News

Do you really think no news is good news?

I would submit that most of the time it is not.

Especially in blogs.

I mean, blogs are all about news, am I right? So no news isn't really the best strategy to take.

Not that no news is bad news either...it's just no news.

I mean, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. This is what my four years as an English major has taught me.

Anyway...I haven't posted in a while, but that doesn't mean there's no news. Here are some headlines from the Harris Family Gazette:

Julie Allen Marries Chris Boyster
Katie's sister Julie tied the knot on April 25, 2009 in the Mesa, Arizona temple. It was an exciting (but busy) week/weekend and we're sort of glad it's over so they can just get on with their Happily Ever After already! Reception was party-style at Dave & Busters at Tempe Marketplace.

I guess weddings are usually pretty close to the obituaries, so here's one of those:

Sunglasses Found Broken in Purse after 5 Years of Faithful Service

Katie found her absolute favorite accessory, her lovely sunglasses, broken in her purse last week. Katie says she has no idea how this tragedy occurred. Attempts to find a "replacement" pair have been, as of yet, unfruitful.

"I have no idea how this happened," Katie says. "I just can't believe it. They've been there for five years and now they're just...gone."

Katie remembers this as one of their most memorable times together:

Katie hopes to find a "replacement" soon, so that she can avoid taking more squinty pictures like this:

Local Couple Sets Record for Shortest Doctor's Visit Ever

The Harris family was stunned at the brevity of their OB-GYN appointment yesterday in Chandler, Arizona.

The appointment went something like this:

-sign in

-wait about 5 minutes

-pee in a cup

-get weighed

-sit on table

-wait for doctor and husband to arrive

-answer doctor's 2 questions

-have some jelly smeared on my tummy

-listen to baby's heartbeat!

-revel

-revel

-revel a little bit more

-have doctor tell you everything looks perfect

-make next appointment

-go home!

We were in and out in like, 20 minutes.

I suppose this is good...everything is totally normal! And the baby's heartbeat was beautiful. Gotta love the joys of pregnancy...especially when the sorrows are so...prevalent.

Katie Finds Favorite Candy on Super Sale at QuikTrip

Katie, craving one of her favorite candies the other day, went into QT to get some, since that is the only place she has ever seen them. Much to her surprise, they were not in their usual spot. With a little searching, however, she found many, many bags of Chewy Runts on sale for 25 cents a piece.

She may or may not have bought several bags. Food storage, people!

If you've never had Chewy Runts, you are indeed missing out. Call me. Perhaps I will share some of my goodness with you. But did the wise virgins share oil with the foolish ones? Nay.

Impending Graduation Cause for Great Excitement

The Harris's are more or less extremely stoked about their upcoming graduation in TWO SHORT WEEKS! Katie already has several plans that include reading books that are NOT Autobiographies of Malcolm X or anything close to the title Beloved, working a little more to make some extra moo-lah, and perhaps even making dinner a few times a week.

Hot Haircut Causes Quite a Stir

Katie, sick of having to take 30 minutes just to DRY her hair, chopped it off last Thursday. Pictures to come when I'm not feeling so ugly. (See above pictures for sneak peek!)

Whew! There certainly was news, wasn't there? I'll try not to keep you guys out of the loop for so long next time. Although I think part of me was relishing in my big announcement post.... Thinking about it even now makes me smile.

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.

Calling all women!

No, boys, this one isn't for you.

Also, if you're a boy- why are you visiting my blog anyway? Just wondering.

Ok girls, I'm in serious need of some chick advice.

My sister is getting married in a few weeks (yay, Sister!), and I am the resident Matron of Honor (yay, Me!). As such, I was given the chore task joyous responsibility of coming up with some games for us to play at her bridal shower.

I have never been part of the bridal shower planning committee.

I think I have been to...three...maybe four....bridal showers in my life. Two of them were my own.

I don't want to do all the games we did at my showers, because (duh) my sister has played them. I want to be unique, gosh dang it!

And I am currently swimming in a sea of lame ideas I got off the internet.

I think I have one game - one - that I am pretty sure we're going to use. One game is not enough, people!

Also, 70 people were invited to this bridal shower. My food-preparing grandmother and I are praying that not this many people show up...but even if they don't, we're talking a fairly large group.

So, I need game ideas. For a fairly large group. By Saturday.

No pressure, people.

