Tim & GIMP

Okay, so you're wondering about the title of this post....Tim wanted to change some of the pictures we have of Kara, so that he wouldn't be in them. He looked at using Photoshop, but it was really pricey, so after further research he found GIMP--for free!  It's amazing what Tim was able to do with the two photos below.  Just goes to show you that you can't always believe what you see.  Kara looks absolutely beautiful, don't you agree?

Overnight Trip to St. Augustine & Flagler College

Tim and Kathy drove from Gainesville to St. Augustine, FL for an overnight trip on August 14. It was Tim's first trip to the 'Nations Oldest City', and Kathy's Alma Mater, Flagler College.  We had a terrific time touring the college, shopping on St. George Street, visiting Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth (the water is terrible) eating delicious seafood, and walking on Vilano Beach at night. On the tour of Flagler College Tim and Kathy were overwhelmed with the beauty of Tiffany stained glass windows, 24 carat murals, amazing woodwork and mosaic tiles.  Kathy definitely realized that she did not appreciate how beautiful her surroundings were during the four years she attended Flagler College.

Our Trip to Gainesville

Kathy and Tim flew to Florida to visit with Kathy's grandmother, Mimi, and her husband, Bob on August 11th. We had a wonderful visit, and celebrated Kathy's birthday on the 13th. The angel food cake Mimi made to celebrate the occasion was delicious! It rained quite a bit the few days we were in Gainesville, but Tim took a beautiful picture of the clouds one afternoon. We love you Mimi and Bob!

Weekend in Ohio & Benjamin's Birthday

The three of us drove to Ohio to spend a long weekend with Tim's parents and brother's family.  We had a really nice weekend, and a fun time celebrating our nephew Bean's 12th birthday poolside. As you can see from the pictures, he received the royal treatment on his special day. Bean actually concocted the recipe for 'Burkey burgers' (Bison & Turkey) that we thoroughly enjoyed for dinner. 

Carlo's Bakery!

On the way home from Rhode Island, Tim and Kathy made a trip to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ. We love to watch the TV show, Cake Boss, on TLC. For those of you who don't know the show, it is all about Buddy and his family-owned bakery business.  When we arrived at noon, the line to get into the bakery was almost 2 blocks long.  Our wait was 2 hours and 10 minutes, and we spent 20 minutes inside the bakery. We were happy when we left with a huge bag filled with eclairs, cream puffs, red velvet cupcakes, cookies, and a chocolate/strawberry cake! We've tasted everything--it's all delicious and well worth the wait. (Notice the 'Help Wanted' sign in the window!)

Trip to Rhode Island

Tim and Kathy drove to Rhode Island for a long weekend at the end of July. We had a wonderful time with Kathy's best friends from college, Susan and Sharon, and Sharon's husband, Jim.  Good food, great conversation, cocktails, shopping, and beautiful weather was enjoyed in Cumberland, Narraganset and Newport!

Kara's fun-filled & interesting life...

 Tim and Kathy have reflected upon the 2 1/2 years we were blessed to be Kara's parents quite frequently over the past six months. When we think about all the beautiful memories and fun that we had with Kara, we cannot help but smile and be encouraged.  For those that have spent any time around Kara, you know that she was always on the move, and the life of the party!  We thought you might find it interesting to know all the great things that Kara was able to pack into her short life, and here is what came to mind....

Kara was quite the traveler.  She flew on an airplane 11 different times in just two years! Kara stayed overnight in the following 10 states: Oklahoma, where she was born; West Virginia, our home; Ohio, her grandparent's home; Virginia, her grandparent's home; Maryland, while camping; Pennsylvania, while camping; Georgia, because we missed our flight; North Carolina, to visit family; Rhode Island, to visit friends; and Florida, for vacations.

Kara loved the water--pools, ocean, and lake, and even bath time! Kara always enjoyed playing in the pool, and never seemed to fear water. She also didn't mind the salty water in the Gulf of Mexico, and would try and drink it while playing on the beach in Destin for two summers. Kara helped drive a boat with her daddy when we were in the bay in Destin. She felt so at home on a boat, that she fell asleep. That's saying a lot because Kara wasn't the type of child that fell asleep anywhere. Kara had a blast at Raystown Lake in Pennsylvania when we took a boat out to go tubing.

We started camping before Kara was born, and continued to go camping with her over the next two years. Kara was always excited about camping, and had so much fun playing on the playgrounds, swimming in the pools, going for walks, and riding in her little red wagon all over the campground.

We had the best 2 1/2 years with our Kara, and although we wanted many, many more years, we will never forget the time we did share with her. These great memories will carry us through until we are able to spend eternity with her in heaven.

We have included a bunch of pictures that represent all the great memories Kara had on her life's journey.