Happy Birthday Boys!

Happy Birthday Dane & Ben

It is so hard to believe that it was Three Years Ago that you came.   45 minutes apart, but together nonetheless.

Dane is the chocolate cake.  Ben wanted white.

So a tradition that we have is that at dinner on the actual birthday day or night Brett and I tell our own versions of the kid's birth story.  After telling them that Dane came right out and Ben had to be taken out of my stomach, Cody had some pertinent questions......well, how did Dane come out?  Needless to say, we had a talk with him a little later.  

One of the best parts of an October Birthday is Halloween.  I had to include this picture of Cody and Kai coming to visit the twins when they were in the NICU.  One of my faves.

Here are a few more from October 2008....

Who knew they would be so capable of destruction now.

This is hard for me to believe.

On to HALLOWEEN!

Ben and Dane wanted to be their favorite things ever - a Fire Truck and a Front Loader.  Though most people said - "Hey its a School Bus" - Dane took the time to inform them what they were while Ben sprinted to the next house.

Mom and Dad took some time this year to make everyone's costumes.....except Kai's & Lainey's.

It was a lot of work but it was so fun to see them running around holding these boxes on.

Here's the whole Larsen Clan.  Pam and Randy are the scary ones with the masks.

Church party with "Jim Bob Grooms" (family joke.)

Cody wore a tennis skirt and was a Roman Soldier.  His father dressed as a girl for many a Halloween and Cody continued the tradition of wearing girls' clothes in October.

The day after Halloween he asked if he could have a store bought costume next year.

Kai and her cousin Abby.  Kai was a girl with an Asian Dress.  Sometimes she called it a China Doll, sometimes she called it a Japanese person.  She just liked the pretty dress.

Lainey the Lion.  

Gma D made that costume for Cody when he was two.

She is not always a Happy Lion.

I am so glad Halloween is over.  I can't tell you how glad I am.

Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner!

Trail Race and More

Lucky

Lucky us....Aunt Laura and Gma D made a visit this weekend.  Aunt Laura and  I signed up for a race in Colorado Springs this past weekend so Gma D made the trek with her.

Dane and Ben thought Aunt Laura's boots and hat looked better on them.

This is Friday night before the race at the cabin.  We got lucky and saw a bear and a fox.
The next morning there was so much snow that the van couldn't make it back up the hill after going out to breakfast.  It was a complete whiteout. 

Lucky for us, the race only had a little snow......

 This is us after the race.  See the fog and snow in the background....there is actually a mountain back there.  We made it....that is all I can say.  Well, my sister was much more capable but luckily she stuck with me.  It was so cold standing in line to check in that we really almost wimped out.  They had moved check-in into the only indoor building there - the bathroom and the line wound around outside.  Everyone was shivering and wondering what we were all doing there.  Rain, wind, snow and mud were our future for the next several hours.  I was not sure that I was prepared - clothing or otherwise.  A cup of hot chocolate and some fuzzy blankets sounded much more inviting, but I was reminded of something that I had read a while ago in Kristen Armstrong's book Mile Markers.  Here's the quote:  "It really makes me feel alive to feel this bad."  Click here for the whole story that goes with the quote.

Once I thought of that quote, I really wanted to give it a try.  And the rest is history. 

 Thanks Laura for being with me on this one.  It was one of the best adventures of my life!  I feel lucky to have done it with you.

I am also lucky to have a husband who actually is a runner....a really good runner.

He supports me running even though I am not very good.  

Happy 40th Today Brett - I got Lucky in love.

Great Aunt Helen

This is Brett's Great Aunt Helen.  

Isn't she beautiful.

She was a sister, a teacher, a great baker, a friend, a loved one, an integral part of our family and a wise, wise woman.

She passed away a month ago.  As I was going through some pictures, I decided I should post some. She always followed our family blogs and emailed us about them faithfully.  So here's to Aunt Helen.

Aunt Helen was a wonderful teacher.  She had perfect penmanship and grammar.  We knew this because she would send cards often or write us notes.  She was succinct - never minced words and yet her notes were thoughtful and heartfelt.

Darling.

Here's Aunt Helen with Dane.  She loved to canning and baking.  We all enjoyed the fruits of her labor and of course, I always appreciated her goodies.  At Christmas we received frozen Peaches and Corn.  It has not been until late - when I have finally started to preserve food for our family that I realized how tedious it can be and how much she must of loved us.  Whenever I freeze peaches or other things, I think of her.

Just a week ago, Brett and Dane made a trip out to Minden to put Aunt Helen's ashes next to her mother and father - David and Eva Larsen.  It was a short trip, but so much of his family's history is there in Nebraska.  Helen's mother and father lived on the Elmdale farm, which her grandfather owned when he received a homestead in about 1878.  Her grandfather was a first generation Dane.  She said that you knew she was a true Dane because she always ate her sandwiches open faced.  Plus she made great abelskiver.

