The Harris Family

Happy 6 Years!

2009-04-02T22:36:00.008-07:00

Our 6 year anniversary was on March 27th! I can't believe it has been 6 years....it feels like 20!! I hear if you make it to 7 years, your smooth sailin from there! We're on our way! I can honestly say that I have NEVER doubted my decision to marry Ryan. In fact, many times I find myself feeling very lucky to have married the man of my dreams! I had 2 dreams growing up 1. to be a wife and 2. to be a mom! Both of those have come true thanks to Ryan! This has been such a great 6 years and I look forward to what the future holds! Hopefully not much more schooling(who am I kidding), more money, more kiddos, lots of fun memories, maybe some romantic getaways, fun family vacations, less poundage (food and weight;), lots of good times and hopefully not lots of bad times! Good luck on that, right? Seriously, it is nice to know that I have Ryan by my side for whatever the future holds for us good or bad. I am so glad that Ryan finally came around and realized what he was missing out on...me! We have had so much fun and I blame him for that. He always keeps things interesting and fun! I feel sooo blessed to have such a wonderful, loving, charming husband who adores me and supports me in everything! He is such a great dad to my sweet girls! I love him soooo much and look forward to many more years together!
We had such a blast on our anniversary! I have the best in-laws who so graciously kept our girls over night so we could enjoy each other and remember why we got married. We started the night out at my favorite restaurant that I have probably mentioned many times before, Casa Manana. Then we were off to Gila Idol! Oh yes, it's like American Idol just on a lot smaller scale! The Gila Valley had an Idol concert and it was actually really good! We weren't expecting such a great concert with such great talent! We really enjoyed that. Then we went home and watched the movie "Fireproof" It was a pretty good movie. Cheesy at times, but it had such great messages. It made me take a step back and look at my life. Am I being the kind of wife I should be and am I treating Ryan with respect and being selfless. I know I can do better and be better. Watching this movie made me want to work harder at that. It also made me so grateful for Ryan and the husband that he is. He is by no means perfect, but he tries. I recognize that my actions make a big difference in his actions. If I give 110% then he is more capable of giving 110%. Anyway, enough marriage counseling, I recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. In the morning we ran a few errands together and walked down main street. We haven't had the chance to see what is down main street so we decided to take a stroll. It was fun to see all the stores and buildings. It kind of felt like Mexico, only a lot cleaner! It was great to just spend time with each other and not get interrupted 100 times. I love you so much Ryan! Thanks for a Fabulous 6 years!

It sure has been fun remembering this beautiful day and ALL that it entailed!

Isn't that HOT!

Conversations with Abby....

2009-03-31T14:00:00.007-07:00

1. Abby likes to pick out her clothes and get herself dressed. We were getting ready for church and she had picked out some tights to wear. Our conversation went like this...

Abby: "Mom, these pink tights match my dress, Right?
Me: "Well, not really because the pink stripe in your dress in Hot Pink"
Abby: Very confused says " Then are these tights Cold Pink?"
Me: With a smile on my face I said "No sis, those are Light Pink"

2. We were in the car driving and I was very happy with how the girls were behaving. So I was telling them how much I liked that.

Me: "It sure makes me happy when you guys are sweet and kind and listen real good! Thank you so much"
Abby: "It sure makes ME happy when you don't scream mommy" :)
Me: "Me too sis! See, when you guys are good then mommy doesn't scream."
Abby: "Oh, maybe we should all just be sweet !"
Me: "What a good idea"
That concept didn't last long.

3. Abby has been asking a lot of questions lately and has become very curious. We have been talking about how we get milk from cows, meet from the deer daddy shoots and bacon from pigs. I was cutting a watermelon and realized I need to plant a garden for more than one reason.

Abby: "Mommy, what animal does a watermelon come from?" :)
Me: I laughed and said "watermelons don't come from animals, they grow in gardens"
I then discussed what else grows in a garden and realized I need to plant a garden so my kids can learn how things grow and also to save money. Probably not, but it was a good thought!

Kids sure are funny, aren't they?

Abby Has Hair - (a little bit)

2009-03-25T22:58:00.007-07:00

Abby has pony tails, I can't believe it! The other day I was playing with her hair and realized we probably could do some pony tails. The smile on her face was the best! She has recently noticed that all the princesses and all her friends have long hair! She puts her pajama pants on her head and says "look mommy, my long hair." She keeps asking if her hair is growing. I reassure her that it is growing just very very slowly! This is a huge stepping stone for us and we are very excited!

The cutest is that Abby has always called them "tail hairs". Now just about every morning she asks if we can do tail hairs! When she first looked in the mirror at her tail hairs she said "I look different mommy". She is right, it makes her look so much older.

I need a little work on making it straight and even but I haven't had any practice! At least Abby doesn't know the difference. And just in case you have forgotten or don't know why I haven't had any practice....

