The Larsen's 2009

I hear ya DJ...

...moving SUCKS!

We will be out of commission for a while as we make our
journey from the great state of Texas and head west to Las Vegas.

I am beyond sad to have to say goodbye to such great friends
but I take solace in the fact that i am sure we will be back here someday.

We will miss you all.

Big Kiss,

Jimbo, Angel, Sarah and DJ

Two

Happy Birthday Baby Sarah - I ya ya too!

242 pictures of Utah

Oh yes, that's right we are home from Utah and we miss you already. Thank you for 10 days of 80 degree weather, Stenny's famous grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh mountain air and fresh mountain water, thanks for having Grandma and Grandpa one room away verses several states away, for a house full of cousins, for days spent in the pool and on the trampoline, for 4 days spent enjoying the scenery of Park City and of course one trip to Lagoon!

We came home to 100 degree heat, one lonely cat, 13 thousand loads of laundry, one spoiled dog thanks Janice and Garry, and one busted computer!

Well, needless to say it is fixed now thanks to my schmucko Jimbo. So of course I run for the camera to revew the priceless photos snapped of our lovely trip composing a blog post in my head and then I look at the tiny window on the camera and it mocks me - 242 pictures. 242 what? When did that happen? So here I sit looking at picture after picture after picture wondering how will I choose what to post.

So, I will start from the beginning and go as far as I can or until DJ wakes up!

PAPA'S POOL!

My dad and Sarah cooling off in the summer sun

Popsicle in the pool - they just taste better that way!

DJ's first swim!
I know the picture is a little dark but when you are as pasty
white as we are you stay in the shade as much
as possible I mean really, do I want more freckles?

Don't you think he looks a little like motivational speaker Matt Foley?
Maybe when he grows up he will live in a VAN down by the river!
or say things like "that and a nickel will get you a nice hot cup of JACK-SQUAT!"

A mother can dream

Bridger flying high on the tramp.
This kid never stopped.
Every minuet of everyday he was either talking, singing,
jumping, acting like a gangsta and even river dancing?!?
Makes me want to be 9 years old again

I am just going to say it. Have you ever seen a cuter pair of butt-cheeks?

And with that one I am going to say this is the end of this post (get it?).

Stay tuned - Lagoon is next!

Before & After

Sarah - Before church

Yep, that's Jimbo in a short sleeve missionary style
church shirt - so classy that man o' mine

DJ Before church - lookin' like a stud

Sarah after church - ready for a long nap


DJ after church- poor kid takes so much crap and can't defend
himself - he makes a cute yoda though*

* Yoda shot thanks to Camille and Alfer. Big kiss for you two for taking
care of me while Jimbo was off playing war!

Gotta love this girl

I spent many pregnant nights worrying about how Sarah would react to a new little bean in our family. I was sure it would not go well. This is one time I am glad to say that I was wrong! Today I walked into the bedroom and found the two of them face to face having a conversation and I gotta tell you it made my little heart melt. Big kiss kiddo's - Mamma loves you!

* just in case you are wondering Sarah's cheeks are loaded up
with fruit snacks - little chipmunk!

Danny & Daddy

Getting some snuggles on daddy's shoulder

If DJ's hair keeps falling out they will have the same hair style!

Danny @ 5 weeks

Texas in July

We had a super fantastic Independence Day weekend...

we swam with Janice and Gary...

we marched in a parade...

sarah got her face painted...

we lit sparklers

and we blew stuff up with friends!

Nothing Fancy

Oh I have stories to tell and memories to share but I have entered the world of multiple children and any free time I actually have will now be spent on taking a shower and finding a shirt that isn't covered in barf, poop or chocolate! I will share a few photos with you but remember this is nothing fancy.

Sar-Sar got some darling clothes from our friends Michelle and Ikenna.
I wish I could post a picture of every outfit but they brought
so much it would fill up the entire blog - thanks guys, we love you and hope
you get to visit again soon!

Sarah and Buster are still BFF's and it is adorable to see them play together.

Dude gets a bath from dad and gets a bath from dude - will we ever

figure out this peeing thing?

Sarah and DJ spend some quality time together. She gets
that he is here to stay and she is actually quite a good little helper.
In this photo she is trying to teach her bro the
high-five and the fist bump!

She also loves to give him lots of thumps!

Sarah loves to hold DJ and wants to all of the time but she
gets sick of him pretty quick too!


After all of that sibling bonding little dude is wiped out and so is Mama - time for a nap!

Little Dude

Even though I have been pee'ed on twice in the last 24 hours I still can not get enough of this kid.

so adorable I can't stand it

Sarah and Jimbo trying to cool off on a hot Texas afternoon!

If the pool doesn't work a little Mario Kart will do the trick - check out that concentration

DJ's story

He is finally here - WAHOOO!

Daniel James Larsen decided to make his Earthly debut on Thursday, June 4th at 11:30.

