So living at Baity Hill (the married student housing at UNC) has been amazing. We have been here for over three years and I have really loved it so much! Though I am excited to move to Costa Rica and then to ? (we'll know in a couple months!), I'm realizing that it's going to pull my heart out to leave North Carolina. It seems like every day someone asks me, "Oh are you getting excited for Costa Rica? When do you leave?" Yes I am getting excited, but I want to enjoy every minute of being here while I can!! One of my most wonderful friends just moved last weekend, fortunately just accross down, but it hit me just how little time we have left here! So, we are going to live up these next three months!

On a funnier note, one thing we love about Baity Hill are all of the international neighbors we have. They are so sweet and come from wonderful cultures with wonderfu languages...most of them are learning English and we have loved hearing some of their comments that I'm sure sound better in their language :)

From our neighbor from Turkistan after looking at Gabe just a few weeks ago in the elevator: "...oh his eye-balls are so different? So cool!" (eye-balls?)

From the sweet Chinese woman who just moved in after meeting Gabe: "...he's so fat!" (picture the asian accent... "hees soo faat!")

From our nicest custodian, Zlati from Bulgaria, who was a doctor there but moved here for his son's schooling and since he can't speak English very well can only find work as a custodian: "...what a beautiful lady! You are a movie star!" And he was talking to Bree :)

From the Korean lady whose name I can never remember because I can hardly pronounce it:
"...she is so skilled!" as Bree was climbing up the ladder at the playground :)

Oh so fun!

This is the first night we put Gabe in Bree's room...Gabe had been asleep for about 45 minutes and Bree was so good about being quiet as we sang songs and said prayers...and then ten minutes later I thought I heard laughing? This is what I found:

I think it's going to be a bit of a transition...I'm just expecting the worst for the morning! (Not to be pessimistic, just knowing that he'll probably wake her up, or she'll wake him up and it will take a few weeks for them to get used to each other's noises! And if I expect the worst I can only be delightfully surprised! But don't think that I live my life expecting the worst :) By "expecting the worst" I mean that anything can happen, so I'd better be ready!)

This was so funny (and embarrassing, but you just may be able to relate) I just had to share it. So this summer I have been taking a dance class...first time since I got married and had two children. I am going to be teaching four children's classes in the fall (starting next week) and so to keep up my technique I really wanted to take a class. Robbie was so sweet and really wanted me to and can I say, I have been in HEAVEN!! It's crazy that it's been three years since I took a class when I have danced my whole life (except for on my mission I guess), because it doesn't even feel like I left it! I often talk to one of my girlfriends on my way home and she said tonight, "you're always on cloud nine after dance!" And it's true. I JUST LOVE TO DANCE! And afterwards Bree always wants me to show her what I "learned", and she just thinks I'm the best dancer. It's so cute.

Well, the class I am taking is an advanced modern/jazz. I absolutely love the teacher but tonight we had a substitute. She seemed nice, and at the start of class announced that she would be doing a strictly jazz class. The class was going great, I liked the teacher. Then she said we were going to do jumps. Fine. I hadn't done jumps (8 in first position, 8 in second, 8 in fifth, etc...) since ballet in college...and not that I can't still do repetitive jumps, it's just that...I've had two children!! For those of you who haven't given birth yet, the area where you birth your child doesn't exactly close like it used to...and so if you have any liquid in you at all...yup, you guess it, LEAKS OUT!! So I didn't think about this as I started jumping, about my third jump I thought, "Oh crap..." Of course I was on the front row and right about that third jump the teacher walked right in front of me. So I couldn't just run out when she was right in front of me!! So the lame "competitive, want to impress" inside of me proceeded with about 8 more jumps and finally she walked on and I ran out to the bathroom. So a little wetness in the pants...ok a lot of wetness in the pants. And the best part was, I was wearing grey pants! I walked back in and they were doing kicks across the floor. Ha. Needless to say I got home a little early from dance tonight!

All I can say is the sacrifices we make for our children...are totally worth wetting my pants :)

So I need to post for two reasons...first, I haven't posted for way too long... and second, to get that huge picture of ME down so that it's not the first thing you see when you pull up our blog! The day after I cut my hair my girlfriend called me, "Jess your hair cut is SO cute! I just love it!" I was a bit confused because I hadn't seen her since I cut my hair, then she said, "I just saw the picture Robbie posted on your blog..." What?! Awe man! Did he really?! I immediatly sent him a text at work: "So what do you know about the picture of my haircut that was posted on our blog?" His reply: "You cut your hair? We have a blog?" He tricked me into taking a picture saying that it was to send to our families...But I will say that he is so good at making me feel "smokin hot" :) and I just love him for it!

