Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas in a Nutshell



Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Merry Christmas

With all the hustle and bustle of the season it is easy to get caught up in everything except what Christmas is all about.  Keeli and I have been sick the past few weeks so we have slowed our pace down a little bit and I have had some time to stop and take a look around me.  I have so many wonderful examples of Christ-like people in my life and am blessed to just be alive. We Harpers definitely try not to take life for granted being so accident prone.

As I look back over this year our lives have taken so many unexpected twists and turns but have led us to the place we are today.  As the song says, "God bless the broken road that led me straight to you".  Thank you for being a part of our lives...your kind acts haven't gone unnoticed and we hope that you are blessed and know of your love for you. 

Merry Christmas!

I found....

I found goggles in the dryer today.  :) Keeli likes to throw her treasures in the laundry basket...I will have to look more carefully next time I throw a load of laundry in the wash.


Keeli discovered Vicks

Yesterday when no one was looking Keeli and her cousin found the vicks at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Eric found them rubbing vicks all over Keeli's face.  She had so much on she could hardly open her eyes.  I think she was in heaven.  After two baths and washing Keeli's hair several times she still has a nice vasoline residue in her hair.  :)  I think we will be hiding our vicks a little better from now on.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Dentotape

My mom recommended a floss called dentotape to me...there are a few different brands but they are all about the sam.

Heaven in my mouth....if you like to floss then you have to try this...


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Keeli Can....

Keeli can say finished in sign language

Keeli gets so excited when daddy calls, especially now that we are out of town

Keeli can give kisses....grandpa was playing the guitar for her yesterday and she stood up, walked over, and planted one on him as he was playing to say thank you

Keeli can sing into a microphone



If I were rich....

I would have a fireplace in my room and keep my house at 80 degrees.  mmmm.....






Thursday, November 5, 2009

Just Breathe...Happy Almost Weekend

The past few weeks have sent Eric and I running around with our heads cut off.  We all had H1N1 and unfortunately time doesn't stop for the sick.  Because of this, it feels like we are half zombie lately.  As we catch up and try to get ahead, it has been hard to find time to let our bodies get some good R&R.  I am looking forward to this weekend...once Saturday morning is over it is time to relax and finally have a date night.  Happy weekend to you all!

(No Keeli is not floating....my dad is holding her up behind us.  :) I am always ready for another beach trip!)


What are your weird quirks?

There are just some things I have to do everyday or I don't feel complete.  Do you have anything like that? 

I have to floss my teeth every night before I go to bed.  Someone told me once that bacteria grows 20x faster at night while you sleep (I don't know if this is fact) and it was enough to sell me on flossing.  If I miss a night, I can't wait all day until I get to floss...you can't floss twice in one day to make up for the next day, or else your gums will get sore!  I bring my floss camping, on vacation, anywhere!

I have to pay off our credit card any time there is a balance.  We use our credit card to get rewards but each time something shows up I have to pay it off.  We've never paid interest on a credit card because of this but I don't think we need to pay off the card 30 times a month to avoid interest.  I don't like the feeling of having anything unfinished or hanging over my head so I pay it off whether there is a $3.00 balance or or $100 balance.

Does anyone else do weird things like this?

Friday, October 30, 2009

H1N1? Continued

Well after being sick for two weeks, we finally went to the doctor and we have H1N1.  Luckily, we have been confined to our house mostly the past few weeks because we didn't want to spread our colds around and now we shouldn't be contagious anymore.  I guess we won't be getting the vaccine after all and hopefully we can start feeling better soon.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Throw them to the lions....or not


I work from home and part of my job is to call and follow up with people who have stopped paying our company their monthly fees.  We used to joke about the late payers that we were "throwing them to the lions" and not giving in.  While tough love is necessary to make sure companies do not get behind I have also realized that being nice makes a world of difference.  (Don't worry, I never used to yell or anyone or anything)  If a company can tell that I am willing to work with them, they are most often willing to pay their dues and move on with life.  Sometimes this creates more work for me; however, I have been more successful collecting what is owed to our company by doing so.  I also don't get yelled at as much....which is a big bonus!

I want the people I speak to and work with to feel like they are people and not something to get off my check list.  Not only that, but I want the people I interact with in daily life to feel the same way.  It is easy to get caught up in daily life, overbook yourselve, and forget to make time to give an extra smile or calm your words down and listen.  You are just as important as I am and there's no reason why I shouldn't treat you how I would like to be treated.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Here Come the Snow Days!!

Each day it seems like it has been getting colder and colder!  Winter is definitly on its way!  Now that we are inside more often here is what is keeping us busy....


