Halloween n Stuff

I think Dallin has a Halloween picture of both of us, together, on his phone.

Dallin is downstairs, working.

I am upstairs, blogging.

The distance is just too great.

So you get pictures of each of us, in turn.

Here is Dallin. He is a baker:


And here I am. I am also a baker. But I have an oven. And what is baking in my lovely oven?

A bun.


Ha ha! Get it?

We ooze of cleverness.

I know, these pictures suck. Maybe I'll put Dallin's pictures on here later. But if you know me, you're probably not betting on it.

So, Halloween.

A series of unfortunate e-mails that I received on Friday night led me to something of a nervous breakdown this weekend. I had a freak out party in my head about baby and money and who knows what else, but it seemed like the world was going to come crashing down.

It didn't. Don't worry.

However, ASU football suffered a(nother) devastating loss, this time against the Cal Golden Bears. We really should have won...we were very close to winning...so that was sad.

I am also fairly to moderately positive that I did not consume any food the entire day that had any sort of nutritional value to it. Yes, I think that's about accurate.

We did get to go to a fun party that night, at which we got to show off our costumes and play a few games, one of which was the donut-on-a-string eating contest (pictured above). Dallin and I did not compete against each other, but we did claim victory in our respective meets. Maybe we should have gone head-to-head...between you and me, I could have taken him.

We finished off the evening with a showing of Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one, duh), which led to a late bedtime.

And then there was (very) early church. We all know how I feel about that.

After (very) early church, I slept off my nervous breakdown a lil bit while Dallin proved that he IS in fact the most incredible person on the planet. He did this by basically cleaning the entire house, including doing some much needed organization in the baby's room.

I heart him.

Also, Happy November! It is very difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that our baby will be here this month. My due date is in less than two weeks. Less than two weeks, people! Do you know how much time that is not? A lot.

I may or may not be incredibly, irrationally excited about this. I'll let you know which.

So how is everyone?

Happiness Is...

having a husband that makes sure you always have a supply of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food in the fridge.



Love you, bambino.

What a Boy Wants

So I have this picture frame:



I've had it for quite some time now...I can't even really remember where I got it! And I've never used it. Only recently did I pull out the stock photos of couple smiling happily and bowl-haircut child.

But...my crafty dafty self (note: I am neither crafty nor dafty) came up with what I think is a pretty cute idea for this as of yet neglected frame. Since anyone that comes into our house will automatically be drowned in pictures of us anyway, I thought of spelling out some cute/inspirational/lovey type word by decorating 5 pieces of paper, each with a letter on them. (Can you see it? Can you see my vision? Well I can.)

So anyway, my problem has been, what word do I put in there? At first I was all excited because I thought there were SIX openings in this lovely as of yet neglected frame of mine, and I could spell "family" or maybe even "Harris." But alas, there are only five frames, for five letters. Bummer, dude.

So what five letter word do I put in? "Dream?" "Laugh?" "Faith" is out because we already have a wooden cutout thing that says "Faith." I've also thought of putting "Home" or "Love," and then filling the last square with either a paper heart or just one picture of us or something.

Well, like any believer in teamwork, I asked my husband.

"What's a five letter word that you like?"

Ok, maybe I could have told him what the five letter word was going to be used for. That might have helped. But then, of course, hilarity would not have ensued. For after contemplating this for a little while, Dallin answered, quite resolutely,

"Bacon."

And I laughed. And he didn't know why. So I told him, and he laughed too.

Maybe we'll put it in the kitchen.

Or maybe I'll choose a different word.

Dallin does really like bacon...

It's September.

It's SEPTEMBER.

This scares me to death.

I am scared for the following three reasons:

(1) It's SEPTEMBER and my baby is due in NOVEMBER.

(2) It's my little sister's birthday today and she is no fewer than EIGHTEEN years old.

(3) ASU football starts on Saturday.

Let's take these backwards...it'll be kind of like a countdown thing. It'll be fun.

(3) ASU football starts on Saturday.

If you wonder why I am scared about this, wonder no longer, for I shall explain all.

First of all, an ASU football game can make or break a Saturday night. Last year, lots of Saturday nights were broken. Crushed, really. Shattered, if you want to be frank about it. No, it probably wasn't the worst season ASU football has ever seen...but it might have felt like it. And now, me and every other ASU fan in the world has absolutely no idea if this season is going to be any better. Sure, our lousy quarterback graduated...but now we're left with a starting quarterback with hardly any play time under his belt. Yeah, ASU football hasn't had two consecutive losing seasons since like the 40s...but that might just mean our time has come. We do still have some big guns in our possession (Williams, McGaha, even Weber)...but we have a few more that are simply unproven.

Needless to say, my realistic hopes are approaching on their tippy-toes. We should win on Saturday...it would be incredibly embarrassing if we didn't...but the rest of the season may just have a dark cloud of doom hovering over it. I guess we'll see.

2) It's my little sister's birthday today and she is no fewer than EIGHTEEN years old.

I'll tell you what...wow. See, since there are six kiddos in my family, I've always kind of mentally divided them between the elder three and the younger three. Jenna is the oldest of the younger three...and she's 18.

18 is adulthood.

She's an ADULT? Wha-wha-wha-what?

Also, freaking out about this kind of makes me feel like one of those old aunts who can't say anything about you other than how big you are and how she can't believe how much you've grown, blah blah blah. Does anyone actually have one of these aunts, by the way?

At the risk of becoming that, I'll stop now. I love you sis! Happy birthday!

Now go get back in your footie pajamas.

1) It's SEPTEMBER and my baby is due in NOVEMBER.

We're in the "BER" months, people. September and November seem a lot a lot a lot closer to each other than August and November. Tell me I'm not right.

Can we say...freak out?

Furthermore, I am approaching the 30 week mark. 30. Weeks.

Do you know how long it takes a baby to cook? 40. 40. Weeks.

30 is almost 40.

Everything after 30 is really almost 40.

You get beyond 30...and you have...numbers of weeks left with only 1 number in them. Like...9.

Yeah, my baby's due in like almost 9 weeks. Gulp.

I should learn how to be a mom. That might help.

I should also buy some things...like a crib and some diapers (AHHH! CLOTH OR DISPOSABLE?!?) and some more clothes and a breast pump (tmi? lol. sry.) and some blankets and some bath toys and some make-your-baby-brilliant movies and a stroller and a diaper bag and oh my gosh baby needs a name!

