~The Larsen 7~

Alex: Mr. Basketball

2012-01-28T21:13:00.005-07:00

Don't worry...I gave him that title...Alex had a Church ball game this morning at 7:00 a.m. so me and the little boys got up to go and watch him play. What a stud!!! He is really good---no prejudice here---love him!

Megan's date said....YES!

2012-01-18T23:06:00.009-07:00

When Megan came home from school today, Stephen had left her a surprise. Do you think she looks a "little" excited in this picture?

The string went around

and around

and around the room!

At the end, a super fuzzy bear with candies and hearts that say YES!

and what did i see?

2012-01-16T21:13:00.005-07:00

I just barely went downstairs to move our laundry along. When I came back upstairs into my room (not 5 minutes later) I saw...two sleeping boys camped out on my floor with literally EVERY blanket they own! Shows how scary the wind can be sometimes here in West Jordan.

Megan's asking...

2012-01-14T14:39:00.005-07:00

After 15 years, 11 months and 6 days, Megan is finally asking out her first date. She turns 16 on February 8th and LUCKILY the CHHS Sweethearts (girls choice) dance is on the 11th. So this afternoon she took the poster, candy and balloons over to a little boy's house. Now we play the waiting game...stay tuned!

ring ring...PIZZA PARTY!!!

2012-01-05T14:29:00.008-07:00

One of the games we got for Christmas is called Quelf. IT. IS. AWESOME. It is the perfect game to play as a family (not a million rules, getting to act super silly, no questions that make you feel dumb, etc.) We had a kickin' time playing it over the holidays and it will probably be a very obvious "go-to" game for those lazy Sunday nights.

the last post of 2011 goes to....BYU BASKETBALL!

2011-12-31T19:51:00.008-07:00

For Christmas, the kids each got a BYU/San Diego Universtiy basketball ticket in their stocking. Alex had the night off from Maceys and Steve was off at eBay by 2:30. What a fantastic year-end activity! Happy New Year!!!

Bring. It. On.

Such a good big brother...

Taylor just loves those BYU boys...

Me and my best girls...

Love these kids with all of my heart! Happy New Year!!!

CHRISTMAS...2011

2011-12-27T20:05:00.012-07:00

An absolutely perfect Christmas. We got to spend so much time with both sides of the family and have had an absolute blast together. I love my family so much!!

On our way to Grammy and Gramps' house for brunch

New Christmas pajamas

Our annual "Golden China" Christmas Eve feast!

clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes...

Man's legs or ladie's legs?

Yeah baby! Finally got himself some sticky gloves!

Alex and Steve are heading to Vegas for a road trip!

Our "family present" is the Kinect...with 7 new games!

David Archuleta (part 2)

2011-12-21T15:09:00.015-07:00

Not going to even try and describe the emotions me and the girls felt during the concert. We'll always remember, so just enjoy the pictures.

December 19th...Taylor turns 4!

2011-12-20T21:41:00.008-07:00

Happy Birthday dear Taylor Jennings!!!

Taylor is certainly a loved little boy. His brothers and his sisters adore him and he is such a good boy for me and Steve. We love him dearly and feel so blessed to have him in our family!

Fun with the Larsen Family

2011-12-19T10:17:00.013-07:00

Last night was the Larsen Christmas party. We had a lot of fun visiting and eating and eating and eating. We also....
played the "right-left" game...

went caroling...

decorated cookies...

And nothing says Merry Christmas like, "WO-OOO...LIVING ON A PRAYER!!!"

welcome to the court.....JIMMER LARSEN!!!

2011-12-17T22:42:00.010-07:00

Zachary started Junior Jazz this year and played his first game this afternoon...a win, if you must know. He's the center on the team and gets to do the jump ball thing at the beginning of the game. He's such a sweetheart...very passive, which his coaches realize and are trying to get him to overcome. In a very strange coincidence (I'll go as far as to say a blessing...) the whole entire family was able to watch him play today and we were all so proud of him for taking a couple of shots. He's just gonna get better and better! Way to go ZACHY!!!

annual "ladies" lunch

2011-12-14T07:14:00.007-07:00

Everyone knows the benefit of exercise, right? Well, I have gotten WAY more out of my exercise group than I bargained for. I've found 6 of my very best friends. We work out together every morning, we go out to lunch for everybody's birthday each year, and have the most fun get together each Christmas to give gifts. Yesterday it was at Sue's amazingly, astonishing, beautiful house. I love these ladies so much and count them among the many blessings that I have.

David Archuleta (part 1)

2011-12-11T15:38:00.008-07:00

Yes, I did say part 1. Steve and I went to Cedar City for the weekend and heard David Archuleta sing at the Heritage Center. AMAZING seats, PHENOMENAL concert and PERFECT company. We ate at Chilis and had such a fun time shopping (Christmas shopping without the kids is so much faster!) and lounging around the hotel watching football. I love Steve so much and am so incredibly thankful that he is mine to keep!!!
Part 2 will happen on December 19th when I take the girls to Salt Lake and see David Archuleta perform again. Life=Good!

caroling, caroling, caroling...

