Gold, Frankincense... and Gold

So Big E and I pretty much love Christmas. Really there is nothing better than being married to someone who loves something just as much as you do. (Oh how I wish the Utes were one of those things.) Anyway, a couple of nights ago, we were telling Mack the Christmas story. Here are some of our favorite, totally inaccurate parts.

-So Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. See the funny thing is that the Bethlehem Treasury System, is very different then the United States Treasury System. To pay my taxes every April 15th, I would have to travel to Idaho.
-Joseph got Mary all ready to go. He packed her bags and got her comfortable on the CAMEL, that was taking them to Bethlehem.
-We they got to Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn. The only place Joseph could find for Mary was a BARN.
-The wiseman saw the star and wanted to come worship the Baby Jesus. They brought him gifts of gold, and frankincense.... and MORE GOLD.

I think we need to take Christmas 101 again.
Here is an odd story for you: We had a lovely Thanksgiving up in Idaho with the Larsen side of the family. It was great food, family and fun. But both Mack and I came home to a HORRIBLE cold. Gross. I weened Mack about three weeks ago, like cold turkey weened. No more milk. The moment he burns up with a fever, guess what happens. Milk. Yup, started randomly. Fully lactating again. WHAT?

Things That Make You Go Hmm..

Good week this week, actually great week this week much better than the last one. Afterall it was Big E's Birthday Week! I love Birthdays and this year was a great one. I had been trying to think of great gifts to get him about three months ago, when I came up with the idea of really good Jazz tickets and Braza Grill. Two weeks before Birthday Week, he calls and asks if we have plans on the 9th because his work was taking him to the Jazz game and a Brazilian resturaunt. Hmm.. that idea was blotched. Plan B, fly out to Disneyland for the day, spend ten or so hours there and come home. Nope airline tickets and times didn't work out. Plan C, Monday Night Football game in Denver. Nope see Plan B reasons for falling through. So by the time I reached Plan M, I was getting a little discouraged. But the day was GREAT.
He came home from work and we left to go to "dinner" but really checked into a Bed and Breakfast, Castle Creek Inn. (Here is a plug for the Inn. I have been to a many of B&B's and I am always somewhat leery. I don't want overly hokey my-bed-is-a-gondola/covered wagon. I also don't want bright lights screaming that this is the place to well, do it, if you know what I mean.) Castle Creek was AMAZING, clean and NO, we didn't hear anyone else.)
We checked in and left for dinner and I possibly had one of the best burgers ever, Red Robin's Bonzai burger. Yummy. We went back to the B&B and watched Glee. LOVED IT. Holy smokes, Sue is human and actually made me a little weepy. HMMM... Loved this episode, the only thing I did not love was "Defying Gravity" , the youtube version was much better. The next morning we woke up, had breakfast and went for a couples massage. My body is still delightfully gelationous. I really just love Big E, he is great, everything that I could have ever dreamed. What an amazing husband and daddy.
So I have had a really hard time getting Mack to take me seriously when I am trying to tell him "no" or "danger". The man knows he is adorable and smiles and then giggles. NO MATTER WHAT I DO. Really I doesn't matter how emphatic I am, how stern, or how loud. I did notice that he does respond to Toby when he yelps at him... so I tried it, works like a gem. So if you hear me yelping in church, just disregard me!

Need a Giggle?

Wow, what a MONSTER week, it really was a nasty one. I needed a giggle, so I found my favorite dog vs cats story and chortled. Maybe you need a giggle too?

Doggie Diary Entry:

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Cat Diary Entry:

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.

In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Idiots!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow --but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.

The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously stupid.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now . . .

Hope you laughed. By the way, if you are a Glee fan, youtube "Glee cast Defying Gravity". LOVE IT.

Happy Ween!

Halloween was, as always, a howling success at the Larsen/Jones household. We had planned a great party with my family, which was SO much fun! I love how into the adults and children get into the whole costume thing. We had great food, donuts on a string, games and costumes. The "Sign Game" was the hit of the night (Kenzie, Kennedy and Keegan rocked). It really was great and I am SO grateful that I am so close to my shiz-niz family!











So, I am WAY too lazy to put a caption under each one, so here is a small summary:
Eric is one dang sexy Zorro, I am a purple witch a Mack is a sleepy lion. Meet Hugh Hefner and his Playboy Bunny, Grandma and Grandpa. Rob and Merisa, the Devil and Angel, with Rob looking quite fetching in a dress. Janie is the prettiest Teletubby ever, while Toby is a mighty steed. My parents costumes are somewhat disturbing with Dad as a baby, and Mom as Uncle Fester. Kenzie and Kennedy are cheerleaders in training, while James was just simply born to be a pirate. Suzy was a gorgeous witch with quite the wicked hat and Swans are the scariest zombies, vampire and NERD known to man! And lastly, TJ and Mack are the cutest tigers I have ever seen! Thanks everyone for a fantastically fun night!

Seriously, How Cute is the Man?

Blogitis

Can't believe it has been a month (or longer) since we have posted. I have had blogitis what can I say? In a nut shell, here are the Larsen going ons.

Check out the newest member of the fam. Suzy and James welcomed TJ into their family last month. He is six weeks old and a DARLING baby. And might I mention he is pretty dang lucky to have such rockin' parents!