Ok but really, I'm not freaking out this much. I still have a shower coming (probably second weekend in October...let me know if you want an invite! They haven't gone out yet...), and I'm not exactly Miss Workaholic right now, so I've got plenty of time to peruse stores/the internet looking for smoking deals on the cutest slash very most necessary baby items.

But still...there's a lot to do.

P.S. about the names...I think we've got it narrowed down. Maybe I'll write a post in a few weeks about all possible options, and then let the blogosphere decide for me! Yeah...probably not. But I'd at least enjoy the validation - genuine or not - about my name choices.

Baby's kicking/rolling/punching up a storm. I've been feeling sickish and am hoping it's pregnancy related and not cold/flu related. Dallin finally felt him while he was being really active (Dallin's felt him before, but never while he was really on the move) and said "So that's what you have to deal with?" Yeah, that and then some, babe.

Finally, and just fyi, I love juice. I am about to finish my fourth carton of juice in like, a week. Mmm...it's so yummy!

Wake me up when September ends.

Life Beyond the House

As if buying/moving into/fixing up our new house wasn't enough, life has still gone on.

Don't you hate that? I mean, sometimes there just isn't time for...life.

That was either really deep or really silly. Either way, love it.

So one of my nearest and dearest friends got married. That was joy on a stick.

Sometimes, I put things on a stick. Lots of things are better on a stick. Or at least, easier to eat.

So my lovely friend became a MRS.

Here she is in all her loveliness.

My loveliness was rather shy that day. Maybe if some pictures of it surface in the near future, I will let you see. I was priviledged enough to be a bridesmaid for my dear friend, so there might be a fun picture of us somewhere. I suppose that remains to be seen.

Also, in case you didn't know, we moved on my birthday. Yes, Saturday, August 15 marked 22 years of my being on this planet.

It was definitely a good day, filled with lots of little reminders of how many people I have in my life that love me...or at least won't turn us down when we ask for their help moving. In other news, my grandma called me to sing "Happy Birthday" to me, like she always does (at 7:00 in the morning, also like she always does), and it made me cry. And then I knew I was pregnant. I also cried a couple other times that day, usually because of something nice someone did for me. Ah, I'm emotional.

But anyway, we went out to dinner that night, and then Dallin and I basically came straight to our new home and were dead asleep by 9:30. Good day, but didn't so much feel quite like a birthday, to be honest. I wasn't going to complain, but I think my sweet hubby noticed something, because I had a surrogate birthday yesterday, thanks to him.

We slept in, then got up and went swimming, and then he made breakfast whie I got ready. And a delicious breakfast it was too - complete with a Dr. Pepper which was left in our fridge by one of his employees over the weekend. It makes me feel special to know that Dallin would steal for me.

Then we went to the mall, where we looked at baby clothes (Baby Gap will be my ruin), bought me a shirt and some protective stuff for my sweet new phone, and just walked and talked. Then we headed over to Target to start our baby registry. Key word here is "start." We basically just dipped our toes into this fantastical new ocean full of 23 different types of bottles. Hmph.

And then we went to Red Robin to enjoy my free birthday burger (yeah, sign up for their little club or whatever and you get a free burger for a week before and after your b-day. I don't say no to a free $10 burger these days). I quite love Red Robin. I'm such an American food person. Burger and fries, baby. Aw, yeah.

And then we rented "Coraline" from Redbox. Because that is much cheaper than going to the movies. I'm still not so much a fan of "that kind" of animation, but whatev. I wanted to see that one, and now I have! It was actually quite good. Ok but really, I was a little bit scared by it. It was like...a nightmare in a movie. Thankfully, it did not actually give me nightmares. I did have a nightmare last night, but it didn't involve anyone that had buttons for eyes. It involved someone breaking into a condo place that I was alone in. Shudder.

Anyway, it was a fantastic day, full of many things that I very much love. Dallin did an excellent job of making sure I felt very special, and of making sure we did things that I would enjoy. He also kept saying "It's your birthday!" which was cute and funny, but I had to keep assuring him that it was not actually my birthday, so that there's no confusion next year. We wouldn't want that.

Finally, baby and I had to take a test together last week, to make sure we don't have gestational diabetes. I was seriously dreading this, having heard several less than encouraging stories abou not being able to keep the sugary drink down long enough, being at the doctor's office for hours on end, etc.

It actually went very smoothly though. The actual sugary drink wasn't anything me and my taste buds couldn't handle, since they're probably pretty much made of sugar at this point in my life. And then my groovy new phone and I passed the hour long waiting time playing games together before I had blood drawn.

So far, the only result I've gotten is a nice greenish-purple bruise where the blood-sucking needle was stuck. But that wasn't unexpected. Anyway, I think the test is one of those "no news is good news" things, so I'll assume as long as I don't hear from them that nothing's wrong. Which is great! It's good to be healthy. Especially when you're so bad at taking care of yourself you don't really deserve to be healthy.

So yeah, that's been our life beyond the house. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but definitely enough to keep us extraordinarily busy. Especially once you throw in Dallin's work, which keeps him extraordinarily busy anyway. The next ingredient to be added to the mix: grad school. Starting tomorrow, I'm a grad student! Go me!

Ciao for now, amici.

There's No Place...

like home!

Now tap your heels together three times and follow me on a photographic journey of my new home!

I'm pretty sure you haven't tapped your heels together yet. If you thought I was joking, think again. TAP, people.

Now let us be off! Hang on to your hats, my friends. It's a bumpy ride.

BEFORE... the FAMILY ROOM was:

painted a peachy color (not peachy as in nice and pleasant in a down home southern kind of way...peachy as in, like a peach. The fruit)

And there was a gigantic hole in the wall. We can only assume it was for entertainment center purposes. I think it's also safe to assume it never got finished.

AFTER...the FAMILY ROOM is:

painted a nice, neutral tan color, complete with an accent wall in a darker shade of brown;

COMPLETE with some awesome new shelves built by my awesome, semi-new husband:

Woo-wee! Just look at those beauties.

BEFORE...the KITCHEN was:

lacking working, much less worthwhile, appliances:

and painted the same awesome peachy color.

AFTER...the KITCHEN is:

painted the sweet neutral tan color and decked out with new appliances to boot!