2011-12-02T09:16:00.012-07:00

It was so much fun to hear the older kids caroling at the Joseph Smith Building last night. A sweet sister in our ward was part of an art show going on there and asked the kids to help during the V.I.P. night. She provided them with the cute costumes and even gave them a fantastic "thank you" present for helping out. We'll be giving her a "thank you" present back for letting them have such a fun experience together!!!

Zach and Taylor wanted to help sing too...

Siblings and best friends as well. What a blessing!Fa-la-la-la-la...

This is Alex, Megan, Annie and their friend Justin all caroling together.

It's beginning to look A LOT like...

2011-11-27T17:37:00.003-07:00

....CHRISTMAS!

For Cute...

2011-11-19T18:54:00.007-07:00

The theme for Copper Hills' Sadie Hawkins dance is, "Take me out to the ballgame." How cute are Jerika and Alex? She made the shirts and I don't think there will be a cuter pair at the dance. Prejudiced? Nah, just very observant!!!

a night with my favorite girls

2011-11-19T08:38:00.017-07:00

Short day of teaching....CHECK!
Dinner at Red Robin...CHECK!
Breaking Dawn with crazy fans...DOUBLE CHECK!
I am lucky enough to have my girls and my sister-in-law as some of my favorite people. What a fun, fun night. We already have plans to do it again next November. Know why?

Zach, the birthday boy!

2011-11-17T05:37:00.009-07:00

Zach turned 10 on the 15th of November. What a sweet boy he is becoming. Am I glad that he's in our family? Yep! Do I love him more than I can say? You betcha! Are we grateful every day that he is ours? Uh huh! We love you Zachy Baby!!!

this may look familiar...

2011-11-13T17:15:00.008-07:00

Just another BYU football post but with one very real difference. This game was FREEZING cold...but SO MUCH FUN! There was nobody there (I love having my elbow room) and by bundling up (as you can see in the pictures), we were as toasty as could be. The fact that BYU spanked Idaho was the icing on the cake. Oh fall, how I love thee!!!

Which of these things is the most scary?

2011-10-31T22:36:00.016-06:00

...The witches at Gardner Village?

...2 cute BYU boys trick-or-treating?

OR....Alex getting his Drivers License?

I actually love them all!!!

it's the MONSTER MILE!

2011-10-30T18:08:00.011-06:00

We were able to go down to Provo yesterday so Annie and I could run the Monster Mile 5k race. The other kids got to trunk or treat around the parking lot. It was absolutely fantastic weather and so much fun! The only thing missing was Steve...he couldn't get off of work. We already have plans to run it again next year! Better get training...

oh yeah...Alex said...

2011-10-28T21:49:00.006-06:00

I forgot to post about this...last Tuesday night while Jerika was at Young Womens, Alex put these little cuties on her doorstep.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN---family pictures year 9!

2011-10-27T14:47:00.004-06:00

In the true Olson spirit...."Aloha OINK!"

bringing Taylor up right!

2011-10-25T06:48:00.009-06:00

Taylor is 100% boy. He loves BYU football as much as anyone can. He runs, throws, makes plays, and even tackles himself when no one else is around to play with him. Steve and I took him to the blowout BYU/ISU game this past Saturday and Tay has not stopped talking about it since. Guess we've done our job well...we've raised another avid BYU fan. Our work is done---at least until Basketball season.

I could not love this little boy any more than I do!

My boys

He LOVES this!

Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah...GO....COUGARS!

alex: the ladies man

2011-10-23T17:30:00.010-06:00

Alex had a fun surprise this UEA weekend. The doorbell rang and a HUMONGOUS block of ice was on our doorstep. Inside was a note. To get to it he had to heave it up and over the deck a few times and lo and behold---an invitation to CHHS Sadie Hawkins. The girl that asked him is a cute little piano student of mine and I am...I mean he is super excited!

could they be any cuter?

2011-10-14T13:16:00.005-06:00

alex and shaylie
copper hills high school
homecoming 2011

BYU Homecoming 2011

2011-10-10T15:09:00.014-06:00

Blue pancakes, 5k race, parade, Olive Garden, swimming, nap, BYU game...WIN! Our idea of a perfect Saturday in a nutshell!!!

I know...she's just so darn cute!

2011-10-07T13:54:00.012-06:00

another cheer post? i know...megan just looked so cute for the breast cancer awareness game. taylor is oblivious to everything when he's playing games on my phone!

a fun post FULL of pictures...

2011-09-26T06:53:00.015-06:00

Alex went to Homecoming last Saturday. How good of a job did Maceys do on Shaylie's corsage? Can you see the cute teal jewels on it? And how snazzy does Alex look...seriously?!?

