Larson Family

Spilling the beans.

2012-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

Baby number two is in the oven!

Rowan will finally be a big brother right before he turns four!

Jonathan and I finally both felt ready to take the plunge to expand upon our family. If you would like to read more about the pregnancy, go here, as that's where I have been keeping track of things for the past couple months while this news has been under wraps!

Random Rowan

2012-01-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

The main reason I took this picture was to document that Rowan actually wore the Buzz slippers I bought him last year for Valentine's Day. They're a little snug now, but hey, at least he finally wanted to wear them. Good thing they were super cheap.

Rowan can finally almost reach the pedals on his Buzz tricycle that he got for his 2nd birthday. I am thinking 2012 will finally be the summer he can actually ride it without being pushed!

Rowan working on one of his train puzzles. He's pretty amazing at puzzles.

Yes, I know, his hair is shaggy. Yes, we tried to get him a haircut. I convinced Jon to take him this time, as I am generally the one to do it and it always goes awful. I was hoping he'd be better for dad. Not so much. Jon left with Rowan shortly before I was heading out for mutual, and he was back before I had even left. He said as soon as they got there Rowan was running laps around the place screaming. Assuming it would only get worse from there, he grabbed Rowan and left. What are we to do? This problem seems to be getting worse, not better. Of course there is the option of shaving off all his hair making the duration between haircuts even longer, but I can't bare to cut his hair off. I love it too much.

On another note Rowan has been having some rough days at preschool. The teacher who spoke to me thinks it might be because his class is getting larger. If he continues to have issues they will take him to a smaller class across the hall temporarily until he calms down, but only if he causing such a fuss that it is disturbing the other kids and the teachers ability to carry on with the lesson/activities. Overall though he has been doing really well in school and reaching the goals that were set for him when he started. One day at a time!

We definitely have our good days and bad days with Rowan still, but things have dramatically gotten better from how they were a year ago at this time. Then it was like all day every day. Now it's here and there with a much shorter duration of meltdown time. Course it is still hard when it does happen, but we're super grateful for the progress he's made and continues to make each day. He's even willing to go into sharing time now at church. He still insists on going to nursery for most of the time, but he'll go and sit with the Sunbeams for singing time. Hey, you take what you can get, right?

My little artist.

2012-01-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

My artist giving me the stink eye for disturbing him in his studio.

Look at the smiley face he made. All by himself I might add. Genius.

Rowan got an art easel from grandma and grandpa Larson for Christmas. He's been quite the fan of it. For the most part he's been good about coloring on the paper or dry erase board, but occasionally he takes the art to the walls. Luckily it wipes right off, but we still stress to Rowan that it is a no no.

Rowan was a complete angel today. Seriously, I have never had a day like this with him ever. He was just so content and happy today. He did what he was told. Basically put himself to bed. He came upstairs, gathered his books, puzzles, and I said, "I go to bed." SAY WHAT!? Course I didn't question him I was just like, "Ok, let's go change your diaper and get your pj's on." Upstairs we went and that is where he stayed. We sang songs as a family and had our family prayer. By the way, he loves to sing. Every night before bed we sing, and while all the words aren't there, he has the tunes down. He's a sweetheart. I love this little kid of mine. He melts my heart when he sings I am a Child of God. Oh! And, he's been sleeping in his bed! He's slept in it two nights now, and has even been napping in it. I don't know what has come over him.

Anyways, that is all. Just a happy mommy.

Christmas 2012.

2011-12-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

As soon as Rowan woke up and saw the presents he wanted to open them, but he was a good boy and waited until daddy was out of bed and ready to join us.

Then right before we were actually ready to begin opening gifts he posed nicely on the stairs for me so I could get a picture of him in his new pj's. He picked them out this year.

After he opened a gift he would want to play with it. We had to coax him into coming back and opening more. A couple of the first things he opened were cheap puzzles from the $1 store, and he quite enjoyed them! Doesn't take much to please this kid.

He likes to play catch, so we thought he might like one of those over the door hoops. He likes it, but unfortunately they're so high up that he really only likes to play with it when we are there and willing to pick him up so he can make a basket.

For breakfast I made monkey bread, and he nibbled on that while dad got his hoop ready.

I was trying to take a picture of daddy, but Rowan decided to do this instead.

It took me forever to convince him to open his stocking. He finally did once he realized there was candy in it.

Rowan has also been into our games lately. We didn't want him losing all the pieces to our games, so we bought him one of his own.

Me and my baby. Don't mind me in my ugly morning glory.

Grandpa Norton made him a catapult. Him and daddy had fun testing it out.

My dad sent us a nice handyman light, and BSU glasses.

The aftermath.

There were more gifts, but Jon and I really didn't take too many pictures of us. It's too fun to capture the joy of a three year old. Apparently everyone knows what I love, cause I got lots of kitchen stuff. I can't wait to use all my new gadgets and gizmos. Jon got a lot of things he needed, but never wanted to spend the money on himself. Things like church shoes, a nice winter coat, and pants. Rowan got a lot of fun things including an art easel. He's been playing with his remote control car from China a lot too. We got a super warm and comfy blanket which I have utilized a lot already. It was a wonderful Christmas. We got spoiled by our wonderful families and had a really nice three day weekend together. Can't believe another Christmas has come and gone. Time seems to be flying by!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

OK, so apparently I only post on this blog when a holiday comes around! I swear, I'll be better about posting here regularly once 2011 is over and I am done with my "picture a day" blog. For now, here are some Christmas posts!

Every Christmas Eve we get together with Jon's family and do three things without fail. Have soup in bread bowls for dinner, play find the blanched almond in the Danish pudding, and perform the story of the birth of Christ. It's all fun, and I really look forward to it every year. It was great being able to celebrate Christmas with Craig and Carol again. Since Erica and her family weren't going to be around for long on Christmas day, we had the cousins and couple's exchange their gifts on Christmas Eve. Here is a picture of all the cousins before they opened their gifts. Like Rowan's expression?

Rowan had Kate. We got her a cute pink dress with ruffles, and made her a stuffed toy. She seemed to like both, so hey, success! For a couple we had Aaron and Erica. Aaron needed long sleeved casual shirts, so we got him three, one of which is exactly like one Wade has. Jon also liked it, and it was on sale, so he got one too! Erica wanted a cupcake holder and/or chunky jewelry. We made that happen.

Bryce had Rowan. Rowan got some fun puzzle books from him.

Megan and Patrick had me and Jon. I had my eye a donut pan after seeing these. Megan got me two! A normal size one, and a mini one. Now I need to find or make a reason to use them! Pretty sure one of us will be having a donuts for dessert at our birthday party in 2012.

Jon has to wear polos to work, so Megan got him two nice ones. Hopefully Jon has enough now for every day of the week, and wont bug me about doing laundry more often!

After gifts we had dinner. Always yummy and very filling.

Then we moved on to the nativity. Here is Megan and Jon dressed up as shepherds.

Here is Julie, me, and Erica as the angels. Julie is from China (duh) and gave Craig and Carol Chinese lessons while they were there. She's a new convert to the church, and will be attending BYU Hawaii. She came early to spend some time with Craig and Carol, and spend the holidays with us. She is a really sweet girl. We enjoyed having her around for the festivities. Her English is great!

Me and Jon.

Group shot of us all in our attire. Grandma was our audience.

Carol's butterball of a tree on the left, and ours on the right. We got all the gifts wrapped and put under the tree after we got home on Christmas Eve- and of course after Rowan had gone to bed.

Grandma got the almond in the Danish pudding this year. Normally you try to hide it so people will keep eating pudding, but grandma announced that she had the almond. It was pretty funny.

It had been a long day, and Rowan fell asleep in the car on the way home. He wasn't in the best of moods opening his Christmas Eve pj's. He even refused to wear his top. Oh well, I got it on him the next morning before we started unwrapping gifts.

He was over tired and very grumpy. Getting him back to sleep was a pain, but he eventually passed out, making it possible for Santa to come.

Happy Birthday America.

2011-07-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Jon ended up taking the fourth off, which I was very happy about. We were able to spend the whole day together as a family doing a variety of fun things. Of course we started the day off by hitting up the Layton city parade decked out in our red, white, and blue. Jon's shirt is technically a Christmas shirt, but it was red so who cares. I got Rowan a cheap tank top at Target that said "Little Fire Cracker."

Rowan had a good time clapping, yelling, dancing, and waving his little flag around. He was excited about the candy until he tried it. Taffy doesn't do it for him apparently. We kept collecting it as they threw it out non the less because Jon and I will gladly eat it.

After the parade ended we ate some lunch and then headed over to Uncle Aaron and Aunt Erica's house for some fun in the sun. It wasn't really sunny, but hey, the kids still had fun! Once it started to sprinkle we headed inside for leftover cake. Then nap time came so we loaded up and headed home.

Rowan couldn't keep his eyes open for the short car ride home, and went down easy-peasy once inside. I took a nap too, and since Jon isn't much of a napper he worked on the computer.

Since watching the fire works show is so easy near Jon's parent's house we headed there in the evening. We didn't feel like fighting crowds, finding a parking spot, and taking an hour to get out of parking lot at 11pm, so we were all for driving out of our way to see them. We played a game and then made a mad dash for the car when we realized that the show had started. (Jon thought it started at ten, but after hearing some booms and bangs we quickly realized he was wrong.) We caught the last ten minutes or so.

It was fun, and Rowan seemed to enjoy the fireworks much more this year. He is now saying, "sky" and "awesome" thanks to the fourth and the few days leading up to it. (Awesome sounds more like "awe-suh.")

He'll sleep anywhere...

2011-06-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

except for in HIS bed.

on the floor next to mom and dad's bed...

on the stairs...

half on the stairs and half in the hallway...

mom and dad's bed again...

NAKED in mom and dad's bed...

on the couch...

in the hallway...

and NEXT to his bed, but never IN his bed.

He eventually makes it into his bed, but it is after he's fallen asleep elsewhere, and mom or dad then carry him to his bed.

How NOT to eat a sucker.

2011-06-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Front shot.

Back shot.

Looks can be deceiving.

Half a decade as man and wife!

2011-06-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Our 5th wedding anniversary was Friday the third, and it worked out nicely cause it was also Jon's day off. I went for a run in the morning since I knew I was going to be eating lots later in the day. Around noon we headed to Salt Lake as a family. We didn't have big plans, I just didn't want to spend the day at home. I had been wanting to get pictures of all of the places where Jon and I lived while we were working and going to school in Salt Lake for a scrapbook, so that was the extent of our plans. Whenever I am in the heart of downtown SLC it makes me miss living there, and I think, if we are to stay in Utah, that is where I would like to end up. After getting all the pictures of our old apartments (post on that later) we parked the car and hit the streets. We both had to pee, so our first stop was the library, where we peed and then took this picture inside the elevator.

