Christmastime

Christmas was a very fluid concept for us this year. We were driving back out to Colorado and since most of Scotty's presents went with the amazing kitchen my parents bought for him, it didn't make sense to transport them. Eric's theory was that if we were doing Christmas early anyway, we should just really do it early. I finally caved to the whining (Eric's, not Scotty's) and made an event of it so it still felt like Christmas. It was technically still November.

that counts as a Christmas tree, right?

Eric surprised me with a new bedding set, which I've been wanting since we bought a house. I scored on Black Friday this year so he got 2 new seasons of the Office and Lego Harry Potter for the Wii.

Once in Colorado we had a fabulous Christmas eve with cousins, though it was noticeably different than usual. Christmas Eve in the Larsen family is always with Grandma Gay and we missed her this year. I made an effort to take pictures because it's usually Grandma Gay behind the camera and sending out shots to everyone. Still we had a fabulous meal and a surprise visit from Santa.

Everytime we went to the mall I asked Scotty if he wanted to go meet Santa and he was never interested, so it was fun to actually be able to snap a pic.

Alyssa was totally into it.

 We had a blast doing the rest of Christmas properly, as in, on Christmas morning and with a real tree, a fireplace, and stockings. Scotty was excited about his presents even though most of what was left were the functional things, like socks and shirts and pajamas. He's a sweet kid :o)

What a difference a week can make.

Also known as "The Colorado Cure."

I have video proof that a week in Colorado with cousins and family has cured my child.

Two days before the long drive. Hysterics. Eyes swelling shut. Frantic arm flailing. Babies have distinctive cries that can be interpreted to have different meanings. I call this one "Weeping, Wailing, and Gnashing of Teeth." It is interpreted to mean: "GET ME OUT OF MY CAR SEAT!"

I know it's dark, but use your imagine. Isn't that classic?

So we go to Colorado, and she's amazingly well-behaved during the entire drive! On Thanksgiving day, she discovered her voice, and suddenly I'm hearing sweet baby songs from across the room.

How could you not fall instantly in love with this? Totally cured.

Ok, not totally. She is congested and has the most heartbreaking hoarse cry you've ever heard. And she still gets hysterical. But she's a whole new baby compared to the first few months and we are loving it. I hope this means she'll start sleeping more at night!

As a bonus, I got to watch my husband fall madly in love with his little girl during our vacation. Instead of a screaming baby who refused to comfort to him (and was therefore unrewarding to hold), he's become her ultimate protector, full of kisses and snuggles and sweet baby conversations. If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the way to a woman's is through her children. Ironic, because the way to a woman's children is also through her stomach....

What a Wonderful Week!

We had a jam packed week of fun in Colorado, with only a few pictures to document the awesomeness. We drove in on Thursday and Friday, and stayed up talking Friday night. Saturday morning was the sealing, luncheon, family naps, and reception. Then the party began! We sent Bekah and Grant off on their honeymoon, and April and I bailed with the kids while everyone else stayed to clean up. I figure six kids and two moms are more of a liability than an asset so we just got out of the way. And had lots of time to chat and hang out while waiting for everyone else to finish cleaning!

we plan for them to be roommates at BYU. Look out, class of 2031!

they are actually 3 months apart, but Ella was 6 weeks early and Alyssa has a ginormous head

 We stayed up playing games where I had the most winning night of my life, beating April at Nerts (though we both lost to Stephen and Emily) and winning BOTH rounds of Apples to Apples.

FHE with all the grandkids

Later in the week Eric took the boys to the aquarium so April and I could get crafty. We also headed down to Colorado Springs to tour the Air Force Academy campus, which was amazing even though it was freezing cold. Scotty loved the time with his Peeta (aka Grandpa Larsen) and seeing all the airplanes.

cold weather = a great excuse to wear baby Uggs and a strawberry hat!

the amazing chapel

this bench is reserved for prisoners of war and those missing in action

hey look! a real life cadet!

On Thanksgiving, everyone but the moms and babies headed out for our traditional Turkey Day Bowling. It was nice to have a little peace and quiet, to be honest, and we made some stellar pies while they were smacking things down with bowling balls. Eric tells me that Scotty was so excited to go and would anxiously watch his ball roll slowly down the lane and rejoice when it hit anything.

