CHRISTMAS TOGETHER

VISITING CARTHAGE
What a sacred place and a sacred experience.

CHRISTMAS IN NAUVOO
There was such a beautiful spirit there - We spent 3 days in Nauvoo. We enjoyed learning about the families that had lived there, were humbled by their sacrifices and were touched by the
Spirit that resides there still. We attended a bell concert and a play, had a 2 hour carriage ride- bundled up in blankets, learned to make rope and candles, ate gingerbread cookies, toured homes, attended a schoolclass, received a brick, a horseshoe and a nail ring, and heard the gospel preached and testimonies borne. We loved being there in the winter - there were only a handful of other visitors - so we had the place to ourselves! I would HIGHLY recommend this time to visit!

MIKA - THE NEWEST EDITION TO THE FAMILY!
We just weren't the same without a great pyrenees puppy.

CHRISTMAS EVE JAMMIES & SLIPPERS

Our family was together at long last - It was a wonderful & relaxing time . I am sure that no one in the picture will be thrilled to see this "early Christmas morning - no make-up" picture ...but this is my heaven right here...my family snuggled together. (Rance and I were snuggling off camera!)

GANNON - The sweetest!

COUNTRY LIVING

We moved! We are settling ourselves into a home in the country - together - finally - as a family. It has been a very hectic, busy two weeks - but the trucks have been loaded, unloaded and returned, the boxes have been loaded, unloaded or stored, the clothes have been packed, unpacked and put away, and we are settling in!

We have put in a firepit, raked millions of leaves, walked around the lake, walked the outer 40 fence line, collected firewood - and it is beginning to feel like home!

I took these pictures today - it is overcast and gray - but I am not sure what Missouri winters are like - so I'm going with what I've got!

Back yard - little fish pond - outbuilding with wood furnace & kennels

FRONT (back) DOOR - right into the laundry room!

Little Barn

Lake - stocked with fish - for you fishermen!

Front Yard

Barn & Greenhouse

Chicken coop

AND SO WE RELY....

Being in what feels like a distant land in the middle of the midwest for almost a year now has afforded us many moments of self reflection. While I have been able to invest a significant amount of energy in learning a new job, (this has been a blessing of the protracted separation), we have also had many ponderous moments laboring to understand the perplexity of our remote relationship and the wisdom of the Lord in our behalf. We have stepped into the darkness of this chapter of our life and have, as a family, partially moved to Missouri. Though in seeming reverse order, Kiely is here in Missouri now going to school and reshaping her future, rooming with me here in Rolla. Devery is enrolled in a graduate school program at Missouri State University two hours to the south. We, the three Missourian Larsen’s, (sounds like the title of a bad B movie) usually meet here in Rolla every two or three weeks. This time and these mini regional reunions are punctuated by daily and nightly conversations with Denise and the Colorado (Jantzen & Jorin) family (thanks Verizon) and regular connections with those who we lovingly refer to as haleyjon&gannon (pronounced rapidly). Denise and the Colorado kids remain in Grand Junction carrying on with home school and the constant pressure of life while trying to sell a residence. The marvels of today’s communication options have helped to ease the effects of the separation. Our plan is still that we will sell or rent our Grand Junction residence so that we can relocate together in Missouri. This has proven to be a longer process than either of us had anticipated, complicated by uncertain national and regional economic conditions. We have seen the hand of a loving Father in our lives in the past and have been able to retrospectively recount the wisdom of His actions. In this situation, the enlightenment has seemed more distant and the yearning much more acute. The nights on our knees and our own spiritual white knuckles have certainly intensified as we find ourselves in the middle of a test. We question and yearn to reconcile the alignment of our own desires versus the as yet unknown plans of a loving Father. While His remodeling of our lives will ultimately be worth the wait, we desire to satisfy our impatient curiosity and see a copy of the blueprints of what we will become. Short of this, we press forward and have faith. We have faith in the Lord, faith in each other and our children and faith in the outcome of this test. Together in faith, cell phones in hand, we go forward and……..rely.

