Larkin Family

Blog Overhaul!

2012-01-25T09:09:00.001-08:00

Wow! It's been six months since I last attempted a blog post. Sierra will be six months in 2 weeks, so I am blaming her! A lot has happened over the past few months and I decided to post a few pictures and phrases about a few of the highlights. Enjoy...

Our miracle baby girl, Sierra Jaehn Larkin, was born on August 10, 2011.

We took Sierra to the cabin for the first time when she was just 3 weeks old.

Connor had his first "big kid" birthday party complete with a jump house and lots of friends.

We took our annual Hutchison and Steffen trip to Disneyland.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Brian Head.

We had an amazing Christmas and took a trip to SLC to see the lights on Temple Square.

Thanks to wonderful grandparents, Eric and Whitney took a trip to Hawaii (without kids!) with the Smith family. We visited Kona Ranch and spent most of our time on the beach.

Those were a few of the highlights from the past six months! Hopefully I will be a better blogger and not have to do a "blog overhaul" every few months. I just got back from a girls trip to San Francisco, and I hope to blog about that soon!

Fourth of July Weekend

2011-07-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July. We spent the weekend in Brian Head with our family and friends and we had a blast. However, we were also quick to remember why we were celebrating Independence Day and frequently discussed the Founding Fathers and the great freedoms we enjoy.

Once everyone arrived, we started off the weekend with a bang and went shooting. Connor even shot a 22 shot gun! Eric showed him how to properly hold and shoot the gun, and once he got started, he didn't want to stop. Connor would say, "I want more boom boom" every time the gun ran out of bullets. It was so fun. We also went four-wheeling in the mud and Connor went fishing with his grandpa. It was a great holiday weekend!

The whole gang!

Setting up the shooting targets with Brandon and Kelsey

Brandon and Eric about to shoot

Eric and Connor shooting!

The whole gang four-wheeling in the mud!

Eric taking Connor for a ride

Fishing!

Grandpa Hutchison and Connor by the wood pile

Hanging out by the fire

Sparklers!

Duck Creek

2011-06-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Although packing and unpacking from a camping trip takes about twice as long as the actual trip, it is always totally worth it. I think it's important for kids to grow up camping and learn about the woods. This year at our annual Larkin Family reunion at Duck Creek we took Connor fishing for the first time, had a family pirate scavenger hunt, and I was able to let Connor run around the camp with his cousins without worrying. Now that is huge progress!

The highlight of the camping trip was taking Connor fishing. We bought him a little Lightening McQueen fishing pole and used a tootsie roll as the weight. After a few pointers from Dad, Connor insisted on casting all by himself and reeling in the line as fast as he could. Eric tried to fish, but most of his time was spent untangling Connor's fishing line and helping him cast. Grandpa Larkin was a big help too. Although they didn't catch any fish, there is nothing like watching a dad take his boy on his very first fishing trip.

Eric and Connor make a great cast!

Our little family, and yes I am hiding my pregnant self behind Eric!

Eric fishing

Casting all by himself

We love fishing!

Connor with Grandpa Larkin on the scavenger hunt

Eric and his dad fixing the generator

Eric and Grandma Larkin...isn't she beautiful!

It's Springtime!

2011-04-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

It's springtime and I have finally found a few minutes to blog and post pictures. We have had a busy few months. Connor is in preschool and absolutely loves it. He loves playing outside and going to the park. We found out we are having a BABY GIRL at the end of August and we are busy preparing for her arrival! We are so excited to have a new addition to our family. Eric and Whitney continue to work hard and we can't wait to take some much needed family vacations this summer. Below are a few pictures of Connor playing in our backyard. Hopefully I will stop slacking and post some spring break pictures next week! Enjoy!

Disneyland 2010

2010-11-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our annual trip to Disneyland was a blast! Our whole family was able to be there and we wreaked havoc as we ran all over the park. We also spent a few days in Huntington Beach...and we actually were able to go to the beach! The weather was spectacular and we took full advantage of the sunshine. What a fabulous weekend!

Healthcare Litigation Blog

2010-10-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I last posted. I have been spending a lot of time working on a few new blogs for my dad's law firm, Hutchison & Steffen, including a blog about Obamacare. I know many of you are interested in what is going on regarding the healthcare litigation, and now there is a blog where you can go to get all of the news and updates. You can also check out the Hutchison and Steffen blogs, if you are interested. These blogs are updated weekly or bi-monthly, so check them out often!

