Cali/Disneyland

We headed off for California Sunday night. We hung out on Monday, and hit up Disneyland on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I lo-lo-lo-lo-ve Disneyland. You know this.

I even loved Disneyland while pregnant (and therefore unable to go on the "big" rides). That is true love.

It was pretty darn busy, since it was AZ's spring break and all, but we still had a great time!





















-Yes, I got Madelyn one of those "backpack leash" things. The girl would usually rather walk than be carried or pushed in her stroller. Crazy? Yes. True? Also yes.

-We finally saw World of Color. It = AMAZING.

-Maddy loves Coke/soda in general. She's totally my daughter.

-She also loves the Carousel and "It's a Small World." By the end of Small World she was waving at everything. She also quacked at anything that remotely resembled a duck.

-Maddy also helped Grandma kick everyone's trash in the interactive games (Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Mania). Seriously - they did so good.

Currently...

We're in Seattle. Well, technically, Redmond. And there's snow.

We flew up on Christmas Day.

Yes, I survived a 3+ hour flight with a 13 month old. I would say "No applause, please," but I actually think applause is pretty appropriate.

So far, we've had a great time. Lots of relaxing, movies, playing with Maddy (entertainment in and of itself), and just spending time with our family who we don't get to see very often.

And then, last night, it snowed.

So far, we have yet to actually go outside into the snow. But we are going into downtown Seattle today so we'll have to brave it!

It looks so cold. I don't know how you snow people do it.

Hopefully I'll actually pull my camera out for the next few days while we are here so I can show you what we're up to. Don't stake all your happiness on it or anything...just...hopefully.

I hope you all are enjoying your Christmas/New Year's week!

Dam Jenna

If any of you have ever made the drive from Arizona to Utah, you'll know that you have to pass over the Glen Canyon Dam.

And if you've ever driven over a dam, you've probably made a dam joke.

You know what I'm talking about....the dam Visitor's Center, the dam tourists, the dam tour guide, dam pictures, etc.

Wellllll...

on our trip to Utah earlier this month, we were driving over the dam and snickering at the dam wordplay.

"Watch out for all these dam tourists on the road!"

"Anyone need to use the bathroom? We could stop at the dam visitor's center!"

And so on. So hilarious.

Just as we were crossing the dam, my sister Sarah's phone rang. It was our other sister, Jenna. While I was obviously not a participating member of the conversation, I still got the idea, and have reconstructed said conversation here:

S: Hi Jenna.
J: Hi Sarah. How's the drive?
S: Good.
J: Where you guys at?
S: Just driving over the dam.
J: Oh really? Cool. Well I'm calling to see if I can borrow your dam car. (She was no doubt chuckling at her cleverness.)
S: .....
J: .....
S: Jenna, you can't say -
J: But I need to borrow your car! Are you still at the dam? Where are your dam keys?
S: Jenna! Just because we're at the dam doesn't mean you can put "dam" in front of everything!
J: Oh. Well, can I borrow your car?

Bahahahaha. I sort of thought this was hilarious.

But perhaps you have to know my lovely sister Jenna to really appreciate it. You know, the girl who was sure that the phrase "might as well" was actually "mineaswell" (one word), who was convinced that she was stuck in an elevator before realizing (after 15 minutes) that she hadn't pushed the button, and who asked if a football game would still be considered an "upset" if everyone was happy about it.

Those are just some of my favorite Jenna-isms. I just love her to pieces.

xoxo

Leaves

Since we last met, Dallin and I have taken a trip to Utah.

That's right - Dallin and I.

No baby. No. Baby.

It seems odd even saying it now.

Dallin had a mission reunion the first weekend in October, and since we have not been to a single one of his mission reunions yet, we decided to go to this one.

(Maddy stayed with Grandma. Was it hard? Yes. Was it nice? Yes. Was it hard? Yes. Did I really ask "Was it hard?" twice? Yes.)

And since the reunion was the same weekend as General Conference, we decided to go to that as well.

And since we like my sister and her boyfriend, we decided to invite them along.

We drove up all day Friday. Dallin's mission reunion was Friday night and I'm so glad we went! It was great to finally meet some of the people that have had such an impact on his life.