HOMESCHOOL STARTS WITH A....GASP?!

We have started - and stopped - and started homeschool this past two weeks. September 1st brought excitement and enthusiasm for the new school year (especially since all their friends had been in school since Aug. 17!) - Sept. 2nd brought a severe cold to Jorin, Jantzen and me. By Sept. 6, I had pneumonia and the kids were coughing like crazy - and school petered to a measly couple of subjects per day. Today, Sept. 14th - we attempted a new beginning - I directed each subject from the couch - but Jantzen started fading - and had to take a nap...I hope she doesn't have pneumonia too! We really are excited and anxious to learn this year. We are starting with Ancient History subjects - and going from there...we did manage to make a canopic jar in art - for our diseased organs, I guess, should we need them...

MISSOURI TRIP

I wanted to post a few pictures of the trip we took to Missouri in late July...

Jorin turns 12! Rance ordained him and he was able to pass the sacrament
in the Rolla ward with Rance. He did such a good job!

We visited the Meramec Springs - This one spring pumps 96,000,000 gallons per day!
There was a visitors center, a cool old ironworks (1st west of the Mississippi), 2 museums, a fish
hatchery, original cabins, and other very cool and historical things. It was also beautiful! We loved our hikes here.

The kids' first look at the Mississippi River.
We walked along its banks
before going to the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

That little itty bitty door is where we entered and sat in a little "dryer" type unit as we
ascended up the inside of the Arch. Fun!! Breathe, breathe....


The windows at the top were suprisingly small - but we got a
great view of St. Louis down below! The Arch is the nation's tallest
man-made monument.


Missouri, the Cave State, has more than 5,500 caves.
We visited the Onondaga Caves, a National Natural Landmark, that are about
15 minutes from Rolla -
It was amazing to see all of the tall stalagmites, dripping stalactites, active
flowstones and many other different formations inside these caves!

The St. Louis Zoo was fun! It really was one of the best zoos I've seen.
- I took several pictures of different animals...
but one of the most interesting sights was of this woman who danced
for a crowd that was listening to a GREAT blues band - She was older -
and it was very hot - but she put on quite a show!

It really is very beautiful in this area. We enjoyed being surrounded by trees
and water. This river was still cold - in July - but fun to play around in.

The best part of this trip was being with Dad!
The worst part - leaving him!

The Last Camping Hurrah!

The last weekend of August we spent in the Colorado Rockies with our friends, the Nelsons - primitive camping. We drove on a rock-strewn path-type road straight up a mountain--- until we found a beautiful little lake - and pitched camp. It was perfect ( except for our missing family members!) The kids paddled around for hours on the little lake, Kerri and David fished - and I read, surrounded by wildflowers! It was so peaceful.

Jantzen - enjoying an early morning hot apple cider!

Jorin started our fire - even after a night's rainstorm soaked our wood! Hooray for scouts!

We went to Rifle Falls one day - enjoying the spectacular scenery and hike to the falls, cave exploring and a great swim in the river.

There were many caves to explore in this area - Jorin and Jantz loved it! We love camping and being in the outdoors - and this summer has afforded us many opportunities to get to know the little corner of the world we are currently in.

WHIRLWIND WEEK...

I wanted to share some of the pictures of our most recent crazy week...we had so much fun - had great visits, learned much, and enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Bethany, Jantzen, Nick, Jorin & Dennis

We drove to St. George on Thursday - we saw Robin's family and Katie's family and Grandma Reber. It was good to visit with them - that doesn't happen often enough - and it was great to see Trina before she moves to California.

We met the newest member of the family - Quintin Soli - what a sweetie!

I left on Friday afternoon - taking the St. George Shuttle to the Las Vegas airport - and flew to Seattle. After arriving very late - and getting my rental car, I drove to a very tiny town called Gold Bar, about 1 1/2 hours northeast of Seattle. I stayed in a dive of a motel - across the parking lot from the largest bar in town (yes, there was more than one) - where I think most of Gold Bar's 225 adult population were visiting that night. (Must have been payday!)