Here are the links:

http://obamacarelitigation.blogspot.com

http://hutchlegal.blogspot.com

Thanks and check them out!

Huntington Beach Life

2010-08-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

We love visiting the Hutchison's at Huntington Beach! What a fun summer!

Happy Four Years!

2010-07-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Four years ago today Eric and I were married! Time has seriously flown. After getting married Eric and I were both able to graduate from BYU, have our baby boy, move home to Las Vegas, buy a home, get a great job, and everything in between. We've been able to travel to many parts of the world together and have some awesome experiences. Eric is such a good daddy and a great husband. I look forward to many more happy years to come. Happy Anniversary!

The proposal in London

Las Vegas Temple

We look so young!

Power Poem

2010-06-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

A poem my dad would quote (and still does) to me as a kid:

If you want a thing bad enough

to go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace
and your sleep for it,
If only desire of it makes you mad enough
never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things
tawdry and cheap for it-
If life seems all empty and useless without it,
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,
If gladly you'll sweat for it,
fret for it, plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God and man for it,
If you'll simply go after that thing that you want,
With all your capacity, strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,
If neither cold, poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,
If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
YOU'LL GET IT !

I guess this can be viewed as a little late Father's Day tribute to my great father. He always is quoting inspirational poems and people, and this is one of my favorites. Lately this poem has gotten me through some tough times and has inspired me to reach my goals. Failure is not an option!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T11:21:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend was such a blast. First, we went to see the Lion King at Mandalay Bay. We absolutely loved it and were amazed by all of the costumes and effects. Then we headed to Brian Head for the weekend. It was a mud fest! We went four wheeling all over the mountain and no one came back without being covered in mud. It was so much fun! We also roasted marshmellows and had a great fireside talking about Memorial Day. Eric, Connor, and I then headed down the mountain to Toquerville where we visited the cemetery where many of Eric's ancestors are buried. It was a great weekend!

Hawaii

2010-05-22T16:30:00.001-07:00

Last week we were able to spend a week in Hawaii! Yes, we took our two-year-old on a five and a half hour flight and we actually made it! Portable DVD players are a life-saver. :) We stayed at the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, located right next to BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We went with Eric's grandparents, Papa and Shauna Smith, who invited all of their children and grandchildren with little kids to go on this trip. So there were five families with a total of 14 little kids running around Turtle Bay together. It was a blast!

We spent a lot of time on the beach and at the hotel pool, but we also made it to the Dole Pineapple Factory, the BYU-Hawaii campus, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We were also able to see my brother, Canton, who is currently attending BYU-Hawaii. He showed us around and even took us to Motsumoto's for some shaved ice. It was an amazing trip and we loved spending time with our family.

The Pineapple Factory

Turtle Bay

Boat ride at PCC

Papa and Shauna

Stick throwing contest at PCC

Laie Hawaii Temple

Eric and Canton

Healthcare Lawsuit Update

2010-05-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Today Nevada will officially file suit and join Florida in the fight against the government-run healthcare bill! Since Nevada decided to join last month, seven more states have decided to join as well. The lawsuit is definitely moving forward and it is gaining momentum. When I last spoke with him about it, he said he is busy every week speaking with lawyers across the United States, writing and filing briefs, and keeping up on the latest news with the government.

Last night, my dad went back on Face to Face with Jon Ralston and updated Nevada on what is going on with the healthcare lawsuit. If you want to watch the interview, go to this website: http://www.mynews4.com/category.php?id=8523 and click on the TV screen with Mark Hutchison's face. You may have to push the little blue arrows to get to it, but it should be in block 3 of 05/13.

Check out the interview and I will continue to keep you updated on what is going on with the lawsuit!

Hutchison Family Pictures

2010-04-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

We took family pictures before Canton and Kelsey went to school. We took some in our "spring" clothes and some pictures in our "Africa" clothes that Canton brought home from his mission.

Mark Hutchison Interviews

2010-04-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by a few people about the interviews my dad has been doing since he decided to represent Nevada in the legal battle over healthcare. I have found the links to the major interviews and I have the links written down below for those who are interested to read and watch them. I am not quite sure when and if he will appear on Hannity, but I do know his PR people are working on it. I will be sure to post when I find out more information.