As we were headed down from the Avenues I saw a little thrift shop and this bakery. After browsing the thrift shop, we went and got a big chocolate chip cookie to share. Rowan ended up getting 99% of it. That is OK, it kept him happy in his stroller.

They had some really yummy looking desserts, and if we ever go back without Rowan I will definitely be trying something other than a chocolate chip cookie!

Later in the day we dropped Rowan off at Aunt Erica's house (thanks!) and headed to dinner.

We're kind of boring in the sense that when we go out to dinner (for special occasions) we almost always go for Thai or Indian. Today we went for Indian, and it didn't disappoint.

The chicken Tikka masala and coconut chicken were oh so yummy, and naan just might be the reason I love Indian food so much.

We didn't come home with leftovers. We totally went hog wild on that food.

I kind of wanted to go to a movie since it has been a year since I have been to an adult movie alone with Jon (I saw Tangled on Christmas day with Jon, Rowan, and my mom and Megamind with Jon and Rowan at some point after that-oh! I did go see Country Strong with my mil and sil's when it came out...), but Jon didn't want to see any of the movies that were out, and that is how we ended up at Lowe's. Romantic, I know. Jon got some toilet parts for his man cave toilet. I do what I always do when I am at Home Depot or Lowe's, daydreamed in the model kitchens. I can't wait til the day when we can give our kitchen a face lift. I also browsed the lights, again, dreaming of the day I can replace all the ugly gold light fixtures in our house.

We ended the night by getting dessert, of course. Jon ordered the large, and it was quite large, so I grunted when he got it, and then he gave me the piggy pose.

We had a good time, and let's be honest, time away as a couple without kids is pretty much great even if you are watching paint dry, but getting back to our little dude was nice too. We're grateful to have Jon's sister close by when we need a sitter, cause he loves going to her house, and does really well there.

A visit from my mommy.

2011-04-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I was missing my mom and wishing I could go home and see her. Lucky for me she was going to be coming down to SLC with some of the young women in her ward, since she is the YW president. After attending the YW conference with them, she came and stayed with us for a few days. I had so much fun and thoroughly enjoyed her company.

Of course we did some sewing. She helped me finish quilts, and since she enjoyed sewing by hand, I gladly let her do the binding and embroidery work. She's so talented, and I love learning from her. (If only I could remember it all!)

Her friend Tammy lives in our neighborhood. Tammy was a bridesmaid at my mom's wedding to my dad. They also attended beauty school together, and were roommates during that time. Kind of crazy when they realized a few months ago how close we lives by one another! They hadn't seen one another in years, and back in December when she was here for Christmas they reunited. Tammy came over and visited a couple of the nights my mom was here. I was happy to have an extra person around to help us eat the desserts we had made!

Trying to get a group shot with Rowan- could have been worse!

For Rowan not wanting to be in the picture (imagine that) I think it turned out really cute!

We sure had a good time. We ate lots of yummy food, watched a couple shows, one was a documentary called Paper Clips, you can watch it instantly on Netflix. (I recommend it) Mostly we just enjoyed each others company and conversation. Already looking forward to the next time we can get together.

Baby blanket auction for Japan!

2011-03-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not check my other blogs......

I am auctioning off some baby quilts over at my hobby blog. ALL proceeds will be donated to help the people in Japan. If you are interested in helping and want to place a bid on a blanket, go HERE to check it out!

***UPDATE: $275 has been raised so far! I am so excited! You have until the 31st to bid on a blanket!

Haircuts for the boys.

2011-03-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Jon was in desperate need of a haircut, especially now that he'll be teaching classes at work. You know, he needs to look presentable. People might have had a hard time taking him seriously with bed head, so he chopped off his luscious locks. Since we were all together we decided to get Rowan's haircut as well. You can read more about the fun experience at my 365 blog here.

The BEFORE and AFTERS.
Pardon the oddly spaced photos. I am too lazy to fix.

Some Random Rowan.

2011-02-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

I have been looking at ALL of our pictures lately. Trying to get them all organized so I can FINALLY start making family albums. Needless to say, I am very overwhelmed. However, I have loved looking back, and seeing how we've changed. Of course my favorite albums are the ones that contain pictures of Rowan. I can't believe how he has changed. What has been fun is stumbling upon pictures I have never seen of him before. That is what happens when mommy and daddy are both taking pictures I guess. Some I had seen, but only unedited, so stumbling across some last night that Jon had worked some magic on in Photoshop was fun. Just thought I would share a few of my favorites with you.

The one on the left we named "the Trump picture." Going by the one on the right it looks like we have another drummer on our hands. He has the look and everything! Looks like he is ready to rock!

Love this kid. He'll be 2 1/2 next month. TWO & A HALF people! Crazy. And just something for my records- ALL liquid drinks are referred to as "milk" right now- although it sounds a little more like "Mehlk."

Preschool.

2011-01-31T18:08:00.000-08:00

We haven't done preschool in a long time. With Valentine's Day around the corner I thought it would be fun if we made Valentine's Bags for the boys. You know, like you did in elementary school. Anyways, we'll probably get together later in the month to make some Valentines to put in the bags. I also thought it would be fun for me and Jon to make one each too, that way we can write each other love notes throughout the month and put them in the bag. Fun huh? Good in theory. Will it actually happen? Possibly. I mean, the bags might get made, I'm telling Jon it's for FHE, but whether or not Jon will actually remember to write me love notes, that is where it'll get hairy. I'll remember to do it for him, but Jon is a bit on the flighty side, so, we'll see.

A new year.

2011-01-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

Another new year has begun, and once again I have no idea what this year has in store for me and my family. In someways it is exciting, and in other way it's kind of stressful because it can kind of go one of two ways. It can either turnout to be a great year with lots of highs and good fortune, or it could be another stressful year with lots of worry and anxiety filled days. Clearly the latter seems to be more normal for us. I certainly am going into 2011 hoping for the best and praying that things go well for Jon and his career. Regardless of what this year brings, I will continue to try my best to have faith that things are going to be OK no matter what. If we've learned anything from the 4 1/2 years we've been married it's that we somehow we always manage to survive and get by. At the moment I am pretty stressed and having mini anxiety attacks. Hopefully a good heartfelt prayer and paying tithing Sunday will set me straight and lift my spirits again.

I am not going to make a list of resolutions this year. They generally only leave room for disappointment in my opinion. However, in general I just wish for more happiness in 2011 for me and my boys. I hope we can find ways in 2011 to be happier as a family and with ourselves as individuals. I think if we can manage to do that in the midst of stress and worry we'll do OK, and 2011 will be a good year regardless of what may or may not happen.

THE Christmas post.

2010-12-29T21:39:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas, and I am so happy my mom was able to spend it with us. She flew in on Thursday the 23rd and left Monday the 27th. Of course it went by too quickly, but we had lots of fun and stayed busy.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without lots of yummy food. Christmas morning we had pancakes, eggs, and bacon. For dinner it was ham, twice baked potatoes, and broccoli salad. And plenty of junk in between! My mom made us the cute pillow with the manger scene hand stitched on it. Love it.

She also made us marshmallow guns. The family that plays together, stays together! I made mom a calendar. I also got her the book The Hunger Games, but found out she had already purchased it for herself, so I took it back and got her These is My Words.

Rowan got a firetruck and a track with battery operated cars. He's been having a lot of fun with both. He's all boy. Trucks, trains, cars- anything with wheels and he is in heaven.

Christmas Eve we headed into SLC after Jon got off work. We ate at Buca Di Beppo and then went and saw lights at temple square. It was really cold, so we didn't stay too long, but I am glad we went. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas if we missed seeing the lights.

After getting home from seeing the lights we opened our Christmas Eve pj's. Rowan actually opened all the packages. Good practice for the Christmas day! We gave Rowan pj's last year, but this year I thought it would be fun for all of us to get some. I think we'll continue to do it. Pj's is something I never buy for myself or Jon, so getting a new pair once a year sounds good to me! A side note, I think the last new pair of pj's I got before this was on Valentine's Day the first year Jon and I were married. He got me a cute flannel set with lips on them.

I am always sad when Christmas is over, but I know another year will pass in no time and Christmas will be here again, and I will find myself saying, "I can't believe it is almost Christmas!" Jon's parents will be around for Christmas 2011, so that will be nice. (They've been in China the past two) Of course I look forward to the next time my mom and I get to spend a holiday together. Hopefully another 5 years don't pass before we make it happen again! (I love you mom! Thanks so much for making it such a special Christmas!)

From our family to yours...

2010-12-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We hope all our friends and family had a wonderful Christmas. We had an extra nice one since my mom was able to come and spend it with us . Now let's get ready to ring in 2011!

a new blog project.

2010-12-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my sister-in-law, who has been doing a picture a day blog this year, I have a new blog - at least for the next year, and what is left of this one. I love the idea of taking a picture a day to capture real everyday life. I am still debating on what to do with this blog, cause between the 365 blog and my craft/hobby blog I don't imagine I'll be posting here much. So, for those of you who still like reading blogs and checking in, plan on finding me HERE and HERE for the next little while.

**There is a chance my 365 blog will go private because my son has been running around naked a lot as of late, and it's generally too cute and amusing not to get a picture of, so, if you want to be invited to read it, make sure I have your email address.**

A really lovely day.

2010-11-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

We played in leaves.

Posed for pictures.

Found leaves as big as our heads.

And just had a grand ol' time laughing, smiling, and playing as a family.

Jon had to go to SLC this morning to give a guy a camera, so Rowan and I tagged along. It was Jon's day off so we decided we needed to get out and do something. We had a really great park all to ourselves- the perks of going on a day that is threatening to rain. We all had fun playing on the equipment. We left the park just before it really started to rain- good timing! After naps (yes, I took one too) we grabbed a pizza and cozied up in the couch. Of course the day would not have been complete without some ice-cream. All in all a really great day with my boys.

Preschool: white.

2010-11-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

I have been a slacker in posting pictures, but here are some cute ones from today. Today at preschool we covered the color white. For our craft we made snowmen...on paper. They turned out really great. Let the Christmas decorating begin! We have been having a lot of fun with our preschool group. We say it's for the kids, but us moms have a pretty great time! Thanks for a fun morning girls.

Finally, a new carseat!

2010-10-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Riding in style!

We've been meaning to get Rowan an newer carseat for a while. When we left Arizona his parents loaned us the carseat they had, but since they only used it once and while when they had to babysit grandkids they didn't get a high quality one. It was very basic, but hey, it was free so we gladly used it. Daddy must have decided it was time to upgrade cause he and Rowan went to Sam's Club today while I was at the gym and bought Rowan's sweet new chair. (It helped that it was on sale!) Rowan will be more comfy now, and Jon and I will rest a little easier knowing he's in safer carseat!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Rowan has been sick all week, with the last two days being the worst. We had a pretty low key Halloween. I was just happy to get a few pictures of him in his costume!

