It feels like home

I finally did it! I put my pictures on the wall in our dining room.  I have been wanting to do this right when we moved in, but never had the creative energy to put them up.  Now it feels like home to me.  There is something about decorating in family photos that makes me feel like I am constantly surrounded in love.  I know that I am always surrounded by Christ's love but I think this is His visual reminder for me.  

We went to the cabin yesterday afternoon with kids.  We all had a great time and I even tried slalom water skiing.   (It is a big deal that I figure this out and very soon!  It is a rite of passage for the Larsen family.  My niece has just learned and she is 8)  Everyone was so encouraging in the boat.  My sister-in-law and her husband and all the kids ages 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, and 1  were all telling me how great I was doing.  Even after 5 awesome wipe outs!   They kept telling me that I was getting better!  I must admit that I am sore today - I don't think anybody's body is ever ready for face plants into the water.  Mommy's can't get hurt doing silly things like water skiing:)

The past few days

Carrie and I took all the kids swimming a couple of days ago in the neighbor's pool.  The kids had a blast!  You can see the roof of our house through the windows...so that is how close to family we live.  I never would have imagined that we would like this close to family. It is truly a blessing!

She is ready to go!  Granted it did take her 40 minutes to think swimming was fun.

She looks like she could get into a little bit of trouble with those pig tails!  It is a good thing that she is so cute!

We went to the Mall of America yesterday and to the Underwater World.  Grace and Lydia thought it was so cool to see the sting rays and sharks.  Adie didn't care for it so much - maybe when she is bigger.

We had a few moments in the car...three snoring children is music to my ears!

Yeah South Dakota!

I am so proud of the state that I just moved away from.  Vote Yes for Life  took on Planned Parenthood and won!  The legislators made informed consent the mandate now.  This is what each doctor who is to preform an abortion must say... " That the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being"  and they have to tell them a whole lot more! Read it all for yourself!

WAY TO GO South Dakota!!  and may all the glory be given to Jesus!

Pass this on!

Amy Lawrence Photography

I had a friend ask who took our family photo.  Amy Lawrence is simply the best if you live in the Sioux Falls, SD area.  Check out her website.  She is a dear friend and an amazing photographer.  We feel blessed that she was able to take pictures of our family before we moved.  She also took pregnancy photos when I was 9 months pregnant with Adie and they were incredible.  I never felt so beautiful in my life.  (I am serious!  I felt prettier 9 months pregnant than on my wedding day.  Call me crazy but it is true)  I keep those photos above my bed.

Enjoy looking!

Angel

Sleeping...and baseball fun

The cheer team!  We set up the baseball batting cage in our neighbor's backyard.  The kids had a great time trying to hit a few balls.

Kissing cousins




All of my girls are sleeping right now. I don't remember the last time that happened!  Swimming lessons wiped out Grace and Lydia.  So with my free time I am paying bills, catching up on email and wait...I hear Adie crying.  Gosh my time was really short!  But on the bright side...I did get 5 minutes!  

We are so thankful to have Daddy back from Africa.  The girls love the videos of lion, penguins and leopards.  We missed him so much!  A girls' mind is a battlefield when her husband is gone.  I didn't sleep well and I had to recite bible verses over and over until I would eventually fall asleep.

It has been so awesome living next to family!  We have shared so many meals and so many life activities that is has been a  real blessing!

Princess fun

Our neighbors in Sioux Falls gave us this tent some time back.  It has been packed in a box for 6 months.  There were some happy girls this week.  They were even more happy that we had to move it inside the house becuase of a rainstorm that day.

Watching to see what she would do...

She is good ...she is quick...and she is in trouble.  Just before I caught her doing this, she had a wash cloth in the toilet.  I think she  was just having fun without momma watching.

Grace and Lydia received new baseball gloves from Nana and Papa.  Nana wanted to wait until Christmas but Papa couldn't resist and besides, "they need to pratice while it is still nice out."  So we had a little mini camp learning how to catch with our eyes open.  They were so cute this afternoon!  

Feeling so handy!

The past two days I have...

• put up a towel rod
• put in our Ihome (device that goes under the cupboard so I can listen to my Ipod)
• put up 13 hooks in the hallway
• wired 2 lights back into place
• fixed a screen door
• put up 2 corner wall protectors
• painted my husband's office
  

whew! 

