Harker Family Pictures

There are officially 17 Harkers in the Patti-Neil Harker family!

Lacombe Weekend Highlights Reel

1. Trying Bratwurst and Weisswurst at the Lacombe farmers market. Bratwurst won.

2. Listening to the strangest ever Grad Speeches at Alissa's high school grad- "Let’s take a moment of silence for Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett... and victims of torture".

3. Witnessing Dad Harker's incredible golf superpowers in action.

4. Witnessing Mom Harker's incredible grandma superpowers in action.

5. Eating my first s'mores of the year.

 6. Floating on Elizabeth Lake with Matt, Russ and Amy in a crowded dingy.

Meet Gary (Our Grand Gerokee)

Handsome. Rugged. The Ultimate Outdoorsmen.

That is how I picture Gary. In contrast, I pictured Rodge as a sort of Mr.Rogers, complete with eccentric quirks and long grandpa cardigans (I know it is weird how Matt and I personify our vehicles but once you name them there is no going back).

I have dreamed of having a JEEP since my MASH days in second grade so really this is a elementary school dream being realized. Our JEEP drives like a truck and is packed with every feature automakers could imagine in 1999 so Matt’s dreams are being realized as well. His favorite feature is the automatic four wheel drive and the V8 engine (I love a man who loves Big Macs and big engines).

Gary is going to be perfect for all the camping, golfing, and snowboarding trips we are planning. Matt and I love Volkswagens but we think we may have just joined the JEEP cult. We get strange impulses like waving to other JEEP drivers, extolling the virtues of the JEEP’s army history or pointing out vehicles Gary could eat for breakfast.

Conclusions

I'm finished my 21 day experiment (which actually worked out closer to 14 days between eating at other people's homes for a few meals and eating whatever I wanted on the two weekend trips Matt and I took to see family). What I realized was that whole foods made me feel full a lot quicker than processed foods and I was a lot less likely to snack on them (although I do think bell peppers are lovely, I cannot go so far as to say that they are a treat, let alone a treat I would overindulge in). I had to spend more time planning and making meals (Matt made the bread) but the food seemed to taste better, excepting burgers which sadly missed ketchup and BBQ sauce. My body does feel better (and somehow cleaner on the inside) when I eat whole foods so I will be integrating more whole foods into my meals while phasing out some processed foods I won't miss. Having said that, I must confess that I am anticipating a sweet reunion with S'more Pop Tarts sometime in the near future.

A Sommerfeldt Saturday

This weekend Matt and I appeared at the Sommerfeldt's doorstep for a party, only to disturb Matt and Karen from their precious few hours of sleep that day. They had already given a breakfast party for their entire ward that morning and were taking a well deserved nap, but being the good sports they are they throw a second party for us.

Matt and I were quickly introduced to our new niece, cute little baby Eva, who decided she would give us the full baby treatment or as much as she could fit in an afternoon - pooping, screaming, feeding, and sleeping peacefully.

After eating a delicious lunch of grilled chicken, Matt Sommerfeldt took Matt and I to a place that is very near and dear to his heart. A place where one can scoop up the savings, surround oneself with a plethora of enticing confections, and discover long lost favorite foods, such as pink elephant popcorn, all under the same roof- The Bulk Barn. Please be advised that to sample food from the bins you should talk to the staff who will do their best to accommodate you (this applies even if you want to sample half the food in the store).

10 Lessons I've Learned from My Dad

1. Work Hard, Play Hard. Dad doesn't do anything half-heartedly.

2. Family is the Most Important. Dad always puts his family first. He has always made time to do special things with each of my siblings and I. My favorite memories from my childhood are playing sports, like soccer, in the yard with Dad, going on bike rides by the North Saskatchewan River, and taking a few weeks off each year to camp during the summer.

3. Love of Nature. Anytime I come to visit, Dad already has some sort of outdoor expedition in the mountains or on a river planned for us to do. He is passionate about any type of outdoor activity. I definitely get my love of the outdoors from him and I can't wait to hike the West Coast Trail together this summer.


4. Have a Sense of Humor. Dad loves to makes wisecracks and to laugh really loud (anyone who has heard Dad laugh just once could identify that laugh anywhere, it is that unique). I remember hearing that laugh well, as I would fall asleep in my room as a kid, while Dad watched movies downstairs. Dad also loves to tease, a trait, Matt often informs me, I have inherited.

5. Be a Good Sport. Dad is a good sport about doing things he doesn't want to do if it will make someone in his family happy.

6. Take Vacations. Dad is good at separating work from his free time. When he is on vacation, he is on vacation and he doesn't waste a moment thinking about work. And he and mom plan such fun trips that it would probably be hard to think about work anyway. Our most epic vacation to date is the month we spent driving an old caravan (without AC) across Canada as we camped in every province (except Newfoundland).


7. Daily Scripture Study is Important. Every morning it is almost the first thing Dad does.

8. Be Smart. Dad's cool use of reason and logic make him the first person I go to, to talk about practical things, especially money matters. He is well-informed and very analytical. I probably married an engineer with those traits because I admire them so much in my Dad.

