Muliti-purpose bAgS!

Today we woke up to rain. Lucky for us Carly is young and didn't fight me on covering her cast in a white plastic bag, so it wouldn't get wet. Poor Carly, Conner ran in and got his jacket on (just a light weight zip up in the middle with a hood) and said "I will stay dry!" Carly looks at me and says, "What am I going to do, my arm won't fit in my jacket sleeve?" Lucky for us there are plastic bags and umbrella's!

UPDATE on Carly:

Carly has been sleeping better at night thank goodness!

Copied cupcakes...

It was my assignment to take cupcakes to our home teaching families and to our family party. I copied these cute cupcakes from Kristie Memmott and Family Fun website. Wish I would have taken a picture of one out of the pan:(

(thanks for the idea Kristie)

ALL six of us...

We have never all gone to a movie together. Saturday was a first, we all went to see "Kung Fu PANDA". Cole has been asking to see it for months. Finally we all got away and went. We had a great time.

Erik was happy because around the corner was a Borders and he got to get two new Lord of the Rings Books he has been wanting.

LaRiSsa...my youngest sister!

This month is such a special one;

It's birthday time for you.

We'd really like to celebrate Your happy day with you...

Zip-adee-ay and heigh-dee-ho,

Here's something we can do.

We'll sing a song that we all know,

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Yeah it's Larissa's birthday! We love Aunt Rissa. She is so much fun.

We love living so close to her and her family. It is fun to meet up and go to the park or have them over to ride bikes in our culdesac.

One of her favorite restaurants is Serrano's - she gets a bean and cheese burro with of course a DR. PEPPER. We have met up a few times to grab lunch there, yummy!

Larissa is a very beautiful woman with a cute petite figure. She is such a GREAT mom. Her girls are so lucky to have such a patient and loving mom. She has taught them to say the most beautiful prayers. She has a very STRONG testimony and does anything she can to serve the Lord. What a GREAT role model.

We LOVE to go to her house and get pedicures. She does such an AWESOME job!

We love you Aunt Larissa and hope you have a very SPECIAL birthday!

Thanks for being such a GREAT sister and aunt! We love you so much!

Cleaning or Organizing tips...

My cousin Kassi asked about cleaning and organizing tips...

Tip #1: I always go to bed with my kitchen dishes done. My sink clean and empty. I love waking up feeling ahead of the game.

Tip #2: Before I leave my house we do a sweep of the house, picking up all the toys. We come home to a picked up home, YEAH!

The Romney's are in UTAH now.

UPDATE:

The Romney's are now in Utah. They bought a home in Cedar Hills which is a town right next to American Fork and Highland. They can't move in until Sept. 3, so they are living with our cousin Brittany (Schneider) and Haven McCall until then. What a blessing that has been (thank you to the McCall family)! LaSchelle and Kurt wanted their kids to start the school year off at their new schools.

Tyler has already been invited to play basketball with some boys at the church. Courtney and Tanner have recess together - which works great since they don't know to many kids yet and can play with each other (thank heavens for siblings). Kayla is in 9th grade and we know SOON will meet some great friends. Her cell phone was lost for a few days, but now it has been found and that is a GOOD thing.

We love them... they are ALL in our prayers!

We can't wait to go visit and spend a day at LAGOON.

Sienna is TwO!!!

Sienna is two years old today! She is such a cutie pie. She has a little petite body and a smile to still your heart.

We love you Sienna and hope you have a FUN birthday!

TeNdEr hEARted Conner...

Conner has such a TENDER heart! When he found out Carly had broken her arm he was REALLY worried. Friday while he was at school she had gotten home from the hospital. He came right in and was very quiet and with his sweet countenance came over to her and asked how she was feeling. Well that night, we ate pizza. We cut Carly's pizza up into small pieces. She was sitting on the couch and we put her plate down on her lap with a fork. Conner went over sat down by her and FED her -her pizza. He has such a tender heart! I love this GREAT quality of his.

