3 month RELATIONSHIP

on septemeber 30, 2009, something walked into my life, that would change it forever.

whom may you ask?

well, my friends, i'll tell you.

people keep asking me "lish, where have you been? what have you been doing with all your time? we never see you anymore, are you ok?"

and to them i would reply, " you will see, you will see."

and now finally after 3 months of adventure, i will now confess.

"hiiii my name is alisha and i have been in a love/hate relationship for the past 3 months."

i've spent countless hours, so wrapped up and involved in this little guy. at first it was fun. i'd look forward to the time i would get to spend with him. always wondering what i'd get to do with him next. what adventure would wait for us today! time would just fly whenever i was with him. all the hours would just fade into each other. getting little or no sleep each night because of him, and when i did get sleep, of course i was still dreaming about him. my life was consumed. when i let friends get a glimpse of him, they would just stand back in awe, asking, "is this HIM?" people couldn't understand why i would let him control everything i did. why i was spending so much time with him instead of THEM.

with whom you may ask?

who is this HIM i keep talking about?

let me introduce you to him. tiny, these are my friends,

friends this is tiny, my love for the past 3 months.

haha is he not what you were expecting?

in my design program, each sophomore must go through the gruelling process of designing an entire 1000 sq. foot home.

the whole process.

brainstorming ideas, building it on cadd, getting each section and aspect of the plan approved by my professor. building presentation boards, axonometric views, construction documents and the final building model of your house.

it's been a heck of a semester.

i wouldn't trade it for anything, or would i? haha.

and like any relationship,

we'll see if this one pays off.

and if i have a future with it.

i guess we will see in april when sophomore review rolls around...

back to the grind...

well i'm officially back to the grind,

sketching my little heart away.

last weeks sketches were from

"the ancient egyptian and greek period."

i must say,

my sketching skills had gotten a little

rusty over the summer,

but low and behold,

3 of my 10 sketches

were chosen by my professor as

"show stoppers."

and were shown to the class.

it totally made my day :)

lazy sundays

i was home in burley this weekend.

sunday evening mason and i decided to take a few photos.

they actually turned our pretty good.

i love this little guy.

here are just a few i like...

life.

lately, i have been thinking SO much about life, and evaluating my own.

life can get so hard sometimes and we might ask, "Why?"

BUT

we are each here with a purpose.

we are here at the

exact time,

at the exact place,

that we are suppose to

because each of us

has a specific plan set out for us.

each trial we face,

is for OUR benefit.

heavenly father never hands us a trial

that he knows we cannot handle.

they make us STRONGER.

i read this quote the other day.

promise yourself this:

"to be SO strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

to talk health, happiness & prosperity to everyone you meet.

to make all of your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

to look at the sunny side of everything & make your optimism come true.

to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and expect only the best.

to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

to wear a cheerful expression at all times & give a smile to every living creature you meet.

to give so much time to improving yourself, that you have no time to criticize others.

to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

to think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

to live in faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in YOU."

-Christian D. Larson-

Today's tests, are tomorrow's testimonies,

make the MOST of them.

You will find happiness in the life you choose for

yourself.

harman birthdays

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY TO:

my dearest daddy :)

aunt tina

uncle trent

and TOMORROW

happy birthday to

summer dear

i love you all

zach's photography :)

last monday, i had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with my cousin Zach. He is quite the little photographer. EXTREMELY talented. I had a blast! I love that kid! We had so much fun. If any of you are interested in a little photo shoot, I would definitely recommend him! I love you Zachary Bob Harman. :) Here's a slideshow of our favorites.

in the past week, i have been in a few situations,
that have caused me to realize just how precious life is.

the truth is, we take it for granted.

we never know how long we have.

so while we're here, being tried and tested,
we need to make the MOST of it.

live each day to the fullest.

don't hold grudges.

enjoy the little things.
appreciate those around you.

laugh TOO much.

give.

love.

you can never have too many friends.

count your blessings.

smile.

family is everything.

choose the right.
everything in our lives happen for a reason,

at exactly the right time,

at exactly the right place,

that it's suppose to.

AND

heavenly father watches out for each and every one of us.

and hears and answers our prayers.

life's better blonde.

back to blonde. :)

my dad :)

my dad...

also known as:

gregg michael harman

one of the coolest guys you will ever meet.

and you ask why do i love him so much?

well, i'll tell you.

not only is he my dad, but also one of my best friends.

i look forward to his random phone calls, voicemails, and text messages.

he's one in a million.

he motivates me to be a better person.

he works SO hard for my family and i.

he loves my mom.
he is optimistic and always looks on the bright side.

even if you are mad at the world, he can make you smile.

he has the best dance moves to shania twain songs.

he doesn't judge.

he loves everyone unconditionally and gives everyone a chance.

he has the best sense of humor.

