Easter

We had a little get together for Easter this year at my house.  I love having everyone over and spending time with family.

Coloring Easter Eggs.  Nana was a great help while I was feeding Braylund.

Chloe liked to put her egg dunker in the colorful water and drink it.
Yum Yum

Chelsey brought some eggs from McAllen TX that had confetti in them and when you find them you break them over someones head

Everyone got in on the action

(I don't know if you can tell but Chloe's hands are green from coloring her eggs)

The Easter Egg Hunt

Nana and Braylund hunting for eggs

Gotta love Utah weather the end of April and it is FREEZING

Kynlee was a little excited!!!  She was supposed to find around 12 eggs.  Look at her basket!!!

She was a good girl and shared all her candy.

Forget looking at the camera they all had candy to eat. 

Cute Kynlee posed for every attempt of getting them all to look.

Getting ready for bed they taped Krayden's face

The Easter Bunny came. 

Say hi to Chocolate the HUGE bear

The BEST pillow EVER

I am so thankful for the Easter season and what it means.  I am so grateful for the atonement and that it allows me to be the me that I am while striving to be the best me that I can possibly be.  And for the teachings of the Resurrection and the knowledge that we all will be.  That we will be able to live with those that we love most for eternity.  There is no greater blessing.

Time needs to STOP

Because you are ONE MONTH ALREADY!!!

In your first month you have done a lot of sleeping

 You were the only one that could wear a new born oneise

 You showed me that Trevin is a BIG boy

 You survived Kynlee having strep throat

 You quadrupled the diaper changing around here

 You reinforced that I still have a lot to learn about photography
but that's ok becasue we had fun. 

 You are the most loved baby

 by EVERYONE

 You are awake and not very happy from 7:30-midnight. (Everyone says that you are a normal baby.  That might be the case but you are not normal for us. We have never had a baby that fussed)  We love you any way and I love the time I get to hold you when the other kids are asleep

 You tricked me into thinking you liked your binky

 You sleep from midnight until 8:30am

 When you are awake you love the swing. (I love how only your toes and hand are showing)

You love to be wrapped up tight and your face covered.  (Don't worry I pull it your blanket off your face about twenty times a day but some how you manage to cover it back it up)

 Did I mention that you sleep from midnight unitl 8:30am

 You hate tub time!!!

But most important you stole my heart!!!

Mother of the Year 2011....NOT even close!!!

I have a feeling I will never be nominated for the Mother of the Year Award.  I won't follow the great example that Jon's grandma was as being the Mother of the Year in 1993.  I will never have the license plate that proclaims I won the prestigious award, I won't give any fancy speech and I won't have a plaque to display and here's why.

It all started as any other Thursday.  Well not quite I guess it was only my second Thursday with having a newborn.  My mom was here helping me (please read my mom was here doing everything for me).  All I have to do is wake up and hold my sweet little boy, and remember what activities my children have on certain days and that is where I failed on this particular Thursday afternoon.

I thought I was so on top of things.  I write the directions to get Krayden to preschool.  Feeling pretty good about myself for remembering all the names of the streets that my mom will have to turn on. ( I swear there are about thirty:))  My mom goes and drops him off and comes home and we are sitting on the couch just chatting when I am hit with a thought, not a very good thought I might add.  I hurry and jump up and run to the computer and check my email.  Yep sure enough at the bottom of an email from Krayden's teacher it says that there will be preschool on March 31st.  Seriously?  Yep, the date was March 31st.  He had been at the preschool for an hour and half before I realized that he didn't have school.  I start freaking out my mom hurries to the car to go get him and I call Jon crying thinking I have lost our son and he would be out wandering the streets the Herriman.  He hurries home mean while my mom calls and says that she had picked him up in front of the school.  He was sitting all alone on the curb in front of the gate just waiting for us.  He was a little sad and a lot mad for taking so long to come and get him:)  ( A little history to this story.  So when my mom drops him off she realizes the gate is closed but another mom drops off her little girl and opens the gate for both kids to go through.  The other mom leaves so my mom does too.)  Mean while I am crying and I do some more crying as I keep thinking that he had been sitting there for an hour and half all by himself.  I guess the other little girl lives close so she and Krayden start walking but he realizes that that is not the way to his house so he turns around and goes back to the preschool.  He said that he cried for a little bit but then stopped and was just waiting and that we took forever to come and pick him up.  He was right about that.  I can't even imagine how slow the time was moving for him.  He was so brave and so SMART!!  I really thought we would be out searching the streets for him because he would try to walk home.  When my mom got home with him she had him come over and tell me that we was ok and give me a hug because I was crying so hard.  It was funny I should have been the one hugging him and giving him comfort but that was not the case.  But in my defense I still don't get out much and really don't know the date yet.  I know what day of the week it is but not the date.  Just the other day I was talking to someone and I was like what is today the 9th?  Oh no, I was not even close it was the 16th.  I guess I need to get out more!!  I blame it on the weather:)

