A brief catch up!

So with my wedding in 3 weeks, and my new job and finals coming up with school I have had little to no time. But today when taking out the trash, my roommate Lizzie threw away not only our trash but our entire trash can. So I decided I needed to blog about it and might as well catch up some.

So Lizzie went dumpster diving...

The photos are really blurry because for one, I took them on my phone and second, I was laughing so hard I could not hold my phone steady.

Kasey and I are renting a house ( more on this soon )

I got a job ... ( no picture... thank goodness because no one can be fabulous in my uniform.)

Had a random man in a sombrero give me a rose at the Wilk with a million other people there...

Went to Squa Peak with Megan and Chris to roast hot dogs... and it is beautiful.

And my Dad is Moving to Utah!!!

so my Dad and April were visiting and April wanted to take a picture of her "son and daughter" and my dad decided to be silly. She took a photo of us first and then my dad stepped in and we talked about those people that ruin photos by being in the background and smiling at the camera and how funny it was.... so we had to have one of those photos for ourselves.

The future Mrs. Gulbranson

So I have not posted on here in forever but there is very good reason for that. So for those of you who are unaware Kasey proposed to me and I said yes! So I actually had been planning on the proposal for quite awhile and I knew it was coming any day and not being able to stand secrets being kept from me, so by using process of elimination I figured out on my own when I was going to be proposed to. I am bummed that I could not control myself to figure out the secret but I guess that is life.

So here is how the proposal happened...

So because I knew what was happening so I could not help but be anxiously waiting for a cue or anything indicating that Kasey was about to propose. So as I was sitting antsy on the couch chatting it up with my roommates when my roommate Arianne got a text after which she turned to me and asked me to get her laundry (If I had not known that something was up I would  probably have told her to get her own laundry) from wash hut. Arianne was not doing her laundry so I knew that something was up. So I made my way over to wash hut where I saw Kasey's car parked and a rose and a note on top of the hood. I read the note which started a man with brown eyes has a special surprise for you and this was referring to a fortune I got in a fortune cookie when we went to lunch up in Canada this summer. But as I read on the note instructed me to take his car and follow the different notes to different areas that had a significance in our relationship, so the first place I drove myself to was Glenwood apartments. There I was greeted by our friend Josh C. who was holding a rose and a note and he had a huge grin on his face! In the note Kasey wrote about how it was where we had first met and first held hands and all that jazz and just said some really sweet stuff, all of his notes said some sweet stuff. Then I was directed to make my way to Trafalga in Orem (I got so lost on my way there it ended up taking me an hour just to get through traffic and through my direction mistakes) where I met my cousin rachel (She was giggling so much and kept taking pictures) who also had a big grin as well as a rose and a note. The note talked about our first date mini golfing and all cute stuff like that! I was then directed to go to Hinckley Hall in Helaman Halls and there I met my friend Arianne who shockingly had a rose and a note. Hinckley hall is where Kasey and I had our first kiss, and its also where I used to live. Then I made my way to the Provo Temple where I met my other friend Lizzie who carried a rose and a note recalling that this was where Kasey told me that he first loved me. My friends and I talked for a bit and talked me through my nerves because I was just so anxious and excited but nervous at the same time. So after we all left I made my way to my final destination which was Y mount. So I am so lucky that I found out how to get to Y mount and once I got there I found Kasey standing in the parking lot ( He had NO IDEA that I was coming and was expecting my roommate Lizzie to inform him that I was on my way... but she forgot so needless to say he was a little shocked when I arrived)so first I locked him out of the car..... and eventually I got out and he handed me a note with one line.....

It read... This is where I asked you to be my first and only girlfriend. He asked what it said and I responded this is where you asked me to be your girlfriend? then he said no. This is where I asked you to be my first and only girlfriend, and this is where I am also going to ask you to be my first and only wife. Then he got down on one knee and said Kara will you marry me.... 

Well I said YES, as I uncontrollably started to cry (I was so super happy and I still am)and he laughed and asked why I was crying where I choked up an I don't know. and the rest is history.....

