Halloween 2012 Larsen Style

This year's Halloween was super last minute. I had been looking online for costumes for our son, Leone, but nothing stood out. We had gone to thrift stores and other stores, but to no avail. Two days before we went to the dollar store and found some armor and a helmet and wanted to dress Leone as a knight. We were pretty excited about our decision, then the day of we changed our mind. Ha. Even our costumes were figured out the day before, but not Leone's. We decided we wanted to be a zombie wedding couple (because Aaron wanted us to be scary, not cute). I would've preferred to do a cute family costume but was surprised at how well our costumes turned out.

Here's our costume

 

 

I got the dress for $3 from the thrift store and the head piece/veil was from a yard sale we went to a couple years ago for some yard decor aaron did for Halloween. All of Aaron's clothes were his and the wig was $3 from the thrift store. The makeup we got half off 2 days before Halloween from Rite Aid. I know right? Who would've thunk, the day before Halloween things would go on sale already.

For Leone's costume I literally said the hour before let's just make him a baby bum/hobo whatever you want to call it. So we put him in clothes he already had and we used my SIL's beenie and just drew on his beard. I thought he looked so adorable. We got the idea from Pinterest, so I'm not trying to take credit for it.

 

 

This is part of the trunk or treat at our church that my SIL's decorated.

 

 

The Fly and The Burglar? Perhaps?

 

I'm not sure if next year will be planned or will be on the fly again. Whatever we do, I'm sure it'll turn out fine :)

Torticollis Graduate!

At Leone's 6 month appointment, his pediatrician noticed that Leone's head tilted to the side. I had seen baby do it before in a picture, but Aaron and I thought he was just being cute. We were referred to the Orem Pediatric Rehabilitation and the therapist told us that Leone definitely had torticollis.

Torticollis is a condition that happens to babies when they exit the womb and their neck may get caught in a position that tightens the muscle in their neck that causes that slight tilt. We were told that if we don't take it seriously and do his stretches that he could eventually have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) which would eliminate him from being able to play contact sports. Of course we wanted to do whatever needed to be done to help our son get better.

We started going to his therapy every week, then two weeks, then three weeks, and today was our final visit, yay!!!  It's amazing seeing how much Leone has grown in the past 3 months, let alone the past 3 weeks. Our last visit (3 weeks ago), he couldn't crawl on his hands and knees (he was scooting on his stomach). He couldn't roll over. He couldn't pull himself to a standing position. Now he's doing all three of those things plus traveling along the furniture. It's a freaking pain now that he's more mobile, but I'm so so so grateful that he's developing and that he no longer has torticollis.

Moms, if you do have a baby who has a slight tilt where he/she favors one side more than the other, ask your pediatrician about it 'cause it's better to be safe than sorry!

Leone's faces

Don't mind my annoying voice and faces I make, but Leone is hilarious at 9 months old. I love my little feti.

Stares Galore!

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liwd-AjsLpU

^^ This link above is from ABC's What Would You Do program. As we watched this, we weren't surprised at all because when Aaron and I go out, we usually get stares. At first we thought we were being paranoid, then we thought it was the height difference (hehehe), then we realized people were making it obvious that they didn't approve. I say, middle finger to you all! hahaha! Guess what, black doesn't need to go with black, or white with white or what have you. To that old woman in Brigham City, you should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you refer to the young man as THAT as if he weren't human. If anyone else feels like that old lady, you need to slap yourself right now!

Aaron's "Inventions"

I came home from running errands to find my baby like this

He was actually asleep, but I woke him up and he was totally content. Aaron said he kept crying and nothing was helping so he figured since Leone likes to stand, he'd make something for Leone to stand in without him falling. Yes, Aaron is some kind of amazing.

Here's another thing he made because he didn't want to buy the floor gym from the store

Creative or ghetto?

Texting with Aaron

My SIL Leisa lent us her jumper for Leone to use, so I put him in it and this was the picture I took and sent to Aaron



P: Nevermind using his legs

A: Haha it takes more work to hold his legs up.

P: It's hilarious

A: He's tryin to be a rebel

P: Gets it from his dad

A: There's a difference between rebel and gangsta

P: You're neither. Anyhoots my mom's patient went to the ER so I'm gonna have to pick her up when she gets back

A: Pick up ur mom or the patient?

P: blah blah blah

Texting this morning:

P: I smell ur scent on ur pillow and I'm missing you like crazy

A: What scent? Like poop?

P: Way to kill the mood.

Tithing brings blessings.

Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church? (Mormon.org)

Gordon B. Hinckley, prior President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said: “Our major source of revenue is the ancient law of the tithe. Our people are expected to pay 10 percent of their income to move forward the work of the Church. The remarkable and wonderful thing is that they do it. Tithing is not so much a matter of dollars as it is a matter of faith. It becomes a privilege and an opportunity, not a burden. Our people believe in the word of God as set forth in the book of Malachi, that the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them (Malachi 3:8-10). Moving and touching is the testimony of Latter-day Saints throughout the world concerning this the Lord’s law for the financing of His work.”

We were running pretty low with our funds and still trying to help out family yet Aaron and I both decided that even though we didn't have much, we still  needed to pay our tithing. Best decision ever! Like they say in the church, the Lord doesn't need our money, He needs our faith. My faith was definitely tested and the Lord came through. I don't know how it makes sense, (looking at our bank acct), but it does!