Living Life the Larsen Way

Woah!!! Hold your horses!!

2011-11-07T08:06:00.000-08:00

Wow!! A lot of things have happened since I posted last, but isn't that how life is supposed to work?! Doesn't it seem sometimes that you're trying so hard to walk up a sand dune hill to get to the top, only to find half way up that you might not make it? But then when you finally get there, the view is life changing!! That's how we have felt this last year. I am so grateful for our trials in life, don't get me wrong, but sometimes you just need a slow down!! So here it goes!!

Jason got really sick with pneumonia after staying out for 18 hours straight in a blizzard, so the town of Ephraim didn't go without power for more than necessary, and by the end of February he was a "walking dead man" as the doctors put it!! He was transported by ambulance and admitted to the Utah valley hospital on March first after having an oxygen level of 52! (I didn't know just how serious this was until my emt family told me that they usually resuscitate patients at a level 68!! Scary, I know!!) He spent 4 glorious days in the hospital while doctors and nurses tried to stabilize him and find his strain of Pneumonia so that they could treat it properly!! Since then, we have dealt with blood clots in his main artery in his leg and one in his knee, coumadin nightly, and beeping air machines(which now he insists on not wearing because he feels that it's no longer necessary!) He tried to go without oxygen for two weeks, when new symptoms started appearing. He went in to the doctor only to find out that blood was pooling around his weakened heart and that it was not strong enough to pump out his blood. He also recently found out that he has a torn mediscous and needs to go to an orthopedic surgeon to have it operated on because his cortisone shot lasted a whopping 4 days!! This boy is falling apart!! Things are looking up though, so I guess we hold on for the ride and hope that we don't fall off!!

In other news, we finally went to talk to the college about the possible purchase of our house, and he kind of giggled and said that there is no way that the college will give him any more money until the multi-million dollar housing project is up and running, and he gave us a timeline of 30-40 years until they will find other things to do with this block!! Yeah!! That's what I said!! So I mentioned that with any new business that moves in, it is required to install a privacy fence, and that our quality of life is being compromised, and that we are going to start working on raising our property value, he just laughed and started talking to Jason about the current power situation with their housing project!! Classic!! So we went straight home and started making plans on what to do to increase our property's value. We gathered rock from whoever would give it to us and my dad and mom bought paint and painted our house for my birthday!! I know, I'm spoiled!! They came down on conference weekend and helped with the start of the transformation!! I loved how helpful they all were! It helped so much!! We are putting in a sprinkling system this spring and we are finally installing our swimming pool in the back yard, so things are finally looking brighter, regardless of what our year has been like!!
The boys are healthy and happy and as spunky as ever, which I kind of love about them, and we are still "swimming" after all that has happened!! Let me tell you what, faith and prayer goes a long way in this time and place, and it has strengthened us so much as a family. So as for this, I guess I am grateful for times of trial, so we know just how good we have it the rest of the time!!

Larsen army reunion 2011

2011-07-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Larsen reunion was as awesome as ever this year! It started with complaints from a 3 tent camp that got way too close to our "saved" camp. After welcoming them to leave our area or dealing with it, and getting pulled off the fight, things started settling down a little.
We went fishing at the beaver dams and both Kaden and Mckay caught a fish. I read and baited the hooks and they fished and swam. It was refreshing and fun.
When we got back to camp, we decided to go slide down snow banks in garbage sacks, and that was awesome as well, until Kaden and Mckay went off the other side of the snow bank and fell almost straight down onto some rocks. Kaden was finished after that, but Mckay wanted to get back up there for another round. He thought it was awesome!!
We started a game of volleyball that evening, where I just happened to be on one of the most competitive people's team...not a good idea!! I really don't have the skill or know how in sports to be an aggressive player, so it really didn't turn out that well!! We lost every game...every one!! She wasn't very happy with the results...She likes to win...:0(
The last day the remaining Larsen/on's decided to give volleyball one more shot, so as I was hiding from the team captains, I got a shout out to be on a team. I tried my best to be invisible, but got called in anyway. Lo and behold, guess who's team I'm on a.g.a.i.n.!! She wasn't very happy with the fact that we lost, again!! It sucks on both sides of that pendulum.
Our last bit of excitement this year was to watch one of our cousins try to ride an air mattress down a snow bank and land in John August lake. It was way more exciting talking about it. When they finally went, it was slow and go, but at least they tried.
I love the chance to go spend time with family every year, so we can visit and reconnect with each other. I can't wait till next year!! It's always a fun weekend with the family!!

Well...he did it...

2011-07-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, he did it!...Kaden's 12 years old and as of July 3rd, 2011, is officially a priesthood holder!
We had an awesome party to celebrate this little grown-up's life at the park after the great blessing he received from his dad earlier that day. We are so grateful for all the support that our families are to us, for their willingness to either drive all the way down here, or to take time to call and congratulate him in this big accomplishment in his life.
When I told Kaden that I was freaking out a little bit because he wasn't supposed to be 12 yet, he said "yeah, you're not the only one freaking out here, but look at the bright side, now you have two people in the house that hold the Priesthood, so that makes it o.k."
You're absolutely right Kaden, It does make things o.k.! Love you son! I'm so proud of you!!

Mugga!!

2011-04-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

This little stinker is almost 9!! I can hardly believe that we have made it this far without more hospital bills than we have already had!!
He is always dancing, mostly happy, and one of the biggest blessings of our lives!!
Mckay told us the other day, "I just can't help it, the music just MOVES me!!" We love that he loves to dance!! We have been blessed with such great kids!! Happy birthday Mugs!!! We love you!!!

I hear the train a comin'

2010-10-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

I hear the train a comin'...

It's rollin' 'round the bend....

and Kaden thinks pollution....

is gonna' be the end.....

we're stuck in Promontory...

and time keeps draggin' on....

but those trains keep a movin'....

on to their nightly home....

GIRLS CAMP....That's all I have to say....

2010-07-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I finally went back to girls camp after 16 years and I tell you what, I do not know how I survived!!
It was very well planned, it was extremely spiritual, the theme was right up my alley, but I didn't get any sleep, at all!!
The theme this year was Dr. Seuss and all that fun storybook stuff that Dr. Seuss includes. Each ward had a different story to decorate as and they had to carry out different ideas that dealt with that theme. It was awesome!! It was like you were living in a fairy tale for a week! The decorations were beautiful! I loved it!!
We were the cooks. We had a shelter labeled the "cooks nook". It was really micey...thus the not sleeping...at all!!! I was so worried that the "critters" would jump on my head at night and pick out my eyeballs, that I stayed awake, listening to the little scratchy noises and then I would flip my flashlight on to see what was going on and where it was!! I guess it didn't help that we had a girl staying in there that liked to "bait" them with left out nuts and food!! Not cool!!
On top of it all, we had a LOT of screaming and giggling surrounding us...all 4 days!! We must have prayed for rain just about every night so the girls would be forced to go back to their shelters for the night! It worked twice, which was very nice, but I still couldn't sleep because of the dang critters!! One of them even got so bold as to jump up onto one of the "sleeping cooks" and start picking at their arm!! So gross!!!
But, all in all, it was a very fun, well organized, spiritual meeting of beehives, mia maids, and laurels, and of course, all the awesome leaders that made it a huge success!!!
Thanks for letting me be a part of the fun!! I hope to see ya next year!!

Laughlin, Lake Havasu, Grand Canyon south, and Route 66 all in 3 days!!

2010-04-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather is warming up and with that comes the all powerful motorcycle...
We (Jason, Dave and I) decided to go to the Laughlin river run again this year and believe me, it's no Sturgis!!
I'm not talking about the wild women, the parties, the people in general. I'm talking about the Green, beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota compared to the desert of Nevada/Arizona. There wasn't a lot to see while in between places, but when we finally reached our destination, it was worth it, in it's own respect.
We stopped in Mesquite the first night, because of our late departure time, then woke the next day refreshed and ready to explore California/Nevada/Arizona on two wheels. We did have a hundred dollar hiccup near Vegas when our trailer tire blew, but we got it taken care of and got another one just in case it happened again. It still amazes me, the whole supply and demand thing, how trailer tires, in say, Ephraim are $25 bucks but trailer tires in Vegas, after crossing the hot desert, are $100 bucks!!! Weird!!
Anyway, we got to Needles, CA at about 10:30a.m. and checked into our hotel for BOTH nights. (Notice how both is caps...pay attention to that slight detail for later in the story.) We then set off for Lake Havasu. We stopped at the boat docks just to "check out their boats". Can I just say that the people that were there that day had too much time on their hands and "too much bloody money"!! I could not believe how many boats were bigger than my house!! And fast!! They would rev their motors and the water would shake in fear!! (Not really, but it sounds nice.) It was an awesome sight to see, and an awesome life to live...if you can afford it!! We decided to eat and then spend some time at the London Bridge, that we couldn't find because of the "bridge" we had to keep going over while looking for it...Remember the old saying, "you can't find the forest for the trees"...well, we couldn't find the bridge for it was under us!! We finally figured it out and decided to walk down below, so we could really "check things out". It was beautiful. The details and construction was massive! I remember seeing it when I was little, but all I remember of it was the beach side, kind of where it ended. Anyway, it was a cool, memorable experience.
We then continued our "quest" to Laughlin to take part in the biker rally that was being held there on the "strip". As we parked our bikes and started to look around at all there was to see, I looked over at Dave and started to laugh!! His face was so shocked at what was surrounding us, I could tell that he was just trying to absorb the chaos that was bustin' out the seams!! We started walking through the vendors and I noticed Mike and "Angieland" of the Full Throttle bar in Sturgis over signing autographs, so of course, we went over and took advantage of the photo op. It was cool to see what kind of people that they really were. Mike was a little shy and got embarrassed easy. His "dreads" were falling out, and he actually was a nice guy just trying to make a buck. Angie was really short and vivacious. She looked over and laughed when she noticed that Mike was getting embarrassed. It was cute to see that they really knew each other, that they were "real" with their feelings for one another. It was a refreshing change from the "biker bar" persona. I found out that neither one of them drink or smoke. They just had this really great idea to sell beer to those "wild bikers" once a year who did. I think, other than it being beer, they hit the jackpot!!
We headed back to the rooms at about 10p.m. and had an all right night UNTIL the 12 year old dance group that was "Camped out" directly above us decided to get up at 4:30a.m. and start practicing their "routines" for two and a half hours, until they finally packed up and left. I was not happy that the floors were that poorly insulated!! Every little (and big) step was heard...EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!
The next morning, we started off towards the Grand Canyon, south entrance. There was NOTHING for four hours straight!! We found Saligman, birthplace of "Cars", and stopped to take some pictures and get some souvenirs. As we crossed the road to get some pictures of the mannequins hanging out of the "biker bar", we heard a lady, in a very burnt out sixties voice, ask us if we wanted to try her "breakfast dogs". We politely said no thanks, where she insisted that "they were better than mcdonalds any day man." So Jason said that we would have one. We thought that she would just pull one out of her little umbrella cart and we would be on our way, but NOOOOOO....She fired up her camp stove, pulled out three sausage links, complete with casings,(eewwwww!!) and fried them up while we waited. It was hilarious!! She put a glove on the hand that was holding the hogie, while she shoved cheese inside it with her un-gloved hand!! Needless to say, I did not partake of the fruit that day...Jason ate both of ours and woke up sick the next day!!
We FINALLY reached the Grand Canyon, walked out on a couple of ledges, snapped some pictures, and headed on our way, BACK to the rally, per Dave's request.
We finished walking the strip and headed back to the hotel for a well deserved "soak" in the hot tub.
This is where the story gets interesting...
We noticed that our key wasn't opening the door, so knowing that somehow we needed access to our swimming suits before the pool closed, I marched down to the lobby for our keys and some pool towels. I waited patiently for 20 minutes while 6 very stinky frenchmen and women argued with the hindu desk clerk about their reservations...sidebar, the frenchmen and women did NOT speak english, and the Clerk did NOT speak very good english....It was a long wait!!
I finally spoke up after he skipped right over me and started to deal with the OTHER people in line, by saying that we needed to "RECHECK IN" and get some towels. It was finally a success!!
We busted in, changed, soaked, and after a really long day, peacefully fell asleep....(this is where it gets good!!)
We got a call at three o clock IN THE MORNING!!! I was thinking that it was like a warning call that the building was on fire, or that our bikes were getting rained on or something.....NOPE!!!
Jason answered and tried to understand what was being said on the other end of the line..."sir, you are in that room unlawfully and I need to know how you will be paying!"
"what?"
"sir, I need you to give me your credit card information right now, or we will have to ask you to leave this instant!"
"Huh?" "I think we already paid for our room?!"
"sir, I have no record of you paying for your room for the second night. I need you to come down here and pay for your room immediately!"
"Give me the dang phone!!"
"Here, talk to my wife."
"We booked two separate nights!"
"oh, there it is."
Click
What the heck!! I got up and stood outside my door, contemplating going down there, half asleep, and giving her(notice I said "her") a piece of my mind, but I figured that she would be there in the morning, and I would just wait until then! I made a feeble attempt to fall back to sleep, when the "neighbors" above us decided it was time to get a move on. More stomping back and forth until they were all gathered and loaded!! No sleep!!

