happy birthday to me

I kicked off my birthday weekend with a trip to Eastern Market with my little men. It's one of my favorite places for a morning outing -- they serve a great breakfast if you can stand to wait in line and there's always a new vendor to check out at the flea market, along with the usual favorites. And being that it's the longest running fresh produce market in D.C. it brings with it loads of character and charm.

The boys were troopers, but after three hours they were done. Unfortunately, on the way to lunch with family, Christian threw up in the car so the next few hours were divided between hosing him off, cleaning out the car, washing the carseat, getting Pierce down for a nap -- and wishing Shane could magically teleport himself back into town.

But we made it through the rest of the weekend, managing to squeeze in some more awesome eats along the way (after all, aren't birthdays all about eating?) and enjoy some quality down time for reading, cuddling, and napping before Shane returned late Sunday night.

All in all it was a low-key birthday, which is just what I was hoping for.  Of course, I wish Shane had been around to celebrate but between all the phone calls, birthday cards/packages and FB posts, I couldn't help but feel blessed knowing I have such a fabulous support network of loved ones here in D.C. and around the world.

california trip

When my parents built a home on 10 acres back in 2007, I didn't really think it would benefit me much. That house was the completed a few months after Shane and I got married and I knew I'd always be welcome there but I wasn't sure it would ever feel like a home to me.

Well, I was wrong.

At the time I couldn't see the 2013 me, the one  still living in a two-bedroom, 950-sq-ft apartment with two little boys brimming with boundless energy and curiousity. I didn't know how much that house and 10 acres would mean to them and, therefore, me.

Not many people would voluntarily spend five weeks at their parents' house (which turned into seven!) but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Highlights included:

- feeding chickens and gathering eggs -- boys were quick to grab their shoes most mornings so they wouldn't miss the chance to head out with grandpa

- playing with the pets -- two cats and the beloved family dog, Maya

- racing each other to the huge slide that takes you from the balcony to the backyard

- riding quad runners -- both boys would grin ear-to-ear as we rode over the hills and visited neighbors' animals (cows, goats, horses, donkeys)

- climbing the famous rocket (my parents acquired it recently but it lived for many years at the park near our church building) -- mostly Christian but Pierce was able to get to the first level on his own and really loved going down the slide with help

- sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine -- it felt so good after a drawn-out D.C. winter

- roasting s'mores around the campfire pit and camping out in the backyard with grandpa

- more than a few trips to Apple Hill for fresh cider, apple donuts, apple pie and fresh produce


- playing in the snow -- we had one crazy day where it snowed and Christian was ecstatic!

- having all 10 of us kids home for a long weekend together -- during which Dylan, who just received his mission call to Brazil Sao Paolo East, went through the temple with a ton of family support -- and we managed to get a decent family picture altogether


- a tour of some of my favorite foods: Round Table Pizza, Jamba Juice, Rice Express and La Bou



- getting to know all our Sellers cousins -- my sister, Chelsea, and her three kids live nearby and my sister, Megan, trekked out from Alabama with her two so we could all be together for two weeks



- meeting little Hallie, Kayla's sweet baby girl, for the first time (a cousin on the Larsen side)

- visiting with great-grandparents -- we're so fortunate to have both sets of my grandparents still living and in the area so my boys got to spend time with them as well

- watching Christian get such a kick out of helping my dad around the house and yard

- swinging on the tree swing -- this spot under the trees is heavenly, we spent several afternoons over there

- early easter eggs hunts with cousins and friends

- getting to see my boys so comfortable with my parents and siblings -- it was so neat to watch them interact and watch my boys go and cuddle up on different laps other than mine

- catching up with dear friends from my elementary, high school and college days and seeing their beautiful kids

- running with my dad three times per week on a beautiful 5.5-mile trail, and then running a half marathon I was not prepared to run because my mom signed me up (and my little sisters ran the final stretch with me!)

- escaping for a few days to the bay area with Shane knowing my boys were happy as clams with my parents and siblings in charge

20 questions for the birthday boy

Christian turned four years old two weeks ago today. I finally got around to doing a birthday interview with him. I've been wanting to make them a tradition since we heard about them through our good friends.

So I took 20 questions -- modifying a list I saw online -- and posed them to our new four-year-old. It was fun to hear his responses. Some of them definitely caught me by surprise.

What's your name? Christian Larsen

Where do you live? ...Here..!

Okay, those weren't on the official list but I had to hear what he'd say and how he'd say them. I especially love the way he says his name.

