Bridal Shower to Baby Shower

As the year comes to an end it is so interesting to see all the changes in our lives. The beginning of year started with an engagement...which started up the bridal shower whirlwind. Now we are finishing the year with a baby shower. Wow! All in one year...what were Ryan and I thinking?! Ha-ha!

My mom and sisters gave me my baby shower last night. It was so much fun. I got to get all giggly over the cute baby stuff (for sure a new thing for me) and also visit with lots of friends and family. My mom really out did herself with the event - it was seriously amazing. Ryan and I got lots of precious outfits for Blake (very manly little outfits, of course) and some toys and all the little bath and bed stuff. We were very grateful for everyone who participated in the shower. We really have the best friends and family.

This year has been amazing for Ryan and I. We have been here, there, and everywhere with lots of life changes (and even a few more to come). We have laughed hard and loved more. Happiness does not begin to describe the events that we have experienced together over the past year. The exciting part is that I know the good times will keep coming during 2012. Most importantly, we can't wait for Baby Blake to get here!

Just for fun....here is our high and low for the year 2011...
High - Getting married and getting pregnant. Ryan also wants to add getting promoted to the list.
Low - Living in Louisiana so far away from our families.

Bring on 2012!!!!

Smiles and Santa

We have been SO busy in North Carolina! There have been lots of things to do and lots of people to see. One of the first things that we did was our maternity photo shoot! This was a wonderful Christmas gift from my mom. We ended up spending about 3 hours taking various pictures in lots of places. The most time was spend at this old factory in Franklin County. It was such a dump, but it made the pictures look so great. Here are a few of our favorites! I am now 34 weeks pregnant...which means that we will have our little man with us in 6 weeks!!! I can't believe how quickly time is flying. I can't wait for Baby Blake to be here and to have our little family!



When we weren't smiling for the camera, we were smiling at all of our family Christmas get togethers. We have attended probably 4 or 5 and we have eaten more than we can say! Our families gave us lots of great gifts. We got a nice camera, fun games, a warm BYU blanket, and cute stuff for Blake. We also had lots of fun giving gifts too! More importantly, Ryan and I learned that the best Christmas gifts don't have a price tag on them. We learned that we are going to be an aunt and uncle too! Christmas really is a magical and wonderful time!

Christmas in NC

Over the river (the Mississippi River, that is) and through the woods to NC we go! :)

Last year we went to Utah for Christmas, so this year we are in NC. Ryan and I woke up early yesterday morning and started our drive. We have been approved for me to ride all 17 hours at 33 weeks pregnant as long as I stop every few hours and walk around.

Yesterday we drove around 10-11 hours and stopped to spend the night in Atlanta, Georgia. It was kind of fun to listen to music, talk,  and explore at random stops along the way. Great times together. The cutest moment was when Ryan was "rocking out" to Linkin Park, Blake started to dance and kick too. We laughed so hard. I have a feeling that father and son will have lots of  bonding moments like that.

This morning we woke up and drove the last 6 hours. It was smooth sailing as we got closer to North Carolina. I was SO SO SO excited! We got to see my parents and then we had dinner with my grandparents (the famous chicken and rice)! It was a great way to start our vacation.

I know Ryan will miss having Christmas in Utah, but he is so amazing and fun here with the Wiggins and Dixon side of our family. We are so happy about having this Christmas together as a couple and also sharing it with our friends and family. Christmas is such an exciting time!

Early Christmas

This is our first Christmas together as a married couple. We are going to North Carolina this year for Christmas with my family, but we also wanted to have OUR own Christmas here in OUR house. It was very important to Ryan that we still have our own little traditions separate from both of our family traditions too.

So, this year we opened our Christmas presents to each other early...in our house....in front of our Christmas tree...and on our time! Neither one of us is great with patience. Originally we had planned to open our gifts the night or two before we left for NC. However, looking at the wrapped gifts under the tree just became too tempting for us! We were SO excited about our gifts for each other that we decided to go ahead and open them. Ps- we are totally in trouble when we have kids at Christmas - we will be opening gifts every night!

Ryan got me a Toshiba Thrive Tablet. He knew that I wanted a Kindle so that I could download and read all of my books, but he went above and beyond and got me a whole little mini computer!!! This thing is so great. I can download all of these apps, including my Kindle, the Gospel Library for church stuff, Baby Center, and so much more! Plus it is only like 2 pounds and its small so that I can carry it around everywhere with ease. This will make it nice when I am carrying a baby around too! :) Ryan really does always try to spoil me with gifts...he is so thoughtful!

I got Ryan a new Ipod. He had a nice one when we moved to Louisiana, BUT someone stole it out of his truck when we were getting our oil changed this summer. Yes, that is a nice reflection of the lovely locals here! Anyway, I got him a new one so that he could re download his songs and movies onto. Then I surprised him by getting a painting he got from his deployment framed. It is a huge Deitz painting made just for The Rock guys in Italy! It is now proudly hanging in our dining room. It's really heavy so I am just hoping it doesn't take the wall down. That would be bad.

I loved our Christmas! It is especially nice when you can see how much thought and love went into each gift. I guess we were both good this year! :) Now we are finishing some last minute gifts for our friends and family. Christmas time is so much fun!

New Job

When we first moved to Louisiana, I accepted a job at a local high school. The position was perfect becauase I was teaching the grade and subject of my choice AND the job was only until December. Ryan and I figured that this would be perfect since the baby is coming in February.

I have become very attached to the school and the students that I have worked with over the past 4 months. I wont lie - I was hoping that something might change so that I could teach the rest of the year and just take maternity leave. But, nothing like that happened. My last day of teaching this school year will be next Friday.

