Landscape Design

For the past two months I have been taking a class on Tuesday mornings that I am in love with! For a while now I have had a big interest in landscape design and learning about all sorts of perennials, bushes, trees etc... I have loved messing around in my yard, love going to the nursery's, love helping a friend out here and there, and occasionally helped Ryan with some ideas. But really, I have never had the confidence to advertise myself or be willing to put myself out there to give my "professional" opinion. Because, well, lets just face it, I am just not a professional. Having told my sweet mother-in-law all this she found these classes down at Thanksgiving Point, taught by Larry Sagars (a big guru on the radio and who does Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Temple Square and is in charge of the Master Gardner Program through USU) and she signed me up for them and offered to watch my girls for me each week so that I can gain that confidence and start to learn it all. Well just as I thought I fell even more in love with learning about this stuff and am anxious to go through the Master Gardner program next year when it becomes available again. I am hoping this winter I can put together some kind of portfolio together and study more about plants and flowers so that come spring I can put myself out there and start this journey. I really do love it and hope to be great at it one day. Right now its still intimidating to do yards or properties for others but hopefully with some time and experience I can get better! I have loved going to these classes this fall and can't wait for the next one! Thanks Steph for the nudge to do something I love! Fingers crossed it all works out how I dream of.

Annual Harris Family Pumpkin Carving Party

Ryan's family has a great tradition that him and his cousins have been doing ever since they were little and now that they are all grown up with kids of their own we still get together and carve pumpkins and eat good food!! So this year it was at Aunt Mindy's and as usual we had a fun time. My favorite this year was Mason werewolf pumpkin. As usual though, he would not touch the pumpkin guts, they totally gross him out. But for some odd reason Ella cleaned hers all by herself this year. And of course Claire just helped everyone do everything! The kids have so much fun playing with their 2nd cousins and running around! I feel very blessed to be a part of the Harris family! A tradition I look forward to each year! Happy Haunting!

Sugarhouse Park

When we lived in Millcreek 5 years ago my dad would often come over for lunch on his break or I would meet him at Sugarhouse Park with Mason and we would go see the ducks and play on the play ground and have some lunch... I miss those days! So my dad and I thought we better hurry and get a lunch date in before the weather gets bad. So the girls and I went to meet him at the park to see the all the geese and play on the play ground. It was such a gorgeous day!! My girls loved feeding the geese; although Ella was a bit scared of them and Claire wasn't at all, which surprised me! They played on the playground for over an hour while my dad and I caught up. It was a great afternoon! Love hangin with my dad!!!

AhHhhHH fall.....

Autumn....really really is my favorite time of year and we are so lucky this year to have had such a long and beautiful fall, I hope it continues to last! It is just recent that the weather is getting chilly at nights and in the mornings but the mid days are still in the high 60's and even the low 70's. All the colors are bright on the trees, the grasses are full, the fall flowers are still in bloom, the bushes and vines are bright reds and oranges and its just gorgeous outside! I find myself taking a ton of pictures this time of year. I am in love with pumpkins! Everything to do with them, carving them, decorating with them, the color orange, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake rolls, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin patches... you name it, I am loving them them! I love the soups for dinner, love the smell of the furnace kicking on every once in a while at night, and the cool breeze from the open windows during the day. I love shopping this time of year!!! New jeans, boots, sweaters, hoodies, scarves and hats!! I had a minor shopping spree last week for my girls of which I went a tad bit overboard (and now slightly feeling the buyers remorse), but OH MAN do they look darling!!!! My favorite purchase of the season has been a wool looking orange long dress coast with gold buttons for Ella!! To DIE for!! Love all the autumn scents like pumpkin spices, apple cider, cloves... anything warm and sweet! Snuggling up at night with hot chocolate and my hubby. All the new TV seasons have started which makes for some good TV! HALLOWEEN, need I say more! Candy corns and caramel apples, YUM!! Sports mania... October is just a big mesh of baseball playoffs, football and basketball games! And fall just makes me want to be with my family even more than I already am! We have done some fun family fall activities that everyone really enjoyed... here are a few on the pictures from Cornbellys, Gardner Village Witches (with the Richards family), and picking pumpkins!.... I LoVe fall!!!

My favorite tree in our yard... an Autumn Blaze Maple...


Gardner Village to see the witches with the Richards family...











Cornbellys Fun...














The one picture at the the Pumpkin Patch before the camera died...


The faBuLoUs coat...

3rd Grade Lehi Pioneers

Football, football,and more football....Once we start the first of August I feel like I blink and its Halloween before I know it. Here we are almost and I haven't posted anything about our team yet! Where has the time gone.? Its always a little intense this time of year with Ryan and Mason gone 3-4 nights a week and all the politics that come from parents and coaches, yeah it can definitely be a stress but for the most part we love it! Mason is awesome! And he has the greatest attitude. He continues to amaze me each year with his abilities. I know I am not suppose to say this with being a mom and all and someone who is suppose to be proper, but he really is a bAd @#!%! totally to the core from the way he walks and struts on the field, runs, hits, catches, has to have his 1/2 shirt, eye black and arm bands on for each game, and loves every minute of every game. He plays hard. He never complains about practice and thoroughly enjoys it. He has found a love of defense this year. He plays defensive end, and outside and middle linebacker and loves to hit. He has no fear of going up against guys bigger than him... he just takes them down! He has "pancaked" several guys, caused and recovered several fumbles, and tackled for a loss a bunch of times. Offensively this year has been a bit frustrating for him because he hasn't carried the ball much but he has played wide receiver and made some great catches, some even for TD's! His buddy, Braden plays quarterback, its fun to watch those two connect and score! He really has had a great season and we are so proud of him; he has grown and developed this talent wonderfully! We love Football!!!! GO #8... you really are a BAD @$#*!! I love going to your games! They really are a highlight of my week! I look forward to many more years to come!
*Masons Stats of the year* 67 footballs on his helmet, 2 defensive game MVP's, 1 offensive game MVP, Defensive player of the year! so proud of you buddy!!!