Garyn and Jill were really sweet and took us out for dessert at the Chocolate after we finished our dinner at Texas roadhouse, it was a good day.

 

Oh Canada... wrapped up.

The whole gang!

Goofy faces.. I didn't get the memo!

Yay for normal faces!

Caleb was okay with his picture being taken, McKay was not!

 

Love Tiffany :) She goes on her mission next week!

So there is way too much to write about Canada and quite honestly I have done a lot of other thing recently. But one fun thing that Kasey and I did was go to the YSA activity at his relatives house, the Kochel's. It was awesome getting to know everyone and it was a way different experience.... but I loved playing never have I ever, and what if... then. Oh and I cannot forget skeet shooting!

Kasey and I also went and visited the hoodoos as so they are called! and they are pretty much these clay formations and they were super cool looking... plus the view is beautiful! We saw lots of names carved so we decided to add our names to the bunch!

 creeper face!

 I feel like I deserve a reward for this picture!

oh yea, we went fishing too! LOVE fishing :) and I can say that I have almost completely conquered my fear of touching slimy fish! Did it not only in Canada but in Texas too!

Thats all for now :) Oh and after my trip to Canada Kasey came with me to Texas and visited my family and we went to Dallas and Fort Worth and we also toured the Cowboys stadium... rock on :)

Oh Canada! Part four...

So the whole entire time I was in Canada the weather was pretty crummy! It rained and rained so we couldn't do too much outside! Because it rained it was also just a little bit chilly and all I brought was a WHITE sweater to wear in the mud. Kayla was super awesome to lend me some sweaters though. But the picture above is some deer Kasey and I came upon while he showed me around the property he grew up on! We went and picked up his nephews Caleb and McKay one day to ride on the four wheelers and look for some wildlife, but as McKay and Kasey were very cautious through the puddles, Caleb and I buzzed right through them and LOVEd getting all wet and muddy. It was a blast and we had lots of laughs. Kasey and I had also tried to go mudding earlier with his cousin Blake and his wife. It was a lot of fun we even drove past this cabin that carries an old ghost story about a creature! It was kinda creepy...

here is Kasey in the fort they would stay in and hunt for deer and whatever else... there was an old mattress and it was all gross and stuff, but it was really cool looking at the view and all of the beautiful green fields!

Because it was raining and I woke up earlier than Kasey almost every morning... I tried taking creative pictures and I did it from the house! I am sure everyone thought I was spying and being a creeper but I kinda felt weird which made it a fun game for me! Plus I really liked the way the grass was cut!

the flowers were beautiful it is all just gorgeous!

These pictures look like a postcard to me or a screensaver!

So this is where I stayed... Kasey's house! He is there right now and I am not which makes me really sad! The first couple of nights we played card games will Kasey's dad Mel, and Kase's brother Kyle and his sister in law Mandy and Tiffany! I totally trashed them that first night and I was not just smack talk for Mel! Everyone thought it was funny how I would dish back whatever Mel dished to me! 

Kasey;s nieces and nephews are so cute and a lot of the littler ones had crushes on me especially Gavin, Kael, Max, Luke, Walker, and Aiden. They are super cute! Things they said that made me laugh are as follows:

Gavin: after asking him what his favorite color was he responded quickly that it was purple and pink!

Kael: "Aunty Kara, Aunty Kara"

Max: with slobber ALLL over his face "kisses, peez"

Luke: "you look differentuh"

"where have you beeanuh"

Karli to Luke: "Luke what did I tell you about kissing girls.. I said the only girls you can Kiss ae mommy and grandma" ... Luke proceeds to hold my face and kiss me on the lips.. haha

Walker: "Aunt Kara is my favorite Aunt"... Karli: "Aunt Kara with the kids? right?" walker: "no, aunt Kara with Kasey :)"

Aiden: "please tickle me now"

those kids are so darn cute! Love them!

There were tons of late night games all over the place and I think we went over to Karli's (Kasey's sister) to play games almost every night! It was sooo much fun but poor Mike was worn out I am sure... sorry Mike didn't want to bother! We also played Karaoke one night and I think we laughed so hard hearing the Cinderelli song we sang played back to us! We tried to sing like mice... we are ridiculous! 

