Getting To Know Me

My name is Karen Gillett.  We’ve been in this ward for 12 years and absolutely love it.  I stay at home with my 5 kids.  They are Kayli (15), Jason (13), Beth (10), Audrey (3) and Chase (1).   I was born and raised in Fontana, CA.  I was the 7^th of 8 kids.  My dad was an elementary school principal.  Because of that, he had the summers off so we would spend them camping and traveling the country.  I was very disappointed to find out that most jobs only start with 2 weeks of vacation a year.   I still love to travel as much as I get a chance and love to visit historical sites.  My favorite vacations have been to Nauvoo, NYC, Spain/London.  I hope to one day make it to Italy and Australia. 
Growing up my grandparents lived in the house directly behind ours and we had a gate connecting our back yards.  I loved it and always wanted that for my kids.  Unfortunately that just didn’t work out but  to compensate I try to spend a few weeks in Utah each year staying with my parents.  (They don’t seem to mind too much  ) 
I went to BYU-HI my freshman year so I would be there for my brother’s senior year. I transferred to BYU-Provo the next year.   Good thing I did since I met Shane that year.  I had a friend who was dating Shane’s friend.  She was telling me all about what a great guy Shane was and that I should go out with him—and just as she’s telling me this she sees him in line to get his ID in the Wilkinson center.  She immediately took me over to meet him, we had lunch together at the Cougareat, a date set for the next Friday and we were married that summer.  It was meant to be  I graduated with a BS in Human Development (if anyone knows something that can be done with this degree please let me know) Shane graduated with his degree in Chemical Engineering the next year and then we moved to Houston and have been here ever since. 
In 2006 I ran my first half marathon.  After I had Audrey I thought I could attempt a full and ran the full marathon with Julie Caron in 2008.  I have loved running ever since and have run several half marathons and have a goal to run another full marathon soon.  I also love to read (My one and only trophy was achieved by reading the most books in our elementary school’s book club in 4^th grade).  I don’t find the time to read like I’d like to anymore though, I always feel like there is something else I should be doing.  Some of my favorite things are: chocolate anything, but especially chocolate cake.  Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips are the best, sweet cream and raspberry ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone, movies/lunch dates with friends, blueberry picking in June up at Moorehead blueberry farm,  going to Galveston to go crabbing, running the Bluebell fun run in April, blogging—it’s a fun way to do my family history/journaling and a way to keep in touch with my family-- when my babies get a little older I have lots of digital scrapbooks I plan to put together.  My most favorite thing is being a wife to Shane and mom to my 5 amazing kids.  I’m trying to soak up and enjoy every minute as they pass all too quickly.