Annual Family Dinner

Here we are - the four Harris kids - Janet, LaRue, Dave, and me (Karla). Aren't we the best looking group of siblings ever?? I hope we do my dad proud! Friday night, the whole extended Harris family met at the Chuck-A-Rama for the annual Christmas Dinner that my dear old dad puts on for us. It is such a fun time, and is usually the only time during the year where the majority of us are in one place. Everyone was there this year except for Kendall and Nichole, who live in Alaska. It was great to see my siblings - LaRue, Janet, and David, and all their kids and grandkids. The cousins enjoy seeing one another and in catching up on each other's lives. It has been a fun tradition for many years. It started out as a Christmas Eve dinner at Mom and Dad's home, but with all of us getting married and having children and grandchildren of our own, we grew too large for that - so Mom and Dad moved it to the Chuck-A-Rama. Thanks to Dad and Donna for keeping our tradition going. It is always a precious time when we can spend it with our family.

Sledding Fun

Savannah always has a smile for the camera. She and Cooper stayed out sledding longer than any of the other kids!

Katie and Cooper go for a ride.

Ryan pushes Becca for a nice fast start.

Friday we went to Heber to Doug and Sue Robinson's beautiful home so the kids could go sledding. We ended up at Ryan's brother's (Justin) home up the mountain. He has a really great driveway that the kids could really sled fast on. Justin's wife, Janet, made some wonderful white bean chicken chili which warmed us up after the sledding fun. We went back to the Robinson's for a while and just relaxed in their comfortable and welcoming home. Katie has truly been blessed to marry in to such a wonderful family.

The Mayan

Last night we went to a movie and then out to dinner at the Mayan. This is a Mexican restaurant that is very popular. We had to wait for 45 minutes to be seated. When you get inside the dinning area you can hear and see water falls and there is much going on to entertain you while eating your food. Music comes on and the lights start flashing and you know the divers will perform. The kids really enjoyed watching the divers do their fancy dives from the high cliffs into the pool below. Cooper said he can do summer-salts like the divers. The Balloon Granny came by our table and made some fun balloon toys for all the kids.

Build A Bear

For Christmas, Rod and I gave my grandkids a "Build A Bear." I took Ava to the shop in Phoenix when she was visiting for Thanksgiving. Then, I got to go with Savannah and Cooper while visiting this week. They had so much fun! Cooper picked out the little character from the movie "Happy Feet." Savannah got a Pink Fuzzy bear, of course. The lady in the store was cute with them and had then rub the heart to make it warm, touch it to their heads to make the bear smart, and kiss the heart so the bear would give them lots of love no matter what. Cooper was a little leery of it all, but Savannah was right in there pushing the petal to stuff the bear. They enjoyed giving their new animals a bath and picking out the clothes. It was really a fun experience.

Savannah is pushing the petal to stuff her bear.

Getting the hearts ready to put into the animals.

Cooper is looking at where his penguin, "Mambo," will be sewed up after they put in the heart.

Christmas Day Hike

Christmas Day 2006 was the most unusual I have ever experienced. We had no children at home and we actually slept until after 8:00 AM. It was heavenly! We must have really needed the rest 'cause that is very unlike us. Then we got up, made some calls and had a late breakfast. We planned on going on a hike for several weeks, so we got our hiking gear out and got ready to go! I told Rod that he could plan the hike and I would plan and prepare the lunch. I made our traditional tuna sandwiches that we love to have when we hike. I also put in some Christmas cookies and some homemade trail mix. (M&M's, Craisins, Cashews, and Peanuts) We got our water supply ready and loaded into the car. We headed to the White Tanks. We were quite shocked at the line of cars going into the park on Christmas Day. Fortunately, all the people were going to the shorter and more popular trails. We picked a trail we had never been on called the "Goat Trail." It is actually a 12+ mile round trip hike and goes up to the radio towers that can be seen on one of the highest peaks of the White Tanks. There were only two other cars at the trail head, so we had the solitude on the trail that we were seeking. The trail started out very well groomed and sandy. Then it got steep and rocky, and I was glad to have my trekking poles. We hiked in just a little over three miles to a peak where we could see the Phoenix valley on one side and the radio towers on the other side. The weather was perfect! In the 60s. I actually got a chill as we sat in a shady spot for lunch. I don't care what the temperature is, if I am hiking I work up a sweat. My back was wet where my day-pack was against my body and the waist band of my jeans was also wet with sweat. I know that's gross - but I really sweat easily - especially when I am physically active. I enjoyed taking a few shots with my new digital camera. On the way down my legs got quite wobbly and I wondered what in the world I had done to myself! I can climb all day very easily - but the going down is the hard part for me. Once again, the trekking poles took a lot of pressure off my knees. When we got home, we decided to eat out. We had a big surprise when no restaurants were open - but we did luck out and discover that my favorite Mexican restaurant (Arribas) was open. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner and I didn't cook a thing! Even though we missed the kids, it was still a really great Christmas Day, and we were able to appreciate the spirit of the day, by "communing with nature," without the commercial side. I must confess that today my legs are a little sore!