I also was recruited to play softball for the Gulbranson team... sadly I suck to put it plainly. I felt so bad and with a little practice I PROMISE I would have played a LOT better. But I made up later... I think... when I played soccer with Kasey, Mike, Chuck, Kaelen, and I feel so bad I forgot the other person's name... forgive me. But I had tons of fun and I was totally myself. There was not a moment I felt out of place, besides the first night at the reception, and I was actually very surprised. My biggest fear was not liking Vanderhoof at all and feeling really out of place. Luckily that was not the case and I loved it up there and cannot wait till I am able to go up and visit everyone again. 

Believe it or not I have a lot MORE to update about canada. So till the next Canadian post stay happy :) eh?

We did SO much fun things there and I cannot leave out my super fun trip to Prince George with Tiffany and Kayla! We had a blast being goofy girls swimming at the aquatics center, eating at Pizza hut and running in the rain, but most importantly having fun together! 

OH Canada! part three.

Here are some more pictures from Banff and the drive up to Vanderhoof to visit Kasey's family.

These were some smaller glaciers up in the mountains, Kasey was saying something to me but he was so tired it didn't even make any sense.

Another glacier, there was this Asian guy who was freaking out when I stopped to take this picture, because of a raven. I guess he had never seen a bird that big before. It was actually really funny!

This spot reminded me a little bit of shiprock in Utah, and I thought it was pretty so I snapped a photo.

I could not get over how blue the water was, I think I asked Kasey if they put chemical in the water to make it look that way. He gave me a super weird look and asked me why anyone would ever put chemical in the water and said it was naturally that way. I had asked because the pond in front of my house looks this blue when they put chemicals in it making it look that way! I just had to ask!!!

We had some lady take this picture for us and it doesn't look that great! But she did not look like she wanted to take out picture, and the other people around us could not speak english very well so we didn't want to ask her to take another picture for us.

Haha, this is where there was a HUGE hold up on the road and tourists were so excited to see the big horned sheep.... they were pretty cool looking but all I got was them super close to the animals taking photos.

This was the HUGE glacier we passed by and I thought it was so pretty and super super cool! after we passed this we were pretty much out of the park and so ready to be in Vanderhoof.

We made in to Vanderhoof at pretty good time and I believe we got there at 6. I was expecting the first thing that we were to do would be sleep since I barely had any within the last 48 hours, but the first thing we did was go to a wedding reception for Kasey's cousin Chandler and his new wife. I was so hungry by this point and I realized that all I had eaten the whole trip was the sandwich at my grandma's house in Utah, and an apple with peanut butter and some twizzlers. Kasey was like, well we will eat at the reception and there should be plenty of food. 

So when we got to the reception I was overwhelmed with so many people and friendly faces and it was saying hello to one person after the other. At that point I felt like it was a reception for me because everyone was crowding around Kasey and I saying hello and welcoming us and I think there was even a line.... so I kept trying to creep my way toward the food, and I think it was at least an hour before I got there even though it was 2 feet away.

By the time I got there, there were no chips or dip left and I think I was able to grab a few strawberries.... of course. So then I sat down with Kasey's family and met some of his siblings again, and met some of his nieces and nephews. It was just a meet everyone day! So at that point I was a little bit overwhelmed and they decided to do skits at the reception...

Kasey's cousin Eldon Kochel did a nacho libre skit with his shirt off... lets just say that I was scarred for life! It was just a different environment for me and at that point I felt like running for my life! I thought oh my goodness what have I gotten myself into... this place is redneck and not for me! ( it got better later and I loved it, but the first night was a lot for me to take in)

The next day I felt a lot better though because I met all of Kasey's family besides his brother Korlyn who is on a mission, and his sister Kara who lives in Washington, D.C. I had a ton of fun and learned this game called mad dash and I played outside and I just had a blast and at that moment I felt so comfortable with everyone and I felt like I knew them forever and that I just fit right in.... it was awesome!

Plus there is Kasey and he is just so handsome to me! and he kinda rocks!