HELLO EVERYONE

Guys, I am back in the blogging world. And it feels great. I cannot wait to be back in the loop with all my lovely ladies and gentlemen. So much has happened since I have been away. That is even an understatement. But, all is well and it feels good to be back on familiar turf. 

+ Tyson and I got a divorce. There really isn't a way to say that that sounds "good" or "happy" so I will just say it how it is. Maybe one day I will talk about it. But as of now, its going to stay with me. 

+ I am now a personal trainer and coach. I recently took my training viral and started up a blog for everyone to follow along with my clients, get free stuff and learn about healthy living. I am so thrilled about it. So you should head on over and follow me there as well.

+ There really isn't much new going on in my life other than those big things. But, I cant wait to be back and keeping up with you all. its been much too long.

my head is a mess

I have skipped multiple days of Jenni's (Story of My Life) Blogtember due to being lazy. Oops. But today's theme got me thinking. "Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn."

I sat staring at my screen for hours thinking, trying to pinpoint the exact moment, the exact feelings where my life turned around. So many experiences, mistakes and emotions have lead me to this point, that it has been hard to focus in on the one that changed the path of my life. After wracking my brain and reliving the past through memories, I separated one moment that stood out from the rest and has been hidden deep in my heart. I don't know if I even realized till now the significance it has had on my life.

I was fifteen, that age where you hate everyone and everything but your friends and your cell phone. I was angry, really angry. The things I had gone through up to that point in life was enough for a grown woman. I was completely broken and trying to fix myself in all the wrong ways, I had never felt so lost. My parents had done everything they could to help me, but I was slipping away from them so fast that I didn't have time to grab on to their hands.

That summer my mom took me away, hoping that I could find some part of myself that still existed inside. We got on an airplane and headed to the Dominican Republic for the last month of summer. I remember feeling so nervous, I didn't know what to expect. We were staying in a Haitian refugee camp in a house that was surrounded by five story gates. The gate to the house was locked at dusk and no one was allowed in or out.

I remember one night I climbed to the roof. It was a clear night and I could see a million stars and hear every sound from the village below me. I laid back with my hands behind my head and just took it all in. It was in that moment I found myself again, that I was finally able to clear some of the darkness that was holding my mind and body captive from feeling happiness. I remember feeling in control of my life again, feeling at peace. A weight was lifted off of me and I could breath again.

It wasn't something big, it was such a small, quiet moment that changed my life.

saturday storms

 Saturdays are the best days. Other than waking up and knowing that the bathroom is waiting to be cleaned and the kitchen floors are ready to be scrubbed, it is my favorite. Cleaning gives me anxiety. So far this Saturday I have: re-vamped our living room (pictures to come), finally did laundry, cleaned the house, like real cleaning, and went to a friends bridal shower. It has been a busy day, but a productive one. 

Tonight my sister is hosting a bachelorette party at my house for one of our friends from college. Naturally, for her 'last fling before the ring" we had to go all out. With a "little black dress theme" and all things girly, tonight will be a success & you are never too old for party favors. 

For some reason, Saturdays are always better when they come with a storm.

BLOGTEMBER : 2 days late : ADVICE

ADVICE

I don't have much advice for the world. I am young with a lot to learn and so much life to live. I make mistakes constantly and I have dreams that I am still aiming for. There is one thing that I live by, that has helped me every day of my life. It isn't much of advice, but I remember this every day and it has changed me for the better. 

"Happiness is a decision. You are as happy as you decide to be"

- Author Unknown

bring it on fall.

I cannot wait for fall to really come so I can bust out my flannel and beanies. Crunchy leaves, pumpkins and chilly nights, what more can I ask for? 

Here are my goals for this fall: 

>Get completely unpacked from the move

>Get organized

>Finally print our wedding pictures

>Send out our Wedding Thank you's ( four months late )

>Make some much needed trips to DI

>& learn a few new recipes

It's not a big list, but it will take me some time. When things like organizing start to happen, that's when my ADD decides it's bored and wants to do other things, a million other things, at once. It's quite lovely.

Floral Skinnies // Ross

Ankle Boots // Forever Young

Gray T// Cotton On

Green Trench Coat // XXI

Shoulder Bag // ALDO

Necklace & Bracelet // Charlotte Russe

Watch // Kohls

What are your fall goals?

cats on cats

I am convinced that one day I will be a cat lady. And I am okay with that, just have to break the news to T. He also gave me permission to be a tiger today, and I could not pass that one up, obviously. 

