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. 

My Little Monkey Turns 2

 Hey Little Monkey,

Today you turn 2 and I am having a hard time believing it.  You are such a good little boy. You take naps and go to sleep at night like a champ.  You give hugs and kisses and wave night-night.  You now like to be rocked a byed and I just wish I could record the way you say it.  I think I am the only one that knows what you are saying.  You have to be sitting in a certain position and your blanket has to be just right.  I only get to rock you for about 3.3 seconds before you want down or before one of your siblings needs me but I cherish everyone of those 3.3 seconds.  Some times though when Kynlee and Krayden are both at school you will let me rock you for as long as I want.  I like to think you know it's our time and no one can interrupt.  You still have a sippy of milk (warmed) before you go to bed and you call it "bone".  We have no idea where this came from but you now have the whole family calling milk bone.

You are learning how to tease and to tease in style.  I guess I should say you know how to tease.  You can tease with the best of them.  In fact you and Krayden tease each other all day.  You love to tease and play with your dad.  I think you ask me every 20 minutes where dad is.  I say work and you say "oh" then you ask where Kynlee is and I say school and you say "oh"  This conversation goes on all day.  You have no fear, when you play with dad you will dive off couches and beds.  I am the one that is afraid for you.

Trevin you are one cool dude! Some times when dad is home we put the other two to bed and you get to stay up.  You love this time (dad and I love this time too) we get to see you be you.  We love it!!  You are so fun.  We just play with you and you laugh and run and laugh some more.

I love you so much!!! I am so proud that I get to say that I am your mom.  I am truly blessed to have you as my son.  Have a happy happy birthday!!

Love,

Mom

bottom pictures by Sara Coral Photography



"Krayden Are You Cute?"

"NO I'm SMOKIN' HOT!!!"

This is what he says when asked if he's cute.

I agree 100%

"Holy Smokes...It's HOT!!!"

What happens when you pull out the slip in slide with three babies under the age of two?  A whole lot of this....

We have been having a BLAST with Chad and Katie this summer.  From dinner and water baloons to the splash park and more dinner to the slip and slide to more dinner. 

Our Family's Favorite Sunday Activity

Summer days filled with playing in the water, jumping on the trampoline, staying up late and CHERRIES.

It wouldn't be a complete Sunday afternoon if the Larsen household didn't venture out to the back porch and down a container full of cherries.  We each pick out a chair and line it up along the side of the porch and dig in.  It's a good thing that church is early and we don't have anywhere to be with faces like this...

or hands like these

Jon trying to see how far he can spit the seed

Trevin spitting out the seed or trying to...he mainly spits out the whole thing.

"It's My Birthday, and I AM in Charge"

Kynlee Babe,

It is YOUR birthday, and so far YOU have been in charge.  You went to bed five and you woke up SIX.  How in the heck did that happen? 

You have blessed my life everyday for six years and I am so glad that I get to be your mom.  You make me laugh everyday, you are so smart and the things you say I have no idea where you come up with your ideas. 

So far for your birthday we have gone to the "steak/fire place", gone to get shaved ice and then to Chili's for your favorite cake ever...yes it's the molten lava cake, and it was super good.  Oh and I almost forgot your request for dinner on your actual birthday was purple pancakes and red eggs. You are having a friend birthday party this year and I think it might be the death of me.  You keep tellilng me differnt things you want to do for your party and who you want to invite.  You have been waiting for this party for two whole years and have been counting down the days since there were 16 left.  You have so many friends I don't know how you keep them all straight!!  It was fun to make the list of who you were going to invite, you chose all your friends from the neighborhood, 12 in all.  Some couldn't come and you wanted to know if you could hold off the party so they all could be there so their feelings wouldn't be hurt.  You are always thinking of others.  You know when I am sad or frustrated and you have just the right way to make it better. 

