An M&M Getaway

^^believe it or not, the best picture of us all weekend.

We got away! From the world! For a weekend. We have never gone on a trip just for us, all alone. We got married during Thanksgiving break and school started 3 days after we said "I do", so our honeymoon was an astonishing hotel room with a balcony overlooking the moonlit Lake Las Vegas, filled with red and white poinsettias and barely any other souls in the hotel to bother us... but it was only for 2 nights and we visited family, opened gifts, and packed those gifts into our car for the majority of that weekend.

SO. Two and a half years later I decided we needed to take our tax refund and DO something with it instead of "save" it like those silly smart people do. It took some convincing, but the man was very pleased with what I concocted for our weekend away.

P A R K  C I T Y

One of my favorite places on earth. And now his. ;)

We drove down Friday after work, and got in just after dark. We ran to the grocery store to spend our entire tax rebate on a cheese wheel, and then turned around and went back home to Rexburg.

;)
After grocery shopping, we had juuust enough time to get Matt some Del Taco and enjoy the hot tub on the porch that peaceful starry night.

Saturday morning we woke up when we felt like it! Ahh sleeping in, we love you so. And boy we slept in, because we were sunk deep down in a California King with plush cloud pillows aiding our dreams while the morning light peered through the wood-shuttered windows lining the east wall, hiding the incredible view of the valley.

We went to Kneaders for breakfast because I have heard such great things, and it did not disappoint! Who am I kidding... it is my absolute FAVORITE place on the planet next to Disneyland [and the arms of my moon] [but i may have been in his arms whilst in Kneaders, so best of both worlds!] !!! Imagine this: glass cased bakery shelves filled with decadent pastries like eclairs, croissants, fruit tarts, sugar cookies, chocolate cookies, cookies of all kinds!, donuts, bear claws, and turnovers. You turn around and see oak shelves up to the ceiling adorned with scarves, home decor, jewelry, frames, and all things lovely you would want in your home! They also serve lunch - paninis! The best lunch menu item invented! Not to mention their infamous french toast, which we of course ordered because not only is Kneaders famous for the crave-able meal, but it is also my favorite breakfast food ever for all eternity has been always will be. So Happy Father's Day to me, ha! Sorry Matt. The line was a bit crazy, but neither of us seemed to mind because we were so happy. :)

We went downtown to Historic Main Street to do some window shopping and find a Christmas ornament for last year since we never got one. We decided moving into our trailer was a big moment in 2012 for us, so this wagon will do the job :)

I guess we should have clarified which "our/are" we meant when we had the cashier inscribe the thing. But we figured it kind of fits the whole "trailer" persona, so we will leave it. Haha.

We stumbled across a few photography and art exhibits and scored some sweet crackers and cheese, strawberry lemonade, and chocolate covered pretzels! Ha! We decided we want 3 canvases in a row of the same photo on our wall. Probably a photo of aspens, because they are that gorgeous.

I just love Historic Main Street. It's filled with some really quirky things, and some really lovely things. And Cow's ice cream! That's quirky and lovely at the same time.

^^ a bike! ....rack.

We also made a stop at the outdoor outlet mall because I wanted to score some running shoes, and Matt actually wanted to get some jeans! What in the world? I guess he's tired of wearing jeans with holes. ;) A successful Nike and Gap shopping trip for the Larsons!

We had dinner at Red Rock, a restaurant that brews their own root beer! Matt said it tastes like a root beer barrel candy. It was delish!

Dessert is a must, so we got Matt some Dippin' Dots and me some Cold Stone before we saw Man of Steel! Matt hadn't had Dippin' Dots in years, and he was craving that Rainbow Ice!

Sunday we slept in again, Matt made delicious organic scrambled eggs, we caught a 1:00 sacrament meeting, and headed to the "Park Silly Sunday Market" to try all of the merchants' free samples ;) We ate some dinner, took a nap [what's a nap? so wonderful], and then headed home! Such a fun yet relaxing weekend.

Bye Park City! Bye wonderful getaway with my man of steel! Ha ha....  Supermatt.

Sister Week!