I went down to try to make sense of what just happened. Tired and sunburnt, I marched in and asked the "her" at the front desk if she was my three o clock wake up call. Now, you know when you can tell when somebody's lying? Stuttering her words, looking from side to side, trying desperately to "come up" with something on the fly...well that was her, to a "T"!! All I heard is blah, blah, blah...excuses, excuses, excuses!! Needless to say, we will NOT be staying there again, and our last night was finally refunded in full!! Not O.K.!!

We, (Dave) decided he needed one more taste of the rally before we left town, so we rode back in. We walked across the street, bought t-shirts, took a picture of Dave with a "pin up" girl, and headed for home!!
All in all, it was a fun experience. Good times, good food, good friends!! We arrived back in Ephraim Sunday night, went in to see Jim Monday from 3-10p.m.. Listened while he "argued with the angels", and went in the next morning for his last breath. He was such an inspiration to me and my family! He taught us how to use our brains and how not to sit idol and just assume that this is all the life we have left to live. He helped me to see Jason's perspective during disagreements that I had had with him, and he gave such helpful, honest criticism that helped me to grow and become!! His wisdom and friendship will be missed!!
Now, to love and move on. The graveside service is planned, although the weather is kind of bad, and all but one son will be able to make it here for the service. Jason's birthday is tomorrow, and Mckay's baptism is on saturday. Busy week, but we'll be surrounded with lots of family, both legit and not so legit(I've adopted the Green family, all but Marty!) I hope all goes well. Wish us luck.

"No more excuses"...

2010-03-17T08:25:00.001-07:00

So, Diana said that the one thought that kept re-occurring with Lyndzee's death was "no more excuses". She calmly told me that this was for me. She said that Lyndzee wanted me to say the prayer at her funeral. The PRAYER!!! I freaked out for about 3 days!! I haven't said more that 6 prayers publicly since I got teased in church when I was 9!! I had a huge phobia that I was going to mess up and get teased all over again!
I said a little prayer that Lyndzee would be there for me, because after all, it was her idea. I cried up to the prayer, and throughout the prayer, and the second that I was finished, I was fine! I felt a calming that I have rarely felt in the past. I knew I was progressing and now had "no more excuses!"
About a month later, Diana came to me again and requested that I do Lyndzee's Temple work for her. What an honor!! I felt so blessed that she would pick me to do this!!
I have waited patiently now for two whole years. Waiting for her to give me the things that I need to accomplish this blessing. She has only asked me once how it was going, whereas I responded, "How IS it going?"
I finally connected A to B and realized that she was waiting on ME! The whole time I've been waiting on HER! (Disclaimer...I have never done anything like this before, so I didn't really know the steps to getting this done).
I went to the church history center, where a really old gentleman was sitting behind a desk, waiting for someone to talk to. I mentioned why I was there and that I only had about 20 minutes before my kids would be home, so we kind of had to hurry.
He started by giving me this huge presentation on how things work while on the internet. You know, how to search, how to google information, how to GET ON the internet, and so forth. As politely as I could, I said that we now only had 12 minutes left. He then fumbled with the land line for 5 minutes, when he finally gave up and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed 3 wrong numbers before he looked up the right number and finally got on the phone to call over to the temple to ask if I could seal her to her parents while her parents were still alive...I don't want to seal her parents to the kids at this time, I just want to help her to get her own endowments taken care of!!!
After hanging up the phone, he said that he didn't know that that was what I wanted to do, and then continued by picking up the phone again to call and ask what paperwork I needed to make this happen.
I finally said that I had 1 minute left before my kids would be home from school, so he said to get on a certain website and it would tell me what to do from there.
That was easy...It only took 20 minutes for him to figure it out. Not bad!!
So I got home, got on the website, found her name, got on the wrong link, called the help line, got the sister on the line very flustered, suggested I do what she had done so we would be on the same page, (deep sigh), found what we needed, and finally realized that, after 2 years, it was my responsibility all along!! I let Lyndzee down, I let Diana down, I let myself down.
All things necessary are now complete to go through the temple on behalf of Lyndzee Lurene Robbins, age 11. I think I will go on April 15th...what would have been her 13th birthday.
Oh man, I'm gonna need a lot of tissues!!

Mckay, Mckay, Mckay...

2010-02-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

So, I stayed home from work yesterday, because Kaden has strep. I wondered if Mckay would be able to handle not having us there. I worried about him all day long, awaiting the call that I knew would come, letting us know that he was having a horrible day.
Well, the call never came, so when he got home I let him know that I was really proud of him for being able to go to school alone without incident.
Then about three hours later, our sweet little Mckay came up to Jason and I and proudly announced that he made a new friend at school. We offered our congratulations and asked him who he was and how they became friends...BIG mistake...big...HUGE!!!
He started to tell us of the day, starting with a big smile! "Well, we got in a huge fight during lunch recess, and then when I was in Mr. Willardson's office, talking about what happened, he came in and we talked about it with him, and then the last recess, we found each other and we became friends!!" "Great huh!"
So after Jason and I composed ourselves, we calmly asked him if it was a good idea to get in a fight, and what he should have done instead, and he calmly replied, "But if we wouldn't have got in a fight, we would never be friends right now!" "So, it was good that we got in a fight, see!!"

I will never understand boys!!

Something to laugh about...

2010-02-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting here at the computer, watching Mckay play wii bowling, and I begin to really listen to what is being said...

....Mckay: " Stop doing that!!"

Jason: "But you NEED me to play!"

Mckay: "You can play when I get a pro ball!"

Jason: "You need me to play so you can see what you have to do to win!"

Mckay: "DAD!! Stop pausing it!!.....

Me: "Boys!!!...Jason,Quit bullying him!!"

Jason: "BUT HE WON'T LET ME PLAY!!!!!"

Love it!!

Excuses, Excuses....!!

2010-01-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

O.K., So I don't have much time to post right now, so I'll make it quick.
Here are the five reasons why I haven't posted in a while;
Reason #1-#3- New Wii, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Larsen-Rockin' gift by the way!!! Thanks so much!!! Included in this category, Super Mario Brothers, Wii sports, and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic winter games, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa chocolate milk-thanks so much as well!! We have had hours and hours of fun!! The memories that we are making right now are priceless!!
Reason #4- I have a really competitive husband that has to win at least twice IN A ROW in order to stop playing...he also has a couple of apples that didn't fall very far from the tree playing right beside him!! Which explains reason #5...
We have had so much fun with this Wii that we haven't wanted to go to sleep until about two in the morning...the whole Christmas break!! We have had so much awesome family time that we haven't wanted to stop playing!!
We had to start back to reality this week and it has been really difficult to get back into the "swing of things". It's mostly been me that has had this trouble, because I am usually the "other one" that stays up to play. I guess Jason isn't the only one that's competitive in this family...
(I'm going to try to download Mckay and Kaden boxing at Grandma Larsen's Christmas morning. I just have to find my camera first!!! It's hilarious!!)

Christmas time....

2009-12-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

So, I, like everyone else, have really been feeling the tension this year. I wish for just a moment we could freeze time, like the perfect photograph of the perfect Christmas and the perfect family. I love how messy life can be, but sometimes I wish I could just slow things down a bit. Just for a minute or two. That's all I'd need. I haven't even been going to sleep because I just want the days to last just a little longer. I want to get to the end of the day and feel like I didn't just waste the most precious gift, the chance to experience the fullness of life. I try to live everyday to the fullest, but sometimes I feel like I'm spinning so fast that all I can do is sit down and watch as the world becomes more and more uncertain around us!! The only thing that we can really trust is the Lord and his plan. The fact that he has physically lived and experienced every tear, every pain, everything that is possible to feel while on this earth. Do we look at it as a challenge, or as a blessing that our lives are still being lived. That we are lucky enough to be here, following the plan that was presented to us not so long ago. How blessed we truly are to be here, helping these little spirits return to him some day. What a huge undertaking. I'm so glad that nobody is perfect. That we are all here to learn patience and unconditional love. The fact the the Lord has trusted me with his most cherished children just blows my mind!! How worthy am I, really? What is the true measure of a man? Is it perfect children and the perfect family, or is it the journey we take while guarded by the Veil? I just hope for strong minds and strong bodies to withstand all that the world can bring. For we are here to learn and grow a testimony that even the most cunning and uncertain world can not touch!! We need to stop asking why me and start asking why not me? Why can't I look past what's right in front of me and see a greater need while on this earth? We're not here merely for our own salvation, but somehow to play a greater role in the surrounding souls that are around us daily. What is it going to take to see the real reason for this earthly visit? Life is short...what are we waiting for...

Trick or treat...!!!!!

