Life with the Larson's

Playing some major catch-up!

2010-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, It's been almost a year since I last blogged, so I have some major catch-up to do. Here goes!

September through November:

We have lots of drama over here and never ending photo shoots for these girls!

Grandma Larson made all these cute clothe for Ava. Aren't they darling? If anyone is looking for a great seamstress I'll give you her number!

Out of Africa is awesome! Our girls got to feed camels, giraffs, hold snakes and learn about many animals. I even volunteered to help hold the huge phython snake! What was I thinking?

Halloween 2009

Annalise was a Spanish Rose and Ava a ballerina.

And I had to throw this cute picture of Ava in here. She's such a ham!

Girls Room Makeover! Pink - Red - White

2009-09-23T18:30:00.001-07:00

My Mom's been bugging me for these pics - so here they are. It took a lot of blood sweat and tears, but it's finally done! I bought these beds off Craiglist for a steal and stripped and stained them. It about killed me and Joe was mad the whole time b/c he was worried I might be prego while I was staining and he didn't want me around the fumes. But, he just doesn't have the time to do it and when I want something...........................well, let's just say it got done didn't it? :-)

I wasn't prego at the time so that was good. But I am prego now for those of you who didn't catch it a few weeks ago. Be prepared for me to turn into an elephant. It's very scary!

Anywhoo, one night I was in bed thinking of what I could do to transform the girls room. I started getting ideas and had to get out of bed and sketch what I wanted to do until about 2am in the morning. Yep, that's how I roll!

Dollar Store Frames spray painted brown. I love a deal!

These dang flowers about killed me. And yes - they are supposed to look like a childs drawing! :-)

The middle fabric is a table runner, the red is a cheap tablecloth and the red "buttons" were 50 cent mirrors spray painted red.

Another room down, hopefully soon, it'll be my bedroom that gets the re-do. It's a little white trashy right now! First I have to come up with a plan......

Cabin and Summer Fun

2009-09-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

We were at the cabin a lot this summer but I was lame and only took a few pics!

We went on a hike to our favorite pond and picked wild rasberries. They are yummy! I used to do this as a kid and bring them back to the cabin for my mom to make muffins with. So, we let the tradition continue and our girls were so excited for me to make these muffins with their hand picked rasberries. They worked hard for these and had LOTS of scrapes to prove it! :-)

Cute Cousins!

The family on the Fourth of July!

The King of Forts

2009-09-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

The girls were in heaven when I went on a girls weekend and Joe build them this fort! This is where I found them when I got home!

Learning to ride a TWO WHEEL BIKE! Woo Hoo!!

2009-09-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

It started when I asked Joe to replace the broken training wheels on her bike. Her started to, said a few Mormon curse words :-), then decided it would be faster to teach her how to ride with out them! I couldn't watch and went inside. Needless to say, it only took about two minutes and did AWESOME!!! Even her turns were great with only a few spills. I'm so proud. Thanks for being so brave Joe and teaching her what I couldn't!

Ava needed a picture thrown in too, and I think she won for best dressed this day! :-) She can sure put together some crazy combo's!!

Preschool Ends, Kindergarten Begins!!

2009-09-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here's to playing catch-up for the next few posts!!

Annalise loved preschool at Ruckus Kids! Here's Preschool Graduation!

This picture didn't have anything to do with preschool - I just thought it was funny!

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KINDERGARTEN!! Here's the big day with a fashion show of her UNIFORMS!

She's a beautiful girl who loves kindergarten and has fabulous friends and a great teacher - Mrs. Moore. She's had some typical girl drama, but hopefully it's all worked out now!

That's What Friends Are For!!!

2009-09-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I should name names, okay I will - Alyne you ROCK!!! I was complaining to my friend Alyne about how I've been sick with the flu and my girls have been sick and I have morning sickness up the wazoo! And to top it off, I haven't been grocery shopping in like two weeks and I feel guilty that I've been giving my kids junk to eat because I just couldn't bare going grocery shopping. Anyway, she INSISTED on picking me up something to make for dinner tonight. I resisted - but man she's persuasive! Anyway, she gets to my house and calls me to have me open the garage.

And this is the loot she brought inside. I tried paying her, but she wouldn't have it. Isn't she sweet!

I got teary eyed and thanked her. Then my girls and I had a great talk about how to be a friend.

Thanks Alyne for being a great friend and taking care of me when I needed you! Love ya girl!

Our Family Must Endure Once More

2009-08-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!!! My Dad had surgery today and it went very well! He's recovering now and we'll have to wait a few weeks to see if the surgery was effective. Thanks for all your prayers!

My Dad is probably the most amazing person (besides you mom :-)) that I know. Whenever I have a question about life, finances, spirituality, marriage, etc - it is him I want to call. It is his advice I crave. It is him that makes me feel better about MY trials. And yet, here he is facing his biggest trial. My father has cancer. And I hate it.

I have tried not to think or talk about it much, mostly because I don't really want to believe it is there. You see, I truly cannot imagine my life without him. Now, don't let me fool you, he will fight. He is a fighter in every sense of the word. But cancer is just mean and his future isn't certain. I like to prepare for the future. I like knowing what is around the corner. And I want the future to be WITH my father, forever really, because that's how long I NEED him to be in my life. I guess I'm selfish like that.

I have to face the reality of what is happening. And I could use your help. He's having surgery on the 8th and I would love for all my friends to be praying for him. All who meet him, love him and he deserves some extra help from heaven! :-)

Love you Paps, be strong and remember I love you the most!!

Toilet Paper Gratitude

2009-07-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I was moaning and groaning to Annalise about how sad I'll be when she goes to Kindergarten (Please tell me all moms give their kids guilt trips about leaving them?). I was telling her all the things I'll miss about her being gone. Then I said, "Plus, who will bring me toilet paper if it runs out on me? Ava doesn't even know where to find it". I was very serious in telling her just how important her role as my daughter is! :-).

Now fast forward to today. Lunch time roles around and I'm talking to her again, saying things such as, "You can't go to school. Just stay home one more year, I'll miss you so much, etc....etc...". She tells me she definitely IS going to school because now she's excited about it. Then after she gets up I hear her go into the other room and say this to Ava, "Ava, come here. I need to teach you something. I need to teach you where the toilet paper is so if Mommy ever needs some you can get it." Well, Ava must not have been a good student because then she says, "I'll just get one out for ever day I'll be gone". And lo and behold, I went into the bathroom and there is about 10 rolls gracing my magazine basket. I guess I go through a LOT of toilet paper people!

I think it's hilarious that the thing she thinks I worry most about her being gone is me running low on toilet paper! Gotta love it.

Ready or Not....

2009-07-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

I cannot come to grips that my little girl is going to Kindergarten soon. One more week. That is all I have left and then, she might has well be in college. I mean really? This is the end of her childhood at home. It won't ever be the same. Really. Yes I am moping. I have so many "what if" questions. Like what if other kids teach her bad things? Have I taught her enough to make good choices? I don't know. I do look forward to there being a bit more quiet and peace with her gone during the day, but I will miss my firstborn. Really I will. She makes me laugh and I just love her. Her sister will be so sad not to have a playmate. Every night for the past week I have gone to sleep asking Joe questions about what I'm going to do when she's gone. I know I'm probably blowing it way out of proportion, but this seems huge. I am not looking forward to next Monday. Life will change. I'm not one who particularly likes change. Any suggestions for this scared little Mama?

One Loved Man....My Dad!

2009-06-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Dad,

Happy Father's Day!

I hope you know what wonderful memories I have of my childhood and a lot of that is because of you! You always initiated family outings, work projects, and everyday ways to become closer as a family. At the time I didn’t really understand what you were doing – I truly didn’t realize how much work and effort it was to include us kids. It’s so much easier to buy “the wanted toy” for your child, than to teach them the principle of hard word and ownership. I find myself constantly thinking how you would handle a situation. Most of the time I feel like I am failing miserably in comparison to how good of a parent you were to me. But I’ll keep trying – with advice from you along the way!!

I also find myself telling me friends about you often – about the principles you taught us, and all the lessons I learned as a child. Many of these lessons my friends are now learning the hard way. THANK YOU!!! I am truly indebted to you for the wisdom I learned at such a young age. I’m also so grateful that you were strict enough to keep me in line – because heaven only knows what trouble I could have found myself in, if not for your watchful eye.

And along with the lessons learned, you showed me great love. You always tried to spend time with me. I didn’t always take advantage of that time, something I wish I could take back. I always felt so special with the one on one time you gave to me. I knew you loved me then, and I know you love me now. I always felt important in your life. And you – dear Paps – are just as important in MY life. I love you so much. Thank you for being the most wonderful Father I can imagine. I love you!

Alisa

PS - let me not forget the father of my children either. Joe - you are such a wonderful father to our little girls. Often I find myself wondering how you have the patience you do with them. They adore you! They light up when you come home. They ask for you constantly. They LOVE you and so do I. Thank you for being so wonderful.

Pony Party for Annalise and Ava the Birthday Girls!

2009-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of Pictures of the FOUR parties we had to celebrate our girls! Sorry they are not in order - something is wrong with blogger so I can't move the pics in the right order! Ava and Joe at their bday party.

Joe enjoying the last of Shirleys cake!

Ava eating her edible bracelet.

All the kids got to make bracelets.

The cute cake Shirley made. It was yummy. She's so sweet to make cakes for them. It's become a tradition that they remember and ask for her cakes every year. Thanks Shirley - you are a wonderful friend.

The long line for a pony ride!!

The Darling Birthday Girls!

What a fun day!

We are blessed with two beautiful daughters whose birthdays are just a month apart. Annalise turned 5 and Ava turned 3. Actually we ended up doing about 4 parties - one for Annalise with Joe's parents, another later that day for Annalise with MY parents, one for Ava with family friends and the big joint party in between their actual birthdays! Whew! We decided to do a joint party for them and go all out and get ponies! They were soooo excited and had such a wonderful time at their party. All the kids loved the pony rides too. My good friend Shirley made the rainbow cake and it was as good on the inside as it looked on the outside. We forgot to get a good picture of it before the first piece was served though. I made the other pony cake - although half of the marshmellow "fence" got taken down before we got that picture too! I was nervous that one cake wouldn't be enough so I made an extra one just in case. Boy am I glad I did! The day was wonderful with lots of family and friends. Also, the birthday for Ava was also celebrating Joe's bday (Happy BDay Babe). I made a yummy Lemon Poppyseed cake with strawberry filling and a white chocolate frosting. Holy Cow was that worth every calorie! Thanks to all who came and Happy Birthday my darling daughters! We love you!!

