Nothing Fancy, Just Us

Princess, Princess and more Princess

2010-10-13T18:25:00.001-07:00

Princess Sarah-rella

On one night of the cruise I dressed Sarah up in all her Cinderella glory

and I am pretty sure that so far in her little life it was the best night ever!

She never stopped smiling and posing for anyone with a camera

(and on a Disney Cruise that's a lot of cameras).

This was Jimbo's favorite pose

The whole family and obviously DJ wasn't into it.

I really need to defend my kids for a second.

Thanks to the size of our group (15!) the only dinner time

available to us was the 8:15 seating - also know at

our house as 'past your bedtime'. Mine and Jimbo's included.

I swear my body and brain are now trained to shut off at 8 sharp.

Anyway, given the circumstances my kids were late

night champions with only like 7 meltdowns (one for each course!).

Really, they were great - wish I could say the same

about my behavior. I am a total morning person though, it is kind of sick.

Cinderella herself showed up a little later that night.

She must have heard about Sarah's loveliness and thought her job was at stake.

A little advise.

I am sure Sarah was telling her that her Mama

said she can't even think about Prince Charming until she is 23!

Poor Sarah.

If you think I'm strict, you should hear Jimbo's prince charming answer,

it involves pistols and blindfolds!

Again, DJ wasn't into it at all.

Jimbo was so proud.

Sarah is an expert at the curtsy and she wasn't shy about it.

That night at dinner they brought Sarah her very own

Birthday cake and words cannot express the smile on her face.

A handful of waiters sang to her and she gobbled up every bit of the attention.

I am 100% sure that everything Disney does really is magical.

What an amazing night!

A very happy girl with a very yummy cake.

Bridger and Sarah and a goodnight snuggle.

Man I wish we lived closer to my sisters.

More conversations with Cinderella a few mornings later.

A big cheesy grin with Belle

and lots of love for Tiana

Coming soon: Pirates! Argh!

Disney Vacation

2010-10-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Nana & Papa,

Thanks for the amazing vacation, we really have had a hard time adjusting to life on land. Although we are still swaying like we were on board no one in the past 3 days since we have been home has cleaned our bathroom, made our beds, cooked and cleaned up for dozens of meals, entertained our children, let us watch Disney movies while swimming, and certainly no one has done our laundry because 3 days and 5 loads later we still have dirty clothes piled up!

We miss you Disney Wonder Cruise Ship, we miss you Nana and Papa. We miss Mark and Cami, Sophie, Karsten and Mac. We miss Dan and Wendee, Bridger and Colter. We miss all the fun memories we made and we hope to see you all again soon.

Love,

Jimbo, Angel, Sarah & DJ

Here are a few thousand pictures of out trip!

This is us with Minnie getting ready to board the amazing Disney Wonder cruise ship.

The whole fam minus Wendee and kind of minus Sarah

because that stinkin' Minnie had to stick her big ole ear right in

front of my girl. It may be a good thing though considering
Sarah would not stop lifting up her shirt.

I kept reminding her that we were not in Vegas anymore!

The Larsen's with Ariel and Sarah being inappropriate with the

Princesses breastage. Again, you just can't take the Vegas out of this girl...

Sarah and Dap-er-doo gettin their Goofy on.

We were on the ship all of 5 minutes and we had Disney characters up the wazoo!

DJ with Chip and Dale playing a little peek-a-boo

Deserts, deserts, deserts oh my the deserts!
Y'all know i am a sucker for anything sweet and this trip
was no exception I think I gained like
50 pounds in 5 days - is that even possible?

The official lifeboat drill is no joke including the infant

life jacket for the dude. He was pretty good about having it

on IF I kept shoving M&M's in his mouth!

The good news is that if you have a little bean in a giant jacket

they let you go back to your room before the end of the drill

so's that all the folks dying to get that orange

beast off don't trample your little ones!

The family enjoying one of the amazing shows.

Well, at least Dan looks like he is enjoying it.

Karsten, (on the right rolling his eyes) said something like he would

rather have all his fingernails ripped out than sit though

another one. I can't prove it but I am pretty sure he heard that from his dad.

The men in my life.

Papa Stenny, DJ and Jimbo

What a handsome bunch.

Our little family and our GIANT ship in the Bahamas

Getting up close and personal with the flam-bingo's

I mean really, really close.

Like protect your young close.

And some tropical Bridie's too. I hate birds.

Our family at some Fort in Nassau.

(notice my afro-puff hair doo courtesy of the muggy humid tropical weather)
Also notice Sarah's low-jack bracelet. That's right folks, you check your kid into the coolest play room ever and they hand you a pager and say we will let you know if we need you - have fun!

Seriously Disney Cruise Lines, I am in love with you.

Sarah did not want to leave, not after Cinderella herself showed up for

the ball and taught her how to curtsy (which is adorable) I wouldn't want to leave either.

Jimbo's cannon

Ummm, I'm gonna end with that one cuz there are just no words and mostly because it was my idea.

PS this is only the first 2 days - coming next Princess Sarah extraordinaire, Pirates in the Caribbean, Disney's private island Castaway Cay, the first aid station, more food and Pleasure Island - check back soon, k.

Bikes and Birthdays

2010-09-30T14:17:00.001-07:00

My little girlie girl is 3 and I can't believe it! She is the most precious little bean and I can't imagine anything better than her cute little face - even at 6 in the morning when she whispers in my ear, "momma, ine-a-wate"!

I love, love, love her.

We have hit PRINCESS mode full force around here and the Sarah-Saurus hardly talks about anything else. From dress up to movies to coloring books to underwear - everything has to be princess and I have to admit it is a really fun phase. DJ isn't as excited about her constantly putting a tiara on his head or the entire day he trucked around the house in a pink feather boa but he is a really happy kid and loves sis and all the attention. She did try to put the pink Sleeping Beauty dress on him a few days ago but he shot that one down pretty quick so I guess even he has limits.