Speaking of new members, Christie, Eric's sister is engaged to be married in December. Arturo is a great guy, I can't wait to have someone else in the Larsen clan that likes to sleep in. Morning is SO not the time for singing :)

The move was successful. We feel very lucky to be in the position that we are in right now. My parents have been INCREDIBLY generous and the arrangement is working out well. We are getting really sick of the "Aren't you so sick of living with your in-laws?" and the "How is it REALLY going?" and the finale "You know you really need your own space" questions. Seriously. It is working out very well. We feel so lucky to have sold the condo, and to have a place to stay while we house shop. Plus, my parents are the bomb-diggity so how could we be miserable?

The man is as darling as ever. He is perfecting his army crawl, almost crawling on his knees. Man that kid is as cute as ever. He has two bottom teeth and is cutting more. I feel so bad for him but he is holding up SO well. Query and suggestion: Why is it called "cutting teeth" and not "cutting mom's nipple"? Just a thought.

Sorry this was a quick one, but look for more posts soon!

I Hate Packing

I HATE packing, I really do. I have never complained so much in my life, I am sure that helps the process. How do you people do it that are moving from a house larger than a two bedroom, 1300 sq foot condo? Really I admire you. I get so bored. Bless Mr. L's heart, he knows that I am getting sick of it. All of the sudden my labeling of boxes starts to get really fancy so I can take more time labeling than packing. The words "Storage: Bathroom Junk" have never looked so good. I also like to really take my time with taping. Whoops all of the sudden I lost the end of the packing tape, finding it can turn into a thirty minute project. Mr L is good to me, I also have to be acknowledged for every box I pack. I am married to a good man!

My Twilight Rant

Mr. L and I decided to take a break tonight and rent a movie. Why I rented Twilight, I have NO idea. I was one of the few that did not fall in love with the books OR Pastie (Edward). For those of you that love Twilight, you might think my little rant sacrilege, so go ahead and skip this post.
I am disgusted. Really I did not like the books for the very same reason I did not like the movie. Bella. The girl is a co-dependent walking case study. I am sorry but, "I am going to my death, but at least I knew this guy (who I supposedly fell in love with in three weeks--- and yes I know what unconditional love is because I am 17)." "Forget my family I will never leave this guy who wants to drink my blood."
This girl is a follower with a capital F. Bella has NO life outside Pastie. My goodness gets some independence and live your own life. Discover who you are. It kinda makes me a little upset that so many young girls are reading this and loving it. Hopefully they are not getting the idea of what love and relationships are from this. And yes people I know that Twilight is fiction. But girls are girls.
Coincidentally, this article was on MSN today What do you think?


Is Twilight Bad For Your Love Life?
Some of you told me I wouldn't like Twilight, but I bought the book anyway just to see what all the hoopla was about. Well, I finally finished it, and ... I appreciated the romance-factor, but I couldn't help thinking it was giving girls the wrong idea about love and relationships. I did a feminist reading of Twilight and here's what bugged me:

1. Bella has no outside hobbies.
After she moves to Washington, Bella makes a few friends, but she's not interested in them. Mostly her life is about Edward, Edward, Edward. But what relationship can survive that? Take it from Simone de Beauvoir, who writes about this in The Second Sex: "Two lovers destined solely for each other are already dead: they die of ennui, of the slow agony of a love that feeds on itself." (658)

Outside interests breathe life into a relationship. If you want a healthy one, you better get a life, whether you're a dead vampire or not. On the other hand, Romeo and Juliet were teenagers obsessed with each other, so I don't know what to make of that.

2. The guys are totally unrealistic.
Women are always writing male characters how we'd like guys to be — not how they really are. We're setting up expectations. In Twilight's beach scene, Mike Newton brings Bella "sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from" (118). Excuse me, but a teenage boy at a beach is either going to be goofing around with the other boys, throwing marshmallows, or spending hours in the water.

3. Bella is brainwashed.
Bella tells us repeatedly that Edward the smug vampire is "too perfect," (256) "flawless," (261) and has an "angel's face" (262). I nearly got brainwashed. But it's like, he could kill her at any second, yet she continues to trust and lust. Of course he doesn't kill her, so we're supposed to be grateful and think highly of him. Such manly restraint!

But he is always talking down to her about her safety, like she's a porcelain doll. He tells Bella he can't leave her alone for a second. Even doing laundry, he speculates she might fall into the dryer. Really? There's nothing wrong with being a klutz, but even joking like she can't possibly function ... well, that doesn't do wonders for a girl's confidence. It turns her into a dependent. And as my mom says, no one loves a helpless woman. Obviously, for the story, it's the knight in shining armor thing, I get it, but I don't have to like it.

4.Bella is a domestic diva.
She cooks for her bachelor dad every night. (Okay, I guess cooking is technically a hobby. But she doesn't do it out of joy, really. It's more out of a sense of obligation.) Bella does laundry, too. But I think we only see her do homework once. See, she's too busy feeding a man to stop and feed her mind. There's nothing wrong with cooking for a man, but doing it in tandem with constantly getting saved by a guy and worshipping said guy ... it's just too much. At least Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast loves to read, right?

But! I am not saying I didn't enjoy the book at times, and that I wouldn't have swooned at 13. I just worry that some people will read it without a critical eye (I know, it is just a story). Some girls might expect their love life to look just like Bella's. Now that's what I call scary.

Sorry if you are a lover of Twilight. But honestly I am curious what YOU think, so leave me a comment if you feel like it.
Maybe for the white elephant Christmas party this year, I will get a shirt for Eric that says, "He is my Edward."