This is the original schoolhouse where Aunt Helen and her brothers and sisters went to school.  Her mother was a teacher there.  We have a picture of her and her brother and sister in this schoolhouse where Dane is standing.  (I don't have it, but others do).  We also have two of the original desks that they used there. (again - I don't have them, but some of the family does). All these things are preserved in Pioneer Village in Minden, NE.

Here is Dane on one of the tractors at Pioneer Village (there are MANY).  That place was as good as Legoland for him and much cheaper.

Aunt Helen was a special lady.  I will miss her.

Picture Perfect...

We are never picture perfect.....at least not at our house.

But sometimes pictures capture a moment that isn't so bad.  In fact, often they are good.

Here are a few good ones from late....

Cody and Kai on Picture Day.  We missed First Day of school, so I thought this was a good substitute.
Doesn't it seem as though everyone is groomed, organized and ready to go - on time even?  

Dane gives us away when he enters the photo.  The rooster tails tell the real story.  At least 2 of the 5 were looking like they had it together.

This was one of the best days ever.  Kai and I got to go to a Rockies Game by ourselves.  Its true.  Brett stayed home and watched all the other kids.  What a man.

It was tough for her to sit the whole game, but we did it and even got slurpees after.

I don't know if she'll remember it, but I always will.


Preschool Pictures

The twins are doing a preschool where we rotate going to each kids house once a week.
This week we learned the letter "C"so we made some cameras from check boxes and they took pictures of "C" animals that we put in our green space.  Brett even drilled a hole in them so they could see through.  It was so funny to watch them.  They still walk around with them around their necks from time to time.

Classic.

That's pretty much it from our end.  We are doing the same stuff and I am trying to keep it all together. Lainey is getting some teeth and they make her pretty grumpy, but mostly the boys go full throttle all day and Lainey tries her best to keep up.  That's our schedule.
Oh yeah....next Saturday, Laura and I will be running a Trail Half Marathon in Colorado Springs.  We'll see if I can keep up.  Doubt it.  Should be fun.

HIATUS

Hello Strangers.  It has been too long.  No good reason for the hiatus.  Catch up?  No chance.  We are better off starting where we are.

CODY'S FIRST FOURTEENER

Pike's Peak

Parking Lot.

On his way up the mountain.
Cody had all his stuff packed, but then thought he wouldn't need a sweatshirt.

Here is Cody at the top of Pike's Peak wrapped in his tarp.
The top is always cold....even in winter.
Real survival skills.

 OTHER OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

 Took a drive up the Poudre one night as a scout requirement and a little family entertainment.  Everything that could go wrong did - as far as driving, finding a place, etc.  Once we got there, we had fun.  Plus, Cody passed off the scout things that he needed.

Ben looking for rocks to throw.

Dane with his cheesy grin.  He looks a lot like his dad here.

Everyone actually looking in the direction of the camera.  Crazy.

The Girls.

Lainey - showing her skills.....and wearing her s'mores on her face.  More on her later.....

DOES OUR GARDEN GROW?

At least the carrots are growing - Dane checked to make sure.

 He also felt it was appropriate to taste test the produce.

 Ben still trying to understand where the carrot actually came from.

LAINEY'S LAUGHS

Bad hair day?  No.  Just taking after dad.

"It is my dream to work at Krispy Kreme."

Funny story.  The kids stopped at KrispyKreme before they came to watch me race in a half marathon this summer.
Cody and Kai ran the last 100 meters with me.  3 seconds after we crossed the finish line they just started talking about this special doughnut place and how you could see the doughnuts being made.  They waited 3 hours to tell me and they couldn't wait any more.
Of course, I wasn't breathing too good at this time so I am sure they were disappointed that I wasn't as enthusiastic.
There is something special about KrispyKreme.....they will never forget it.

The hair never quits.

She is a fun baby - 14 months old and just finding her way.

Cheers everyone.  Have a great week!

Recital Video

Finally got the video up. Kai is the 3rd girl from the left in the Back Row.

Kai's Ballet Recital

Kai, Kai the Butterfly

This year's Ballet Recital was about your "Lifesong".

Kai takes ballet from an amazing teacher at a church close to our house. She always tries to teach them something that has to do with Christianity along with dance.

If you love these tutus like I do - check out Petite Street Tutus here.

They are amazing.

This is Miss Gay - Kai's Teacher.

And this is the real reason Kai was so excited about the recital......cookies afterward.

She ran down to the treats before she could even say thanks to Grandma for coming.