Sunday Dinner at Talbots

Morrie gives Holly a playful squeeze.

Holly is my first (which makes her my eldest) niece. There is just something special about that "first born." I have always adored her. She is a beautiful, talented and wonderful woman!

Becca and Aubryn love to listen to music together.

Aubryn played her violin for Becca.

Nick and Braedon love to play games. You can get a peek of Nick's braces in this shot.

Here is Carson. He is one of my most favorite little guys. He is "Mr. Sunshine." He always has a very happy, cherubic, and cheerful countenance. He radiates joy and excitement for life. Just look at that sweet face!

Sunday we drove to Gilbert to see Holly and family. I was at Becca's chorus concert Thursday night, waiting for it to begin, when Holly accidentally called my number. It was quite funny because she was actually talking to Morrie and her phone rang but said she was calling me! Anyway, we had a good laugh and she said we should get together. We had a great Sunday dinner, roast with all the trimmings and wonderful strawberry shortcake for dessert. Becca and Nick always enjoy getting together with their cousins, so we got no argument from them about driving down. It is fun to have some family near enough for occasional visits!

Lake Pleasant

A pretty lake, with a desert shoreline.

A couple of Saturdays ago, we went to Lake Pleasant with our dear friends, Sam and Trudy. Sam and Rod wanted to check out the area for an overnighter for the scouts. We enjoyed a beautiful drive. The lake is only about 40 minutes from our house, which surprised me. We traveled along a few of the roads around the lake and they picked out the perfect camping area for the boys.

Rod and Sam are checking out the map of the area for GPS headings. It is hard to get Trudy to behave for the camera, so here is a typical shot!

Good News v.s. Bad News v.s. Waiting for News

I got really good news about my biopsy - just another benign fibro adenoma. I was so relieved and thankful. However, this weekend I got some really bad news about a dear friend. I was assigned to visit teach Martine last year when our ward boundaries changed. I have grown to really love this wonderful and beautiful woman. She has been fighting cancer for many years - she had inflammatory breast cancer 10 years ago and more recently has lung cancer. In her battle, she signed up to be in a study of a new drug. In order to do so, she had to have a CAT scan. When she went to her Dr. last Friday, she was in a lot of pain and they discovered fluid in her lung. He put her in the hospital immediately so they could drain the fluid. While there, she got the results from the scan and it showed cancer in her brain. I was absolutely devastated. I went to the hospital to see her on Sunday. She was released late Sunday night, and I went to visit her on Monday. Her one hope was to be accepted for the study. When I asked her what plan B was, she replied "there is no plan B." I took some dinner to her on Tuesday and she was beaming all over - she did get accepted for the study. Our ward is having a special fast for her on Sunday. I also have a friend at work who had radiation treatment for breast cancer last year. She just had another lump removed this week, and is waiting for results. She is a little nervous, and I totally relate to that having just experienced that. They are just hoping it is some calcification. This is how I feel:

Cruel and ugly disease

A medical perplexity

Not a respecter of persons

Cannot be cured

Ever a threat and cause of fear

Robs us of life

Super Bowl Sunday

The Birthday Boy on the exercise ball.

I like to call James tall, dark, and handsome. Let me emphasize the tall - I swear he is 7 feet.

Becca really was into the game - can you tell?

We had such a great day! In addition to the super bowl, it was Rod's birthday. We had our dear friends, Sam and Trudy, over to share the day. Allen also had a friend from work, James, come over. We had so much food it was almost sinful. Supper nachos, queso, salsa, sweet corn salsa, Trudy's cream cheese tortilla roll ups, and pigs in a blanket. I had made 48 (yes, that's 4 dozen) of those little suckers and the kids ate them all in about 3 minutes. I couldn't believe it! But it was all really good food and we enjoyed everything about the day... it was so much fun. (Of course, this was ALL after church!)

