A year has gone by....

...since our wedding! Bennett and I celebrated our first anniversary on December 20th. This year has been filled with wonderful memories and adventures. Who would have thought that within 10 months of marriage we would have a teeny little girl? We have been so blessed and are grateful for our little family :) To celebrate, Bennett and I scrounged up a little money and went out to dinner at a Japanese hibachi grill - type restaurant. Delish. Thanks to Avarie's uncle Reece for babysitting :) Here are a few pics of our wonderful wedding day a year ago in Salt Lake, and a picture celebrating our anniversary at the restaurant...enjoy!

Of course I had to throw in sassy shoe pic :)

Here's to a many wonderful years to come!

If I have to glue one more sequin...

This year I decided to take on the task of making our stockings for Christmas. Bennett and I collaborated on what they would look like, and decided to incorporate ideas from each of our stockings growing up. Each stocking would be made of felt and have some Christmas character. Sequins would add the finishing touch :) Unfortunately, I was unaware that felt doesn't sew on a machine well, so I had to do everything by hand...my fingers are literally blistered from this task. The sequins were another story. We bought a big bag of assorted colors to save money, but this just made a ridiculously time consuming task. I had to dump out the contents and sort through the sequins to find the right size and color for each name and character. Then using tweezers I had to hot glue each one meticulously in its' place. I finished them off by hand-stitching yarn around the edges. Poor Avarie has spent many hours in her swing and bouncy chair the last 2 days as I have tried to finish these little stinkers. Finally, at 7:30 am today, I completed the task. Hoorah. Here are a few pics of my accomplishment...

The felt characters

How I looked for 2 days straight...a mess.

The finished product! Our future children will be getting tube socks for stockings :)

Shot Victim :(

Today was Avarie's 2 month appointment - I can't believe how fast she is growing up!! Here are her stats:

Weight: 12 lbs. 8.5 oz (90th percentile)
Length: 23 1/4" (90th percentile)

Head Circumference: 38.5 cm (50th percentile)

We were a little shocked about her being in the 90th percentile....especially in length! HA! Don't know where that came from ;) But here are a few pics of our brave little soldier after the shots...

I think her meaty legs blocked some of the pain :) And I think I cried more than she did. We love our Avarie Shirlene!

Holiday Gala

One perk of Bennett being in dental school is the Holiday Gala we will get to attend each year. The school reserves a ballroom at a hotel in Dallas and we get to enjoy an evening of dinner and dancing! Bennett knows how much I LOVE any excuse to dress up fancy and how dancing is one of my favorite things to do - so this evening was perfect! We had some friends watch Avarie so we could have a fun date night. The food was wonderful (Bennett's favorite part), and the DJ played my requests and songs I love dancing to (my favorite part). Here are a few pics of the evening!

In the ballroom at the Hilton Anitole, sorry the second one is a little fuzzy.

A close up :)

There was a football field made of Dr. Pepper cans! We had to get a pic.

Me outside the hotel. Such a fun night!

Thanksgiving and Baby Blessing

This year for Thanksgiving we were able to celebrate with lots of family! Grandma Mary, Papa Dunn and Christian drove down from Chicago for the weekend. Bryce, Katie and their girls also joined the festivities. We spent Thanksgiving day at Grandma and Grandpa Larsen's and had a lot of food and fun! The rest of the weekend we spent at our place with my parents and brother. We went to a movie and did a lot of chatting and hanging out :) Christian will be leaving for his mission in 2 weeks so we were so excited he could be here with us and see Avarie! On Sunday everyone came to church with us to bless Avarie. It was such a wonderful day and the blessing from Bennett was beautiful. Thanks to everyone who traveled here for this special event! To top off the weekend Bennett and I took a trip to the airport Monday night to see Tyler, Amber, and Ella for a few minutes during their layover. We sure miss living close to them in Utah! Here are a couple pics of our fun...

The Wii was a hit among the boys :)

Me and Ty with our girlies :)

Thanks everyone for helping make this past weekend a good one!

Privacy Please!

Friends and Family,

We are going to make our blog private, so if you would still like to enjoy it please comment on this post leaving us your email address. Or you can email me (Jenna) directly at jennamlarsen@gmail.com. Thanks!

Bennett, Jenna, and Avarie :)

So long, BYU parking ticket police

Dear BYU parking ticket police,

Today I am officially rid of my debt to you. In the four years I attended BYU, I managed to somehow accumulate parking tickets that totaled to over approximately $400. How did this happen you may wonder??? One ticket at a time. When it takes someone 30+ minutes to walk to campus, and it is freezing outside, and there is like 2 spots of "free" parking for students, risking the $20 fine doesn't seem so bad. But when I would return to my car to find a little green envelope on the windshield, my despisement and loathement (yes, I made up words) for you continued to grow. Every time I saw one of your little white vehicles, I nearly popped your tire. You are welcome for the massive funds I contributed to your department, of which I am sure payed for your annual staff pizza party. Isn't there some award for the poor student who got the most tickets?? I'm sure I qualify. But whatever, because we are finally through. Best of luck as you continue to steal away the meager funds of other starving college students.

