Will Meets Ian: Oh, Brother!!

Not so sure.


Getting ideas... This could be fun!!!

He doesn't look too much like Will, but definitely a Harris!

All a bit of a blur (sorry about my photography).

It was really fun to be in on this meeting. Will was thrilled and surprised and skeptical and delighted. He threw Ian kisses! Happy family!!

Pioneer Day Arrival: Quite a trek for Mom and Baby

Ian Andrew Harris was determined to arrive on Friday, July 24th. Laura awoke feeling chills and fever and made a quick trip to the hospital where her doctor decided on an emergency C section. Both mom and baby are doing well. Laura was released yesterday. Andrew has a few more days of precautionary antibiotics and observation at St. Johns hospital in Oxnard. I drove over to see Ian only a few minutes after he was born and he looked wonderful!! Will has a brother! This makes five grandbabies. Joy!

Derek and Hillary and Jocelyn arrived last Wednesday, so they were on hand to share in the excitement. Lots of sunny days and we hit all the local parks--whiffle ball with cousins at Cerro Vista and crab digging at the beach by the pier in Ventura. Jocelyn is a delight. Very talkative. Used the TV remotes like they were cell phones and talked away. Loved to be held and read to. Derek finished his internship in Salt Lake and they enjoyed their days in the Salt Lake. A wonderful chance to visit with Hillary's extended family. They hope to return to Marriott after Derek graduates in December. We will miss seeing them until then!

Awesome Counsel for Relationships

Overheard on BYUTV Living Essentials, family therapist Dr. Marlene Williams makes this suggestion:

"Often when we try to understand another person's behavior and it may be confusing to us, it's easy for us to use the most negative explanation for why they do what they do. And then we feel angry or upset with them because we've explained their behavior in negative terms. But I've found from my experience in therapy working with couples and with families who are meeting challenges that the most charitable explanation is closest to the truth. When we look at others in our relationships and in our family through charitable eyes, we usually can come up with a more accurate explanation to explain their behavior."

What Does Freedom Mean to You?

Thanks, Morgan, for the link to this site. Freedom does mean so much! Happy Fourth!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkTKQsYWBxc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Flds.org%2Fldsorg%2Fv%2Findex.jsp%3Fvgnextoid%3De419fb40e21cef00VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD&feature=player_embedded

One Wonderful Birthday Celebration!

The theme was tractors. The centerpiece was a tractor. We all wore hard hats, ate a wonderful, yellow cream cheese and carrot tractor cake and celebrated one year of earth life for Andrew Jeffrey . Somewhere in Salt Lake City another gathering of beloved family members will surely celebrate one year for Jocelyn Kaila , as well. Two babies born one day apart one year ago (next Wednesday and Thursday). They will have both walked their way into the day. Lots of general family sharing, hugs, lifting of babies to touch the ceiling, kisses, jokes, stories, tickling, goofiness and joy ensued. And so it will surely go. A year from now (or so) we will be celebrating new baby Harris' day--no doubt in the same way. Family is a fabulous institution. The best way to celebrate life. It will be so forever.

Homecoming, Birthdays

So wonderful to welcome Derek and Hillary and Jocelyn from Hawaii. They came last Friday on their way to Derek's internship at the Marriot in Salt Lake. Grandma and Grandpa Haar joined up with them at our house Friday night, as did Cousin Will and family. Fun gathering! Derek, Jeff and Blaise climbed to two trees before we took off for Natalie's on Saturday where Jocelyn and Andrew celebrated each other's birthdays (a bit early) with cupcakes and candles. After church with Natalie's family on Sunday (and a photo shoot), Derek and family headed out on the last leg of their journey.. Fun to remember Jocelyn on her feet exploring, cousins meeting up again after so many months, a pit stop adventure in Baker and so much time to just visit and enjoy the Williams' family. The weather was cool and lovely for the rest of my visit.. Katherine and I watched Pinnochio while her Mom and Dad spent the evening with friends. Fun to get in on story time at the library and Katherine's swim lesson. Natalie's family heads this way this weekend for more cousin adventures. Hope the weather here is warmer!!

A Last Hurrah

We will miss our Rancho La Quinta getaways! Especially the clear sunny days, balmy evenings, three par golf and relaxing by the pool. What wonderful memories we have of delightful days with all our family members....Fun to spend this Memorial Day weekend (great weather) with the Harris family. We met them at the Living Desert zoo to get up close and personal with snakes and cheetahs and giraffes and wart hogs!Will ran everywhere and loved it. Later, we cooled off in the pool, ate a splendid salmon and mahi mahi dinner at the Fisherman's Grill, took a walk at dusk on the course and watched (a pretty cheesy) Marley and Me. What an annoying labrador!....Laura prepared a splendid chicken parmesan dinner on Sunday(which we greatly savored, poised as we are to begin the China Study diet). Our favorite new game: Wits and Wagers. Blaise and Ray are trivia masters!....The house is set to close the third week in July.