Buccaneers WON their first game!

Hip, hip HURRAY... the Buccaneer volleyball team won their first game today against

Willis Jr. High.

Way to go LINDSEY!

Carly and her PINK cast with SPARKLES!

Monday, 8-18-08, Carly went to the pediatric orthopedic surgeons office. There they did x-rays to make sure her pins were still in the right place - which they were.
They did a paper clip poke testing her fingers to make sure they were feeling properly.
Once everything was good they squeezed her hard cast together (they had left two slits down the side of the cast for swelling purposes) making the slights close up and put her pink cast on. Carly was so very patient and the doctor's assistant and the nurse were so fun and patient with Carly.
They even put a BLACK cast on Carly's bear. Yes, adding sparkles at the end. Carly got to choose what color and if it too would have sparkles. They were so GOOD with her.
So Carly now has a PINK cast with sparkles and her bear a BLACK cast with sparkles. How very cute.

The plan now is that in 3 weeks we will go back to the Dr. and have x-rays. If everything looks good they will take the pins out right there in the office. They WILL NOT put another cast on. She has to be very careful for another 3 weeks - more x-rays and then hopefully we will be good to go. They wrote her out a script saying NO playground, jumping, running, sliding, PE, or any active playing for TEN weeks, BUMMER! They may change the script to playing sooner if things heal good and Carly does what she is suppose to right now.

Lucky for us, Carly loves to color, draw, play on the computer, read, play games, and do quiet sit down activities. Now if this was Conner we would be IN TROUBLE!

We got to go to JUSTICE and get Carly her SECOND webkin and out to lunch at Sombreros. YUMMY! I love this one on one time with Carly. We don't get it that often anymore.

The night we were in the hospital at around 1am she was really having a hard time sleeping due to pain and unsure of the hospital. I was sitting on her bed rubbing her face and arms she said, "MOM I love you!" I wanted to just bawl like a baby. She is such a sweetheart. I guess I had been a bit stressed out and needed to hear that. A tender mercy...

Carly and I went and got her picture taken yesterday with her fun PINK sparkly cast. She had a HORRIBLE night last night, couldn't sleep. I had decided she would stay home today, but she wanted to go. It was picture day and she wanted her picture taken for her school id. I was worried because she has still had quite a bit of pain, so I came at lunch time to check in and she was doing GREAT! Her teacher is AWESOME! She came to our house Friday after school with a Sonic drink for Carly and I and a HUGE card the students had made her. I love teachers like her!

Daddy Daughter...Uncle Lance

Tonight for Young Women's was date night with your Dad. Erik had planned on taking the night off, so he could go with Lindsey. Well after having to take off 2 nights last week because of Carly's broken arm surgery he couldn't get the night off. Both he and Lindsey were TOTALLY bummed. Lindsey said, "I just won't go without Dad!" I was sad for both of them.

After school as Lindsey was getting on the bus she called and said, "I will go if Uncle Lance will be my date. Mom will you please call him?" I guess her sweet friend Ally Larson at school told her she had to come, that it was going to be lots of fun! (We have an amazing YW and YM's program. Lots of GREAT youth!)

I was worried to call Lance at such short notice. He was so CUTE though and said "he would love to go!" He is such an awesome uncle and brother!

I guess one of the games they played tonight was the one where the Dad's (men) go behind a sheet and have only their feet/legs showing. Lance was the youngest man there by far and Lindsey chooses the oldest man's feet/legs (a girls GRANDFATHER) thinking it was Lance's, I am laughing writing this! Lance couldn't believe it, he said his feet/legs were in the best shape by far, how could Lindsey have missed them?! You can hear him saying that, can't you?

They had a GREAT time! Uncle Lance even treated Lindsey to a SONIC drink afterwards! Thank you so much Uncle Lance!