P.S. This goes for Provo parking police also, who towed my car one night and made me pay $150 cash to get it back....poopies.
P.P.S. But I totally talked my way out of a parking boot once. Ha, so there!

So addicting, it should be illegal.

And no, I am not talking about Diet Coke (although it may come as a close second). I am talking about one of the greatest creations in existence......television series on DVD. Why be left in pure agony for an entire week after some massive cliffhanger at the end of your favorite show?? No need, my friends, no need. You can have a continuous flow of joy with DVD seasons. My addiction first started a few years back in college. In one semester, my roomies and I managed to complete all FIVE seasons of Alias (fab show starring Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan), AND all TEN seasons of Friends. I can't tell you what classes I had that semester, but I can tell you of the good times we shared through those late nights and Saturday marathons of watching together. 'Pathetic' you may be thinking....but I beg to differ. Grey's Anatomy came two years later. Next, I ventured another series on DVD with roommates. Ugly Betty. Pretty much the greatest show in creation. We finished 2 seasons in a month. When Bennett and I got married, we decided to give 24 a try. We were so addicted to the first season, it was interfering with school. So we decided to wait on the subsequent 5 seasons. Now I won't bore you with anymore shows that I have watched. Just a warning if you are considering buying a series on DVD...once you start one episode, it is almost impossible not continue to the next. I find myself saying, "I think I have time for just one more". Yikes. I need to be controlled :) However, if you happen to know of any good shows, please enlighten me. Thanks.

Goodbye to Grandma Mary, Hello to Papa Dunn!

We were fortunate enough to have my mom come and help out for 2 weeks while I recovered....thank you Grandma Mary! We were very sad to see her go :( Before she left, we took a little afternoon trip to an adorable boutique/Victorian tea room! My mom and I love fun little lunch places, and this was definitely a hit. We also walked to a nearby antique store and got some fun jewelry. We miss you Grandma!

Posin' with Avarie in her stroller

Me and Mamasita :)

She needed her picture as well, even though she slept the whole time.

Right after my mom left, my dad had a business trip to Oklahoma City (a little over 3 hours away). He couldn't resist coming to see his new little grandgirl! So Papa Dunn took an extra day and drove to see us. We loved having him visit...and Avarie was spoiled with being held the whole time :)

Had to make a trip to Red Robin! A late birthday celebration :)

Avarie is so fortunate to have four wonderful grandparents! We love living close to Grandma and Grandpa Larsen, and are so blessed to have Grandma Mary and Papa Dunn come visit! We love you.

Where are all the trick-or-treaters?!?!

This halloween was probably the most low-key holiday ever. Since Avarie isn't very old, we didn't want to take her out to any parties because of so much sickness going around. So, we stayed at home and had hoped to hand some candy out.....HOWEVER, we only got THREE trick-or-treaters! We even decided to go out to eat and leave the candy on the porch in hopes some might come late and take our delicious treats. But we had a FULL bowl when we came home. Usually if kids see a bowl of candy on the porch with no one handing it out, they dump the entire contents in their bag. Nope, we got stuck with it. Oh well. Here are a few pics of the festivities.

We carved our pumpkin the Monday before Halloween....I know, I am so talented. I have the best carving skills (HA!)
Bennett was in charge of the seeds!

Sleepy pumpkin.....

And party pumpkin!

Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween!

SYTYCD

For those of you who know what these letters stand for, I heart you. For those of you that don't, I will kindly explain. Not once, but TWICE this year these letters have rocked my world. My heart races with pure giddiness when I see them. I start to hear music in my head and my feet start to get their groove on. I get to be purely entertained for 2 whole hours each week because of what these letters mean. Yes, that's right, these letters stand for the most wonderful and amazing dance show in existence........So You Think You Can Dance. Season #6 baby. Boo-ya.

First Week :)

Just wanted to post a few pics of Avarie's "firsts"...

First bath - she really HATES baths. Hopefully she will get used to them!

First birthday party :) I am so glad she was able to celebrate my 25th with me! Definitely the best present ever. For my birthday Bennett surprised me with a sewing machine I was wanting! I also got some money, gift cards, and movies. Definitely a good day :)

First nap clutching her passy. This thing goes wherever she does!

First "diva" picture. She must have some of her mom in her ;) This little girl cracks us up.

Ready for her first big outing. She is such a good girl! She slept the whole time :)

Hope you are all doing well!

