christmas time

congrats to rachel and john!

and to a beautiful cake made by yours truly...

the incredible pile of cousins/aunts/uncles/brothers/sisters... shoes!

the annual hebdon family christmas white elephant gift exchange

i have to admit i was midly disappointed that our tradition was robbed of the true white elephant this year. i have my suspicions as to who may have withheld it, but in the spirit of christmas, i am choosing to attribute it to a lack of understanding of how important this tradition is to some people. it may not be important to everyone, but to some people, it really is important...


and so, in the immortal words of my great great grandfather...

we wish you merry christmas, a merry christmas all
may the richest blessings ever on ye fall
may each year be brighter than the year before
wishing you a very merry christmas morn

merry, merry, merry, merry,
merry, merry, merry, merry
merry, merry christmas all!

merry christmas!

quiet

midnight
lock all the doors
and turn out the lights
feels like the end of the world
this sunday night

there's not a sound
outside the snow's coming down
and somehow i can't seem to find
the quiet inside my mind

3:02 the space in this room
has turned on me
and all of my fears have cornered me here
just me and my tv screen

the volumes down
blue lights are dancing around
and still i can't seem to find
the quiet inside my mind

am i the last one awake in this town
would it serve me well
knowing that my lights the only one on
the only one on in my street

daylight is climbing the walls
cars start and feet walk the halls
the world awakes and now i am safe
at least by the light of day

50% off coupon

good only through friday, december 19th!

ring christmas/roshashana bells

this weekend i was in charge of orchestrating and organizing a signing for the guests artists at the mormon tabernacle choir's annual christmas concert.

this year, brian stokes mitchell - a phenomenal broadway man and edward herrmann - well known as the grandpa, richard gilmore, on 'gilmore girls' joined the choir in a program entitled "ring, christmas bells."



i was lucky enough to hang around them a little on friday night as hundreds of people waited in line for their autograph.

my favorite moment of the night was when i was officially introduced to ed herrmann, whereupon he said, "shanna... like roshashana?" "sure..."

it was a good time. and thanks to my good friend leigh who kept me company the whole night. its nice to have a co-worker that is also your friend.

half year mark

we officially made it through the first six months of marriage.
i must admit, i am proud. (not that i thought we wouldn't)

six months.

6 MONTHS!

time sure flies when you're having fun...

events

just when i thought life couldn't get any busier...
i was slapped in the face with more 'busy'.

.
recent events include, but are not limited to:
.
.

layoffs at deseret book -
several of my good friends were involved. thankfully, i was not, but i am heartbroken for those that were.
pre-thanksgiving thanksgiving dinner
a realization of who and what true friends are made of
friend's engagements and wedding planning
wedding cake commitments
disdain for rudeness & unsportsmanlike conduct in real life
a delightful scavenger hunt with dear friends
a rekindled love for the cullens
... and for vampire baseball
a total of 9 delicious pies
and 150 golden brown rolls
being listed as an associate producer on a christmas cd
branson's family coming to utah for thanksgiving
a marvelous thanksgiving dinner at grandparents lowman
shopping with the girls
good times with tiff and the boys
staying up late every night of the holiday vacation
shakes and onion rings from pace's with brad and kendyll
discovering hobby lobby
and a successful trip to tai pan
wrapping christmas presents
watching the lights on temple square light all at once
decorating our house for christmas
a lovely rendition of 'all i want for christmas is you' by tca$h,
now also known as 'skuttles'.
yup. the dorky seagull from the little mermaid.
making homemade turkey noodle soup
.
that that

that certainly is not all... and many of the a fore mentioned happenings were politely documented and will be posted soon with more details.

but in the meantime... i can't believe its december already! it looks like early october outside. i'm praying for some snow to get people (including myself) in the christmas mood. heaven knows we all need it.

yes, we need a little christmas...
right this very minute...
it hasn't snowed a single flurry...
and santa, dear, we're in a hurry...

and i'll let you in on a little secret:

christmas in the larson home is going to be good this year.

25% off coupon

this is super late notice, but for the next 5 days please enjoy this:

rock paper scissor lizard spock*

here are the rules:

scissors cut paper
paper covers rock
rock crushes lizard
lizard poisons spock
spock smashes scissors
scissors decapitates lizard
lizard eats paper
paper disproves spock
spock vaporizes rock
and as it always has...
.
rock crushes scissors.

*compliments of sheldon on 'the big bang theory'

love story

right now brans is probably shivering in his mummybag in a tent somewhere in the mountains...
.

i am not jealous even in the slightest.

.
i only wish he were home, shivering in our big, cold house with me. its lonely, and super cold here all by myself.
.
well, that's not entirely true... i've had quite a lot of company tonight. my bro t-ca$h picked me up from trax after work and stayed and hung out with me for an hour or so. stu came over and got a haircut. my mom called and asked if chinese sounded good for dinner - my response was "obviously... when does chinese not sound good for dinner?" and twenty minutes later the whole crew was here. grandma, mom, daddy, tay, bdawg, tan man, weasel, brindy and pie face came to have dinner with me. it was great!
.
but it gets better: my aunt jan and cousins aubrey and eliza came over... i really wanted to perfect roll making, so i went to the best roll maker i know - aunt jan. we had a little 1-on-1 and thanks to a few tricks of the trade, i made delicious rolls! (i ate 4... ok 5. but i did save some for branson... well... we'll see what time he gets home tomorrow. wink)
.
so my roll in thanksgiving this year seems a little less daunting - making rolls for your in-laws thanksgiving... only a little intimidating. because lets be honest, what would ruin your first thanksgiving with your in-laws than awful rolls? ok, well, no turkey/mashed potatoes or awful pies... my other assignment. pies and rolls.
.
i'm not complaining - i love making pies. in fact, i love making pies so much, i may have stayed home for one too many physical science classes at byu to make pie instead... oops. well, i don't regret it.
.
its just that, i really try to aim to please. and for the most part, i think i do alright. but that little perfectionist piece wants to sit down to thanksgiving dinner with everyone, say a prayer full of grace and then just sit and wait...

