A Much Needed Night Out

Last night I was able to meet a couple of friends in Salt Lake for dinner. It was the 3rd time I have left Oscar and I must admit it was nice. Deke did a terrific job! He stuck with our nightly routine and I came home to a nice sleeping baby. Deke and his mom had to trick Oscar into taking his bottle (he doesn't take it too well). Deke squirted his vitamins into his mouth and grandma held the bottle in his mouth and it got him to suck and realize it was milk. It was nice to enjoy dinner at Jason's Deli and not have to worry about what was happening at home. We had a fabulous time talking about the good old days and catching up on each other lives. Now that I know that things will go well at home, I will have to venture out a little more often.

Oscar on his First Thanksgiving

Deke gave Oscar a taste of his favorite dish at Thanksgiving, Sweet Potatoes (all the syrup of butter and brown sugar). Oscar wasn't sure what to think but accepted the second taste as well.

Oscar in his cute little outfit that the Clark's gave him. He has serious hair issues, I don't know what to do with it. I probably should just buzz it and let it grow back in.

Our little thinker. Oscar smiles all the time but trying to capture it on camera has been hard. He just looks at the camera when we start shooting and the smiles go away.

Lots more things to do...

Several of my friends posted this on their blogs and I too liked it. For posterity's sake, here are the things I've done (bold & underlined) and the things I still want to do:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty-atleast to the base
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (hopefully one day)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (not all the way to the top)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (do the Jazz players count at Jr Jazz night?)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Rival Week

With the big game scheduled for kick-off at 4:00, there is no question what we will be watching on TV (minus all the flipping my husband must do to avoid commericials and check on the other games). Who will I be cheering for? Yes, I have married into a family that despise the Cougars and anybody that has met my dad knows he is a HUGE Cougar fan! So my whole life I have always cheered for the Y. When Deke and I got married, Deke wanted to buy season tickets to the U. Of course I went to the games and cheered for the Utes (this was a first in my life). When the big rival game came that season I dressed in my Blue and went and sat among the enemies. I will admit I was a little bit torn who to cheer for because it was the year Alex Smith was the quaterback for the Utes and the year they could break into the BCS. So in the end I was happy to see the Utes win and head to the Fiesta Bowl and show that the BCS was a big joke. I will admit though ever since that game I am a closet Y fan still. I keep quiet around my in-laws and hope for the Cougars to do their best. I was sad to see the Y lose to TCU and wished for them to hand the Utes a lose too. So tomorrow I will dress myself in blue along with my little Oscar (oh his dad will be so mad!) Too bad little O doesn't have a Y onesie to sport to show his Harris pride as the Cougars Rise and Shout!

Updates

So it has been awhile. Not too much has been going on. Saturday I enjoyed lunch with some friends from high school I haven't seen in years. It was fun to go around the table and here what was going on in their lives. Deke kept Oscar and let me enjoy myself but things didn't go great with Oscar. He did take the bottle thankfully and was finally sound asleep by the time I returned.

Sunday we made it to church and I got to experience the nursery. I feed Oscar the first hour pretty much and made it in time for snacks and coloring. The kids were pretty good and there aren't too many of them. Deke left a little early with Oscar, but in all it went good!

Tuesday Deke didn't go to work since the courts were closed for Veterans Day. So we went to lunch and Walmart (my least favorite store). Oscar did pretty good. He slept through lunch and cried a little in Walmart (but who wouldn't). I always enjoy Deke hanging out with us! We miss him so much the next day!

Last Friday was Deke and I's 5th anniversary. We didn't go celebrate anywhere (I guess that is what happens when you have a newborn). We had tons of offers for people to take him but just wanted to all stay together! Hopefully one day it will be easier on us to leave him. Anyways I got the best gift ever in August when I became a mom!

Oscar is going to be 3 months old on Friday (where does the time go). He is getting so big and fun! He smiles at anyone who comes up to him. He loves to talk to his Dad! My new favorite thing is while he is eating he will look up at me and smile. He has rolled over from his tummy to his back quit a few times now. He is getting so close to laughing and reaching for things. His sleeping is getting better, still not the best (atleast for his mom). I know he can go longer without food because he did it for a week. But I guess I can't complain he usually gives me 5 to 6 hours straight and then goes right back to bed after he is done eating. Now if he will just enjoy his car rides. I guess we will find out tomorrow if he is better on his trips into Salt Lake (I am finally getting my hair done, it needs it in a bad way!)