he is a good cook.

gotta love the chili tacos, homemade french fries, dutch oven, steak and potatoes, fajitas...

anyways,

dad i love you.

and i hope you had a fantastic fathers day. :)

Utah Vision Walk

on june 13, i had the opportunity to join my family in salt lake for the first annual

Utah Vision 5k walk. it was an event put on to help raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. I have two cousins who have a genetic eye disease called X-linked juvenile retinoschisis. The disease affects the retina of the eye, causting retinal degeneration along with other potential complications, possibly leading to complete blindness.

i'll definitely be walking it again next year, and hopefully helping my aunt sarah out alot more. she is such an awesome lady. she put so much work into the walk and i want her to know i love her and that she is a great example to me. the event was carefully planned and was a huge success. it was amazing to see all the love and support people had for this cause. i had a blast and i know everyone else in attendance did also.

here are a few photos. :)

lucas and caleb sporting their balloon hats. :)

aunt janet, aunt sarah, and my mom.

me, my mom, and averi.

tash, me, uncle jared, and ave pausing for a quick photo op.

me and tash just walkin it out. :)

team monster truck :)

grandma & grandpa eliason and aunt sarah.

lucas & my mom.

at the finish.. caleb, me, averi, tash, and my mom.

don't drink while driving. thank you.

awww...

this picture makes me smile. :)

i'm an addict, i'll be the first to admit it.

my mom has had me hooked on it since, well uh FOREVER.

so of course, yesterday when the lady at the wendy's drive thru asked me what i wanted to drink with my #11, i didn't even hesitate, i replied, "a medium diet coke please."

so i pay, get my lunch, and headed back to my apartment.

i was a block away from my apartment, stopped at a stoplight, with nothing better to do, but

to take a sip of my diet coke. haha, i swear it was calling out to me, but anyways, i finally gave in and picked up my drink and put my blackberry in the cupholder. after taking a sip of my drink, i went to return it to the cupholder, while at the same time i managed to knock the lid off my drink and not only did it spill on my entire lap, seat, passenger seat & floor mat, but it ALSO filled the entire cupholder that my blackberry was sitting in. at first i was in a state of shock. i rushed home cleaned out my car, changed my clothes, and attempted to fix my no longer functioning blackberry. i was distraught. especially since my blackberry is basically my life.

many thoughts were running through my mind:

"ALISHA, HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO DO SUCH STUPID THINGS? LIKE SERIOUSLY?"

well that mystery may never be solved, but thanks to my lovely cousin Chelsey, she solved my cell phone problem. i was talking to her on facebook telling her about my lovely incident, i'm sure she was laughing, because seriously it is rather comical, but i was freaking out. then she suggested that i take the battery and sim card out of my phone, and stick my phone into a bag of rice. then she said, "i know it sounds crazy, but just do it. my sister-in-law did it. the rice absorbs all the moisture." so i tried it, AND OH MY HECK IT WORKED.

chelsey i love you my dear, you are a lifesaver. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

and for the rest of you reading this, the moral of the story is: don't drink while driving. haha ok so we already know not to do that, but just in case your cell phone gets damaged by ANY liquid form, put it in a bag of rice, and in just a few short hours, your phone will be restored. :)

taylor swiftttt :]

on tuesday i had the lovely opportunity of attending the

taylor swift concert in salt lake.

oh my heck, it was amazing. :]

here's a few pictures.

lovestory.

singing tim mcgraw, she randomly appeared in the audience, it was so sweet.

you belong to me.

and lastly,

us having fun at the concert.

ps. why can't i ever be serious for a picture?

happy belated mothers day :]

i know this post is coming a little late, but

i've been waiting for our internet to be hooked up in

my new apartment, haha and it STILL isn't.

so this post is coming at you via my neighbors internet cord. :]

but i still wanted to give a shout to my mom.

especially since mother's day was on sunday.

i've got to say that i have the most amazing mom ever.

things i love about my mom:

she has made me everything i am today.

she continues to love me unconditionally.

she has been there for me through EVERYTHING.

she is so talented.

she has set the best example to me and my siblings.

she's the only one that i know that can whip together a prom dress in a week.

her food is delicious.

i love her crazy blonde moments.

she is selfless. she is constantly doing things for others.

she has sacrificed so much for me and my family.

this list could go on forever.

but mom,

remember that i sure do love you. :)

thank you for everything.

i hope that i can be as good as a mom as you someday.

see you in 3 days.

i'm a survivor

thursday i officially finished my first year of college.

woot woot.

i'm a survivor. :]

yay for:

summer.

sunshine.

sleep.

and NO school.

let the fun begin.

mr. macgreggor

well, you guessed it,

yet ANOTHER birthday.

this little twirp

mr. macgreggor

is turning

the big 14.

holy crap.

where does time go honestly?

