Family Pictures 2014

For a person who is obsessed with pictures, I am embarrassed to say that it's been over a year since we actually had our family pictures taken. The last time was for Blake's first birthday. Luckily we were able to fix that this past week! Our photographer (yes, I feel fancy saying that) was able to fit us in for a family photo shoot at Joyner Park.

Let me preface the sneak peak pictures by saying, it is incredibly difficult to do a photo shoot with an energetic two year old! Whew! Blake was all smiles and happy, but he was also non stop. We hardly got him to sit still. Luckily, Patricia's camera can handle that and she was able to grab some awesome shots! Here are a few several of my favorites so far...

Seeing these pictures just makes my heart beam.  She was able to not only get some good family pictures, but she was also able to get our personalities. Yes, we goof off. Yes, we play around. Yes, the boys usually wrestle while I sit there and sigh or laugh. That's just us!! And these pictures reflect our family life perfectly.  We can't wait to get all of the pictures back so that we can share more!!

Oh yeah, crazy story... While Patricia was positioning us for a picture on the bridge, a snake literally jumped out of the rocks and tried to bite her!! Luckily her reflexes are top notch and she leaped out of the way. She also snapped a picture of him (from far away) so that she could see what type of snake it was. Very scary!!! Needless to say we got several other bridge pictures and we quickly moved on to the next picture spot. Haha.

Blake's First Fish

Since we live at the family "Pond" it is only natural that Blake learns how to fish here... and traditionally by GDaddy. :) Blake went fishing for the first time AND he caught his first fish! I wish we could say this was a planned event but it was all very spontaneous.

Blake saw GDaddy outside next door at "The Pond" and he wanted to go say hi. So, we went over there and Gdaddy just happened to have his fishing gear out there. He hooked a worm and let Blake sit with him as he threw a line into the water. He explained to Blake how you have to keep your eye on the cork. Surprisingly, Blake caught on pretty quickly. When the cork started to go under Blake let us know! However, I don't think Blake really understood why the cork went under. He was more than surprised when he all of a sudden saw a fish coming out of the water. In fact, Blake just stood there and started shaking. HAHA! I'm pretty sure he was terrified. He was able to see the fish and he was very curious as to what it looked like, but he wouldn't have it get anywhere near him. We took the fish off the hook and showed Blake how we put it back in the water. Blake said bye-bye to the little fish! :) Another little stepping stone for our little boy!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from the Larsen's!

 

We have had a wonderful Easter weekend! It's weekends like this that make me wish family days would be every day! Easter has the reputation of meaning "New Beginnings" and I couldn't agree more. It makes me so excited for what's ahead. This year, our church released a video that had the theme "Because of Him..." and it went viral! People everywhere were sharing things that they can do because Jesus Christ died for us and was resurrected. For our family, Because of Him, we can learn to love each other more, we can be together and be happy, we can learn to serve our family, we can be confident in our roles within the family, and we can go forward with faith and hope for the future. We are very grateful for our Savior!!

Of course we also did some of the fun Easter traditions. Blake was actually able to enjoy Easter Egg Hunts this year! He went on several! :) He would spot an egg in the distance and yell, "See one!!!" Haha. We loved watching him hunt. We also did an egg craft and we were able to spend time with both sides of my family. Weekend well spent!! 

 

Ryan and I were also able to get our anniversary picture. We have done one every year! I'm hoping that I can keep up with them all. It would be a pretty cool collection to have over the years. 3 years and counting!

 

Terrific/Terrible Two's

Blake being two is probably our favorite age. He is a trip, that's for sure! Every day he challenges us and makes us laugh all at the same time. Most people call this phase the "terrible two's" and I think we can agree with that on a few levels. However, I also call this phase the "terrific two's" because he is doing so many awesome things.

"Terrible Two's"

• Blake vents his opinion...frequently!
• He whines/cries/yells if he has to do something he doesn't like
• Oh, he is stubborn!
• A favorite phrase is "NO, _________" He will fill in the blank with almost anything. :) 
• He hates to leave the park!
• We have only had to put him in time out maybe 2-3 times.
• He tests our patience as parents.