1. What is your favorite color? Yellow
2. What is your favorite show? Phineas & Ferb
3. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Cheesy roll-up (quesadilla)
4. What is your favorite outfit? Incredibles (Dash) costume
5. What is your favorite game? Fishing (game)
6. What is your favorite snack? Cheesy roll-up (Ha! He also admitted to liking popcorn -- his usual movie-time request.)
7. What is your favorite treat? Chocolate milk
8. What is your favorite animal? Elephant
9. What is your favorite book? (Couldn't name one, but he's enjoying going through the Curious George series right now and some random library books.)
10. Who is your best friend? Piercy! (Didn't see this one coming...figured it would be Ben or Milo.)
11. Where is your favorite place to go? Zoo
12. What would you like to learn about now that you're 4? ABCs
13. What do you love about yourself? My eyes
14. What does Daddy do at work? Nothing (What's funny is lately he's been very proud to declare his dad is in the Army. I wonder if I should have worded the question differently. Oh well!)
15. What's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
16. What's your favorite thing to do with Mommy?
17. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pasta (I know he loves pasta but I think he's had it for breakfast maybe once.)
18. What do you pray about? Jesus
19.What do you want to be when you grow up? Bigger
20. What makes you happy?

national arboretum

As much as our trip to California made me anxious to move westward, today was definitely one of those days that helped me to re-appreciate D.C. and all it has to offer. I know without a doubt that whenever we leave, it will be a very hard day indeed. Not only is there so much do do and see, there are so many people we have come to love.

Today my friend Brooke and I took our kids to the National Arboretum to enjoy some fresh air and spring weather. It was such a nice day that even sitting on the 14th Street bridge for nearly an hour in traffic didn't ruin our spirits.

 elated to be out of the car and free to run around

he was only content once he had not one but three sticks in his possession 

a minute after i took this photo the park police hollered for him to get out of the tree -- whoops! 

 play area at the youth garden

time to get wet 

sweet mama + baby moment

 can't really get enough of that face -- she's so smiley!

 or that face

or those toes 

 ben, the karate kid

at this point the older boys were completely in the fountain 

 soaked but happy as can be

I hope Brooke will forgive me for sneaking in the shots of her and her sweet kids. She's such a fabulous mom that I can only hope some of her amazingness rubs off on me.

together again

We've been back altogether now for a week and it almost feels like the last six months never happened. Except we've all changed a bit since Shane left for training in October.

Pierce is talking (and squawking-- way too much!). His favorite words are: bottle, ball, basketball, bubbles and backpack. Notice a trend? He can also say mama and dada and milk and he's squeezed a few others out now and again but they aren't coming to mind. Either way, he's verbal. Lots of words in his own baby language as well. It's so fun to hear him go. And sing. Yes, he likes to sing. So does Christian. It's a Sellers thing.

And another thing: Pierce is seriously brilliant. And I know I'm his mom and moms are supposed to say things like that but I'm telling you, this kid's a thinker and a doer -- a dangerous combo when you are only 16 months old and have a gutsy older brother to follow around.

Speaking of whom, Christian will be four years old in just a few days. He is no longer a toddler but truly a boy. It seems to have happened overnight. I seriously look at him now in wonder. When did he get so long and lean? Where did he learn to define that big word? Since when has he been able to talk his way out of anything? How much cuter can a kid possibly get? What am I teaching him that is worthwhile?

As for Shane, he started his new job last week. Same type of law (employment), same commute but much better hours so far. The best thing about his new firm is that he no longer has to live with a blackberry glued to his hip. It's weird having neither of us tied to something at the end of the day. But it's a good weird. He loves not having to answer to anyone when he's out of the office and I love that he's not going to receive and e-mail and suddenly be overwhelmed by the amount of work on his plate.

Let me tell you it is so good to have Shane home with us. I forgot how nice it was to have someone to talk to while getting ready for bed or to lean against while watching a movie. I've just enjoyed being able to hug him again when he walks in the door after work and having someone to help me get the boys buckled in the car or bathed before bed. It's such a relief knowing he's here and isn't going anywhere again for a while.

The boys, of course, can't get enough of him. Christian is so disappointed when he has to leave for work in the mornings (he seems to think that since I'm home, Shane should be home too). Poor Shane comes home exhausted and all they want to do is wrestle and show him every toy they've got. I love seeing them laughing and playing together again.

{outing this week at the air & space museum}

So far I'm really enjoying being home with the boys. It's been a much easier transition than I was expecting but I've also only been home on my own with them for a week. I'm not sure I can really judge the situation just yet. But I'm definitely not missing my blackberry these days. I do still try to stay in the loop on what's going on on the Hill but it definitely doesn't rule my life the way it used to. I feel like I can take a deep breath for the first time in years. It's lovely.

More to come on the blog about our trip to California. We couldn't have asked for a better visit with family and friends. It was just what we needed after a long and stressful winter.