i had to pull out this picture from 2006.

i was blonde, and he was young.

boy, how things change.

greggor is quite the kid, i tell you what.

you never know what to expect.

he's always up to something. my mother would say "scheming." he's famous for his "mumbling under his breath while getting in trouble," and his "short but sweet prayers." if we want to eat fast, we know who to call on for the blessing of the food. he always has something up his sleeve. he definitely keeps us on our toes. he recently posted his own videos on youtube. describing why you shouldn't judge "offbrand" paintballs just because they are from walmart. my dad told me to watch the videos and i nearly wet my pants. the kid honestly is hilarious. he's also VERY protective. in highschool, when boys would come over, he would do everything in his power to make them feel uncomfortable. he'd tease them to no end. this kid is a thinker. i remember one night, greggor took advantage of having his bedroom on the upper level of our house. as two of my guy friends were leaving, greggor popped out the screen of his window and started attacking them with his airsoft gun. at the time i thought he was the BIGGEST pain in the butt, but now i'll admit, i do miss the kid. (sidenote: hmmm maybe greggor should come live here in logan with me and scare off all the creeper guys that are around here. haha) i can't believe how fast he has grown up. in fact, i think he's even taller than me now. (well who isn't? haha!) but greggor, you little butt, i hope you have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY. i miss you and love you. see you soon kiddo!

twenty three.

twenty three...

23, michael jordan's jersey number.

(i also believe it was tashie's basketball number. correct me if i'm wrong.)

The date that the Titanic sank, 4/15/1912, 4+1+5+1+9+1+2=23.
The date the Twin Towers were hit, 9/11/2001, 9+11+2+1=23.
It takes 23 seconds for blood to circulate through the human body.
The tilt of Earth’s axis is roughly 23 degrees.
A human baby receives 23 chromosomes from each parent.

august 23, the day of my dad's, aunt tina's, and uncle trent's birthdays.

23

is ALSO the number of

freaking pieces of JUNKMAIL i have recieved in my mailbox

since turning in my design portfolio, as i have been ever so patiently waiting

for either an acceptance, or a rejection letter

from the interior design department.

finally...

today my letter came.

i am officially a member

of

Utah State University's Interior Design Program. :]

it was well worth the wait.

birthday weekend.

well i'm officially the whopping 19 now.

i feel incredibly old, yet young.

it's kind of a weird feeling to be honest with you.

but anyways, i had quite possibly the best

birthday weekend ever. i don't even know where to begin.

it was a weekend filled with:

food.

family.

friends.

food.

laughing.

more food.

more laughing.

and plenty of pictures.

cristy and misty were home from colorado.

chelsey, lance, and baby carson were home from kaysville.

me, tash, and shalee were all home from college.

and

we were ever so pleased to have

DAN, TAMMY,SAWYER,TANNER,TAYZIA, & JAMARI with us also.

it's been quite awhile since the harmans have all been together, so we enjoyed every last second of it.

saturday night: after the priesthood session, all the adults, including myself, made a good ole' visit to shon hing for our bi-annual conference dinner. it was fantastic. finally, haha i am old enough to attend this event. and i tell you what, being there is alot better than babysitting your siblings til 11 and praying your parents would bring you home leftovers. (haha, i've been doing this since i was 8) so this was a night i had been looking forward to for a long time. haha anyways, the food was so delicious. i think all in attendence had a good time. there's never a dull moment with those harmans around. from their laughs, to their stories, it just never gets old. uncle ryn even got to make a call to the police because of some "gang action" happening outside.

sunday got even better: dan, tammy & their finally showed up

and that's when the real party got started.

we ate, in fact we ate alot. we had it all. turkey, ham, rolls, aunt terisa's delicious potato salad, green salad, chips and dip, fresh fruit, (freak my stomach just growls thinking about it.) and aunt tina brought all sorts of delicious desserts. pretty sure i packed on the pounds this weekend.

after lunch, we took some family pictures.

we have all changed quite a bit since our last one, almost 12 years ago.

crazy how time flies.

anyways after that we played the most hilarious game.

it's called boxers or briefs.

we learned quite a few secrets...

haha and i'll leave it at that. :]

all in all it was a fantastic weekend, and i couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday than with family.

happy birthday mason. :]

so as most of you know, april is the happenin' month in the harman house.

mine, mason, and greggor's birthdays all fall in april. so it's a month we all look forward to, which is why i was a little surprised when i recieved a rather funny phone call last night.

it was mason....

"hey lish, do you know how many days are in march?"

i reply, "there are 31 days in march mason, and YES i know your birthday is on wednesday."

