Luke, Amy, Blake, and Callie

A Perfect Conversation...

2012-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Last night in the car Luke commented about how the Goose cries when he holds her. He was surprised because Blake has always been such a Daddy's girl.

Blake: "I am not a Daddy's Girl"

Amy: "Oh! Does that mean you are a Mommy's Girl?"

Blake: "No. I am a dog."

So perfectly describes my cute family this week.

JINGLES THE ELF

2011-12-17T11:52:00.001-08:00

For those who are not aware, an incredible elf has visited our house thanks to Grandma Bonnie. His name is Jingles. Every night we sprinkle magic snowflakes on him, and it allows him to come to life and he does magical things, sometimes naughty and sometimes nice.

I was able to catch him a few times in the act. Here are his latest adventures. He built a tower with bath toys last night... "silly Jingles- He's hugging my frog." said Blake.
The first morning after Jingles came to life. Blake wasn't sure how she felt about a mysterious elf coming to life, but she is now loving it!
This is silly Jingles cutting out all the snowflakes.

Just a random pictures of Callie! I obviously uploaded it in the wrong place, but it is so cute. She is always so excited to see me when I come to get her, and No, I did not put her in her crib sideways or leave the mobile down sideways! That's all her.
If you can't tell, Jingles is hanging on the lighting wire, after he decorated my whole house with my red Christmas ornament centerpiece. Blake said, "Jingles... Get down right now. You are making me so nervous!" Obviously, I can never say that again. My daughter repeating me is way too weird.
Bad picture, but Jingles put all blake's stuffed animals on the bed and is hugging Jeremiah on the very top! Blake thought this was her favorite surprise because she got to sleep with all her animals.

He has also dyed our milk green, spread all Blake's socks and underwear all over the house, spilled Shade's food, and gave Blake and Callie a new Little People Nativity which was a big hit!

WE are so lucky to have a great ELF living with us for a few days.

Does anyone else have an elf at their house and have some ideas of what these elves might do? Just so I can be on the look out, of course. :)

We love you Grandma Bonnie. We are so lucky that you love us so much that you put in all this work to inspire imagination and creativity in our children. You are an incredible grandma and mom and I am in awe of the work you do to put these 12 days of Christmas together. We are truly grateful. It is a wonderful sign of love for us and for our children.

SANTA!

2011-12-17T11:50:00.001-08:00

Look who we Saw TODAY! Ward Christmas Party and Callie and Blake got to sit on Santa's lap. We had so much fun, and there were no tears, a huge improvement from the last 2 years! She told Santa she wanted a toy horse, unless Papa reads this, then she wants a real horse, preferably a pony! Just kidding Dad.

I love my girls but we sure missed Luke today at the Christmas Party. He is hard at work providing for us.

WINTER BLUES

2011-12-17T11:41:00.001-08:00

The Worst part of no or little snow is that there is nothing fun to do outside! Luckily for us, cute Luke built our tramp inside our basement which gives us many hours of fun! Even Callie is learning to love it.There was a storm on Tuesday for a few hours, and there was some snow flakes on the ground! This is Blake when we were feeding that day!
It's official! Coolest mom Ever! JK! I got cute Blake her first Cardhardt coat (spellcheck) and she loves it! She is so dang cute that little girl of mine!

Hopefully we will get some real snow soon. It puts food on our table, so to speak, so we need it!

KIDS DATE NIGHT

2011-12-12T11:37:00.001-08:00

So... Saturday night I was so stir crazy and I just wanted to get out. We went out for a little (with kids) date night after Luke got home at 8. We drove to the Train Depot, hoped on a trax train (which is free by the way) and rode it to the Gateway, where we went and ate at the Food Court. The kids had a blast! We went with Lindsey and Nate and Blake's friend Ethan. We only had 2 quarters so they had to share the 4-wheeler ride, but we had lots of fun.

Blake and Ethan riding the 4- wheeler.

Blake and Ethan on the train... the definite highlight of the night! We even had a group of carolers who rode the train with us part way so we got to sing, "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer"!

My Darling Girls

2011-12-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love and "not so much love" this age of 3? Blake is so much fun, way too silly, and so entertaining. Along with her new imaginary friend, she is almost always either a mom unicorn, a dad reindeer, or a zebra. When she is one of these animals, she always points to each of her arms and says, "This is a leg." She loves riding everything, skateboards, bikes, push bikes, peddle bikes, and running "super fast". She is sort of a bully to Lucy, her cousin, but loves her anyway. My least favorite trait is the roaring! Whenever Callie falls asleep in the car, usually after a long bout of crying, Blake leans as close as she can to the car seat and roars like a Lion. Callie wakes up screaming, I have seriously violent thoughts, and Blake claims she can't be held responsible because she is Simba from the Lion King. AHAH!! She thinks she is so funny! And then in moments of pure innocence, she looks at me and says "Guess what? I love you so much."

Who couldn't love all that?

I think my lack of blogging is starting to scare me that I am not documenting the cuteness and exhaustion of my current crazy life. I love it so much and I want to remember it. Maybe this will motivate me!
This is my cute daughter wearing her cooking apron. She is unique in that whenever she gets a gift that isn't a stuffed animal, she refuses to touch it or look at it for a few weeks, and then it becomes her very favorite thing! I can't explain it... lets just say that Halloween costumes are introduced early at our house.
Callie is so dang cute! I love her smile, which I see so often these days. She refuses to take a bottle most days, but we keep trying. She is sitting up, she just cut her first tooth, and she is in the 95 % percentile at 6 months. Which is impressive since she is slimming down from the 99% at 4 months. She is eating food now, loves chicken and rice, prunes, and pears. She has ears pierced, and has lost all the hair she was born with. Now it is just a blonde fuzz.
She hates her carseat and cries every time I put her in it, to which Blake asks, "Why does she hate her carseat mom?" EVERYTIME! So cute. I have finally sort of put her on a sleeping schedule, which is helping the screaming and the babysitting. She takes 2 naps a day and only wakes up once a night now most nights. She loves swimming, and even survived her first couple of Daddy Dunkings. She hates her pacifier, but I am bound and determined she is going to take one. Everytime I see Clara with hers I grow green with envy. I need a mute button sometimes. She loves talking loudly, but only at church, and she isn't very flexible. :) She can't even get her feet into her mouth, even though she keeps trying.