Teeny Sweetie

Avarie Shirlene Larsen has arrived!! We are so excited to have her in our family. She was 7 lbs 13 ounces and 21 inches long at birth. We thought she was going to be a bit bigger, but are glad she is still pretty small! The c-section went perfectly and I am recovering well. The pain meds keep me from feeling too sore :) Avarie is adjusting to life and has been such a good baby. We love everything about her! Here are a few pics of the weekend...

Just born and already has Daddy wrapped around her finger :)

Snuggling with Bennett...so sweet :)

Right after she was born they let me hold her! I was a little numb and drugged up, but that was one of the best moments ever :)

Ready to go home!

So sleepy....I think she was saying her prayers.


Thanks for all the prayers and phone calls!! I will try to get back to everyone this week...right now I am catching up on some rest:) My mom is here for 2 weeks and it has been so helpful! We love you all and will keep you posted on our teeny sweetie.

FIVE, watcha waitin' FOUR, if you wanna THREE, TWO, ONE, let's do it!

If anyone remembers the boy band called Five circa 1997, you will recall the lyrics in my title are from their hit "Slam dunk da funk". I actually just had the lyrics in my head because we have entered into a COUNTDOWN (hence the countdown theme of the title) until we meet our baby! This past Friday I went to a routine check-up at the doctor only to discover our baby is "well over" 8 pounds at 38 weeks. Then the doctor informs me her head is too big and my pelvis is too small for me to deliver. So we scheduled a Cesarean section for this upcoming Thursday, October 15th. She will be coming early to avoid increasing discomfort with her getting bigger if we were to wait. The Larsen side of the family is known for having "healthy sized" babies, so I guess we may have a petite little chub to squeeze and snuggle with :) We are SO EXCITED to finally get to see her. We will keep you all posted with stats and pics when she arrives!

Whose your daddy (and mommy)??

Lately Bennett and I have been discussing what Avarie will look like. We pick out each other's favorite traits and then try to combine them into one little person....since Bennett and I are so good looking we figure our baby can't go wrong :) Hehehehe. With the due date in 2 weeks, we are getting VERY anxious and ready to meet her. I decided to post some pics of when we were little so everyone can envision what our diva will look like :)

Look at this mug....angel Bennett.

And here is my fabulous contribution to the gene pool.

Now you all can dream at night about what physical features are in store for our girly.

Howdy Folks, I'm Big Tex...

Bennett and I decided to take a trip to the Texas State Fair (biggest fair in the U.S. I might add...) yesterday. Bennett won't have any free Saturdays from studying for a while, and the closer I get to having the baby the harder it is going to be for me to walk around. Thus we ventured into Dallas and I met "Big Tex" for the first time (pictured on the left). And yes, he really does talk. We compiled a few pics of the day's festivities.

Corn dogs were invented at the State Fair in Texas, and these are the originals. Delish!!


To the left Bennett is posing with Corvette models ranging from 1954 to 2009. Pretty sweet. The 2009 edition cost $103,000. Danja. There were 2 exhibition halls filled with luxury cars from TONS of car companies. We had fun picking out our future rides....our favorites were the Corvette, new Camaro, and new Mustang (I'm DYING for a pink convertible one!!!) Someday maybe :)

We also went to a Birds of the World show. Before this show we saw a dog trick show. There were SO MANY things to see and do! We loved going thru the pavilions where people were selling stuff and doing cooking demos...yes we made sure we tasted all the free samples! There were food stands EVERYWHERE with the most tantalizing concoctions. The Texas Fair is know for their very inventive fried foods. This year, the winner for most creative was FRIED BUTTER. Needless to say we did not try it. Other fried foods were chicken fried bacon and deep fried peaches and cream. Of course the usual fried canybars, fried twinkies and fried cheesecake were also there. Hmmmm......why is America overweight???? We had a good time tasting lots of different things, however, and TRIED to limit the greasiness :)

Lastly, this is the "Eye of Texas" giant ferris wheel. It cost $6 to go around twice, so we just took a picture :) The whole day was very fun and the heat really wasn't too bad. As a first timer, I definitely recommend going sometime!! We are excited to take our little girly next year and have her play in the kids area. It will be fun to go back and see some different shows and look at other exhibits next year....too much for one day!!

What Happens at WalMart, Stays at WalMart

Beloved friends and family. Prepare yourselves for some of the most awesome candid photographs taken of WalMart customers. I added some of my own commentary to emulate how I perceive the picture gems.

I spy with my little eye.....a tail???

New model for leg shaving commercial.

Still deciding what shocks me more; the matching short and T-shirt combo, or the fact
that a girl is actually flirting with this guy.

This hair is DANJA.

Somebody loved Jurassic Park a little too much.

A new trend in car window repair.

Class, style and sophistication all displayed in this WalMart wedding.

Full House fanatic. Go Danny Tanner (err....Bob Saget!)

I hope you enjoyed these "pick-me-up" photos as much as I did. The source is an entire website dedicated to pages of these classics. Genius.