For Real

Shocking news, I have been called to be in the nursery in our new ward. Can you believe this? Not only have we only been to sacrament meeting twice since we moved back to Utah, I just previously got out of my Lansing Ward were I served in the nursery for 2 1/2 years. So I'm not sure if I just scream nursery leader or sucker? I'm not real sure how this is all going to work out. Having a new baby and all. I feel like I have accomplished tons just getting to church on time and staying through sacrament meeting (because it is about 10:30 that Oscar is ready to eat again). On the good side there aren't too many kids in the nursery and there is someone else in there, so I won't be alone. I'll let you know how things go next week.

Halloween Activites

Halloween was a lot more exciting then in years past. In Lansing all we did was hand out candy to the trick or treaters. So this year it was fun to get dressed up (even though I struggle with costumes) and go to a couple of parties. Deke's friend Jacob's parents had a party the weekend before Halloween. Deke went as Babe Ruth (hence the Yankee garb) and Oscar went as a Tiger. I guess I went as a new mom because I didn't have time to get ready before the party as I was feeding Oscar.

The Monday before Halloween, Shelly (Deke's sister) had a fun party at her house. I dressed up as Huck Finn and Oscar again was the Tiger. This time Deke did not dress up because he didn't get home from work until 8:30. The party was a hit! The kids enjoyed hitting the pinyata and getting the candy. Pumpkins were carved and good food was served. I would have to say that Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth stole the show with their costumes. But it was fun to see everyone dressed up. I am already trying to think of a costume I can wear next year so I will be better prepared! Hope you all had a fun Halloween. I still think it is crazy that November is already here.

Our Growing Boy

Oscar is growing so big! We had out 2 month checkup yesterday and were happy with his progress. He now weighs in at 11 pounds 5 ounces and is 24 1/2 inches. He is in the 32% for weight and 89% for length. Good Job Oscar! We knew he was getting long because I have had to switch him to his 3 to 6 month pajamas because with the feet he can't stretch all the way out.
The doctor helped put our minds at easy about other things as well. He did pretty good when they gave him shots. He just looked so surprised and mad that someone would do that to him but then I just feed him and he was calm. He let us eat for about 20 mins at our favorite place the Training Table. But then he wasn't so good on the ride home. He cried a lot. And when I went to get him out of his carseat he had throw-up on him. He cries so hard in the car sometimes he throws up. He hasn't become the expert car rider like he used to be when he was just a few weeks old. Makes for unpleasant traveling.

Even more exciting is Oscar has been such a good sleeper at night the last couple of nights. I book has been recommended to me but a couple of different friends so I have been reading like crazy. Well Wednesday night Oscar slept from 8:30 until 4:15. I couldn't believe it. I for sure thought it was just a one time thing but last night he slept from 9'ish until 5 this morning. How wonderful. When he wakes up too he eats and goes right back to sleep for another couple of hours. It has been heaven getting that much sleep all at once.

Oscar in his sling

Before we moved back to Utah, Lola bought me a sling to help with little Oscar on the airplane ride home. Little did I know how much use I would get out of this sling. Oscar and I go on walks all over Grantsville with this thing and he just sleeps the whole time. Living in a small town now it is kind of nice because I can walk pretty much anywhere I want to go. We have made several trips to the post office to mail things off or to the local grocery store to pick something up. When Deke gets off work we will head out with Izzie and Oscar. I am not looking forward to the colder weather because my walking will be limited. It has also been very handy when we have gone into Salt Lake for a shopping trip. Oscar just sleeps away! Deke has tried to switch over to the carrier now so he can carry him but Oscar isn't much of a fan of that yet. The sling is good up to 20 lbs (only if my shoulder can handle it). It's good exercise hauling around 10 more extra pounds and getting some much needed fresh air during the day.

Little O just waking up after getting back from our walk. He is nice and snug in there.

I love this time of year!! The crisp air and the changing leaves, wish it would stay this way for awhile!

Random Pictures

On Saturday Deke and I decided to hold a little photo shoot in the backyard with all the fall leaves and Oscar. He was so good to just let us snap a ton of pictures. It was fun to cover him in leaves. We have decided that we take way too many pictures of him. We just can't get enough of his cute face! Is it true that you always take more pictures of your first child than any other kid you might have?