2009-11-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

So, we got to go to Bear River for Halloween this year, and I'm telling you that this was probably the funnest year yet.
We woke up on Saturday, and my dad was reading an article in the local paper about the bison herd on Antelope Island. It said that over 300 "cowboys" were going to try to herd the bison into a holding pen for their yearly check-ups. We decided that this would be a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon, so we packed a lunch and headed out. It was a crazy drive but it was well worth it in the end! We saw more wildlife than we did in all of Yellowstone. We saw buffalo charging men and women on horseback and we saw coyotes and antelope and we even saw(ran over...oops!) a snake. I tell you what, if you have time to visit, you should. It was awesome!
After lunch we saw the "trucks" finish herding the herd into the holding pen, which was way cool and a little crazy! After that we decided to head back to Bear River for the annual trunk or treat. I thought that it started at 6, but it started at 5 and so we totally missed it!!! Go me!! So we decided to just start walking to see where it would take us. It brought up so many memories of when we were little. It was fun for Cresta and I to share the fun stories of when we were kids to our kids. We walked for blocks with one goal in mind...candy!!! Jason ate the candy that Mckay couldn't have, and I filled my pockets with chocolate...Somebody had to eat, I mean carry it for them.
We ended the night picking up some warm donuts from The Burt's house and then headed to Alan and Jen's house for dinner and a movie. It was a sugary blast of homemade goodness!!
I think that we may have had a little too much sugar though! I don't think it's good for anyone to eat that much junk, especially when you come off the "rush" and totally crash!! I barely made it back to my parents house before I crashed...hard! I remember sitting on the floor to get pajamas ready for my boys, and the next thing I knew, it was morning!!
We had such a fun and memorable Halloween! Mario and Luigi absolutely loved it!! Now, back to reality...

October...

2009-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, has October just flown by?! I feel like the world is spinning way to fast for me to even think of keeping up!
My kids are doing good in school, with the occasional principal visit, and work is going well.
I love this time of year. I love the colors of the world. I love the smell of dry leaves and frost. I love that in little over a week, we get to walk for hours and knock on strangers doors so they can give our kids candy! I love that my boys are so proud of their costumes, that, if just for a night they get to somehow magically transform into their heroes of choice.
This world is wonderful and beautiful despite what's happening in Washington! I've never taken the time to just sit outside of town and marvel on the beauty that brings people here. Once you get out of the whirlwind of the "college town" and take a step back, you really begin to see just how lucky you are to live in such a place. You're able to have necessities surround you when needed, and are also able to drive or walk minutes away to "escape" the crowd.
I really do love it here. I just miss my family and the safety net that I was so lucky to experience as a child in B.R.. We had family surrounding us while growing up. I was so lucky to have been raised there. I just hope that I'm offering my boys the same security and safety that I once had. I hope they love it here as much as we do.
I love this time of year....

15 Years...

2009-09-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

It seems like yesterday. I was working at Charlie's drive-in and this really nice, fun guy would come in everyday for the lunch rush. I didn't pay much attention because he didn't say much. He always had dirt and grease on his face and clothes because he knew how to work hard. He scared me a lot the first time I met him! I wanted my friend to run him over if that's what it took to get away! (It was dark up on the mountain and I was scared anyway!)
It was Christmas break and I wanted to show my friend Rachelle some of my friends, so we went over to the "pink house" to see who was available to play cards or go to the movies. Jason and Brandon were sitting at the kitchen table, getting all spiffied up for a "night on the town". He was clean!! He wasn't in the middle of a work day!! He looked good!!
They decided to go with us for the evening. Jason tried to dunk my 4 year old sister's head in the snow! ( She's on a mission now...woah, I'm getting old!!) He was so nice. Was it possible??
After getting blown off during Christmas break at my Mom's, I came back to school with a new attitude. Could that be the reason? My heart was finally free?
I had to go and pick up my "little buddy" for a class that I was taking, and I was scared to go to the "little Tijuana" trailer park to pick him up. I stopped by to see if Jason would go with me to get him. He said yes. That's when I fell in love!! He dropped all he was doing just to help me. He was so giving and selfless.
He took me on a date to the battle of the bulls in Salina, Utah with his little sister in tow. I was impressed. He was the peace maker. He is the oldest. He was the protector.
We watched the bulls. We danced the dance. He kissed me on the cheek and said that I looked really nice. The rest is history.
I fell head over heels for this really nice, fun guy that used to hang out at Charlie's Drive in!
I'm so lucky that I found him, and that he had the time to find me.
I love you Jason, my "scary" biker stud!! Thanks for taking such good care of me for the last 15 years! I hope the next 15 will be just as fun and full of adventure!!

princi-PAL...

2009-09-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday my boss told me that I had to go and look at something, so I followed with naive intentions. When we got to the boys bathroom, we saw wads of wet toilet paper all over the walls and ceiling. I thought, in my naive way, "I wonder if Mckay knows who did this? This is his bathroom after all."
I went and took Mckay out of class and took him by the hand and started to walk towards the bathroom. As I opened the door I asked him if he happened to know who may have done this and he stated, rather proudly, " Yeah, that's the one that I did, right there, on the wall!! Isn't it cool!"
I tried not to laugh, but it took all I had! I asked him if he knew that this wasn't appropriate behavior. He didn't get it. I asked him if he did this at our house, what would probably happen? He stopped, gasped, and said, "that was bad, huh!" It was like I could see the light click on.
I gave him a giant squeegee and had him knock the wads off the ceiling and then the walls, and then found out that a first grader did the bulk of it, so I gathered him up as well and made them pick up the wads with their bear hands. They did not like that one bit!
After they got everything cleaned up, except for the heater vent, they proceeded towards the Principals office to get yet another "talking to".
I looked through the little glass window at a 7 year old and a 6 year old sitting across the desk, so patiently waiting to see their punishment. Oh how sad. Oh how funny!!
After school, when dad got home, mckay started to tell his story. I walked into the other room and heard, "Dad, you should've seen it! It was HUGE!!" "Awesome!!"
Wow, I definitely have one "just like me someday". I love the "apple tree syndrome". Now I know what my parents must have went through. I just hope that my little apple's will finally have "one just like them someday" too!! Ha-ha!!!

first day of school...2009

2009-08-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, this year school started off a little bitter sweet. I got up earlier than normal just so I could get myself ready as well. I've always walked them to school the first day. It's a tradition. But this year was different.
I got them fed and ready. I put extra gel in their spiky hair. I made sure their nails were all clipped. I was so proud of the growth that they had made during the summer. It was bliss...but then they started off without me!! I had to grab their hands to get them to stop so I could at least get a picture of them before they left.
As soon as the camera flashed, Kaden was on his way, with Mckay running close behind, trying desperately to not only catch up with him, but pass him and win!! I myself couldn't even keep up, but who can keep up with a lanky 10 year old and a really fast 7 year old on the first day of school!!??
I started to quicken my pace, trying to at least drop Mckay off to his new classroom, his new teacher, and his new friends. There was a comment made that they were gone..."good luck catching them now!" I started to cry. Not tears of happiness by any means, but tears of sadness. They are getting older. They are getting more independent. They don't need me around as much anymore. This sucks!!!
Then, alas, Mckay stopped, turned around, and headed straight to me. My heart did a little jump for joy. At least HE still needed me!! I heard him call my name. With hopes of the chance to still be able to pass him on to his new class, I hurried toward him. "Mom" I heard him say. "What sweetheart" I called out, speeding up even more to catch up. "Um, don't forget to pack me my kind of spaghetti for lunch today!" and he was off again. My heart broke a little, but I had to laugh anyway. It's so funny that we can all be gullible enough to think the inevitable wouldn't happen for a couple more years.
So, when I finally reached his classroom to give his teacher "his kind" of snacks, he was sitting patiently at his desk, hands folded in front of him, asking his teacher, "what are we supposed to do now?" I cried again. Ready this time to let the little guy finally grow up. No more little one, no more "mom, I need you". They are finally grown up and responsible for their own actions.
Kaden even said that he was glad that he's in the class he's in now, because finally, in his fifth year of elementary school he said he has a ton of friends!! How glad I am of transferring him from the "cool kids" that were always mean to him class, to the "little dorky" future leaders class. Yeah for a new Principal that will actually listen to the parent request instead of the former Principal that overrode the parent request for his own request! We're so glad "little Timmy", the class bully of his era, was "demoted" this year! Things are finally looking up. My second grader and my fifth grader are finally starting to "let go". Now...If I could just do the same!!

STURGIS baby...

2009-08-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it!! I rode the 1,721 miles to and from Sturgis, SD without towing once!! I even rode through the rain storm outside of Rock Springs, WY! I still can't believe I did it! I'm so glad to be home though!!
I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself!! So, I'll start at the beginning!
Tuesday morning Jason and I left my mom's house in Bear River City and started the ride to Yellowstone National Park. It was fun until we got there and discovered that it would cost us a whopping $40.00 just to enter the park. The even bigger kicker is that the first 60 miles was road construction...yeah, road construction!! We had to pay to ride on dirt roads and gravel!! Fun, right!! The only animal that we even came close to see was a bear down by the water!! It was pandemonium! Chaos, as all the "people" stopped to snap a picture!! Stopping in the middle of the road just so they could get a photo of a bear!! It was crazy!!
The last half of our Yellowstone "experience" was mostly in the dark!! 40 miles was spent chasing Jason down after forgetting to notice the big turn off sign that read Cody, WY this way...not that way!! The rest of the night was spent in darkness until we made it to a little campground/cafe that didn't have any lodging left and they absolutely couldn't allow tents in the park. They were kind enough though to re-open their establishment so that we could at least thaw and get warm so that we could travel the next hour and a half to Cody.
When we got to Cody, at 12:30a.m. we were told on several occasions that everything was full and the next chance that we had to find lodging for the night was about 2 hours away! So as Jason and I used our Joseph/Mary mentality to find "room in the inn" we rode past a Wal-mart with r.v.'s and camping trailers all over their 24 hour parking lot!! I.D.E.A.!! I'm so not above pitching a tent on the lawn at wal-mart at 1:00a.m.! The sleep was peaceful until 4 a.m. when it started "raining" on our tent!! I looked out and the sprinklers just kicked on and we were getting "watered"! It lasted until 4:55a.m.!! And to make matters worse, the giant, loud street sweeper started up and down the motor homes and campers and lasted until 5:15 a.m.! Tell you what, I won't try that again!!
That morning we ate at a really good hometown restaurant!! The portions were huge and the prices were cheep!! We went to the Buffalo Bill museum before we ventured forward!! There were tons of guns!! We even saw one donated by Dick Cheney!! I guess he gave up guns after his little "incident"!! We laughed a little about that one too!!
After we left Cody we rode until 2:30 when we stopped for an ice cream and water. Then we pushed through until 10:30p.m. when we finally got to Sturgis!! I don't know who was more excited, me or Doug!! I think he was glad that we, uh I, made it safe and without incident!!
We finally got to "set up camp" for a couple of days, where they totally soaked those participating in the whole "sturgis experience" by charging each person $30.00 to stay there! We had a little tent and it cost us $60.00 a night! And more so, you had to pay for everything! Showers were .25 cents for 15 minutes!! I felt like I was at girls camp again!! I guess it was all worth it though because I did get to join in on the teasing of Justin, Doug's friend!! I tried to tease Randy, but he would just stand there and shrug his shoulders and laugh. Justin would fight back! The first thing that I said to him was that "he finally got his bike out of the trailer"! I think I must have shocked him because he didn't even have a response! The rest of the trip was just about the same! He would make it so easy to tease him! That's what Jason says about me...all...the...time!! Now I know what he means!!
The next day we ventured to downtown Sturgis. I couldn't believe all the bikes! They were lined as far as you could see on both sides! It was cool. The whole thing was vendors trying to sell their t-shirts. It really was over-rated!! We decided to go to the fights that night because Jason and the boys wanted to go and I couldn't be the "who brought the girl" girl, so I went along even though I was really zapped from the "no food" day before! The first fight I cringed, turned white, almost passed out and had to sit down for a while because I got so sick! How could they break someone else's nose and be o.k. with it!? Then around half way I started figuring out that I wanted the cocky guy or girl to go down by the "underdog", so I started looking, cheering, then sitting back down in case it got bad! By the end of the fights, I was screaming for the S.D. state high school champ to go home and for the Utah underdog to "get him"! I couldn't believe how into it I was getting. I could totally see, at that point in my journey, how fighting at someone else's expense could be entertaining. I could see for a brief moment at the excitement that the people in the 1950's would feel while watching the "fights" for their only form of entertainment. Then someone bled, and it was over!! I couldn't handle it anymore, so I made up an excuse to go across the street to get some "snacks" at the grocery store! It worked! By the time I got back, it was over, and we got to go and sleep!! Awesome!!
The next day as we were leaving, Jason and I looked at each other and said that we needed to make sure and say a prayer before we left. That is a tradition with my mom and dad that we start each trip and day off with a prayer. We just didn't know if we dared to in front of everybody else. But we did, and we are so grateful that we did!! We rode around Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse monument, Custer state park, devil's tower, and into Deadwood before we noticed the dark clouds all around us, water gushing on the side of the road, and hail varying from the size of a quarter to the size of a softball surrounding us on the side of the road! As we walked into our dinner reservations there was a severe storm warning blaring on the t.v. warning everyone to take cover and be prepared because two tornadoes were about to touch down in the area!! We got a call from Doug telling us to find refuge because they were getting pounded and everyone's tents were either smashed, or filled with water!! He said that he would dry our sleeping bags for us so we had something to sleep in that night, and that we were in charge of cleaning up the rest!! So of course, $15.00 worth of quarters later we were able to wash and dry all our clothes!! The other funny thing about that day, is that while we were waiting for our table I took one dollar and gave one to Jason and we played the quarter slot. I won $15.00 and .25 cents!! Just enough to cover the wash and a 15 minute shower!! Nice, right!! So, as I was saying, because of starting our day with prayer, we were able to ride all day, untouched to the storm that surrounded us!! How blessed we truly are for being protected!! Jason still comments on how we were able to miss all that and make it back unharmed! It was a true testament builder!!
So, on the way home, we ate when Justin would buy us a breakfast burrito, because he was "stuck" in the truck with Nate the whole way home (that's another story!!), and we would stop for gas when everyone else did.
We rode through the storm to get to Rock Springs where we could finally sleep in a real bed and not have to worry about our leaky tent!! It was awesome, and a little weird, but that's another story!!
We then rode the 189 miles for home the next day, which was a piece of cake, considering what we'd already been through that trip. It was beautiful, it was windy, it was rainy and it was a blast!!! I'm glad that I can say that I rode the whole way on my own bike and returned to tell about it!! It was awesome and I made some really good friends that I would rather have with me than against me!! Mom's next painting. View from our camp in Sturgis