My little unenthused monster.

Visiting daddy at work. The mall was PACKED!

Rowan's true feelings about his costume...

Jon had to work the closing shift at work, so after Rowan got up from his nap we went to see daddy at work. We needed to bring him some dinner, and I was hoping Rowan would let daddy see him in his costume. Rowan was a good boy and cooperated long enough for some pictures and a couple stops at various stores for candy. Holy cow. I have never been trick or treating at the mall, so I don't know if it is always that packed, but wow. EVERYONE WAS THERE. Probably had something to do with the fact that it was raining out, but still, it was like being at a theme park. Since I knew not many people would be coming by our house with the rain and all, I gave all our candy to Jon so they could hand it out. I need the candy out of my house so I'll stop eating it! Rowan has eaten a little candy here and there, but I am glad he doesn't have a ton of it! I am sure that will change the older he gets! Hope you all had a fun, safe, and rain-free Halloween!

You're my favorite deputy!

2010-10-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

Woody's new sidekick.

Howdy! Howdy! Howdy! Rowan! Rowan! Rowan!

I got Rowan this bath towel for super cheap at Walmart. I had intended to give it to him for his birthday, but he got so many other things that I never did. In comparison to all the other things he got this would have been like unwrapping socks or something. So we busted it out last night after his bath. He kept trying to take the hat off until he saw himself in the mirror, he was a little intrigued after that.

PC 2010.

2010-10-17T18:27:00.001-07:00

The Boise girls. Katie, me, Kristi, Jenny, and Annika.

(We missed you Jennifer! Next year, right?)

My beautiful friends outside the hotel.

Breakfast Saturday morning at Einstein Bagels.

Morning beauties. Jenny, Katie, Annika, and Kristi.

The surprise of Jenny's life. A proposal from her awesome dude, Matthew.

Well, I should say she knew it was coming, but she had no idea it was coming that night with all of us there to witness it!

At the Red Banjo Pizza Parlour.

Food. Friends. Laughter. Doesn't get much better than that!

PC 2010 was fun. Friday night once everyone got there we got ready and headed out to dinner in downtown PC. We ended up at the Red Banjo Pizza Parlour. Little did Jenny know that when we got back to the hotel that there was a big surprise in store for her. All week we had been in cahoots with her boyfriend, and Friday night he was going to propose to her! Jenny new it was coming, but not that night! When we got back to the hotel Jenny found a card and flowers in the room. The card said, "Dear Kelly, I can't wait to be with you again. I will love you forever. Love Tim." OK, so since we were all in on it, we were like, "This isn't ours. It's a mistake. Call the front desk." So Jenny did. They told her they would send the manager. During this time I snuck out of my room-with my video camera- to go and get some ice. At least that is what I said I was doing! Hee hee. Matthew met me in the hallway. He was so nervous! He got down on his knee, knocked, and Jenny answered the door with the flowers and card in hand expecting the hotel manager. Ha ha. I got the whole thing on camera! Oh, and Jenny said yes, of course! They're such a cute couple. I love the height difference. Matthew is like 6'6" and Jenny is like 5'2" maybe. Jenny, how tall are you? We're excited for them. December 29th is the big day. OK, so we let Jenny and Matthew have some time together, but when she returned we got started on pampering. Foot scrubs, facials, pedicures, manicures, massages- the whole nine yards! Of course there was tons of talking. All this kept us up til 3 am. And Jenny was so excited to be engaged that we were all up by like 8:30 am! Yes, I was a little tired by the time Sunday afternoon rolled around. (We spoke in church Sunday, so once I got home Saturday I had to finish up my talk. That kept me up til about 1:30 am. I was back up at 7 am to finish it up, and church was at 9!) Saturday we headed to the outlets and did some shopping. Not a ton because Jenny had a wedding dress appointment in Bountiful at 3 and we didn't even leave our hotel til 11 am. It was a short shopping excursion. Good thing too, cause I didn't have much money to shop! We were all able to help Jenny pick out and try on dresses. So fun. During this time Jenny's fiance was sweet enough to go to my house and sit there while Rowan napped so I could be with the girls longer. (Jon had to be to work by 2) I head home around 4 cause I didn't want Rowan waking up to a complete stranger. That would not have been fun-for either of them! It was so great to get away for a day and night! It was my first night away from Rowan EVER! Jon did a good job. I didn't get one call from him asking questions or anything! Thanks for making it work so I could go Jon! I had a blast. I can't wait for our next girl's weekend in 2011!

A trip to the nursery.

2010-10-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

The nursery is having a big ol' sale, which serves us great because we have quite an ugly yard. We're taking advantage of the cheaper prices while we can. We got two trees for our backyard, and some shrubs and stuff for our front flower bed. Just like the house, the yard is slowly looking better.

Can you spy Rowan in the trees?

Of course Rowan found the Pepsi machine.

The nursery is the one place we can go shopping with Rowan that he doesn't hate.

Nothing like a 1st birthday.

2010-10-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy showing that cake who's boss.

Rowan's friend, Oliver, turns 1 tomorrow. We were able to go party with him tonight.

More proof that Rowan hates getting his hands dirty. He's been pulling this move since his own first birthday.

Daddy with his friend Mike. My cute boy looking innocent and angelic.

The yummy cupcakes I did not get to partake in. I at least had to get a picture of them!

Rowan is saying, "Oooooooo," as he admired all the gifts. It was pretty much torture for him. He eventually got to play with some when the birthday boy was done unwrapping them. Man, kids make out like little bandits on birthdays, but especially first birthdays! We had a lot of fun helping the little guy celebrate.

The birthday weekend.

2010-09-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

My mom drove down from Idaho to spend the birthday weekend with her birthday buddy. Here is my mom with her birthday gift and her very happy grandson giving his new Buzz a ride on the Buzz 3 wheeler.

Grandma Verne and I did good when we picked out this big Buzz for Rowan. As you can see from the pictures, he.loved.it.

Saturday my mom and I were able to go to the woman's conference at the Conference Center. Jon babysat, and all was going well until Jon decided to finish painting the bathroom. Rowan decided to help. We got most of it out of the grout and carpet. In our rush to get home to rescue Jon I got pulled over. What? I had to run the yellow light so I could get to the gas station faster. I was out of gas people! Lucky for me I got away with a warning and citation. The warning was for some silly light that was out, and the citation was for still having an Arizona driver's license. Come on, it's only been a year.

Despite the hiccups, it was a great weekend. I wish my mom lived in Utah. Thanks mom!

The looong birthday post.

2010-09-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

My birthday boy

I wanted to do something special with my birthday boy in the afternoon so I took him to Cutsie Cakes in Layton and got him a big ol' cupcake. Plus, I really wanted to try one of those fancy shmancy cupcakes that are the buzz right now.

Rowan enjoyed some frosting and called it good. I ate the rest of his and gave that yummy chocolate peanut butter one to the handyman. Kind of me, I know.

It was good, but very sweet.

I loved the dress-up pictures from last year's party so much that I did it again this year.

Of course Rowan refused to wear any dress-up clothes, or look at the camera for that matter.

The crazy party guests who were willing to play along!

Again, no fancy shmancy homemade cake. I stink! I took the easy route again with cupcakes and store bought frosting. The sprinkles came with the frosting. Sweet.

Rowan got spoiled. He got lots of Toy Story toys- including a 3 wheeler and a big Buzz, books, trains, cars, and well, I think that about covers it. Needless to say, he is in heaven. Thank you all for making my little guy's second birthday so great.

Look who's two!

2010-09-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Or, tu.

Rowan in his birthday shirt. Jon had an opinion about his wardrobe this year. Daddy came up with the design for this year's shirt. And no, it means absolutely nothing.

My little boy turned two today. He got completely spoiled by family and friends. Really spoiled. This kid made out like a bandit. He also ate way too much sugar, and stayed up way too late. This kid knows how to party like a rockstar. Pictures of the day to come. I first have to go through all one million and make some serious cuts to what is already is going to be a very long birthday post.

Preschool

2010-09-20T20:45:00.001-07:00

Our preschool group! Today we talked about, read about, and ate the color green!

Hence, all the green attire!

We ate green smoothies! Mmmm. Pretty sure everyone loved them, just look at those green smoothie mustaches!

Rowan didn't really want to listen during story-time. He chose to wander and play with toys. He also didn't make a complete mess with his green shaving cream. He got some on his hands and immediately tried to wipe it off, and then he was done with that activity.

But Brendan and Keith did a great job of making a mess!

And of course Rowan didn't want to eat a green popsicle. So again, he wandered and played while the other boys sat nicely on the blanket and chowed down.

I had to get a group shot of the boys, and there adorable messy faces. Rowan was kind enough to oblige me.

A couple girls in my ward decided to start a little preschool group since they have a couple boys who refuse to admit that they know their colors. We get together every Monday morning to cover a color. Last week was orange, today was green. We play a little, read a little, eat a little, and just have a good time! Of course we try to incorporate that weeks color where we can. The kids love it and have been having a great time. Rowan is loving all the time outside, and he is also enjoying playing with the other boy's toys. And the mommies are enjoying some adult interaction! It's been a lot of fun, and Rowan and I look forward to it every week.

Labor Day bbq

2010-09-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

Jon's parents leave for round 2 of China on Thursday, so we had a bbq today at his older sister's house as a final organized get-together before they take off for another 9 months.

Is Rowan squealing with delight? Only the people who were there know, or those of you who really know my son.

Group shot. Minus my husband, of course, he never manages or remembers to get days off, and Megan's husband. Perhaps we can photoshop their heads in.

The great grand parents and the cousins. Rowan was looking at me - I was clapping and jumping up and down like an idiot in an attempt just to get him to stay put and smile. It worked, unfortunately he is looking at me, and not the camera. Oh well. I tried.

Making do.

2010-09-04T08:59:00.001-07:00

The carpet guy was suppose to finish installing our carpet yesterday. He never even showed up yesterday. Let's hope he gets the job done today, because carpet or not, we're moving in tonight and sleeping there. I am a bit annoyed because I was hoping to unpack a bit today and get somewhat organized, but instead I am now having to entertain my son in an almost empty apartment. (The computer is still up and running-it's always the last thing to go.) Jon is working all day at both jobs - he was gone by 7am. It's already been a long morning since Rowan woke up at 7:16 am. Lucky for me that means he will take an earlier nap. (Which came soon after he smacked me on the head with a toy.) Here are some blurry lovely photos of our morning. Trying to entertain a kid with the stragglers that have not been moved to the house yet. We'll try to spend the rest of the day out of the house after he gets up.

Updates.

2010-09-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

ROWAN:

-says, "two." totally skips one and three. maybe cause it is similar to "shoes," which is another word he says.

-enjoys emptying the contents of the fridge and bringing them to me, or spreading them out in the living r oom.