Sweet Annalise

2009-05-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

I had to blog this so I didn't forget.

Tonight I made a dinner that Joe and I love - it's very healthy and kind of a "raw" dish. Well, tonight I decided that the little ones would try it for the first time (usually I tweak theirs to be more kid friendly) but I was cranky and tired and didn't want to make two dinners.

They tried it.

They tried to be gracious.........Well, Annalise did. Ava immediately spit out each bite she'd take. Finally she settled on just eating of few of the veggies raw - w/o the rest of the meal.

After trying and trying to get them to eat, Annalise comes to me and whispers, "Please Mommy, can we not eat this?".

I looked at Joe - the look that says, "Okay, I give up, they don't have to eat it". I put my head down on the table - I wasn't crying or anything - although I thought about it. I was just sad they wouldn't eat this healthy meal and again - I was TIRED. Joe - being the rock star he is - jumped up and said, "who wants eggs!".

Annalise after seeing my head came and asked me what was wrong. I told her I was sad because they didn't like my dinner.

A few minutes later she whispers in my ear, "I know what will make you not be sad.... I will clean up the whole play room and surprise you!". I smiled. She cleaned. Joe made eggs. They ate them willingly. Then Annalise brings me a present to make me feel "even more happy". It's a necklace that I had given to her when I was cleaning out my jewelry last year. I was re-gifted by my 5 year old (yes, she's 5 now and my next post will be about her awesome birthday party).

Joe then leaves to do Elders Quorum visits. I start the dreaded kitchen clean up of 2 meals, plus banana bread I made earlier. I sent the kids outside so I could clean. I'm still tired.

After a few minutes I check on the girls. They are swinging together on the glider swing and no one is yelling, fighting or crying. I tell them thank you - this is a big thing in our house. Annalise tells me I'm the "best Mommy ever for not making her eat that dinner". She checks on me again, asking if I'm still sad. She says, "Mom, I'm very sorry I didn't like your healthy dinner." I smile and say it's okay.

Sometimes that little devil can be so sweet and considerate of my feelings. I just had to write it down so I'll remember the other 95% of the time! :-)

PS - are you wondering where all these fantastic photos of my family have been coming from? Trevor Dayley Photography. He's stellar. Seriously. Amazing. Like a miracle worker for my children. Go check out his blog and if you mention I'm your friend he'll knock off $50 from your session, photo shop select images AND give you all the digital negatives. He's seriously awesome. Plus, you'll get to see many more of our families photos - we're all over his blog. Yeah, I'm pretty much famous. :-) http://www.trevordayley.com/

My Beautiful Mother

2009-05-09T23:42:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

Do you really know just how much I love you? I hope so! As Annalise would say, "I love you all the way to Jesus and back - and nothing is bigger than that!". We've had a lot of memories together over the past 29 years! (I'm especially fond of your laughing episode at the Chinese restaurant! What ever happened to that rag anyway!? :-)

All of these memories have taught me many lessons. I've learned patience. I've learned humor (karate-kicks :-)). I've learned loyalty to your spouse. I've learned hard work - boy you were always busy working and keeping the house in order. How the heck did you always get everything done AND have dinner ready for Dad at 5pm? I've learned kindness. I've learned unconditional love - you still love me after all :-). I've learned humility. I've learned service - you were always there helping us into the early morning hours with our school projects. I've learned to "shake things off". I've learned to be a friend. I've learned to be a wife. And most importantly, I've learned to be a mother too. And I must say, I've learned from the best. I love you Mom. Happy Mothers Day.

Love,

Alisa

While the Cat is Away...

2009-04-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so some of my closest friends (and others who cared to hear me complain) knew that Joe went out of town for two and a half (don't mock the half) weeks. A long time for a mother of two busy girls. Before he left he said, "I'm afraid to think about what project you are going to do..". You see, Joe remembers back to the time when he left me with our newborn - who had pneumonia at the time - for 3 weeks! I remodeled our bedroom that time. But now we're older, and I felt I needed to up my game. Poor Joe - literally poor Joe, b/c I'm making him broke....just kidding, but not really.

Since we moved into this house almost three year ago, I had a vision for our front room. It's supposed to be a dining room - too boring, and I disliked how you could see right through to my kitchen. So, I decided to make it a library. Sounds fancy right? I like fancy. So the quest began for furnishings. Little by little, I bought the small items -hid them from my husband like any good wife and started my master plan. I just needed my man to go on a trip to complete it!

The time came.

Here are the before pictures...kind of before....actually the beginning of the redo, but I wasn't fast enough to snap the true before pics; just use your imagination.

Notice how you can see right through to my kitchen. Not the best.

Hard at work. Too many numbers to crunch if you ask me!A quick weekend trip to my parents to break up the construction mess.

Starting to come together!!! ............................................

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Voila!! The room is done (minus the new piece of glass I need for the little table, draperies, and a reading lamp by the leather chair, but it's close)!The inspiration for this room was this gorgeous bookcase from Razmataz. I've waited a long time for you my pretty!

My reading chair - did you hear me kids? MY reading chair!

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And, let us not forget that walls have two sides. Here's the before back side:
And the after - I'm still choosing which family picture to put in this frame.

So, I think it's safe to say that Joe won't be leaving me for any long trips any time soon! Darn! That bathroom redo will have to wait! :-)

Going Private ... sorry!

2009-04-19T21:48:00.001-07:00

This is not the post I promised below, - that one's coming next week - but I wanted to announce that I'm going private in about a week, so please send me your emails. Send them to: joenlarson@qwest.net. And if you blog stock me and I know you or kinda know you, send me your email too! I'm not afraid of all you stockers - heaven knows I'm one! Thanks!

Joe's cheating on me with his garden......

2009-04-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true - I've been replaced with a veggie garden! I'm not joking, but I'm not sad either. I mean who doesn't love fresh lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, herbs, broccoli whenever their heart desires - which is a lot? This is our first attempt at gardening and I must admit - my man delivered. First and foremost, the garden had to look nice, so Joe built me a retaining wall. I'm very proud of this task alone. Then he followed the "Gardening by the Square Foot" method - which rocks! And now we eat fresh veggies every day. These pictures were of our fall garden and now we've extended it even more. Now we have lettuce, radishes, blackberries, strawberries, snap peas, green beans, tomatoes galore, cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, mystery plant (some seeds fell out and starting growing, we don't know what they are yet), bell peppers, and jalapenos. I hope I'm still happy about our garden when it's 115 degrees!! BTW - any of your kids who want a little summer job by watering our garden call me. We go up to the cabin and to CA a lot during the summer and we'll need a little helper to water the garden and feed the dog. The waterer must not be afraid of dogs! :-)

Anyway, good job Babe, I love the garden and YOU too!!

PS - And for those of you who don't think I update my blog - just wait till you see what I post next week! Here's a teaser...."While the cats away, the mice will play....."

Thanks Friend

2009-04-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Friend - the one who just bought a bouquet of yellow tulips,

Thank you for your kind compliments today. They were much needed. Thank you for your sincerity and friendship. I'm so glad you're in my life and it's good to know you feel the same way.
Thanks again for the extra boost today.

Love,
Alisa

The Story of Us - 9 years later...

2009-03-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

What can I say - I hit the jackpot marrying Joe! He's the kindest man I know and he still makes me giddy. :-) He's a wonderful provider for our family and leads us with love and humility. Thanks for making these past nine years so wonderful Babe!

The Story of Us:

Joe and I met on a blind date. I had just broken up with I guy who was a real jerk and had no interest in dating at the time. BUT, my good friend Catherine, kept insisting I go out with her boyfriends best friend (Joe). After turning her down for two weeks, I finally agreed. Joe was late picking me up - not the best start. I was sick of losers. (Of course this is where Joe always interrupts me and says, "It wasn't' my fault - I wasn't driving".) This was a group date. Anywhoo, he picks me up and I'm sure this will be a lame date. Men are still dirt for me at this point.

So, during the date, Joe and I end up in separate places for a few minutes. During this time, his best friend and my friend (who set us up), tell me that Joe had an interesting dream the night before. In his dream he met this girl named Irix and he knew she was the woman he would marry. The dream was perfect and the girl was perfect for him. Sooooo, being the trickster that I am, we decided to play a little joke on Joe.

Later that evening we were all sitting around and someone asks someone else what their middle name was. So, eventually Joe ended up asking me what mine was. I simply said, "Irix". His jaw dropped and he said, "WHAT?". To which I smartly came back with, "What, don't you like that name? That was my Grandmothers name........". Joe of course said he loved that name, etc, etc. It was so funny. Oh, and did I mention that I forgot to tell Joe about the little joke we played on him? He dropped me off that night thinking I was the woman of his dreams! Which I guess I ended up being anyway. :-)

Joe won my heart that night with his genuine kindness (and his hunky muscles). And even though I rejected his kiss, not once, but three times (hey, my Dad taught me how to play hard to get), we were married 7 months later. And like I said before, best decision I ever made.

Why My Hubby is So Dang HOT!!

2009-03-05T12:06:00.001-08:00

In a few days it'll be the 29th anniversary of my existence. I'm not exactly thrilled with this "holiday" soon approaching. And my dear hubby, knowing that it would be just too much for me to handle turning 29 AND having to clean my house, hired me a cleaning service to deep clean. Yeah, that's right - all the nicks and crannies baby! Ahh, I am totally enjoying writing this entry and not worrying about my sticky floor and dusty baseboards. The "magic fairies" (that just sounds better than cleaning ladies) are currently at work. In fact, Annalise just said, "Mmm, it smells good in here". Speaking of smelling good, maybe I'll go make some pre-birthday brownies.....because I have so much lovely time on my hands. Plus, knowing my thighs as intimately as I do, I'm sure they would really enjoy it.

One thing I DON'T love...Urinary Reflux in Little Girls....Especially my little girl!