We were actually able to get in the Conference Center for both sessions on Saturday, which was awesome, considering we didn't find tickets until we got there. Dallin and my sister's beau were able to get into the Priesthood session as well, while my sis and I hit up Gateway Mall with the rest of the women in Utah...including our lovely cousin Cathy!

No, I did not take any pictures of this. You will just have to take my word for it. Especially the part about Cathy being lovely, because that's just crazy true.

Anyway, on Sunday, we watched the morning session at Dallin's aunt and uncle's house (where we were staying) and then we got packed up and headed home. Which brings me to the real purpose of this post.

We decided to take an extra 45 minutes or so and take the scenic route via the Nebo Loop. We could just tell that the fall leaves would be incredible, and we weren't disappointed!

(Please note: pretty much every one of the following pictures was taken out of a car window. Awesome.)

(Just ignore the pizza, if you can. Unless you work for Little Caesar's, in which case - this is an advertisement and I expect compensation.)





The next one is my favorite...

Ah. Yellow.

Well, some of you might not find these pictures that impressive, but for those of us who do not really get to see fall colors in our natural habitat, it was awesome.

Sometimes, it's worth taking the long way home.

Because it wouldn't feel like summer without it

A trip to California, that is.

We decided sort of last-minute-ly to meet my mom and siblings in California for a little overnight stay.

They were going to Disneyland Thursday and Friday and then the beach on Saturday. Since Disneyland isn't exactly in the financial cards for us right now, we drove up Friday evening, spent Friday night walking around Downtown Disney, and then went to the beach with them on Saturday before driving home.

Or, to clarify, Dallin and I spent Friday night walking around Downtown Disney. Madelyn, being the little person that she is, gets into Disneyland free, so my mom met us outside Disneyland and took Maddy on some of the rides while we ate and explored. So yes, my baby did just go to Disneyland without me. And yes, I am jealous.

Anyway, I was positively determined to get some pictures of our trip, so now you get to see them!

Maddy loves shoulder rides from Daddy...and just loves Daddy in general.

She also liked trying on hats at the World of Disney store.

Arriving at Newport Beach! I know it's crazy popular, and it was really crowded (and hard to park), but man is it pretty!

Hanging out with Aunt Sarah on the beach. Yeah, Maddy is in a onesie, not a swimsuit. I was planning on more of a "walk around the boardwalk" day at the beach rather than a "play in the sand and water" day at the beach, but whatev.

She loved the sand, but wasn't sure about the (very cold) water.

Maddy loves G!

Aaaand, a family picture.

So there you have it. One fun-filled Harris family vacation! We have finally experienced summer...just in time for school to start next week.

Thanks for reminding me.

Utah in Tens

Rather than give you a play-by-play breakdown of each and every minute of our past 10 days in Utah, I thought I'd condense things a little bit and just make a Top 10 list for each of us. You are so welcome.

Dallin's Top 10 of Utah 2010 (in no particular order)

1. Cherry Hill (emphasis on Cardiac Canyon)
2. Stadium of Fire (emphasis on F-16 flyover and massive Eagle Court of Honor)
3. Temple Square (emphasis on new Salt Lake Temple model)
4. Squaw Peak (ooh la la)
5. Having the chance to listen to podcasts about computer stuff
6. The talent show at the Harris family reunion
7. The traditional roman candle fight after the fireworks in Richfield
8. Visiting the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum
9. Driving golf balls at the family reunion; scaring everyone by hitting them onto the pavillion (by accident. Twice.)
10. Shooting his uncle's 9mm. Also twice.

Katie's Top 10 of Utah 2010 (also in no particular order)
1. Stadium of Fire (emphasis on Carrie Underwood and fireworks)
2. Razzleberry pie with Farr's vanilla ice cream at Cherry Hill
3. The ride "Wicked" at Lagoon
4. Looking at the stars at the family reunion
5. Having no cell service at the family reunion (it was nice to truly be away!)
6. Having time to "candy read" (Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield)
7. Fabulous Utah food, including J-Dawgs, Farr's, and Maddox Drive-In
8. Having lots of help with the baby
9. Cherry Hill (emphasis on Cardiac Canyon and mini golf)
10. Seeing our family

Madelyn's Top 10 of Utah 2010 (perhaps in particular order...I tried to ask her and didn't get much of a response.)