It is a bitter sweet moment. I hate leaving my students in the middle of the year but I know I will love having the time at home with the baby and Ryan. Teaching is all I have done for the past 4 years - it's just a part of me. Now I will be learning a new job...the full time homemaker job. I am excited for the time with my family and I am so grateful for the support from Ryan. I just hope he doesn't fire me. ;)

Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!! This is officially mine and Ryan's second Christmas together, but it's our first one as a married couple and with our own house. This year we ate chili, decorated our tree, hung our stockings, and watched The Christmas Carol! It was one of the best evenings of the year!



One of my personal favorite things to do is to turn off all the lights and just gaze at the Christmas tree lights. It's so pretty! I think I am slowly getting Ryan to appreciate it too. :)

We will be taking our stockings to NC with us in a few years, but we figured that we would hang them for looks in LA too. It's hard to believe that next year we will have 3 stockings! Christmas is such a magical time! :) 

SGT Ryan Larsen

Ryan has officially been pinned as a Sergeant in the United States Army! Such a big day and a huge accomplishment for him! He traveled a long road in order to get this and it is well deserved. He had to pass the promotional board (where he got questioned by the top ranking officers) and he had to pass points (which he has accumulated over the 3 1/2 years he has been in the Army).

Today is when it all became official. He had a Promotional Ceremony in which his old rank was switched out for his stripes. Then the fun part....he got to get punched in the chest by all of his higher ranking officers. Yes, they left their mark!

Ryan is now a leader and NCO over other soldiers. I know that this is a big responsibility and he will do a great job at it! He is a wonderful example and always does the right thing. I know that his guys are lucky to have him as a leader!

This year has been such a big year for Ryan and I. We have experienced an engagement, wedding, moving, and a baby on the way. This promotion is just another addition to a great year! Proud of SGT Ryan Larsen!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! Today was a first for a lot of things - The first Thanksgiving that Ryan and I were in the same geographical location, our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, our first Thanksgiving with a baby on the way (yum food!), and my first Thanksgiving away from home. Oh yeah...and my first Thanksgiving cooking - YIKES! Just kidding, considering all of the firsts, the day was AMAZING!

We spent our Thanksgiving with our family away from family - our Army friends! We had 3 other couples/families come to our house and enjoy food, games, and just good fun. One of the families had 2 precious children that Ryan loved playing with. Just further proof that he is going to be an amazing daddy soon (71 days and counting)!

Our Thanksgiving was somewhat potluck. Myself and the other ladies of the families sketched out a list of all our favorite foods and then we split up the dishes. We each made 4-6 things and brought them all together for one spectacular feast! Ryan and I were in charge of the ham (the man's job, apparently), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls! Now, for those that know me, this would normally be an impossible task for me. However, my domestication has significantly improved over the last 7-8 months and I actually pulled it all off! :) Everyone's food was great! Yay for the cooks!

Of course Thanksgiving is more than just good company, good food, and fun games... Ryan and I have so much to be thankful for!

1. We are thankful for each other and the wonderful life we have created together.

2. We are thankful for the opportunity to be parents to our sweet little boy on the way. He has already proven to be such a blessing in our lives.

3. Our families. We are scattered all across the US! We are very thankful for both of our families and the love and support they offer us. We wish we could have been with everyone this year!

4. We are thankful for our friends. Being so far away from family can be hard, but having great friends makes it so much easier. They are our family away from family!

5. We are thankful for the small and simple things in life - and basically this includes everything else. Yes, the list could go on forever! :)

Just because Thanksgiving is over does not mean that you stop being grateful. Count your blessings every day!!

Still Daddy's Little Girl :)

Ryan and I have been lucky enough to have family visit us a few times in Louisiana. This time it was my Dads turn! The first time he came to Louisiana was when he helped me drive down in June. Ryan and I didn't really have anything settled with the house then, so it was nice to have my Daddy back to see it all fixed!

Since Leesville isn't the best tourist attraction, we ended up just relaxing and spending time together. We did a little shopping and of course he brought some cute little outfits for Baby Blake - totally Carolina Tarheels themed! Also, I didn't have to work this week because of Thanksgiving, so I got to spend some extra one on one time with him! What can I say? I am still a Daddy's little girl!

I think he really enjoyed being able to see me pregnant (and not just on skype). He also got to feel Baby Blake move, which he said was a cool thing for him. His visit was so nice and it made me even more excited to go home to NC for Christmas!!!

3rd Trimester

Well, according to the charts, I am in my 3rd Trimester!!! All I can say is that it is very surreal. I am SO excited on some levels and SO unprepared on others. Let's just say it will be a busy next 3 months. I just can't wait to hold our little baby in 3 months! It will be such a beautiful and life changing moment in the life of the Larsen's!

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day and a big Thank You to all who have served and continue to serve our country!

I know I am thankful for my grandfather, brother-in-law, and most importantly - my husband!

Ryan and I were talking last night about the pride of a military family. We agreed that there is a certain pride that is held within a military family at all times. They go through so much and just have that sense of unity - almost like a certain reverence and respect for military life.

We also talked about our son and his future. I know that he will be very young while we are still in the Army - 1 year old, but I hope that he will know the military life and have that pride for everything Ryan has done in the past 3, almost 4, years of his life.

Ryan and I also talked about how proud we would be of our son if he ever joined the military. As hard as it would be at times, we would stand by him and support him! We even joked about how he would then find a girl in NC and marry her. Hehe...

