This weekend was the Larsen Family Reunion. For the reunion we all went camping up by Fish Lake. It was really beautiful up there and a great place to camp. As always we had a ton of fun telling stories around the camp fire, riding 4-wheelers, playing cards, the kids all played hard with their cousins, and ate good food. It was really great seeing everybody, especially those that we don't get to see that often. I just wish everybody would have been able to make it. Maybe next year. It sounds like they are going to try to make it a yearly tradition.
Last Sunday Bradyn and I took the kids up to this pond that he worked on in Herriman that has a really great sandy beach. It was a lot of fun and beat going to the pool because even though there were a lot of people there, it didn't seem crowded. The kids loved swimming in the pond and playing in the sand with the sand toys.
This last Sunday we had our family pictures done as well as Houston's 1 year pictures (1 month late) and Peyton's 5 year pictures (2 months early). It's just easier to do them all at once. The lady that did them had these ones posted on her blog and I should receive the rest this Sunday. I was just really excited for them and thought I would share a few now. I think they turned out well considering how difficult Peyton was being and I can't wait to see the rest. We did them at this really awesome old red barn in Herriman. I will share the rest when I get them.
Houston absolutely loves Peyton's cat Licorice. She is an outdoor cat but will occasionally sneek in through the door and Houston loves it when she does. He will just follow her around everywhere laughing. She is so funny too. She likes to tease him with her tail by walking around swishing it back and forth to get his attention. She is such a good cat. She just sits there lets him chew on the end of her tail, her paw and her ear. It's kind of gross but really funny. Here are some pictures of Houston and Licorice looking out the back door at the dogs playing.
Licorice had 5 kittens about 5 weeks ago I think. There are 3 black with a little tiger stripe on their bellies and 2 grey tiger stripe. Peyton wants to keep 1 grey tiger strip and I am looking for good homes for a couple more if you are looking for a good cat. They are really friendly as they have been in our garage since they were born and Peyton plays with them everyday. They have their eyes open and are walking all over the place. They will be ready to leave in about 3 weeks. I guess its 8 weeks for kitties too.
This last Wednesday me and the kids met my Aunt Laurie, cousin Jessie and her son Braxton, and cousin Calie and her little guy Jaren at the Veterans Memorial Pool in Provo. It was a really awesome pool because it had this playground set up in the middle of this kids pool with all these slides and water spraying everywhere. We had lunch at the park next door first, then let the kids play in the pool for a couple hours, and then let them play back at the park for a little while. We had a lot of fun. Thanks for the invitition!
I got a couple pictures in the pool but then we were told by a life guard that you can't take pictures at the facility so I didn't get too many.
My cute pregnant cousin Jessie with Houston
Braxton in the goggles
Jessie, Houston and Braxton
Peyton, Houston, Braxton and Jaren on break enjoying some snacks
This last Friday night we attended the Draper Days Rodeo. We were pretty busy between Bradyn and Peyton both competing. Bradyn competed in the steer wrestling and ended up tying for 1st. He did so good it made it a lot of fun. Peyton has been wanting to ride a sheep again so bad and I finally got her signed up for the muttin bustin. She didn't stay on very long and hit pretty hard when she fell off. She cried a little and says that she doesn't want to ride a sheep again but we'll see. That's what she said last summer after she rode a sheep at the West Jordan rodeo and then a month later she wanted to ride again but next time a girl sheep. They gave all the participants a cute drink holder in the shape of a cowboy boot that says "draper days" with a can of root beer so she was pretty stoked and she even ended up in the newspaper (see below). After she did the muttin bustin she competed in the money calf. If you don't know, this is where a bunch of kids chase a calf in the arena that has dollar bills stuck all over it. She is a pretty slow runner and didn't get any money but still had fun.
We went to the rodeo again last night just to watch and she saw the hide race going on and said that she wanted to do that (ride the hide pulled by a fast moving horse). I laughed and told her she wasn't old enough but maybe another time and she got all upset. That's one thing about Peyton, she is not afraid to try anything at least once.
Hallie and Peyton behind the bucking shutes all excited to ride sheep
Peyton after she fell off her sheep (hard to see)
This picture of Peyton and Bradyn was taken by a reporter for the Deseret News after Peyton rode her sheep. The picture was online dated 7/11/09 but I am not sure if it was in the actual paper copy of the newspaper.
This last Friday I watched Preslie and Colter while my sister in-law Haylee went to school. Peyton was so excited for Preslie to come over. Haylee told me she would be at my house at 8:30 a.m. so I told Peyton that when she woke up Preslie would be there because Peyton don't usually wake up until around 9:00 on my days off. Well Peyton woke up at 7:30 from excitement and then was upset because Preslie wasn't there yet. I got the little pool out for the kids and they all had fun playing in the pool, the sandbox, on the swingset and jumping on the trampoline.
Houston and Colter in the pool (love this picture!)
McKenzie (neighbor), Marissa (neighbor), Preslie, Peyton, Colter and Houston
We had a really fun 4th of July weekend this year. Some of our friends had been trying to talk us into going out to Tabiona for the big rodeo and team roping jackpot so that's what we did. We took our camping trailer and camped right there at the arena with our friends Jimmy and Tiffanie, Ty and Valynn, Adam and Malissa, Chip and Alayna, and all the kids. There was a bunch of other people we knew camping right at the arena as well. Bradyn didn't get in the rodeo because they didn't have steer wrestling so on Friday and Saturday night we just cheered our friends on. Bradyn did get in the jackpot though so he was busy with that during the day on Saturday.
While the jackpot was going on us girls took the kids down to the parade. It was mostly a horse, car and 4-wheeler parade and no big floats (you know how those small town parades are), but it was still probably the best parade I have been too. They threw tons of candy, beaded neclaces, balls, otter pops, bracelets and lots of other toys to the kids. My kids loaded up and had a lot of fun. There was also a booth set up at the arena with the cutest jeans, shirts, hats, purses, wallets and jewelry. So while the jackpot was going on we couldn't pass up on a little shopping and I bought myself a really cute new outfit.
After the rodeo Saturday night they had fireworks so we watched those and then after Jimmy lit some small ground fireworks for the kids. My kids loved them especially Houston. He was just constantly smiling and laughing.
On our way home yesterday we stopped at my Grandma Carolyn's in Hanna to see her. She was at church when we got there so we rode her 6-wheeler down to her bridge on the river and did a little fishing. We didn't catch anything and never even had a bite. We think it was the wrong time of day. But we still had fun. We had a yummy lunch when she got home and visited with her for little bit and then headed home from our busy 4th of July weekend.
It has finally warmed up enough outside that the kids can play in the little swimming pool and sprinklers. They have been loving it! Here are some pictures from last week of Peyton, Houston and Marissa, Peyton's friend from next door.
Bradyn and I have been married for 8 years now. We have a 6 year old daughter named Peyton and a almost 3 year old son named Houston. We have 4 horses named Rummy, Ostertag, Jet and Knighty Night, an Australian Sheppard named Lefty, a Black Lab named Scout, a Corgi named Sage, a rabbit named Clover, and a fish named Big Red. That's right, 9 animals at our house. Crazy huh? We enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, working in our yard, riding our horses, rodeo, riding club, and going to the horse races. We have a great life and amazing families and friends.
