What a Blessing!

What a joyous occasion to attend Sacrament meeting and witness as Blaise took Ian Andrew in his arms to give him a name and a blessing. Also in the circle were Ian's grandfather, step-grandfather, great uncle and others who also hold the priesthood. This little one can look forward to so many wonderful associations! Fun to gather as family afterwards. Sweet day.

Rome, Florence, Venice: The Trip of a Lifetime!

After 15 hours of flight time coming home, Ray and I fell into bed at 8:00 p.m. At 3:00 a.m. we were wide awake! So I listened to my phone messages. One was a frantic call from Washington Mutual with a report of suspicious activity on our debit card....Rome, Italy???!!! I can hardly believe it myself. What glorious week. Sights, history, art, architecture, risotto, pizza, ravioli and gelato!! Ray's brother Tom and sister-in-law Carrie were our well seasoned tour guides and delightful traveling companions. They booked our flights and hotels and scouted out the most wonderful eateries. We took a fascinating guided tour of the colosseum in Rome, of the Palatine and Forum. Ate exquisite quattro formaggio pizza at a little cafe. And LOTS of gelatos. Walked miles and miles through the streets with Tom in the lead, into magnificent churches and past ancient ruins and and swank designer clothing stores. Scary the traffic there! All these midget cars and mopeds and bicycles and carefree pedestrians occupying the same little alley ways....But back to the beginning...After our nine hour flight from Chicago to Rome, I woke up and soon found that it is bad to not eat or drink and be taking a sleeping pill while on antibiotics for an ear infection at 39,000 feet. We no sooner debarked than I threw up in the airport. Not a good start. They rounded up a wheel chair for me and the poor taxi cab driver (I was sitting in the front seat) drove like CRAZY to get us to our hotel. I was out for the rest of the afternoon while Ray, Tom and Carrie headed out to see the Pantheon. I just prayed it would all get better and it did! From Rome we traveled by bullet train to Florence and it was lots more walking to see the Duomo and Baptistery, (Ray and Tom climbed the dome), Michelangelo's David (I got chills), the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace. Such exquisite art!! Unforgettable homemade ravioli at Mama Gina's. The view from the Arno River. Another bullet train to Venice.... Suddenly we were in this other world of water channeling past long rows of the most colorful house fronts. Speed boats and gondolas and water taxis and domes and cathedrals! I loved St. Mark's square, the tolling of the bells, the lovely strings and piano playing in the open air on the first balmy night as we strolled home from dinner. The highlight of Vienna was the Tintoretto museum--a church and hall covered wall to wall and across the ceiling with glorious Tintoretto artwork. Gigantic canvases depicted scenes from the Bible and the history of Venice. We also toured the Doge's Palace (getting a bit weary from much walking and, sadly, sensory overload, despite the rooms of beautiful paintings and statuary). From Venice four hours back to Rome and a day at the Vatican library, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica (with the Pieta). ....All these marvelous scenes and good times keep playing in my mind and surely will for years to come. We owe so much to Tom and Carrie for inviting us and making it all so easy and fun. It truly was the most wonderful trip of our lives.

William and Ian

Adventure on Lake Powell

A week of camping on Lake Powell with such breathtaking scenes! No cells, no cars. Almost no people (except the ten of us on the house boat). Another world! The lake is 2,000 miles of shoreline.


Hot sun on the water. We swam, raced each other on rafts, and jumped from high rocks. Everyone got up on skiis but me (and our intrepid two-year-old...Next year for him)! Raymond popped up on the first try. Here's Tracy on one ski!

Our boat home had five bedrooms, one family room, a kitchen, two potties, two decks and a shower (lake water) off the back end. We ate dinner up top, played Wits and Wagers and ducked the bats that arrived at dusk. So fun to sit out at night and locate the constellations in a night ablaze with a gazillion stars. The Milky Way was a gossamer web across the whole sky. Mars was as bright as it has been in one hundred years and cast a reflection on the lake! We saw awesome falling stars--one that left a florescent stream of light in its wake.... The weather for the week was warm but pleasant, with a nice breeze off the water. But we also had storms! One wild night a squall of 35 mph winds came up just as we were eating tacos on the front deck. To everyone's horror, the boat--with its massive weight--shifted to the starboard toward the rocks. Everyone jumped up and raced to redig holes to resecure the anchor lines (piling tons of rock on one)to the shore. Wild commands in high winds and rain, with some diving in to swim ropes through the water. Everyone had to heave ho to pull the ropes taut from a slippery deck. Heavy wind through the night made it hard to sleep, but in the morning the boat lines were straight and secure, the sun shining bright and warm on peaceful waters.

We toured the lake past wonderous cliffs of color and formations. Bands of rust and salmon and blood red brown from thousands of years of sediment forming. Strange formations and configurations with names like Gun Sight, Cookie Jar, Tower Butte and Castle Rock. Everywhere it looked as if the gods in a final flourish dumped huge paint cans of color wash over the cliffs to drip down across the layers, spanning generations of accumulation in one euphoric finish.

The Rainbow Bridge is the largest natural bridge in the world. Thirty-three feet wide. The ancients considered this canyon sacred. There is such a wonderful spirit in nature.

Ray's brother Tom manuevered the speedboat into narrow caverns of sheer cliff walls hundreds of feet high but so close together we had to stand and push the boat off from the rock. Tight squeeze in a labrinth that seemed to go on for miles. We stopped in one wide area for some to jump into the cool water.

The lake was full of fish. The kids kept their poles baited and ready off the back of the boat and Matthew often had something waiting on the line!

Back to the real world, but such great memories. Many thanks to Tom and Carrie for all the huge planning and preparation (Carrie cooked all the delicious meals ahead). Fun to be with Ray's family......"The lake calls to you," his brother said. Hope we can go again.

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."