Zach got to come with me and Steve to the BYU/UCF game last Friday. He is such a good boy and we had SO MUCH FUN (especially because BYU won...)

Megan is still loving cheer. For Homecoming the cheerleaders got their lockers decorated. Cute, huh? Taylor can ALMOST do the CH with his fingers...

Introducing...the Brite Stars Day School kids!

2011-09-21T15:58:00.007-06:00

Every month the Brite Stars kids get to go on a fieldtrip. Today we went to Thanksgiving Point Childrens Discovery Gardens. It was such a beautiful day and the kids had so much fun! They had story time and made crafts, played in the sand, floated boats down the little river and even got to play in the pool by the big boat! It was fun to see Taylor playing with his new friends.

A Quick Down-and-Back to St. George

2011-09-12T13:23:00.010-06:00

On the spur of the moment last Wednesday, we made a decision to go to St. George for the weekend. We left on Friday and came home Sunday, but what a fun weekend trip to Utah's Dixie. We squeezed SO MUCH IN! Shopping, hiking, eating out, the waterway splash park, swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool, scenic ancestry square and even watched a BYU (loss...) game. Alex had to work and stayed with Col and Carrie, so he'll have to do the next down-and-back with us.

missing my baby Taylor...

2011-09-08T07:05:00.011-06:00

Oh geez...Taylor started in a little neighborhood pre-school yesterday. There are 7 kids so each mom only teaches one week (just Tuesday and Thursday) every 7 weeks. It is called "Brite Stars Day School" and he is absolutely loving it! He gets his own backpack, scissors, t-shirt and feels like such a big boy leaving for school. "Just like the guys..." (meaning the older kids)...he tells me. They will go on one field trip a month and have parties and even a graduation in May. I'm not gonna lie---it's a little hard for me having him race into pre-school. I do get 2 hours by myself but haven't quite figured out if I like it or not. I love my big boy Taylor, but kinda miss baby Taylor too.

How much TALLER is he than the other kids? He's not the oldest one in the group, but he sure looks it!!!

Love my Tay Tay!

HOMECOMING (he asked...she said...)

2011-09-05T21:36:00.012-06:00

Last week, Alex asked cute Shaylie to Homecoming using 3 wind up alarm clocks. We went to her room and hid all 3 clocks that were set to go off at midnight (she said she could hear ticking but didn't know what it was, so she just went to sleep). At midnight, all 3 clocks went off and she had to find where they were hidden in her room and find the message on each one. Don't worry...she'll get even (see the "answer" pictures below...)

Her answer came tonight in true "U" fanatic fashion...

What a cute answer from a cute girl!

another "what the HECK" night...

2011-09-01T06:57:00.010-06:00

My wonderfully fanatic BYU football-y husband entered us into a drawing for tickets to the Bronco Mendenhall show last night. How much fun was it to be escorted up in the elevator to the President's loge where there were only about 50 people or so there to watch the show!!! We got a lot of KSL swag and had so much fun listening to Coach Mendenhall, Coach Reynolds and his boys, and Greg Wrubell who is just about the smartest BYU guy there is. Thanks for being such a crazy fan, Steve!!!

CHHS vs KHS

2011-08-29T08:29:00.009-06:00

I'm not gonna lie...I am totally living a cheerleader life vicariously through Megan. She's SO cute when she cheers. Last week Copper Hills played Kearns and Annie and I sat through both the Sophomore and JV games, just to watch Megan cheer. I won't post pictures of every game, but how cute is she?!?

She was so happy that her friends Zach and Justin came to watch her. I think her kicks got just a bit higher and her smile just a bit brighter once she saw them!

Taylor and Zach loved the game. The problem? Kearns' mascot is a Cougar and Taylor kept yelling, "GO COUGARS!" Just a little too much BYU blood in him?

WE LOVE KID HISTORY!

2011-08-27T23:06:00.012-06:00

What a fun night we had as a family. We were so happy that Alex was able to get the night off of work so he could come with us to the premeire of "Kid History: episode 6." It certainly didn't disappoint and the kids thought those brothers were as much of celebrities as any big name movie stars! Truth be told...I kinda did too!!!

***What? You haven't seen Kid History on YouTube? Leave this blog now and get watching. I promise you won't be disappointed!!!

eBay Lagoon Day---how we love thee!!!

2011-08-22T07:09:00.013-06:00

We look forward to eBay's Lagoon party all year long. They really go all out...barbecue, Lagoon-A-Beach and rides from 10 a.m. till 11 p.m.! We did NOT stay that late, but had a full day of fun, fun, FUN!!!

Go GRIZZ Go!!

2011-08-19T17:32:00.009-06:00

Quite possibly the first of MANY cheer posts. After one long "heck" week, 69 cheers learned, 31 hours at the school and many more hours of practicing chants at home, Megan gets to officially start her fun cheer career. Copper Hills is playing Taylorsville tonight.
"A- to the T-T-A-C-K...GRIZZ...ATTACK!" See, even I know some of the chants!!!

best birthday EVER!