I am not ashamed to say that there are times when I have been so angry with the Army - I have hated the times they have taken Ryan away for long periods, I have hated the danger that they have put my loved ones in, and I have hated having to live the Army schedule and not my own. However, I will ALWAYS be proud of being married to a soldier and what that represents. I know that they have done so much good in the world and they are fighting to protect ALL of us and our many comforts. Ryan joined the Army because he wanted to make more of his life. Being in the Army has been some of his best years. He loved being deployed because he knew that he had a very important purpose. He has had so many experiences that have given meaning to his life and others because of his service. Our family is proud to be in the Army!

"Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his brother."

Ryan & The Board

I can not tell you how proud I have been of Ryan these past few weeks. He has juggled so many things...and done them so well! First of all, Ryan has taken the opportunity to take some college classes - thanks to the Army's dime! :) These classes have been in addition to his full time work. Not only has he proven that he can handle many things at once, but he has also proven that he is a little smarty pants! He has gotten an A in his American Government class and is working towards another A in his Sociology class that ends later this month.

As if a full time job and 2 college classes wasn't enough, he was told that he was going to the Promotional Board - which has been a long time coming. This Board is where he has to basically prove to his higher ranking officers that he deserves to be promoted to Sgt. As any soldier knows, this can be a brutal phase of pressure, studying, and stress. You have to be both physically and mentally ready to show them what you've got. Ryan did his best to prepare with the time given and his hard work paid off... he passed the Board!! He is well on his way to getting promoted next month. All we have to do is wait to see about the point system at the end of the month. If he has enough points (which he should) then he will officially be Sgt Ryan T. Larsen next month!

I have had to sit by and watch Ryan working so hard for all of these things. I have tried to help him study some, encourage him, and support him...but nothing beats helping him celebrate his accomplishments! With all the good news he has had, how could we not splurge a little?! I tried to surprise him with some festive decorations at home, cupcakes (chocolate), AND Mario Kart for the Wii (he has wanted this for awhile now...). He totally deserved it all and more!

26 weeks

We are 26 weeks in the making!! This week we had to go to Lake Charles for a follow-up visit at the specialist. The doctor has ruled out all Neural Tube Defects and just wanted to check up on the growth of our little boy. We learned that he is 2 pounds and 2 ounces - which is right on track with normal growth! The specialist said that we are looking at one happy, healthy little boy! :)
Ryan and I love seeing how Baby Blake is developing, both physically and personally. I swear he reveals something new to us each time we see him. Yesterday he was very shy for the camera. However, he did stick his tongue out at us in the beginning - too bad we couldn't get a picture quick enough. I have a feeling we are going to have our hands full when February comes along!
Our next doctors visit will be at our normal doctors on November 9th! Time is flying by!!

509th Spooktacular Festival

The FRG from A Co 1-509th put on their first annual Spooktacular Festival this weekend! For those people not used to Army talk, they basically had a family day for all of the families in Ryan's Unit. :)

This was a fun way for us to meet new families, let the kids dress up and play, AND have a chili cook-off! Yum! Ryan played an important part in this day because he helped plan the Obstacle Course for the kiddos. I am not sure who had more fun on the course - the soldiers or the kids. Haha.  

Ryan explaining the course to the kids. They are all so cute!

Ryan and his friend Bryan going across the logs...backwards. It's only fair that way, right?!

Spinning around the bats.

Playing with our shadows on the pretty sunny day! :)

Wide Load - 25 weeks

For the past 25 weeks all I have thought about has been the baby's growth. Every week Ryan and I have read the new update for what is developing with our little baby. I guess I forgot that my body was changing too. I think its official to say that I have upgraded from a little baby bump to a total baby belly! I am in my 6th month of pregnancy and I am now starting to get into the maternity clothes. I have gained a total of about 15 pounds and I am on track for the set amount of weight gain the doctor has for me. Baby Blake continues to make himself known as his kicks and punches become stronger and stronger. He even woke Ryan up the other night with a nice little kick! :) Although we are healthy and happy, the large amounts of growth these days take some getting used to for all of us!

Ps- We purchased the nursery furniture last week. We will start putting it all together soon!


Pumpkin Carving

This is the first year that Ryan and I have been able to carve pumpkins together! Ryan went in search for the biggest pumpkins he could find...well, the biggest he could find in Louisiana. Ryan turned his into a skull. I did mine as a mummy, since I am a 'mummy' to be. Hehe... We had such a great time! :)

Fall, I think?

I am disappointed to say that Louisiana doesn't have a lot of Fall scenery. I am used to seeing the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains in NC having their array of colorful Fall leaves. Ryan is used to seeing the beautiful Fall season on the side of the gigantic mountains in Utah. We are talking reds, yellows, oranges - all so bright!

Yeah, well....apparently in Louisiana leaves just go straight from green to brown. LAME! It hurts my eyes everyday as I drive to work seeing the bland color. It's not even a pretty brown...if there is such a thing. I guess in this case we will just have to look at all of our cute Fall decorations and pretend that it is reality.

Please embrace those Fall colors if you live in a place where it is shown...that would be much appreciated by those of us being held captive in the brown Fall. Thanks! :)

BOO - tastic!

Having your first home can be so much fun! Each Holiday brings around a new adventure for decorations! Ryan and I had so much fun getting ready for Halloween - I guess because this is the first year that we will actually have Trick-or-Treaters coming around. Ryan wanted to go SUPER spooky - what guy doesn't want to terrify small children on Halloween!? :) However, for money's sake, we had to go for the small, yet boo-tastic decorations - cob webs, spiders, and ghost lights!!

We Picked A Name!

After many thought over weeks, we picked a name for our little man. Blake Ryan Larsen. The middle name is obvious...named after his daddy. :) Blake on the other hand, came from us being original. We both liked the name and it isn't all that common. Plus, we just think the name fits perfectly!!