"well i was just making sure you didn't forget about me!"

then the phone clicked.

i couldn't help but chuckle.

haha this little guy never ceases to make me laugh.

i was 4 days from being 9 when this little kiddo was born.

april fool's day of 1999.

i thought my dad was kidding when he called to tell me that i had a

new little brother.

i even took the little guy to mrs. bradley's class for "show-and-tell."

it's crazy to think that he's now the

BIG TEN YEARS OLD.

mason and i get along entirely too well for being siblings.

which is not a bad thing at all.

mason is one of the most honest kids you'll ever meet.

he's not afraid to say it like it is.

he has the softest heart and has an unconditional love for just about

anyone and anything.

(including his 50 gallon tank of hermit crabs. haha.)

there's never a dull moment with mason.

from his "that's what she said" comments, to his random phone calls,

the kid is adorable.

happy birthday mason!

don't party too hard,

i'll see you bright and early saturday! :]

love you buddy!

i like today. :]

so tuesday we got our sketchbooks back.

i was a little disappointed when i recieved 48 out of 50 total points

on my sketches. so for the past 2 days i have been beating myself up.

(haha ok not literally, but you know what i mean.)

but anyways today when we got to class, my professor said he had a couple of show stopper sketches to show us. so he starts the slideshow. panic set into my body as he showed us the first sketch. it was AMAZING. some girl had gone all out and sketched this huge old building. she didn't miss a detail. i was seriously in awe by her talent. so in my head i was thinking,

"ok there is no way i can compete with this. if i keep watching this slideshow i'm just going to become depressed." so i just decided to not watch it as he continued with the second slide. then the girl next to me nudged me and said, "LISH THAT'S YOUR CHAIR!" i looked up, and sure enough MY CHAIR HAD MADE THE SHOW STOPPERS. bahhhhh i was soooooo excited. so i decided to keep watching. good thing i did because 4 more of my sketches made the show stoppers. so right now, 6 hours later, i'm sitting here STILL smiling. :] :] :] :]

haha i feel like i'm floating on a cloud? haha it just doesn't seem real that 5 of the 12 show stoppers were mine. hahha ahhh.. i love my life. and to make my day EVEN more better, uncle clark, aunt tina, zane, and jade came to logan today. they came to check out campus for zane next year, so i got to spend a little time with them. it was super fun. it was way good to see family. :] it made me happy.

it's been a tough week, but today made it ALL worth it. haha i like today. :]

spring is in the air... and so is smoke. haha :]

wow it's been quite some time since my last post.
so a few quick updates...
so i FINALLY finished my 20 sketches for my architecture & furnishings class.
as i turned in my sketchbook, it felt like a huge load had been lifted off my shoulders.
however, i am just about sick of chairs. haha. :]
(there's a slideshow of some of them on my previous post.)
anyways,
today was BEAUTIFUL.
it made me happy to see the sunshine.
in fact i even walked home from school today.
didn't even have to wear a coat.
but i think i'm going to invest in a bottle of pepperspray.
there were a few creepers on the way down to my apartment. haha.
spring is definitely in the air,
and i CAN'T wait for spring break.
nothing really new in my life,

except for the fact that i have officially

grounded myself from cooking.

don't even worry.
i didn't start my kitchen on fire.
every smoke alarm didn't go off.
there were no flames at all.
my neighbors didn't get mad.
i wasn't embarassed at all.
and i didn't spend hours cleaning our stove.
(haha i wish none of the above were true.)

please don't judge me: all i wanted was a nice bowl of pasta roni. :(
haha, but we live and we learn right?

sketchbook complete. :]

a week of adventure...

yayyyy. so this week was filled with

many adventures.

some fun, and some not so fun.

sunday started off with the lovely superbowl.

food, friends and football.

can life get any better?

me, aspen, and tashie, stayed true to our

steelers and it surely paid off.

great game i might add.

however, the lovely group of people i watched

the game with

tricked me into thinking that the

whole 4th quarter was going to be

played in 3D.

i watched the entire game thinking that,

and until yesterday i believed it.

ahhh, when will these blonde moments

stop happening?

anyways.

monday, me and aspen

didn't have school nor work.

so we set out and explored good ole logan.

we found some new places.

and we tooks some lovely pictures.

it was a freakin blast.

most of tuesday and wednesday was filled with

homework and studying.

so in a past post, i mentioned the sketching

class that has totally been kicking my butt.

but i have an update.

it's still kicking my butt, haha,

however, i think my "sketching skills" have

somewhat improved.

here's one of my latest.

it took me 3 freaking hours, but i must

say, i am proud.

i also tested out my new "architectual lettering" out

on the piece.

thursday night, aspen's dad was in town snowmobiling

so he took us out to eat at the all time favorite

FIREHOUSE GRILL. :]

sooo delicious.

friday night i worked worked worked.

saturday i worked worked worked.

but saturday night...

AGGIE BASKETBALL GAME BABYYYY!

so so much fun.

well it was quite the week.

wonder what this week shall bring... :]