More Writing

I know you are all waiting impatiently to read about our fabulous trip. Yet, I though I would give you a heads up. I wrote a little message on the sidebar about my new blog. This blog contains some of my writing. I am working on a few new things, one which is posted and wanted somewhere to get feedback. Come and see what I have been writing and leave a comment. Also, I have invited everyone I know and could thinkn of to join but, if I have missed you e-mail me or leave a comement. This is a step I decided to take to protect my work. http://www.morestoriesbykari.blogspot.com/

The Happiest Place on Earth

Yes, Disneyland Really is, "The Happiest place on earth." Well, let me just say, it is the happiest place when you have the ones you love the most with you. I apologize for the sentimentality but we had the best week. I don't know what was better riding Space Mountain with Harris or Anna's exclamation of "OOH!" (lots of emphasis on the "OOH!) when she saw Aaron bringing some ice cream. Driving home Saturday Aaron and I contemplated whether we should turn around and go back. After a quiet morning with just Anna I'm wishing Harris had another week off school and Aaron just didn't have to go back to work quite yet. Anyway, here are a few quick travel stories for you. If you would rather, just scroll down and take a visual tour.
At the start of our trip, we wondered if taking a seventeen month old child was a mistake. Yes, Anna got bit car sick. Luckily, it was right when we pulled into Aaron's grandma and grandpa's house in St. George. We soon found that giving her a little dose of anti-nausea medicine helped and the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. Nonetheless, we had one fatality-Anna's baby. Thank goodness for a sweet grandma who allowed Anna to have the baby, Anna's new favorite thing, that is community property of all the girl great-grandkids. Thanks grandma.
We had a great time visiting with Aaron's grandparents and saw a magnificent sculpture exhibit at the St. George Temple Visitor's Center. It was a great sabbath day experience. Visit http://www.ajsculptures.com/ for more sculptures.Ia href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR11oURrr9qpVQRT7KsdlT80lTRzZdj2_pwwW2z17Gf-yyK-SiUYltzuftm1E1cFSHbmBi_qj9i7gGOpJdELnASO4ifkl4Fr-roWiQccOka9XmHlBc4Xk4wQPoLPJYCweXs0maZl5T3qhw/s1600-h/christ+angela+johnson.bmp"> (sorry for this, the picture left when I deleted it)

If you are in the St' George area during the next couple months, go and see it. The sculptures are amazing and the sculptor, Angela Johnson, is self-taught former opera singer.

Enjoy the video is of a park we went to with his Grandma and Grandpa. Anna was cracking us up. Not only because of the giggles on the swing but, we taught her the baby bumble be song and she would exclaim "ouch!" from the bee stinging her every thirty seconds. She also decided to practice saying hello all the way down. It was funny listening to all the L's get jumbled in her mouth. We would her her say "yello, lello, heello, lello,(I swear I heard jello in there somewhere)," over and over again.
Here we are outside the Tiki Room in Disneyland waiting for my favorite show and having my favorite snack, whipped pineapple juice. I believe this is the only place you can get this snack and it is the only food item worth paying money for in the park. Since I was little this part has always been a favorite of a Disneyland trip. The best is when Aaron said it was his favorite too. I'm glad he still remembers sharing this yummy frozen treat and seeing the bird show on our honeymoon.
Harris wanted to do all things space and future. We spent most of our time in Tomorrowland and when we were not there he kept of thinking of reasons we needed to go back. One of the highlights was Jedi Training. As soon as Harris read that that he too could become a Jedi, he was watching the clock until the show started. Too bad that he didn't get chosen to participate. I think his height did him a disfavor. Yet, he still seemed to love it. We saw what we would look fifty years from now in the house of the future. Aaron looks a lot like his Grandpa Nydegger with a rounder face and I just look old. I have to apologize for not capturing these images for your enjoyment. Anna was pretty non-chalant the whole time. She just took it easy in her stroller. My favorite was taking her on the Carousel. She was so excited to be on her own horse that actually moved. It is also fun to stroke the plastic mane. She also meet Tiger, but wouldn't leave Aaron's sarms. The best thing was hearing her wave and say "hello" to anyone who would look at her. She fell asleep in Aaron's arms during Pirate's of the Caribbean (her second time through). There is nothing like the boom of cannons and drunk pirates to lull you to sleep.

In the end it seemed to wear her out good. On the last day, we found her like this as we were living the park.

Ah! La Mer! I am still finding Southern California sand all over my house and car. Yet, it isn't as bad as when Harris emptied his pockets on the carpet when he was four. In fact I find myself, smiling at the mess. I love the beach. If it weren't for the outrageous gas and housing prices, I would make Aaron find a job tomorrow and we would move to a little beach community. The wild sounds of the ocean crashing and the never ending vista of water calm me. It was cold the day we went but, that didn't stop Harris from wanting to take a dip. Aaron went along and Anna had to be held back from wading to deep to join her big brother. So, enjoy these beautiful pictures of the beach.