2009-02-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: The test went well! Phoenix Childrens Hospital is AWESOME! We had such a better experience than last time. At Banner Desert, they had to try several times to get the cath in, this time it took only once. The whole procedure went so much better. Also, Ava's urologist recommended we ask for a Life Care Specialist. She was great. She helped explain things to Ava, got her excited about her hospital gown and kept her occupied with a princess pony movie, magic wands, etc. And even though Ava was scared she said, "Hi Doctor" with the sweetest smile and cutest voice ever (those of you who know Ava, know she has THE cutest voice). The doctor was taken aback that she was so sweet with everything going on. He said "that was quite possibly the sweetest thing I've ever seen........ no, I know it's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.". Anyway, after the procedure, the doctor said he didn't seen any sign of the reflux - meaning she outgrew it!! He's got to look at the images a little closer, but so far the news looks great. That means no surgery. Next Thursday we'll go to her urologist for an ultrasound to check for any kidney damage that could have happened over the past year, but I'm thinking (hoping) that it will be good too. Whew! I'm so glad the test is over - at least for her anyway. If we have any more kids, they have a 30% chance of the same problem and would each have to be tested when they're a few months old. But, at least it will be familiar territory and not as scary as the first time around. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. Love you all!
Well it's been a year since Ava was diagnosed with urinary reflux (urine backing up into her kidneys, which can cause kidney damage). She been on antibiotics for a year while we've waited to see if her body will fix the problem itself. Tomorrow morning we go to Phoenix Children's Hospital for the procedure and I'm really nervous. Luckily since Joe is out of town on business, my sweet mom is coming with us. I'm more scared this time than last time b/c Ava is so much older and she'll remember this and won't be able to figure out why we are doing this to her. It's a painful procedure and they can't give her any drugs to sedate her b/c it can interfere with the results. I just can't handle when my child is looking at me, crying, and asking why this is happening. Just plain sucks! Anyway, the test will tell us if she needs surgery or if the problem fixed itself. Hopefully this will be the last test they'll have to do. Then, next week, she'll have an ultrasound of her kidneys to see if any damage was done during the last week. That's the scariest part. Once there is damage, there is no correcting it. Anyway, I just really hope Ava will be brave. This little girl is too sweet to have to deal with this!

Two Things I Love..

2009-02-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sweet, little GIRLY-GIRLS and my new YELLOW SNAKESKIN HEELS. Yes, life is good.

Christmas Ramblings..

2009-01-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

My awesome parents hosted their first annual "Grandkids Christmas Party". They sent invitations out addressed to the kids and made it very special. The kids played Christmas Bingo where they won ornaments (most of which were my childhood ornaments so it made it special). They decorated cookies, had special drinks and of course had lots of candy. Then my Dad read a Christmas story and then the kids did little talents. My girls sang "Mary had a Baby". And guess who parked his reindeer on the golf course below my parents house? Santa of course! My Dad went and took care of Santa's reindeer so that Santa could come give gifts to the kids. It was a magical evening and we look forward to next year. Love ya Mom and Dad!

Christmas Day
We opened lots of fun presents - but I totally forgot to take pictures of the opening act. The favorite presents for the girls were the plasma cars, microphone and their new play kitchen. My favorite presents were the plethora of gift cards for shopping and my Tiffany's charm bracelet. Thanks babe! Joe's favorites was the red wood garden trellis for his grape vines and the indoor b.ball thing-a-magiggy that folds into the wall.

After gift opening, Ava and I did a little yoga. :-) Not the most classy shot, but I found this on my camera a few days later. Joe - next time shoot from the front - it's a much nicer view! :-) Ava tried doing all the poses for about ten minutes and it was pretty darn cute.

We had a yummy Christmas dinner at my house. The best present of all was that my darling niece Bree was out of the hospital in time for Christmas! Hooray! Keep up the prayers as this week she's getting tested to see if these past few months of chemo have worked. We're praying for a miracle that it's completely gone, vanished, tootaloo.

Well, we had a great Christmas this year. We had a great year in general. And our little family looks forward to many, many more great ones to come. We hope you are too!

Have YOU watched ANNIE lately?

2009-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

My kids just watched the movie Annie for the first time. This is the result. It gets pretty funny mid-way through. I think I'll buy the soundtrack, unless anyone has it and they don't mind me breaking the law to burn it? :-)

I think Ava will be a drama major someday.

STOP ABORTION NOW

2009-01-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

I found this commentary on another blog (http://fromthegridandbeyond.blogspot.com/) about just how harmful abortion is --- to EVERYONE. I could not have written it any better, so PLEASE visit this blog and be informed. This woman really puts things into PERSPECTIVE. WOW is all I can say.

For Your Enjoynment

2009-01-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Since I've been a lame blogger lately, I'm making up for it with this hilarious video, Enjoy!

Vote Please

2008-12-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here's some of our family pics that I'm trying to decide on for Christmas cards (if I ever get them out - they may be New Years cards instead). Which one is your favorite?

And thanks to our good friends the Youngs for taking our pictures! We think yours turned out pretty darn cute too!

Bailey - the dog - is apparently engaged...

2008-12-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Two cute cousins "Making a Wedding for Bailey".

Lately Annalise has been obsessed with our dog Bailey. She plays cowgirl, where she's the cowgirl and Bailey is the horse. She'll make corrals for Bailey and insists she sleep in them, she'll lasso the poor pup and is constantly terrorizing her.

And new to the routine is asking me every single day when Bailey will have puppies(p.s. - Bailey was fixed a year ago). Finally I told her she can't have puppies b/c she's not married. Yah, that only worked for a day or two b/c now she asks when Bailey is going to get married. I caught her and her little cousin Macey covering Bailey with rose petals (all the petals off my rose bush actually) because the were "making a wedding for Bailey". :-) And just now she asked me if we could go to the marriage store so we could get Bailey married. :-) Yep, I think I have some explaining to do.....

I Can't Tweeze My Eyebrows!

2008-12-08T16:42:00.001-08:00

Joe and I went rock climbing on Saturday. I wanted some variations to my workout and wanted to find something we could do together. Little did I know how sore it would make me. I thought my legs and biceps would be sore. Nope. My fingers are KILLING me! And my forearms too! In fact, I went to tweeze a few stray hairs on my eyebrows and yikes! I was very much reminded of the previous days activity! So here's to rock climbing and Joe and I getting certified next Saturday!!

Oh, and of course I must mention (in case Joe ever looks at this blog), that he beat my climbing time on each climb! Once only be mere seconds! I swear, he's like a monkey the way he climbs! I, however in my competitive nature, did three more climbs than he did. Yeah, that's right! And I'm going to practice so next time I can beat his time. I have to find one sport that I'm better at than him. Good luck to me!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008....We are so blessed.
"Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."

Pre-Thanksgiving Crafts - what cute little turkeys!

The women, slaving away of course.Oh and one weird brother got in there too!

Cousins enjoying dinner @ the kiddie table

Joe and Ava snuggling after the feast!

Apparently Ava's thankful for flowers.

THE MEN. Enough said. :-)

Post-Thanksgiving decorating time.

And the magic of the Christmas Season begins.....

Yackity Yack....And Don't Talk Back!

2008-11-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

I have a plan to end all sassy talk from my daughter. And my floors have never been cleaner.....

Yes, that's right - from now on, when Annalise decides to talk sassy to me, she'll do her 4 minute "reflection time", and then she'll get to mop my floors......just to make sure she remembers. This particular day they got mopped twice. :-) Ava just thinks it's fun to help mop - she wasn't sassy - thank goodness!

First Annual Movie Under the Stars

2008-11-17T09:53:00.001-08:00

Movie Under the Stars

Joe and I need to start some fun traditions so the other night we decided to kick the holidays off with movies under the stars. We'll do this every year around this time and also on Christmas Eve. We watched a really cute little Christmas movie that Joe's cousin produced and cuddled up under blankets on the trampoline to watch a movie on my laptop. At first I was hesitant, but it turned out to be so much fun and I'm excited for Christmas Eve to do it again. Although Annalise is worried that Santa will see her out there and not come b/c it's dark and she's still awake. :-) I think Santa will be kind enough to wait till she's in bed!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween a little late!

Such cute little Trick-or-Treat kiddies!

Annalise hamming it up for the camera!

Sure this kitty looks cute, but wouldn't you know it, she gave me a guilt trip b/c she wanted a necklace like her sister. SOOOO, stupid me found a neclace that looked similar to a cats collar. And this particular necklace wasn't on the cheap side AND we bought it in Sedona on our honeymoon. And YES it was lost about 2 hours into the night.

Our favorite neighbor kids at our annual Halloween Soup Festival! That's just a fancy name for our annual soup potluck, but boy was it yummy and lots of fun!

If this doesn't look like a princess and her hero - I don't know what does!

Hmm. maybe my necklace disappeared after this photo was taken...

They are the cutest Kitty and Princess I ever did see...... and I'm not just saying that! In fact, it's been comfirmed by a very reliable and wise source === THE GRANDPARENTS!! ;-)

My Veggie Technique

2008-11-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Ava and Annalise now love another veggie - bell peppers of all colors! Bell Pep's are one of my favorite veggie b/c they are packed w/vitamins, so I'm so glad my kids like them now too.

Here's my technique for getting kids to eat their veggies. It's worked with both my kids and they now eat (with no complaints): sweet potatoes, broccoli, salad, carrots, asparagus (I can never roast enough), zucchini, eggplant, celery, beets (only Ava), green beans, peas, and as of tonight bell peppers.

1. When they are infants I only offer veggie baby food - no fruit until they like all the veggie tastes - then I'll incorporate the fruit.

(When they can start eating solid food)

2. I don't give them any veggies on their plates (they still will eat baby food veggies at this point) when they are toddlers until they ASK for some off mine. THAT is the trick! Especially with salad. Ava's been loving salad since she was about 1 1/2 years old. Not bad for a little kid! I'm telling you, making them ask for something that you present as too good to share, will get them to like the veggies.

3. We all go through spurts of liking and not liking certain foods. So, if they start acting bored of a certain veggie, I delete it from the menu for a week or two. And soon enough, they'll start enjoying it again on their own.

Okay, that's it. I just had to share how happy I am that my girls are now begging for raw bell peppers!

******Update on little niece Bree: She started Chemo yesterday and so far so good. She's a real trooper and gave me several smiles the other day. It felt like such a privilege to hold this little girl. I really love her like one of my own children. And I love her momma like my own sister. We love you Justin and Kari! Keep being strong for your darling princess! You can read more of her story if you like on 'Justin and Kari' on my sidebar.