Keeli loves grapes so I try to keep them stocked in our house.  Every time I open the fridge she opens the grape drawer and starts eating them.


Keeli also loves to to drink water, juice, and anything she can get her hands on.  Her recent favorite is delicious capri suns!


One of Eric's coworkers gave us this little car and Keeli will hardly get out of it!  She packs in her purse, cell phone, and anything else she can find and is off!


The snow finally came today.  Keeli and I watched the snow fall during lunch....what a view!


Looking out the backyard.


I can't wait to take her out in the snow!  We need to get some snow clothes so we don't freeze!!

Happy Winter!

Couple Tag



What are your middle names? Anne and Blaine

How long have you been together? We've been married since August 05 baby!

How long did you know each other before you started dating? From November - March

Who asked who out? I asked Eric to come ice skating with a group of us....but he will always say he asked me out first...:)

Whose siblings do you see the most? We see both sides of the family about the same

Do you have any children together? One darling little gal!

What about pets? No....I will probably cave and let Eric get a dog someday though

Did you go to the same school? No, I went to BYU and he went to the U and UVU

Who is the most sensitive? haha....I think that would be me

Where do you eat out most as a couple? We like to try different places....we used to go to Los Hermanos all the time but now we live farther away from it

Where is the furthest you have ever traveled as a couple? To the East coast

Who has the worst temper? We have never had a fight before.  :)  No, we are both pretty mellow

Who does the cooking? I cook and Eric does the dishes

Who is more social? Eric...I can be a little shy

Who is the neat freak? I think that is a tye...we both have our nitpicky things

Who is the most stubborn? We are both stubborn....so when we do fight it is fun!  (it's not really fun)

Who hogs the bed? When it is cold I snuggle up to Eric so I can stay warm

Who wakes up earlier? Eric....he gets us at 5 to go to the gym

Where was your first date? ice skating, I say....  :)

Who has the bigger family? Eric for sure....I still don't know half of his extended family

Do you get flowers often? On special occassions...since I can't eat sugar...Eric usually brings me home delicious treats I have been craving!

Who eats more? Eric....have you seen him, he is double the size of me!!

Who sings better? We have choir voices!

Who does the laundry? I do most of the time, but Eric always helps when he is home

Who is better with the computer? I am but Eric is catching up!

Who drives when you are together? I have been lately....just depends on the day

Who picks where you go to dinner? haha....we decide together....which sometimes takes forever!!

Who is the first one to admit when they are wrong? We both usually get sick of fighting at the same time and realize that we are fighting over a silly thing

Who wears the pants in this relationship? We both do....we would be cold without pants!

Who eats more sweets? Eric does, but that's just because I can't

Who cries more? Me, Eric hasn't cried since he was 10

What's your best day together? Day of the week? Day of our lives? Just when we can relax and enjoy each other's company without the sresses of life

Where did you honeymoon? We went on a cruise to Mexico

Favorite date night? Depends....we love to watch movies, but we also love to be outdoors

Favorite TV show to watch together? So you think you can dance!!!

Couple I imagine us growing old like? We are going to be cute cuddly old people

I tag whoever wants to do this...

Friday, October 23, 2009

“Life is good, if we live in such a way to make it so.”

Keep an Eternal Perspective

Honor Your Parents

Participate in Family Prayer

Read Scriptures Together

Communicate with Love

Live for Eternity

Thursday, October 22, 2009

H1N1?

What do you think...is the vaccine worth it?  I can't decide.


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

joyofbaking.com

If you need any delicious fall treats to try, joyofbaking.com is the place for you.  I tried their pumpkin bread last week and can't wait to try their chocolate cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, and candy corn parfaits.  Most of the recipes are fairly easy and use ingredients you already have around the house.

Enjoy!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Eric made a Bet.....

Eric made a bet with one of his buddies this weekend that they were going to work out 5 days a week together.  The first person to skip out on a day has to take the other couple out to the Melting Pot.  I think I will be setting my alarm to make sure Eric gets out of bed on time!!!  I am proud of them for setting the goal and am very interested to see what happens...I am going to kickboxing tonight so I can keep up with my man!  :)


Friday, October 16, 2009

I finally got my Puma Pants

Since high school I have wanted puma pants but could never find any...finally after years of searching I got some at the Puma outlet in Myrtle Beach.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they are all that I wanted and more.  I am in heaven.



Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I do not want to be eternally cold

I am sitting here with my snowboard jacket, snowboard socks, and down blanket and I am still cold. During the winter my wedding ring doesn't fit..if I shake my hand too hard it flies off...it flew off in a snowy parking lot last year and I almost had a heart attack. I would be wearing mittens but then I couldn't type.