So, what do you do to celebrate the first 3 years of Sarah? You throw a Princess Pajama Party!

We invited her bestest friends over for a Princess movie party and we had a ball. From crafts to cupcakes to popcorn and insane amounts of candy add a little Princess and the Frog and you got yourself one heck of a shin-dig!

What our living room floor looked like around 7:30 on a Friday night - wacky stuff happening around here - watch out!

I am always a little more than embarrassed at how much loot my kids end up with on their birthdays. We have amazing Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and friends and they must love our girlie as much as we do because this year was no exception.

Sarah's favorite present this year is her new princess bike that Dap-er-Do bought (without telling anyone - he is such a stinker - he is already the favorite and then he pulls that stunt - what a brown-noser). Anyway, the deal at our house is 'poop on the potty go on a bike ride' so try real hard not to be jealous. If you poop on the potty I promise I will take you on a bike ride too.

Here is a shot of all the birthday booty - have you ever seen so much freakin PINK?!

hey, looks like I am blogging again - about darn time.

Easter - the pre game warm up

2010-04-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Some of the fine ladies from the Serene Ward got together this super stinkin' windy Tuesday for an Easter Egg Hunt and it was a hit. We loved every minute of it. Forget the fact that it was so windy i missed seeing most of it because of my huge hair blowing in my huge face. arghhhh.

So, we started off the festivities with a little swing you know, to warm up the muscles - oh wait, those are fat rolls. Either way the chunk went for a swing.

he loved it.

As we were cueing up for the hunt i gave Sarah a pep talk and it went a little something like this...

Me: ok, Sar, your mission is to fill your basket with eggs.
Push, shove, maim if you have to but get those eggs.
Ok Sar, you got it?

Sarah: Dot it Mamma

Other Mom's watching: thinking ummm, is this chick serious?
Turning their children in the direction opposite mine.

Me: I'm totally kidding - ha ha ha. Turning back to Sarah, not kidding - Get The Eggs!

This is OK parenting right because Jimbo sure thought it was funny.

This is the face of a little girl who i think took my pep-talk a
little too serious - would you mess with her?

Innocent little angel face - unless you take her eggs of course!

Half way through the hunt things got a little exciting and Sarah tripped
over her own big feet. Oh, it was funny and adorable watching her gather her
eggs midst the gale force winds that hit the park that day.

A goofy Easter Bunny-esque grin

Inspecting the collection - we got some good treats!

Dapf and D.J. getting into the festivities

This is the dude before church Sunday.* I am feeling a little ripped off about Easter being on Conference weekend. Does this mean no beautiful Easter dress for Sarah because we certainly
won't get dressed up just to sit on our couch and can't justify buying anything for the universally unceremonious Sunday after Easter. Ripped off I tell you, ripped off.**

* Sorry I cut ur head off Jimbo - for the record, you looked cute too!
** I love General Conference and I love sitting on my couch so really I guess this is a win, win

Sarah 2.5

2010-03-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

this little girl is officially 2 1/2

she is way into:

yip-stit (lipstick)
GG (D.J)
going to chuch & nuss-ree
coming home from church and putting on really comfy clothes

playing with Dapf
hanging out with cousin 'Bee-e" (Baylee)

eating pink ice cream
wunning willie fast
ranch dressing

watching movies on Friday night
spending time with Nanna, Papa, Grandpa & Grandma K

telling people she is two and that her name is Sar-wah Caffeine Yarsen
not getting into "trouble trouble"
making snow men and then pulling off the various
parts of his face and eating them

Happy Half Birthday Baby Girl - you are my favorite daughter!

All of us as at Great-Grandma Fern's Funeral

we miss you Grandma!

enough already

2010-03-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

a little bit of this....

left us with 3 trips to the doctor,

2 trips to Wal-green's and
one cute little Nebulizer i have aptly named 'wheezy'.

enough already.

Achoooo

2010-03-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

We went to Utah, had a great time, and came home...

sick

sick

sick

*Pictures of us feeling better coming soon - I hope!

The Dude

2010-02-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Dude takes sweaty little boy naps and wakes up with crazy bed head and rosy cheeks.

The Dude crawls everywhere at lightning speed and always has his sights set
for Mamma or the dog food.

The Dude loves to be nakie. He is a stinkin' nightmare to change because he will not sit still for more than 2 seconds and he thinks it is hilarious the more frustrated I become!

The Dude is always happy and loves to snuggle. He is finally eating baby food but still won't touch cereal with a 39 1/2 foot pole.

Th Dude loves his big sis and the feeling is mutual!

Just the Girls

2010-02-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Little Baby Sarah is neither little or a baby anymore and I can't believe it. She is growing so fast and is becoming more adorable every second! She loves to play and read and dance and sing. As of yesterday she started to make up little songs about her daily activities, I love to come around the corner and hear her sweet little voice singing a silly song.

She has an adorable smile which I rarely capture on camera.

I usually get some thing like this

or this

I love you Sarah. Thanks for being such a an adorable little nut!

A quick visit

2010-02-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Staff and Kaye came down to Vegas to attend the funeral of a friend. While the reason they were here was not so great we sure loved having them.

Sarah wore Grandma Kaye's pretty necklaces and couldn't take her eyes off of her handsome and sweet Grandpa!

Thanks for the visit - come again soon!

Girl Power

2010-02-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Jimbo said that I couldn't build a good fort because I was a girl....

...guess who spent all morning in that wicked awesome fort he was sure I couldn't build?

Nap Time

2010-01-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

Me: Sar-Sar, when you wake up come and find me and I will give you some Chocolate

Sarah: Momma, can't I just have sum chot-lat in bed?

She is 100% my kid.

This is what was happening at our house last night around 7:00

Love it!

