meet the harkers

let's play catch up.

2012-01-13T08:48:00.001-08:00

Okay, we had a great Christmas. It was just the 3 of us. A little lonely at times but mostly so fun!

On Christmas Eve we did our pj tradition. This year I made them....yah it didn't work out so well. Leo's were way too small and Braden's were way too short but mine fit just fine! I made them in a hurry while Leo and I were in CA- away from Braden, so that's my excuse. We had a good laugh about trying to squeeze Leo's chubby thighs into those pants for at least one picture. Also, on Christmas Eve we made our first attempt at taking Leo to the movies. Braden and I were nervous but it turned out great. We had lots of treats and even let him have his own sprite...yikes! We saw the movie Arthur Christmas, a silly movie but Leo loved the whole experience. During the previews, Leo would say, "Happen?" after each one ended. I could see he was thinking to himself, "Oh awesome the movie is starting...wait I thought we were going to watch that. Oh cool another movie, this one is exciting.....wait. Huh? What's happening?"

Christmas morning Leo woke up at 6 am! We were opening presents in the dark. This explains the indoor flash and our dark living room. Leo loved opening presents. With every tear there was a big gasp, followed by, "WOW!" And when all his were done, he would sit on our laps and help mommy and daddy open their gifts. So fun!

The day after Christmas we headed into the city. We decided to check out the Natural History Museum. Saying Leo loved it, is a complete understatement. He was running as fast as he could from animal to animal, Braden trailing behind. Watching Leo's eyes light up with excitement gives Braden and I the innermost happiness. If Leo is having fun, then we are too. Watching your child learn about the world and take it all in is an amazing gift to a parent. Truly, that was the best Christmas gift for Braden and I. Our first Christmas in Northern Virginia was one to be remembered.

Let's do an update on my Little Leo. Because I feel like in the past 2 weeks he has become a boy before my eyes. He is 20 months old. He has such a fun personality. Constantly making mommy and daddy laugh. We definitely had some move transition issues. But it seems things are settling down and day-to-day life has set in. Leo loves :

airplanes,

cars,

puppies,

lions,

Buzz Light Year,

movies (favorite being any Toy Story of course),

bubble baths,

dancing (favorite dance song is Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyes Peas- edited version),

bouncing on mommy and daddy's bed,

playing with his new basketball hoop,

learning songs,

singing songs (favorite song to sing is Itsy Bisty Spider),

eating cereal (he is his mother's child),

playing the guitar with daddy (I have to add that this kid can pick out pianos and guitars just by sound!),

helping mommy clean (I am going to enjoy this while I can),

reading books,

helping mommy bake,

and lastly, he loves when all three of us are together.

He is a wonderful boy and he desperately needs a playmate. This unplanned pregnancy was definitely meant to happen. Everyday I am reminded that Leo will love having a little sister to play with. I am so grateful that we are able to provide that for him. It might not be perfect timing for me but it is for Leo.

Merry Christmas.

2011-12-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

We didn't get around to sending out a Christmas card this year, so this will have to do. Merry Christmas to you! We hope yours is filled with love and amazing memories. Warmest wishes from the Harkers.

DC, we have arrived.

2011-12-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

Leo and I joined Braden in DC about two weeks ago. Since then we have been setting up house, exploring and trying to get over some awful sicknesses. It's all very overwhelming, exciting and sad at the same time. I could write for days about the changes we have experienced. The east coast is very different. In great ways and not so great ways. But after about one month apart we are so happy to be together again as a family.

My mom was able to fly with Leo and I to DC to help set up the home base. Thank goodness for her. Right when we arrived, I came down with an awful cold. She not only unpacked and set up house, but she took care of me and Leo. Maybe someday I can be superwoman like her. I am so grateful to have such an amazing mother. We miss you nana!

Braden absolutely loves his new job. Sometimes I think he is more excited to go to work than come home. He explains to me what he does all day at work and I just nod my head and smile, pretending to understand the economic vernacular spewing from his mouth. It's such a blessing to be truly happy and satisfied with your career.

We are living in the corporate American lifestyle now. As my sister says, "We live for the weekends, and pass each other in the halls during the week." It's so true. Brings a whole new meaning to the acronym TGIF, for me.

This weekend is Christmas, we don't have any big plans except for more exploration of this never ending city. It really is so fun.

We are officially East Coasters now. Please come visit us. We already miss everyone terribly.

16 months

2011-09-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

My big boy is coming up on 16 months! Wow. He is growing and learning so quickly. I can hardly keep up. He makes Brady and I so happy. If Braden and I are ever stressed out or upset we just tell each other to go play with Leo, he is the best cure!

At his 15 month check up he weighed 25 lbs. and he was still 50th percentile across the board. Good boy, we like consistency! He is really good at walking on all sorts of terrain. He has yet to master running, thank goodness. His favorite place to be is the stairs! He could climb up and down the stairs all day if he could. We were at Disneyland a couple of months ago, so many exciting things for him to see and do. But what does he find no matter where we were in the park? The stairs! He's the same way at the waterpark, at the playground, and our friend's house.

Braden and I are so lucky because this kid talks! A lot! He can say about 30-40 words and he will basically say anything you tell him to. It's great. Because of this tantrums are not a part of our lives. His favorite words are "Hi!" (this must be said in a high pitch voice and really loud until someone says Hi back to him), "Papa", "Mom", and "Daddy". I love hearing his sweet little voice try to mimic every syllable I say.

He used to be so great with food. He would eat anything I put in front of him. Now, he is entering the stage of picky-ness and independence! NOOOOOOOOO! He must feed himself and he must decide what it is. If he had his choice the only thing in his diet would be cheese! He loves- no, he is OBSESSED with cheese. Every time I put him in his highchair he yells, "Chee! Chee!" Oh gosh, we are in for it. So in this house "cheese" is "the one who cannot be named". Or we just call it "queso". But Leo is such a little mouse, he can see and smell cheese from a mile away. There is no tricking this one.

He loves to point out babies wherever we go. This is great because soon enough he will have one around all the time! I really am so excited to give Leo a playmate. He LOVES other kids. He will scream, "Hi!!!!" to kids at the grocery stores and restaurants. He loves playing in nursery at church and especially with his cousins.

Leo is such a fun little boy. He is a social butterfly. Everyone loves him. But Mommy and Daddy love him the most! We are so excited to have another little Leo to make our lives so much more full!

Summer 2011.

2011-09-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Summer 2011 is over! But we did some fun things this summer. Most of them I don't have pictures of because I was lazy and didn't bring my camera. But Leo and I got to visit family in CA, family came to visit us in Cashmere, Brady and I went rafting down the river several times, Leo enjoyed the water at the pool and the beach, we went camping, took a trip to a waterpark, and hit up the local county fair! It was a fun summer but I am ready for fall! I don't enjoy the heat for very long. And I was really sick for most of it. So bring on the cool weather and happy mommy!

preggo

2011-08-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome a new baby Harker into our family in March 2012. It has taken me a couple weeks to be able to be comfortable saying that statement. So there I said it and I truly am genuinely excited. For documenting sake I would like to tell the story of how we found out.

On July 4 I took a pregnancy test because there were some signs of something that may or may not be going on. That test was negative (phew!). I didn't think about it for weeks. I went to Southern California to visit family and the whole time I was there I was really tired. I didn't think much of it since I never sleep very well when I am not at home. The last day I was in CA I woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous (oh crap). I tried to brush it off as nothing but couldn't help but question it all day. That night when I got back to Washington, I picked up a pregnancy test, and took it. I didn't even look, I didn't want to look. I washed my hands and walked away, still not looking. Braden looks at me as I come out and he says, "What does it say?" "I don't know, I don't want to look." He runs in to the bathroom to check it out. "Oh, it's negative!" "Really? Good, let me see." I go in to the bathroom to confirm. Men don't know how to read pregnancy tests because it was very clearly POSITIVE! A part of me couldn't help but feel devastated. I love babies and I always knew I wanted more, but just NOT YET! (remember the whole "time clock" thing from my last post... yah) So much for those tiny pills I was taking everyday! I will admit I shed a tear or two. But as the idea has settled I am now excited. Am I ready? No way! But I have nine months to get there and I will. Braden was very excited and has had no problem adjusting to the idea.

Oh and by the way this came three days after we found out we were moving across the country to DC! Great timing. No really, it is pretty good timing. At least we knew we have a stable career before finding out we would also be having another baby!

I don't want to make it seem that this pregnancy is a somber one because it's not. Very, very, very, very shocking though. Leo will have a buddy and playmate. I am happy to give him that. He deserves it. It is hard to imagine Leo as the big brother but I know this mild-tempered boy will be great!

So let the symptoms begin! Migraines, nausea, extreme fatigue, crazy dreams, getting up to pee in the middle of night multiple times, and crazy cravings. Oh what fun!

Leo thinks so :)

finally back to blogging

2011-08-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

From one Washington to the other. Hopefully the Obama's make some room because the Harker's are moving to Washington DC! Braden was offered a job with Homeland Security to be an economist. We are super excited for this new adventure in our life. Braden has become a little school girl. He is constantly talking about what the job will entail and how excited he is to get started on his career!

I am terribly sad to be moving away from all of our family but I am praying that we will make some awesome friends over there.

On the other hand I couldn't be more proud of my hard working husband, who is willing to sacrifice so much for our family. We finally get to see that hard work and sacrifice ALWAYS pays off, just not always on our time clock. Heavenly Father has a plan for us and if we stay faithful He will provide the way. We are humbled to be offered this position and are so grateful for the many people in our lives who have helped us get to where we are now.

I have never been to the East Coast. I hear amazing things about it except for one thing.... humidity. I just don't do well with heat, especially wet heat. But those cherry blossoms are absolutely beautiful! And how exciting will it be to be living in the capitol of our country! I am pretty excited. Let the adventures begin!

Oh and here is a pic of this adorable toddler! Who is walking all over the place, changing all the time, and a little entertainer. Love being his audience/mommy.

leo's partay...s

2011-06-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

This lucky boy had two birthday celebrations! One on his actual birthday and the second on the Saturday following his birthday.

On his actual birthday we went to lunch at Red Robin with Papa Sendzik, Mommy, Daddy, and Jannica (she is practically an aunt to this kid). He loved Red Robin because there is so much going on and loud music. He tries to meet the noise level by talking really loud and screaming. I think it's hilarious, the people around us might not say the same. The servers brought him a balloon and sang to him. We thought he might get scared, but not at all. He loved the attention. Leo stared at them with his mouth wide open the whole time.

That night I made a little cake for him to dive into. He was apprehensive at first but then got the hang of it. See the play by play above. Once it was time to clean up, he realized how messy he was and did not like that. I wouldn't either. haha.