1. Getting to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed sometimes because I made a fuss about sleeping in my pack-n-play.
2. My 4th of July outfit(s)
3. Being held by lots of different people
4. Sleeping in the car
5. Waking up in a new place almost every day
6. The finale of the fireworks show in Richfield
7. Splashing around in kiddie pools at Cherry Hill and Lagoon-A-Beach
8. Tasting everyone's ice cream at Farr's
9. Really working on my first tooth
10. Being told how adorable I am over and over

As usual, I totally slacked on taking pictures. Half the time, the camera would get left in the car so if there was something I really wanted a picture of, I had to use my phone. The above pictures were taken with my phone, so I guess it isn't that bad. Of course, I find it hard to believe that any picture of this girl could be anything but freakin adorable.

So anyway, we had a spectacular vacation and 4th! It was nice to get away and spend lots of time with each other and with our family!

Maddy Meets Disney

Madelyn's first trip to Disneyland was the start of a beautiful relationship, I'm sure.

In case you live under a rock, I love Disneyland. Mucho. It is just a place of happiness. Happy happiness. Which is the best kind of happiness. Call me silly or childish or trite or whatever, but Disneyland totally rocks in my book.

So, without further ado, here is a bum-load of pictures from our Disneyland trip. Try to not completely eat your heart out because of all the cuteness that is my child.

First time in the park. She was sleeping but we had to get a picture of the momentous-ness (duh):

Waiting in line for her first ride: Pirates!

In line for the Haunted Mansion, aka the Nap Ride:

One of the smartest things about Disneyland: they have stationary ride cars for picture taking. Genius.

Uncle Kyle had to try on the sunglasses of stylish-ness:

Mom/Grandma got chosen to participate in the show. She made a great bank teller

See? Stationary teacups too. We didn't actually go on the teacups with Maddy...I didn't want to take any chances.

Seahorse even got to come to Disneyland!

The closest she got to Soarin Over California:

I love her face in this one with my little sis:

I got a sweet baby carrier that she liked to be carried in. She fell asleep more than once in that thing.

Her face in this one says to me: "Holy crap I've got to get off this thing!"

I love this one. It's on the Casey Jr. train

In front of the castle! Classic D-Land pic.

Going on her favorite ride - It's a Small World - with Grandma and cousin Carson. She could just stare at everything going on in that ride aaaaallll day.

She really, really wanted that popcorn.

Last but not least - she really likes when we make "Donald Duck noises" at her, so we had to get a picture with him! He couldn't talk though, so bummer.

So, in closing, I'd like to thank Dallin, my mom and siblings, Walt Disney, spring break, and the universe for making this trip (a) possible and (b) totally awesome.

Maddy is already begging to go back.

How to Get Nothing Done

Step 1: Feed the baby

Step 2: Hold the baby until she falls asleep

Step 3: Set the baby down

Step 4: Spend the 5 minutes you have running around like crazy - rotate the laundry, clean at random, and if you're really daring...eat.

Step 5: Go pick up the fussing baby.

Step 6: Lather.

Step 7: Rinse.

Step 8: Ignore steps 6 & 7 since they actually have nothing to do with anything.

Step 9: Repeat.

My baby loves to be held.

She will smile and coo. She will just lay still and look at me. She will sleep for hours on end (like really). She will do all these things...as long as I'm holding her.

If I'm not holding her, I usually have very few minutes to get x project/task done.

The exception is if she's swaddled and completely, totally, 100% asleep. I save this special combo for nighttime.

Moral of the story: If you want to get things done, don't have kids.

Um...ok, sadness. Scratch that.

New moral of the story since the last one sucked: Put off what you think you need to get done and hold your kids whenever they'll let you. Especially while they're little babies. And especially if you happen to have the cutest daughter in the world...which you don't, because I do.

Ok, so I'm probably exaggerating (not about the cutest daughter in the world thing...ha!). Madelyn doesn't need to be held 24/7. She'll chill on our bed while I get ready in the morning. She'll hang out on a blanket on the floor at Grandma's. She'll sit/sleep in her glider type thing so Daddy can watch her while he works. She'll stay nice and content in her car seat for long periods of time while we're out running errands.

So I guess maybe the point is that I freak out too much about getting laundry/cleaning/grocery shopping done. Psh, don't we all?

