3 weeks

I have 3 weeks left in the semester. WOW. This semester has gone so fast, and at times so slow. It has been a semester of growth. It has been a semester of tears. It has been a semester that I realized the reality of Satan trying to bring me down. It has been a semester of blessings. It has been a semester of service. I have missed my family a lot this semester and have realized the importance of them in my life and how thankful I am for them. I have loved to be able to come home for quick weekends to see my parents, Karissa and Adam, and Grandma, or skype with Lisa, Parker, and Julia-sometimes I am even lucky enough to catch them when Chad is home. I am so blessed to have such an incredible family and to have them support me in all that I do. I wouldn't be able to do half of what I do without them!
As I have served as the Relief Society President this semester, I have had amazing girls to work with. Nicole Ellis is my first counselor and she can always brighten my day. She is always concerned about me and wants to do anything to help make my job easier. She is INCREDIBLE!!! Ashley Bedke is my second counselor. She was a bit intimidated at the beginning of the semester (this is her first semester and first real time in RS), but she has been incredible with the RS meetings outside of Sunday meetings. She is also always concerned about me and thinks that I am pretty amazing--I have her fooled! :) Lindsey Nelson is my secretary and she takes incredible notes. Whenever we have our meetings she always has the notes from the last one(s) and keeps me organized.
I have the best nephew and niece in the world and love them so much! They brighten my day when I get to skype with them or earlier in the semester when I got to see them. I had an experience earlier this week while I was getting ready for class. I got a text from 'Chad' I opened it and soon realized that Chad was not texting me but Parker was, my first clue was asdpgaspkaignkp--something to that effect. This is kinda how our conversation went:
Kara: Hi Parker!
'Chad': sdoagiand
Kara: How is your morning going?
'Chad': um... good
Kara: What did you have for breakfast?
'Chad': I didn't have breakfast
Kara: oh, are you playing with Julia?
'Chad': No I am cooking me marshmallow
Kara: Lucky, are you making me one?
'Chad': I burnt it
Kara: oh no! Are you making Ashley one?
'Chad': I burnt hers too
Kara: oh no! don't burn yours!
'Chad': No I only burnt yours its on fire on the ground
Kara: Oh no be careful not to burn the carpet!

I am so thankful for that little boy and that texting conversation that made my morning as I was getting ready and had a chemistry test later that day. I miss those kids so much and can't wait until I get to see them again.

Sorry this post is kind of random!

Heavenly Father Loves Me

I was just reading Lisa's blog and was reminded that I am a Daughter of God. I am really stressed right now with everything that is going on but it is nice to be able to go home, and have reassurance from my family that I am trying my hardest and that I am loved. I have a list of things that I am thankful for and that are getting me through right now:

• Family
• Phone calls with Lisa
• My scripture study class
• Reading my scriptures
• Prayer
• Talking to Heather
• Going home for Friday/Saturdays
• Memories

Conference!!

The PIE!
Hillary Weeks

Shopping

I am so lucky to have such a good roommate!!

We had the incredible opportunity of going to conference as roommates! It was so much fun! Apartment 8 went too! (We LOVE them!) We had a lot of adventures on the trip including 11 people and 10 seats, road construction, Taco Bell, 5 people in Aunt Glady's spare bedroom, CONFERENCE!! Shopping, Meeting Hillary Weeks, having a window broke in Mallory's (from #8) car and having stuff stolen, going to THE PIE!!

On Sunday I had the opportunity to go to the last session of conference with Jared and his family. We sat in the 8th row to the right (looking towards) the pulpit! I was sitting right there during Elder Holland's incredible talk! WOW! I love being in the conference center! It is my favorite! During that session I got to see the things that you don't see as you sit at home and watch it. As the intro to the rest hymn (Hope of Israel) was playing, Elder Scott was talking to Elder Holland, when it was time to start singing, Elder Holland grabbed Elder Scott's cheeks and starting singing right in his face! It was so cute and both men smiled so big. After conference President Monson stopped and was talking to two little boys right in front of us and how they were going to be missionaries. I love the leaders of our church! They are called of God and inspired Men!!
To read any of the conference talks click here.

PICTURES!!

Grandma!!! This is an awesome picture from Spud DayOur Maid Matt

Chicken Noodle Soup time.. that onion was killing me! Thank goodness for having Chemistry goggles handy!

We got to go to conference as roommates!!!!

Micah often gives haircuts to the guys that come over... sometimes things get out of hand.