"Terrific Two's"

• He makes us laugh on a daily basis
• He is so active and encourages us to play all the time!
• Dancing can always put us in a good mood!
• He is all about putting on his own shoes 
• We had no problems getting rid of his pacifier. Whew!
• He is finally starting to get used to his new bed.
• He has a very active imagination. Probably my favorite thing about him right now.
• He loves being outside. He loves ANYTHING outside. :) 
• He is fascinated by learning new things.
• At night he has the habit of saying "Love you Mommy and Daddy" over and over again. :)
• Ryan and Blake love to "wrestle"
• He helps me cook.
• He will play independently while I get ready.
• He has discovered his favorite Disney movies...and watches them!
• He does better on trips.
• He helps around the house... toddler chores! Feeding the dog, sweeping, letting Roxie in and out, picking up toys, etc. 
• He has had no actual temper tantrums, public fits, or anything of that nature. 
• No hitting or biting.

I think Blake has FAR MORE terrific moments and these pictures prove it. We love our little man!!!

Spring Break Kick Off

Hello, Spring Break!!!! My Memommy always says that vacations/holidays/snowdays/etc are purposely put into our lives to slow us down and remind us to enjoy the little things. I think Spring Break is a great reminder of that for our family!

Blake and I have off all week, but Ryan only had a long weekend, so we wanted to make sure to enjoy our family day on Monday! The weather was a pretty 70 degrees and we decided to take advantage of it at Pullen Park. Blake loves that place mostly for the train, but also for the boats! He used to really enjoy the carousel, but he kind of freaked out on it this year. Who knows....

Now that Blake is two (going on 20) we find it easier to take him places. It is also a lot more fun because he really can enjoy and play on his own without us having to help him out everywhere. However... we, as parents, are noticing that taking him places can also be very difficult. For example, he DID NOT want to leave the park. We just have to pick him up and make a run for it as he cries and says "no go!" I will give it to the kid, he LOVES being outside and he LOVES playing. He will play his little heart out and go, go, go! Sadly, we just have to draw straws to see who gets to tell him it's time to go home. :)

We have more exciting plans for our Spring Break! This afternoon we have a play date with some other teacher friends and their toddlers. Tomorrow Blake will enjoy a day with his besties at Ms. Dawn's house. Then, Thursday and Friday Blake and I will be making a trip to Pilot Mtn. to see my grandparents! More posts to come soon!

Super Blake

Blake has gotten into the superhero phase. To be honest, I am not sure where he got it from. It's as if he just woke up one day and knew what a super hero was. He has been 100% boy from day one and I just love it.

One of his favorite things to do is the "superhero pose" where he puts his hands on his waist and sticks his chest out. Then he will take off "flying" (running with his arms out) down the hallway. It's way too cute. He recognizes all superhero figures and loves them. He even picked out a superhero book at our last library visit.

Ryan and I went to Target the other night and we saw a Superman shirt that had a cape on the back! Oh my goodness... we had to get it immediately!!! Thankfully the weather has been beautiful this week so Blake was able to wear it right away and he took full advantage of saving the world one sunny day at a time. :) We love our little superhero!

Scissors and Suckers

Blake has the most beautiful hair. It's red, curly, and long! It also grows ridiculously fast. I have heard of parents who have waited until their child is 3 or 4 before they do a hair cut. Not us! I had to start trimming Blake's hair when he was one. He used to sit in the bathroom sink while I would snip away the long strands of hair around his eyes and neck. I have to admit that I felt super special cutting my own child's hair. Super mom, right?!

As Blake got older, he started to HATE having his hair cut, touched, brushed, anything! It became more and more difficult for me to trim his hair. He would no longer sit in the sink. He started to whine and get upset when I would get the scissors out. I mean, I tried everything! We tried cutting it a little here and there while he was watching TV. Didn't work! We tried cutting his hair at bath time when it was wet. Didn't work! We even tried cutting it while he was asleep! NOTHING WORKED!