Jason taking on a bear at the Buffalo Bill museum and the world's biggest chair...not kidding!

We're off...

2009-08-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

We're off to sturgis for the week!! We'll let you know how everything was when we get back!!

Welcome July...

2009-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

So, we have had a pretty busy July so far, as I'm sure you all have as well. We have been on an adventure to Panguitch to the balloon festival... and then we were able to tour Bryce canyon on our bikes with our kids. This is the motel we stayed in while we were there. The sign is original to the motel, dating back to the 50's. Isn't it quaint.

Anyway, when we got back home, Kaden officially turned ten!!

Don't you dare say we're getting old! It's driving me crazy that he is so grown up already! 6 more years and he'll be driving!! We're so proud of him! Jason even taught him how to mow the lawn. He does such a great job!

We have continued with our bathroom remodel and also added new windows to our upstairs. I'm so grateful for a big, strong, trusting husband that's willing to help me knock down a few walls so that we can make our home better and more functional. Without him, I wouldn't be able to help make our house a home.
Oh, and in other news, Grandpa and Grandma Larsen's boxer "introduced" himself one day to Aunt Brooke's red heeler and wala, just like magic 10 puppies were born. Of the ten we were able to choose one for Kaden's birthday...enter Gambit, our one blue-eyed, one brown eyed boxer/red heeler mix. The boys were so excited that they decided to sleep in their tent with him that night. I told Kaden if Gambit started to sniff around during the night, then he needed to put him outside for a minute. This is how I found them the next morning. Kaden was so worried that the dog would get cold and lonely, that he moved his sleeping bag out of the tent during the night and slept on the grass with him. It made me laugh a little. He is the best little puppy so far. Mckay is already his best friend. We're hoping it stays that way.
I'm so blessed to have such a great and loving family that surrounds me with unconditional love everyday! Without them, I'd be lost!! I'm so grateful that we have the time and the means to make some awesome memories while here on this earth. We will definitely have some great stories to tell when we return home!! Now...onto the next big adventure!!

bathroom remodel

2009-06-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

I decided to finally fix up our upstairs bathroom after 15 years of it being out of order. Our kids are getting way too old to pee outside when the only bathroom is occupied. It's pretty cool, because when I ripped up the 2x4's you could see big log beams supporting the upper level. It's amazing what you can find in a house that's 109 years old.
Anyway, it's going to be quite a challenge to get it in working order. Jason thought that the water lines would run through the bathroom, and instead it runs down the walls, so we might just have to re-route the lines, which won't be difficult because the kitchen ceiling is still down in one spot from when the bathroom pipes broke initially and flooded the main floor.
Well, I guess it's back to work!! I'll post pic's when I get them.

Our June...so far

2009-06-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, for it being the long, hot days of summer, we've had a very busy, fast moving June!!
We started it off by spending the weekend after Memorial day at the ranch, with our bikes and my awesome Brother and Dad. We took the kids around Bear Lake and into Idaho. It was rainy some of the time, and really nice the other. We took Molly home with us that Monday and got to spend some time with her. I love it when the "cousins" get to come and stay because it makes me feel more at home and less of wishing that I didn't miss them all growing up.
I took Molly back to Lindon on my bike on Friday. It was nice until I had to get home. I rode through hail, rain, wind, and snow for about 20 minutes....I know Doug, don't be a wimp!! I got it.
Anyway, that Tuesday I met Jenny in Kaysville so that she could take my boys to Bear River to stay at my mom's while I went to a "lunch ladies" convention in Sandy for the week. It was awesome!! We got to donate about 25 quilts to Primary Children's. That was a humbling experience, especially if you've spent any time there yourself. You begin to appreciate the warmth of a quilt after a thing like that. Anyway, back at the convention I won a bear afghan and a mickey mouse quilt in the quilt drawing, and got tons of vendor fair samples. We'll be set with juice, yogurt, and fruit snacks for a year!!
Then I went to Bear River to pick up my boys and Bailey so that she could come and spend a week with us as well. Trust me, we were very busy!! We went to Manti pool with Lane and Skylar on Tuesday. Very fun! Oh, by the way, did you know that you could get sun-burned in cloudy, sometimes rainy conditions??!! Anyway, for family night we decided to go to Mt. Pleasant and go to the drive-in for night at the museum 2. It was kind of cold, but it's always fun to sit in the back of your car and nosh on garbage!!
Wednesday we attempted to go to Palisade state park and "play" for the day, but the wind and rain didn't allow us to, so we went on Thursday instead.
The park has this "Geo-cache" g.p.s. trek which I didn't have a clue in the world what it was until we actually participated. You have no idea how tired you can get by chasing young people up and down the mountain in search for treasure!! They were die-hards!! Anyway, after we traded all that we could, we decided that it would be a great idea to go to the Manti Pageant. We gathered the family and the blankets and witnessed yet another year of hard work and dedication from the community. Well done!!
And now today, Friday, the most significant of all. Al and Jen got here at about 10:30 to get Bailey and get all gussied up for a wedding of a good family friend. Quinton decided to stay here and play with the boys, so I thought that it would be a great idea to take them to the batting cages and then to ice cream while the others were gone. It was a great idea until Kaden got in to bat!! After about 3 misses he decided that the next ball wasn't getting past him and "POW" the ball smashed his thumb between the bat!! We gathered up our stuff, rinsed and wrapped his bleeding thumb in paper towels and rushed, yet again, to the Doctors!! I think that he was more worried about getting stitches than he was of the actual wound. As we were driving over to Mt. Pleasant I overheard him saying a little prayer that he wouldn't have to get them. What a boy. Afterwards he said, don't worry mom, Heavenly Father won't make me get them, I'm o.k.
When we got there, the Doctor said that he could probably just glue it back together, but Kaden thought that it would hurt and just wanted a band-aid. We finally convinced him to let the Dr. do his job so that we could go home.
We decided to take Jess, Tara, Quinton, and Bailey, Kaden and Mckay back to the cages and spend the last 3 tokens on the older kids, so that their way over tired parents could have a rest before traveling to Cedar City. It went better this time. Kaden stood outside and watched so that no one else would get hurt and Quinton, Bailey, Mckay and Tara got to bat. After we finished, we finally went to Pollie's to get ice cream. Well worth the drama for a "Little Richard". I don't know if it's the brownie on the bottom, or the cherry on the top that makes it so good after a hard day, but I guess whatever works, right?!
Anyway, Quinton decided to stay with us until Sunday, so I guess we'll see what tomorrow has in store...stay tuned.

Holy Crap!!!!

2009-06-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry if I offended anyone with this title, but those were the exact words that I used today when I looked up from Mckay's magnetic Book of Mormon and saw my Husband of nearly 15 years sitting up on the stand waiting patiently to bear his testimony. When I looked up at him, it took me a minute to even realize that it was him, and when I looked over to my right and realized that he was no longer sitting beside me, I rather loudly said, "holy crap!"
Loud enough, in fact, that the people two rows in front of me glanced back to see if all was well.
The only other time that he has ever been on the stand was when he and I had a talk to give in the college married ward, so you can probably imagine my surprise....and my tears!! I instantly grabbed a tissue because I had uncontrollable tears rolling down my face!!
He started by saying that he would be o.k. as long as he didn't look at me, and then he did, and got a little teary-eyed.
I am so proud of him and the decisions that he has made to better himself and his family! He not only talked the talk, but today he chose to walk the walk! I am so grateful for the love that he has for us and for the scouts that truly look up to him. Way to go stud!!! I love you!!

Too much of a good thing!!...