2011-08-13T22:36:00.011-06:00

I started off the morning with a nice SLOW run...had lunch at Cafe Rio with the kids...shopping shopping shopping...dinner at Braza Grill with my sweet husband and then we went to my all time most favorite loved play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at the Hale Center Theater. I loved today.

GO GRIZZLIES!!!

2011-08-05T21:50:00.008-06:00

Today was a fun day...Copper Hills Cheer pictures. These were for the football programs. The most fun part was to see the cheerleaders and football players "interact" with eachother. Megan and I got a kick out of watching each group show off (trying SO hard to be cute) and catch someone elses attention. And how cute does Megan look?!?

my dates with my boys

2011-08-03T22:18:00.009-06:00

I had a day off from teaching last Friday and decided to do some fun things with the boys. I dropped the girls off at the mall with their friend and took Zach and Taylor miniature golfing. WAY fun for them...and fun for me to just watch them. They're getting to be such good buddies and had a blast!

Later that night, when Alex got home from work, HE took ME to go eat at Five Guys (delish!), dessert at Cold Stone and to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. It was so much fun and he is a great date...he didn't mind at all that I had to keep asking him all sorts of questions during the movie---or at least he didn't seem to mind...hmm...

oh, these summer rainstorms!!!

2011-08-02T06:37:00.009-06:00

We have been LOVING all of the rain lately. Sunday night the kids went nuts outside and we just couldn't help but take some pictures---these are the least embarrassing ones. Bet you wonder what the other ones are, don't ya?

let's play!

2011-07-27T14:15:00.015-06:00

sleeping in the tent in the backyard, face painting at the zoo, going running, lots of swimming, being in gramps' parade...keep those fun summer activities coming!

Reunion Pictures 2011

2011-07-23T22:36:00.010-06:00

How I love my family! This years reunion was a blast. It was a killer to try and plan it, but I couldn't have had a funner time....a more fun time...whatever!

poor annie...

2011-07-22T22:32:00.013-06:00

For part of Annie's orthodontic treatment she had to get her wisdom teeth out. She also had a tiny "chain" put on one of her teeth that is growing in sideways---every 2 weeks she gets another link pulled down and that will help her tooth come in straight. Crazy, right? She did so good at the Oral Surgeon and has been a real trooper these last couple of days. We got her some nail polish, magazines and pudding and ice cream galore. She has been doted on by the the other kids. Her sweet Young Womens leader brought her some pretty flowers. My favorite quote when she was coming out of anesthesia..."I'm all done and I will NEVER have to do that again..." Kinda a nice feeling!

Olson Family Reunion 2011

2011-07-21T23:22:00.018-06:00

I could not love my family ANY more than I do. As tricky as it was to plan a reunion for 42 people, it was so much fun. I am so blessed to be a part of such an awesome family.

happy birthday annie boo!!!

2011-07-17T15:10:00.011-06:00

WE LOVE YOU ANNIE!!!

'arry Potter anyone?

2011-07-15T09:27:00.015-06:00

Thank you Allstate Insurance for the VIP passes to Harry Potter! Steve took 4 of the kids (dang, I had to teach!!!) and they had a "magical" time...sorry, couldn't resist! Alex thought he would have to work that night but luckily got it off so Carrie was nice enough to take him to the 1-800-CONTACTS premeire so he was able to see it too.

4th of July...West Jordan style!

2011-07-04T22:36:00.006-06:00

Perfect overcast weather? CHECK
Fun parade? CHECK
Nap? CHECK
Delicious barbecue and basketball? CHECK
yep....seems like a wonderful 4th of July to me!!!
(dangit...Alex had to miss the parade, but was able to come to the barbecue and was even able to squeeze in a date tonight to go see the West Jordan fireworks!)

STADIUM OF FIRE!!!

2011-07-03T16:27:00.010-06:00

Having the 4th of July on a Monday this year has made for SUCH a fun weekend1 We went to Stadium of Fire yesterday to hear Brad Paisley and David Archuleta sing. It was a kickin' concert and we could not have had a better time...unless Alex had been with us. Poor kid had to work! Anyway, bring on the 4th tomorrow!!!

what do we do on sunday nights?

2011-06-27T23:36:00.013-06:00

...we spend it together. Is there anything better?

(Steve likes to put the tent up in the backyard and all of the boys sleep outside while me and the girls stay in my bedroom and watch Twilight movies.)

I dare ya to try and top this day!!!

2011-06-23T23:11:00.011-06:00

In Order...

Sleeping in (but still SERIOUSLY missing my older teenagers...)

