April through October (2012)

Hi Everyone!  Here is another really late update (I'm trying).  Well, after the last post--I ended with my Grandma's 82nd Birthday--the next big thing that happened was that Todd and I announced we were having a baby to our families.  It was SO much fun telling them and I loved the way we did it.  We decided to wait until Easter, where we put a couple eggs together with a Bunny and Ultra-sound picture inside that said, "Todd and Kara have a "Bunny" in the oven!"  We had everyone open them up before family dinner, followed by lots of screaming and tears!  It was so nice to finally tell everyone.  At that point I was like 13 or 14 weeks along!!  (I think next time I wont wait as long to tell everyone.  It was just too hard!)  Anyway, here is the picture that my cousin put together after the event:

After announcing the pregnancy, another BIG thing happened!  Drum roll please.................... I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE!!!!!  Yeah, it's kind of a big deal. ;)  It only took me 8 years, well, minus a couple years I took off, but still.  It was long, and hard, but I miss it every day!  I was able to graduate with my Bachelors degree in something I LOVE with a passion and that is Art.  Creating is a HUGE part of my life!  I also got a Minor in English Creative Writing.  Another love.  Here are some pictures of that:

Tawni Shuler my amazing Mentor.  Look her up!  Her work is AMAZING!!!

Yeah, that's me with the Dean! :)

 After my Graduation Ceremony, it was time to celebrate!!  I wanted a way to show everyone what I had been working on all those years so we decided to do a 'mini' gallery at my Grandma's house with all my work up and some dinner provided.  It was PERFECT and so fun to see all my work together in one room; but most of all, having family/friends there with all their love and support!  Thanks everyone!!

Fun fact: Even my decorations were inspired by my work.  My work at that time had been mainly focused on "Still Life," so I set each table with a center piece of a lot of Still Life objects, similar to things I would paint.

After all the celebrating, MORE celebrating happened when Todd decided to take me to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving point and then a mini trip to the Salt Flats.  (Ps. He also bought me a new Mac computer!  How awesome is that?!!)

A beautifully colored lake by the Salt Flats! (The picture doesn't do its justice)

Then after all the celebrating was finally over, it was time to say good bye to family and join my stud of a husband out in Fort Collins Colorado where he was doing his year internship. (Okay, there was still some celebrating--I had missed Todd a lot!  Especially being pregnant!  It was great to be back with him.)  When I first got to Fort Collins they had been getting lots of fires!  It was nuts!!  Thus the picture above of the smokey sky.

At one of the Fort Collins Park showing off my 20 week belly. :)

We loved going to the parks!  So did Dexter!!

25 weeks and growing!

Then in July we celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  PHEW!!  5 years!  That's a BIG one.  We loved The Melting Pot so much from our 4 year anniversary, we decided to go back!  Oh, it was soooo good!!!

Then in August we made a trip to Utah where we hung out with family/friends (and they got to see my big belly), and then went to Salem Days!  I LOVE Salem Days!!

Then we joined Todd's family up in Bear Lake for a couple of days and it was SO. MUCH. FUN!!!  We didn't want it to end!  Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Callan!!  Here is a picture of us by the Lake and then my 32 week picture. 

Ugly picture I know, but after all our traveling (in a car) by the time we got back to Fort Collins, my feet/ankles were tree stumps!! :S 

Right before Phoebe came we decided to make 12 freezer meals (which came in soooo handy) and then just focus on getting everything together for her arrival.  This is the last picture I took of plump me (besides the hospital) at 38 weeks!  I was SO ready for her to come!!

Truly, our lives really began when Phoebe was born so I decided to stop posting here and start the next one with her birth.  So thanks for stopping by and reading.  I hope to be caught up soon!  Stay tuned!!! :)