We have been having some serious summer fun! My brother got married the end of June so it was back to Utah...but with Robbie, so it was WAY more fun! My brother married an absolutely WONDERFUL girl named Rachel Petersen, and the wedding couldn't have been more perfect. Bree loved the dress she got to wear :) and even though Gabe looked so cute in his little tux, he didn't love it (well maybe it was staying up so late!). Then we stayed through the 4th of July with Robbie's family and had a blast! We enjoyed all of the Freedom Festival festivities- Bree's first time trying cotton candy, seeing a giant snake, face painting, an airshow (Bree didn't want to get out of the little airplanes!), and Robbie and I were able to attend the Freedom Festival Awards Banquet. There they honored four individuals who have made a large contribution to the cause of freedom. (One of the original eight "Frog men" which became the navy seals, and even President Packer!) It was SO neat and SO patriotic! I left wanting to be a more active contributor to our country. My whole 4th of July week really helped me see how much our country needs patriotism! Patriotic celebrations have such a unifying effect. Someday I would love to start a Freedom Festival of sorts wherever I live! And it was so wonderful being with my handsome husband. He is such a great example to me of patriotism and looks up to our founding fathers so much.
Then we always love coming home to our little apartment, but it was a big adjustment this time; the kids getting used to the time change, and Bree getting used to not having ALL attention on her! Oh we will be grateful when there are more grandchildren :) But we have had fun teaching Gabe to eat "real food"...so far he loves squash, carrots, bananas, applesauce, and sweet potatoes. Bree loves to help (picture her inserting the spoon into his mouth and he gags because she puts it so far in :) gotta love siblings!). But Gabe really does love the food. Though it doesn't seem it from this picture (it was his first time!), he just wants more more more! Then we finally took our first trip to the North Carolina beach!! It was a B-L-A-S-T!! We went to Topsail, which is about 2 1/2 hours away. We took off first thing in the morning with some of our favorite friends, and spent the whole day just having fun! (Oh and on the way we passed Rocky Mount where my cousin Tanner is serving and honked and waved!) Bree seriously loved it! I had to ask her to eat (which is very unusual for her!), she just wanted to play in the waves and the sand all day!! And Gabe was an angel...he just sat under the umbrella and played with his toys. And the best part was, when we first got there and were unloading a man walked by and asked if we needed any help carrying stuff, then he proceeded to say that his beach house was just across the street and they had an outdoor, all enclosed shower that we were welcomed to use at the end of the day! (Since we all grew up going to Lake Powell and not the beach you have to know that beach sand doesn't come off in the ocean!! There was a little faucet by one of the bathrooms that we would have had to wash off with and drive home mostly sandy!) So this way we got all showered off, stopped at a park to have our picnic dinner (oh so delicious...just like dinners at Lake Powell :) and then let the kids crash on the way home (it seriously took Bree LESS than one minute and she was out!)! It was a perfect trip! Robbie actually enjoyed it WAY more than he thought, being a mountain/Lake Powell kind of guy. We can't wait to go back!!

Then this week on Monday for Family Home Evening we went to a Durham Bulls baseball game! Bree and her friend Maddox had fun running up and down the stairs, cheering when everyone else clapped, and kept saying, "throw the ball to me!" Maddox had a glove and really wanted a ball to come to us (we were sitting in the outfield seats). Well, the kids had to go to the bathroom, so the dads took them and Nicole and I stayed with Gabe. Sure enough while they were gone a ball got hit right to us...no joke! I would like to say that I jumped up and caught it, but I looked up in the air and saw it coming straight for us and since I was holding Gabe I got so nervous that it would hit us so I just screamed, closed my eyes, and covered Gabe!! It landed right behind us! Nicole and I were laughing so hard but felt so bad that our husbands had taken the kids!

Summer is the best. Life is good!

This past weekend some girlfriends and I ran a Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Race for the Cure 5K. As I was running I started thinking about cancer. It hit me in such an unusual way that there is no cure! NO CURE! I knew that obviously, but I'd never given it that much thought I guess. For so many other illnesses there are medicines, procedures, and recommendations for changes in lifestyle, that can cure you. But for cancer there isn't! As I was running I almost started crying. I wanted so badly for there to be a cure. I felt so helpless just running down a beautiful North Carolina street with thousands of others who had signs on their backs with things such as, "In memory of our mother...", "In honor of our friend..." It made me want to tell everyone about the Savior's love and his sacrifice that would bring them comfort, peace, and even reunite them with the one they lost. Though it doesn't make up for there not being a cure, it gives meaning and purpose to the suffering many experience. Oh that everyone knew this!!

We did have so much fun. There were TONS of people. The girls I ran this with are just awesome! Ceri, Ali and Kristen are the kind of friends you want to surround yourself with...happy, bright, and so much fun! Oh it was SO HOT...I was drenched in sweat the entire time :) Gotta love the good ol' North Carolina humidity! And it was so fun to have Robbie bring the kids there to see us at the finish line! I love when Robbie is Mr. Mom for a while :) He's so good at it. But it is always eventful (well, when is life with children not eventful really?)! Once we finished I ran to grab some stuff and Robbie went to hang out in the shade and feed Gabe. He called me only a couple minutes after we separated and said Bree had had to go to the bathroom while he was feeding Gabe but the port-a-potties were clear across the way...and they didn't make it. As you can tell in the picture Robbie forgot to grab the bag with extra underwear :) There were lots of fun sponsors, like Yoplait, so it was fun sampling some goodies afterwards! There was a band playing and Bree stopped to dance while she ate her yogurt and this lady noticed and just thought it was the cutest thing. She stood there by Bree for the longest time just dancing like Bree was and imitating her eating yogurt. It was kind of funny! And Bree acted like she didn't really notice! And as we were walking to the shuttle back to our car we looked down and Bree had been "sharing" her water with Gabe. "Look mom he likes it!" she said. He couldn't actually suck out of the cup, but he was loving chewing it!