Applebees for lunch with Summer and her cute kids

KOPFC pool

Nap (for Taylor)

Only 2 piano lessons (for me)

Brick Oven for dinner

Kid History Episode 5 premiere in Provo

Jimmer getting drafted (actually, any thing Jimmer at any time of any day tops my list!!!)
Lovin life today!

all of the dads in my life...

2011-06-18T22:49:00.005-06:00

On this Fathers Day, I'd like to pay a tribute to the fathers in my life.

First, my dad. He is amazing...always ready to lend a hand, whether it's picking my weeds or picking up me and Steve right in the middle of his Bishopric meeting (for the umpteenth time...sorry, dad!) I know without a shadow of doubt that my dad is there for me. I love him so much and am so incredibly grateful for him!!!

Steve's dad gave me my first job at BYU, which in turn led me to Steve...apparently, the rest is history. I am thankful for the type of father he has been to Steve and that the things he taught Steve as a boy are helping us raise our own children.

And last, but most certainly first in my book, is my sweet husband Steve. He is everything I could have asked for in a husband. He is such a hard worker and still has time for his family. He is always looking for ways to make my life easier...who wouldn't want that in their ideal mate? He sets a great example for my kids to follow and hopefully my boys are learning how to treat their future wives by seeing how their dad treats me. Love you, Steve!!!

I would most definitely consider myself a blessed, blessed girl. Wouldn't you?

Orem Summerfest 2011

2011-06-13T07:29:00.011-06:00

What a fantastic weekend!!! After Alex's birthday fun at Boondocks, we had to drop him off at work (the only BAD thing about the weekend....) and then we headed to Orem for the festivities. Saturday morning was the Orem Firefighters 5k that Annie and I ran in. She placed 3rd in her division which was a nice surprise for her! We both had personal record times so that was good too! Later that afternoon there was a carnival with lots of emergency vehicles (TAYLOR!!!) and lots of booths for shopping--including getting our glitter toes done (ME AND THE GIRLS!!!) and even a few rides (STEVE AND ZACH!!!) We had dinner with the Larsen families that came down that night for the parade. It was a pretty "small-town" parade, but still a lot of fun.

Boondocks Fun!

2011-06-12T14:55:00.011-06:00

Boondocks gives a free all day unlimited pass if it's your birthday, plus arcade tokens for each "A" on your report card, so of course that's where we chose to go for Alex's birthday on the 10th. We got there right when it opened and practically had the place to ourselves! It was fun watching the kids do the slick track, laser tag and play TONS of video games. The all you can eat pizza buffet on our way home was just the icing on the cake!

17 years old...are ya kidding me?

2011-06-10T08:02:00.012-06:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite 17 year old in the whole world!

Thankful

2011-06-07T07:09:00.006-06:00

Today I am thankful that my fantastic...

was able to fix my broken...

AND that it didn't cost a ton of...
I'm thankful that Steve has a job with such great insurance benefits, that I have a friend who helped me get in so early to the dentist (thanks Suzie!), that my family let me sleep off the weird reaction I had to the anesthesia and that I feel great today. All of this thankfulness....and it's not even Thanksgiving!

BYU Legacy Museum

2011-06-05T18:30:00.010-06:00

Last Wednesday me, Taylor and Alex got to go down to Provo and have lunch with my dad and his brothers and sister. We went to the Brick Oven (yum!!!) and then my Uncle Mel asked if we'd like a tour of the BYU Legacy Museum. My Uncle Mel coached with LaVell Edwards for over 20 years and because he still teaches there, he was able to take us "backstage" to where the players practice, have meetings and we even saw a couple of assistant coaches. IT. WAS. AWESOME! I loved every minute of being immersed in BYU memorabilia. Thanks Uncle Mel for an unforgettable afternoon!!!

YARD SALE TIME!!!

2011-06-04T17:11:00.011-06:00

So, this was a first for us. In the 11 years we have lived here, we have never had a yard sale. The little boys got new bunkbeds and after shoveling out their room and Alex's room we thought we had a LOT of good stuff to sell. We knew that Megan is trying to earn money for cheer and thought that this would be a good way to do it. MAN...it was a LOT of work and a LOT of living in chaos this past week but it went perfectly and we made more money than we were expecting. Megan's friend Zach came over to help which was fun too. Taylor had a hard time at the beginning, wondering why "peoples always keep taking my stuff!!!" but by the end of the afternoon, he was helping little kids play with his toys. He was quite a salesman! A success....definitely! Do we want to do it again...heck no!

memorial weekend in star valley

2011-05-28T19:21:00.008-06:00

Today we went up to Star Valley (Afton) to visit my Grandpa and Grandma Olson's graves. I went up with my dad and we took the two little boys with us. It was really fun to go and see the places that my dad always talks about. I go up with him on this same weekend each year and I love it every time. What a fantastic heritage I have...too bad it takes Memorial Day to make me remember it!!!