Does anyone know how to stay warm during winter?

Brrrr!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Myrtle Beach

We just got back from Myrtle beach and we are definitely going through beach withdrawals! We had a blast hanging out at the beach, swimming, relaxing in the hot tub, shopping, eat way too much, visiting the aquarium, watching movies, flying kites...the list goes on. Thanks mom and dad for such a fun trip! We had a gorgeous view from our room and the weather was awesome...we just needed about 10 more days there!




We just got back from Myrtle beach and we are definitely going through beach withdrawals! We had a blast hanging out at the beach, swimming, relaxing in the hot tub, shopping, eat way too much, visiting the aquarium, watching movies, flying kites...the list goes on. Thanks mom and dad for such a fun trip! We had a gorgeous view from our room and the weather was awesome...we just needed about 10 more days there!

U2




That's right ladies and gents....I am a 100% converted U2 fan. I surprised Eric with U2 tickets as an early birthday present. They were in Raleigh the same time we were in Myrtle Beach so it worked out perfectly! Eric was definitely surprised to say the least! It was an amazing concert and we rocked the night away!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I'm Noodles for Noodles


5 reasons why I love the Noodles and Company in Orem, UT:

- The firs time there they gave us a free rice krispy treat because they had just finished making them and wanted someone to enjoy them at their most delicious stage

- We went there for work once and they messed up our order. To make it up to us, they gave everyone a free meal

- They have a birthday club where you get a free meal without any strings attached. I got mine yesterday and wanted to buy some flat bread, since it is the best, and they threw it in for free so I didn't have to scrounge for change

- The owner manages the store wonderfully and really makes you feel like a valued customer

- Mac and cheese...need I say more

They gave us smarties at the bank


Today we had to stop at the bank after "cuddle time" at the library and along with our reciept they slipped in some smarties for Keeli. I know banks often have suckers and treats for little kids but it didn't make it any less special today. I smiled the whole way home and couldn't wait to let Keeli try her first smartie. Little acts of kindess don't go unnoticed and I want to say thank you to everyone who takes time out of their day to think of others.

Sometimes it's easy to forget we live in a world full of other people besides ourselves...here's me renewing my effort to forget myself and remember someone else.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Butterfly


Perhaps I am a little cheesy to be quoting a Hannah Montana song but these words hit my heart strings and everyone that knows me already know that I am a chees ball....there's no shame in it!

Thank you mom and dad for keeping me safe and helping me to become who I am....this song is for you.

You tuck me in,
Turn out the light
keep me safe and sound at night
little girls depend on things like that

Brush my teeth and combed my hair
had to drive me everywhere
you were always there when I looked back

You had to do it all alone
Make a live, make a home
Must have been as hard as it could be

And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scare things wouldn't turn out right
you would hold my hand and sing to me

Caterpillar in the tree, how you wonder who you'll be
can't go far but you can always dream
Wish you may and wish you mine
don't you worry hold on tight.
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly Fly Away
Butterfly Fly Away

Catch your wing now you cant stay
Take those dreams and make them all come true
Butterfly Fly Away
We been waiting for this day
All along and know just what to do
Butterfly,Butterfly,Butterfly,
Butterfly Fly Away

Friday, September 4, 2009

I like to move it move it

Well it is official, Keeli is on the move and walking like a champ! She loves to walk around with her purse, a huge black pillow, flip flops or any cell phone she can get her hands on. Enjoy the pics...notice she is already borrowing my clothes. :)





I love the fall



I love the fall. There's something about new school clothes, getting back into a routine, eating chili and cornbread, and slipping the sweaters back on after a hot summer. I love the leaves changing and the perfect weather for long walks.

I am excited to watch the leaves change, sing halloween songs, and celebrate most of my family's b-days.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

I don't miss the disney channel

We recently moved to Draper and along with our move we have said goodbye to cable. We still get the local channels on one TV we have; however, the TV stays off except for movies and so you think you can dance which is no longer airing. I thought I was going to miss watching HTGV, Food Network, and most of all Disney. Strangely enough, today, two weeks after our move, was the first time I even thought about TV. Not because I wanted to watch it but because I was thinking about Keeli's name, which we heard on the channel.

Needless to say, I don't miss TV at all. Blobbing out in front of the TV is never as satisfying as reading a book, weeding, or just sitting in the back yard enjoying the summer night.

Goodbye TV, hello life!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What to eat for dinner tonight?


Eric and I are often indecisive when it comes to going out to eat. We both love eating out but often find ourselves revisiting the same places over and over. It would take us about an hour to finally decide where to go and by that point we were so hungry that we would just end up going somewhere close and fast...which often ended up being a waste of the entertainment budget! To fix our dilemma we decided to play the alphabet game. We decided we would start and A and work our way down. Below is the adventure that ensued....