So there you have it.  I will never be awarded the Mother of the Year.  Maybe if they had the award the Mother of the Minute I could achieve that status.  But until then I will just keep checking the preschool calendar to make sure that Kray Boy really does have school.

"Baby"

Braylund Tim Larsen

7 lbs 9 oz

March 23, 2011

But just mainly known as "baby" around here.  When you ask Trevin what his name is he says "baby".  Kynlee and Krayden always ask to hold the "baby" and mom and dad always say don't touch that it's the "baby's".

This was probably the best labor that I have had.  It was SO different from all the others.  I was having labor pains for quite awhile and a week before I was having contractions for about 6 hours but they never got closer than 4-5 minutes apart and they weren't all that painful.  I call the doctor and he has me come.  I was dilated to a 4 but since all activity had stopped he sent me home to "take it easy".  So when Tuesday night came I wasn't feeling too good and kept having contractions but again nothing was to close.  Jon and I watched a movie and I was still not feeling that great and they started getting more painful but not any closer together.  It was about one in the morning and Jon asked if we needed to go.  I had no idea, like I said this wasn't how the other ones had happened.  Jon was funny and kept saying I don't think it's time...I don't see any tears.  (All the other kids I did cry through some contractions).  But finally Jon decided to call our help and there was no answer.  It was a good thing because about ten minutes all contractions STOPPED!!  So I told Jon we should just go to sleep.  He told me to try to get some rest and he went and packed the car.  We ended up going to sleep but I would wake up about once an hour with a hard contraction but that would be it.  I woke up to get Kynlee ready for school and walked her to the bus.  Walking home from the bus stop I had a lot of pressure but still no contractions.  I decided to call my doctor since he had me come in the time before that I had done this and now I was having pressure.  They told me to go into labor and delivery and get checked out there since I was already at a 4.  I drove myself to the hospital and Jon stayed with the kids. ( I thought they were going to tell me to go home and it wasn't time yet).  They hook me up to the monitors around 10:30 and all of a sudden the contractions start again they monitor me for about an hour and see that I am having more and more and I am admitted.  I call Jon, he calls his mom and then drops the kids off at Hillaree's.  By the time Jon get to the hospital at noon I have had my epidural and it was pretty easy sailing after that.  Around 4 I was ready.  We had to wait for the doctor for what seemed like forever because I was READY.  It was a good thing we waited.  I pushed one and a half times and he was here!! 