For the big birthday bash, we headed to Riverfront Park in Cashmere. We had pizza, cupcakes, cookies, balloons, bubbles, presents, and a little bit of rain. It cleared up after the party got started and it turned out to be nice weather. Leo had a great time playing with all of our friends and family that came. He received so many fun gifts! Thanks to all who came! You guys made it fun and unforgettable!

I have a one year old?

2011-06-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

My mind cannot comprehend that it has been one year since this amazing event changed our lives forever.

He is changing everyday. Loves to talk now. Even attempting to say some words: flower, more, all done, light, papa, mama, dada, pst. Okay the last one isn't really a word but it's so cute when he says it.

He isn't walking yet but he has taken a couple steps a time or two. When he's ready he will do it.

Sleeps like a champ. Eats like a champ. At his year weigh-in he was at 22 lbs and 29 inches long. Once again, 50th percentile across the board.

We have seen a few tantrums so far. They have thrown us for a loop but we are figuring it out as we go. Oh toddlerhood... deep breaths.

Most of the time he is an easy-going and happy boy. Let's hope it stays that way.

I could go on and on and on about how much love and light this little angel boy has brought into our lives.

Leo, I can't believe you have been with us for one year! Sometimes it feels so short but I feel like I have known you my whole life. We love you forever!

taste the sun.

2011-05-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

we went to cali recently for a family wedding. well thank goodness they decided to get married there because we got to soak up some sun, sand and water. we also were able to spend some time with my side of the family!

it was leo's first time at the beach. he was able to explore it all and decide what he liked and mostly, didn't like. the water was too cold and the sand was an odd texture but pure exploration is adventure enough in itself. he loved it. we spent almost everyday outside. how i miss being able to do that.

leo caught up with a couple of his adorable cousins, olivia and elise. these girls are so much fun. leo never needs his mommy when these girls are around. they are extremely entertaining. leo and elise sit on the floor and steal toys from each other, while olivia dances around them. got me to thinking, maybe we he needs a playmate at home besides just mommy and daddy... nah not yet. good thing these girls are coming to visit us this summer!

i miss everything about that place. our visits are never long enough. can't wait to go again.

p.s. there is a little baby that has a birthday in 5 days! and he will no longer be a baby... tear.

11 months.

2011-04-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

On April 19, Leo is officially 11 months! I decided to post some random recent pictures of him that make my heart melt with happiness. I am in complete awe of how much an 11 month old can learn and retain. Leo surprises me everyday with something new he has learned. Right now, he likes to go through the alphabet and we help him with the sound each letter makes. His favorites are B,D,G,K,S and X. He can point out mommy, daddy, and baby Leo in pictures. Leo likes to touch his nose and ears, when prompted. This little puppy learns new tricks all the time. He is getting so big! Happy 11 months Leo! Mama loves you.

teaser

2011-04-15T09:05:00.001-07:00

the sun peaked out and warmed up the day to almost 70 degrees! we decided to go to the park to celebrate. leo was able to touch the grass, wave to all the passerby's, point at the bikers and go carts, eat bark, and get grass stains. he loved his first trip to the park. can't wait for more sunny days like this one.

one short day in the emerald city

2011-03-22T21:20:00.001-07:00

wicked fans? anyone? anyone?

i love me some wicked, but i am talking about the real emerald city... seattle. ahhhh i love that city. we decided to head down there last minute. in celebration of our anniversary but mostly just to get away for a little bit. we visited some amazing malls and went to the seattle aquarium. we had a great time, even though nothing beats sea world.

wohoo for 3 years of bliss. i love my braden. i wont bore you by confessing my undying and forever-growing love for my husband. i prefer to tell him to his face, since he is sitting next to me. cheers.

10 months

2011-03-22T10:55:00.001-07:00

10 months!!! wow. we are on the brink of toddler-hood. lately leo has been doing some things that make that very clear. such as experimenting with the law of gravity. he loves to drop food, spoons and sippy cups over the edge of his high chair. he also likes to throw toys.

this has opened my eyes to a new chapter of motherhood, which scares me. for the past 10 months i have been a mother to a baby, which requires providing the necessities of life, lots of love and attention. i can do that no problem. now, here comes the parenting part of motherhood. the part where "no" is more frequently said. leo doesn't quite understand this word yet but he does understand the word "clap."

as i see him grow i feel my brain scramble with ideas of how to learn to parent; articles and books that need to be read, questions that need to be asked and many prayers that need to be said. i hope that leo will be patient with us as we learn what kind of parenting works best for us.

leo's activity and energy levels are increasing by the week. so fun and so exhausting. leo loves to talk and experiment with making noises with his mouth and tongue. yesterday i was in the car with my friend, jannica and her nephew, tobie, who is 4. tobie and leo are in the backseat together and leo is jibber-jabbering away like usual. after a couple minutes of listening to leo, tobie asks us, "does leo speak spanish?" jannica and i busted up laughing. it was a very logical question. tobie could not understand leo so therefore he must be speaking a different language. so cute.

leo is curious; no longer afraid to crawl in to unknown places, open cabinets, open drawers, and open and close doors. leo loves to dance and clap. he knows how to shake his booty. he keeps me laughing and smiling all day long.

thank goodness for this adorable hunky-chunky boy.

9 months.

2011-02-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby boy,
I can't believe you have been outside the womb for just as long as you had been inside. I blink and you grow by leaps and bounds. You are constantly picking up new tricks. You mimic a lot of what mommy and daddy do. We love watching you learn and interact. You can click your tongue, smack your lips, wave, give kisses, clap, sign "more", shake your booty, climb up furniture, walk along furniture, crawl ALL over the place and pat mommy and daddy on the back (my favorite). You love to play! I giggle as I watch make your rounds around the living room. Picking up toys one by one as you lap the room 2-3 times.You love to be chased by mommy and daddy. I crawl up behind you as you squeal with excitement, the greatest sound in the world. You have brought so much meaning and purpose to our lives. Practically perfect in every way. Measuring in at 20 lbs. and 28 inches long. That's 50th percentile across the board. A textbook baby is what you are. Which we are so grateful for. We love you to infinity and beyond. (Sorry for all the Disney references- can't help it, it's in my blood) Happy 9 months Leo Thomas!!
Love always,
Your mommy

a great weekend.

2011-02-21T23:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend. These are some of the things we did.

went for a drive and enjoyed the view. stopped to take pictures of the view.

took a picture of us and the view.

took pictures of horses and the view.

kissed the baby.

played the guitar.

bit mommy.

watched some awesome fights at the hockey game.

ate some yummy cupcakes for my birthday.

almost took a cute picture of all three of us. leo is laughing in this pic i sware.

(not pictured: spending time with some awesome friends-Blaine, Jaqui, Lane, and Jannica, Leo making a new friend- Cooper, & getting a mani/pedi with Jannica)

our day in photos.

2011-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

flashback.

2011-02-12T09:42:00.000-08:00

January 2008

February 2009

March 2010

Let's do a flashback, shall we? Our lives over the past 5 years. Yes, I realize that 2007 and 2011 pictures are missing. I just don't have any accessible right this second. There is about 20 lbs. and one person difference between 2008 and 2010. But it's fun to look back over the years and see how much we have changed, grown, and progressed, even if it's not in the most flattering ways. We are still best friends, com padres, mates, buddy ole pals. I couldn't be happier with my boo.

In fact, yesterday he watched Leo all day while I took a nap, went shopping and then went to an awesome GNO. (girls night out- not to be confused with that woman parts doctor) It was great! Braden loves his alone time with Leo. He says Leo is much happier when I am not around.... Uhh I don't know how to take that. All I can say is no one can make him laugh as hard as mommy can.

When we were living in Salt Lake, I was working part time graveyard shifts (translation: I was incoherent for 3 days a week). Braden would take over as part time mom for the whole weekend. Waking up with Leo 2-3 times a night, feeding him, changing him, bathing him, burping him, and wait for it- taking him to all 3 hours of church by himself. Braden loved it, and has told me many times how much he misses his alone time with Leo. So he has recently requested to have some good ole one-on-one time with Leo at least once a week. Your wish is my command, dear husband. Any excuse to go shopping or hang out with some girlfriends, I'll take it. But don't think for a second I didn't miss that baby like crazy all day yesterday.

I love my boys.

I heart laundry.

2011-01-27T22:42:00.000-08:00

I heart laundry but only when this one-toothed-smiling boy is helping me.

I love looking at these pictures to remember my happy baby. You cannot see this happy baby today because he is sick and OH MY GOSH! No one knows how hard it is to care for a baby until they have cared for a sick baby. Please tell me this too shall pass. I want my baby back. baby back, baby back...

Jan. 2011

2011-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bit late, but I thought I should throw up some Christmas pictures. Leo had a wonderful Christmas! He got lots of fun toys!

I missed Leo's 7 month post and now he is almost 8 months old! He is such an amazing baby boy. He has cut his first tooth! About two weeks ago I was able to feel a little dagger poking through his gums. He had a rough week trying to get that tooth to come through but we got through it. He is really really close to crawling now! He also likes to pull himself up on furniture and in his crib. We will hold his hands and he will walk around the house.He's a little unstable still but he is such a strong boy! It's so weird to see him walk! In just a few months he wont need us to hold him up anymore. He eats everything and anything you put in front of his mouth, except formula. He loves all vegetables and all fruits. It's awesome. He's eating about two solid food meals a day now. Which make for interesting poop. Just sayin.
I can't believe how big my baby boy is getting! He growing so fast!

the best christmas gift

2010-12-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Harker's had an amazing Christmas this year. Surrounded by friends and family- it doesn't get better. Remembering the true meaning of CHRISTmas is the most important part. How grateful I am that my Savior came to earth. That He was born in a lowly stable to loving parents. His life on Earth has changed everyones' lives for eternity. I love my Savior, my Brother.

I can't help but think of my son. How blessed we are to have a loving, healthy baby boy. Also, how blessed Leo is to be born to parents who love him, who would do anything for him and who love each other.

Our Christmas gift from Leo came one day late this year. But it doesn't matter. I will cherish this memory forever. The video above depicts the first time Leo gave us a deep belly laugh. It was a laugh I had never heard from him before. All I could think was, "I wish Braden could see this." He was at work at the time. But no worries because Leo did an encore for him later that evening.

My baby boy is growing up!

sledding 101

2010-12-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Another first for Leo this Christmas season- sledding! We bundled him up tight and carried him up the hill. He took a ride down the hill with grandma and fell asleep on the way down! Don't worry- it was a slow, controlled, and safe ride. I guess the slight jiggle of the ride relaxed him. So while he slept through most of it, he had a great time!

Disneyland!