P.S. And WHATEVER Bella's Dad was TONS hotter than Edward!

And by the way, I couldn't get over Bella's Dad being okay with her driving from WASHINGTON to ARIZONA by herself in some old pickup truck. When I was 17 I wanted to go to Europe with my the Art History Class and my mother as a chaperone. My Dad's response, "Annie, don't you know.. people kill people in Italy."

It's one of THOSE days

So, it's one of those days. The day that I wish I could stay in bed all day and watch rented movies. The day I want to stay in my pj's without a bra. The day where I am craving the 42 grams of sugar that a can of cherry coke provides. The day that I wish Mack would nap for three hours, instead of his normal one (Is that awful to admit? I don't think so, honest is honest). The day where I wish I could eat out every meal so I don't have to cook or clean.
But in reality, we have ten days to pack. The Mr. and I have HORRIBLE snot nosed colds, and boxes are empty waiting to be taken to storage. Repair men have been lined up on the hour to come fix the washer, furnace and windows. I most certainly should not be wasting time blogging, but you gotta take a break right. Not even my trashy neighbor has been out on his balcony for his photo shoot. (Did I tell you about the conversation he had on his cell phone about refusing to take a paternity test? Quality people. You need a picture!)
But alas, everything will be fine. Everything will get fixed, and everything will get packed. My sister in law Suzy is getting induced next Monday! And I get to melt over Mr. Schuester tonight!

Irony stinks

Okay, to start out, I will not do this story justice at all by blogging about it. In fact I even hesitate to blog about it at all, but it was SO funny.
My brothers are pretty dang tough looking, don't you think? My goodness they still look tough in tuxedos. Anywho, so we were up at the school playing Bocce Ball tonight with the whole family. (By the way, I rock at Bocce Ball, seriously I ROCK) All of the sudden this punk kid is running across the school lawn towards us. And then two or three cop cars pull into the school. (The schools playground and the lawn are barricaded off, so the cops couldn't just pull in their cars after them, see already I am probably not making sense but oh well.) So the kid is booking towards us and sees James. James looks at him and yells, "I wouldn't come near me, I'll take you down kid." So the kid darts the other way.
My Dad took Carson to the playground to the other side of the school and the kid is running towards them. And the cops are trying to run after the kid, but they were not exactly fast. So my Dad starts to run after the kid. Rob sees Dad and Carson and runs towards the kid. (I do have to say Rob was dang fast) So Rob runs over there while the kid is trying to get past my Dad. Rob gets closer and the kid turns and looks at him. Immediately we hear the kid scream. "Holy S*@$, it's you." and all of the sudden the kid stops. Rob gets him in some kinda lock and takes him down. Meanwhile the cops finally show up with their tasers pulled out, and take the kid into custody.
Here is the funniest, most ironic part of the story. Rob and James both work for the state in criminal justice with kids that are in lockdown or detention. The kid was in Rob's program and ran away on Friday. So on Labor Day, the kid running from the cops, runs into some park with a family playing Bocce Ball and gets taken down by a counselor who worked at the program he ran away from. And there was NO WAY that the cops would have caught the kid had the boys not have been there.
See I told you, I would not do the story justice. By the look on that kid's face was totally priceless.

I put the stye in stylin'

So that gross eye infection.... Yup, turned out to be a massive stye. Well it was gross, it hurt BUT the tea bags took it away in two days! I will take it!
We had a great weekend with Eric's family up in Idaho Falls. It was so great to get away and take the Mr. to see Grandma and Grandpa Larsen. Eric parents took us to see Harry Potter and I must say fan-freakin'-tastic. LOVED IT! We mostly just hung out, which was what we really needed. We of course watched the BYU game, pretty sure I might nickname their house the Cougar Den. Thank heavens I am mature enough to be able to cheer for the conference. But I won't lie, I felt like I was kinda betraying my UTES.

I LOVE Mr. Schuester!

Of course Mr. L and I watched Glee last night, they said there would be un-aired scenes. As if I didn't like Mr. Schuester enough, I think he is now on the freebie list. Oh my goodness, was anyone else transfixed by his acoustic, "Leaving on a Jet Plane?" LOVE, LOVE, Love Mr. Schuester. Sing to me anytime and then wipe my melting self off the floor.
Mr. L and I made a few discoveries and observations about Glee last night(well more like last night early this morningish). Doesn't Finn's friend Puck look like Tony Almeda from 24? And wasn't Terri Schuester Claire's birth mom on Heroes? Once again I love Glee, and I am constantly getting the chills!

Randomness

The Larsen Fam has been going crazy! Life has been a little hectic and stressful. Last night and tonight we are painting my parents house. When we move in we are displacing my Dad's office up to my old bedroom. So as a part of moving we have to get their house ready for us. Painting, organizing, things in storage. Which we are happy to do, my goodness we are so grateful for their willingness to have us invade their home.
But oh my goodness I hate painting. HATE IT. I was under the impression that painting was fun, like in the movies. Painting with your spouse is supposed to be romantic, complete with playful and flirtatious paint fights. Not the case. In fact I was hideously wrong. I hate painting.
I have this weird eye infection thing, no idea what it is. But no, if you see me, I did not get socked in the eye. For some reason my bottom lid is pretty swollen. Could this be a result of my wearing two week contacts for eight weeks? Oh well, It looks like I am going all granola with no makeup and glasses for awhile.
However, in good news, I have made a few discoveries. Harmons has Quaker Oat Cereal on sale, 5 for 5. All you cereal lovers should know this is a steal. Run now to stock up on Quaker Oats, and say hello to Bob and Randy. Maceys also has General Mills Cereal for $1.88 a box. I hate going there though, but maybe the polygamous clan will be shopping there today.
I also made a pretty yummy dinner the other night, so here it is. Try it if you like pasta, but if you are like me, go VERY light on the alfredo sauce. My lower GI just doesn't tolerate rich food.