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oh, and i'll wait as long as it takes...

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"mmmm! who made these rolls? they are fantastic! toss me another..."
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music to my ears... i'm picturing the dinner scene in while you were sleeping when the mom says "these mashed potatoes are sooo creamy..." its that tone and type of reaction i'm dying to hear.
.
so i'm practicing. and they are going to be perfect.
.
truth be told, my pies do not need polishing. i've made enough pies to last a life time, other than the fact that you can never have too much pie. and soon, my rolls will be every bit as scrumptiously delicious as my pies.
.

impressive in-law thanksgiving, here i come!

.
but in the meantime, i'm missing my husband. in the 5 1/2 months we've been married, this is the first night he hasn't been here. *sniff* i'll be ok. i just miss him like c r a z y !
.
hopefully he's warm - or as warm as you can be camping in the winter. seriously, whoever thought of that idea was crazy. i know, i know, the pioneers did it - without mummybags, mind you... and without coats and shoes. yeah well, not to belittle their sacrifice, because i truly am grateful for it. but i was born in the time of automatic heat. and fleece blankets. and down comforters. and space heaters. and fireplaces... for a reason. call my whimpy, but i like being warm. and sleeping on the ground in a bag of material when there's snow outside - i'm just not seeing the appeal.
.
oh, i'll go camping. in july. camping is a summer activity.
.
but i digress.
.

i miss my brans-y wans-y...
lets pretend i didn't just call him that.

.
i miss my wonderful companion. its times like this that i remember just exactly how much i love him and am so grateful that i was guided in my decisions that lead me to him. when i close my eyes i can see his face the first time we talked. his eyes lit up a little, and he came right over to where i was sitting on the ground. i can remember exactly how i felt the first time it was "just the two of us" hanging out. and all the times i waited and waited for that first kiss; and how his lips felt on mine when that moment finally happened. i can picture his smile when we said "i love you". how he held me so tight, i didn't think he would ever let go.
.
i'm listening to taylor swift's song love story... the last chorus says:
.

marry me, juliet, you'll never have to be alone
i love you and that's all i really know
i talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress
its a love story, baby, just say yes

.
.
that's what i'm in - a love story. and taylor swift got it right - i'll never have to be alone... i love brans and that's all i really know (well, obviously i know other things too... like how to make a perfect pie, and soon to be award-winning rolls...) but i said yes and we are right at the heart of a beautiful love story. and i am could not be happier about it!
.
.
so, my darling branson, wherever the freezing cold you are:
.

i love you.
and i'm so glad you're mine.
come home safe.
i'll have warm rolls waiting for you...
just don't come home sick.
but if you do, i'll gladly take care of you.
i'll even make homemade chicken noodle soup,
with homemade noodles to go with said warm rolls.
and i'll keep you warm and nurse you back to full health.
why? you ask?
well, because, i am your princess.
and this is our fairy tale.
but most importantly, because i love you.
.
so be safe. stay warm. and sleep well.
goodnight.
.
i love you.
.
love,
your little button

birthday phone call

on the way to work today, i received a phone call from a newly-turned two year old wesley.

.

apparently this morning he kept saying "call shan! call reed (branson's middle name is reed)! call shan!" so kendyll called me and said "wesley really wanted to talk to you..." apparently he was really excited. i'm not sure if it was because its his birthday, or if he just really loves me... i'm going to say an equal amount of each.

.

wesley proceeded to talk to me, ending the conversation with "i love you aunt shanna..."

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it was a lovely way to start out a gloomy wednesday morning.

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so happy birthday to wesley! and happy wednesday to me.

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how can you have a bad wednesday when your day starts with a 2 year old telling you he loves you?! right, you can't. more two year olds need to tell adults that they love them.

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and seriously, could wesley be any cuter? i submit that he cannot!

yes we can

i believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.

i also believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. indeed, i may say that i follow the admonition of paul. i believe all things. i hope all things. i have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things. if there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, i seek after these things.

so many changes seemed to happen to our country overnight. i will admit, not everything turned out the way i had hoped, but several issues and elections went the way i believe was correct. however, as mentioned before, i believe in supporting and sustaining the law even , and because i live in america and have the freedom to do so, i gladly will honor those beliefs.

our country is drowning in a time of difficulty, a time of many changes, and a time where right and wrong most of the time aren't black and white. and now, more than ever is the time to stand unified, regardless of your opinion on health care, or taxes. we live in the united states of america. not the divided states of america. one nation, under God. and i am proud to be an american from those united states.

we stayed up late and followed the election results last night, eager to hear both mccain and obama give their speeches. i was impressed at the gracious and humble demeanor of john mccain. his chivalrous remarks were perfect. also, the hush and respect, almost reverence shown to him from grant park in chicago was moving. last night was a big night in our history - one that will grace history books and be taught and talked about for years to come.

president-elect barack obama gave a k i l l e r acceptance speech. it was brilliant. it pleased the democrats. it encouraged republicans. it pierced the hearts of young and old. who ever his writer is - they deserve a raise. we've known from the start that obama is a great orator, but whether or not he believes and acts on the things he says, well, only time will tell. but that speech - i was blown away. it was inspiring. i was encouraged. almost enlightened. seriously, one of the best speeches i think i've ever heard.

