Merry Christmas

Harrison Family Christmas 2014

disneyland with Lucas

Once upon a time there lived two college students who spent their hard earned money on Disneyland passes for three years in a row. Throughout the school year, Richard and I would go to Disneyland about once or twice a month (sometimes more). It was the perfect date night for us...to broke to actually go out for dinner and or a movie...but with our passes it gave us the freedom of enjoying Disneyland and California Adventure.  

This Christmas season, with the help of two cast members, our family was able to go to Disneyland and California Adventure. With the price of tickets I'm eternally grateful for Dada's Disneyland cast member connection. The cost for entering the gates of the happiest place on earth is a steep one. I can't image purchasing annual passes now.

Going to Disneyland with a toddler was a new experience for me. The days leading up to our trip I had nightmares about loosing him in the park. I purposely dressed Lucas in orange. Dadi wanted him to wear a Mickey Mouse shirt, but I vetoed that idea. I could just imagine trying to describe my lost child to an employee....two year old, about 30 something inches... wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt.

Yeah, I just describes everyone's kid.

In addition to loosing my child, I was curious about how he would react to the rides. He doesn't like loud noses or fast movements.

Winnie the Pooh, Small World, Mickey's Fun Wheel and Buzz Light Year were a big hit.

We stayed until World of Color. Lucas slept through the entire show. After the show everyone else went on big kid rides while sleeping Lucas and I went shopped. Great day, makes me miss having an annual pass. 

handmade holidays

Homemade ornaments add a personal touch to any Christmas tree. This year my Mom and I teamed up together along with the boys to paint these cute wooden cars, trucks and trains. The boys each painted about one ornament before deciding to go outside and play construction site. After the boys finished Mom and I worked on the rest of the ornaments. It was fun painting the details on little cars, trucks and trains. 

Lucas wanted to paint Lightening McQueen. I think he nailed it. 

These silly boys had a blast painting their ornaments and my table. To prevent the table from being damaged I used butcher paper and secured it with painter's tape. This kept the paint from leaking through and my table stayed clean. 

I love how everything turned out. My tree has five new adorable ornaments and I have new memories to enjoy.  

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone is stuffed to the max. I know I am.

With one Sunday wedding dinner, two thanksgiving dinners, and one dinner and lunch to celebrate my husband passing the bar exam I'm ready to hibernate and not see another plate of food until Spring.

I have so much to be thankful this year. It is easy for me to get caught up in my own world that I forget to be thankful for the blessing that I do have. My husband is a newly minted attorney, my family is growing, and we have a safe and happy home.

Psalm 100

Enter his gates with thankgiving

and his courts with praise;

giving thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

family wedding @ Villa de Amore

We kicked off the holiday season with a family wedding @ the Villa de Amore in Temecula California. It was a beautiful wedding. The bride did a fantastic job of using the venue's natural beauty in planning her colors and decorations. During the cocktail hour guests were given the opportunity to play lawn games...which worked out well for Lucas. He had a blast tossing the bean bags around the lawn disrupting everyone who actually wanted to play the game. 

Speaking of Lucas....he did well for not napping. The wedding started at two. Lucas usually naps starting around noonish and will sleep until 3ish. I knew going into this day that things might get interesting as the day went on...he did well until the dinner hour. Luckily I came prepared and had lots of goldfishes and crackers. 

Unfortunately I didn't plan for the cold....not just crisp air (I did plan for crisp air) but freezing bone chilling wind. The wedding ceremony and reception dinner took place outside. Indian sari's aren't made for the cold weather and the little shawl that I brought did not cut it. Several times during the evening I was seriously tempted to go back to the car slip on my pj's and ugg boots. 

Besides the weather it was a wonderful wedding and I wish all the happiness to the bride and groom. 

my husband is a lawyer

I'm going to keep things short and sweet tonight. Tonight marks a new chapter for our family. My husband just found out that he passed the California State Bar Exam. I am so proud of him and thankful that  he passed. What a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving week!

These Happy Golden Year by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Ingalls family will always have a special place in my heart. As a little girl, I grew up reading (and watching) the Little House on the Prairie series. And now as an adult I'm thrilled to be able to reread and enjoy the adventures of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie and little Grace.

"These Happy Golden Years," which won the Newberry Honor award in 1944, continues the autobiographical account of the Ingalls family. The book starts when Laura is fifteen and ends when she turns eighteen. Laura is now a young lady, and her life is getting interesting. To help make ends meet, Laura takes on a teaching job twelve miles away from home. This is the first time Laura is living away from home and she struggles with homesickness and learning how to be a good teacher. Every Friday afternoon, the handsome and much older Alamanzo Wilder braves the cold weather to take her home. As the story progresses, Alamanzo becomes an even bigger part of Laura's life. Between the buggy rides, the singing school and sledding; soon a friendship turns to love for Laura and Alamanzo ending in their marriage and the start of a new life together.

Laura's romance with Alamanzo is an excellent example of a wholesome courtship without the pressures of modern dating. Should I have daughters I would definitely suggest this book during their tween/teen years. Laura is a fine example for young girls - someone who studies hard, goes out and does what she needs to do, has adventures and along the way finds true love.