Face to Face with Jon Ralston, Channel 4 Las Vegas interview: http://www.mynews4.com/category.php?id=8523

Look for the little blue arrow in the lower right hand corner. Push that arrow until you see the screen with Mark Hutchison's face. Click on the screen and watch. It should be under block 3 of 04/06 (My favorite interview)

Greta Van Susteren Fox News interview:

Read it here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,590516,00.html

Watch it here: http://gretawire.blogs.foxnews.com/nev-gov-jim-gibbons-the-entire-interview/

He made the front page of the Las Vegas Review Journal on Wednesday.

Read that article here: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12EF6B1D75D01B98&p_docnum=1

The Washington Post printed an article about NV and AZ joining the healthcare lawsuit on Wednesday.

Read that article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040602620.html

A few of my favorite quotes from these interviews:

"It requires for the first time in American history for citizens of the United States to purchase a product or to purchase a service in order to maintain good standing as a citizen of the United States," Hutchison said. "It has never happened before. It shouldn't happen."

In taking the case, Hutchison said he is committing to a major effort without pay that could last many months. He said his 35-lawyer firm is up to the task.

"It will take hundreds of hours, it won't take dozens," Hutchison said. "We've committed to the governor that we will support this effort and do it without charge. We have the resources to do it."

Hutchison said he read in the newspaper that Gibbons was considering finding outside counsel who would work for free if Masto declined to take the case. He contacted the governor's office and was called in for an interview Thursday. Hutchison said that at the end of the interview, Gibbons offered the job, and he took it.

In the Jon Ralston interview, Jon makes a comment about my dad "going rogue." Sounds a little like Sarah Palin to me, and I like that. :)

Making History

2010-04-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today, my dad made history. He has decided to legally represent the state of Nevada in a lawsuit against the Federal Government's healthcare bill. Nevada is the 15th state that has decided to join in suing the Federal Government over the unconstitutional healthcare bill that was recently signed. Nevada's attorney general decided not to take legal action against the government, and when my dad found out about this, he called up Governor Gibbons and offered to serve as the Special Legal Council in this case. Today a press conference was held and an executive order was signed by the Governor naming my dad, Mark Hutchison, as the Special Legal Council in the effort to sue the Federal Government. He was interviewed today by many local Nevada news stations and even Greta Van Susteren with Fox News flew in to interview him. He will be interviewed by Sean Hannity later this week.

I am so proud of my dad for taking a stand and getting involved in something he is truly passionate about. He has always said that you can either complain about something or do something about it, and he is definitely not idly standing by hoping that someone will stand up for the rights of the American people. I know he is the perfect man for the job because he has the drive to do it and the experience to back it up. I hope other states continue to join in on this legal battle against the Federal Government and defend our state's rights. Thank you Dad for taking a stand and representing Nevada!

Monster Trucks

2010-03-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Our little Connor is growing up so fast! We put him in a big bed last week and took down his crib. He has been doing really well and he usually stays in it, thank goodness! I love that when he wakes up in the morning instead of calling for me, he just gets out of his bed, reads books and plays in his room, and then he comes and gets me a little while later. So nice.

We also went to "Monster Jam" this weekend where we watched monster trucks race and smash into cars. Eric's dad came along, which was great. Connor loved watching the trucks and had a smile on his face the whole time. Eric and his dad talked about trucks and engines and everything else having to do with cars the whole time, in true Larkin fashion. :) We had a great time and can't wait until it comes around next year!

Welcome Home Elder Hutchison!

2010-03-05T18:29:00.001-08:00

After serving for two years in the Kenya, Africa mission Elder Canton Hutchison returned home! We are so happy to our brother and son home safe from the other side of the world. We are so proud of Canton's service and sacrifice for the Church, and we are so excited to have him home with us. We love you Canton!

Balloons on the Beach

2010-02-19T20:30:00.001-08:00

What a fun photoshoot!

Caribbean Cruise

2010-01-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

This past week my mom, sisters, and I took a girl's trip to the Caribbean! We cruised on the Royal Caribbean and visited the southern islands of the Caribbean. We visited Puerto Rico, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Croix (Virgin Islands). We had a blast soaking up the sun on the beautiful beaches, snorkling, parasailing, jeep riding, and exploring on all of the amazing islands. The weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed hanging out with just the girls. It was a great trip and a wonderful way to celebrate my mom's birthday. What a trip!

