Celebrating 4 years!

In honor of our 4 year wedding anniversary on Sunday...

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby

We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday


They said, "I bet they'll never make it"

But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong


You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love

The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night


Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together

I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'


They said, "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on

We're still together still going strong


You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love

The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

No, we didn't fall off the face of the Earth!

It has been awhile since I blogged, probably because I've been too lazy to upload pictures. Here's what we've been up to over the past few weeks.

BABY SHOWER!

My good friends Lesley and Sarah threw me a fantastic baby shower. It was an awesome welcome to the sorority of motherhood. Thanks for out-doing yourself, girls. It was even more fun than I had imagined! And for those of you who came, thanks for the laughs and great advice-- I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends.

A NIGHT OUT...

Brandon and I celebrated the holidays by going to see A Christmas Carol downtown. It was an excellent performance. Even though I know the story by heart, the message really touched me this year. After the show we had a 4 course dinner at The Melting Pot. Ever since our Daring Baker friends Matt and April introduced us to fondue I've been an addict. The Melting Pot only made my addiction worse...

NEW CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITIONS!

Since I'm 8 months preggers we decided to stay home and celebrate Christmas together. Even though we missed the fam, it was fun to create our own holiday traditions. On Christmas Eve we made Grandma Ruby's famous homemade spaghetti. Yummy! Then we read the Christmas story from Luke and sang Christmas hymns (Brandon played the accompaniment on the guitar). After we wrote down our Christmas present for Christ (a resolution to do one thing more Christlike during the year) and stuck it in our stockings we watched It's a Wonderful Life by the glow of the fire and Christmas tree lights. It was a fun peaceful little Christmas.

DOG SITTING...

Our neighbors are out of town for the week, so we're watching their long haired Chihuahua while they're gone. He's nearly 12 years old, so most of the time he just lays around. It's kind of fun to have 2 puppies in the house, but I'm in no rush to add an extra friend to our family. A baby on the way is enough for me.

Oh, and we're still working on the nursery. With a little luck hopefully we can finish up tonight and get some furniture assembled later this weekend. We hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are enjoying some time off with your families. Best wishes for an excellent New Year!

Soon 2 will become 3

Since it took us so long to get pregnant I really wanted to take maternity pictures to celebrate and document this moment in our family history.



It took some convincing, but eventually Brandon came around to the idea (and after the photo shoot he actually admitted that he had a good time).



I've posted some of my favorite pics, but it was hard to chose because our photographer was amazing.



For those of you in the Houston area I highly recommend Koni Frost-- she is fantastic. Here is a link to her website if you want to check out some of her other work.



PS-- I'm 32 weeks in all of these pictures.

It's a Christmas Miracle!

A sight we never thought we'd see here!

Last night something miraculous happened in Houston-- it snowed! I'll admit that it wasn't much by Utah standards, but it was kind of fun. While we were inside we opened all the blinds, plugged in the tree, turned on the fire place, and pretended that the snow lined roofs were snow-covered hills.


Notice how my jacket only buttons in one spot now.

Brandon and I also took Scout outside and tried to force him to frolic in the snow. He was not happy and ran straight to the front door (and stayed seated there until we let him back in the house). What a fun Christmas memory!


I think he's trying to tell us that he's not a snow dog. He's in for a rude awakening when we have to move back to Utah in a few years!

Well, I never!

I was tagged by my friend April. If you want to participate, just copy and paste in your own blog. Bold all of the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (I have caught lightening bugs before,which is way cooler in my humble opinion.)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (shouldn't petting count?)
26. Gone skinny dipping (I plead the fifth)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (both- more than once)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (kind of... when I was 17 my grandma bought me a brand new car- which I still drive BTW)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (I've made it through the New Testament and most of the Old Testament, but have yet to complete the whole thing)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (I have been called to jury duty, though)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (ask me again in January)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (no way-- it smells really bad!)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument (learned? yes... mastered? no)

So there you go. A pretty good list of questions, but I think someone who loves Europe wrote this. How come there weren't any statements about South or Central America (or other foreign countries for the matter)?

