BIRTHDAY GIRL!

HOPE ALL YOUR BIRTHDAY WISHES CAME TRUE! KNOWING YOUR POWERS, I'M SURE THEY DID. ENJOY!

Malibu Barbie is Back!

Thanks to Mike and Jake I am all moved in at 777 Domingo Drive. Mike gets MVP for this move, and I owe the entire Howes family for this one. Bless Janna's heart. She gave Mike up on her birthday -- Thanks, Janna! Emmet wasn't too thrilled to lose his dad on the weekend -- Emmet I owe you big!

Thanks again to everyone. I could not have pulled this off without any of you, especially the turquoise bowl I scored from Alana for the new digs.

a quick hello.......

i have gotten into the habit of checking this blog like 20 times a day, but never post. i love being able to share every day with you all....
is everyone feeling better? I believe that i might actually survive.... going on the 11th day with the "FUNK" - antibiotics and mucinex on board and things are looking a bit brighter today. i definitely could have used some of mom's magic chicken soup... it sounds heavenly.

LU!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?! i hope that you are well... you have been on my mind :)

while i'm here.... anyone opposed to their big sista dating her older crush from ski school heaven?
i've been smiling alot more these days despite it all..... and caught myself singing George Strait songs the other day.... hmmmmmmm

I love you all so much. i think about you literally all the time and you are always a part of my daily conversations with anyone and everyone.... i need to be better at sharing that with you more often... really.... i AM the luckiest girl in the world:) blessed beyond comprehension....

andrea


p.s. check out snow-valley.com
they have a live web cam and daily photos... maybe sometime you might get a glimpse of me "at the office"

Four Days Left...

and feeling a tad stressed!

Some Comic Relief

Nineteenth Century E-Harmony

Thoreau the spinster-poet. In the year 1850, when Henry reached the age of thirty-three, Emily Dickinson in nearby Amherst became twenty. Somebody should have brought the two together. They might have hit it off. I imagine this scene, however, immediately following the honeymoon:

EMILY (raising her pen)
Henry, you haven't taken out the garbage.

HENRY (raising his flute)
Take it out yourself.

-Edward Abbey, Down the River

Ah yes, as if I needed a reminder of why I am an Abbey fan. His hilarity delights me. I was flipping through my old copy I had given to Alex as a gift and re-reading selections. Brandon was looking for a new book now that he is finished with The Host. I dug up Down the River and begged him to read it, telling him all about how it made me go into Oprah's "ugly cry". He goes downstairs for an hour with the book and comes back up and hands it back to me.


BRANDON (gesturing with book)
I think it's good but I don't really get it. I don't have a big enough... what do you call it when there are a lot of big words?

ALANA (furrowing her brow)
Vocabulary?

That, my friends, is a true story.

Never a dull moment.


While we're talking about Glen Canyon:

What a loss!
But what's done is done.
AND... It's how the West was won!
Well, that and the Winchester 30-30.
If you like your life here in the desert,
your Hollywood movies,
or your oranges from the San Joaquin,
THANK A DAM.

What the?

Just when I start thinking Anika is all Daddy, I come across a photo like this! Is it my imagination or do we look like twins?

Bouldering In Joshua Tree

The San Bernardino stake held a camping trip in Joshua Tree on Friday and Saturday. We were bouldering all day on Saturday.
It was loads of fun.... here are some pictures.

Welcome Back Larsons

The sun is shining
The birds are chirping
The Mama is wearing
makeup

The baby is playing
The Daddy is cleaning
The Mama is going
lunching

The Reeva* is waning
The laundry is washing
The Mama is sporting
a bra!

*Dad's awesome term for the runs! And yes, this one was the reeva with a capital R!

My Sweet Mom

Thanks Mom, for taking care of me and my family today. Yep, we got the Salt Lake Sidewinder... appropriately coined by Mike for this virus' dangerousness and origin. (brought by my brother and sister-in-law from Salt Lake) Anika had the "owey barfeys" all morning right alongside Brandon and even one puke for me. Mom went to the store for us and then brought over HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE soup. It was so delicious; I just had another serving. Thanks again Mom. It's so comforting to know you will always take care of me and you are STILL sacrificing yourself for all of us. I LOVE YOU MOM!

TEA TIME IN NEWPORT

Funny lines of the day

"Help! I don't like kitties!"
-Emmet

"I took a quiz that said I'm only slightly disturbed."
-Janna

"Come on."
-Anika

Family Fun Series

Alana's Multiple CHINS Series

Babe Series

Emmet Series

Our Hike

For those that weren't there to hear it: Anika started telling me off halfway through the hike. Nothing would make her happy. She kept saying "pants off". Finally, I took them off and she was somewhat appeased. Eventually she wanted "shoes off", "socks off", "coat off" , until she was in nothing but a onesie. Emmet said, "why is Anika hiking in her underwear? Can I take my pants off?" And that he did. Here are our two orphan children hiking over patches of snow in their panties. (and yes, she is eating dirt off her hands- someone call CPS !)Her own woman:

The hot couple during the Patagonia catalog shoot:

Did I mention we found two arrowhead pieces?

Dear Janna and Mike and Brandon and little ones,
Sorry about my PMS.

Saucy

What the freak? How cute is this? Anika needs this for summer!!! Does it come in my size?

Snow Report

Fixing the snow blower

The parking lot

"the lair"

Surfwise

I saw this on someones blog and can't wait to see it. It's about a family of nine who live in a camper and surf! I truly believe that this way of living can be possible and amazing. I really hope I can live this way someday. Check it out here.