So Much to Be Grateful For

I have many reasons to count my blessings tonight! I am grateful:

*That Gary only tore his Achilles 20% two days before leaving Ireland, and that my brother Josh is an orthopedic surgeon and I had someone to call who could tell me that he could get away without surgery for a few months if he wore a boot full-time! Phew! Dodged a bullet - sort of - on that one! He now hobbles around in his boot, but at least he can walk!

*That my kids are good ages for traveling. They were so great on all the flights, except for some superfluous Spencer hyper-ness on our last, London-to-Shannon leg when Little Man got a case of the giggles. And his giggles aren't quiet. But at least he wasn't screaming after 22 hours of travel! Maggie mostly read (Peter and the Starcatchers), and there was plenty of movies, stickers, sculpy clay, and Angry Birds to go around. I dozed when possible and read one of Maggie's other books (the 13th Princess - charming) when she wasn't looking. Gary mostly slept because his foot hurt so bad. But nobody threw up, had a meltdown, or got lost. Not a bad travel experience at all! And I only used a leeetle dramamine on everyone for the night flight!

*That we flew British Airways on the transcontinental flight. The attendants were so friendly, the food (chicken curry!) was totally delicious, and each of our seats had individual movie players - a first for me. We loved it!!! The kids watched Kung Fu Panda 2 then fell asleep, but I couldn't resist staying up to watch some movies I had never seen before: Just Go With It, and Red Riding Hood - both only so so, but still, free new releases! I even caught most of a favorite, Adjustment Bureau, before I finally was able to crash. The two hours of sleep I did get was dodgy at best and highly uncomfortable since I had Spencer's head taking up half my seat, so I guess I didn't miss much by staying up!

* That we met the nicest people on our travels, including the airline people who helped us get seats together, the cabbies in London, and even the very nice man at Heathrow who had to confiscate my passport as it had been reported stolen years ago (before I found it again behind my dresser and forgot to report it as, well, found). Seriously, he was so nice, a true English gentleman. Obviously I was who I said I was, having the kids and Gary around me, so maybe I got some pity points as well that a suspicious person may not have garnered, but still he was so helpful. He got us all downstairs and into a cab and sent nicely to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. Who promptly told us to go back to the Airport, use our drivers' licenses to get us on the Air Lingus flight, and just go to the embassy in Dublin to take care of it later. Somehow, SOMEHOW, this worked, and it even worked to get us through Limerick customs. That lady was nice too, although we still had to do a little song and dance to make everything work. Prayers were answered, people were kind and helpful, and we got into the country missing some major documentation! Ah, the power of prayer!

*That our landlady, Deirdre, and her son came and got us at the airport to drive us home, and that none of our luggage got lost! Miracle!

*That at the last minute I grabbed our umbrella stroller and brought it along on this trip. It has been invaluable so far! I'm seriously thinking of awarding it MVP status. Evidently the kids aren't used to walking as much as we've needed to here, so it's been handy that way. And it's been my best friend as far as getting groceries home from the store a half mile away since we don't have a car!

*That we have our little house here on Compostella in Castletroy. It is so great - a big kitchen (for Europe), all the modern conveniences (a washer and dryer! fridge AND freezer! new pots and pans!), kind and concerned landlords (who've lent us sheets and towels and invited us over to their house next Saturday night for a party). The closest house but two to both Maggie's and Gary's school, and a major bus stop. Blessed blessed blessed!

*that my mom lent me her Columbia rain-impervious jacket. Thanks Mom - I will be wearing it every day!!!

*That Sophie may be going to school with Maggie! All summer I thought I'd be homeschooling her, which to be truthful would have been a good learning experience for me. It did stress me out though. But when we got here, I got an email from her school saying there may be a place open for her (which there wasn't before due to overcrowding). We go on Monday to see if it's the right grade for her. She's very excited. I'm relieved but also a little sad. I could do either.

*That Nanny fixed Maggie's little gold rain jacket for her. She looks so cute in it! And again, it is rain-proof. So useful.