-will get the milk carton out of the fridge (which is sometimes new and full to the brim - he's strong!) and brings it to me or daddy along with his sippy cup. the kid knows what he wants!

-is going downstairs like a big kid! holds the rail (if there is one) or our hand and goes down that way.

-loves to climb on everything!

-picky eater. unfortunately he likes the things his mom likes- candy, carbs, and pop! (healthier eating habits are in store once we get moved and settled!)

-is warming to nursery, but for the most part he still hates it.

-still loves toy story, but he has also been enjoying monsters inc.

- turning TWO in 20 days! Man, that is crazy!

JON:

-made his quota again at simply mac - two months in a row! way to go babe!

-working like a dog and going non-stop. (it's a good thing he likes it that way!)

HEATHER:

-still looking for a job.

-thinking about rowan's 2nd birthday and what to get or make him! (tight budget this year!)

(i found a $4 dollar "Woody" hooded towel at Walmart - Buzz was still $7, so sorry Rowan, you are getting Woody!)

-getting excited for the holidays! can't wait to spend Christmas day in our house! oh, and we'll have trick or treaters!! i just need some money for some seasonal decor!

FAMILY:

-we're almost moved in to our house! we'll be sleeping there tomorrow night! (the house is far from ready, but we gotta get out of our rental!)

Seriously, hours of fun & laughter.

2010-08-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

Photo booth on the Mac is the best invention ever. We love it over here. I love that it can bring on a smile and a laugh every single time you use it. We had a little fun with it last night before heading back to the house to work into the wee morning hours again. Good quality family time, and a much needed break from the stress that we're feeling these days. OK, well, we are pretty much always stressed, but even more so now. If you have a Mac, make sure to use this little gadget frequently if you are in need of a pick-me-up!

Red, white, and...

2010-08-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

black!

Jonathan's little sister got married Saturday, and her colors were red, white, and black. Here is my little family all dressed up in the appropriate attire. Do you see Rowan's little tie? This photo doesn't do it justice, but it was a huge hit. Oh, and do you know how difficult it is to find black dress pants for a toddler? SO HARD! I searched all morning (yes, I procrastinated til the day of the wedding to find Rowan an outfit.) for those stinking black pants! Finally found some black corduroys at Savers, the last place I went to before giving up. The shirt and tie I found at Kid to Kid. See the sucker Rowan is holding? Pretty sure he had about 5 of those that night. He didn't actually eat all 5. He kept throwing them on the floor when he got ticked off, and then he'd go back for another one when he'd calmed down. I wasn't about to stop him either because he was the biggest pill that night! If a sucker was going to make him happy and keep him from squealing for 5 minutes, then by all means, have another sucker! I'll post more pictures of the day later, but I am just too tired and lazy to organize a big ol' post right now.

Progress.

2010-08-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

I am home while Rowan naps, so I thought I would give you a house update. We're spending every minute possible at the house, and, while we are making progress, it's hard. Jon is still working his day job, editing videos for his freelance contract job, editing bridal pictures for his sister, making a wedding video, and doing anything at the house with Rowan is impossible! (Especially now that the carpet is gone, leaving behind a ton of exposed nails.) Thanks to our babysitters who are taking Rowan off our hands so we can get some work done! With the limited time we have had at the house so far, and with help from family, we have gotten all the old nasty carpet and padding out. We have to wait a good week for our carpet and laminate to arrive, so next up is painting. I have decided on a couple colors for some rooms, so at least we can get started on that. Say goodbye to the brown! I for one, am thrilled to see it going.

SOLD!

2010-08-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

We're gonna be a little busy over here, so pardon if I don't blog much for the next few weeks.

That's right, we are officially homeowners!

Got the keys today, and we are already busy bees spackling, changing locks, and ripping out carpet. The only reason I had time to blog about it was because doing all of the above with a two year old running around is kind of impossible. We attempted to work at the house together until 8 and then I said, "OK, that's it. Rowan is going home to bed." (This was right after Rowan threw a Route 44 drink on the kitchen floor. Hallelujah it's being ripped out!) So Jon is working at the house still, and I am home with the sleeping toddler. No worries, I fully intend to do "diy research" so I feel like I can contribute in the next couple weeks as we get the house move-in ready. We'll keep you posted on this big adventure that we embarked on back in April. Many stories to share, so stay tuned!

babysitting & a bridal shower.

2010-07-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

My brother Scott's wife was in town to participate in a mini triathlon, and she asked if I would watch her little girl, Scotlyn while she did that. I said yes, and then Jill told me she would drop her off at 7 am Saturday morning. Good call Jill. Ha ha, no, it was fine, and Scotlyn was an angel. Seriously, so cute. I was a little worried she would react the way my son reacts when I leave, but no tears or tantrums ensued after her mom left. She did get a bit clingy and nervous when uncle Jon meandered down the stairs around 9, and kept saying she was scared. Apparently some men make her scared, and uncle Jon happens to be one them. I am sure the fact that he came down in nothing but his underwear and some megga bedhead didn't help him win her affections. While I got ready she watched and wanted all the make-up put on her as well. (Most of it I faked, but she did get a little blush and lip gloss) Then we topped it off with some curls and she, and I, were ready for the day.

Shortly before her mom came and picked her up we went outside to play and take some pictures. She isn't smiling in any of them because of the person behind the camera. I can't say she warmed to Jon, but she did say bye to him.

We had to get a shot of the two kids together to see how they have changed since this photo was taken. Rowan doesn't sit still like he use to, so I had to be in the photo strictly to hold Rowan in one spot for 2 seconds while his father snapped a photo.

Rowan was being a typical boy. Playing in the bird bath water, and dumping it all out.

Megan, the bride-to-be, with her sister Erica, niece Samantha, Mom, niece Ella, Grandma Bea, and me and Kelly on the floor.

After Scotlyn got picked up I headed to Ogden with Rowan. Jon's sister, Megan, is getting married in two weeks, and her bridal shower was today. Uncle Wade (bless his soul) babysat Rowan so I could attend child-free.

A fun full day, and now I am pooped!

A letter.

2010-07-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Simply Mac,

Jonathan and I gladly accept this free Mac Book on behalf of the fact that you pay him minimum wage. This makes up for last month when he didn't make your ridiculous quota. He rocked it this month, and now you have to pay up suckas!

Sincerely,

The Larsons

Here's the story, cause I know you all care to hear it.

Jonathan called me on his way home from work Wednesday night the 21st. He said he had a surprise for me. I like surprises. Jon doesn't surprise me often, and to be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting much, but I was still excited that he'd gotten me a little something. Well, at the time I thought it was going to be little. OK, so he gets home and I was down stairs on our computer. He tells me to come upstairs. I do, and find Jon with my surprise behind his back. He tells me to sit down and close my eyes. I do, but I also hold up my hands, because, truth be told, I thought he was going to have like $1 Coke or McFlurry for me. (I would have been happy with either by the way.) But no, soon enough I feel the weight of something bigger on my lap. I opened my eyes. Shock. Mouth gaping open. Eyes the size of saucers. All I could say was, "Shut up!" (Cleaver and original, I know.)

I have wanted a laptop FOR-EV-ER. Needless to say, I am a very happy girl.

**He won it in a drawing at work. Basically for every two computers they sold they got a ticket. Jon and this other guy had the most tickets. In fact the other guy ended up having more tickets because he sold more Apple Care, but my man still won. Oh, and Jon said, "I knew I'd win." OK, well let's take you to Vegas baby!

Goose egg.

2010-07-27T19:29:00.002-07:00

Toddler shoes with absolutely zero traction are no good on Sam's Club concrete floors.

Lesson learned.

The hard way, unfortunately.

In case you missed it, it's above his left eye.

Men.

2010-07-27T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yet another reason why men are so vastly different from women.

OK, so this is what I found in the kitchen earlier. Apparently it was easier to eat cereal with a measuring spoon than to open the dishwasher and take out a clean spoon. OR he could have taken two seconds to wash one that was in the sink, but no, he still chose a measuring spoon. Awkward. It's a shame I missed that in action.

The man of the house turns 28!

2010-07-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Jonathan turned the big 2-8 on July 22nd. Most of his family was in Colorado for a family reunion, so I invited his friends over for pizza and cupcakes that evening. Of course daddy got to sleep in that morning, but Rowan and I eventually woke him up by singing to him and giving him breakfast in bed.

Looks like Jonathan is really happy about being 28.

That afternoon we met Jon's dad for lunch at Cafe Rio. Thanks dad!

We had a good turnout that night for the party. The little kids had a blast running around, playing on the swing and slide. The grownups talked about movies. From what I heard it sounds like Inception is a must see. I just know I must see Mr. Dicaprio.

Blowing out the candles.

Of course Rowan came around as soon as he saw dessert.

All the girls and all the boys.

I think Jonathan had a great birthday. Thanks everyone for helping him celebrate his special day!

Chinese jammies.

2010-07-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

A week ago we were at Jon's parent's house having Sunday dinner with his whole family. All of Rowan's cousins were there, so grandma and grandpa thought it was the perfect time to give the kids their matching Chinese pajamas that they brought back from China.

This picture cracks me up. Rowan looks like some meditating monk with that look on his face!

Here is a better view of the pj's. They are silky and smooth. They're big now, so Rowan will be able to wear them for a while.

PJ time.

2010-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is what Rowan did the other night when I said, "Rowan, let's get your pj's on."

He thinks he is so clever.

I spy my little boy who needs to get his pj's on!

Gulp.

2010-07-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Big Gulp, that is.

The other day we were running around taking care of some errands, and when we were back in the car we decided we had to make a run through the Sonic drive through before heading to our next stop. It was so hot. The three of us were so thirsty so we ordered the biggest drink we could get - I believe it's called the Route 44 or something. Well, Jon and I were lucky to get a drink here and there because once Rowan had a hold if it he had a death grip on that thing. It's almost the size of him and I swear he drank like 75% of it. Ah well, I am glad he stayed hydrated. Next time daddy will know to order Rowan his very own.

Hide n' Seek.

2010-07-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Can you guess where Rowan is? If you can't that is pretty sad. It's not that hard people!

His new favorite spot to play. The fridge. I don't know why, but he loves getting into (literally) the fridge lately. Maybe he learned it from me. I tend to stick my head in the freezer for quick relief from the heat, but I have never plopped down in the fridge and attempted to shut the door on myself. Lucky for me he can't shut the door completely. If he could, he would. Weird-o!

BBQ & fireworks.

2010-07-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Monday we headed to N. Ogden for a bbq and fireworks. The following pictures will show you exactly how Rowan felt about the fireworks. He wasn't a huge fan of the noise. I think he kind of liked all the colors and lights, but all the noise ruined it for him. If he wasn't clinging to me he was clinging to grandma. His face in the 3rd picture cracks me up. Poor kid.

Before the fireworks we enjoyed some yummy food. Rowan would get chips and then crawl up into this chair to eat them.