Infant (2004)

This is Ava and Abby. Nothing has changed, Ava has a TON of hair and Abby has none. Pretty funny!

6 months

1st Birthday (2005)

18 months

The same hair style and accessories as baby sis!

Here is the same pair as before, Ava and Abby.

2nd Birthday...still no hair (2006)

Summer 2007

Fall 2007

3rd Birthday (2007)

4th Birthday (2008)

And now! Isn't her hair DREAMY!!

February update....

2009-03-25T20:28:00.005-07:00

I can't believe we have had so many visitors already....we are missed! That is so exciting! Our very first visitors were our good friends Drew and Amy. They came to visit for the day to escape from their sadness that they were experiencing. We were glad to give them a place to escape to. I got my massage table out and gave Amy a 90 minute massage to help her relax and relieve some stress. I am so glad I have that talent and ability! I sure enjoy doing that for people. Amy and I have been good friends for a long time and have been through sooo much together! She is truly the best friend anyone could ask for. She has been there for me many times in my life and I am so grateful for her and her friendship! While she enjoyed her massage, Ryan and Drew found some trails and went mountain biking. I know Ryan really enjoyed that. He has only gone biking with me and the kids and its just not the same. Thanks Drew for kickin his butt! Then we met up with some other friends Kent and Susan for dinner and played some games. All in all, we have a fabulous day and really enjoyed spending time with Drew and Amy!

Our next visitors are some of my favorite people to spend time with, Dani and Nikki. They came to visit with their kiddos for the day. My girls were soooo excited to have friends to play with! Abby has especially missed being with all of her cousins and friends since we have moved. And I have of course missed being with my friends as well!! It worked out perfectly because Ryan was gone all day and night so it gave me something to do. We had fun playing at the park and just hanging out. Dani's mother-in-law lives close to me and she was so kind to babysit ALL of the kids so we could enjoy a fabulous dinner at my favorite place, Casa Manana!! Fortunately, I think the girls enjoyed that and it will cause them to come back and visit:) Nothin like good ol Mexican food. Actually, Dani and I had a girls night out just about every Tuesday night after work! It always consisted of Mexican food....hence the extra poundage! I sure miss that time we had but I'm sure I won't miss the extra pounds! Thanks girls for coming it was fun, lets do it again soon, please!!

I took a picture of all the kids playing but I can't seem to open it on my computer. And I am sooo done with computer problems. Every time I sit down to work on my blog something goes wrong!It is probably just me but I am so frustrated. Maybe I can figure it out later.

And lastly, my sweet mother came to visit! Sorry mom, that silly face is pretty silly alright! My mom came up for the weekend and we sure did enjoy that! The girls miss their grandma and I know she misses them a lot too! We showed her around town - all 10 miles of it - and also took her over to Duncan. She got to experience what that's like! I think she wants to move their now. We visited with Ryan's parents and grandparents. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family around! Love you mom, hope you come again soon!

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!!

Isn't he just the cutest! I sure wouldn't mind having him as my nurse, even with the shaved head.....it's called starving students can't afford and don't have time for a hair cut every 3 weeks!

My sweet hubby started a new job at a nursing home as a CNA, or butt wiper as we like to call it. I know that's crude, but ya tell it like it is and lets face it, someday we are all going to be having our butts wiped by someone else! Anyway, Ryan started in February and at the end of the month the residents have a little meeting. In this meeting they discuss who they feel has been the employee of the month. Ryan had only worked about 4 or 5 shifts that month and in that short time he impacted the residents enough to be named employee of the month!! I think that is sooo great and I am so proud of my little hubby nurse! I am so impressed but not surprised in the least. Ryan definitely has a way with people. He is very charismatic, fun and a hard worker, when he wants to be! His goal is to make each resident that he cares for smile or laugh at least once during each shift. Actually, I think that goes beyond his work environment, who am I kidding, he is always trying to get a laugh! It keeps things interesting and I love that about him...most of the time! I have seen a tender side of him in that genuinely cares about these folks and their needs. He has really enjoyed his job, although it is very hard work physically and emotionally! He's a winner!

SPRING BREAK!!!

For spring break we made a trip back home to Gilbert! We had a lot of fun relaxing, visiting with friends and family, shopping etc. We don't have much shopping in Safford you know. We had a great time. Ryan got to visit Gore, his old job and go shooting with his buddy Rich and I got to go shopping with my mom and get a pedicure:) I didn't take very many pics but I did take some at Peter Piper Pizza for Noah's birthday party.

