Drew, Gabe, Jane, Freddie and Nolie

Brynolie Belva Larson

2012-01-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Brynolie Belva Larson

Yesterday we had a Baby Blessing for our daughter Brynolie. She was born November 7th. I have yet to post pictures of that so maybe I will include a couple. Here are a couple of pictures form her blessing. Grandpa and Grandma Larson flew out from Colorado for the event.

Here is a birth picture or two.

Praise for Gabriel

2011-09-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Larson,

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about the cutest thing Gabriel did in class yesterday; he brought his dinosaur joke book from home and asked to read it himself to the class. So I let him read and tell the jokes, and I'll you what, he was so funny and the kids loved it! Gabe is so funny sometimes and really loves to make other people laugh. We all had a great time as he read to us (which he did beautifully, by the way; he's a great reader!) and so I just wanted to thank you for letting him bring that book and more importantly, for encouraging him to read things like that at home. We had a great day yesterday.

Hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend!
Miss Olsen

This was a note sent via email to me today from my 1st grader's teacher. It's so nice to have a teacher send something positive. There have been many times I have received notes and things about problems or frustration, but notes like this are not common. They are the best! I have great kids and I love that they want to do things to make others happy.Drew, 2nd grade and Gabe, 1st grade

10 years together

2011-07-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

20 June 2011 we had our ten year anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been ten years.
Since it landed on a Monday I put together a little slide show for our ten year anniversary to show to our family for Family night. I also made it into a little family party. Just the six of us. I even made a cake for our refreshments. The idea came only the night before as I was laying awake in bed so everything was kind of thrown together. I didn't have time to decorate the cake with a message or anything fancy. But I wanted the kids to know how special marriage is and that we've made it such a long time. So we had a little lesson about Temple Marriage before I showed the slide show. Then we had cake at the end for our refreshment.
I've gotta say it was one of the richest carrot cakes I've ever had. It was also a little over cooked but not burnt, just dryer than it should have been. I didn't hear the timer go off. I used a carrot cake and made it with a recipe my family calls "degredients." You use pudding and (choc.) chips in the original recipe. I used butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips in this following the "degredients" recipe. But on top of that I made a cream cheese frosting. It was delicious, but way rich. I would do it again though. Maybe minus the frosting. Maybe. I love cream cheese frosting.
The lesson was brief hopefully something sunk in. The slide show was fun but it went too fast and I didn't know how to adjust the time for each frame. I had wanted it to go slow enough to tell the kids about the pictures. I also played a song along with them. Joe is supposed to help me get it worked out so we can put it on a video. I'd like to post it too. So hopefully we can do it tomorrow.

BOO!

2010-08-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

We played Hide 'n' Seek for Family Night tonight. It was great! The kids loved it. It was so fun to watch them seeking. They'd sometimes hear a noise and go after it with a roar in hopes of scaring whomever they were finding. Freddie was even pretty good at it. He sat so quietly while hiding with me. We were the last ones found several times. I think I scared everyone in turn pretty good causing a few tears. Yet the kids still thought in the end it was great fun, despite my "old Waternoose jump and growl" tactic.

Applesauce and Superman

2010-07-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

I poured Drew and Kysaija bowls of applesauce after lunch and sat back down. "I want some Superman!" Kysaija says. I get up and go to the pantry and come back with "You want some cinnamon?" "yes" she says. "It's cinnamon Kysaija" Drew corrects. "No, it's Superman!" She firmly declares. I just sat there laughing. It was too funny.

mover

2010-07-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Freddie is all over the place now that he has discovered crawling. He started just a week and a half ago or so. He is exploring his ability to get up on his knees with his hands on the couch or a chair. He is also figuring out that he likes having Mommy help him walk a bit. At ten months he still has no teeth. But he loves to eat. He especially likes when he can try what mommy is eating. He is a real cutie. We love our little guy or "liddo duy" as Kysaija calls him.

Tutu's

2010-07-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

So I made these tutu's for my cousin's little girls. I made an experimental one for Kysaija first. But it did not turn out as well. I didn't have a pattern just kind of did it by trial and error. I think the second and third turned out great.This is the first one. Kysaija is trying it on.I put up this photo too to show the other color underneath.
These are the other two. I took these photos at Tiffy's after I gave them to Savannah and Deanna.

This one is Deanna's. Pink and Brown.

This is Savannah's. I was trying to go for a Minnie Mouse sort of thing. I couldn't find the right kind of fabric in red with white polka-dots. So I went with red with black toole underneath and white ribbon with black polka-dots. Sorry I did not take picks of the process I have never done tutorials before. Maybe sometime down the road if I make another I will do it.

T-ball

2010-06-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

Drew started T-ball a couple of weeks ago. Here are some pics from his first two games. His team is the yellow Lions.

Here is the crowd watching.

End of Game #1

I took video's too but something is wrong with the video part of our camera.