We love her so much!
Blake's Christmas TREE! I may have helped a little on the basic outline but the rest was all her!
The FIRST SNOW OF THE YEAR! We were out by 8:30 and loving it.

This was the day I decided that I needed a Carthart for her. She is wearing her "Running FAST" Cape (Thanks Aunt Carrie) and her "Mudd Boots like Moms" but she keeps rolling in the dirt and hay every time I feed and we go home like this. Her dad taught her that she can jump in the mud with her new farm boots, so she is usually muddy as well! What a cutie!

Blake got a motorcycle for her birthday, and this is just her climbing on Thanksgiving morning for a quick ride! She loves to ride!

We have the cutest little girls and I find such joy in motherhood. There is probably no more tiring or fulfilling jobs and I am privileged to be raising these girls.

Blake's Imaginary Friend

2011-12-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

I just had to write this so I didn't forget. Blake has an imaginary friend named Alex today. She carries him with her hand in cupping shape, so he must be tiny. As she rode her bike down the street today she kept yelling, "Faster Alex Faster!"
This morning I went to Dr Doug's appt for Callie and I asked her what toy she would like to bring. We could only bring one... and she said, "I'll just bring Alex" and preceeded to climb out of the car with no toys, just a little cupped hand.
Oh my goodness, how much do I love this littler girl?

NEW FAMILY PICTURES

2011-11-14T11:16:00.001-08:00

We had our family pictures taken by Matt Draper. Check him out at mdraperphotography.blogspot.com! He did a great job and we love them! It is our first real family pictures, and I probably should have waited until it no longer looked like I just had a baby, but my family is so cute I wanted to document it.

Halloween!

2011-11-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

BEST HALLOWEEN TO DATE! For those who remember, Blake didn't really wear a costume last year, so the fact she was in a costume (PUPPY) and smiling is amazing! But she also trick-o-treated! We had a great Halloween week. We had a Family Halloween Party on Sunday where Grandma Bonnie had lots of fun games and crafts.

We also carved pumpkins as a family. These were pumpkins that we grew at the farm so they were extra special.

We handed out glow sticks instead of candy, and it seemed to be a hit. This is our pumpkins advertising for us!

We went trick-o-treating with our cousin Lucy and Clara. We met at our house and took some pictures on the grass since Callie can't sit up yet! Clara and Blake had similar costumes which were so cute!

Sisters and Best Friends!

Clara (age 6 months) and Callie (age 5 months) but totally look like twins!

Best friends (or frienemies depending on the day) walking between houses

A cul-de-sac in our neighborhood goes all out with haunted garages, free hot dogs, and lots of decorations. The girls were brave and participated but definetely didn't love it. Blake just keeps mentioning the scary gorilla!
We had a great time, though we missed Cody and Macy and Mckayla! Maybe another year it could be a whole Crosland-Larsen Affair!

BLAKE'S Birthday Present From Dad

2011-11-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Blake's dad got her a motorcycle for her birthday! Yes, we are crazy, but it has been so fun. She is getting faster, and even though there is a throttle restricter, Luke had to invent a lease to keep her from taking off.

This is Blake taking her dad for a ride in the pasture. He is having to run hard to keep up!

And this is cute Callie Goose, smiling away at the farm. She is borrowing Clara's hat and it is so cute on her!

Park City

2011-10-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

With a crazy chain of events, we ended up in Park City Last week instead of Lake Powell. We had a great time and thanks to my parents, we all got to stay in the Marriott Mountainside. It was so much fun. We swam in the Hot tub and enjoyed the SNOW (yes, I said snow). we rode the roller coaster and Callie started Cereal for the first time! A great week!Callie wouldn't sleep so I thought she might be hungry... so I borrowed Clara's cereal and we began feeding her. It didn't help, but it was still an adventure.
I am not smart and I didn't flip this picture before I downloaded it. Turn sideways and see Blake and I riding the roller coaster!
Blake and Lucy... fought like cats and dogs... but had a blast doing it!

The Girls loved their Papa! And the Hotel, mostly just the elevator. Luke taught them about jumping up in it, so it became a ride like the roller coaster.

Thanks Mom and DAD!

Blake's Birthday Party

2011-10-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had a small little Birthday Party for Blake and her friends at the farm. I kept asking her, and she kept saying she wanted a horse party... so we did. We had cowboy cupcakes and a cowboy pinata. It was so cute and fun.

All the kids rode Kona, and we also did a horse relay race with a stick horse... which was way harder for me to run with them to keep them on the path! I might have forgotten they were only 3...

The only way Blake can show how old she is... and don't correct her! It is so cute!

Grandma and Grumpy Goose... Just kidding. Callie is always happy!
The kids patiently taking turns to hit the pinata... which turned out to be really hard to break. Note to self... buy a better bat (no plastic wuffle (?) bats)

Callie's Baby Blessing

2011-08-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 7th, 2011 We blessed our beautiful baby Callie Jessica Larsen. It was such a great day and we were so glad that most of our family could be there. This isn't the best picture, but it was kind of crazy at our house, so I am sweaty and Blake is grumpy and Callie was sleepy. I ended up getting Blake a white dress at a consignment sale and I was so glad I did... it made her whole day. She kept saying, "This is so beautiful". It was the best $3 I ever spent. Of course she wouldn't take it off, so it has stains all over it, so it was a one time wear. Callie did so well that day, happy most of the time, except taking pictures, and just seemed to enjoy the commotion around her. There were 3 babies blessed that Sunday in my ward so it was crazy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA JEFF! We were having our Blessing Day on Dad's Birthday, and he was nice enough to share his special day with Callie. We love you so much Dad, and we are so grateful for all you do. I hope you enjoyed your birthday, even if it was overshadowed by the littlest girl in white!