 CODE BLUE

The night he was born the cute little guy gave us a little a big scare.  He was kind of spitty all day long and was doing pretty good at getting all the yucky stuff out of his tummy.  We had the little bulb thing close by just in case we had to suction him and it was a good thing we did.  I was eating dinner and Braylund was in his little bed next to me when all of a sudden a hear a gurgle sound and look over and he had spit up so much that it was coming out his nose.  I tell Jon to hurry over and wipe him up.  When Jon got to his bed he spit again but was having trouble getting it up this time.  Good thing Jon has training in this now. So Jon starts to suction him with the bulb but all this gunk is still stuck in Braylund's throat and he can't work it up.  Braylund is no longer breathing and is starting to turn really red.  I press the nurse call button on my bed and nothing happens.  I am starting to panic because he is no longer red but turning different shades of blue and purple.  Jon is still suctioning and getting stuff out but not all of it.  I use a different call button and get some help.  The CNA rushes in and grabs Braylund and she tries to get it up and then rushes him to the nursery.  At this time he is still bluish purple but is making some noise so we know he is getting some oxygen.  But they did end up calling a code blue on him and had to stick an IV in his little head to get labs.  So at about 5 hours old he had a chest x-ray, an IV in his head, his little tummy suctioned and he had to stay in the nursery for evaluation.  It's a good thing that they wanted him in the nursery because he ended up doing it again and I don't think I could have handled round 2.  Round one was scary enough for me.  Jon is going to make a great Respiratory Therapist he remained calm the whole time and was very good at what he was doing.  

I'll love you forever...I'll like you for always.  As long as I'm living my baby you'll be!!!

Another Year Older

 Happy Birthday Babe!!!

 His Red Velvet Cake... I love the candle.  Ever since turning 30 it has been a joke about how old he is.

He finally got his cozy blanket after nine years of being married.

I love you so much.  You have put in so many late nights and hard hours returning back to school.  You do so much for our family and I couldn't ask for any one better.  Life is so much easier with you around!!  You make my world go round.  You are my rock to lean on and my anchor to keep me grounded.  You are the best dad ever!!  You wrestle till you get a head ache and I love to watch the matches come down to the final minute until bedtime.  It seems you have a knack of knowing when that is and getting them all wild just before bed.  I love how the kids know to go to you if they want something.  I love how you can't stand to tell them no.  (Yes I know I complain sometimes about that one) but I really do love your tender heart.  You make me a better person and remind me to not sweat the small stuff.  You live in the moment and and don't hold anything back.  You are spontaneous and can fly by the seat of your pants.  I love that!!  I am so not that way but try to be because you have shown me how fun it is.  You are my best friend.  Happy Birthday. 

Loved you once, Love you still, Always have, Always will!!!

Love ya tonz

Love Me

Zero More Days

Kray Boy,

It's finally arrived...you are five.  You have been so excited about your birthday, you have been counting down the days forever but you really started when there is was ten days left.  you had to tell everyone.  You couldn't go to sleep at night because you were so excited.  You would lay in your bed and tell me how many more days that you had and then when you woke up you would tell me how many more days.  I kept asking you what you wanted for your birthday and the only thing was a pinata.  You wanted a Iron Man theme this year and it was super hard to find.  Dad finally found one on a whim.  He was out doing some work stuff when he drove by a Hispanic store and say tons and tons of pinatas hanging.  He stopped in and it's a good thing he did because he found the PERFECT one just for you.  It was HUGE, after we filled it candy you couldn't lift it.  We filled it a little early with begging from you and it was torture for all of us.  You wanted to "whack" it.  By the time it was party day you couldn't hold in your excitement.  It's so fun to you see you like that, having so much fun and wanting everyone to have a much fun as you.  Dad has a friend that makes cakes so we got one of Iron Man.  You loved it.  I was scared that I was going to have a baby on your birthday but lucky us he decided to wait.  It was your day and I'm glad that I was able to be part of it. 

Your birthday celebration started at church where they sang to you in primary.  It's not very often when your birthday falls on a Sunday.  You picked out your gumballs and couldn't wait to get home to have them.  When we got home from church you couldn't stand that we had to wait two hours for everyone else to get here.  You wanted to party!!! 

Krayden I love you so much.  You are such a big helper!!  You love to help me in the kitchen and you love to help your dad in the garage.  You LOVE puzzles and are really good at them.  Whenever we go to the store you love to look at the different puzzles.  You have worked your way up to do puzzles with 100 pieces.  Whenever you say you are bored I can cure it by doing a puzzle with you.  You can draw really well too (when you want to) it seems like preschool is the only place where you will draw a picture, but the art work you bring home is awesome.  You can write your name and you know all your letters and sounds.  You are so smart!!  You love to learn new things and you always want to know what things are made out of.  Right now you want to know if different things will shock you.  You are always on the look out for power lines and inform us all that you could get shocked if you touched them. 