Day One: Puerto Rico

Day Two: Barbados

Day Three: St. Lucia

Day Four: Antigua

Day Five: St. Maarten

Day Six: St. Croix (Virgin Islands)

You arn't a real boy until...

2010-01-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

you get your first set of stitches. Connor had a rough accident today and got eight stitches right in between his eyes. He had two deep gashes that resulted in four stitches in each gash. We are just grateful that he is ok and that it was his skin and not his eye that got punctured. We were able to get into a plastic surgeon about an hour after the accident, and he stitched up Connor very carefully. Hopefully the scarring will be minimal if there is any scarring at all...but if not....chicks dig scars right?! It's times like these when you realize just how much you love your child and how precious life is. Connor was so brave during the whole ordeal and is recovering nicely, poor guy. What a day!

Christmas and New Years

2010-01-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was great! It was our first Christmas in our new home. We spent Christmas Eve first with the Smith family (Eric's grandparents), and then with the Hutchison family. At the Smith's we had dinner and read the Christmas story. At the Hutchison's we sang Christmas songs, played white elephant, and went on our annual hayride while Christmas caroling. The next day we opened presents in our home and then visited the Hutchison's and the Larkin's. It was a wonderful Christmas. We then spent New Years at our cabin in Brian Head and went snowmobiling. It was fabulous!
The Hayride!

Christmas Day at home

Christmas at the Hutchison's

The new four wheeler!

Christmas at the Larkin's!

Snowmobiling at the cabin

Sewing

2009-12-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months I have been taking sewing classes and I absolutely love them! I have always loved sewing blankets, but now this class has taught me how to make lots of other fun stuff. I've made a purse, a pillow, pj pants, and now, an apron. This past weekend my sister and I took an "apron sewing camp" and we sewed these cute little aprons. I thought they were cute and really fun, and maybe I will get ambitious enough to make them as gifts one day!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T15:20:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. For the first time in our married life we didn't have to travel, which was great. We had dinner over at Papa and Shauna Smith's house. All of the Smith family was there which was great. Afterwards we went over to the Hutchison's for dessert and saw the movie "The Blind Side." We loved it. The next day we had a Hutchison family photoshoot for my parent's Christmas cards. I posted my favorites and I must say Connor's little beenie is hilarious. I think it makes the pictures that much cuter. :) Enjoy!

Connor Turns Two!

2009-11-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

My little boy is two years old today! I can't believe that Eric and I have been married long enough to have a two-year-old toddler. Time flies! Connor had a wonderful birthday. We invited my family and Eric's family, Eric's grandparents and great grandma, and my grandma. So we just had a fun little family party. We had a "Cars" themed party which Connor just loved. He was able to eat pizza and cupcakes, open presents, and play with everyone. Happy birthday Connor!

Disneyland

2009-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Every year for Halloween (and my birthday!) the Hutchison family goes to Disneyland. We had an amazing time! It was Connor's first time, which made this trip even more special. He was in shock for the first little while, with all of the characters, people, and rides, but he quickly adapted. His favorite ride was the rocket ships in Tomorrowland and he cried every time we had to get off of them. Connor also loved "A Bug's Land" and "Astro Blaster." It was definately a different experience taking our two-year-old, but we loved it! We loved spending time with our family and enjoying Disneyland with everyone.

Fun-Filled Weekend

2009-10-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love having all of your friends and family around? We sure do! This weekend some of our best friends came down to visit us. We went shopping, hung out, and went to the UNLV vs. University of Utah football game. We also stopped by my parents house to visit and see my sister who is down visiting from BYU-Idaho. We loved being around all of these fun people!

Pumpkin Picking

2009-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week Connor and I went with our play group to the Gilcrease Orchards where we picked our pumpkins for Halloween. Connor loved running around picking up all of the pumpkins he could find. How fun to pick our pumpkins from an orchard!

Conference Weekend

2009-10-05T19:55:00.001-07:00

This weekend was quite an adventure for us. First, Connor and I made cookies to take with us to Brian Head. Connor was happy to help Mom stir the cookie batter, and then eat it! We then got to Brian Head where it was freezing cold and very windy. We met Eric's parents and our good friends Brandon and Kelsey at the cabin. We were able to watch Conference on Saturday, but on Sunday the power was out all day. We took lots of rhino rides and bundled up to keep warm. Sunday afternoon Eric's parents were getting ready to leave when we heard a huge crash. It was a very windy day and there were a lot of trees falling all around the cabin. Come to find out that the huge crash was actually a tree that had fallen on top of Eric's truck. Just a few moments before the crash, everyone had been outside around the truck, but the cold winds drew us back into the house. Thank goodness no one was hurt! It was sad to see our truck get totaled by the tree, but we were so happy no one was injured. What a weekend!