2010-12-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Leo took his first trip to Disneyland! We saw Santa, rode the carousel, ate some delicious food at the New Orleans Cafe, and watched the parade. He had a blast! Papa and Nana we also there to share in all the excitement. We made some great memories that day.

Also, while in California we had a great time visiting with family and celebrating the holidays! We are back to snow country now, where it definitely looks and feels like Christmas.

as the seasons turn.

2010-11-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Goodbye beautiful Autumn. I miss you so much already. Your vibrant colors and your crisp air made me smile everyday. Until next year.

Fall in Cashmere is, to say the least, amazing. The apple, pear, nectarine, and cherry orchards are beyond beautiful. I absolutely love living around them. It's organized nature. These gorgeous trees all perfectly set equidistant apart from one another with their offspring of bright green, red and pink fruits stretching across the land for acres. It is quite serene to stare at. Especially from an airplane. Oh, I love it.

Cashmere is beautiful in the winter, from my warm house staring out the window. Once you step outside and drive on those icy roads, it's not too pretty. But at least the orchards are still gorgeous even though they are naked now. And kind of dark and creepy looking with their kinked branches. They look like something in a Tim Burton movie. I love a good dark-creepy Tim Burton movie, probably why I like the orchards in the winter.

I am very grateful for the beautiful place in which we live.

6 months + spokane.

2010-11-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I am typing this. My little Leo is 6 months old!

This past week, I swear he has grown by leaps and bounds. Stats: 17.5 lbs (50th percentile). 26 inches long (50th percentile). head circumference- I can't remember but I do remember he was in the 40th percentile. So his head may appear large but it's actually not!

Not only has he grown physically but intellectually! He is very curious about everything around him. Reaching for everything. Of course it all goes straight to his mouth.

He is also starting to play with the concept of pushing himself up onto his knees and hands! No no no no no crawling! Mom and Dad are not ready!

Last week he decided that he no longer wants mom to rock him to sleep anymore. Which is so sad, just another manifestation that he is growing up. He arches his back and begins to fuss if I rock back and forth.

He still does not sleep through the night. Leo is waking up about once a night to eat. Doctor says there is nothing wrong with it. He says if Leo is hungry then keep feeding him and that he is still young. I don't mind it, it's kind of a part of my life now. I wake up at 3 am every night whether he is up yet or not. Darn you internal alarm clock. But it would be nice to sleep through the night again. I might decide to change that eating schedule soon.

He can basically sit up all by himself now. He is a little dangerous in that Bumbo. He likes to head dive out of it. He just did it right now... no joke.

A new game! I put his binkie in my mouth, Leo stares at it confused, takes it from me and puts it in his. It's really too cute.

Also, while he is playing on his own in his bumbo or his jumpy chair (our new fun toy!), he will pause and look around the room to find us and once he does, he gets soooo excited. As if he is saying to himself, "This is so fun, Mom and Dad should come play with me too. Where are they?" (looks around the room) "There you are! Look at how much fun this is!!"

Leo likes to do this laugh. But it's not a belly laugh it's more like a courtesy laugh. It might be in one the videos I have uploaded. He does it quite often. Braden claims he gets it from me and all I can say to that is I get it from my mom! haha.

Sometimes I can't take how much love, happiness, and cuteness this little bundle of joy exudes. I mean honestly, I think it's so much deeper than we mortals can understand. It is divine.

Last week we went to Spokane, WA. Braden had training there for work and I decided to go along. It was nice to go somewhere I had never been before. Oh yah and they had three malls! That's three more than my town. After going to each of the malls twice, Leo and I got pretty bored. Three days in Spokane would have been plenty, we were there for nine!

On the positive side, our hotel was right next to River Front Park. And the fall colors were beautiful. (see Leo and fall leaves photos above). It was really nice to walk around the river.

Thanks to my sister and bro-in-law's suggestion we went to the Wolf Lodge Inn. It's about 45 minutes away from Spokane in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. It doesn't seem like anything special. In order to get there we drove down this tiny, two lane, windy road. There is nothing around it, probably for miles. Inside there is a huge fireplace with a blazing fire going. It was so warm and cozy. It felt like a comfy cabin in nowhere land. Oh and then there was their steaks. They are cooked over an open fire and they are HUGE portions. Let's just say that was the BEST filet mignon I have ever tasted. Oh man my mouth is watering just thinking about it! YUMMMMMMMMMMM. The highlight of our trip to Spokane by far!

Sorry about the ridiculously long post. If you have made this far, CONGRADULATIONS!
Oh and today it's snowing. Our first snow. I am not looking forward to winter with a baby but I must say that it is absolutely beautiful outside!

yum yum yum

2010-11-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Zombie Apocalypse Survivors.

2010-11-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween!

I couldn't be happier that it's over. I get so stressed over what we will wear, where we will go, if we will just stay home...blah blah blah whooooo cares. You have no idea how many times I went hunting for Halloween costumes this year. Only to be talked into being a "Zombie Apocalypse Survivor." Gotta love my husband and his love for all things ZOMBIE, like the new AMC series "The Walking Dead." (Honestly, it's totally awesome, gorry but awesome- you gotta DVR it.)

I, like every other first time mother, was searching for the cutest costume for my little kitty- to no avail. None of them are cute enough. You may be offended by the fact that my 5 month old child has a "bloody injury" on his head and his costume is not something to "awww" over but, there is one important thing you are forgetting... IT'S HALLOWEEN! Aren't things supposed to be over-the-top scary, frightening and silly? Yes.

Anyways, I can now move on with my life. Although I am ready for Thanksgiving, I am definitley not ready for Christmas.... bah humbug.

P.S. My sweet baby boy will be 6 months old in about 2 weeks... tear.
P.S.S. In the collage: Our awesome friends - Lane, Jannica, and Kim Larson.

little kitty.

2010-10-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

My baby is 5 months!

Leo has found his feet, and he loves to play with them. He will hold his feet up for me while I am changing his daiper. What a gentlemen, eh?

I have got him back on a schedule now (the move kind of threw him off a bit). He still wakes up once a night to eat. Eventually, I would like to ween him off that but for now it's manageable.

His vocabulary is growing. He says mamama, dadadada, and bababa. Of course it's all baby gibberish for now, but it's still cute to hear his voice.

He can now roll from his back to his belly! He loves to sit up in his bumbo and look around.

We recently bought him some Dr. Seuss books and he loves those. Oh yah and he also loves to scratch things. It seems as if it is his way of feeling the texture of things. So that's what he loves to do to the books, scratch at the cardboard pages. He also loves to scratch at the wall while I am changing his daiper or scratch at mom's denim pants. He is my little kitty.

Braden is working alot more now, so our time together as a family is cherished. Also, it's great to be able to get a little bit of a break on his days off. Braden will go get the baby at about 730am and they will go play so that I can sleep in. Even an extra half hour makes all the difference.

We went on a walk along the river at sunset the other night. It was the perfect evening for a walk. Fall is definitely here. The leaves are changing and there is a chill in the air now. I love it. I am not ready for winter AT ALL, so please, Fall, stick around for a little longer this year... please.

That's all for now.

4 month mark.

2010-09-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

4 months is here. (well, technically now it's 4 months and 14 days)
Leo had his check up the other day. He is a happy healthy baby. He is weighing in at 15 lbs. 6 oz. and he is 25 inches long.

Leo the lion is no longer just something we say around this household. This little baby growls on a regular basis, sticking true to "Leo the Lion". He growls when he's happy, when he's sad, and even when he's bored.

Gosh, time is flying by so fast. He is rolling over, standing up (with assistance), grabbing at everything and putting his fists in his mouth. Oh and now he's bald. haha. He was born with so much hair and now he has this large shiny bald head with a tiny patch of hair on the back of his head. I have contemplated buzzing it off but I think I'll leave it alone. What if I shave it off and it never grows back?! My poor kid.

Anyways.... we are having so much fun together as a family. We love every second we get together.

Leo truly knows who we are. It is such a precious thing. Whenever I speak Leo looks all over the room until he can find his mama. He just stares at me while I talk. Same thing happens when Brady speaks, except Leo gets a HUGE grin on his face while he stares. It's the best.

Leo is getting more adventurous in the tub he loves to kick and splash and play. I cherish the bath time. It's mommy and baby time. Just the two of us spending time together. So much fun.

No solid foods yet, says the doctor. Thank goodness. Honestly, I am totally not ready for solid foods yet. Too messy, I am not ready for the mess.

Sometimes Leo gets really excited. This usually happens whenever daddy is around or right after he wakes up from his nap while I am changing his diaper. He gets really excited flailing his arms and legs all over the place. And the best part is when he takes in a really big breath and sticks his arms and legs out straight and shakes. Almost like he had a jolt of sugar shot through his body or something. It's so funny.

Leo is an amazing son!

Now, I need to figure out what he is going to be for Halloween!!

it's true, we moved.

2010-09-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

yes, we moved to washington a couple of weeks ago. let me just give you a sneak peek at what we get to see everyday.

we live in the foothills of these :

nestled next to this:

surrounded by rolling hills covered in these:

so to say the least, it's beautiful. every move is an adjustment and we are adjusting. but the gorgeous view outside our door makes it all much easier. everyone is welcoming and very kind. so far, so good.

braden got a job transfer and i am able to stay at home with my handsome boy, Leo. we are very blessed to have come upon the situation we are in now. it's a new, fun adventure for our family and we are happy because we are together- as a family. of course, we miss all our friends and family back in salt lake.

leo is getting sooooo big!! he's is just so much fun. we are lucky to have such a good baby boy. he smiles at anyone who gives him attention, but he smiles the biggest for his daddy. brady will just be in the room and leo stares and smiles. he admires his daddy, it is so sweet. if you work hard enough, he will give you a good belly laugh. he is such a joy, my superbaby.

honestly, we couldn't be happier.

who's baby is that?

2010-09-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

can you guess who's baby Leo is? that's right- he's mine. haha. I need to do this same thing with Braden's baby photo as well. i absolutely love that this baby is mine and the proof is there for everyone to see. minus the yoda ears and flock of seagulls hair-do.

baby & i

2010-08-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

p.s. we are in the process of packing up and heading to WA. the house is a mess and i am stressed to the max! we are excited for new adventures but sad to be leaving the home to so many wonderful newlywed memories. salt lake city will always have a special place in our hearts. so long Utah.

family fun

2010-08-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

on tuesday (our family's saturday) we took an educational family fun trip to.... Kennecott Copper Mine! neither of us have been there before and we figured it would be fun to learn about the largest copper mine in America! which by the way you can see from space! here are some fun facts about the mine:

Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine has produced more copper than any mine in history - about 18.1 million tons.
The mine is 2-3/4 miles across at the top and 3/4 of a mile deep. You could stack two Sears Towers (now known as the Willis Building) on top of each other and still not reach the top of the mine.
The mine is so big, it can be seen by the space shuttle astronauts as they pass over the United States.
By 2015, the mine will be at least 500 feet deeper than it is now.
If you stretched out all the roads in the open pit mine, you'd have 500 miles of roadway - enough to reach from Salt Lake City to Denver.

we thought there would be a little bit more that just a tiny room of artifacts and a 16 minute informational video but hey, it got us out of the house and we learned a lot.

the look out point is amazing. i am sure it is impossible to grasp just how large this mine is from the visitor's center location. i wish we could have drove down in it. the trucks they use to transport the rocks make semi's look like tic tacs.

we also got to watch and feel them blow up a couple of spots on the mountain. they fill the holes with 1000 lbs. of explosives! yah the whole mountain shook.

