephansdom to Figlmuller, a very authentic Austrian restaurant for authentic.

We went and had a Vienna espresso and Sacher Torte (or apfel struddle) at the famous Sacher Hotel directly behind the Staatsoper.

After lunch we took a short walk back around Stephansdom, Hofburg and the Imperial Palace, and Staatsoper.

All that in less than 12 hours...but a wonderful experience getting to see Mariana's face light up as she spoke of her life there. What an honor it was to experience that with her!

Then off to Sarajevo...just a two hour plane ride away. As we flew in I was amazed at all the beautiful mountains and Ever Green trees...I had no idea! It was after midnight I believe when we landed but were greeted by teammates Jeanene Reese and Linda Forester as well as missionaries Heather, Liz Crittenden and Carolyn Cox. They drove us to our hotel...we got situated and rested for the night... now I could continue to go into more details but I feel that Mariana's words wrap up our week beautifully. Pleas continue reading...

I have attached the words from Mariana Long, one of my fabulous team members, to share with you. She created a beautiful PDF file with pictures to go along with her report. If I knew how to turn that into a link online I would!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Come before Winter
Bosnia & Herzegovina
June, 2008
Mariana Long
“The war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 destroyed nearly all the athletic sites of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The wooden seats from the Zetra arena were used for coffins. The bobsled run turned into trenches. The mountain site for Nordic skiing was transformed into a Serbian artillery position. The Olympic stadium became a graveyard,” writes Richard Sandomir, July 7, 1999, The New York Times.
This is the history remembered by most when Bosnia is mentioned. Reminders of this dreadful time in the history still exist, but we saw the beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina from a totally different viewpoint.

On June 2, 2008, thirty-five women, aged 27 to 69, from Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, and Russia, joined the Come before Winter team of thirteen for spiritual renewal. The time spent there was indeed, a mountain-top experience. Our beautiful hotel was on the mountain where Olympic Nordic skiers competed twenty-four years earlier. We did not come to compete, but we left feeling as though we all were wearing “the gold.”

For five days, we wrapped ourselves in Psalm 103. Women who came to the renewal with spirits very near the breaking point, left with fresh resolve to return to their difficult lives with the sweet assurances of this psalm ringing in their ears – and yet with a realistic view of life in regard to the promises stated there.

Several months ago, when two of our brothers heard that we were studying Psalm 103, they wanted to write a special hymn for us. (I have attached this link to a YouTube video of the team singing the song. The video itself is not good at all but we wanted to capture the sound of the song. Please enjoy with your ears...not so much your eyes!)
We received a copy of the music the day before we left for Bosnia. What a gift! We are especially grateful to Mark Shipp, professor of Old Testament at Austin Graduate School of Theology in Austin, Texas, and Konstantine Zhigulin, a Christian brother from St. Petersburg, Russia, for using their talents to bless the entire renewal in such a way. It quickly became our theme song.

Each day’s thoughts were centered on one of five words. Monday, we pondered the Hebrew word, “HESED;” Tuesday – “HOLY;” Wednesday – “REMEMBER;” Thursday – “COMPASSION;” Friday – “BLESS.”

Mat and Beth Hames, of Alpheus Media in Austin, produced an amazing video expressing the meaning of “Hesed” with music, pictures, words. It is an indescribable masterpiece that became more meaningful to us with each viewing as we worshiped and studied the message of Psalm 103.

We bathed ourselves over and over in Psalm 103. We gathered in reading groups; reading structurally, reading theologically, and reading prayerfully. We spent time reflecting thoughts of the psalm in silence, in quiet activities, and in art. We began and ended each day in worship together. The sweet words, “Bless the Lord, O my soul” regularly reminded us of each element of that psalm.

Each day clusters (2-3 participants to each team member) gathered to pray, to share thoughts of the day or their own personal blessings or battles. We rejoiced in the victories from the various mission points, and in the hurts of disappointment.
We were especially moved by the experiences the “nationals” shared. One told of the serious threat of the lives of her and her family – a threat made by the gypsies with whom they are work. Another lady from Bosnia shared with us some of her stories of her experience serving as a nurse during the war. Another shared her personal story and the blessings she found in spite of the terrible war. Her very own words: “On 14 November 1992 god found me after I tried to escape for 46 years He found me in my bungalow in a refugee camp during the Bosnian war. Missionaries came to my bungalow looking for someone else and they found me instead. I thank god for this I will never forget this.” What a joy she was to all of us with her bright outlook on life and with her love for the Lord!

The study of Psalm 103, the lively discussions in various reading groups, the quiet times of reflection, the time spent expressing thoughts in art, and the worship together gave all the women – including the CbW team – courage and strength to keep on keeping on. Our time in the scripture did not give these Godly warriors just a temporary bandage for their hurts and wounds, but a hard plaster cast to give strength to their broken parts. God will continue to heal. He will be there when they are being broken again and will give them strength to deal with the difficulties that life will absolutely bring!

And I can almost hear them say, even in the most difficult of times, “Bless the Lord, O my soul….” They take this psalm seriously! They are just that kind of women!
Thank you for your compassion for the women who are engaged in a spiritual warfare on difficult turfs – fighting for the souls of many we will never meet on “this side.” Thank you for the way you have participated in this battle. May God richly bless you!
Thank you!

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. Psalm 103:8-11 NIV


Come before Winter Bosnia – 2008 Front row: Karen Alexander and Catherine Goode Second row: Jeanene Reese, Brooke Hollingsworth, Cynthia Agnell, Jana Graves Third row: Carol Maples, Susan Griffith, Linda Forrister, Sylvia Gerrard, Mariana Long Back row: Joyce Blake and Jennifer Crisp

A heart-felt message emailed to us soon after the renewal from one of the participants:
Dear Heather and the whole team of CbW which has been to Bosnia and Hecegovina even it has just passed one week after my coming home from Jahorina it seems to me everything so present and real on the one hand and at the other hand so much like a beautyfull dream...I hope you arrived back to the states and had relaxed from your busy time. I just wanted to say Thank you so much for doing this service on us and coming and encourreging me. It has really been a huge blessing and all arround my house the signs remaind me on what has become important to me (Hased, compassion, Holy...) and the bag , pictures and songbook remember me on the amazing job you has done for us before comong. As a friend of me said about your job :It´s a blessing for every person we are in touch with. Becouse if we are renewd the families, churches and everybody hopefully is............ May trhze blessing God gave me through you andure and last forever With big Thanks. Diana S. (Sarajevo) PS Sorry for my bad english

**If you would like for me to email the PDF file with pictures to you I would be more than happy to. Please just send me your email address and I will get to to you right away!**

Bosnia updates to come

I just wanted to let you know that I am still planning on updating everyone on my fabulous trip with Come before Winter to Bosnia. Since I got back to Tucson I have battled illness, jet lag and work. I will get to it I promise!!
Here is a teaser of what is to come!


Hotel Termag; where we stayed during the renewal, beautiful resort, wonderful staff, nice rooms, sweet memories


The clouds below us; Carolyn Cox drove different team members up to the top of the mountain every day to check out the phenomenal views, it is fascinating to be standing above the clouds


Looking down onto Sarajevo from the mountain tops