Happy Birthday Eric!

2009-09-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Eric turned 25! He is getting so old. :) We celebrated with the Smith side of Eric's family by having a big barbeque and a fun game of White Elephant. Eric got lots of nice gifts, including money for his on-going jeep project. :) We ate mint chocolate chip ice cream cake and Connor spent most of the night watching the movie "Cars." It was a great party. Happy Birthday Eric!

Puppy Love

2009-09-21T11:37:00.001-07:00

This weekend we added a new member to our family...our new puppy Dana. She is a three month old weimaraner puppy. She is a sweet dog and a fun addition to our home. She loves to be around our family and Eric and Connor love her to pieces. We are excited to have her with us!

The Jeep Project

2009-09-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

My husband is obsessed with jeeps. He has been ever since we got married and he has loved to work on cars his whole life. He is currently in the process of rebuilding this red jeep from the ground up. It is quite the project, and it will be a lot fun to go off-roading in once it is all put back together. One thing I really like about this project is how Eric always takes Connor with him whenever he works on the jeep. They get some really great "Father/son" time and I get some great alone time! I took these pictures so we could document the progress the boys are making. I also included some other pictures of Connor that I took around the house and at the park. Enjoy!

Beach Fun

2009-09-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

This summer my mom and the kids spent most of the summer in Huntington Beach. We had a blast visiting them often and living it up at the beach. There are a lot of fun memories and here are some fun pictures from this summer.

Friends in Town

2009-08-24T14:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend some of our very best friends from Utah came down to visit us. Both Brandon and Riley served missions with Eric, so it's really great that we have stayed so close with them and their wives. We took them downtown to visit the Strip, where we saw the garden room at the Bellagio, the lions at the MGM, and ate at the Cheesecake Factory in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. It was a great weekend!

Larkin Family Reunion

2009-08-17T14:22:00.001-07:00

Every year we go camping at Duck Creek for the Larkin family reunion. This year the family brought up five of their old MG cars and we were able to have fun driving them all over the mountain. Connor absolutely loved going on these little car rides, and when we weren't driving, he wanted to sit in the drivers seat and push all the buttons he could find. We had a lot of fun spending time with our family and camping out in the woods!

Vacations

2009-08-10T11:33:00.001-07:00

Duck Creek

This summer we were able to take a camping trip with our wonderful friends Riley and Jessica Griffin. We camped out at Duck Creek and had an absolute blast hiking down trails, making dutch oven meals, playing horseshoes, riding the rhino, and relaxing in the great outdoors.

Surf n Sand

Right after our camping trip we headed down to Laguna, CA for our annual trip to Surf n Sand. We spent a week on the beach with the Smith side of Eric's family. We had a great time going to the beach everyday and soaking up the sun. Connor loves the water and wanted to go surfing with the big boys. He also loved playing with his cousins and falling asleep while watching movies at night. It was a great week and we were sad to leave the beach and the amazing weather of Laguna!

Parenting the Strong-Willed Child

2009-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

When my mom got me this book a little while ago, I didn't think it would be as good as it turned out to be. It was surprisingly informative and gave me great ideas on how to better raise my strong-willed child. Connor is definately strong-willed, but he is also so sweet. This book simply gives you good advice on how to help channel your child's strong-willed personality into good activities, and how to encourage your child to do the right things. This book was written by an LDS author, so it gives some really great gospel insights as well. I would definately recommend this book to any parent, but especially to those who have strong little spirits in their homes!

4th of July

2009-07-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

This year we spent the 4th of July at Huntington Beach with my family. This little town is very patriotic, so it is a lot of fun to celebrate there. We first went to an amazing parade, with lots of great floats, performers, and even jets and helicopters soaring overhead. We then had a big barbeque and spent the day at the beach. That evening we watched fireworks on the beach as they shot off the pier. It was so beautiful to see the fireworks and their reflection off of the ocean. It was a great holiday!