Post-op

2010-06-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Gabriel's surgery went great! We went in at about 10 am. We spent a good 2 1/2 hours mostly playing prior to them rolling him into the OR, with just a little of that time being check in and health exams. They gave him a children's version of valium about a half hour before they wheeled him in and it was funny to watch him slowly drift into serenity. He started to slur his words and then just lay in the wagon that they tote the kids in at Primary Childrens Hospital.
I said good-bye gave him a kiss before I went to the waiting room. I turned back top blow him a kiss as he was going into the OR. He tried to lift himself up so he could blow me a kiss back but the medicine had left him rather weak.
I went out and decided to head down to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat at about 12:30 pm. I hadn't been back for more than five minutes when they came to me and said he was done. I went in to meet with the doctor, who was confident that we won't even need a follow up appointment. I went back to wait a few more minutes til Gabe started to show signs of wakefulness.
I was taken back to the post-op area where he was still mostly asleep in a bed. I followed them as they wheeled the bed into a curtained off cubicle type room in the hallway to wait for him to wake and be ready to go home.
I decided to let him sleep and see if he would wake up on his own. Meanwhile grabbing his prescription pain meds from the pharmacy kiosk in the waiting room. Yes, it was like a drive-up bank window with the canister chute and all. Kind of cool.
Around 3 pm I finally gave up on him waking up on his own and rubbed his arm gently and talked to him more trying to quicken the process. He stretched and coughed a bit from the irritation of the tube they had used to keep his airway open as he was under. I turned on the TV to cartoons, he drank some juice still very out-of-it. I gave him a couple surprise's which he liked but was too glazed over still to really enjoy. Then we got him dressed and up and into a wagon to head downstairs (by way of the elevator) for home.
We were just out the front door when he insisted that he was hungry for muffins and cupcakes and doughnuts and he had to eat them in the hospital cause that's is where he'd seen them this morning. So I got a stroller out of the car and we were on a hunt for the hospital cafeteria to find Gabe his food. As is customary with any surgery he had been fasting since dinner the night before. He was absolutely famished. It was adorable. He knew exactly what he wanted and he wanted it all.
We managed to find him a muffin and a doughnut. I made some cupcake's when we got home. This is what he ate: the top of the muffin, a bit of strawberry milk, a half a banana, the rest of the muffin and the doughnut, a fruit snack, fruit-by-the-foot, a few chips, more strawberry milk, and 3/4 of the cupcake (once I got them made), a couple of m&m's (for getting his pj's on quickly.) Yes, that was dinner for Gabe today. We'll get back to healthier meals tomorrow.
He was hard to keep down once he was home too. He wanted to go out and ride his bike and play. I had to send him downstairs to play a video game and watch a movie to keep him from playing too hard. The pain meds are definitely doing their job.
I have a very brave, sweet, strong and resilient little boy.

Surgery

2010-06-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, Gabriel is going in for surgery tomorrow morning. He has an inguinal hernia. It is a minor, out-patient surgery. So we will be able to go home the same day. An inguinal Hernia is when the tube that the testicles drop from does not close after they drop. So whenever he pushes from laughing or constipation, etc. his intestines are pushed down into the tube. It can cause more serious problems down the road as the intestines can get pinched and things in the tube. So we are getting it taken care of. Not too worried about it. More concerned about how Gabe will feel after and whether he'll be very nervous himself going in. We'll see tomorrow. I have talked to him a lot about it. He knows what is going to happen and asks questions when they enter his aware little mind. We've talked about surgeries before because of my having c-sections with each baby. So he seems to understand as well as a 5 year old can.

Drew in love

2010-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

One day as school was letting out a little girl from Drew's class came up to me and told me that Drew was in Love with her and another girl. She said it with her nose wrinkled like she wasn't too sure about how she felt about it. Two girls. "Oh, really?" I said. Drew walks up just then and says pointing to the little girl "That's my school grader (classmate) I'm in love with her and another girl." Oookaaay. Hahahaha! It was hilarious! He's in kindergarten!

Contest on "The Story of a Princess and her Hair" blog

2010-04-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is a cute blog that I came across on Facebook. Some really cute do's for little girls. So for any of you who see my blog who have daughters check it out. They are giving away a toy chest or toy chest organizer.

http://hairandshare.blogspot.com/2010/03/toy-box-giveaway-from.html

Ready for bed

2010-04-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

"I want to be Sleeping Snow White" She says tiredly looking up at me with her big blue eyes. Whether it be nap time or bedtime Kysaija wants to be "Sleeping Snow White." That's what she calls her favorite Disney Princess. That's who she pretends to be as she climbs in to bed to sleep. And yes, Snow White is "Sleeping Snow White" to her because she also sleeps from the spell on the poisoned apple given her by the wicked Queen, as does Sleeping Beauty. It only makes sense to a 2 year old mind that if one is called "Sleeping" then they both must be called "Sleeping". It is very precious.

I like it!

2010-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Kysaija just informed me: "I pick my boogers!" Me: "you picked your boogers?" K: "yes!" Me: "Yuck!" K very emphatically: "I like it!"
Yes, my beautiful, sweet, little lady Jane is the nose picker and booger eater in the family.

How were we made?

2010-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

So on the way home from school yesterday Drew asked me how we were made? Normally Gabe is the inquisitive one. Drew usually just seems oblivious. If I bring something up it's like talking to a robot programmed with only a couple of rote answers. So I was very excited when he asked a question like that.
I decided the best place to start was with the creation of Adam. He asked how we were made not how are babies made or born (conceived.) So I told how Adam was made of the dust of the earth and told him about atoms and how Heavenly Father put those together. I told him that Adam was a spirit first and then entered the body Heavenly Father made for him. He seemed to get it too. He even said Oh, that's cool or something along those lines. Gabe and Kysaija were in the car listening as well. I am always so grateful for obvious teaching moments. I am grateful when they ask questions and want to sincerely know the answers and trust that the answer I give is true. I felt the Spirit there giving witness of the truth in that moment. As simplistic as it may have been. I hope soon he will ask more questions. I hope I can be more aware of the teaching moments that are more subtle as well. I often miss opportunities to teach because I end up reacting rather then thinking clearly about the best approach. Sometimes in the moment I am too irrational to think clearly I want immediate action so as to not lose the potency of my wrath. I know it's terrible. But I am always working on changing and being better. I am not always a terrible Mom. Satan is constantly trying to convince me that I am. But I have the Lord on my said and I WILL OVERCOME THE ADVERSARY!
Sorry, I guess I just kind of went off on a rant. Maybe I worry more than some about how well or poorly I do at raising my children. I have so much to learn and so much to work on. But my family and I are always improving. If only I can be the kind of Mom that a kid will come to and talk to about stuff, everything, especially important stuff, by the time they are teenagers, then I will have accomplished a pretty great skill. I just have to get rid of criticism and accusing questions and assumptions. I have to hope for and believe the best about and for my children. I have to have more Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can never have too much Faith in Jesus Christ. I also need to cultivate my Love for God and my children more determinedly. I'll be a work in progress for a long time.
Okay, I'm full of rambling today. What else can I ramble on about? The Priesthood. I am grateful for the Priesthood and Fasting and how well they work together. I rely heavily on blessings of comfort and counsel. I would be a wreck and lost without them in my life. I receive the most clear and wonderful answers to my prayers through Priesthood blessings. A worthy Priesthood holder in the home is, for me, closer to a direct line with Heavenly Father than prayer is. Maybe I am just not good at understanding feelings as well as hearing words spoken as with the voice of an angel. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who provided us with His Power and gave that power and authority to act in His name to worthy men on the earth. So grateful I married one. Grateful he strives to remain worthy to use that power and authority righteously in our home. I know and testify that God lives and loves us. The Priesthood is real. I know we can Repent and be forgiven and receive exaltation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Our Brother. He really did atone for our sins by His Perfect love and Perfect sacrifice. This is my shouting it from the rooftops. More people will hear it this way anyhow. In Jesus name, Amen!
Okay, I think I am finished for now. I know who I am for the moment.