Oscar is starting to like his bath hooray! The last few times he has been really good with no crying. He doesn't like to get out and get lotion on though. He is getting to be such a big boy!! As long as we talk to him and make funny noises he seems to enjoy the warm water on his bum.

The other day I decided to just put Oscar down in his boppy in front of the TV (horrible I know but a girl has to shower atleast once a day). After my shower I went to check on him and he was talking and kicking his feet at the TV. It was too cute. I even got to blow dry my hair and do makeup all at one time. I can usually put him down in the boppy and do a 30 min workout DVD. I think he thinks his mom is crazy as I jump all around him and do situps next to him on the floor. I can't express though what it does for me to get just a little 30 mins workout in once a day. Makes a world of difference for me mentally! Now if only I could get in a couple of runs a week instead of just on Saturday.

My Very Own..

Come Back Cup! Deke now says I am officially white trash! Let me explain the story. There is a gas station in town the Weigh Station that has the BEST fountain Diet Dr. Pepper! So one day he asked if I wanted a drink. He proceeded to tell me how they call the refillable mugs "Come Back Cups!" I could not stop laughing. Who had ever heard of this? I explained that we just called them mugs. So this morning Deke comes back from Maverik with are very own Come Back Cups! I feel so special! He must love me huh.

Hey Rachel are you jealous?

Oscar's Blessing Day

Derrick blessed Oscar on Sunday and did a great job. Oscar did really good and didn't cry! O was so nervous that he would be one of those babies that screams the whole time. He barely made a peep towards the end of the meeting. Mom and Dad we sure missed you! Thanks to all those who came or attempted to come (the Clark's had quite the morning).

Of course Derrick wasted no time changing out of his suit.

My 2 sisters who live in the state that could make it to the blessing. It must be said Alayna and I were a little nervous that Rachel was going to miss it, but she arrived in plenty of time.

Sneak Preview

So the other day I was doing a little shopping at Walmart and came across the cutest little costume for Oscar. He is going to be a Tiger! We had to try it on him and take some pictures a little early. It will be interesting to see how much more he fills it out by Halloween.

Peace

Oscar wanted to say Peace to Ambee, Carlos and Sexy Rexy!


**And no we didn't stage this photo.

Oscar in his cute towel

Oscar still is not a fan of his bath. He did better this last time but he screams so bad when he gets one (my sister Alayna can confirm). Oscar has this little thing that drives Deke and I crazy! When he cries really hard he will hold his breath. We then have to blow in his face to get him to start breathing again. It is the worst when we are in the car and we can't do anything about it. It freaks us out!

New Pictures

I've been promising to post new pictures of Oscar, so Deke had a little photo shot outside with him on Friday and took some. Enjoy!


Our cute little bear (check out the top of the hood).



Oscar is 1 month old in these pictures. I can't believe how much he has changed in 1 month. He is getting so big!





He was bright eye during this ordeal of taking his picture. He is actually wearing his 0 to 3 months clothes now for the most part. He has gotten to long for the newborn clothes.

Deke's parents dog Izzie is getting to know Oscar. She likes to lick his feet and gets concerned when he cries.

Surviving

So things are going pretty good. Our little Oscar has his fussy time from 10 to midnight it seems. He is so tired but just fights going to sleep. Deke and I keep telling him he is ruining his chances for any siblings but he doesn't seem to care. Other than that he does really good. He eats like a champ (i swear i am always feeding him) and looks like he is put on even more weight from when he was weighed last week at the Dr (he weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz). I have even started putting him in his 0 to 3 months clothes. I tried to go to the grocery store last week and thought everything was going good and lingered a little longer than I should of and Oscar started screaming. Oh the joys and I made a big first mom mistake and took him out of his car seat to try and calm him down (I've learned my lesson, just leave him in the car seat). We have been going on walks and he loves that, he sleeps really good! We even ventured out to dinner with some friends on the weekend and he did really good. Now when they came back to the house with us was another story remind you it was 10 o'clock. All in all we are doing good.