Just Random Stuff

Well, yesterday I had an "incisional lumpectomy." I will not have pathology reports for a few days. the MRI indicated that it was a benign fibroadenoma, but recommended biopsy. The surgery went well and I was home by noon, minus a 1.7 mm mass in my right breast. Rod took the day off to take care of me. It was nice to have the day together, even if I was rather home bound by drugs and slept most of the time. Today I am off work and staying home also. It is nice to just convalesce. Rod was home this morning as it is his late day at work, so we ventured off to Costco for an hour. We got a membership card. We decided to switch from Sam's Club to Costo this year and see which one we like best. We were kind of ticked off that they don't accept debit cards at the snack counter, though, and had to come home for a tuna sandwich instead of a polish dog with sauerkraut. Oh well . . . During this down time I have been doing a lot of thinking about my family. I just hope they all know how important they are to me and that I let them know regularly. Sometimes we get so carried away in the small stuff that we forget what is really important. Sunday I had an experience that was very upsetting. I will try to explain. Becca has been taking guitar lessons and it has been so great for her. On Sunday, her teacher told me that he could not teach her anymore because there was another family that needed his time more. I was okay at first, and then I thought about it. I had searched for a year to find her a teacher. These guitar lessons have been so good for her, and her guitar playing is part of her identity. She has only been taking lessons since August. I love hearing her play and it is one thing I have been able to do for her that she sees as positive. (You know, she is 13 and mothers are embarrassing and intrusive and can't do ANYTHING right at that age.) And then I thought "how could the needs of any other family be more important than the needs of my own" - especially with what I have been through with Becca the past few years? I started crying because I was so upset. We were having company for dinner, so I was in the kitchen cooking and crying and feeling very hurt for most of the afternoon. I don't want to make more of this situation than it is, but my feelings were very real that day, and I took it very personally. I will let some time pass and try to find her a new teacher. I will not let this affect my feelings for her teacher, either. He is a really great guy and very busy with his business. I think it would have been easier for me if that had been the reason rather than someone else was more important that Becca. There is no one more important to me than her and my other children, my grandchildren, and my husband. I would fight to the death for all of them. Also on Sunday, I taught Relief Society. The lesson was taken from Elder Bednar's talk from October 2006 Conference entitled "Nothing Shall Offend Them." So of course, I had a very hard time because I was letting myself be offended by the incident earlier in the day. (However, I did not get offended until after I gave my lesson!) It is a choice we have - and I had tried so hard not to be hurt, but the more I thought about it, the more I did hurt. Perhaps I need to make this a matter of prayer and allow the Savior to heal my hurt before it gets out of hand. I really don't want to waller in it!

The Drama of Life Goes On!

This past week has been quite dramatic. Monday was my Mom's birthday, and I really missed her. Of course, I missed her while she was still alive because she wasn't herself the last few years she was living. But nevertheless, I do miss her at times. I miss Katie and Ryan, and Julie and their kids so much after my visit to Utah after Christmas. My arms just ache to hold them all. I miss Eric and Em, too, and wish I could have seen more of them. Rachel started a new job this year, and we are so glad she is out of her old office. We are also very proud of her and that she would not participate in the dishonest practices going on there and that she was strong enough to do what was right. Allen is having some very hard times and we have been on an emotional roller coaster over his current trials in life. Things just sometimes don't work out the way we want them to, and we have to cut our losses and move on. This is a difficult class in the school of life, and right now Allen is at the top of his class. I hope he finishes this one by learning the necessary lessons and gaining personal strength from surviving the hard times. We are looking forward to having Allen come home to live for a while. We hope that he can heal his broken heart and concentrate on getting his education. We love him so much and are glad he wanted to come home. The job of parenting never ends: the older your kids get, the bigger and more difficult their problems are. As a parent, I never quit caring or worrying about my children. And then you can add worrying and caring about grandchildren, too. The love just keeps growing and I am so thankful for all of our children and grandchildren. I have been waiting for a month to go to a specialist because of the results of my yearly mammogram and ultrasound. There were some new developments that raised suspicion of malignancy. I have been very worried about this because of my sister, Janet, and my mom both having breast cancer. I really liked the Dr. I saw today. She gave me some great options. I am scheduled for an MRI next week and will then have a small outpatient surgery to remove the suspicious lumps. Once we get the results from the upcoming biopsy I will know what I need to deal with (or not). Until that time, I am trying not to worry and be too consumed by this unpleasant development in my life. I have always taken my good health for granted and when it is threatened the fear of the unknown is very great. Even though there are hard times, worries, decisions, kids with problems, etc., life is still really grand. I love it - and I am so grateful for the life I have. I certainly would not want to trade places with anyone!!!

2006 at a Glance!

I copied these questions from Katie's blog. I thought it was a great way to summarize the year.