A Special Gift

I received a very special gift for Christmas from Katie. It is a book about me that she entitled "The Steele Magnolia." She must have worked on it for months! It has letters from family and friends that contain memories they share with me. There are also photos. The book has beautiful color pages on very high quality paper and has a hard bound cover. The layouts are so professional, and you can tell that every page was well thought out. It is a priceless gift - one that I will always treasure. I was so touched as I read the letters and memories from these people who are such an integral part of my life. I just sat there and wept. It was a couple of hours before I could even call Katie and tell her thank you without blubbering all over the phone. Thank you, Katie, for such a special gift. I will always treasure it! And thanks to all of you that took the time from your busy lives to write such beautiful letters and memories. Words cannot express my gratitude for the exceptional people that have touched my life. Truly my cup runneth over!

Merry Christmas!

Because Nick and Becca will not be with us for Christmas, we celebrated this famed and beloved holiday last weekend. Friday night was "Christmas Eve." I took Friday off from work so I could get all the weekend chores done, do some grocery shopping, and meet Rod for a nice lunch together. Nick requested chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes instead of the traditional Mexican food - so that is what we had. Becca requested something chocolate for dessert. We had a really good dinner together and then went shopping so that Nick and Becca could get gifts for each other. We came home and Becca read the Christmas story to us from Luke 2. The kids wanted to get to bed at 9:30 so that Santa could come - so they went to bed with no fuss! Wow! Santa had done some saving and planning for this Christmas, and he really came through for Becca and Nick. Becca wanted an electric guitar. She took me to the Guitar Center and showed me the exact guitar that she wanted, along with accessories - like an amplifier. Nick wanted a drum set, so the guy showed us some nice drum sets also. It just so happens that Santa brought Becca that exact guitar - right color and everything - and Nick got a really nice drum set. The kids were bursting with happiness over their Christmas gifts. Becca said she was going to "keep this guitar til she dies!" Nick just kept saying this was the best Christmas he had ever had and finally just threw his arms around me and hugged me with his emphatic "thank yous!" The kids have turned our spare room into a music room and they play their instruments to their hearts' content. I got a really nice digital camera that will fit in my purse. Rod says I will now be the expert photographer and blogger. Rod got a really nice hiking fanny pack so he can carry water without pressure on his back, and a compass that he has had his eye on. He also got a really great National Geographic mapping program for the state of Arizona. Monday night we experience the excitement of giving anonymously. We got some treats and left them on doorsteps with a little Christmas note. The kids enjoyed that and understood the feelings that come from secret pal type giving. They want to do that again. All said and done - we had a really great time. Santa did forget one very important item - EAR PLUGS!!!

Zoo Lights

Monday night we went to the Phoenix Zoo and saw the "Zoo Lights" for our Family Home Evening. It was so cool! They had all the trees wrapped with lights and all kinds of animal shapes in lights. It almost felt like Disneyland. Some of the trees would flash off and on to the Christmas music. There was a talking giraffe, too. I loved seeing the cactus wrapped with Christmas lights - that was unique to Arizona, I'm sure. My favorite was a very tall tree that totally encompassed in glowing blue lights. You could almost feel the glow in your bones. We ended off the night by stopping at Cold Stone for our treat. M-M-M-M! Merry Christmas!

Roxy, the Christmas Dog!

Getting Roxy ready for her Christmas picture. What a good dog!

After our nightly walk on Monday, we decided to put Roxy's Christmas outfit on. Nick and Becca were excited about this. Roxy wiggled and squirmed, but we finally got booties on her front paws and her reindeer antlers on her head. What do you think? Don'tcha just love that long, pink tongue!

Becca's Choir Concernt

Becca is the one with a heart on her shirt. This is the only picture that came close to turning out. They asked that we not get close to take pictures because it would block parents from seeing their child perform. Thursday night we went to the Ira Murphy "Holiday Concert." (Why don't they just call it CHRISTMAS!!) We heard the 5th grade chorus and band, the 6th grade band and chorus, and the 7th/8th grade chorus and band. I must tell you that it was pure torture to sit throught the 5th and 6th grade bands. Maybe that is why they have them on the program first. But the 7th and 8th grade combined chorus did great! They sounded just great and their harmoneis were amazing. Becca loves this class in school and I am so glad that she enjoys music in her life.

Zoo Pass

Just 6 days before December 1st and look at this weather!

Becca and Taylor in front of the huge snake.

Watch out, Becca!

The Friday after Thanksgiving, we went to the Zoo. When we got there, we decided to get a Zoo Pass - an annual pass that would let us visit any time we wanted to go. And it will also allow us to visit 121 other zoos and animal parks throughout the country. We are so excited about this and plan on more visits. The Phoenix zoo is really beautiful. As you can see, the weather was wonderful - we didn't even need jackets. I love AZ this time of year!

