First Steps....

Adoption Month

November is national adoption month. In honor of it I thought I would share some personal journal entries from last year. These are entries during the time we were communicating with our birth mom. I decided to share them with you because adoption is so tender to my heart.


March 2008 -
...We’ve finally been approved. Now we just pray and wait!

Aug. 26, 2008-
...Scott called me twice at work and then text me. I was in the restroom and didn’t realize he had called until I got the text. I immediately called him back. He told me we had been contacted by a birth mom. He wanted me to be the one to respond to her email.


Sep. 18, 2008 -
...Right now, at this moment, there are some major changes taking place in our lives. We are making and encouraging some life changing decisions. I lay awake at night trying to fight the fire that is licking its way up my esophagus (heart burn) and trying to keep myself busy as to not die out of anticipation or wonderment. I’ll keep you posted!


Sep. 22, 2008-
Dear Scott and Shawna,
I hope you find this e-mail rather exciting. I have thought and prayed much about this. I have talked to my case worker and my family about it also. I feel very comfortable with you and have loved talking to and getting to know you two. I can tell that you guys have the light and truth and love for each other and everyone around you. I have thought very deeply about my decision. I have decided that I want you two to raise my baby. You would be perfect parents for this baby and I know that you would love him with all your hearts and you would raise him in truth and righteousness. This is very important to me…
… Once again, I would like you to be the adoptive parents of this baby boy. I know that you guys will be amazing parents. I am so glad that I had this opportunity to find the right couple and to get to know you!

Love, C


Oct. 8, 2008-
...Yesterday, after work Scott went over to the agency and picked up the Ultra sound pictures that C sent. At first I didn’t know how to take it. It just seems all like a dream and that any minute I’ll wake up and cry because none of it is real. But it is. It’s real. And As I kept looking at the picture of our future baby I finally was able to feel the reality. I cried. I hope I’m not guarding my heart too heavily so as to not allow this to become the beautiful thing that it truly is. I realize this. I think it will all change when my family finally knows...



Oct. 17, 2008-
...Our families all know our good news. They are so happy for us...
...I feel like hugging C forever! It’s almost like I want to make her apart of my family because of what she’s giving to us. She’s in a way like family. She’s giving us our family! May the Lord bless this selfless soul. We love her!



Dec. 5, 2008-
…We are all about the adoption this year and next year it will be all about our one year old! Very exciting. I remember thinking last year (2007), “what will next year hold and does it include a baby?” YES, YES It does! Words cannot express our joy. I feel like this year is all about us. I hope I can be aware of those around me who are in need so I can somehow repay the Lord for all of my blessings he’s given me. And what do you know, I keep asking for more!!!

Dec. 15, 2008-
… We asked Bishop Oldroyd during our tithing settlement if he would help us find a place to stay while we are in Illinois waiting for our baby to be delivered. During our communication we were able to make arrangements through C’s Bishop, Bishop Call, for a family there to allow us to stay in their home while they are on Holiday to Florida…
… Scott and I cried tears of joy when we found out from Bishop Oldroyd that we have a place to stay when we go pick up our son. We have no idea what we’ll do for this sweet Warner family to show our appreciation. I’m now looking rather forward to our upcoming adventure. With things working out where we need them to we just feel even more blessed. We pray that as we prepare for this trip that no further glitches will take place. I know we need to expect a few more, but nothing that will discourage our spirits...

Dec. 22, 2008-
Dear C,
… As we sit down to write you our last email before we meet you, we are overcome with emotion. Today we have been thinking about you a lot. What you must be feeling right now. The emotions and probably heartache you must be experiencing during these last days leading up to your delivery. Our prayers and heart go out to you. We love you so much! We will never be able to put into words how thankful we are to you for what you are doing for us. Awesome is the luckiest baby ever. Not only is he going to be loved by us, but he will also know how much love you have for him as well.
… As the days lead up to Christmas we also hope you can enjoy this sacred holiday with your parents. You deserve comfort and peace and we pray that you may have angels round about you during Christmas and during your delivery. We are anxious to meet you, hug you, and shed tears with you. This is a life changing moment for all of us. More then anything we just hope and pray you know how much you mean to us!

May the Lord be with you forever, especially during this time.