Prayers for Little Bree

2008-10-28T08:12:00.001-07:00

This sweet baby girl is my 6 month old niece, Bree Cook (Justin and Kari's daughter). We just found out - very unexpectedly - that she has a rare form of cancer called Neuroblastoma. We originally thought (last night) that it was Wilm's Tumor, which is much easier to treat, with higher survival rates. As they just found out last night, we are still learning about her condition. Please pray for the healing of this sweet little girl. She is the most lovable litte thing and is always happy. Her parents are obviously devastated and will need prayers of comfort and strength. I'll give updates when I have them.

Why I'm SORE every week....

2008-10-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

Many of my closes friends know that it's very common for me to say, "Ooh, I'm so sore". Well here is the reason:

Greg Lake, NASM, AFAA, NCCPT, NESTA

Let me introduce you to my awesome personal trainer - Greg Lake. I've always been a bit of an exercise and health freak, but Greg has taken me (or shall I say, my tooshy) to a higher level! I am sore every single week from our workouts. Yeah it hurts - oh, does it hurt, but I like it. I know something is working when I'm so sore I can't sit, or when I can barely lift my two year old up. :-) Sometimes I call him Satan and sometimes I yell at him, but I know he's only pushing me because I pay him to. :-)

So, if you're ready to feel the burn, give him a call. You won't be disappointed. I tried 4 other trainers before I found Greg and he's the best by far. He comes to my home gym each week, so if any of you want to work out close to home, I'd let you use it. Otherwise, he has a gym in Mesa or can meet you at some of the local gyms.

Here's his blog address: http://glakepersonaltraining.blogspot.com/, or call him at: 480-703-3068.

Dreaming of Politics........

2008-09-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Or shall I say having political NIGHTMARES!! If any of you are Obama fans, please stop reading b/c you won't like what's on my mind. Actually, keep reading so I can change your mind, or at least encourage you to really research the candidates.

Am I alone in how frustrating this campaign for the presidency is? I mean ALL the news media is so bias it is ridiculous. Do they ever ask Obama any tough questions? NO. Do we know what he will do in Washington with all this "change" he's talking about? NO. Do they talk about how he's friends with a guy who bombed the pentagon 40 yrs ago and was happy about 9/11 attacks? NO. Do they talk about his support of horrifying partial birth abortions? NO. Do they criticize his wife for "not being proud to be an American, until now when her husband is running for President". NO. Does he have ANY and I mean ANY experience in managing ANYTHING? NO. Seriously, how the heck did he get the nominee? And why are Americans so ignorant that they actually listen and believe liberal media? Most people don't even research the topics at hand and what their candidate stands for. Try listening to 550am and 960AM - conservative talk radio. You will learn things that will blow your mind! And you won't hear them on TV b/c the liberal media doesn't want you to hear the good things about McCain and the bad things about Obama. They make Obama out to be some sort of hero. McCain is a TRUE HERO.

Now, I have not always been "into" politics. I admit, I usually just voted with whomever my hubby and Dad and brother thought was best - mind you always a conservative Republican. And I would watch the news to learn about the candidates- I didn't realize how corrupt it was at the time. But this time around I have really started enjoying learning about politics and the people who are making decisions that AFFECT MY FAMILY. (plus Joe recently told me he thinks it's sexy when a woman is involved in politics and current affairs) :-) I don't want higher taxes, I don't want to support terrorists by buying oil from them, I don't want a health care plan that the government chooses - IT WON'T BE GOOD HEALTH CARE - research the topic! I want a conservative that is PRO-LIFE, that will let me choose how I want to spend MY HARD EARNED MONEY, and I especially want a President that will PROTECT THIS COUNTRY and has the experience and guts to do so. I mean it truly scares me to think of Obama as President. I think our country will be a target of more terrorist attacks. Obama is a world class pansy. I just hope and pray that McCain gets elected. Plus, I LOVE SARAH PALIN. Sure she doesn't have as much "Washington" experience as previous VP picks might have had, but frankly I like that better. That means she's not so diseased in her mind about politics. I love that she's not afraid to "shake things up" and expose corruption. I love that they won't allow earmark spending. And I love that she brings youth to the McCain ticket. Plus she's a woman -so FINALLY SOME MULTI-TASKING in the big white house on the hill ! :-)

Okay, ranting and raving are over. I had to get this off my chest. Plus, I really have had two scary dreams about Obama winning. One where I heard some "classified info" that would harm his campaign, so he and his posse were chasing me around a cruise ship trying to catch me so I wouldn't tell anyone. :-) But seriously, it's unsettling. Register to vote if you haven't already. Request a mail in ballot - it's so easy to vote this way. Let's make the right choice and get McCain into the White House!

My Little Bro Is Finally Married!

2008-09-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Scottie! He married a gorgeous gal - Tiffany Hatfield this past month and we couldn't be happier for them. So congrats and we love you guys!

Oh So Pretty!

2008-09-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves! Sorry Babe, but I had to throw your's in too.....you just look so .....cute! :-)

So.....Am I Your Girlfriend?

2008-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

So lately Annalise has been asking questions about girlfriend/boyfriend stuff (mercy me she is boy crazy just like her mama). She even has her dolls be boyfriend and girlfriend. Luckily the picture below is them dancing, not kissing!

So now the funny part of the story.....

Lately she's been calling Joe her boyfriend and asking him if she's his girlfriend. His usual response is that "mommy's his only girlfriend".......to which she starts crying......then he'll say, "but you're my friend AND your a girl so you're my girlfriend too".......to which she smiles. So, we're all eating dinner, and Ava and I leave the table, so Joe and Annalise are sitting alone. Suddenly she starts acting all flirty and girly and says, "Soooo, isn't it nice that we're having dinner alone together? " Then she throws her head back and giggles like a school girl! I, of course started laughing hysterically because she is SO my child, and Joe just sat there feeling a little uncomfortable - which is SO Joe! So can everyone pray that we can contain this flirty little girl! :-)

Princess Chili?

2008-08-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

I had to write this down because if was such a funny moment. Maybe you had to be there, but I want to remember it. Here was our conversation at dinner tonight which happened to be chili:

Joe: Ava, take a bite, come on you can do it!
Ava: NO!
Joe: Come on Ava, I'll help you....just one more bite.
Ava: No, I not want it!!
Joe: Do you know what this is? Ava, this is what all the princesses, like Cinderella and Belle eat. It's princess chili and if you eat it you will turn into a princess!
Ava: (in a very stern and know it all voice) THIS NOT PRINCESS CHILI!!

So, maybe you have to know my child and how she would sound saying this, but I was busting up. She was serious and mad when she said it. Like she knew he was trying to pull one over on her. Maybe she'd have believed it if he had said it was Dora the Explorer Chili! That seems a little more appropriate! :-)

Oh, and another cute thing, for my own memories sake, Ava "meowed" the prayer yesterday. Joe asked her to say the prayers and he was helping her. Instead of repeating his words, she'd just meow like a kitten. After a few lines of meowing the prayer we all busted up laughing. She loves pretending she's a kitten -this is usually the only time I get some good snuggles so it's fine with me! :-)

Cabin Trip

2008-08-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

We really do love our cabin in Greer, heck we named Ava's middle name Greer - that's how much we love it! Here's a few pics of one of our trips this summer.

Ava picking the flowers that I loved to pick when I was a little girl.

Notice her toe in her mouth - nice! :-)

"Fishing" for crawdads in the stream

We spent hours staining these logs for the new porch addition. Glad that's over!

Joe and I went horseback riding, it was a lot of fun.

That's my hard working man, making the cabin look nice!

Cousin Love!

The poor dog Maggie that Ava wouldn't leave alone.

Hands off Buddy!!

See ya soon Cabin!

First Day of Preschool for Annalise

2008-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Annalise was so excited for preschool to start (don't tell anyone, but I was even more excited!). She goes three days a week for a blessed 2 1/2 hours! Pure bliss I tell you! She's learning so much already and I'm so proud of her! Here's her pictures just before and right after preschool.

Chandler Splash Park!

2008-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Kari invited us for FHE to hit the Splash Park with her family and the kids loved it of course! I love the last pic of all of them lying in the dirty water! When I first saw them I yelled for them to get up b/c the water really was icky, but then I thought it was a cute picture so we had them lie down again - just long enough for the picture! Yes, I am a proud germaphobe!

Responsibility or Child Labor??

2008-07-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's a wonderful day when your four year old can help with the laundry!

I really dislike laundry day, not so much the gathering, sorting and washing..... but the folding and putting away makes me crazy! So today I told Annalise that it was time for her to be a big girl and have some chores around the house......and since it was laundry day.....

Anyway, I was so impressed. She sorted and "folded" all of her and Ava's clothes (which was a lot!) and then she took her basket of clothes to her room and put ALL her clothes away in the CORRECT drawers!!! HALLELUJAH! It took her about an hour, but she happily stuck with it and it saved me lots of time. So, needless to say, I will make this a regular thing! :-) Some may think I need to look up child labor laws, but I just call it good parenting! :-)

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2008-07-21T17:20:00.001-07:00

My friend did this and I thought it was fun, although I only know who two of my "look-a-likes" are! Which celebrities do you look like?

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family reunion - Genelogy

Western Caribbean Cruise 07

2008-07-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Last November we went on our 5th cruise to the Caribbean. Our stops were Belize, Roatan (Honduras), Freeport (Bahamas) and our favorite - Cozumel. Our friends the Tanners came with us as well as some of Joe's family. We had a really fun time and can't wait for our next cruise coming up in October this year!
Did we ever use the slide you ask? Nope, but the beach chair were nice with a good book!
Roatan, Honduras - it's so gorgeous here. This is by far the most "3rd world" of all our stops. We've been here a few times and nothing changes. But the scenery (minus the sad little houses) is gorgeous and the Scuba Diving very exotic.

I made these ruins in Belize my personal stair master! :-)
Joe's Dad is pointing at the Viagra leaves from this plant. YES, this really is where the plant used in making Viagra!
Wouldn't she make a nice purse strap?
The architecture of these ruins in Belize is amazing. Look at all the curved edges. Really advance architecture for that time period.

We all rented mopeds in Cozumel and drove around the island. You can see the ocean all the way around on the highways. It was beautiful and I'm sure glad we didn't crash. Seriously, they've got some major pot holes on their highways!
Joe's sister and her hubby with some natives in Cozumel
Takes my breath away......Joe that is! :-)

Poor, sad little pony!

