merry christmas

We had a lovely Christmas. And a wonderful holiday season.

We cut down our own Christmas tree
We decorated our house
We partook of the Annual Holiday Pie

We got a new bedroom set for Christmas

We got to talk to Austin and Chad -
It's hard to believe they'll both be home
within the next little while. Crazy.

All in all, it was a good Christmas.
And we're looking forward to the New Year.

Merry Christmas.

so many things

I can't even begin to catch up on everything that is going on:

Photos with Natalie Cole and David McCullough
How the massage went
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Christmas Presents
Sherlock Holmes
My new desire to move to Paris and become a chef
Talking to Austin and Chad

...just to name a few and offer just a slight teaser into our lives...

But seriously, folks. Santa didn't bring me any more time for Christmas, so unfortunately... that's all I got. Tune in next time to find out more!

PS - I'm exhausted.

december

My body is in knots.

I can't walk or stand up straight because I have knots in my shoulders and neck, and a freaking boulder in the middle of my back that makes any movement painful. No, my arms have not gotten more muscular - the slightly noticeable added bulges are also knots of the painful variety. I haven't slept well because of said knots. Every position is uncomfortable. Seriously... every one.

I've spent almost every waking hour of the past three weeks working my guts out.

From planning the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's signing with Natalie Cole and David McCullough to taking care of ticketing at the Forgotten Carols, dealing with drama in the workplace and trying to still maintain a life outside of my job. i.e. Making sure my husband gets dinner. And that we have clean clothes to wear. And trying to get in the Christmas groove. Not to mention, trying to find time to breathe or eat or blink.

Curse this hard work ethic of mine. Gosh, Mom and Dad - why'd you teach me to work so hard?

The first week of December, I just-so-happened to discover a pretty big problem - nay, fiasco. Let's call it "Fiasco 2009." I was getting ready to leave work - 5pm was quickly approaching. But I just wanted to check something real fast.

Now, a small part of me thinks that it was no accident that I had such a strong desire to check said something. If I hadn't, said fiasco could have been worse. Much worse. By checking said something real fast, I was able to identify said fiasco and come up with at least some sort of solution prior to the event, as opposed to having to problem solve in a moments notice.

However, the larger part of me wishes I had just left work at 5pm - as planned - and said fiasco would have been cleaned up by someone else. Blast my obsessive compulsive tendencies! See, the problem with my finding and fixing Fiasco 2009 was that it wasn't my job. Sure, I help others with their jobs when necessary. I like to think I'm nice and compassionate like that. But this was completely different. I essentially took on someone else's job. Someone still employed to do what I did for them.

And here's the thing: I shouldn't have been the one to fix it. I shouldn't have been the one to find it. And I certainly was not the one who caused it. You see, there was someone hired to do such things. Someone to make sure there weren't any problems, and if any arose, to solve them. Now, I won't use words like "incompetent" or "failure" or "complete idiot" because I now know how that feels... But believe you me: I've come close. [Disclaimer: I may or may not have used the words "stupid" or "useless." Perhaps. But I will neither confirm nor deny any claims.

Yeah... One night I came home feeling real good [read awful]: Working all day from 7:30am until 11:00pm and being called "incompetent," "a complete idiot," "a failure" and almost assaulting a drama teacher after he completely wrote off any authority I had [story for another day] and basically telling me I could shove it... Yeah. I've had a great time with Fiasco 2009.

Oh, I could complain about this for years. Seriously. It was that big of a problem and that inconvenient. But it has been totally hindering any feeling of the Christmas Spirit. And, for goodness sake, it's the 20th of December. Christmas is in 5 days.

So suffice it to say: I was super frustrated with my non-job job. Frustrated that there was a Fiasco 2009 in the first place. Frustrated that I had to deal with it. Frustrated that not many recognized the depth of heart I put into fixing it. But mostly frustrated because it took away from everything else.

But...

I had an a few glimmering moments that got me through. As previously mentioned, I was in charge of planning and coordinating the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's signing with Natalie Cole and David McCullough. It was well thought out and very well planned, if I do say so myself. I received a very kind email from the manager of the Choir afterward saying:

It was without doubt the best organized, most efficient signing I have been involved with in my 8 years here. I hope it will be a model for all the others we do! You got folks through the line and face time with the artists and did it all in an amazingly short time! The artists were very pleased and you made us all look like superstars!

Yup. Superstars.

But wait. It gets better. I strategically placed myself at the front of the line, facilitating everything to Natalie Cole and David McCullough - Freak. I spent all the time planning and organizing. I wanted to be the one that helped them personally. Once the signing started, along with the help of those I bribed to help me, we had a rockin' system going. We cruised through the line and kept everything orderly. At the beginning, Natalie Cole's manager seemed a little uneasy with the whole situation - so many people, not a lot of time, probably worried that a bunch of crazy mormons would attack her client. But after a few minutes, she was impressed by our system and organization. About 30 minutes into the event, she leaned over to me and said:

"Are you in charge of this signing?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Well, you do a great job!"
"Hey, thanks!"
"No, seriously. This is the best signing we've ever had. Like ever. And we've done a lot of these things. None of them have ever gone this smoothly or been this organized."
"Well, I'm glad it's going well."
"Seriously, I want to take you on the road with us..."
"Me? Ha ha Really?"
"Yeah, really! I'd love to take you with us."
"{awkward, embarassed laugh} Ha ha... Ok. Sweet. Sign me up."

And then I was interrupted by a woman who wanted to take a pitcure with Natalie. How rude of her interrupting my moment of glory! Kidding... Kinda.