Deke is loving his internship. They are in court everyday. He is eating it all up! He almost got to go in front of the judge and do a motion by himself (Jacob was busy taking care of something else) but at the last minute Jacob returned and took care of it. His paper he did on DUI's is coming in handy. But he is just learning tons and enjoying himself. It is fun to see him in his suit and tie everyday. I think we will need to invest in some more work clothes for him.

We are here....

Well we have arrived in Utah! The flight wasn't all that bad. Oscar did really well, I was a little nervous because we had to sit on the plane before take off for an hour due to thunderstorms, but he just slept soundly in his sling (thanks Lola, it was very handy). He cried a few times but for the most part it went pretty smoothly! The most eventful thing on the trip was Jerry Sloan was on our flight. He sat 3 rows behind Lola in first class. He said Oscar has great potential!

Deke arrived late Friday night and we were so excited to see him! It was a long drive and he doesn't plan on doing it again! They left around 11 on Thursday and pulled into G-ville around midnight Friday night.

Oscar is being spoiled by all his Aunts. They love to bounce him and he sure enjoys that. Friday I went into Riverton so my 2 sisters could met Oscar. It was so good to spend time with them. Being in the Sandy area was weird though without being able to see my parents. It makes me miss them tons! But how I love to hear their voices on the phone. I will for sure inform my little Oscar that he has another set of grandparents that love him so much and can't wait to meet him in 18 months!

Deke started his externship today. And good news we got another call on our townhouse. Hopefully one of these people will make a decision and buy it!

Oscar has finally decided that he likes his swing-hooray! He has been sleeping in it for awhile now. It sure lets me get some stuff done. I don't know how all you Moms out there get things done with a newborn. It was all I could do to get in a 20 minute workout session on the bike, then rock Oscar back to sleep, jump in the shower, feed Oscar, have a little playtime and tummy time and then get some lunch for myself. Still no makeup on and do you ever get to do your hair? I'm sporting a ponytail for the 4th day in a row :) But I sure love him!

What is going on right now...

So Friday we took Oscar to the doctors again (the doctor said to bring him back right before we moved). He is doing so good! Deke and I had a bet going to see who could guess his weight. I said O would weigh 6 lbs 10 oz and Deke was guessing around 7 lbs. Needless to say I was closer, Oscar weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz. Not too bad for just being 12 days old. So in 11 days he put on 9 oz.

Deke got a call on our place on Friday and some lady is coming to look at the place on Monday. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that she wants it. It would be so nice to be able to sell it and not have to worry about it while we are in Utah and count on our friend to show it too people. She is really interested in ours because it has central air.

Deke's parents came into town on Saturday. It has been nice to have them here. Oscar is getting to know his grandparents. They have been big help in watching him so we can get our stuff packed up.

I turn in my two week notice in Tuesday. I'm kindof nervous and I don't know why. I'm pretty sure my boss knows that I'm not coming back (she took away all my projects before I had little O) but I still don't like to do these things.

I'm getting super excited to be back in Utah on Wednesday. It is still hard for me to believe that we are finished here in Michigan. I'm nervous to be without Deke for a couple of days. He helps out so much with Oscar. He always makes sure I get atleast a good 2-3 hours of straight sleep a night which makes a world of difference.

We are still packing up our place but feel like we have gotten rid of so much! Deke has already taken one car load of stuff to goodwill. And we have thrown away so much. It has been good! How do we end up with so much stuff? Makes me scared to buy a house and live in it for years and years.

Pictures that finally do Oscar justice

Here are some pictures that we took today after Deke went to Best Buy and bought a new camera that takes amazing pictures! Poor Oscar is probably so sick of his parents as we are snapping pictures left and right :)

More Pictures

So here are so more pictures of our Oscar. He is doing so good! We are having a hard time remembering what life was like without him here. We don't think the camera does justice for this little guy. He isn't a fan of the flash and always closes his eyes just when we take the picture.



His cute long feet! Dad is so happy he has the same feet as him because he think Mom has fat toes.






He takes his pacifier for the most part. He has a hard time keeping it in his mouth. We got this from the hospital and it smells like Vanilla.





Deke is so good with Oscar! I know Oscar adores his dad. I love seeing them together!








Oscar all swaddled up. He looks so warm and content. He loves to sleep like this. Even if we swaddle him super tight he still finds a way to get his hand out the top to touch his face.