just mom and the little boys

2011-05-25T21:52:00.007-06:00

DIRTY LAUNDRY TIME: One thing (of many...) that I am not good at is being spontaneous, especially when it involves some amount of effort on my part. Today, with no lessons to teach and the older kids at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple doing baptisms, I decided it would be a perfect afternoon to take the boys to the park. They loved it...didn't hurt me ONE BIT...and now I don't feel like I am a loser mom. Win, win, win, right?
(on a side note, it was "ORANGE" day at Zach's school today...Tay wanted to be just like him. That's a LOT of orange in those pictures!!!)

such great friends

2011-05-18T14:16:00.003-06:00

I'm a loner in this world. I realize that every day. I know it to be true because my biggest "social" outlet is aerobics every morning. I love going...I MISS it when I don't go...mostly because of my sweet friends there. Nina, Gretchen, JoLynn, Jan, Sue and Kathy---thanks for helping me stay out of my shell! Oh, and the Thai food doesn't hurt either!!!

Let's Race!!!

2011-05-16T09:37:00.005-06:00

Annie and I ran a 5k race in Provo last Saturday. It was the first time I have EVER run the entire time and not stopped. The weather was beautiful...the company was fun...the running felt so good...a perfect day all around. It sounds a little "Sunbeam-ish" but it's a day like that that I am truly thankful for my body.

wicked...(bum)... WiCkEd...(bum)...WICKED!!!

2011-05-09T07:35:00.015-06:00

I don't really think I want to put into words how perfect this weekend was. I know I couldn't express how much I loved every stinkin' minute of it anyway! I am a blessed, blessed girl!

so dang cute!!!

2011-05-04T21:42:00.007-06:00

Alex is officially a "courtesy clerk" at Macey's (for some reason they aren't called baggers) and looks every inch the part of a cute little employee. It was hard for him to leave Ab's, harder than he thought it would be, but he is 2 days into Macey's and already having a GREAT time!

Rah! Rah! Rah!

2011-04-30T21:18:00.006-06:00

After a VERY long week of learning, practicing, polishing and trying out, Megan found out last night that she will be on the Copper Hills High School Junior Varsity Cheer Squad next year. She is way excited!!! It's going to be a LOT of work and a LOT of bucks (she'll be doing a LOT of fundraising...) but it will also be a LOT of fun! GO MEGAN!!!

THIS is what I come home to...

2011-04-27T14:09:00.007-06:00

When Alex calls from Ab's at 10:00 p.m. for a ride home from work, Taylor is usually still awake. He cheerfully says, "Bye Mom" and these pictures show you why. Apparently the allure of my quiet room with the huge memory foam mattress and the electric blanket is too much for him to pass up. He finds his BYU hat (that I have hidden so he DOESN'T sleep with it), crawls up into my bed and snuggles next to his sleeping dad. Can I really get mad? For the record, I kinda like it...just don't tell Taylor that!

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-25T19:51:00.010-06:00

The kids have been on Spring Break since Thursday---I didn't teach any of those days either---so we have had a lot of fun doing different things. We went bowling at BYU and also went to the Bean Museum. We spent some time at the bookstore where Taylor found number "32" on everything...he is a true JIMMER fan. He loves his new t-shirt...I can't hardly get him to take it off so I can wash it!

Steve had the day off today so we went back to the Classic Fun Center (yuck....) and let the kids to some jumping and play laser tag. They LOVED it which made me happy. We have had a fun past few days. We love spending time with the kids!

hmmm...what should we do today?

2011-04-15T07:38:00.006-06:00

When Zach was off track, and Steve had his normal Monday off, we wanted to do something really fun with the boys. We ended up at Classic Fun Center. They roller skated, climbed the inflatable toys, played video games, rode scooters and had a BLAST! Gotta admit, I was ready to go after about 15 minutes in there and we used A LOT of hand sanitizer, but can you tell by the pictures how much fun they had?

BYU Spring Game

2011-04-09T15:39:00.011-06:00

Oh man....bring on FOOTBALL season! We whet our appetites with a fantastic game this afternoon, except for the snowstorm, that was a full 4 quarters---15 minutes each---and even a bonus OVERTIME! It was so So SO much fun!!!

Copper Hills Prom 2011

2011-03-30T15:12:00.007-06:00

I know that it seems like every post is about "Alex and his date..." but he got his prom pictures today and we think they turned out pretty cute so of course, we had to post them for everyone to see, right? I love my Alex and I certainly love to see him happy!!!

fun with my boys

2011-03-24T15:00:00.006-06:00

Not gonna lie....I love to teach piano, but I LOVE to have days off. Today I took the boys to the Living Planet Aquarium and they were in heaven. Oh my gravy...they did NOT stop talking the whole way home and Taylor zonked for the next 3 hours on my bedroom floor. I am thankful for the time, means and desire to spend the afternoon with my cute boys.

it's PROM time!