Of course, when I say "new," I mean, "new to us." Craig's List outfitted our whole kitchen for about $1300. That is why we use Craig's List. Thank you, Craig.

BEFORE...the HALLWAY was:

crying because of the carpet that was on it. I don't even have a picture that would do the ugliness of this carpet justice. Imagine carpet in the worst shape you've ever seen. Now go get some mud and rub it all over this carpet. Now wait a month. Now spill some questionable substances on it (hey, I won't ask!). Now get your lawn mower and mow the carpet. Now set fire to it. Repeat. Your carpet still looks better than this carpet did.

This picture was taken AFTER the carpet was removed. It looks better this way.

But now...oh, now. Now we have lovely carpet that I just love to squish my toes into.

The hallway is currently the only carpeted area in our house, but since we love this carpet so much, we are going to have an area rug made out of it for our living room! Hooray!

Also, this entryway lighting fixture:

became this entryway lighting fixture:

These hallway flushmounts:

became these hallway flushmounts:

and these kitchen track lights:

became these kitchen track lights:

All three bedrooms and the den were painted, except the one that had this awesome mural in it:

That one was destroyed.

The curly linoleum in the bathrooms was replaced with some nice new tile. We got a new water heater, since the old one was sick and dying. Several other lighting fixtures/ceiling fans were changed, but I won't make you look at all of them. Dallin swapped out a lot of the old baseboards for new ones, with the use of a new found toy- the nail gun. Toilet seats were replaced (something I could actually do!). Most surfaces in the house were steam cleaned (I could do that too). AND...

the pool is blue and there are no weeds and/or overgrown trees in the yard. You have no idea what an accomplishment these things are. The pool was greener than whatever grass was back there. Toxic, if you will.

So now, we're unpacking. Laundry is getting done (since we had the defective washer hook-ups fixed), boxes are getting unpacked, and project decorate/organize is underway. Some of the projects I've been working on for the past few days...

Cute-o storage baskets for my closet:

Setting up our kitchen table:

cleaning and lining the pantry to make it fit for human food:

and working on organizing this room:

which, as our extra room, I'm envisioning as a groovy hang out room, complete with my books and love sac, Dallin's guitar and amp, and baby's swing and toys. Let's see if we can make enough room in there...

As for all the OTHER stuff we've been up to, including (but not limited to) my being a bridesmaid in a wedding, my birthday, and a rather long and sugary OB-GYN appointment...well, you'll just have to wait. I got tired again just thinking about all the house stuff we've done (and have yet to do).

p.s. If I haven't mentioned how completely BLESSED we are to have this new home, and if you haven't assumed that I feel that way already, consider this your wake up call. I have a beautiful new home that my loving, hardworking husband and I have put a lot of time and work into together. I have an amazing family that has helped us along every step of the way (in fact, they are getting their own post later, I already decided). We were HELPED getting into this new house by a lot of people - not to mention a Father in Heaven - who really, really love us. And I'm going to have a nice, safe place to bring my beautiful baby boy home to in 12 short weeks.

Oh and also, just as a warning, these pictures are not all inclusive, and almost certainly will increase in number. Once everything is clean and put away, I'll probably have to show you more.

Vacay, Eh?

In celebration of Dallin's dad's 50th birthday (not to mention to just get the heck away), we flew up to Seattle last week. And if you think that sounds fun, hang on to your shorts, because we didn't stop there. We then drove the 4-5 hours to Vancouver, or, more specifically, the IN-famous ski resort known as Whistler.

This place would truly be a skier's paradise in the winter. Or a snowboarder's paradise. Or a snow lover's paradise. I am none of those things. But it is also not winter.

Green is good.

You know what else is good? Bungee cords. I've never really been grateful for them before, but I am now. Without them, I would no longer have a husband.

Of course, I would like to think that my husband would not throw himself off a 160 ft tall bridge towards a raging river of death if bungee cords had not been invented. So maybe I should be thankful for both bungee cords and my husband's...um...good sense. Combined.

Also, I am grateful for the smarty pants engineers who created this:

in such a way that it did not fall to pieces even when we were doing this:

over this:

This crazy gondola ride, known as Peak 2 Peak and built for the 2010 Winter Olympics, is...nuts. It takes you from one mountain to another. Yeah, uh huh.

Oh, and here I am at the tip top of a mountain. I am also 6 months preggo.

You betta believe it.

We also made s'mores:

(This is the better of the two pictures I got of Dallin eating his s'mores. Just trust me)

We sat in a bobsled:

and visited the bobsled track for the olympics.

Tour guide man says you can get up to 150 km/hr on this baby. You know that some people go down this track on a little sled, face first? It's a sport called Skeleton. I think it's called that because that's all that's left once your skin flies off.

We also visited a very pretty lake/park, at which I decided to look fat in every picture that was taken of me, except perhaps this one:

Oh, and a float plane dock:

and a giant stone man, more accurately known as an Inukshuk, which is a symbol of friendship and the mascot for the Olympic games:

AAAAAAAND, because I believe in saving the best for last:

Now, don't get too excited. I taught everyone long ago that guns are not safe in my hands. But hey, just the fact that we got to visit THE Biathlon site was good enough for me. Don't know anything about Biathlon? It's only the most random, and therefore possibly one of the most wonderful, sports out there. Here are the rules:

I told Dallin I was going to be a Biathlete someday. He then reminded me that I hate the cold, I don't like skiing, and I don't like guns.

So much for encouraging my dreams.

We had a fantastic vacation!! It was wonderful to spend time with family and be somewhere where our shoes don't melt into the ground. This is the closest thing I have to a group picture of all of us:

so you can work with that. Imagine 3 more people in it and everyone looking at the camera. Close enough.

Have a good one, eh? Stay tuned for info about and pics of our NEW HOUSE.

Spontaneity

"Somebody help me! I'm being spontaneous!"

Name that movie. I'll give you a cyber-hug.

So. I'm not an especially spontaneous person. I like having a plan. Or at least time to plan. Then even if I don't use it wisely I can say "Well, it's my own fault. I had time to plan." Anyway, I'm really not a "just do it" kind of gal.

Which is why, when I'm at work and I get a text from my husband at 2:30 saying he's had a rough day and that he would like nothing better than to leave at 6 and go camping, I have a small freak out party in my head.