We also got to go on a date while we were there! Thank you so much mom for babysitting and allowing Ryan and I to have fun and remember why we love each other so much! We invited Dani, Ryan, Nikki, and Jesse to join us on our date and we are so glad they were able to come. We had a blast just like the good ol days when we were dating and did fun, crazy things! We ate dinner and then ended up at SKATELAND of all places! I know, we hadn't been there since we were kids. After checking into bowling and goofy golf just to find out that it was way too busy and crowded we decided to go skating with all the junior high kids. It really was a blast once we got comfortable in the skates. I think Harris biffed it the most! It didn't take long before we realized how old and out of shape we all are because we got tired way too fast! Thanks for the fun night guys!

Warning....Be Prepared to Laugh Out Loud!!

2009-02-17T10:01:00.002-07:00

Need I say more! I came across this video and laughed right out loud! If you haven't already seen the real BEYONCE video you should check it out, his moves are right on!

It SNOWED Last Night!!

2009-02-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I have lived in Mesa/Chandler my whole life so this is new to me. The wind woke me up last night because it was so loud and strong! I thought our roof was going to blow off! I have a serious problem going back to sleep once I'm awake and I am up for an hour or two. We'll talk about that another day. Anyway, at 2:30a.m. I noticed it was snow not just wind and I was so excited! I woke Ryan up and we watched it for awhile. That is my yard, that is so cool! Whoohoo!

Our House...

2009-02-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just Kidding! I wish that was our house! That is actually our backyard view of our new neighbors.

This is our house....almost as good!

We are so grateful for this house that we have been blessed with. Our neighbors that live behind us have graciously allowed us to rent from them. This opportunity has allowed Ryan to attend nursing school and only work a little bit, therefore able to focus most of his time and energy on school!

This is that fabulous ditch that Ryan backed the car into! The picture doesn't do it justice. Below are a few of my favorites! If you want to see more....come on over! We welcome visitors...

....told you so! This is my new doormat that is so amazing! I still laugh every time I see it!

Yes....wood paneling throughout the house! The best part is the camouflage door! Do you see the door handle? Gotta love it!

And lastly, the master bath mural....a gold tree! Guarantee you haven't seen anything like it! She's a beauty.

Kitchen...obviously

Family room

Our bedroom

Ryan's office/guest room /more wood paneling

And that's the tour of most of our house. The girls room was a total mess and I didn't feel like cleaning it, so there you have it. This is for those of you losers who won't make it here to visit us!

Grandparents / Great-Grandparents!!

2009-02-09T15:33:00.005-07:00

Right before Christmas Grandpa Kottraba was in a nursing home for a little bit. He was really close to our house so the girls and I got to go visit a few times. The girls just loved to talk to all the ol' folks. This picture was right before Christmas when my family went caroling. Grandma and Grandpa Kottraba were very happy to see us! I am glad that the girls have been able to get to know their Great-Grandparents!

They look a little stoned but still dang cute. Before we moved we stayed with my Mom at her house. The girls absolutely love Grandma and Grandpa T. In fact, we probably wore them out while we were there. The girls constantly wanted to go in their room to see them. I am so glad that they moved in with my Mom because we have had the chance to see them a lot more! I have always been very close to my grandparents but have grown to love them even more now. The sweetest thing was when Kenna climbed up on Grandpa's lap and he rocked her for about 20 minutes. She did not move a muscle. So sweet! I love my grandparents sooooo much and am so grateful for all the time we get to spend with them! We sure do miss you guys! Thanks for all you have done for us and for all of the fun memories! We love you!!

Some Pics!!

2009-02-05T16:07:00.008-07:00

These are some of the pictures from our family photo shoot. Thank you Heather Torriente for taking these awesome pictures for us! Your the best!

Don't I have the cutest little family ever?! Ooo, I just want to squeeze them!

Just Ryan being Ryan! Thanks babe, I appreciate it!

Oh, the love of his life! How sweet!

Sometimes I wish I were a soccer ball!!

We Made It!!

2009-02-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

We survived the move and are getting settled in!! Thank you so much to everyone that had a hand in helping us!! You know who you are and we are so very appreciative for your help.

We have only had a few incidents so far......

1.) While moving we could see that all of our stuff was not going to fit in the u-haul. Sorry babe, I was right once again. I tried to tell Ryan that we needed the biggest u-haul they had but he thought he was mister pack-man and could fit it all. Well, once this happened my brother so kindly went and got his expedition and borrowed a trailer for us. He offered to drive down and back to help us out. We thought that was very generous but not necessary. Ryan said, "I'll drive the trailer and Jenyce can drive the u-haul !" What? Me... drive that ginormous thing? You have got to be kidding. I don't like to impose on anyone so I agreed. I think I did a fabulous job and actually, it wasn't that bad after all! That partly had to do with the fact that now Ryan got to drive with the kids and I was kid free! I got to listen to my very own music and sip on my soda without any interruptions!

2.) Our refrigerator didn't fit in the space provided so we had to buy a new one. That is especially sad when you don't have a job anymore!

