Not a Fan

Servicing or Soliciting?

Today while I was getting the twins on the potty and ready for a nap, the doorbell rings. 2 guys in DirecTV jackets were at the door. They said they were "servicing" in the area. They asked if I still was with Qwest, etc, etc. I said that I was busy trying to get my twins down for a nap and I also pointed to the "No Soliciting" sign.

The guy - I call him a guy, because truly he looked not a day older than 16 - sarcastically remarked that that is why they said that they were "servicing" in the area. I guess the new word for Soliciting is Servicing. I wanted to ask them if they were actually selling something. But half-naked Dane ran downstairs as they walked away. Charming.

Getting Closer

Our Office....

Still need the countertop and the trim....but -

We have the wood floor in.

Last Saturday, Brett was planning on installing our new Brazilian Walnut Floor in the office.

It was our Stake's Temple Day and I really wanted to go - but I needed to get the kids out of the house so he could install the floor.

Luckily some very dear friends sacrificed several hours on their Saturday and watched the kids so I could go to the temple and Brett could do the floor.

This is the result.

I'm loving it right now. We are going to wait a month to allow the wood to settle, and then adjust in color as it is exposed to light. Then we will sand & seal it, replace the baseboards - or paint the walls. Haven't decided on that yet.

Just a note - I really love my husband.

The twins walk around the house and point to all the work he has done and say "Daddy made that."

Cabin Trip

~HAPPY SPRING BREAK~

Here are our Larsen Girls.

Kai & Lainey

Lainey looks sweet, innocent and quiet....

Don't let her fool you.

She's always got something to say.

Hey this is a big household and if you don't speak up - we might miss what you said.

LARSEN FAMILY SPRING BREAK TRIP TO THE CABIN

Here are the TOP 10 things to LOVE about the CABIN

#1 - We have dirt at home but at the Cabin its way more fun.

#2 - Racing Up Hill a dozen times is better than watching TV when you are at the cabin.

#3 - Its easier to smile at the cabin.

#4 - Its okay if you forget your toothbrush at the cabin. Chewing on bark does the same job.

#5 - You get to take pictures on the same steps that your Grandma Larsen took pictures on as a kid. Sharing some family history at the cabin.

#6 - A "Kine-cone" collection is a status symbol.

#7 Sticks are considered "Black Gold" and are the currency in trade at the cabin.

#8 Even if you left your packed bag in your room at home and you have been living in the same clothes (including underwear) at the cabin for 3 straight days - you'll still be loved.

(Cody didn't complain once even though I knew he was cold without pants or a sweatshirt)

#9 Life is good at the Cabin.

#10 You get to see stuff like this when you are at the cabin.

Here was our Day Trip to Garden of the Gods.

This was so much fun for us and the kids. They just scrambled up and through everything.

Brett & I were scrambling up after them to keep them from falling off cliffs.

Brett with Lainey asleep in the backpack and me with the camera.

Dane kept climbing and saying - "higher, higher."

Of course, when he says it, it sounds more like "high-uh, high-uh"

Ben was just happy to be there.

Best of all it was free and it wore them all out.

Nice pose Kai. Its her interpretation of a ballerina climbing.

All in all it was a beautiful day!

No one was placed on the injured reserve, but we did suffer a double bleeder (Dane) when he refused help from Cody while attempting to jump off of something.

Too Bad, so Sad.

Don't worry - he lived to feed the Giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Less pics but just as much fun.

Thanks P&R for the great opportunity. I just was so impressed with the new cabin. It is beautiful and you guys thought of everything!

Love you.

And Now...

The Auspicious Zach Elementary School Talent Show

PRESENTS

Cody Larsen & Luke Atkinson

as

THE BLUES BROTHERS'

in their original rendition of

SOUL MAN

(Scroll slowly around the red line at the bottom of the screen until you see a hand icon, then double click)

Cody (dark pants) has been begging us to let him do a dance for the school talent show for 2 years. We told him that he couldn't do a dance unless he repeated the moves each time the same way (ie: Choreography). He finally found a way around our rules.