*That there is plenty of aged white Irish cheddar here, and good bread to eat it on! Ah, my breakfasts every day for the next four months are set!

More later, I'm sure, but for now I'd better turn in. Goodnight, friends and family all over the world! Pictures coming soon.

Let's Pretend...

As you sit at your computer, take a moment and imagine a few things with me. Imagine that my decrepit, dinosaur of a desktop computer WOULD let me access blogspot these last few months and that I blogged regularly all spring (oops, and summer too), telling my faithful friends and family all about the fascinating, important things that happen to my family on a regular basis. Like Sophie losing her first tooth, and Spencer and Sophie both learning to ride their bikes without training wheels (Spencer didn't even have a transition period - he was off like a bullet the minute Gary took those things off!). How we finished off the school and dance year very successfully with our Footworks Spring Concert, competition at Lagoon Nationals, and a trip down to Utah to celebrate birthdays and school being out.

Imagine I blogged all about how the kids got to take horseback riding lessons all summer, and how we did two weeks of Pirate and Princess camp out in the barn that both drove me crazy and brought out my inner Fairy Godmother (sparkle sparkle!). How we had a blast with Karsen and kids who came up for a visit in July, and how we did Yellowstone and Rigby Lake and played and played with the cousins! How we spent a magical week in Aspen Grove with the whole Hunter side of the family and had my faith absolutely reaffirmed in old-fashioned, no-tv, fun-and-games-and-hikes family vacations.

I'm sure I would have told you about how we worked intensely all summer on our Festival Team, who performed as the USA representatives and hosts at the Idaho International Music and Dance Festival (yay Maggie!). How we choreographed and costumed an 80's medley, a 40's tap/swing number, a group clog and a clogging/hoedown set for 40 dancers and a darn tootin good time. How we had 24 extra people staying at our house for the 10 Festival days, dancing, eating and playing all day every day, and how we survived it all with wonderful new friends and memories! (And yes, some emotional scarring as well due to the stress level but we won't go into that now. The good news is, I lost 5 pounds that week!)

But most importantly, let's pretend that I told you how Gary came home from work one day in early May and said, "what if we spent fall semester in Ireland?" And how I said, "awesome! Let's do it! Hmm, what shall I pack?" How we spent an agonizing month waiting for BYUI's approval and release for the semester (with pay - cool!), researching flights ($$$!), housing ($$$! stupid exchange rate...) and schooling options until I lost my hair, my sanity, and my sleep to stress.

But it all worked out in the end. Because here we are, in Limerick, Ireland, in a newly-redecorated little townhouse right next to campus, with Maggie and Sophie enrolled in the excellent local school a stone's throw away, and Gary all set to work on his PhD full time. FULL TIME! Hooray! We have renters in our Idaho house taking care of the studio, Bella the dog enshrined at Gram and Grandpa's house in Utah, and we even made it through the border in spite of my passport being confiscated when we arrived in London (long, embarrassing, stupid story involving ludicrous thoughtlessness on my part so I won't go in to it here - all's well that ends well. We did get to take a quick emergency cab ride right into the heart of London to deal with it, which was fun... right?)

None of the above arrangements were cheap, and we've returned to the world of student loans. Luckily, I am a total cheapskate and bargain shopper at heart so the penny-pinching comes naturally. We're here though, and since we're here, with kids, we are going to get the most out of this experience, hopefully including a trip to the Continent later in October. I promise to blog much more regularly in the future, so you're welcome to come along on the ride!

Some of My Recent Facebook Posts

Because these can sometimes give a better glimpse into my life than anything else can...

This morning, Spencer (age 4)
commented, "when I grow up, I want my very, very very own Dr.
Pepper." Yup, we dream big around here!

oh I love to dance! And I can't
believe I get paid to do it!

Top of Form

note to self: keep thing simple next conference weekend.
Preparing six huge, from-scratch meals in two days was exhausting! Not to
mention the dishes! Next fall, Little Caesar's and Stouffers, you will be my
friends.