in this country, we rise and fall as one nation, as one people.
let's resist the temptation to fall back on
the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity
that has poisoned our politics for so long...
as lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours,
'we are not enemies, but friends.
though passion may have strained,
it must not break our bonds of affection'...

i was specifically impressed when obama uttered these words:

to those americans whose support i have yet to earn,

i may not have won your vote tonight, but i hear your voices.

i need your help. and i will be your president, too.

i know these speeches are full of promises only waiting to be broken, of words that end up meaningless. but i am hopeful that some will not. i hope that barack obama will do his best to make good on those wonderful things he said last night.

one of my favorite lines was this:

that's the true genius of america:
that america can change.
our union can be perfected.
what we've already achieved
gives us hope for
what we can and must acheive tomorrow.

i do not agree with many of obama's political opinions. but i do not think he's a bad guy. i hope - i sincerely hope that he is guided and inspired in his leadership of this country. i will pray for him. prayers and pleadings that he will be encouraged and enlightened to do what truly is best for this great country. because, i do agree with him that yes we can. we can change america, we can perfect our union. we can achieve what some see as the impossible. this is america. anything is possible. and yes we can. we can make a difference. we will see america change - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. but we, together and individually, make that difference.

.

yes we can.

.

this is our time, obama said, to reclaim the american dream
and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that,
out of many, we are one;
that while we breathe, we hope.
and where we are met with cynicism and doubts
and those who tell us that we can't,
we will respond with that timeless creed
that sums up the spirit of a people:
.
yes we can.

.

i truly believe that we are blessed to live in this great nation. we are privileged to live in a place where we are free to express our opinions, whatever they may be. last night, america proved to the world and to itself, that anything really is possible. we live in the promised land. a blessed land that i have no doubt, God will watch over.

so even if obama wasn't my first choice, or my second for that matter, he is my president. he was elected by the majority of this country. and because of what i was taught in my youth, i will sustain him. for better or for worse. whether i agree with him or not. and i will pray for our country and our leaders. because i believe in being subject to presidents and honoring and sustaining the law. and as has been said and proven before, the great thing about america is that it can change. if we're unhappy, give it 4 years and we have a chance to change it again. yes we can. and we will.
,

so let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.

.
and may God bless the united states of america.

because,

.

yes He can.

i voted

today, i exercised my right to vote.

i voted for who i thought would be the least evil. ha.

i have to admit, i am not too pleased with either candidate.

i don't feel like either one represents me and what i believe in.

but nonetheless,

i voted.

and i'm proud to say that i voted. we have been given the right to express our opinion, to sway politics in one way or another. it is a privilege we have been divinely given, i think. people died so we could have the right to vote. and i would hate for them to have died in vain.

.

last week, i was engaged in a conversation with someone who hadn't registered to vote in over a decade. he didn't feel like his vote really counted. and maybe he's right. maybe in the state of utah, one vote isn't going to sway the state one way or another, but i was kind of taken back... why would you not register to vote? the right to vote is one of the blessings of living in this great country. and yes, i still think its great in this time of economic downfall and plummeting stocks. i still think this country is great amid troops over seas and casualty reports. i still am proud to be an american even if it means our country is in a "recession" of sorts for the next decade. i am blessed to live in a free country, where i can cast my vote to make a difference, albeit small and possibly negligible at times.

.

i am close to a woman who is so upset at the state of our country. so much so, that all she does is complain about how rotten it is, how awful it is here, and how nothing is ever going to get better. well, i disagree. i'll admit, times are getting tougher. but the prosperous united states of america, relatively speaking, is still prosperous. we are blessed with so many things, so many resources at our disposal. we have cars to drive us, with heaters to keep us warm during our commutes to heated buildings with nice chairs that we sit in all day. we have millions of choices of different foods to eat daily - we're not living on rice and beans. we are prosperous. but with that prosperity, comes responsibility.

.

in this book i read frequently, with a lovely blue cover and a gold-lettered title, there is a recurring theme of a "pride cycle." the people are prosperous, but get prideful. and along with pride, comes greed. and because of that greed, they fall into a famine. the prosperity ceases and the prideful are humbled. once the people are truly humble, prosperity returns, and so forth. that is what our great nation is caught in - a pride cycle. and until there's a little humility, true prosperity cannot return.

but i digress.

.

today, i voted.

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what an interesting time to be alive. what a blessing it is to be able to say that i voted. i voted! for better or for worse. tonight we'll find out what this country really thinks they want. 'mavericks' vs 'change'... i'm not convinced either is what we need. but i am convinced that things will get better. they may just get worse first.

.

but either way, i can say that i was a part of the 2008 election.

i did my part as an american citizen.

i cast my ballot.

.

i voted.

november

november... what a splendid month!

things i am looking forward to for the month of november:

our 5 month wedding anniversary - time has seriously flown by!

raking leaves with branson

parking in our garage and not having to scrape the windows

making pies

thanksgiving, of course

left over turkey to make turkey noodle soup

more pies

pie face's birthday

the byu vs utah game

the fall colors

sitting in fron of our fireplace(s) watching snow fall

decorating our house for the holidays

have i mentioned pie yet?

wearing sweaters

sending chad and austin christmas presents

taylor swift's new cd

buying a christmas tree

watching elf multiple times

exercising to look great for the holidays

(and hopefully not gaining it all back on thanksgiving)

hosting rachel's bridal shower with elizabeth

listening to christmas music

making christmas cards

. . .

obviously my list could keep going, but november is one of my favorite months. it is the month focused on gratitude, and let me tell you, i am grateful. for so many things. my grateful list gets longer every day.