Just found the papers they used to interview each other:

Lance's Favorites - Lindsey's Favorites

COLOR: blue- purple

FOOD: Mexican- pizza

Day of the WEEK: Saturday- Saturday

Primary SONG: Do As I 'm Doing- I am a Child of God/Child's Prayer

ANIMAL: Dog/horse- Dog

ACTIVITY/Hobby: Basketball - Volleyball

Papa Morris "Happy Birthday!"

Monday, August 18 was Grandpa John Wayne Morris' birthday!

We love you and enjoy the FUN traditions we share with you!

Can't wait until you return from the White Mountains, so we can start having FHE on Monday nights again at your house!

MoWing the lawn...

Saturday is a special day is the day we get ready for SUNDAY,

we MOW the lawn...

Conner's first time to mow our backyard. He did a fabulous job!

He even cleaned it all up by using the blower.

I can't believe he is old enough to do this. Erik is a happy camper!

SUPERB job Conner, you are a great helper! I love you!

fIrSt vOlLeYbAlL gAmE

Buccaneers have their VERY first volleyball game. Lindsey serves the FIRST serve. Great game I heard, good job Lindsey & Jasmine!!
Lindsey's very BEST friends came to watch her, Olivia Knapp and Megan Hunt! Thanks! Uncle Logan, Papa Larsen, Dad, and Conner were there to cheering LINDSEY on, you are all so AWESOME!

kid + monkey bars = broken arm

It was Thursday, 8-14-08 at NOON time. I was over at Lisa's (my turn to watch the boys - her turn to work with Oma). I had just feed the boys, we had been to the park earlier, played blocks, getting ready for nap time, and me a little quiet time. I had no sooner hung up with my brother-in-law Richard Webb telling him life was GOOD no worries when my cell phone rang.

It was the school nurse informing me Carly had fallen off the monkey bars and needed to be picked up and taken to get x-rays of her arm.

Well I said I would be right there.

Hung up and thought oh she is probably over-reacting (they tend to do that).

Tried to call Erik, but he would most likely still be sleeping, no answer.

I loaded the boys up knowing I would be right back.

No sippy cups or extra diapers we would be right back.

Erik had woken up and saw that the school had called and so had I, so he called me to see what was up.

Get to the school holding a boy in each hand and as soon as I walked into the office they point to the nurses office.

Carly was screaming, "It hurts, it hurts" as loud as she could. The minute I saw her arm I knew it was broken. "She started crying I want Daddy!" Boy did I fell loved. Called Erik and told him to meet me at the ER (Gilbert Mercy).

As we drove, Carly's poor cry put Cole to sleep and Jase closing his eyes as we entered the parking lot. I drove up to where you drop off and then go park. A lady and nurse came out to help me. Placing Carly in a wheelchair and pushing her inside while I went to park.

Cole was out, fast asleep... I put him over one shoulder and Jase opened his eyes and I carried him in on my other shoulder. Carly was crying "where is my mom?" as I walked in and stopped to give them her info.

They got us right in and into a room. Cole continued to sleep and Jase was an angel. Erik arrived, thank goodness. They immediately tried 4 times to put an IV in to get pain medicine in quickly. NO luck, a vain blew and the rest wouldn't take. They then decided to get her MORPHINE threw a shot in her thigh muscle, not pretty. At that point Carly had heard Erik talking to his parents and started yelling "I want Papa!" She wanted someone to save her.

I took the boys to get a treat and try to find someone to come get them (lucky to have a cell phone). Erik went with her to get x-rays.

Logan was leaving the gym, so he came and got the boys, THANK YOU! He was going to take them to Larissa's and hang with them there. THANK YOU BOTH!

Erik's parents arrived and we both got into the room as the doctor did to review her x-rays and his suggested treatment. She had a very bad break and needed SURGERY to place 3 pins in her arm right above her elbow. A fireman was working and came in to try one last time to get an IV in. He had the magic touch, right inside her elbow.

