by a justice of the peace before a small group of family and friends in Calgary. Harper found an apartment in Ottawa while his new bride remained in Alberta to manage her graphic design and desktop publishing business.

In April of 1996, Laureen gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Benjamin. A second child, their daughter Rachel, followed in 1999. The Harpers insist that they are an ordinary family and that they are typical parents. Ben Harper, who celebrates his 17th birthday this month, is reported to be a strapping 6 ft. 3 in. tall and plays competitive volleyball. Last January, the teenager's Twitter messages were locked when a reporter informed the Prime Minister's Office about it. The reporter, Laura Stone of iPolitics.ca, stated that shetold the PMO for "security reasons." She said she "wanted to show what the account was like - it's a teenager's voice."

Laureen did not move to Ottawa until 2002, when her husband became Leader of the Official Opposition and the Harper family moved into Stornoway, the official residence in the Rockcliffe Park area of our nation's capital. In 2006, she became the chatelaine of the Prime Ministers's residence at 24 Sussex Dr. Until that time, she had been referred to as "Laureen Teskey." In January of 2006, however, a Canadian Press dispatch proclaimed that henceforth she would be known as "Laureen Harper." in her capacity as the wife of the Prime Minister.

Harper family 2012 Christmas card

The Harpers share an interest in conservative politics and a fondness for cats.