P.S. The little dude is mobile now and driving Sarah
nuts and I just sit back and giggle, is that ok parenting?

Because it is freakin hilarious she try's so hard to get away
but he is quick and fat and in the end you just can't resist his chubby grip!

The Larsen's 2009

2009-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

I hear ya DJ...

2009-10-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

...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

2009-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Baby Sarah - I ya ya too!

242 pictures of Utah

2009-08-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

2009-07-08T07:59:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

What will you be doing on Memorial Day?

2009-05-22T05:35:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

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!

18 months....and lovin' every second

2009-03-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

My Little Mama is officially 18 months old today.

Old enough for Nursery, old enough to push her own stroller, old enough to walk the dog, old enough to fly a kite, and old enough to go down the big slide.

Sarah is amazing and great and smart and such a good kid and I have no idea where she gets it because I was and still am a brat and well Jimbo was and is a trouble-maker so how we ended up with a peach is beyond me.

Sarah and I get a lesson on kite flying from Jimbo who gives Sarah
the string, she lets go like 2 seconds later and
he has to go to the neighbors to get it from their back yard.
Texas is windy silly boy...don't let go or Elmo is gonzo!

A good shot of Sarah's mullet blowing in the wind. Remember all of the
whining I did about wanting my kid to have hair? Well now she does
and I have no idea what to do with it...it figures!

Because of my stellar back Jimbo has been in charge of bath time
from the beginning and it is the dang cutest thing to watch ever!
They have songs and games and she puts up with all of his splashing.
I am jealous but I do love just to get to be a spectator.

A shot of the hot-shot on the big slide.

I know a picture is worth a thousand words but this just isn't cutting it.
She was so excited to get to walk Roxie and so they went for about 1/4 of a mile
before they both got bored and wouldn't stay on the path anymore.
My kid and my dog have the same attention span!

Sarah and Roxie
Zoom in on this one because nothing is more
adorable than chubby knees...except for when they are mine!

ummmm we thought this trail was a loop but it turned out to
be a dead end. By then both Momma and Sarah needed a piggy-back ride.

Sarah mugging on Buster. These two are best buddies and I can't believe
how much Buster puts up with her loving torture!

Who's that kid with the Oreo cookie?

All in all she is growing up too fast. I turned around the other day and
she was reading the For the Strenght of Youth booklet to Roxie and though
I was impressed I am really not ready for that just yet.

Love you little girl...Big Kiss!

I get by with a little help from my friends.

2009-03-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Or in my case – a lot of help from my friends. Let me address my blogging hiatus by telling you that sitting in a chair hurts. Really bad. You see, I have a bad back. I am among the ranks of many of you with chronic back pain, however, I am gigantic and pregnant and can’t really do a dang thing to relieve the pain. Of course little baby boy Larsen is my first priority and so I suffer but not in silence and so for all who have put up with my complaints and tears – thank you.

I have read many a blog post regarding amazing husbands and I have to add my spouse-man to the list. To say that I have been out of commission for the past few weeks is a huge understatement and Jimbo has become in his own special way a single Dad of 2 baby girls (the one not in diapers being much more work). I am not going to go on about every thing he has done to keep our house running because I would run out of space and I would be embarrassed to admit all he has had to do for me personally. I am usually an extremely stubborn do-it-yourself-er so to have to ask for so much help is just about as painful as the actual pain. I love you Jimmy, thank you for picking me and for putting up with me!

I am improving each day and for that I am grateful. I can hold my baby again but not for too long, I can sit on the couch for a while with lots of strategically placed pillows and I can dress myself – wahoo!

My next goal is church but the thought of those wooden benches makes my left leg go numb – literally! Many of you would say sit by me I will help you, if you hurt lay down – who cares? That’s the problem, I do. A lot. I would be mortified in fact. Did I mention this has been a humbling experience?

A month has gone by and I have not gone to church, I have been released from my calling and to take me back to my Mississippi Mission, I am backsliding. (no pun intended) The irony of it all is that without my amazing ward I would not be doing as good as I am. There have been countless really yummy meals, visits, and funny gifts of encouragement including flowers, chocolate and Ben-Gay. You have lent me the talents of your spouses and you have kept my spouse fed which if you know Jimbo you have to admit is probably the most important.

I don’t know how to adequately say thanks. I can send cards and I can tell you how much you have done for me and my family but I don’t really think you will ever know. Maybe that is the secret behind selfless service. You think you provide a simple meal that maybe you just whipped up but to me you nourished my family, body and soul and I hope to someday repay your kindness.

Big Kiss,

Angel

Well that explains the barfing

2009-01-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

It's official - It's a boy!

I made the tech tell me a million times that she was absolutely sure it was a boy so to get back at me she printed these funny pictures. She was a doll and in one of the shots the baby's hand was right next to his "boy parts" she has 3 sons and she told me that was how she was certain he was a he and that they never stop playing with it - - Super!

Here's to you and your boy parts, I can't wait!

*I should tell you this 'bottom' shot is exactly that - a shot of him from behind showing us his business and I couldn't be more proud of my little exhibitionist!

The big news

2008-12-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

The big news, even though everyone already knows it.

Jimbo got another one past the goalie again and we are expecting baby number 2! I would like to say how excited I am but I can't stop barfing long enough to actually get excited. It was never like this with Sarah, I sailed through her pregnancy but this one is proving to be much, much different. We have decided that it is either a boy or one ornery girl and I gotta tell you the second option gets my vote.

I looked through my old pictures to find even one pregnant one that I liked. I mean I love pregnant - on other people - I think it is adorable but on me, not quite as cute. I have picked one though mostly because it is of my family on a good old weekend trip to Park City.

Random + Random = Jimbo & Angel

2008-11-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

The spouseman loves the blog. He loves it. If he got to be the stunning housewife he would post daily. I am sure there would be much discussion of cars, sports, cage fights and poop but there would be a post and he would be proud.

