Yes, but a very cute moose

I'm so watching this movie this weekend. A mindless pleasure. :)

This is what's in my head. And it's a lot.

You have been warned.

This post is about what's floating in my head. And there's a lot.

I think I've been super lame to just post pictures and such lately. While pictures are wonderful, sometimes you actually want something to read.... right? So how about an update on our life?

We'll start with Jesse. Can I just tell you I have the best husband in the world? I dropped my favorite earring down the air vent in my bathroom. It was gone, folks. To me, it was gone. I slumped to the floor of the kitchen (it had been a long day) and tried to cry, but I was too exhausted for tears. So after dinner Jesse invaded the basement, worked some handyman magic, and VOILA... he had my earring. My orange flower earring. Props to my awesome husband.
Jesse is a TA in the Animation labs every day for x amount of hours and he only has one class to attend. So we get to spend a lot of mornings with him. He goes running and we go walking. Usually at some point we meet up on the route and he walks the rest of the way with us. And then he helps me get the girls ready for the day while I take my sweet time showering. Ah...

Have I told you how much I LOVE my husband?
I'm sorry, but he's totally better than your husband.

Jesse is also pushing to get the senior film done. To be honest, I have no idea how it's going. He doesn't tell me much. But I DO know that in January, we're moving to Washington for a real grown-up job with Microsoft Games Studio. Did you know that? For reals. Permanent. Settling. Never coming back.

I just might cry.

Abigail is ... so Abigail. Super active, talkative, mischievous, beautiful, hilarious, INDEPENDENT, active, mischievous... oh wait.. I mentioned those already. They deserve a double mention.

Me (singing while driving): "One step at a time... one hope than another.."
Abby: Mom, are you talking to yourself?
Me: .... yes...
Abby (SO sassy-like): Um, why?

At TJMaxx
Abby: Mom! Oh my goodness! Look at these shoes! They're fifty-hundred dollars!
Me: Crazy! We really can't afford those then.
Abby: No we definitely can't.

Today Abby jumped on her bed, fell, and smashed her face on her headboard. Her cheek is currently blue.

Claire is my angel. My sweet creamy-skinned joy. Though she discovered her voice this week and often sounds a bit like a pterodactyl. Or a velociraptor. Take your pick. I can't get enough of this baby though. She is ALWAYS happy and smiling. I can't emphasize the ALWAYS. ...unless there is a camera out. I am so in love with my baby.

And my double jogging stroller.

And that's bring us to

ME.

I went to Washington under the assumption that it was only for Jesse. That I was just there to support him and endure the summer. I learned more about myself in that one summer than in the 24 years I've been myself. I learned about the importance of friends. And how to make friends. How to be more generous. How much I've needed good girlfriends and I've just never known it. How much I LOVE my Washington friends. How much I LOVE my new and old friends in Provo.

Is there a theme here?

How much I truly need to appreciate and live the gospel EVERY DAY. I am truly sorry that it took my daughter falling out of window for me to truly, truly understand this. After that experience, I can never, NEVER deny that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are ALWAYS with us. They are ALWAYS aware of us: our actions, thoughts, words, tempers, laughter, etc.
They were with me at the accident. They were with me in the hospital. They helped me walk back in my apartment when I thought I never could step foot in there again.
They were with me today as I cleaned my house to general conference talks.

Can I emphasize to you how important it is that we are righteous in this life? So that we can have happiness in the next life? So that we are not bound to misery after this life?

Jesus Christ lives. He's not an imaginary being. He is real. And He's coming again.

I only pray that I can get myself in line so that when He comes I will be ready. At the moment, we have a LONG way to go... but I'm trying.

I love my girls. I love my husband. I love that I've been richly blessed in this life. I love that the gospel gives me the power to endure trials and fight them with hope. If you ever have a moment when you begin to doubt the power of the gospel, the power of Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood---then call me. And I'll help you remember.

And that's about it as far as the thoughts go in my head. How about some pictures, YES?

Claire in the London dress from Sarah. Yes, from London.

Abby in the Chicago tutu from Sarah. And with raspberry on her face.

Luke and Abigail at Zac Freeman's wedding. The bow dress is from my mom (I can't give Sarah clothing credit and not my mom. It wouldn't be fair.)

Our first family picture since Claire was born. What took us so long? But aren't we HOT?! I thought so. ;) Love you!

