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.