Harris Halloween '08

Well, it has come and gone and we had a great Halloween. So grateful for the nice weather and good company while we sat on the front porch handing out candy. This is the first year Sydney has gone trick or treating with friends (without mom or dad) and Morgan went around the neighborhood with her friend Maddie and her dad. Joel, Shelley and their kids came over as did Layne, Julie and Mylee and we had an enjoyable evening eating pizza and Krispy Kreme donuts (compliments of the Olsen family who give out a box of a dozen donuts per kid every year!) Kendra had more fun giving out (and of course, eating!) the candy as people came to the door and we ended the evening with a visit up to Grandma and Grandpa Harris'.

Neighborhood Halloween Party

Yes, another Halloween Party and it's not even Halloween yet! Fun to hang out with our "neighborhood family", though. They had dinner, at least 6 booths including a cake walk and fortune teller, a dance and showed a movie on the big screen right in the middle of the culdesac. A few of us dressed up in 80's fashion and sang back up for our friend who was Madonna. Yes, I did it and yes, it was embarassing! The things we do for friends.... (it was her wedding anniversary and she dressed as Madonna and sang "Holiday" but their last name is "Halliday" and changed the words to dedicate the song to her hubby....)

The Witches Party

I have another fabulous sister in law (lets face it, all my sisters in law are fabulous!) that threw a "Witches" party for 2 of her daughters and 45, yes I said forty five of their friends!! Everyone dressed up as witches (Shelley included) and they did 2 hours of fun activities! They went on a scavenger hunt for things like dead flies, a toenail, fake spiders, witches wart, etc. Then they put those things in the "witches brew". (aka homemade rootbeer) She fed them dinner, they watched "Charlie Browns Halloween" and then played some games. I'll tell ya, I'm so grateful for the wonderful people in our lives who take the time and energy to create such fun memories for our family! Here are some pics of the girls before they headed out....

A trip to the Pumpkin Patch...

The 2008 Housley Halloween Party~ Thanks Kim!

Braden, the Jazz player

Cameron, a Cowboys coach and Dane, a monkey

Brooke, the Indian princess

Jordan and Erin as Obama and Sarah Palin

"Grandma" Housley


Jenny in her "Jazzercise" leotard!

Kim in her "handmade" Loofah

Lana the "Flapper"

Alexa, the kitty kat

Theran and his version of "Big Momma"

Clayton "AKA Richard Simmons

our Fam~probably the first and only time I'll get us dressed as a "theme"



A few years ago our sweet and amazingly talented sister in law (Therans wife) started the very great tradition of an annual Halloween Party. It's been a fun idea and such a crack up to see what everyone dresses up as every year. (for a family that can be pretty uncreative ~ me included ~ we've come up with some good costumes!) A shout out to Taylor, Val and Isaac who weren't here this year, we missed you!

Well, this is WAY overdue!

Happy Birthday Morgan Kate! Our little girl just turned 6! Thank you for making us laugh, keeping us on our toes and for ALWAYS drawing us pictures! We love you!

Getting our toes done...

We have a good friend who is amazing at handpainting toes and so, the girls and I (minus Kendra) went and got them done for Halloween. (Syd wouldn't let me take a picture of hers...)

Well MOM is away in Vegas and we have had to resort to fast food, no laundry service and no one to clean up after us.

"We got no MOM"

"We got no cook"

"We got no maid"

Life is horrible ... what are we to do?

WE LOVE YOU MOM.... PLEASE DON'T STAY AWAY TOO LONG!

Can't say I haven't been tempted.... (love you dear!)

South Salt Lake, Utah -- A man is in stable condition after being stabbed by his wife this morning. Police say the two were arguing over a to-do list.

Police say this is a domestic dispute that went way too far. Now one person is in jail.

At 6:00 this morning, police responded to a domestic dispute call from a home near 3600 South and 700 East. When officers arrived, they found a man who had been stabbed in his upper torso with a steak knife.


Police say the man's wife, 27-year-old Jennifer Melvin, is the one who stabbed him after a confrontation about a to-do list she had created for him earlier that morning.

Gary Keller, with the South Salt Lake Police Department, said, "Some of these start with the craziest things. This began as just a regular squabble between husband and wife. She was making a list for him of things to do, and it escalated from there."