The Brownies

After I got this email from my brother in November, I decided it would be a good Family Home Evening for our kids since they are always begging to see this movie or "why can we have My Space - everyone else does!" Or wanting to download music, etc., etc. So I brought out a big plate of brownies and said we would have dessert first. Becca didn't want any because she had been eating brownies after school, and Rod didn't have any because he was watching sugar intake (plus I think he'd had some after dinner) - but Nick dove right in. I read the story as he was devouring the rich, chocolatey treat. When I got to the appropriate place in the story, Nick instant stopped chewing and spit what was in his mouth into his napkin. Even though he knew the brownies had come from Sam's Club the weekend before, he was affected by the story. THEN the next Sunday, our Gospel Doctrine teacher used this illustration as an object lesson for her lesson. I think this is a really great story - and maybe you can use it sometime in the future.

HERE IS THE EMAILED STORY:

We become de-sensitized a little bit at a time. It'll take a minute to read but I guarantee you'll enjoy the message. Some years ago, I walked into my office after a Sunday morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for chocolate had placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a short story written on it. I immediately sat down and began eating the first brownie as I read the following story. Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. "Aw dad, why not?" they complained.

"It's rated PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!" Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior."

But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based on a true story and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review websites say that!" "My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that film. End of discussion." The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their Father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all." About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and the brownies in the story. I kept reading. The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm brownies, which he offered to his kids. They each took one. Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much." The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was softening. "That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate." The brownies looked mouthwatering, and the teens began to become a little impatient with their dad's long speech. "But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think." "Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we eat?" "Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoon full. You won't even taste it." "Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is." "Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients." "Dad!" Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic...dog poop." I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit it out into the wastebasket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that still remained. Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. "DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!" "Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!" "No, Dad...NEVER!" "And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it?" I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute ago had become detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn't...but I couldn't convince myself.) What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin?

I Love The Piano

The last 4 and a half years I have taken the time to really play the piano like I have always wanted to. For a couple of years I took some lessons from my niece, Angy, and that really improved skills. I probably drive my poor family crazy with my playing all the time, but I shut the door to the family room to hopefully mute some of the sound while they are watching TV. I would rather play the piano that any other activity. In fact, I lose track of time and stay up too late sometimes. Recently, I have had the chance to play a solo in church, accompany a flute player, and play with Becca on her guitar. I am now working on Christmas music, which is my favorite. I am preparing a solo for our Enrichment night, accompanying a special duet for a Relief Society lesson, and a piano organ duet for the Sunday before Christmas (the 23rd). As I sit at the piano and play, I have such great feelings of satisfaction, enjoyment, peace and more enjoyment. Words really cannot express the joy I experience when I play. I started playing in church the summer I turned 11. We lived in a little tiny branch in Tennessee for the summer, and I played in primary because they did not have a piano player. I even played in Sacrament meeting there a few times. As an adult, I have always played in church in some capacity or another. The ability to play the piano has really blessed my life. I want to thank my parents for their encouragement and sacrifice to provide me with lessons, and their patience as I played the piano constantly. I also want to thank Heavenly Father for the blessing of music in my life. In my younger years, I was fairly decent at singing and enjoyed performing various musical numbers in church. Mostly I have accompanied others as they perform - the choir, small groups, various instruments, and soloists. I have even composed music for Road Shows and done a little transposing. I really love anything I can do with the piano. I only have one regret which is that I did not take my lessons more seriously and that I neglected playing as much as I wanted to for a lot of years. Rod is so supportive of me. He never complains about my playing, does not begrudge me the time I spend at the piano, and always says, "that sounds pretty." :0) I am so thankful for the ability to play that was given to me as a special gift from Heavenly Father. I have also been blessed to always have a really nice piano to play. I am so blessed to have music a part of my life.

Some thoughts...

Someone sent me an email that asked children to define Love. There were some very cute and sweet answers. My favorite was this: “Love is what’s in the room at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” This came from a seven-year-old. I think that is so profound. I have been reflecting much on this – and have concluded I could do no better than that. Sunday we had a beautiful lesson on the Savior. Part of the presentation was a video of President Hinckley and the 12 Apostles, each testifying of the pre-mortal and mortal missions of the Savior and of his divinity. I was so touched by these marvelous testimonies, particularly by this comment: “He has purchased us with his blood.” A few weeks ago, a dear old sister in my Relief Society commented that she wondered which drops of blood were shed for her. Personally, I believe he shed ALL of his blood for ME – not just a few drops. He shed ALL of his blood for EACH of us. “He has purchased us with his blood.” It is such a humbling miracle to me – this great atonement of the Savior. During this Christmas season I hope that my family members will truly be touched by the miracle of His birth, His life, His atonement, His death, and His resurrection. This, to me, is the most beautiful and thrilling knowledge that I have – that He willingly came to mortality, under the most humble of circumstances, to teach, to suffer for my sins, to die for me, and to give me the gift of immortality and the opportunity of Eternal Life. My soul rejoices as this profound gift is pondered, and I thank my Father in Heaven that I have this knowledge.