Honestly, I am so relieved to have a name. It was what I was most stressed about. I was so worried that we would be rushed and not have a name ready or thought out. I even had a dream of the baby being 3-4 months old and still not named! LOL. Luckily, Ryan remained patient during all my identity worries.

Blake Ryan Larsen, we cant wait to see you!!! :)

DeRidder, LA Fair

Fall festivities are in full swing...football games, pumpkin spice candles, Halloween decorations, and of course, the fair! This year we attended the DeRidder Fair in Louisiana. Granted, it was not the NC State Fair that I am used to, but it was still fun! :)

I obviously couldn't ride the crazy fair rides...but I did ride the Ferris Wheel. We figured that was a safe bet. LOL. How can you go to the fair and NOT ride the Ferris Wheel?!!?

After the Ferris Wheel excitement we walked around and kept ourselves busy with other fair fun. Ryan conquered the games and I took on the food. :) Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Something Sweet

Taylor and I have the tradition of making holiday cookies. Normally they are just the premade sugar cookies with the design already on them...so I guess we can't take too much credit. However, this year we stepped out of the box (only because food stores in Louisiana didn't have our normal cookies. figures). This year we made our Halloween cookies when Taylor came to visit. We made regular sugar cookies and then decorated them with icing. A little messy and rough..but still good! :)

 Of course Ryan tested them out for us and gave us his stamp of approval! :)

Family Fun

This past weekend we had family come to visit in Louisiana - My Mom, Daddy Greg, Taylor, and Greg came to visit The Larsens and The McPhersons! All I can say is we had a blast!!

Friday we kicked the weekend off with a spaghetti dinner at Tiffany and Clints house. They just moved in and actually got the rest of their stuff when the family drove down. We unloaded some boxes and then enjoyed family time! It was so nice just to laugh and enjoy memory lane. There was so much to celebrate and catch up on!

We were all over the place on Saturday. We started with a Ft. Polk tour. If you know Ft. Polk, you know why the tour didn't last very long. LOL. However, we showed the family the highlights of our everyday life on post. We even got some fun family pictures at the memorial park. Everyone else had their cameras, so I didn't feel the need to take pictures with mine too. We will just have to get copies from them! After the tour we all headed to Alexandria. Sadly Greg had to fly back early in order to take care of things back home. We were so sad to see him leave early but so happy that he was able to come down. Last but not least...we got Outback!!!! Yummy!

Sunday was play day. Ryan took the family shooting with his new gun. They all loved it...except for Taylor. I don't think she liked the noise. She just wanted a picture. LOL! Then a weekend would not be complete without bowling. The whole family and friend group took up 3 lanes! We are a competitive family so of course we had lots of excitement! Finally we wrapped it all up with a cook-out at Tiffany and Clints house.

I love my family! It made Ryan and I so happy to see everyone. We can't wait until December when we get to have a take two! :)

Family Time

Ryan and I have been living in Louisiana for about 5ish months and it's about time we have a family fix! My older sister Tiffany just moved to Louisiana with her husband Clint. Clint is also stationed at Ft. Polk - he has actually been here longer than any of us (before his deployment). It's so nice to have them just across town. Ryan has even run into them a couple of random times at the PX. Fun family surprises!

Next week we are getting a visit from part of my family - coming to help Tiffany and Clint get settled and also visit with Ryan and I (and the baby belly of course). This will be such a nice little visit to get me by until we go back to NC for our Christmas vacation. I also think Ryan's parents might have a plan in the making for a visit, so hopefully we will get to see them soon too.

HEALTHY Baby Boy

We are having a BOY!! We are so excited, but the most important part is that it is a HEALTHY boy. Up until recently I think we took the healthy part for granted.

 For the past week Ryan and I have kept a very difficult little secret (we only told select people). On top of everything else going on, we found out my Quad Screening came back 'high risk' for a Neural Tube Defect. The doctor didn't give me any details other than that and then told me that I was going to have to go to a specialist in Lake Charles for a high resolution ultrasound. Panic quickly set in as Ryan and I realized that our baby may be facing some very scary stuff. Ryan was a rock through it all by being the best support I could ask for. I, on the other hand, was an emotional wreck. The worst part of it all was waiting....

We headed to Lake Charles yesterday to see the specialist and get the ultrasound. We were told that we would know the results immediately. Basically, Neural Tube Defects occur mostly in the spine and brain (Spina Bifida being the most common defect). They also can be shown in the kidneys and heart. After a very in depth ultrasound, the Doctor was able to rule out all possibilities of a defect. We were able to see that our baby had a straight enclosed spine, normal brain function, a healthy heart, and all good other things! In fact, our baby's growth is just a little bit larger than normal - which again proved to be a very good sign. We got a good report - there are no defects AND we have a baby boy!!!! We have never been so grateful. The most touching moment was when the doctor captured a profile picture of the baby's face. It almost looked like the baby was making a little frown...The doctor said that was the baby saying, "Look Mommy and Daddy, I'm ok, so stop worrying."

With the worries aside, we are now able to enjoy the fact that we have a boy on the way! It is so amazing to already see little bits of his personality show through. We have seen him yawn, try to eat his foot, and grab his 'thingy'.... Yes, the ultrasound technician busted out laughing when she told us that. :) We love our little guy so much already and we are so happy that he is healthy!!

Ryan and I also wanted to say thank you again to our family that was there to support us during our week of waiting. Each of them was their to share their love and comforting thoughts at all hours of the day - from all across the country. It was these people that got Ryan and I through all of this. We love ya'll!!! Now on to the fun part - decorating the nursery!!!