Abigail and Claire

I had my cousin take some pictures of my girls a week ago. These don't even begin to scrape the surface of the amazing cute pictures she took. But I had to share some of them. They are Abby and Claire as I see them everyday. Love love love these pictures.

And yes, Sarah, more will be emailed to you later.

This just makes me want to have more kids... so I can have super cute pictures taken of them.

Gracious, I need help.

Oh my lands.

How are you, blogger friends?

It's definitely been a while.

Let me update you on Larsen activity since our last post.

We moved home from Washington on August 14th. Or 15th. Take your pick. We left at 11 p.m. and drove through the night. It was a LONG night.... And I SUPER miss Washington. I miss the green, the overcast skies, the hilarious friends... ahh.. We made it to my parent's home in Bountiful and stayed there for a couple days to recover. Thank you mom, dad, and quack-quack for helping me remain sane after those 17 hours in car.

On August 17, Abby turned THREE. Can you believe it? She definitely sasses like she's three.

Birthday three rocked with a minor setback.

The story goes like this. Abby and Maryn (quack-quack) were out in the backyard playing. They were looking for ladybugs, patient the snail, butterflies, etc. My mom and I were in the kitchen getting hamburgers, salads, desserts, etc. ready for Abby's b-day party. Just then I heard a piercing scream from Abby... and somehow I knew what had happened. She had been stung. Oh, but not by ONE yellow jacket. Abby sat on yellow jacket nest and was stung FIVE times. One on each thigh, the back of one leg, her left arm, and the back of her head. She was screaming in pain for what seemed liked forever. And later we found the stinger in the back-of-her-head one. Maryn was stung once on the back of her ankle in attempt to rescue Abby. Jesse was stung once on the ear, inside the house, by a yellow jacket that was still on Abby when he picked her up inside.

Enough stinging, right?

Maryn's sting actually developed cellulitis--a staph infection. She was on a major meds and it's still red almost 12 days later. Holy cow.

After applying ice packs to the stings, taking a bath, and downing tylenol and benadryl, we attempted to have a birthday party.

Impressive that she's smiling. She was a benadryl-zombie most of the night.

Jesse was also a benadryl-zombie. He tried to stay awake after taking it, but I think he crashed at nine that night. That NEVER happens in the history of Jesse. He was hilarious to try to keep awake. He was falling asleep during dinner, present opening, everything.
Benadryl may be my new weapon against him. Hahaha...

Oh my chubby, lovely Claire. She's always in such good spirits. :)

On August 22, Claire was finally blessed by her papa bear! We partied at my mom's after.

This is my older sister.

PSYCH.

It's my mom. But would you guess? She's so beautiful and young-looking! When I grow up, I want to look just like her.

No, this is not her blessing dress. It was her after party dress.

Since then we've just tried to get settled in. Life is crazy. School starts tomorrow for Jesse.

One more semester.

Then Microsoft, here we come.

Do you ever have those days...

when you're too lazy to rearrange pictures on your blog so you leave them in reverse order? That would be me today. Too lazy to put them in the right order.

Actually, when I started this post yesterday (my internet wouldn't let me finish)I had in mind to say, "Do you ever have those days when you think that your child is the most beautiful child in the world?"

I had one of those moments with Abigail yesterday on the swings. So I wanted to post and be profound, but blogger wouldn't let me. Alas, you get this raw blob of a post.

Beach day!!
This is Lake Sammamish. Every Monday is beach day for our playgroup. Unfortunately, this is the first time we've been able to attend.
I love my playgroup.
I don't know if I can leave them.

Abigail, Kylie, and Evan. They were having a party dumping water on each other. :)

Abigail and Kylie. BFF.

She is so my daughter.

This was my moment where I was thinking about how beautiful my girl is. Even from behind she's adorable. Remember this dress, mom? It rocks.

Where did this ugly lady come from? Oh wait. It's ME. Scary. Our stake did a Stake Fair last weekend. We played on this inflatable slide over and over... and over.. and over..

and over.

But it was fun. We never did stuff like this growing up in Utah. It was a missionary tool. There were TONS of members of other faiths there and the missionaries were EVERYWHERE.
It was super neat!

Today is Jesse's birthday. He's 26. What an old dude! So if you think about it, harass him by telling him happy birthday.