"Where are we going to go camping?"
"Won't it be dark when we get there?"
"What are we going to eat?"
"Camping?"

So I text back: "is there anything besides camping you would like to do? something that might require a little less preparation?"

To which he replies: "I can't think of anything. And I really don't think it will be that much preparation - I just want to get away with you. We'll come back in the morning."

Aw.

So I agree.

We stop by Wal-Mart to get some stuff for breakfast, and go to Wendy's in Payson for dinner. The drive is pretty nice, and not too long.

We get to the campsite well after dark and Dallin sets everything up. By this time, I have to...you know... go. I am prego, after all. I tell Dallin of my need, and he responds by pointing the flashlight off into the woods. Ha. Right.

We had driven by some restrooms while in search for our campsite, so we make a trip back. While they certainly aren't pleasant (aka gag me), it was better than going to pee in the woods in unfamiliar territory in the dark, so I suck it up.

We are already pretty tired by this time, so we play a quick game of Skip-Bo and hit the sack.

Let the fun begin.

I have claustrophobic tendencies. I blame my grandma. I don't know if claustrophobia is hereditary, but I still blame her. I shouldn't...that's not very nice if it isn't her fault. Anyway, mine isn't nearly as bad as hers. I can sleep in a sleeping bag. Heck, I can sleep in a sleeping bag inside a tent. But put me in a sleeping bag inside a tent in 80 degree heat with a boy right next to me who wants to snuggle with me, and I kinda start feeling like I'm never going to escape. Snuggling became outlawed, which was unfortunate.

Also, sleeping bags are difficult to roll over in. A pregnant woman sleeping on a hard surface needs to roll over 763 times during the night, give or take. This led to much discomfort and frustration.

And large, beetle-type bugs kamikaze-ing into the outside of your tent as they try to get into the inside of your tent? Well, they don't exactly lull you to sleep. They make you feel like you have little pesky thingys all over your body.

Sleep came sporadically.

My first thought when I wake up in the morning - if you can really call it waking up when you've already been awake about 12 times before that - "I have to pee."

I don't want to drive down to the nasty restroom. I also want to prove to my hubby that I can pee in the woods. The thing is, I can't pee in the woods! Like, it doesn't happen. Not without stripping down. And I don't want to do that.

So I start getting creative. The solution?

"Hey Dallin?"
"Hm?"
"You want to go get one of those Wendy's cups out of the car for me?"

No, I don't go in the Wendy's cup in our tent, thank you very much. I go in the Wendy's cup in the woods.

Because if there's one thing a pregnant woman can do, it's pee in a cup.

After that excitement (well, during it, since it still took freaking forever because I'm lame like that), Dallin makes us a yummy pancakes and bacon breakfast. Dallin does most of the packing up, and I make trips up and down a decent-sized hill to load the car up. I only fall once. And it was graceful. Ok, no it wasn't. And I'm going to have a bruise.

Then we walk down to the river and explore a little bit before heading home.

About 7 minutes into the drive, we pull over so I could brush one of the large, beetle-type kamikaze bugs OFF MY LEG.

When we get home, we take a nap.

Because you know, getting away is tiring. And spontaneous getting away is downright exhausting.

But hey, it was nice to get away, and even nicer to do something that my sweet, thoughtful husband really wanted to do.

Especially because now he owes me.

Dear Mr. Dryer

Dear Mr. Dryer,

First of all, allow me to say that you are a fabulous machine. You and your kind have done wonders for me and my kind. For that, I thank you.

But now I must pick a bone with you.

It's an expression. It mean we've got problems, you and I.

The thing is, you are a dryer. A DRYer.

Runners run. Timers time. Bakers bake.

Dryers....

DRY.

They dry. This is the wonderful cause you were born to fulfill. Wet things become dry within you! No clothes, towels, or even shoes can withstand your heated tossing that leads to wonderful, wearable DRYNESS.

And this should all happen quickly. I should be able to run you for one cycle - one brief 45 minute-ish interval - and everything you hold within your cavern of drying power should be (say it with me) dry.

Let me break it down for you: WET. ONE CYCLE. DRY.

Let's just try to remember that, shall we?

And remember this as well: those lint traps don't clean themselves.

I believe I've made myself perfectly clear.

Sincerely,
Katie
Pregnant Katie
Pregnant Katie Who Is Often Very Tired
Pregnant Katie Who Is Often Too Tired to take 8 Hours to do Laundry
Pregnant Katie Who Is Often Too Tired to take 8 Hours to do Laundry and Is Frequently Armed with a Baseball Bat

P.S. You are noisy. Anything we could do about that?


UPDATE: So I wrote this post last night. This morning, Dallin tells me that he FIXED THE DRYER after I went to bed last night. Without being asked. Without even being complained to. The "Twilight Zone" theme song echoed through the room.

I'm not saying the universe somehow absorbed my written-but-unpublished thoughts and then passed them on to my husband.

All I'm saying is that I'm writing "Dear Mr. Kitchen Who Doesn't Clean Himself" right now.

Small-ish updates

Well, well, well - fancy seeing you here. It has been a while, hasn't it? I mean, it's really only been a couple weeks, but any time at all is too much, wouldn't you say?

Much has happened since last we met. Let's go over that real quick:

A house is not a home...

until you've bought it. We're currently working on this. It's getting a little difficult, since everyone else seems to have figured out that it's a pretty darn good time to buy - including those pesky investor people who have money and can pay cash for houses, thus defeating all us loan-getters. But hey - we did get pre-approved for the loan and everything, which is positive news. And we've got some good help on our side. And we've spent some fun, HOT days walking through lots of houses! And...you didn't get this from me...but it is very possible that we have actually bought a house! They've accepted our offer and everything. We're just waiting to make sure everything goes through correctly. Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh say, can you see...

(*note: You have to sing this part. You have to. End note*)

Oh say, can you see,
By the bright Utah sun
All those people in Richfield,
The parade marching by?
The weather is nice
And when the parade's done
They'll all eat with their families-
Hot dogs and apple pie.
And later that night
Everyone will get a fright
When Dallin and his brother
Have a firework fight.
Oh say, can you think of a
Better place worth stopping by
Than lovely Richfield, Utah
On the 4th of July?!

That was fun.

Anyway, we went to Richfield again for the 4th. Good times, good weather, good company. I love getting to see our Harris family! I also love that the Richfield Wal-Mart sells caffeine-free Dr. Pepper. We may or may not have bought a couple cases.

