Birthday Girl

Morgan got to celebrate another birthday in Yellowstone this year. Wow, I'm not sure where all the years have gone, but she turned 14. Seems like yesterday when Joe and I were headed to the hospital to begin this journey of parenthood.
We sure love you Morgan! Thanks for being such a wonderful daughter, sister and friend. I'm not sure how I could possibly be more proud of you. Keep up the good work, you're becoming the beautiful young woman (inside and out) that God intended you to be. Love you! Mom

Summer Begins

Summer vacation has officially begun and you can tell the kids have pent-up energy just waiting to burst free! Jake and Kelsey built a floor-to-ceiling blockade to fortify their fortress. (If you think that looks messy, you should have seen inside the room.)
Can I tell you how much I love my little Kelsey? She is such a sweetheart. I walked in her room one morning to find she had written on her mirror with dry erase marker. These were her goals:
I'm trying to be like Jesus......
Be kind _____
Do a good deed a day _____
Make others feel good _____
Feel good _____
Love one another _____
She just melts my heart. From day #1 this child has had the sweetest most genuine soul.
Jake has been busy trying to pass off his Scouting requirements. We had a fun pack meeting this month. Jake learned all about cycling safety, bike tire repair, etc.
They also had a cycling rodeo and got to ride through an obstacle coarse. It's so much fun watching the kids grow up and being a proud parent. Life doesn't get much better than that.
Both Kelsey and Jake were gone the other night at sleep overs. Joe and I felt a little lost. It's weird how you miss them when they're gone. Makes me think about the future....ugh. I'll miss these little guys when they are all grown up and independent. I'm so glad Heavenly Father has created a plan so I can be with them forever. I LOVE you family!

Susie Rocks!

My BeSTie GaL PaL, Susie, participated in the American Fork Women of Steel Triathlon this morning. We had estimated her ending time, and in true "Wendy fashion," I missed it and was there right after. (I'm such a loser!) Regardless of the weather and her stupid friend, Suz did great and still had enough energy to hold up her bike after!! Way to go Suz, I'm proud of ya.

Susie asked me months ago if I wanted to do this with her and I was too much of a wimp to take on the challenge. Lately my challenge has been mental, not physical. Trying to learn a new job, adjust to full-time hours and not lose my mind, has been all too consuming. How have I become such a weirdo at my young age? :) I'm sad now cause all the training exercise would have been good for me, both mentally and physically. Anyway, I'm hoping to join in the fun next year and try it out.

Mother's Day

Thanks to my incredible husband and children for making Mother's Day great. Following a long Harris family tradition, Joe got corsages for me and the girls to wear to church. I always love my corsage because it reminds me of my dad buying corsages for my mother and also his daughters.

(Yes...I know Kelsey is a spaz. What can I say? That's just how she came out.)

(Wasn't I just trying to be cute?)

Joe was fabulous at getting the "hint" I dropped about wanting a cute apron. He got me this apron at Sweet Tooth Fairy (I have their site under my food blogs to the right) and also these way cute work gloves. I can't wait to go garden in these gloves!

I had a fun day with lots of gifts, love and good food. Those things were all nice but the real gifts are my children themselves. My children are truly my greatest joy. I thank my Heavenly Father each day for the opportunity to be a mom. I am blessed.

Birthday Boy

Somebody had a birthday....and his name is Joe!! My honey turned 38 this week. We celebrated Friday night by eating Korean food with family and friends. If you haven't eaten at Sam Hawk in Provo, I highly recommend it. (660 North Freedom Boulevard) Yummy!
After dinner we took a long drive to try and give our stomach's a rest and then we ended the evening at Magleby's (now located in Springville) and ate some delicious desserts!

Isn't Joe just a cutie? We've been married 15 years and
I love him more now than ever.

Thanks for sharing the night with us, Mike & Susie!

Now that's a chocolate cake!

We sat and analyzed this picture on the wall as we ate our dessert. It's surprising how many laughs/comments you can come up with. We named the person on the chariot "Pat." We could never decide if it was a man or woman. I voted man, the boys voted woman. What do you think?

Hope of America

Our sweet Kelsey participated in the Hope of American Student Showcase this week. It was held in the Marriott Center at BYU. Morgan also got to perform in this a few years back and it's quite the inspiring production.
Thousands of 5th graders from Utah County demonstrated their patriotism through song and dance. Our Kelsey was in yellow and was at the top of the flag. In this picture (below) she is in the top row, second inside from the aisle (next to her good friend, Dessa). They were obviously jamming on this song with sunglasses on.
Kelsey's grandparents, Carol and Lynn, are always so supportive. They joined in the fun of the evening. I think Lynn's favorite part was watching Jean's Golden Girls. I haven't heard him "hoop and holler" that loud in a long time.
Jean's Golden Girls is a group of more than 100 women between the ages of 50- and 93-years-old. This sweet 93-year-old ended the show with her own dance and splits. Crazy huh? I didn't get a good pic of her that night but found this pic online. Those splits have made her a local celebrity.
Morgan had to miss a "mandatory" girls' camp meeting to attend. (bummer). I told her Kelsey sat through her performance a few years back and now it was payback.
Jake wanted to act miserable but truth be known I think he enjoyed it. Here he is doing the wave.
It was a long but enjoyable evening and I was inspired to be more patriotic, more grateful and more willing to serve. Good job Kels!