.

and i am excited. this november is going to be a great one. i can feel it.

tears for nienie

last night, for the first time in probably three years, i wept.

i cried, uncontrollably. for hours.

i had just finished piano lessons. branson was off to scouts. so i decided i would spend my solitary time catching up on the nienie story. i've been overcome with interest in what is happening and learning more about stephanie nielson and her adorable family. nienie has been a blogging inspiration to the world. i can't even imagine how her family feels - so overcome with the love and support people have for their family. i, myself, am overcome with love and support for this family. my heart goes out to them, and many a prayer has passed my lips in their behalf.

mindy gledhill held a benefit concert the past weekend to help raise money for the nielsons, as well as for the family of the pilot of the small plane that crashed, leaving many devastated, humbled, and hopeful. my good friend and co-worker, krista flew down to help with the concert - which, might i report, was a huge success. though i was not there myself, there was a moment i felt like i was.

my kitchen was dark, only the light from the laptop filled the room. i was searching for an update on nienie's condition, reading news articles, various blogs, and nienie's sister's blog: c jane. i came acrossed her post about the concert and found myself frantically clicking the link to mindy singing "golden slumbers". it wasn't loading fast enough.

but what my eyes beheld caught me completely off guard.

golden slumbers

stephanie's two daughters sang with mindy - the song stephanie had sung to them all their lives. it started off sweet and heartwrenching. a tear formed as these two little angels began to sing. 'once there was a way...' the tear rolled down my cheek.

'sleep pretty baby, do not cry'. claire and jane were holding hands so tightly. and i was overwhelmed by my emotions. these sweet girls' mother was sleeping - a medically enduced coma for ten weeks while skin grafts and surgeries took place. tears flooded my eyes. my glasses fogged up. but i had to see more. the song wasn't over. i did not want to miss a single note, a single blink.

golden slumbers fill your eyes

smiles awake you when you rise
sleep pretty darling, do not cry
and i will sing a lullabye

at this point i was no longer crying. i was weeping. sobbing even. my emotions took over completely.

the song ended and i needed more. its an addition, really. i want, i need to know. i went back to c jane's blog and scrolled up to the top, to the most recent posts. as if my wish were granted, an update had been posted on stephanie's condition. "out of the woods" is how c jane described it. smiles will awake her when she rises. the grafts were taking. no infections. no organ damages as should have been expected. i read in an article of an interview of one of the doctors who couldn't deny that something special was happening with this beautiful girl, covered in white bandages.

i cried tears of gratitude for the divine power blessing this little family. tears came for the family members and friends who were feeling directly, the hand of God in their lives. tears of humility graced my cheeks as i realized how blessed i truly am. i cried for the baby nicholas who will never quite remember his mother's beautifully freckled face as it once was. tears of frustration fell on my shoulders as i thought about the struggle and long road ahead for the nielsons. but simultaneous rejoicing tears flew from my eyes as i thought about the challenges already overcome for them. as well as the thanksgiving and christmas and birthdays and balloon releasings that will take place for them in the near future.

the tears didn't stop coming for hours. i'm pretty sure i cried myself to sleep.

i know things happen for different reasons, and dare i say this outloud. but i have a feeling this was to strengthen and unite the world, not just the nielsons family. nienie was world famous before all this from her blog. its simple to see what she is all about. she is a beautiful woman who loves life. who delights in wearing red lipstick and dressing up for the love of her life. who would rather stay home and make cookies with her kids all day than send them off to school. who stood firm in her convictions and wasn't afraid to share a testimony. stephanie nielson exemplifies the divine roll of women. and i know i'm not alone in thinking that it is inspiring.

i am inspired and enlighted by nienie. she is a shining example to me. i cry out in compassion for her. she has changed me, along with many others in this world, for the better.

i can't wait until the day when she is reunited with her perfect body - what a glorious resurrection that will be! i hope i can be there for that.

but in the meantime, my prayers will not cease. and my love with grow.

and i will cry.

tears of sadness.

tears of joy.

tears of hope.

but mostly,

tears of gratitude.

i

i am ... a twenty-something success.
i miss ... the posse boys.
i think ... i make the most delicious pies ever.
i know ... the gospel has been truthfully restored.
i want ... to be the perfect wife.
i have ... a wonderful husband.
i search ... for argyle sweaters to wear in the winter.
i wish ... laundry cleaned itself.
i hate ... disrespect.
i am ... full of emotions.
i fear ... ice cream trucks.
i always ... can eat kitkats or reese's peanut butter cups.
i love ... turkey noodle soup, homemade of course.
i feel ... very thankful.
i hear ... the sounds of leaves crunching.
i smell ... like japanese cherry blossoms.
i don't ... like recycled air.
i wonder ... what my kids will be like when they're grown.
i care ... about my family's opinions.
i regret ... in secret.
i am ... aware of my surroundings.
i believe ... life can be a fairy tale.
i dance ... when no one is looking.
i sing ... only when i'm alone or in church.
i write ... my journal as if my children were reading it.
i win ... disney trivia every time.
i lose ... card games to branson frequently.
i never ... want to be consistantly unhappy.
i listen ... to a wide variety of music.
i can ... do anything i set my mind to.
i am ... shanna lynne.

today

today i am grateful.

for so many things.

i am grateful for branson and for his patience. i am grateful for his loving arms. i am grateful for his talents and for his individual personality. i am greatful to spend eternity with him.

i am grateful for my brothers - i'm not kidding when i say they are the best. austin, who is valiantly serving the Lord in toronto. taylor who makes me laugh and amazes me with his ability to do everything and still have time to make me laugh. bryson who thinks very similarly to me and makes me feel intelligent, in part because i think he is in return. tanner who reminds me of my love for reading and makes me smile because he's so cool. braden who teaches me to be more like a child with his innocence and inspires me with his creativity. they are my boys, my body guards and more importantly, my best friends. honorary mention shall be given to stuart, who has basically become my older brother in the past two years. he helps me remember that life is great and filled with adventures. my boys - i'm so glad to call them all my own.

