Salt Lake has found favor with me again

Last year I went through this weird phase where I was mad at Utah. The whole state. There were, I guess, reasons to go along with this, but they don't much matter or make sense. All that matters now, is that Utah and I have made up, and my love of Salt Lake has returned.

"A postcard from Kara!"

I love Salt Lake. It is full of some of my most favorite people. This past weekend I spent a weekend there and I couldn't stop thinking how happy it makes me to be around the 248 crew and my other Utah friends.

To be fair though, I think if I had eaten the delicious foods that I ate here in, say, North Dakota, I would have even been in love with life there. And that's saying a lot, because North Dakota is about #50 on my "States I would be willing to live in" list.

"I want a picture like Charlie's!"

2013: The year of unexpects

The cute quote Jeniel made me for Christmas

I'm pretty certain that unexpects isn't a real word, but that's certainly the best way for me to describe 2013. What a year. I started thinking about things that happened this year aside from the ones that usually consume my mind. SO I wanted to share some highlights of my 2013.

This year....
1. Lived with Grandma/pa Woodbury, Elyse & Rick, Kristi & Jeniel in Salt Lake

2. I took over the Moneywise section of Deseret News when my boss quit.
3. Stephen moved to Utah so we didn't have to date long distance.
4. Deseret News asked me to continue writing for them as a job long distance for a while after I left the internship.
5. I went ring shopping on my birthday and had all sorts of awesome free fancy restaurant food that month thanks to an awesome freebie sign up frenzy!
6. I went to my first semester of college back from my mission.
7. I got straight A's in college for the first time.
8. I got engaged to a really, really great boy.

9. I fell in love with the Hulbert family.
10. I went on many fun little trips: Disneyland, Salt Lake, Yellowstone, Bear Lake, Colorado, Parma, Arizona & family came to visit

11. I ran my first 5k - Thanks Kristi!
12. My family was protected during a floating trip accident

13. I somehow had the courage to call off my engagement when I strongly felt I had to
14. After months of feeling sick, Dad was diagnosed with Kidney Failure
15. I lived with my parents two cousins (Cassie & Sydney) who were amazing friends to me
16. I served as Relief Society secretary to some amazing girls for two semesters

17. I did at least one social thing every weekend after I called off my engagement, which was a miracle.
18. People took care of me & I took care of people.
19. I made it through my last semester. And not only did I make it, but I got 4 A's, a B+ and a B.
20. I was pretty much handed two jobs after committing myself to not work Sundays.
21. My face healed from a crazy sickness
22. Dad has so much more energy & feels better lately
23. I saw every one of my siblings more than once this year & I got a new adorable nephew

24. I read my scriptures everyday
25. I started keeping a journal regularly again
26. I shared the gospel with some strangers and a friend
27. I did a lot of soul searching

28. I feel closer to God than I ever have before.

Here's to an even better 2014 for us all!

The Happy Weekends

Wow. Midterms. They were a winner this week. At least a winner of my time. But that busy storm has blown over and I've been meaning to write about some of my more magical experiences lately.

When first calling off my engagement I dreaded weekends. Part of me was sad I wasn't going anywhere, and then on the few times when I was invited to go somewhere I was sad to be going and just felt like staying home in my safe little house. There were a few wonderful weekends that I feel like saved me a few times these past seven weeks and fortunately there have been some fantastic pictures to go along with it. SO without further ado…. my weekend life:

 

Dad's Office open house. This was in mid-september and there were hundreds of people (over a thousand actually) I was OBSESSED with the face painting lady. She was working paint magic on people's faces and I literally watched her painting faces for a few hours. I think she was a little weirded out by it, but it was weirdly theraputic for me.

Lunch with Elder Christofferson and a yellowstone trip. By some miraculous chain of events I was picked with 8 other students to eat lunch with Elder Christofferson and then sit on the stand with him during his devotional speech. I felt so grateful and it was an amazing experience. I was pretty excited as is evident with that awkward selfie above.

That weekend my good friend from high school, Jordan, was coming up to visit and invited me to stay in Island Park for the weekend and visit Yellowstone. Jordan is a superstar at trivia and led japanese trips to yellowstone all summer so it was so interesting. Also, I SAW 2 GRIZZLY BEARS! 2! And this bison was so close I could have pet him.

This was also the weekend of the famous face incident, so I had to leave early to try to stop my face from exploding, but I was so grateful for Jordan who just felt like I might need to get away.

 
 
 

Conference weekend was spent in Salt Lake and it was a wonderful time. I was kind of angry at Salt Lake for some strange reason, so I mended our relationship, spent time with my amazing family, ate incredible food (as always), and saw a wonderful woman I worked with on my mission. Her name is Kayleigh (pictured above by the Christus) and she just moved out to Utah from New York. I met her on temple square, she made us an adorable lunch and we just talked. Spending time with her and with my cousins this weekend I realized how many really really amazing women I know. I actually felt pretty overwhelmed about it and am on the verge of gushing. So I'll stop that. But it was just a REALLY good healing weekend. My sweet aunt also sent me those beautiful flowers and the kindest note. There have been so many thoughtful things directed towards me. I can't mention all of them, but thank you thank you thank you for all of your sweet kindness. It's been a good month actually.

Shake heaven

A magical thing was discovered last week:

Pharmacy shakes.

Actually, they had been discovered long before but we have now found out
SATURDAYS ARE HALF PRICE.
That's right. $1.75 for one massive shake that is easily split two ways. Delicious.
We walked over with Elyse and Rick for a Saturday activity. I wanted to defy winter, because it was so beautiful and sunny outside, so I refused to wear my coat.
Raspberries and oreo, I will definitely come to visit you again.

This screen, describing anything from how many bones are in a hand to how many people the U stadium holds was especially enthralling to the 6-year-old girl behind us and Rick.

Although I look a bit drugged here, it's really just post-shake happiness coma.

We love Elyse and Rick and how they show affection.