3 diced boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can of artichoke hearts cut up into small pieces
2 bunches of green onions sliced thinly
8 slices of bacon browned and chopped (I have been putting in the already cooked ones and it has been pretty good)
Bow tie or Penne pasta
3-4 large tomatoes cut up and diced (You HAVE to scald them to get the skins off)
about 1/2 of jar of Classico Alfredo sauce (this is where i go very minimal)
pepper

So brown your chicken, add artichokes, green onions, bacon (if using the already cooked variety, if not cook your bacon separately and add it now) and scalded tomatoes. (if you don't know how to scald tomatoes, boil a pot of water, when it comes to a steady boil, drop the whole tomato in for thirty seconds. Spoon it out and peel the skins off. They should come off VERY easily.) Let all ingredients cook and combine for about five minutes and then add alfredo sauce and pepper. Yummy, yummy!
The picture of the neighbor is coming as soon as he displays himself on his balcony again.

Sweet Rebellion

So now that the condo is sold (well mostly), pretty sure Mr. L and I have rebelled. After keeping a pristine house for the last five months we have turned into slothful oinkers. Spoons dried to the cereal bowl- no biggie, toilet flushing- nope conserving water, moldy gross rancid fruit on the counter- yummy! Really today I looked around my dwelling and was a little pleased and then a little disgusted at the place. We did such a great job keeping it clean, when we didn't have to anymore- we broke loose.
So I kinda have a trashy neighbor in the next building over. He is a little to a lot pudgy and gets in his John Stockton shorts and camps out on the balcony. It is truly a sight. He is in his super short shorts, topless, with the TV and fan out on the balcony. He texts and sips his Miller Light. What a sight! Would it be wrong to capture this moment with a camera? My description doesn't begin to touch the white trashness. I think this would be something that the three and a half readers of Larsen Living might appreciate.
Every time that I did laundry, my cramped laundry room would smell so bad. Well today T-Dizzle was going nuts pawing at the side of the dryer. Hmm... I stole a peek and three fresh tomatoes that are probably four weeks old fell down the side. That explains the smell. Sadly, it does not explain the washer dying.
In great news, Glee is on this week! Set your TIVOs, DVRs whatever else you people have to Fox tomorrow night. The original pilot is also airing on Friday night. The Larsen fam can't wait.
Randomness, but my new favorite snack is the Kirtland brand dried fruit Mango and Berry mix. DIVINE! My favorite thing to touch my lips, well almost. It's 8 bucks a bag but well worth it. Dig in, once you start you won't stop!

Sad Days

Well someday finally came and we sold the condo! Really it was one of those things that we both kinda thought would never happen. I am pretty sad, we have great memories here, and great friends. This is where Big E proposed, where we brought Mack home and other great memories! BUT no more Gospel Doctrine Teacher (can you hear the angels singing?)! The lady that is moving in seems delightful and I know that she will be good to all of Mack's "Building Grandmas". As sad as I am... no more three flights of stairs with car seat, dog on leash and groceries! No more Toby on a leash, no more picking up Toby poop. Oh the delightfulness! As for the immediate future, Mama and Papa J have been generous enough to let us chill with them until we find a HOUSE!

Giggles

Okay how impressed are you with my new blog look? Me, myself and I are all very proud. Those of you that know me really well, also know that my computer literacy is that of an eighty year old. So special thanks to Bri for helping me post the update link thingy. I feel like a friggin' Web Designer.
Anyway, Larsen Living is looking for a new blog name. Larsen Living sounds way too relief society/enrichmenty. We have thrown around a couple of ideas, pretty much all inappropriate. I thought about using our nicknames: Big E, E-licious, E-dawg, Mr Mack, The Mister and so on and so on. But alas, I am the giver of nicknames so I am at a loss (Eric calls me Babe and that just doesn't flow in a blog title. Any ideas would be greatly and vastly appreciated!
This video is one of our favorites. The man is darling in every way. How in the world did I get so lucky?

What the CRAP?

May I just for a moment mention how truly sick I am of having the condo for sale? I hate getting those calls from our real estate agent saying that someone wants to walk through in the next half an hour. You can only stuff so much junk into the washer, dryer and dishwasher. It is really tiring trying to keep your living area (including closets) clean ALL of the time.
Tonight we had a true "what the crapper moment". So I get a call from the agent saying that someone wants to walk through in the next half and hour. I attempt to clean up all of our junk, and get both Toby and Mack out before they get there. SUCCESSFUL. Eric comes home, we take the dog up to my mom's and head out to the Farmer's Market (always a good time). We came back to turn off all of our lights and turn down the air (we leave both on in hopes that it shows better). Well, I turned the corner into our bedroom and the bed was a crumbled mess! EWWW, GROSS, DISGUSTING! These people totally laid on my bed! That's it, the house is off the market!

Summer Happenings

So for the three of you out in the blogging world that actually read the good ol' Larsen Living blog, I thought I would give you an update of our busy summer.

