Derek, Tara, & Holley! Christmas 2005!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Christmas Newsletter 2005
Dear Family & Friends,
As 2005 nears it's end, our family stops to reflect on the past year. Last Christmas we were not able to travel home to Utah, but were very blessed to have both of our families come and visit us here. Derek's family came right after Christmas and stayed until just before the new year, and Tara's family was able to swing down for a couple days after our annual January Quartzite trip. It meant so much to us to have them here to see our new house and community!
Holley has grown by leaps and bounds! At least weekly we seem to comment on how big she has become, and how much she continues to change and learn. She is now 3 years old and loves her friends, family, dolls, and anything that is "princessy". The highlights of her days are story time at the library with mom on Wednesdays, catching Thatcher High games with Dad (and sometimes mom), and Nursery! We are anxious to see how she will adjust to primary starting this new year as she has always been so excited to go to nursery on Sunday's. She brings so much joy into our lives in so many ways, whether by the sweet things she says (such as calling everyone her friend, as in "My friend Dad" or "My friend Grandma") or when she thinks we aren't watching as we catch her dancing and singing a song. She now gets really embarrassed when she notices we've been watching and says "Don't watch me!" We truly feel so lucky to be her parents and she never ceases to amaze us.
Derek's year has once again been a very busy one. He has really been enjoying teaching the Book of Mormon in Seminary this year and is always trying to perfect his lessons. He is currently serving in our ward as the Teachers Quorum advisor, and really loves the Young Men he works with. This fall he started work on his masters Degree in "Counseling in Human Relations." His program is offered through NAU's I-TV distance learning program so that he is able to take his classes at Thatcher's Eastern Arizona College while they are being broadcasted from different locations throughout the state. He has enjoyed the two classes he's taken so far, and has been able to maintain his ability to get good grades as he did in high school and college. He rarely has a chance to break away to go fishing or play basketball, but when he gets the chance, they still remain his favorite past times! Much to his satisfaction, Holley has begun to show great interest in both.
Tara, while her list of what keeps her busy isn't as long as Derek's, feels pretty busy none the less. The main thing on her list of course is Holley, and boy can she keep you busy. Tara loves the time she gets to spend with her as a stay at home mom. Holley is truly her best girl friend and whenever Mommy cries, Holley runs to the bathroom and brings her some toilet paper. Sometimes she brings just the corner of the one sheet, and at other times its most the roll, but it never fails to give momma a smile. Tara has also spent the last few months tending a one-year-old in the afternoons for a friend who has returned to college. We felt it would also be good for Holley, to prepare her to hopefully someday soon be an older sibling. Holley used to get frustrated with her new competition and when Mommy would say, "don't hit," she would sometimes respond by protesting, "but I want to hit her!" She learned quickly that this was not acceptable, and has become rather helpful. Tara is currently serving as the Primary Chorister and LOVES it. As part of her calling, she's been able to go to the nursery to sing with Holley and the nursery kids and is excited to start singing with her in primary after the new year. She loves scrapbooking and sewing when she gets a spare minute. She gets quite excited to start a new project, and chuckled to herself recently when she realized that she's become like her Grandma Muirbrook, collecting quite a few half-finished projects.
Some of our years highlights were our families visiting us last winter, a few local camping trips, our summer trip to Utah, and especially the great opportunity we had to be a Ma & Pa in a our Stake Priest and Laurel Pioneer Trek in September. We truly became attached to our new "Children" and really enjoyed the whole experience and were grateful for the opportunity. We also look forward to our Christmas trip to Utah this coming week when Holley will hopefully see her first snow since she was one.
We continue to pray and dream of being blessed with more children and do not yet know if it will be through pregnancy or adoption. However, this current trial has definitely made us more grateful for the family we have and for all the other blessings which include all of you. We have been truly blessed to have some of the most fantastic people in our lives. Incredible family members and amazingly wonderful friends! To those of you who have so touched our lives we give you all our love and gratitude for all you do. Thank you!
Love, Derek, Tara, & Holley Larsen
As 2005 nears it's end, our family stops to reflect on the past year. Last Christmas we were not able to travel home to Utah, but were very blessed to have both of our families come and visit us here. Derek's family came right after Christmas and stayed until just before the new year, and Tara's family was able to swing down for a couple days after our annual January Quartzite trip. It meant so much to us to have them here to see our new house and community!
Holley has grown by leaps and bounds! At least weekly we seem to comment on how big she has become, and how much she continues to change and learn. She is now 3 years old and loves her friends, family, dolls, and anything that is "princessy". The highlights of her days are story time at the library with mom on Wednesdays, catching Thatcher High games with Dad (and sometimes mom), and Nursery! We are anxious to see how she will adjust to primary starting this new year as she has always been so excited to go to nursery on Sunday's. She brings so much joy into our lives in so many ways, whether by the sweet things she says (such as calling everyone her friend, as in "My friend Dad" or "My friend Grandma") or when she thinks we aren't watching as we catch her dancing and singing a song. She now gets really embarrassed when she notices we've been watching and says "Don't watch me!" We truly feel so lucky to be her parents and she never ceases to amaze us.
Derek's year has once again been a very busy one. He has really been enjoying teaching the Book of Mormon in Seminary this year and is always trying to perfect his lessons. He is currently serving in our ward as the Teachers Quorum advisor, and really loves the Young Men he works with. This fall he started work on his masters Degree in "Counseling in Human Relations." His program is offered through NAU's I-TV distance learning program so that he is able to take his classes at Thatcher's Eastern Arizona College while they are being broadcasted from different locations throughout the state. He has enjoyed the two classes he's taken so far, and has been able to maintain his ability to get good grades as he did in high school and college. He rarely has a chance to break away to go fishing or play basketball, but when he gets the chance, they still remain his favorite past times! Much to his satisfaction, Holley has begun to show great interest in both.