Firsts

2010-03-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

So today we had a couple of firsts, mostly with Drew. Today was the first time he tied his shoe completely unassisted. For FHE last monday we discussed and made goals. Drew's goal was to tie his shoe. We've worked on it in the past but it has recently been rather sporadic. This week we worked on it at least once a day. So tonight at FHE we reported on our goals. He was the only one who'd actually achieved his. The rest of us have made progress but are still working on ours.
Today was also the first time I was late picking him up from Kindergarten. I was working on the garden. Although I set an alarm to help me get here on time I couldn't hear it. So I was about five minutes late. I felt pretty bad. As I was approaching the school I could see him standing by the telephone pole on the street just at the corner of the school grounds. He was standing there with his hands in his pockets kind of looking around distractedly. I pulled the car over and walked across the street between the after school traffic. I went up to him and apologixed to him and he said "I thought you were dead." He wasn't crying or anything. I don't think it had been long enough for him to become too worried, but, long enough for him to think the worst. Poor guy. I'd like to say that it won;t happen again, (probably won't) but it happened once. So I need to talk to him, as I ought to have done before, and tell him where I'd like him to wait in the event it should happen again. Drew is doing so well with his reading. Tonight I had him read to me because I have a cold and my voice is tired and my nose is stuffed up. He chose to read The Cat in the Hat comes Back. No, he can't read half of the words in that book. So he read the words he knew, sounded out a couple he didn't when he felt like it and skipped the rest. It was cute. I love when he sees a word he doesn't know and tries to sound it out without any prompting. He just wants to try. So he does. He often gets very close. He's such a sweet little boy and growing up so much, far too quickly.

6 months old already

2010-03-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

I know this is the same outfit as the last pictures, in three months he's filled out some but is only just starting to grow out of this cute monkey suit. 6 months old and rolling all over the floor.

He's just as cute as ever. He makes this funny monkey face that we tried to capture but it was captured at a bad angle so you can't see it well. It's not one of these photos.

He's a very happy little guy and not afraid to make some noise to get our attention.Drew, Gabe and Jane were lying on the couch like this being silly and making all kinds of noise. So I thought I'd capture that moment too.Freddie was rubbing his eyes right before I took this, he was getting very tired.
Joe is trying to grow his hair out the way it was styled when we met and got married.
Here is a good close up. Anyhow, we're having fun with our plethora of kids.
Drew is learning to read and doing well in school when he decides to participate and come out of the little world he's got in his funny little head.
Gabe is as loud and expressive as ever, he's always got something to say and can talk til the cows come home and then some. But he is a funny creative little guy full of energy, especially when he and Drew are playing together.
Kysaija is so much a girl, she loves all girlish things and loves playing with her brothers. She is a mommy's girl and LOVES to dance. She especially likes to dress "pretty."
I'm trying to figure out how to give each of them the time they need one-on-one with me and trying to get some time to myself, meaning I stay up far too late, because my time to myself also comes after my time with Joe.
Joe is going to school and working. He is programming software for a language/translation company, and two evenings a week working on his Masters degree.
That's our life in a nutshell.

Elevator?

2010-02-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

Kysaija comes to me last night holding the Darth Vader mask to her face and says:

"Mommy, I'm Elevator."

It was rather cute and funny.

Cousins

2009-12-27T10:12:00.001-08:00

It's so nice to have cousins that are close in age to my children. We really enjoy living so close to the Henage and Amakasu families. All the little boys that are so close in ages. The most recent are Freddie and Milo.

Such cute boys. They happen to both be in yellow the day we took these too. Amanda's already posted this on her blog but I figure there are some people who see mine that don't see hers.

Then there is Ashton. We had the pleasure of meeting little Ashton (Joe and Jen's cutie) while we were in Colorado. He is exactly one month older than Freddie. It was so wonderful to spend some time with them. Two such happy little guys.

While they were laying next to each other Freddie kept grabbing Ashtons cheek. I can't really blame him. They are such squishable cheeks. It's amazing how much difference in size a month makes at this age.

Pretty Movies

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

So two nights ago Kysaija brings out my dvd of "Easter Parade" Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. She says "pretty moo" (pretty movie.) She wanted to watch that. SO we watched part of it before bed. The next day she brings out "Meet me in St. Louis." We watched that. Every time there was a song/dance. She would grab my hands and ask me to dance with her. So cute. So funny. Later that day we finished Easter Parade. Then she brings out "My Fair Lady." We haven't been able to finish that one yet. It's just so great. I haven't tried to make them watch the musicals a ton. But even the boys will watch them and seem to enjoy them when they're on. They will pick out Willy Wonka or Mary Poppins or something like that now and then too. I'm glad I have started to collect a variety of musicals. I like my kids to be well rounded.