Officially Weaned

2009-07-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

We finally did it! This week Eric and I weaned Connor off of his bottle. For those of you who know Connor know that he absolutely loved his bottle. He would carry it around everywhere and I would even let him sleep with it at night (I know, I'm a bad mom!). I should have taken it away when he was 12 months, but he just got so attached that I slacked off and let him keep it. I guess I will know what to do next time! Oh well. :)

After we got back from our cruise, we decided that it was time he give it up. Our goal was to wean him by the time he was two, but we decided to do it sooner because this month we do not have a lot going on. The whole weaning process was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, and I must say that he actually sleeps and eats better. Who would have thought! We are so happy to be done with this milestone and start moving on to other things...like potty training...yikes!

European Cruise

2009-06-29T20:57:00.001-07:00

This past week Eric and I were incredibly blessed to go on a family cruise to Europe! Eric's Grandpa Smith was kind enough to take all of his family who could go on a Mediterranean cruise. There were about 20 of us and it was an absolute blast. After dropping off Connor to my Mom in Huntington Beach and after a good 24 hours of traveling, we came to our first destination which was Rome. We had a limited amount of time, so we quickly visited as many sites as we could. We saw the colosseum, trivi fountain, the pantheon, and the Vatican. The next day we visited a beautiful little port town in Italy called Port Venere. We walked all over the town weaving in and out of shops, eating gelato, and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Tuesday we had a full day tour of Florence, Italy. We visited the Uffizi and Accademia galleries where we saw The David and many famous works of art. We also visited the Duomo cathedral and ate more gelato and pizza. :) Wedneday we visited Monaco where we were able to take a bus into Monte Carlo to visit the famous Casino where the James Bond movie "Casino Royale" was filmed. Thursday we visited St. Tropez, France where we did lots of shopping and rented little vespas and rode all over the little town and country side. We also visited the beach and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. Friday we were at sea all day and took advantage of it by relaxing by the pool and eating lots of great food. Saturday was our last day on the cruise and we had a full day tour of Barcelona, Spain. We visited the Cathedral of Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia-the Holy Family Cathedral, Guell Park, La Rambla, and lots of other great things. I know I only gave the Reader's Digest version of what we did, but I didn't want to ramble on and on! I also posted a few of the pictures we took, I filled up almost two memory cards worth, so these are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Rome

Port Venere

Florence

Monaco/Monte Carlo

St. Tropez

Barcelona

Jane and Kyle's Wedding

2009-06-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

Jane and Kyle are married! Eric's sister got married to her fiance, Kyle Henrie on Friday, June 5th. They got married in the Las Vegas temple and it was the perfect day. They had a beautiful sealing, an amazing luncheon, and a reception at the Siena. We are so happy for these guys and are so happy to have Kyle in our family!

Connor looked so cute in his little tux!

Jenny, Whitney, and Connor

Eric, Dad, and Bryce

PVHS Graduation

2009-06-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today my sister graduated from high school. I can't believe that she is graduated and will be going to college in the fall! Where does the time go? We decided to celebrate the night before by going to Kelsey's favorite restaurant- Grape Street. It was so much fun having dinner with with the family and celebrating Kelsey's great achievement.

Top Row L to R: Weston, Kelsey, Logan, and Whitney

Bottom Row L to R: Grandma Hutchison, Sophie, Dad, Eric, and Connor

The graduate! Isn't she gorgeous? BYU-I isn't going to know what to do with this one. :)

Pool Fun

2009-06-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

My mom was kind enough to watch Connor while Eric and I went to the temple, and here are the pictures she took of Connor with Logan and Sophie swimming in the pool. Connor is our little fish and loves to swim. Whenever he goes over to my parent's house, he runs outside and starts taking off his clothes to get in to the pool. It's hilarious. Thanks Mom!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend was so much fun. We started out the weekend by spending time at our cabin in Brian Head. We rode four wheelers, made a dutch oven dinner, and enjoyed each other's company. Connor absolutely loves to ride the four wheelers and he was always the first one ready to go on a ride. Then on Monday we met Eric's family for a Smith family reunion in Toquerville, UT to visit the Toquerville Cemetery. Eric's grandmother is buried there, along with many other of his relatives. It was a great weekend!