I took a two day class on how to build log homes - it was fantastic! There were 40 people in the class - from all over the US - and even 3 from Great Britain, 1 from Costa Rica & 1 from the Philippines. There were 3 other women in the class. We met for about 13 hours a day - with only 1 10-minute break and a 30 minute lunch break. It really was non-stop information - and I loved it!




I drove back to Seattle on Sunday night -returned the car - and rode to Longview with Melanie Kitchens. It was such a good visit! It was so nice of her to drive up there to pick me up. Haley and Jon met us there - at midnight - and we drove to Portland from there. We got to their apartment around 2 am - and stayed up until 4, talking...

It was so good to see them! Gannon has grown so much since we saw him in March -

Gannon is now mobile! - look out!

I had a fun - but way too short! - visit with Haley, Jon & Gannon - we walked around downtown Portland, visited Powells (of course!), enjoyed great Thai food and an incredibly rich chocolaty cupcake. I was even able to see Rachelle, Kristen and her kids! That was a bonus surprise. The time went quickly - and I hated to say goodbye.

I flew back to Las Vegas on Tuesday night - and Wednesday we headed back to Grand Junction. It was a fun-filled, educational and all-around good time! THANK YOU to Grandma and Katie for keeping Jorin and Jantzen while I was gone. I know they had such a good time playing with cousins & swimming.

OUR LITTLE SCOUTERS....

Here is Jorin after his 50-mile bike ride! He is still smiling - so it must not have been TOO hard! He did such a great job, despite a major flat tire about 20 miles in...I am so proud of him!

This is the boy scout group in our ward - Jorin was awarded the Emergency Preparedness , First Aid, Leatherwork, Cycling, Music, Fingerprinting, Woodworking, Reading, Cinematography and Environmental Science merit badges - along with his Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class rank. GOOD WORK, JORIN!

Jantzen did a great job in Girl Scouts this year too! She was awarded the top seller in her troop for Girl Scout cookies (over 400+ boxes)! She also earned badges for Money Sense, First Aid, Camp Together, Horse Rider, Outdoor Cooking, Drawing and Painting, Theater, Rocks Rock & Camera Shots! GOOD WORK, JANTZEN!

SISTERS ARE THE GREATEST!

Having Jorin as a big brother is so cool - Jantzen loves him so much....but there are some things he just can't do.... Jantzen depends on her big sisters for so many things, like.....

.....knowing which clothes are SO cute - and which ones are just not OK...
....having very fun sleepovers & late night parties
....showing her how to fix her hair pretty - and what to definitely not do...
....sharing which music is good to listen to
....feeling special and grown up - just like them
....making yummy treats (or buying them, in some cases!)
....providing her with a real live baby to love
....snuggling and talking and talking and talking....(OK, well, Jorin can do that one too...)
....trying on their high heels - the higher the better!

Jantzen loves being around Kiely, Haley and Devery. Every visit is a cherished event for her. They may not know how much of an influence they have in her life - but she looks up to them and watches all they do. I am so grateful to have these 3 excellent "sister" role models for her. Thank you for all the time you spend in helping her feel special!

MY DAD

My dad is always there for me,
he plays with me - he teaches me,
he loves to help me, and does whenever he can.
I like that he is always joking, he is hardworking and never gives up.
My dad is kind to others and is fair.
He is a good cook and a good eater. He never complains.
My dad always encourages me, even when things are hard for me.
My dad sets a good example for me of trying to do what's right.
Even when I do something wrong, I know that he loves me.
I love my dad so much, and hope I can be just like him.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DAD!

DADDY

My dad snuggles with me - and I love it...
he plays with me all the time - and I love it...
he loves to laugh with me - .and I love it...
he plays card games with me when I ask - and I love it...
he does flips with me - and I love it...
he gives me horsey rides - and I love it...
he provides for our family so we have things we need - and I love it...
I love him - he's the best dad in the world!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DADDY!

SMILE!