Love to you always,
Scott & Shawna

Dec. 30, 2008-
…We were all down in the lobby of the hospital. C got up from the wheelchair and placed Awesome in my arms as we all wept. This was the most heart wrenching thing I’ve been through; a birth mother placing her child in his adoptive mother’s arms. I still couldn’t believe I was the adoptive mother. What a privilege. We placed Awesome in the car seat and went for another round of hugs and sobbing. Scott went out to pull the car up as we waited inside. Once the car had pulled up this is where we parted. C watched as we placed Awesome in the car. She said, “Please take good care of him” I vividly remember C turning to her parents and stoically asking, “Where are we going for dinner tonight?” As we drove away with our new son I cried harder then I ever have; out of great pain and immense joy…

Adoption is a Miracle!

I also liked this video about adoption. Enjoy.

Pumpkins, Superman and Halloween

"Now, the first thing you need to know about choosing the right pumpkin for your Halloween Jack-o-lantern is how it tastes on the outside. SLURP......" "....Yup, this is the one!!"

"Now I just need to look the most adorable I can for the camera...."

"...That's not a problem!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Well, as you all know, Scott loves Superman so it was a given that Awesome was Superman this year for Halloween. He loved his costume. Every time he put it on he immediately took flight. No wonder he loved putting it on so much!

Look at how much fun this costume is. Endless amounts of flight time!

"I decided to take some time to strike a pose for the camera. Flying can really take it outta ya. Sometimes so much you need your mom to help keep you steady. Being back on Earth can throw off your balance."

"Here, I'm showing off for Great Granddad Schwartz."

"To tell ya the truth (in a whisper) I couldn't really fly if it weren't for my cool dad!"

"Come on Grandma, I've got some major flying to do. Now snap the picture and let me go!
"

"K, if you hang on I might be able to take you up with me...what do you say?"

"Heeerrreeee weeeee gooooooo!"

"Gotta stop and say hi to Bishop Oldroyd. I mean he doesn't call me 'Superman' for nothing."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Halloween this year was the best it's been for a long time. Awesome obviously had a lot to do with that! We stopped and visited with family and friends. We didn't get as many pics as we wanted because we were so busy. Awesome made out like a bandit with all the candy he got...all that him and his dad got. You all know who is really eating all that candy. Hope you all had a great Halloween!

The deer hunt, my dad and success!

I grew up with a Mountain Man for a dad. In every way my dad is magnificent. He is the one I go to for any outdoor know how. He could tell you the make, model and year of any gun, the name of any bird flying high over head, the name of any mountain range in the Rocky mountains, how to tie any fly for fishing, what signs to look for while tracking wildlife, and so on. He’s that good. One thing I’ve loved the most is being able to spend time with him in and among his “element”. Quick insight: Fun vacations for my dad include the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY., camping out among the Coyotes along the Sweet Water river, visiting Bozeman, MT. where the movie, “A River Runs Through It” was filmed, fishing for Salmon in Alaska and hunting Antelope near South Pass, WY. (Do you get that he loves Wyoming)
My dad has always loved to share his passions. Especially with his family. From the time I was 8 or so I would go hunting with my dad. I’ve been deer hunting, duck hunting, Elk hunting, Antelope hunting, rabbit hunting and fly fishing with him. I remember the year I turned 14 I drew out my first deer permit. I was unsuccessful but I remember how exciting it was taking hunter safety and going to the Lee Kay Center for target practice to prepare for the big hunt. During my high school years I still went hunting with him, but I never made time to put in for a permit. My brother was his little shadow at the time and so I stepped aside for a while, mostly because I was busy with school stuff.
This last year I drew out for a permit. This was going to be my year to finally get my deer. Not only was this another great excuse to get out and be with my dad but to make him proud as well.
Opening day was beautiful. The sun rose and we were lucky enough to watch, father and daughter, as the breath taking beauty of the mountains were revealed. We spent the day hiking, watching, waiting and taking in the scenery. Our conversation was light hearted yet meaningful. We even had some unusual events take place along the way (see pics below) Even though we weren’t successful that first day, it wasn’t a waste!

The following Friday we were up and on our way by 5:30am. Today was going to be successful, I could feel it. Another spectacular sunrise. By 10:00am that feeling of success was realized! I had a buck in view and from 180 yards away and with my 7mm Rem. Mag. I shot my first deer. With just one shot, down he went like a sack of potatoes. (For you hunters you can relate to the excitement) I think my dad was more excited then I was. I finally had my deer, after all these years. My point in telling you all of this is to first brag about my success, and to more importantly express to you the importance of my relationship with my dad. I am thankful to him for all he has taught me, for the amazing stories he’s told, for the insights on things I never knew, and for taking the time to let me know how much he loves and cares for me.