Krayden you are so special and our family wouldn't be complete without you.  You keep us all on our toes but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love you so much, to infinity and beyond.

Love ya tonz

Mom

p.s. I got a lot more video then I did pictures.  We were having to much fun!!

 Looking like a big 5 year old

 The iron man cake

 New favorite activity, sliding down the stairs on hospital mattresses

Opening presents

Welcome To My Brain....

Sorry About The MESS!!!!!

So I haven't posted in like FOREVER...I have been thinking a lot about my blog lately.  I want it to be a journal but then again do I really?  I know that I want to get it printed.  I have seen many friends printed blog books and I think they are super neat and I always want to keep a record of what we did as a family.  But do I really want it for a journal?  Yes and no...but I have to decide where to draw the line.  Before I have only posted what we were doing but really never said anything about any of my feelings but isn't that what a journal is supposed to be? But do I really want others to know what I am really feeling?  In some ways yes but other ways no.  If I am having a bad day sometimes it does help for me to write out my feelings but then I don't want all the sympathy that comes with it because that is not my intention, but I also want to document what is really going on in my life.  So then I thought I could just keep a separate journal but then who ever found that in the years to come would think everyday was a bad day because all the pages were filled with worry, grief, and everything else negative that comes with being human.  So I really don't want that.  And then another thing is if I get behind on posting the things I want to post I get discouraged and think I have to catch up on everything.  I am working on that...I am not going to do a huge update, yes I know I missed Halloween and it was probably one of the funnest Halloween's we have had as a family.  I did take pictures so I have it documented just not here. I am not going to do an update on Thanksgiving it was yummy and time was spent with family and I have pictures of that too but again there will be nothing on this blog to show it and last but not least Christmas.  We did celebrate Christmas and it was fun.  The kids had a blast but not one picture of 2010 will show up here.  I am going to start with what is happening in our lives now and not worry about it I missed something in the past or even if I miss something in the future. 

So here is what is happening in the now.  Jon just passed his SAE exam

in Respiratory Therapy, which gave him an associate degree in RT.

He is studying hard to take his CRT exam and then his RT exam.  I am so super proud of all the hard work that he has done for our family.  The last three years have not been easy!!!  We just closed our business that we have worked together building for the last 5 1/2 years.  We have grown closer as a couple and as a family and maybe the post important to the Lord because of the struggles that we have had to endure these past few years and wouldn't change what we have learned and how we have grown for anything.  Jon just started with a new company and will be their respiratory therapist and manager of their DME.  We are super excited for this opportunity and feel that everything happens for a reason. 

I am three weeks away from having baby #4, another boy.  Yep three boys running around the house, I have feeling Kynlee and I will be having many girl nights out just to keep our sanity. I was just released from being the primary secretary  I thought it would be a relief with me having a new baby and all but yesterday the kids in Junior primary sang a good bye song to me and I couldn't hold back my tears.  (I did better with Senior).  I grew to love those kids and the presidency more than I thought possible.  I am very blessed to been able to serve them. 

Jon and I joke that we could write a book on how not to live life backwards since that is what we pretty much have done, or how to survive if you happen to live your life backwards.  But the important thing is, is that we did survive and we are much better for it.  The lessons we have learned are invaluable and we can't wait to continue using them in our lives.

Family is what it is all about. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have about eternal families.  The gospel has helped me in my life so much lately.  I know that it's true and that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and that he restored the gospel to its fullest.  I know that I am loved and never forgotten.  Sometimes it has felt like I was all alone but I just had to get on my knees and I felt that I had an army fighting for me.  And when I felt like I was forgotten it wasn't me that was forgotten it was I who forgot the Lord.  I am so thankful for the power of prayer and that I am able to talk with my Father in Heaven who is always there to listen.