Oscar after his bath. He smells so good I could eat him up. He does pretty good during his bath. He peed all over his towel though. He is pretty good at that. We have already had to change the sheets on our bed one night and taken him out of two outfits due to accidents.

Aren't the Olympics the Best!!

We just can't get enough of the Olympics. Of course our favorite was watching Michael Phelps. I don't think I could scream at the TV more when they barely beat the Frogs (French) in the relay race. Both Deke and I were pretty into that race. Deke even would watch gymnastic with me. We both were excited when Shawn Johnson got her Gold on the Balance Beam. She is a cutie! I love her smile. What happened with the Americans in Track and Field. I swear our runners are the best and they didn't even make it in the relays to the medal run because they couldn't pass the baton to each other. I felt so bad for Lolo when she hit the 2nd to last hurdle. Then to watch the Jamaicans run. Man can Usian Bolt run! What I would give to be able to run that fast just once. I can't imagine how it would feel to have the air hit my face as I ran down the track.

One of the events we watched and don't particular love is Diving. Deke thinks it is only far to put you in weight class because depending on how big or little you are he thinks plays a role in your splash. And let's be honest those Chinese girls are tiny! I swear they only weigh 70 pounds. I proceeded to say how there is no way I could jump off the high dive. It would freak me out. Deke then proceeded to paint a picture for me. He said he would love to do it. He would get himself a Confederate Flag (just to get a reaction from the judges) speedo and would jump off the high dive and pretend he was riding a bicycle into the pool. We both couldn't stop laughing! I was trying to feed Oscar so I was trying not to laugh so he would stay latched on but the more he painted the picture I could only imagine the sight of him jumping off the high dive in his speedo pretending he was riding his bicycle into the pool.

Mini Leslie

Our friends the Clarks came over to see our new bundle of joy the other day. Nat posted this on her blog I'm Leslie. She is by far cuter than I am! Deke and I can't get enough of their kids. They were so nice to Oscar when they visited. They gave him lots of kisses. Their little boy Rex and Oscar are going to be partners in crime.

Oscar Lloyd Larson

Oscar made his way into this world Thursday, August 14 @ 11:42 AM. He weighed in at 6 pounds 5.5 ounces (alot smaller than we both expected) and 21.25 inches long. Things went pretty good for the most part. We are sure enjoying our little O and think he is too cute for words! His little cry makes us both smile. We couldn't be happier!

Last Law School Class, Yippee!!

So my dog officially sat in his very last law school class yesterday. Can you believe it? He didn’t realize it until he was driving home and it didn’t even occur to me until he said something yesterday. I still have a hard time believing that this journey is over (atleast the class part of it, I guess it isn’t officially over until December and then the Bar in February). But still a huge chunk of it is done! I’m excited to have my husband back without the stress of class and finals always looming over his head. I am so proud of him and all the sacrifices he has made! He is such a hard worker! He has been through so much stress (especially this last semester with the baby and the move) and he still makes me feel so loved and that I am #1 in his life. I know I couldn’t of balanced my life in that way the last 3 years going through what he has. We both know that these last 3 years have brought us closer together and have made us depend on each other more than ever. Living away from family has been a good experience but we are excited to be closer than we are now. (FYI, I got my plane ticket yesterday and me and baby will arrive in Utah on September 3rd )

Long Day.....

Today has been a long day. I started the day off calling in sick to work. I had a Dr appointment this afternoon and decided that I might as well make a whole day of it instead of working half a day. I hit the gym in the morning and then went to see the doctor. I found this appointment a little funny. To inform those that didn't know my blood pressure has been a little high at my last 5 visits. Last visit I was really swollen in my feet and legs and would like to think that contributed to the high weight gain for one week. So today I was curious to see how things would be. First my weight was down 3 pounds from last week so that was a good thing! Then when the nurse took my blood pressure it was totally normal 110/80. And my feet and ankles were not swollen. So needless to say I think I should take work off for ever doctor appointment I have left (even if it is only 2). I talked to the doctor about being induced if I go over my due date. He said it wouldn't be a problem if some things have progressed. So next week at my appointment they are going to check me to see if anything is happening. I don't really want to be induced, I'm just scared that labor will be longer and more pain full this way with my first. But to give me some time to recover and let Deke and I get a little used to being parents before we move (we are going to be cutting it close anyways) we have decided that it will be best to get things done if I go over my due date. We have decided to move back the first week in September. Deke just has to get through next Saturday and we are good to go.