Also, on a narrative note, we had a fantastic holiday week, and hope you did too! We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house; it consisted of Dallin doing the Christmas Can-Can and yours truly being Santa Claus in the annual Christmas play. We spent most of Christmas day there as well, opening presents (wait till I tell you what Dallin gave me...it made me go "Aww" and possibly cry), eating a yummy breakfast, and relaxing, before going home to pack for our trip. We flew up to Seattle on Christmas night to spend a week with Dallin's family. New Year's Eve was spent mostly at their house...until 11:00 when I decided I didn't want to be old and boring yet and made Dallin take me somewhere. We ended up watching the Space Needle fireworks from a groovy spot across the Puget Sound. Smooching may have been involved.

And now, on with a new week, a new month, and a new year!

Here's something to get you through your Madelyn fix:


Her cheeks are totally chubifying. You can practically pinch them through your computer screen. But I wouldn't recommend trying. Unless you're totally alone. Double check, and then go ahead and try.

Flying with a Newborn

So. I had to take my baby on a plane.

On the evening of Christmas Day, we took off to travel to Seattle to visit Dallin's family for a week.

I basically had a nervous breakdown.

No, seriously, I was in tears as the plane took off.

I have no idea why...except that I had never been so incredibly worried about anything in my entire life.

Worried about what, you might ask? Oh, you know...whether or not we'd have to check the car seat; getting past security with all our extra stuff (including bottles); having to hold the baby the entire time; the baby crying for the whole trip; the pressure change bugging her so that she cried louder/harder; having to feed her; having to change her; having her spit up or blow out or emit some other kind of liquid that had to be cleaned up immediately; the fact that the plane might crash...you know.

Well, you know what happened?

Madelyn slept. THE ENTIRE TIME.

When we checked in and were told there would be extra seats so we could take her car seat right on the plane, she was asleep.

When we got to security, she was asleep.

(Until we had to take her out of her seat AND take her little boots off so they could be sure we weren't smuggling a dangerous something in our baby's baby sized boots. Sheesh. But she went back to sleep.)

During the extra 40 minutes we had to wait because our flight was delayed, she was asleep.

As we got on the plane and settled into our seats, she was asleep.

As they explained that adults traveling with children should, in the case of an unexpected pressure change, put their own oxygen masks on first before securing the child's, which I completely ignored as I realized if that happened I would not be able to breathe at all and so would be just as well off giving my mask to Madelyn anyway...she was asleep.

As I was in tears during take-off, and as everyone's ears popped, she was asleep.

And when we landed in Seattle 3 hours later, she was still asleep.

It was hard to believe. And it's harder to believe that it will happen again when we fly home.

I guess we'll find out. Cross your fingers for me, please.

No, seriously...cross them.

Roadtrip at 37 weeks. Check.

Don't hate me because I'm crazy.

I mean, I'd rather you didn't hate me at all, but especially not because I'm crazy.

But I did just spend right around 30 hours in a car this weekend.

With one (1) pillow and four (4) men.

Applause is not necessary, but appreciated.

So yes, Friday morning, Dallin and I, along with my dad, my brother, and Dallin's brother, left for our drive to San Francisco, to see our beloved Sun Devils in action against the Stanford Cardinal.

The drive was actually pretty pleasant, and not any longer than the drive to Salt Lake, which I've made several times. Took us under 12 hours to get there, including stops to eat and everything.

Saturday, we explored the lovely city of San Francisco a little bit. It really is a nice place! Lots to see.

Lombard Street (incredibly crooked and incredibly steep. Scared the crap out of me.):


Steep hills (including a very steep one that the boys decided to race up. They all regretted it after. I died halfway up, and I was walking):


Ghirardelli Square (no, we didn't buy/eat any chocolate while here. Probably a sin of some sort. But the chocolate/ice cream shops smelled divine, and the square itself was beautiful):


Of course, we had to check out the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, this proved more difficult than you might think...

Golden Gate: attempt 1


Golden Gate: attempt 2


Golden Gate: attempt 3


Yeah, these were all taken at different times, probably over the course of 5-6 hours! The weather was perfectly clear and sunny everywhere but right around the bridge. We finally decided to drive over it, just to prove to ourselves that it actually exists. It does, by the way.