Pictures of this trip are scarce. Man, I hope you people have good imaginations.

New Addition

The Harris household as you know it is plus one as of last week! Meet Dayton Harris!


Who did you think I was talking about?

This is Dallin's brother. He just graduated from high school in Washington and is now living with us before he leaves on his mission in about a year. We'll only actually be living with him for a month or so - just until we get into our new house. He'll stay at the condo and keep an eye on things here for us.

New Addition #2

This one is still to come, obviously. He and I are both getting bigger every day. I finally found my cord to connect my camera to my computer, so I can show you that belly picture we took a couple weeks ago:


but I think this one might be a little outdated already. Maybe in a few more weeks you'll get to see what I look like today.

Baby has eased off my sciatic nerve, thank goodness. My back still hurts, but it's kind of more of a general pain that I was expecting to have anyway. Just kind of stiff and tired feeling. Kind of like the rest of me.

And also, just so you don't walk away thinking we are enitrely normal people with entirely normal lives...


MOOOO.

We dressed up like cows last night.
Because it was Cow Appreciation Day.
And Chick-Fil-A gave free food to everyone cool enough to show their appreciation for cows by dressing up like one.

We may have looked like idiots.
But we were cheap idiots.

Well, that's probably about all the excitement you can handle right now, am I right?

Until next time, go hug a cow.

Working Woman

I'm sure most of you have heard by now. I mean, this is big news - I don't know how you haven't heard, if you haven't. I figure you've at least seen the billboard I commissioned. Anyway...

I quit the bank.

It just wasn't worth it anymore, I tell you. Not worth it! Unhappiness was oozing out of my ears and making messes all over the place.


So I've been gone for about a month now. It's beautiful, man. I've even stopped yelling (or at least wanting to yell) at complete strangers because they are making/have made/were going to make my life completely miserable at the bank. Also, birds sing. They sing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in the back of my head whenever I don't have anything else to think about. It's quite magical.



Of course, quitting left me without a job. And I needed a job. I needed a job that would give me a lot of work - full time work, to be exact, since we are trying to qualify for a new house. I thought I'd get there with American Eagle, where I've been (off and on, part time) for about 3 years now. But, uh, no. Not even close. Not even close to close. It kind of pissed me off, to be honest....

So there I was, needing a job that would (1) give me at least 40 hours a week, (2) hire me like, right away, (3) not be completely miserable and horrific, and (4) wouldn't mind that I was (a) pregnant, and (b) probably going to leave the job after the summer since I am (i) having a baby and (ii) going back to grad school in August.

I got discouraged. This did not seem possible. Dallin, however, remained the picture of positivity, and spread the word to everyone we know - and their mothers - that I was on the hunt.

Turns out, it's a good thing word got to the mothers.

Enter our lovely friends John and Ceri. Ceri's parents run a Montessori preschool in Chandler, and they had been having "problems" (mysterious, deep-dark problems...I don't ask) with their office manager. Well, something(s?) happened to push everyone over the edge, and the school was left without an office manager right before the beginning of summer school.

40 hours a week. Starting right away. Paying me enough. Not needing to carry me over into the fall semester. At a preschool - and I'm going into Early Childhood Education.

Prayers. Are. Answered.

I've been at the school for only a few days, but so far, it has been a fantastic job! I'm doing my best to learn everything, and they're being very patient with me. The people are great, and I get to do a lot of organizational type stuff, which keeps me busy and helps me feel all neat and accomplished. I also get to spend a little time with the kiddos, which is FUN!

*Side note*: I am not making this job sound great just because I know the people I work with read my blog (hi guys!). If you think I am, come talk to me personally to get the "real story." I will then proceed to re-tell you everything I have written here, since it is all true. *End side note.*

The point is, this is exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. It's amazing how things turn out for the best when you have a few good friends, a little positivity, and a whole lotta faith.

Or at least, when your husband has them. Dang, I got me a good man.

I Like to Move It, Move It

The key word in this post's title is "it." Without the "it," you just have "I like to move, move."

And I don't. But I did. We did. Move, that, is.

Yes, we have moved out of our apartment! It was bittersweet for me. I mean, that was our first home! So many memories. Dallin doesn't really get sentimental about moving, change, etc. But I do. Our lease doesn't officially end for a few more days...I'll probably drag Dallin over there to "say goodbye" with me.

*tear*

Ok so on to the new place...

Dallin bought a condo before we got married. He lived in it until we got married, renting out the extra space to some friends. It is an excellent rental property - 3 bed, 3 bath, very close to ASU and shopping and fun things like that, close to the freeway, etc. The problem is, with summer here, everyone kind of goes every which way, leaving empty spots in the condo, which costs us. We figure if we're going to be paying for it, we might as well be living in it.

And here we are.

Moving went very well. We had a TON of help (THANK YOU!) which was doubly excellent seeing as how I couldn't do/really didn't feel like doing much with this fetus sucking my energy. But seriously - we were moved fast and it was awesome.

So, how is the place you wonder?

Remember how I mentioned there were college guys living here? Well, there were. 6 of them.

6 of them.

We got to spend several days cleaning out all of the junk that had been left behind, including (but not limited to) clothes, dishes, food, furniture, an sports equipment.

We (Dallin) have worked hard at patching up holes in walls (some fairly large ones) and fixing/replacing broken hardware type things (fans, lights, tubs, sinks, closet bars, the gate, etc.)

Also, there is a cockroach infestation. In the kitchen. In the kitchen, people. Those little (insert appropriate cuss word here, plural form) are everywhere. I have no idea what to do with our food! The fridge stuff is safe, but I don't want to put all the dry stuff in the cupboards! We've sprayed twice and while most of the we find now are dead (much better than alive), we are still findind waaaay too many for my comfort.

Hence, for dinner tonight I am having a lot of Doritos out of a bag I just barely bought. The baby loves it.

Anyway, sorry to complain. Blessings are abundant and I really shouldn't let this stuff get me down.

Except the cockroaches. I mean, how am I supposed to save money and eat healthier when I can't even cook? Dallin went to Jack in the Box at midnight last night for me because I couldn't bring myself to eat my own food!

Throw in some paint/Raid fumes, and I feel sorry for my unborn child...even if I am wearing a mask half the time.