I guess I just planned on letting it grow out since he wouldn't let me cut it. Haha. Ryan on the other hand was determined to not let his son look like a girl. He did have a point... the hair was starting to get a little out of control. So, I told Ryan that I would get Blake a REAL hair appointment, but it would only be for a trim! I was not going to have my little two year old looking too grown up.

Our doctor actually recommended a lady to us. We were told that she was great with kids and would have the hair cut done in about 2 minutes. I warned the stylist that Blake would cry and scream, but it didn't seem to bother her. I also brought my mom for assistance. (She is the best). Sure enough Blake screamed and cried the second she got those scissors out! He cried the whole 2-3 minutes that it took to finish the trim. Bless his little heart...and the rest of the people at the place. Sigh.

The funny part was that when she was done, he stopped crying immediately. He even told her thank you and gave her a high five. No hard feelings, I guess ;) Mom (Granny) and I tried to make it up to him by letting him have suckers, ice cream, and a new toy! Yes, we spoiled him and it was well deserved! Ahem... we also gave the hair stylist a very generous tip for her patience.

I am VERY happy with how his hair cut turned out. It is trimmed and shaped, but he still has his cute red curls. He is still that same little boy that I love! Hopefully we can go a few months before we have to worry about the hair again. Ryan gets to take him next time ;)

Blake is TWO

Wow... Oh, wow... we have a terrific two year old!! Blake turned two yesterday! I can't believe it. He is by far the cutest little two year old I have ever seen. :)

Despite he and I struggling with a little sinus cold, we had a BLAST at his birthday party! We had a small family gathering to celebrate his birthday. Oh yeah, and it was a Thomas the Train theme! No surprise there. Tad and Megan were even able to come from Utah to celebrate with Blake. So special!

Today was also Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday. Whew.. what a day! Blake was spoiled all around. He got lots of books, puzzles, cars and train stuff. He even got clothes and a new pair of shoes. We are overwhelmed and beyond blessed with the love that our family has for Blake. 

Two Year Old Trends...

• Blake LOVES to dance. 
• He isn't a fan of hearing us sing. He usually yells "NO!" when we try. Maybe we just sound awful.
• He loves to eat strawberries, mac n cheese, green beans, pop tarts, bananas, and cookies.
• He enjoys watching Disney Pixar movies: Toy Story (1,2,&3), Despicable Me, Cars, and The Polar Express
• Reading is a fun activity - especially if it s a book about trucks!
• His favorite toys are the cars and trucks and trains. 
• Blake HATES having his face wiped or his hair washed. Not a fan at all! 
• When he gets mad, he makes a little duck face with his lips. When we see that face, we know we are in trouble! HAHA. 
• He still wakes up at the crack of dawn. 5:15 specifically. 
• He loves going to sleep. We never have trouble putting him to bed. 
• Music is a favorite thing...he likes to play his little instruments. 
• Jumping on the bed is always a good rainy day activity. 
• He still loves anything outdoors! 
• His vocabulary has exploded! He speaks too many words to count now. He even forms small sentences! 
• When counting to 3, he can only say the number 2. :) 
• He will climb anything he can get his hands on.
• He is very ticklish and loves to "wrestle" with Daddy. Mom is just waiting for someone to get hurt... 

We will have his official 2 year old check-up next week. We will get a full health report then to share!

Big Boy Bed

It is no surprise that we have a big boy on our hands, but now we have a big boy in a big boy bed!!! That's right... we said big boy bed! Ahem... basically his normal crib with the one side taken off and a guard rail put on. But to him, it's a whole new bed! He is so excited about it. Haha!

Sorry for the blurry picture. Blake was bouncing on his bed and wouldn't stop. :)

It has take some adjustment to get used to the freedoms of the new bed. Now that he has figured out that he can get out on his own, he "escapes" pretty frequently. Sigh. After we do our bedtime routine (bath, book, and prayers), we put him in his bed and within 2 minutes he gets out. The hilarious part is that when he gets out, he doesn't play with his toys or anything. Instead, he opens his door and comes to find Ryan and I.