Today was baby Hayze's baby blessing. His suspenders and bow tie kill me, he had to keep it classy in front of that big crowd. He stole my heart the first time I held him and in the last couple months we have become the best of buds. 

Tomorrow is Monday, Monday.. T goes back to school tomorrow, let real life begin. Its that time of year to get settled into our real routine and say goodbye to summer and hello to textbooks and tests. Thankfully, I am not starting school until spring. I needed more time to convince myself I could work full time and study full time. I am still not convinced.

Jumper // Better B. 

Watch // Kohls

Neon Cat Button Up // Gap

Necklace // XXI 

Wedges // Pac Sun

 

rainy days

here comes fall. plaid shirts and puffy vests are calling my name. and not to mention, that means my birthday is only two months away. I feel like i'm still turning seventeen. but thats okay.

happy Saturday.

I scream, you scream

I am lactose intolerant, and I don't even like ice cream. But, who cares when its cake batter, coconut cookies and free? thanks mom. You can bet my stomach was twerkin it after this lapse of judgement, this delightful lapse of judgement. 

Apparently, wednesday is the day for the movies. Us girls tried to go to Monsters University. Sold out. We watched mud instead at the parents house. Speaking of which, does any one else think that Matthew Mcconaughey should retire? I do.

we all scream for ice cream.

paris, please

Paris should invite me over, we would be the best of friends. Tea by the Eiffel Tower? I could live with that. All I need now is a teacup poodle and a ticket across the pond. "Grandmama its me, Anastasia".

Summer fashion is wonderful, but fall will always have my heart. I've been thinking, fashion blogging has been calling my name. Time to shake up the place, so imma throw in some fashion posts here and there. hopefully you'll love it just as much as I do.

Shoes // xxi

Shirt // pac sun

Dress // sewn by me

Jewelry // charlotte russe

glasses // xxi

A BIT OF WHIMSY

Our backyard is the definition of whimsical. With two big walnut trees shading the whole area and this wooden swing, I could spend my whole day out there. Just give me a good book. The moment I saw how wonderful it was I had to have it. T and I put our minds to it and made it happen. So far this summer, two BBQ's, one croquet game and a couple horseshoe games have been held is the lovely corner of ours. There is something about a swing and a tree to climb that takes me back to my childhood, and that's a wonderful place to be. We will be staying for quite some time. 

come visit.

BLACK MARKET TEA PARTY

I have the most amazing muse. We have this tendency of going shopping and turning it into a shopping spree. It's quality time with each other, but our wallets hate it. Once a month we have a girls day, just the two of us where we dress up, go to a nice dinner and buy our outfit for the next girls night out. Every girl likes a reason to dress up every now and then and indulge in a little girl talk. And of course there is no better person to do it with than my only sister.



Dress // White House Black Market

Necklace // XXI

Sunnies // H&M

Wedges // Forever Young

Girl // Ms. Rachel Tenney

Instagram // @hallahkeetch

in need of love

be back soon.

'MERICA BABY

 

>instagram | @hallahkeetch

>the fourth will forever be my second (sorry) favorite holiday

>christmas can never be topped

>so many bbq's and so little time

>tyson went golfing at 630AM so I slept in

>Lana Del Rey was the soundtrack to my 4th

>red lipstick was a dime a dozen. I wore it anyway

>the american flag shirts just keep getting shorter and they arent from old navy anymore

>four and a half day weekend. gettin it

>tyson has saturday and sunday off so we are gonna explore

>happy 5th

EAT

@hallahkeetch

The home is coming together. and it is safe to say I adore our kitchen. I have so much room. maybe this way I will learn to cook. as soon as we have the rest of the house in order, can you say BBQ? 

who's in?

chocolate on chocolate.

My sister is a baker. 

I don't know what I would do with out these wonderful delights.

they make hell week a little more bearable. 

fun fact: she made my wedding cake(s)

this wont shock anyone but, Monday's are the worst. ever.

also, does the word moist not freak anyone else out?

and my husband is a grade A man. but really he is the best. 

cupcake anyone?