Super Mario Halloween!

2009-11-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

SO we did a Mario Theme for Halloween this year. Drew and Gabe wanted to be Mario just for the fun of it several times a few months ago, so we decided they needed to dress up for as that for Halloween. So I got another pair of overalls and found a red shirt and a green shirt. I found some white gloves and made the hats. Then Joe thought it would be fun to have Janie dress as Princess Peach. She was all for being a princess. Then at the very last minute we realized we could dress the baby as toad. Joe and I would have liked to have dressed up too but we didn't have the stuff or the time. But here are some pictures.
Well that was our costume line up. Joe took the three older kids out to trick or treat. We had kids starting to come around to our house around 5pm. It was still full daylight. My kids headed out around 6 and it was still pretty light out. They got back around 7:15pm. By then it was pretty dark. But they had a good time.

Six Weeks

2009-10-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

So, two days ago we hit the six week mark. The time is already passing too quickly. He is as cute as can be. He is always wanting someone to look and and to talk to him. His brothers and sister are always more than willing to help with that. I already feel as if I don't get enough time to cuddle with my little guy.

I don't think you can get the full effect, but he's got the greatest hair. Especially when it first dries. It stand up just like Stan Laurels hair. You'd have to see it in person. It's so cute. It's hard to get a good picture of though.

Gabriel is always the first to ask to hold Freddie. He loves to come over and just talk to Freddie. He is very helpful when Freddie is crying and I can't get there quickly. He calms him down by talking to him. The kids are all so cute with him.If Kysaija is not holding him and kissing him she is climbing on him to kiss him. She is soo kissy with Freddie. She can't seem to help herself. She definitely fits the nickname Kyssy. Sometimes her kisses are too much for little Freddie, she just gets a little too loving.Andrew likes to hold his brother too. Most of the pictures I tried to take Drew kept touching Freddie's face. So they didn't turn out too well. Drew likes to gently touch his face...constantly. They all have their ways of expressing their love for their brother.

One Month

2009-10-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Today my baby is one month old. Wow, it's hard to believe. He's such an adorable little fellow. He's already had his first cold. Luckily it has passed and he is just fine.
We had some great visiting with both sets of grandparents over the first three weeks of Freddie's life. It was so wonderful to have their visits and more especially all the help they gave. I don't know if I could have survived without the naps I was able to take. Freddie is getting better at sleeping during the night. He usually gets one 4-5 hour stretch. Then it's back to the 2 1/2 to 3 hours that he takes between feedings the rest of the night and day. Within the first week he rolled over from his tummy to his back a couple of times. Within two weeks he'd rolled over about 6-8 times front to back and even back to front. He seems to be an over achiever as far as that goes. He is a strong little guy. He's always got his head up looking around at everything in his sight.
He's already gained about 2 lbs. I think. Babies are truly miraculous!
We all love our little Fredrick. Kysaija still can't stay away from him. She is constantly giving him kisses and loving attention. Andrew and Gabriel are great with him. They love to hold him and are always talking about all the great things they are going to teach him to do as he grows.
We also had his baby blessing at church this past Sunday. We wanted to have it while we still had some grandparents in town. Joe's parents left on Sunday afternoon. We had several members of the family living in Utah turnout for the blessing as well. We are so grateful to all the family who were able to come.

Arrival

2009-09-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well I guess my Blog is due for a change. I need to change the title and sometime in the near future take a new picture for it. Fredrick Kaspian Larson has entered the world. He arrived on September 2, 2009 at 9:05 am, weighing 6 lbs., 13 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. He's a cute little guy with a good amount of hair. We love our little Freddie. Kysaija adores him and kisses him constantly. They all beg to hold him rather frequently too. It is very cute.
My Mom was here to watch the kids while I was in the hospital. She was here for two weeks. My Dad came for the last 5 days and helped fix up my car so it would pass the emissions test. They left today and I am very sad to they have gone. It wasn't long enough. But we are looking forward to our Larson Grandparents arrival this Saturday.
I can't believe I have 4 kids. Sometimes I wonder if I'm crazy, but I love them all.

A New School Year

2009-08-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, this next couple of weeks is crazy. Joe went to an orientation to begin his Masters degree. He starts school on Tuesday. He'll only be taking one or two classes, but he's working full time too. He was blessed to run into a teacher, who is doing something right up his alley, to work with on his thesis.
Andrew is beginning Kindergarten on Thursday this week also. He is going to the afternoon class. That will be nice because I will be tired with the new baby.
The baby will be here on Sept. 2nd. So I am trying to get ready for that too. Gabe will be starting Preschool on the 8th of Sept. I had to take some pictures for that as I said in my last post. So if you use google reader to view this Blog you'll have to click on this post and go directly to my Blog to see them. They turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I even am printing up some for family.
Sometimes I believe we are a little crazy. But school is good. Babies are good. Work is good. Sometimes the timing is just a little overwhelming. We've done it before we can do it again.

Updating

2009-08-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

So I realize that the pictures I have of my kids are way outdated. I am in the process of changing the photos of them on this Blog. I've changed the ones on the side strip but I have to have my husband fix up the one of all three of them. I took the pictures this morning. I think they turned out pretty good. Normally I don't take great pictures, but these are not bad. I had to have a picture of Gabe for his Teacher for Preschool this year. I just need to print one up.

Countdown

2009-08-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

29 days left until the baby is here. Operation cesarean in order on Sept. 2nd, scheduled for 7:45 am. Things are going well as far as the pregnancy is concerned. Not really anything else of interest to report. Just waiting now. I decided I was ready to be done a couple of days ago. It just clicked and I am anxious for being back to normal. Also I am excited to meet our little guy. My brother Joe and his wife just welcomed there little boy, Ashton James Black into the world on Sunday morning at 3 am. Cute little guy. I want to meet him. Unfortunately it may be a few months before that will happen.