2006 At A Glance!

• What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? I rode Soaring Over California at the California Adventure park across from Disneyland. It was definitely my favorite ride. Went to girl’s camp at Lake Powell with Becca. It was fabulous! Saw the Grand Canyon with Rod – incredible and unforgettable!
• Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t remember if I resolved to do anything last year and I do NOT want to think of any resolutions for this year. Could this possibly be because I am so very content with my present life? I think that daily scripture reading is probably the biggest goal for me, and I have done pretty darned good. I want to keep that a part of my life. I do, however, know there is always room for improvement and I hope I can recognize what I need to do to improve no matter what time of year it is.
• Did anyone close to you give birth? No – all my closest friends and I are past the child bearing age (thank heaven). We just have grandkids – I do have two nieces that had darling baby girls this year, and two that had boys.
• Did anyone close to you die? My dear friend Rondaleen’s mother-in-law passed away. I also lost my Uncle Harold and Uncle Don, leaving my dad with only one brother, one half brother and one half sister left. My cousin, Diane Harris Payne also died – she was only in her 50s. This makes me realize that life is short and we never know when our number will be called.
• What countries did you visit? Does Narnia count?
• What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? Just more of the same – it was a great year!
• What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? September 25^th – Katie turned 30 and was highly traumatized because she could remember how I cried and carried on when I turned 30. I am so sorry, Katie! It really isn’t that bad.
• What was your biggest achievement of the year? Going to work each day and keeping my family going.
• What was your biggest failure? Visiting teaching like I should. I always try to leave a gift or a note, but I do not get in the personal visit like I shuld and would like to.
• Did you suffer illness or injury? Once in a while my lower back would kick in – especially if I had been lifting boxes at work. I also had the flu once bad enough I had to leave work.
• What was the best thing you bought? Our Disneyland trip.
• Whose behavior merited celebration? Julie and Allen.
• Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some of the crazy parents that come in to my office to register their kids for school. No wonder the kids are screwed up.
• Where did most of your money go? House, living expenses, and entertainment. We are so blessed to not have any debt but the house and one car.
• What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our family trip to Disneyland with Katie and Julie and their families. It was such a blast!!!
• What song will always remind you of 2006? Praise to the Man – I played a really neat arrangement of it as a piano solo in church. And the camp song Becca and I wrote together. We had so much fun that night!
• Compared to this time last year, you are: More laid back, hopefully, and more appreciative of my blessings.
• What do you wish you'd done more of? Spend more family time and get to know more new people in our ward.
• What do you wish you'd done less of? Lose my cool with Becca.
• How did you spend Christmas? With Rod hiking in the White Tanks.
• Did you fall in love in 2006? With Rod more than ever :o)
• How many one-night stands? Ummmmm – what’s that?
• What was your favorite TV program? I really hate TV.
• Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No – just trying to look at others the way Christ would and wonder how he ever did it – meaning his complete love and acceptance of others. I just have not arrived there yet. There are really some jerks out there. Thankfully I don’t have too many in my circle. I just try to remember they are all God’s children.
• What was the best book you read this year? Mary, Martha and Me
• What was your greatest musical discovery? Becca’s talent on the guitar.
• What did you want and get? Everything I wanted, I got. (I don’t have big demands)
• What was your favorite film of this year? There were a lot of good films and I love going to the movies: The Pursuit of Happyness, Cars.-
• What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 51 and Rod took me out to dinner.
• What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Some weight loss.
• How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Becca thinks I have no concept of fashion, but I think I do pretty good at dressing my middle-aged self in colors and styles that make me comfortable. I happen to like floral prints and bright colors. So there!
• What kept you sane? Rod’s steady and unconditional love and acceptance. He has such a calming influence over me.
• Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? None – I get sick of the stupid tabloids at the grocery check out with their sensational headlines and shocking photos. What a waste of paper and ink! And I don’t care about their screwed up personal lives. And I don’t fancy any politicians – they are also all screwed up.
• What political issue stirred you the most? The marriage initiative and that it did not pass in AZ! Come on people! Let’s show some values here.
• Who did you miss? My dad, my kids and grandkids. It is hard to live away from all of them.
• Who was the best new person (people) you met? Peggy Painter, Martine Sullivan, Lucia Rivas, and Katie Reynolds – these are the people I visit teach in my new ward and they are amazing women. Also the women in the book club I was invited to join. They, too, are amazing women and I love our discussions.
• Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. Prayer works, and patience for the answers to come is vital. I also learned to trust in the Lord more than ever before. This has been a challenge in some ways because sometimes I think I know what’s best.
• Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “All is calm, all is bright”

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!!!