Counting Blessings

This past week was one of those weeks where Ryan and I counted our many blessings - a little more than usual. We had an event on each side of our family that was not the best. My grandmother was in the hospital with a bacterial infection. Ryan's aunt had a heart transplant. Our brother-in-law was also injured in Afghanistan.

Needless to say, our prayers paid off. After a long week of family prayers, patience, and support we are happy to say that everything worked out. My grandmother came home from the hospital and is just making jokes and laughing like always. Ryan's aunt is continuing to have improvements with her new heart. Our brother-in-law has now been reunited with my sister and they are getting settled back in the states. He is expected to have a full recovery.

Again...counting our blessings. :) Sometimes it takes a week like this for priorities to be put back in their right places. Family will always be #1 with us!

Never Forgotten

There are some events in your life that will never be forgotten. Today, we all remember a very similar event - September 11, 2001. It's been 10 years...I can't believe it has been that long.

Ryan and I were talking about that day 10 years ago. We both remember exactly where we were - school. We can remember what class we were in and what the reactions around us were. I am sure that many people can pin point this exact memory as well. Ryan and I were some of the lucky ones because we did not experience this tragedy the same way many others did.  We did not lose a friend or family member that day. However, our hearts still mourn with those who did.

It is interesting seeing how things have changed in the past 10 years because of that event. For us, our life has taken a different turn. Ryan has spent the past 3 years of his life serving and fighting for this country, along with the millions of other brave Americans. 

You know, it is such a wonderful thing to see a nation united in moments like this - where we are all on the same team and we are all effected by the same thing (in one way or another). My little family is taking some time to remember ALL of our country's heroes today. We will never forget 9/11/01.

18 Weeks

We are at 18 weeks...almost half way there! Today we went to our 18 week appointment and got another good report. I have great blood pressure and am slowly (very slowly) putting on the baby weight. The baby is also slowly but surely getting bigger. I even had to get some blood drawn this time to test for genetic disorders. It's an optional and common screening test that mothers-to-be get done.

Enough with the medical stuff. The really exciting news is that Ryan and I have started to feel little baby movements!! Although there have not been solid punches and kicks (still a little too early for that) we have experienced the feeling of little butterfly flutters. It is so magical and brings nothing but smiles to my face.

Ryan and I were just talking the other day about how grateful we are to have had such a healthy pregnancy so far. We have both tried to make sure that it is the healthiest pregnancy that I can have and it seems to have paid off so far. I feel great and we have had zero complications with the baby. We can only hope and pray that the pregnancy will continue this way for the next 22 weeks! :)

First Down

Our Saturday morning started off with Ryan in his BYU jersey and myself in my UNC pj pants and ASU shirt. Yes...it is that time of year again, football season!

Luckily Ryan can watch all of his BYU games on ESPN. Apparently they signed a contract with the sports channel so that all games are televised. I guess you know what we will be doing around 3:30 every Saturday.

Since we don't get the local NC channels, I will be missing many of my UNC games. Sad day!!! There are a few times that I can watch it on the Internet. It's just not the same. So, my football excitement will come from high school football this year! We will be cheering on the Dragons of DHS (the school that I teach at). We went to one of the games this past Friday and it looks like it will be a great season for them! Happy Football to everyone!

Signature Dish

As a newlywed wife, I have tried to focus some of my time on cooking. That is what good wives are supposed to do, right? Now, don't get too excited. I haven't started the bread-maker or anything, but I have mastered what I think will be my signature dish.

A signature dish- I believe that every household should have one. It is the one meal that is served frequently and loved by all. I came upon mine by accident - Stuffed Bell Peppers. I had made them a few times before getting married, but was still tweaking the recipe. I decided to make it one night for Ryan and I - simply because it was cheap and easy. What do you know!?! Ryan loved it and has requested it VERY often. I now could probably make that meal with my eyes closed.

Tonight I mastered another signature dish, but it's not mine. It's my moms Fried Pork Chops! OK, I don't really know if she would consider this her signature dish, but it's a meal that I always remember her cooking and I loved it! Before I got married, she gave me a cooking lesson on how to make this meal. Boy has that paid off because tonight I made it for Ryan. I don't think mine was anywhere near as good as my moms, but just cooking it made me think of home. It was a meal that warmed my tummy and my heart!

I hope that Ryan and I can continue with my signature dish of Stuffed Bell Peppers so that one day I can teach my kids how to make it - and then have them think of me when they cook it (or try to). :)
Note to self - I need to get my Memommy to teach me how to make her Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. I was craving that today and the fact that she is in NC did not help the situation. Sigh.

Ready...Aim...

Ryan got a new gun (.45 Model 1911). It is one that he ordered through Para Ordinance while he was deployed. This is a very special gun because it has custom engravings of his previous unit's markings. It's just a really cool gun. Since it is custom made, it took them more than awhile to make it. Ryan FINALLY got it last week (only 10 months after he ordered it). So...of course we had to take it out to try it!

Boy or Girl

The top questions we get asked these days: "Are you having a boy or a girl?" and "Are you going to tell people?"

Well, we now have some answers! We find out the sex of the baby on September 20th - hopefully! I am already saying my little prayers that the baby will be in the right position for us to clearly see. Also....yes, we will be sharing our happy news with all of our family and friends!

I feel like this is the missing piece to the puzzle. Ryan and I are at a stand still until we find out what we are having. We can't register for gifts or start decorating the nursery until we know what we are having. Although we do not care what we have, we still want to go ahead and start planning. Plus, decorating and nesting are what I have been waiting for!!!! Oh yeah, and we will come up with some names once we find out if it's a baby boy or girl. See...a lot is riding on this big day!!! :) Don't forget, you can guess on our poll to the right!