Toe Painting

2009-07-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

While I was in CA my sister Caitlyn took me to get a pedicure. It was fun, especially since it was with her.
Well everyday since then, just about, Kysaija has come up and looked at my toes saying "lie" and "Pree" ("like" and "Pretty") It's very cute having her tell me how she likes them and how pretty they are. Sooo girly.
So a couple of days ago I got out the two colors of nail polish I own and let her choose one. She picked the red one. I thought for sure she'd pick the pink one. I got a wash cloth and got it wet. I got a newspaper to keep from getting the carpet painted. After that I washed her toes off and got started. She sat pretty still and watched with sheer delight and curiosity. It was so fun. I wouldn't normally have thought about painting a two year olds toes but she just was so cute about mine I couldn't resist. Her fingers are going to have to wait until she can stop sucking on them.

Baby Date

2009-07-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

So our Cesarean Section has officially been scheduled. Unfortunately I did not get to choose the day so it is not the most convenient as far as Joe's work schedule is concerned. I was really hoping to schedule it for a Friday. That way Joe could have been at the hospital for the majority of the stay. However it was scheduled for a Wednesday. September the 2nd, 2009. My next appointment is in two week. I may try to ask if there is a chance it can be moved to the Friday before or after, but I don't know.

Apparently that is my Grandparent's (Culotta) Anniversary. So the 2nd is kind of special for that reason. Well I'll keep you posted.

The Black Family

2009-06-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Last night the black family got together to see Brady and Jamie's family before they head for Japan for three years. I don't think I have seen Brady for... well I truly couldn't say how long it's been. It was fun to see some of the family together. I love being with family. I don't always have a lot of things to say but I enjoy just being around them. I was one of the first ones there and one of the last to leave. The party started at 4pm, I didn't leave until after 8pm. We were at the Park in Mapleton where we had Grandpa and Grandma Black's 50th anniversary. Unfortunately I did not take any picture's. If it had been my Mom there would have been all kinds of pictures. Thanks to Suzi, Beth and Penny it came together on short notice and there was a pretty good turnout. The Sloppy Joe Penny made was Delish and all the salad's and chips were good too. I am always thrilled when the homemade Root Beer is at a Black family gathering too. Thanks to Chris it was there and as good as ever.

Family picture

2009-06-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

I just found this from our trip to CA at Christmas 2008. It's actually a pretty good picture of our family and probably the most recent. And it was before I had a prego belly. Always a plus. That was a fun day with Grandma Black (my Mom) and Thali's family. We had a picnic on the beach and walked on the peer. Unfortunately I need to ask which beach this is I can't think of the name and it's not one that we have frequented in the past.

Pretty Nifty

2009-06-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am kind of proud of myself. I actually got a project done within a day or to from start to finish. Kysaija has a little doll stroller that we gave her for Christmas. She and the boys had it torn and falling apart pretty quickly so she hasn't been able to play with it.
Well I decided a few days ago or maybe last week that I would get some fabric and make a new seat for it. The frame is still fine since it is made of metal.
So I went to Hobby Lobby on Friday and got some Fabric. I cut it out later that night. I was sick over the weekend so it doesn't count. But yesterday (Monday) morning after breakfast I just sat down and put it together. It only took about 45 min. which isn't too bad considering how infrequently I sew. I don't know where the motivation came for for that project but I did it.
I am happy to report as well that she has been pushing it all over the house since yesterday, even up and down the stairs with her babies tucked in the belt. No one has sat in it so far. I hope this one lasts a lot longer. The fabric is a lot cuter too.

Peek a boo

2009-05-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

So the last two morning that I took Andrew to Preschool he's gone up to the door, knocked, and hid against the wall to the side of the house. When his teacher opens the door and looks around the corner he giggles and goes on in. I don't know what gave him the idea. I haven't seen any of his classmates do it. It's pretty cute though. Only about three more weeks til his preschool days are through.

And the Verdict is...

2009-04-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

If you can't tell, well, ours are always pretty obvious. It is a Boy. Here is a profile picture. His face is up. He's got a little hand in the air in front of his face.

At this point I'm bound to think Kysaija is doomed to be an only girl. At least she's not the youngest too. She'd be far too spoiled. It'll be hard enough for not get spoiled no matter how hard we try.

We've got a name we like, but we are still trying to decide, so I will give that later. We are excited for our little guy to come.

Gabe sayings

2009-04-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

So the other night at dinner I gave the kids Chicken and Broccoli Casserole. One of my favorites. A rule we have is you have to eat three bites of anything new we are serving (sometimes we use it again on the same dish if it's something they really struggled with the first time,) then you can have something else. So Gabe gets through three bites, maybe more, and says "Thanks for giving me this food, but I don't want anymore." I don't know what made him say it like that, but I think that is the most polite way he's ever said something about dinner. So, of course, Joe and I made a point of telling him how nice he said it, and let him have something else.

Boy or Girl?

2009-04-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it won't be long now. Three weeks to find out whether we'll have a little boy or girl? Drew and Gabe are voting for a girl. They want another sister. Kysaija has no clue what's going on, but she loves babies. I showed her a magazine I got from the doctor's office this morning. It had pictures of a developing fetus. Every time I would turn the page she'd say, "Baby." It would be fun for Kysaija to have a sister to play with, more than likely to boss around. But we think a boy would be just great too. So I'll be announcing the outcome of the Ultrasound on 23 April, If I remember to get on here that day, to let anyone following this know the result.

Larson Baby addition

2009-03-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, the news you've been waiting for or already new or suspected. We are expecting Larson baby #4. It is due on Sept. 8th 2009. We will be scheduling our Cesarean section a week or two prior to that. If you didn't know, yes, all my babies have been born by c-section. I don't tend to dilate much, far from enough to deliver a baby. If you didn't want to know that much, well, it's a little late now.

