Christmas-2013

We had a wonderful Christmas!  And even though all our family could not be with us, (we missed our Yuma family), Jaron & Michelle were able to drive all the way here just to spend two precious days with us.  Those two days were filled with fun:  cousins enjoying being together again, playing games, going sledding, eating too much food, , kids beside themselves with excitement and anticipation, ripping open presents, etc.  There were special times too: gifts of service, gifts to Jesus, reading and acting out the Christmas story, and a special trip to Gavin's grave on Christmas eve to light a luminara and sing carols. 

Of the 270 photos I took, it was hard to pick just a few to post here.  The rest I've uploaded to Smugmug.

Here we are.  It was quite a job getting all the little bodies to hold still while the timer on the camera counted down to take the photo.  (Emily A. is holding a new puppy she is tending that will be a Christmas present for her sister's children.)

The 'girls' enjoying each other.  On Christmas eve morning Tiera, Michelle, Evelyn and I picked up Kneader's french toast and took breakfast to Emily K. and Crew.  We ate and had a fun visit.

The 'boys'......tell me how you REALLY feel about having your pictures taken!!!  They also got together and met Dalin for lunch on Christmas eve day.  (He was working that day.)  One of my greatest blessings is knowing that all our children and children-in-law (???), get along, and enjoy being together.

Cousins having fun and showing off their new PJs.

Evelyn and Crew showing off their Christmas outfits.

Grandma Great meets Evelyn and gets a big smile.

Grandma Great meets Crew and gets a sleepy smile.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to have a spiritual reenactment of the nativity with a bunch of rowdy boys hyped up on Christmas anticipation?   I think we had more laughs than were probably appropriate! Crew played his part as baby Jesus perfectly, as did Evelyn who played the angel.  It went downhill from there.  The wise men and shepherds kept trading head gear and couldn't decide who they wanted to be.  One or two were sure that a mistake was made and the presents the wise men were carrying couldn't possibly be for baby Jesus.  And then there was the problem with Mary!  Since we had no age appropriate girl, Owen saw a great opportunity and decided that for $6 he would play the part.  He almost backed out, however, when Tiera brought out her Princess Leia wig from Halloween for him to wear as part of Mary's outfit. 

What a wonderful Christmas we had, full of family memories!

A Special Nativity

When Amber and Tiera were just babies, and we didn't have much money, I made this nativity.  It has been a favorite Christmas decoration ever since.  Baby Jesus has been carried around and loved by all our children, and now our grandchildren, so much so that his once white 'swaddling' is now a delicate shade of gray!  Each one of the dolls has special memories for me, because each doll's outfit is made from scraps of material from clothes I had made for the children, myself or our first home. For example, the wise men are decked out in scraps from Christmas dresses I made for myself and the girls.  Joseph's shawl and Mary's veil are scraps from the drapes I made for our first house.  The angel's dress is made from scrapes of the first temple dress I made.  So many memories.  The nativity now resides in Tiera and Scott's home.  (Amber has several other special Christmas decorations that I have made.)  She and my daughters-in-law would love to make their own nativity like this.  I was sure I saved the pattern, but somehow it has disappeared.  I remember getting it out of a magazine like Family Circle or Good Housekeeping.  They have diligently searched the internet in hopes of discovering it's origin, but to no avail!  If anyone has seen this nativity and knows where we can get the patterns, please let me know.  I keep thinking I'll take one apart to make a new pattern but I just can't bring myself to do it!

Merry Christmas

For those of you who did not receive our Christmas email, here it is:

Dear Family & Friends,

Another year has come and gone and we are certainly feeling

another year older, and have a few more aches and pains, a few more pounds,

a little less hair, and a lot more wrinkles!  But we have been blessed this past

year with good health and strength to keep up with our daily activities.

Our greatest blessings this year have been two new adorable grandchildren:

Evelyn May was born in September to Jaron & Michelle and big brothers

Sawyer and Bear take very good care of her.  They are living in Mesa, AZ.  Crew

Lavoy was born in October to Dalin & Emily, and the world now revolves around

his needs, at least at their home in South Jordan, UT.

Will, Amber & their children Sabrina, Vanessa and Isaac are living in Yuma, AZ, 

and at this time of year are grateful for the warm weather.  Scott, Tiera & their

boys Taylor, Bennett, Owen & Chase keep busy with a ton of 'boy' activities and

we are glad they only live a few minutes away.  Tyler & Emily are even closer as

they are staying in our downstairs apartment while saving for their future home.

