Take home exams

Are the best, but we all know they're really just a load of B.S.
Its not a test of your knowledge if you have a week to gather the information and put it together...
I guess I shouldn't complain, its an easy A if you do everything they say.
I suppose I should start my take home exams... -sigh- neither of them are due until next week but this weekend is going to be busy (friends birthday) so I'm going do them now!!!

Quick Rant-Illness

Oh for the life of me I can't shake this horrible cold.
I literally sound like a man every time I open my mouth because of the raspy throat I've got going on.
Going to classes suck while sick because of the huge ass hills that WSU boasts about (Cougar calves are not worth my chest exploding during a cold)
Lots of vitamin C and rest have done little so far, two weeks of this shit... ready to be healthy again!

Photos from Grandma and Grandpa's Cabin

The cabin from the road

aw look at the mini bear!!!

Grandma loved birds

Steps down to the lake

Grandma's cow. I love that silly thing

Chair on the dock (my favorite picture)

The Dock

View of the islands from the dock

View of cabin from the lake

BHS Homecoming 2010 Photos- L & C

click to enlarge all photos!

L's first high school dance

OMG

November 19, 2010

You can't even comprehend how excited I am right now.
Don't even try, your brain will implode.

All I have to say is

O.M.G.

Someone with Sewing abilities

I would like one of these (bonding pouch-black) and one of of these (bra pouch-pink or flesh tone)
Can anyone sew me either of these in their spare time?
They need to be made out of fleece (safe for gliders)
I'd like a sturdy mesh window and a very sturdy zipper in the bonding pouch.
For the "bra" pouch I'd prefer a way to attach it to the bra, but I can figure it out if you don't want to.
Or as a whim gift? Hahaha.
If you can and have the time I would be extremely grateful!
Thanks!

Christmas Wish

Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like a Nikon COOLPIX L110.
I'd also like rechargeable batteries to go with it, and maybe a gorilla tripod SLR... but I'd be happy with just the camera and batteries!
Maybe a case to keep it safe?
I've been very good and did all my chores and homework!
Love,
Kirsten

Yes, its only September, but I figured if I'm going to ask for something expensive than I should probably ask early!

No Closure for Me

Everything went back to normal so quickly after Grandma passed away... I got back to campus and no one said anything, they just seemed to hope that because I didn't say anything I was okay.

I miss my grandmother so much, and the thought that I can't call her up and see how she's doing, or even hope for a letter every once in a while... it's really hard. And unfortunately due to both my age and my isolation from my family I'm feeling well, isolated and unsure. Grandma wouldn't want me to be sad or to dwell, but I miss her so much. Knowing she's gone forever is so hard. I try not to cry, and I try to just go on, but I feel like there wasn't a chance to get closure.

Her request for no service which in her mind was a positive thing in many aspects; left a void for those of us seeking that closure. I wish there was something I could do to achieve that but as of now there isn't. Not that I know of at least. I light a candle in her memory when I start to feel really upset. Its hard for me to talk to David about it too...

Grandma was so mean to David that I feel like he has all right not to feel anything. Although he has said that he is sad she's gone, he has some good memories of her before she started to hate him. (Her reason was that he's not good enough for me... which I completely disagree with) I wanted Grandma's approval so badly before we got married someday and now that will never happen. Part of me feels like I'm letting her down, but I know from the deepest depths of my core that David is my other half.  I start to feel mad when I think about this. She hurt me so badly. I wanted her at my wedding, and I wanted her to be happy for me. Happy that I was truly happy.

For all the ups and downs I still miss my grandmother a lot. She was so important in my life and I wish she was still here. I still walk home from class and think "I should call grandma" only to be hit by the proverbial brick wall that is grief.

I'm doing better than I was, and I know that this will all pass eventually.

Weekend

The weekend is here and seems like it is flying by.
Last night I went and saw Toy Story 3 with friends at the CUB.
Today I slept in until almost noon... ridiculous.
I need to study for my nutrition test next week.
I need to go to Moscow to pick up a few things.
The weekend is not long enough.

Autumn Fair

I love online scrapbooking!!!

Glider Page

So I don't annoy you all to hell here with my Winry pictures and stories, I've started a tumblr just about Winry and all that kinda stuff!
The Petaurus Chronicles
If you're interested, check it out! If not... Don't!

Congratulations Lars

Congratulations to my little brother Lars on getting his driver's permit!

Drive safe!

David and I have put together a list of things for you to remember while you drive:

1. leave the phone alone!