Poor Carly the MORPHINE was finally starting to work.
She had to be transported by ambulance to Desert Banner, Erik rode with her. The pediatric orthopedic surgeon was there.
Leaving the ER up to the second floor to be prep for surgery.
All ready to go, the surgery should take 1 1/2 hours plus 3o minutes before and after surgery to wake up. Oh wait, I need to go potty. This was too much on her tummy and as soon as we got back from trying to walk to the bathroom she began throwing up. LOVELY, poor girl! I love you Carly, you are so brave!

Carly I am so proud of how BIG you are being. All over, the surgery only took 45 minutes! Everything went GREAT! She had to stay over night so they could watch her closely. She started throwing up, darn it. She was being so brave and trying to be happy. Dad headed home to relieve Lindsey so she could go to bed. Lindsey and Conner were so sweet, they each sent a card down with Papa Larsen for Carly and were very concerned about how she was doing. We are so blessed to have Lindsey who took care of everything at home while we were at the hospital, THANK YOU!

HURRAH, time to go home! Mom is a little nervous. She has only peed 2x and eaten a small bowl of cereal. They just took out her IV and her arm is super sore.

Dad and Cole came and picked us up. All Carly wanted was to go to Lindsey's FIRST volleyball game. That has been her biggest worry the whole time. Unfortunately, Carly was in too much pain and had to have her arm elevated for the next 24 hours there was no way she could go to the volleyball game in 4 1/2 hours. SAD SAD lots of tears!

Will go see the Doctor Monday and get her real cast, maybe she can go to school Tuesday!

e-x-e-r-c-i-s-e...

EXERCISE...

Do any of you have one of these mini trampoline's?

Grandma Larsen used one - you may have remember seeing or even jumping on it at her house.

Well Kurt (LaSchelle's husband) got a workout DVD that goes with it. This is what started his amazing drive to exercise and get healthier. He looks GREAT!

Well for Christmas Logan got me the trampoline and the Romney's the DVD.

I have worked out on the trampoline off and on.

I have been procrastinating exercising for awhile now and decided today is the day I am getting serious! I wish I had a walking/running partner, but not too many people want to get up at 5am to exercise. I am committing to doing better. I am going to set up a chart and rotate different forms of exercise.

I can do it, I can do it...Christmas pictures are around the corner and I can't continue feeling yucky and having NO energy. Off I go!

tOoTh, hAiR, iCe,

Today CARLY came home from school with one lEsS tooth!

Carly and Lindsey got their haircut today. Both excited to have Shelly Millyard cut their hair. She always does such a gOoD job.
sHoRtEr in the back than the front.

Lindsey got "3" inches cUt off!
A little sHoRtEr in the back too!

I am jealous I need my haircut sO bad.

Getting my haircut is literally oNe of my favorite things to do.

Shaved ice...what we dId for FHE tonight!

Lindsey and I both lOvE pina colada shaved ice!

Yum yum, now let's get hOmE and watch the Olympics!

Lindsey's FIRST fireside

Is it possible, Lindsey is old enough to go to YOUTH firesides?

Tonight our stake had a Youth Recognitions fireside for all youth 12-18 and their parents.

I love it when Erik and I get to be together with our children one on one. It was fun to be with Lindsey and share with her this spiritual night. The speakers were great. The youth conducted the whole mtg. including the music. I love when the youth has this opportunity to develop these leadership skills.

It was also fun afterwards to mingle and meet Lindsey's friends from school. She is such a good girl and is excited about being a teenager and getting to be able to go to youth activities.

Thanks to Uncle Logan and Oma for coming over and hanging out with Conner, Cole, and Carly. Bedtime was 8pm, when we walked in the door at 8:50 Conner was still awake

( Oma & Uncle Logan are softies!). The Olympics were on and they were enjoying them.

It's OFFICIAL Lindsey made it...

Lindsey made the 7th grade volleyball team at her school.

60 girls tried out and the coach only kept 12!

We are so proud of her.

Way to go Lindsey!!

When we got the call she made it Erik hurried and made chocolate chip cookie dough.

This is one of her favorite treats.