 

stay put.

well ladies and gentlemen. we are moving. we tried to fit in this house but it just wasn't working out. we are relocating to Lehi. It is much closer to both our jobs and just a little perk, it has A/C. I will no longer feel like I am coming home to a sauna. we move on the 29th of June. Once we are situated. I will be having a house warming party. 

say hello to our new home.

adoption Q&A

As most of you know I'm adopted. Getting married means having babies, and that makes people ask me questions. I love it when people ask about my adoption. I have noticed that a lot of people look at adoption as a negative thing, and I will take any opportunity to show people that it is not. I have been asked about my adoption a lot more lately. So I will answer all those questions. here goes. 

> How old where you when you were adopted?

> Just a few weeks. I was placed in a foster home for a couple weeks till my parents picked me up.

> Have you ever been angry at the thought that someone could just give you away?

> Yes. As much as I hate to admit it I have been. But, I do not look at it as giving me away. She wanted me to have the best life I possibly could and she knew that she could not give me everything that she wanted me to have. It was a very hard decision for her. 

> Is is hard knowing that your real mom is out there and you have never meet her?

> No. I do not look at her as my "real" mom. She is my birth mother, but the woman that raised me and that I am sealed to is my "real" mom. 

> Do you ever want to meet your birth parents?

> This is a hard question, and I am still torn. I have no desire to meet my birth father, but I would love to sit down with my birth mother for a couple hours and learn about her. Just so I can learn about where I came from. 

> Do you have siblings that you have never met?

> I am guessing that I do but I do not know for sure.

> Is being adopted hard on you emotionally?

> At one point it was. When I was in my teen "I need to find myself" years. It was hard on my not knowing where I came from or what my birth parents were like.

> When did they tell you that you were adopted?

> I was told it from a very young age so I knew it growing up. Even if they hadn't told me I would have figured it out eventually. "mom why are you white and I'm black?" that would have been an awkward conversation. It wasn't until my senior year that I found about more information about my birth parents and the details of my adoption. 

> Do you plan on adopting?

> I would love to adopt if I had that opportunity. But I also want to have my own children. So when we decide that we are ready for kids we will make that decision. 

> Are you the only one in your family that is adopted?

> No. Both my brother and my sister are adopted. 

> Do you consider your adoption a very private matter?

> Not at all. I talk about it freely and in my family we often joke about it. I hold my adoption dear to me but it is something I have no problem talking about. 

> Because you are adopted is family life different?

> I guess I wouldn't know any different because this is the only "way" I know. But from what I can tell It is the same as everyone else. We are a family and that's whats important. I do get a few laughs when people say "I can totally tell you are sisters you look so much a like" That's when we just smile and nod our heads. 

If there are any other questions that anyone may have please ask and I would love to answer them for you or you can always click on my adoption tab to your right and get the whole story. 

Over and out. 

W E D N E S D A Y.

> I thought 8 months would drag on. but it didn't.
> In 9 days I will be married to the love of my life.
> I have a bridal shower tonight. Its good to see everyone.
> My best friend enters the MTC today. she will be a brilliant missionary.
> I am an emotional mess right now. I call it stress.
> I have realized working out is the best way to think.
> the perks of living by the lake? watching the sunset.
> I have been sick all week. At least its not next week.
> Tyson wants a puppy. A German Sheppard that is.
> Life is always changing but the more it does the less it scares me.
> All I wear anymore are jeans tshirts and vans. and thats a-okay.
> Flowers and sunshine make me happy.
> I could hike for days. bring on the camping.
> Lake Powell anyone?

because San Diego is the best place to be.

Last weekend I ventured to San Diego California //the home land// to do one of the best things of my life. and yes it was the best thing of my life this far. and sharing it with my lovely fiance made it that much better. I was adopted as you all know, and sealed to my wonderful parents in the San Diego Temple. Naturally, this temple now holds a special place in my heart. I feel so blessed and thankful to my amazing mother for driving me there to receive my endowments. It was such an amazing experience. I was lucky enough to get to spend a couple days basking in the sun. Tyson and I are beach people. through and through. here are some pictures of our lovely trip. if you follow me on instagram //@hallahharmon// you're already caught up.

we like long walks on the beach and carousels. 

playing catch up.

I am behind and a lot has happened. I have had requests that I write up certain posts and I have been to and from California. It has been a busy couple of weeks, but they have been wonderful. I will fill all you lovely people in as soon as i can. but until then, i will let you know that i am officially a grown up.