2011-03-12T17:43:00.006-07:00

Is it strange to say that it was kinda sad to see Alex all grown up and headed off to prom? But, how sharp does he look?!? He took his cute little friend Shaylie (the same one he went to Sweethearts with). Hope he has a fun, fun time!

zach is "johnny appleseed"

2011-03-03T14:52:00.006-07:00

This year the 3rd graders in Zach's school got to choose someone who changed history and do a report on that person. They also put on a "wax museum" in the gym and stood REALLY still and had people come and read their trifold. Zach, my sweet son who thinks WAY out of the box, chose John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed). He put the whole outfit together, complete with a knapsack with his Bible in it because he read that Johnny Appleseed read the Bible, and a little shovel to plant his apple seeds, and a pot on his head. Taylor kept calling him Johnny Applebees....MMMMMMMM, Applebees....but I digress. Zach's a sweetheart and was the star of the whole was museum, well according to me!!!

ALICE...in Wonderland

2011-02-25T22:16:00.010-07:00

Jeepers Creepers! 4 months of after school rehearsals, $90.00 spent on tutus and leotards and 5 performances later, Megan and Annie are finally done with "Alice in Wonderland Jr." What a fantastic thing these past 2 years of performing in school plays has been for them!!! Who knew there were some acting genes hidden in my 2 cute girls?

sending you "back....from the future!"

2011-02-22T14:28:00.005-07:00

Steve and I took the girls to the Desert Star Playhouse to see "Back from the Future" last Saturday night. It was a present for Megan's birthday. Pretty funny play! We enjoyed Cafe Rio before and a hot brownie sundae during the play! Love my girls!!!

I'm pretty sure you can guess whose idea it was to take the picture below....

and her answer is....

2011-02-19T23:03:00.005-07:00

YAY!!!

alex is a datin' MACHINE!

2011-02-18T07:35:00.004-07:00

I can't tell ya who, but Alex asked a cute little girl out to Junior Prom last night. The pinata was filled to the BRIM with confetti (our shredded junk mail) and candy. There were also 10 cute little folded notes (thanks to the girls) but only one of them had Alex's name on it. We took it to her house last night, rang the doorbell and ran like crazy. She was pretty excited (according to the high pitched squeal) when she opened the door! In Alex's words...."Now we play the waiting game...."

Our Anniversary

2011-02-17T07:30:00.007-07:00

Last Sunday, Steve and I celebrated our anniversary. Hmmmm...18 years and 5 kids later I still think he's the bees knees!!!

Alex+Shaylie=SWEETHEARTS 2011

2011-02-12T22:05:00.007-07:00

I'd better hurry and post before Alex tells me not to! What a good looking couple these two make! She told him she'd practiced pinning the boutonniere on her dad so it wouldn't fall off. Alex had the ACT test (5 hours!!!) early this morning and a day at work too so he was super excited to have something really fun to do tonight. But seriously, how cute are they?!?

hApPy BiRtHdAy Megan Lyn!!!

2011-02-08T07:15:00.012-07:00

Megan is 15! What a sweet girl---I love her very much and am thankful daily that she is mine. Love you Megs!!!

let's get "tangled"...

2011-02-05T18:29:00.006-07:00

Took the kids this afternoon to see the cute new Disney movie---Tangled (the story of Rapunzel). It was super cute and we had a great time....missed Steve (his eBay schedule dangit) but had fun nonetheless.

Crazy kids!

STOP TAKING PICTURES MOM!!!

How about a video game or two?

...or a little bit of DDR before the movie starts?

annie has "pretty pretties"

2011-01-28T09:44:00.001-07:00

That's what Taylor calls Annie's braces. She just got the rest of her braces on and is doing just fine with them. I think she looks cute, don't you?

Tay is a little worried about her...he thought he should hold her hand to help her to be happy.

alex is goin' to SWEETHEARTS!!!

2011-01-26T07:35:00.006-07:00

How excited am I....I mean Alex...that he got asked to Copper Hills' Sweethearts dance this year!!! A cute little girl named Shaylie (who Alex is really good friends with) asked him. After a rough go of trying to find her name, and her being sweet enough to give him some more clues, we (he) are answering her today during her Seminary class. Taylor will be bringing her this pretty rose this afternoon. So much fun to live vicariously through your kids!

weekend getaway....to sunny St. George

2011-01-17T21:44:00.011-07:00

So EXCITED!!!

We left Friday night after I got done teaching and after Alex got off of work and rolled into St George at about...

Fun things we did in the 60 degree weather: tennis, basketball, volleyball, soccer, video games, dvds, scrabble, apples to apples, eating out...and SO much more!!!

Even with a stinkin' flat tire just outside of Parowan, and with traffic and bathroom stops, taking a mere 7 hours to get home, we wouldn't have imagined that this could have been a more perfect trip!!!

Oh, how I love my kids!!!

four eyes, four eyes, six bellybuttons!!!