Saturday's (Oct. 17) sunrise

The morning of the 17th we came across an old whiskey bottle. We decided to keep it. Instead of lugging it around with us my dad stuck it upside down in the sage brush so when we came back that way we could find it. This was about 7:00 am. At 11:30 am we came back and found the bottle. This is when we noticed the unfortunate demise of the little critter that must have been living inside. The Vole (kinds like a mouse) was using the bottle as a little home and we came along and disturbed it. Due to the bottle being in the sun for so long we think he got baked. Poor little guy. We had to get pictures though. It was sad, but kinda funny. If you look towards the neck of the bottle you can see, with the help of the sun, the poor little Vole's body and tail.

Dad pulled him out and propped him up for our picture.

Saturday's view of Eureka, UT. We were at the top of Godiva mountain.

Friday's (Oct. 23) Sunrise

Me with my deer. He isn't a trophy, but he'll do!

Me and dad. We had a great day together!

So much fun, it wore him out!

Autumn is Awesome

Autumn in my favorite season. I love the smells, the colors, and even wearing the slightly warmer clothes. So, we decided to take pics of my favorite kid during my favorite time of year. Awesome was born with good genes when it comes to expressions of happiness and joy. He's always been a happy kid and so photogenic! We decided to take advantage of the good weather and take some pics of our handsome boy in the fall leaves. We've been good at taking pics of Awesome's three month progressions. It's crazy to look at month three pics compared to month nine. He's growing so fast. I wanted to share some of the great pics we got from our photogenic son. Isn't he a cutie!

My Favorite

Say Cheese!!

In Home Day Care

Help me spread the word:

I have 3 spots available for Children newborn-4yrs. While your child is in my care they will be provided with fun activities, singing, playing games, and other learning activities.
- $20.00 a day
- Clean house
- Safe Neighborhood
- CPR Certified
- Convenient location (close to I-15/ I 2-15)
- Loving, safe, nurturing environment
- M-F 7:00 am -5:30 pm (This may be discussed)
- Must be okay with dog. One Jack Russell who is great with children!
-Self Pay clients only. Not accepting state paid clients at this time

Enrollment paperwork is available via email. I do require a short meet and greet before acceptance. Please contact by email, phone, or text.
email: shawnaharmon@gmail.com
Phone: 801-694-3763

A Tarantula and pine nuts!

Saturday we decided to go along with my mom and dad to gather pine nuts. For some of you your thinking, "What the beep are pine nuts and why the heck would you take a good Saturday to go out and collect whatever the heck they are?" Good question. Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines. You find these seeds inside the pine cone. 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough for human consumption. The Pinyon Pine produces these lovely seeds here in North America and their history starts with the Native Americans. They are between 10-34% protein and do provide a great source of dietary fiber. So, they are really good for you and they taste great! They have been a fall family tradition since I can remember and growing up both sides of my family would take great effort in collecting these culinary delicacies. (you find most of your pine nuts served with Italian pasta dishes). We just throw the cones in the oven on 350 for about twenty minutes and then your tasty treat is ready.(You can also boil or roast these babies) They make your house smell like the great outdoors. They are very fragrant.

So, we started our pine nut picking day out with some exciting arachnid fun. My dad found this lovely thing off the side of a dirt road and gathered it up to show us. I hate spiders. I cannot even kill them when there are in my home but for some reason with it being a big bug and for the fact we were wearing gloves we thought we'd give it a shot and hold the thing. I was very close to peeing my pants and flashes of the movie "Arachnophobia" kept flashing through my mind but we made it through unscathed and the tarantula was eventually set free.....thank goodness!

Mom was the first brave one... she always is. If she did it, I could do it.

So here I am being a dare devil. HOLY CRAP!!

Mom got a little crazy..I'm NOT that CRAZY!!!


Awesome, always a happy boy!

Pickin pine nuts. Boxes, rakes, and gloves.

Nice, ripe, Pine cone!

Here are the pine nuts. You brake through the brown shell to get to the seed.

A successful day.

Beavers are Awesome!

So, Awesome is a very smart kid, and strong too! He has mastered standing in his crib and since he's got all kinds of teeth he finds fun ways to use them. Here he is all innocent and playful, standing in his crib. Mom is so proud of her growing boy. "Good job bud, you are getting so strong." and then it happens..... But before the mischievous side comes out, here's a little peek to keep mom happy!
"It's ok mom, I'm fine. Just let me play here for a little longer. K, you can go now"....



