It's time.

Ladies and gentlemen-- it's time, yet again, for another boring Harris family update. Yup. It's been months, so I figured-- why not let people know just how ridiculously boring our life REALLY is, instead of just making them guess. So. Consider yourselves warned.

It always baffles me to read friends' blogs and to see just how ridiculously crafty, thrifty, and entertaining they and their blogs truly are!! Then, I click to view my own blog, and am severely disappointed: more dry than my momma's turkey. Just as clarification: I'm not promising this entry is going to be any better!! I am not one for craftiness, and am about as witty as a goldfish.

The last few months have been rather uneventful, yet nice at the same time. I know I sound like a broken record, but let me just reaffirm that we still love Laramie, I still love our new apartment, and I definitely still love my boys (not that there was ever any doubt about that last one....).

Shaun's snazzy gear

My snazzy gear

Since we've been married, Shaun's been trying to convince me each and every winter that we should pick up snowboarding, and every winter, we seem to have some reason why we can't go. But not this time!! I'm not pregnant (promise!), we just got our tax returns (thanks, Brecker!), and we found friends crazy enough to volunteer to watch our kids (pretty sure that's the last time they'll ever want to, but hey-- we tricked them for a day). Anyway-- moral of the story-- we went!! And we had SO much fun!! (Shaun was a lot better at it than I was-- he's actually been a few times before). We've been trying to find a way to go again, soon, but we have yet to find the funds  and the suckers (to watch our children).

My parents went on a "secret destination" vacation last month (they went to some random place that starts with an H and rhymes with shawaii), and guess who the lucky babysitter was? ME!! Riley, Brecker and I went to Seattle for two weeks to go and party it up with
the younger siblings while my parents were having the time of their lives. But, honestly-- we had a ton of fun, too.

They bear an odd resemblance to my brothers...

My dad has a small little farm, and Riley LOVED all of grandpa's animals-- the dogs, the pigs, the alpacas, etc. He especially loved spending time with Derek, Bekah, Chris and Cam. Chris and Cam are just 5 1/2 years older than him, and so he gets to play little brother to them sometimes. He loved playing cars, swinging on the sings, playing basketball, and trying to copy everything they do. He even picked up some catch phrases ("Jen-- you're crazy!"). Brecker gained 2 1/2 lb., and outgrew all of the clothes I had packed while on our trip to Seattle. He's a chunk.

Breck's new favorite toy-- a spatula!!

It was, however, enormously wonderful to return to regular life, and most importantly back to Shaun.


On a side note, we just heard some really exciting news as far as Shaun's educational career is concerned: He's been doing so well in school, and in the lab lately, and his professors have been noticing. His professor who he works directly under submitted the abstract for Shaun's research to the national animal science society, and they selected him to present his research at the huge annual seminar that they have in New Orleans this fall!! This is exciting news, and will present a TON of exciting and new opportunities for him. He's honestly been doing incredibly well, and I'm so proud of him. And, all the while, he's an amazing dad and husband. I sure married out of my league!

Can you tell Riley's in time-out?

Getting ready to play out in the snow

Brecker's first pickle encounter

Well. I told you: pretty boring. But: that's us, in a nutshell!! And now you know.... the rest of the story.