i am grateful for my girls - brindy and pie face. it is no exaggeration to say they are two of the most beautiful girls that grace this earth with their presence. brindy is just laden with talents. she inherited our mother's angelic voice and sings everywhere she goes. she has an infectious giggle that reminds me of my own when i was her ageand her sweetness exceeds spoonfuls of sugar. pie face is my mini-me. she has so much sass bottled up in her, she doesn't even know what to do with it. but she is adorable and charismatic, and her toothy smile makes me laugh. my sisters are the cutest gals around. i'm thankful for them.

i am grateful for my brothers-in-law. though i don't know them as well yet as i know my own brothers, i am privileged to be their sister-in-law. i'm grateful for dane for his outside-of-the-box way of thinking and for his smile. someday, i will be at lunch with his future wife, our kids running around as little kids do, and she will say "i love when dane smiles. it just melts me." i am grateful for chad, and his willingness and excitement to serve the lord's people in santiago, chile. and for his giggle. not laugh. giggle. it brings me great joy. i am grateful for blake. he is awesome. i really like being around him. he makes me smile, and already we've shared a few inside jokes. like the eye patch at our wedding open house. blake makes me feel like an entertainer and that encourages me to continue entertaining. i am also grateful for brad. he just makes me laugh with his off-hand comments and stories that he tells, and then shows me the soft side of brad - when he is lounging on the couch with baby jack lying on his chest, and wesley snugged up next to him. i'm grateful he is such a good dad to my nephews.

i am grateful for kendyll. early on i knew the two of us were going to get along very well. one of the first times we spent time together, we had a conversation where we found out we were similar is many ways. she told me she was glad branson picked me and not some snotty girl she wouldn't like. i am so grateful for the friendship and the sense of sisterhood we have already developed. i could not have hand picked a better sister-in-law. in a very short period of time, she has become one of my best friends, has encouraged me to be a better person, and has made me even more excited to be a mother. i know it was part of a great plan that we became sisters. she is such a great example to me and i am so thankful and privileged to call her my sister.

i am grateful for wesley and jack. they are the cutest nephews anyone has ever had. wesley makes me happy. every time we see him, he shouts "SHAN! SHAN!" he makes me feel loved. and baby jack is such a sweet baby. i am so grateful i have the opportunity to watch the two of them grow and progress in this life. i'm so grateful to be an aunt.

i am grateful for my new mom and dad, shannon and harold. i could not have married into a better family. i am grateful for my in-laws and for the way they have taught and raised their children. i am so grateful for shannon and for her sense of humor and her vast array of talents. i have so many things to learn from her. she is beautiful and charming and has made me feel welcome from day one. i am so grateful for harold and for his quiet example of stalwart faith. he reminds me a lot of my daddy. i am grateful for his service and for his love. i truly am blessed to now be a part of the larson family.

i am grateful for my mom and daddy. i cannot fully express my gratitude. to my mom - who gave me life. who taught me truth and righteousness. who led me to the knowledge that i could do anything i set my mind to. who taught me to not give up, to not quit even when things get hard. who taught me to be gracious and helped me see the importance of reverence. who inspires me. who sets an example for me that i can only dream of living up to one day. my mom taught me. my mom played with me. but most of all, she loved me. for that i am forever grateful. i am grateful for my daddy. i am grateful that he still thinks of me as his little girl. he taught me how to make things with my own hands. he showed me how things work and helped me learn why they work. through his brilliant example, i have learned one of the greatest lessons we can learn on earth: the value of hard work. my daddy is the hardest worker i know. i am grateful for his valiant service, not only to his family, but to complete strangers, friends and most important, the Lord. he is the poster child for magnifying your calling. he has shared his insights with me, enhancing my mind. he has shown me how to love, and how to be loved. i am infinitely grateful for my parents. i am grateful for the family they have given me and for the lessons i have learned from them.

i am grateful for memories.

particularly for memories with the afore mentioned people.

i am grateful for the memory of saying to austin "you want me to send you back to where i found you? unemployed in greenland?" at the age of 4. i am grateful for the time taylor did his "athsma boy" impression. i am grateful for the halloween when mom dressed a one year old bryson up as a monkey - complete with a tail and red hat with gold trim. i am grateful for watching tanner sink 3-pointer after 3-pointer at wardball games. i am grateful for the side hug / "hey sis" braden gives me everyime he sees me. i am grateful for brindy's arrival on january 24th, 2000 - i had given up hope on ever having a sister of my own, but she came! and all i wanted to do was hold her day and night. i am grateful for the nights when pie face was scared and came to sleep in my bed instead of mom and dad's.

i am grateful for the laughs i shared with blake at our open house when i wore a temporary eye patch. i am grateful for chad's giggle that filled my home when he came for dinner and played my "rad" organ. i am grateful for the night that dane stayed at our house, when early saturday morning i found him and branson playing nintendo like they were little kids again. i am grateful for the memory i have of being at brad and kendyll's home, watching wesley's reaction to brad coming home from work. i am grateful for the time that kendyll laughed so hard she cried from branson telling me the story of brad meeting granny for the first time. i am grateful for the time right after we were married when harold hugged me for the first time as his daughter-in-law and told me how beautiful i looked. i am gratful for the car ride with shannon when she told me she would feel honored to have me call her mom.

i am grateful for the tears in my mom's eyes when i walked out of the dressing room for the first time with my wedding dress on. i am grateful for the memory i have of sitting on the stand on my daddy's lap while he was the bishop.

i am grateful for the cold winter night when, with a half lost voice sounding much like a mouse, i told branson i loved him.

i am grateful for the perfectly beautiful june morning when branson met me at the salt lake temple to take me by the hand and begin our eternal journey together.

i am grateful.

byu football

although last night delivered a devastating loss to the byu football team... my faith is not squandered. i'm pretty sure the cougars will win the rest of the games this season, and go 11-1... that right there is a great season.