Grandma LaRae and her husband Ed came as well.

Dave and Marlene, Luke's parents, with Blake and Callie.

We didn't get a great picture of the girls... never a great idea to take pictures when everyone is there. It was a little chaotic. For a really cute picture of Callie, go to Carly's blog. She looks adorable. Maybe I should steal it and put it on my blog. :)

Spartan Race

2011-08-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

We have had a few requests for Luke's Spartan pictures. Taking a three week old baby seemed like a good idea, but it was so hot, and we would not have survived it without Grandma's help. Luke and Zac ran the Spartan Race in Midway. It was so fun to watch and Blake loved cheering on all the competitors as they jumped into the mud. Unfortunately, her dad cramped so bad after that he fell on the ground "scream giggling" and now Blake is terrified of any mud getting on her... she is afraid of the intense pain it causes. Thanks Luke!

But seriously, so fun and I am so proud of Luke for doing it. It was hard work just watching them pull cinderblocks up mountains, scale fences, run up and down Soldier Hollow twice, and of course, jump through fire and mud. We love you Dad!

Right after his huge belly flop! His wife, the amateur photographer missed it!

You can't tell here, but they have huge bleeding scratches on their heads from the barbed wire crawl. Who's jealous?

NEW BABY CALLIE

2011-08-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Better late then never, right? This is our beautiful new addition to our family, Callie Jessica Larsen. She was born on May 31st, 2011 and weighed a whopping 9 lbs, 7oz and 21 inches high. I was so shocked when she was weighed at the hospital. The nurses kept bringing their nurse friends to see the "toddler" in my room. It was awesome... you always want to be known as the woman who delivers huge babies. It didn't help the only other baby born that day at Salt Lake Regional was 5 lbs. Callie could have crawled out of her bassinet if she wanted to. But everything went perfect, no health problems or sugar problems and home we came. She is such a great baby with a huge cry she graces us with often. She is getting strong and started rolling over at 6 weeks (regularly). Craziest thing I've ever seen. But since I was clearly carrying her way to long, maybe she worked out in my belly! It certainly felt like she was doing some kind of aerobics while I carried her.

She looks just like Blake, who seems to love her, and our only problem with Blake was her incredible need to go "potty" everytime I nursed.

Proof of my giant but very cute baby!

On our way home from the hospital... She looked so tiny to me.

Blake, Callie, and "Gerald" The binky giraffe that I love and Blake named.

Little Callie "Goose"

We call her goose because she honks when she is sleeping or eating. Needless to say, she only slept in our room a few nights because I couldn't sleep. Luke can sleep through anything.

Skiing with Blake

2011-04-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

Blake has become a little skiing champion this spring! Unfortunately, her mother has not been a great poster of pictures and videos, and still is not currently smart enough to post a video of her in action! I will try to get Luke to when he gets home! So ready for summer.... but someone is going to miss skiing with her Daddy!

Luke Turned 30!

2011-04-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

My cute husband is 30, but still having a blast! We celebrated in style this year, I rented out the Flow Rider in Ogden so he could have a great time surfing even in Utah! Thanks for everyone who celebrated with us! I am so lucky to be married to such an active and fun man and I love that this is how he likes to spend his birthdays!
This is Luke riding the wave!
This is Michelle... Both her and Debbie were amazing and they both crashed hard but kept at it!

Just the boys standing and watching each other fall!

We had our families to our house to celebrate as well, and this is Luke, Blake, and Easton blowing out candles!

Blake has an Announcement to Make!

2010-12-06T10:04:00.001-08:00

Most of you thought we probably retired from blogging, but we still wanted to share some great news!

If you can' read Blake's shirt, it says, "This Little Monkey is going to be a Big Sister!" I am 14 weeks today and getting bigger everyday. We are so excited and wanted to share the news.

I will try to post again... maybe by 2012.

help!

2010-02-08T09:51:00.001-08:00

I am having the hardest time uploading pictures and especially videos. It just takes forever and then eventually says server not found. Does anyone have any tips to help me?

All my Spare Time

2009-12-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

All my spare time should probably be devoted to Blake, for the last two months, Kona is getting more of the attention. For those that haven't heard, my horse Kona cut all the tissue etc off her hind right leg down to the bone, and I have been bandaging, cleaning, administering antibiotics for two months now. I wish it was summer, so the heat would dry out the ground, but accidents never happen when you want them to.
She seems to have finally turned a corner though, and It looks like we are hopefully out of the woods. Her granular tissue has competely covered the bone (still very nasty) and the vet isn't showing any signs of bone damage at this time. I think she is going to be fine.
I would post some pictures, but I promise you, most people would vomit at the sight, let alone the smell. Luke hates the smell of infection so badly now... My car, garage, and washing machine smell like her infection. It gets everywhere, and I have to wash all my cleaning rags and store them in my garage. I am so excited my brother is in town now to help my dad and I out. It has been an adventure!

How we do Christmas Cards!

2009-12-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

So... we did a Christmas card this year. And sent it in the mail to... no one! Yeah for us! Sometimes I drop the ball. A few family and friends we saw during the holidays got one, but for the rest... this will have to do. Merry Christmas. We will get it all together next year... I hope.

Blake at 15 Months

2009-12-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

We went the doctor last week for our check-up and vaccine. Blake got 5 shots, which I think was way too many. She handled the first two fine, and then just started screaming bloody murder. Luckily when bribed with an orange sucker, she appeared to recover!

STATS:
Weight 24 lbs 15 oz. 80%
Height 31.5 inchs 82%
Head circum 48.1 cm. 96%

We are so lucky to have such a great baby and she makes us very happy. We just hope she keeps growing healthy and strong.

So things we discussed at the doctors were as follows:
Temper tantrums... yep
High-pitched squealing...yep
Head-banging or throwing things in anger... no (hopefully never) and yes
Keeping doors closed on overs, dishwashers, and clothesdryers... Check (huge temptation)
Climbing and Falling.... Just beginning to climb on kitchen chairs

Good to know your child's behavior isn't abnormal, isn't it?