2009-05-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

So, we have a neighbor that has ditch shares and doesn't use them, so he offered them to us. Jason put in this 6" pipe to water our lawn and garden and it is very efficient at getting it all done quickly. We had just the front west side of our house left to water, so Jason put all available hoses there to water thoroughly. We sort of forgot to let the water go last night before bed and we got an angry call this morning at 5! We were told that "she" was getting flooded out and that we were supposed to go "take care of our water"! I went out in my jam's and lifted the board and she was immediately screaming at me. She said that she was going to plant her patch of dirt today, and now she will have to wait until it dries out??!! That patch has been absolutely flooded for the past month, I don't know what an extra day will hurt!! I told her sorry and I hoped it would all work out, and the last thing that I heard as I slammed the door was that it was going to be "an awful lot of extra work for her"!!! What work? Water on mud dries, and doesn't it need to be wet non-stop until the seeds germinate anyway? I think that she looks for things to complain about! Her life wouldn't be complete if she didn't have something that made her unhappy!
Anyway, I will be spending the day inside, avoiding her until she calms down, and then I will go throughout the rest of her days pretending that nothing is wrong. Good thing she has a short attention span. She forgets quickly!

#8

2009-05-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

I want to end this with a jumbo "happy", but there is two that I can't decide between. The first is Heavenly Father and Jesus and the sacrifices that they have made for everyone so that we can someday be enveloped in their arms and told "well done". I know if I continue to progress on this earth that I get to have the one most important thing on this earth back with me some day...my Family. There is nothing more important to me than that.
Now the second thing that makes me happy is Grandma's and Grandpa's. I am so grateful for both my mom's and dad's for their willingness to share their wisdom and love with a couple of wild boys that they continue to love no matter what. I am grateful for the random invites so that Jason and I can spend some "quality time" on our bike rides to Manti to get a soda. It makes me happy to see them on the 4-wheelers at the farm and the Ranch, learning how to be boys and take risks, which by the way, I would be o.k. with them being trapped inside a "safety bubble" for the rest of their lives, but I know it is not at all possible.
I love that they are turning into fine young men every day of their lives. I have everybody to thank for that. So for my last blog on the 8 day challenge I want to thank you all. Without you I would be lost.

#7

2009-05-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

O.K. anyone that has been questioning where my priorities are on things that make me happy(Jason and Doug) this one's for you.

Riding my Harley makes me happy! It's an expensive sport, but if I had to pay for therapy for what this bike does to my brain and soul, then I would be in debt all of the time! I get on a little miffed, and by the time I get back I can think clearly and react to problems a whole lot better than when I left. I love how close you are to nature. The smells and sounds are so crisp and clean...except when you're passing a cow lot, then it gets a little bad. For the most part I love, love, love my bike.

#6

2009-05-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Getting to go to church once a week makes me happy. Having my husband and kids go too makes me proud. I am so glad that going to church is habit and expected and not questioned. I love that my boys know more about the gospel than I do, even at my age. I love that I learn more from their testimonies every day. I am so glad that the church is there as a gentle reminder that we are still on the right path back home.

#5

2009-05-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Family and friends make me happy. I love having them stay here for a while. It makes me feel like I'm home and all is good with the world...Especially when we sit around the fire pit until 11 visiting and relaxing. All is well!!

Disclaimer...

2009-05-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

I asked Jason once that if I came back as somebody else what was the one word that would let him know it was me...and it was "jerk butt". So now It's our little joke. It's not meant to be bad or derogatory, but to us it's a term of endearment.
Now because I skipped one day of this tag, I'll do two. A clean house makes me happy. Not while I'm cleaning, but when it's finished.
I'm also grateful for the need to clean. Sometimes I need some motivation to get things done. Plus that, There's nothing better than the high you get when you're cleaning is uninterrupted. I'm a power house when I don't have anything else to do!

tag #2

2009-05-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for a supporting, hard working husband that isn't afraid to tell me how it is sometimes. He keeps me grounded and he is a genuinely good person!! I learn so much from him every day! He is my heart and soul...even when he's being a jerk-butt!

I got tagged!!!

2009-05-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my mom in the pursuit of happiness. I'm supposed to blog something that makes me happy for the next 8 days. I'm also supposed to give this gift to 8 other people, so I tag Ashley, Leslie, Kino, Ally, Jody, Kim, Jenny and Mysti. Have fun!

I am so grateful for my boys. They make me happy every day. I know that Heavenly Father knows me so well! He knows that I love a challenge and that I get bored really easy!
I love how they play, fight, laugh, cry, and love to take care of each other! They are truly the best part of me!

It's time!

2009-05-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

The blood, The sweat, the tears.....bring it on big boy!

Easter at Dad's ranch

2009-04-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

So, we decided that because it was a semi-long weekend that we would go to Idaho and spend time with our family on My Mom and Dad's ranch. Shauntae and Jim invited us up about a month ago for Wyatt's 2nd birthday and we thought that would be an awesome party, so we packed our jeep and drove the 4 1/2 hours to Weston reservoir.
When we got there, we decided to go sledding down the hill... we would drive them to the top on the 4-wheeler, meet them at the bottom and drive them back up. What ever happened to good old fashioned climbing the hill, then sliding down? Anyway, that lasted about 4 trips down and then they started complaining about it being too cold, so we went back to the trailers and cranked the heater and built a fire in the pit. Way fun, right?!
The next day we woke bright and early and started planting an apple orchard, 35 in all I think, and one peach tree. It was fun to be a part of the future of this place.
After we got the trees planted, we started laying the sub-flooring in the loft and in the bedroom in the cabin. It was fun to work with my brothers and my Dad on this project. We also hung the drywall on the interior walls. It's going to be an awesome place to stay.
After lunch we had an easter egg hunt for the kids. There were eggs and candy everywhere!
The kids had a blast finding all that we hid. I think we had more of a blast hiding it all.
The next day we started peeling the logs that will someday in the near future be our cabins. It was awesome to work together to get the job done. Kaden even helped until he cut his hand on the blade, and then it was over for him. What an over-protecting mother he has, poor kid!
After all the hard work , we left for the most important part of the whole weekend, Dalan's baptism. It was such an awesome experience to be a part of this little spirit's quest for righteousness. It's good to think that we are on the right path back home when we hit these little milestones in our lives. I cried like a baby when Kaden got baptized. It made me feel like I was finally doing something right. Now if we can just survive Mckay then we should really get some good marks in Heaven.

what's the 411

2009-03-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, does anybody know how to start planting onions and potatoes under all this snow? I heard that we were supposed to get them in the ground last week! It's not like we have the shortest growing season in the world, but we're a close second. I always get so frustrated with it all. I put in all this time to till,(thanks Jason), to weed, and to plant, and I don't get much return for my investment. Granted, we chose to leave town at a crucial time last year, and didn't get the weeds taken care of. Then when we got back they were too crazy to deal with properly, so we just had a enormous weed crop! Why do they always have ample time to grow to maturity and my vegetables don't? Dumb weeds!
O.k., onto a lighter note, Kaden and Mckay are both playing soccer again this year. You know, it's funny but we usually let them both play every other year. I get so frustrated with them not wanting to play one year, that I make them skip the next. Then when the year after that arrives, I forget how aggravating it truly was, and sign them up again! Why do we put ourselves in these kinds of situations, and then keep on repeating them over and over again??!! Oh, well, I guess we're exposing them to a lot of different options in life. Who knows, after a while maybe something will stick.

Florida...

2009-02-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

I know, I haven't wrote for a long time. Sorry. I get bored easy. It's like blogging a.d.d. or something? Anyway, Florida was awesome! I felt better there, my hair worked better there, and I even felt lighter there, if that's even possible. It was beautiful! You would think that it would be difficult for a group this big to get along but for the most part it was all peachy! We're so lucky to have the family that we have.
Kaden got a little upset when we wouldn't let him play. He said that there were too many pictures, and not enough playing! I think 90% of us agreed.
We started our vacation out with a 4 hour layover in Georgia. Luckily, we all found something to do. The boys played video games.( Thanks Grandma!)
Jason, Kari, Grandpa and Brooklyn slept. Grandma and I watched over things and Cresta and Chris snuggled. It was fun! It really didn't seem like a very long wait. The sun was just setting when we boarded our next flight, so we got some great pictures from the plane.At Disneyworld, We saw Lilo and Stich, Kenai and Koda, and Tom Cruise and Suri. But I don't think anyone was very impressed with the last one.

We rode a ton of rides, tower of terror and rockin' rollercoaster being our favorites. Then in between all the hustle and bustle, a.k.a. "The happiest place on earth," we escaped to Cocoa beach. Now that's relaxing! Listening to the waves while sitting in the sun is all it's cracked up to be! We saw dolphins swimming in the wake, seashells all over the place, and not too many of us got sunburned...O.K. I'm the only one that kept slathering on the sunscreen. Yes, I did spend two weeks in the warm sun, I just don't have much of a tan to show for it! I tried really hard on the last day to get burned, but I didn't have any luck. We ended our vacation on a good note. We were all a little worn out, but we seemed to survive. We came back to slushy, soggy snow. Lucky us! I need some warm riding weather! It's time to get out the bikes so that my sweet little husband can make fun of me again about not riding fast enough to keep up with the rest of them. Isn't this picture priceless! I didn't use any trick photography at all, It's all Jason, and his mustache strategically placed over his front tooth! Scary ain't it! So, I know that this picture is a little "cliche", but here it is... The family photo in front of the flower mickey. A perfect ending to a perfect vacation. Thanks for the memories Mom and Dad! All your planning and worry and stress paid off.

life is grand

2009-01-08T07:45:00.001-08:00

Isn't this world beautiful!
Thanks Ash for helping me. It worked.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas came and went so quickly this year. I look forward to this every year and every year it happens the same way! I get too into getting everything finished that I forget to slow down and enjoy it. I did enjoy the holidays, don't get me wrong, but I could have done a little less and it would have meant a little more.
Christmas eve we had breakfast at our house. I always love this. I love that we can be together as a family and share traditions with each other. We had pancakes, sausages, eggs, hash browns, and cinnamon rolls, thanks to one of Grandma's traditions. After breakfast we decorated gingerbread houses and ate all the candy that came with the kit. Then we started to make cookies for Santa, but it was getting late, so the boys opened their Christmas Eve Present and everyone left to get ready for bed. Kaden politely replied that he hoped that his present wasn't pajamas this year, and then I replied that we needed to look nice when Santa came to visit or he wouldn't leave any presents. He was o.k. with new pajamas after that.
Christmas morning was a little weird. I waited and waited for the boys to wake up! After about 8:00 I decided to go and wake them up, and of course Mckay said that he needed "just 10 more minutes." How crazy is that? When I was a kid we were up every half hour starting at 4. My dad would just laugh and say, "go back to bed!"
They got spoiled again this year, go figure! They each got a crayola video camera/camera so they can take pictures when we go to Florida in February. They also got a ton of character shirts, books, air hogs helicopter(that broke 10 minutes later) and pixos( little annoying glue dots that when wet, stick to everything!)
They got a leapster 2 from Grandma and Grandpa Larsen, which I recommend to everyone with kids, and they got a ben ten alien creation chamber from Grandma and Grandpa Christensen, which again, they have had a blast with.
It was so fun that we got to spend time with all our family this Christmas. We are so blessed to have family and friends surrounding us. The quality of life would be sad if we didn't have people to share it with.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...

2008-12-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!! Good night!!

I got tagged...

2008-12-08T21:29:00.001-08:00

Thanks Ash...You'll laugh when I post this...

Tag 4:4:4:4
Here is how it works.