Me, I over think it. I over think EVERYTHING. I drive myself nuts most of the time playing the "what if" game and Jimbo mocks me. Daily. I muse over what I will write, what pictures I will carefully crop, post and what the caption will read. I know, try to bite your tongue now because you are all thinking, "really, she thinks about it and that it what she comes up with?" Kinda sad.

Anyway, this is my attempt at random and if I dare I might even post an embarrassing picture of myself that I really don't want anyone to see. I am breaking out, I am new, I am fresh and I am not going to over think it but I might take it all down by tomorrow!

it's peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time,
peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly with a base ball bat.
(I guess it works better when you sing it, which I will for you anytime)
(there is a dance too)

always willing to share

Sarah showing dad her kissy-face and just look at those pig-tails, so grown up

We went to the Marine Corps Ball but we are too cheap to have a
professional take our picture so this is what we end up with

Maybe next year we will spring for the professional, but then again, maybe not

Sidebar: saw Twilight last night at midnight with a bunch of crazy
Mormons and teenagers and freakin' loved it.
I really thought it would be a big suck-o but I can't wait to see
it again and I am thinking that even macho Jimbo might like it.

I am so over you, October

2008-11-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

I know I am not a Little Mary Sunshine and that I have my share of pessimism a runnin' though my veins but for the most part I really try to see the good in things. I look for the silver lining, I think about the good in people and all of that positive energy crap but I gotta tell you October has pushed me to the limit and I am done. I have been crapped on by you, you mean 31 days and I am not gonna take it any more.

I am counting on you, brave November and though we have started out a little rocky I need you. You are a great month. A month of gratitude and chilly weather, a month of the anticipation of Christmas and lets just face it you bring my favorite meal where the copious amounts of gravy I cover my plate in is finally considered acceptable! Bring it on November I need your gravy more than ever.

You have missed a lot of what has happened in the Luscious Lives of the Larsen's because of my slothfulness and I am sorry. I will now attempt to make it up to you by bombarding you with as many pictures and stories as I have time to upload!

We had a super fun 1st birthday party with lots of friends & yummy birthday cake that Sarah sat on (pictures at another time)!

Sarah got to wear a very special 1st birthday dress...thanks Auntie Wendee

Grandma and Grandpa Stenquist came to visit and to spoil their granddaughter

Can you believe all those presents

We went to the arboretum

and loved the giant pumpkin house

Sarah discovered a new way to eat cheerios...I think she watches the pets too much!

We did lots of zoomin' with dad-a-dad

Dad gave Sarah the super fab flying wedge hair do.
(If you don't know about the flying wedge then you aren't watching Kath and Kim and you are missing out on some fine, fine programing.)

the most adorable thing ever!

a little afraid of Batman and the Joker

but not dad!

it was so cute to see her walk in these shoes

and then October ended and we await a better month though we will miss the candy!

My Little ONE

2008-09-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

A few things I learned from Sarah this year.....

Babies Poop. They don't always wait until you have a new diaper on and the poop doesn't always stay in the diaper either! So. Much. Poop.

One little smile or coo makes me forget all about the poop.

I hate shots just as much as she does. And even though I am not the bad guy with the needle she will still look at me with eyes that say "why did you just let that happen to me?" Big tears...from both of us.

I can never take too many pictures.

Jimbo is a big softy ans will do just about anything for you.

First are fun. From your first roll when I found you on the other side of the nursery, to the first time you crawled to chase the cat, to your first steps into my arms - I am lucky to have been there for every event!

Even though you do just fine in the big tub, giving you a bath in the sink every now and then will always be my favorite.

I don't mind the lack of sleep when I get to wake up to your chubby cheeks.

I have finally made peace over the fact that 'dad' was your first word.

Just like the Grinch, my heart grew 10 sizes the first time I saw you.

I am one lucky girl to get to be your mama.

Happy 1st Birthday baby Sarah...I love you.

Good Times with Good Friends

2008-09-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone you just clicked with? Someone who would be your friend though everything, who would make you laugh until you pee, who will comfort you when you are sad and who will put up with you when you are crazy? I met my someone a few years ago and now I can't live without her.

Kristy and I got to serve together over the Young Women in our church and that is how it all started. A few weeks into our service the youth had planned their annual camping trip to a cabin in West Virgina. Being new to our callings we thought this trip would be fun...turns out we were wrong! Over the 2 day trip we spent 8 hours in the car with teenage girls, 1 hour making the best taco diner ever (including mostly cheese), 1 hour cleaning up cheesy dinner, another hour leg wrestling which turns out I am pretty good at, 6 hours not sleeping. 6 hours! 6 hours of bug killing, telling kids to get back to bed, taking away 1 Bebe gun and 1 guitar, 6 hours listening to the loudest snore I have ever heard. I started the evening out in a sleeping bag on the floor but with the discovery of the rats I quickly escalated our friendship and jumped into a very small bed with Kristy. We spent the remaining time cuddling as the bed we were in resembled the taco's eaten earlier. This mandatory cuddling was better that sleeping with the rats which later turned out to be bats (not that much more comforting if you ask me).

The trip goes on and the story gets better and better. We leave the cabin and head to the beach, now that's more like it, right? We do have a grand time at the beach the kids swim, canoe, and play volleyball and load up the cars because it is time to head home. All accounted for, we have a prayer and then hit the road. Wait...Angel's car won't start. Super. Sidebar: I am actually driving Jimbo's car as he is in Iraq yet again. I have already dinged the crap-ola out of said car and just got it back from the body shop in hopes that he won't notice and now the dang thing won't start, you gotta be kidding me! After we pop the hood and do a lot of head scratching we decide the problem is serous and we call for backup. Lots of time passes here and the kids get bored, one cries so I cry...I wanna go home too. We leave Jim's car in West Virgina and I wonder if I am ever going to see it again and cry again thinking how am I going to explain this?