So we'll probably have our Ultrasound in about 6 weeks-ish. I am currently about 15 weeks along. we had our first Dr.'s appointment a week and a half ago and heard the heartbeat and all. We are very excited for our new addition and I will try to be better about updating to keep anyone following up on gender and things we find out.

Slacker

2009-03-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been informed that I am a slacker as far as this blog is concerned. It's true. I never considered myself a likely blogger. I have tried it out and will probably try to keep it up. It may be somewhat sporadic though.

Confidence

2008-12-10T15:02:00.001-08:00

I hear Gabe talking to Andrew just now. What caught my ear was when he said the words "I had to do it with confidence." I am not sure what he was talking about that he did but apparently it required confidence and Gabe was not afraid to use the word. It was cute and funny.

A Christmas Carol

2008-12-04T14:05:00.001-08:00

It's here everyone. The Play you've all been waiting to see. And of course the person you've been waiting to see. Yours Truly, me, as Mrs. Cratchett. Above as you can see is the poster for it. Make reservations to be seated earlier. The sooner you do the better. I hope to see you all there. Well those of you who live nearby anyhow. It's going to be great.

Deep Thoughts

2008-11-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

So maybe it's not the deepest of thoughts I've ever had, but last night I lay in bed thinking about this. So our life on earth is like a moment to those on the other side. Let's pretend it's 15 seconds their time. We are here to learn and serve and repent when we make wrong choices, etc. The thing that struck me is that we spend a third, 33.3% of that time sleeping, give or take a little. Couldn't we get a lot more done if we stayed awake. Wouldn't it have been better if our bodies did not need sleep? So why sleep? So we could have a time to rest from the power of the adversary for a third of each day? He can influence our dreams some too. To rest from the responsibility of overcoming his temptation? Maybe some. To rest the physical body which has limitations? Definitely. Maybe to rest from having to choose right from wrong? That is always a nice break to have. To gain knowledge from God? Some people receive visions in their dreams. Maybe we do more than we are aware. Is it to refocus, or refresh our perspective on the events happening in our lives? I know I wake up most mornings felling differently about things than I did the night before. I think a lot of times my feelings are more mild about things that bothered me, sometimes I am more determined about other things that I was less sure of when I fell asleep. Not saying that I always wake in the perfect mood. I guess my conclusion is that sleep is an important part of Heavenly Father's plan. As odd as that may sound. Just a thought. NOT DOCTRINE.

100 things you may or may not know about me

2008-11-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

1. I am playing Mrs. Cratchett, in A Christmas Carol the Musical.

2. I have the three most beautiful children in the world (not that I am biased or anything.) 3. I love to dance, old time, big band swing is my favorite.

4. My cousin Tiffany challenged me to do this on my blog, so here it is.

5. I am a puzzle building fiend, queen, master, expert, take your pick. By the way I am being a bit facetious on some of my answers throughout.

6. I love playing board games or social games. Especially with large groups.

7. I am the second oldest in my family of five kids.

8. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers.

9. I was born in Provo Utah.

10. I have moved 25 times in my life. Not including transfers on my mission.

11. I served a mission in the Washington D.C. North Mission Jan. 1999 - Aug. 2000

12. I have travelled in 28 of the United States.

13. I enjoy road trips.

14. I will be turning 31 less than two weeks from now.

15. I love eighties music. Erasure, Billy Idol are a couple that I like a lot.

16. I love musicals, musical theater.

17. I once was in the Opera Cavellaria Rusticana. I had one line that was the ending line for the show. I was pretty excited.

18. Fantasy books are my favorite. Followed by historical fiction. The Book of Mormon is the best book, hands down, but it is not for trivial reading.

19. I love to swim. I wish I could change my legs to fins in the water and have gills or something. But just in the water. Maybe kind of like on Waterworld. Which was not the greatest movie but that was probably Kevin Costners acting skills more than anything else. The story line had potential.

20. I do not like making phone calls. But I don't mind talking to people who call me. I prefer to talk to people in person or on the computer, email, skype, etc.

21. I love Horseback riding.

22. I am a tom boy. It's true. I was the gal playing GI Joe and micro machines, riding zip cords and rope swings with my brothers. I still don't like make-up.

23. I like to shop for tools. Especially power tools. But I rarely buy them.

24. I like to learn how to fix things on my car.

25. My first words were "no way." But what do you expect, my parents wanted me to get off a horse. Refer to #21.

26. I like to play video games. Just good clean ones like Mario Bros., Zelda, Donkey Kong, Lego Star Wars and things like that.

27. I am pretty good with word games and spelling. I never use a spell checker, "well, hardly ever."

28. I like to sing.

29. I can sew my own clothes but well I am not very fast, so I don't do it much.

30. I am a bit of a perfectionist.

31. I would like to go sky diving someday.

32. I want to finish college sometime. Although I have some ideas I haven't decided completely on a degree.

33. I want to travel. Italy being number one on my places to go list.

34. I married a computer savvy, math doing, not-so-athletic, comical, priesthood holding, programming, computer gaming sort of guy.

35. I used to do gymnastics.

36. I have had three c-sections.

37. I spent six months helping to care for my Aunt Deanna's and Uncle Craig's four kids when she was starting chemo and radiation after her diagnosis with breast cancer. That was in Jan.1996 to June 1996. She was diagnosed in fall of 1995 and passed away in April of 2005.