(Matt and Brent)

Making Wingers Sauce!

Pizza Rolls

YUM!!

Micah's Birthday!!

Trying to coordinate for a picture.. I love that Micah is the only one ready!

Lindsey and I at the Relief Society Broadcast which was amazing!!

BleSsInGs...

Well it has been a long time since I have updated my blog and so many things have happened!!! I am so blessed!

• School has started! It is a brand new semester, a fresh start. New classes, new teachers!
• I found out my foot is broken and I will have surgery on it the Monday before Christmas, but it will be good to have it not hurt anymore!
• I chopped my hair! I cut 6" off of it and I love it-Thanks Lisa for encouraging me! I actually did it while I was in Las Vegas but I was going to take pics and blog all about it... well it didn't get done!!
• I am one of the Relief Society Presidents in my ward! I was super surprised when the bishopric came and asked to talk to me, but they couldn't get to their point fast enough! I know what it is like to receive revelation when you need it! That night the bishopric left me with a list of about 30 callings that I needed to put people in and a photo I.D. list of the girls in the ward (I have the even # apts. in my R.S.). It was the night before classes started and I could not fall asleep! I had names and pictures going through my mind all night long! I was glad I only had one class the next day and that it wasn't until 12:45. The same thing happened the next night. Friday we had a 3.5 hour ward council to discuss the callings for the entire ward! It was crazy! Our bishopric is so cute and wanted to break the stake record of how many people were put into their callings on the first Sunday. The record was 72 I think and we had 86 that first Sunday. I had the opportunity of teaching the first Sunday and was super nervous but I don't have to again until Dec. I have an amazing group of girls that I get to serve and am so excited for the blessings that I will receive this semester! PLUS how much I will grow!!!

DOCTORS

So this 7 week break has been a break to visit the doctor, but not just your normal doctor. I started the break with an appointment with Dr. Biddulph my orthopedic surgeon. The Physical Therapist recommended that I make an appointment and check the plates and screws in my arm. He suggested this because I had been telling him that it felt like my muscle was catching on something, and he guessed it was a screw backing out... eek! Off to Dr. Biddulph's I went! They did x-rays and when he walked in the room he said "My Kara! I am so glad you are here! How are things?" He was so cute and so concerned about what was going on in my life, and it was a genuine concern. After looking at the x-rays, moving my arm around, and feeling the screws he told me that my arm was great. He said that the x-rays "couldn't look better." He thinks that what I have been feeling is just scar tissue bands breaking. YEA!!! A good report!

The next doctor I got to visit was Dr. James (Aunt Sherry and Valerie's recommendation), a Podiatrist. My foot has been bugging me since last September, on the outside of my big toe, where it connects to the main part of my foot. In December when I came home from school I went to Dr. Clinger and had x-rays taken but he said that my foot was fine, that I just walked funny on it. Well since it was still hurting I begged mom to take me to someone! Mom picked up the x-rays from Dr. Clinger's office and we went and visited Dr. James. He walked in the room, looked at my x-rays and said "You have a fractured Tibial Sesamoid." That is one of the bones right under your ball of your foot. Some people have it naturally split in 2, (very rare) but it is a smooth line between not dark and ridged like the x-ray was showing of mine. Also he said that I have a small boney growth on the outside of that area. Remember these x-rays are from last DECEMBER! All I could think was AWESOME! He said that there were two things that we could do and he suggested them in this order 1. a Cortisone shot to relieve the pain and possibly fix the problem, and 2. surgery. We did the shot to start with. Wow, a Cortisone shot hurts bad! I had the shot last Monday, and he said if it was going to work I would notice a difference in the first couple of days to two weeks. Well this has been an interesting week in the life of my foot! The shot helped the pain on the outside of my foot but it shifted to where the break is, shooting into my toe and my arch sometimes. So I have another appointment this Wednesday to discuss surgery. LUCKY!

On a brighter note I move back to school on Labor Day and start on the 10th! I am so excited. This semester I am taking 16 credits and am really excited. I only have 4 books left to get, so far I have only spent $80 so I am hoping that the last major one won't be too expensive, hopefully I can borrow it from someone!

TiE DIe

We had fun Tie Dying one night!! For more info look at Lisa's Blog.

A TrIp tO........

I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Chad and Lisa's for 2 weeks! It was so much fun! Jared went with me for the first week and then I stayed a second after he left. It was so much fun. I loved it being warm, but it caught me off guard every time I went out at night and it was dark for it to still be warm. It was so much fun to be able to hang out with Lisa, Parker, and Julia. I was able to see Chad about once a day and all day on Sundays. I love them so much and miss them already! (sorry the pics aren't in any particular order... I wish it would let me move them!)

