I love it because it is helping me think of my blessings more than just on Thanksgiving Day. It's been especially good timing this year...I was quite down after the election. The moment they called Ohio in Obama's favor and determined that he won I felt like the world was going to end. As dramatic as that sounds, I really was devastated. Mostly because besides voting, as much as I believed in what Mitt Romney stood for, believed in his economic policies, believed he would be far superior to Barack Obama as the President of our country, and knew he was the only hope of bringing America back to where it needed to be to succeed...I did nothing! I didn't have a sign in my yard, no sticker on my car, only posted a few things on my FB page, didn't volunteer to make calls for the campaign, didn't donate money, didn't do squat. My husband assured me that I surely couldn't have made a big enough difference to really change things...and while that may be true, I could have done something and who knows what would have happened? If nothing else at least I would have felt like I did my part. Lesson learned I guess. But neat for me, and on a spiritual note, the next day as I was studying the Book of Mormon reading in Alma 5 where the prophet Alma is asking, when we get to the judgement day and are before our Lord, is he going to say you are blessed because your works have been good and righteous while on the earth, or are you going to feel guilty and know that you didn't do what you were supposed to do?! It hit me so hard, that the feeling I felt about the election was just a sample of how awful it would be, to get before Christ and know that I didn't follow him as well as I could have! That I didn't do those things that I was prompted to do and didn't live the way I knew I should have lived. That would be THE WORST! As horrible as I felt after the election, oh I can only imagine how awful this would feel.

The end of June we were able to spend some time in Provo with the Harmons! It is amazing how when Robbie and I first got married we were CERTAIN we would never live in Utah. Well...now we are not too sure?! Horray for the RANCH! Our favorite thing. The kids (and Robbie and I) are in absolute heaven up there.

Grammy planned a fun scavenger hunt for the kids on the four wheelers where they went up through the mountains to find different prizes. So fun! We love the four wheelers!

(Robbie even let Gabe drive for a minute...and was slightly surprised at how fast they went until Robbie got control again!)

We also went to the Alpine slide...talk about beautiful! Since we have been entertaining the thought of moving to Utah someday Robbie often talks about Park City, or Heber. And I have said sure, ok, but what about the winter time...but the summer beauty would make up for that!!  After all the years I was at BYU this was my first time on the Alpine slide! It. was. gorgeous. Honey, we can move there whenever you want :)

Grammy Robin loves taking the kids to the Bean museum on BYU campus (it is an animal museum, not a "bean" museum!), but since it was closed for renovations when we were there, we went to the dinosaur museum instead. It is a small museum just across from the BYU football stadium (go cougars!) but it was perfect for the kids! They loved it!

Grammy also took them to the splash pad at the RiverWoods, which is always a hit. McKay even loved it...which was nice caused he wasn't feeling well. (It was such a bummer he was sick most of the trip! Poor thing.)

And just like the end of our time with my family, our trip ended with a baby blessing. Robbie's brother Tanner and his beautiful wife Kassi blessed their first baby girl, Lee Kathryn. It was so fun meeting her for the first time, and such a blessing for us to be there for her special day. Yay for more cousins!! And the best part was the uncle Robbie got her to smile more than anyone! Yes, I think he is the best too Lee.

McKay was just happy to be in the sand...got a lot on his face cause he kept doing the sign for "water" when he would look at the ocean! We love the beach! And I love you Nicole! SO fun to get to see our dear friends!

Then a week later we took a trip to St. George for the Henderson Family Reunion! Wish I could post pictures about everything we did! We did a morning workout with my parent's amazing trainer, Mark.

Went swimming several times.

Did some canyoneering down a side of Pine Mountain I had never seen before! Had a boot slapping hoe-down in grandpa's airplane hangar...with BBQ and a square dancing caller and everything! So fun :) McKay was in heaven with all the space and the music!

It was such a wonderful reunion. We are so happy to finally have some cousins...and before we know it they will actually be able to play with each other! But in the mean time Uncle's Taylor and Kurt and Aunt Sarah kept the children thoroughly entertained. Really I wouldn't rather be with any other people. Love my family!

Happy Mother's Day! The number one reason I love being a mother is because it means I married Robbie Harmon...SO AMAZING! I still can't believe that I get to be his wife. We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary a couple weekends ago (surprised me with an overnight trip to the beautiful Pointe Hilton in Phoenix! We walked into our room and there were  two dozen amazing lavender roses surrounded by five pair of white shoes...from which I could pick :) I have been needing some new white dressy shoes and he totally went and picked a whole bunch out! And did an impressive job! Oh it was such a fun get away!). Our friends the Nelsons (love you guys!) watched our children...we watched their four children the weekend before so they could do the same thing (well I should say I watched them cause Robbie was on a campout with the scouts...yes, me and seven children under the age of 7 for 18 hours! It was memorable for sure. But SO worth it once we got to go on our overnight excursion!). Reasons two, three and four that I adore Mother's Day are these smiling faces...Bree, Gabe and McKay. The most wonderful children in the world. 