My sister Melissa was 15 years old when I was born. She went to college at age 17, so we didn't live together for much of my sentient life. Luckily, for several months before she got married at 23 she lived at home and we shared a bed. I was in heeeaaaveeeenn as an 8 year old to have the person I look up to most in the world share my bedroom. After my brother-in-law stole her away from me, we started the most brilliant tradition - sister's week! Every single summer since their marriage I traveled to stay with them for a week. Seattle, Tucson, Phoenix, Gilbert, Kansas, Mission Viejo, Minneapolis, and New Jersey. It became even more fun once she had her kiddos, who are also my best friends.

Now that I am married and working full time, it is a little more difficult for me to get away to see her and the family. So... last week, SHE came to see ME! She was brave enough to stay in our trailer guest room on an air mattress in Rexburg, Idaho for an entire week. Talk about love! When her flight first landed she was pretty claustrophobic, especially when her husband told us that more people visit the Cafe Rio in the Salt Lake City airport per day than live in Idaho Falls! Hahaha, I died. And Idaho Falls is where Rexburgians travel to visit the "big city"!  But I was pretty proud of myself when she left at the end of the week saying how much she loved Rexburg and wanted to bring her kiddos back with her to visit. See, Rexburg really does grow on you. I absolutely love it. [in the summer...]

Matt was out of town for the weekend, so we had Sunday and Memorial Day to ourselves. After she arrived on Sunday afternoon, we chatted for hours and went on a walk to see my favorite trees in town. It started to rain on us, which was so fun.

I was so glad she came Memorial Day weekend because I had Monday off of work! We traveled to the "big city" and went shopping! We ate at Cafe Rio of course, and then went to see The Great and Powerful Oz. She even has this "Oz" inspired make-up palette by Urban Decay that she let me borrow. I was so inspired to be around someone so glamorous. It was so refreshing to be with her again and remember that part of me that loves getting fancy. I never give myself the opportunity to get fancy here in Idaho!

Since I worked during the days, Miss spent that time with our cousin Brooke who moved up to Rexburg in May. Lunches were the best. We all had lunch together most days, which felt like growing up when Miss would take me, Brooke, and Brooke's sisters out for fro-yo or shopping all the time. Brooke, Matt, and I had fun taking her to a few of our favorite restaurants in Rexburg.

One day for lunch Miss picked me up and we went grocery shopping. We both hate grocery shopping so much, but it was so much fun to do it together! We honestly need to live by each other so we grocery shop and cook more for our families. Everything is more fun together! There was a DOWNPOUR outside as we were leaving the store and she ran to grab the car and pull it right up to the store door! Even loading groceries in a monsoon is fun with her by my side!

We did Zumba on campus two nights while she was here, and one night was a Zumbathon - a black-light, prize-awarding dance party, pretty much. So fun! There was so many people there! The dancing was not as intense as she's used to... she is a Zumba rockstar! But the atmosphere was fun. :)

Movies were another fun thing we did. One night we watched The Wedding Planner - One of our favorite chick flicks! "Teal for bridesmaid dresses?!" Besides Oz, she took Matt and I to see G.I. Joe one night because she knew we needed a good action film. ;) And on Friday night, her husband and kiddos back in Jersey went to see Now You See Me with their friends, so she, Matt, me, Brooke and her husband saw it at nearly the exact same time as they did across the country. It was so good!!!! I liked it a lot. I also got her started on the show Vampire Diaries because it's just that good. Pretty sure she is still addicted. ;)

 

We also went to the Rexburg Farmer's Market, went shopping at the new Deseret Book, a boutique called Lulu Bella, and visited one of her old young women from Minnesota who lives at a super cute and trendy apartment complex up here. We tried to hit up the art gallery on campus and see the production of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead", but to be honest we kept finding ourselves talking for hours on end and wanting to spend our time talking and catching up. Her last night here, we pulled an all-nighter since her flight left at 5:00 a.m. anyway. We really could talk forEVER and not get bored. Why oh why do we live so far apart? [Probably so we don't talk forever and actually get stuff done!] And maybe being apart makes seeing each other that much sweeter. At least that is what I'll tell myself for now to get me through these years of living so far apart.