Skating

2009-12-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know it is christmas Eve, but Luke's at work all day and we are home alone. I was looking through everyone's blogs and realized again I am a horrible blogger and want to get better. I love reading everyone's stories and seeing all the fun pictures. So I am going to play catch up.

For those of you that don't know, Luke has been working on a big project with his friend Joe. They are shooting a demo for a tv show they want to pitch in the spring, and it involved learning how to skate. These are some fun pictures of Blake participating in skating as well. I didn't really get any of Luke. They got really fast, so it would take a better cameraman than I.
Luke is always trying to get Blake play crazy sports... like skate boarding. This is her giving the ramp her first try.

Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T11:04:00.001-08:00

We had a Crosland Thanksgiving this year, and miracle of all, we were able to have Luke join us!

Everyone getting ready for the big meal! It was wonderful! Thanks Mom.
My mom wanted a picture of all the kids in their new outfits she got them. It didn't go so well. Everyone but Lucy was crying, and she just kept trying to eat leaves. Cody is on the milk box, and left to right, Lucy, Macey, and Blake.

Ben, Carrie, Cody, and Macey

Tyler, Carli and Lucy

We would show you our picture with Blake, but she wouldn't have it. She was just screaming and walking around. It would just be a picture of Luke and I chasing Blake! Yeah for 15 months!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Halloween!

2009-11-30T10:55:00.001-08:00

It is about time... since it is almost December, to put some pictures of Blake on Halloween! We had a great Halloween this year with our little turtle! It was so much fun, though she didn't understand what was going on!
Blake, the turtle, with her cute dad as we walked around the neighborhood. Okay, like a street and a half... Blake didnt' understand why we would keep walking when there was stuff in her purple pumpkin for her to play with! She kept stopping, sitting down, and reaching in.

Her cute costume from the front!

Her costume from the back! The tail is my favorite part!

Happy Halloween everyone! In December.

We are Alive!

2009-11-30T10:15:00.001-08:00

So... we forgot to blog for like 3 months, and now I am trying to catch up. These pictures are veryoutdated! But it is better than nothing!

Blake, Camryn, Oakley, and Camden went to the Zoo (obviously when it was still warm) and they loved it! We want to go back again soon Tricia! (hint hint) Blake was just walking, so she is a little unsteady at this point.

Blake and Camryn sitting on Isaac. They have been spending lots of time running around in the sand pile and the pasture. They love it! (Until the two weeks of Arctic Temperatures put an end to that)

I love this picture. A girl and her horse... what can be better than that?

Happy Birthday Blake!

2009-09-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Blake Turned 1 on September 16th. Can you believe it? This is my favorite picture of the day... she was eating her cake and kept trying to feed it to me.

Happy Birthday Blake! You are now 1 years old and I can no longer say "my Baby Blake".

A few things I love about Blake that I want to remember:

She does open mouth kisses to me, her dad, and her dog

She walks around with both hands high up in the air like a football referee signalling Touchdown

She loves to eat anything she can put in her mouth herself, and despises eating from a spoon

She loves to go fast... on anything... horses, 4-wheelers, her push wagon

She laughs everytime her dad throws her into the lovesac

She loves to be outside, especially either dirty or wet

She loves to pour the dog's water bowl onto her lab 3 or 4 times a day

She breathes heavy when she's excited instead of laughing... it is like a dog panting

She only has 3 teeth, and has had 3 teeth for a month... they do not come in pairs apparently

She only likes to sleep in her bed, and she snuggles with a big white polar bear

She loves her mom and dad!

We had a great birthday on last Wednesday, the 16th. We had a party for our family out at the farm, and we had cake and ice cream and all the kids got to play in the sandbox and ride horses.

I did a caterpillar cake to go along with the Book "The Hungry Caterpillar". It turned out pretty cute... lots better than the practice one a few weeks before.

These are two of Blake's cousins riding Isaac. The kids all enjoyed the horses.

Speaking of horses, Blake got a rocking horse from her Grandpa and Grandma Crosland. She loves to ride it, especially since Luke started pushing her around the house in it. :)

Baby Lucy, Blake's other cousin, had her first horseback ride. Doesn't she look like a natural?

Blake's parents bought her this cool wagon thing, which was a lot cooler before she got the horse (refer to picture above). She doesn't like it near as much now since it doesn't rock and bounce.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE! WE LOVE YOU!

Summer is slipping away!

2009-09-14T10:05:00.001-07:00

Since we are not very good at blogging about our summer, I thought I would do a quick recap of July and August. We went camping twice, we went to Moab and stayed in a cabin for a week, we went rock climbing with some friends, boating at Willard Bay, and Blake got to watch her first fireworks at the Kaysville Fireworks and Parade. Luke also competed in the Bountiful Triathalon and took 2nd in his age group. All in all... Great summer!
Blake started taking a few steps at 11 months, but hasn't really been walking much until recently. This is her favorite toy push wagon, which she either pushes or stands inside of all day long!

Our beautiful Blake at almost 1 year old

3 Weeks in Paradise

2009-06-26T11:38:00.001-07:00

Week 3- Lake Powell with my family. It was a wonderful week, but still no sleep to be had by our cute baby Blake! We were ready to come home!

My whole family at Lake Powell

Our houseboat taken from a cave up the mountain
My dad waterskiing!

Royal Rumble Tube Wars.. That is my husband and my brother jumping on top of two little 100 lb 15 year old girls! So nice of them...

Luke throwing a toe-side back roll

We had 3 babies there... This is a picture of the two oldest, Blake and Macy

Blake asleep in her favorite thing ever, a life jacket. She hated it!

Cody and I in the bow of the boat

Cody

The 3rd baby, Lucy

3 Weeks in Paradise

2009-06-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

WEEK 2-- California with Luke's FamilyWe stayed in Capistrano in a Beach house! Awesome!

Luke catching some waves at San Clamente. I surfed too, but surprisingly I wasn't up on the board long enough for anyone to document it!

Blake and her daddy

Luke's friend Joe came down from LA to surf for a day.