3.) The morning after we arrived my Mom went in to take a shower. After flushing the toilet and stepping into the shower she realized that poop was coming up threw the shower drain! Crap....literally! We had a slight blockage that was soon fixed.

4.) Next, we heard some little feet trickling around in the attic. Must be mice. Ryan proceeded to climb up there and put poison all around to kill them. Oh he killed them alright. We new from the heinous smell of death that permeated are house for a week or more. Glad that is over!

5.)After church on Sunday we were heading to Duncan to visit Ryan's Mom and Dad. We decided to stop at home first to change our clothes....bad idea. Ryan was flustered with the whiny, tired kids screaming in the back, me in his ear about something, and the oncoming truck, that he backed right into the ditch next to our house!! Oh boy, this is trouble. I am sure glad it wasn't me because I knew that was bound to happen at some point. I never thought it was going to be Ryan that did it. Needless to say an hour an a half later Ryan with his manly, handy skills was able to pull the car out of the ditch, with my help of course! What a task! I don't know what he did other than jack the car up really high and tie a chain to the van and had me pull it out with the van. Go-Green-Gadget! I was sweating and extremely nervous but it all worked out in the end. Ryan, your amazing! Way to go! To flustered to take a picture at the time. I will post a picture of the ditch later with house pics.

While this was going on outside I had Abby in-charge inside. Scary, I know! I was afraid of what I was going to see when I went inside. However, I never thought I would see this....

I was too late with the camera for the best part! When I walked in, Abby was rocking Kenna in the chair, singing to her and tickling her back.....so sweet! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. She had rocked her sister to sleep. When Abby saw me she decided she was done. She slid out from behind Kenna and plopped her on the chair.....Kenna still sleeping. I guess we had totally exhausted everyone because she never sleeps anywhere except her bed.

6.) Abby slipped getting into the bathtub and split her chin open and we spent an afternoon at urgent care. Thank goodness we do have an urgent care here!

Happy as a lark! Wouldn't it be nice if every visit to the urgent care looked like this! She must not have realized what was coming next.

Before......

...after

No stitches, just Derma-Bond! Until a few hours later when that came un done.....Super-Glue! I know that is white trash but the urgent care was closed and the E.R. had over an hour wait! Sorry Abby, your Dad won this one! Cross our fingers that #7 isn't a trip back to urgent care for an infection!

I LOVE YOU DADDY!

2009-02-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

January 6th .... Dad's 8th year anniversary

I can't believe I have spent 8 years without my sweet daddy! Man I miss him so much, but time sure has flown by. I have graduated from aesthetician and massage therapy programs, gotten married to the most charming, full of life, curious, intelligent guy, lived in a scorpion infested home (if you can even call it a home), brought 2 sweet, angel girls into this world that I know you had a part in and survived a few scary medical complications during and after Kenna's birth, and last but not least picked up and moved my family away, from what I call home, so that Ryan could attend nursing school and pursue his passion.

All along the way I have wished you could be here for all of those big, important, life changing events in my life! I struggled quite a bit after you were gone with my testimony, anger, depression, hurt and lonliness but I knew that was not what you wanted for me. I couldn't understand why Heavenly Father would take my best friend away from me. I didn't know how I was going to go on without having those comforting hugs, daddy/daughter dates, words of encouragement and praise, PPI's, and everything else we had. With the help of the gospel and Heavenly Father and your sweet, amazing wife that stood by me, even when I was being a not-head, and friends and family, I soon realized that was not the path I wanted to take. I didn't want to have that anger in my heart any more. I just thought of how disappointed you probably were with me. I knew that that was one of your biggest fears of leaving me, you didn't want me to hurt.

I am so grateful for the love and support and the strength that I have gained from this experience. I realized that I needed to be grateful that I had such a loving, tender, compassionate father and such a great relationship with him. Even though it was for a short 18 years, some kids don't ever get the chance to have that at all. For that I am grateful! I am also grateful for the close relationship I have gained with Mom and my Heavenly Father!

I now know that I can live without you even though it is sooo hard sometimes and that I miss you tons. I wish you were still here to get to know my Ryan and that my girls could have had another Grandpa! I know you would just love them to pieces! Thank goodness for that wonderful reunion that we get to have in heaven! Thank you for what you have taught me and for being the BEST dad a girl could ask for! I LOVE YOU DADDY!

December Updates....

2009-01-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Warning..... long post (This is for me and my records)

Dec. 4th ... "The Polar Express"

Abby and I got to go to "The Polar Express" with my mom and some of Abby's cousins. It was an absolute blast! If you haven't been before I highly recommend it.

Here we are on the train in our pj's on our way to the "North Pole" to pick up Santa Claus... so exciting!

On the train the elfs passed out cookies and hot chocolate and read the book "Polar Express".

Once we picked up Santa from the North Pole, we sang songs until he made it to our cabin. He gave each of the kids silver bells and we were on our merry way.