It is not that it was especially fun. I can’t really put my finger on it. We have done the same things, and even more before, with less of the effect. Much of our time was spent taking care of challenges and problems with one thing or another. Yes, I am sure that the previous prolonged absence had something to do with it. But, I have been walking around for the last few days in the illumination of that wonderfully peaceful and loving experience. Three days. Not even three full days. Three days of peace and happiness. Three days of just the basics, getting the car fixed, moving furniture, helping Devery get settled. These three days just sort of snuck up on me. Denise decided to come to Missouri to help Devery make the transition to a new university experience. And in the process I was the benefactor of her presence. There was peace, there was togetherness and closeness. We had a little din din, we watched a movie, we snuggled on the couch and we did some very nice and casual things, but nothing significantly out of the ordinary. I dropped her off at the airport this morning very early. We said our goodbyes and both went our separate ways and, yet every time I think about it……………the house still needs to be sold, she is still 16 hours and a time zone away, each of our individual situations still have their own set of challenges……….I don’t know what it is or how to explain it…………..the time we spent together this weekend…………just makes me…………….. smile.

SCOUTING IS COOL!

CAMP #1 - Amazing Girl Scouts...





Jantzen's girl scout troop recently spent 3 days camping together. As one of her leaders, I was able to accompany them. None of the girls but Jantzen had any camping experience, and I was a bit apprehensive when the girls asked if we could order pizza during our meal planning session...but it turned out great! We enjoyed hiking, ranger led activities teaching us about the Ute Indian culture, great camp food and a swim. The rangers warned us to keep all food and SMELLS out of our camp - as the bears were just coming out of hibernation and would be really hungry! GREAT! 8 young girls & 2 women in camp with no scented lotion! But we had no mishaps. We finished up our year with the camp-out and a horse ride across the mesas. It really was a blast!

CAMP #2 - MESA VERDE...
Jorin needed to have a couple of camping trips for his scouting activities, and his troop has been unable to go, so Devery, Jantzen and I became his temporary patrol and we took a 3 day camping trip to Mesa Verde. What a great experience! We learned so much about the ancient ancestral puebloans (anasazi), took incredible hikes into cliff dwelling and pit dwellings, ate large quantities of yummy food and enjoyed out time in the outdoors. It really is an amazing national park! And, once again, we were strongly warned about bears!



"About 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the 4 corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of canyon walls. They built their dwellings beneath the overhanging cliffs, hundreds of feet up from the canyon floor, using brick and mortar Then, in the late 1200's, in the span of 1 generation, they left their homes and all moved away."

You might wonder how we got into these cliff dwellings...well, to reach the Cliff Palace, the largest of the cliff dwellings, you climbed 5 10' ladders for a total of 100 foot vertical ascent The Balcony house was even more adventurous - It involved climbing a 32 foot ladder, a 12-foot long x 18" (inch - no kidding) wide tunnel crawled thru on hands and knees, and a 60 foot vertical climb along an open rock face using ladders. It was so cool!




This is a kiva - a spiritual center, and probably a family dwelling during the winter - a bit more protected from the wind and elements.







This is NEWSPAPER ROCK - near Moab, Utah. Pretty cool! We stopped here on our way home. We spent quite a bit of time trying to interpret the symbols... the one at the top could be either a stretched out skin, a turtle or a flying squirrel, depending on which one of us you asked...

CAMP #3....

Well, Jorin needed another camp out- so he and I went to Ridgway for a couple of days - and Dev and Jantzen did the sister thing at home. We had so much fun!



I'll go camping with Jorin anytime! He cooked some great meals - we had 7 layer dip & chips for lunch, dutch oven potato casserole & corn on the cob for dinner - and pancakes (with strawberry syrup) and hashbrowns for breakfast! We ate good!


Jorin made kindling, built the fires, cooked the meals and supervised the tent set up and general camping. We hiked, did service, went swimming, read, identified native plants and animals, and really enjoyed our time camping together!


/>

We've seen some spectacular scenery in Colorado & Utah in the past 10 days, - we've enjoyed the great outdoors & learned so much. I would do it all again in a minute, but I AM excited to shower tonight with hot water and sleep in my own bed - without worrying about bears!