Luke surfing

Right outside our beach house, maybe 10 yards into the water, a group of dolphins swam by.

Two of Blake's cousins playing in the sand-so cute!

Luke's whole family

Blake at sunset

Blake and her mom playing on the beach

Can you say "adorable"? She wasn't so adorable at night when she cried all night every night! Who ever said that traveling with babies wasn't that hard has never met this cut little girl!

3 Weeks in Paradise

2009-06-26T11:09:00.001-07:00

Week ONE- St. George with the Garretts and the Barneys

(I took very few pictures, apparently, but we had a great time!)

Luke showing off his sweet tan lines while balancing our beautiful baby Blake

Blake and her mom playing in the pool

Cute Colter and Jake

All three girls after a shopping outing at the Outlets

Because I am such a good wife...

2009-04-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Just kidding. Right now, Luke is outside mowing our lawn and I am supposed to be cleaning. But I got sidetracked doing some posting, and now I am literally laughing out loud at this blog I found from my friend Jen. You have to check it out. I am going to read some more now, before Luke comes in to find out it is 11 and I am still in my pajamas and haven't brushed my teeth. That was probably too much information.
mormonhusbands.blogspot.com
It is not religious at all, I am not sure why they use that title. It is just one man's ramblings and internal dialogue (similar to JD on the show SCRUBS) and it is hilarious!

Car Seat Carrier Covers

2009-04-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

If anyone was wondering how I spent my winter, most of it was spent behind a sewing machine. I have been making dolls for Blake, a cute bag for me (Thanks Niki), a few blankets, but most of the time I have been making car seat covers. I have been making them for friends and neighbors for baby shower gifts and I have decided to start selling them. I have been able to find the cutest fabric lately and I wanted to show them off. These are a few of the fruits of my labors this winter, and I am quite proud of them! I guess this section of my blog could be called, "Showing Off"- sorry!

I've done a few neutral car seat covers, for those practical people who want one for both boys and girls.

This could be generic as well, but I loved it! I also have some farm animal covers that are absolutely adorable fabric

My personal favorite... I know... I am turning into such a girl! It's pink and everything.

St George Triathlon!

2009-04-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

We went to St George last weekend so Luke could run the St. George Tri and we could spend time with Luke's mom. We had a great time and loved the weather. We also went to watch my sister Jessi in a dance competition.. and they won! Congrats Jess!

Luke on the last leg of the Tri... running 6 miles

Luke making a quick turn at the side of the pool. This is the only Tri he does in a pool so I had to get some pictures. Usually he is just another swim cap in a whole herd of swimmers in a lake.

Luke's mom was babysitting her grandson Easton. This is him on a push bike on the walking trail by the river. He could go so fast on that little bike... I want to get one for Blake.

Shade in her favorite place in the world... St. George by the River

Our happy little family!

Blake at 6 Months... (Now she is 7 Months)

2009-04-27T08:22:00.001-07:00

Blake at 7 months-- Last week! YEAH
Blake at 6 months exactly... This is my favorite picture ever!

Blake on her way home from the hospital... So tiny!

I thought I would show some cute pictures of my baby and a reminder picture of how far we have come...

Blake went to her 6 month appointment and was all healthy! YEAH! She weighed 17 lbs 10 oz and in the 72% and she was 27 in tall in the 82%. Her head was in the 83%. She has started eating food twice a day and I have been giving her some pear juice to help with regularity. She is sitting up great and has been so happy lately.

Just this week she has started getting into a crawling position and wiggling a bit... no steps yet. Hopefully not too soon. I don't want her to grow up too fast. I am enjoying the time I have to lie her on the floor and get some things done and not worry about what she is getting into. Oh well, it's the blessings of motherhood, I guess!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!

2009-03-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Luke! You are a wonderful husband and father, brother, son and friend and I am so lucky to have you in my life...

There are so many things I love about you... Here are a few

1. I love how childlike you are (in a good way).. you find joy in small and simple activities and I love it!

2. I love the way you rise to any challenge and are always being inventive about new business ideas and plans for our future

3. I love you for the dedication you have... Whatever you put your mind to, you will accomplish.

4. I love your amazing memory, and I pray everyday that Blake gets your memory and my good looks! Just kidding...

5. I love how you look great with long shaggy hair, a beard, and a pair of Vans... or with a buzzed head and a pair of nice khakis and Danskos. You are just sexy no matter what!

6. I love how passionate you are about playing and experiencing adrenaline... you are on a life-long quest for adrenaline-pumping activities

7. I love that even though you wish you were best friends with Travis Pastrana and lived in a foam pit, you still work hard to take care of your family.

8. I love the way you kiss me...

9. I love the man you are and the father you are becoming. Blake is one lucky girl

10. I love that you are 28, and went and jumped off the high dive at the Spa, went skiing twice, and went to a skatepark in a 3 day stretch! You keep me young!

11. I love that you married me, and made me so happy!

I love you BABE! Happy Birthday

First Day in a Pool larger than Our Bathtub!

2009-03-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

For Luke's upcoming birthday- we decided to have a family day at the Rec Center by our house. Does anyone have a season pass there? It was amazing- and Blake seemed to enjoy it. She mostly just stared at all the people, kids, colors, and noise... but she seemed very content!

Blake and I spent a great deal of time going around the Lazy River- It was our favorite!

As always, Blake loves being with her DAD! Cute picture, huh?

Blake and my first race in the pool!

Blake loves floating on her back... for about 1 second

We finally got her to smile!

Fun in February

2009-03-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Luke and I went night skiing last week at Brighton and cute Blake came along. This is her first of many days skiing with her dad. (She just stayed in a cabin with her Grandma Crosland and only got to ski down to the car)

Blake's cousin Lucy was just born last week. This is their first official meeting, as Carly uses Blake's big bum to push Lucy out. She came two days later... I think it was all thanks to Blake!

Some friends from my mission came to visit us and brought their friend Rocky to play with Shade. Blake rode around on him for a while... he was the perfect sized horse for her. Notice how tall the dog is in comparison to Luke! He was bigger than our dining room table!

Boredom or Torture?