On our way home we stopped at the deer farm. The kids each got a cup of food and in we went with the deer. They ate it right out of our hand. If you weren't careful they would attack you for your food.

Dec. 6th... WHITE TRASH

We made a trip to our new place in Safford before the "big move" to get a head start. I believe we qualified for the term "white trash"! In fact, we probably still do qualify! I am pretty sure that any time you put a mattress on top of your car you qualify.

My poor mom got the lovely pleasure of going with us and also the pleasure of being squished between my two girls! What a trip that was. Sorry mom!

Dec. 19... Ryan's Last Gore Party ...

Ryan's work Christmas party was held at Rustlers Rooste. My camera batteries died so I didn't get many pics but we sure had a blast. I didn't get a shot of Ryan's wrangler jeans, yes he wore them out in public, but all the ladies sure got a shot!

Cute face babe. We spent the evening eating, dancing, and saying goodbye to all of Ryan's co-workers. It sure warmed my heart to hear all the nice things people had to say about Ryan and how much they were going to miss him and his fun personality. They said that he made work fun and that he always made them laugh. A few of the ladies said "we have never met better guys than Ryan and Blue (Ryan's best friend that worked at Gore as well)"

I thought this was hilarious and fitting since I have gained a few pounds over the holiday season.

Tolman Christmas Party

We had our annual Tolman Christmas Party at my Aunt's house. We look forward to this every year because Santa makes a showing and to see family, of course.

Kenna wasn't so sure about the whole Santa thing.

Abby loved it!

However, she sure loved the backpack Santa brought her!

As did Abby.

And Then There Was Christmas....

We spent Christmas at my mom's this year since we were all packed up in boxes. That was really fun for us and the girls. And I think mom, grandma and gramps enjoyed it as well.

Christmas Eve tradition of pajama's.

Grandma and Grandpa even joined in with us.

CHRISTMAS MORNING..

The girls got a doll house!!!!

Jen got a gag gift...

...and Ryan put it on his head!

Ryan and I got this fabulous quilt from my mom for Christmas. It's kind of a funny story. Ryan and I started this quilt when we were dating as a project to keep us out of trouble... I couldn't keep my hands off him. Anyway, we pieced it together and never finished it. My mom found it in her closet and finished it for us for Christmas! What a great gift and perfect timing because it is freezing down here. We snuggle in it all the time as do the kids. Thanks mom, your the best!

Merry Christmas to ALL!!

2008-12-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

Instead of sending out Christmas cards this year like I always do (wait, have I EVER sent a Christmas card) I decided it would be a fabulous idea to make my header a Christmas card! We have been very busy packing up our house, not to mention my procrastination, and the time just flew right by. Well, I thought this was a great idea until I realized it has been a while since I changed my header. So it took me longer to figure it out than it would have to write and send out Christmas cards! You win some and lose some. Anyways, Merry Christmas to ALL!

Five Simple Rules for Happiness:

2008-12-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live SIMPLY

4. Give more

5. Expect less

6.Oh, and having lots of money helps... that must be why we are so happy! LOL!

#6 was added by Ryan.

Here I am playing catch-up again!!

2008-12-19T00:59:00.000-07:00

My computer had a virus and it took hubby a few weeks to get around to fixing it (you know how that goes). Then it was fixed for a day or two and then the whole computer crashed. So Hubby is still working on that and in the mean-time I am going crazy without a computer. I don't recommend it. I am taking advantage of his on-call laptop to catch up. So here is what we have been up to. A few more to come as well as more pics.

BIG NEWS!!

2008-12-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

We are MOVING!!!

Ryan got accepted to nursing school at Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, AZ starting on January 7th. Our house is located in Safford about 6 miles from the college and about 45 minutes from Ryan's folks. It should be an exciting, fun, and poor two years! Yeah for figuring out what we want to do with our lives at 30... better late than never! I am so proud of Ryan and I am actually looking forward to the change, although I am really going to miss everyone! Thank goodness for blogs, right?

Happy THANKSGIVING!!

2008-12-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for:

-My husband Ryan
-My sweet girls Abby and Kenna
-A Heavenly Father that loves me no matter what
-A loving dad that I know watches over me and gives me strength
-My sweet Mom that is amazingly strong and a great role model
-All of my family
-Friends
-Our health
-Love
-The Gospel
-My testimony
-Ryan's love and support through everything and all of his hard work
-Our home
-Our freedom
-Our home, food, and jobs

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Harris crew. It was a crew alright! Heather blessed her little guy Merrick on Sunday so her entire in-law family was in town and Francie invited them to our Thanksgiving dinner. And Tiffani's Mother-in-law was also in town so we invited her as well. I think we had about 40 people there and we were one BIG happy family! We enjoyed stuffing our faces and then we all sat around singing along to some good tunes played by Danny and Ed Torriente as well as my sweet Ry (just like the good 'ol days). After our food settled a bit, everyone played a game of soccer. Then we parted our ways and moved on to my mom's house where we ate some amazing pies! You seriously have not lived until you have enjoyed a slice of Bonnie's homeade pie! WHOA!