I have spent the rest of the afternoon and night cleaning our place. We have an inspection tomorrow since we are selling our place. I must say things look really clean! It makes me wonder why I don't keep things up on a regularly basis. There is nothing better than a clean house! Now the goal is to keep things put away so when someone calls to come see the place (and hopefully they will) there won't be a mad scrabble to pick things up. I put together a little flier about our place because the office said they would mail it out for us to those that are going through the qualification process. Hopefully the pictures will draw someone to want to come and buy our place. I know when we looked at them some of the places we went into where in bad shape so hopefully that is how things are now!

I swear days that I don't go to work I feel like I work harder than when I'm there.

Yesterday Deke and I went to the hospital to take a tour of the facilities so we have some idea where we are suppose to go and what we can expect to a point. Deke and I couldn't believe that there were only 2 babies in the nursery when we there. We kept saying that if we were in Utah there would way more. Not that I feel more prepared to give birth but at least we know what doors to go in depending on the time of day this all takes place.

*Sorry if this doesn't read well. I don't have the energy to reread it and make corrections.

Baby Shower at Work

On Tuesday my work gave me a baby shower. I was overwhelmed with their generosity and all the wonderful things that we received. They did it during our lunch break and served pizza and salads. Everything turned out so nice. My good friends Caroline, Lisa, Alaina and Brett did most of the planning and then others helped out by bringing in some of the side dishes. It was a lot of fun! My friend Caroline made the giraffe in the pictures and Nancy put together the cute diaper cake. I came home and Derrick couldn't believe all the things that we received. Later that night laid everything out on the spare bed so I could take pictures. I am such a dork!

I think we are pretty ready for this little boy to arrive. We still need to get the car seat and stroller but other than that I think we are set for now. I'm sure there will be things that come up. We are trying to only buy things that we need for the first little bit so we don't have to pack everything back to Utah.

I am starting to realize that our time here in Michigan is almost over and I think it will be harder saying goodbye to the good friends I have made then I thought it would be. We have been so blessed during our time in Michigan. Things have worked out so well for us. We are amazed how our Heavenly Father is so mindful of us and knows what is the best thing for us even when we don't.

The count down is on...Only 4 more weeks to go! We are getting so excited to hold and love our son! We just hope and pray that he will be a healthy strong little guy!

4th of July festivities

Ever since we moved to Michigan I have always felt bad because I know how much my dog loves the 4th of July. It is probably his favorite holiday. His family always does a big get together ever year and I know how much he enjoys it. I must admit our 4th of July festivities have probably been disappointing since we moved to Michigan. Last year we went to a parade out in Mason that was really depressing and we swore we wouldn't go back. So this year there wasn't much on the calendar. We invited our friends the Clarks over for a BBQ. But didn't have anything else to fill the day.

We headed to Bob Evans for some hummy breakfast when we rolled out of bed (it was nice we didn't have to deal with a crowd because of the time) It sure hit the spot! We then just hung out at home, Deke watched a documentary but didn't get to finish it because the cable went out with 20 mins left in the show. He was a little disappointed. I made my dog's favorite 4th of July foods, baked beans and potato salad minus the celery and onion (and he was tons of help!!). He loves these foods and I new that if I had them then I could help him still love the holiday. Our friends came over and we grilled some steaks, which was a nice change (seems like we always do hamburgers). They have the cutest kids and I think having kids around on the holidays makes things more fun. When it got dark they did sparklers and a few other fireworks. Turned out to be just enough excitement for the kids, and I know I liked not having to deal with traffic that goes with going to watch fireworks!

In all it turned out to be an enjoyable day. Hope the 4th will stay my dogs favorite holiday! Hopefully Michigan hasn't ruined it too much :)

6 of My Many Quirks

1. I can be annoyed by the most minimal things. Some of the little things that drive me crazy is bouncing of ones foot or tapping of fingernails. One that lately really gets to me is when Deke and I are sitting on the coach watching TV, he will have his arm around the back of the coach and switch the channels. The clicking of the remote so close to my ear drives me crazy! I try to be patient and give him a few minutes but after a few seconds all I have to do is look at him and he knows. Something I need to work on I know!