We continue to be blessed with our service mission as Senior Couple

Coordinators for the Public Affairs Department of the church.  We love to share

the joy and excitement of newly called missionaries and help to prepare and train

them for the amazing experiences they will soon enjoy.

The biggest news for Jeff & I this past year is that we bought a new house.

Last winter when it was miserably cold in American Fork where we live, we made

the mistake of visiting our good friends who have recently purchased a winter

home in Santa Clara, a little town next to St. George in southern Utah.  We threw

caution to the wind and did the same, and are anxious to spend time in our new

little, (very little), vacation home, basking in the sunshine this winter.

We hope this year has been kind to you and your families.  Our family, like

everyone else's, has had challenges and set backs.  But we try to focus on our

many blessings and remember that our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is

here to buoy us up during our struggles, mend our broken hearts when

disappointments come, and give us hope for a glorious future.  We hope you join

with us in celebrating His birth.

P.S.  Please stay in touch:

www.whatkarensees.blogspot.com

www.karens-kandids.blogspot.com

jeff@rockymountainmopar.com

karen@karenlarsenonline.com

Crew Lavoy - Newborn Portraits

 

Isn't he handsome!!!!  But we can't figure out who he looks like.  Any suggestions?

Meet Crew Lavoy Larsen

 Meet our Number 12.  Crew was born on October 29.  Emily had a pretty traumatic labor ending in a c-section and there were a few tense moments for Crew right after birth, but mom and baby are doing great!  He is so adorable!!!!  And for those who may not know, Lavoy is also Dalin, Jeff and Grandpa's middle name.

 Sweet moment with Mom.

Showing off his 'get outta jail' going home outfit.

Here he is in his Batman Halloween costume.  Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen??  This was a gift from Tiera. 

Beautiful & Modest

I am so behind on posting family photos.  The following photos were taken a couple of weeks before Halloween.  Since then, baby Crew Lavoy Larsen has been born.  He is adorable, though had a pretty traumatic birth.  I'll have hospital and Halloween photos of him in my next post.  In the meantime, here are some of the photos I took about 2 weeks before he was born.

Halloween Dinner

Hope you enjoy seeing our tantalizing Halloween feast:

 Baked Rat in Blood Sauce

 Caramelized Bat Wings

 Moldy Green Mac & Cheese with Ringworm

 Death by Slashed Glass Shards Cupcakes

 Candy Corn Crispies

 Graveyard Greens

 Eyeballs & Worms Cow Pie

 Fun Memories - Wish all our family could have been with us.

Impromptu Family Portrait

Barrett, Jaron, Sawyer, (Gavin's bunny), Evelyn, Michelle

Remembering How to Quilt!

It has been a long time since I made a quilt, or did any type of sewing for that matter.  I can really allow myself only one serious hobby,  (otherwise I'd be spending way too much time doing fun stuff that would fall under the 'good' category, instead of 'better' or 'best'), and photography is the hobby that speaks to my heart and soul the most.  But once in a while I make exceptions and two new grandbabies are a great excuse to drag out the sewing machine, (a 43 year old state of the art Bernina that Jeff bought me for our first married Christmas), and try to remember how to piece together a baby quilt.  I have to admit I remembered pretty well until it came time to do the binding, and then I had to look up how to do mitered corners.  It took me the entire drive to Arizona to finish hand sewing the binding and then creating a label as best I could with what I had with me.

Meet Evelyn May

Evelyn May Larsen

Evelyn is as beautiful as her name.  She is petite and dainty and perfect in every way.  We had a lovely visit with Jaron & Michelle and all are doing well.  Evelyn is nursing well and gaining weight.  Their main challenge right now is keeping Bear from being too rough with his 'pats' and 'kisses'.  Evelyn's middle name is a combination of my middle name and Michelle's mother's name.

43 Years and Counting!

For our 43rd anniversary this year we put in a full day of work as Public Affairs missionaries, then left our office (cubbie), and walked upstairs to have dinner at The Roof in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Then we walked over the the Conference Center and enjoyed a lovely evening with the Mormon Tab Choir, the Utah Symphony, with guest artist, James Taylor.  We had a great time and need to do stuff like this more often!

Boys Night Out

Waiting in anticipation!

Dalin & Emily didn't want to miss the excitement.

Doesn't everyone like to see cars crashing into each other on purpose?

And here's what they all come to see....a good roll over!

And another one bites the dust!

Nice body work.

Crowd got their money's worth.  I think 5 roll overs.

In our family, it just wouldn't be summer without one good Demolition Derby!