Leo had a great time and learned a lot as well. haha.

cheers to our first family educational outing.

tres mes.

2010-08-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

okay, my babe is 12 weeks old!
3 months
i can't believe it. he is the sweetest and most cute baby ever! we are so in love with him.

i don't really have too much to update.

he is holding up his head very well on his own now. still a little wobbly, you gotta watch him because sometimes he will just throw his head backwards without forewarning and he expects you to catch him. he likes to keep us on our toes.

he has lots of fun outfits that fit him now. so mom just gets to play dress up with him all day. (yes, boys can play dress up too!) i can never decide what to put on him because there are just too many cute options! as pictured above in these adorable denim overalls with a baby blue car onesie. i must say i absolutely hate overalls, but on Leo they are oh so cute.

we are still working on his schedule and the bassinet to crib transition. progress.

that's all for now. time to snuggle with my leo.

so close

2010-08-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

happy baby

2010-08-02T22:15:00.001-07:00

how can you not fall in love with this smile? i do, everyday.

dos mes.

2010-08-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Little Leo is 10 1/2 weeks (i missed the 2 month mark... oops). the pictures above are courtesy of Victoria Harris from Fotofly Studio. thanks again Victoria. he was about 6 weeks in those shots. he is much chunkier now.

he had his 2 month check up two weeks ago. doctor says he is doing great. at the appointment he weighed 10 lbs. 15 oz. and was 23 inches long. i think he is heavier now. the not so fun part of the appointment was the shots leo had to get. i have never heard him scream so loud. poor little guy. but we did get to snuggle the rest of the day because of it. that part was wonderful.

he is smiling a lot now and every once in a while a giggle will pop out. the other day braden and i had glass coke bottles and when we clanked them together for a toast, leo started laughing. we kept doing it and he thought it was too funny. it was such a precious moment. who would have thought two bottles clinking together could be so funny.

our new goal is to get him on a schedule. we are trying to stay consistent and it seems to be helping him sleep through the night! of course not when i am home though. of course when mommy is working graveyards on the weekends he is sleeping through the night for dad but he wont do it for mom during the week. what is up with that? that's okay. we will get there.

he is still sleeping in the bassinett in our bedroom. the first night i started our nightly routine, i also tried putting him in his crib. yah... that back fired. he was never able to sleep for a decent amount of time so we were basically up all night long. when i say we i mean me and leo. so i learned to take it one transition at a time. once we get this schedule thing down, we will move onto the crib.

he is awake for most of the day now and he is so much fun! it's really challenging to get anything done around the house now because all we do is play with leo. he is such a happy baby and he loves to talk now.

the other day he found his hand in order to soothe himself. it was the cutest thing ever. he would begin to cry and then remember, "oh yah i can suck on that thing thats attached to me." he couldn't really figure out how to suck on his thumb or fingers and he hasn't done it again since but it was adorable.

he is super wiggly. he loves kick and wave his arms all around. yesterday i came home from work in the morning to find leo sleeping on his tummy! we always put him to sleep on his back. he must have turned over in his sleep! i was so shocked. now we have to get him to do it while he's awake. leo is officially on his way to being mobile... i should start to baby proof the house but i probably wont because i am denial.

that's all the updates for now. leo is perfect. and we are perfectly happy with him in our life.

much love.

2010-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

thanks again to all those who came! much love.

an all american blessing

2010-07-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

"hi"

mommy & baby
daddy & baby
all of the Leo Harker's
grandpa leo & baby leo
our family

braden blessed our beautiful baby boy on the fourth of july. it was absolutely perfect. why? because we are a-mir-e-kan. we would like to thank all of our wonderful family who traveled near and far to support our family on this occasion. and also all those who were supporting us in your hearts from a distance.

if you noticed, leo is wrapped up in a blanket on the group shots. that is because right before braden blessed him, he exploded all over his adorable blessing outfit.... of course. this was only the second time he had ever leaked outside of diaper and OF COURSE it had to be this day and all over his white blessing outfit. bummer. and mom was not prepared with a back up outfit in the diaper bag. so he was a naked little baby wrapped up in a tiny blanket. haha. oh well, things like this make life memorable.

because he pooped all over his blessing outfit on the day of, we got out all the stains (when i say "we" i mean my mom- thanks mom!) and had a little photo shoot a couple of days later. gotta love that patriotic back drop. he is so cute.

leo really is such a great baby. he is going through his crying phase right now but it's really not that bad. his routine is eat, burp, diaper change, smiling happy time, crying, and sleep. last night was his first night in his crib. leo did great but mommy... well i didn't like it. i think he will be back in the bassinet tonight. i missed him too much. he was all alone in that big room. he needs to be with us for a little longer, he's not even 2 months yet. so anyways there is my justification.
he is getting big way too fast. he is smiling so much now and sometimes he will let out a little giggle. for whatever reason he is always so happy in his bedroom, specifically his changing table. we place him on the changing table and an automatic smile pops on his face- so cute.

leo is a perfect completion to our happy family. i love love love my leo.

un mes.

2010-06-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

leo has reached the age of one month. WOW time flies. i cannot believe we have been a family of three for one month already! leo is such a good baby boy. we got really lucky. he is so adorable and lovable. i am pretty sure that brady and i have transitioned to leo's schedule now. but he is constantly changing so he is hard to keep up with. these are somethings we have learned about this new boy in our life so far:

leo's likes:
- snuggling with mommy & daddy
- being swaddled really tight
- his soothie
- falling asleep while eating
- falling asleep listening to the heart beat on mommy or daddy's chest
- mommy's singing
- making silly faces
- his tongue
- peeing on mommy, daddy, and himself
- car rides
- mommy and daddy's kisses
- his swing
- his vibrating baby bouncer

leo's dislikes:
- when his soothie falls out of his mouth
- getting his diaper changed
- when mommy wakes him up from his cat nap to continue eating
- being burped
- taking baths
- when mommy plays with his cute feet

he is growing so fast. we are cherishing every moment.

i love this boy more and more everyday. how did i get so lucky to have such a beautiful happy family? i have been so blessed.

the boy with a million faces

2010-06-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

i have always been told that i have the funniest facial expressions. brady also has hilarious facial expressions. we seemed to have passed this characteristic to our kin. this little boy has the funniest faces. brady and i just watch him and crack up. what i have posted above is just a taste of what this boy's face can do. i will have to do my best to capture more.

speaking of funny: last nights episode of bachelorette was the funniest episode ever! it had brady and i rolling. that guy is a total freak. where do they find these people? well atleast it keeps us entertained. that's what they are supposed to do right?

5.19.2010.

2010-06-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

birth story

tuesday, may 18, 2010.
morning:
my last doctor appointment before my due date. he checks me- dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced. he also sweeps my membranes, hoping to get things moving. i hoped he would just admit me and shoot me up with some pitocin. but he wants me to go into labor on my own. dang it.

afternoon:
the doctor suggests eating some spicy foods to get things going- brady and i head to lunch at pei wei. i get the spiciest thing on the menu...it was gross. contractions begin- they are getting stronger and closer together by the hour. brady begins to get anxious and wants to head over to the hospital.

evening:
we check in to the hospital. they hook me up to all of the monitors. concensus: contractions not strong enough or close enough together. the nurse tells us to take a walk for an hour and see how we progress. brady and i take a walk around the hospital in the rain. it was so refreshing. check back in after the walk, contractions still not strong enough. the nurse sends us home but tells us she expects us back that night. i prayed she was right. as disappointed as we were to be sent home, we were so excited to not have to miss our shows- LOST, gLee, and American Idol.

wednesday, may 19, 2010.
4 am:
i wake up to same contractions as the night before. i get out of bed determined to get things moving on my own. i walk up and down the stairs several times. it works- my contractions intensify and are much closer together.

5 am:
brady and i pack up our things and are on our way to the hospital. as we are driving to the hospital, i can see brady step on the gas more with each of my contractions. i have to remind him to slow down and calm down. haha.

6am:
brady and i are checking in to the hospital again. my contractions are so bad at this point that i am kneeling on the floor with my head on my knees in labor and delivery. meanwhile, braden quickly feeds all of my info to the lady.

630 am:
the drugs are being administered but still not strong enough. i am shaking uncontrollably from the pain and squeezing the life out of the handle bar on the hospital bed. i opted for that rather than braden's hand because plastic is stronger than bones. my method of coping with the pain was closing my eyes and putting myself somewhere else. my eyes remain close for most of the labor. finally the anesthesiologist arrives with my epidural. for the record- anyone who has ever said that the epidural is painful- they lie. once the drugs begin to work i start to feel warm and fuzzy. this feeling does not last long because my contractions get stronger. the nurse checks me and i am still dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced.

730 am:
my epidural can no longer keep up with the rate that my contractions are progressing. the anesthesiologist comes back in to up my dose. thank goodness the drugs have finally caught up.

815 am:
i begin to feel extreme pressure on my tailbone. i notify the nurse and she checks me- dilated to a 10 and 100% effaced. she heads out of the room to tell the doctor that i am ready to start pushing. brady was amazing throughout the entire labor- never had a freak out or panic attack, until this moment. as the nurse heads for the door, brady puts his hands on his head and nervously says, "well, what do i do? what do i do?" haha i had to just reach over and grab his hand. he calms down and refocuses.

930 am:
i have been pushing for a little over an hour and feeling like all this work and not much progress. my labor and delivery nurse tells us she can see the head! i am able to feel the hair on his head. my son is soon to make his debut. i think to myself, "this is it." the nurse grabs the doctor.

936 am:
a couple good pushes later, Leo Thomas Harker is born. the doctor places the tiny warm stranger on my belly. in this moment i look up at brady. his face says it all- shock, pride, and complete awe. i feel exactly the same. everything seems to be really quiet as brady and i stare at each other and at the beautiful little boy i am holding with tear-swollen eyes. we had truly just witnessed a miracle. i will never forget this moment.

total time in labor : 3 1/2 hours. not bad for my first time but too fast for my liking.
i am so grateful that braden could be there to support me and comfort me. also, my labor and delivery nurse was fantastic. her relaxing techniques were my saving grace. overall, an amazing miraculous experience.

we could not love lil Leo more. it's official we are now a family of three.

