R-E-D

Kinsey singing her new favorite song. Although I

literally have to drag her to school, she really is learning. If the fighting continues, I'll take her out of the program, but once she gets there she enjoys it. I just can't take fighting over it everyday; it ruins my day and I hate it. First, we fight about going and doing hair. Next, we fight about using the potty chair before we go, and then we fight about getting in the car seat. By that time my "patience and long suffering" have gone out the window and I'm just mad. Monday she refused to work with me so I locked her in her room the entire time she was supposed to be at school. What can I say? My patience has had it up to here.

Pre K

Kinsey started her first day of Pre-K on the fourth. It was a bittersweet moment for me, I have to admit I cried after dropping her off. I just can't believe how the time has flown and, the day will soon arrive when she is at school all day and no longer very dependent on mommy. She was so interested in what was going on around her that I could not even get her to manage one smiling picture, so this is all I got...

The first day I had to run errands before class and in my haste forgot her shoes and realized we had no backpack. So, after a mad dash to Target to grab shoes and a backpack, where she got grease on her pants, we barely made it in time for class. I know I know I'm horrible... She already got in "trouble" for having gum, too. Whoops!! I am so excited for her, this will be really good for her. She loves to learn and make new friends; I just know she will love this little class she is in.

Denver

We really enjoyed ourselves at my sister's house in Colorado over labor day. We went to the Rockies and to Estes Park. Here are a ton of posing pictures. The background is just so gorgeous I couldn't leave any of these photos out so bear with me.
- Notice the boys and their matching outfits... Audrie and I really had a good time making fun of them : )

The kiddos played really well together this trip. Kins is finally out of the whole fighting with other kids stage so, Audrie and I could really relax and not worry so much about a fist fight breaking loose.

During church Kenedi kept picking her nose and trying to feed it to Audrie- yummy
This was really cool... There is a gondola you can ride up to the top of one of the mountains to feed chipmunks. They would come right up to you and eat of your hand. Chance kept calling, "Alvin, Simon, Theodore... where are you?" He is so dang cute.
Trav and Craig thought this was sooo funny- notice the sign behind Kenedi.

Thanks Copples for your hospitality and everything that goes along with it. We love/miss you guys! Now it's your turn to visit ; ).

Day Trip

Saturday we spent the day enjoying the slightly cooler weather in the Payson/Heber area. We fed fish, hiked, had a picnic, and just enjoyed being together. Yes, I know it sounds cheesy but it's true. Oh, and Kinsey had her first "peeing behind the tree" experience that actually went rather well. : ) I am also happy to report that we have been in panties for 4 days now with no accidents, and we even went on a trip and to church!! Yippee!! Connor is always happy to see Kinsey, his face just lights up every time he sees her.






So it wasn't really a hike, more like a nature walk...
This little pond was full of trout- Kinsey really wanted to go fishing, but they wouldn't let you catch and release so we opted for feeding them instead.

The Plunge

We have been working on potty training for quite some time now and are still in the process. I know that I have to take some of the blame for this taking so long because I am scared to take the plunge and go out in public without a diaper. When we are home she wears panties and usually does fine with the exception of an occasional lovely number two in the undies. My little girl just gets distracted so easily that I'm afraid we will be where ever and she will forget that she has to use the potty. I think it confuses her a little to keep going back and forth from diapers to panties. Maybe I need to give her more credit and just put her in panties all of the time and see how it goes. I am just getting really sick of it! I really wouldn't stress about it, but she needs to be trained for preschool starting September 2. I really think this is a punishment for me because I always wondered why parents stressed out about it. I mean I don't know any adults who aren't potty trained so whats the big deal right?? Wrong!! Kinsey NEEDS to go to preschool and she HAS to be trained before she can go. I'm sure I could throw her in a pull up for the first little bit but I don't know... Any advice from you more experienced mommies of potty trained kiddos??

Kinsey is 3!

Kinsey's birthday party with the Larsen side of the family...