It was a huge compliment. Natalie Cole's manager wanted to take me on the road with them. Freaking awesome. Total pay day. It made my 18 hour workday totally worth it. And it helped me remember why I love my job. Because I do. I really do love my job.

And now, I'm off. I've taken off two weeks for Christmas. Two well-deserved weeks of vacation. [I say vacation like I'm going somewhere... But I'm not.] Branson's family is coming to town for the holidays, so most of my "vacation" will be revolving around them, squeezing in some time for my family and hopefully a few days all to myself.

I'm completely in need of a deep-tissue massage.

But now it's Christmas. Truly... the most wonderful time of the year. I'm just glad that now I can focus on that. Instead of Fiasco 2009.

So, what do the next few days hold in store for me?
Well, a massage for one thing. And holiday baking. Playing the piano and reading. Organizing my house. And wrapping presents.

Yes, it's going to be a good holiday.

unforgettable

today i attended a press conference for the mormon tabernacle choir featuring natalie cole and david mccullough.

it was incredible.

to see my favorite moment of the morning, click below.

unforgettable.
it truly was.

baby, it's cold outside

life has never been more crazy.

all of my time is currently being eaten up by:

the forgotten carols.
solving ticket problems.
coordinating the signing for the mormon tabernacle choir -
featuring natalie cole and david mccullough.
figuring out what to get brans for christmas.
organizing my house.
playing the organ - yup, new calling.
dealing with 2am phone calls for brans to go plow snow.
trying to stay sane.

but more importantly,

trying to stay warm.

mm hmm. that is the temperature gauge in my car.
and yes, it does say 4 degrees. four degrees!

baby, it's cold outside!

thankful

this year, i have a lot fo be thankful for.
more than ever it seems.

branson. my parents. my siblings. my in-laws. the power of prayer. tithing blessings. the opportuniy to fast for a good cause... or several. my testimony. missionaries. good health. skilled hands. priesthood blessings from my husband. favorable circumstances i find myself in. the opportunity to develop my talents. my great friends. extended family. the generosity of others. food. my job. the people i work with. my piano. being able to cook. scriptures. temples. reassurance that everything will always be alright. our home. the ability to express creativity. plus a billion more...

all contributing factors as to why
this is the best time of the year -
my favorite holiday:
thanksgiving.

i hope that thanksgiving treats you as well as it does me.
and that you have many things to truly be grateful for.

happy thanksgiving.

pie face

today my baby sister turned seven.
gosh, that's hard to believe.
i remember the day she was born.
coincidentally [or not] it was the same day that i first officially failed a test in school. but now, that's not the point here, is it...

pie-fee...
she's such a cute little girl.
she's spunky and sassy, but sweet and sensitive.
i love her.

why do i call her pie face? well, because that's her name, of course! the week she was born, my parents, grandparents, neighbors, ward members and all manner of -ites referred to her as:

such a cutie pie
what a sweetie pie
and all manner of -pies

so tca$h and i started calling her pie.
and then i called her pie face.
and it stuck.

and now lots of people call her pie face.
gee, i feel like such a trend-setter.
[correction: i'm not really]

i find it mind boggling that:

in one year she'll be baptized
branson has known her since she was 4
someday she won't remember life before i was married
she is the smartest of my siblings
[seriously - the girl could get on the internet before she could talk.
and she could read before she could walk.
i'm pretty sure i'm only exaggerating on the later part of this,
and still, only slightly]

and so, i write a simple ode to the babe of the fam...
the youngest... the girl who completed our family:

pief,
[said pie-fff]
i'm glad you're in my life
you never cause me strife
you're cute as a button
and sweet as a muffin
i could eat you like stuffin'
[but i won't]
today you turn seven
sent straight from heaven
to my bread you are leaven
[don't question my rhyme - it's totally legit, yo]
i hope your birthday
is as sweet as a gourmet
[a good one - like at the bellagio]
because i love you - hooray!

happy birthday pie face.

*and just for the record,
yes, i have every intention of calling her pie face for the rest of her life. i see no need to refer to her as anything else. it's worked for seven years so far, and by george, i'll use it for another 87. she's my little pie face. and she always will be.

spinning

i feel like i'm in the eye of a tornado.everything swirling around me, making me dizzy.

but while i'm spinning and spinning
with seemingly no end in sight,
i've realized a few things:

hard work does pay off... eventually.
there is always a bright side.
i have the most in-tune and amazing siblings.
[seriously, folks, they're incredible.]
sacrificing to help someone else is totally worth it.
i need to de-clutter my life.
it isn't always bad news.
crying is genetic.
sometimes you just have to take a step back.
purple has involuntarily become my favorite color.
[green, i sill love you. green and purple, both favorites]
my mom has perfect faith.
i own way too many unnecessary things.
great music is a rare commodity in 2009.
i just plain suck at exercising.
[but i'm determined to get better at it]
sometimes the thought doesn't count.
miller's creamy honey is undoubtedly the best.
catching up with friends can be completely awkward.
i take too many things for granted.
you really can't judge a book by it's cover.
[or a person, for that matter]
i truly enjoy being helpful.

and so much more.
some i knew before.
some i thought i knew, but just believed.
and some... so entirely new and mind-blowing -

making me spin even faster.

november

life was crazy in the month of october.
between:

being sick
catching up on work
rearranging a few rooms at our house
hosting a family party
more catching up on work
and balancing our weekends
with football, baseball and cleaning

the month sort of flew by.

and now, here we are;
the beginning of a new month.
one of my favorites, no less.