Why do I feel like sometimes parenthood brings out the
worst in me? Watch out, here comes Darth Mom again!

found myself getting teary tonight after watching High
School Musical 3 with the kids. Seriously? Tears? I know I'm one of the 8 or 9
people in this country who actually did love their high school experience, but
still.

Thanks Cougs for a great year - I'm sure Superman will
always cherish his Jimmer Fredette pajamas!

I just had a sudden, desperate craving for a pain au
chocolat!!!

On the bright side, I'd rather have the water go out than
the power. However, this little crisis promises to be both expensive and
chronic...grrrr

I want to live in my own little world and not have to
think about things like the national debt. Totally ruins the high I got from
the Cadbury caramel egg I ate earlier.

I love watching my awesome husband teaching my kids
clogging steps in the kitchen. Am very blessed and lucky to be able to keep
dancing a part of my life!

I am mystified as to why my house smells like chocolate
chip cookies. Not that I'm complaining.

I think that a week at a French chateau in the Loire
Valley sounds like a good idea. I should probably follow up on that thought.

Confession: watching the Academy Awards has always been a
guilty pleasure of mine. Only please, bring back Billy Crystal or Steve Martin!
and dancing! and an interesting, funny script! and movie magic without the
politics!

How sweet. I've been up puking all night, so the dog
thought she'd puke too all over the kitchen floor as a sign of solidarity.
She's so loyal!

It's been HOW long?

Okay so I have so much catching up to do - I've never known time to fly by quite so fast as it has the past few months! Here we go: This was Rexburg in February. It's great for a while, the sledding, beautiful storms, the snow men... but it gets old. I don't know what Spencer's fishing for, but I think it was Spring. Nice try, buddy! One of our favorite things to do - lounging around in our pajamas with Bella! She's just turned one year old now and is a really sweet family dog. We love our beautiful boozy-bear! As evidenced by Sophie allowing Bella to kiss her... yup, Bella is a kisser! and a cuddler...

February: had a fab Valentine's Day with a steak/bearnaise/asparagus dinner in (tradition), flowers, sparkling cider, chocolate dipped strawberries, decorations, love-themed FHE, all that jazz. The weekend before we had a big Friday family date and went to Leos Place (like Chuck E Cheese but way better) and saw Gnomeo & Juliet, delivered sugar cookies to widows on Saturday, had friends over for dessert on Sunday, and Sophie and I heart-attacked Gary's door at work on Monday. Good times. We love holidays! Sorry though no pictures - the camera broke that month and we had to get it fixed.

March: was dominated by dance in many forms. We spent the first weeks getting ready for the Idaho State Clogging Championships, the one big competition that all our teams do every year. This year we stayed overnight at a hotel in Pocatello instead of driving back and forth and it was lovely - a pool and free hot breakfast makes the Larsens a happy family! Our teams did great, Sophie was adorable in her freestyle, and Maggie's "Popular" duet from Wicked brought down the house. She really comes alive on stage! I'll upload videos when I figure out how. :-)

This is Sophie in her freestyle costume and Maggie as Elphaba for her duet. They look so much older in makeup! Maggie loved it but I told her not to get used to it -this is a performance only thing, young lady!

After the competition we started work on our Festival Team - we were chosen to represent the United States at the Rexburg International Dance and Music Festival in July and have LOTS to do. We've started work on a hoe down and the 80's medley (always a crowd favorite), and have plans for a swing, group clog, boogie woogie tap number, Blues Brothers clog, and maybe a Charleston. Stuff we could take on possibly an international tour next year!!! Anyway, lots to do and it keeps me busy, and dancing! Love that I'm getting my dancer arms back. It's a great workout! Which is one of the many reason why I love having a dance studio!

The rest of our days are filled with carpools, laundry, game nights (we've recently discovered Blokus), temple sessions, laundry, playing with friends, sledding, movies (Leap Year, Harry Potter 7 Part 1, How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, Tangled, and The Adjustment Bureau were 2011 winter favorites), reading, Zumba, kids' homework and piano practicing, more laundry, dishes, and playing with Bella. Nana and Papa come up to stay with Nanny every few weeks so we get to see them; this last time Papa tickled Bella's neck while we watched Kid Histories on YouTube and she followed him around for the rest of the afternoon. Even when he was trying to take a nap before driving back to Utah! :-) She's so loyal.