The victim was transported to an area hospital in serious but stable condition. He has since been released.

Police say this is not the first time they have responded to this address. In fact, they say they have responded to several domestic dispute calls between the couple in the past; however, this was the first one where one of the victims was stabbed.

Jennifer Melvin was arrested and booked on aggravated domestic assault charges. Police say those charges will be screened through the county attorney's office.

Police say there was evidence of physical contact between the couple prior to the stabbing, and they are looking into possible charges against him as well.

Addicted.

Here's a yummy looking recipe. I haven't tried it out yet, but will soon!


4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup whole milk
coarse salt and ground pepper

in a large pot, cook bacon over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. increase heat to medium. cook onion, stirring, until it begins to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. add broth and potato; bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer; cook until potato is tender, about 10 minutes. add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk. cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper. serve topped with bacon and sourdough bread.

Happy Birthday Kendra!

She's 2!! Happy Birthday to our girl!

We love you dearly!

Ok, the husband got a hold of the blog....

Just in case you couldn't tell.....Brett is no longer a virgin to blogging and just had to put his 2 cents in last night while I was away! I did post the poem about women and when he saw it, he was reminded of some pictures he took of me (on his phone) while at Lake Powell. Kindof funny, cuz it fits! I told him not to take a picture of me and when he did it again, I told him (well, showed him) what I thought! :) And then yes, the hunting season.....that pretty much explains itself! If you would've asked me 15 years ago if I thought I would be settled in Utah Valley and married to a hunter, I would've told you that you were off your rocker! :) I guess the plus side is that he only hunts animals that fly....it could be so much worse! Love you, hon. Knock 'em dead. :)

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!....

.......................................

LET THE HUNTS BEGIN!

“When a husband brings his wife flowers for no reason, there's a reason.”

Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming

1. Whenever you’re wrong, admit it,

2. Whenever you’re right, shut up.

"A perfect wife is one who doesn't expect a perfect husband."

Quote of the Day

"Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
So - if you give her any crap, you will receive a ton of shit.
Love and appreciate all the women in your life!"

Housley Family ~ Lake Powell '08

Well, we just got back from our "last hurrah" of the summer...the coveted trip to Lake Powell! Brett's family has grown up going to Lake Powell and since we've been married, I've been able to enjoy this beautiful place of peace and relaxation. It's been so much fun to know that every summer we all get to look forward to time spent together as a family with Grandma and Grandpa Harris and all the cousins. It is an honored tradition and I hope that someday my kids will appreciate it for what it is. My family, however, (being the Texans that we are!) haven't had the opportunity until this year. I think most of my brothers have been to Powell maybe once or twice, but have never really had the whole "stay-for-a-couple-of-days-sleep-under-the-stars-on-top-of -the- houseboat-build-campfires-and-ski-til-we're-waterlogged" experience. I do know that my mom and sister-in-law, Kim have never been there. We came up on a chance to buy into a time share on a houseboat that Brett's brother owned, for a screaming deal, and had a blast. Almost everyone from our family came except for my youngest brother Taylor and his wife, Valerie and their son, Isaac.WE MISSED YOU GUYS!!! Looking forward to next year!

The State of Utah ~ by Sydney Harris

Sydney did her first science project for the 4th grade and did such an excellent job! (with lots of help from her #1 "project helper" Dad!) When she found out that we were going to be out of town when the project was due, her teacher told her that she could turn it in before she left or after she got back. Well, it was like she didn't even hear the option to turn it in after she got back because she wanted to start working on it right away! (she did not get her enthusiasm for science and/or projects from me, that's for sure!) Finished it 4 days before we even left and couldn't wait to show her teacher! When all was said and done, she had created the state of Utah that showed its major mountain ranges, desserts, lakes and streams. Good job Syd!

This is why I don't bake bread....

I got a wild hair on Saturday and thought I'd try and make homemade pizza dough, so the girls could make their own pizzas. Yeah, right. I don't know why I thought I could do it, I've tried before and it's never worked. I followed the directions EXACTLY. The first try was a wheat pizza dough and after realizing that it wasn't going to rise, I tried another completely different recipe and got the exact same results. Thank goodness for Little Ceasars $5 pizzas!