2009-02-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Do you think that dressing up your baby and taking pictures is like little kids dressing up their cats and pushing them around strollers? I questioned my sanity once I saw these pictures, and whether or not I am officially torturing my baby. But she is so cute and I wanted some warm weather! This is the best we could do...

I bought this dress in Mexico (I bought one for my mom, sisters, and myself as well) for Lake Powell, but I am afraid the way she is growing she won't still fit in it in June. So we had to take pictures.
The bikini top is from my neice Mady from Hawaii.

She is sitting up by herself now, even when she's not on the couch. But I couldn't risk taking the picture and letting her sit up alone... in case she tanked it. :)

For those of you who know a little bit about being homebound, hula dancing with your baby to IZ (the huge Hawaiian guy who plays the ukelele on the end of You've Got Mail...) this will make more sense. Oh well, I think I have decided it was torture.

Good and Bad News!

2009-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

So last week was a crazy one. In Young Womens ( I am Young Womens President and it is a learning experience) we are learning about the temple, and so we were taking our youth to do Baptisms on Tuesday and to tour the Draper Temple on Wednesday. The previous couple of days, Blake had been getting a cold, and it kept getting worse. So finally on Tuesday, about two hours before we were supposed to be taking the Youth to the Bountiful Temple, I decide Blake needs to see the doctor. She had a fever and didn't sleep a wink the night before and she cried every time I laid her down. I figured she had an ear infection, or worse, RSV, because she was developing a cough.
Dr Doug, our pediatrician, fit us in around 5:00 that day. I couldn't get a hold of any of my other leaders, so I finally just text messaged my young women to tell the leaders I wasn't going to make it...responsible, I know. Blake does not have an ear infection, and luckily, No RSV...yet. That was what Doug said. She had a viral infection which was in her eyes, stuffy nose, and gave her a sore throat, and was progressing to her lungs. He told me no crowded places AT ALL until after St. Patrick's Day. That meant church, grocery stores, malls, etc. I am going a little bit crazy. But I am so glad she doesn't have RSV and she seems to be feeling better.

I have sworn off Young Womens for a while, so I hope my leaders will survive. Blake and I are just going to hibernate for a while, so if anyone wants to come visit, we are ready!

P.S. She also weighed 15 lbs 8 oz and is just under 5 months
BIG BABY!

Winter Fun!

2009-01-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

Blake with her cute smile! We have finally documented it on film!

It has been requested of me that I post some pictures (thanks Carrie)! Here is a picture of Blake and Luke last week at the farm. She likes to come and help me feed the horses, and once, her cute daddy was able to come!

Blake and her best friend, Shade

I really do try hard not to let my dog lick Blake, but she is at the perfect level for "walk-by lickings" and Shade takes advantage.

CHRISTMAS 2008

2009-01-05T17:10:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone~ I am a terrible blogger so I will just combine the entire month of December and show you all my cute pictures of a great Christmas season.

Blake and her new cousin Macey were visited by Santa on Christmas Eve
Blake's first picture with Santa

This year the "Nogger" was at our house. We had a great time, with fondue and fun crazy Christmas sweaters. These are all the babies that have been born since the last Nogger.

Hello Fertile Myrtles!

All the women with our babies... We were all nursing at this party, so it was like a Lactating Seminar for Le Leche or something. Crazy!

The Men were so proud of their Christmas sweaters!

The Prize for 2008 went to Ben because he willingly sacrificed his chest hair to make his "perfect Christmas sweater"

A little Gross, but very funny!

Our beautiful family in our Christmas Best!

Blake and her friend Camryn

Blake in front of the Christmas Tree! I promise she smiles, but I can't get her to smile within a 10 mile radius of a camera.

Her beautiful Christmas Dress! (Thanks to Grandma Larsen for the shoes)

Macey Crosland is here!

2008-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Ben and Carrie had their baby yesterday, and since there is no internet connection at the hospital, it has been like pulling teeth to get any pictures of their cute baby.
I am posting a few so friends and family can see their cute baby girl.
Macey- 6 lbs. 15 oz.

What a beautiful mom~ even after 3 1/2 hours of labor

Cody at the hospital visiting Macey

Dad and his kids

Go UTES!

2008-11-24T10:47:00.001-08:00

Luke, his dad Dave, his brother Zac, and his brother-in-law Mark went to the U of U vs. BYU game on Saturday. Looks like fun!

Dave and Mark

Zac and Luke

Blake's Blessing

2008-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

On November 2nd, Luke was able to perform Blake's Blessing. It was a great experience and we had all of our family except Ben and Carrie there to share it with us. We came over to our house after and everyone squeezed in my house and we had lunch. Thanks to everyone who helped and who brought food... I barely had to do anything.

Grandma and Grandpa Crosland with a crying Blake. She was actually great the entire day until we started taking pictures... then she was just hungry.

Aunt Carli (my brother Tyler's wife) (who is expecting a little girl in February)

Grandma and Grandpa Larsen

This is the first time Kevin held Blake.. .so we had to document it. He is scared to hold babies when they are this small.

And our beautiful baby girl, Blake Marie Larsen.

Halloween!

2008-11-10T16:46:00.001-08:00

Our little pumpkin... She did not like the hat!

Blake's First Ride

2008-11-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess that Luke and I are starting her early... soon we will have her on skis! The week before Halloween it was like 70 degrees, so Luke took a day off and the three of us went to the farm. Blake slept in her stroller while Luke and I rode, and then we took some fun pictures of her first day with Kona and Isaac. Thought you would like to see them, especially my brother Ben!

Kona was very interested in Blake, I had to keep moving her back over to the hitching post to unsaddle because she wanted to smell Blake. It made me a little nervous, so I am just standing right outside the picture holding Kona's reins.

All of Luke's Ladies

First time that Kona met Blake... Kona seems much more concerned than Blake was. She just slept right through it.

Blake's very first ride ever with her dad. This is Isaac and will soon be Blake's very own horse. I guess we will have to get Luke another one.

Blake's first time in the saddle, sort of.

Blake's New Pictures!