2011-01-12T22:33:00.003-07:00

Only my siblings will understand this blog title, right Olsons? Anyway, for Christmas this year all of the kids got new glasses. We all wear contacts in this family (except for the 2 littlest boys) but it's always nice to have a new pair of glasses too. Fun, huh? Even Taylor got in on the action with his "green goblin" glasses from McDonalds. Don't they all look good?

could he BE any cuter?

2011-01-10T14:18:00.003-07:00

Ah geez...Taylor started Sunbeams this year. He's not a huge fan of it yet, although he has 2 of the nicest teachers in the ward. It's hard for me to see him grow up, but what a handsome boy he is turning out to be!!! Take a look for yourself!

BYU Basketball

2011-01-09T09:28:00.006-07:00

We had such a fun time yesterday at the BYU/Air Force Basketball game. It was KSL family day so tickets were just a dollar. We all went down (nosebleed seats for sure...) and enjoyed a nice BYU win. Phillip took Alex home because he had to work at Abs while the rest of us stayed for dinner at Sizzler. What a great day!!!

By the end of the night, Taylor was absolutely zonked out!!! Too much fun I guess.

sledding in the new year

2011-01-02T21:51:00.008-07:00

Steve is such a good dad...he bundled up all 5 kids (and their cousin Jonah) and took them down the road to the BIG hill and let them sled for as long as they wanted. It ended up being just over a half hour, darn these teen temperatures, but it was fun nonetheless.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T15:46:00.011-07:00

Can you remember a PERFECT Christmas? I can...it happened about 24 hours ago. I loved every minute of Christmas morning and seeing my cute kids so excited for what Santa had brought them. Love it, love it, love it!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas Abs Style...

2010-12-23T20:55:00.005-07:00

Doesn't Alex look thrilled to have his whole family at Abs watching him make a famous "fat boy" burger? Don't let his grumpy face fool you...he LOVED having us there!!! He's such a hard worker and by far, the cutest little elf in the whole restaurant. Love that boy!!!

yeah....i'm a fan!!!

2010-12-19T19:37:00.010-07:00

After 3 days of hearing David Archuleta singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I can now officially say....bring on Christmas.
Friday I took Annie and her cute cute friends (we spent an extra couple of hours waiting outside of the Deseret Book across the street to have him autograph some things), Saturday night we went as a family and this morning (Sunday) Steve and I went with Steve's parents. I think that the 100,000+ people that heard these concerts can probably echo the same thing that we have been saying for the past 3 years...we love David Archuleta!!!

a little bit of this...a little bit of that...

2010-12-04T23:20:00.007-07:00

we have already had a great december so far. here's what happened this week...

steve and i dressed up and feeling fancy for the ebay christmas party held downtown.

me and steve's first christmas ornament. i cross-stiched it while living in wymount at byu (sicker than a dog pregnant with alex) and happier than i could have ever imagined!!!

tay loves loves loves the tree! he's eaten almost every single candy cane he can reach!!!

the kids decorated the tree this year...with a "bit" of supervision...

though no one could possibly care...

2010-11-26T21:48:00.008-07:00

...here are some more pictures from our fun studio 5 day. thanks again to my fantastic friend gretchen!!!

with darrin adams and brooke walker after the show aired--they took us on a tour of the studio.

singing the byu fight song in the lobby.

our singing got scott haws to come out into the lobby!
the moffit family and the larsen family

more studio 5 pictures

2010-11-25T20:47:00.006-07:00

so much stinkin' fun!

2010-11-25T06:25:00.008-07:00

what a fun morning! we spent it at the triad center in the ksl studios trying to get people to put on this corny blue wig and cheer for byu. thanks gretchen, for nominating us!!!
we got scott haws!!! (yes, he actually is that good looking in real life!!!)

and we got jed boal!!!

and we got alex kirry (the host of the segment)

huh?????

2010-11-23T20:58:00.004-07:00

my family...most fanatic byu fans in utah...and on studio 5 tomorrow afternoon? feel free to say with us, WHAT THE....???

don't ya just...

2010-11-14T11:50:00.003-07:00

...sometimes look at a picture of your child and think they are the most adorable thing on earth? these are from zach's 3rd grade "freedom isn't free" veterans day school program. what a cutie!!!

halloween fun run---THE MONSTER MILE!!!

2010-10-30T15:46:00.007-06:00

what a fun way to spend halloween (or the day before, as it were...) morning. we dressed up and went to provo to run the MONSTER MILE...a 5k for me and the teens, and a 1 mile for steve and the 2 little boys. it was put on by a few byu students for an entrepreneurship (sp?) class---jj diluigi being one of them---and was SO stinkin' fun!!! (including the running part!)

happy halloween

2010-10-23T23:25:00.004-06:00

our 8th (and quite possibly our last) installment of having an annual family picture taken. we think this is a keeper.

~~~~~~~The Larsen 7~~~~~~~