.so max hall has one bad game in his college football career... who doesn't? he's one of the smartest quarterbacks playing the game right now. brian johnson, quarterback for the utes, may be good too, but he doesn't think as quick as max does. and he gets caught in the pocket a lot. its true that max hall probably had the worst game of his life last night - getting worked by tcu... but come on, give the kid a break. everyone has a bad game, and what does it do? it encourages and gives motivation to never have a game like that again.

(**let me clarify that this is not a utah fan bash. i have nothing against ute fans and i'm not super offended by them telling me that they hate byu... i'm just annoyed at the moment. i know a lot of things are said in the spirit of sports... and that's fine. this is just an example of some of the conversations i've had lately. because, come on! part of being a sports fan is to razz other people and be razzed in return. that is something i know very well. so don't be offended. don't think i hate you. and don't tell me to lighten up! this is just my satirical response to what i've heard all my life. so enjoy it in the spirit of fun, light-hearted sports talk.)

but let me just put all of those byu haters in their place for a minute... because i am sick and tired of hearing all of their stupid excuses for loathing the cougars - generally unfounded, might i add.

reasons like "byu hasn't had to play anyone this season... they're schedule has been easy"... ok. first and foremost ncaa football schedules aren't just picked the year before. they're picked like 5 years in advance. and even if you thought you were the greatest unprofessional college football analyst ever, how can you possibly predict who is and who is not going to be good in 5 years? you can't. for example... where's miami this season? they aren't even ranked! could you have predicted this 5 years ago? 5 years ago when miami was in the top 5 in the nation? and besides, byu isn't the only team with an "easy schedule." the university of utah's schedule hasn't really surpassed the cougars in difficulty either. i think i've made my point. so anyone who complains about an "easy schedule" needs to be put in their place - try and make a schedule 5 years in advance. and then talk to me.

.

another frequently used excuse: "byu just thinks they're better than everyone." puh-leeaasse! what school doesn't think they're better than every other school? utah fans think they're better than byu. unlv think they're better than utah. notre dame thinks they're the cream of the crop. texas is definitely a prideful school.... so why is it that everyone only bags on byu? texas is well known for their state pride... the university of texas, no doubt, thinks they're the best. what i'm trying to say is that every university has school pride. every school thinks they're great... and why shouldn't they? but saying you hate byu because they think they're better than everyone is just a juvenile attempt to curb your unfounded hatred.

.

probably one of the things said that i hate the most is this - "i hate byu because they're all mormons." do you hate tcu because they're all christians? do you hate notre dame because they're all catholics? do you hate usc because they're all californians? i understand that there has been and always will be persecution against mormons. but really? "i hate byu because they're all mormons?" grow up. that's just ridiculous. for one thing, byu is not all mormon. there are plenty of people who aren't affiliated with the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. just like tcu isn't all christian, and usc doesn't only accept people born in california. along those same lines is: "you have to follow an honor code..." well, did you start to hate president hinckley when he proposed "raising the bar" in general conference? i didn't think so. there's no reason following an honor code should be a big deal if you can answer all your temple recommend questions honestly.

.

it absolutely disgusts me when i hear "oh, well, byu must not have been as righteous this week because the lost..." oh yeah? well, you're just an idiot! why is it that when byu wins a game and is interviewed afterwards and there is a moment when they thank God for the win that all of a sudden its a reason to hate them? dumb. when schools not affiliated with any religion win and they're star quarterback says into a news camera that he would like to thank God for helping him win that night... no big deal. but when schools obviously attached to a religion bring up God - - - 'oh no! they're being self-righteous! they have no right to thank deity!' what? are people afraid that what a byu player says about religion might be true? w h a t e v . apparently the cougars should be punished and scorned for having a coach who holds his players to a higher standard. apparently byu football players can't thank God for their talents and their victories - no, that is controversial. get real.

.

everyone doesn't have to love byu, but come on. have a little respect! you can't deny the fact that byu was good enough to break the top 10. you can't say that byu doesn't have a talented bunch of kids playing football for them. you can't deny that bronco mendenhall has been a fantastic coach overall. all of the people who have said that byu made it into the top ten by a fluke or that they don't deserve it - well, obviously they do. if you know anything about ncaa football polls... you know that you can't get in the top ten without working your tail off. and byu has worked hard! they've done really well this season! sure, they had a really bad game against tcu, but tcu has the #1 defense in the nation! that's hard to beat. byu isn't the only team that has lost to an unexpected opponent. take last weekend for example - oklahoma state (17) beat missouri (3). mississippi state beat vanderbilt (13). good teams lose! it happens. thats part of what makes sports so exciting. sometimes the unexpected happens. and sometimes it happens in your favor. others it doesn't.

.

but don't be a jerk. i'm sick of unsportsmanlike conduct... particularly off the field.

