back to december

Whew December came and went!  I can't believe we are already into the new year.  Well we were so busy being busy and busy just enjoying ourselves and the holidays and our families that I didn't write a single blog post.  So here's a quick recap. :)

a few girls nights with these beauties!  

lots of harp playing

Hung out with our favorite vivint friends - TJ & Emily!  The girls crafted while the boys played Xbox.

Christmas harp recital with my four students!  I gave them dusting brushes for their harps.  Teaching is such a joy!  Someday when I'm not working full time, I plan on expanding my studio...

Bowling & pizza for Tanner's 16th birthday party! Look at my crazy parents haha.

Our Christmas tree.  My parents got a new fake tree this year, and gave us their old one.  We love free stuff!  It fit perfectly in the corner of our front room.

After one of my gigs.  I accompanied a Methodist choir at their Christmas concert.  Mr. Harper was the ultimate harp mover!  Snow, ice, rain, multiple flights of stairs...nothing he can't handle.  

I finally made it to Trader Joe's!  Let me just tell you that milk chocolate toffee popcorn is DANGEROUS!  I'm restraining myself from going back and buying five more bags.  We're going to try out the mandarin orange chicken tonight.  

A Christmas party I played at - this house had 31 decorated Christmas trees and 19 nativity scenes. After that, I felt fine about not going to the festival of trees.

My old roommate/traveling companion/good friend Michelle got married!  So happy for her - they make a gorgeous couple.

Santa came to {my grandma} Noma's house!  It's hard to recognize him behind the beard and glasses but it's my hubby!  Santa baby!

We had our own little Christmas a few days before the 24th.  We wrapped presents, got some fish tacos from Rubio's, opened our gifts to each other, and watched Home Alone.  Dustin surprised me with a STUNNING sapphire necklace I had been admiring at the mall.  He is the best.  I love spending Christmas with him. We have way too much fun. 

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Adam because my mom had to fly on the 25th.  We spent Christmas Eve at Dustin's parents.  Such a lovely Christmas and it was fun having both of our brothers home from their missions this year.  

We spent a lot of time at Dustin's parents house between Christmas and New Year's when his family from California was in town.  The Harpers are serious about settlers of cataan and I finally won after being a part of the family for over a year.  So this was a big deal and I definitely did a victory dance.  Dustin was so proud.  :)

We went tubing twice in one weekend!  Once with all of my Hunt cousins, and once with the Harpers.  It was a "kick in the pants" as Dustin would say.  And also freeeezing cold.  

Hope you all had a fantastic December and a lovely Christmas!  

ten things

1.  This year we had three (yes 3!) Thanksgivings.  We are so blessed to be surrounded by such great family and have so much to be grateful for!  But please no more turkey until next year.  I'm turkey-ed out.

2. Last week I saw Elder Holland at our grocery store!  I said hi and we shook hands.  He is one of my most favorite apostles and that little moment made my week!

3. Christmas is coming!  I've started some shopping and am also working on a special homemade Christmas gift for our loved ones.  We put up our tree last week and I love how cozy and Christmasy our home feels now.

4.  Christmas is coming!  For a harpist, Christmas can be the busiest time of year.  I love it though!  My calendar is filling up with parties, weddings, etc and I've already started rehearsals for different concerts.  Lucky me to have a sweet husband to help me haul the harp around all over the valley. :)

5. Trader Joe's is opening in Salt Lake TODAY.  I think I'll wait a few days until the crowds subside.  On my list: speculoos cookie butter, cocoa drizzled kettle corn, chocolate covered peppermint jojo's, orange chicken...

6. Dustin's last week of the semester is next week, and then he has finals. Crazy!  He is swamped with 18 credits worth of group projects, papers, and studying.  He is doing so well in school though and I'm so proud of him.

7.  Last week we had a little get together with some of my best girl friends.  It was so fun just chatting and getting caught up on each other's lives.  It's amazing to see all the different paths that we have chosen.  I love those girls.  Excited for our upcoming girls night round 2 and Christmas party later in the month...

8. My mom crocheted a pretty red/orange infinity scarf for me.  For no reason.  She is so talented at so many things and I love her.

9. Last night I had a dream that I went on a study abroad to Sweden with a bunch of friends from high school, my husband, and our friends Emily & TJ.  It was a very interesting and very detailed dream.  Maybe I should go to Sweden.  Nah, I'd rather go to Italy or Switzerland first.  The husb and I are planning to take a Europe trip before we have children.  I'll keep you updated.

10. Quote of the day:
God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing.  In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future - to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

caitlin & andrew's wedding weekend

Just got back from a quick little roadtrip down to San Diego for my cousin Caitlin's wedding!  She caught the bouquet at my wedding a year ago, so of course she was the next in our family to get married. ;)  Their sealing in the San Diego temple was beautiful, and the reception after was a party!  They had a photobooth, dancing, gorgeous flowers, a  mac & cheese bar, and yummy cake. We enjoyed spending time with our cousins that we don't get to see very often, (some of whom the husb had never met before!) and we also said hello to the ocean (a must when in CA).  Enjoy the picture overload!

driving there it was just us and shayna. dustin always drives.
coming home, we gained trevor & tanner.

Friday night - dinner at Teri Cafe

Tanner, Shayna, Me, Dustin

photo bomb

her dress was gorgeous!

guess who caught the garter?

one of my favorite places: oceanside pier

shayna aka sister hunt

My sister Shayna got her mission call last week!  Her MISSION CALL!  I don't think my mind has fully wrapped around the fact that she is actually going on a mission.  When they made the announcement in general conference in October that girls could leave at the age of 19, Shayna felt inspired that this was an answer about what she should do next with her life.  She will turn 19 on January 16, 2013.  The Tuesday after conference, she met with her bishop and started filling out her papers!  She turned in her papers and got her call a week later - on Wednesday, November 14th.  She had to wait until Thursday night to open it, and...


she's going to the Kiev, Ukraine mission!  She will be speaking Russian, and leaves March 27th, 2013!


Haha no one guessed Ukraine!  I am so happy, excited, and proud of her!  She is thrilled as you can imagine. Congrats Shayna!

The call.  It sat there a whole day before being opened since Shayna was still up in Logan.

The Kyiv, Ukraine temple - built 2010

the power of kindness

On Sunday, we talked about the power of kindness in a church lesson.
Sometimes I get so caught up in the busyness of everything that I'm doing that I forget to be kind.
I am going to try harder to be kind to my coworkers, customers, strangers, friends, and especially family and husband.  I want to be proactive about it, and go out of my way a little bit each day to be kind to someone.  I believe there is power in being kind.  I know because I have been on the receiving end numberless times.  Whether it's a smile, a compliment, a note, an act of service, a phone call, a text, a prayer, a conversation, a surprise, a treat, or a hug, it can make someone's day a little better.
If we were all a little kinder, the world would be a little better.

maggie

This past weekend, my family said goodbye to our Old English Sheepdog, Maggie.

I remember the first time we saw her at the pet store - she was a little fluff ball with one brown eye and one blue eye.  I cried when we didn't take her home right away.  I drew a picture of her and wrote a letter to my dad, saying I would love her and pick up her poo.

Maggie wasn't the smartest dog - we took her to obedience school when she was a puppy and she failed. She was too interested in all the other dogs to sit still.  She was kind of a spaz, always full of energy and happy.  One of my favorite memories is how she would run around the yard, and then scratch her back on the grass and kick her legs up in the air.

She was a part of our family for almost 15 years (which is realllllly old for a big dog).  I know she is having the time of her life in doggie heaven.  We miss you and love you Maggie!