HUNTING FOR BAMBI!!

2008-12-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan went with his dad and brothers on their yearly hunting trip (we like to call it camping with guns because they usually don't see any deer let alone kill anything). However, this time Ryan finally did it! Yeah Hubby I am so excited for you and even more excited to eat what you killed! Yumm! Yumm!

To Be Continued..... by Ryan someday

ABBY is FOUR!!

2008-12-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Abby at 4!

39 lbs. 41 inches

-She is the Best Big sister ever!

-She is so sweet to Kenna (most of the time)

-She is always giving hugs and kisses to us and saying "love you too"

-She loves to ride bikes, swing, read books, dance, play with cousins and friends, go to Duncan

-We love her sassy hair, all of it!

-She loves to help mom around the house with everything from laundry to making beds to cooking. I really enjoy that when I'm not in a hurry.

-When someone has an owie she says "what'd you bonk from?"

-When she sees a bald man she asks "where's his top hair?"

Abby wanted to have her birthday party at the park this year. So we played, ate pizza and cake, and had one heck of a party! Thank you everyone for coming and making Abby's day special!! I can't believe my little girl is already 4!

October

2008-11-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

A little ladybug and Snow White

The girls had a lot of fun going out on Halloween and getting lots of candy! Abby wanted to be Snow White this year and Kenna didn't really care so she got a hand-me-down ladybug (l love hand-me-downs, thank you Jen for all the clothes)

And then...........

David Beckham and Aunt Jemima

We bleached Ryan's hair for his costume and we painted my face for my costume. Aren't we a fabulous couple! This was at Heather's annual Halloween party. We had a lot of fun and of course Aunt Jemima won best costume of the night!! Isn't that the sickest costume ever!!

We had a good time with Drew and Amy, some of our good friends that were also at the party.

BUNCO

This month for Bunco we dressed up and it was a blast! I am crackin up just thinking about it

I also had another encounter with Aunt Jemima this month but this time I had a partner, Uncle Jemima! This is me as Aunt Jemima and Dani Smith as Uncle Jemima! We had a blast and we won BEST costume of the night! So hilarious! I will never forget this night.

This is the rest of the crew.

2008-10-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

BIG MESS!!

So I was on the computer working and I thought the girls were playing in their room. Oh No!They were playing alright, but NOT in their room! I decided to check on them and came out to this lovely mess! Two dozen eggs cracked all over the floor and the piano! Oh My Gosh! My first reaction was "What the heck are you doing, absolutely not"! Then I took a deep breath in and realized they are just kids, do not beat the crap out of them over a big mess! Do take a picture so we can show them all the trouble they caused me. I probably could post about one of these posts a day titled "BIG MESS".

You can only see half of the mess!! It was all over the piano keys as well.

How could you get mad at this?!!

SILLY GIRLS!!

On the contrary, the good outways the bad with kids, doesn't it? As much as my girls make messes and cause trouble, they make me laugh even more!!

Moms maxi pads! Or bandaids as they called them. Abby was the accomplice in crime.

I am sorry but I couldn't resist this! She was playing dress up and obviously got dressed all by herself. She had taken off her diaper and this is what you get!

And then she was trying to be a BIG girl like Abby. She is wearing about 5 pairs of pannies! She doesn't quite qualify for a BIG girl yet.

I was looking all over for Abby around the house and couldn't find her. Until she popped out of the dirty clothes hamper. She sure got me. And yes, she is also naked! My girls love to get naked for some reason.

PHOTOS

2008-10-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

PHOTO SHOOT

I got the girls pictures taken at target for their 2 and 4 year updates. Of course, when we got there neither one of them would smile. They actually turned out better than I thought. Abby wanted to wear her costume that she wore for her dance recital. I thought sure, who cares? We didn't get any pics of her in her costumes the night of her recital so this will be good. I think they turned out pretty dreamy! And Kenna got a hold of the bear and would not put it down. So there you have it. You get what you pay for!

September

2008-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Abby's Starts Preschool!

Abby started preschool this year at the Montessori Learning Center in Mesa. I am a big fan of Montessori learning. My aunt had a Montessori school in her home that my brother Jaren and I went to (I'm pretty sure that's why we are so smart). I love the hands on learning environment. It teaches children to be independent (that's not always better). Abby loves preschool and loves her teachers Miss Christine, Miss Sadie and Miss Nona. We carpool with Brooke and when it's my turn to drive, Kenna and I love to play outside on the swings and in the sand box together. The kids get to play outside for the first 25 minutes of school to get all their wiggles and energy out and the parents can stay if they want.