9. Be Humble. Dad never boasts about his super abilities.

10. Use Money Wisely. Dad buys only what he will use often, and then he uses it until it really won't work any longer. He spends his money carefully and never wastes (not even old, ripe tomatoes as Mom can attest to).

New Bike

As far back as I can remember I have always loved riding bikes. My parents have a video of me when I was 2 living in Guelph, having the time of my life riding down the smallest little hill on my trike. When I was a little older living at 27 woodland drive in Lacombe, I would constantly ask my mom if I could ride to the corner of my block and back so I could ride my bike with training wheels for 2 minutes. I made my first school friend, Kelly, solely due to the fact that we were the only the kindergarteners who rode their bikes to school. I was always riding around on my bike growing up and I loved going to gopher hill to catch some sweet jumps. In high school I guess I didn't need my bike anymore since we lived right across the street from the school and Dan and I had taken up skateboarding to fill the after school hours.
All my early years of practice paid off when I was called on my mission to Japan. In my mission you were on your bike everyday all day. Kobe was the craziest since the whole city was on a hill and you were always going either up or down. My trainer Elder Nuttall took me to a bike shop on my first week in Japan where I bought the Specialized "Hardrock". I loved this bike the entire time I was in Japan and I never had single problem with it the whole 2 years (not even a flat tire which is quite the feat if you ask any Japan RM's). Since the Bike was pretty much brand new still at the end of my mission, I gave it to a lucky missionary who was starting his mission in Japan just as I was leaving.
When my parents gave me some money for a new bike to ride to work as a grad present I already knew the one that I wanted. Royall found the new and improved Specialized "Hardrock" in the jungle of bikes at Bow Cycle in Calgary and I knew I had to have it. We were going to go to some other bike stores but it would have been a waste of time. I had already taken this one on a very long test ride a few years ago, and it never let me down.

Matty

Minimalist at Heart

I am a minimalist. The older I get, the more evident it becomes. Over the past two years especially I have become increasingly fascinated by the idea of living with the bare minimum. I love visualizing a new home for Matt and I with only the bare necessities and our most treasured possessions in it. Or planning a trip someplace exotic (in my head unfortunately) and imagining I can only pack a day bag for a week long trip. I hate the idea of accumulating more than I need, or of collecting things I only use once a year, like holiday decorations. Anything I own that doesn't contribute to my daily life makes me feel weighed down. There really is something thrilling in the idea of living with less. Perhaps it is the idea of more freedom.

"Once you start to see through the myth of status, possessions, and unlimited consumption as a path to happiness, you'll find that you have all kinds of freedom and time. It's like a deal you can make with the universe: I'll give up greed for freedom. Then you can start putting your time to good use."
-David Edwards

I doubt I will ever be as a radical as Henry David Thoreau but my tastes are growing more and more extreme. I wish I could say that my reasons for pursuing minimalism were purely moral or even practical ones, but the truth is, I find it much more aesthetically pleasing. I despise extraneous details in favor of simple, clean lines. I think that empty spaces or nearly empty spaces are more beautiful than filled ones. I crave white washed walls and completely barren surfaces. I know some people will think that sounds cold, and that a space like the one I described would lack character, but I disagree- it's calming and edited with only what I absolutely love, thereby better showcasing my personal tastes- only clothes I love, art I love, furniture I love. So what I'm saying is, if you come to my (future) home and notice that it looks like I haven't unpacked- I probably have, the living room is only supposed to contain a sofa, a lamp, and a picture.

21 Day Experiment

Background Info:
Last night at the movies (UP! which I really enjoyed), I was reading the ingredients label on my package of skittles when I realized that I only recognized two of the ingredients, sugar and corn syrup, both of which are unhealthy for my body. In response to the overwhelming amount of processed food I eat, I decided to create an experiment. I will only eat whole, unprocessed foods for the next three weeks. Or in other words, foods in their natural (and recognizable) form as opposed to their canned/boxed/packaged form (that reminds me of Dad telling me that you never really know what is in a hotdog- ominous, but I enjoyed them nonetheless).

Objective:
I want to see how my body feels without artificial ingredients, refined sugars, refined flour, and preservatives for twenty-one days. I think eating whole foods will make me more mindful of what I am eating because I will have to carefully choose my food instead of grabbing what is readily available. And as an added benefit, it will be good cooking practice to make recipes from scratch and to use spices instead of store bought condiments and sauces.

Hypothesis:
Eating whole, fresh foods will make my body feel healthy and energized.

Materials:
Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, free range meat, dairy, and spices.

Procedure:
1. Do not shop the center grocery aisles. Go to the farmers market on Saturdays.
2. Create a three week meal plan.
3. Learn to cook with wholesome unprocessed foods.

Observations: To follow.

Conclusion: To follow.

Date Night... at the Laundromat

$ 0.50 Twix Chocolate Bar
$ 1.00 4 games Pac-Man & Tetris
$25.00 5 laundry loads in Washer & Dryer

= 106 quarters