2. the other person might be an asshole but you shouldn't retaliate.

3. pay attention!!! pay attention!!! pay attention!!!

4. sunglasses are a good thing to keep in the car.

5. if your car starts doing weird shit pull over and call someone (first hand experience from David)

6. mess with your mirrors and seat BEFORE you start driving.

7. don't do chinese firedrills in flipflops... and make sure you shoes are tied.

8. if the passengers wanna do something that you don't want to, f-em you're the driver (another wisdom from David)

9. make sure all carbonated refreshments are secured before driving

10. carry a spare change of clothes, and a blanket in your car

Love Kirsten and David

Congratulations Reagan and Brad!

Congratulations Reagan and Brad on your wonderful engagement!

I wish you the best in this new adventure! 

Minnesota and Back Slide Show

Photos are backwards from how they were taken.
Not in any specific order, picture subjects include: Yellowstone, Missoula, Canyons (lots of them!), Badlands, Walldrug, Corn Place, Minnesota Zoo, Mora, and probably more!
There are about 120 pictures so ENJOY!

Want more of me?

Because we all know that you can't get enough of me... yes I'm rolling my eyes too...
I have joined TWITTER!
missknelson's twitter page
Unlike my blog I try to update this one everyday or so!
Yes I will continue to blog, but if you just HAVE to know whats going on this is for you!

Last Week

This last week has been one of ups and downs. On the Friday before last my grandmother died after her battle with cancer was lost. I flew out to Mora the next day (Saturday) and Dad and Grandpa picked me up in Minneapolis.

After being in a car and plane for multiple hours, Dad found it prudent to allow me to walk around the Mall Of America for a little while. I got to go to the American Girl Doll Store which was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed getting to walk around and see it all for possibly the last time.

We got back to the cabin and it was all a little eerie. Things just seemed off. The spirit and busyness that Grandma had instilled in the cabin was gone. It was too quite, too still. Even the wildlife seemed a little off, like they knew she wasn't there. The first night I cried myself to sleep. I didn't want anyone to see me cry during the day, and Grandma would have been so unhappy if she knew I was crying when I could be smiling.

On Monday Dad and I went to the Minnesota State Fair to let Grandpa and my aunt Gwen sort some things out, That night there was a family barbecue and I got to meet a lot of my family that I couldn't remember meeting before. I'm glad I got to meet them all, I just wish it had been under different terms.

Dad and I left Mora for possibly the last time on Tuesday morning. We spent the day at the Minnesota Zoo, then headed south. We spent the night in Worthington, MN. On Wednesday we drove from Worthington to Rapid City SD. We stopped in Mitchel to see the Corn Palace and in Wall to enjoy the atrocity of tourist traps we call Wall Drug. Before Wall we drove through the Badlands, one of Grandma's favorite places, and enjoyed the awe inspiring sights.

We had a really long day on Thursday as we drove from Rapid City SD to Bozeman MT. Yes, that was a VERY long day of driving. From Rapid City we drove into Wyoming and to Cody. In Cody we enjoyed a few hours at the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Museum. It was incredible to walk around. What an amazing array of guns and history! After Cody we drove to the East entrance of Yellowstone and enjoyed an evening jaunt threw the park. We drove a little way into the Lamar Valley and were fortunate enough to watch the wolves! They were amazing, and at one point we got to hear them all sound off! The wolves were all the way around us. Simply incredible. We didn't even get into Bozeman until around midnight.

Friday was a short drive from Bozeman MT to Missoula MT. We ate at the 4B's in Deer Lodge (BEST TOMATO SOUP EVER!) and enjoyed a short day on the highway. Dad showed me some of his old hangout in Missoula and we just relaxed and laughed about how much we had done in the last few days. We were both flabbergasted by the amount of things we'd managed to cram into such a short amount of time.

I got back to Pullman on Saturday after a beautiful drive through Lolo Pass. Absolutely gorgeous. The last of true wilderness honestly. We saw a moose which made me smile, and lots of beautiful forest. My return to Pullman was strange, I had missed a week of class and the flow was disrupted. I had to scramble to get myself caught up because I couldn't take my books with me (I tried to travel lightly).

Today was my first day of class after my week away. Things are getting back to "normal" but I know there's something missing and its that my grandmother isn't here. I can't believe she's gone, and sometimes it still shocks me. I'm glad I got to go be with Dad for the week because I think that it really did help me, and him.

I took almost 200 pictures this last week, I'm going to make some collages and videos to post. Give me a week or so to put it together because of class.