A - Arbys - Another quick fix but we had to start somewhere

B - Brazil Brazil - This little gem has moved to Salt Lake unfortunately. It is a great place to get lots of delicious brazilian food.

C - California Pizza Kitchen - Their margarita pizza is to die for. A little pricy but we really like the place...we had to go a few more times in fact

D - De Mae - We would have never tried this place on our own. Great food and company; however, we still don't like sushi

E - Ernies Deli - Definitely go for breakfast...they have awesome breakfast sandwiches...okay lunch

F - Fuddruckers - We got hooked on this place, especially since they always send out coupons in the mail. While I was pregnant we would go here almost once a week for awhile

G - Golden Corral - We thought it was expensive for the quality of food we got. Plus I couldn't stop thinking about when Eric ate butter thinking it was ice cream there. We did run into some of Eric's good friends from Brazil though

H - Hot Dog King - If you are in the mood for an adventure go to Hot Dog King. I never knew you could do so much with a hot dog. It was a little creative for my stomach though.

I - Iceberg - We were disappointed this go around. Don't get their peach shake.

J - JCW - We love this place. I ordered fish but ended up getting chicken instead...both are good though!

K - Kneaders - We will definitely be back....good food and key lime pie...mmm

L - Los Hermanos - Family favorite. Get the queso dip...only way to go

M - Marleys - This is the restuarant at the new Harley place. Good food, just kind of made for hobbits...everything was mini.

N - Nicoliatlia Pizza - Awesome pizza. A little greasy but soo good. Get some breadsticks if you really want to enjoy life.

O - Olive Garden - The breadsticks were better than usual and the white cranberry juice is the best.

P - Pizza Factory - I love their breadsticks with alfredo

Q - Quiznos - Very good, especially now that they lowered their prices.

R - Ruth's Chris - We went here for a work party. We couldn't believe the price tag but everything was amazing.

S - Spaghetti Factory - Kind of a let down. I loved the vegetarian lasagna though

T - Tucanos - Gotta love the buy one get one free on birthdays. It's tradition

U - You try and find a place that starts with U!

V - La Vigna - Very expensive and to top it off I left all my leftovers at the place. Sad day. The service was good.

W - Wingers - mmm...I still crave this place.

X - We were going to go to Xango but couldn't convince each other we would find anything edible.

Y - Yamato - Awesome food! I loved sitting on the ground and eating soy beans. Go if you haven't before!

Z - Zupas - Eric even liked the soup and sandwiches and that is saying A LOT!

We had a blast trying different places and being "cultured". If we ever get in a rut again, we will probably start over again!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Happy Birthday Keeli!





Keeli is officially one years old now! I can't believe how fast time has gone or how much Keeli has grown over the last year. Each day gets better and better and I can't imagine life with out our little miss sunshine.

Friday, May 15, 2009

What do you think?

Eric and I have been trying to think of boy names lately...no I am not pregnant we just like to think of names.

What do you think of Anson for a boy?

Monday, April 6, 2009

U2

I was listening to pandora.com today when U2 began to play. I haven't always been a big U2 fan. When I was a teenager I used to love going to church dances. Every dance they would play the same U2 song and we would all belt out the song as we rocked around the dance floor. I would belt out the song with the rest of the them; however, after hearing U2 over and over again the song definitely lost its pizzazz. I thought that every U2 song sounded the same and since I heard one of them over and over I wasn't done with U2.

Years later...Eric enters the picture.

When Eric and I started dating I quickly found out that he loves U2. One night while we were out he asked me if I like U2. For some reason I told him yes. This is the only flat out lie I have ever told Eric. I must have wanted to impress him or something. ;) A little while later Eric and I were talking to my room mate and U2 came up. My room mate was so confused and said, "Laci, you hate U2". Oops...I then had to explain that I really didn't like U2. I was just a little embarassed to say the least.

Well, time has passed and after listening to U2 with Eric quite a bit I have decided that U2 isn't all that bad. I have to be in the mood for some U2, but when I am the mood, I can definitely jam to their tunes.

Have you ever done something like this? Is there anything that you have hated for years and then suddenly find yourself liking your long time enemy? I am sure I could name a few other things....their stories just don't include white lies.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

I love you!!





This was Keeli's V-Day outfit. :) Don't worry, she didn't really wear it all day long.

Trust


“The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

I am constantly amazed at my daughter's undiluted trust and love. It can be so difficult to trust people and the world around us; however, children freely embrace almost anyone they see. I can definitely see why the Lord has commanded us to become as little children.