38. My best friends growing up were my cousins and my siblings.

39. I prefer bare feet to shoes any day. Or sandals if I must wear something.

40. I am allergic to several animals, hay, and many seanonal allergies as well.

41. Doing dishes disgusts me. I do them, but I don't like it.

42. I am a decent artist, not Michaelangelo or anything, but I can draw okay.

43. My favorite color is plum purple.

44. My favorite Temple has always been Manti.

45. Disneyland is one of my favorite places to be.

46. I like to play baseball.

47. Chocolate Ice cream... yummy.

48. One of my favorite websites is: www.goodreads.com

49. The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies. A classic.

50. I gave blood for the first time 11-11-08 a couple of days ago.

51. Horses are my favorite animals.

52. I can touch my nose with my tongue.

53. I can whistle really loud.

54. I could eat some variety of pasta for almost every meal.

55. I am half Italian and the other half is a mix of english, scottish?, a bit of Native american. Maybe other stuff I don't know. (Sicily is where most of the Culotta-Mascari families are from.)

56. I used to work a lot with kids with developmental disabilities.

57. I am very interested in seeing ruins especially ones related to scriptural places.

58. I am a very light sleeper.

59. I took flute lessons for two years when I was a teenager.

60. I used to be a huge flirt.

61. I was homeschooled all but 2 1/2 years of my k-12 years.

62. I met the singer Ariel Bybee while I was on my mission.

63. I have been hunting several times in my life. But I have only ever shot a squirrel. Mostly I go to ride the horses, but I can handle and shoot a gun pretty good. A little rusty now maybe, but still.

64. I got my hunters safety when I was 12 or so.

65. I like roller coasters and luckily never get a queasy stomach on them.

66. We had the greatest tire swing in our yard as kids. The ropes were around 15-20 feet long. I would twist it up as high as I could, climb in, and spin in circles over and over.

67. My favorite cereal is Honey Nut Cheerios

68. I was named for a song in the seventies. My name was repeated in the chorus. The rest of the song was about sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Not the greatest song, but it's a good name.

69. I have a hard time swallowing pills and don't like to do it.

70. My name means "heavenly" and "City of David"

71. My middle name means "meadow"

72. I used to sing with the Colorado Mormon Chorale

73. My middle name is Leigh

74. My maiden name was Black

75. My two favorite restaurants are La Dolce Vita in Provo, Utah on 100 East just North of Center Street, and Johnny Carino's. Yes, they are both Italian restaurants. What can I say.

76. My favorite birthday gift was when we first moved to Colorado, I was turning seventeen and my parents flew my cousin Amanda from CA to visit me. We all drove to the airport in the van. I was blindfolded and listening to The Phantom of the Opera, full blast. I could tell where we were going when we drove over the rail road tracks the second time. But I played along. As we walked into the airport I kept singing my lungs out just for the fun of it. I was pretty sure it was my cousin coming because I didn't have too many friends growing up from all the moving we did. But I was still happily surprised that it was truly her and that this was my birthday gift.

77. The number seven is my favorite number so double it and it's even better.

78. My favorite stuffed animal as a child was a lamb. It had a wind up key that, when wound, played "Mary had a little Lamb." I still have it but it hasn't worked for years. Oh, it also moved it's head as it played.

79. Despite my being a tom boy, I always liked pretending to be the damsel in distress, being captured and rescued by some knight or prince or whoever was the hero in our playing.

80. One of my most common nick names has been "little one."

81. My favorite and the most silly nick name was given to me by my sister Thalia's best friend Amy. She called me Ariwelly-with-no-belly. I guess a nickname I had when I was a kid aptly describes me as well, it was the nickname "string bean."

82. One of the best trips I've been on was my trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada.
I went to visit my friend Jeremy MacEachern. It is such a beautiful place. The beach had white sand and looking glass water. There ere dunes along the beach which kept it more secluded, and there was rarely another person in sight. I got to visit Green Gables, Charlottetown, too. It was a wonderful, kind of fairytale landic experience. Good times.

83. I like Geography and Psychology.

84. I can remember birthdays and phone numbers and names fairly easily if I know I will use them again.

85. I like doing crossword puzzles.

86. Clue is one of my favorite board games.

87. I like mysteries.

88. I love my Dad's Heber Abercrombie stories. It was especially fun to hear them around the camp fire.

89. I like to listen to Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, musicals, opera, billy idol, big band, among other things.

Only ten more, this is more challenging than it appears.

90. I like to crochet afghans (blankets) for people, especially my babies.

91. We had several dogs and a cat as pets at different times during my childhood. The last one was a golden retriever named Kona. She passed away last year. She lived 13 years. We also had a cat, which we mostly called the Cat. She has lived about 20 years. She retired to the Nursing Home my Dad was working at in Colrado. She may still be alive.

92. I have always thought it would have been fun to live during the flapper and swing eras. Great clothes, great dancing, great music.

93. I like fruity smelling things.

94. My favorite perfumes are Unruly, Taboo and Sunflower.

95. Some of my best or closest friends are Mom, Thalia, my cousin Amanda, Shalyce, Caitlyn, Tammy, Alan, Sharon, my husband Joe. In order by how long I've known them.

96. My Grandmother Black used to call me "Bradley with a dress on."

97. I never got asked or went to Prom.

98. My favorite mythical creatures are Unicorns and Dragons and mermaids. Centaurs are cool too.

99. I will someday speak Italian fluently.

100. I have a testimony of the my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He and my Heavenly Father Loves me and each of His children on this earth. I have faith in the atoning sacrifice that Christ made for me. I know that Joseph Smith is a True Prophet of God who was called to and fulfilled the Restoration of the True Gospel of the Lamb on the earth. I know that we can live with God again in happiness and glory in eternity. We can live there with our faithful loved ones. Families CAN be together forever. I am a daughter of God. I have a purpose on this earth and I intend to fulfill it. I am so grateful to have these truths in my life.I declare my beliefs before my God and all who read them, I know they are true.In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Larson Halloween

2008-11-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

So here is our theme for Halloween. Yet again, I did not have time to make my Leia Costume so I did not participate. But we have Yoda on Luke's shoulders, a Jedi, and Darth Vader.The kids all enjoyed Trick or Treating this year. I stayed at home and passed out candy.