2010 grad.

2010-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

My Brady graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors in Econometrics!!! WohooO! I couldn't be more proud. I feel so privileged to have watched him from beginning to end as he struggled and worked so hard to achieve his goal. He is an amazing example to me and his son! He has had so much loving support from family and friends throughout the whole journey. That has made all the difference. Our family is truly amazing. Now that this chapter has ended... on to law school.
(For those of you asking yourself, "What about Leah's education?" : I am currently still working on prerequisites for the nursing program. I have about 2 semesters left of those and then I can apply for the 2 year nursing program. Yes I have a long road ahead of me, especially once this wittle baby comes into the mix, but no need to fear- I will finish!)

inspired.

2010-05-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

This video has recently had a large influence on me. As I sit and impatiently wait for this baby to arrive, I find it easy to feel sorry for myself. I take pity in myself that I am extremely large and none of my clothing fits me resulting in me wearing my husbands (and most of those no longer fit me anymore either), I take pity in myself that I do not want to go out in public, and I take pity in myself that I can no longer keep up with the housework that piles up around me. Maybe it's the baby hormones but it feels like a little taste of "baby blues". I fight really hard to push it away but sometimes it's easiest just to embrace it.
After watching this video I find the strength and motivation to get out of my "funk". Her story is truly inspirational and I am so grateful she is willing to share it with people like me who need a slap in the face sometimes. When you think life is hard, remember there is always someone somewhere who has it worse and be grateful. Enjoy.

i heart you.

2010-05-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

mom, thank you for being the best mom ever and showing me how to be the best mom ever. happy mother's day. i heart you.

36 weeks

2010-04-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

36 weeks and only 4 to go! oh my goodness. d-day is coming really quick! we are ecstatic to meet the little man. you know what they say about the last month being miserable is soooo true! i feel so lazy, all i want to do is sit around. thank goodness my mom came this past week to help me put together his nursery. didn't it turn out so cute?!!!! my mother is amazing! seeing the nursery done is relieving and makes everything more real. this whole baby thing isn't just in my head, it's really going to happen. we will have a little man to snuggle, love and kiss whenever i want! so excited.

so all of the nursery art was crafted by my mother and i with our handsome handyman- braden. super easy, cost effective and fun to do.

the circles on the wall are quilting hoops with some great fabric stretched across and hung up (idea accredited to my brother's awesome girlfriend, Lindsay). this was by far the easiest project and extremely dirt cheap: quilting hoops about $1.50 a piece and fabric $3.00/yard, but not even a yard was needed with each fabric.

the name banner above crib- idea was taken from here. each square is two pieces of felt, hand stitched together at the top and another stitch a couple of inches below to allow room to thread a ribbon through for hanging. the letters-we went to joanns and picked out a bunch of the fabric quarters for $1 a piece and got some iron on fabric applique (double-sided) for $3/yard. we made our own letter templates on white printer paper. we applied the applique to the fabric, used our templates to cut out the letters, peeled off the applique and ironed on to the felt squares. easy peasy lemon squeezy.

the night stand we found at the DI for $20! it was white and yucky. we painted it with a grey semi-gloss ($10) and replaced the drawer handle ($5). lamp is from home goods for $30. piggy bank $0.50 from DI. little fabric thing under lamp made from scraps from quilted hoops.

the shelves unfinished $10 a piece from michaels painted the same color as the night stand. baby knick-knacks on shelves all found at the DI for a total $8.

changing table/dresser was found on KSL.com- a couple bought it, put it together and decided they wanted white furniture, not cherry. brand new, never used for $175. replaced wooden knobs with brushed nickle knobs for $20.

memories to come from sitting in that glider, changing our son on that changing table, and putting our son to bed in that crib- priceless. haha

we are ready for you little boy! now it's just a waiting game.

a gem

2010-04-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

i found a gem, this amazingly crafty blog here. i think i spent a couple hours looking at each picture and gasping in awe of the beauty. i suddenly feel the urge to be crafty, which is so unlike me. i want to learn how to do everything! sew, crochet, knit, embroider, quilt...everything! i always wanted the crafty genes that my mom has but never thought they were passed down because i never felt the desire. but i have seen the light mom, and after browsing through this blog i am inspired. now that i have found the inspiration, i just need to find the time. mom is coming next week and i think she might have to help give me a jump start. (hope you are up for that mom!) wish me luck as i tap into my crafty side.

it's always sunny in cali

2010-03-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

for spring break brady and i flew to orange county for the week. we had a great time soaking up as many sun rays as possible. my dad really knows how to show us a good time. we went to the beach (palizada, my favorite), disneyland, ate some awesome grub and enjoyed an outrageous performance by the beatle's coverband, rain, at the orange county performing arts center. i can tell you from the activity going on inside of me that baby harker's favorite part by far was the beatle's coverband. it felt as if he was trying to rip through my abdominal wall to find out what all the raucous was about. braden had to go home to salt lake a little early because he had to work but i stayed to spend time with the fam and have an amazing baby shower thrown by my mom and sister. i feel so blessed and loved to have so many beautiful people share in our excitement of little baby harker. i can't thank all those who came enough for their love and support. it means the world.

pregnancy update. currently 32 weeks, only 7 weeks to go. baby harker is about the size of a honeydew and weighing around 4.5 lbs. there is not room for him to flip and twirl anymore but don't worry he still tries. according to "what to expect when you're expecting" there is now more baby than amniotic fluid inside of me and it's not hard to believe because he is in every nook and cranny he can squeeze into. also, he could grow up to an inch larger just this week! wow, that's scary.

we went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and we were able to take a quick peek on the ultrasound to make sure everything looked good. the doctor was surprised to see that we could actually see the hair on his head. that was crazy to see the little spikes on the ultrasound. it shouldn't be too surprising to us because both braden and i have crazy thick hair on our heads. the doctor also said that he is now head down. ready to come into the world at a moment's notice.

i feel really good physically. simple tasks are becoming too difficult, such as touching my toes or even seeing them for that matter. after this past growth spurt the swelling has begun. yes, i now have cankles. i drink a ton of water and it seems to help. i have gained a lot of weight. yikes! i wont lie, i eat whatever i want, when i want. i think a girl deserves that at least once in her life. i have 7 more weeks to enjoy it and then it's back to gross healthy food and jogs with the baby.

soon enough we will get to meet the boy that will change our life in such a beautiful way.

2 years

2010-03-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

this post is a little late but better late than never. we celebrated two years of marriage on march 15! woohoo! i had to work my graveyard shift the night before so i slept in until about noon. when i woke up, i opened our bedroom door to find this path of rose petals down to the living room. there i found the sweetest man ever with my favorite donuts, maple bars! he got a dozen donuts with happy anniversary written on every single one. haha it was very sweet, probably the sweetest thing he has ever done for me. we had a great day together celebrating our anniversary. the last time it will be just the two of us :) i am one lucky girl.

babymoon

2010-02-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

braden and i headed to cashmere, wa, this past week. what for? just because. we don't have much time left with just the two of us, so we took a babymoon. we were able to spend some great quality time with the in-laws. braden went skiing with his dad and best bud. we also enjoyed time with some great friends. we had a great time and ate some awesome food.

lately my new thing is bakery's. i found this awesome bakery down the street from us in salt lake. the best lemon chiffon cookies ever. mmmmm. so while in cashmere we of course had to hit up the main street bakery. we decided to walk there since it's not even a half mile away. it was a beautiful morning walk and a good way to justify the pastries we were about to consume. oh my, talk about heaven on earth. their glazed donuts are way better than any krispy kreme i have ever tasted. i know baby harker agreed.

pregnancy update: 28 weeks. baby is growing and his kicks are getting stronger. i feel huge and i can't imagine it's possible to get any bigger but apparently i will. besides being larger than usual i feel good. sleep is not what i would like it to be but i survive. cheers to happy, healthy baby and mommy.

perspective

2010-02-19T11:23:00.001-08:00

humble pie

2010-02-05T21:05:00.001-08:00

My momma just sent me these two pictures of me, Grandpa and Grandma Skinner.

My Grandma Skinner passed away a couple of weeks ago. She was such a beacon of love and light. When I see her in my mind the only English word that comes to mind is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I know she is so happy to be with her parents and brother who have already passed away.

One day my mom was visiting with her in one of her last days here so her memory was going at this time, my mom was pointing at the pictures around the room and asking my grandma who those people were. My mom came to the picture of Christ, my mom asked her, "Who's that mom?" My grandma sweetly said with a smile, "That's my best friend." Her faith was impeccable and she was the perfect example of keeping the faith through every trial.

May she rest in peace, we all miss her so much.

While these pictures remind me of how much I love my grandma, they also remind me of how cute of a baby I was!!! Wow, I am sorry but I was just too cute. I can't wait to see how much Baby Harker looks like me or Braden.

Braden and I both hope he has my Yoda ears! haha. Aren't they so cute?

Anyone got any humble pie?

24 weeks

2010-02-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

I am 24 weeks now. Time is whizzing by. I can't believe it is already February.

Pregnancy is... different, amazing but different. Maybe I am a wimp, but it's TOUGH WORK growing a baby! My back hurts, my belly is sore, I can't sleep, I have a few new numb spots to add to the collection, my ribs hurt, I pee once every hour and stretch marks have popped. I know, I know all you mommys out there are thinking, "You think this is tough, just wait until they come out!" Just let a girl vent a little bit.

Thinking about all the things that come along with the baby, Brady and I get extremely overwhelmed. Not only physically but also parental-ly (not a word? just made it one). But some wonderful insight was provided to me this past week from a new friend. We were talking about labor, she was sharing her experiences. (women LOVE talking about this stuff- I've learned) I told her how nervous I am about the whole labor thing because I have never been to the hospital for any reason concerning myself- no stitches, no broken bones, nada, zip. She advised me not to be nervous because labor is progressive. It's not like you are slapped in the face with all of this pain at once, it comes progressively and that's what allows women to survive, and sometimes even enjoy, labor. It was so nice to hear it put in that way. I really feel like the entire pregnancy, and life itself, is that way. I was able to let out a big sigh after that. I try to be positive but I can't help it, I was born a pessimist. That is why I married an optimist. Another thing to be grateful for. Okay I'll step down off my soap box now.

Baby Boy Harker is growing and moving like crazy. Let's just say he is his father's son, he can't sit still and he loves having my attention at all times. He has a schedule already! He sleeps during day light and is usually kicking me to sleep and kicking me awake. We will have to fix that as soon as we can.

