a baby brother

We found out on Friday that Christian is going to have a little brother joining him in November. (I figured I'd share a picture of his sweet profile rather than display his manhood for all to see. In his facial shots, the layout of his facial features very much remind me of Christian. I can't wait to see what the two have in common and in what ways they are totally unique.)

Shane and I were 90 percent sure this baby was a boy but it was really nice to have it all confirmed. The little guy wiggled around during the entire ultrasound so I'm glad he was cooperative when it came to revealing his gender.

Knowing there's another little Larsen boy on the way has helped us all feel like this is a little more real. With such a busy summer schedule (the bar exam overshadows everything), we can't believe we're already halfway through this pregnancy.

I see this little baby as the bright spot at the end of a very busy year. I'm so excited he'll be joining our family just in time for the holidays and for what I hope will be a fresh start in 2012.

putting things in perspective

I stole this from a dear friend's blog today. Such a good reminder of what really is important.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautiful tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my nails from helping weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheek and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." -- Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I love Sis. Hickley's perspective on life (and her sweet love letter book -- have you read it?). She was truly an inspiring woman.

the waiting game

{much-needed daddy-son time post-finals and pre-bar prep}

Many of you know this game well. Especially during these uncertain times.

A lot of people have asked what we're up to next, where we are going now that Shane has graduated from law school. The answer: your guess is as good as ours. Basically we're just focused on passed the Virginia bar at the end of July and applying for every job possible, all over the country.

It's so strange to feel more than ready to begin the next chapter of our lives but not have any idea what the future will bring. Sometimes you just need change because you can't do what you're doing much longer, which is where we're at these days. (Please understand, I say this not be a complainer, but to let you know that you aren't alone if you are feeling the same. We also recognize that we are extremely fortunate to both be working -- Shane as a law
clerk, me as a Hill rat.)

In the meantime, we're learning how to rely on the Lord more than ever to give us strength, we're praying for increased faith and miracles for ourselves but also for so many others who we know are "waiting" as well, we're praying for patience to accept that the Lord's timing is best (since we know it always is), and we're hoping we're learning all we need to from this experience so we don't have to go through it for too much longer.

So please know all you "waiters" that you are not alone, that we are rooting and praying for you. I was reminded of one of my favorite scriptures recently and it has never hit me stronger at any time in my life:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -- Isaiah 40:31

And who out there doesn't need a little extra strength?

for the record: father's day food

{photo credit: DanaMadeIt blog}

First off, just so everyone knows I'm not some evil vegetarian wife who refuses to let her poor husband eat meat, let the record show that I bought Shane a steak for Father's Day and even put it in the oven for him.

I say most of that in jest, but you'd be surprised how many people look at Shane through sympathetic eyes when they hear his wife is a vegetarian. And he totally has fun with it. Not really so much at my expense (I don't really care what people think about my vegetarian ways), but because people seriously think they need to sneak him a quarter pounder or something.

Okay, now onto the good stuff -- I also made a delicious peach cobbler yesterday. I say this not to boast about my own mediocre cooking skills, but to say this recipe is worth sharing. We will definitely be repeating this dessert in the future. I used fresh, white peaches and the flavor was fabulous paired with vanilla ice cream. And for once, my dish came out looking as pretty as the pictures from the recipe.

Dana's Mom's Peach Cobbler
Peaches:
3-4 cups of fresh cut peaches (about 5-6 peaches) OR 1 large can of low-sugar peaches
1 Tbl cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice (only if you're using fresh peaches)

Biscuit Topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbl shortening
1/2 cup milk
Serves 4-5 people.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

a date to the movie theater

Last week, Christian and I had a little date night at the movie theaters. We had some tickets that were expiring before the weekend so I figured even if we only lasted 30 minutes, it wouldn't really matter.

I thought I had covered all my bases: picked a movie with lots of color and action (Kung Fu Panda 2), fed him dinner beforehand and changed him into his pajamas, brought juice, milk, AND water, brought his blanket ("b"), and then proceeded to fork out $7 for some popcorn.

He sat calmly at first, mesmerized by the huge screen and his popcorn. But by the time the movie finally kicked in (nearly 20 minutes of previews!), he was already getting wiggly. Not a good sign.