It was a good 4th of July weekend. The past couple were pretty boring - fireworks in AZ in 110+ degree weather just isn't enjoyable - so it was nice to finally enjoying the holiday in reasonable temperatures!

Another Parade.

2010-07-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

We hit up a parade on the 3rd, did nothing to celebrate the 4th of July on the 4th of July, and went to another parade today, the 5th. Today was Layton Liberty Days and we couldn't resist another parade, especially since it was in our backyard. Seriously. Last night we walked onto our back patio, opened the gate, walked 6 feet, set up our chair, and went back in side. This morning at 10:30 am (when the parade started) we walked outside, plopped down, and enjoyed the show. So convenient. And, I must say, this parade kicked N. Ogden's parade's butt. One of the bands even played Lady Ga Ga's Bad Romance. The candy was more plentiful - it was all taffy - but hey, at least I got a good handful. I didn't get any at the other parade. We didn't get bored at this one - lots of music and dancing. We followed up the parade up with lunch, and then we had to drop daddy at work. It was good morning/afternoon with my boys.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some picture overload.

Unfortunately Jon had to work a closing shift on Saturday, so about all we were able to do to celebrate the 4th was going the Cherry Day's Parade in N. Ogden that morning. Hopefully we'll be able to see some fireworks Monday night. Rowan saw some when he was 4.5 months old at Epcot in Florida He enjoyed them then, so it will be interesting to see what he thinks of them now. Rowan liked the parade, but I think he enjoyed running out into the closed road and playing on some kids three wheeler even more. I am just glad the weather was nice - we were in AZ last 4th of July, and oh.my.word. HOT. I am pretty sure we sat in our apartment the whole day. It's just fun seeing Rowan getting into things more now that he's a little older and understanding more.

Splish Splash!

2010-07-02T15:13:00.001-07:00

While we were still living at grandma and grandpas Rowan discovered this lid with rain water on it one day. Boy did he have a good time. Rowan has taught me to chill out...a bit at least. Normally my first reaction would have been to stop him because he was in his clothes and not swim trunks. Instead of stopping him from the fun he was having, I decided to grab the camera instead and capture "real life" Rowan. I am glad I did because not only did he have lots of fun but I got some great pictures of my busy toddler who is all boy!

Another summer, another kiddie pool

2010-06-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

We bought Rowan a kiddie pool last summer but I have no idea what happened to it. It's been super hot in our place (blasted swamp cooler) and I was feeling bad for my poor kid who's been waking up sweaty from his naps. Daddy and I made it to the store this week and bought him another kiddie pool. We'll try and keep track of this one. He likes it, he does. This picture might fool you, but trust me, he's in that thing multiple times a day. Mommy likes to dip her feet, kick back, and read a book while Rowan splashes around. That is what our days have been consisting of. I need to get my ultra white legs some sun.

Father's Day/28th B-day

2010-06-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, my birthday fell on Father's Day this year. Must not happen too often, cause I can't remember the last time I shared the day with all the dads. I wasn't sure who would wake up with Rowan Sunday morning. Does the birthday girl get to sleep in or does the daddy? Well, considering Jon didn't get home til 4 am on Sunday morning (he was working on a 48 hour film festival) I decided he better sleep. I also knew I could work on the project below all morning while he slept in. I traced Rowan's hand and cut out a whole bunch and then cut out hearts. On the little hands were reasons why Rowan loved daddy, and on the hearts were reasons why I loved daddy. So that is what Jon woke up to on Father's Day. He also got the movie Gentlemen Broncos.

Later in the day we headed to Jon's parent's house for a family dinner and birthday cake.

I told Jon to take pictures, but after the singing was done and the candles blown out I looked over to see that the camera was just sitting on the counter by Jon. Nice picture taking right? So this is a picture of me reenacting the blowing out of the candles. Whatever. Next time I'll be sure to put Kelly in charge of pictures.

Jon left Saturday morning at 4:30 am to work on that film, and my friend Jenny wanted to take me to lunch for my birthday. My in-laws said they would come watch Rowan so I could have a nice kid-free lunch! We planned it so Rowan would sleep the whole time they were there. Worked out great.

This is my sugar momma. Also known as Jenny.

Jaime couldn't meet us for lunch, but she came over later in the day with her little boy Oliver and we ate some chicken and watched a movie. Thanks friends and family for making my 28th birthday so enjoyable!

We've moved...again.

2010-06-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Jon and I have moved at least once a year since we have been married. Needless to say I am getting really sick of moving. However, hopefully we will only have one more move after this one before we settle down into a place of our very own.
So here is the latest rental. A townhouse in Layton. All is good here except for the fact that we can't fit our king size mattress up the stairs. We've been sleeping in sleeping bags for a week.

Once we got moved it was a top priority to have the couches cleaned. I finally convinced Jon to let me spend the money after removing the cushions to discover all sorts of "treasures" left by all the birds that had flown into the garage where they were being stored. And a big thanks to Wade and Kelly for the couches! We are loving them.

Rowan enjoying his new pad. It's a really great location. We are within walking distance to the library, park, and the surf n' swim! Love it. Should be fun while we are here!

Trying to entertain Rowan while unpacking and getting organized.

And why did we move again? Because grandma and grandpa are home for the summer! It's been fun having them back. It seems whenever they're around I get fatter. Food, food, glorious food.

Not sure how long we will be at this place, hopefully not long given the bed dilemma. The next move should be really exciting, and after that move no more moving posts from me for a long time...I hope.

Today we...

2010-06-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Made chocolate chip banana bread.

Relaxed in as little clothes as possible. This swamp cooler doesn't cool down our place very well, so it's been quite warm!

Went to the park.

Road a little girls car, and pointed at strangers who made funny noises.

And enjoyed a Pepsi after bath time. He is totally my kid. (And he got that Pepsi out himself!)

Dear husband...

2010-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is that time of year again, which means my birthday is just around the corner. T minus 9 days. Since you might be at a loss as to what to get me, I have compiled a list of goodies I would gladly accept as an acceptable gift.

This darling bathing suit, which is touted as being able to slim any figure. You can find it

HERE.

The lovely shirt, which I would want in the FLINT color can be found HERE.

Either of these cd's would be lovely. They can be purchased HERE. (Volume 1 is only $10)

And of course money and/or gift cards to the following would be awesome:

The Limited (They have oodles of tops I am eyeballing)

DSW (Oh my word. That place is awesome. I could easily spend a small fortune in there.)

Target (I just love that place. I can always find something there.)

The Sweet Shoppe (I will scrap again once I have my computer back.)

OK, dear. That should help you out tremendously. If I end up opening a vacuum (yes, I know we need one, but that is more of an essential home item, and not something I want for my birthday.) on my birthday I might have to smack you. That, or assume you never read my blog, which is very likely. Love you lots. Now go forth and shop!

An early birthday gift.

2010-06-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Someone lovely and dear picked up on my hint :0). Thanks so much! I can't wait to watch this movie again. You are the bomb woman!

She & Him.

2010-06-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

She & Him

This lovely little group will be coming to Salt Lake (Pioneer Park) August 26th. SWEET! Wait, it gets even better. The concert is FREE! Double sweet. Anyone interested in tagging along? I ask because I am sure my husband has no desire to see them. I personally love Zooey Deschanel, so I am totally there. If you want to be my date let me know.

A happy little video I enjoy...

2010-06-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

I hope you do too!

For those of you who saw "500 Days of Summer," you might enjoy this little video. For those of you who have not seen the movie, do. I loved it. I don't know. I like quirky little movies like that. If anyone wants to get me that for my birthday....June 20th. :0) I am madly in love with these two. Zooey is my favorite. Love her style. Joseph totally reminds me of Heath Ledger every time I see him.

More park fun.

2010-06-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

We've been hitting up the parks left and right it seems. Rowan loves them. He's a big fan of the slides, as you can see from his big grin.

I can't wait to have a yard so we can get Rowan a little swing set. I think he'll dig it.

Have I mentioned how livid this kid gets when we leave the park? Oh man, he gets ticked. However, I have to give Jon credit because he is really good at distracting Rowan so he forgets about how mad he is.

My cute kid.

2010-06-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this little dude is going to be 21 months on the 23rd of this month. Crazy.

Don't mind his shaggy hair. Jon's daddy chore for the week is taking Rowan to Great Clips. (I have a coupon) I figure Jon can do it this time because it really is unpleasant. Rowan did horrible the last time we attempted to get it cut, so Jon can have the pleasure this time.

He loves to be outside. Yesterday he had quite the adventure while in the yard. He fell head first into a bucket of water - that warranted the 3rd or 4th outfit change for the day. After that he was playing on the tractor and became a total grease monkey. He looked like a bonafied employed of Jiffy Lube. It took both me and daddy to get him cleaned up - one to hold him down and the other to scrub. He hated it. We are moving in a week and I am sad for Rowan because he wont have a big yard or cousins to play with every day. Hopefully I'll make some friends at our new ward with kids close to his age.

FOUR.

2010-06-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated four years of matrimony.
Started off the day by taking Rowan to the Treehouse Museum.
Grabbed breakfast on the way. A big ol breakfast burrito for Jon, and a big ol cinnamon roll for me.
Later we left Rowan with Aunt Kelly and hit up one of our favorite Thai restaurants for dinner.
Mmmm. Ending the day by snuggling on the couch and watching Shirlock Holmes.
I love you Jon. I can't wait to see what or perhaps, WHO, the next four years brings with it.

fun at the park.

2010-05-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

It could have been more fun if the sun were out, but Rowan still seemed to enjoy himself even though the park wasn't very toddler friendly. All the slides were pretty big, and I think Rowan got a little flustered by all the big kids zooming by. Non the less it was nice to get out of the house with my two boys. Now if summer would just hurry up and get here!

water baby.

2010-05-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Some recent bath time photos. Do you remember his first bath? Things have changed!

Rowan loves water. He's enjoys bath time, and he always tries to sneak into the shower if me or daddy are in it. Once in a while I oblige him and let him go splash around with daddy while he showers. I figure it's a good thing because it will hopefully get him comfortable with the shower, so when he's older he wont have a problem making the switch. I usually catch him drinking the bath water out of a cup that is always in the tub (used for hair washing). Something he does quite often is pee on the carpet or tile right before I get him in the tub. Awesome.

Water for Elephants.

2010-05-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

I read the book Water for Elephants a few months ago, and I quite enjoyed it, so I was excited to see that they are making it into a movie. The main character will be played by Mr.Robert Pattinson. Go read the book so you can compare it to the movie when it comes out.
(It's a bit sexual, but I really liked it!)

Kate's birthday party!

2010-05-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Two of my nieces, Ella and Kate, with the dolls I made them for their birthdays.