Bree I love your sweet voice and that you got up in front of the whole Relief Society today at church and sang, "I Love To See The Temple" with a beautiful smile on your face and even if you were nervous! I love that you love to dance...and are getting so good with your kicks and cartwheels and arabesque and holding passe for so long! I love how you are always so willing to help with your brothers, who love you so much. You are are such a good example to them. I love how you remember to pray for people. I love how you love to help me cook. I love that you love to pose for pictures like I used to when I was five. (In this picture I had my phone and she says "Mom take a picture!" and strikes this pose :) I love how excited you were to have a mommy daughter date while the boys were camping and that we got to watch "girl" movies. I love you Bree.

We did an Easter Egg hunt and breakfast with the neighborhood, had some good Saturday work (removed an area with rocks and put in a sand box! Thanks daddy!),  and Robbie and the kids even jumped in the pool! (Air is nice, but the water is freezing!) Then today we enjoyed a beautiful Sunday. We did an Easter Scavenger Hunt through the house that led the kids to a little Easter gift from Robbie and I. The kids loved it. But my "Easter dinner" didn't turn out so hot: deviled eggs were too salty, broccoli had gone bad so I made some brussel sprouts but they were gross...well because I had to boil them because they were frozen but then tried to saute them to taste like I usually make them...but they tasted like drowned, burnt mini cabbages. Robbie pulled out a great accent however pretending he was from "Brussels" and got the kids to eat them. So it was totally worth it. It was histerical :) I love that man! And of course he said the dinner was delicious.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Happy Easter!

Oh we love conference!! We did some fun things this year I just thought I would share...of course the old standard "Conference Bingo" was a hit again. Bree and Gabe are getting better at not "hearing" things that haven't been said just because they want to eat a treat! They both got to choose the treats at the store that week to put on the squares (marshmallows surprise, surprise...) and were SO excited Saturday morning to open them!  

Also I got a couple of new ideas from here ...and that is also where I got the packets with the bingo and some coloring pages. But my favorites were the print outs of pictures of the 1st Presidency and 12 Apostles, which I taped up on the wall, one for each child, with boxes under each person for the kids to run over and color in when that person came up to speak. Then we did the "Conference Spring Garden" which I am excited about. I had cut out all of the flowers that had pictures of the 1st Presidency and 12 Apostles on them, and put up some "grass and stems"...so they were curious the minute they saw it in the morning. They took turns coloring the flower for each speaker and then put it on the wall. Then after the talk I would write on their flower what they spoke about. Now, for the next few months we will "pick" a flower and do a FHE lesson/activity about that topic. I love it cause it's a great way to review what they spoke about, and keep the spirit of conference around even longer.

The wedding went so well (thanks to Markell for watching the children while we were in the temple!), and Bree and Gabe just loved every minute with family.

(They loved Grammy's ipad and iphone a little too much :) and wondered why we didn't have one!) Robbie's parents are such wonderful grandparents...they are full of hugs, tickles, games, and patience :) And Robbie and I loved the little date moments: wedding dinner, temple ceremony, and a fun hike up camel back mountain with the cousins! Seriously I was going through withdrawels this week...LOVE alone time with my hubby! Weddings are such beautiful reminders of the blessing it is to be married to such an amazing man.

AND we had a break through with McKay..., he loved everybody!! Since we don't live close to family all of my children when they are babies don't go to others very well :( They get clingy and fussy when others try and hold them and it's no fun! I always feel so bad. BUT, he has outgrown it!! He was all smiles and went to everyone!

I should mention though, the above situation with my children is not the case with Uncle Adam...they ALL have loved him from the start! We love Uncle Adam! (Bree is the only one who can make him smile in pictures...he's usually so serious! And he has such a great smile too! This one is silly for Bree :) Hope fully Sami can come down next time too!

Thank you so much Grammy Robin, Grandpa Mark, Adam and Markell for such a fun week! We love you!

Then we proceed and she ends up "coming in" to my house and teaches me a lesson about Christ :) The binder she had was a Sunday book filled with pictures of Christ. When I asked her where her companion was she said she was teaching my next door neighbor. It really was the sweetest hearing her explain about the pre-mortal life, about how Jesus died for us, and just watching how excited she was to "teach" me. Love it. She is really becoming such a sweet, sweet girl. McKay absolutely adores her. Gabe thinks she is hillarious. She makes friends wherever she goes. I just love my girl.  

And it was so fun getting to see my sister play soccer, go to a Zumba class (my first time...yes, loved it) and have some great talks. She is amazing and such a great aunt. And I have to say how proud I am of my parents...for the past few months they have been developing some great healthy food habits and doing very consistent exercise. I mean, they have always been pretty healthy and exercized some, but they realized recently that now is such an important time to really take their health seriously or soon it will be too late. Well, they have taken it really seriously and they both look and feel AMAZING! I only hope I can look like them when I am 55! My mom is gorgeous, inside and out. My dad is a rock, inside and out :)

I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents who give so much and teach me so much every time I am with them. Thank you mom and dad!