The best pics we got of it were while we were driving over it. The fog cleared considerably in the middle:

Crazy California fog...grumble.

We checked out various other highlights, including Union Square, AT&T park, and sorta-kinda Fisherman's Wharf. We also drove to neighboring cities to check out Apple and Google headquarters, as well as a history of computers museum, which was fascinating, but apparently not fascinating enough for me to take pictures...I actually think I doubted that they would let me take my camera in, so I left it in the car. But other people had cameras...but by the time I realized that, the car was so far away...

I get lazy sometimes.

Anyway, considering the fact that we only had one day to see the whole city, and that we made a couple food stops and what-not (including one at Costco...sometimes you just need a taste of home. Plus it was Saturday which equals sample day which equals bliss), I think we got a pretty good tour of the city!

And then it all went south for the winter.



I thought we were going to win this game. I really did.

We did not win this game. We did not come close to winning this game. It simply did not happen. I don't think it even thought about happening. How lazy of it.

And not only did we lose, but we had to listen to Stanford's JOKE of a marching band make fun of our school! I am not going to go into this now, since there is still more to write about the trip. I think it deserves its own post anyway. Just know that I am upset. Up. Set.

Anyway, sometimes its heartbreaking, being a Sun Devil fan. But we plow on!

(Please disregard any and all fatness, tiredness, and/or makeuplessness in this picture. At least Dallin looks good.)

My incredible slackerness as a photographer shone through the next day, when we made our way home. I didn't take a single picture. And the sad part is...we took the long way because it's prettier!

Yes, we drove home along the Pacific Coast Highway. We made our way through the Redwoods to get to the coast (holy big trees!), and then drove down it. Really gorgeous stuff!

And I didn't get a single picture.

Oh p.s....if you're going to take the PCH, make sure you have an extra six hours or so. Seriously. We left around 7:00 am, only made a couple stops (including an elephant seal infested beach, the Hearst Castle, In-n-Out, and a gas station at which we got locked out of the car and had to call AAA) and didn't get home until almost 2 in the morning!

And yet, I am here to tell the tale. Complete with baby in belly. Come bumpy, curvy roads, changes in elevation, and walking until my flip flops cried, baby stayed put. Thank goodness.

It really was a great trip. I'm glad we got to squeeze a little somethin-somethin in before we two becomes we three.

Oh yeah- did I mention that Dallin fell in love with the area and basically wants to move there? I blame it on Google.

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.

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!

I want to get away...

And I did!

As I mentioned in my Christmas post, my never-fails-to-impress husband Dallin gave me a trip to a bed and breakfast in Lakeside as a Christmas present. We were planning on leaving Sunday afternoon after church, but the news of snowy weather made us alter our plans a little bit. We left church early and stopped by my parents' house to borrow their 4wd truck, and then we were on our way!

On the road. No cars, people, or animals were harmed in the taking of this picture.

Sugar. A necessity on a roadtrip, of course.

And so we made it from the Valley rain:

to the mountain snow:

We dropped off our stuff at the amazing bed and breakfast and headed out for some Chinese food.

Dallin was a natural with the chopsticks

but Katie didn't quite...get it.

Yeah, it's ice cream.

We headed back to the B&B for some R&R. Let me show you what we were dealing with here.

Our very own living room complete with fireplace.

Our very own bedroom complete with bed.

Our very own bathroom complete with jacuzzi tub.

So...

After our very own night complete with no pictures...

We had an amazing breakfast (can you say peaches and cream french toast?), and then we ventured out into the winter wonderland to take some pictures...

And we built a snowman... without wearing gloves. Stupid? Perhaps. I only lost one finger to frostbite.

Ah, and I have to include this short video. Written by Dallin Harris, filmed/directed by Katie Harris, starring Dallin Harris, voice-overs by Katie Harris.

mov03242

Alas, all too soon it was time to head home. We got some great pictures along the way!

We also got some great burritos along the way (the Burger House in Miami...a family favorite), but I didn't take any pictures of those.

Pictures and burritos aside, it was still sad to come home from our oh-so-relaxing getaway. Perhaps I should have titled this post "I want 2 getaways..."

Funny? Yeah, didn't think so.

Also, I love my husband. This is one thoughtful man I have.

Valentine's Day, anyone?

hahaha jk...

but seriously...