Scaredy Cat

Our house is full of scaredy cats - ourselves! Since we have been married, I have always thought it to be a funny prank to sneak up and scare Ryan. (I used to do this with my grandma when I was little - I don't know why it is so funny to me...) A lot of times I will hide behind a door or hallway and wait for Ryan to walk by and do the 'BOO!' yell. Sometimes it works and sometimes Ryan just looks at me like I am an idiot. Either way, I get the biggest kick out of it. (Grow up, Sarah!)

Payback sure is rough, especially when it comes from Ryan. One time he came home from work while I was vacuuming the bedroom. All of a sudden I saw a person standing in the room with me and I dropped to the floor and curled up in the fetal position. I guess we all know what I would do if I was ever seriously attacked. Sigh.

If that wasn't bad enough - The other night, Ryan came home late from work. He was on a training rotation and was not expected to come home for a few days. I had already jumped into bed (way early) and planned on getting LOTS of sleep. I was almost asleep when I heard a little noise. I thought I was just being paranoid and I closed my eyes again. Well, then I saw a light turn on! I thought, 'well - somebody is in my house - but I can't move or speak - great!' If you know me, I am blind as a bat, so when Ryan walked into the room all I could see was his outline and I just say, "Honey, is that you?" LOL! Who asks that?!?

Prank or accident, Ryan and I can be total scaredy cats. I hit the floor in a ball or freeze and Ryan jumps. If we are like this on our normal days, I can only imagine how we will be on Halloween this year! :)

Kids Say the Darndest Things

As we have all experienced at some point or another - kids say the darndest things! They really have no filter. Many of you know that it is my occupation to work with kids (aka - emotional teenagers. lol), so I hear the 'darndest things' all the time. However, recently, the topic has been about me!

Since I am at a new school, I was planning on waiting a little while before revealing my pregnancy. I wanted to form my own work ethic first before I shared my life changing news with 135 kids. Well, they are more observant than  I gave them credit for! After only 3 days of school, a student quietly asked me if I was pregnant. I was shocked - deer in headlights! What do I say?!?! I played it off a little while so that I could get my words in order. Finally, today, I felt that it was best to lay it all out on the table. Here are some of the darndest things I heard - Ryan and I got a good laugh out of them.

"Mrs. Larsen, can I read to your kid?!" (Well, if it will get you to read..why not?!)
"I am probably gonna be that kid who wants to rub your belly." (yeah...I think NOT!)
"What, are you like 1 month along?" (bless your heart!!!)
"Can we bet money on if it's a girl or a boy?" (no response...)
"I mean, you aren't large - just like medium big..."  (If you think I'm big now...you just wait, kid)
"You are going to be so cute!!!" (I sure do love my cheerleader girls!)

Back to School

Our family is headed back to school...in about every way possible. I just started back to teaching here in Louisiana. They start the school year much earlier than NC, but they also get a few more days off during the year. There are lots of changes I need to get used to with the new school system, but the basic job of teaching is the same - and I love that! I already have wonderful coworkers and students. This new school will be a great experience for me.

Ryan is going back to school too! He is in the process of getting his paperwork set up to take some college classes while still in the Army. The paper work is taking a little while because it's the Army, but it is in the works. Hopefully he will be jumping into some courses VERY soon.

14 weeks

Well, we (really I ) are at the 14 week mark in the pregnancy. About the only exciting thing about this week is that I am finally in the second trimester. Other than that we still have a really strong heartbeat for the baby and I just keep getting more and more misshapen. Haha. The exciting part for me was that I gained 2-4 pounds! :) My doctor has promised me that the next two visits will be a little more exciting...so, here are the upcoming events:

Week 18 - Screening done for potential disorders (more bloodwork)

Week 20 - Anatomy Ultrasound 

Date Night

When Ryan and I were engaged, we got ALL kinds of marriage advice. One of the suggestions that we liked the most and promised that we would do was to have a weekly date night. Most couples that gave us this advice have their date nights on Friday. However, the Army doesn't always allow us to have those Friday nights. Even though the Army is always a struggle, we have proudly had a date night at some point every week. Sometimes we just stay at home and cook dinner together. Sometimes we will have a group date. And sometimes we will go all out and do it old school style - flowers and all.

This past Friday (yesterday), Ryan spoiled me with a fancy date night! First of all, he was home at 4:00 - and as any Army Wife knows, that is almost a miracle in itself! He walked in the door and had beautiful flowers, a teddy bear, and an Army Wife lanyard keychain. Then he told me that I had to go get ready because we were going out to eat. It has been a while since we treated ourselves to going out to eat, so we went to Texas Roadhouse and got ourselves a nice steak! Yummy!!!

Amongst all the chaos in our lives with working, pregnancy, and everything else, it makes me happy to see that once a week we put a pause on life and just enjoy being newlyweds. :) PS- I have the best husband!!

Babies, Babies, and more Babies

First of all, let me give a big shout out to our friends the Lyons! Yesterday, Brittney shared the wonderful news that they are expecting their first baby!! I have experienced so much joy in the past 3 months as I have seen/heard/read about my baby's growth. Pregnancy is truly a miracle and I am so happy that the Lyons get to experience that joy too.