.

which brings me to my next subject. people complain about byu fans. but lets just be honest... every school has "those fans". you know what i'm talking about. it goes back to that pride thing i already mentioned. i'll be the first to admit that byu has some super irritating fans who are jerks and who are rude and who have no social grace when it comes to opposing team's fans. (or other people in general for that matter) i have seen it a few times in lavell edwards stadium. but guess what - - - i've also spent some time in the muss (mighty utah student section) and guess what i saw... the same thing, only wearing red instead of blue. every school has a jerk (or several) who is loud and obnoxious, takes off their shirt and sticks their disgustingly sweaty body in your face and tells you that you're stupid for not cheering for their team. and every school has a crazy person who maybe gets a little too into the game, making it uncomfortable for those around them. but one advantage to cougar fans at lavell edwards stadium is that there is no alcohol. the sweaty idiot next to you isn't completely sloshed and won't spill his beer all over you. (and yes, i speak from past experience and no it wasn't in utah) but its not exclusive to byu. its not only with cougars fans. and it is by no means a reason to say you hate byu. so don't tell me byu fans are the worst. a) i take that as a personal insult, because I am a byu fan. and i am not the worst. b) i can prove to anyone at any game for any school that they have fans just as awful as they say byu does. and c) every fan is not the loud guy or the drunk guy. if there were only 3 byu fans in the world who acted like morons, that would be one thing. but there are hundreds of thousands of byu fans around the world. and calling all of them stupid or sterotyping them into the "worst fan" category is completely unfair and makes you look stupid. do you think all germans are like hitler, too?

. . . . .

i love byu football! sure i was disappointed and let down by the game last night... but the season is only half over! there's still so much football to enjoy! and i am the furthest thing from a fair weather fan. one stupid game against tcu isn't going to make me change my mind about the byu cougars. i'm sure i supported byu in 1984 when they won the national championship as an unborn child. i supported byu when they sucked under the reign of gary crowton. and i support them now.

..

rise and shout? gladly.

chaddy waddy

last night as i was making a delicious catfish dinner, my phone rang. it was branson's mom. so i answered, "hey!" when i was greeted by a deep voice...

"shanna..."
"hi!" - thinking it was branson's dad...
"this is elder larson"
"CHAD! how are you?!"
"great! ......"

our conversation lasted for an hour. chad had a 2 hour layover in atlanta on his way to chile. so he called mom and dad, then called kendyll, and then called us. he tried to call collect, but apparently cell phones aren't too keen on collect calls. so he called mom again and they 3-way called us.

it was so great to hear his voice! he sounds wonderful! and he is so excited to be in chile serving the lord and his people there. he's a great missionary... and i'm sure he'll only get better from here.

modern technology

modern technology is absolutely amazing.
my brother austin is on his mission in toronto, but i'm talking to him right now! email has made missionary correspondence quite convenient. its so fast - i sent him a message and 2 minutes later he replied... so for the past 10 minutes or so, i've been talking to my brother on a mission! it is amazing!

letdown

another year. another october. another major league baseball playoff letdown.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

the angels had probably their best season ever, but they just couldn't handle the playoffs. their defense was weak - way too many little league moments in the outfield. but they did play hard... there were some shining moments when i was nothing but proud. but boston - they just have all the playoff experience. its all too familiar too them, and the pressure is nothing new. unfortunately, that isn't the case for my angels.

so now, i'll watch the red sox play the rays... and i'll hope that the red sox smash them. (mostly for jacoby's sake) and then i will witness joe torre's revenge. i'm putting money on the dodgers taking the world series this year. and with all my heart i hope they do. it will be a phenomenal blow to the yankees - - - the yankees let joe torre loose because he wasn't winning the world series in recent years. but what's the first thing joe torre does? take the dodgers to the playoffs... and hopefully to win the series. take that, steinbrenner!

..
in other news, we saw forever strong last night. and may i just say - it was fantastic! definitely a must-see! i loved it. so did brans and so did his mom. we all had a lovely time. and it was awesome to recognize people on the big screen. some kids from olympus were in it. pretty cool. branson got sick of me saying, "i know him! ooh! and i know him! ..." moral of the story: rubgy is most definitely a man's sport. i've seen my fair share of byu rugby games as well as an occasional highland rugby game and it is intense! so while i wallow in the fact that angels baseball is over until next year, i'll reminisce about rugby games and enjoy the domination of byu and utah football. hopefully both teams will go undefeated until the rivalry at the end of november. yes, that would be fantastic! and then max hall and his posse will let loose on the utes.

oh how i love sports in autumn!

sporadic

...the angels better win tonight...

...i'm glad the utes won last night...

...byu is ranked 7th or 8th, depending on the poll, and yet the stupid bcs ranks them at 17...

...i hate the bcs...

...poor utah state - hopefully it wont be a blowout, for their sake...

...what am i saying! of course i want it to be a blow out...

...move on up the polls, byu...

...the dodgers smashed the cubs - if the angels can pull it off, its an LA series for sure...

...i still love/hate jacoby ellsbury...

...i keep having really weird dreams...

...i'm fascinated with how stephenie meyer came up with the idea for the host. i totally get the twilight series concept - but 'souls'? totally interesting...

...can't wait for the twilight movie...

...i need to see forever strong...

...i also need to do laundry...

...having a hard time focusing at work... can you tell?...

...

i don't know if its because its friday, or because the weather is changing or because i just have a lot of things going on, but i seriously am having a hard time focusing. all my thoughts are sporadic.

