Larsen Family Reunion

Thursday night, those of us that could attended a temple session all together in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  It was so wonderful to be there with so much family.  Talk about really seeing with an eternal perspective.

Friday was spent at the pools and slides of 7 peaks.  Pizza for lunch.  Laughing and playing with cousins; it was a grand ol' time.  It is so good to see everyone again.  I really enjoy family reunions.

-Harlow loves going on waterslides!  He laughed and clapped the whole way down Flashflood.  

-Two of my brother accidentally left the babies in the car, but only for a few minutes...thank goodness their mommies asked where the babies were right away!

-Harlow was on my shoulders and still fell asleep before I even got to the car.  Poor guy was pooped from a late night and all the water and sun.

Saturday we had a picnic and games up Provo Canyon.  What a blast.  We did 3 legged races, potato sack races, water balloon launches, ultimate Frisbee, air-soft wars, Nathan got out him airplane as well as his RC car and needless to say, instantly became the most popular guy there.  I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful, strong, kind, loving, fun family!  The Larsen side is full of people who sincerely care and love.  I am grateful for my Grandma Lois Larsen and her strength, wisdom, and gift to include all.  I miss my Grandpa Milton Larsen but am grateful for the love of music he helped grow in me and the lessons of working hard and being valiant he taught me.  I have many righteous examples that have come before me and I pray that I can add to that legacy. 

Bailey and Harlow

Brad and Jessica Johnson and there cute little Bailey moved in a few houses down from us a couple months ago and we just hit it off.  We've done move nights, dinners and morning walks.  Jessica helped with Harlow and brought us dinner when I had the miscarriage.  They are good friends and we are so grateful for their kindness and love. 

Bailey says "Harlow is my best friend!" and asks if she can come over and play with him...but Jessica says that it's at like 10pm...

The first time we hung out we watched Les Miserables together and Bailey had brought over all these toys to play with and share with Harlow.  She brought them over in her backpack.  She dumped all her toys out on our trampoline cushion and they starting having a ball.  Slowing Bailey started collecting her toys and putting them away in the safety of her backpack.  Soon all the toys were no longer threatened by Harlow's mouth and the now full backpack was safely on Bailey's back.  

-This gave us a good laugh-

Though Harlow puts Bailey's toys in his mouth and supposedly doesn't share his toys with her they are just good old buddies.

Oh 1 more story (haha) the best one:

Jessica and Brad watched Harlow so Nathan and I could attend a session in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple with the Larsen side of the family.  While there I guess Harlow had a poopy diaper.  Bailey was shocked as to why Harlow would dare do such a thing.  "Well, he's a baby" is what she was told. 

A little bit later Jessica found out that Bailey had followed suit but had pooped in her panties!  All because her best friend Harlow had done it!  "We are not digressing like this!"  Jessica was not very happy but we all had a great laugh the next day in church when she told us about it.

This is a picture of Harlow and Bailey at the park by Provost Elementary school.  We stopped there to let the kids play one morning while we were out on our walk.

4th of July Weekend

Harlow is helping Daddy get things ready around the house for the 4th of July Festivities!

The Parade was fun as always, cheering loudly for the floats holding people you don't even know.  But for some reason I just love it.  I love watching the soldiers pass and when they shoot off the guns.  My favorite thing in the parade, hands down, is when the missionaries serving in the Provo mission come by.  Everyone stands and gives a grand cheer.  I always get goose bumps and tears come to my eyes.  I am grateful for the valuable lessons I learned on my mission or working hard, relying on our Savior more fully, learning to love people as He does...these and many more lessons will stay with me for the rest of my life - I am tremendously grateful that I got to serve a mission.

After all these sentimental mission feelings I turned to Megan Williams Hinckley and said "Look Megan!  Their Cute!!  The sister missionaries are so cute!  I never got to look like that...that's just plain sad!!"  and we both had a good laugh about it, reflecting back on how sadly we had to dress and look...and how we were always asked if we were nuns...*SIGH* - the sacrifices we make for all those amazing, wonderful experiences and blessings... ;)

After the Parade the Rasmussen's, Andersen's, William's, Hinckley's, Laing's all came over to our house for spare ribs, many yummy fixin's, and of course, the slip-n-slide.  I am still trying to collect pictures of all this...if you have any, send them my way Please!