Sigh...this too shall pass, right? Accentuate the positive!

p.s. I'll have to post some pictures of what we've done with the place. It really will be sweet once we're finished!

p.p.s. I typed this whole post with one hand, fyi. My other fingers are for Dorito-eatin. I amaze myself.

The Case of the Disappearing Belly

MISSING:

One pregnant looking stomach.

Last seen: last night

Last seen with: Dallin and Katie

If you have any information, please contact us. We're not putting our phone number on the internet, duh. You're reading our blog. Contact us that way.

Ok but seriously...

I wake up, and my body looks like it doesn't even know what the word "pregnant" means, let alone that it has been experiencing it for 14 weeks.

But by bedtime, after a day's worth of eating and drinking, I look like this:


And even though I know this little pooch could still easily be interpreted as "Whoa. She's put on some pounds." instead of "Hey! A pregnant lady!" you gotta start somewhere.

Really, I'm ready for this come-and-go belly to become a perma-pooch. As it is, I end up just feeling really fat and bloated after I eat. Which is pretty annoying.

In other non-pregnancy news...we GRADUATED! Stay tuned for a post on that...I gotta get some pics from my mom's camera first.

But hey- it's summer! I love summer. Summer and I go waaaay back. It is a deep and abiding friendship that I can't wait to develop further this year.

Oh. Develop. My belly needs to do that.

Sigh.

Mother's Day-slash-Anniversary

That's right.

Mother's Day this year - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - marked the one year anniversary of this happiness:

Ah. Bliss.

Seriously, this year has been amazing. I love my husband with all my heart. I know he loves me too. And I'm so excited for the rest of our very own eternity. I'm sure there are many surprises in store...

like the one we experienced last Saturday.

I say "we," because apparently Dallin had no idea what was going on either. We were in this together, saving the world - or at least the President.

Let me explain.

So Saturday morning, Dallin made breakfast. I came to sit down to eat, and noticed an envelope with my name on it sitting on my plate.

"What's that?" Dallin asked.
"Oh, I don't know," I said jokingly, sure it was a love letter from him as usual.
"Well open it," he said.

I argued that it would probably make me cry, and I'd rather do that alone, but at his urging, I opened it. I was glad I did.

It was a letter from none other than Jack Bauer - who, in case you've missed out on one of the best television shows to ever exist, is a special agent involved in thwarting attacks on our country. He's pretty much a stud.

So Jack told me that he was working with the government to rescue the President, who was being held hostage. There were all kinds of details in there, but basically, they wanted my help.

I was given an address and told to go there to do some research. We left immediately (obviously, since this is pretty top priority stuff). With the help of our handy-dandy iphone (which we named Chloe - which all you 24 fans should get), we reached the designated location. It was a Barnes and Noble (to research - obviously!). After a few minutes in the store, we were approached by a contact that presented me with an envelope. This had a B&N gift card in it, along with the address of our next location.

The letter told us we were going to be doing some physical training, so we went home for a bit to change. Then with Chloe's help, we reached the next destination - an incredibly nice gym. I'd told Dallin I was thinking about getting a gym membership so I could stay relatively fit during my pregnancy. We toured the place (did I mention- incredible?) before our tour guide informed me that I was already a member there! Woot! So we hung out there for a while, went swimming and stuff, and then it was time to move on to the next location.

All I knew here was that I needed to pick up a package. It happened to be a flower shop, and waiting for me was a lovely bouquet of hot pink roses and daisies! I. LOVE. FLOWERS.


From there, we were told that we would have to meet up with some contacts. Ultimately, we were hunting down a guy named Victor Creed. The next address led us to a restaurant where we had some yummy dinner, and our waiter brought an envelope with another letter and movie tickets inside. "Wolverine!" YES.


So we went and saw "Wolverine." The bad guy's name? Victor Creed.

Of course, he was defeated. Day saved. Problem solved.

My last envelope included some "Thank you coupons" from the government as tokens of appreciation. These will give me future opportunities to get massages, hand off dinner preparation, and send my dutiful husband out to get some strange food I'm craving at any and all hours.

One coupon made me a promise - that our family would take a vacation together every year. This is something that's very important to me, since my family has always tried to do it in the past, so it means a lot to me to be carrying it over to the future!

I can't believe I got so lucky. How many guys put this much thought into a present? This guy is THE BOMB.

Or Weapon XI. Whichever you prefer.

Holla!

Ok, so the bridal shower was a success. At least, I think it was a success. If you were there, please tell me it was a success. Thanks.

In honor of the fun bridal shower games, I thought we'd play a little blogging game. This game is called "You might be _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ if..." Ready? Here we go!

You might be _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ if....

You avoid drinking orange juice because it hurts when it comes back up.

You're still tired after 10 hours of sleep.

You can't cook/smell/look at raw beef. You just can't.

You strongly feel that smells of all kinds should be outlawed. Like, legally not allowed to exist.

You hear a sad song and it makes you cry.

You hear a happy song and it makes you cry.

You can't be on time to your first class of the day.

You've outgrown your sports bra.

You go to the doctor, they stick a gel-covered probe up your (whoa!), and suddenly, you're checking this out on a monitor:

If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. They'll probably tell you the same thing they told me: that you're:

HOLY CRAP I'M PREGNANT.

It's true! I'm about 10 weeks along and we are beyond excited for our new addition due November 14! Yes, I love to complain about being tired and hungry and sick and all that, but really, I could not be happier about this miracle that is going to bless our little family. And Dallin? Well let's just say that half of you reading this probably have already heard our big news, and that it most likely came from someone that Dallin just couldn't wait to tell. He's been busting more than I have!

So there you have it- in another 6 1/2 months there will be a mini-Katie or mini-Dallin that you will be forced to look at pictures/videos at on this very blog. I mean, not that you won't want to, since this kid is gonna be hot stuff...but you know. YAY!

Also, if you're upset that this wasn't actually a game, I'm sorry. I've already repented of my dishonesty. Now it's up to you to forgive.

Chichen Itza

For those of you who don't recognize the name...maybe you'll recognize the place?

If that still doesn't do it for you...WIKIPEDIA.

Also, to help you out with pronunciation...wikipedia gives this lovely contraption: /tʃiːˈtʃɛn iːˈtsɑː/.

If you know what to make of that...good for you.