2008-11-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Blake had some new pictures taken by a woman in our ward. They are so cute I thought I would share... and because everyone keeps requesting more pictures. Apparently being a mom is taking all of my time...

Our little hula girl...

She was so alert the entire time... No sleeping baby pictures in our family...

In fact, we have very few times where we have a sleeping baby!

I've been Tagged!

2008-11-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
I was a sophomore at Davis High School
I was a competitive barrel racer and loving it
I had just bought Isaac, one of my horses
I was working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor
I was on crutches following a knee surgery

5 things on my list to do today
work out
watch Phantom of the Opera with Michelle Garrett
finish sewing a bag for my car quilt
do laundry
work on Young Womens

5 things I would do if I were a Millionaire
Get my Masters degree in either counseling or in recreation therapy and start an equestrian therapy program
Buy an Hanovarian ($100,000) eventing horse and start training for the Olympics
Support Luke so he could train ski racing full-time
Set up a college fund for Blake
Buy a ranch where Luke and I could raise horses and build motorcycle race tracks!

5 Jobs I have had
Physical therapy aide
lifeguard/swim intructor
office manager at a construction company
Program Director at Kostopulos Dream Foundation
concession stand worker at Kaysville Recreation
(not in order-at least I hope I don't have to go back to concessions...)

5 People I Tag
Michelle Garrett
Carrie Crosland
Carli Crosland
Jessi Crosland
Jenni Burbidge

Thanks Trisha! It was good motivation to actually get on the computer and start blogging. It has been forever.

Blake!

2008-09-23T10:35:00.001-07:00

Luke, cute father that he is, made a video of Blake's first couple of days. Though I protested about my pictures because my face looks like I ate a sumo wrestler or something, I still wanted to show off my baby and my cute husband. I hope you enjoy!

Blake Marie Larsen

2008-09-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had our baby! She is beautiful and so cute. She was 7 lbs 7 oz. and 18 inches long when born. We are home now and doing great. I will write more later and tell you all about it, but I wanted to show her off. Here are some cute pictures...

Blake's cute little feet!
All her clothes are huge... but she is growing quickly.
Luke and her aunt Carrie gave Blake her first bath at home. She loved when Luke washed her hair, but that was about it... the rest of the time she was not happy.

GOOD NEWS!

2008-09-11T10:11:00.001-07:00

My doctor is heading out of town next week, right before my due date. So given the situation, she wants to start my labor on Tuesday if I haven't had my baby before! That is only like 5 days away! Hurrah! I would prefer my labor to start naturally though, so I am taking suggestions of what has worked for other people. No drinking gallons of oil stuff though, I am not that desperate! Wish us luck! We will keep you posted.

I've been Tagged!

2008-08-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged!
4 things you may not know about me:
-I am an avid reader
-I apparently snore when I am pregnant
-I love to ski (though I hate the snow)
-I want to join the Peace Corps with Luke

4 places I go over and over:
-my mom and dad's house
-my farm
-Paradise Bakery for their summer berry salad
-my aunt Sheryl's (she is teaching me how to sew)

4 people that e-mail me:
-3rd Ward Young Womens President
-our Executive Secretary
-Facebook
-Wells Fargo
(obviously I am not a big emailer- I could only think of church or junk mail)

4 of my favorite foods:
-Refer to Paradise Bakery
-cheeseburgers from Neilsen's Frozen Custard (pregnany thing)
-P.F. Chang's General Tsao's Chicken
-Olive Garden Breadsticks

4 places I'd love to be:
-The hospital delivering my baby
-Costa Rica
-Italy
-St. George

4 movies I watch over and over:
-Pride and Predjudice
-How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
-Sabrina
-A Walk To Remember

Joys:
-my sexy husband Luke
-my belly and the baby growing inside of it
-Kona, my horse
-Shade, my dog

Goals:
-Be a great mother
-Be a loving wife
-Serve a mission with my husband
-write a book
-Receive my Masters Degree
-Travel through Africa

Current Obsessions:
-Luke :)
-Quilting
-Washing my baby clothes
-Cleaning my house
-I want to learn to play the guitar
-Young Womens
-my baby

Suprising facts about me:
-I want to name my baby hippy names (but Luke won't let me)
-I want to live for at least a year in a foregin country
-I am scared of giving my baby a bath
-I hate hate hate to cook!

MOAB BOYS TRIP 2008

2008-08-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Luke and his friends went to Moab this summer and mountain biked. Luke just made a video presentation of the trip and (with some helpful editting of his wife so no one was offended or scared :) I wanted to share it. It is very funny. I hope you enjoy it!

Apologies for the spelling= I didn't spell check it... and sorry Nick for the spelling of the last name!

It is the thought that counts!

FlowRider

2008-08-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ben and Luke decided to attempt the impossible and surf a wave in Utah where there is no ocean. We went to the Solomon Center on Friday morning so Luke and Ben could bang themselves up falling and surfing and falling some more. But doesn't it look like fun? I think this is on my list of things to try when I am no longer carrying our little baby girl. You could also boogie board which looked like a lot of fun as well.

Ben kept falling everytime I videoed him, so I snuck this one when he was unaware, which is why is it filmed kind of far away.

Boating at Pine View

2008-08-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ben and Carrie were in town this week, so the family went to Pineview and spent an evening on the lake. Since the photographer stayed on the beach most of the time, there are few wakeboarding pictures, and lots pictures of my nephew Cody.

Luke and his very pregnant wife Amy!

Carrie and Amy showing off our pregnant bellies. Carly isn't showing yet, so she would just make us look fat!

Can you tell which one of us is further along?

Happy Anniversary Luke!

2008-08-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Luke and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary on August 5th, and what a wonderful 3 years it has been. We have had some great times and learned so much from each other. Here are a few pictures of what Luke and I were doing 3 years ago...

It's Finally Done!

2008-07-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

My husband, talented artist that he is, just finished painting the nursery mural. It is beautiful and I love it! I wanted to share it with you! I hope you enjoy.