1. Open your photos folder

2. Go to your 4th folder and pick the 4th photo

3. Up load it

4. Tag 4 others

So Ashley tagged me on this, and when I went to the 4th folder and the 4th picture, it was of her son, Louk, playing baseball. I swiped it off of one of her cousins posts I think, or maybe it was off of her blog.
I love that he is so good at this game already. I swear that some kids are just born with a natural talent for life and he definitely was.
O.k., so I tag Mom, Kari, Kim, and Sondra

My New Hair...

2008-12-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

I decided on Thursday that I needed a change, so I made a hair appointment for 4:00. I gathered pictures of family and friends whose hair always looks good(Thanks Stace and Kino) and told her that I wanted Stacie's style and Kino's color and this is what she thought I meant??? I'm still wondering how "we" decided on this color??? It's brown #6 and red #6. No, not auburn, not orange, but crayola red! It kind of faded after the first wash and now it's kind of purple/red... I don't like change, so obviously I cried for the first two days, but it's not so bad now, I guess. I will be going back to blonde on my next appointment...even if I have to go somewhere else. Change is good for a minute, but I can't handle it for long.

Keeping the Dentists in business...

2008-11-01T19:07:00.001-07:00

Yes, Halloween!! The first sign that over-eating and gaining weight is on it's way!! Here's my little Mario!! He told me on tuesday that he wanted to be mario and I thought that I could just go to wal-mart and find stuff for his costume...but nooooo...they didn't have a hat, overalls or anything!! IFA didn't even have overalls for kids. So we made him some! Without a pattern or anything...trust me, I'm just as surprised as you! I think it turned out pretty good!
Then there's Mckay....He's happy if he can dress up as anything that resembles a hot wheel. We were lucky that there was a costume of bumblebee off of transformers. They really got into their parts. It was funny to hear little kids say, "oh, look, Mario!" It was fun! Tiring, but fun!!
So after walking 27 blocks, resting twice along the way and carrying them both at least twice, I hope we made some great memories!!

2008-10-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Jason and Sturgis...

2008-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

So, I've been having a hard time posting Jason's trip to Sturgis...Mostly because I wasn't there, so I don't know all the stories, but I think a part of it is that there were 6 boys, un-chaperoned, at one of the most naked bike rallies in history...lets just say that my brother's pictures were just a tad bit more graphic than the one's I saw from Jason.... So I'll tell what I can, and I'll show what I can, and you'll have to use your imagination for the rest...This is where they slept the first night, because somebody's bike broke down(Doug).

This is main street in Sturgis.. If you don't have a bike, you walk through town...Cars wouldn't be very welcome right now. Then instantly, two of the boys just had to find a tattoo parlor and prove their manhood...or something???

This is where they stayed for the duration. It looks cozy, right.
Jason said that the trip to Mt. Rushmore was pretty cool. Don't you think that his face belongs up there with the rest. I think the feeling of history that you would feel while you were there would be very humbling and serene.

So, there were a ton of cool bikes,

a ton of cool sites,

and the rest is history.

Apples don't fall very far from the tree.....

2008-09-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, I was looking at some pictures this weekend on my space, and I found this one of Grandma.... And it reminded me of another picture I saw on my mom's cute page....Now, I'm not saying that this picture doesn't prove that apples don't fall very far from the tree, I'm just saying....Hmmmm....well, maybe I am!!! I love my Gram and My Dad...who knows, maybe someday this will be me...I can only hope!!!

update on this crazy life....

2008-09-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

So, Mckay's cast is off and all that needs to heal is the burn on his heel. His foot looks really good now, although it's still really tender from all the skin that needs to grow back. The surgeon that did his foot, Randy Hansen, just got canned from all things good and he may have even lost his license because of (allegedly) Drugs. They even changed to locks on the buildings so that he couldn't gain access to any more...pretty reassuring isn't it!!! I'm just glad that he wasn't using the night that he did his surgery...I think?? He was pretty slurred and very self-boastful. We had to remind him a couple of times that our son was in the other room waiting for him to put his foot back together!! Aaaahhhhh!!!! I can't handle any more sadness and insecurity!!!! It started around the 24th of July, then Lyndzee's unexpected passing, then three really expensive doctor and dentist bills, and not to mention that Jason got a really bad sinus infection and, what do you know, but me and my boys got a really bad cold/flu combination to boot!!! How can I fix them when I' m so broken??? Oh, yeah, I'm also in charge of the primary program this year and I just got unanimously voted in for financial secretary at work for the district unit!!! We are strapped for cash and everybody wants their money, so we pay as much as we can each month, and we hope that that is enough for now!!! My first and second paycheck is already spent. We still owe for Mckay's life-flight from two years ago!!! And we need to buy more hamburger so that I can continue this crazy, although helpful, diet for my kids!!! They can't live on chicken and tuna the rest of their lives!!! Live sucks right now, but I have a feeling that it'll soon be turning around. For some reason, we haven't failed yet. I know that as long as we do what we know is right, that we will be taken care of. "Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending." So from my seemingly crazy, broken life to yours....Rock On!!! (I love this picture of Maile.
It describes how I'm feeling right now to a T!)

bella and edward

2008-08-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

update on Mckay's foot....

2008-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here's an update on Mckay's foot....He is still in a cast!!! We have to go in weekly to get the dressings changed, and because it's Dr. Hansen, It takes about 3 hours to do!! I'm so sick of waiting!!
His toe burn is healing nicely. It's rosy pink and doing well. His stitches are now non-existent. The tear is healing well also. His heel burn is not co-operating as readily though. It is still extremely deep and pussy, thus the need to continue with the cast! I'm beyond excited when the weekly visits will end and he will be able to wear his other new school shoe!
We'll keep you posted.

mom tagged me!

2008-08-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks mom for tagging me! Well, here we go.....

Four Places I go Over and Over:1. Work 2.Wal-mart 3. Church 4. jim's
Four people who email me regularly:1. Mom 2. Julie 3. Jason 4. Junk
Four places I would rather be right now:1.Reading Eclipse(yes, I'm hopelessly caught up with Bella and Edward!) 2. sleeping 3. on my bike( yes, Jason's riding it again!) 4. My dad's ranch with the rest of my family!
Four people I talk to on a regular basis:1. Kaden 2. Mckay 3. Jason 4. Jim
Four of my favorite places to eat:1.Brick Oven 2. Fat Jacks 3. Pizza Hut 4. Maple Garden
Four people I tag:1. Al 2. Ashley 3. Ally 4. Lesile

The Nine Lives of Mckay (This title is better suited)

2008-08-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Over the years of parenthood, I would like to say that things have been blissful and uneventful, but I would be telling a pretty big lie. It all started with the birth of Mckay! I think he knew that there would be competition with his older brother, so he felt that he needed to make a slightly bigger impact on our lives. Who knew that he would take the more difficult route!
It started with him jumping off of anything higher than his head. I would catch him trying to climb up shaky coolers to get over the balcony fence so he could, of course, jump off. Luckily I caught him right before he got to the top. It seems that something bad happens the second I turn my attention on to anything but him. Like the time that I was trying to get ready for Kaden's soccer game and I heard a loud thud and came running in and, if his story was correct, he had just jumped off of the TOP of my piano and landed on something hard, aka, Kaden's rock collection! ( He also talks about their little wooden step stool. The details were a little confusing, he was three after all.)
This resulted in a left foot that was broken in three different places!
His next adventure was when I went to get him a bedtime drink and he started screaming. I turned around and found that he had just CUT OFF the tip of his finger in his bedroom door. That resulted in an emergency room visit for both he and I! I was so sick and pale when we got there that they made me lay down until I got some color back. It miraculously missed his bone and a half of an inch of his finger needed to be sewn back on.
Two months later we decided to go swimming with the cousins, at a popular place for some, and he was found on the bottom of the pool! He wanted to try to swim without his tube. He figured out pretty quickly that because of his density he sank straight to the bottom and couldn't get back up. Luckily his dad looked down right at that moment and pulled him out. This little incident landed him in a certain red and white helicopter destined for primary children's hospital. We're still paying for that one and it's been a year and a half! The big coincident is that when I was about 6 I tried the exact same thing in the exact same pool on the exact same spot! Lucky for me, right as I was about to black out, my Mom spotted me and pulled me out. Can anyone say "apple"!(It's a phrase commonly used in our family that when one of our kids behave like us, we refer to the saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.")

Then, just as we think things have been going good, we get surprised with another little tid-bit. Jason had been gone with Doug to Sturgis for 10 days and he had just got home, so we decided to go on one of our favorite family Harley rides. We didn't get 5 mile marker posts out of Mt. Pleasant when Mckay decided to see what would happen if he stuck his right foot on my spinning back tire! Let's just say the results were not pretty.
His foot got lodged between the frame of the bike and the hub of the tire. The metal brake hub started to cut through his shoe and foot by the time I had got stopped, and he got a few pretty serious friction burns. I was shocked when I went to dislodge his foot because it was completely turned upside-down and he was still upright. He didn't suffer any breaks or sprains or anything. Luckily,(that seems to be an ongoing theme for this little boy's life! Believe me, we have said our prayers of thanks!) I had listened to a prompting to take hold of his left leg. I feel that if I hadn't listened to the spirit that he would have been pulled off and dragged!I am so thankful for whatever angel was watching over him at that time. Maybe it was Lyndzee? You know, she was always looking out for him while on this earth.

So, for now, our little man is sitting on the couch, t.v. tray in front, remote in hand, toys around, with a little bike bell that rings excessively every time that he needs to talk, eat or pee. We are so lucky to have him here still that we are willing to be annoyed by the bell for a while. Love you Mugs! You are now officially in the plastic bubble! At least until you can walk again!

(There are more graphic pics while the dressings were being changed today in the very bottom post. You can choose to look or not to look, depending on what you can handle.)

My little LuLu...

2008-08-02T15:46:00.001-07:00

Nine years ago, around this time of year, a cute little family moved in across the street. They had 2 boys and 2 girls and were an ideal family to be friends with. But, of course, I couldn't make the first move to be friends with them. How could I let these new strangers into my private, twisted, crazy life??!! I was so grateful when she approached me. I was walking and crying, while pushing my one year old Kaden in his stroller, when she just happened to look up at the right time and ask if I was o.k.. I said "yes" of course and she continued with, "no you're not, come on, lets go talk about it." It was then that I met my best sister-friend Diana and her awesome family.
Within the next nine years we became quite reliant upon each other. We would share stories and adventures with our kids, all the while becoming closer and closer to each other. Our boys played with each other and, well, the girls played with my hair. I was in love instantly!

I had the awesome opportunity to be her kids "second mom" and am so grateful that I had Lyndzee for the time that I had her. We did crafts and built things when she would come over, and I even had the honor of teaching her how to sew and bought her her first machine. We always had something fun to do when she came. I am so glad that I didn't just stick the kids in front of the t.v. when they came to my house. Nothing was impossible when they were here. She would say, "lets build something?" and I would say, "o.k., what?" The sky was the limit for Lou."Gina could do it" quickly became Lyndzee's retaliation when ever her mom would say that she couldn't do something. It makes me grateful and honored that I got to be a part of her stewardship while she was on this earth.