Wouldn't you know it, the Navy came to rescue me! Steve, Kristy's husband jumps in his car the next day (Sunday of course), he drives to West Virgina, gets the car from the toothless tow truck driver, throws a new battery in the sucker and is on his way back to Pittsburgh! Why didn't we think of that? Steve is my hero! I now notice that I have only seen Steve wear nice button up dress shirts and I now know that it must be to cover his super-hero costume beneath!

So anyway, that is how it all started and needless to say it just keeps getting better. We have now moved away from this great family but our friendship remains true. Last month we got the chance for a quick visit...here are a few shots from the trip.

This is us again, we can look respectable but we have to try really hard!

Maddie and Sarah...BFF...for that weekend at least!

Poor Maddie hated those piggy-tails but man I thought they were adorable!

Yep, they were dressed alike that day and it was all my fault...oops.
A couple of people on the plane thought it was cute though.

I love that she is above the roof tops...it looks like he really chucked her up there!

I gotta crop out those hands and post my super baby!

Sarah at the wedding...Congrats Lindsay thanks for letting us share your
special day...mostly because you said you were NEVER going to get married!

A family photo

Sarah after the wedding but before I dumped the entire bowl of baby
cereal into Jimbo's suit pants pocket. I am not known for my grace. Sorry babe.

Child Prodigy

My talented friends

Sarah and Sydney...I hope Sarah grows up to be as fun to be with as
Sydney is...I mean really how many teenagers do you want to spend time with?
Love you Syd.

I am sure she learned this from Kristy!

This too...why do kids eat the boogers...why?

no more growing up...please

2008-08-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had never considered myself a baby person. I never made cooing noises and went all nuts about another person's spawn. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, I would tell Jimbo that I wanted one but I wanted it to show up about 1 1/2-2 years old. Well, this is me eating crow, I was wrong and now I am sick because my little bean is growing out of baby clothes and into toddler sizes and every time I look at the tags I get a lump in my throat. It is all happening too fast and in the words of Aerosmith, I don't wanna miss a thing!

So, here are a few shots of my baby...before she became a toddler.

nap time

this girl loves this cat

We want to go out side and play....

why is it raining, why?

Sarah: I am so upset about the rain Buster, hold me

Buster: I told you to stop messing with me kid

Sarah: I was just trying to give you a hug, sheesh!

Sarah's first piggy-tails!

Watchin' the Olympics with Grandpa Larsen...Thanks for a fun visit!

Water Baby

2008-08-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

She didn't get that from me that's for sure.

My little bean loves to be splashing in the water, she loves the tub, the sink, the sprinklers and most of all the pool. I am lucky enough to have wonderful friends that have let us 'borrow' their pools to stay cool in the hot Texas sun.

Of all of the qualities Sarah could inherit from Jimbo I am elated that she has his love of water. If Jimbo is a fish I am the exact opposite, i possess the grace and talents equal to a beached whale! I try to be brave when I am in the water with Sarah because I don't want her sense my fears, but the truth is I am uncomfortable. I could go on about this somewhat irrational fear but I want to get to the photos of my little Nemo and her papa fish.

see what I telling you...10 month old fish!

Sarah can wave now but only for me and sometimes dad so I
don't blame you if you don't believe me!

yep, this makes me nervous too but that's what dad's do, well at least that's what Jimbo does!

i love that her cheeks look like they are full of water but nope, that's all Sarah!

contrary to what it looks like this is indeed a happy face accompanied by lots of giggles

and of course Sarah and her infamous tongue!

Stanley, you done me wrong

2008-07-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce Stanley Scoot-bottom. Stanley is the best toy/friend Sarah could ask for, he gets her places in such a classy fashion that she will push him around no matter what direction
he is facing. In the 2 weeks Stanley has been with us he has never let us down, he sings fun songs, his nose lights up and he has an incredibly contagious, goofy laugh.

Today, as most wild animals do, Stanley turned on Sarah. He attacked. I saw Sarah spin and twirl and end up flat on her back under his ominous self all while he sang and giggled. Stanley, how could you? After this sweet little girl has taken you to places more exotic than the Serengeti, places like the bathroom, the nursery and the always forbidden dog kennel, how could you Stanley Scoot-bottom, how could you?

I know my little girl is resilient and she will make amends for this gross wrong but Stan, I am warning you, as a mother protecting her cub I won't go get the camera next time, I will come after you, I will go back to Target and get your whole family too. Stanley, I'm always watching.

Mental Blog

2008-06-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Wha?

Ok, it has been a month since I sat down to post but I swear I have had the best blogging intentions. Every morning when I "run" I compose a blog entry in my head...I have mentally posted about Memorial Day and the neat ceremony we attended where Jimbo and Maxx met a Marine General and the Governor. I also came up with a great one on Father's Day all about my own dad and how great he is and what I great dad Jimbo is and what a great dad my father in law is. I posted about how on Father's Day I spoke in Sacrament meeting and then did sharing time and singing time in primary and then came home and made Jimmy meatloaf, potatoes and Kristy rolls and then passed out from exhaustion. I have posted all of the fun pictures and stories we have had beside the pool and I have posted about what a super gal my friend Buffy is. I have posted about how I am in a book club and that makes me feel so smart and educated that I can actually read things that weren't penned by Dr. Seuss. I have posted about Sarah's 9 month check up and how Dr. Watson told me she was brilliant!

What I am trying to say is if you lived in my head you would know all about all of the fabulous things that have happened in my life and you would also hear a lot of crap like gas prices, house payments, hockey puck, monkey, monkey, underpants! But alas you do not live in my head and you rely on me to take a minute out of my day to invite you into my world. So, I have plugged the camera in and I am going to tell a few of my stories...enjoy!

I love the pool for the water, the sun and the adult conversation but
most of all I love it because it wipes out my kid!