Picture Update

I finally uploaded a bunch of pictures to my computer. Here's the past month or so in review:


Last year I forced Scout to wear a Halloween costume. This year I decided that I didn't want to fight that battle and settled on a scarf.


Me and the baby around 29 weeks.


Thanksgiving baby bump... no I didn't swallow the turkey whole!


Thanksgiving at the Larson's was all about...

good food,


good friends,


and super cute kids.

Work in progress...

Over Thanksgiving weekend Brandon and I painted the baby's nursery. We finally decided on a soft shade of pink (so soft that it needed 2 coats). Our next task is to panel the bottom of the walls with bead board. Our goal is to finish up this month so that we can focus on furniture assembly and decorating in January. Before you know it Baby Ruby will be here. Hopefully, her room will be ready in time...


P.S. This is what my guest room looks like while the nursery is under construction. Every time I see it I feel anxious. Disorder makes me neurotic.

Faith

This morning I went to visit my dear friend Lori who was hospitalized late last night for severe stomach pain (she's 6 1/2 months pregnant). It turns out that she had appendicitis and they had to do an emergency appendectomy. Thankfully, both Lori and her unborn baby are now safe and recovering (and are expected to be home in time for Thanksgiving dinner).
I was incredibly impressed with her faith in the Lord as she lay in her hospital bed. She and her mom kept talking about trusting in Him and letting Him guide her through this scary ordeal. One of the last things she did before she went into the o.r. was say a prayer with rosary beads.
It got me thinking about the importance of faith in our lives-- no matter our religion. Each person on Earth is a child of God and He loves and cares about everyone. He is willing to guide, protect, and lead us if we but ask Him. We have an inborn desire to know and rely on Him-- whether we've learned to tune it out or not. Faith in Him helps give us the strength to make it through the dark moments of life and makes celebration during the brilliant ones all that more meaningful.
So, here I sit feeling blessed and thankful for the example of good people; ready to more fully trust in the Lord and better my relationship with the Savior. May all of our lives be filled with such sweet learning moments.
Oh, and one more thing, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holy War

No, I'm not talking about the gay marriage issue. I'm talking about the BIG game tomorrow in Salt Lake City. All I can say is: GO COUGARS!!! We need to win this game to tie for the conference title and have the possibility of a bowl bid. Plus, being a true blue Cougar I always enjoying taking down the Utes in their own stadium.

This picture was taken last year on the day of the Holy War. Can you notice the small white paw print I painted on my temple?

Stuffed Up and Burned

Well, it serves me right. Just last week I was thinking, "Wow, I'm almost 7 months pregnant and I haven't been sick once! Those prenatal vitamins must be doing wonders for my otherwise pretty weak immune system." Note to all pregnant women during flu season: don't jinx yourself! I've been down and out with an awful virus since Thursday. At first I thought it was a cold and called the doctor to find out what over the counter meds I could take to alleviate the pain. A day later I called back practically in tears begging for something stronger. Today is my fourth day on Azithromycin and I think that I finally might be turning the corner. After 2 boxes of tissues, 2 rolls of toilet paper (when I ran out of tissues), countless baths, a love affair with my heating pad,and a week of sleepless nights I think it's about time! I'm hoping that by tomorrow my coughing and nose honking will subside enough to stop scaring the dog.



In other news, my hometown of Yorba Linda was ablaze this weekend. Since I didn't move much from the couch I was able to follow the news pretty closely. For those of you with ties to Yorba Linda, there is an interactive map at the OC Register online that details the areas and homes that were affected by the fires. My heart and prayers go out to all of those who had to live through such a terrifying experience. I hope that you are all safe. May the Lord bless you with strength and comfort as you pick up the pieces and start to rebuild your neighborhoods.