2. I can be a horrible back seat driver. Deke has given me the name of MapQuest because he says that I always know the best way to go.

3. I am anal about laundry. So many of my clothes I don’t but in the dryer and am terrified that if I allow Deke to do it he will forget and shrink my stuff. Needless to say I am the one that does most of the laundry.

4. There are some things I just love but can’t bring myself to spend the money on them. One thing is professional product for my hair and smelly hand lotion or candles. I love it when I do buy it (or get it as a gift) but hate spending the money on it. There are so many other things I would prefer to spend my money on.

5. I am a little ornery if woken up from a nap. I would like to state that I have gotten better over the years (especially since I got married) but my family and roommates learned quickly that I wasn’t in the best of mood if I was woken from a slumber, that I oblivious needed. Sleep is precious to me, I am trying to get as much as I can NOW!!

6. When I workout I love to sweat! I go to the gym to sweat and workout and not socialize and just go through the motions. I get annoyed by those that stand around and socialize and occupy a weight machine for 30 minutes. I sometimes wonder why I even go and get annoyed with all those that are there. I guess when I am on a cardio machine I have plenty to watch and be entertained by! Deke and I love to share stories with each other what we saw at the gym that day.

I tag Alayna, Rachel and Jennica

Cankles

Well it is only the beginning of June and they have already started!! During the weekend I have better control over the ugly beasts. Sitting at my desk all day isn't helping the situation. Deke is already referring to me as cankles. It will be interesting to see what other names he will come up with. When I really started showing he switched to calling me prego and yesterday he started in with cankles.

Jen I remember when you were pregnant with Spencer and you worked at the bank and were on your feet all day long. I remember how painful your cankles looked and how I never wanted to experience that unpleasantness. I knew it was bound to happen because my fingers will get a little swollen in the summer time here in Michigan because of the humidity. I just was hoping it wouldn't be until at least July. I can't stand looking at them, they are so gross!

Oh the things we go through for the little ones. I know it will all be worth it when I hold him for the first time!

Surprise I posted...

So each time a finally post something new I make a new commitment to myself that I will post more often. But then when I think about posting, I really don’t have much to say so 3 weeks go by with no new post.

So what is happening in the Larson’s life?

Deke is super busy with school. How is this still possible? He is in his last semester of classes; I thought this school thing was suppose to get easier. Wednesday is his day from hell, he has 2 classes in the morning and then that night he has Bar Start. How he handles everything and still makes me feel like I am most important in his life is beyond me. Last Friday I came home from work to a very clean home. He had gone crazy! I tried to jump in and help but he wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t want me to have to do anything. He is too good to me!

I am feeling good. Nothing to unusual for a pregnant person I’m sure, but what do I have it to compare too. I’m trying to make it to the gym at least 3 times a week. Some weeks are better than others. I have this heart rate monitor that I programmed in fitness goals when I first got it. Every Monday you get a message letting you know how you did for the week. If you get pretty close to your goals you are rewarded with a Trophy. Well needless to say I have not received a trophy ever since I got pregnant. Oh well I guess I should change the monitors expectations so I can earn my Trophy!

My stomach continues to grow (the joys)! I am noticing that people only look at my stomach now when they walk by me. No more eye contact. I don’t know if I should be self conscious. Deke and I are starting to think of all the things that need to get done. The list is making us feel a little overwhelmed. Hopefully everything with the baby will go smoothly. We are really counting on him not arriving into this world until after Deke takes his last final on August 16th. He then has our permission to arrive as QUICKLY as possible. We are going to put our place up for sale at the beginning of June. Hopefully we will find a buyer before we leave Michigan so we don’t have to continue to pay for a place we aren’t living in. Where does all the time go? I can’t believe it has been 3 years since we left Utah. Our time in Michigan has just flown by. It is crazy to me that we are going to be parents to our little boy in 13 weeks. Way too much is going on but we are so excited to see what life has in store for us as we begin this new chapter. We have been so blessed with everything so far, we know that everything will work out!

I guess I had more to say then I thought this time around. Sorry to make this so long. Real fast wanted to wish my parents luck in all that they have going on too. They received their mission call on Wednesday and are headed to the Germany, Munich/Austria Mission. I think all us daughters were a little surprised with the location. Hopefully my dad can relearn his German quickly (he served his first mission in Germany) and help my Mom out! We will miss you immensely but are so excited for you!