Lunch with the Gals

Me, Lindsay Welch Hola, Gretel Swensen Sampson, and Cecily Smith Horsley (8 months prego). Missing from the Fab 6 pic: Andrea Whisenant Cowly and Becca Todd Archibald. Long live lifelong friends, girl time, and the Dodo!

“A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs behind our back, who will give us counsel and reproof in the day of prosperity and self-conceit, but who, again, will comfort and encourage us in the day of sorrow, when the world leaves us alone to fight our battle even as we can.” -Charles Kingsley

“L’amitié vrai, c’est comme la mer. Elle s’en va, s’en revient. Mais elle est toujours là.”

-Michèle Emmense

Spencer Turns the Big 4-!

Ahoy mateys! This here be the birthday celebration of the one-eyed Captain Spencer Sparrow, sporting his Hiccup headgear and light saber an' all!

What be a pirate birthday without ice cream and pizza (in that order) for dinner?

It was all hands on deck with Peg Leg Parker, Briny Ben, Big Fisted Briar, Hard Hitting Hyrum, Arrow Nosed Ammon, Just Joking Jarum, and sisters Midnight Maggie and Saw Toothed Sophie helping with the games. Ring Toss over the Alligator's nose, pin the flag on the pirate map, musical deserted islands, rip tide relay, and pass the coconut all got "huzzas" from this ghastly crew.
My favorite was the Pirate Ship pinata. It was so cute! Argh, I mean, more terrifying than the dead man's chest in Davy Jones' locker...

All hands to starboard for cake and ice cream!

My Favorite Things About 2010

· Learning to be a dog person again. I love my black lab Bella!

* Discovering green smoothies, Himalayan salt, and kale. And oh yes, Donckel’s Belgian truffles!!!

· Watching my kids get a year older, more mature, and more fun!

· Having Spencer potty-trained

· Reading the conference editions of the Ensign

· Reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days with my family

· ZUMBA!!!!

· Creating my pirate choreography for my clogging class

· Watching Maggie place 4^th in the district spelling bee… without even studying

· Making the acquaintance of Elizabeth Gaskell though the book and movie versions of Cranford and Wives and Daughters. Now I need to find North and South.

· My Jane Eyre phase over the summer, with Maggie watching too!

· Huckleberry picking and learning more about gardening

· Bridge jumping with the Ricks, Rigby lake with the Fransons and river exploring with the Goodnoughs

· Watching both Soph and Spencer learn how to swim… and seeing Sophie do a flip off Papa’s diving board! I can’t even do that!

· My kidless trip with Gary to Del Mar with the Knights! And that dinner at Roy’s. macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi. Sleeping in, playing games and watching movies until late, eating out…. Ahhh.

· Enjoying the feeling of doing real and substantial temple work with Gary and our 3-4 temple dates a month… and living within 10 minutes of a jewel of a temple here in Rexburg

· Learning to make my favorite restaurant takeoff recipes at home, like strawberries and cream crepes, lettuce wraps and our Wingers meal

· My RAD class and the RAD kids class (self defense) – thank you Emi!!!

· Discovering how much the whole family loves Tepanyaki restaurants. Everyone can find something to eat there, and hey, dinner and a show!

· Realizing again that I have a truly wonderful life, lack of sleep and all. I really am so lucky and blessed to have a tender, endearing husband, charming and relatively well behaved children, a cosy house that meets/surpasses our every need, and a secure job (prof at BYUI) for Gary. And membership in the world’s best church. And I love Rexburg. And I have the best parents in the world. And remarkable, lovely friends who show me daily what womanhood and motherhood can be. I am so very lucky to be who I am, where I am, surrounded by my life! (I just need to remind myself of that at 3 AM when Spencer’s up for the second time and I’m delirious with fatigue, or when Maggie’s pushing my buttons or Sophie refuses to do her hair…such minor, minor trials.)