Kids can make everything much more fun! Dinner was fabulous and overflowing with food, and we had some good game time while listening to the kids watch "What About Bob?" in the background. It was wonderful to see family, especially Grandpa, though we missed Grandma Gay and it wasn't quite the same without her.

Friday night we headed out after the Auburn/Alabama football game, but only made it as far at Trinidad, Colorado before calling it a night. I thought out driving schedule would be contingent on the weather, but we ended up planning it around college football. So thanks, Boise State and Nevada, for making the much longer than planned Saturday drive worth it :o)

All I said was "Smile, Alyssa!" so obedient.

The best part about the whole trip is that I wasn't super sad to leave, as we're all getting together again for Christmas! My list of "things to do" just keeps getting longer and longer. I love Larsen time!

The Final Wedding

Well, the Great Larsen Expansion is over, at least for now. In 2010 we had two babies (both girls! woo hoo!), three weddings, and a funeral (in real life, not the movie.) We missed the second wedding, as it took place in Utah and I had a baby at 8:04 the next morning. I would have gone into labor during the reception! In my defense, the baby was on her way before those two had even met, so my timeline took precedence :o)

what a beautiful day with perfect weather!

It was wonderful to be in Colorado for the final wedding--Eric's only sister and the baby of the family. I first met her when she was 12 so in many ways she's my baby sister as well and I have watched her grow up. We stayed up talking the night before the wedding and it made me remember all the conversations we've had over the past seven eight years. It was beautiful to be in the temple with his whole family, though I had to be careful not to make eye contact with mom, Bekah, or April because I kept tearing up. Being a mom has made me such a softie!

Bekah's bridesmaids were nice enough to watch the kids during the sealing, so we rushed out to relieve them. Just as I had expected, I greeted one holding a screaming Alyssa outside the waiting room because she was so loud. Also as expected, the other girls gushed about how cute Scotty was and told me all the funny things he had said. Unfortunately, I had my hands full chasing kids around and trying to stay warm so I didn't get to wander and take pictures of the happy couple like I used to. I did manage to snag this awesome family pic while we were waiting for the bride to appear, however. (And yes, I said bride--Grant came out by himself and we had to send him back in to fetch his wife!)

typical larsen portrait: Scotty is laughing hysterically/maniacally, Alyssa is sucking on her hand, and Eric and I look hot and put together :o)

It was fun to have some quality family time during the luncheon and reception instead of running around like crazy people. Now that we have the hang of how to throw a tremendous wedding celebration, we're all done with weddings! The girls were tired by the end of the night, however, and transitioned from perfect angels...

to screaming angels.

Hey, MOM! Why are you taking pictures instead of picking me up and/or feeding me?!

We had a blast hanging out with April, Reed, Parker, Carter, Adam, and Ella for most of the week. The girls quickly became best buds and Scotty LOVED having his cousins around. It was a constant party and sleepover for four energetic little boys--we are definitely feeling the withdrawal around here as an exponential increase in whining. April and I, on the other hand, had a blast staying up late crafting and chatting. Pictures of our creativity soon to come!

New Mexican Scottish

Life is chaotic around here as we just got back from a fabulous week long vacation to Colorado. Being a family of four makes it expensive to fly, not to mention crazy with luggage and baby accessories, so we split our 14 hour drive into two days each way. Our first family roadtrip! The minivan makes all the difference :o)

Driving across New Mexico is boring. It's flat, straight, and filled with cows. I was having flashbacks of Nebraska, only with dirt instead of a grass. (Apologies to anyone from NM, I'm sure there are lovely areas!). Scotty was getting a little bored in his carseat, so Eric told him to direct his toy gun out the window and catch us some cows for dinner. For the next 20 minutes he was occupied "booming cows" out the window. Wanting to broaden his life experience a little bit, I started a discussion about milk.

Meg: "Alyssa drinks milk from mama, but your milk comes from cows."
Scotty: "You're so weird, mama. My milk comes from the fridge!"

Clearly, the boy did NOT grow up on a farm.

Another obvious bit of Scottish: he's a bossy kid. It stated with "STOP SINGING!" and progressed to "I'm not talking to you, daddy, I'm talking to mama!" We've been working on this without much effect. I did notice some specific progress during the long drive however. Common phrases from the backseat included: "Excuse me, I'm talking to daddy" and "no thank you singing, mama." Ha! Progress indeed. Politely worded bossiness? I'll take it!