thanksgiving
football
decorating our house for the holidays
making pies
cutting down our own christmas tree
wearing scarves
and donning my adorable new purple mittens
sitting by [one of] our [many] fireplace[s]
making hot chocolate with my new lovely teakettle
christmas music on the radio


it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

recap

quick recap:

conference=awesome.
spent time with the larson family - visiting from CA.
braden's birthday as well as jenee's
a quick trip to vegas
no not for the byu vs unlv game, unfortunately,
for a larson cousin's wedding-
which was lovely by the way.
had a delightful time at serendipity -
making up for the colossal failure 6 months ago.
a late night drive saturday
to be back for church duties sunday at 9am.
started rearranging our house... again.
leaves changed colors; fall is totally in the air.
busy at work
an awesome shout out to a project i helped with
on a very popular and inspiring blog.
yes, i do feel special.

but now, unfortunately, i am sick.

s
i
c
k.

and i'm totally bummed about it. i can't breathe real well, i sound like i have the black lung, and i'm pretty sure my internal temperature is 500 degrees celsius. my eyes are constantly watering - i'm afraid i might drown.

so i've got a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup
boiling on the stove,
a hot cup of spiced cider in my hand,
and i'm decked out in sweats, fuzzy socks, scarves and a hat.
i'm sure it's days like this when branson's attraction to me is surely tested...

now, if you'll excuse me... i'm off to sleep away this sickness.

brady

today my youngest brother's 12th birthday.

braden... the baby boy is 12. a young man. he's old enough to not be a little boy anymore. (though in my eyes he will be forever a little boy.)

i'm totally freaked out about this. it makes me feel slightly ancient.

i wish i had more time to write about my fifth brother... but today i worked from 7:30am until, well, now. so a sufficient recollection of my favorite things about braden will be coming along shortly.

but for now...

happy birthday brade! i love you!

and now i'm off to sleep to dream about the heavenly chocolate cake i am going to make braden on sunday afternoon.

an extra hour

i am in desperate need of some extra time.

seriously, folks... Desperate. with a capital d.

its been a super busy year (and it's only september... oh boy.) with weddings, work and family parties galore. not to mention remodeling parts of our house, birthday celebrations and just trying to keep up with life.

i must admit the keeping up with life part has been mildly neglected at times... i have dishes and laundry to prove it. you'd think that two people can't generate that many clothes or dishes in a week. but i just can't seem to catch up. i like to blame it on the fact that i'm at work for 9-10 hours everyday and then come home and make dinner. and then there's just not enough time. some nights i teach piano lessons. some nights we have plans to go out. but most nights, i'm just tired.

dead. beat. tired.

lame excuse? perhaps. blah, blah, everyone is busy... yeah i know. but seriously. i think i could enter a contest. and probably land in the top 5. depending on the time of year, maybe the top 3.

and i'm starting to realize that maybe i have a problem with being too eager at times. and maybe... i said maybe... overestimating my capabilities. regarding the first, as mentioned before, i really love helping people. a lot. i love feeling like i've done some good and accomplishing something. and even better when that accomplishment benefits someone else. so any chance i get, i jump (sometimes literally) to help. however, sometimes, i probably take on too much. i let my ego get the best of me and i am convinced that i can do it... because, why can't i? i don't like being told that i can't do something. so i try, and try. and sometimes try some more until i've aced the talent at an adequate, though not perfect, level of proficiency. so i stretch myself until i can't handle any more. and then i strech some more and take on more responsibilities. because i just can.

but enough of that. because what it boils down to is that i just don't have enought time to be good at everything. time...
time. time. time. time. time.

i just need a few more hours every day. just a few less hours that i need to sleep... which brings me to my nest tangent: in high school, i had insomnia. i survived with minimal sleep every night. sometimes i would get 2 hours of sleep. sometimes i would get less. on a really good night, i'd get 4 full hours of sleep. but i had so much energy and always felt productive. probably because i did so many things at night with the time most people spend sleeping. i would read - sometimes a whole book in one night. (cough cough harry potter cough cough) i would write songs, listen to talks, do homework, exercise - so many things. its amazing what you can do when you don't sleep. but i've found that the older i get, and maybe the more "grown up" i become, the more sleep i need. not get. need. i need to have 7-8 hours of sleep. my body just won't wake up until i've reached that minimum. i try to wake up... but it's just so hard. so i've resorted to going to bed early. earlier than i even had to be home for curfew in high school. and let me tell you - that's pretty early. i'm like an old woman. i have arithritis, i can tell when the weather is going to change by the ache in my joints, and i go to bed early.

i swear i'm only in my twenties. promise.

my point is, that i need just an extra hour or two. even 60 minutes that don't just fly on by.

sixty minutes.
there are so many things that can be done in sixty minutes.
one load of laundry from start to finish.
wash and dry and put away all the dishes from dinner.
an excellent cardio workout.
watching an episode of one of the following:

the west wing
psych
alias
house
fringe
arrested development
and a few others

reading a good portion of a great book
taking a walk

oh, the possibilities!

but alas... there are only 24 hours in a day. jack bauer has drilled that into our heads more times than one. seven, to be precise.

i digress. i need to figure out how to manage my time better. maybe that will make my busy schedule ... not... so... busy...?

who am i kidding?

still, i'm desperate for an extra hour...

rainbow

this was the view from my porch
when i got home from work tonight

i live in a beautiful place.

japanese day

september 17th

is one of the most anticipated holidays in my family.it's the day we celebrate my dad's mission to
japan.

we pull out all of my dad's japanese things
and
eat a delicious japanese meal.

miso soup and salad.

yakisoba.

curry and rice.

gyoza.

all so good!
it's like thanksgiving in september.

we're all super grateful my dad served a mission. and not just because he learned how to made scrumptious japanese food. my dad is an awesome example to all of us. i can't fully express the gratitude i have for him. he's seriously the best.

so, happy japanese day. and thanks dad, for serving a mission.

tan man

yesterday was my brother tanner's birthday. we celebrated today with a delicious italian dinner and the best chocolate cake i have ever made.
and apparently, byu got my message to "please have a great game in honor of tanner - you're #1 fan - for his birthday."