I have to say that Cody reminds me of my brother Mike a lot. The man who came up from the "depths of society."

Here is Mike at my wedding.

Thanks Shannon for the idea. It was definitely worth the 2 minutes on stage and it made my day.

Up To My Elbows

Poor Cow

This is Dane's favorite animal & his second best friend (next to his twin). Dane pretends to feed him and treats him like one of the family. In case you are wondering why he is red all over......

Well we have been up to our elbows in vomit for the last few days.

Poor Cowie seems to take the brunt of it.

Between the vomiting twins and a "stubborn-I-refuse-to-sleep-when-you-want-me-to" darling little baby, Brett and I are just about done being parents.

Last night was bad enough but I thought Dane was done - through with it. Then he threw up again. Just after we started the 4th or 5th load of laundry due to sickness and gave Dane a bath - Lainey decided to get in on the action.

Here's me saying - there must be better days on the horizon. I believe it. There must.

Up with Lainey.

(This is not what she looks like at 12am)

Its late. Too late. But when you are ready for bed at 10 - 10:30 and you know your baby is going to get up at anywhere between 11 & 12....is it worth it to fall asleep or get other stuff done?

Happy President's Day!

Nothing says "President's Day" like a cape with a flag on it.

Kai sewed this for her American Symbols Project at School.

(Who's more patriotic than Ralph from the TV Show "The Greatest American Hero"?)

That's what the cape kind of reminds me of - instead of the Declaration of Independence.

However, my favorite part about her making this project is when she said in a loud voice - "Mom, I'm doing it, I'm doing it!" with reference to her sewing. She was excited with her newly discovered skills.

So just for effect she made a crown to go with it. Check out the purple mountains majesty. That's our Colorado Girl.

We had an extra special weekend with my sister and her "man-friend," Frank (Brett's nickname for Frank.)

I have to say that it was nice to have 4 extra hands. The twins especially like the extra love and attention that their mother never gives them.

We played basketball, jumped around, watched a movie, took naps and had way too much fun.

Thanks for driving out and entertaining us for a weekend guys. A blithe time was had by all.

What do you own?

The Milk Chase

Frequently after school I would see a few teenage or tween boys running full throttle down one street and then up another. They would point in a direction and then just bust out running. My first reaction was to think - "Those boys must be up to no good." But of course, I rediscovered an old truth. Boys really only have the desire to sprint and chase a couple of things in this world. Now I know that chocolate milk qualifies as one of them.

Last week Cody found out that the boys were chasing the milk delivery truck because (as the story goes) that if you catch one, the driver will give you a quart of chocolate milk for free. I thought for a moment about lacing up my shoes. With the new information, Cody and his friend Rory graduated from chasing the mail truck for suckers and stepped up to chasing the milk truck.

Tuesday was their lucky day. They caught him and brought home a quart of the best chocolate milk in town. I heated it up and made hot chocolate for the boys while they scooped the driveway. It was chalked up as one of the best days of the year so far. But that is not the funny part.

That night at dinner, Cody was telling his dad the story. Brett told Cody that the man who owned the Dairy where the chocolate milk came from was the uncle to one of the kids in his class. Cody thought for a minute and he said - "Dad, what do you own?"

Both Brett and I paused and looked at one another quizzically. Brett said, "What?"

Cody repeated the question. "What do you own?"

That question got us both thinking. I started to make a list in my mind and then realized that it wasn't very long.

That's when Brett said, "Well, the only things that we actually own are.....2 cars."

"What about our house?" asked Cody.

"The bank owns the house. Someday, if we give the bank enough of our money, they might let us own the house," replied Brett.

"Gee dad. I own a bike, a rip stick, a skateboard, some legos, a scooter and a bunch of other stuff."

Silence followed.

Cody was feeling pretty big. He had brought home chocolate milk AND owned a lot more stuff than his dad. It was indeed one of the best days of the year.

Brett and I were just chuckling to ourselves. Kind of funny.