I am sure as soon as I left, the plug was spit out and the work began....


My little beaver in action.

So, to prevent this woodland work from happening I decided to intervene. Here's my handiwork. Laugh if you must. But it sure does work, even if it is a little girlie. I even lowered the crib. The price to pay when little beavers come to gnaw.

Ta da!

I love beavers even if they do love their wood!

Happy Tenth

I always knew that if I married Scott life would be full of surprises. And for the last 10 years I have never been disappointed! He has always gone above and beyond more then I could have imagined. He plans months and months in advance for these wonderful events and he never misses a thing.

Last Tuesday we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I knew he had something planned for the weekend because he kept asking me to leave the weekend open. "Where could we be going?", I thought. "We don't have any money so I wonder if it's even over night somewhere?". All of these thoughts kept going through my mind. I knew Tuesday would be a normal day but the weekend would be great. So we celebrated Tuesday evening by going out with Awesome for some Mexican. Doesn't get better then that.

The next morning was a different story. Scott had left for work and Awesome was crying for a bottle. I got up and dragged myself to the kitchen when I noticed on the flat screen in the kitchen this video with a note from Scott telling me to push play....so I did!

After the video played another video started with him and Awesome on the screen. He explained that I needed to pack our bags and that we were flying out that afternoon to go to California. We were going to Disneyland and Awesome was coming with us. "Shut up, are you freaking serious...how the crap our we doing all of this", I didn't care, I was leaving town and on vacation no less!! California here we come!

Eight hours later and we're on our way to Cali!

The great thing about making a trip even better, having family you love who live in California and who want you to stay...and they'll even come hang out with you at Disneyland, show you around and hang out at the beach with you. Kristen and Glenn, you rock!

Max and Awesome playing

Kristen and Glenn at their home.Kristen whipping up a yummy dinner for us. It was so great to stay with them.The next morning we took a trip to see the Glass (Wayfarer's) Chapel down by the coast.

Later that day we left Awesome with Kristen and the boys and took off for Sony studios. We wanted to make the tour at 2:45 but missed it by ten minutes. Instead we waited for Glenn, who works for Sony animation, to get off work so he could show us around. Now that was cool and made up for our missed tour. Instead we got to see an inside look on what Sony animation is working on for next year. Hotel Transylvania is currently in the works and we got to see story boards, see the characters come to life, and visit with people who have done a lot of cool things for past animated films. I couldn't take a lot of pictures. Everything is very hush, hush. It was way awesome though. By the way, Glenn has won an Emmy and an Academy Award for the animation he's done. He's brilliant. It'll be fun to see more of his work!

Scott and Glenn in Glenn's office

Later that night Scott made up for the Mexican we had on our anniversary and took me out to a really fancy dinner. The restaurant was called the "Coast"...and it did, it sat right on the coast. Thanks again Kristen for watching Awesome.Disneyland here we come. The event we were looking forward to. A couple of Glenn animator friends and their families joined up with us. Glenn's friend Ben works for Pixar and got us all in for free or for a really low price. That is what made this work out so well. It was so awesome to have a group to hang out with. It made everything so easy.If you look closely you can see ScottWe're in the Park people.....Yippy!Our first ride, Space Mountain. Pirates of the Caribbean. This truly is the happiest place on earth. I know I was happy.Awesome's first set of Mickey ears.Awesome was a trooper. We were at the park from 7:00 am till midnight and he was a peach, all the kids were great. Even the grown-ups.

On the train. Awesome loved it.

Here we are at Toon town. Doesn't look like Scott quite fits.Our Rockin group.Scott loves the High School musicals. We had to stop and listen. Scott was so excited he started singing the songs. Glenn, Kristen, Max and JonasScott looked all day for this turkey leg and finally found it. It was pretty darn good.Our last ride of the day, Splash Mountain. I was in the front and got soaked. It was awesome though.Our last full day was spent catching up on sleep and spending time at the beach.

This is Glenn doing some skim boarding.Scott and Glenn doing some body surfing.

This year's anniversary was great. Not only was it a celebration of our wonderful marriage but of our beautiful son, our forever family. Now this is how living should be. I love you Scott. You make my world turn and you do it right!!!

p.s. I was kidding about the whole High School Musical thing. I thought I'd make that clear before Scott freaks out. :)