First things first, how adorably tough does Mr. M look in his do-rag, bink, and sunglasses? He surprisingly will leave the sunglasses and the do-rag on for hours, but try to put a hat on the kid- and you know what breaks loose. I have a friend who made me promise not to blog too much about the Mr. M, because it is apparently a very annoying "mom thing" to do. So if you agree, skip the next paragraph.

He is fantastic and still as sweet as they come. He is a rolling maniac and is mastering the whole sitting up by himself thing. He still doesn't have any teeth and I am crossing my fingers that they will come all at once! These are what I call the "grandparent stats", the message being that only grandparents really care to hear about the percentile thing, but here it goes:
Height: 90%
Weight: 20 %
Head: 50%

The summer has been full of family, weddings and breakouts. We hung with my fam for the 4th and had a smashing time at a canyon breakfast, BBQ, park and fireworks. Eric has this thing about watching "big" fireworks with a lot of people, so he talked my fam into going to our secret watching place for the Murray Park fireworks. It was great and worth it, but for all of you Idaho spuds, it wasn't close to the MELALUCA FREEDOM FESTIVAL (picture Eric saying that with spirit fingers.)

Last week we headed up to Alturas Lake for the Larsen Family reunion. Holy smokes there are TONS of Larsens! We had a great time, and special thanks to Mom and Dad Larsen for organizing the whole shabang!I was happy to be the covert caffeine provider. (And no lectures from the peanut gallery, I just taught an awful Word of Wisdom lesson and don't need anymore shenanigans!) The drive was SO long but Mack did a great job, and we actually didn't even have a meltdown. Well we kinda did but it was more from me. I hate driving at night. BORING! Nothing to look at, and having to stay awake to make sure Mr. L stays awake. Then one night I felt something crawling on me. Yuck! Cannot handle that one and I may have had a mini- to extra large meltdown. Whatever. It was a great time though and SO pretty. I must admit I have darling nieces and nephews on both sides.

Earlier in the summer, I did what I never swore I would do. I stopped using proactive. I know what, was I thinking? This is the same girl that would volunteer to do infomercials (speaking of that, so sad Billy Mayes died and our late night love affairs are no longer.) Eric works at a company that has pretty high end facial regimes and gets them for practically free. So trying to save money, (I know I am great.) I switched over and canceled my Proactive Membership. Bad news. I am totally convinced that Proactive has an ingredient in it, that when you stop it, you break out like wildfire! No kidding I had a pimple for six weeks that I named because it was so big, like its own zip code big.

I am pretty sure that the Larsen Household has the Brine Flu. I figure we live by the Great Salt Lake, and are in more contact with that great lake air than pigs. So instead of swine we have brine. And no we don't actually have the swine flu (By the way, what is with these crackhead parents that are holding swine flu parties, for the love people!) Eric is a sinus/mucus factory, I have it in my lungs, fully expecting to hack up said lung any day now. And the Man, bless his heart, his nose is like a faucet. (Bad combo with a mom who gags VERY easily.) So wish us luck with the brine flu!

I love Mack's Bumbo, but am I the only parent whose child barfs right after getting out?

Pictures of the Chick Magnet... No not Eric

In a few of these pictures The Mr. looks completely like Brad and Lisa's son Ty, and in a few of them he looks like Rob and Merisa's Big Boy Carson. The Mr. is as darling as ever and still so happy!

Forget Kris Allen and Shawn Johnson... Glee anyone?

We loved Glee. It was fantastically funny, creative and will become somewhat addicting. We are still watching it over on TIVO and still laughing. Loved it! Sang "Don't Stop Believing" and "On my Own" all day. Really it was so great that I forgot all about American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. You must watch it!

Mufasa

That was Simba's dad's name on the Lion King right? He bites the big one and then Simba learns all about the Circle of Life, right? Mack and I had to have that conversation yesterday, it was devastating. Every year we get a massive birds nest in our garage, and every year we have tons of little baby chicks. Mack and I were going to the car and spotted one of the birds, one of the baby birds. It was on its back, wings out feet propped up with rigor mortis (or so I thought). I quickly shielded Mack's eyes. So sad, I hate when animals die. So it was on the concrete right in the middle of our garage. Thinking that it would probably be best if I moved it, I got a sheet of cardboard and put it to the ground ready to scoot it over to the side. It twitched. Crap it wasn't dead yet. It was suffering, I couldn't handle it. Should I leave him there, or should I end his misery. My tummy is way too weak to end it misery, but it was in so much pain. I summoned my inner farm girl (I didn't know I had one either) and thought that maybe if I left it where it was and ran it over with the Pilot that would be best. I saw Lassie, I knew it would be tough, but this way I actually didn't have to see the bird die. (And no I have never actually seen the end of Lassie, but I have been told.) We got in the car and I talked myself into it, only to bail at the last minute. I couldn't do it. Mack and drove off and I told him about Simba and Mufasa and then sang the Circle Of Life.
I also flushed my cell phone down the toilet yesterday. Yup. Apparently if you put it in a bag of rice for a couple of days there is some chance that it can be revived. So, e-mail me or call Mr. L if you need to get a hold of me!