Civic Duty

For the first time in my adult life I voted-- yeah! Well, I should amend that statement. I also voted in college, but had to use an absentee ballot. It wasn't nearly as exciting or rewarding. The only disappointment? Our polling location didn't give away "I voted" stickers. How sad!
The polls are open until 7 tonight. Make sure you stop by sometime today to make your voice heard.

Catching Up

Here's what the Linfords have been up to over the past few weeks:


We drove 4 hours to Fort Worth to watch TCU crush BYU. It was fun being ranked number 9 in the polls while it lasted...



Scout turned two and has acquired a new habit of playing hide 'n' seek.


I'm getting rounder and rounder by the minute. This picture was taken a few weeks ago when I was 25 weeks along. Also, our sweet little baby girl has become more active. Sometimes I think she is going to be a master of the martial arts with all the karate chopping and ninja kicking she does.


I'm looking forward to Halloween. I love having the Halloween village out on display that my mom made when I was little, carving pumpkins, eating pumpkin cake, shamelessly dressing up Scout, and passing out candy to the little trick or treaters (even though we don't get too many here in the Bible Belt because most families take their kids to church "fall festivals" or "Jesus Celebrations").

Worst Week

While I was in Utah last week Brandon discovered the funniest new comedy on network tv-- Worst Week. Since I've been home I caught up with all the episodes through comcast on demand. It is Hil-Ar-ous! Basically, it's the story of a guy who gets himself into lots of ridiculous misunderstandings around his future in-laws (think of a cleaner version of Meet the Parents). Ya'll have to check it out for yourselves. It airs on Monday nights on CBS. In the meantime, enjoy this clip.

A Fun Extended Weekend

Hello from the Happy Valley! That's right...I'm still in Utah. I got here on Thursday and am going home tomorrow morning. I've had a great time hanging out with the fam and visiting with friends. Here's what I've been up to:

FRIDAY:
*pedicure and shopping (So fun-- I LOVE baby clothes!)
SATURDAY:

*baby shower (It was over the top and fantastic-- thanks Mom and Grandma for all of your hard work.)

*play date with my niece at the Thanksgiving Point Farm
SUNDAY:

*unexpected snow (My niece was delighted. When she woke up and looked out the window she said, "My dreams came true!")

*Chris' 10th birthday (I can hardly believe how grown up he is! When I first met him he couldn't live with out his binky and was toddling around the house.)
MONDAY:
*a trip down memory lane (I visited the school I taught at for 2 years. It was fantastic to see my teacher and student friends. Nothing beats being swarmed with hugs by past students).
*girl's night out (facials with mom and her friends)
TUESDAY:
*lunch at Cafe Rio with my adorable cousin Cheri

It has been a great little trip, but I'm ready to go home and see Scout and Brandon. I miss my little family.

Can you see Scout hiding behind Brandon? He is such a snuggle bug!

Random Thoughts

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day that Brandon asked me to marry him. I know most people probably don't remember that day, but we do because he proposed to me between Sunday sessions of October's General Conference. It was really special to reflect back and realize how lucky we are to have each other. We may not be perfect, but we're perfect for each other.



In other news, I hosted a baby shower for my good friend Lesley last week. Thanks to everyone who came. I hope you all had a great time. I think you'd join with me in wishing her a speedy delivery. She's due on Saturday and I don't think she wants to wait another day. I can hardly wait to meet her little man!



On Thursday I'm flying up to Utah for my family baby shower. I'm most excited to see my sister, sister-in-law, and niece-- all of whom I almost never get to see, but love to death. It will be great fun to have a girl's weekend. My sister and I even get to share a room- just like in the good 'ol days! Hopefully I'll also get a chance to visit Sage Creek also. I'd love to see my old friends and have one last opportunity to see the kiddos I taught-- next year it won't be possible because some of them will be in seventh grade. How is it that they grow up so quickly?