Arrgggh!

Thank you Krispy Kreme for giving us a reason to dress up like pirates (Happy National "talk like a pirate day")!  Even if Ava looks like she's been shipwrecked (but still hanging on to her hook), Owen looks like a squid, and I still look preggo - we looked pirate-y enough to get a dozen donuts...EACH! Yep, THREE dozen. even Owen with his orange bandana and makeshift eye patch.  And here's a better (said very loosely) picture of his get up.

best mates.

(yes, they're eating cookies, not donuts. I guess Oreo's new "caramel apple" flavor was more intriguing)

We met up with Emma and her girls to go to Krispy Kreme and then over to our husbands' work to bring them donuts and have lunch.  Their office is this old house in the woods with a beautifully landscaped yard where these girls love to just run and play.  I couldn't get over how they both kept a cookie in one hand during the entire hour we were there, all while climbing rocks and throwing grass, etc.  Also, Holland had the coolest little pirate outfit on. One that Emma's mom sewed for their family's dress up box/halloween when she was little!  Gotta love those things that survive to be enjoyed by the next generation.

All pics of the girls taken with Emma's phone, thanks Emma!

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Everything's a Growing!

My pictures are horribly edited but I've been wanting to do a post on our garden and plants for a while now and just need to do it!




We planted everything from seed, which explains why we had to replant some things last week because some things just didn't grow (or the dang birds came and ate the seeds!).  While weeding we dug out the row of carrots and peas and replanted all of them so it's funny to have big bean plants that have been growing for a while now and little peas sprouting next to them.

We also replanted corn because out of the 16 we originally planted, only ONE grew. You'll notice two of the tomato plants are quite a bit bigger than the others also, those ones I started indoors in March or something. Replanted our basil and jalapeno and our red potatoes never grew either so we might just leave that space for the squash to take over.

Raspberries!

This raspberry bush happened to be here when we moved in.  We haven't done a single thing to it - no water or pruning or anything, so I didn't expect to see any berries this year.  When Ava and I went out yesterday there were some even ready to pick! Ava was pretty disappointed that there weren't more than 5 to eat though haha Pin It

May madness

I've had a pretty long blogging break, but that's what happens when in one month you:

-start working 20hrs a week instead of 10 (only for the month of May, thank goodness)

-take family photos for some friends and have so much fun that you use every spare minute editing said photos and using them to learn how your photoshop program works. I feel like I know how to do so much now!

-play in a softball league with a practice and a game every week. So fun, we've won two games-Devin is an awesome pitcher and I got brave and tried catcher last week and actually liked it. 

-your husband goes on camping trips and instead of blogging/watching a movie, etc you decide to clean/organize the house. Only to tear it up the next morning looking for a binky-very important. 

-convince your husband that Mother's Day is something to be celebrated all weekend long (we checked out Boise's farmers market) 

-decided to start feeding solids to Ava and trying out a bottle here and there (successful!)

-and last but not least, we've had a teething baby on our hands who is rather clingy and kind of cranky. Her 6 month post will include tooth photos! 

This post was really done so that I don't have to play TOO much catch up and I can post about our rafting trip we just had :)

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Quitter

Yep, I'm a quitter.  I've decided to break up with my job as a Mary Kay consultant.  If this were really a relationship, I'd say "It's not you, it's me!" because I LOVE the products.  I just don't have the time/mental capacity/motivation to sell it now that I have another (at-home) job and Ava to take care of, not to mention that the last thing I want to do on a Thursday night is leave my loves to go to my weekly meeting and talk about trips I can't take and goal-setting. 
     Here's the dealio - if I could do it all over again, I think I would. But differently.  I shouldn't have started out with SO MUCH dang product. See below:

I started out with this much inventory because when I started I had a whole summer of nothing ahead of me and planned on doing tons of parties and getting rid of lots of it! Well, little did I know, it took forever to meet people here and talking to strangers was not as easy as I thought it would be.  So here I was stuck with all this product and wanting to order some of the NEW, exciting stuff Mary Kay was coming out with but not allowing myself to because I had already spent plenty on what I already had and wasn't selling.  If I did it again, I would have started with the most basic inventory and then ordered when I needed to, which also would have kept my status ACTIVE, which I haven't been since like September.   Now that I have another job that still lets me stay home with my baby, I haven't been motivated to do parties or anything and I simply need to simplify.
   Anyway, I have until April 18th to send my products back to the company for a 90% refund (of what I paid for it all - so still not all my money back, but the money I've made from selling fills in the 10%). I obviously want to ship as little back as possible, so I had a big open house on Saturday and discounted everything 40-50% off and it was great! I had lots of ladies come, or place orders via text/Facebook. Thanks to everyone who came, my amount of products have gone from two big 18 gallon tubs to one large cardboard box. Hopefully I can get rid of even more in the next month.
       Of course, I'll need to reserve myself some cleanser/moisturizer/microdermabrasion/satin hands/ultimate mascara to last me for the next couple years because I just love it so much :)

              Devin's days of asking me "when are you going send all this back?" are almost over.

On another note: I went to a Pampered Chef party last night and it was SO fun :) We played games, ate a delicious potato soup and molten lava chocolate cake she made in the microwave with their new line of stoneware baking. That's my kind of party.  Not to mention, their products are fantastic.  I want to host one, so if anyone wants to come or order through my party let me know, you can have the products shipped right to you! Pin It

2012, We Love You!

Yes, we still have a baby and a life and lots of fun things to report, but they haven't quite made their way to the blog.  SOON!  To see Ava pics, check out Facebook or Instagram @clairejharper/@monsieurharper.

2012 will probably go down in the books (our book, anyway) for being the best year ever!

• JANUARY: Preschool student teaching! Devin's job driving for BYU's The Ryde.

• FEBRUARY: New niece -Wynn! Intramural basketball.  Nikon D80 present.  50 pg Teacher Work Sample, gag. 

•  MARCH: We're pregnant! 1st grade student teaching. March mustache. BYU Jazz Synthesis concert.  Jimmer-nation.

•  APRIL: Devin's 27th Birthday! Bountiful Temple on 20 month anniversary. Easter in Declo. My mom came. My BYU graduation.  Moved to Boise. Became a Mary Kay consultant. 

• May: Devin started a new job! First ultrasound. First Mothers' Day. Devin built me a lounge chair for mother's day. Garrett came home from his mission. Week-long reunion in Declo.

• JUNE: New car! Grew a little belly. Made cool treats. Devin's first fathers' day. Devin gave up soda.

•  JULY: It's a girl! Heard inspiring words about our nation's liberty. 4th of July at Eagle Beach. Camping at Sublett. Harper reunion in Sun Valley. Devin's work trip to Seattle for MozCon. My girl trip to Utah for shopping/play. 

•  AUGUST: 2nd anniversary rafting and Olive Garden! New grill and raft. Floated Boise River.  Established great friendships. Rafted Payette River with friends. Devin's backpacking trip. PA friends visited. Cassia county fair.  Greenbelt trail. 

•  SEPTEMBER: Third Trimester! Devin got a pontoon boat. Lake Cascade. Boating. Marissa & kids come to the Boise zoo. Devin rocks the organ at church. I tame the little ones in primary.

 

• OCTOBER: I turn 23! Conference in Declo. Trip to BYU for Homecoming. Baby shower. Devin shot a deer. Lots of fall activities with friends (with trips to Krispy Kreme after every one).  Great Halloween costumes. 

• NOVEMBER: Ava's birth! Baby prep. Dates before baby: Chik Fil A, shopping, movie, bowling. Call of Duty/Black Ops 2 came out. Spent a week in the hospital with Ava. Got to leave hospital for Thanksgiving at the Strickland's.

• DECEMBER: Harper Holiday get together! Surviving work before the break (aka cramming). Got iPhones. Enjoyed Ava. Sandone family came for Christmas. Devin used his musical talents in the Christmas program. Ava's blessing on Christmas Sunday. Christmas in Declo. Lots of shopping, went to Birds of Prey site, tour of Mart Produce, showed mom the Gathering place, made snap bags and lots of yummy treats. 

 I don't have access to my other pics from December unfortunately, how lame.  Soon to come though.

Like I said, 2012 has been WONDERFUL to us.  Could not be happier and can't wait to see what is in store for us this next year as we watch our baby girl grow and try and improve ourselves as parents, spouses, friends, etc. 

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