Can you see all the stingrays Joe is swimming over. There was about six of them. Also, just before this we had to swim through THOUSANDS of these tiny jelly fish. I was totally panicking. You'd just be snorkeling along and then all of the sudden, BAM, they were all around you and there's no choice but to swim through them or else you'll get stung trying to go back. Yuck. This happened over and over in this snorkeling area. I can honestly say I was more scared with the jellyfish than when we swam with sharks!

Uh, Matt, you're not supposed to touch the CORAL! :-)
Oh, la la. Joe's parents stealing a kiss at dinner!

Courtney has the best poses ever. I could never get away with that pose and she still looks cute!

I love the sexy pose Jon! Save it for Court though!

Well, it was a fun trip and I can't wait for the next one! Any other cruisers out there?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! LA Girls trip

2008-07-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from our girls weekend this past February (yes, this is what a lame blogger I am). The pictures aren't all in order b/c I'm lame and couldn't figure out how to move them without having to do it all over again. Sorry!

Okay, my Mom will kill me for this first picture, but I had to post it! While we were on our girls trip in LA, we went to Wicked and this guy was sitting next to my mom. She had this heavy coat on and for some reason we asked him to take a picture with our mom. So he put his arm around her and it just happened that his hand ended up on her puffy coat in a bit of an strange position! :-) Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek after the picture. Watch out buddy - she's married! :-)

Of course our trip was primarily all about the shopping! We literally shopped till we dropped! I found some steals in the fashion district at a sample sale.

Gotta love a JUICY bag!

Okay, we heard about the cupcake place "Sprinkles" from Oprah, so we drove to Beverly Hills JUST for the cupcakes. Then we found out there's a Sprinkles in Scottsdale. Yeah, we're pretty lame! :-)

My Aunt Jenny graciously opened her gorgeous LA house to my Mom, sisters and I for our trip. We had so much fun with our cousins and Aunt. They took us so many fun places and it was just good to see them and their beautiful families. Thanks Aunt Jenny!

We went to the show WICKED and it was sooo good! My favorite I've seen. And since then, I've been compared to Galinda (sp?) many times! Oh yeah, I'm proud to be Galindafied! Okay, so it's not a real word, but work with me!

Oh, we ate so many calories on this trip.......

Thanks girls for a great trip! Sorry I'm such a lame blogger and FINALLY posted something of our trip! I'm trying to play catch up.

Ventura, California

2008-06-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Joe and I took a canoe out and I peeled this starfish off the side of a boat. Then we paddled until we found our resort and I hopped out to grab our kids and the camera to document my bravery! Joe was too scared to grab it! :-) I had to reach into the water and it was so pokey it actually hurt to hold it - plus it was really heavy! I wanted to keep it, but Joe is so sweet and convince me to put it back into it natural habitat so it would die.

The water was soooo cold, but none the less, the girls had a fun time on the beach!

We had so much fun on our trip to California this year. We stayed right on the Bay in Ventura and our room views were so picture perfect. Joe and the girls even saw dolphins and seals right from our room! The beach was right across from the bay, so you had to drive a few minutes to get to it, but was still super close. We stayed for a week and also went to Knottsberry Farm, The Aquarium of the Pacific and our favorite was strawberry picking at Underwood Family Farms. The kids had a blast and I think Ava ate a pound of strawberries while we picked. Joe's parents stayed there too and brought one of the Grandkids - Tylo. So she's in a lot of our pictures in case you're wondering who that cutie pie is! She was such a help with our girls and even spent the night with Annalise a few times in our room. All in all, it was a great family memory and we can't wait to go back next year!

Just Call Me "BUG GIRL"

2008-06-15T09:58:00.001-07:00

To preface this post you need to know that usually when Annalise see's a spider she screams so loud, you'd think she was being tortured. Seriously, I go running and fully expect her leg to be cut off or something. Well, yesterday the bug guy came so a few spiders have been coming out. Annalise was in her room playing and she comes running in waving her fairy princess wand saying, "I killed the spider"! And sure enough on the tip of her magic wand, there was a recently smashed spider. We tell her "good job" and to be "careful around spiders". Then she says in her dramatic voice, "I know what you can call me........BUG GIRL!" She proceeds to run off saying that bug girl is going to go find more bugs to kill. Way to go Bug Girl! Oh, and extra points for killing it so gracefully with your princess wand! :-)

How you EARN a BABY.....and other cute stuff...

2008-06-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

So, at the encouragement of Vonda, I am blogging so I don't forget this cute comment Annalise made. Oh, and a few other cute things.
Annalise is obsessed with babies lately. She wants to know how and when she'll get a baby in her tummy and when I will FINALLY get a baby in my tummy (hmm, I think Daddy is trying to send messages through her..). I told her after she gets married and has a baby, then I will be a grandma. This makes her go into histerics every time I tell her this. Why all the crying? Well, she doens't want me to be a grandma, because she worried I'll be too old to play "Monster Hide-and-go-seek", which apparently is my specialty. (I learned this from my mother). So I've been telling her that I can't have a baby until she treats her "baby" (aka Ava) she already has nicely. She tells me all the things she'll do with the baby, like lifting her up on the swings, and teaching her how to play hide and go seek, etc. Oh, and apparently the only people allowed to hold the "baby to be" (far in the future, mind you) is Daddy, Mommy and of course - herself. And she was adamant that she'll take "much care" of this baby. Well, I just remind her that she'll have to prove she can treat her existing baby sweetly before I'll even think of having a baby. Soooo, long story short, the other day I over hear her playing very sweetly with Ava; and talking very sweetly.....this doesn't happen too often so my ears perk up very quickly. Then Annalise exclaims, "I'm gonna EARN a BABY!!!" Yikes, hopefully she doesn't turn too nice with her sister b/c I'm not ready to earn a baby just yet!

Okay, and even though Ava doesn't talk as much as her older sister, she does do and say some funny things. Today she's been walking around saying "sorry, Darlin" all day. So cute. Actually she's been REALLY cute lately and I'm thinking that has a lot to do with the fact that she's sleeping like a teenager. Seriously, I have to keep checking on her b/c I can't believe how much she's been sleeping .... HOORAY!!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2008-05-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

The sweetest thing happened with Ava the other night. We were outside talking to neighbors and it was already dark outside. The girls were running around playing and having fun. And then I didn't see any more flashes of Ava running across the yard; instead I look over and she's laying on her back (on the driveway), pointing to the sky and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". It was just so darn cute, I wanted to eat her up!

Okay, here's some other funny things so I don't forget. We were at the pool today and a fly keeps pestering Annalise. In frustration, she yells out to me, "Mom these bee's won't leave me alone! They think my ears are flowers!"

Okay and the last thing happened while I was changing Ava's stinky diaper. Well, let's just say that since she is a girl, you really have to clean it out well. So I start cleaning "it" out, and she looks at me really serious, points to me and sternly says, "No Mommy....... No!" Maybe you had to be there, but I was laughing hysterically! She was oh so serious for such a little girl.

Okay, that's it. I just thought my kids have been extra funny lately!

My Favorite Smell in the World!!

2008-04-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!! Why? Because my beloved STAR JASMINE VINES are in full bloom gracing my courtyard with their heavenly scent! The second you open the gate, you get a gorgeous whiff of this divine plant that God must have created just for me! I love it! It makes my day and I could stay out there sniffing all day long. I even add it to my flower arrangements in the house to give them a little boost in scent. Aah! And don't be jealous, if you haven't planted this fab plant in your garden, come on over and have a seat in the courtyard and start breathing in this wonderful aroma. :-)

My First Piano

2008-04-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a beauty? After much searching, a creepy piano salesmen, and a lost deposit on a lesser quality piano, I found the perfect piano for my family! And boy did I have my criteria. I wanted a good brand, a nice tone and feel and it had to be the right color for my decor. Sounds simple eh? Not so. There are a lot of bad pianos out there folks - not to mention the right color for aesthetic purposes! So I finally settled on a Sohmer piano. Original Sohmers (made prior to mid 1980's when the Sohmer brothers sold their company) are hard to find and are usually quite pricey for piano's their age. Well, I got a REALLY good deal! I found someone selling a piano that they inherited and obviously they didn't know the quality of the piano. I had a piano specialist come examine it before I bought it and he said it was a gorgeous, quality piano and easily worth 5k. I talked the guy down to $800. Yeah baby! Anyway, I am so excited to have a piano again. I haven't played for about 9 years when I played on my parents Sohmer grand piano! I'm pretty rusty, but it's fun going through my old music. I actually have played the kids to sleep a few times and for some reason Joe thinks it quite sexy when I play. Bonus! :-) Anyway, I love, love, love it! Oh, and if you are wondering if I can accompany something or play in relief society, sorry, but this is one guilty pleasure I save only for myself. I developed massive stage fright and actually ran out of a recital in the middle of a piece once. In my dramatic style I ran out and drove myself over to the graveyard to visit my recently passed Aunties grave. Yes, I am crazy and very emotional. Poor, poor Joe......

Noses and Hair Elastics don't go together!

2008-04-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

+ = Annalise's Nostril!!

Yes, you guessed it, I had my first "nose incident" with Annalise. At night sometimes she'll pull the elastic ties out of her hair and throw them on the floor. Well, she was being really naughty the other day so I sent her to her room and went to play the piano for some stress relief. Well, not 2 pages into my music and I hear frantic screaming. It's the kind of scream when there is a hideous spider or something, so I go running ....expecting to kill a bug of some kind. NOPE! Annalise is freaking out, screaming there is something in her nose, "A HAIR BAND" she's screaming and sobbing at the same time. And boy was I mad. Not only did I have to take her to the doctor, but I had just put Ava down for a much needed nap. So we tear Ava out of bed and head out the door. I probably should have comforted her more, but why the heck did she shove a hair tie up her nose? So on the way to the doctor she's crying saying things like, "Is the doctor gonna cut my nose off and give me a new one?" At least I told her THAT wouldn't happen. They took us right back and it took 4 adults to hold her down. She was crying so hard and was begging me to make them stop. I was crying too. Poor kid. The doctor (after LOTS of trying) was finally able to reach it. She said we were lucky because it was almost out of reach. Whew was I glad it was over and Annalise was ecstatic to get two stickers on the way out! :-)

WHAT'S THAT PUZZLE YOU'RE DOING DEAR?

