A picture is worth a thousand words....

To spare you having to read my thousand words (because, really, I could write that much) I will let you just look at the pictures of our trip to Canada. We had a fantastic time - perfect fall weather, the entire family home for a week, a huge 60th birthday party for my Dad (which I don't have any pictures of!), and Thanksgiving at the Larson farm with almost the entire Larson family - there were 65 of us! Thanksgiving day was everything it should be - family, turkey, quads, football, fire, guns...what more could you ask for!

A glimpse into the female mind.....

My husband Ryan's official standpoint on the female gender in general is that "chicks are crazy", and he doesn't mind sharing that opinion with me, or anyone else. Now, I have always defended my gender to the utmost degree -loving, caring, emotional, feeling, rational, lovely...these things we are, crazy, we are not. However, as of yesterday I am beginning to wonder......

You see, yesterday, I cut my hair. I mean, I really cut my hair. My hair was past my shoulders, and now no part of it is remotely close to my shoulders. In my world, this is a big deal. Since then (yesterday at around 5:00) I have been living in turmoil:

"What have I done?" (the obvious statement after any haircut)

"Why cut my hair so short when I am 6 months pregnant?" (as if my face needed any help looking rounder)

"I think the left side is longer than the right side" (followed by a good 10 minutes in front of the mirror with the straightener)

"I think I actually do like it..." (then again.....)

"Oh. My. Gosh...what have I done?"

Now, I know all you guys out there are thinking - Ryan had it right all along - chicks, (especially this one) are (definitely) crazy!

But, girls of the world - you are behind me right? I'm not really crazy.

(Am I?) :)

Baby #3 is a.....

Mystery!!

I went in for an appointment today, and my doctor looked for the second time to see if we could tell what we are having, but that baby is having none of it! So, I guess we just wait. My doctor will do another sonogram for me, but that won't be for another 4 weeks!

In other news, Larson has started praying out loud. His prayer last night at supper went like this:
"Dear God, Thank you for SuperDave. Thank you for Secily. Daddy took the rope down. (Ryan had taken down some rope decoration from Larson's room yesterday) Thank you for music in me (translation: High School Musical 2....should I be embarrassed? I am.) Thank you for my cars. Bry is going surfing. A-men.
God must get a kick out of all the little prayers He hears - partly thankful, partly informative, mostly hilarious.

Since we are still without a camera for me to post any recent pictures......here is a picture selected at random from my computer - it's the entire Larson family, taken 4 days after Secily was born.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrel....

That's right. Those are my precise feelings about the person who went through my checked luggage and stole my camera and my credit card! (I know, not the brightest move on my part to put my credit card into my checked luggage, but still.....) I had some great pictures on the camera too - that is the worst part of it all.
So, you will just have to imagine the great time that we had making sushi when Erik & Yuriko were here. We had a homemade sushi feast...so good!
Thankfully we have been with family for the past month, so we have pictures from them that I can post.
Our trip to Ohio.....
Larson & Granny Making Cookies:


Secily & I:


Larson & Grandpa Glenn in the woods:

Larson & Secily at Inniswood Gardens:


My Parents Visit to Texas:

Larson & Grandpa:


Bryan, Mom, Secily & I at the lake (beautiful picture of me, I know):
(Side note: My mom went inland surfing this past week. Larson & Secily now have a Granny who hang-glides, and a Grandma who surfs!!)

Larson & Eraina watching Nemo:
Friends Visiting for the Day! It was so fun to see Carson & Hilary, SuperDave (who, for those of you who don't know, really is super) & Vella!!

Hopefully we will get a new camera soon, but in the meantime I will have to blog with whatever photos I can find on the computer! Should be interesting.....

A Visit from Grandpa Glenn

Glenn came through yesterday, just for the day, but I was able to get some great pictures of him & Secily.



Larson wasn't being totally cooperative for the photo session:


But, he did manage to find time in his busy day to put up a little play-dough art display on the wall

In other, unrelated news, Ryan shaved his head.

Me, Myself, and....My

Larson does not yet have the word "I" in his vocabulary. He instead subs in the word "my". So, a few of his most commonly used sentences these days are:
"Mom, look what my did!"
and,
"What do my get?"
We haven't done much lately...here is a brief sampling of our last week:
Aunt Lesley left us last Thursday (sniff, sniff) but we did get a visit from Aunt Elizabeth on Saturday! :)

Larson has been trying to work the Healy shoes - they are only about 10 sizes too big, but that doesn't stop him from having a good time!

Ryan made a strawberry smoothie....the kids couldn't get enough!

Update

I know I have not posted in a really long time. I haven't been away, I have no good excuse actually... so here is a brief catch up of what has been going on:

We went out to the lake last weekend with Bryan. The kids love the boat. Especially Larson - he just wants to "go fast in the boat". He seems a little nervous about anyone riding behind the boat, but as soon as we get home, all he does is pretend that he is wake-boarding!
Some pics from the lake -
Bryan wake boarding - throwing something big:

Secily enjoying the boat ride, in her own special seat:
Larson wanting to take over the captain's chair:
We have been doing a lot of normal, everyday stuff like mowing the lawn, which to some of you, and to me seems like a pretty mundane thing, but not so to Larson. Lawn-mowing day is his favorite. Here are Ryan & Larson finishing Larson's favorite activity ever....weed-eating!
The kids and I have also been enjoying the weather, and spending a lot of time at the pool, or anywhere else that is wet. Larson & Secily both love the splash park:

We have had Lesley (Ryan's sister) staying with us for the past 3 1/2 weeks. It has been so much fun to have her around! Larson calls her "Auntie Lefley". Ryan has called Lesley, Secily, and Secily, Lesley. It can be rather confusing. Here is Secily & Aunt Lesley, or Lesley and Aunt Secily...however you want to say it:

North Carolina - Part II

It has taken me a bit longer than I had planned to post the rest of these pictures, but better late than never....

Queen of the Beach:


Larson with Granny & Grandpa:


Alan 'eating' crawfish:


Hang-Gliding lessons:


The whole gang:
What a great vacation!

Now, we are back in the swing of things at home,

Potty training (which, I may add is going pretty well!!)


The kids favorite summer-time activity...POPSICLES!!

And we are loving having Aunt Lesley stay with us for awhile! So much fun!

North Carolina - Part 1

We just got back from a fabulous vacation to North Carolina. We spent 8 days around Kitty Hawk (where the Wright Brothers took their first flight). We were with Ryan's whole family & had a fantastic time. The kids loved the beach! I have a ton of pictures....really, a ton - like if you have a week or so of spare time, I could probably show then all to you. So I have chosen a select few to post....

The Files 4 on the beach:


Ryan & Alan ready to surf:


Larson 'surfing':


Secily:


Ryan & Larson taking in some waves:


July 1 - Canada Day....we had our very own Mountie!! :)


July 4th - Secily's first birthday!

Fourth Of July Fireworks:

Lesley & her boyfriend Sam giving the Top Gun high 5 at our sand volleyball tournament:

**It is taking me FOR-ever to post pictures tonight....you will have to tune in for North Carolina - Part 2 later this week. :) **