Earlier this week for Family Home Evening we carved our Pumpkins. The boys were too disgusted to touch the pumpkin guts and help remove the seeds but they are more than thrilled to eat the seeds that we roasted afterwords.

So Andrew chose the skull and cross-bones design. He saw it in the pattern book that comes with the carving tools. So when Joe had the boys draw a picture of what they wanted on their pumpkins Andrew a very close likeness of what he'd seen in the pattern book. Unfortunately Joe threw the picture out before I got a picture of it. It was so good. I was very impressed. I did the carving for his. His drawing even had the patch over the eye.

So Gabe drew a sort of face on his paper. Joe took the lines and defined them a little more so the result was a scary face. Joe carved Gabe's design into his pumpkin.

Joe did a pumpkin as well. Being the geek that he is. Using the term geek because that is how he refers to himself. Well, Zelda is a computer game. The character carved into the pumpkin is called Link and he has a fairy that accompanies him through his adventures. So Joe carved the fairy in the upper back of the pumpkin so the light would reflect up on the wall and look like the fairy is a separate entity from the pumpkin. Pretty clever, eh? This is how his turned out.

The Part

2008-10-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

Alright, I know you've all been waiting for this. It's not my first choice part but that one was already taken by an insider. It is a good part though. Who wouldn't want to be Tiny Tim's Mom. Yeah that's right, I am Mrs. Cratchett. So I am excited. I am also rather apprehensive. I haven't done anything like this for a long time. I hope it's not too much for Joe right now. So here's to the time I'll spend memorizing lines and music. If only I looked quite so elegant as she does.

Callbacks

2008-09-23T17:13:00.001-07:00

Well, I had decided I would not be getting any part in the musical when today they finally sent an email saying that callback auditions are on Thursday at 8:30pm. So I guess it's still open for me. I may still have a chance. the problem now is that it opens Thanksgiving weekend. It kind of puts me in a bit of a dilemma because we are going to Colorado for Thanksgiving. I do not want to miss that either. So I was actually beginning to think it would be easier no to get a callback or a part. (oh, sigh.)
:)
Well we'll see what happens and then I will decide. I don't want to let don the family by not going. I am sure Joe could handle going without me, but I don't think I want to do that. At least I will know that I could have got a part, right?

2008-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow night I have set an appointment to audtion for the broadway musical version of A Christmas Carol. It is at a playhouse in Provo and I have always wanted to be in a musical. I figure I might have a shot since I have sung with a large choir (the Colorado Mormon Chorale) and been in an opera with a small opera company. I only got to be in it because I was in the Chorale at the time. Still, I might have a chance. I am excited but not really sure I am ready for the audition. I have not practiced much and I think my voice is a little rusty. So tomorrow night at 7:20 pm Utah time I am on the roster. I am going to sing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady.I only get to sing 32 measures or something, we'll just sese how it goes. Wish me luck.

Drew's New Adventure

2008-09-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

Andrew started preschool this week. He goes twice a week, Tues. and Thurs. mornings 9:30 to 11:30 am. I was a little worried that he would not do well with it as he has struggled with primary. However, he really likes it and has been asking to go back frequently, even right after it's over. I knew it would be a good experience for him. I think the reason he does better in this preschool environment verses primary is because there is more variety in there activity. He's not sitting in a chair listening to someone talk for two hours straight. It is still fun. Not to put primary down. I wish he loved primary as much. I think he just needs more involvement.
So, his preschool is next door. His teacher, Mrs. Jenson, is also the wife of the second counselor in the Bishopric of our Ward. That's Utah for you. This is her first year doing her own preschool, but I understand she has worked at a preschool the last few years. i don't expect him to read or anything like that. To me this was more for the school setting not just what he will learn.

Oh, the things that Gabe says...

2008-09-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

"I want Chockett milk." (chocolate) - everyday since he could talk

"Jacob, Jacob inside..." (singing Jacob and Sons from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) - 2 Sept. 2008

"I made dragon poop" - Jan. 2008

"Can I watch this movie, it's great." or "Can I watch this movie it's really funny." -Aug. 2008

"Oooh, can we go to the park, it's bea-u-ti-ful." -7 Sept. 2008

At breakfast this morning Gabe spilled some milk on the table. He decided it would be fun to try his hand at finger painting. After a moment he looks at me and says "my animal is impressed." He said it very clearly too. -10 Sept., 2008

Pointing at the T.V. "I turned it off by remote control." -10 Sept., 2008

So after FHE tonight I told the boys we would have some ice cream.
In response Gabe says, "Oh, we get to have ice cream, it makes my tummy so joyful!" -15 Sept., 2008

Return from Californialand

2008-08-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after a week and a half of summer fun and our first Biannual Culotta Family Reunion we made our trip home from California. Just me and the kids, Joe having come home by plane a week earlier. I guess my inspiration for starting this blog is to just get familiar with blogging. I have not done it before. I am planning on posting on our Reunion blog and so I want to know how to do it. So I am experimenting here.
We had a great vacation. We had a visit with Joe's Grandparents in North Hills on Thursday the 14th. On Friday we had our big service project in which we tore up my Grandpa's jungle. Saturday we had fun visiting and celebrating our family at our reunion in honor of our Grandpa.
Sunday through tuesday I watched kids so Thali, Dad and Mom could work on the house Thali is renting/remodeling. Wednesday Thali, Mom and I spent some time in downtown Claremont having lunch looking in our favorite shops. We also ransacked Susie's Deals. We went to the park with the kids and Botanic gardens on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday we made a trip to the beach. We ge got too much sun and enjoyed the waves and sand. Castles were created, people were buried and sunned was overly soaked up as is commonly done on such a day. Sunday was Sunday and Monday was travel.