Here's the birthday girl. Her birthday was on the 20th, but tonight was the official party.
(Kate is our niece - her daddy is Jon's older brother)

Here is my goofy kid playing with one of Kate's new toys.

Auntie Heather with Kate.

I kind of like that I am blurry and Kate's in focus in this one.

She's super cute. The food was all yummy too! (Good job Kelly!)

Mason turns 1!

2010-05-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Shelley's little boy turned one at the end of April, and Rowan and I were able to attend the cereal themed birthday party. There were tons of cereals to choose from, and we each got to pose in this fun Captain Crunch cutout that Shelley made.

I think Rowan should be the new face of Captain Crunch. I would totally buy the cereal if his mug was on the box!

And me as Mr. Crunch.

Me, Jaime, and Oliver. It was a nice day, but a bit windy, so that explains why I'm dressed for winter. The main reason for the coat, headlights!

Some friends. Shelley is the brunette, and the mom of Mason, the birthday boy. Kyle and Tami are in the back, and Jaime and Oliver are in the middle. It was a fun day.

A little Sunday backyard fun

2010-05-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Jonathan finished up another gig at 6:30 this morning. Rowan was finally able to have some good quality father/son time this afternoon since daddy wasn't rushing off to work. I think he enjoyed himself. (I think Jon did too.)

Batter up! (Don't mind the snot.)

He was quite the little poser this afternoon. He also had a blast with this t-ball set-up that belongs to his cousins. I am thinking we need to get him one for his birthday.

Daddy helping him line things up just right...

and smack! A definite home run.

And we threw in a little soccer just to make sure he is well rounded.

A lovely Sunday afternoon. Let's hope this nice weather is here to stay!

Have you seen this kid?!

2010-05-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Pretty sure we'll be seeing him around in the future.

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Don't quit your day job Rihanna.

2010-05-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Oh wait, this is your day job. OK, just stop trying to moonwalk.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day thanks to some very sweet people of all ages, gender, and size. My Sunday morning started off with flowers from my cute little niece Ella! She had been asking her mom all day Saturday if she could go with her dad to Costco to get me flowers. Her dad suggested the tulips, but Ella liked the carnations. She made a good choice, they're very pretty! Thanks Ella!

Before we headed off to church I got a picture with my little dude. He gave me TWO kisses on the cheek in sacrament - totally out of the blue! It was the sweetest thing ever, and the best gift the little guy could give me!

We had a nice family dinner to celebrate Megan's birthday and Mother's Day.

The BOYS cooked a delicious meal!

The two chefs. Way to go guys - it was yummy!

Jon gave me a Magic Bullet. I have been wanting one of these for quite a while. I kept thinking I would buy it for Jon sooner or later, but he beat me to it. If you have one, send me your recipes!

My cute kid after he finally chilled out. (He's been waking up grumpy...)

And Rowan during his after nap meltdown. Still love the kid, and I am so happy he's made me a momma!

Hope all you other moms had a wonderful Mother's Day!

While Jon was away...

2010-05-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

He got a haircut.
The makeup girl on set did it. Free, so, sweet! You can't see it very well, but it's a fohawk, and I like it on him. I think he pulls it off well. Ahhh, so handsome. I like this guy's face.

He also got a tattoo. Real men apparently have purple unicorns on their chests.

Here he is with Peter Stormare and the producer, who also acted in the film.

Don't you just want to pull down Peter's top?!

Oh, so Jon reminded me that Peter is the guy in Minority Report who gives Tom Cruise new eyes. For those of you who have not seen Fargo, maybe you know him from that one. Jon said he was kind of crazy - he was biting Jon's ear in one photo. Oh, Jon also did karaoke one night while he was away, and I am so bummed I missed him singing "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys and "Killer Queen" by Queen. MAN! That would have been awesome. He has promised to take me out to a karaoke bar so I can see him do it again. I'll get footage!

we're so glad when...

2010-05-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

daddy comes home!

Hooray, Jon is back folks! Rowan and I are so glad to have him home.

Rowan and I were headed outside to play right as Jon pulled up, so here is a shot of Rowan on the trampoline just for grandma Verne who has been asking for a picture. My camera is missing, but Jon had is, so maybe I can post more frequently now. At least a picture of Rowan now and again just for his grandma Vernie.

Anyways, we're going to enjoy some quality time with him now since we are never quite sure when he'll be leaving again for another film set!

Details.

2010-04-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

OK, so Jon is gone working on a film set in Helper, Utah for 3 weeks. (1 week down, 2 to go.) I was feeling bad that I didn't know much about it when people asked me for details. I felt as a wife I should know what exactly my husband is doing, so I finally asked him when I was talking with him the other day. So, for those of you who are interested, here are the details.

The title of the film is "The Wayshower." I couldn't tell you if that is just the working title or not. The main actors are Eric Roberts, whose daughter is Emma Roberts - you know, the girl who played Nancy Drew. Eric was a bad guy in the Dark Knight.

Perhaps you know his sister better. A little lady by the name of Julia.

Eric filmed all his stuff this past week, and coming up next is the actor Peter Stormare. I know him as the guy who puts Steve Buscemi in the wood chipper in the movie "Fargo."

Jon is working as a "best boy," which basically means he does the work around the electric equipment. Not his favorite thing to do on set, but by the time he found out about this production and got his resume over to the guy who was doing the hiring, they'd already hired a first a/c, which is what he prefers to do, and has done on the last few sets. First a/c's are basically the dp's (director or photography) right hand man. They focus all the shots. But he was just glad he got on period. SO that is it folks. Keep your eye out for the film, but I imagine it will only be playing in select theaters nationwide when it's released.

Still alive.

2010-04-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Can you actually believe I use to be a daily blogger? Sheesh. I've gone from 1 a day to 1 a month! That is quite the cutback! Life has just been crazy, and well, blogging is not at the top of my "to do" list. Maybe one day it will find its way there again, but for now you will have to bare with me and my few and far between posts. Here is a quick recap for all you are still checking in once and a while!

As Jon and I were driving around the Salt Lake Valley one day we spotted this. Have some extra healthriders laying around collecting dust and using up space in your home? Don't D.I. them, use them as yard decor! Functional and decorative at the same time! Ha ha, hilarious.

Rowan and I visited my mom last month, and she sent me back to Utah with Easter treats that I would then hand off to my sister-in-law. Well, the treats were in a grocery bag on the kitchen table, and at about 3 am I was woken by a weird noise. It sounded like our dog was playing with a marble or something. Then a light bulb went off and I realized that my dog had gotten on the table and ripped into the Easter goodies. How do I know this? Because he did it to Rowan's goodie bag earlier the previous day. Anyone want a dog? I ran out to the kitchen and it looked like an Easter bag massacre had taken place. I was livid. I yelled for Jon because if he didn't come get his dog he was likely never to see the little poop again. We cleaned up the mess, salvaged what was salvageable, and crawled back into bed. I repackaged the goodies and bought more candy before handing them off to Jill and kids.

Rowan is still cute as ever. Growing like a weed and getting into everything. It seems he discovers how to open more and more doors everyday. He's becoming quite the climber as well. He puked a couple times the other day (of course he does it AFTER his dad leaves for 3 weeks!) and ended up getting to sleep with me that night so I could hear him if he started puking again in the middle of the night. It was a loooong night. What a bed hog!

Us the morning after the blizzard in our hotel room.

We had quite the adventure the Monday after Easter Sunday. After spending most of the day in Salt Lake we headed home at around 9:00 pm. The weather had slowly been getting worse and worse. By the time we made it to the freeway it was snowing pretty hard. It was the kind of snow that makes you feel like you're driving through space. You know what I am talking about? You know, when it's coming straight at the windshield and you feel like you should be driving a spaceship and not a car. Visibility was horrid already, so it doesn't help that the lights on our car are pretty much useless. Believe me, there has been numerous times I have thought my lights weren't even turned on only to discover that they were on - they just stink. There was much backseat driving going on. Mostly me telling Jon to slow down. Well, right after the first Layton exit heading North we came to a complete standstill on the freeway. We sat there for a good 10-15 minutes without moving. By this point I am on the verge of tears and freaking out. Why? Oh let me tell you. Did I mention that our little car is pathetic in the snow, has NO HEATER and therefore no defrost? Yeah, that was the car we were in in these blizzard like conditions. Well, at one point Jon opens his door to look behind us, and there are NO CARS. At first we were like, "What the?!" Then we realize that the exit is just behind us a ways. I immediately was like, "Turn around and get us off of here before we get stuck!" So we did. We turned around on the freeway and drove south on the northbound lane. We totally passed a cop who was probably on his way to the accident. We manage to get off the freeway, and now we're driving through a section of Layton we aren't familiar with. (It was an obscure Layton exit) I am still freaking out because the roads are horrible and the snow is thick because this was a freak storm, so the plows weren't out. After multiple times of almost getting stuck we made it to the main area of Layton where the mall is, and thank heavens, HOTELS! I actually had to convince my husband to let us stay in a hotel! He seriously wanted to keep going. He was like, "Heather, I can see." Ha ha, fine, whatever. You can't see didly squat, this car stinks in the snow, there is no defrost, it's almost midnight, and it's still snowing - PULL OVER and check us into the hotel! That was basically my response to him. FINALLY he gives up and gets us a room. I had never been so relieved in my life to be out of my car, and safe in a hotel room with my little family! We didn't get much sleep because of Rowan (he doesn't sleep if he's not contained in a crib or pack n'play) but I think he finally passed out after 2-3 hours of tossing, turning, kicking, and smacking us in the face with body parts. It was still worth the $90 bucks to stay there. Jon loaded up his plate at the continental breakfast in an attempt to get his $90 worth. We got home just fine that morning, and the good people at the Hampton Inn scraped off our car! Sweet huh? That is my plug for the Hampton Inn - stay there, they scrape your car after snow storms!

That is us in a nutshell. Jon is gone right now working on a film set in Helper, Utah. Rowan and I will get to see him this Sunday for a few hours. We're meeting him in Provo. He'll be back in May.

If you made it through all that, good for you! Give yourself a pat on the back!

Spring is here!

2010-03-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well, almost here, which means we can play outside! And Rowan LOVES to play outside. The kid can't get enough of it. He throws a complete fit when he has to go back inside. I hope the warmer weather doesn't take too long to get here because it's still a bit chilly and I can't stay out too long without my hands going numb and my nose turning red. Rowan seems oblivious to the cold. We played outside yesterday, and he kept going back to the tractor. He's all boy!

Here he is checking out the gloves I put on him. Surprisingly he kept them on! The hat was another story. Oh well, at least he let me put up his hoodie.