That night we ate at this Chinese buffet. Now I know what some of you are thinking but, we happen, especially Harris, enjoy having the selection at a good buffet. This one was very good. There was a lot of good fish and sushi. The funniest thing was Anna playing with the waitress. She would watch for her to come by and then say 'hi' or blow a kiss. It was soo funny. She also likes sushi, well California rolls, but that is about as brave as I get anyway. Yes, this was the place where Anna made both Aaron and I laugh out loud at her excitement in seeing ice cream. Funny how the simplest things can be so great. On the last day we visited Shamu and all other sea life at Sea World. This park seemed to be a little more Anna's style. She loved seeing the fish and making her fishy noises. They have this beautiful Beluga Whale there in there Arctic exhibit. It is pure white. It is so graceful and free.
Part of me wanted to jump in the tank and swim along side it. That is, if it wasn't so close to the polar bear tank and I could hold my breath underwater forever.

We also sat in the 'soak zone' on all the shows and only got a bit wet at Shamu. Harris was a bit disappointed, me, who made us sit in the last row of the 'soak zone' not so much. The day ended with us devouring pizza and root beer on the hotel bed and wishing we weren't going home the next day. Yet, life moves along and gives us reason for another vacation.

Disneyland Here We Come!

Hooray! We are off on Vacation on Saturday!! How excited are we to be going to Disneyland and Sea World, maybe experience some warm weather. Here are a few objectives for our trip:
Kari- Don't get frazzled packing and getting ready to go. Even if we forget socks, toothpaste, and sunscreen there are stores in California. Actually get to ride on the grown-up rides this time since Anna won't be in my belly.
Aaron- Enjoy a blissful week off of work. Be glad not to be worrying about labs, pagers, and cell phone calls at midnight (hopefully).
Harris- Ride Space Mountain and Bear River Run. Enjoy a crazy fun last week of his time off track.
Anna- Sleep and be sweet in the long car rides (hopefully). Become overwhelmed with all there is to see and do.
Stay Tuned for wonderful pictures and stories when we return!

Daddy's Girl

So, you know how you always promise you won't be jealous of your spouse? I know us, stay at home mom's sometimes have a fleeting desire to switch places with our husbands and join the work force, which really only lasts mere moments. Yet, I must admit, the one thing I am jealous of is how my sweet Anna, whom I have fed, rocked, bathed, cuddled, stressed over and been her only companion most days, says 'Daddy' nonstop when Aaron is around and somehow mommy, mama, and mom have dropped from her vocabulary lately. Last Friday when Aaron got home Anna ran to the door (or toddled real fast) to say "Hi Daddy" and pat his legs as she repeated "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Now I know this show of affection is adorable. In fact I am so glad that she idolizes Aaron. I love how she kisses his cheek and makes a big deal of saying 'bye-bye' to him as he goes to work. Who doesn't like seeing the man they love turning into mush instantly when he hears his little girl's voice? Yet, tell me this, why has mama been forgotten? She says baby, and blanky, bro-bro, no (that is new today), fish,nana(which can mean Anna or banana), ball, book, yea, popcorn...but no mama. The only theory I have is that she sees me as just an extension of herself. Sometimes I feel that she is just this twenty-two pound growth on my hip. I guess I should feel lucky that our bond is so strong there is no need for names, we just are us.

Is it Spring Yet???

Yesterday morning I was dumbfounded when I woke up to go run outside, too little of time to go to the gym since Aaron had an early meeting, and saw snow. Not just a little but enough to make our whole neighborhood look like a winter wonderland. So, a little depressed, I climbed in bed and hibernated for another short hour. I think the worst part of this whole spring snow thing is that Harris is off-track and we or he has very little to keep him occupied. The good news is that he has been reading a lot of Harry Potter 7 and the bad news is he is going to finish, if this weather keeps up, in the next few days. What will I do with him then? Hopefully, it will warm up and we can go on trips to the park and all other sorts of fun outdoor activities. I once started a children's book about this topic, when it literally snowed on the first day of spring. I outlined all kinds of things you can do inside to make it seem like spring. Funny thing is, I decide to pick up that project recently and it made me a little depressed. Inside picnics and filling the kiddie pool in the basement seems like just a big mess and a bit unrealistic. Remember those years when it was seventy degrees at this time of year? There was nothing better than when all the kids emerged from their apartments at the university when the playground had thawed. I just hope (do I hope) that our mild season of cool (not cold) morning runs and light jackets to the park doesn't pass. Anyway, here are a few pictures of our spring so far.