We only had a couple days in Cancun, and Chichen Itza is like the biggest thing to do there, so we figured we just had to squeeze it in. We took off on Valentines morning to go check out these ancient Mayan ruins. It is amazing to walk around and think about people actually living and working in this city that is now basically crumbling stone.

"Let's see...where was that massive pyramid thing? I could have sworn I just saw it..."

The thousand columns

Ancient Mayan tic-tac-toe. Looks like the Os won.

There were lizards like this ALL OVER the place. I steered clear while Dallin got as close as possible to take pictures.

El cenote- used for religious and (depending on which tour guide you have) sacrificial purposes.

**side note: Dallin would not give me the camera. That's why I'm in all the pictures and he's in like, none. Side note over.

The famous Mayan Ball Game court. I have no idea how they got a ball through that circle using only their elbows, hips, and knees. Could they fly? They must have flown.

Finally! Proof that Dallin was there!

Anyway, this was a great little trip. We got back and Dallin and his bro rented some jet skis, while I took the calmer route and hung out on the beach. Hey, I even got to see a V-day wedding on the beach. Coolness.

Later that night, all of us went out to eat at Outback (American-ish, I know. Don't hate). This is the only picture I have:

And then we went to the only laundromat we could find, since Dallin's aunt and uncle had some laundry to do.

It was a little sketchy lookin, but it got the job done!

Since it was Valentine's Day, Dallin and I romantified our night a bit by taking a moonlit stroll on the beach. Ah, that's life.

The next day was Sunday, so we ventured off to church. We found a ward meeting at a good time, and joined them for sacrament meeting. It was pretty sweet, and I was very proud that I actually understood most of the talks. Ole!

After that, we hunted down one of Dallin's old mission companions, and they chatted for a while while the rest of us met some of the other members of his ward.

All too soon, it was time to go back to the airport.

The trip home was a little boring...we didn't have any problems getting on the plane or switching around luggage or anything. Where's the fun in that right? Also, we were flying standby and the plane was fairly full so we didn't get to sit next to each other. Boo. That gave me plenty of time to get some reading done for school. Yeah, The Autobiography of Malcolm X was just what I wanted to do with those 4 hours.

So that was our trip! It was fantastic. It was pretty short, yes, but it was a wonderful getaway and it was great as always to get to see my in-laws! We are grateful to them for letting us mooch off their vacation.

And now the saga of my trip from almost a month ago is complete. Holla! Maybe next time I'll write about something a little more recent...I guess we'll see.

Cancun!

After the adventure that was getting there, we made it to Cancun!

Initial reaction- humid. Hair's initial reaction to humidity- go completely limp. It was ugly, people. Let me tell you.

Dallin haggled en espanol to find us the cheapest possible ride to the cheapest possible halfway decent hotel. Dallin and our shuttle driver conversed en espanol for most of the 20 minute drive, and (prepare to be amazed) I actually understood most of it! I guess those 3 years of Spanish in high school stuck with me pretty well (Gracias, Senora Roth!).

We arrived at the Hotel Handall, a...charming...little place that would cost us about 550 pesos and some severe back pain. All part of the cultural experience.

After some fantastic food and a little sightseeing, we "settled" down for the night. As much as you can "settle" on a bed that's sitting on a block of cement.

Dallin got us some pastries from the grocery store for breakfast, and then we packed up to make our way to the Hotel Zone along the beach, to meet up with Dallin's family at the Hilton. Needless to say, the Hilton was a small step up from the Handall:

The beach was calling me, so we took a walk

Dallin bought these sunglasses off a Mexican's face. Literally. We looked for one of those beach vendor people selling sunglasses, but we couldn't find any. So we asked another guy selling candy or something where we could find some. He said they were a little ways away, but he'd be happy to sell his sunglasses. He wanted too much for his, but his amigo wanted 5 bucks. Sold. True story.

Love this sign.

This cup of Sprite at the hotel's pool bar cost us 4 bucks. But hey, we had to have something to wash down the 10-inch, $10 pizza. Sheesh.

We met up with Dallin's family, got them settled into their rooms, and went out to eat. Later, Dallin, his brother Dayton, and I hung out at a shopping mall-esque thing, and Dallin and Dayton got to wrestle in a big plastic ball...

Don't ever do this. Dayton ended up throwing up. Not in the ball, thank goodness...but still. They were both sick for like, the rest of the night.

So that was our first night and full day in Cancun! Tune in next time for...Chichen Itza!

Spring Break = Time = Blog

Love Spring Break.

And you know, with my pending GRADUATION and all, this will actually be my lastest Spring Break ever. Henceforth, in devotion and future memoriam, I am capitalizing Spring Break even though I'm not sure if it is supposed to be capitalized or not. Spring Break!

Although...if you can believe it and promise not to hate...Dallin and I have kinda sorta already had a very Spring Break-ish vacay. Valentines Day weekend, my super-hubby surprised me with a trip to Cancun! CANCUN, people! Dallin's family had a trip to Cancun planned for a while, so we just decided to step right in and join them while they were there. This was not a mistake.

So...getting there is half the fun. Or so they say. Sometimes getting there is all the fun. Sometimes getting there is a very small part of the fun. And sometimes, getting there is not very much fun at all.

Being a girl who was about to be in Cancun for 3 days, I, of course, packed for about 7 days. So, also of course, I needed a big suitcase. It wasn't stuffed, thank you very much, but it was...pretty full. So we show up at the airport about 1 1/2 hours before our flight with my big suitcase, Dallin's little suitcase, my semi-large tote bag thing, and Dallin's backpack. 35 minutes later, we have made our way through the check in line, only to be told that we are 5 minutes too late to check any bags. I believe that was the airport lady's way of saying "Bah Humbug to Cancun!"

After a few minutes of frantic running around trying to find a way to get the big suitcase on the plane, Dallin came up with a solution that I found quite inconvenient at the time, but now recognize as brilliant. We go by the elevators, take everything out of the big suitcase, and somehow- somehow- cram it all into the small suitcase, backpack, and semi-large tote bag thing, all of which were already fairly full. We left anything with a substantial amount of liquid in it in the large suitcase, since we wouldn't be able to carry that stuff on. This required a tearful parting with my hairspray. It just hates being alone...