Somehow I had convinced myself that he'd soon want to cuddle on my lap with his blanket and milk but I should have known better. Let's just say I never realized how much there is to play on in a movie theater! Luckily, there were only about a dozen people there and all with kids, so while he moved from chair to chair and swung like a monkey on the bar in front of us, he didn't seem to be bothering anyone. I almost packed up several times but every few minutes he'd focus in the movie or make a comment and I knew he was semi-paying attention. About 40 minutes in I took him out for a diaper change and after that things got really bad. He discovered not only the stairs but also the hallway leading out. After chasing him down the hall a few times I tried to rock him in my arms off to the side but when he refused to settle down I finally decided to call it quits.

So was it worth it? We were there for a little over an hour (including previews) but at the end of the day I think he felt pretty special going to this big new place with his mom and eating popcorn (his favorite treat -- he "helps" me pop it at home all the time) in front of a colorful cartoon, even if just for a short while.

At the same time, I don't see us repeating this anytime soon. This experience definitely dashed any dreams of taking him to see "Cars 2" on a hot, humid Saturday later this summer. I was starting to think I had found another way to beat the heat!

what a difference a week makes

Today the weather was just perfect. Much more like June in D.C. should be. It makes the other 11 months of the year worth getting through. Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad -- the fall here is lovely too. Just don't visit in summer or winter and you should be okay.

After two weeks of above-the-norm temperatures (record-matching high of 102 degrees and super humid!), we've been granted some temporary relief and we couldn't be happier about it. In fact, we all three woke up in bad moods after enduring an awful night's sleep (long story) and the moment we stepped outside this morning our moods were lifted and we were able to leave it all behind.

For Family Home Evening tonight Christian and I took advantage of the mild, breezy weather by eating dinner outside and goofing around at a local playground.

mi hermano, el misionero

This photo makes me really happy.

My brother, Chad, included it in his e-mail update this week. He's preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Mexico and I'm so proud of him for taking time away from school, work and dating to serve God and his fellowmen.

I love reading his letters because they help me remember of my time in Spain's Canary Islands as a LDS missionary myself, and of all the people I came to love during my time there.

His two year's of volunteer service are nearly up -- he'll be home on August 2. Can't wait to give him a big hug and reintroduce him to his nephew, Christian, who I hope will follow in his footsteps one day. (I also can't wait to chat with him in Spanish -- even though I know it will be a humbling experience since I don't exactly pull it out very often these days.)

for the love of pinterest

Have you joined Pinterest yet?

It's where I choose to waste a good amount of my free time on the computer these days. It's quite addicting once you get going -- so watch out. It's totally genius because you can "pin" images you love and the links are saved along with them. That way you can always track things down, including recipes, and forget all that tedious copying and pasting.

I have a few binders full of images I've ripped from magazines and catalogs over the years, ideas for my future home or projects. This is so much easier -- and it cuts down significantly on my paper trail. Who couldn't use one less stack of papers around the house?

At this point you still have to wait for an invite to join up. Or -- if you're impatient like myself, follow this link and get in right away. You just have to promise to look me up once you get on (so I can borrow from your great ideas and inspirations)!

a perfect summer day

We spent Saturday at the pool with friends. It was heavenly.

Weather was perfect. Mid-80s with a breeze. And no sign of the icky humidity that usually plagues D.C. summers.

The kiddos were happy as clams -- splashing, laughing, snacking -- and so were the adults.

It was just the kind of day this four-months-pregnant mother of an extremely energetic two-year-old boy needed.

{Perfect day photo credits go to soon-to-be mother of two darling boys, Miranda.}

coupon: good for one new grandbaby

My parents have been in Europe for nearly three weeks and when they arrived home the other day this "coupon" greeted them in the mail, along with Shane's law school graduation announcement and photos of the big day.

It's kind of hard to read online -- I saved it for printing on paper so it's a little small for the web. (Can you tell I'm really hooked on this painted chevron pattern..?)

We did the same thing for Shane's parents, and sent a similar coupon for "one new niece or nephew" to our siblings. A coupon for "one new great-grandbaby" was sent to my grandparents and my sister just informed me that this baby will likely be our Grandma and Grandpa Sellers' 100th great-grandchild. (I say "likely" because with so many cousins out there I wouldn't be surprised if someone else has good news they've been sitting on as well -- but still, pretty cool concept all in all.)

So there you have it -- Christian will finally be a big brother sometime around November 21 -- just in time for the holidays.