Trip to Duncan!

Grandma and Grandpa Harris moved to Duncan in April and we like to try and visit as much as we can. The girls absolutely LOVE going to Duncan (especially Abby). She probably asks at least every other day if we are going to Duncan. The Harris' decided to have a family activity every quarter with all the siblings that can make it. This month we decided to go to Duncan for the county fair. We had a lot of fun spending time with family, eating navajo tacos, riding rides, seeing all the animals and grasshoppers and of course going on walks. The girls really enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins. Heather and Eddy decided not to come since baby was due in a few weeks. It's a good thing because Heather went into labor while we were gone. The Harris' and Nelsons left Duncan at 3am to make it just in time for Merrick William Torriente to arrive. We are so excited for them and congratulate them as they start their new family!

Abby was reinacting what she did on the Ferris wheel because it was kind of scary. Sorry about the red eye, that is what's scary!

Holy Crap!! Is that the HUGEST grasshopper you've ever seen? (yes folks... that IS a quarter) Those things were everywhere. Abby loved stepping on them and Kenna freaked when they came close to her, as did I.

Grandma and all the cousins riding on the quad. They thought that was so fun! I'm not gonna lie, Grandma driving that thing kind of scared me a little.

August

2008-10-22T08:21:00.001-07:00

Look Who's TWO!

27.8 lbs. and 35" tall

I can't believe Kenna is already 2! These 2 years have gone by sooo fast. We celebrated her birthday at Grandma Bonnie's house. She shares the same birthday as her cousin Caleb, so we had a joint party. She was very excited about her gifts and knew exactly what to do with them. She was very good at saying thank you to everyone. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate her life and thanks to me for going through HELL to get her here!

Isn't that the cutest cake!!

She was not sure about all the attention,

and Caleb didn't like the singing so much!

What We Love about Kenna at TWO!

- She has many "terrible two" moments, but mostly has a very SWEET disposition! I'm pretty sure she got that from her me! (he he)

- She is the best snuggler. She will lay her head on your shoulder almost any time, especially at bed time while we sing her favorite song "twinkle, twinkle little star"

- She loves her big sister and has to copy everything she does.

-She is our little parrot and loves to mimic behavior.

- She says "love you too" and uses sign language (except instead of the correct sign she uses the peace sign)

- Her sweet little raspy voice

-Her big hugs and kisses

-Her dimples and big blue eyes

Things Kenna Loves at Two!

- Her blankees (all 3 of them)
- Teat (treat)

- Candy
-Suckers (someone got my sweet tooth)
- Stuffed animals
- Babies
- Grandma's and Grandpa
- Playing with Abby
- Playing "got you" with daddy

- Lil' bit (what she says when she wants more milk at bed time)

JULY

2008-10-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

SAN CARLOS MEXICO!!

We were very blessed to be able to go with our friends the Mavity's, Stewarts, and Makelprangs to San Carlos Mexico this year for the 4th of July. We were kid free and had such a fabulous time. That was the first time I have been to Mexico, what an awesome experience! I had no idea how blessed we are to live here. It was eye opening to see the people. We left early Wednesday morning in Drew's GINORMOUS truck. Here are all the guys getting our visas just past the border.

The rest of the rode trip was great until we stopped to eat and I realized I had left my wallet back home (I know that is so stupid). I had taken it out of my purse in the car to get gas and didn't put it back in. I was sooo embarrassed and started thinking that I was going to be stuck in Mexico and my family would have to come visit me because I had no I.D. to get back across the border. Way to go Jenyce..... Ryan even asked me before we left if I was sure that I had my I.D (sure I do, it's always in my purse). I probably should check next time. After discussing it with Jake secretly because I felt soooo dumb, he reassured us that someone could email us a copy of my I.D. to show at the border if necessary. Anyways, we arrived safely and this is how we spent the next week. It seriously was heaven!

TO BE CONTINUED......

June

2008-10-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Birthday Ryan!!

SURPRISE!!

I threw Ryan a surprise party for his 30 Birthday. It turned out so good, he had no idea! The pictures didn't turn out so good I was to busy trying to make everything run smoothly I didn't do a good job of taking pictures. Anyway, this was definitely a lot of work but it was a lot of fun too. Thanks to Jen and Rob for letting us use their house and to everyone that helped with the food and planning and of course everyone that came making it a great party! We have such great friends and family. I am glad Ryan had a great birthday because he sure deserved it. He has had a great 30 years (especially the past 5) and we look forward to a great 30 more! He has accomplished so much. We Love You Ry! Thanks for being you. Happy Birthday