{thanks, cougars.}

tanner is a good kid. he is the most athletic kid in our family. he is growing like morning glory - every time i see him, he's a few inches taller. and i see him every week. no joke.

we all joke that he's the "pretty one" of the family - he is quite the handsome boy. tall, skinny, athletic, smart, spiritual, funny... an all around catch. but not quite yet. he's only 14. no dating for a couple more years.

tan is definitely the coolest of all of us kids. i like to think that i'm cool, but really not so much... a-team was too smart to be really cool. tay was funny enough to earn a "cool" title, but was also lucky to just have lots of cool friends. and we'll see how b dawg works high school - i'm sure he will. but tan - tanner is just all around cool. he's easy going, but not irresponsible. he's funny, but not ridiculous. he's attractive, but not too cocky (thanks to his siblings reminding him that if his head gets big, he's not as pretty). he's just an all around fantastic kid.

i love his guts. i cannot believe that he is 14, and at the same time, i was surprised he's not in high school yet. he is a mature kid for his age and i love being around him.

happy birthday, tan.

hope it was great. love ya.

number nine

i've been waiting since saturday night to see what the polls would read after the opening weekend of college football.

i was not disappointed.

to say i was thrilled with the outcome of the byu vs. oklahoma game would be mildly understating the sheer bliss. i was no doubt supportive of the cougars from the beginning, and surely wanted them to win... but #3 oklahoma? i didn't want to set my sights too high. so i convinced myself that a decent game, only losing by 10 points, would suffice. one touchdown. one field goal. that's certainly respectable. and if oklahoma was byu's only loss this season, well, that would definitely allow some bcs busting.

but my expectations were exceeded. i won't ever say that the game wasn't sloppy - way too many flags (several that i was convinced were just the refs practicing their flag throwing capabilities...) and a couple kinks needing to be worked out. but by george, i'm proud to be a cougar fan.

it is truly unfortunate that sam bradford was injured. i think bronco said it best in his post-game comments: bradford is one great football player, and it is truly unfortunate anytime any athlete gets hurt. wishing him well was very classy, i think. good man, that bronco mendenhall.

after the game, we discussed where this win would rank the cougars. 12. 13. 11 if we were lucky. so imagine my surprise this morning when the AP poll read number 9. NINE! that's huge! byu broke the top ten in the opening weekend - from 20 to 9. awesome.

now, boys, just keep your heads on straight and don't get rattled. and by all means, do not get cocky. just play football like it was meant to be played.

here's hoping for a 12-0 season.
and a real bcs bid.

go cougars!

opportunity to serve

i am not a fundraiser-er.

in fact, i loathe fundraisers. i hate asking people for money. i'm not a sales person and i definitely am not a fan of being asked to "donate" $20 for a tiny box of candy bars for the local elementary school.

however, i love serving.
i love helping people.
i love providing as much assistance as i can.

so yesterday, when i found out that a good friend and co-worker's family's home was completely destroyed in the wildfires in auburn, CA... all i could think was how could i help this family?

they came home from church on sunday and only had a few minutes to gather a couple things - a file of original birth certificates, a family picture from the wall and a diaper bag was all they managed to take with them. all of the rest of their belongings - clothes, dishes, appliances, photo albums, wedding keepsakes, blankets, music, furniture - everything.

e v e r y t h i n g is gone.
ashes.

so, while i do not like asking for money, or fundraising in an manner, i feel like they need help.

this is an opportunity to serve.

i have started a collection for this family and, if you feel so inclined, would gladly welcome any other contributions.

they need anything and everything - they have to rebuild their lives from scratch. luckily, they have the gospel in their lives and have maintained an eternal perspective of things, but i'm sure it's not easy. clothes, dishes, blankets, gift cards, cash, anything, i'm sure would be greatly appreciated.

i am sending a package to them on friday, september 11.

if you would like to help,
please contact me at
shannalarson@gmail.com
to arrange pick up and/or drop off.

but most of all, please keep this (and the other families affected)
in your prayers.

i think that will help the most.

catch up

over the last three weeks, i:

{catered a cousin's wedding}
{played the piano at another cousin's wedding}
{made a wedding cake for a friend}
{realized just how perfect our wedding day was}
{survived a convention at work}
{put on a concert for work}
{worked about 70 hours in one week}
{read and answered over a thousand emails at work}
{went on an album photoshoot with an amazing violinist}
{helped brans run electrical wires for our bathroom}
{found out i'm going to have a niece}
{celebrated my brother's 16th birthday}
{and his being ordained a priest}
{cried in harry potter and the half blood prince}
{have not slept through a single night without waking at least once}
{had a lovely evening with alex, sarah and my family}
{remembered how creative and funny my family are}
{and how convincing my mom is}
{picked a perfect zucchini from our garden}
{renewed my crafty side}
{made a darling headband}
{been told that the "cute police" had been called on me}
{let branson buy a new toy}
{had fun nights with nick and kadee}
{made new goals}
{had an encounter with a rat in our driveway}
{felt smaller than i have ever felt}
{ate the most delicious corn - fresh from our garden}
{fallen more deeply in love with my best friend}
{have a renewed spirit}
{... and much, much more...}

bash

yesterday was my brother bryson's 16th birthday.