I guess you could say that reality has hit me hard. I am constantly amazed at the ever growing belly I have. I have been in awe at the heartbeat and the ultrasound pictures...but now that I am entering my second trimester, I am starting to think a little more realistically. For example, the ideas of healthy diets, prenatal exercises, and birthing methods are running through my mind. I am hoping this is a normal progression in thought - I really have no idea. Luckily I have some wonderful ladies in my life who are exposing me to the right material and knowledge that I need to have about all of these topics. (Side note - I wonder what Ryan is thinking about when it comes to all of this....)    :)

I read a friend (well friend of a friend's) birthing story. I figured that I might as well get used to all the details of the birthing process. No need to be shy now! It was honestly a touching story. Half way through I was not sure if I had tears of joy or tears of fear, but at the end you can really see how magical childbirth is. I can only imagine the experience that Ryan and I will have with our own! It's a weird thing - I am scared to death of some of the things I know I will have to go through, but knowing the outcome somehow makes that fear subside. I only hope that I can keep that in mind around 9 months when I am feeling the most pain I have ever felt in my entire life.

I know that I will have lots of work and preparation to do over the next 6 months, for myself, the baby, and our little family. Thank goodness for all of our friends and family who are supporting us and guiding us as Ryan and I enjoy this adventure!

Life is a Race

As I have mentioned before, there isn't much to do in Leesville, LA. However, there are a few things that have intrigued us - one of them being the 171 Speedway. This is just down the road from us and we have seen LOTS of trucks parked there every Saturday night, so we figured we would try it out (with Bryan and Michelle joining us, of course!).

 I think we fit the profile just fine...Ok, maybe not, but we had our big truck! When we first got there all we saw was a large cloud of dust. Apparently they had been working on the track and we were told it wasn't always like that. I'm not sure that we could see for the first 15 minutes while the different divisions of cars did their heat laps.

Eventually it got so bad that the speedway owner people decided to wet the track to prevent all the dust. It took forever, but it really helped! We were actually able to see the races for the rest of the night! We all had a great time pulling for our individual cars during each race. We got to laugh, cry (dust in our eyes), and enjoy the redneck Louisiana racing! We might just have to try it again another Saturday night!



Boys and Their Toys

Ryan and I have been looking for a new vehicle. When we got married we had 3 cars to drive (the Charger, Jeep, and truck), but two of the cars were VERY high in mileage and were getting to the not-so-dependable stage. Since we are always thinking 'family' these days, we wanted to trade-in/sale our old cars for a newer used one that could fit ALL of our needs. And ta-da....



 We got a Dodge 1500! It will fit Ryan's work needs, our handy around the house needs, and it also has the 4 doors and approved child/baby seat safety features in the back. Now, I am not a big fan of white vehicles, but this one has heated seats and all that fancy stuff on the inside. I guess I can't be too picky.

I won't lie...I was a little disappointed that I gave up my Jeep. Even though it was old and has been very loved, it was my favorite! I was pulling for an SUV, but was persuaded that a truck would be more useful. However, I do have the promise that the next car (way on down the road...yeah, you liked the pun) will be a new Jeep for me! Until then, I get to put my Appalachian State University Alumni plate on the Charger. Doesn't it look beautiful?! We are now happy to say that we have two safe and dependable vehicles for our little family!  Check!

Answered Prayers

As many of you know, when I relocated to Louisiana I had to leave many things behind that I loved - including teaching. Although it was a job that annoyed me at times, it was also something that made my heart happy. It is just my passion.

I assumed that I would not be able to get a teaching job here in Louisiana because 1) I'm having a baby in February which makes a full teaching year impossible and 2) there are NO openings in this area. Ryan and I decided that I would just go to the next plan - which was to look for another job (any job) so that we could save up extra money for when the baby gets here.

I have spent a whole month looking for ANY job that would take me. I had lots of interviews, some that worked out and some that didn't, but nothing fit our situation the way we wanted it to. Ryan has always had a positive attitude and has encouraged me the whole time. However, I was not doing that for myself. I was SO discouraged and somewhat in a panic. I had pretty much given up all hope until....

I got a phone call from Beauregard Parish School Board. You see, I applied for a secretary position at one of the schools. The Personnel Director asked me on the phone if I was really a certified English teacher. "Yes sir!" He then told me that he was forwarding my application to two Principals that have a need for me. I learned that these two schools had a English position open for the months of August-December. WHAT?!?!? How perfect is this?!!? I interviewed with them both and then Ryan and I decided which school would be best for me to work at.

This opportunity has been an answer to so many of our prayers. It was unbelievable to see how this came out of nowhere and proved to be the perfect situation. I am VERY grateful for this blessing in our lives. Not only do I get to continue my profession, but I also get to do it within the time crunch of my expanding family. I will be able to stop working at Christmas and get ready for the baby. I will be teaching English I (9th grade) at a wonderful school that reminds me much of WFR. I go in on Monday and sign my contract and get that salary started and then I get to enjoy my last 2 weeks of summer vacation. School starts on August 10th! :)

11 Week Bliss

Today was such an exciting day for Ryan and I - we got to have our first baby ultrasound! Now, as amazing as the ultrasound proved to be, the 'prep' for it was awful! I was instructed to drink 30 oz. of water an hour PRIOR to my appointment. The trick was, once I started drinking the 30 oz, I couldn't use the bathroom until after the appointment. Yeah, that is almost impossible for a pregnant woman! The first thing I said to the ultrasound technician was, "I am very uncomfortable so let's get this show on the road!". :) This is a picture of my 11 week baby bump...slightly bloated with 30 oz of water!