A little side story. Jon was gone all afternoon running around with a couple friends. We were going to take Rowan to the park, but Jon took longer than expected, so I just took Rowan outside and let him play in the yard. Well, Jon finally gets home and I immediately headed to the gym so I would be back in time to take dinner out of the oven. When I left Jon took Rowan outside to play again. He took him out through the front door. (That's important to note) After finishing up at the gym I am pulling into the driveway when I have the thought, "Wouldn't it be "funny" if I saw my kid wandering in the yard without his daddy." Well, I get to the garage and start to pull in when I see my kid walking aimlessly around in the garage. At first I thought, "Well, Jon has to be around. I'm sure he's just on the other side of the garage and I can't see him." As soon as I shut off the car, open my door, and step out I see that Rowan is BAREFOOT! No socks and no shoes. Oh, and no husband in sight. I walk into the house and immediately begin my "Where is my husband so I can kill him hunt." Turns out he was on the couch watching TV when he realized his son had gone out THE FRONT DOOR. (The one he forgot to lock when he came inside with Rowan.) My son's latest trick is opening doors. Jon figures he was out there for five minutes before he realized he was M.I.A. I think Jon freaked out a bit upon realizing he was gone because he assumed he would be right by the door, but no, he was nowhere in sight and Jon had no idea where he was. I made sure Jon realized how stinking lucky he was and how bad that little mishap could have turned out. We're so lucky Rowan ended up in the garage because normally he heads for the road. Moral of the story: Lock your front doors and put bells on your children. (And maybe never leave your husband alone with the kid.)

17 months.

2010-02-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

My handsome little boy.

I can't believe Rowan is 17 months today. Every photo I see of him now I just think, "Where did my baby go?" He's changed into a toddler overnight it seems. I still find him as adorable as ever, but still miss the fact that my baby isn't really a baby anymore. He's definitely made the switch to full blown toddler. Don't believe me? Come see my house at any given point in the day and you'll find toys, measuring cups, sippy cups, blankets, books, and anything else he can get his hands on strewn about the house. Thanks to him the house doesn't stay clean for long, but I sure love him. Anyways, for my records, here are some things about Rowan at 17 months.

-Says: mama, dada, nana (banana), no, and hello. (That is about all I can understand at this point)

-Will whine at me and walk away and look back at me like he's expecting me to follow him, and will continue to whine until I do follow him. He usually takes me upstairs where he then leads me to the pantry. He's smart because he knows that is where the treats and Tang are kept. Whining stops when I have given him a treat or Tang.

- Likes to eat bananas, mandarin oranges, puff pancakes, pb & J, granola bars, cereal w/out milk, potatoes, meat depending on how it's prepared, fruit snacks, licorice, and occasionally veggies if they aren't plain.

- Likes to watch pretty much anything on Nick Jr. & Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

- Likes to have books read to him now. (In the past he just wanted to destroy them & wouldn't sit still) His favorite book right now is Llama Llama Red Pajama.

-Will go to his room, get his two favorite blankets from his crib and drag them all over the house all day long.

-Will get his blankets & his favorite book and bring them to me. His way of saying, "Mom, read to me."

-Has become pretty attached to mom. He cries when I hand him off to daddy usually. He'll run to me if daddy is chasing him and grab on to my legs.

-Bounces his head when he hears music or sees kids dancing on TV.

He is just awesome, and I love him to bits. He makes me smile for so many little reasons on a daily basis. I am so glad he is in my life.

My funny morning.

2010-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

The first thing I woke up to this morning was my son dressed like this. Camo and stripes. Hmmm. Interesting combonation. And no, my son does not dress himself. This was what his daddy put him in. It seems Jon's ability to dress Rowan has not improved over the past 14 months. Remember THIS post? Non the less, I give Jon props for changing him out of his pajamas and dirty diaper.

Then I took over so Jon could go and work on his computer. And I really mean work. Like, job= work kind of work. Rowan and I headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast, and since we are running low on supplies (a grocery run is on my list of things to do today) I made my go-to breakfast when we don't have many other options. German pancakes. Fine with me, I love them and so does Rowan. (Jon still prefers cold cereal. Weird-O!) While I got breakfast ready Rowan helped me by pulling all the measuring devices out of the drawer, and then proceeded to place them on his face. Picking up and putting away measuring cups and spoons is now a daily ritual I partake in once Rowan has gone to sleep.

In other news Jon and I were thrilled to discover last night that we get the Food network channel! Ahhhhhhh! Seriously?! Have we had this the whole time?! Needless to say, we passed on the movie for some Iron Chef and Chopped. It was awesome. I know what I am doing when Rowan naps today! (I'll keep my fingers busy with a sewing project so it's not a complete waist of "baby free time." ) And since we are talking TV I might as well tell you all how completely obsessed I am with The Bachelor this season. Not just me, me and Jon. I am DYING over here since we're down to the two final girls, one of which is VIENNA! Are you kidding me?! I keep telling Jon that I will never watch that show again if Jake does not choose Tenley. Also hoping that the Biggest Loser is on this week since I didn't get my BL fix last week due to the Olympics.

OK, gotta run. Rowan and I have some grocery shopping to do.

It's oh so quiet.

2010-02-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

I don't think this is how I left the bathroom looking...

If you have a toddler and you find yourself thinking, "It sure is quiet," then take my advice and find that toddler of yours sooner rather than later. I did the latter, and because of that, I have a fun mess to clean up in the bathroom. I hope Rowan enjoyed himself.

Our new pet...

2010-02-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

NOT!

Check out those nails! This dude is in need of a major pedicure!
(Reminds me of Jim Carrey's tonails on Dumb & Dumber)

See the big hole he tore in the screen?

OK, so Sunday night I am sitting at the computer, and directly behind me is the playroom. At this point Rowan was in bed down the hall. I start to hear noises coming from the room, and so I assume Miles has made his way in there to sleep. He does this from time to time. Well, the noise continues, and is getting annoying. I am yelling, "Miles!" Now normally Miles would come out and I would send him on his merry way, but Miles did not come. I began to wonder, "What the?" I head into the room expecting to find Miles balled up on a pillow sleeping, but no. However, the noise continues and I quickly realize it's coming from the window well area. The blinds are down, and there is no way I am peaking cause I didn't know what the heck I was going to find. I get Jon, tell him what has been going on, and he goes to investigate. We slowly pull up the blinds and there in the corner wedged between the glass and the screen is our new friend, the muskrat. I seriously thought he was dead cause he was not moving, but he was just faking it. Well, he wiggles himself out of the ginormous hole he has created in the screen and plops himself on the ground in the window well. At this point I am telling Jon to get the small pellet gun, but there is just something sick and wrong about shooting an animal that's a sitting duck. He did try and scare it off, but with no luck. The next morning he was still sitting on the ground in the corner of the window well. I looked today and can't see him, but I'll know tonight if he really is gone. He seems to like to make all the noise at night. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the varmint if he's still around?

Superbowl Sunday.

2010-02-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Even though Jon and I aren't into sports and could really care less about the Superbowl, we still appreciate Superbowl Sunday for the parties and food. We invited a few friends over who, like us, aren't major football nuts, and who didn't have arrangements to spend it elsewhere.

I made chocolate chip upside down cake (a bit of a letdown), chili, hot dogs in a blanket, and black bean avocado salsa.

While Rowan played in car seats...

bumbos, and cars,

the adults played a game. Irene kicked out butts. You go girl!
Mike holding little Diego, and beautiful Irene.
Dan must have been bored, look at that yawn!
Jaime, me, and Jon.
The girls. Look at us, all baby free!
It was a fun afternoon. Nothing beats friends, food, and fun! I really didn't care who won, but being that they were the underdogs, I am proud of the Saints for winning. Hope everyone else had a great Superbowl Sunday!

Mr. booger face is back.

2010-01-30T22:01:00.000-08:00

Rowan is sick again. Poor kid. Well, he doesn't act sick, but his nose hasn't stopped running for well over a week now, and his cough seems to flare up at night. He's been downing lots and lots of liquids and peeing through his diapers more then he ever did when he was a baby. Since I want him to drink a lot of liquids to avoid dehydration, I have been allowing him more then his normal 1 sippy a day of Tang. Yes, Tang. My in-laws have tons of it! Daddy introduced it to Rowan a couple months ago and the kid loves the stuff. Once he's all better and eating normal again he's back down to 1 sippy of Tang a day. He decided he likes chicken nuggets recently, and I am happy for that because meat was one thing we could not get him to eat enough of. Jon has been gone all day, so Rowan and I took a trip to Costco for a big bag of chicken nuggets.

In other news Jon is starting a long-term contract position this next week. Hooray! A big blessing for us, and we're so grateful Jon got the job. The great thing is, the majority of the work he gets to do from home. Between that and other random jobs he does here and there he'll be busy, which is good for him because he really likes to be busy and have things to do.

I have been organizing all my craft stuff and making things easier to find and get to. Since I started THIS blog I have gotten really excited to start crafting again. I can't wait for the weather to start warming up so I can work on some of my furniture- sanding/painting, ect.

Well, it's late and I want to get started on a cute sewing project so ta-ta.

new winter hat & gloves

2010-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

My little viking.

here are some outtakes...

Thank you grandma Vernie! After my mom saw the post on Rowan's sledding adventure and that he didn't have proper snow gear, she quickly did what any grandma would do, and sent proper snow attire for her grandson. I love the matching hat and gloves, and I hope Rowan will cooperate and wear them! Thanks mom!

our poor dog.

2010-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

These are the sorts of things we, excuse me, Jon does, to our dog, strictly for entertainment purposes. Don't worry, and please don't the call the humane society on us, he had the cereal box on all for a couple of minutes. He wouldn't move from this spot. I finally bribed him with a treat so he'd move and come to me - I had to capture it on film.

For those of you who still blog, and read other people's blogs, I am sure you have noticed that my posts are much more sporadic than in past days, months, and years. If you (cough) mom, are having withdrawals, you can go HERE where I have been posting on a semi regular basis.

sledding 2010

2010-01-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

Remember last year when we went sledding? Well, Rowan was just a wee thing at the time, so he stayed in the car the whole time. We were really excited to take him this year, and after all the fresh snow we got last night, we thought today would be the perfect day to go. It was beautiful and sunny, so we got our snow gear on and headed for the mountain - OK, the hill.

As you can see from almost every picture, Rowan was not loving it like we thought he would.

He was OK if he was being held, but the moment we put him on the ground or on the sled- breakdown!

Since we don't have much for snow gear, especially for Rowan, I brought along a towel that we would drape him with when one of us would go on the sled with him. That way any snow that kicked up and blew in our direction wouldn't get on his clothes. He wouldn't keep his hood on, and we don't have gloves for the poor kid, so I don't know if he was cold or just not digging it period. We maybe stayed for all of 30 minutes. Ah well, we tried. Maybe next year he'll get excited about it.

rowan, rowan, & more rowan.

2010-01-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

If you thought we were boring before...

