Reagan's Gymnastics Show 2010

Hotshots!

If you ask Reagan what her favorite thing she gets to do after school is, I have no doubt what her answer would be:
Gymnastics!
My slender little blondie tries hard and really wants to be a good gymnast.
She has been working extra hard to be able to do a bridge kick over.

She was so excited to get to perform in the show and she did a great job. The show was based around the Olympics and her class, the "Hotshots" represented Mexico and did a little salsa number and then individually did a cartwheel and roll or bridge kickover. The little girls were fun to watch...
But, it was amazing to watch the older girls (and a few boys).
They can tumble like nobody's business...flip after flip, handspring after handspring.
Its a bit of an inspiration, like "this is what your child can do someday if they work hard and keep it up!"
Fun!
I hope Reagan does keep it up--she's a cute little gymnast!

Good job Reagan! We love you!

Roses Are...

my favorite and yellow, of course!

On Saturday, my sweet husband and kids woke me up after a long night's work and and a short sleep. Reagan said, "We have a surprise for you by the gold fish!" I understood that as it was outside by the turtle's pond which has gold fish in it. "Okay, I'll go look it a while...after I get up and get dressed." Travis tried to follow Reagan's lead, but just burst out with, "Mommy! We got you some flowers! They are beautiful!" Daddy turned red. I just laughed. Somehow, with kids, nothing ever goes just perfectly as planned. Jason confided he had wanted to wait to give the flowers to me on Sunday Mother's Day, but the kids just couldn't wait....not even until I made into the next room to see them on the counter, next to our 2 little gold fish in the dining room! It was perfect though! The flowers were beautiful! I have the sweetest husband and the cutest kids! I am so blessed! I love being a mom!

PS- Reagan gave me a paper on Sunday that she did in church; it was cute.--I love her answers!

Happy Mother's Day 2010

Here's what I know about you:

How old is your Mom?

31 (she was right!)

What is something your mom always says to you?

I love you.

What makes your mom happy?

Getting flowers.

What makes your mom sad?

Grant dying.

What is your mom's favorite thing to do?

Eat salad.

What does your mom do when you're not around?

Babysit cousin Kaela.

How much does you mom love you?

100 Million.

Love,

Reagan

34? Waist Size or Age?

May 8, 2010

Yep! It's true! Jason turned another year older! Thirty-four years--OLD! (Ha! I can say that because I'm younger! Actually, 34 years and still HOT is the first thought that came to my mind, but I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone!)

Jason spent his day doing what he loves most these lately--smoking....cooking ribs. (He is practicing for his up coming competition.) We reaped the benefits--the ribs were pretty awesome along with some yummy rice and chicken! I love that you cook now dear!

My best friend and roomie from college came down for the day with her little family to go to the temple open house. It is crazy to see Kori with kids and a husband, but its even more amazing to me that no matter how long friends are apart, they always seem to pick right back up where they left off! It was fun getting to chat and spend the afternoon together! Travis even made a new best friend--Kori's almost 3 year old Spencer-- they were inseparable!

We shared our dinner with the Gammons and the Woods family and even Jason's parents who stopped by to say hello. It wasn't a big party, but I hope Jason had a good day. I even made him his favorite-homeade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! I love you honey! Happy Birthday!

ps-34 is also Jason's waist size! Told ya he's hot!

Life Lately...

...Is getting busy! With just the normal end of the year activities and daily life, I find myself running--literally!

Reagan had her parents day at dance. She loved showing off and giggling with her friends as usual. I'm sad I didn't get a pic with her and Brinley--who has been her dance buddy all year. (We've switched off going to Brin's house and her coming to ours making driving easier on the moms!)

Sam is one of Reagan's teachers--Reagan totally adores her! We are grateful to have great teachers like her and Jenny!

Reagan also rode on the dance float in the Cinco de Mayo parade. She was so excited to wave to us, but when she went by us--she just "looked past us" and later said she could hear us, but not see us! Silly girl!

I got to see Keremy, a girlfriend from college this weekend. It brought back lots of memories and it was fun to meet her little ones. I look forward to more visits as she and her family return to the valley to visit the temple. (Another cool perk to the temple--seeing friends more often as they come to enjoy our temple.)

Travis is enjoying Mom to himself as last week was our last to babysit Kaela as Tanya's tax season job ended. He is loving being outside and has discovered swinging. "Faster! Higher!' he shouts over and over at me.

Our garden is starting to take off do to the sunshine one day and the spring showers the next.

Jason spring project has finally come to a close as he finished restoring his red Farmall tractor. He has been working on it for months and so excited to show it off! Travis thinks its the best ever and loves taking rides on it!

Jason is now working on our summer splurge--our above ground swimming pool! We are ALL so excited! First a pad, then leveling...then it a little deck and actually putting the pool up. Yeah! These hot summer days are about to be much more bearable!

