Not Everything Around Here is Doom and Gloom...

Ryan and I get to smile...a lot. I'm sure it sounds like we are (I am) always struggling, and sure we have our moments of frustration, but we also have a lot of fun and plenty of reasons to be thankful.

We ventured with some friends to the Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. It was amazing and I was surprised at how relatively uncrowded it was! I bought a confetti blaster and scared the crap out of a float of beauty queens when I blasted the confetti over them like a bazooka. Later we enjoyed some great conversation over oodles of noodles. ;)





We also had a chance ... or more correctly, we took a chance and sneaked away to Durango, CO for a long weekend. It was just what I needed! I was getting pretty burned out at work and being around family, especially my nephews and niece completely recharged my batteries. They are pretty much the most adorable kids in the world, and I love them so hard.

We pulled into town around 6 am and Dave and Erin let us snuggle in bed with them until the kids woke up. Jonas, the youngest, likes to crawl into their bed first thing in the morning and have snuggle time. By the end of our stay, he only wanted to snuggle with Ryan. I have to admit I was a bit jealous. Ryan is always the superstar.

While we were there Ryan was able to go snowmobiling while I helped Erin wrangle the kids and pass out Valentines. The next day the whole family went skiing at Purgatory, aka Durango Mountain Resort. We were so impressed! Those kidlets really know how to ski, even 3 year old Jonas was cruising down the double blue's with the help of Erin or Dave. We ate like it was Thanksgiving and then relaxed in the hot tub in the winter air. The boys were brave enough to roll in the snow a bit and jump back in, and we all were impressed when Jonas swam around the hot tub.

Not only did we get a good hike in, but we also saw Jed in his musical performance at school! We love those kids and can't wait until we see them again!

On our way back we stopped at the Grand Canyon to take in the view. I had never been and it was breathtaking. I would love to go back and do some legitimate hiking/backpacking. We were short on time, so we zipped around the rim and back down to the highway to L.A.

Within the last month I was able to spend some much needed time with my good friend Jamie. I did a 24 hour vacation in San Diego and we hiked to a beautiful and freezing waterfall and then drove the lazy, winding roads through pastoral country to the town of Julian where they specialize in pie. I was in heaven! I also learned what it meant to "do a solid". Where have I been? Am I getting so old that I can't keep up with the lingo?
Later, I accompanied Jamie on a trip to Reno, NV...narrowly avoiding death on a slippery highway thanks to my superb snow driving skills, to watch her niece and nephews while her brother and his wife enjoyed a little escape. What? Babysitting your friends family sounds boring, but it wasn't! It was a blast. Those little guys were full of personality and energy...let's just say I had to use my skills as a nurse more than once! It was like having little brothers and sisters of my own. We had so much fun teasing each other. We blazed our own sledding paths on some super steep hills...and managed to have only ONE injury! I took a half day of my own and went snowboarding down narrow chutes and wide open runs in 2 feet of fresh powder...every run. I got worked! On our looooooong journey (5 hours to go 15 miles) back, Jamie and I went snowshoeing half way around a reservoir. The sun was spectacular on the untouched and quiet snow. Nevada was good to me.

See? Not everything is doom and gloom.

Desperation

You know when you've lived somewhere for over a year and everyone told you that it would take about as long to settle in and make friends, but it just hasn't happened that way? And you're just as lonely as ever? You know when your phones call log stores the last 100 calls in and out and only a handful have been from 3 friends, 5 from family, and 12 from your husband dating back over a month? Check your phone. That is not a lot of calls...trust me. You know when you're not on any one's radar because you're married (work) and you don't have kids (church) so therefore you couldn't possibly have anything in common with anyone else and you've tried everything short of begging to get on the radar? Maybe you don't know what it is like, but I sure do. It sucks.

Sure, I've been lonely before, but I've always attributed it to being single and wanting a boyfriend. Having roommates made for built in friends that often kept the loneliness at bay. At least you can socialize with them...interact. The funny thing is, is that now I'm married. I'm not supposed to be lonely anymore right? Wrong! As a nurse I have WAY too much time on my hands, with only one person to share it with. Well you can only be fulfilled so much by one person. Don't get me wrong, my husband is great! He's a riot to be around, sweet, generous, kind, selfless...but I want to share him. I want other people to see how funny he is. I also want friendships outside of Ryan, so I can continue to enrich our relationship and keep it from becoming stagnant or stunted. I need some freshness...HE needs some freshness.

I have my good days. Days where I get engrossed in a project or have plans to keep me busy...an occasional outing with a friend. But I seem to have just as many bad days where I am bored out of my mind and don't know what to do with my time, and everything I want to do would be so much better with a friend. All I really want is some good conversation. I don't care if I am in a bare, windowless room or waiting in a line at Disneyland...I just want some friends to talk with. Alas! I'm starting to think that obtaining a friend is like catching a glimpse of the elusive unicorn.

I don't think it's because I'm unlikeable. I think I'm like-able. And that's saying something considering I have anxiety. I would even say I'm funny. A little stubborn, but hey, everyone has their hangups. I'm low maintenance. I don't need to call people everyday, or have them call me everyday. I appreciate independence. Maybe this has something to do with it. I could probably do a better job of maintaining the friendships I already have. Maybe this is why most of my friends growing up were male. They're low maintenance too. We can pick up where we've left off months or even years after not seeing or talking.

Can you tell it's been one of the bad days? I could cook, clean, sew, hike, plan a menu or grocery shop, but all I want to do is grab a chai tea, chat, and laugh. I'm starting to feel desperate.

Boohoo right?

What do you do?

Mee-shell

The first week of August Ryan and I drove back to Utah for the wedding of my former roommate and our Thailand travel buddy, Michelle. Conveniently our family's unknowingly planned several other events that week which included a family reunion, baptism, funeral (this one was not planned), baby blessing, and of course the wedding! The only things missing off of our list was a missionary farewell (later in August...sorry we can't make it Steve), and a divorce. How come people attend weddings but not divorces?

2 years ago, Michelle moved into the Harrison house sight unseen. Lucky for her she moved in with two of the coolest chicks in Salt Lake. *cough* Our first encounter, however, was not the best. On the morning of my last day of class, I woke up early to pop a pie I had made the night before into the oven. 20 minutes in, all I could smell was burning plastic. Someone had had a disaster the night before and didn't clean it up and now my pie was baking in the toxic fumes. Michelle was that poor someone. Somehow, a short year later I talked Michelle into coming to Thailand with me. Lucky for me, she has a forgiving heart and we had became great friends.




Congratulations Michelle and Tyler!

Just Ask and You'll Recieve...Beyond Your Wildest Dreams...

How many pictures is too many?

It was burning hot in the house.

Ryan jumped and jumped.

It was SOOOOO cold outside! It hurt my fingers to touch the side of the bus.

I have the coolest friends. See? A picture to prove it.

I still can't believe I found time to make the mural myself! A fan of Gustav Klimt. Branches were painstakenly wrapped by friends and family.

I prefer wedding pie.

Chaz Prymek




Music to my ears! A cover of a favorite and a perfect way to end the night and year!