We just got dumped on again, so now we're really homebound! The only thing we might do today is a grocery run. I wouldn't even bother with that, but Rowan needs milk, so it's not really an option. My scrawny kid needs his D milk. Rowan is in full blown toddler mode. He is very good at entertaining himself and loves to explore and get into things. He has become obsessed with his daddy's drumsticks. If he hears his daddy playing the drums he'll cry at the door until daddy lets him in to play as well. Then he cries when they shut off the lights and leave. Jon and I have already decided that he's getting a mini drum set for his second birthday. Our own little Beethoven, or in this case, our own little Buddy Rich.

just hanging out.

2010-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Not a whole is going on in the household, hence, no blogging. We've just been hanging out at home a lot. Rowan has taken a break from Toy Story, and is currently enjoying "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." He's been walking around with old cell phones and saying hello and hi a lot. He also says, "no." Great, that is one word I didn't need in his vocabulary. He picked it up from a game him and daddy play that goes something like this, "Is mommy in here? Nooooooo." On and on until they find the room that mommy is in. This morning when I got him out of his crib he kept saying, "no.no.no." (Him and daddy usually play the game after his nap - daddy gets him out of the crib and then they go on a search looking for mommy, so I guess it's habit for the kid now.) I've been working on organizing various rooms in the house. I have to take it one room at a time, if I think about the mess as a whole I get overwhelmed. Jon has been working on a photography project. That's us in a nutshell for the time being.

what would you think if...

2010-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

we blew this up really big and hung it above our mantle?
(our future mantle that is...the one we might have someday)

isn't it hilarious?! not like i would ever really get this in poster size, but it sure does make for a good laugh. jon was practicing some photography stuff, and caught this doozy.

he's getting so big.

2010-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little dude is going to be 16 months old on the 23rd of this month. He's becoming more and more of a little boy with each passing day. And, on occasion, he gives me a taste of what the terrible twos might be like. He's starting to grasp the concept of waving and saying hi now. He wont always do it on command, but it's sure cute when he does. Jon even says that Rowan says, "Hi daddy." WHAT?! Hi DADDY? We're gonna have to work on that. Fine, Jon can have that one, but Rowan better say, "Love you mommy," first.

bye 2009. 2010 resolutions.

2009-12-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

(I know, it's quite a long list. To learn more about it GO HERE.)

I have to say, I am quite happy 2009 is over. It wasn't an awful year, but I certainly hope 2010 will be better, and, I think if I can accomplish my resolutions, it will be...and owning a house by the close of 2010 wouldn't hurt either. 2010 is opening with no set plans, but I am hopeful life will figure itself out, and that me and my little family will end up where we are suppose to be, doing what we're suppose to do. A lot can change and happen in 12 months right?

15 mo. checkup

2009-12-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

the stats

height: 31 inches (50%)
weight: 22 pounds (20%)
head circumference: HUGE.
(his head circumference is in the 75th percentile)

OK, so my kid has a big head. I'd like to think that means he is going to be a genius. Apparently he needs to eat more, which I find funny, because I feel like he is always eating. I guess a diet of fruit snacks and bananas isn't packing on the pounds, which is why one of my new year resolutions is to make healthy well rounded dinners 3-4 times per week. We gotta get this kid to eat his meat and potatoes!

As you can see I dragged Jon along for this appointment. I figured since he isn't working at the moment he could come along, help, and hold down the kid when he got his shots. Fair, considering I had to do that all by myself the first year of his life. Not fun. Is there anything worse then holding down a child who doesn't understand what is happening to him? He's probably thinking, "Mommy, why are you letting them do this to me? I'm a good boy." Truthfully, I don't think the shots bother him that much, it's the being restrained that this kid HATES.

He's good for another 3 months. Hopefully we can get him beefed up by his next appointment, otherwise we have to start including PediaSure in his diet.

Christmas

2009-12-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

santa came to our house. i left the lights on the tree on all night so when we awoke in the morning we'd be greeted with this pleasant sight. Lovely, don't you agree?

my little angel with his gifts.

this "little people" airplane was a favorite. rowan thanks his cousins for this super fun toy!

this "sassy car wash" from uncle chris and aunt princess was another winner. we made the mistake of letting him open it first. i say mistake because once it was opened he wasn't interested in the rest of the gifts (the airplane came later in the day) and was content to sit and play while daddy and i opened the rest of the gifts- including his.

before the ripping into packages began, he was having a good time with the pool rack.
"here dad, let's see if it fits on your head."

he did a pretty good job going through his stocking. the favorite item in there: the fruit snacks. that's my boy!

daddy is really good at showing delight in his stocking goods. his favorite: the dark chocolate "orange."

whew! so many presents to unwrap. rowan needed a break.

of course jon had to throw in one of his custom wrap jobs. i'll give you one guess what he got me.

and kitty cat cole had a good time in empty boxes and bags.

lessons learned from Christmas 2009:
1.) don't wrap a 15 month old's gifts. it's pointless - unless you want to unwrap your gifts + some.
2.) meatloaf always takes longer to cook then the recipe specifies.
3.) don't make a huge salad that has nuts, feta cheese, onion, and pears in it and not expect leftovers.
4.) next year just buy cinnamon rolls for breakfast instead of getting up two hours early to make them from scratch. two words: BIG dissapointment.
5.) don't send a framed picture through the mail unless you want said framed picture to end up in pieces by the time it reaches it's final destination.
6.) don't buy husband a leather coat, go to great lengths to keep it a surprise, and expect him to love it as much as you thought he would. long story short: the coat was returned the next day and traded in for two pairs of pants. BUT he does look dang good in the pants, so i am ok with it.

all in all it was a good day. we hope yours was as well.

Christmas Eve festivities

2009-12-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

we actually started off the day by eating at mcdonalds. then we went to the mall! yes, i know we're crazy venturing there the day before Christmas.

rowan opening his Christmas Eve gift with some help from daddy.

admiring the new pj's.

modeling the pj's.

then of course we played the rice pudding game. i technically won, but passed the almond onto jon - it was a sneaky kiss. my first time to win! the odds were in my favor with craig, carol, and megan gone this year.

as always, it was a fun night. the bread bowls were delicious, and the company delightful.

meeting santa....

2009-12-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

for the first time.

as soon as he was given the candy cane he was fine.

do you think rowan is thinking, "hmmm a guy that gives me candy, this can't be bad." guess I'll have to reiterate to rowan when he's older that it is OK to take candy from a bonafied Santa Clause, but not from strangers or weird men dressed up as Santa as a ploy to get kids to sit on their laps for reasons besides being genuinely interested in what they want for Christmas.

going private.

2009-12-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

random picture for this post, but I don't believe I've ever shared it.

Jon and Jordan Sparks. 2009 in Arizona. oh, and for jon's sake and reputation as a music lover - a picky one- i should mention that he did not attend a jordan spark's concert. he was filming something she was in for some AZ teen show.

Yep, I am finally taking action on this matter. If you still want to view this blog, please provide your email address by leaving a comment, or if you don't want it "out there," you can email it to me at heatherlarson88@gmail.com. thanks everyone!

haircut.

2009-12-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

as much as i love rowan's great head of hair, there comes a point when it is even too shaggy for me, and i like shaggy, on rowan and his daddy. but the poor kid was developing a mullet, so it was time. the thing that made me finally take action was the coupon we got in the mail for a $6.00 haircut, and just like that we were off to great clips.

and since rowan did so well - 100 times better then he did the first time - i got him a happy meal (his first ever) when it was all over. ok, and let's be honest, mommy needed a caffeine fix. the above picture is very true to life. if rowan is in his chair eating, miles is right there waiting for something to be dropped, and let's be honest, a 15 month old drops plenty in the lunch eating process - sometimes unintentionally, but plenty of intentional dropping goes on.

no worries, that is not soda in his sippy. i got him lemonade, which is also quite the treat since this kid normally gets milk or water. doesn't he look so handsome?

profile shot of "the do." the beautician this time treated it like a bonafied haircut. she got out the buzzer and everything! she also let rowan play with her alligator clip, so between that and the licorice i was feeding him, he got through the ordeal like a champ.

and here he is inspecting his slightly freaky avatar toy that came with his meal. we might just have to make this a new tradition. be a good boy when you get your haircut and you'll get a happy meal. not the greatest reward, it's like, "here son, i am giving you the gift of clogged arteries." but, considering i only manage to get his haircut every 3 months or so, i guess 4 happy meals a year wont make him addicted to fast food, or an obese child. so i suppose i can let it fly.

**both Jon and I called his cut "the Hitler cut," and that was before we had even spoken to one another. hilarious.**

winter wonderland.

2009-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

our tree in all its decorated glory.

what our weekend consisted of. lots of snow, and lots of plowing.

yes, there is a tractor under all that snow.

the backyard.

we got dumped on this past weekend. tons of snow saturday and sunday. jon had to plow the driveway before he could even leave for church because he couldn't get the car out of the garage.
he also had to run to the gas station for gas for the tractor after church- it was that or risk gettting snowed in at the house. on his way to get the gasoline he got the truck stuck in the driveway. he had to spend a good hour digging it free. oh the joys of winter. i don't think rowan and i have left the house since friday. not that that is a bad thing, since rowan is still getting over a cold. it's looking a little friendlier outside today, so when jon gets home i hope we can get out and do something before he leaves tomorrow for six days. (he's finishing up work on a film) hope you are all having a white Christmas too!

in love with toy story.

2009-12-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Rowan has seriously been enjoying Toy Story 1 & 2 these days. He could easily watch it beginning to end without needing anything. Of all the movies and all the shows on TV this is the attention getter. HE LOVES IT. He doesn't even play with toys here and there while it's on, his attention is totally focused on the TV. Jon and I are really excited to take him to Toy Story 3. Anyone know when it actually comes out?

Rowan relaxing in the toy room and watching the movie.

This is hilarious. Did you know Toy Story had a scary part? It does, and this is what Rowan does when that part comes up. He use to rush out of the room crying and reaching for me, where we would sit together until the scary part was over, but now he just leaves the bedroom and watches it from behind the wall- carefully peeking out. So cute.

**The scary part is when Buzz & Woody are in Sid's room and Woody is looking around and the toy with the doll head, one eye, and robotic spider legs comes out from under a dresser or something. You know the part right?

** I apologize for the blurry photos. I really can't stand blurry pictures, and try not to post them, but this was too funny.

another one bites the dust.

2009-12-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

my son is at it again. and this time with elmo! seems his affections don't run as deep for the furry monster as i thought. better keep the bathroom doors closed from now on.

my favortie go-to dinner recipe.

2009-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

this dish from cuisine nie is awesome. jonathan and i both LOVE it. so good. so easy. so tastey.
if you are looking for a fast, warm, easy, delicious, and healthy recipe for dinner, THIS IS IT.
a must try in our opinion.

he must be sick...

2009-12-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

because his afternoon nap was 3 1/2 hours long!

scenic site: snot waterfalls
location: rowan's nostrils.
like the constant drool wasn't bad enough.