2 years ago...

This week marks a big milestone for our family. It was two years ago on Friday, February 12th that we found out about Claire. It was 2 years ago that our lives changed and that we entered a new world. It was 2 years ago that my love for my husband, little girl and faith grew to a new level. Amazing how much can happen in 2 years!
I don't know how many of you have had the missionary experience in your home. It is amazing how long those 2 years seem! I remember the 2 years Kent was on his mission in Switzerland and I was living in London. I remember walking along the streets and out of the blue thinking to myself "Kent is only an hour time difference from me but _____ months/years away." It really seemed like it lasted forever!!!

The past 2 years have at times seemed the same. There have been moments that seemed to last FOREVER and yet the days and weeks and progress flew by! Claire is a miracle! I know that I talk a lot about miracles but she truly is. When the Dr's told us that she might not ever walk and speak I didn't really know how to comprehend that. Now I am grateful I didn't really ever have to comprehend that. Claire is speaking like any other 3 year old and walking like a champ. She still has her moments of needing help that a 3 year old doesn't have and I am starting to have the "mom" moments where someone asks me whats wrong with her. The greatest thing I have learned from Claire though is that you need to be happy no matter what. Seriously. There is something very special about this little girl that just touches and melts hearts with everyone she meets. I love her soooo much and am grateful for her sweet spirit in our family and the lessons I learn from her daily. Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing me with this sweet little angel! I feel honored to be her mom!!!

My little problem...getting bigger everyday! ;)

Morgan right after he was born...3 lbs 14 oz

Me holding Morgan for one of the first times. He was was so little I couldn't believe it!

Mack and Morgan at 6 months. Morgan is on the right.

Morgan is our youngest child. I say youngest because he came out 30 seconds after Mack. It is not much but 30 seconds is 30 seconds.
I used to think that Morgan was going to be the runt of the family. So frail, fragile and weak. Boy was I wrong!!!
Morgan is our smallest child still but he is the most lively, quickest learner, and the dominant twin of the two. He has no problem stealing Mack's binky, toy, blanket whatever. He also has no problem rolling and crawling right over Mack. He is a tease to Emma all ready and makes her so frustrated sometimes. (like yesterday when she was throwing a tantrum and he just laughed!)
The thing about Morgan is he is so dang cute. I know I am biased as his mom but he is. He is going to get away with sooooo many things because he will just smile his little cheeky smile and look at me with his big brown eyes. What am I going to do?

I thought Emma was going to be my biggest challenge as a parent. I think this little guy is going to give her a run for her money!:)

Morgan crawling so much his shirt is falling off. He only army crawls but is VERY fast!

Morgan today after crawling right over Mack. Mack doesn't seem to mind.

Utah Suzuki Harp Institute-2010

As if life isn't crazy enough I have said "yes" to being in charge of institute again. What is institute you might ask? It is a week long camp for Suzuki students where they get to come together as fellow music students to learn and play and perform together! It is seriously some of the BEST memories I have as a child.

Every summer my mom, Hannah and I would load up the harps and head to wherever we were told Institute was. Some years is was Logan, then Ceder City, then St. George, then Colorado...one was even in Australia! We were serious about Institute in our family.
The days where I got to play with others who were as excited (I think?) as I was and friendships I made I will never forget. There was also the added bonus that it was the one week every year that I got to have just me and my mom with Hannah to myself. Those of you who grew up in a big family understand this. I loved being able to drive down together just the girls. Eat together and have my mom with me. Almost all to myself. I really cherish those moments.
So...that is why I said "yes" to do this again. I want to hopefully give the opportunity to a new generation of young harpists, Emma included, to make those memories with their moms/dads/grandmas or whoever attends with them.
If you want to check out what we have planned check out the AMAZING website my friend and neighbor put together. www.utahsuzukiharpinstitute.com
Adam and Becki- you guys are the best to do this for me and fellow harpists. Thanks for taking the time out of your lives to put the website together. I OWE YOU BIG TIME!!!!!

My famous little sister

This is my famous little sister Hannah. I was walking through Layton Hills Mall today with the kids to see Santa(that is another story, another post!) when Emma and Claire at the same time screamed, "Aunt Hannah! Aunt Hannah!" I had totally forgotten that Hannah was chosen to be the rep. for the LDS interior design program because she is the BEST student!
The girls were so excited and couldn't believe that Aunt Hannah was so big!:)
If you are at Layton Hills Mall check her out. I think she will totally kill me over this post but I am so proud of all her achievements and successes I couldn't help it!
Well done Hann!

Christmas=Nutcracker...

Tonight I had a moment of realization of how lucky I feel to be a musician. More to the fact how much I love to play the Nutcracker!
For those of you who aren't musicians you must know that a lot of professionals hate the Nutcracker. Year after year they trudge to the pit to play yet another 2 hour ballet that they have been playing since they were 15!
Me...well I have a different view point. I LOVE it! My story of the Nutcracker begins when I was probably 8 years old and my cousin Jordan took me to see it at Capitol Theater. I was hooked. More importantly I wanted to be on the stage. I was not a great dancer...in fact I did get on stage but I was a soldier. The epitome of non-graceful dancer. I was a red soldier in 6th grade and the riffle-man in 7th. I didn't care. Those were some of my most memorable Christmas's as a kid.

Fast forward to 2003-Christmas. I had just moved back to the states after a 5 year stint in Prague and London. Music school had pounded into my head that you always said "yes" to every job that came and figured out how to do it after. So that is what I did when the principal harpist at Ballet West called me to play "one or two" performances. I said "yes. I know it!" The truth was that I had learned the harp solo but had not ever seen the rest of the part.
She then continued to tell me that there was only one rehearsal for the orchestra and she was already doing that so I would just jump in on the 2 dates.
OK...I was panicked! To say the least. Talk about baptism of fire!!! I had never played a ballet let alone the Nutcracker! I just figured though that I would practice hard and make it work!

I made it through thanks to my former teacher ShruDe who loaned me her old music and listened to me play the part. She also gave me the sound advice of getting to the pit 45 min ahead of time so I could be alone in the pit. After the longest 2 hours of my life (I don't think I breathed at all!) I made it. More importantly I made it through the performance without anyone noticing that I had never done that before. The other thing they taught us at the Academy was to act like you knew what was going on all the time rather than ask someone a question. I think the motto was JUST FIGURE IT OUT! By the end of that run I got to do 4 performances.

I have played every year with the exception of 2006 (Claire was born) and it has only been this past year that I have found to really enjoy the part. In fact, I love it! It is so much fun to have something that challenges me and that I honestly don't get sick of listening to every time I play it.

I wonder if Tchaikovsky knew when he wrote this ballet that it would become iconic. I dare say the most famous ballet!

He probably didn't but I for one and so grateful he wrote it. It doesn't feel like it is Christmas to me without a little Sugar Plum Fairy and a little Waltz of the Flowers.

What happened when I turned my back...

This is what happened today when I turned my back on the girls.
They decided to play "beauty shop" in the bathroom. They got out all the Q-tips and started to apply the lotion...at least what they thought was lotion.
I heard a panicked Emma yelling, "Mom! Can you help me? I can't seem to get this lotion off my hands!"
I ran to the bathroom to find that both Emma and Claire decided to put "lotion" on otherwise known at diaper rash medicine. Of course it doesn't come off with water! It is meant to repel water!
Lucky for them I started laughing rather than yelling. At least I had the sense to grab my camera!:)

Happy Birthday Claire!!!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Claire!!!
We love you so much and are happy you are a part of our family!

love,
Mom, Dad, Emma, Mack and Mo Mo