Her friend Jasmine made it too! Her mom bought a cake and ice cream and had us over tonight to CELEBRATE! (YUM YUM)

Trying to keep our eyes open...

After Grandpa Larsen's 90th party several of us got together for a LADIES night! We wanted to visit and catch up on life. We are so blessed to have such a close relationships with our cousins.

Lisa Steverson, Me, and Sharleen Russell
Ciminy Alder and Aunt Linda (what a trooper, she was so tired)!
Marlo Alder & Jodi Alder (we went to Jodi's house - we were all excited to see it)
Kaylene Barrus (down from Idaho) and Kristie Memmott (here from Utah) lots of fun stories.
Michelle Taylor (here from Utah) we are the same age! I love being apart of her life now that we are both doing blogs, I check hers daily. She is SO talented.

What a fun night! We were all so tired! Several of us were DOWNING caffeine drinks to stay awake. I loved this time together. I wish we could get together more often. An annual COUSIN'S reunion would be a blast! What GREAT woman to be surrounded by.

Grandpa Larsen's "90" birthday party!

Saturday, August 2 Grandpa Justin Charles Larsen turned "90"! Of course a BIG party was thrown with lots of people in attendance.

Lot's of candles were on the cake - his great grandchildren helped him blow them out! Not only was there cake, but lots of yummy food!

Uncle Mike (Grandpa's youngest son) with two of his friends.
Cassandra, her little girl, Jen, and her little girl (they all belong to Uncle Terry)
Aunt Joyce (Grandpa's 2nd daughter) and Logan
Papa Ron Larsen (Grandpa's oldest son) and amazing DAD!
Lisa Steverson & Jodi Alder posing for the camera every time I came near them.
Lance Larsen, Case (his son), Zak Larsen, and Logan Larsen
Larissa Lopez & Heather Larsen (Lance's wife)

Charlie & Lana Howard (Mike's daughter)
Rick & Cassandra Larsen (Terry's oldest son)
Sharleen Russell, JJ Alder, and Steven's baby boy (they all belong to Joyce Alder)
Ciminy & Steven Alder (Joyce's #2 son) having lots of fun!
Marlo Alder with daughter Cashlee (JJ's wife - Joyce's daughter-in-law)

Heather, Lance, Case, & Crew Larsen (Ron's #5 child)
Lindsey my date for the night - she was a great help!
Carly and Whitney Steverson enjoying their dinner!
Ramie Lopez, Lisa Steverson and her daughter Brynn.
Larissa Lopez, Zak Larsen, and Aunt Joyce Alder

We all wrote a letter to Grandpa attaching pictures of us and put it in this book. It is amazing...a tear jerker if I must say!
What a handsome man...in great health and quite active for a man his age.
Jase Steverson (Lisa's little boy) and Oma Roxann Larsen (Ron's wife)
Logan Larsen (Ron's youngest child) what a stud!

I kept taking pictures of him, he was getting so mad!

Amazing women and role models to me!

Michelle Taylor & Kaylene Barrus (Linda's daughters), me & Kylee (Larissa Lopez's daughter) and Jodi Alder (Joyce's oldest daughter)

Ramie Lopez (Ron's grand-daughter) and Brynn Steverson (Ron's grand-daughter)

the best of friends!
Kassi, Jordan, & Mikel Jensen (Mike's youngest daughter)
Ramie Lopez, Brynn & Ryan Steverson (they all belong to Ron)
The MAN of the night! Eating before all his guest arrive!

Our family showed up at 4pm to swim.
Carly having a GREAT time on the slide!
Lindsey and Case Larsen (Lance's little one)
Ron and Lance hanging by the pool!

What a fun night! All of Grandpa's kids were there, all but 2 great-grandkids, and lots of his great great grandkids. Tons of his friends and extended family came to celebrate with him.

Thanks to all who planned and made it all happen.

Aunt Joyce made an amazing quilt (sad I didn't get a picture of it), she is SO talented.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA, I love you!