Gore's 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Ryan's work celebrated their 50th anniversary this year with a big family fair in Flagstaff. We all rode up in a big bus (the girls thought that was really cool)! We thankfully got there safely since the bus driver thought it was a good idea to text on his phone while winding through the mountains. Talk about scary! Anyways, we had a LOT of fun as a family. The girls got their faces painted, ate lots of food, cookies and ice cream, rode on all kinds of rides, sang and danced with the band, and Abby got to go rock climbing with daddy (I can't believe she did it and loved it)

MAY

2008-10-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Of Course..... My Birthday and Mothers Day!!
From what I recall I had a fabulous birthday/mother day. Ryan definitely took care of me. First I spent the morning with my mom, sister and sister-in-laws. We went to breakfast and to get pedicures. Then to come home to a CLEAN house and a massage table set up. Ryan had hired Buffy (massage therapist from work) to come to the house to give me a massage while he left with the girls. Wow, what a day. Way to go Ry!

Shout out to my MOM!
My mom is such a wonderful person all around, but especially a wonderful mother! She does so much for us kids and is always willing to do more. She is probably the strongest woman I know. She has so much on her plate, yet handles it all so well. She inspires me to be better and to know that I can get through anything as long as I am close to my Heavenly Father and ask for his help and strength. She is such a hard worker and is sooo great at what she does. If she is not at work then she is at work giving service to family and anyone else around in need. She is such a fun person to be around. I hope I can be just like you when I grow up. I LOVE YOU MOM!!

April

2008-10-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

I can't recall much that happened in April other than Nelson and Francie (Ryan's mom and dad) moved to Duncan, Az. This was such a sad time for us and our girls:( We really enjoyed having them live next door to us. It was fun for me to get to know them a little better and grow so much closer to them. I have the BEST in-laws ever. My mother-in-law is the nicest, most caring person who loves her children sooo much and would do anything to help them. She loves her grandchildren just as much and is the best grandma. My girls love to play with grandma Francie. I feel honored that they call me Francie Jr. My father-in-law is also a very loving person. He has taken me in as one of his daughters and for this I am so grateful since he is my only father figure right now. He is doing a fabulous job. I have never met anyone who works as hard as he does and who literally is such a wonderful husband (Actually I think Ryan is right on his tail). Anyways, we are so happy for them, they are loving it down there. We miss them a bunch but are lucky enough to still see them every couple of months.

MARCH

2008-10-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!

FEBRUARY

2008-10-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

SAD DAY!

Our first home that we ever lived in was torn down in February. (well, we called it that cause that is where we slept at night, but in actuality it is probably more appropriately called our first dump. Or our first hole in the wall. Or our first scorpion/roach/mouse infested domicile. Or our first how-in-THE-hell-did-Ryan-talk-me-into-staying-here-for-a-whole-year.... even better... how did I do it?) It was Uncle Tom's 14 acre Ranch house that he grew up in on the northwest corner of Cooper and Pecos just south of the Cooper Ward meetinghouse. When Uncle Tom moved to Duncan and was getting ready to put it up for sale, he kept his horses there and let Ryan and I stay there in exchange for feeding and taking care of the horses until it sold. It actually was a neat little place to start out in and we do have some fond memories of it. (as you will see, we also had some not so fond memories of it, including the home getting broken into and us being robbed while we were at work just 3 months into our marriage. The thieves made away with about 5 thousand dollars worth of clothes, Cd's, guns, and other goods including a custom made hunting knife that Ryan's uncle Ted hand forged and crafted for him.... now THAT was a sad day.)

JANUARY

2008-10-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Abby, Spencer, Brinton, Mady, Ms. Jenyce & Kenna

In January I decided to be ambitious and start a preschool in my home. I had 4 students, 7 if you count my little Kenna who thought she was one of the BIG kids. Bless her heart she was trying to do her best but ended up giving me the equivalent of 3 extra students. I truly enjoyed the experience... but I am SO glad I am now done! (Thanks Kenna... You ruined it and you have convinced me that it is better to put Abby in preschool than to run my own.) Now I get to enjoy a nice little break and I actually have time to get things done (like blogging). In all seriousness, I really enjoyed working with the kids, it just ended up being more work than I had anticipated.

What we've been up to this year!

2008-10-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am going to review this year and what we've been up to by month. I am doing this more for my own documenting. Feel free to take a look or not.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE A BLOG!!

2008-10-19T08:44:00.001-07:00

So I can't believe that I hopped on the "BLOGWAGON"! I am a little slow getting started. Actually, I started a few months ago and I haven't posted anything until now. I am still trying to figure out how to work this thing. I told myself I would never have a blog and here it is. I was finally convinced by Dani that it is great for journaling/scrapbooking. She told me that you can print out your blog each year! I LOVE that! (again a little slow, that is old news). I do not have time for scrapbooking anymore and am so far behind it's not even funny! So I am really excited about documenting our lives and actually being up to date instead of behind! I Love to
SIMPLIFY!! And I have had a great time catching up on everybody else and how they are doing through their blogs.