Humm, I would never, I mean never let the dog lick my face
but every now and then Roxie sneaks in a lick or two
and I think it is adorable and it must tickle Sarah because she giggles like crazy.

I am not big on posting pictures of myself because I am one of those
girls who is never happy with the way that she looks
but this is a real treat. Sarah hardly ever falls asleep cuddling
like that and it was really special. Jimbo will later tell me how
beautiful I am and that is precisely why i married him and posted this picture!

My Houdini!
I have these great dining room chairs in my house that I can
strategically lay down all over creating what I lovingly
refer to as a Sara-cade. It is genius and it keeps Sarah out of trouble.
Well, at least it did for a little while and then she decided
to test the boundaries
(Remember, the Pediatrician said she was brilliant!)
Anyway, it used to keep her out of the dog food until she
learned she can crawl around the chair and under the
bakers rack and then have an all-access pass to the pet food....arghhhh!
(despite the empty bowls at the time of the photograph my pets are quite well fed!)

We're all safe my dad's a Marine!
Yep, that is what her shirt says. Another darling creation by
my friend Buffy. She made this for Jimbo for father's day
and I guess Sarah took it to heart because she curled up in his
lap and dozed off to sleep. Thanks Buff!

Sarah loves, loves, loves to help with the laundry...Jimbo not so much.
His job has always been the socks I do everything else and he
stacks the socks and I guess his job wasn't fulfilling
enough so he decided that he would put his socks on Sarah to
be funny and it was freakin' hilarious! She crawled around in
them and continued "helping" me by pulling the freshly
folded laundry onto the floor. The laundry took three times
longer than usual but it was the most fun I ever had folding undies.

The End.
Sarah continues to love life and doesn't want to miss a thing
by taking one of those silly naps. So, here she is playing until
the last second and then she gives in, toy in hand ready
to go the second she is awake!

our trip to Utah

2008-05-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

we got trouble, right here in river city

2008-05-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning the house today and talking to Sarah and if you spend any time with her you know that she is quite chatty. Anyway, she is crawling now and it is adorable and i am in the kitchen cleaning and i hear squawking and crawling and i am feeling pretty productive and then total silence. Not a coo or a dat-dat-dat nothing? So i look around the corner and i can't see Sarah, my heart jumps, she can't get far, she isn't crying so she must not be hurt, and then i find her. And i think to myself, oh crap. She is standing under our dining table with a very accomplished look on her face, she is pleased with her new situation, i however am not.

This kid has loved to stand from day one and up until this day she has always needed my assistance...well not any more. I am not happy with this new found independence but Sarah sure is so i guess i will have to make my peace with it.

Here is a little teaser of what is yet to come!

Don't you wish you looked this good in a swimsuit!

No time for losers, we are the CHAMPIONS!

2008-05-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe you can guess that things are great around our house again! Jimbo is home from his three weeks of butt-kickin' training, Sarah is over what we thought was teething and turned out to be throat ulcers, and I can now cram my butt in my pre-prego jeans, however, I am not willing to leave the confines of my house in said jeans! All is well, yea all is well!

I think it is safe to say that Jimbo and I have done a lot of reflecting this spring. We are both in
"trim the fat" mode in every way possible. Myself having just reached the big three-ohhh, gracefully I might add, have been taking stock in my life thus far and I have to say that I am pleased. I am not where I thought I would be but I am right where I want to be and that in my book is success!

This is a great picture of Jim and I taken about a year after we were married. Jim stands tall and handsome in his Marine uniform and I am the very definition of newly-wedded bliss! A lot has changed since that photo was taken and I don't just mean our sizes! Yes, we are crazy in love with each other but our love has matured. We have changed, we have progressed, we have learned about each other, and most important we have remained best friends.

Let me tell you what Jimbo has been up to. Torture. He voluntarily signed up to let the Marine Corps do their worst and see if he was left standing in the end. While others went home with broken ribs and bruised egos my baby pushed through. I can't tell you every thing he went through mainly because I don't really want to know but I can tell you that they pushed my "big, dumb, jerk" to tears he was in so much pain. I've never seen that, I hope I never have to.

I took a few pictures of the graduation and despite all of the help I was getting from Sarah a few are actually in focus so enjoy!

Proud to be 'Salty'

For those of you who aren't lucky enough to be in the Marine Corps I will explain 'salty'. In this photo even though it is black and white you can tell that Jimbo's cammies are more fadded than the other Marines, this because he is salty, his cammies have been used for what they were designed; killin' the bad guys. Yes, he is salty and proud!

You didn't think I would take the time to post and not put a dozen or so pictures of Sarah, right?

I have made a resolution regarding Sarah's lack of hair. I used to lament over it, why can't she just grow hair, why do the few hairs she has keep falling out, why is her bald spot still bald? I just want her to have a 'do' and I have a drawer full of hair clips to prove it. The other day she woke up from her nap and I got my wish, she had a 'do', not what I had in mind but there is hair enough to stick out and that is all I can ask for!

Dad's idea of a 'do', the Alfalfa look!

My Baby Girl!

just us...recently

2008-04-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

I looked out the window and what did i see...a truck load of pictures of my family! I just can't resist posting all of these recent goodies!

We owe this beautiful dress to Auntie Cami...so stunning right!

My Birthday Cake...Thanks Anna!

What happens to Sarah after too much partying!
(she always sleeps with her little butt in the air and it is adorable)

My two loves!

cute little thing

Love it, love it, love it! This being a mom is so much fun, I love it and I hope it shows!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-04-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

My dad and I share a birthday and I love it. I have to admit though that I never liked sharing my birthday cake because who doesn't want there own cake!

I love my dad. I have the best dad ever, he has the best sense of humor, he is really funny, he is lots of fun to hug, he is rough and tough and doesn't treat me like I am a girly girl (even though I am one), he loves me just the way I am, and he has been a best friend for a long, long time.