Where to begin!! We have had quite the past couple of months in the Harmon family.

Tonight Bree, Gabe and I were eating dinner (well, Gabe was technically pulling the place-mat and sucking on a toy) and Bree looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you." I looked at her and said, "Wow. Thank you so much Bree! I love you too!" That was the first time she had ever really said that. Whenever Robbie or I say it to her she just nods her head and says "Uh-hu". Then a little bit later I said, "Bree I sure love you." She said, "Thank you so much mom!" and then she said, "I'm going to tell my daddy that tonight when I see him." It was like you could see her thinking about it in her head, like she really knew what it meant. I LOVE seeing my children discover things for themselves. I think that is probably how our Father in Heaven feels when we figure something out, or even learn from a mistake. I've been doing a lot of learning lately...How can you not with two children :) But the only sad thing about her comment was that her daddy is out of town! That has been our last four out of five weeks...without daddy!! It's been awful...much harder than I thought to be honest. BUT, we were all able to make some great memories, even though they would have been better if we were together!! First, my amazing husband was in Nairobi, Kenya for three weeks in May. He was chosen to go with four other students from the Business school here at UNC to redesign a business training curriculum for a micro-credit organization (in other words helping those who teach the people from the slums how to start successful businesses once they get micro-credit loans, teach better...so helping the teachers be more effective). It was really successful and he did amazing work, it was just TOO LONG to be apart!! AND the hardest part was that we could hardly communicate either. He didn't have much internet access, and when he did skype wouldn't even work very well. But he was good to post up pictures so we could see what was going on. I would look through them with Bree every time we saw new ones and it was so cute, one day she saw this picture and then this one of the three boys after, and she said, "Those boys are smiling because they're with my daddy!" It was the sweetest. She really missed him and was SO excited when we finally reunited! And this third picture is my favorite...yes, that is Robbie dancing in the middle of the group :) He had a good experience but the poor guy worked so hard, but only slept and ate little.

(I think cause he missed us so badly!)

While he was in Africa the kids and I went out to Utah. Yes, me flying with two kids. Fun. Well, maybe a more accurate description is, survival. Actually the whole trip I just felt like I was in survival mode. Don't get me wrong, it was so fun being with our families, but I think that having the kids away from home, off their schedules, without their daddy, was a little too much for me. And really I was just crazy being without Robbie. Honestly it was like my brain didn't work! Half of me was missing and it was awful. But I saw more clearly than ever before how perfect God's plan is. A father, mother, children, all learning and growing and helping together...it just works better than anything else and is the best way to live life! I just LOVE my life with Robbie Harmon! I thought that so many times while we were apart. Yes we were having fun with our families, but I just LOVE being with our little family more than anything else! And the fun just wasn't complete without Robbie there. Our reunion was so sweet in the Raleigh/Durham Airport! As I hugged my wonderful husband I couldn't help but hit him too...Don't you ever do that to me again!

Here are a few of the fun things we did in Utah: Gabe got to meet everyone! Grandpa Mark had been waiting for four months! And Gabe loved him right away! Our favorite thing: The ranch!! It was a little bittersweet being there because it's Robbie favorite place in the whole world...but we tried to enjoy it for him. This was Bree's first time on Buddy. And Gabe's too :) Bree loved "super dog" from Uncle Tanner (also known as under dog) and loved petting her first goat. I got to see my dear friend and mission companion Lauren Starr, and her husband Shane and daughter Lydia. She is just SO amazing and taught me everything about being the best missionary! I STILL want to be just like her! Bree also loved mowing the lawns with Grandpa Lon, doing dress ups with Aunt Sarah (don't be embarrassed by this picture Sarah :) And meeting soon-to-be Aunt Rachel! (We can't wait to have her in the family - Good job Mike!! AND, if any of you St. George girls think she looks like someone you know...she is Melissa Petersen's cousin! Their dads are twins too!)

And Gabe was just pretty much smiles the whole time :)

Oh and I have to include a picture of the Mother's Day breakfast we made...I tried them out on Robbie before he left and got good reviews... though nothing could do justice for my amazing mother who deserves the best of everything!

And now Robbie has been in Minnesota on business for the week...he was supposed to be home already, but his plane was delayed twice out of Atlanta :( And I don't want to go to sleep one more night without him! With him being gone so much Bree is getting confused I think...her prayers for the past week have been, "And please bless my daddy in Minnesota, and Africa, and Kenya..." Poor thing. He'll be home soon Bree!! I can't wait!