Tara, while her list of what keeps her busy isn't as long as Derek's, feels pretty busy none the less. The main thing on her list of course is Holley, and boy can she keep you busy. Tara loves the time she gets to spend with her as a stay at home mom. Holley is truly her best girl friend and whenever Mommy cries, Holley runs to the bathroom and brings her some toilet paper. Sometimes she brings just the corner of the one sheet, and at other times its most the roll, but it never fails to give momma a smile. Tara has also spent the last few months tending a one-year-old in the afternoons for a friend who has returned to college. We felt it would also be good for Holley, to prepare her to hopefully someday soon be an older sibling. Holley used to get frustrated with her new competition and when Mommy would say, "don't hit," she would sometimes respond by protesting, "but I want to hit her!" She learned quickly that this was not acceptable, and has become rather helpful. Tara is currently serving as the Primary Chorister and LOVES it. As part of her calling, she's been able to go to the nursery to sing with Holley and the nursery kids and is excited to start singing with her in primary after the new year. She loves scrapbooking and sewing when she gets a spare minute. She gets quite excited to start a new project, and chuckled to herself recently when she realized that she's become like her Grandma Muirbrook, collecting quite a few half-finished projects.
Some of our years highlights were our families visiting us last winter, a few local camping trips, our summer trip to Utah, and especially the great opportunity we had to be a Ma & Pa in a our Stake Priest and Laurel Pioneer Trek in September. We truly became attached to our new "Children" and really enjoyed the whole experience and were grateful for the opportunity. We also look forward to our Christmas trip to Utah this coming week when Holley will hopefully see her first snow since she was one.
We continue to pray and dream of being blessed with more children and do not yet know if it will be through pregnancy or adoption. However, this current trial has definitely made us more grateful for the family we have and for all the other blessings which include all of you. We have been truly blessed to have some of the most fantastic people in our lives. Incredible family members and amazingly wonderful friends! To those of you who have so touched our lives we give you all our love and gratitude for all you do. Thank you!
Love, Derek, Tara, & Holley Larsen
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Friday, December 09, 2005
Monday, December 05, 2005
Guess who's 3!!!
Here are some pictures of Holley's 3rd birthday! Friday December 2nd. Wow time flies, I can't believe she's getting so big! She still says she's momma's baby though! She was SO excited it was her birthday. She's old enough now that she understands birthday, and presents, and cake! She did not however understand when we told her she had already opened all of her presents, because, as she pointed out, there were still a bunch more under the tree! It was a great day though, and lots of fun for all! (She's still my baby though, I made her promise!)
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Larsen Family Christmas Newsletter.
This year, we have decided to save on postage and will be posting our holiday newsletter here on our blog. We haven't sat down to start writing it out yet, but wanted to let you all know to keep your eyes out for it. It will be a good "year in review" for those of you that we don't get to talk to as often as we'd like! Love you all take care and enjoy your holiday season. Love, Derek, Tara, & Holley
Here is our sweet little holiday duck family. Last year Derek was worried that Holley might destroy them and their cute little outfits, so he pretended that the papa duck bit him. It worked, and Holley stayed away from them the rest of the holidays. At that time, to her, all birds were chickens, so they were the "scary chickens". This year we pulled them out, and she STILL won't go near them. Derek asked Holley to go get something the other night, and she said she didn't want to cause she'd have to walk past the Scary Chickens. I realized that this fear was in place before the neighbors got their chickens and Rooster. Therefore, when the rooster crows in the middle of the night and Holley runs into our room crying about the scary chicken, I won't feel guilty telling Derek he needs to lay with her til the Rooster quiets down. ha ha ha! Her Daddy has scared her for life.
"The stockings were hung by the TV with care . . . . " Just wanted to show off some of our Christmas decorations, cause I LOVE Christmas time, and now it's legal, because Thanksgiving is over! I suggested maybe singing a Christmas song to the primary kids, the week before thanksgiving, (thinking it would be good to review the words of some of the songs, or learn one they don't know.) They sure let me have it, "but it's not even thanksgiving yet!" Here's the real funny part, today I mentioned that they are going to sing a couple songs for the ward Christmas Party and that we needed to start practicing, one kid's reply . . . "Why didn't you tell us about it in October?" hee hee hee hee I love my calling!
our front porch, all dressed up for Christmas. It doesn't feel to Christmas-y to decorate the outside of your house wearing short sleeves and feeling that its a little too warm! We still sleep with the ceiling fan on most nights, but it is finally starting to cool down a little more. last year at this time it was colder. (I'm sure of this, cause we moved in to the house before our gas was hooked up, and we had a couple of pretty chilly nights!)
Ok Danna these are for you! Danna was wondering why we hadn't taken any pictures of the house since it's been finished, (maybe cause it hasn't been yet, notice we still have a little painting to finish.) But for my dear friend Danna, and in honor of our house's first birthday, (we moved in this week a year ago!) here is a picture of our house wearing christmas lights! Sorry its a little blurry, it's cause I was experimenting with the settings, guess you need a tripod for that setting huh?
Monday, November 07, 2005
OUCH!!!! Holley's first trip to the ER for a cut she got from dancing too excitedly, losing balance, and falling on the coffee table. Luckily they were able to glue it with the Dermabond so they wouldn't have to actually stitch it. To watch Holley though, you'd think she didn't even realize that she had gotten hurt, and as far as she was concerned, the most important thing that happened was that the nurse gave her a bunch of stickers!
The Larsen Family
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