Cardboard Milk and Billy Mays

As I age (not that I do at all, I actually stopped at 23), I have this quirk that gets more and more pronounced. I am a SUCKER for anything infomercial. Well, not anything... maybe. When I can't sleep during the night, I turn on the TV and watch infomercials. They are the most conducive to sleep because they don't have laugh tracks and the sound in general is pretty even. But every once in awhile I get hooked. Back in my 23ish days I was a shopaholic something FIERCE, I have come a long way. Pretty sure Mr. Larsen would not have married me if I hadn't. Anyway, so in my sleep deprived state at three o'clock in the morning Billy Mays is hypnotic. He says I need a topsy turvy tomato hanger, done. Those cool purses that have the changeable magnetic outsides, done. Mighty Puddy, done. The Mendit, done. Slice-it, chop-it, whatever-it, done. I have decided that it might be best to not sleep with my wallet and phone next to my bed. I mean I wake up in the morning and know tha I for sure don't need it, but Billy uses his conniving ways in the middle of the night. I almost feel like I am cheating on Mr. L with Billy
In totally depressing news, the Doctor thinks Mack might be allergic to cow milk. Wrong. Sick. Twisted. Turn. Of. Events. Crapper, this is only day four without me eating or drinking anything with cow's milk, and this is agony. I know I can do it, I am a firm believer in breast is best (so is Mr. Larsen, but for different reasons) but this does kinda stink. So I am trying to adapt to soy milk (i.e. cardboard milk- same color, same taste.) Wish me luck and if anyone has any good dairy free tips, recipes, whatever, let me know!

Smarter than a Stroller

So I have been trying to figure out the whole Mama thing. I think I am doing fairly well but man, I am super slow when it comes to a few things. We never did figure out the Diaper Genie, even with a very detailed video from a very thoughtful Brooke. THANK YOU! So replacing the crap stupid genie, is a garbage bag with poopy diapers in zip locks. I guess it will do.
I have decided to set some goals for myself everyday to try to be more with it.
#1 I have decided that I can only wear my black four sizes too big comfy pants, only in our home and Momma J's. They are disgustingly big and I trip over them constantly.
#2 Shower everyday and do the hair and makeup even if I am just staying at home. I don't want to stink like breast milk and poop everyday.
#3 And last but not least I make our bed.
So anyway, I decided this week that I needed to go to Jordan Landing to get some new clothes for Mack. (He is TALL! My three month old is fitting perfectly height wise into six month old clothing. But he is too skinny to fill them out.) I pack in our stroller and load Mack into the car. I have to say I was feeling good that day. I got dressed in something other then jeans and my white hoodie and took to the road. This was really the first time that I had used our stroller. (Which P.S.is AMAZING, thanks Merisa!)
The stroller in the store was great. Mack was chill looking around, and my maneuvering was exceptional. We got done shopping and I loaded the Mister back into the car and went to put the stroller down. What the crap? I can't for the LIFE of me figure out how to take it down. At first I giggled. I normally don't really care what people think, and I don't get embarrassed easily. I fiddled with EVERYTHING on that stupid thing. Then the embarrassment set in. All of these moms were walking by and I couldn't figure out how to put down my stupid stroller. Come on have pity on a fool, couldn't one of them stop to help me? I looked desperately around for anyone to help me. Tara? I knew she lives in South Jordan, it's not West Jordan but maybe she was here. Eric's Aunt Nan? Come on anyone?
I got so stinkin' frustrated, that finally I decided to pick up the whole stroller and load it into the pack of the Pilot. I mean after all, the Pilot can comfortably house eight. The stroller is a jogging stroller and a little heavy, but I heaved it up and hit the sides of the trunk. For the love, it wouldn't fit! Meanwhile it is so stinkin windy out there, Mack is crying in the car, and I have stroller grease or whatever on my cute shirt. I slammed down the stroller, saying a few words under my breath, when lo and behold, I see the "collapse" button. What the? How did I miss this in my thorough examination? I push the button and easy as could be the stroller collapses. Will this get any easier?

Hunk of Deliciousness

Check out this hunk of a man. Yup, I don't need Tom Sellick, I have my own moustache sporting hottie! I thought about Magnum P.I.ing him up. Big E would look FANTASTIC in a hawaiin print shirt, aviator sunglasses and super short shorts. We had a good giggle over this and it helped me pay homage to all hot men with the staches. BJ Honeycut, Tom Sellick well, the list might end there. I saw a glimpse of Magnum, but then I realized E has never looked more like his Dad.

And I'm Movin' Out (You Know the Billy Joel Song)

The Larsen Fam is moving! I am kinda bummed and sad about it, but I am SO excited to have a house. As far as all of the moving crap is going: We are trying to sell the condo ourselves. We can't move into a house until we do sell. There will possibly be some transition time at Momma J's. And we would love to stay around this area. So if you know anyone looking to move into a super sweet condo, let us know. We are going to miss all of our friends around here, but we are not going far! Here are some of the pics we took of the condo.

