♥ I am thankful for my best friend Andrea. I need her. Andrea makes my life better, prettier & happier. I can be myself around her & she loves me anyways. Andrea makes me laugh. Thank you for being my friend, my life would not be so grand without you. You are the best!
♥ I am thankful for my beautiful daughter Julia. She turned 12 years old last month & she still says "I love you Mommy," so lovingly. I am lucky to have a angel like her in my home. I am thankful that Julia is strong & healthy so she can do anything that she wants to do. Julia is a perfect example to me.
Because of her I always try a little Harter to be a little better!
I love you sweet baby-doll.
♥ I am thankful for Udo. He treats me so sweetly, & takes me out on a nice date every Saturday night. Once in a while we watch a movie with Julia, & every time we do, I fall asleep. Thank you Udo, for letting me sleep. He is handsome, kind & generous. Thank you Udo for being a great boyfriend.
♥ I am thankful for Brooklyn. She is due to have puppies for the first time in 2 weeks & I am so excited to see her as a mother. Brooklyn is perfect in every way, but that is not the reason that I love her. She lovingly lets me bathe her every week because she knows how much it means to me to have a sweet smelling dog.
♥ I am thankful for my Mom. I admire her. She is a 1st grade teacher, a R.S. President, & a fabulous single mother to 7 children. In her spare time she serves & blesses others with her many talents. Thank you for being a bright & shining example to me.
You are amazing!
♥ I am thankful for Korban & Nessa. They are the best neighbors in the world! I trust them with my life. They love Julia & Brooklyn almost as much as I do. Nessa is due to have her first child on Christmas Day. I am excited to see these 2 over-achievers tackle parenting.
♥ I am thankful that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am thankful to know that I am never alone.
I know that I am loved.
♥ I am thankful for my wonderful job.
I have been at UVU for 8 years & I love it.
♥ I am thankful for my health & the health of my family,
our lives wouldn't be the same without it!
♥ I am thankful for chapstick & fragrance-free lotion.
♥ I am thankful for the modern conveniences that I use every day. Washing machine, AC/Heat, electricity, cell phone & my SUV.

For the Love of Fall Break...

Udo gave Julia a sweet gift this year. A trip to Moab for her 12th Birthday! 4 Days, 3 Nights! We left Thursday morning after a night of great food & happy times at the Oveson's Home. Andrea invited us over for Hawaiian Haystacks...Julia's favorite meal. This trip was wonderful & we had perfect weather every single day.

Julia (12 years & 1 day old) & Brooklyn (18 months old).

Udo, standing in all his glory under the Delicate Arch.
This was my favorite place.

Julia & I


Julia ran up the trail to see this Delicate Arch. She looks so fresh & happy. Udo never left my side the entire hike, what a sweetheart.

Balanced Rock, my favorite peeps & my favorite Puppy

We all loved this hill of sand, including Brooklyn! The sand was warm on top & cold below, I loved digging my feet in. I climbed up to this big rock & was proud of myself. Udo, Julia & Brooklyn went to the top just so they could run down. So. Much. Fun!

So Kissable!

This is my favorite picture of the day!
Brock & Jocelyn, you two are too cute!

One Current Photo, So Many Flashbacks!

Julia & Brooklyn hugging on the frozen Utah Lake.

Flashback of Brooklyn 9 months ago.
If I knew then, what she would look like today, I would have encouraged Julia to name her Foxy. We think she resembles a fox.

♥ Sassy @ Seven Peaks ♥

Julia had just performed in a concert & we both loved this castle that was entered into the annual Gingerbread contest. We offered an obscene amount of money for the silent auction & we still lost. Thank goodness I took a picture.

I borrowed this costume from my dear friend, Andrea.
I went to a Halloween Dance & I won 1st place for the best costume! I took Andrea to her favorite restaurant, Chef 's Table, with the $100 prize money!

It is a bummer that I had to crop this photo, but I still like it.



Jocelyn's Reception!

Mother & Daughter
My LITTLE brothers & I.


Maui 2007

Precious in Her Sight

The love I see in this picture is beautiful to me.

Thank you Jocelyn for capturing this moment!

If you give a girl a lollipop...

She will be sweet!


I l♥ve this picture. My niece is in the pink. What a great idea to keep the girls happy during a photo shoot!

Just Us!

Happy Birthday Princess Julia!

Are you really 11 years old? I wish you could stay this age for a few years. You are the best daughter a mother could ask for. I do not know what I would do with out you & your sweet spirit in our home.

I love you.

Happiness is...

Family Pictures! Thank you Mom for following
the photographer around so we could have a peek. I love you.
The last time my family had pictures taken with everyone in attendance was December of 1998, almost 12 years ago.
Our family has grown & multiplied,
so this was an exciting event for me. ♥ Me & My Precious Little One. Julia is 10 years & 362 days old! ♥

♥ My Little Sisters & I ♥

♥ My Baby Brothers Mark & Matthew ♥

For the L♥ve...

What a difference 2 years make!

2008

2010

Brooklyn, Brock & I

♥ Thank you for the picture Jocelyn!

13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

A look inside a teacher's mind could help you understand & maybe even guide your child to perform better.

1. When I hear a loud belch, I remember that a student's manners are a reflection of his parents'.
2. We educate future leaders & make about $51,000 a year.
3. Kids dish on your secrets all the time—money, religion, politics, even Dad's vasectomy.
4. Please, no more mugs, frames, or stuffed animals. A gift card to Jamba Juice or Staples would be more than enough. A thank-you note: even better.
5. We love 3-day weekends as much as your kid does.
6. The students we remember are happy, respectful, and good-hearted, not necessarily the ones with the highest grades.

7. Just because your child says he did his homework doesn't mean it's true. You must check. Every night.
8. Teaching is a calling. There's not a teacher alive who will say she went into this for the money.
9. Teaching is not as joyful as it once was for many of us; we get jaded too. Disrespectful students & belligerent parents take a toll on us.
10. We spend our own money to buy things our students need, such as school supplies & even shoes.
11. We wish parents would make their kids own up to their actions instead of pressuring us to bend the rules.
12. Please stop doing everything for your child & allow them to make mistakes. How else will they learn? Kids are not motivated to succeed because they feel their parents will bail them out every time.
13. There are days when I just want to quit, but then that one smile from that one kid, changes it all.

Mommy & Me in Italy

Julia & Jacob

‎We had tickets for the 9pm showing of Eclipse last night! Julia & I sat with Andrea & Richard on my favorite row in the theater. We had great seats behind the rails, so you can put you feet up.

Thank you Nordstrom!

♥ YOU ♥ #1 on my Playlist!

These are the lyrics to my new favorite song. You.

What do I have to do
I've been down & out, Doing without
The love that got me through
And what do I have to say?
I just want you to know
That I know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

What do I have to do
Ive been thinking about, Dreaming about
The things we used to do
And what do I have to say
I just wanted to know
That you know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

And I would walk across the ocean if I could
If it would bring you back to me

And I would steal a feather from an angels wings
Don't you know its true that I'd do it all to prove my l♥ve for you

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

It takes you to make me smile!

Fairyland