2008-03-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

We had Joe's Dad over for dinner a few weeks ago (his Mom was sick in the hospital) and after dinner Annalise came with a puzzle. So being the sweet Grandpa he is, he started helping Annalise figure it out. Then Joe came over and the two guys were both helping. Well, about three minutes after starting, Annalise lost interest (maybe because the boys were hogging all the pieces!) and left. And did the boys loose interest? No Way! This was serious puzzle time now. They got pretty stressed out when they couldn't find where a few pieces went. Now, you may be thinking, "What's the big deal about two grown men, doing a puzzle?" Well, let me tell you......IT WAS A CINDERELLA, PRINCESS, TOTALY GIRLY PUZZLE! It was so funny to see father and son bonding over a princess puzzle, not hunting or fishing, but a princess puzzle! :-) Joe later confessed that Cinderella was one of his favorites when he was a little boy. But not to worry ladies.... He's all man now........that is except for the occasional princess puzzle party! :-)

Oh, the lessons we learn from our kids!!

2008-03-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

My Baby is Growing up!!

The other day Annalise was wearing this cute outfit that made her look so grown up. So all day I kept grabbing her and kissing her and saying things like, "Oh, Lise, you're so big, you're not my little baby anymore, what am I going to do? Will you still love me when you get big, will you sit on my lap and let me hold you?" So I really laid it on thick and I swear, she really was loving the attention. Every time she'd come over and kiss me and say that "yes, she'd be my baby forever", etc, etc etc. Well when Joe got home that night I started saying, "Joe doesn't she look so big, she's not my little baby anymore! What am I going to do?" Etc, Etc Etc. Then Annalise comes overs, looks at me really sweet, pats my cheeks with both hands and says, "Mom, I will always love you and I'll always be your baby......but can you not complain anymore?" Yeah, I just about busted up! But hey, at least she gets the concept of complaining! :-)

Bull Riding is Cancelled - I'm so Bummed!

2008-03-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Due to Ava's pneumonia we are cancelling tonight's date night. I was soooo hoping she'd be better by today, but she woke up again during the night needing more breathing treatments. I just don't feel good about leaving her with a sitter. We WILL do this date thought if it kills me! Probably in two weeks we'll do it. I'll post the time and date once she's better. Thanks for understanding.

I NEED TO VENT

2008-03-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

There will be no pictures on this post. Just my frustrations. I am tried of sickness. I had the flu last weekend, and while I am feeling almost normal again, Annalise has gotten a bad cough, has a fever and "says" her tummy hurts. Ava has an ear infection, tonsillitis, and pneumonia. All this week. What is going on in our lives? We have never had so many sicknesses and injuries in month. I've spent over $400 in the month of March for co-pays/prescriptions, etc. And that's WITH insurance! I do not understand how anyone can go without insurance! That's a bankruptcy bill just waiting for you! I've had to cancel so many fun things this week and I'm starting to get upset by this. When will it end? I'll tell you when it'll end - TONIGHT - because I really want to make it for our date night! So all you germs out there - listen up! You better stay clear of the Larson's because we've had enough! That's right.....I'm watching you....and I'll be waiting with my Lysol can in hand!

Lets Plan our Bull Riding Date Night!!!!

2008-03-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Date Night is ON!! Meet at Saddle Ranch at 6:30. I have a head count of 10 so far!! Yee Ha, here we come! Carpool if you can!

Okay, I admit, I'm getting a little nervous thinking about it, but I really want to do this! Wow, it's so sad that this is on my bucket list! I know several of you were interested before, so now it's time for action!

The location is Saddle Ranch Chop House in Scottsdale (see link below), it's open all day and so is the bull riding. So, I think we should do a semi-early dinner (they have a decently priced menu) - maybe 6ish so we beat the really wild crowd. Then we can watch a few strangers and learn some technique. After a delicious meal, we'll chat a bit, let the adrenaline kick it and then RIDE THE BULL!! Or we can always ride first - this might be easier on the stomach, but harder on the nerves. How does March 28th or April 4th work out for everyone? I want your feedback so we can plan this date night. Everyone if welcome - lets make this a memorable night! We do need a headcount so we can get a big table all together.

Come on - GET BRAVE, grab your tightest pair of JEANS (ha ha) and RIDE THE BULL!!!!!!
http://www.srrestaurants.com/home.html

Finally some answers about Ava

2008-03-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ava has Vesicoureteral (Urinary) Reflux

I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about Ava's kidneys by now, but here's the latest for those who've been asking:

She went to the hospital for her tests yesterday. The doctor who did the ultrasound, wouldn't tell me if she has current damage to her kidneys, so I'll have to wait for her doctor to get the results. We did however, get the results of the VCUG test. And as the doctor suspected, she does have reflux in her kidneys. There's a little flap that isn't working, so instead of all the urine emptying out of her kidney, some leaks back up into it. It's a level 2 of 5; five being the worst. She'll have to see a specialist for treatment. Most likely she'll be on antibiotics for a year, and then she'll have the VCUG test again to see if her body has corrected itself. Or, depending on what the specialist says, she'll have surgery. So, at least it's not a five in severity and hopefully there is no damage done to her kidneys already. If that's the case, she should have a really good prognosis!

The VCUG was done around 1:30 yesterday afternoon, and by 9:30 she still hadn't gone pee-pee. All her doctors (yes, I called all three!) said she was probably scared and sore. She would grab herself, double over and fall to the floor and cry. So sad. We tried warm baths, advil, etc but nothing worked so her doc's said to take her immediately to the ER. Yeah, like that's where I wanted to go AGAIN! I called around and they were all slammed, I knew it would be an all nighter. So we were so blessed; Joe's a Urologic Pharm. Sales Specialist, so he knows a lot of urologists. He called one that he's pretty good friends with and he invited us down to his office (at 10pm!), opened it up and did the cath for her right there. Yeah, isn't that AWESOME! Thanks so much Chris Morris - You're my Hero! We would have been at the ER for hours, and he did the whole procedure in 10 minutes! He actually did the cath faster than the pediatric specialist at the hospital! We owe him big time and will be taking him and his wife out for dinner this weekend!

Oh, and a HUGE thank you to my Mom for coming to the hospital today and spending five hours helping me with Ava. She was so good at trying to distract and play with her while the doctor did their tests. And when she couldn't comfort Ava, she'd rub my back and comfort me! She is so giving and loving - I LOVE MY MOM! Secretly, okay maybe not so secretly now, I still want my mom when I'm sick so it was sooooo good to have here there. Thanks again Mom!

So, today I'm just hanging out by the phone, waiting for a call to see about any existing damage. I have a feeling there won't be any, so lets pray I'm right! :-)

Thanks to all my friends for being so concerned about her and me! :-) Love you guys!

To learn more about reflux, click on this link: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/vesicoureteralreflux/

3/15 UPDATE: Ava's kidneys are NOT DAMAGED!!!! Hooray!!!

Dang Asthma!!! Dang Swingset!! Leave my little girl alone!

2008-03-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Annalise has had it rough this past week. First she got a cold and that makes her Asthma really get bad, really fast. We ended up in Urgent Care on Sunday and she was coughing so hard, she couldn't breath and she ended up puking on both of us. Nice! They had her do a breathing treatment and that helped immediately. For the next 3 days we've had her on the machine about 4 times a day/night. She's been in our bed every night so we can monitor her breathing. Which in essence means very little sleep for a worried parent. Then, the first day she was actually acting like herself again.......we had the swing set incident!!

So we have this yucky old swing set (as you can see) and if there's too much weight on it, it lifts up. So Lisee had her friends over and the swing set started lifting up. So being a good little friend, she tried to hold the swing set leg down. Well, you can guess what happened next. The set slammed down on her big toe, slicing right into it. I panicked! This is the first open wound I've had to deal with. After rinsing in off and wrapping it up, I called the parents, sent Ava to the neighbors, and left for urgent care. They examined it and sent us to the ER. Three hours later we were FINALLY seen. Her toe looked so disgusting, I couldn't even look at it. They put in an IV, sedated her and stitched her toe back together. She is so strong - She kicked one nurse in the face and almost pulled another ones hair while they put the IV in. It took 4 adults to get it done. It was so sad. Even being sedated, her body would tighten whenever they touched her. After she woke up she said, "I have bandaids everywhere.....Poor Me!" Dang that swing set! Joe is fixing it before any of them can get near it again.

Oh, and we found something interesting about Annalise through this ordeal. She gets gas when she's nervous! :-) Both times at urgent care and at the ER, she had so much gas. I started calling her "My Little Tootty Bootty"! It was pretty funny.

I am so glad it wasn't worse - Imagine what could have happened! So gross. Poor little girl!

Finally - Some REFINEMENT in our lives!

2008-03-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, did anyone else have the Israeli artists come to your door last week? We were just heading out the door and this couple from Israel came to the door. They told us they were artists from Israel, here for a few weeks trying to sell some paintings and fine a gallery to display their work. We've had other foreign groups come to our neighborhood before, and I'd heard good things, so I decided to take a peak. Her stuff was beautiful, but the story behind the paintings are even better. She's traveled many places, painting different scenery. Well, she lives in Israel, so of course some of the stuff was from there. She was quickly going through the paintings, telling us the history behind them, when she came to the one she did in Israel. It's the view from her home, and it's a path that many take (on the Sabbath) to get down to the Sea of Galilee. They believe if they touch the water, they will be blessed or healed.

I immediately stopped her and knew I had to have it. This is a beautiful oil painting. It's amazing to feel the MANY layers of oil she had to used to achieve the desired effects. The large painting is the one with the path to the Sea of Galilee and it took her 12.5 months to complete! The smaller one is from a little village across from the sea. I can't remember the name. This one only took 2 months, but I thought it would compliment the other for where I will place it. It's pretty amazing how lame my prints look next to an oil, and don't get me wrong, I love my prints. It's my birthday on the 7th and our anniversary on the 9th, so Joe asked her to inscribe the back. I love what he had her write, it's beautiful. Then she wrote in Hebrew about the painting. It's pretty cool and I'm excited to have an original piece of art in my home. Hope there are more to come!

WHAT'S THAT IN YOUR HAND AVA?