Last Monday, she and her brother and sister were passengers on a Rhino that one of their friends were driving and it tipped over and landed on her head and killed her instantly. Nobody else was hurt at all. Now if that doesn't make you a strong believer in having a time to go, then I don't know what will.
At first I was shocked and then I was really mad and then I was selfish and wanted her back. I couldn't seem to believe that she was really gone, and I thought that at any moment she would sit up and wonder why everyone was so sad. It didn't happen, and now, after the funeral is all over and everybody has gone home, I am more grateful for her example, now so more than ever. Diana came and told me that Lyndzee relayed the message that everyone needs to work on their weaknesses and become stronger, so my first assignment was to say the opening prayer at her service!!! Are you kidding me!!! I said no!!!! And then with love in her eyes, she said, "go talk to Lyndzee!"I was humbled and scared to death to think that this was even possible. Then I said yes. (reluctantly, of course!) I think that I cried more for that reason than any other. The message that I got when I finally sat back down from the prayer was, "No more excuses!" We all have trials in our lives. Some worse than others, and we need to stop using these weaknesses as excuses to progress. We need to get over it, become stronger, and move on with our progression forward!
I am so grateful once again to be such a huge part of their lives, and I am also glad that Diana borrowed me a daughter to love as my own, if only for a short while! I love you Lulu! I'll see you later!
There has been a trust fund set up for Lyndzee Robbins at Zions bank if you want to help.

Kari tagged me

2008-07-22T10:30:00.001-07:00

Thanks Kari for tagging me for this. It's fun to see how everything thinks.

: One Word Tag:.

1. Where is your cell phone? ?????(someone call me and I will follow the ring!)
2. Your significant other? work
3. Your hair? ponytail
4. Your mother? caring
5. Your father? unconditional
6. Your favorite thing? riding
7. Your dream last night? kids
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? safety
10. The room you're in? front
11. Your hobby? everything
12. Your fear? Failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? sturgis
14. Where were you last night? Asleep
15. What you're not? cool
16. Muffins? na
17. One of your wish list items? coolness
18. Where you grew up? Bearriver
19. The last thing you did? E-mail
20. What are you wearing? pj's
21. Your TV? lots
22. Your pets? max
23. Your computer? homemade
24. Your life? busy
25. Your mood? harsh
26. Missing someone? YES
27. Your car? old
28. Something you're not wearing? bra(kari will get a kick out of this!)
29. Favorite store? walmart
30. Your summer? crazy
31. Like someone? Yes
32. Your favorite color? blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? fatboy
34. Last time you cried? blog

Ash, Stace and al, you're tagged

Mckay's gross foot

2008-07-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's looking pretty good considering all he's been through lately! The big toe burn is small but deep. The heel burn looks huge and gross, but it's not as severe so it should heal quickly. The burns and cut on the sides and bottom are looking really good. It's healing fast and it only hurts him when he actually gets a look at the blood! (there's that apple thing again, Jason!) He was pretty lucky!

Kaden's 9??!!

2008-07-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, how time does fly! I wonder if I'm the only parent in history that panics whenever another year is added to their child's lives! I love that my boys actually survived another year in their little lives, and that I must not be that bad of a parent if I'm actually aiding in keeping them alive and safe. Can't things just slow down a little so that I can just enjoy them BEFORE they become teenagers and start hating everything that their dad and I are about. I hope that I'm giving them a strong enough foundation so that when they step out on their own that they can be successful in guiding their families in the same direction. It's so hard to raise boys to be the kind of men that any woman would want and appreciate. I'm so lucky to have a husband that fits that bill. Now, how do we do that for the next generation?

We made it!!!

2008-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

We made it past baseball, t-ball and birthday parties and maybe now I can finally breathe?? Or maybe not??!!
The boys start swimming lessons on Monday for two weeks, and if the instructors are not a joke, it should be beneficial. Last year Mckay's teacher just visited with all the parents and then didn't pass him at the end because he didn't know all the stuff on their report card...side bar, you actually have to INSTRUCT them in order for them to learn!!! I've heard that the teachers are actually doing a pretty good job this year, so I guess we'll see. I'm getting pretty tired of near-drowning boys!

T-Ball and 5 year old's!!!!!!

2008-06-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

So, I signed my boys up for Ball this year, and knowing Mckay's track record, I volunteered to help coach...yeah, you heard me...not just assistant, but Coach! Am I crazy??? Please somebody tell me if I am so I can fix it?! I can't fix the bunch of fighting 5 year olds while in front of half of the town, and I definitely can't fix their side-line parents! After every game I just want to go home and eat a whole tub of Ben and Jerry's double chunky monkey! That can't be good! I can't fix every problem of every kid and every other kid that doesn't get along with their kid! Are you confused? Well, so am I! I love most of these kids. They are so dang cute when they all go after the same ball, and when one of the girls just ducks and covers so it won't touch her. There is one, though, who has raised her son, and daughter for that matter, to be superior toward every one around them. This little boy has no respect for anyone or anything! I don't know what to do for this poor kid, especially while his health-freak mom is screaming from the side-line, "come on gabey, come on baby" while he hits the "shortest fuse" on our team with his mitt, just to see if he'll blow! Now, anybody with good advice please share??!! I know the best advice out there is to never do this again, or just quit and let the know-it-all parents take over, but I was taught to finish what I've started, so quitting is not an option! I'm so glad that there are only 7 games and we finished #4 tonight! (barely!) Three more to go. Can you dig it!

I am Pocahantas????

2008-05-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

This was kind of fun. Try it?

Welcome Maximus! aka Fat Max....

2008-05-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did it. We got a dog! I think that we are all a little crazy, but he's so dang cute! He was a local pound rescue. We think that he's a Boxer-Springer mix so he's going to be huge!!?? It's been fun to have him here, although he's a little lonely out there by himself. I guess that we should have gotten one of his sisters too. Oh-well, it's going to be hard enough to deal with one.

2008-05-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

So, school is finally out! I have never been so excited in my life. Kaden came home with his usual end of the year certificates and awards, except for one! He ranked in the top ten percent nationally on the IOWA testing for science and social studies. I'm so proud of him. He may not be the best behaved, but at least he's got brain!

What now??!!!....

2008-05-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

So, school's almost out and I just don't know what to do with myself! Mckay went to school early to go on a field trip today and I'm not used to him being gone in the morning. I guess I better get used to it because he will be full day next year. It's so wierd to not have him here. I don't like to be alone. I don't go to work until 11 so it's a couple of hours of total selfishness. wierd!! Isn't he the cutest kid ever! How can you not miss him when he's gone. Woah, I'm gonna cry. I think I know what empty nest syndrome is now. Well, at least for the next couple of hours.

The end of an era

2008-05-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

So, we have all been faced with life and death at one point or another, but usually there is a distraction that will allow me to disconnect so as not to feel too much pain. In this case I was unable to. It's not that I can't find a distraction to help me out, but when you have had such a big part of your life blessed by certain people, it seems that the only feeling that you can feel is a broken heart.
I have just learned that my grandma has finally been called back and her journey on this earth has come to an end. I really feel that death is the hardest on the living. I can't help but to feel a little selfish that I wanted her to stay here until my journey was over, but because of our LDS faith we know that her journey has just begun. We should be rejoicing that she can finally hear the Master's voice say Welcome Home. So why do I feel so much pain? I feel no regret while she was on this earth. I spent every bit of free time at her house as a child, learning from her example while she helped mold me into the person that I am today. I just wish that I could have seen her once more before she left. I love the influence that she had on me while on this earth. All the times that I would get a call from my "horse" saying that she was lonely and thirsty back in my Grandma's and Grampa's pasture and how she would love to have a visit. How she saved me whenever I didn't dare go to my parents with my problems, and that she never said no when we would ask if we could have sleep-overs with cousins. I love all the songs and games that we learned while we were there. I don't think we even watched T.V. the whole time. Can you imagine having little kids running around for two days without the escape of t.v.? We never had a problem finding things to do while we were there, even if it was doing the dishes or cleaning the cupboards.
Life is a funny thing. No matter what condition your earthly body is in, there is always a perfect spirit trying to get back home.
I'm gonna miss you "Grama Gum"! Welcome Home!

Jason's "27"?? yeah right??!!.....

2008-05-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Jason is so having a mid life crisis! He went around all day telling everybody, including me, that he was 27! 27?! How dumb does he think we are? Born in 72. It's now 2008. You do the math!?!? So for his 36th birthday we rode our Harley's to Los Amigos and ate Mexican food. Then we went home and he opened his presents and he blew out his fire hazard!

He got a ps2 and about 9 games. The only game he really wanted was Nascar, so naturally I had to buy him a steering wheel and pedals as well, although we can't seem to configure them to work. I feel like he had a good day. I guess we'll see.

Mckay made it to 6!!!

2008-04-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, Mckay made it yet another year! We were a little worried about what would happen this year. In 2005 he broke his foot. In 2006 he cut off the tip of his finger. In 2007 he rode on life flight because of a near drowning at Belmont Springs(Camperworld)! I really didn't know what to expect this year!
We made him a birthday cake that looks like a giant cupcake. It was so fun to make...It was even funner to eat!!!
We set up his birthday the night before. Doesn't it look perfect. If it would only last??!!

It didn't last. My kids are spoiled!!! We had so much fun watching him open his presents! Mckay would open each present and say, "I always wanted this so much!!" It was so cute!
Look at this little teenager! I hope that this is no indication as to how he is going to be in the future!! Future....!!?? This is how he is right now!! I'm in trouble!!??

Jason's Paint Job

2008-04-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

Jason just got his bike painted a sparkley orange and it looks awesome. He has been waiting since February to get the pieces back from the shop, and it's finally a reality!! I guess I can't ride by his work anymore just to make him jealous. It was kind of fun to see his face when I rode up just to make sure that he saw me!...I know, mean huh!! Well, now we just need the sun to shine a little so we can go on a ride. The process...Isn't it sad??!!

Winter bla...bla...blahs

2008-04-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know if anyone else has an addiction that pertains to warm weather and no snow, but I do. I have been waiting all winter for the weather to be warm enough to ride my Harley outside of Ephraim and Saturday was looking promising. We recruited five or so other people and planned our great escape for 11:00 Saturday morning. We didn't even get to the next town and it started to snow!! So not fun!!! When is it going to get warm? We still rode, because we're all a little crazy and we were still 20 minutes away from home.
Then, to make matters worse, I wake up this morning to, you guessed it, MORE SNOW!!! People, stop praying for moisture already!...well, for at least a couple of weeks. I guess when the hot summer days greet us, we will just complain about how hot it is, and wish for a little less hot and a little more cold. It's just a part of a bigger plan, and we should be happy to have the climate that we do..... Nope, it's still not convincing me! I'm still sick of the snow. It's been a long cold winter, and I'm ready for the warm sun and the open road!!