We love him so much already and can't wait to meet him in person. Brady loves putting his ear on my belly and listen to him squish around and feel his karate kicks. I could sit and watch the little twitches on my belly all day.

I might complain but honestly, I could not be happier at this time in our life. My husband is so loving and caring. He makes me beam with happiness. I could not go through any of this without him by my side. I am trying to enjoy every moment in this pregnancy, not taking anything for granted.

This post was a long one... I guess I had more to say than I thought.

orange julius.

2010-01-19T23:56:00.001-08:00

so guess who made a huge mess tonight. yah.... explosive mess. at first i just thought it was funny.
then after realizing what had just happened...
and staring at all the orange julius i was going to have to mop up...
i concluded that this was not funny. this sucked big time.

it looks as though maybe i was just trying to share our orange julius with the babes. check out that perfect circle of where the mess landed- the part of my body that protrudes the most. brady, and his ninja-skills, was able to jump out of the way and did not get a drop on him. i, on the other hand, was soaked from belly to toes. despite this failure, our second try at the orange julius was a definite success. yummy!

we discovered this awesome lil recipe for an orange julius, you all must try it:
1/2 can of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
some ice cubes.
blend and bon appetit!
p.s. make sure your blender is securely fastened to its blade-base before removing from blending station.

sooooo zooey

2010-01-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

got my hair cut today. i really like it. i was going for the whole zooey deschanel, 500 days of summer, thick blunt bangs look. not the greatest picture but you get the idea.

banana day

2010-01-18T22:24:00.000-08:00

i declare the next 4 days banana day! why? because i love buying produce from costco. in doing so we are forced, the two of us, to go into fruit binges for a couple of days while it is still ripe. i have been waiting patiently for this huge bag of bananas to ripen and the time has come. my poor husband now must endure four days of cherrios with bananas, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, banana smoothies, and just plain bananas as a mid day snack. sounds yummy right? yah we shall see if he is still speaking to me when the four days are over.

it doesn't stop.

2010-01-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

The most recent belly shot taken. This is at about 17 weeks. I am almost 20 weeks now and I need to take a new belly shot because I swear I have doubled in size since then. Check it out I am actually wearing a belt in that picture. The belt no longer touches over my belly now.
Doubling your size in a small body like mine is a PAINFUL process and it's not done growing!!! What?? Are you serious? The growing doesn't stop? oh jeez, this is going to hurt. It is the most odd feeling in the world to feel your body being pushed from the inside- out. For my stomach muscles to be sore from being stretched outward, instead of being sore from being sucked inward. And the new discovery of the week: having a patch of skin that is now numb constantly on top of my right ribs (found out to be caused by rib seperation because of my ever expanding diaphragm)... why didn't anyone warn me about these things???! Okay let's try and remember the positives: I can feel the baby moving almost constantly now (yup just felt a lil kick right now), being pregnant is beautiful, I can allow my belly to hang out as far as possible without feeling bad about it, my husband tells me all the time how beautiful I am pregnant ( I really do need to hear that especially after stepping off the scale) and I am beginning to get public attention now because of the bump (which may soon jump to the negative side but for now it's fun).
So now for the BIG news!! We have known for a while now but we are having a BOYYY!! We are eccstatic! It just made everything much more real to us. I can't wait to see how cute he is!
We decided when we found out the sex of the baby to keep it a secret from our families until Christmas (also, it's an inexpensive gift for us poor people). It was a hard secret to keep but we did pretty good. It was really fun to share the ultrasound with everyone and watch their reactions when they saw the butt shot haha. So fun. What made it more fun is that mostly everyone thought FOR SURE it was a girl, SURPRISE! Actually Brady and I also thought for sure it was a girl so we were just as shocked at the ultrasound to see the butt shot. I am thinking this baby likes surprises.
So the holidays are over...so sad. We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We had to make our Christmas on Christmas Eve because both of us had to work on Christmas day (bummer, I know). Nonetheless it was still awesome! Mostly, I just love watching Braden open his gifts. He is such a little kid sometimes- maybe a lot of times, but he makes my life so much fun.
We had a Christmas party with most of the Harker side (we missed Max, Jayme, Halle and Trey) and my brother Brad and his family (now official Utards) were able to come to the party also. We then flew to SoCal for my family Christmas party. Party party party. We had a great time with all of our family! And we miss them all already. It's just not enough time.
New Year's Eve we were on a plane home from Long Beach. We barely got home before midnight and completely missed the countdown because we were exhausted and getting ready for bed... oops. Actually I totally forgot about it until I could hear firecrackers going off outside. What was cool though was that we were able to watch fireworks while laying in bed looking out our window. Someone was lighting off huge ones up on the mountain behind us, it was a good lil firework show.
It was an awesome Holiday Season this year! We have so much to look forward to for 2010: A BABY BOY!, Braden's graduation, full hearts and empty pockets!

A little holiday fishin'

2009-12-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

2009-12-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Time Has Come

2009-11-21T12:36:00.001-08:00

Okay, here we go. The first baby bump picture. A terrible one at that because I took it myself amidst the unpacking mess.
Another thing to report, we moved! It all happened within four days! Wow it was fast and stressful and exhausting! We had help from some amazing people! Shout out to Morgan, Alex, Larynn, Darren, Reese and my awesome bro Brad. These people saved our butts and my back! Thanks again you guys! We have some pretty awesome friends.
We moved into a town home in North Salt Lake. No we did not buy it, we are still renting but it was a steal of a deal so we jumped. It's a two bedroom, twice the size of our last place with a one car garage and a little grassy backyard. We have been here for a week now and so far it's been GREAT for us.
No more construction truck noises every single morning, no more dusty cars and porches from the huge dirt piles on the other side of the wall, no more partying smokers as neighbors, no more mysterious pot smells coming from who knows where, no more waking up from banging on the walls at 5 am, no more trying not to be too loud when friends come over!! Yay, I will not miss apartment living. Now, maybe in the future we will have to go back to that lifestyle but for now I will enjoy every second of life without it.
Pregnancy update: I am about 14 weeks now. Just entering my second trimester and wow it's a beautiful thing. Morning sickness has now faded and body fatigue is mostly gone. My body no longer looks like mine. As you can see from above I am starting to show a little bit. It still just looks like I am fat but I know I am pregnant so I am fine with this pooch.
I also bought my first couple of pairs of maternity pants this week. My tummy was over being dug into by the rim of my pants, followed by a hair tie stretching out over my navel.
Let me just tell you that maternity pants are wonderful. Why can't I wear these at all times? Is there something wrong with that? Because I honestly plan on wearing these when I am no longer pregnant. Wearing them is like wearing stretchy pants at all times! Which means room for a full belly after a great meal, what I have always dreamed of.
Baby is the size of a large orange and apparently moving a lot but I still cannot feel it.
As Braden watches my belly grow, he gets more and more excited about being a daddy. It is the best thing in the world to see that love grow over time. Oh wow this pregnancy thing is just too fun. Honestly, so far I LOVE IT.
Oh yah and one last thing. Tomorrow we are heading to Washington to be with the Harkers for Thanksgiving and we are so excited! We are driving, don't worry we have snow tires. Plus, Braden and I LOVE roadtrips together. We also love Wenatchee. Excited to spend time with beautiful family and friends in a beautiful place.

BIG NEWS!

2009-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not know.... I AM PREGNANT!! Shocked? Yes, I know. We were also shocked at the news BUT sooooo excited. We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome our own baby Harker into the world. I am due May 24, putting me in my 12th week of pregnancy.
Thank goodness I am at the end of my first trimester because boy it is rough! I am a wimp when it comes to sickness, especially nauseated sickness. So Brady is ready for a new phase of the pregnancy, haha. Both my mom and my sister were not sick at all their first trimester! How did I get so lucky? I just hope it will ease up soon.
We went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and we were able to see the baby! Oh wow, if you could only have seen Braden's face. It was classic. Cartoon classic jaw drop to the floor and everything. I guess he thought I was faking it all this time? ;) It was wonderful to see that there is actually a little peanut in there with a heart that is beating at full force with arms and legs wiggling along with it. Braden kept saying, "Can you feel that?!" "You can't feel that?!" haha Amazing, amazing, amazing experience. A moment that has been engraved in my memory forever.
So now that baby is on the brain and in my belly, life has already begun to change for our family. My life has changed dramatically! Holy cow. It is the most odd thing in the world to me to have my body take over my life and dictate what I do and, mostly, don't do. My house is embarrassingly grungy and it's driving me nuts! School work is always a struggle to keep up with and sleep is always deprived, especially with those twice-a-night trips to the bathroom- which I know only increase.
Braden has always been wonderful with children and babies, but lately he pays more attention to them when we see them at friends and families home's, at grocery stores, or out and about. He has been wonderful in accommodating to my newly acquired tastes and sleeping patterns. He also gives me much needed massages! I couldn't have asked for a better husband and future father to our children.
So for now we are looking at 2 bedroom apartments and making plans for the future! May will be a big month for us! We have finals, Braden is graduating from college (I'm so proud of him!), and our baby is due!
Honestly, we are loving every second of our life right now. We have been so blessed in countless ways, we couldn't be more grateful for this beautiful surprise gift our Heavenly Father has sent down to us. :) Thank you for all of your love and support, we could not survive without it.

Just wanted to share the moments after we first found out the big news :) WARNING: I go into some detail of what I have been going through, so beware of words such as: boobs.

Enjoy.

Autumn leaves

2009-10-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

These pictures of Salt Lake during the fall are gorgeous but they just don't do it justice. The leaves are everywhere now and they are rich and vibrant. The air is crisp and so fresh. Honestly, I am so grateful I grew up in SoCal because now I can truly appreciate the beautiful seasons of Utah!! Apart of me doesn't really want to go back to 70 degree weather day in and day out. Just thought I would give you a little taste of what I get to walk out into everyday and enjoy. HAPPY FALL!

I have avoided blogging for a long time now because we have been so busy with school during the week and working on the weekends. And we still are! I actually should be studying right now.

Things we are looking forward to:
- midterms to be over
- Thanksgiving in Washington
- brother and sister-in-law moving to Utah
- a moment to enjoy some free time together
- Cali around Christmas time
- working on Halloween... not
- Braden graduating in May!

Life is beautiful.

Highlights

2009-09-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend we did some amazing things! Here are some highlights: First we got to see these beautiful people

Then we headed southeast to here

And hiked here

Corona Arch

And I climbed up here with Morgan and Alex

And then I did this, at 105 ft!