I have a few great pictures of him and here they are. This first one is so fun because he is the little one in the picture and that is probably the only time we get to refer to him as 'the little one'!

see what I mean!

Super handsome though!

mom and dad in Italy

big guy, tender heart

my goofy men

he is adorable and he is my dad!

Hey dad, on this special day I thought I would remind you of a few of the things you have taught me over the years......
you don't what to get yourself caught between a pig and a poke? (we still haven't figured this one out)
this isn't Relief Society, toughen up!
once you hook your hand to the plow you can't look back
you gotta dance with what brought you
your face could use a little more spackle (makeup)
if your car is making a funny noise, turn up the radio
you can't put 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound sack!
my favorite and used the most...
you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear!

I love you Bear, happy birthday!

A Very Merry unBirthday!

2008-03-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

We want to start a Zoo do you?

But oh, there is so much to know and do!
Can you tell us if it's true?

Ok, so I have now memorized most of Sarah's favorite books and mind you this is not a complaint, I really like it. This past week feels like we have started a Zoo and there is so much you need to know and do!

The plague has finally left our house and we got to celebrate Sarah's very merry unBirthday! She was officially 6 months old on Easter Sunday and therefore got her first taste of Rice Cereal, a freaking hilarious event. I think the pictures will tell it best but I do have to share with you that she was much more interested in the pink cup holding the cereal and about mid-way through the feast she kicked it out of my hand, all over the wall, down my leg and into a lovely splat on the floor. The good news is the dog immediately lapped up all evidence! Just what would I do without my little furry Hoover?

I will admit that I really wondered how our pets would react to Sarah and just what would she think of them and it turns out they are both equally enamored and annoyed with each other.

Roxie, who was a little upset in the beginning that someone had taken her spot as the baby of the household now loves being my mommy sidekick. She loves to nap by Sarah in the day and gets up with me when she cries at night. And though I was very strict in the beginning about how close she was allowed to get to Sarah I am a little more lax now that they both can play on the floor. I think Roxie is the most excited at the prospect of how much food this little one will drop on the floor in the months to come!

I don't have a great picture of Sarah and Buster or Busturd as Riley would call him but I would have to say that the cat is Sarah's favorite. He too loves her and has accepted the fact that this little sticky thing is here to stay. Buster will now come sit near Sarah and let her "pet" him for a while or until she gets a good fist full of fur and then he is outta there!

What can I say...Monkey see, Monkey do!

just Plane sick of flying

2008-03-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

I did it again, I took my sweet innocent kiddo on another trip. Yep, 5 flights in 4 days with another city (Phoenix) to add to her travel repertoire. I am crazy and I really hope to never have to travel with her alone again...it is tuff stuff and I am not sure if my back will recover.

The trip itself was to attend the funeral of a dear family friend. A great man whom I have wished I could have known better. Thankfully it was one of those 'happy' funerals, a blessing that has ended suffering and a chance for me to see a lot of old friends.

The best part of these jaunts home are to see my family and to see them make a fuss over Sarah. They really are amazing and I love that I get to cherish every second with them.

Hum, I really wanted to finish this entry but it is 2 days later and now I can't remember all I wanted to say. Oh well, life goes on and I will surely post again soon.

Grandpa Stenny and Sarah

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home

2008-03-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I get so excited when Jim walks in the door every night, partly because i think she is a little sick of me and partly because she knows Daddy will sing her all sorts of crazy songs. Jimbo has a song for everything and if there isn't one to fit the occasion he is quick to make one up. We have songs for bath time, songs with actions, songs for bed and even a song about diaper changing!

So, what I am telling you is that when Jimmy is around things are never dull or quiet. However, I snapped a few pictures of a very special moment, a Sunday afternoon nap. This is what happens to two people who have been playing and singing and talking to each other until they are just flat out pooped.

Sweet huh, Sarah loves to touch faces and she loves to pull you close to her. I can see her mind working to take in every detail (this is also why I now try a little harder with the makup). Anywhoo, this is how they napped, face to face, arm in arm. I have a few dozen more pictures of this event because well, it makes my heart melt.

On to less mushy stuff. Sarah can sit up now on her own for a second or two unless you get out the camera and try to catch a few shots, then miraculously she loses all ability to do anything other than flop to the side to see just how fast Dad can get his arm in there to get her right again.

The kid just has so much personality and she can be such a little stinker. Here are some of my favorite shots and please just ignore the hairy arm in the back ground!

So cute right! It is so hard for me to pick what pictures to post and if it didn't take so darn long they would all make it. So this is my girl, I love her and you know what, she is pretty darn fond of me too!

strollin'

2008-02-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

I plugged in my camera today and I found a bunch of pictures of Sarah in her stroller after our morning walk. I don't know why I took so many...I think is is because she always looks so cute to me in her motley mix of pajamas, hats and jackets of many patterns and colors. She is my little doll and she much like me loves to get up and get movin'.

My Heroes

2008-02-20T08:23:00.001-08:00

If you have one (or two like me) you know what i mean, my sisters are my heroes. They are beautiful and a little goofy and they amaze me. We are cut from the same cloth and yet I feel I must have been the part of the material you cut off because of all the imperfections!

Cami, the eldest of the three is smart, ridiculously smart, a lawyer, a mother of three and wife of one, Mark who is just as intelligent. Of all that they have in life I am enamored with the relationship they have with each other. I borrowed a parenting book from Cami once and underlined was this passage, " Great marriages produce great parents". Well, they have done it because from where I sit they have both. I have heard that the best gift you can give your children is to love your spouse and I see that in the two of them. Thanks Cam for always being there for me in all hours of the day and night and thanks for teaching me front to back!