It has been about 3 days (or should I say nights) and I think we are just now getting him back to sleeping all night. At least I hope. Ryan and I weren't ready for the lack of sleep we would have, so we are very ready for this transition period to be over! I do have to say that we are very grateful for his pretty easy transition phase. I have heard parents who have had to deal with some major issues because of switching to a toddler bed. That just proves that our little man is awesome! :)

Side note: Blake STILL gets up at the crack of dawn. We joke and say that he has the same internal clock as a rooster. Currently he starts waking up and stirring around at 5-5:15. Whew... Good morning!! He does wake up with a smile and ready to take on the day, so I guess we can't complain too much. Blake is also still taking a good 2-3 hour afternoon nap, so we really can't complain!!!

Fingers crossed we have more restful nights ahead! One more big stepping stone down in the books!

King of the Jungle

We have a King of the Jungle here at our house....Blake!!

As a little baby, Blake always loved the "I Like to Move It" song from the childrens movie Madagascar. Any time he was fussy or upset, we could play that song from the movie and he would just become so still and quiet. LOL! I guess it's really ironic because there is nothing soothing about the song. Instead it is very upbeat and energetic. Anyway, as Blake got older we purchased not only Madagascar, but also Madagascar 2 and Madagascar 3! These have been the only movies that Blake really seemed to be interested in and he would actually sit for at least half of them.

Now that Blake is a little older, he has grown slightly more interested in TV. Ryan and I thought that he might also like The Lion King because of the similar jungle theme in Madagascar. Ding Ding Ding!!! We were correct! Blake now refers to The Lion King as the "Roar" movie. :) What is even better is that he now "roars" at Ryan and I on the regular. He knows that the roar is supposed to be somewhat frightening, so we have to put on our scary faces when he does it. He loves to watch us react to his powerful roar.

Blake is almost two and his imagination is in full swing. It is starting with his lion actions and can even be seen in his independent play with his train set. Our little cub is starting to turn into a little King of the Jungle!.... ok, maybe a little Prince?!?! You get what I am trying to say, right!?! :)

Our Country Boy

This weekend we were ALL able to go back to Pilot Mountain to visit Granny and Papa. I was so excited because it is Fall and the leaves are beautiful! We took some family pictures and we will show those in the next post.

But as of right now, I am just so excited about our "outing" for today. We took Blake to go see the horses! My moms side of the family owns LOTS of farm land. My great grandmother and my great uncle shared about 60 acres of farm land. My great Granny Stone passed away several years ago, but my great uncle still has the farm. They have lots of horses that they train and ride. We were lucky enough to go play with them today!

Blake was fascinated with them. He had his eyes closely on them and watched their ever move. I personally thought that when we went into the pasture that we wouldn't be able to get that close to them. Boy was I wrong! They quickly came running to us! They are obviously used to getting lots of attention because they all wanted to be rubbed. Blake got VERY still when they came up to us. I thought he would be scared, but he wasn't! He rubbed the noses of a couple of them. :)

I guess the horses are also used to getting treats and we didn't bring any. We figured that out when one of them tried to nibble Blake's pants. HAHA! Blake looked at that horse like he was crazy! Then Blake quickly whined and wanted to get away from that horse. I couldn't stop laughing. I started to walk away and the horse just followed us.

Ahem... If you ask Ryan about this story he will also tell you that I got a little nervous when the horse was following us. I may or may not have been a little scared. Those things are HUGE and I am usually paranoid in my thoughts. I was pretty sure we were going to get trampled. HAHA! But again... that's just if you ask Ryan about this story ;)

Lastly, we got to see the tractors and rides. Blake is 100% boy and he LOVES trucks, trains, and cars. He had a blast pretending to drive Great Uncle Mikes "toys". :)

We had a great FALL weekend in the Mountains!