Crap Stupid Diaper Genie

I kinda feel like a stupid fool. So does Mr. Larsen. The stinky diapers have become way too stinky for my all too sensitive smeller and gag reflex. We finally caved into the Diaper Genie. We were pretty excited to put it to good use and went home to install the bags... to no avail. Why can't I figure this out? Is there a secret mommy trick to installing these stupid bags that I can't think of? We tied our knot, put in the can of bags, dropped in the diaper, closed the lid and twisted. Nothing, no twist, no disappearance of diaper, zilch. Please I am begging for help, and no we do not have the instructions. And what in the world is the scissor button on top for? Really if you have any idea please leave me a comment or call me. My smeller thanks you!
It has been a long time since the last blog. Sorry. This past week has been a rough one. I became SO dang sick on Monday night with the stomach flu. (Thank heavens it wasn't my amazing meatloaf that I made, I would be devastated!) I am now just starting to feel semi-human again. Holy Smokes, sicker than sick. I don't think I have EVER been that sick with the flu, water wouldn't even stay in me. Why the pity fest you ask? (This might be an overshare for some of you, but like the above problem, I am willing to take any suggestions!) Because I couldn't even keep liquid down my milk supply is about nada. Poor Mack, I am all about milking for awhile longer and hope that I can be the supple dairy maid I once was. Please share!
Other then s being sicker that a dog. Or life is great! Mr. L drove to Boise to see his beloved Aggies play, and got some Manly Man time with Papa Larsen and Brad.
Mack is doing so wonderful, he is a great kid! Above is one of our favorite pictures of him. He smiles and giggles a lot and is trying to figure out how to talk.
Master T-Dog is also doing well but has been ordered back into the kennel. Since Mack came along we have been letting him sleep in our room on a pillow. One morning I woke up to the sound of running water. Toby was marking around our bed in a perfect square. Really, it was so perfect, it seemed a little ritualistic. I halfway expected to see incense or something burning in the corners. That kind of behavior makes you earn kennel duty.
As for DWTS, I am all about Melissa. She is cute and she can dance and she is from that stupid show that I am ashamed to admit that I watch. Thank heavens Cheryl got a new haircut and yes I still want to beat up Derek!

Valentines Day

V-Day was FANTASTIC for the Larsen Fam! Eric and I both agreed that it was by far the best V-Day we have ever had. We didn't even do anything that great, but it was so much fun. We cleaned the house, (I know NOT fun, but totally necessary) and then dropped Mr. Mack off at Grandpa and Grandma's house. We went to an earlier diner, and then went to see the movie "New in Town". Great show, fantastic, funny, we both loved it. See we really didn't do anything out of the ordinary or grand but it was so great to be together and laugh. I sure do love Mr. Larsen!
Mack is doing so well! He is starting to smile, and I thankfully am not gagging nearly as much while cleaning the diapers. He still is an extremely good baby who is very laid back. It has been really nice getting back into public life and going out and being with friends. Mack is a beautiful kid and hopefully I will start being a good Mom and getting pictures up.
ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS STILL NO TOM SELLICK ON DANCING WITH THE STARS! I am perturbed and I don't think that I will be watching good ol' Dancing very much. Speaking of reality TV, aren't we shocked that Tatianna and Norman made it through on American Idol? For the Love!

Coming to Terms with 45 Minute Muffin Tops

So this girl in my ward warned me that after pregnancy my body would never be the same. I think I knew at the time she was right, but denial was my coping device. She was right. My poor body has morphed into something unrecognizable..... I have a muffin top! (For those of you who are lucky enough not to have one, or perhaps don't know, it is the extra flesh/fat that sits right above your jeans.) No matter how my weight has fluctuated or what size I have been, I always have had a delightful hour glass figure. Kiss that goodbye. I always used to say that I was an hour glass with maybe an extra 5-7 minutes extra worth of sand on the bottom. After pregnancy, I have not only graduated to the muffin top, but now the booty has a full extra 15 minutes on the bottom. Oh well, I know that it is going to be hard to get this crap off, but it must be done! AHH! So in the meantime, because it is not going to happen overnight I am trying to come to terms with it, and possibly find some "pros" in the whole situation:
1. With the extra "padding" maybe it will be easier to prop Mr. Mack up on a hip. (No not Mr. Mac the suit guy, I am NOT that big.)
2.
Well, one is about how far I have gotten but I am sure I can think of more. Here is to hoping!

February.... Already?

Oh wow, today is one of those days. It is two o'clock and here I sit in my bathrobe with a house to be cleaned, laundry to be folded and dinner to be made. I just can't get the umph to get going. However, I am showered with the hair and makeup done. Poor Eric will come home to Mack and I in our jammies and Chicken Voila for dinner.
Where did January go, and why am I such a blogging slacker? So here it goes, a mini summary of January.
Mack is doing extremely well. He is darling and so good! We feel incredibly lucky to have him. He is eating well and gaining weight. His little cheeks are getting chubby. He has just discovered his voice. When he starts crying and then gets mad, his volume triples he scares himself silly.
I feel like a dairy cow. I milk a lot and he isn't the fastest eater, he is improving though. Other than nursing all of the time, I feel great!
Eric and I celebrated our two week anniversary on January 27. It was fantastic, we dropped Mack of at my parents and went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner (I know, not the most romantic, but fun and yummy). We then rented a movie (P.S. I Love You) and watched it in bed. It was fun to be out together and it was fun to pick up Mack and Toby at Grandma and Grandpas!
In GREAT, EXCITING, and WONDERFUL news, my sister-in-law Suzy is pregnant! It was a shocker to all of us, and oh so exciting! With Joni (Larsen sis-in-law) having Jake almost exactly a year before Mack, and Lisa (Larsen sis-in-law) due in May, and then Suzy, Mack will have so many cousins his age to play with!
I cut my hair. I know what you are thinking, she caved into the mom-low-maintenance thing. This is NOT true, truthfully and honestly I looked frumpy... really frumpy. It was a ponytail everyday. I needed a change. So I cut five inches off, and got an A-line. I like it a lot. It is easier, especially because it doesn't take a stinkin' half an hour to blow dry! I also decided to go to the MAC counter, get some new colors and shape my eyebrows. My wardrobe is still limited, both Mack and I are between sizes.
With the start of January, comes some of my favorite entertainment. One of them being a stupid reality show on Mondays that I am ashamed to even admit that I watch. Last week I was watching and actually caught myself rolling my eyes. But I can't stop. I am hooked and pathetic. To make matters worse, I missed last night so after I post this dear blog, I will sit here in my robe and watch it online. Once again hooked and pathetic!

