I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking the kids to scout camp. I want there to be a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.
~Marjorie Pay Hinckley~

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Decorating the Tree

I really really love Christmas and one of my favorite traditions is decorating the tree. I don't have a big fancy tree with wonderful ornaments that all match. My tree is all the ornaments that my kids have made throughout the years. To me, no tree is more beautiful, because this tree represents my family, which means more to me than anything on earth. Merry Christmas!




Saturday, December 19, 2009

Larsen Family Christmas Party

The first weekend of Dec we had our family Christmas party at my parents house. This has become such a fun tradition, because it's hard to get us all together anymore. The grandkids all dress up and act out the nativity. We have a CD of my Grandma Sitterud reading the Christmas story, and so that is a neat way for our kids to know about her even though she has passed away. This year Aubree was Mary, and it had to be authentic so she stuffed a pillow up her shirt so she could be "great with child" Kaden was Joseph. Tyson wanted to be a wiseman and wear a crown and Brennen wanted a stick so we made him a shepard. Of course Cambree was baby Jesus.
Here is the cast of the play. Brielle the angel really just wanted her mom. I also like Tyson the Wise Man picking his nose. Nice.

Joseph and Mary great with child.

My niece Brielle wouldn't wear her halo. This is my Grandpa Dee showing her how to wear it. It was just a precious moment.

My parents alway have the kids open the presents from them and the cousins also draw names so they get to open that present too. Also Santa's elf brings them a little present. After all the toys that were everywhere, Brennen and Brielle just wanted to stack paper cups.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Basketball




Kaden's absolute favorite sport is Basketball, which is appropriate since he is 8 years old and almost 5 feet tall. This year he has had a really good year because his coordination is finally catching up to his body. He is awesome on defense and he even scored 2 baskets at his game the other night. (That is really good, because at this age, sometimes no one scores a basket the entire game.)

Friday, December 11, 2009

Kaden's Program


For third grade program, they do a cultural program. They learn all about a specific culture and then they perform a program at the end. It is a really neat thing. They did Polyensia again this year. Kaden's teacher did an Awesome job painting all the boys face for the Haka, or war dance. At the end, they are suposed to pull a scary face to intimidate the enemies, so that is what this pose is. I didn't get any pics of the actual program because we sat on the wrong side of the gym and couldn't get a good angle.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Cambree 3 months

So I have tons of stuff to catch up on, so I will try and do it a little at a time. This is my baby at three months old. She is getting so big. She smiles so much and even laughs a little. She is the only baby I have had who will just smile spontaniously at this age. She is such a happy girl and a good girl, although she likes to be held rather than laid down. We love this little chubby bunny!