So what to do with the big suitcase containing only things with substantial amounts of liquid in them? Why, leave it on the baggage claim, of course! Honestly, I don't recommend doing this. I am surprised that an unlabeled, untagged suitcase hanging unclaimed around the airport was not carefully examined by someone wearing rubber gloves before it was burned. My mom just swung by the airport later in the day and picked it up. No biggie. Huh. Who knew?

So we made the flight! It was close, but dude, we were so on it.

I think I'll use this as a metaphor for my next sacrament meeting talk: If someone tells you you can't take your "baggage" on the flight to heaven, get rid of it and leave it on the baggage claim.

Yeah, it could use some work.

Trip details in next post. This one's long enough...plus I gotta keep you coming back!

Love Story

Disclaimer: If you are a woman who has ever been upset with her husband for anything related to his lack of cuteness, creativity, or thoughtfulness, DO NOT READ. I will not be responsible for renewed marriage troubles. Disclaimer over.

Do I ever stop writing about how amazing my husband is? Why no, thanks for asking.

Tomorrow, the 13th day of February in the year of our Lord 2009, marks the 1 year anniversary of me and The Precious. Here is a picture of us:

This was our "Be hard core" picture. Oh, aren't we cute?!

Here is the story of how The Precious and I came to be together.

I was at work on a typical Wednesday, when my manager informed me I would be leaving early. Woo hoo! No arguments there. I called my studly boyfriend Dallin on my way home, and he suggested we make the most of the extra time to hang out a bit. We had been dating for a few months, and were very much in love, you see. So I hurried over to his place.

We were there for a little while when Dallin got a phone call. He got off the phone and said he had to go out to the East Valley to pick something up for work. He asked me if I would like to come along. I say sure.

So we drive. We go pick up a CD or brochure or something, and start making our way back. This route brought us in the general area of Falcon Field airport. Dallin started talking (again) about how awesome it would be to get a pilot's license. He talks about this a lot. Being where we were, he suggested we stop in somewhere so he could get some more info about how to go about fulfilling this dangerous dream. I thought this was a silly idea (mostly because I don't approve of this dream), but he really wanted to, so we did.

We choose a "random" place, go inside, and Dallin starts talking to an instructor and student there. I walk around and check the place out while their talking dollars and hours and whatever else. As we're about to leave, the guy says "You know, we were just about to take a quick practice flight up to Sedona. There's room if you guys want to ride along." Dallin had class. I had homework. I was terrified. We said sure.

The plane didn't start right away. How does it feel to be sitting in a plane that won't start right away? It feels like you don't want to be sitting in a plane that won't start right away. I was about to voice as much when we got the thing running. And we flew! It was beautiful. Scary. Loud. But beautiful.

We landed in Sedona, and it was cold! Dallin had brought his sweatshirt, and I put it on. The pilot said he was going to go visit a friend up there real quick, so we had half an hour or so to do as we wished. We went for a walk. We went to this beautiful lookout that we had visited when we went to Sedona when we first started dating.

The sun was setting. I was holding the hand of the boy I loved. The boy I loved laughed.

"So do you know why we came here?"

"Huh?"

"You getting off work early. Us having to go pick something up at Andrew's. A pilot just randomly offering us a flight..."

"Dallin-what?"

"I brought you here so I could ask you to be my wife."

I cried. He cried. Some random lady said "Say yes!" (I hate you, if you're reading this. Moment ruiner.)

"Will you marry me?"

I said yes. He didn't hear. He bent down to get something out of his shoe. Enter The Precious. It was tied to his shoelace. I didn't look at it. I put it on.

"So is that a yes?" (Told you he hadn't heard me)

"YES!"

We hugged. We kissed. We cried. We laughed. We called our families. My family was on their way up to meet us for dinner, which Dallin had arranged. I called my girlfriends and squealed. I finally looked at my ring.

We had not gone ring shopping. I wanted a surprise. Dallin had asked my best friend what I had wanted, and she helped him with some ideas. He picked it out on his own. The Precious fits me perfectly. It is the most perfect ring I have ever seen.

Dallin loves me like crazy. I couldn't tell you why. But The Precious reminds me every day that this incredible boy asked me to be with him for eternity.

That's my love story.

24

On January 24, 1985, my favorite person was born.

This guy.

Of course, he didn't look like this when he was born. He probably wasn't wearing the tux, anyway.

For all you math-minded people: 2009 - (as in minus) 1985 = 24!

24 on the 24th. Golden Birthday. This is what I was dealing with.

So we had some friends over the night before the big day for pizza and such. Also, there may or may not have been a craps table involved. May or MAY NOT, people. Don't jump to conclusions, please. We had a grand old time...whatever we may or MAY NOT have done....

The morning of the main event, we slept in. Love sleeping in. I think this has rubbed of a bit on Dallin, too. When we did get up, I made him his favorite breakfast (crepes and bacon. We love bacon.) and we played some Mario Kart on the wii we borrowed from my parents. I also gave him a coupon book, giving him coupons to make me do things I should do anyway. After a pretty lazy afternoon, we met up with my parents and little sister for something that you might not be expecting:

Oh yeah - MONSTER JAM, BABY!

My mom saw tickets for this thing a little while ago, and thought it might be fun to go for Dallin's birthday, so go we did! Along with tons of other people. And these weren't just any people. No. These were Monster Jam people. These were get a tattoo of Grave Digger people. These were give your kid a mullet people. These people had character. They made the whole experience, really.

Other things that helped with the experience:

mov03322

mov03351

mov03337

Good times.

I love my 24 year old hubby. He is the best there is and I'm grateful that I got to celebrate another birthday with him, and that I get to celebrate several more with him. Happiness abounds!

Since I titled this post 24, I feel I should also mention that I love the tv show 24, and feel complete now that it is the 24 season once again. GO GET THOSE TERRORISTS, JACK!!

My other favorite show is Gilmore Girls. Paradox much?

In other news, our blog (on blogspot) is pink. Don't tell Dallin. I think it is Valentines-y, obviously. He would think it was...pink.

Also, my comments are being trippy! I have approved several comments on a couple posts, and yet the page insists on not showing them! What am I doing wrong, blog?! Tell me! People are going to think I'm a loser without blog comments! But anyway, if you've commented and don't see your comment, it is not because I did not approve of your comment. It is also not because I hate you. I hate pretty much no one.

And I especially hate pretty much no one that reads my blog. Group hug!