Obviously our weekend was so much fun. With all these amazing activities we definitely didn't have time to do this

So now it is time to do some catch up!!

gLeek

2009-09-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

I just watched the pilot for this show and..... HOLY CRAP! It's good. I don't want to talk it up too much, but I really liked it. One of the reasons I am so excited about this show is it's not reality tv crap. It's about time there is a scripted show out there that is worth watching, besides LOST of course. The show is really well cast and it's kind of cheesy but that's what makes it so awesome! The premise is an optimistic teacher who against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach, attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential.(courtesy of fox.com)So, as my besty Larynn says,"Embrace the cheese," and watch it with me! It's on Wednesday at 9 on FOX.

So long sweet summer

2009-08-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Dad came to visit! The first from the Sendzik family to come visit us Utards. He was here for 5 days and we had a great time. Going to Park City, eating out at some amazing restaurants, and good quality time. We loved having you here dad! LOVE YOU!

We have been enjoying every second of nothing-ness for the past two weeks. Tomorrow...is the first day of fall semester. Booo. Usually we would be excited to head back to school but with only two weeks off, well we aren't all that thrilled. So we are packing up our back packs, setting our alarms, buying our textbooks, and printing out our new schedules....Back to school, back to school... to prove to my dad that I'm not a fool.

One major event in the past couple of weeks was when I passed my CNA testing and recieved my certification as a nurse's assistant! WOOO HOOO! The day I recieved my certification, I immediately began applying for jobs. About four hours later I got a call for an interview! What? That was fast. So this Thursday I have an interview for CNA job at the University Hopsital. I am not going to get my hopes up but I AM SO EXCITED!

So long sweet summer, until next year. Hello scarves, boots, red yellow and orange leaves, crunching steps, cool fresh air and no free time.

California Lovin'

2009-07-29T23:16:00.001-07:00

We LOVE California summers! We took a short but sweet trip down under this past weekend. It was a whirlwind of sand, sun, and lots of driving! There were a lot more beautiful people we saw this weekend but I was a dope and didn't get any pictures of them. But I just couldn't get enough of the nieces and nephew! Braden and I had a blast! Braedyn, Chaylee and Olivia are surely never going to forget us now! We spent a lot of quality time playing with the youngin's. It was crunch time but we were able to see all the immediate fam individually. I loved spending time with each of my siblings invidually rather than at a big family setting. Don't get me wrong I love those as well but it's hard to get personal in a large group setting. It was great to see everyone! We love family time. It was enough to hopefully suffice until Christmas. Maybe someday it will become permanent...

Death Cab for Cutie Pie Pants

2009-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

HAHA, so the title of this post is in honor of my bro Andrew and his best bud Jake. When Death Cab first came out this is what they called them and now whenever I try and say their name I have to stop myself from saying the "pie pants" part. That band will forever be Death Cab for Cutie Pie Pants in my mind, haha good times.
Anyway, this past Monday our great friend Sarah Webb invited us to this concert. We rearranged our schedules right away in order to go. Free tickets to a sold out Death Cab concert?! I'll do whatever it takes.
It was at the Red Butte Garden. I had never been there but it was an awesome outdoor amphitheater. It was packed but we were able to find a tiny patch of grass to squeeze onto. Everyone brought a picnic and there own booze. haha. Obviously we didn't do that but there were a lot of families there with little kids, that made it really fun.
They were great in concert. It was a very mellow concert, probably because their music is very mellow. So it was nice to be at a relaxing concert.
We had a great time! Thanks Sarah!!!

Lately

2009-07-07T08:18:00.001-07:00

I was able to go to Girl's Camp a couple of weeks ago because I have recently been called into the Young Women's Presidency. I had an awesome time getting close to all the girls, we had a blast. Girl's camp in Utah is a little different than what girl's camp was in Cali. In Cali, we had cabins and a cafeteria...spoiled. In Salt Lake it is REAL camping, we set up our own tents, cook our own meals, make fire, and fetch our own water. I was a little nervous but I actually liked it much better. All the girls had to help with chores around camp and it made us a little family.

Then this past weekend Brady and I headed down to Fillmore to have a big family get together for the 4th. The first night we went golfing with the boys. I didn't do so good but you know it was my 2nd time in life. As you can see I failed to pull out my camera for the rest of the weekend. But it was a blast.
The 4th of July parade in Fillmore is hilarious. All of the wards made a float and the Stake Presidency was on a float as well. Probably the only place in America where that happens. The firework show that evening was interesting. That was the closest I had ever been to fireworks and I didn't feel completely comfortable with that. I will say that it was cool to be able to lay on the grass and look up and my night sky was completely filled with color. But the wind shifted half way through and then came the rain of shrapnel (sp?). I was done after that, then we are walking back to the car as the finale is going off and the last firework that was set off, instead of going straight up, it went out towards the baseball fields where all the crowds were. I felt like I was watching Armageddon unfold right in front of me. I am not sure if anyone got hurt but it was extermely scary.
Needless to say, the weekend was a great time. We had a great time catching up with the Martin side of the family and playing with all the grandkids.

History of hair

2009-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this post was supposed to be about the changes in my hair over the past year....it turned into a post about this ridiculous kissy face I guess I like to make in all my pictures...ew. I tried to put them in chronological order but yah... I am blog impaired. So I am sure you can find the progression in there somewhere.
Anyways let's try and ignore the awful faces I am making and focus on my identity crisis with my hair. Yah, okay it's not that drastic, I have seen more drastic...*cough*morgan*cough*. :) But I have this thing with changing my hair every time I go in to get it done. I want to grow it out again but I have this itch to chop it and bleach it again. Ahhhh!
So I want some opinions! Tell me what to do with this thing on my head! Grow bangs out or keep them? Go back to being more blond or go natural? Chop it or grow it out again? It's such a hard ordeal, I know. The most recent picture is of me and Brady and the Mariner's game, so you can get an idea of what I am dealing with here.
Go ahead, critique away.

Vampires and Werewolves

2009-05-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Braden: "Do you wanna play vampires and wolves today?"
Leah: "Sure how do you play?
Braden: "I'm the vampire and I win."
Leah: "That makes me the werewolf?"
Braden: "Yup you lose, I win."

This was a conversation Braden and I had via text messaging this morning while he was at work. hahaha. I have been anti-Twilight for a long time now, but I decided to give in over our trip to Seattle. It's totally ridiculous, plays into every female fantasy of what men are like in their dreams. Which is why I can't put the dumb thing down!!! Braden always teases me about it and then 20 minutes later he'll ask, "So what's happening now?!" haha. He's addicted too! He will never admit it and it's a good thing he never looks at our blog. He would probably be upset I just exposed his secret.

I am taking a rhetorical criticism class this summer and I can't wait to start my paper on why this series is so appealing to women of all ages. I just can not comprehend why this series has become such a phenomenon. Stephanie Meyer, the author, isn't even a good writer!

I know, call me a hypocrite because I have fallen in the bandwagon but if I am going to write this paper then I have to do thorough research! right? Right, so now that I have just finished the second book last night, I can now move onto the third. It's just for research though, I swear.

Washington Vaca. 2009

2009-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhhh vacation. So much anticipation and then it's over in the blink of an eye. Braden drove to Washington and I flew to meet him there from Cali (I went to support my mom, she had surgery and is now cancer free!!!! ahhhh another sigh of HUGE relief) . We spent a couple of days in Wenatchee, WA. Spending time with the Harker's and friends. I must say this was a vacations of firsts for me. We went golfing with my father-in-law Scott on Monday (I have only ever been miniature golfing), Tuesday he took us fishing (another first) and Wednesday we went for a bike ride through Cashmere which only took about 30 minutes because it's that small. We also went fishing again that day and caught so many fish I can't even count. Of course we enjoyed some excellent food made by my mother-in-law Joyce and Country Boys BBQ, the best BBQ ever! For the next couple of days we headed to Seattle to visit our friends Kyle and Kate and there new baby boy Keaton! That's who I am holding in the picture above. We had a blast with them. We went to Pike Place Market, took a tour of underground Seattle, and went to a Mariner's game. Braden and I love Seattle! I don't know what it is about that city but we are just drawn to it. The Mariner's game was a quality game versus the Red Sox. The stadium was about 60/40, so the competition and intensity was extreme. The Mariners hit two home runs to win the game 5 to 4. It was awesome!!! It was an amazing vacation but for now it's back to school, work and real world.

Easter '09

2009-04-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

For Easter Sunday we headed down to Fillmore, UT to visit with the Martin family. We had a great time visiting with everyone and enjoying a great meal from Grandma Martin. It was a beautiful day and we went for a drive up this dirt road to look at the irrigation creek for the farm. It was a fun, muddy, bumpy ride. It was a great Easter Sunday!

It's our anniversary!!!

2009-03-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

We have reached our one year mark. WohooO! We celebrated on Saturday the 14th even though it is really Sunday the 15th. We started off the day with a trip to the temple! It was a beautiful day here in SLC, there were tons of brides and grooms everywhere. It was fun to reminisce on our day one year ago. What an awesome year it has been and how it flies by. We then went out to dinner at this Japenese restaurant called Kyoto. It was a really fun experience and great food. At dinner I asked Braden what he has learned within the last year. His repsonse was, " I learned that women are smarter than men, women are cleaner than men and that I DO clean." Haha. I love his humor. We talked more about it and the list could go on forever. Here are just a few of the things I have learned about life, myself, Braden and marriage in the past year:

Patience beyond belief
Let it go
Laughing makes forgivness much easier
Take a step away and gather your thoughts when fighting
Have faith through every trial that we go through
Lasting memories don't cost money
If you are going to say sorry, mean it and know why
Take time everyday to have a valuable conversation
Selflessness is true happiness
Support each other through everything
Lastly, bills suck

Braden and I are so excited for what our future holds. Our first year has been so fun, but don't worry we have had our share of trials and hardships so far. But those have only made us a stronger couple!

21 at last.

2009-03-08T17:21:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have finally turned 21. It was a couple of weeks ago but it was such a fun day. We got to go to my favorite place for breakfast, The Park Cafe. Then we went to the gateway mall and I was able to shop....ALL DAY LONG. I don't think Braden realized what he was getting himself into because I took my sweet time in each and every store carefully deciding what to spend my birthday money on. I kept hearing a big sigh coming from the boy following me through the stores. haha But I just kept kindly reminding him, "Babe, remember it's my birthday." That night we saw a movie and our friends Morgan and Alex came over for some birthday cake. Then we went to a party at a bar! Wow, my first time ever going to a bar... it was pretty lame. haha. A guy offered to buy me a drink and I just laughed and said sorry I don't drink. We sang kareoke (also a first) and had some good times. Overall it was an awesome birthday. Wahoo for being 21.