For fireworks we went out to Aunt Liz and Jason's house.  We had good fireworks of our own but what was fun was watching our own, and then when they were setting up more we could watch the amazing firework show happening all around us by neighbors.  It was fantastic and Harlow loved them!  He wasn't even scared of the big, loud ones.  He'd point and clap.  Nathan brought glow sticks, which all the kids loved and even his plane, which he flew threw the exploding fireworks above our heads!  So Fun!

Friday Mom, Sara, Cindi and I went up to Salt Lake Temple.  Nathan and I had gone up to the temple the week before so it was really neat to be there again so soon.  Thinking of the sacrifices made by those members and the skills that they had making everything my hand and the beauty of it...its pretty special being there.

Saturday we went to the farmer's market at Pioneer Park.  My favorite thing was the little Monster hat we all got for Harlow...as you can see he's showing us his most beautiful, happy smile for this picture...

Here are some nice Sunday pictures us Andersen's took together.  Aren't we lovely?!

Bike Ride

Cute Cousins!

Aunt Ellie on Addy's super cool bike

When Ellie was up here we thought it would be fun to all go on a bike ride together from Becca's house up Hobble Creek Canyon.  We brought my bike from Provo and all the kids got on their bikes and off we went.  Brielle and Harlow even got to join us in the bike trailer.  It was a beautiful day and felt nice to get out, exercise, and breath some fresh air.

Everyone else got tired from the hills and turned back but Addy and I were Super Troopers!!  We finished the last little leg and made it all the way to the Hobble Creek Reservoir.  That's why she's named after me :) We're just awesome like that!

Isn't she so dang cute!?!

Plus, Addy and I got to see a turkey on the way up there! A turkey!  A big, huge, fat, probably yummy turkey!  Maybe it was wild or maybe is belonged to this huge property it was on...me and Addy think it should be wild....makes the story better :)

Sara's Homecoming

Sara has been an outstanding missionary!  She served in the San Fransisco, Oakland Temple Visitor Center Mission, Spanish speaking.  She had reported to the MTC in Provo before Harlow was born...we might have accidentally gone up to the Provo temple at the same time she was suppose to go up there and she might have just happened to get to see her new little barely a month old nephew for the first time, and he might have held her finger with his little tiny hand...but just maybe.... :) 

I am so lucky to have her as my sister!  She's such a  tremendous example to me of love, patience, trusting the Lord, wisdom, intelligence, humor, compassion....I just love this girl!  The man who ends up getting her is one special, lucky, and blessed guy! 

16 Months

I am One Cool Dude!

-Loves his bikes, he has 3 and still wants every one that he sees in the neighborhood
-Harlow loves wearing and playing with hats

-Playing in the dirt is awesome, especially when you can dump it right onto your head
-I can no longer garden when he's awake.  He either eats the dirt (this kid does not stop with one handful) or he pulls up my plants (poor poor cucumber plant...if only I could teach him to pull weeds already, now that would be great)

New Words are: poo poo, hot, hat, Dada, Flower, shoes, socks, dog and barking

-Aunt Ellie taught him how to stick his tongue out

-Is a singing boy.  Sings while we're out on our walks, as he's going to bed, playing with toys

-dances whenever he hears music

-Is already going to nursery, thanks to good friends who are okay with him going a few months earlier.  He loves nursery! "Mom and Dad? who are they?"

-Loves sidewalk chalk, especially eating it

-Goes down with little or no fuss, he's usually more ready for it and I am.

-Is a milk montser

-He'll go put himself in the stroller and wait for me to come find him.  "It's time for our walk Mom"

-Loves brushing his teeth

He's learning to work:

-He puts his dirty clothes away in the laundry shoot everyday

-Helps Mommy load the washing machine and dryer

-Knows the "clean up song" and helps clean up his toys, even sings the song with us

Harlow's growing up so fast!  He fills everyday with laughter, excitement and learning.  I love watching him learn new things and the look of accomplishment on his face makes me proud.  He'll come up and play games with and jokes on me.  I love seeing his little personality emerge and how he knows when he's being funny.  I feel so blessed and happy to be his Mommy!

I love my little boy

Climber

The other day we taught Harlow to climb up chairs!  That's been one of his favorite activities since.  Well Harlow decided to show his excitement for our Fathers Day Celebrations by climbing on top of the old stereo and started throwing everything off :) the cards, I'm sure, we're the coolest things to watch fall, as they fluttered down to the ground

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MY NATHAN LOVE!!!!

Harlow's 1 Year Pictures

 Hehehe!

Photographs by Rebecca Laing