Two Week Pictures

Mack had his two week pictures taken and they turned out pretty well. Of course when you have such a darling baby, how could they not?

Garlic Burgers and Rock Band

I decided it might not hurt if I (this is Eric) actually jumped on here and jotted something down. Periodically Annie reminds me that it is "our" blog and I'm more than welcome to contribute. So I decided to let you all in on a little secret. Garlic burgers and a guy who burps a bit too often can make for a bad combination. Allow me to elaborate:

We went out to dinner Saturday night with Annie's aunt and uncle to a place called Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta - having been there all of one time now I can say that it's excellent. Incidentally it was the first time Mack has been out to dinner with us and he was great. Not much for conversation, didn't show much interest in anything on the menu, and he seemed a bit comatose at times; but all-in-all we were glad he came along. Anywho, I had the Garlic Burger with Monteray (sp?) Jack cheese and 'shrooms. WOW. Possibly the best burger I've ever had. Although I've heard good stuff about the burgers at the Cotton Bottom, but that's another story for another time (Chris and Annie, if you're reading this I hope you're once again in tears with laughter at the thought of me and my wife trying that place out).

The side note is it was also also quite possibly the worst breathe I've ever had. And apparently it wasn't appreciated when I grabbed a soda later that night to help stay awake - something about carbination and the worry about me burping up a storm and spreading garlicly joy to the entire neighborhood. Ah well. We also played some mean rounds of Rock Band. I'm hooked. Did I mention I scored 100% a couple of times? That's right. If my career in International Tax doesn't work out I can always fall back on video game kareoke contests.

Long story short, I absolutely love my wife and son, and work is pretty fun too. We're doing well and I hope the same can be said of you (who reads this thing anyway?).

Save a tree, eat a beaver
-Eric

It's Go Time

Okay so for those of you that gag easily or don't like reading human gross stuff.... please do not read!
So this was the funny story at the Larsen's this week. I am not sure if it really is that funny or if we have cabin fever waiting for RSV season to pass.
Those of you who know me well, or really know me at all, know that I have a hyper gag reflex, and gross things just gross me out. (Basically any bodily function). Last week I was sitting on the couch holding Mack, realizing once again how beautiful he is when I noticed a little booger (We call them boogs, so from here on out, it is boogs) hanging out of the nose. I tool a deep breath and realized this was "go time". It was time to be a Mom. Bite the Bullet and join the Mommyhood. I could handle this, besides I fully know that things are going to get a lot more disgusting. So I attempted to pick. Multiple gags later and the boog waiting to be picked up after I launched it off of my finger, I called Eric in to pick it up. He looked at me VERY oddly and picked it up. Later that night he tells me that he has never met anyone like me. This was not the "you are so great and wonderful and I have never met anyone like you", but a more disturbed version. I asked why and here was his reply, "I have never met anyone like you. You can't even pick your OWN nose and clean it up!". He thought it was mine and actually cleaned it up! This my friends is what love is.

Pictures of the Cutest Baby Ever

Introducing Merrick Warren Larsen

What a big name for such a little boy! Mack was born December 27 at 2:54 p.m.. He is such a sweet and mellow baby, and he is of course beautiful. We feel incredibly blessed that we were at the right place at the right time. That day was a Saturday and I had an appointment for the bi-weekly ultrasound and baby heartbeat screening. We were not scheduled to go into the Doctor until the next Monday and with Christmas that week we had to on Saturday. They started monitoring his little heartbeat and noticed every time I contracted his heartbeat would drop. The nurse looked at us and said that it was quite possibly baby day. Of course, that morning I thought there was no way that baby day was that day. But luckily Eric had the foresight to bring the hospital bag.
We moved into a Labor and Delivery Room where they hooked up the monitor again, and they couldn't find Mack's heartbeat. Before we knew it we heard a Code Blue over the intercom and the room was flooded with doctors and nurses. I was so frightened and worried for Mack and it was all so overwhelming. I was whisked off to the OR for an emergency C-section and Eric was left in the room (they weren't sure if they had time to give me a spinal epidural or if they would have to use a general). Thank heavens there was a little time for the epidural and Eric was able to come back to be with us. The whole C-section thing was very surreal, but Mack came out screaming, and it was such a relief to hear that sweet cry!
It turns out that I had low amniotic fluid and that caused the umbilical cord to wrap around his neck twice, and every time I would contract the cord would wrap tighter. The only thing that saved him was the fact that his head was up against my pelvis on one side preventing him from moving down. It was the scariest day of our lives, and we were told that he would had not made it to Monday for the Doctor appointment.
He is the sweetest baby and he is so quiet and mellow. In fact a couple of days of having him home we were a little worried about him being so chill all of the time. As to who he looks like, we have no idea. We have really enjoyed the time off work that Eric has taken. My mom has been helping me out a ton, and it was so nice to have Grandma and Grandpa Larsen drive down to meet him. We are so thankful that he made it here and that he is a part of our family, and we definitely know that we were blessed that day.