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!!! :)

Yearly Update!! (2010-2012)

Well, here it is!  Our update!!  Now that I have a lot more time on my hands, I'm catching up on our blog.  I know, Finally!  It's only been 2 years!!!  Ha ha.  I skipped over our 2011 big trips (Europe, Florida, & New York) because they had too many photo's, so I decided I would do them separately.

ENJOY!!! 

(Our 3 year Anniversary: July 2010)

 

(Celebrating Pioneer Day: 2010) 

(Thanksgiving Point Outing with older siblings: 2010)

(Tarzan: October 2010)

("Race For Jess," my co-worker who died in a pedestrian accident: October 2010)

(Meeting Chan's missionary stand in at her friends wedding: 2010)

(Fry & Leela from Futurama: Halloween 2010)

(Thanksgiving at the Callan's: 2010)

(It was a sad day when a fire destroyed the Provo Tabernacle--Can't wait for it to be turned into a Temple!!!  December 2010)

(Dalen getting his Eagle! Yay!! December 2010) 

 (Christmas 2010)

(Grace's Surprise Birthday Party: December 2010) 

(New Years 2011!!!)

 

(Art Exhibit: January 2011)

(Celebrating Todd's Birthday: 2011)

(Valentines Day 2011!  We went to Color Me Mine-so fun!!!)

 (Chantel's Homecoming!! April 2011)

(Inside the Mall of America: April 2011)

(Dalen Graduates from High School!!! May 2011)

(Us and Dexter: June 2011)

 

 (Richard G. Scott came and talked to us at our Stake Conference in Salem.  Afterwords we were able to meet him!  It was a great experience: June 2011)

(Big life changes: My parents moved out of our home (20+ years) and put it up for sale, and moved into my Grandparents house to help take care of my Grandpa: June 2011)

(Freddie Ficklin Jr:  My Grandpa passed away shortly after on July 4th, 2011) 

 

(Celebrating my 25th Birthday: July 2011)

 (Island Park with the Callan's: July 2011)

(Pioneer Day fireworks: July 2011)

(Our 4th year Anniversary: July 2011)

(Camp out! Aug 2011)

(Dalen opening up his mission call!  He was called to serve in Honduras, Spanish speaking: September 2011)

(Mario & Luigi and little Bowser: Halloween 2011)

(Branden's Homecoming!!  Unfortunately, I missed it because of a school presentation: October 2011)

(The night before Dalen left for the MTC!  He's definitely been missed!!  November 2011)

 

 (Moving Todd out to Fort Collins Co: January 2012)

(Finding out I was pregnant!  Now, that's quite the story.  It was about a week after Todd came to visit when I started to feel... weird.  It was time for my yearly check up anyways so I called the Doc and set up an appointment.  By the time my appointment came around I was a couple days late... which doesn't happen, but I wasn't too worried about it.  I'm not always great at counting it anyways.  So we did a physical and she asked me if I wanted a pregnancy test done with my blood work.  'Uh sure,' I said, not really caring.  Well... a couple hours later I was at work and I got a phone call from the Doc.  'I just wanted to let you know that we got the results back from your pregnancy test and it came back positive.'  I sat there for a minute confused.  'Wait.  Like positive as in... I'M PREGNANT!!??'  'Yes,' she replied.  I couldn't believe it.  I think I even went into shock a little.  I had to tell Todd immediately, but I was sad to have to do it over the phone.  So I called him with the big news and he too was pretty shocked and speechless.  I went home that night and took a pregnancy test just because I wanted to see it with my own eyes!  And sure enough... well, you see the picture. :)  February 2012)

(My Grandma Rae's 82nd Birthday Celebration!  She's one of the most beautiful women I know!! February 2012)

After posting our 2011 trips, I plan on covering my Graduation celebration (April 2012) and life out here in Colorado!  So, STAY TUNED!!! :)