I have been working on changing our family room decor with new material and few new decorations. I so love doing this and just wish I had the $$ and time to change it more often. I am back to running and went with Mila for a 14+ miler on Saturday...and loved every minute of it!This week I also taught the YW lesson...actually 2 lessons combined: Family History & Righteous Family Traditions. I realized I have a lot to do on my side of the F.H. dept and made me grateful for Grandma Joy and all the work she has already done. I also have thought lots about the traditions part of the lesson and want my children to remember some of our traditions these days:

Sunday Nights at Nana and Papa's with all the cousins

Getting Icees in town at the Oasis and making our own at home

Going on ranger rides

Reading scriptures before bed

Playing baseball and basketball in our back yard

Saying family prayers on Travis's bed

FHE--especially the ones Reagan plans (movies are her favorite!)

The sound of Reagan playing Indian Celebration over and over (her recital song)

Eating Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls and cookies

Spending the occasional night with Aunt Tanya

Going fishing with Granddad and Grandma and Levi

Playing legos endlessly

I'm sure there are lots more things I don't want Reagan and Travis to forget, but hopefully these one liners will bring smiles to faces someday as they look back and think of the cool righteous family traditions they had in their family.

I love my kids and love making memories/traditions with them. As life get busier, I want us always to have time for each other.

A FHE To Be Remembered: Gila Valley Temple Open House

Families can be together forever....it's what this life is all about! I just wanted to write down my thoughts before this day ended. It was just another crazy day in the Larson household...work, cleaning, kids...the usual. But, this evening was something special. As a family, we were able to attend the Gila Valley Temple Open House. Jason and I had been twice already, serving in various callings. Today was different though, we were all together.
Both kids patiently sat through the video and oooohhed and ahhed at all the beautiful temples it showed. Then, it was time for our tour. I loved walking hand in hand with Reagan, whispering answers to her simple questions and watching Jason hold a content Travis in his arms. I was truly amazed how both my small children knew how important it was to be reverent there. They were on their best behavior and seemed to realize what a sacred place the temple is. The kids had been looking forward to going inside the temple since we saw the wall start to go up. Reagan was so excited today, she even forgot to ride the bus home. She said she thought we were going to just pick her up from school and go straight there! Silly girl!

Reagan's favorite was the Baptistry "because I'm going to baptized there." She was bummed when she found out she had to be 12 to do baptisms there. Her next favorite was the Celestial room. "It's the most beautiful!" Her daddy asked her if she wanted to be married at this temple. Her reply was so serious, "Okay, but who can I marry?" Wonder how many times in her life she'll ask that question....
When I asked Travis what his favorite part was, he said, "The pictures of Jesus." They definitely were his favorite--as we walked by each painting with Christ in it, Travis whispered and pointed Him out each time. It just testifies to me that the veil is thin when children are small--Travis has no doubt, just by glancing at a picture--he knows who Jesus is.
I love every part of our temple and my favorite was just being there today as a family. Its beauty amazes me--every detail in order. It felt good to be there this afternoon...peaceful and whole...united and strong.
I am excited for the rest of the open house...I have loved serving and look forward to continuing my service there--during the open house and especially after the temple is dedicated. I already feel like the temple is "Home".

We are so blessed to have the temple in our valley. I am so excited and grateful that my children will grow up "in the shadow" of the temple--for it to be a part of their/our everyday life!

Goodbye Grant...

We adopted Grant--our blue weimaraner-- from the pound in Tucson. His dark coat and solemn eyes melted our hearts. We wanted him to be a part of our family after just spending a few minutes with him.
Over the past four years, Grant has become our "favorite." He went on ranger rides with us, on camping and hunting trips and entertained us with his "seriously playful" attitude. We have always thought he had to have been someone's house dog because he is so well behaved and calm (for a weimaraner anyways!) when inside or around people. He was great with our kids and seemed to enjoy their banter.
Grant recently had been losing weight and become less and less active. We were convinced something had to be wrong with him, as he just wasn't himself. I worried it was cancer, Jason hoped for it to just be a worm. We were both wrong.
Last week, Grant was diagnosed with Diabetes. His glucose was over 400 and the vet said our only option was to treat him as a human--with insulin twice daily, blood sugar checks twice daily, urine checks, human meals with balanced diet, and very close monitoring. Lots of resposibility--emotional, financial, and physical for a busy little family. We were so torn...
He faded fast...by yesterday, he was so thin...wouldn't eat...or even stand up. It broke our heart to lose him--he was a part of our family...even if he was "just a dog."
Goodbye Grant. We love you and will miss you. (Peter already does...we can tell because of all the howling he has been doing since you've been gone.) Tell Monson hi for us....

A Special Day at the Mesa Temple

On Saturday, Jason's youngest brother Seth was sealed to his wife Josylyn for time and all eternity in the Mesa Temple. Not only was this day so special and awesome for Jos and Seth-- it was an amazing event for the whole family as it was the first time for the entire Larson family (parents and all six kids and their wives) to be in the temple together! Rose and Kent were beaming the whole time. At the sealing, I know in my heart I felt a completeness--like we were a whole....I'm sure they did too.
I am so excited for our temple to open soon (the open house starts this week!!), but the Mesa temple will always be "home." Jason and I were sealed there, his parents, and his grandparents. It is a definitely a part of Larson heritage and I love that. I'll look forward to coming back to"visit."