Little dude was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 but thanks to a few other unpatient babies who were delived on a gurney in the halls of the hospital we had to take our turn.

Here is our story (with quite a few pictures...get comfy)!

This is Momma - about ready to pop - I really can't believe my buddah belly not to mention the poor, poor shirt being stretched to the limit!

You know I am not proud of my size and to make matters worse my when my parents flew into town to take care of Sarah and the first thing my Dad said to me was "You are HUGE!"

Thanks Dad. :)

My McDreamy all ready to assist in the delivery.

Ok, so these goo covered pictures are not the best but it is part of DJ's

story so the squeemish should look away!

First, everyone in the operating room commented on his red

hair so naturally we thought he actually had red hair - turns

out he was just covered in the goo of life and indeed does not have red hair.

Second, c-section babies are known to be pretty,

not misshapen or abused from the trek the natural

way out but not my boy. Nope. He would not come out!

After much cutting and prying and at least 2 people jumping

on my belly little DJ had to be sucked out!

The doctor later appoligized to him for giving him his first hickey.

My dude looking much better after a bath and a little time to let his noggin heal.

Nana and Papa's first visit and of course my dad brings the official Stenquist welcome to the family gift - a gun. And yes, he did get quite a few stares for bringing that to the hospital but this being Texas he got quite a few high fives too!

Jimbo and his son.

A toast to the new arrival

And best of all a welcome to the world kiss from his big sister!

Happy Anniversary Baby...I love you!

What will you be doing on Memorial Day?

Jimbo Larsen, Employee Resources Specialist

Furniture sales, deep mattress discounts, red tag events at car dealerships, barbeques…all Memorial Day festivities. When was the last time you went to a parade? A cemetery? A ceremony? Many have wandered from the true meaning of the day.

Memorial Day has one purpose and one purpose alone: to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in the service of their country, specifically those who perished at the hands of the enemy.

As a young child, my mother always taught me to stand up when the flag marched by at parades. At Gilbert Elementary, we said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang a patriotic song, and prayed every day when school started. I believe these values and practices are what engrained in me the desire to serve this great Nation. Shortly after 9/11, I answered the call that had been in my heart many years and enlisted in the US Marines. I had a great career going with SWA and didn’t want to give that up so I joined the reserves. The one weekend a month, two weeks a year requirement became a thing of the past with the onset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have served two tours in Iraq—one in 2003 and one in 2006.

During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, I served in an infantry company that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war. While our platoon was very blessed and lost no one, our company sustained several losses. I will never forget as long as I live what it felt like to carry that zipped up black vinyl bag. I remember thinking how strange it was that the bag was so heavy. That heavy weight tugs at my memories some nights when I can’t sleep. I will never forget the prayers that were offered on behalf of the fallen men, and more importantly, their families. My heart aches for them.

In 2004 in Tucson, I was on a burial detail for a Marine who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq. There was a HUGE outpouring of love from the community and the number of people that attended that solemn ceremony was in the thousands. I remember vividly his pregnant wife accepting the folded flag and the 21-gun salute that startled everyone. That sound echoes in my memory every time I see a flag-draped casket.

There are many who join, fewer that fight, and fewer yet who are taken from us in the line of duty. It is in their honor that we don’t work on Memorial Day. It is in their honor that we fly the flag at half mast until noon. It is in their honor that we observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 1500 local time wherever we are.

It is not a day to thank Veterans; we have that one in November. It is not a day to thank families or living servicemen. It is a day to honor those who fought and died in the service of our Country.

As General George S. Patton, Jr. stated, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”

What will you do on Monday? I know what I will do. I will remember.

*This was originallly posted on the Southwest Airlines employee web-site.

April

Finally, we are off to a great start.
February & March you can kiss it because April has been awesome.
Here is what we have been up to!

some CRaZyNesS with Dad

We went to an Easter Egg Hunt and came home with an empty basket
because Sarah kept filling another little girls basket - what a sweetheart!

So cute & it was so COLD!

Sarah telling Dad all about her egg collecting ability!

I took like 900 pictures of her "hunting" for Easter Eggs
because it was just too darn adorable

Sarah in a beautiful Easter dress - thanks Auntie Wendee!

Ok, this is quite painful for me to post a pregnant photo of myself
but this one just speaks volumes (no pun intended).

Let me tell you about every detail Jimbo captured:
A very large baby belly
A very adorable Birthday cake made just for me by Debbi
The lids to 2 cartons of Blue Bell ice cream (thus the very large belly)
A shot of Jimbo's ticket on the fridge door (we knew our PA plates wouldn't last forever)
And last, sweet little Sarah trying to get her hands on all of the goodies

As far as birthdays go this has to be one of my favorites and
I owe it all to my sweetie - Thanks Jimbo, I guess I'll keep you for another year!