I feel so handy lately!  I have to thank my mom for coming down to basically hold my hand while I try to learn how to do all these new projects. It is empowering learning something new!  I have never felt comfortable handling a drill.  (Why should I?  I have four brothers who did all that stuff for me when we were growing up.  I still love it when they come over and help me!  Thanks Chris for putting up my curtain rods!)  I keep thinking of things that need to get done around here!  I think I might try my hand at putting up a new smoke detector because the one we have now is probably as old as me.  And a new thermostat because we broke the one off the wall when we were trying to paint.  

oh yeah - I still need to climb on the roof to clean two sky light windows.  They have been driving me crazy since the day we moved in!  I know that you should be able to see some sky!

I should be off to bed because tomorrow is a big day!  We get to go to church and then off to Papa and Nana's house for a couple of days.

Best cookies ever! Chunky Chocolate Cookies

Here is a link to the best cookies ever!  My kids just gobble them up!  They freeze well and you can have all the ingredients on hand to make whenever!  I also make them into balls and freeze a dozen or so in a package so when I bring meals to someone I have a great dessert that they can make when it fits into their schedule. (Plus it makes their house smell yummy too!

TIP:  Bake them for 10 minutes for a more chewy cookie

Let me know if you enjoy these!

Angel

Transition

Now we are settling into life.  Most of the boxes are unpacked...the ones I don't really want to go through are still in the garage.  How can a girl convince her husband that he will never really read those college text books.  Or the boxes and boxes of girl clothes...we just can't get rid of them because we are not done having kids yet.

Yes we are one of those "crazies" who want a big family.  People look at you like you have grown a third eye when we tell them that we are not done with three kids and we also feel the Lord calling us to adopt.  I find it funny that they always ask..."how will you afford college?"  Like college is the determination of how many children we should have.  It amazes me that it only took 2 -3 generations for this phenomena (large families to 2.2 children per family) to take place.  You weren't crazy if you had six kids 50 years ago.  It saddens me to see such decay in the family structure.

Carl is off in Africa.  He was supposed to go to Zimbabwe on a medical mission with is Dad, Mom and best friend from high school, but with the current political conditions they are just going on photo safari so Carl can get amazing stock photos and video for his business.  We miss him a lot around here.  He is the fun in our family and brings out laughter in everyone.  

The other day I caught him letting Grace and Lydia jump off the new bookshelves that we just put up.  He used to let them jump in his arms from the top of our half flight of stairs.  Now that we have a ranch home with 4 steps total in the whole house, he needed to find a new launching pad.  Well, I had to be the bubble burster of fun because our little Adie was looking that those bookshelves with a keen intent on doing just what her older sisters were doing.  They will have to find something different.

I am realizing how much God is downsizing my life right now.  I thought he was only doing it with the house but I am finding it in other areas too.  First I went to Wal-Mart last week and was totally disappointed because in SF we had a super Wal-Mart which was my one stop shop...here is just a little one with minimal food.  Then yesterday I went to Sam's Club and they didn't carry three items that we usually get.  I don't know why this was so bothersome, but it was.  I almost wanted to sit and cry in the middle of the isle in Sams.  I think it has to do more with the big picture of my life right now than the fact that Sam's didn't carry the long green beans in the frozen department. 

I know that in SF I was comfortable.  I was the same way in Fargo before we moved to SF.  I am not saying that comfort is bad...just that I was too comfortable with my life there.  He is stretching me to trust more and not rely on my own strength.  We get tired, burned out, and crabby if we go through life by our own will.  It reminds me our family theme verse from last year, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  It all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 

I hear my Liddy Bug crying so I better go and comfort her...

We're back..

We are now moved into our new home in Minnesota.  We just got internet yesterday so I have been out of the loop for some time. I have been unpacking boxes like crazy.  My legs have so many bruises that I feel like I am Grace.  (she has so many bruises that it makes me nervous to take her out in public sometimes)  The overwhelming part of moving in now over and we are starting to realize that we are not going back.  Living next to my sister-in-law is amazing.  Last night was the first meal I had to make since before we moved.  It is a huge blessing not to have to cook or watch my children for parts of the day so that I can unpack.

My new email is larsenangel@charter.net

We have a family reunion this weekend but after that I will post pictures of our new place and new adventures!