2008-03-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Can you tell what Ava's using to clean up the spilled water? And why is she smiling so big? Maybe it's because she just realized how absorbent Maxi Pads are! Yes, she found a pad in my bathroom and I was getting dressed, so I thought - sure it's fine, just let her play with the pad. Little did I know that she would quickly figure out she could spill water and clean it up really quick with this super-absorbent pad! She kept spilling the water over and over again, like she couldn't believe it was so absorbent! Maybe we should try out for a commercial featuring feminine products and their many uses! :-)

She's been doing the funniest things lately. Her personality is really starting to bloom. She's taking after her sister, so I've got some funny and tough years ahead! The other day the TV was on and she started to imitate things the actors would say. Well, a commercial for facial cream came on, and the actress dramatically rubbed her face as is to say "oh, this is soooo dry". Well, Ava immediately grabbed her face and got this really distressed look on her face and said "OOHHHH"! Seriously she acted like she was in a lot of pain. It was pretty dang funny. Maybe you had to be there. Anyway, it's so fun to see her personality develop. I am going to hate taking her to the hospital on Monday. She has not clue whats in store for her. She's my baby, yeah know?

Keep Little Ava In Your Prayers!

2008-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, the saga continues with Ava. I took her in for her checkup on Friday, and they are concerned that she may have kidney damage and/or Urinal Reflex. The Urinal reflux means that instead of all the urine emptying out of the kidney and bladder, some "refluxes" back up into the kidneys. She'll go to a Pediatric Urologist and he'd tell us if we can watch it for a year or if we'd have to do surgery. As for the kidney damage, we'll just have to watch and see. I'm actually on hold right now trying to schedule all her tests at the Banner Desert Pediatric Unit. We propably won't be able to get in for a few weeks, so that's a little unnerving. She acts like she's just fine - and I'm sure everything will okay, but keep her in your prayers please.

The Date Night Re-Vamp Plan

2008-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I'm not the only gal who gets tired of the usually dinner and a movie; or dinner and Target for that matter! Sometimes a girl needs a little spice in her life! So, after my parents took us to this really fun comedy club, we decided to get a group of friends together and go laugh! It was so much fun! It's a place called Theater 168 (or Jesterz) in Scottsdale. And it's LDS owned so they keep it really clean. There were even kids in the audience! It was a blast and we had a lot of fun with the Youngs and the Figgins (from our ward). Needless to say, it will become a regular in our dating regimen.

Now, for those of you who want to come, my next adventurous date night will be MECHANICAL BULL RIDING!! So far, the Youngs and the Creamers are game - anyone else want to go? The rule is, if you go you MUST ride and make a total fool of yourself - because I plan on doing just that! Doesn't it sound fun! Plus it's a good inner thigh workout! :-)

A few of my FAVORITE things!

2008-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

This past week, since Ava's been so sick, I've been thinking a lot of one of my favorite things.

1.Our GATED COURTYARD is one of my absolute favorite things! Why? It's locked and it's all paved, so my kids can go OUTSIDE and play and still remain CLEAN! I mean those words are music to my ears:
KIDS+OUTSIDE PLAY can = CLEAN! Hallelujah!

And it's nice when the kids have their own space and feel so independant. Lisee spent a lot of time out there while I attended to Ava this week. And she loved every minute! She even made a water park for her polley pocket dolls!

Plus, since the gate is locked (which by the way, don't you all love the design - I designed it after many hours of work) so I have almost NO SOLICITORS! And, of course I feel much safer at night when Joe's out of town on business.

And since I was thinking of favorites, here's a few other fav's of mine:

2. My GIGIANTIC PANTRY! I love my pantry! It's one of the reasons we chose this house (the others being the courtyard and the playroom right next to the kitchen). I can't even get the whole pantry in these pictures! I love being able to store all my food storage in one place - I actually end up using it this way! I also can store numerous kitchen appliances, dog food, kids bikes (and other misc toys that get put in "time-out"! :-) This is usually one of the first places I show people when I give them a "tour" of our house. THAT is how much I love this 8x8ft room! In our last house, we didn't even have a pantry, it was just a cupboard. So now, I'm enjoying the overcompensation!

3. And finally, my most current favorite thing has got to be a SLEEPING BABY who really needs a lot of rest to get recoop after this very sick week! What more can I say!

What are some of your favorite things?

Happy Valentines Day....Not so happy for Ava though!

2008-02-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Well, this Valentines Day was bitter sweet for our sweet little Ava. She's had a fever since Sunday night ranging from 103.4 to finally 104.5 - and that's with the meds! I called her doctor on Sunday and she said to watch the fever for a few days. She was crying for 4 days straight (with Joe out of town on business of course) Well, by day four, she was getting worse instead of better so I took her into the doctors office. The doctor was immediately concerned and did a strep test, hoping the fever was coming from strep throat. Nope. So, the next test she wanted to try was a urine test. I'm thinking, "okay, so what, I have to hold her over the potty for an hour?" Nope again.....try a catheter! Yikes! I was freaking out inside, while trying to calm Ava during the test. It was so sad, she was just screaming and screaming. And she kept clenching her muscles, so they had to keep poking her over and over again. Oh my gosh, I really lost it. Finally it was over and I calmed Ava down while the doc tested the urine. She came back and said Ava has some sort of kidney infection. Of course I started crying. She said most likely it's just a urinary tract infection, but the urine looked a little funny so she needed to send it in to be sure. So, Ava's on anitbiotics and we're waiting for the results. I'm sure she'll be just fine, but a Mama worries - ya know? Anyway, so today, her fever is still high and she's been in a lot of pain. All I can do is hold her - boy my left bicept is getting strong! I had all these fun activities for the girls for V-Day, but alas, Ava was just too sad. I tried to get a picture of their cute V-day outfits, but again, Ava was just too sad. Here Annalise is trying to comfort Ava while I'm trying to get her to smile for the camera. Boy, what a week! At least Joe is home and he brought me roses and a spa gift certificate to make up for this crazy week. He's so sweet. I gave Joe what all men want for Valentines Day........FOOD! What were you thinking? ......The other is a given.......... :-)

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Oh, and here's a picture of all the flowers Annalise picked for me today. She thought it was so nice of Daddy to bring me flowers, that she wan't to too. She spent a good part of the day in the courtyard and backyard picking flowers and arranging them in little cups. And with every bunch of flowers, she'd come to the door and say, "Happy Valentines Day Mommy". It was pretty darn cute!

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Okay, these pictures have absolutely nothing to do with Valentines Day, but I thought they were cute so they're getting thrown in too! We hope you all had a lovely day today! Hugs & Kisses!

WHAT A WOMAN!!!

2008-02-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been meaning to post this for awhile now and finally am getting to it. This is my friend Lynn Kimpel, who in this picture just finished running the PF Chang Half Marathon! You go girl! All I can say is "WHAT A WOMAN!" She finished in awesome time - 2 hours and 4 min!

I ran a 10k in November, and that about killed me, so I am so proud of her. This was her first half marathon and she ran in like a pro! I mean, can you believe that time? She really motivates me to work harder and do better. Currently she's doing a "no-sugar" fast for 30 days.......yes, I said 30 days!! I can hardly wait 30 minutes! :-) And obviously, she's tiny and not doing it to loose weight, it's just for self control. So, my point is that she's really mastered herself in a way I have yet to figure out. But, I'm glad to have her as a role model and a great friend. She's a really good example to me. So, thanks Lynn, you really are awesome and I'm so proud of you!

Our dear sweet Prophet.....Till we meet again...

2008-01-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, as most of you have heard by now, our Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Gordon B. Hinckley, died last night. I am saddened, because I will really miss him, yet I know he is happy to be with his beloved wife again. I can only imagine the reunions in heaven right now. I felt such a connection with President Hinckley because he used humor - those of you who know me, know that this is how I deal. He was so sincere and I KNOW without a doubt that he loved me - and in return, I hope I can make him proud, by living a Christlike life, repenting of my sins, and making a better effort to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for the life that President Hinckley lived. You all should check out Angie Whitman's blog, she has so many awesome quotes on it, and I couldn't remember him any better than what she's written. She's on my friends link to the right - so check it out, you will feel the Spirit and it will testify that he was a true Prophet. So, he will be missed and loved by so many. I can't wait to see him again someday!

The Year of the HORSE!

2008-01-20T14:07:00.000-08:00

As previously mentioned, this was the year of the horse for Annalise. She has probably 12-15 horses - all different sizes and types. Well, she has this one horse, appropriately named "Spirit". She sleeps with it, eats with it, and pretty much does everything with it. Well, everything would have to include PRAYING right? So family prayer time comes around and she asks if Spirit can say the prayer. She was serious the whole time, and it went something like this:

Annalise's voice, "Dear Heavenly Father"

Spirit's voice, "Neigh, Neigh"

Annalise's voice, "Thank you for our blessings"

Spirit's voice, "Neigh .....neigh.neigh.....neigh"

Annalise's voice, "Please bless us be safe"

Spirit's voice, "Neigh, neigh"

Annalise's voice, "Jesus Christ, Amen"

Spirit's voice, "Neigh".

It was hilarious!!

Okay, so some more funny things lately are:

1. We went into the girls restroom at church. And, lets just say there much have been a stinky diaper recently b/c it really stunk bad! Annalise immediately notices and says," Ew, it stinks bad.....there must be a boy in here!"

2. While in the bath tub, I tell Ava she's a little fishy. Then I ask Annalise is she's a fishy too. She says, "No , I'm a shark,, and sharks eat fish." :-)

3. At the dinner table she announces "Ava eats like a human".

Annalise - we sure love how fun you are to be with!

My Sweet Annalise

2008-01-20T14:01:00.001-08:00

Annalise has been so sweet lately. One morning I was still working out, and Ava had just woken up and was a little grumpy. I heard Annalise ask her if she was hungry. And when I came into the kitchen a few minutes later - there was Ava - up in a big chair, with a bib on, eating a yogurt! My sweet little girl made "breakfast" for her little sister - and even remembered to put a bib on her! It was so precious. And yesterday morning she did it again - but opened yogurts for all of us and set the table with spoons and everything. I can't believe how old she is getting. Almost four! It blows my mind!

Ava - the independent eater

2008-01-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Oh, Mercy! Ava is the most independent eater ever! She refused to let me feed her, so alas I have many messes each day. This day was especially bad. I stripped her down, right there at the table, then dumped her into the tub. This picture doesn't even demonstrate just how bad it was. I rinsed her body, then had to drain the water because there were soooo many floaties. Yuck! After the second bath, she finally looked and smelted like my sweet little girl again!