Wendee, is not lacking in the intelligence department either but what I cherish most is her heart. Wendee loves everyone and everything (except for maybe dogs, and cats too). She has two amazing boys who bring her crazy amounts of joy and crazy challenges to go right along with it. Thanks for always showing me love even when I didn't deserve it. I wish you knew how amazing and talented you are - that's right it's not a typo, you are talented. I could never imagine what it would be like to walk a mile in your shoes but I want you to know you wear them beautifully.

Thanks to you Mom and Dad because I have two great heroes to look up to and hopefully glean from them a little of their goodness.

Hugs and Kisses,

Your Little Sis

Love & Kisses

2008-02-14T13:58:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Big Kiss

2008-02-13T08:17:00.001-08:00

I have never been a big fan of Valentines day. I just don't think you need a special day to tell someone how much they mean to you - you should tell them everyday!

However, this being a mom has really changed me (for the better of course) and I am even more head over hills in love with my husband. I love every bit of him...I love that he kisses me, Sarah and the dog a lot...I love that he is a Marine and that he will always defend his family and serve his country willingly...I love that even though he thinks he is tough, he cries when we watch Disney movies...I love that he is a Mamma's boy...I love that he is quite handy around the house though I tease him that he is just a schmuck-o...I love that he honors his priesthood...I love that he always wants to be the best at everything he does...but most of all I love the father he is to our little girl.

Happy Valentines Day Baby - I love you - thanks for picking me!

Big Kiss,

Ang

if it itches.....

2008-02-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is a common sight at my house - Sarah and her head scratching. You might say she is puzzled by the dippy faces of her father and I but the truth is she has senstive skin. The kind of skin that even the most mild, clinically proven, pediatrician approved lotions or creams can't fix. We have tried everything to no avail, so we have come to grips with it and hope and pray that she will grow out of it.

If you come to my house or live in my world you will notice that it contains a lot of hoodies. Bless you hoodies you have saved my sanity....you keep Sarah's head warm, you protect it from her tiny little finger nails, you are the champion of nap time - if only you could regrow hair that has been scratched out!

We salute you little pink hoodie because if it itches it will be scratched!

I've Been Everywhere, Man

2008-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

In Sarah's sweet 4 months of life she has traveled quite a few places. Being the creative mom that i am i thought it would be just adorable to take a picture of her in the overhead bin of one of our aircraft - Sarah obviously didn't subscribe to my genius idea.

I am such a super mom! (insert sarcastic voice here)

Sarah's Passport:
Pittsburgh, PA
Chicago, IL
St. Louis, MO
Albuquerque, NM
Salt Lake City, UT
Denver, CO
& of course Dallas, TX!
Did i mention Jim works for an airline?

We just returned to Texas after a wonderful trip to Utah to visit our families. We had a ball and Sarah experienced quite a few firsts - here are a few of my favorites.

FIRST SNOW

PROFESSIONAL PICTURES
(ok, so if you were there you know this wasn't actually my
favorite - seriously, why are pictures so stressful?)

Sarah's cousins Bridger and Colter Butters & Sophie, Karsten & Mac Newey

She is the sweetest little girl

What a ham!

GREAT-GRANDMA WAKEFIELD
Jim's mom's, mom

This was really a sweet moment - Grandma didn't take her eyes of
Sarah for a second even just to snap a few pictures!

THE LARSEN'S

Alan, Jennifer and Riley Nickerson, Grandpa Staff Larsen,
Sarah & Jim, Uncle Fatty (Matt!) and Kevin Knickerson

After seeing Kiddie Kandids work their magic
Mom and I thought we could do just as good of job - here is what we came up with!

l

More fun pic's from the trip

SOPHIE FINALLY GETS A GIRL COUSIN

THE DRESS

Yes, it is beautiful but it is like trying to hold a sack of angry monkeys!

What an amazing trip! We had the best time and we can't wait to come again - Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.

My Monochromatic Daughter

2008-01-04T15:31:00.001-08:00

No Excuses

2008-01-01T11:40:00.002-08:00

I have been saying for quite a while that I am going to work on our blog to no avail. I am now officially going to call myself a blogger and get to it. I am also aware that there may not be too many of you who are keenly interested in our lives but it does give Grandma and Grandpa a chance to view all of the fun shots of our babe. Lets stop the chit-chat and get to the good stuff. This is us.....enjoy!

Semper Fi

Not Always Something to Smile About

HO, HO, HO and Stuff

Merry Christmas

Hillary Clinton is running for President!?!

Rub-a-dub-dub

I Kill You!

Roxie is still the only one who laughs at Jimbo's jokes

Sarah's favorite Bear from Great-Grandma Wood

Our Super Classy Family Photo!

2007-09-30T20:14:00.001-07:00

Angel Larsen and her husband, Jim, evacuate their home on Solar Drive in Harmony in Beaver County with their dog, Roxie, and cat, Buster, after a neighbor's home exploded Wednesday. Several nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution.

This was exciting! Well, not really. All is well though and they did print the token shot of the 8 month pregnant lady with her dog, husband and cat in a box in the paper. Not the 15 minutes of fame I would have chosen.

Welcome Baby Sarah!

2007-09-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

On 23 September 2007 at 12:50 AM, Sarah Kathleen made her debut! She is a darling little thing weighing in @ 7lbs. 13.5 oz. She is 19.5 inches long. Mom was in labor for about 13 hours when the doctors decided she wasn't dilated enough. They performed a Cesarean Section and out she came. Angel was such a trooper. She was nervous and scared and excited all at the same time! They both recovered quickly. The nurses said she pooped enough for 3 babies in the first hour after birth....so she was hungry right away. We spent 4 days in the hospital and then decided to come home. All is well and we are excited to have this sweet little girl in our home!

Here she comes!

2007-05-23T19:37:00.001-07:00

Sarah Kathleen Larsen will be joining our family on September 15th. We are so excited!

2007-04-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is us. We are in love!

"So Happy Together...."