Thank you so much for sacrificing a week from your family and spending the money to travel out here and spoil us SO rotten, Miss! It was such a refreshing, relaxing, fun, and MUCH needed week! Hopefully we can do it again sometime soon. I love you forever!

human ken doll

does anyone else have this problem where you accidentally see your husband as a big ken doll and you just want to dress him up? i always find myself wanting to buy matte new clothes -- but unfortunately they are things he would probably never wear.

how can i get him to wear what i tell him to wear?   ;)

the problem with human ken dolls is they talk back. and think you are trying to change them.

i'm not trying to change you - i just really like dressing up your hot bod.

....and also i want to get rid of those 2004 skater shoes.
OMGosh i'm not even kidding.

i have hid them under our bed a number of times, and every time he finds them he laughs but actually gets mad but actually thinks it's funny. (i can't tell the truth).

maybe if i started taking pictures of him wearing the clothes i buy, he will see how GOOD he looks and have a change of heart.

maybe?

please tell me if any of you can relate. why is it so fun to dress up a man?

a bunch of sleeping pictures of a full grown man

matt is leaving tomorrow afternoon for his best friend's wedding. i was sad that i couldn't go with him because i love his friend, i love weddings, i love family, and i love california. but when i realized how fruitless it was to be sad when there was virtually no way i could attend, i became excited. i was excited to work on our apartment.

well, trailer. [i always say apartment, home, and trailer interchangeably... i never know which word will come out.]   [did you know we live in a trailer now? it is huge and dirt cheap and old and beautiful (on the inside) (...literally and figuratively) and has so much character and honestly has my whole heart and i will hate, HATE to leave it.]

on that note...  we've been renting this spacious beautiful hunk of trailer trash since september and it is STILL not decorated or organized up to par. whenever matt and i are home at the same time we kind of just want to play. and/or rest. so i've been looking forward to this weekend alone to do some intense revamping.

i made a shopping list and schedule and everything.

....because i am an administrative assistant, and that's just what you do. for everything. all day long. for the rest of your life.

but tonight i realized that he is leaving thursday at noon. TOMORROW? at NOON? so i have say goodbye to him tonight, and then be alone thursday night, friday morning, friday night, saturday ALL DAY long and sunday afternoon?

and now we have come full circle back to *sad*.

nights are especially difficult whenever matt is gone because i am scared of the dark. i don't even care what any of you say about me! i am scared of it! what if my music DOESN'T WORK! that can happen!!! the silence will kill me. what if someone knocks on the door and when i answer it a masked man stabs me in the heart?

or worse, the stomach. because then i'll have to live and feel the pain and fear of my imminent death.

...maybe i watch too much of the following.

POINT IS i love matt. i love waking up to his sweet sleeping face. i have taken weeeiiigghhh too many photos of him sleeping - like a creepy stalker wife. i regret to inform you that you should probably prepare yourself for excessive amounts of sleeping baby pictures whenever a little larson comes around, because they will probably be even sweeter than mateo. [wha? not possible.]

so now i'll end this post with a handful of beautiful heart-warming photos that capture the buckets full of love that i have for this man and i can look at them every morning i wake up and he is not by my side.

[and let's pray that he never sees this.]

*in our old apartment. can you tell i have early morning work and he has late morning class? i'm always getting up before him. except sundays. boy i love sundays.

*also, i am aware of how frilly our bed is. if any man ever gives him a hard time, i just say hey, at least it isn't pink.

 *the morning after my birthday, when we pushed the couches together and fell asleep watching a movie in the living room. funnest thing ever.

*in da trailerrr!!!

*i sort of hate my arm ruining the photo, but i couldn't help myself from running my fingers through his hair. OH MY GOSH i just realized how annoying and gushy i am.  

....i will never apologize.

Trials & Character

This week has been a hard one. Which is saying a lot because it's only Tuesday. ;)

I feel like there are a lot of pregnancy/birth problems lately. Is that just because I know more pregnant people now? Or is there an honest influx of infertility/miscarriages/stillborns/bed rest/infant deaths/c-sections? Either way, it makes one ponder on life's trials and what we are supposed to learn from tragedy.