Ryan and I have seen ultrasounds before but I don't think we really knew what to expect. I was half way waiting for them to show me a dot on a screen and say that it was my baby. I am only 11 weeks so I was unsure how much could visibly be seen. We were super surprised to see LOTS more than what we thought. At first sight, the baby moved around a little (probably excited to see Ryan :)). We could clearly see the baby's profile. It's face showed off a little button nose that was too cute. We even got to see the little arms and legs. The technician moved things around and we got to see 5 little fingers on one hand. It was unbelievable to see! My personal favorite part was seeing the heartbeat. We actually got to see the heart going up and down on our baby, while we heard the heartbeat too. It was at a rate of 162 today. Healthy!

At the end the technician tried to get the baby to move around some more, but my more than full bladder was providing a little too much comfort. The baby was just laying there as cozy as could be. So, we got pictures and we marked the appointment as a success! :) I think Ryan and I were both in shock for a little while. Hearing the heart beat last week was one thing, but this took it a step further. Seeing our little baby made everything so real! We could not even begin to express the happiness we have over this experience. Each week brings something new in the growth of our baby and its so fun to get to each new benchmark. We consider ourselves very blessed to have this little gift in our lives - a little miracle. We are just a little happy...can you tell?! :)

PS- My dad is already inspecting the pictures for an extra leg. HAHA! Boys will be boys! We will find out if it's a little boy or girl in about 8-10 more weeks.

Blog Additions

We have two new blog additions! Maybe one of them will fit your style and interest you.

Opinion Blog: I have always been a very opinionated person - also sassy, stubborn, and feisty. :) In fact, Ryan says this is one of the biggest reasons he fell in love with me. (aww...) In fact, recently, we had to deal with a very pushy car salesman. Ryan, as usual, was the nice and polite guy when discussing options with this salesman. Towards the end of the conversation, the salesman got a little testy when he realized that we were just talking options and we were not going to walk out of the door with one of his overpriced (rip-off) cars. He was not accepting Ryan's nice reasons for our choice SO I decided to step in. Let's just say the situation was handled and all of the RUDE man's tactics were tossed back in his face. The next day we got a survey call from the car company asking about the customer service. Ryan answered the call and simply said, "Oh, let me let you talk to my wife." *passes me the phone* Often times I am nervous to voice my true opinions in worries that I will offend someone or that people will not understand my sarcasm. However, other times I realize my opinions are very appropriate! So, I decided to start an opinion blog. I understand that not everyone is going to like it. I am not trying to persuade anyone. Instead, I am just offering a sarcastic view of how I see things...in hopes that it will entertain somebody! Enjoy and please follow it if you like it! :) Keep the Change

Craft Blog: Along with my thriving opinions, I can also be somewhat crafty. I have decided to try to expand my skills in card making. It's a project in the works. At this point I am going to just have the goal to add to my collection and have fun with making a variety of styles. Let me know if you see any you like or if you would like a card made for a specific occasion. I would love to make you one! :) Sentiments by Sarah

Make sure you follow these blogs and share them around!

Heartbeats & Happiness

Today was our first official prenatal appointment with the doctor. It has been a date that I have been looking forward to for weeks! Ryan and I went in together not knowing exactly what to expect. We met the doctor, went over our medical histories, discussed the do's and dont's while being pregnant (no more medium cooked steak for me...sigh) and then.... we got the chance to hear the heartbeat!

Now as most pregnant women know, this is a huge IF. Since I am 10 weeks there was a chance that we might not be able to hear the heartbeat yet, or that the baby might not be in the right position for us to be able to hear it. Of course I was very anxious at this fact. I wanted to hear the joy of that little thumping sound, and at the same time I was terrified of what it would mean if we didn't hear one.

The doctor started moving the doppler around on my little tummy and after about 30 seconds she stopped and there was a small, yet clear, little bump-bump...bump-bump....bump- bump...

Instantly Ryan and I just looked at each other and smiled. The room was totally silent for about a minute or two as we just sat there and listened to our baby's heartbeat. Peaceful. Amazing. Comforting. Miraculous. The doctor said that the heartbeat was about 180 - healthy.  :)

I have always heard of babies and pregnancy being a miracle, but honestly I didn't fully understand that until today. It was the most peaceful and wonderful thing I have heard in my whole life. Not to mention that Ryan was blown away! That was the fun part. :) It's amazing how much we love this baby already. 10 weeks down!

Fun fact - My blood type is O-...who knew!??! Lol. You learn something knew everyday!

Crocodile Dundee

One of the things I think about when I hear Louisiana is the swamp. I'm talking about aalligators, marshes, and swamp airboats. In fact, the movie Waterboy with Adam Sandler should be flashing in your head right now. :) For that reason, I thought it was only appropriate that we go to an Alligator Park while we live in Louisiana!

Yesterday Ryan and I went to the Bayou Pierre Alligator Park. We not only got to see alligators, but also goats, reindeer, birds (not my favorite), turtles, raccoons, and snakes! Oh my! Ryan LOVED the turtles and spend most of his time feeding them. I liked feeding the little goats. Some of the bigger goats would bully the little goats when I tried to feed them. They would push them out of the way! Well, I would not have that! I made it my mission to feed the baby ones. I made Ryan distract the bigger ones so that I could get food to the baby ones. Let's just say that I am a proud supporter of equal feeding of all goats. LOL!

The main attraction dealt with the alligators. We got to see them being fed - chicken! The guy would hold a piece of chicken out into the middle of the water and then about 20 gators would try to get it. They were huge!! It was also my goal to hold one of the alligators. Obviously that would not work with the larger alligators, so we settled with holding a smaller one. :) For some reason I thought the alligator would just feel like plastic and be still. Umm... that thing wanted to get away and the skin felt so rough and rubbery. I even think it hissed at us - hence the very unsure look I have on my face. So... We can now officially say that we have played with alligators in the Louisiana Bayou! Check!