Monday, June 30, 2008

Arts and Crafts


Cole decided that he wanted to make a birdhouse for Daddy. I helped him a bit in creating what was in his head but he made all the decisions and was very specific about how it should look. I think the finished project is quite...something! (However, in this picture you can't see that it's a Q-tip sticking out of the bottom.)

Love You To Pieces








When Cole was younger and I would tell him that I loved him to pieces he would say, "No, say you love me to fixed!" I still love him to pieces, and Luke too, and Clay too. I just had to post some pictures of Luke's "pieces" that I love, especially the freckle on his thigh.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Water Babies



It's been so warm and the Larson pool has been the perfect temperature! Today Luke had his first swim in their pool with Daddy and Cole. He seems to be a real water baby. In fact, he has never fussed during a bath. We had a lot of fun at their house and it was so nice getting to visit with Clay's brother Clark and his wife, Liesel, who just flew in from Maryland.

A "not so fun" water experience was last week when we went to the beach. Cole loved the beach last summer, but this time around he didn't want anything to do with the water. For one thing, he didn't want his band-aid to get wet and fall off, and another concern was that there might be sharks. Hopefully we'll get him over these fears soon.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Copy Cat

Those of you who subscribe to "Hilarious Hannah" will notice that I have totally copied Rebecca's idea with "Cole Quotes". I love reading the funny things Hannah says and each quote makes me laugh out loud. Also, I'm really obsessive about remembering everything about our boys. So making a list of quotes with dates helps me.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Tribute #1 "Clay-Clay"




We had a great Father's Day last Sunday. After church, we headed to Clay's parents for dinner and a little swimming. Clay's brother Scott and his family were visiting from Utah so it was great to see them. Brother's Bruce and Steve and their families were there too. It was a nice big group and lots of fun.

Oh how I love my dearest Clay! I don't even know where to begin when it comes to the kind of father he is. I believe he has taken fathering to a whole new level. Could it be because of the learning book that he created for Cole that has now expanded to a 3rd volume and evidences his absolute devotion to teaching his sons? Or could it be the bedtime routine that he does with Cole every night without fail that includes story reading, story/letter writing, scripture study, and prayers? Could it be the short Spanish lessons he gives Cole every morning before breakfast?Could it be how whenever he has a day off or any free time at all, without question, he wants to spend it with us? Or is it that when he takes Cole on an outing; to the zoo, to the park, to the beach, wherever, he stays as long as Cole wants, for hours on end?

The list could go on and on. I love watching him play "boy style" with Cole, like wrestling, playing tag, playing nerf basketball in the kitchen, and my favorite of all, spider man (Cole) vs. the Yellow Dart (Clay-not sure how this name was thought up.)

Clay is everything to us; our teacher, our friend, our leader, and definitely the one who is always strong. I love you, Clay!

Tribute #2 "I Know I Love My Father"


When I was 3, my dad made a recording on a cassette tape of me and my sisters talking about ourselves, singing songs, etc. Towards the end, he asked if any of us had anything else we'd like to say. I yelled, "I do! I do!". It got quiet and I said very seriously, "I know...I love...my father." (Although in my 3 year-old voice, father sounded more like "faw-dor".) Everyone laughed and I said, "Hey, that's not a funny word!." Their laughter did not weaken my conviction, however, and I again said, "I know I love my father."

Well, 21 years later, one of the things I still know for sure is that I love my father. He is such an amazing example to me in so many ways. He has always taken such great care of all of us and has recently followed suit by giving everything he has to help one of my little sisters recover from an illness. His testimony of the gospel is unshakeable and has been ever since two missionaries knocked on his door when he was 18. I was so lucky to have him as my seminary teacher my senior year. He taught Book of Mormon to an all-girl class and none of us will ever forget what an incredible teacher he was. Years earlier when he first started teaching seminary, he would spend hours each night preparing lessons, making sure that they were just perfect. By the time he was my teacher, he had his lessons down to a science, or an art really. I grew up getting the best family home evening lessons from him, and even more appreciated, getting the best advice with any problem I could come up with. But what I appreciate most now, from a more grown-up perspective, is how he love's my mom. He is so sweet and gentle with her and love's her more than life itself. My mom's a little fragile now with her pacemaker and head pain (although she would never let you know it) and it means so much to me that she'll always have my dad. No one looks out for her and protects her like he does. I love you, Dad!

Friday, June 13, 2008

From the Bibs of Babes


The world of babies is so much fun and silliness. Here is a list of favorite messages that I've seen on baby bibs and onesies:
  • My Mom Rocks (me to sleep)
  • Property of Mom
  • I just pulled an all-nighter
  • Bald is Beautiful
  • My dad did my hair (I saw Calla wearing this one.)
  • I still live with my parents
  • Swinging Single and Loving It!
  • What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's
  • Sleep is for the weak
  • man in the making
  • diape(red) (from Gap--where the proceeds go towards AIDS research? in Africa.)

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Knott Berry Smart





Cole and Luke and I got to go with Clay and his class of emotionally disturbed boys to Knott's Berry Farm yesterday. It was so much fun and with a double stroller, having both the boys was easy. Clay's students managed to stay out of trouble too. Luke was very content laying back in the stroller, out of the sun, and Cole and I had a great time running to each of the rides. In the picture you can see what Luke's favorite ride was. We mostly stayed at Camp Snoopy but when I saw that there was no height requirement for the log ride in Ghost Town, I had to take him on it. I learned an important lesson from taking him on this "grown-up" ride: you shouldn't take your child on a scary ride just because they're tall enough, more thrilling doesn't equal more fun to a 4 year old. The log ride is basically the same as splash mountain at Disneyland, with the big drop at the end. I had forgotten there were two more drops earlier in the ride, one being in pitch black. After the pitch black drop and all the way until the end, Cole kept saying, "I hate this ride! I hate this ride!". As soon as it was over he said, "I never want to go on this ride again." I felt sooo bad. Hopefully I'll be a smarter parent next time. He got over his fright fast though and enjoyed going on some more of the child-friendly rides. I would have liked to stay a few more hours but we had to leave at 4:30 so the boys could get back to the school by 6:00. In my opinion, you should never leave a theme park before it closes.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Two Little Blessings





A couple weeks ago we had some family pictures taken. These are some of our favorites.
We had a first this week, eating Indonesian food with a family in our ward, the Munsons, and the missionaries. Brother Munson made two amazing chicken curries and other authentic dishes that I can't remember the names of. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing because Cole was so happy there playing with all their Thomas toys.
Sunday was a very special day for us--Luke was blessed followed by cousin Connor. Almost the entire middle section of pews was occupied by family who came to participate. My grandma Lyla and Grandpa Tommy were there, along with my grandma Dorothy and Aunt Tina, my parents, Clay's parents, my sister Emily and her husband Todd and all their kids, Clay's brother Bruce, our sister-in-law Sara with her girls, and Steve and Breanne and Blake. Afterwards we had a luncheon at my parent's house for everyone; the Larson's, the Cazanave's, and the Burton's (Connor's family.) Luke and Connor have blessed our families so much!