I know for a fact that the hard things we go through in life are intended to chisel and refine our character. [I should, because I taught that lesson on Sunday...] How better can someone polish their soul than to learn from experience? And learning the hard way is always the best way. ;) Or at least the way that sticks with you forever and ever.  I am always tempted to say I'm grateful for trials... but that just sounds bogus. But is it true? Only the deep, dark, depths of my heart know for sure. 

There are so many unknowns during trials. Our tiny little mortal brains can't comprehend the "how's" and the "why's" of loss or hardship. It's why God gives us faith and hope - we would honestly be lost and irrevocably depressed in life without it. 

I mean, I feel like that today and I even have faith and God's love on my side!

I decided to make a list of all the "bad" and "good" pregnancy experiences in my networking circle in the past couple of years.

Turns out -- good outweighs the bad! And I thought to myself, 

"Oh hey, actually it always does."

...in every single thing in life, good happens more often than bad. 

Even a soul who was dealt literally the worst situation possible on earth; their blessings far exceed their trials. Because we even receive blessings DURING trials. We don't always receive trials during blessings, ya KNOW?! 

Holy cow! How much does God love us to do that for us? When things in life just happen because the world is a pretty cruddy place, He makes sure pieces of heaven are available for us. We just have to look for it. And I can personally attest that if you start looking for it, you will see it easier and easier throughout your life. Eventually you won't even have to put forth the effort to do the verb "look", you'll just notice it like you notice the sun in the sky. And you'll need sunglasses to stop your heart from exploding. 

Babies are the hardest form of trial because they are so innocent and helpless. And the unknown is so prominent. And you build your entire life around preparing to help a human life grow into a man or woman with a well-defined character and soul. And then all of a sudden... you don't get to raise a human? You don't get to spend the REST of your mortal life nurturing that person? Your life just goes back to what it was 9 months ago... working, living just the two (or one) of you, preparing for not really anything in the future except maybe moving or school or promotions or things that don't necessarily feel important anymore? 

And you just have to live off of that faith. Live off that hope that all of this is to make you a better, more perfect tool in God's hands. And that you will see that tiny yet humongous soul that your heart strings are so attached to again. You will see them again. 

After wrapping our dinky little mortal brains around that, 

hopefully the pain becomes bearable. 

And the blessings become more pronounced in our eyes. 

And we love others, and the world, the way God loves us and the world. 

Mexico!

We're back from Mexico! It was the most amazing trip! We drove through Baja Mexico, staying in a new place each night. Almost every hotel we stayed at was right on the beach!

I haven't put all of our family's photos on my computer yet, so take a look at my sister-in-law Cassi's blog to see the details of our trip!

Highlights:
*Horseback riding on the beach

*Petting a wild gray whale (!!!)

*Going to a very sketchy Mexican carnival

*Mexican LDS sacrament meeting (the church is the same everywhere! love it.)

*Eating fish tacos

*Learning/remembering some Spanish because none of us wanted to speak English to the natives. It was so fun!

*The Yurts in San Ignacio... I loved them! And all of the palm trees were unreal beautiful.

*Eating dinner at restaurants on the beach (and sleeping in hotel rooms on the beach!)

*Buying a hammock for our porch! And my sweet Mexican backpack [not pictured :(]

*Watching all of the Mexicans ADORE our toe-headed Lenna like she was a celebrity

*Watching beautiful sunsets on the ocean with Matt

// this is actually a sunrise, but whatever //

*Spending a whole week with the best in-laws that I never ever get sick of!


Lowlight:
*Everyone getting the flu. Haha! And NO, not from the Mexican water/food! Mexico is perfect. :) My father-in-law got sick right before the trip, and everyone got it from him on Wednesday after getting sunburned/dehydrated while whale watching.  7 out of 9 of us were very sick for the last half of the trip... But none of us regretted anything! Everything was still so beautiful and, even though less fun than it could have been, still so much fun and memorable.

Adios, Mexico! Until next time...