V Day and B Day

2009-02-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend was eventful to say the least. On Saturday I was woken up at 7 am!!!! But it was the sweetest thing to wake up to. Cinnamon rolls and yummy eggs and bacon. What a sweetie! He woke up at 630 on a Saturday? He's crazy, but I loved it. We went to a movie and out to dinner that night at Biaggi's. This wonderful Italian restaurant. Braden made up his own dish and even had other guests drooling over it. The waitress decided to call it, "The Harker." Braden requested to collect all the royalties, but they wouldn't have it. That was his "ego-boosting" moment of the day. On Valentine's day I asked to have my birthday present early. He had spilled the beans a couple of days earlier on what he got me, a pocket-size digital camera, so I asked to get it early so we could take pics of Valentine's day, his birthday and mine. They may not be the greatest pictures but atleast I talked my way into getting my present early ;). Anyways, Sunday was Braden's big day. He was so excited because apparently it had been three years or so since the last time he was able to actually celebrate his birthday. So I made sure everything was about him all day. We went to church, I made him his favorite meal (tacos), we played his favorite video game (Mario Kart Wii, at the moment, it will change tomorrow) for hours and ate cheesecake with some great friends. It was really fun making everything about him on his birthday because on Friday I know I can use all the same excuses about mine :). Muahahaha. All in all, it was an amazing weekend. We spent some great quality time together and enjoyed every second of it.

The Baby!

2009-01-19T10:25:00.001-08:00

Apparently this is what one of our kids will look like. I don't really see it except for my ears :). I found this website that was really fun. Check it out! http://www.vw.com/vwhype/babymaker/en/us/

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

Photoshop!

Braden got Killers concert tickets in Denver!

Christmas Pj's :)

Christmas Eve

Family Fun at D-land

Wicked

We had an amazing Christmas this year. We headed to Cali for fun in the sun with my family. It was so great to see everyone and make some Christmas memories. We saw Wicked, it was amazing, went to Disneyland with the Moons, went to the beach, had a great Christmas party and had fun playing wii! I did not want to leave at all. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were able to spend with Braden's family. We had such a great time with them. Having Christmas with both families this year really made it a great Christmas. I think we are ready for 2009 now.

2008 in a nutshell

2008-12-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, what an eventful year this has been. Probably the most eventful year of our lives thus far. There have been times of extreme happiness and extreme sadness. But there is only good if there is bad, so we have learned to take everything in stride.

Braden and I were married in the San Diego Temple, an amazing experience that both of us are eternally grateful for. (if you want to read more about that, scroll down) We started our lives together in Salt Lake City. Both of us graduated with an Associates in Science at the LDS Business College and are extremely excited to be moving on to the University of Utah in January. I will be studying nursing and Braden is going into econometrics.

My best friend was also married in the San Diego Temple, Morgan and her husband Alex. I was so grateful that Braden and I were able to be in the sealing room with them. I will never forget it.

In June my grandmother, Marge Sendzik, passed away. The first death in our immediate family. Being in Utah didn't help me. I felt so left out and guilty not being able to be their for my family, especially my daddy. I can't imagine loosing my mother, no matter how old I am . It hit our family hard but it brought us so much closer together. I am sure that is what my grandmother would have wanted.

Our other best friends Larynn, her husband Darren and their beautiful baby girl Reese were sealed as a family in the Salt Lake Temple. The feeling in that room was very strong and it made an impression on me on the importance of families and their love for each other.

One that hit home for every American was the election of Barak Obama as President. It was a shock for me when Obama was named the new President. I was afraid of what he would do to our struggling economy. I felt the worry that he didn't have the experience to know what to do to fix this recession. As time as has gone on and I have watched him choosing his cabinet and appointing others. I am surprised at his willingness to reach all the way across from his far left wing and show us conservatives, that a union of the American citizens is most important. In his speech right after he won the election he said that even though he won the vote of 53% of Americans he still had to win the vote of the other 47% of Americans. I appreciated him recognizing the fact that half of America still doesn't like his policies and he was going to have to work hard to convince us otherwise. I am anxious to see what he can and will do for America. I am grateful to be alive in a turning point such as this in our history.

By the end of the year my brother, Andrew, will graduate from UCLA with his bachelors. Now if you only knew my brother, your jaw would drop to the floor after you read that. My brother has made such a turn around for good in his life. His value of education is impeccable. A kid who barely graduated high school is now graduating from one of the top universities in the nation with his bachelors and is heading to medical school next. What an example to everyone around him, especially his little sister. I couldn't be prouder of him.

This past week sadly, my grandpa, George Sendzik, also passed away of a heart attack. For a family who has never experienced death, or hospitals at all for that matter, two deaths in one year is a blow to the heart for all of us. After my grandma passed away, we all saw a whole new side of our grandpa. He was getting outside exercising, playing his drums more than ever before, and even started befriending women two weeks after his wife had passed! haha He was ready to get up and live life. Boy did he ever. Although I was never able to see him in his new state, I was able to talk to him on the phone. That phone call was the most I have ever talked to my grandpa. We were both laughing and relating to each other. I was in shock of how much we had in common that I never knew about until that moment. I couldn't wait to see him at Christmas and spend time with my new grandpa. Most of all I was excited for him to meet Braden. One of the biggest regrets of my life is not taking the time, the few times Braden came to California, to go and visit my grandma and grandpa. I know they would have loved to have met him. Even though my grandpa's passing was a huge shock to us just six months after his wife, I could not feel happier that he was able to live his life to the fullest in that time. When my time comes, I hope I can be like him and know that I lived and loved every second of my life.

On November 22, our sister-in-law, Jayme Harker, gave birth a little earlier than expected but surprises are always the best. Trey Merill Harker was born early on that Saturday morning and is absolutely beautiful. Braden and I can't wait to make a trip to CO sometime soon to visit our new nephew.

Now, Braden's Uncle Charlie is in the hospital. He is very very sick. The whole family is praying for him and hoping for the best. Day by day there have been small improvements, we hope for more to come. Braden and I were able to visit with Charlie at Thanksgiving and we couldn't be more grateful for that time. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Geri have always been great to us. They, and our Aunt Jo and Uncle Bill, traveled all the way from Utah to be with us at our wedding last March. I can't explain how much that meant to Braden and I. We know that Charlie is strong and he can pull through. We love him with all our hearts.

Close to Christmas we are expecting another new addition to our large family, Braden's sister, Marti Hawker, is expecting boy number 4!! Holy cow, how this woman does it we will never know. But she does and she is always more than welcoming to us whenever we come over. We can't tell if she just loves the help or the company?? haha. ;) Can't wait to meet our other new nephew soon!

Next week, Braden and I are heading to Cali for an early Christmas. Words cannot describe the excitement we feel, especially me. Not seeing my family for six months is the longest I have ever gone and it has not been easy. I miss them so much. Hearing about all the fun times they are having over the phone is torture. I went from the youngest, the one who was at EVERY family event, never missing one, to missing all of them. That's been pretty difficult for me. But all of my siblings have had their time away, I guess this is mine. I have grown up. I have my own life now. But no matter where we live, we will always have family near at heart.

This year has been full of new beginnings, new life, illness, success, happiness and death but having family near makes it all worth while. Braden and I have learned more about life this year than ever before.

The challenges ahead have nothing on us. Bring it on 2009.

8 Long Months.

2008-11-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's been 8 months? We can :). We feel like we have known each other forever.

We started the day by sleeping in and that was wonderful. We then headed to downtown to check out the Body World Exhibition on Library Square. Little did we know that there would be a protest going on right across the street at the city hall. I was a little nervous to have to walk through all of them in order to get to the exhibit. I thought for sure they would just know that we were members of the church and start yelling at us or something.

The Body World Exhibit was really crowded and we ended up waiting in line forever. The whole time we were waiting in line Braden kept saying, "So everything in here is real right? Like real human parts, right?" I could tell he was really nervous and I couldn't help but laugh at him. Finally we squeezed through the crowds to observe the amazing exhibit. It's basically like someone dissected a lot of humans and put everything inside of them in glass cases. They also have human bodies stripped of their skin and are positioned in different athletic positions to show the muscles. So interesting to me, but Braden was creeped out and maybe a little bit traumatized. He wouldn't look too closely at anything and kept saying, "Okay, that's it right?" He was so funny. It was an amazing experience for me. They showed the human fetus at every step of the growth process. That was the most disturbing part, but still interesting.

It was over and we stepped outside to take it all in. I had to take a picture because Braden's face says it all. I am sure you can guess which one that is. We then decided to go check out the Salt Lake Library. You can't miss it when you drive by, it's a beautiful building. We had never been inside. The whole thing is basically made out of glass, glass walls and glass elevators. We went to the roof, there were gardens and walk ways everywhere. The view was amazing and it was a clear day, which made it even better.

We enjoyed our time on the roof, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view of the snow-cap mountains.

It was an amazing day to celebrate another month of marital bliss.

Sunrise

2008-10-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

Because of Braden's new schedule of working at night and sleeping during the day, he wasn't able to sleep at all on Friday night so he just stayed up all night long! He decided to come and wake me up at 630 am just to bug me. Then I couldn't sleep, we decided to go watch the sunrise. We started driving around and this was the best spot we could find. Haha It wasn't a very good one. Yet it was still fun and romantic :).

2008-10-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

Mom probably wont be very happy with me for posting these but I thought they were hilarious. I love you mommy!

Labor Day Fun

2008-09-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to head down to Fillmore with our good friends, Darren and Larynn. We visited with the Martin grandparents and they took us on the ATV ride of a lifetime. I could barely keep up with a 90 year old on an ATV, amazing. Then Darren took us shooting with his shotgun. I have never been abound guns before in my life. I was a little nervous about it but I had to atleast try it! I was scared to say the least. Darren set me up and Larynn stood behind me to make sure I didn't fall back from the kick of the gun. This thing was heavy, I was shakin! My heart was pumping and the adrenaline was flowing. After I pulled the trigger I screamed really loud and stumbled back. Of course everyone else thought it was hilarious. But I hit the clay pigeon both shots. I am a dang good aim. It was so fun and I know my family would be proud :).

Summer 2008

2008-09-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

This summer our vacation of choice was always, CAMPING! We had a blast hiking and enjoying quiet time around the campfire with our friends. Oh yah and it's also cost effective for newlyweds. :)

Our Wedding

2008-09-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our wedding day was amazing. Crazy, chaotic, and exciting. Full of family, friends and loving support. I wish we could go back and do it all over again. All of that work for only about 6 hours of our life. It flies by and it can be hard to see, amidst the chaos, what all the hard work went towards. Because I work around weddings constantly, I get to relive our wedding day every time I work at a reception.
We met in Sept. 2006 at LDS Business College in Salt Lake city. We are so happy with where we are in our lives together right now. Six months into the marriage and so far, so good. :) We love spending time with our family and friends. We are always having fun and laughing. As the months pass by Braden and I realize more and more why we are so good for each other. We consider ourselves very blessed. We are so excited for what the future holds for our family.