Just plain silly

January is over and I'll share the pictures that make it look like all we do is party and act silly. I was commiserating with a friend about how you think to yourself "okay, let's just get through these next few events and then life with settle down"--but something else comes along to get done. So this post is to help us remember the fun along the way.

Is it too late...

Okay, so I'm finally posting our Christmas experience. We decorated gingerbread cookies Christmas Eve and ate too much. And then the kids put their plate out for Santa and got clean and cozy in new pjs. Our new tradition this year was asking Santa to hide the Christmas stockings and so the kids had to look for them in the morning. There were rules, such as, the stockings would be upstairs, but either in your own room or the main area so no one would be awoke by an excited child searching for goods. They all seem to like the thrill of the hunt and since the Easter Bunny does it for eggs and baskets, why not Santa?

I know these boys are shirtless wonders--I'm always saying "put some clothes on, it's winter!" I really see no reason in buying coats anymore. I'm always cold, but the heaviest layer I can get on my kids is a hoodie sweatshirt. I should just spend the $$$ on myself!

And I wentto go to Jake's school party--he's such a cutie

Thanksgiving

We had a houseful (26 +) of wonderful friends and enough food to feed everyone a Thanksgiving meal twice, but the memory of 2008 will be Jake's bloody head and his trip to an ER clinic taken by Chris, Carl and Kenny for 5 staples to hold him back together. Everyone had arrived and about 5 minutes before we were going to start dinner, Jake comes in and says "mom, I think my head is bleeding" and he removes his hands to reveal a gash, probably an 1-1/2 on the back of his skull. We have a rope swing on the playset and like a pendulum he swung away only to be brought back against the wood. So the men got to eat a couple of hours later, but maybe they were a little more thankful. Actually, I was extremely thankful I didn't have to go, so it all worked out for everyone :-)

Warning, here's the bloody picture below:

Goodbye Sunshine!

Eli's pet, a tangerine-leopard gecko named Sunshine, has hopefully gone on to a better place (aka: he died). Eli got him for his 10th birthday and these pictures are from last spring, but these last couple of months have been bad for him. It should be a learning lesson for Eli that following directions on taking care of pets and making sure they eat food and have water are good. I asked if he learned anything and he said "not to have pets". I felt really bad for the little guy (the lizard, not Eli). We didn't give him calcium supplements and his bones were too thin and then it got too cold for him--since we weren't making sure the temp was right. Really I wonder how I haven't let one of my own kids get killed--lucky for me they can get their own food--poor sunshine :-(

Our Halloween

Colton started off the costumes with the dance the previous Saturday. He had his "HICK" hat, flannel shirt, tight jeans and hiking boots to complete the outfit. Reminds me of some places I've been; 'nuff said on that topic.

We enjoyed the YMCA fall festival and I loved this shot of Caleb going through the tube. He took it very seriously, his athletic dominance of this obstacle course with a 'lil springboard, balance beam and this tube for little ones and he must've run through that thing 25 times. He's like that--finds something he likes and ya just aren't sure if he's ever going to get his fill.

Next we have the only picture I could get of Caleb with his hood on as the frog. He really didn't get the whole dressing up thing. But one thing all kids get is the candy. As evidence, here's our Larsen kid tradition. All candy gets dumped and bartered/traded away and then the leftover gum and lollipops no one wants gets put in a bag and eventually trashed. Ahh, these will be the ties that bind our family together--SWEETS!

Tagged

I guess I was tagged by my sister-in-law and I think I'm supposed to do it this way:

Where were you?

20 years ago--October 1988
I was a freshman in college, attending American River Junior College and not much else going on.

10 years ago--October 1998
I was living in Monterey California. Colton was 4, Eli was 1-1/2 and I had just found out that we would be having a new addition, thus we recieved Jake the next June. Sometime in October I made my first trip to Texas and we searched for homes for a weekend and signed up & put the money down on a new house to be built--becoming first time homeowners. Good times!

5 years ago--October 2003
Colton's 9, Eli 6-1/2, Jake 4 and Olivia's 2. Chris works at HP and I'm a Relief Society teacher at church. We were probably making plans to go camping for Thanksgiving with the Piersons. We had several families we were good friends with at this time that were like "family" that have since moved away. Sniff, sniff.

3 years ago--October 2005
I was preggers with Caleb. We just decided to sell our house and I was working myself silly getting it ready to show. We sold the house quick, so I got to move at 7 months expecting and then again 4 weeks after he arrived when our new house was finished. I don't know what the kids were up to back then, except for Olivia, they all were in school. Hopefully I was taking good care of them.