Easter at the Larsen's

2008-03-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, Easter was so fun this year. I didn't really make any plans, after the fact of wrestling eggs out of the other shoppers hands, so I was glad when Grandma Larsen called and suggested coloring the eggs at her house after the town Easter Egg Hunt. It was a blast! The kids really didn't stay at the coloring for very long, but I had a blast checking out all the newest coloring techniques with Aunt Brooke and Grandma. Kodie even found new ways to use the little stickers that were included in the box.
After we colored all the eggs, we jetted to Wal-mart to see the Easter Bunny. Kaden was fine with sitting by him for pictures, but Mckay didn't want anything to do with it. So, of course, being the great mother that I am, I forced him to sit next to the giant pink bunny by holding him on my lap. Oh, what great childhood memories I am instilling in my kids!!??
Then we went down to the farm and hid the 5 dozen colorful eggs in every nook and cranny that we could find, including all over the "Easter Egg Tractor". It was really fun to watch the anticipation on the kids faces as we opened the door. During the hunt, Kaden was told to back off and let the "little kids" have a chance to get some eggs, so he went around the farm right in front of the "little kids" and hid eggs out of his basket so they would get more. I have such good kids. He was so thoughtful. He even went over to his brothers basket and noticed that he didn't have very many either, and he gave him some of his as well. It's amazing how greedy you can get over a $2.00 pack of hard boiled eggs when all those colors and sparkles are all over them. It was so fun to color them and hide them, but it was even funner to watch them find them and eat them.
After we had an overdose of boiled eggs and candy, we decided to burn a hot dog (literally, that's the way we like them) and have lunch. It was fun to sit around and make memories with family. I think it's a waste of a day if no memories are being made.
The next day we went to Payson to see Uncle Paul(Barton) be ordained Bishop of the Payson Mountain View 3rd Ward. It was neat to see him given this honor. He is so personable and talkative that he will do great with this. Then we went back to Grandma Ross' house for more food. It was so great to be surrounded with family. I totally get why I have such a problem with food. It seems that the best times, the most comfortable time is with family and food. Mckay did have a little challenge with his behavior while we were there though. I made the mistake of leaving my Cadbury mini eggs out on the cupboard and he decided to eat half the bag. We took him off dairy for his behavior just to see if it would help. The change was so immediately apparent that we decided to keep him off for a while. I totally dropped the ball with this one! Then to add insult upon injury, we gave him Benadryl for his allergies right before we left! Big mistake, Huge! He was jittery and detached until we got some food in to him. It was pretty fun (not really) to "show" how well he has been doing lately. I'm just glad that I have a very understanding family that backs our decisions in life, no matter how crazy they sound.
Our next adventure on our quest to find a memory will be to go and visit family up North, and on the way, I think that we will either stop at the Aquarium, or to Hogle Zoo just for fun. We'll see I guess. After all, that's what life is all about, right??!!

Kaden and the bullies

2008-03-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

So, I really need to blog this morning about Kaden and his experience at scouts the last three weeks. I thought that these boys that go to church, school, and scouts with him were good kids, but I was totally wrong! Even the newest member of scouts was really awful to my son!
It's a life long story, and unfortunately the results of bullying are becoming more and more severe as time goes on. Things are different now than when I was getting bullied as a kid, and I'm afraid that the repercussions are getting more violent as well.
Kaden's leader called me during scouts and told me that she didn't know what else to do to help him. She said that the kids were outside teasing him about his bike while we spoke. She then said that she had to go because he was coming in crying to her and she had to deal with it. My car couldn't drive fast enough to get the three blocks to her house.
As I got there, one of his "friends" were finally giving up for the day, and I stopped to ask him who was bullying Kaden, and he proceeded to say, "everyone but me". I reminded him ever so bluntly that I had just got off the phone with his leader and she said that he was one of the worst instigators of them all. He then said "oh yeah, rriiighttt"!!! That just threw me into a tizzy!! I wanted to get even with all the bullies that used to tease me at that age, but being in the Primary Presidency, I refrained from kicking him in the mouth, and I simply said, "how do you think that your mom would feel about Kaden if you went home and said that he was picking on you?" He said,"bad". Then I said "o.k., next time you even think about picking on MY SON, I think you need to think about how his mom would feel to hear this!"
I sent him on his way unharmed (for now) and went into the leaders house to find a shriveled up shell of my son, crying hysterically. Not about being teased, but about being so different! He made the comment that he just wanted to stand in the middle of the road and wait for a car to "just run him over" so that this would stop.
Now, being teased myself at that age, quite harshly I might add, how do I deal with his feelings, when I haven't dealt with mine yet. It breaks my heart that you can no longer wear your heart on your sleeve, but instead you have to have it so protected and "numb" that horrible things are thought, or worse, acted upon.
I can't help to think of the story of the little boy that was walking home with what looked like the entire contents of his locker. There were 3 or 4 boys around him, teasing him so harshly. Another boy that just moved in around the corner just happened to come upon this little session and stepped up to help this boy in need. He helped him home and then invited him to go and hang out at the park with him and a couple of friends. He reluctantly agreed, not knowing what to expect. He had a great time, and a great long lasting friendship.
Time went on, and the two boys became very good friends. They went to college and were about to graduate. The boy that was being picked on had developed into a fine looking young man. He was valedictorian and at the top of the class. While he was giving his speech, he talked only about this hero of a friend that literally saved his life and continued to read from his journal.
"I cleaned out my locker today. I can't handle getting teased any more. I am going to kill myself today, and I don't want my mom to have to go to the school and clean out my locker herself."
With that, he thanked his friend again for saving his life, and sat down.
I can't shake the fact that this story is a possibility for my son. I don't know what to do for him. I just hope that he gets a good friend like I finally did in fifth grade. Tami had my back and she let me know that I was her friend no matter what anybody else thought of me. I am now, more than ever, so grateful for her friendship throughout the rest of my childhood. Thanks for letting me stand on your shoulders when I was drowning. I am also grateful for coming from such a strong family that supported me and gave me a safe nest to unravel in every day.
So, back to the story of Kaden. I wanted so badly to get even with all of these boys that were teasing my heart, and so when I got home, I turned to the Prophet, President Hinckley. I started thumbing through the Ensign, and it just fell open on President Hinckley's conference address called "Slow to Anger". In the talk he quotes,"It is when we become angry that we get into trouble." "I dare say that most of the inmates of our prisons are there because they did something when they were angry. In their wrath they swore, they lost control of themselves, and terrible things followed, even murder. There were moments of offense followed by years of regret." In his closing he said,"Now, my dear brethren, in closing I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger;" "May the Lord bless you and inspire you to walk without anger, without bitterness of any kind, but to reach out to others with expressions of friendship, appreciation, and love."
He spoke to me from Heaven. We are to follow the Saviors example while on this earth. At what point in his life did he retaliate when the "bullies" wouldn't lay off. He didn't even retaliate while hanging on the cross. In his final moments he said, "forgive THEM, for they know not what they do."
So, the lesson that I have learned from all of this, is forgive them. Forgive all the bullies on this earth, and teach my kids how to react peacefully when they start to bully them again. It may be harder than it sounds, but What Would Jesus Do?

2008-03-04T15:40:00.001-08:00

Polka-dot Mckay and the super, oopery- dooper good day...

So, after Mckay had such a bad report at school, it was really hard to convince him to at least try to have a good day the next day. While sitting in front of my computer that morning, Mckay came and sat on my lap and we started to discuss the kind of day he was about to have....well, at least hope to have.... and he told me that he didn't think that he could have a good day. Just then, the sun started to shine through the window on just the right angle, and made Mckay have polka-dots!
I decidid to use this to my advantage and took a picture of him. When I downloaded the picture to the computer, he just sat there and said woa! I told him that he was "Polka-dot Mckay" and that he was going to have a super, oopery- dooper good day.
We printed the picture and taped it to his back-pack for the day, and guess what, it worked!!! He stayed out of time-out all day long, and he got all smiley faces with starry eyes on his daily report card!!! What a success...for today at least??!! Yeah!!

more celebrity look-alikes

2008-02-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

my celebrity look-alikes

2008-02-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Kaden's Harry Potter's Blue and Gold Banquet

2008-02-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

So, We went to Kaden's Blue and Gold Banquet last night, and it was awesome!!! The theme for this pack meeting was Harry Potter. As you walked in, you heard Hedwig's Theme being played on the piano, and as you looked up, you saw the school banners hanging from the ceiling.

As you walked towards the tables, there was a table set up with a sorting hat and a cauldron of awards.

On another table set a bird cage with a white owl inside.

It was so magical, if only for a moment. The sorting hat actually talked while announcing the awards...well, sort of.

All the food was served in dutch ovens and our "giant blood" cobbler was a hit. It was so fun. Cudos to all the leaders that worked so hard to make this night such a success.

Mckay and his horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day....

2008-02-27T15:00:00.001-08:00

So, I went to pick Mckay up at kindergarten today, and I found him in tears sitting, yet again, on the "time out" chair. I have found him this way every day this week, and usually without report as to why. When I asked him and his teacher why he was here again, she simply reported that he has had a horrible day and that he was "defiant" all day long. She proceeded to say that when she asked him why he was feeling this way, he simply said "because of you!"

I started thinking about Mckay's comment and I wondered how many people, including myself, wish we could have someone in our lives that we could blame our horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day on? I certainly could think of a few worm-slingin' bullies in elementary school that I would be more than willing to get even with.
I know this is a little off the subject but I think Reese Witherspoon said it best when she said, " The thing that drives me crazy today is everybody wins the award. Everyone wins as MVP. No! I distinctly recall the two weeks of crying because I didn't make the volleyball team. It made me interesting." So I start to ponder all the people in my life that has been "interesting" to me and I wonder what has happened in their lives that has made them who they are today. I wonder if anyone has been burned at the stake, shot at with arrows, lost all they had, got murdered in jail, or hung on a cross just for believing in someone more powerful than all the kings and magistrates throughout history. I think a little defiance worked in our behalf on quite a number of occasions. I wonder how many times that these choice people just wanted to give up and let someone else take the blame.
I think that the "interesting" people are the most humble, dignified, "defiant" people in the world. I am so grateful for these people and pray that I too can be "interesting" and maybe a little less "defiant" some day. As for Mckay's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I think a little hug and a few tears and he should recover. I wonder if tomorrow will turn out better?.

The Future Picasso

2008-02-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

So I went to pick up my 5 year old from kindergarten today and I stop to look at the cute art that is hanging on the wall outside their classroom. I see all these cute renditions of "The Pigeon" that wants to drive the bus, and I must say that I was very impressed by how talented these 5 and 6 year olds were.So as a proud parent, I start to look for my son's masterpiece and I come across his drawing...Now somebody please tell me when, as a parent I need to show concern. It made me wonder if this is what picasso's mom thought the first time he brought home one of his paintings. I wonder if she feels the same way that I know a lot of parents would feel, or if she just smiled and embraced the fact that maybe, just maybe his gift of non-conformity would make him great some day. I wonder if this is how Albert Einstein's mom, or Ludwig Van Beethoven's mom felt when the teachers told them that their little boys were not like the other kids in their class. I hope that all parents, especially those of kids that just don't quite fit in with their peers, rejoice their kids differences and look to the future. If everyone thought the same way, then there would never be any new anything. No new improvements, no way of looking at things differently, no innovations.
Praise the different kids, for they are our future.

Life in General

2008-02-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

So I have finally began to live in the now. I have officially learned how to "post".
I have been thinking a lot lately about life and such and I have realized that some days life is like a giant pin ball machine. You get bounced around a lot, you set off a few bells and whistles, and the only time you get a rest is when you fall into the hole in the bottom. The great thing is, is that you always score another ball.