Ashlyn really enjoyed her chocolate cupcake; I'm not sure if any of it actually got into her mouth ; )
Well, this post is about 6 days late but better late than never, right? I just haven't had a chance to sit down and write about my little sweetie pie and her third birthday.

We are so glad to have Kinsey in our home. She definitly adds excitement and adventure to our lives. Kinsey is so full of life, spunk, personality, and sass. I keep thinking about what my life would be like if I didn't have Kinsey. The only answer I can think of is dull. I was telling Travis the other day about a conversation she and I had that went something like this:

Me- "Kinsey, come and help me clean up the trash you just emptied all over the floor."
Kinsey (without hesitation)- "I can't, my hands are broken."

And later that day after she had broken, yes broken, her closet door:

Me- "Kinsey, your daddy is going to be mad."
Kinsey- "Can I hide?"

I just wish I had a video camera attached to me all of the time so I would remember all of the funny little things she says. She keeps me laughing even when I want to be mad. Kinsey has such a tender heart and I want to trap her in a bubble where none of the ugliness from our world can taint her. She is such a strength to me and a true blessing to have. We love you Kinsey!! Happy birthday baby!

Kris

Just thought I would share a few mission stories from my brother Kristopher who is in California; they are pretty funny.

So myself Elder Bourne and Elder Gossman (my zl's last transfer) were walking on Pacific Ave in down town Santa Cruz when this fairly ripped dude with a sick mullet and a beater on ran up to us yelling at us.... hmm... I wasn't sure what to make of it at first but then he said "hey do you guys have one of them Mormon Bibles?" we all three looked around realizing that we had each already given all of ours out that we had carried with us that day... "Actually we don't, but we can get you one if you'd like. Oh and by they way, what was your name again?" "Oh hey I'm Michael (I don't remember his last name), what's going on guys?" "Nothing we're just out talking to people about Jesus Christ and His restored gospel." ... Then he stopped us all... "You know guys, that's me."... "What?"... "Yeah, I'm Jesus.".... "Oh really! Well what makes you say that?"...."Well my girlfriend keeps sayin I'm the son of God, and my WIFE told me that I should be nailed to a cross." ..... We all three busted out laughing at this point, but to be polite continued to listen... "I'm serious! All my life its been nothing but persecution, I go around doing good for people and all I get is persecution! I'm telling your I'm Him, I'm Jesus. Its crazy isn't it.".... so we at this point said "okay, well Jesus, where do you live and we'll bring the Book of Mormon to ya."....so he gave us a street name and that's it... so I asked him "well do you have a house number"... "No I live out of the back of my truck, I don't have a house." so we then said "ok we will get it to you see ya later!" While we were walking away Elder Bourne said that a lady had told him that often bums ask for Books of Mormon because they use the paper to roll their joints... apparently the thin paper works GREAT, and its free. Moral of the story, don't ever give out a Book of Mormon to a homeless guy on the street who says he's the real Jesus! No I'm just kidding, I figure that its up to them what they do with it, maybe they will learn the Plan of Salvation through osmosis!

One day Elder Vest and I were up in the mountains and we were waiting for Shannon, so we could teach her new member lessons. We were supposed to meet her outside of Chopstix, but she was no where to be found. So this bum walks up to us and starts talkin to us... oh great here we go! Well first off his breath was kickin... something NASTY! We talked to him of couse, gave him a BOM even. Then he started goin off about how he had all this power.... "I'M EVEN MORE POWERFUL THAN JOSEPH SMITH!" that kinda urked me. So I asked him how. He then said that he was Elijah, walking the earth again with special powers, that his toes had all been cut off (which they had) and because of his power he could still walk! So I said "You've got all this power, so that must be why you live on the street then!" haha, he got kinda upset and screamed that the earth was his home, that when someone says where do you live he answers them ON PLANET EARTH! I'M AN EARTHIAN!... that was a bit odd, we quickly left and found Shannon! haha it was fun though. We also had a guy outside of a bar tell us that he was a prophet, and he saw through vision that soon aliens would come and take all of the righteous people off of the earth to another earth and all of the wicked people would be left on earth to be destroyed!