sweet sixteen.

one of my first memories of brysy (pronounced bry-see) was halloween, 1994. mom made a little monkey suit, and bryson was "abu" from aladdin. i'm pretty sure he was the cutest little monkey i have ever seen.

a few years later, we had a family reunion at the lake in hyrum, UT. bryson was too little to really participate in the water activities, but he stood by the side of the lake and yelled in his tiny little voice, "whoa, baby! dirty water!" - probably 15 times. but everytime, it was hilarious.

bryson, or bash, as his friends call him, is a funny kid. i've previously mentioned that taylor is the funny one in our family, but i have to admit part of what makes tay so funny is how he plays off everyone - especially bryson. bryson can setup tay like nobody's business. its awesome. bryson and i have a very, very similar sense of humor. we laugh at the same jokes. like the same movies. quote all the same lines of those movies and tv shows. one thing about him - he has a memory like no other. he can see a show once and quote lines from it like he's seen it a million times.

b is super talented. he sings, plays the piano and has recently picked up the guitar. he has been in many-a show in high school and junior high- as well as ward road shows (most recently as the cowardly lion from the wizard of oz). he has a real knack for musical theater, and he (thanks to his awesome older sister) has great taste in music. (i pride myself on introducing my brothers to good music. a little while ago, the boys and i were going through their iTunes, pointing out all the music that came from me. i love it.)

along with everything else, bryson is also really, really smart. i've decided i feel bad for pie face. it seems that each kid consecutively gets smarter. austin was smarter than me. tay surpassed austin, and i won't be surprised if bryson beats taylor. poor pie. seven siblings setting the bar incredibly high. good thing she'll be taller than all of us.

as my brothers have grown up, i've enjoyed becoming friends with them. not only are we siblings, we're best friends, too. i would rather hang out with my family that just about anything else. i've been told several times by several different people that we are a lot of fun. and at the risk of sounding arrogant, i think they are right. we are a lot of fun. we have fun together. as siblings and friends.

i am a big fan of bryson. he's such a good kid. i'm so glad he is one of my brothers.

happy birthday bryson!

pioneer day

two years ago, with the help of my mom, i made a pioneer dress, packed my toothbrush, sunscreen and first-aid kit in a bucket {that doubled as a chair} and went to pioneer trek to be the ma to nine teenagers.

i would go into further detail about our trek, but on the scale of pioneer treks from a cake walk to brutal abuse, ours was definitely closer to eating cupcakes... but still full of physical and spiritual growth.

highlights of the trek included:

an afternoon at martin's cove. i cannot fully express what it was like to be there in part reenacting their journey in the exact same spot. there was a sweet reverence in that little cove.

leading the womens pull. wow. {not going to lie, i still can't talk about without tearing up a little bit.} i had three 12 year old girls with me, the biggest of which probably weighing about the same as a cabbage patch doll, and a good friend shelley. and we were the lead handcart. all of the men in our trek left all of the women, and we had a little devotional. truthfully, i was nervous about it. you see, i may be strong willed, but i'm not very physically strong. {i'm not helpless, just not freakishly strong.} and i had tiny, tiny girls to help me. and our trail consisted of a huge steep hill. we're talking super steep. and i live in utah, i know what steep hills are. {apologies to the midwest.} so we began, i had a constant prayer running through my head, asking for as much help as possible. i knew we needed it. so we began, nothing but rocks and dirt in our path. we pulled and pulled our absolute hardest. after pressing on for what seemed like hours, i looked up to see all of the men lined up on the sides of our trail, marking the last stretch of our journey. i had held my composure very well until i looked up and saw my brothers and dad - - - i will never forget the look on their faces. i have tough brothers. super tough. but they looked so helpless. i've never seen them so upset. {i'm not sure if i'm allowed to say they cried, so for the record, they may or may not have cried. hard.} i was so touched - in my family, we all know that we love each other. but it was that moment that it hit me like a train, how much my brothers loved me. i lost control of the tears i was holding back. and by the time we reached the top, i was shaking with emotion. it was the most overwhelmed i think i have ever been. and i'll never forget it.

bribing a fellow trekker with cookies for the use of his guitar, to give to kalai, {also a youth leader in our stake} who entertained us for hours with his awesome songs.

i definitely gained a deeper appreciation for pioneers, even though we didn't have to kill a turkey, or bury and of our children. i completely respect the pioneers, and am so grateful for their sacrifices and their journey to this lovely place i call home.

so, pioneers, thank you. happy pioneer day.

scouts

brans went to scout camp last week. not just any scout camp - a six day venture up to bear lake.

i interupt this posting to clarify my stance on scouting, for a moment...
ahem. i am fully supportive of the boy scouts of america. i even participated in cub scouts as a young girl. yes, cub scouts. not girl scouts. please don't be confused. (this may be in large part because i was the only girl in the neighborhood, and my mom was the den mother. and i didn't want to feel left out. but it served me well. at yw camp, i set the record for starting a fire the quickest - 2.7 seconds - with only flint and steel. and i may or may not have held the title of best knot tie-er in the land.) i have helped two of my brothers earn their eagle. i even help with scout fundraisers every year - from putting up flags at 6:00am on the 4th of july to spending a little too much money at our troop's silent auction. but all in support of a good cause. see, i am quite in favor of the scouting program.