I just might never speak to you again if this thing is a flop.

Also, if you know my sister and didn't get an invitation to her shower- trust me, this is a serious oversight. We probably didn't have your address. Because I'm pretty sure we covered everyone from childhood friends to random people we barely know anymore. So please don't feel bad. And if you feel like you should be there, come! I'll hook you up with all the deets.

Ok now that the polite disclaimer is out of the way...give me those ideas. I await your brilliance.

Musicality

Did you notice?

That is my question for the day. Well, did you?

I finally caved and put a little music player thingy on my blog. So now, not only can you READ the essence of all things me, but you can HEAR it as well.

It's kind of a multi-sense-ational experience.

But seriously- did you notice?

Because even as I was choosing the songs to put on my little music player thingy, I thought to myself- "Self, how many times have you turned the volume on your computer OFF just so you wouldn't have to HEAR the essence of all things other people, and you could just READ it instead?"

"Well, Self, I've done that quite a lot."

"So you kind of just assumed that your readers would want to become your hearers too, Self?"

"Well, I don't know, Self, I guess I never really thought about it."

"Well, you should as least ask them how they feel about it."

"Good idea, Self. How's the family?"

So, as my Selves suggested, I'm asking you- do you have the sound on while you're blogging? Do you listen to the music someone has playing from their blog? Do you enjoy it? Does it reveal something deeper about the blogger? Or... do you listen to your own music, so blog music just gets in the way? Or do you read blogs when other people are around- other people that might not be as inclined to hear my essence as you are? Or do you just hate music all together?

These are the things I wonder.

Basically, I'm trying to decide if I should keep my music player.

So...did you notice? Do you care?

I hope you have more important things to care about...

Please?

Please please please!

Stop saying "eck-scape." Or "eck-specially." But eck-specially "eck-scape."

It doesn't matter if you do now...we can look past that.

Just change your ways. Repentance is real, people.

The word is escape. E-S-C-A-P-E. There is no room between those first two letters for anything else. I mean really, doesn't adding the letters make it more awkward? "Eck-scape" is much harder to say than "escape."

I know the English language has a lot of pronunciation-related tricks up its sleeve, but this word is not one of them.

Hey- I'm not judging or anything. If you love love love saying that word that way, more power to you. Everyone...prefers...different things. I, for example, have no problem ending a sentence with a preposition. In fact, it is something I am quite fond of. HA! But seriously, I screw up too. We all have our quirks.

Just...try to control that particular quirk in front of me.

please?

Counting sheep...

...does not work for me.

First of all, let me say that this is going to be a random, short post. I just don't have anything super exciting to write about at the moment...so random and shortness prevails!

So...counting sheep.

Does anyone else have a problem with this? I've kind of been having trouble sleeping the past few nights, and, as is usual with my can't sleep routine (especially when Dallin is dead asleep from a long hard day...poor husband), I just try counting sheep. I mean, it's an age old, time honored tradition, right? Kind of like holding your breath when you have the hiccups or looking at the sun when you have to sneeze.

So I try. I try and I fail. Every time.

Maybe it's my counting method. I've always wondered exactly how one goes about counting sheep. I mean, are they all in a row that just extends forever, and you just move on down the row? Or are they all bunched together in some ginormous field, just waiting to be counted? If that's the case, what if you lose your place? Do you just start over? Perhaps part of the reason counting sheep doesn't work for me is that I have this little argument in my head every time. I over analyze the sheep counting methods until I'm even more awake than when I started.

What I always end up doing is imagining sheep jumping over a little fence, one by one. I have no idea if this is normal, or even if anyone else in the world does this or has thought about doing this, but that is how I count sheep.

Last night, however, I realized that that could be the very thing that makes me immune to the sleep-ifying powers of sheep counting. I mean, sheep running and jumping...that's pretty active. Active and exciting. I mean, what if one of them couldn't jump high enough, you know? Now that would be funny.

Also, I never can really get a solid picture of a sheep in my head. I always try to start out with realistic looking ones (they usually look like the talking ones from Babe), but they always turn into cartoon sheep. So I'm going from counting real, soft, peaceful sheep grazing in a beautiful, wind-blown field to goofy, chubby cartoon sheep trying to jump over an animated fence that they may or may not have the ability to jump over.

Maybe I should just try warm milk. But you know, warm milk is disgusting.

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.