Dr Appt...Yikes!

Well yesterday I had my 24 week doctor appt. Everything is fine. I had a shocker when I stepped on the scale. It was a little depressing actually. I was expecting to put on a little more than a few pounds but was blown away at the number. I knew I indulged a little bit in Chicago with all the yummy food, but I figured with all the walking we did it wouldn't be that bad. But it was... So, I have gone back to the drawing board and am re-evaluating all that I have been consuming. Hopefully the next 16 weeks I can keep things under control. The doctor didn't seem concerned he just said make sure I didn't have any more months like that one.

Other than my Dr appointment, nothing too exciting happening. We had a good time in Chicago. It was fun hanging out with Deke's little bro and wife. Did some things that were fun some things not so fun (I would not recommend going to the Science and Industry Museum if you aren't taking kids). I'm sure one of us will post some pics from the trip soon.

Happening in Michigan

Well Deke’s finals start this week, so needless to say I have been alone a lot lately. He is studying hard and staying up way too late! I don’t know how he does it but he manages somehow. I am sure we are both looking forward to when these finals will be over! We keep telling ourselves only 1 more semester. Atleast the end is in sight! Deke came home Saturday for dinner and I got up from the coach and my shirt came up a little and he was all oh you are starting to show. Tells you how much he has been paying attention to me. Just kidding dog, I know you have tons of other things on your mind right now. Just promise me you will pay attention to me when these finals are all done!

We are both looking forward to the week in Chicago coming up. We are excited to hang out with Grimmy and Special K and I’m looking forward to Chicago style pizza and a good old hot dog at Wrigley! I’m just excited to be away from Lansing for awhile. Hopefully the weather will be alright. I’m for sure not expecting warmth and sunshine as I was mistaken last April when we went.

I have all these plans to start getting things done around the house. I went through my closet a few weeks ago but now I think of all the other things that need to be done and feel overwhelmed so what do I do, absolutely nothing. Hopefully this week I can make some more progress with getting rid of some junk we have accumulated and don’t really want to transport back to Utah.

Opening Day

I guess yesterday was MLB officially opening day. But today was the Tiger's first day. Things didn't turn out the best for them. They ended up losing in 11 innings. Deke and I caught the end of the game. We watched most of the Cubs game as well. Yet another disappointing game the Cubs lost in extra innings too. I guess we got free baseball but both teams lost their first game. I'm sure things will turn around. Atleast we will have something to watch on TV now. That is one thing we will miss when we do leave Michigan. We will miss watching the Tigers. I think I have become a fan for life. Hopefully this year will be the Tiger or Cubs year. Deke is already starting his countdown when we will be at Wrigley watching the cubs in a few weeks. We both are looking forward to a break from Michigan! Chicago is always a good time. Atleast we enjoyed ourselves last time we were there.

Not your Normal Easter Feast

So instead of ham for dinner with the yummy stuff I decided to make Navajo Tacos with homemade scones. You all should be impressed that I didn't use Rhodes Rolls because that is the extent of my scone making capabilities. Our friends had us over as few weeks ago for the same yummy dinner and she gave me her recipe for homemade scones and said it was pretty easy. So I gave it a shot. They turned out way good and the recipe made a ton so we froze some of the dough as well ready to be fried up for some other time.













I would have to say that the best part is the honey butter that I made to go along with the dessert (scones again). Derrick was even impressed that we thought we would document this huge event of mine (I'm always scared to try new recipes when yeast is involved). The recipe was really easy so give it a try (Jen I know you will, I must say they are better than chuck-a-rama scones!) Let me know what you think if you try the recipe. It is for sure a keeper, I only had to wait 5 mins for the yeast to dissolve and you don't even have to wait for the dough to rise. What a great recipe!














Scones
2 T. dry yeast
2 c. warm water
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
1 1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. powdered milk
1 egg
5-6 c. flour

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Mix yeast, water, sugar, and butter in a large bowl and let sit for five minutes. Use mixer to incorporate salt, milk, egg, and two cups of flour; beat until smooth. Use a wooden spoon to mix in enough flour to make sticky yet manageable dough. Roll out in batches on a well-floured surface and slice into rectangles. Fry for approx. two minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!