i am all for supporting branson in his calling as assistant scout master. i continue my support through monthly overnight campouts - yes, monthly. as in once a month. twleve times a year. i'm still a little bitter about the christmas campout... why? why do you have to take fourteen scouts and their leaders away for a weekend the week before christmas? is there a valid reason? is it imperative to being a scout? i have a very strong argument that it is not. but i digress. i buck up and handle a night on my own once a month (ok, so maybe i stay with a friend, or have a sleepover with my sisters... but that is not the point.) but a six day camp about killed me.

literally, k i l l e d me.

in the two years and some months that i have known branson, the longest amount of time that we have been away from each other has only been a few days. even when he went home for the holidays - it was only about three or four days that i didn't see him, but we talked on the phone for several hours to bridge the gap.

so, a six day scout camp with basically no communication (he called me one night and the conversation went like this: "hey shan! my phone's almost dead but i just wanted to call and say i lov----" dead. so really, no communication) was a really, really, r e a l l y long time.

oh, don't worry - i survived. but just barely.

in the time he was gone, i got done several loads of laundry, had a few girl's nights, felt the most sick i have ever felt, encountered a rat in our backyard, drank sour milk and almost threw up, got nearly ran off the road by a bus, stayed late at work a few nights, and didn't sleep very well.

now, i'm not asking for a pity party - i know many have it far worse. like wives of men in the military. or single mothers. or widows. or michael jackson's children - but truthfully, i had a hard time with it. why the camp had to be six days is beyond me. i think a four day camp would suffice.

branson returned home safely... and tan. and he had a great time. which i'm grateful for.

but next time, scouters, can you please not keep my husband for so long?
thanks.

one year later

i have officially been an employee here
for one year.

some days it seems like
i've been around a whole lot longer than that.

other days, i still feel like the new girl
who is just getting the hang of things.

regardless, {not to be confused with 'irregardless', which happens to not be a word...seriously} i feel like i have a really great job. i enjoy what i do - even when i'm so busy that i can't seem to think straight. i genuinely like the people i work with. i've created some pretty good friendships here - ones i hope will last far beyond my working career.

but i feel pretty lucky.
and yet, lucky doesn't seem to be quite the right word.

i am blessed to have such a great job and work with such great people. i have learned so much in the last 365 days. and looking back, i find it wonderfully comical at how well things have worked out for me. sure, there have been moments of frustration. and a few hard times here and there... but the good definitely out-weighs the bad. and how can i be upset about that? i've been treated far better than i deserve. after all, i am just a twenty-something girl who has a lot to learn.

so, pathway of mine, thank you for leading me here. i appreciate the opportunities and the lessons i've learned. thanks for not leading me astray.

independence day

we had a lovely time celebrating our independence here in america.

we both had friday off, so we began our much-anticipated bathroom remodel. i should clarify: we began out bathroom destruction, prior to our remodel. we ripped off all the tile from the walls, pulled out the vanity, toilet, bathtub and existing walls around the shower. we worked super hard, but thanks to a few of my siblings, we got more done than i anticipated. we're still a long ways off, but it will be great when it's gone.

friday evening we went to the real salt lake soccer game with nick and kadee. have i mentioned how much i love kadee? for so many reasons, not the least of which is her instrumental role in branson and i getting together. she is one of my favorites. the soccer game was fun - nice kept us entertained by throwing a mild fit when a drill team came on for halftime. the night was made complete by a fantastic firework show following the game.

i love fireworks. they make me so happy.

saturday morning, we went to the annual mock 4th of july breakfast. the food, as always, was delicious and the company was just as good. we had fun visiting with alex and sarah, and several other brickyard ward members. after the breakfast, we continued working on the bathroom.

we hosted a bbq for our family - and spent the evening with branson's parents (who are in town), kendyll's family, cousins, grandma and grandma lowman, my family and grandma. it was a nice party. the weather was quite nice, and the food was excellent.

after dinner, we ventured over to the jr high field a few blocks away to watch more fireworks. i think it was the longest firework display i've ever seen. it was wonderful. seriously, we're talking about 35 minutes. thirty five! incredible. and of course, branson had to light off a few when we got home to complete our celebration.

it was a good holiday weekend. it ended too soon, but weekends always do.

but, i forgot to break out the popcicles at our bbq (we had cake and rootbeer floats, too) so i am getting through this week with orange dream bars. because what's summer without popcicles?

july

i'm pretty sure i say this at the start of every month... but i honestly can't believe it's july!

things i'm excited for this month:

the oquirrh mountain temple open house
branson's parents in town
a complete bathroom remodel
the REAL (ree-al)Salt Lake soccer game
fireworks
the annual 4th of july breakfast at the mocks
a family bbq
house sitting for my aunt and uncle
harry potter and the half-blood prince
fireworks
pioneer day
the parade
did i already mention fireworks?

father's day

ah, fathers.
i have the best.

really, i do.

i couldn't ask for a better dad.
or for a better father-in-law.

they are both two of the best men i know.

and i'm grateful for them.

happy father's day!

anniversary celebration

what a lovely anniversary weekend!

we decided to start our celebration by going to the temple. it was great to be able to be at the place of our marriage ceremony - exactly one year later. it is crazy to think it's been one whole year already. it literally flew by. so many things have happened since our wedding day:

austin left on his mission
my first time out of the country
my first plane ride
chad left on his mission
both of us started new jobs
jack was born
president obama was elected
experiencing our first holidays as a family
starting our own traditions
family reunions
granny's funeral
birthdays
getting stitches
dane and jenee got married
kendyll announced another baby on the way
and so many other things.

it seems impossible that so much has happened in only 365 days. some days i feel as if branson and i have been married a lot longer than a year. we've been through so much together at this point, that my mind is momentarily confused when i look at a calendar and see only a year has passed.