3 1/2 year old - BAD HAIR DAY

2008-01-20T13:46:00.001-08:00

I guess you're never too young to start having bad hair days! When Annalise woke up that morning, I just couldn't resist a picture. Oh Annalise, if you only knew how many days like this are ahead of you! :-)

Christmas Highlights

2008-01-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

Well - we had an awesome Christmas. Lots of time with family, a visit from Santa, and plenty of treats made this Mama really happy! Some of the highlights were a new laptop for Alisa, horses, horses and more horses for the girls, and a HUGE world map for Joe's office. Needless to say, we were all really SPOILED! This has been my favorite Christmas so far in our family. Not just the presents, but seeing how excited our girls were. Plus, I have new toys I can threaten to take away if they're feeling naughty! :-) We hope you all had a wonderful 2007!

Joe getting beef jerky :-)

2007-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

6 Things About Me...
(I was tagged, so here you go Danielle! I tag Jamie, Krista, and Jennifer.)

1. When I was 16 years old, I got a tattoo. And yes it's visible....it's my eyeliner! YES, it hurt and YES I would definitely do it again... in fact I need to go in for a touch-up.

2. I'm an exercise FREAK! If I miss a day, I think the world will end and that I'll somehow gain 5 pounds overnight. I'm currently taking a break with so much running - my knees were yelling at me; so I've taken up spinning and I LOVE it.

3. I recently got scuba certified - and it was really scary! We got certified for our latest cruise to the Carribean. And in true drama queen style - I had a panic attack every time! Hey, with 5 foot waves and a back drop into the ocean, what would you do? At least my wet suit stayed dry inside!:-) And yes, I'll try and get organized enough to post our pics.

4. I am really quite silly. Joe and I will dance around the house, like total idiots, or we'll have a contest who can do the most obnoxious thing -- really whatever makes us laugh. Once Annalise looked at us with this disgusted face and said, "you guys are scaring me!". Too funny. I hope we act silly till the day we die.

5. I'm really impatient and a bit of a control freak. I always want to take over a project, just so I can do it my way.......yeah, I know I need to work on this one! But until I get it figured out, the remote is mine!!!

6. I'm totally in love with my husband! I love him more and more every year. He really knows how to make me fall in love with him over and over again. I am so lucky. Hands off ladies, I've been known to get a little jealous! :-)

Here's a typical day...

2007-12-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Well, lots of things happen from minute to minute when you have kids around. Here are some fun things that have happened lately.

1. My kids (especially Annalise) love to pretend they are animals - usually a kitty cat! So here is Annalise being a kitty on a leash (yes I know usually dogs are on leashes, but don't tell Annalise - it keeps her really busy) and Ava taking her on a walk throughout the house. They can play this game for a good half hour.

2. It's definatly a kodac moment when your first born gets her first bloody nose! She was playing with her good friend Ella, when they somehow hit noses. Annalise comes screaming down the halls with blood dripping everywhere - and poor Ella is crying b/c Annalise is bleeding. So I settle Lisee on the couch with a cool rag for her nose and Ella climbs up next to her and sweetly says she's "sorry". Annalise tells her "it'll be okay, I'll just hold the rag and it will stop bleeding". It was so sweet that she recognized that her little friend was scared. Anyway, I'm just glad I kept my cool with it all!

3. Ava occasionally enjoys a little ghetto apparel. Just kidding, I just thought she looked cute with her hat to the side. She refused to keep it straight; every time I put it on, she'd just pull it over to the side. So of course I taught her to say, "Yo!". It was very cute.

4. Camels at the Phoenix zoo give a pretty smooth ride! What a fun thing to ride a camel. I hope she apprecitates that $10 we spent! :-)

5. And lastly, it's always more fun to play ball with lots of "friends"! What a great daddy Joe is to our girls!

For my fellow health-nut friends!

2007-12-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

YUMMY!!

Don't these cookies look like the normal american chocolate chip cookie? Well, they taste like it, but they are actually pretty darn good for you and a much better alternative to the normal chocolate chip cookie! Substitute butter for SmartBalance (trans fat free) spread, reduce the sugar by half, and add a whole can of chickpeas (also known as garbonza beans), use healthy dark chocolate chips, and you have a delicious and moist cookie - guilt free! Now, I don't want to get in trouble for "sharing" this recipe, so I won't name the new cookbook it comes from - email me if you want the name. I call these cookies "The Smart Chocolate Chip Cookie". Enjoy and let me know if you like them! And don't be afraid to make them, I promise they really are good!

The Smart Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 c. brown sugar; 3/4 c trans-fat free spread (like SmartBalance); 2 large egg whites; 2 tsp vanilla; 1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed & mashed a little w/a fork (I use a can that's 15.5oz & it's fine); 1-2 c. dark chocolate chips - depending on how much you like (Ghiradellis 60% cocoa); 3/4 c chopped walnuts; 2 c flour (try 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour); 1/2 c old fashioned oats; 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt.
Okay, beat the sugar and margarine at med speed until smooth. Next, beat in egg whites and vanilla. Then mix in chickpeas. It will look a little "oily" from the beans - don't be scared! Then, mix the rest of the ingredients in a seperate bowl first, then add to wet mixture until a thick dough forms. Spoon the dough onto a sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Don't overbake, and remember they will continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the oven so really watch them close. Enjoy!

I LOVE MY GIRLS

2007-12-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, so being a mom is a lot of work......but I really just love my girls to pieces! They both have so much personality and know how to light up the room. And they already play "hard to get"; not just anyone can have their affection. :-) And even though some days I long to be a career woman again, I simply can't deny that being there for them is truly what it's all about!

Annalise - Dance and Soccer

2007-12-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of you Lisee!! When Annalise turned three this year, we decided to put her in dance first, then soccer. We wanted her to figure out the type of activites she likes best. She did great at both and she loved her "outfits" to go with each activity. She's decided that dance is more her style because "Soccer is too much running!". I think we'll sign her up for horseback riding next - she's totally obsessed with horses (like her mama), and then probably back to dance again!

Meal Time Madness!

2007-12-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sure I'm not the only mother to relate to meal time messes! I despise my floors and counters to be dirty - and yet here I am, two kids later - cleaning up the kitchen at least 4 times a day! Yuck - but you gotta love the cute, messy faces that come alone with the territory!

Baywatch Hotties?

2007-11-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

Joe, this post is to prove how silly you are to the rest of the world. You definatley make me smile! These pics are from a trip we took to San Clemete beach this summer with some friends. Joe, and his best friend Jon, decided to pretend they were Baywatch Hotties (you know I egged them on). Anyway, it was hilarious. Hope you're not too embarassed Babe!

Just Plain Silly

2007-11-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we were just plain silly. Somehow, Joe started pulling Annalise around on this old blanket - all through the house. Then he would pull her from the tile onto the carpet - which would make her fly off. It was hilarious and she was laughing her head off. Well, then Joe thought I should try it with her (too bad no one was there for THAT picture). I must say it was a blast and I really felt like a kid again. Poor Joe wanted a ride too, but as much as Lisee and I tried to pull him, we couldn't get the blanket to budge! Maybe next time Joe's friends are over he can ask them for a ride! :-) Ha Ha!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was so fun. Annalise actually allowed us to dress her as something other than a kitty! She was a beautiful fairy princess and Ava was an adorable witch. We had a blast listening to them "Trick or Treat" and we still have gobbs and gobbs of "bribing candy" left over. Before taking the kids around, our closest neighbors and us had a soup and hot cocoa pot luck. We really love our neighbors and the kids had so much fun. Joe was a bit of a spoil sport and wouldn't dress up this year - and you can't really tell from the picture, but I was a cowgirl. Well, until next year.....

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-11-20T20:25:00.001-08:00

Summers in Greer

2007-11-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this post is for all the people who've been asking me why I havn't post in months (especially you Vonda!). I was looking through pictures tonight and came across this picture that we took at the cabin. The first pic is my Dad, Annalise and her cousing Gunner. When I was a kid we used to sit on my Dad's stomache, just like this picture. Sure looks comfy huh? We would sit there for a good hour or so, watching TV. Good memories. I'll post some other random cabin pictures as well. Each summer we spend a lot of time at our cabin in Greer. Annalise even has a "cabin backpack" that is ready to go at all times. And even though we told her we're not going till next summer, she refuses to unpack. I love that she loves it there. Actually, we love Greer so much that Ava's full name is Ava Greer Larson! We build a lot of family memories with the Grandparents and cousins.

My First 10K run!

2007-09-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe I did it - my first 10k (that's 6.2 miles). Originally I was going to run this race with my sister-in-law Kari, but she hurt her ankle and had to cancel. She's so awesome and has already done a half marathon, so really she had nothing to prove! Anyway, this was the Tour de Pee Vee in Prescott and it was a lot of fun. We stayed with my sister Krista and her family for the night. And since Kari had to cancel on me, I met someone on race day to run with me - a 75 year old man! He totally kept me motivated and even finished a minute before me! He was such a sweet man and it was nice to be able to talk the whole time, instead of concentrating on my legs going numb! ;-) I finished the race under an hour - 59 min and 53 seconds- not to shabby for hills! I got 1st place in my age division (19-29yrs), and the next person was 7 minutes behind me! Yippee! And even though I'm happy with this 9.35 min/mile record, I'm just glad I finished alive! Whew! Next I want to dabble in a triathlon! Anyone want to join me?

My Two Gorgeous Girls

2007-09-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Annalise is 3 yrs old and is a smart, beautiful girl. She knows where she's going in life and won't let anyone stop her! She took a ballet class this year and is currently in soccer. Go Planktons! She loves playing with friends and telling jokes. She also loves playing rough with her Daddy -- and anyone else who's tough enough to take the abuse! :-) She's also a great at snuggling!

Ava is our 15 months old and is following right after her sister. She's learning how to throw a pretty mean temper tantrum! She enjoys searching through all the cabinets in the house that are "off-limits" and giving lots of loves. She loves her big sister Annalise. It's so fun to hear them laughing together and chasing one another. And we love all the new words she's learning like, "I wub woo" (I love you).

Blogging Newbie

2007-09-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, searching the web and checking out all my friends/families blogs......and I'm getting envious of all the cute posting........then a lightbulb goes off and I think to myself, "you too can have a blog!". So here I am attempting to pull it off. Hopefully I actually remember to post pictures and entries! I hope you all enjoy seeing bits and pieces of the Larson family!