I am so proud of you.  You are always the first one to remind us to pray at meal times, you remind us to pray at bed time, you bring me the Book of Mormon for family scripture study after you get your pjs on (without me asking), and saving the best for last you are the BEST BIG SISTER EVER!!!  When Krayden gets in trouble you offer to go and talk to him, you play with him just like he is your best friend, you still let him tag along with you where ever you go, and you two laugh a ton together.  With Trevin you make sure he is having fun too, you can get him out of bed for me and you never complain when I ask you to get me a diaper, and my favorite thing is you still treat him like a new born.  You get supper excited when you see him when he wakes up, when you get home from school and when you get done playing with friends.

I still sing songs to you every night before you can go to bed.  Your favorite ones now are Army of Heleman and I am a Child of God (still) and You Are My Sunshine.  You are so funny at bed time.  If we stray from the routine it causes a little bit of a fuss but soon you set us back straight.  I have to at least sing 5 songs ending with I Am A Child Of God then I hug and kiss you good night, then you tell me to remind Dad that you love him and to brush his teeth and to come and check on you in 5 minutes.  Then as I am leaving you tell me like 10 times good night and that you love me.  I am half way down the stairs and we are still doing the loud whisper of I love you's.

Kynlee Babe YOU are my sunshine.  I love you so, so, so, so much. 

Love,
Mom

Went to bed 5 and woke up 6

Sport'n the Birthday Girl crown

Her birthday present from Mom and Dad

Well I guess mainly Dad

(Had to follow tradition)

The CAKE, "I've been planning that for years"

(name that movie)

Emma getting in on the painting.  We did freezer paper shirts and decorated purses for the take home bag.

The gang

Kynlee I love you to infinity and beyond!!!

Mid Life Crisis

What happened when Jon hit 30?

Hint #1

Hint #2

Hint #3

Hint #4

He went SKYDIVING

and LOVED every minute.

I gave Jon a gift card for sky diving two years ago and he finally cashed it in.  I guess he had to hit his mid life crisis before he could finally do it.  We drove up to Boise on Friday night and spent the night in a hotel.  On the way there the kids asked a lot of questions...

Krayden:  "Dad, are you going to turn into a rocket?"

"Dad can I jump out of an air plane too?"

"Oh, when I'm big like you I can jump out of the air plane too, huh Dad?"

"Why are you going to jump out of an air plane?"

Kynlee: "Mom are you going to jump out of an air plane too?" (No I'm not Crazy)

"Dad are you going to die? It's really far down?"

"When I'm eighteen can you take me to jump out of an air plane too Dad?"

Needless to say the whole experience led us to some interesting conversation.

Here he is after watching a video stating that he could die or be seriously injured and signing the form stating that if he did die or get hurt that he or his heirs could not sue the company.  And then he got five minutes of instruction on what he was about to do.  They took him up to 10,000 feet in an cessna 182.  (At this point I really couldn't believe that he was really going to do it. I mean his dad owns that same kind of plane and to think of jumping out of it is a little scary.)

Once the plane took off the manager guy said lets go we have about five minutes to get to the landing sight if you want to see him jump.  So off we went.

Just aim for the flag

And here we all are after he safely returned to the ground. 

I wonder what will happen when he turns 40?

Building huts...DAD STYLE

This is the mess of all messes the hut of all huts.  Let me just tell what this hut consists of.  11 blankets, all the kitchen table chairs but one, one couch, and 5 heavy duty clamps.  Forget the the clothes pins folks we need wood working clamps.  And the final thing used is

FUN!!!  The kids had a blast and mom even got to play a role.  I allowed the kids to sleep in this "hotel" on a SCHOOL night times 2.  And I allowed it to stay in my front room for two nights and three days.  Remember how this thing was constructed?  I needed my kitchen table chairs back.  

Give me a kiss

Oh my word, I am 100% smitten.  With those blue eyes and that pucker he gets me everytime.  Every night the whole family gets one of these.  He won't leave anyone out and he won't break the pucker until everyone has had the "kiss."

Keep those kisses coming baby boy!!!