but in reality, time is all relative.
and i'm learning to not take time for granted.

while at the temple, we decided to do sealings. it was amazing to hear again the words that declared branson reed larson mine for eternity. to have them fresh in my mind on the day celebrating our first year of marriage complete. it was such a thrillingly spiritual experience for me. it made me all the more grateful for a husband i get to have forever.

we decided it would be nice to get out of town for a few days. thanks to our good friend sarah, we were able to get a steal of a deal on a luxury suite at the newpark hotel up in park city.

it was a beautiful hotel - and the suite was unbelievable!

yes, our own private hot tub on our deck.
like i said... unbelievable. the view was great. the location was fantastic. all around wonderful.

in the spirit of tradition, we decided to eat our wedding cake on our first anniversary. but don't fret - i made an exact replica of the top of our wedding cake on thursday. frozen year-old cake just isn't appealing to me. at all. so i did the tradition my way - fresh, not frozen, but just as delicious as the one we had at our wedding.

and once again, we were tactful in our feeding each other.

mm mm... lemon cake.
my favorite.

but more favorite than lemon cake is this:

what a handsome man i married.

the rest of our trip was spent relaxing, shopping and admiring beautiful art in all of the galleries in park city. oh, and did i mention eating? don't be fooled by branson's skinny frame. we ate like kings.

our anniversary dinner at ruth's chris.
(which was definitely the most expensive meal of my life. also definitely worth it. had i only had the creme brulee, it would have been worth it. we all know how much of a critic i am about said dessert... and let me tell you - it was the best i've ever had. absolute heaven. i couldn't believe my tastebuds. it was better than mine. better than shannon mock's. blasphemy, i know. but i'm telling you - it's true!)

we made omlets saturday morning-
with bacon and hashbrowns.

lunch at redrock
(they have the most delectable bruschetta - sundried tomatoes and whole cloves of garlic. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.)

left-over steak dinner
with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes.

waffles for breakfast sunday morning
with strawberries, bananas and whipped cream
and bacon, of course.

we definitely ate well. that's for sure.

it was nice that we could make some of our meals right in our hotel room. it saved us a ton of money. so i figure, expensive ruth's chris dinner is totally justifiable because we only at out twice in the three days we were there. all of the other food came from our fridge at home. i feel good about it.

truly, it was a great weekend. we had a lovely time - even with the rain and lightning and loudest thunder i have ever heard.

it was comical to me how the weather panned out - i'm reminded me of last year at this time. now, this may be a little bit vain and selfish, but i seriously prayed that it wouldn't rain on my wedding day. i know, it rains on people's wedding day all the time. and everything always turns out fine. but, the date we had picked was in june. june. in utah. a time when it starts to get too warm. all air conditioners and swamp coolers are turned on by then. so i felt confident that the weather would cooperate with me.

as soon as i could access a 10 day weather forecast, i checked almost every hour. the first week of june was decent weather. but the second week of june - the week that mattered - was scheduled to rain. rain, rain go away... please don't rain on my wedding day. 3 days before my wedding, all local forecasts predicted snow on june 11th. snow? snow! i couldn't believe it. i'm not going to disclose the deal i made to guarantee no snow or rain on june 12th, but deal i did.

wednesday night, june 11th, i saw stormy clouds and my heart sunk a little. i started to convince myself a little rain never hurt anyone. and if i had to, i could take wedding pictures with a cute little umbrella.

but thursday morning, the sun was shining, there was no snow. there was no rain. there weren't even many clouds in the sky. it might not mean the same to everyone, but it was just another confirmation to me that it was right.

it turned out to be the most beautiful day. the perfect temperature. not too hot, not too cold. and it had rained just enough leading up to that day that everything was super green and in full bloom. oh, how grateful i am for that day!

back to my point: the weather this week was eerily the same. rain. lots of rain. snow in the mountains. but friday, june 12th, was beautiful. it made me smile, and once again reminded me of how much i am loved.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

i'm interested to see where we are next june 12th; what events will have happened by then, the things we will have endured together, the fun and exciting things we will do between now and then. there's bound to be quite a few.

one year.
365 {well, 368 days now} days.
too many memories to count.

yep. i definitely made the right choice.

first anniversary

one year ago from this very moment,
branson and i walked out of the salt lake temple as
mr and mrs branson larson.

i've heard it said that the first year is the hardest,
and if that's the case-
we're in for a fantastically beautiful eternity.

sure we've had our disagreements
and a few times when we've wanted to scream at each other
but we've always gotten over it in no time at all.

the key to our success?
we super love each other a lot.
and we've done out best to keep the Lord in our marriage.


branson reed larson,
i love you.
more than you know.
and i'm so grateful to be your wife.
and that you are mine for ever.

love,
shanna lynne

june

i love the month of june.

as a child, june was the start of summer break. it meant no school, waking up early to jump on the trampoline, swimming (kinda... more like standing in a shallow pool and splashing water at my brothers), baseball, and playing with friends.

now, june doesn't promise a break from school. or a break from work. but the things it brings to me are much better than that.

we started off the month with dinner at alex and sarah's house. they were kind enough to invite us over for a little bbq. sarah is quite the hostess, and i was impressed with how lovely the table was set. dinner was delicious and we had a great time chatting and catching up with them. they are good people. sarah told us some awkward stories and we laughed and laughed together. we're grateful for good friends like them.