The last day Jared was there.... actually right before we took him to the airport. 2 words FROZEN CUSTARD!!!

Thanks for coming with me Jared!

Promise we didn't make her hold them both... Parker wanted to ride with Julia.

At the Strip

Swimming, Swimming, and more SWIMMING!

He is always so happy!

BEST FRIENDS!

What happens when you leave me in the back seat with the kids....

Darn the camera strap is in the way kind-of but this is the best pic! Julia is pulling herself up all of the time! She is so stinkin' cute and is growing up so fast!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I GOT STRAIGHT A's ONCE AGAIN AND HAVE BEEN AWARDED FULL RIDE FOR MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF COLLEGE!!!! I AM SO EXCITED! I WORKED MY LITTLE PATUTTIE (SP) OFF!!!

SuMmEr FuN!!

I am so excited for this 7 week break! I have a list of things that I want to do, or at least try to do!

• Tie Dye- I haven't done this since the 6th grade at science camp
• Go on a sunrise hike-this one is being planned already, scheduled for Aug. 6!!!
• Go 4 wheeling
• Have a huge water fight
• Visit Chad, Lisa, Parker and Julia- Aug. 7-21
• Run every day
• Go on long bike rides-including tandem
• Clean and de junk my bedroom
• Practice the Piano and learn a new song
• Read "Our Search For Happiness" from the missionary library
• Make a lot of bows and start selling them again
• Make some jewelry
• Mow the lawn
• Make some of the recipes that I did in my foods class for my mom and dad

What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions for me? 3 days left in the semester with 4 finals to go.... then I am off to work on this list!!!

BooKs I'vE reAd lAteLy....

Another semester done? I know right? (Becky, Alicia, Jared, Lisa... you will all appreciate that!) It is crazy to think that I am 1/4 of the way through my college education! This semester flew by! I honestly feel like I was just starting to get the hang of things and now I am done? Wow! I have lots of plans for this 7 week break before I return in Sept. for the start of Fall semester. I am only going to be taking 16 credits in the fall-hopefully it will be a lot less stress even though it is just one credit less. We shall see. I am so excited because in the Fall I am taking my first sewing class up here! I can hardly wait!- wait I can wait because I want to play for 7 weeks!

There have been a ton of things this semester I have learned in nutrition that I will remember!!!

This was a fun class but it required a lot of work! This is the only textbook I have read in its entirety!!!

This was a side required reading for my Pakistan class. It is such a good book! I recommend it!

NOTE: These are not the only books I read this semester, I just forgot to take pictures of the other ones. I also read the Odyssey and then the textbooks for my other classes.

When We ShOulD be GoiNg To BeD...

The other day Ashley, Beth and I went to Wal*Mart. We all ended up getting basketball shorts ($6!) because our apartment gets so warm! Ashley also got some new eye shadow. When we got home Beth went to Harry Potter and Ashley and I should have gone to bed... Instead we she played with our make up since she had just bought her new stuff... we are nerds, we know!

FHE

This week for FHE we went to Big Jud's after our lesson to get food, then we came back to our apartment to eat. Josh was the only one feeling up to a Big Jud, but my onion rings were great! I have been blessed to have such a fun FHE group this semester!

Josh's Big Jud!

Josh-trying to get out of the pic, Rob, Me, Ashley, Beth

Lance (love his face!), Me, Ash

Lance, Beth, Me, Jordyn, Ash

I love this picture... too bad it is blurry but it is totally us!

BisHop'S cAbIn FuN....

This weekend we had our annual 87th ward closing social at the Bishop's Cabin in Island Park. I had never been before and it was so much fun! We went up Friday about 4 and started in on the fun. We played volleyball, went jet skiing, had a slip and slide into the water, went boating, tube-ing, it was a blast! Everyone was super sun burnt afterwards but me! I was a little pink but thanks to my wonderful skin am now just tan! I can't wait until we get to go again next year! (Ash and I are going to try to sneak to up to the one after winter semester too because then they go snowmobiling!)

I decided that I would see how many people I could get if we started taking a picture...

This place is incredible!!! It was so much fun!

PICTURES!!!

Ashley came out in the living room where I was a while ago and said that she wanted someone to go and play in the rain with her... well it stopped raining by the time we got out there so we took these instead!!! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!