1 year ago--October 2007
'Twas the best primary program ever! Really I couldn't believe that I was a primary president and allowed to be in charge of such things, which is why I had Tia do it all. My niece, Tia, was my 1st counselor in primary and we enjoyed having real relatives here and becoming good friends. I was also enrolled in a BYU class and trying to figure out what colors to paint my house. Yeah, and I think the kids must have been okay. We just let Colton start doing swim club, so lots of driving.

Yesterday--Halloween, in charge of our ward trunk-or-treat sponsored by primary, though I delegated it to my 1st counselor. Jake and Livvy missed the bus, so I drove them and got my last-minute stuff for it. Then didn't feel well and slept/layed down most of the day. I'd cleaned up Caleb's throw up 3 nights earlier at 2 am and something must have gotten me as I was queasy and achey all day. Jake did throw up after school, but went trick-or-treating anyways. Jake was a police man, Olivia an indian, Caleb a frog and Eli threw on a black cloak and said 'good enough'. It's over now and I'm good with that!

Today--Very hungry today after not really eating yesterday. Took Caleb to Olivia's soccer game, did tons of yardwork, hopefully to last till spring and took Jake and Livvy to a family's fall celebration at their house with a hay ride, apple bobbing and a bonfire. Got home minutes after Colton whom i hadn't seen in almost 3 days--he'd gone to Austin with the water polo team for the state tournament, and had thrown up earlier in the day. They kids are in bed now, except Caleb and while I'm typing, I'm semi-watching with Chris the movie "21".

Tomorrow--Stake conference should be good, less stressful than the last one I had to speak at. Not sure if we have dinner plans or not, but it'll be nice to enjoy a Sunday with just the family. We're having beautiful weather and hopefully we can play soccer in the backyard or roast marshmallows. Yep, we think BIG!

In One Year--Well, here's what I'm hoping. The Farley's will be back from Scotland, I'll probably not be primary president (maybe Tia will :-). I'll have finished at least two more BYU classes. Our garage projects will be finished as well as having a lovely covered patio out back. Caleb will be potty trained and Colton will have his learner's permit. I'll be happy and busy doing good things.

I hope you enjoyed this. Feel free to be tagged if you wish. I always love hearing from ya'll.

Proud Member--Class of '88

Fight On Ye Mighty Spartans!

I did it! I'm usually responsible and predictable (aka boring), but I broke out, left the kids and made it to California all on my own gumption. What a lovely visit. I grew up in the country outside of Sacramento CA, went to Pleasant Grove Elementary (K-8th), with about 15 to 20 in the graduating class, and then East Nicolaus High School, population 192 with a whopping 45 in our Senior class. Everyone just knew everyone very well. About 7 or 8 of us went from Kindergarten through 12th all together. We probably saw each other more than some members of our family on any given day. So this past weekend it was great to see us all grow'd up, taking care of kids, insecurities gone, and real friendships renewed. This first picture is my lunch gang, Angelica, Jennifer, Leah and yours truly, just missing Delfina. Jen and I have known each other almost forever. There's a picture somewhere of us together at her 2nd birthday--I was 1-1/2.

This next is the group picture at BJ's the next night, not the greatest pic a great time was had nonetheless.
Here's a smaller group of us at dinner. Ed and I are in the back. Ed always teased me about anything he could think of--my pseudoblonde hair was his favorite target. We also enjoyed Jr. English class as when one of us got to the right page of the textbook, we promptly flipped the other's book shut. Ron and Lili are in front. Ron's been with me since kindergarten. He hit puberty the earliest and had a beard at 13--he looks more like he did in kindergarten now, all cleaned up and a Police Captain--him and the law on the same side never entered my mind. Whenever I walked into the room in high school, he remarked "Ahhh, the little woman" after a line from a drunk driving commercial or something having to do with alcohol. Lili and I met first through little league softball and we also played volleyball together in high school. She looks pretty much the same and has always been real cute, though she's divorced now and working real hard to raise her two little girls. Leaning over to get out of the picture is Ron's girlfriend. I may have done some good in the world with the talk Ron and I had at a bar (of all places) after the Friday night football game. He's been reluctant to commit to marriage, but I listened and spoke to his heart about selfishness in relationships and after I met her had to send him an email about how he'd never do any better and she deserves more after 4 years.

And finally, I got to see my family, though this picture is from the first afternoon at the Cheesecake Factory. My neice, Leilani, was our waiter and this picture is with my brother Clif, his wife, and their youngest, Rachel. And then a picture of my parents, whom I'm so thankful for as I've always known they loved me and they always lived with integrity. Thank goodness for them and how I always wanted them to be proud of me and didn't dare do a lot of the things my classmates did. Maybe my dad wore his sweatshirt in honor of me, but I doubt--he never put much thought into his clothes!