Boating at Utah Lake

2008-07-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Luke has been trying to land a back-flip on the air chair all summer, and since we have a camera, I thought I would share a few pictures with you. He does a complete rotation, but for some reason, keeps flipping. I always tell him that he lands the first one perfectly, it is just the second one that is giving him trouble. It is pretty amazing to see!

4th of July

2008-07-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July we went swimming at Luke's parent's house and attended the Annual 4th of July breakfast. We spent the morning swimming with our niece Anna and playing with the dogs.

After that we went to Luke's favorite part of the day, Stadium of Fire with Hannah Montana. Sadly there are no pictures of this event, probably because Luke was too excited and busy screaming with all the little girls to take any pictures. :)

The Camera Has Returned!

2008-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been waiting for many years for another post, I have great news. Our camera was found in Hawaii and was eventually returned to us. Here are a few pictures from Luke and Matt's trip to Maui.

My sexy husband Luke flexing his... stomach?

WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!

2008-04-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that we are expecting a little girl. We are so excited and thrilled. I am going to have to learn how to buy pink things but I have my little sister Jessi who is very concerned about my child's gender identity if I don't, so I am sure I can work it out! :) We will keep you all posted and hopefully soon we will get another camera and I will take some pictures of my growing belly! He HE!

TOMORROW!

2008-04-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

JUST IN CASE EVERYONE WAS DONE STARING AT MY STICK OF URINE (hE he) I AM GOING TO GET MY ULTRASOUND TOMORROW! JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW! I'LL POST MORE TOMORROW... I AM JUST TOO EXCITED TO WAIT!

We are PREGNANT!

2008-03-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! We are pregnant and so excited. Luke hasn't been loving my weird cravings (like eating two hamburgers in one day!) and morning (all-day) sickness but he is amazing and patient. Our due date is September 27th! I'll keep you all posted and let you know how it is going. I am starting to feel better already so hopefully the 2nd trimester is going to be wonderful.

BAD NEWS!

2008-03-03T10:04:00.001-08:00

My cute Husband Luke just spent 5 days in Hawaii with his friend Matt... and our camera. Luckily, both Matt and Luke had a wonderful time in Maui surfing, carve boarding, and wrestling with an old ultimate fighter :)

I was a little jealous but glad he is getting to play! Unfortunately, our new camera didn't have as great a time as he did, and is probably being used right now by some little Hawaiian kid! So our blog will be kind of lonely now with no pictures. I just used this picture of Luke from the last time he went to Hawaii to surf just so we could all feel bad for me that I wasn't invited. Just kididng- it was a boy's trip and he loved it.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

2008-02-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Luckily, judging from my blog page, everyone will understand I just barely started this whole blog thing and I don't spend a lot of time at it. To put it mildly, I am terrible. According to my friend Debby, I have been tagged. The rules of this game are that each player answers the following questions about themselves. At the end of this post, I will tag 5 people and post their names, then goes to their blogs and leave them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. 10 years ago: I was attending Davis High School and already praying for graduation so I could go to college. I was taking about a million AP classes and working much too hard. I didn't learn until later about the beauties of slacking off and ditching class. :) I was also doing a lot of barrel racing and had just bought Isaac, my favorite barrel horse (and now Luke's horse).

2. 5 things on my to-do-list today:I am going to go to a quilt store with my Aunt Sheryl. I am learning how to be domestic. Then Luke and I are going sledding! I should also probably do some laundry, but that we'll just have to see.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Vanilla Coka, Cheetohs, Chocolate, (Secret love of Wasabi Funjuns), Edemame, and peanut butter (not together and not necessarily in that order... except the Coke-that will always be 1st)

4. Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: Buy me an Olympic bred horse and start training in jumping and dressage. (They are like $100's of thousands) I would also buy Luke and I a small home somewhere warm, probably Costa Rica, and pay off our mortgage. With left over money, I would definetly send Luke heliskiing in Alaska, which is his Dream!

5. Three of my bad habits: 1.Some days I love to sleep in! 2. I am a compulsive skin picker and it drives Luke crazy 3. If I am home all day, I snack all day! It's a problem!

6. Places I have lived: Las Vegas, NV, Logan, Kaysville, Laie, Hawaii, Olathe, Kansas, Independence Missouri, Cottonwood Heights, North Salt Lake

7. Jobs I have had: Physical therapy aide, swimming instructor and lifeguard, pool manager, horseback riding instructor, Program Coordinator for Camp K, Sales Associate at Memories Scrapbooking (like a week), Front Desk Attendant at BYU-H, Office Manager for a Construction Company in Logan, Sales Manager for Basic Grey, Sales for Marker LTD.

8. Things people don't know about me: I love watching Matlock, with Andy Griffith in it and I think I have seen everyone. I try to watch it during lunch everyday. I hate the cold weather (but I love my husband more) and I want to learn to play the guitar. I also love to write.

I think that answered all the questions!
Kate, Carrie, Lisa, Michelle, and Maverick, you have been tagged!
Have Fun!

COSTA RICA 2007

2008-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

THIS LAST SUMMER LUKE AND I WENT TO COSTA RICA AGAIN FOR A FEW WEEKS. WE WENT WITH OUR GOOD FRIENDS MATT AND MICHELLE AND LOVED IT.

WE SPENT A FEW DAYS IN PLAYA HERMOSA, A BLACK SAND BEACH WHICH WAS AMAZING.

WHILE THERE, WE DROVE TO THESE AWESOME WATER FALLS THAT ONCE WE HIKED TO, WE WERE ABLE TO JUMP OFF THE TOP INTO THE POOLS.

THE LAST WEEK WE SPENT THE TIME SURFING AND LIVING IT UP ON PLAYA SAMARA, MY FAVORITE PLACE IN A WORLD! WE STAYED IN THE TREEHOUSE INN, RIGHT ON THE BEACH, AND SURFED ALL DAY. IT WAS THE BEST TRIP THAT I HOPE TO REPEAT SOON!

Another Member of the Family

2007-08-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

The other member of our family is Shade. She loves to swim, eat, run, and lick people, but she is our best friend, and we love her!