in 10 days, i will be celebrating my first anniversary with branson. i can't believe how fast this past year has gone. we've been married one whole year. technically, 355 days. and some days it seems like only yesterday we walked out of the temple together, hand in hand as husband and wife. other days i forget it has only been one year. i have to remind myself that it has only been a year. somedays i feel like we've been married forever - like i can't remember what life what like without him. and then there are the most frequent days, when i find myself in awe of how much my love for brans has grown over the past year. brad paisley said it so well with his new song, "... and i thought i loved you then..." - i am truly amazed at how much more i love branson since we got married. i'm quite a lucky girl.

in 16 days, my brother will officially be halfway through his mission. as much as i can't believe branson and i have been married for a year, it's even more incredible to me that austin has been gone for a whole year. he is such a great missionary. i love getting the chance to talk to him almost every week through email. technology rules! ha ha but he is doing a wonderful job. he loves the people of canada and he loves spreading the word. and in a year, he'll be home to tell me all the crazy stories he doesn't have time to email.

the roses in our yard are the. most. beautiful. things. you. have. ever. seen. i am not joking. gramps had quite the green thumb in his day, and grandma has continuted in his footsteps. gramps planted basically a million things in the yard. but the most prized were the roses in the front. there are six or seven rose bushes, and within the past four days, they have all bloomed with the most gorgeous roses i have ever seen. i am just waiting for my camera to recharge so i can document the beauty.

at least twice a week, the ball field across the street lights up, and i can sit and watch softball games from my front room. occasionally (more often than not) fly and foul balls will sail over the fence and land in our yard. my favorite is when they send little boys over to retrieve said ball. they run over to our bushes, but as soon as they step into the driveway, it's as if they are on a secret mission and can't be caught under penalty of death. i have even seem on boy get down on his stomach and army crawl arcoss our lawn, pick up the ball, then army crawl back to the driveway, getting up and sprinting back to the field. if i remember correctly, i giggled for hours after that.

my brother taylor is graduating from high school. it makes me feel old. and then i remember i'm not really. and even if i was, thanks to my 16 year old face, i wouldn't look old. but i digress. tay has had quite the busy year. he was the editor-in-chief of the yearbook, in ensemble - the premier vocal group at olympus, in concert choir, the seminary counsel president, taking several AP classes and managed to maintain his 4.0. the kid is a rock star. he makes my high school career look super lame. i'm proud of tay and can't wait for him to start the next chapter of life.

the lower half of my index finger has most of the feeling back - only a little bit of numbness. however, the tip of my finger is still completely numb. i really did a good job of slicing through. it definitely wasn't a half-effort. heh. i've been told the nerve will grow back, which is good news. but it might take a couple years. i'm hoping not that long. the wound, itself, is still tender and still hurts some. i'm still careful not to use it much. and i've become adept at typing, playing the piano, writing, and all sorts of other things you need to use your hands for with only 9 fingers. i've gotten pretty good at compensating with my thumb and middle finger.

we have lots of other happenings this month, and i'm excited for them. along with the perfect weather. (until the end of june when it generally gets a little too hot... but right now, it's lovely.)

june is a great month.

happy birthday mom

today is my mom's birthday.

at her request i will not disclose what birthday it is.

i've already made it known that she is the best mom in the world.
but here are more of the reasons why i love her:

she is beautiful.
when we go out together,

she is frequently asked if she is my sister.

she is in great shape.
she has the most beautiful voice you have ever heard.
when i was still living at my parent's house,

we would stay up late some nights and talk.
but mostly, just giggle.

she is funny -

our sense of humor tends to overlap quite a bit.

my mom is the most self-less, giving person i know.
she is constantly helping people in need.
she loves to play games.
she taught my how to laugh.
she encouraged me to do my best, always.
i often find her saying little catch phrases that i say.

and it makes me smile.

i could go on for days...
but,

mom,
i love you.
happy birthday.

returned

we've returned to normal life.
which at the moment seems both lucky and unfortunate.

our routine of {work, dinner, sleep, repeat} has been restored to its proper order, but good grief, are we tired!

we spent almost a week in california. the events unfolded as follows:

set up/cleaning/getting ready for dane and jenee's wedding
working super hard to make everything perfect
a backyard ceremony
delicious lunch made by the dorias
a crazy afternoon decorating six cakes with melt-y icing
a lovely clubhouse garden reception
lots of clean up and take down
blisters on my feet
a little bit of drama

but rewarded with:

the most perfect day at disneyland

my new-found favorite sushi place
and a lovely night in LA with brans

pictures to follow. soon.

help maggie

if you live in any surrounding area of salt lake city
and if you believe in helping great causes
please, please, p l e a s e help and come support
cute little maggie!

to read more about maggie,
click here

may

today is our 11 month wedding anniversary.
really?
yes. my, how times flies!

other exciting happenings in may:
(some of which have already past)

.austin turned 20 {in canada}.
.chad turns 20 this week {in chile}.
.our first married hospital {instacare} visit.
.branson's birthday
{which managed to still be a grand ol' time}.
.mother's day.
.tulips in our {front} yard.
.hugh jackman, {i mean} wolverine.
.star trek.
.getting my {stitches} out.
.san diego.
.dane and jenee's {wedding}.
.making the wedding cake.
.disneyland.
.a visit to the beach.
.a {bbq}.
.my mom's birthday.
.rachel's birthday.
.{many}-a friend's wedding.
.more {movies}: angels & demons, night at the museum 2.

life is good.

mother's day

i have the best mom in the whole world.
oh? what's that?
you think you have the best mom in the whole world?
sorry. you're mistaken.
oh? and you think you have the best mother in law, too?
man, rough day for you to find out you're wrong on both counts.

and lucky for me to have the world's two most incredible women to call mother.

happy mother's day.