...

but i am super excited for this weekend. more baseball games than you can watch; football, football, football; general conference; helping grandma and grandpa l.; and, of course, because its the weekend!

immortal ellsbury

jacoby ellsbury.

he's immortal. i'm telling ya. he was amazing last year in the playoffs as the red sox rookie, and only a year later, he's even better.

stealing bases. hitting singles but due to his speed, making it to 2nd. diving in the outfield to make unbelievable catches.

it makes me sick. but only because he's playing my beloved angels. that's right, the los angeles angels of anaheim that actually reside in orange county. my team.

i was happy to see so many salt lake players out on the field last night. see, people tend to think that i'm just a band wagon fan that just started liking the angels in 2002 when they won the world series. oh how FALSE that assumption is. the angels have been my team since i was tiny. like 5. no band wagon jumping here. the salt lake triple-a team, the bees, (also have been known as the buzz, and the stingers. bees is the best choice thus far.) feed to the angels. so i've seen some of the players from their start here is slc. and i love, love, love the angels. they will forever be my team. (and despite what branson says... our kids are going to love the angels too! and they'll support the padres, but lets just be honest, the angels are far superior.)

but i have to admit, i am secretly in love with jacoby. ok so its not so much a secret. he is one of the best ball players i have ever seen. he's so well-rounded that it is almost hard to believe that he is human. he's great at bat. he's phenomenal in the field. he's faster than anyone in major league baseball. he's stolen over 50 bases this season! that's crazy! seriously... i'm starting to think this guy is immortal.

mark my words - there will come a day when people talk about the 'greats' in baseball: babe ruth, hank aaron, ted williams, ty cobb, willie mays, mickey mantle... someday they're going to include jacoby ellsbury. he's great. i just wish he would have a heart and see how much the angels need to win this series.

that being said... come on, angels! we need some spirit in this team - like in 'angels in the outfield' when the whole stadium gets on the feet and gives the 'sign' ... and then at the end danny glover tells tony danza "you gotta angel with you right now" ... perfection. thats a show i need to watch more.

the angels just need to win tomorrow night, win the first game in boston (so help me if john lackey pitches at fenway i will gouge my eyes out ... he's like a spooked horse) and then it will take this series to game 5 - in LA. perfect. then on to defeat the next team, untimately playing the dodgers for the world series. an LA freeway series. i think there could be nothing better this year.

come on, angels!

october

i cannot believe its already october. in my head its like a cold july... wow! time has flown by! so in honor of this month, here are some reasons that i think make october great:

...brans and i will have been married 4 months - 1/3 of a year!...

...its the best month of baseball...

...the angels are going to rock the sox in the playoffs

(as long as lackey keeps his cool)...

...the angels are going to the series. i can feel it...

...sarah has a birthday and will no doubt get lots of presents...

...all of my favorite tv series have returned...

...my youngest brother braden turns 11...

...our good friend ben turns, well, more than 11...

...branson's mom is in town for another week...

...the leaves are changing color...

...its really starting to feel like autumn...

...its almost pie season...

...its also the start of soup season...

...byu football is dominating!...

...college football - need i say more?...

...its hoodie-wearing time...

...its almost cold enough to use our fireplace(s)...

...autumn is my favorite time to cook...

...general conference...

...next month is thanksgiving!...

...

happy october.

love

i love branson... i love when branson kisses my forehead... i love my siblings... i love baseball - particularly the angels... i love my parents... i love college football - particularly byu... i love my in-laws... i love cooking... i love playing the piano... i love watching movies... i love ingrid michaelson... i love my job... i love having a clean house... i love making cards... i love looking at pictures... i love taking pictures... i love the ocean... i love when branson holds me tight... i love kadee and heartless... i love going to any sporting event except hockey... i love watching the office... i love grandparents... i love stu, b-russ and lori... i love music... i love clean teeth... i love kids... i love the posse boys - presh, dan, usha-usha, crapo, tj and steve... i love reading... i love stephenie meyers' twilight series... i love calla lilies... i love cake... i love the color green... i love fresh produce... i love swings... i love playing the organ... i love shannon mock's cooking... i love thanksgiving... i love not being in a hurry... i love being an aunt... i love the gospel... i love elizabeth and rachel... i love the temple... i love the mountains... i love j.j. abrams' imagination... i love musicals... i love disney movies... i love seeing people i love succeed... i love having long hair... i love being little... i love wearing hoodies... i love general conference... i love dressing up and looking pretty... i love developing talents... i love branson's smile... i love laughing with my brothers... i love the two weeks leading up to christmas... i love dressing up and looking pretty... i love bare escentuals makeup... i love my cousins... i love cafe rio... i love my little sisters... i love chips and salsa... i love rainbow flip flops... i love having a clean car... i love technology... i love driving... i love making and eating pie... i love making snowflakes... i love thinking about branson being a dad... i love that kendyll is my sister-in-law... i love hearing wesley say "shan! shan!"... i love holding baby jack... i love the friendships i've made in the past 5 years... i love chili's molten chocolate cake... i love watching my mom... i love reminiscing of the days when my family would cram around the table for meals and just laugh the whole time... i love massages... i love getting mail... i love when branson does the dishes... i love japanese day... i love fireworks... i love my turquoise piano... i love song lyrics that say exactly how i feel... i love watching house and fringe... i love chatting with heidi... i love watching veronica mars... i love cuddling with branson... i love watching jeopardy... i love crisp autumn mornings... i love george gershwin... i love watching rugby... i love being organized... i love the lights at temple square... i love taking naps... i love riding horses... i love bruschetta... i love inside jokes... i love perfect bows... i love google... i love autumn...

the office

season 5 of the office premiered last night and it did not disappoint.brans and i were both laughing so hard through the whole thing!

we're super glad that its back... its been a rough summer tv-wise. we've only really been watching wheel of fortune and jeopardy, waiting for the fall tv lineup to debut.

and now it has! and we are thrilled. not that we watch a ton of tv, because we don't. we only watch a handful of shows. but one of our favorite things to do is snuggle up close and watch shows that we love.

and now, our tuesday and thursday nights will become completely predictable - home from work, dinner, tv.

love it.