Life is Busy

2009-05-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy for us for the past few weeks, hence the lack of posting! We are all moved in and we love being back in Las Vegas. It is so much fun being around our families. Eric loves his new job and he comes home exhausted everyday. He isn't used to the Vegas heat yet, so it really zaps him. However, he is happy to be in the "working world." Connor is now almost 19 months and loves being around our families, especially his two grandmas who love to spoil him. :) He also loves my parent's new dog Duke and whenever he hears a dog bark he says "Doooke!" So cute. He has been to nursery a few times and he doesn't like it as much as we would like him to. Any tips on how to keep your kid in nursery?? Hopefully he will get used to it soon. I have kept busy by putting our new house together, trying to keep up with Connor, and I am now teaching my brother and sister piano lessons. They are so much fun to teach and I hope to get more students in the fall. Other than that, we've been busy with lots of family activities, work, and keeping up with everyday life.

Jane's Bridal Shower

2009-05-19T16:01:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I threw my sister-in-law, Jane, a bridal shower. She is getting married on June 5th and I am so excited for her. We moved in two weeks ago, so Eric and I hurried and put our house together so we could have this party for Jane. The party was an open house where Jane's family and friends could come and mingle and congratulate her. Jane got some great gifts and it was great to see her rewarded for making such good decisions in her life. We all love Jane so much, and we are excited to welcome Kyle into our family!

Jane and her future mother-in-law, Norma

Grandma Larkin and Aunt Diane

Kelsey helped me make all of those fruit cabobs! Thanks girl!

Kelsey Floyd made the beautiful party favors

Jane and her Mom

Lisa Parker

Jane and all of her gifts!

Shauna and Jane

Megan and Jeannette

Larkin Family Photoshoot

2009-05-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to have all of Eric's family in town, so Eric's mom thought it was the perfect opportunity for a family photoshoot. We went to the Eagle Hills park in the Larkin's neighborhood and we got some really great shots. Connor wanted to run around and play the whole time, so we had some trouble constraining him and getting him to smile, but overall they came out really well! My mom took the pictures and I think she did an excellent job. She is going more professional now, and her work is wonderful. Enjoy!

Left to right: Eric & Whitney, Bryce & Jenny,

Wayne (with Connor) & Melanie,

and Kyle & Jane.

Eric's Graduation

2009-04-26T14:02:00.001-07:00

Yay! Eric is graduated and we are now in Las Vegas. Graduation was so awesome- Eric's parents and my parents came to celebrate Eric's fantastic achievement. We were able to spend the day with our family and we attended the commencement Friday evening. There were great speakers and lots and lots of graduates. The whole Marriot School graduated at the same time, so there were a ton of graduates and their family members. We are all so proud of Eric and excited to be back in our hometown!

Leaving for Las Vegas

2009-04-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Eric, Connor, and I will leave our cute little Provo condo and make the six hour trek to our new home in Las Vegas. We are so excited to move back to our hometown, but we are also sad to leave Utah. We spent three great years here going to school at BYU, raising our little boy, and making lots of fond memories. Although it is sad to close the "student" chapter of our lives, we can't wait to get back to Las Vegas. Eric and I were both born and raised in Las Vegas, and going to school in Utah has been our only time away from our hometown. We are so happy to get back to being close to both of our families, and I am sure both sets of grandparents are anxious to get more time with their grandson! In the mean time, we are trying to finish packing and hopefully I will be able to blog about our new home and new life in Las Vegas soon!

Corona Del Mar Hike

2009-04-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

For our last day in Huntington Beach, we decided to switch things up a little bit and go on a hike. It was also a little overcast, so since the beach wasn't really an option, we decided to try out a hike along the coast of the Corona del Mar beach. It turned out to be a lot of fun. We started out walking along the sand of the beach, and then the hike gradually got more and more rocky. It was a lot of fun crawling and hiking over the rocks, and checking out all of the tide pools formed in between those rocks. We were able to see a lot of sea life, including crabs and little sea urchins. My dad was kind enough to carry Connor in our baby backpack, and he absolutely loved every minute of the hike. It was a beautiful hike and it was a fun activity to do as a family. This was a great way to end our Spring Break vacation.

Life's a Beach

2009-04-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

Spring Break in Huntington Beach has been such a blast. We've been enjoying the great weather by spending most of our time at the beach or the pool. Tuesday was my brother Logan's birthday, so we went to a fabulous restaurant called Duke's for dinner. The restaurant sits right on the beach so you can look out at the ocean while you eat. The food was amazing and Logan got a huge ice cream sundae, which all of us dug in to, despite the protests from my brother. We then walked around downtown Huntington and checked out the cool street fair. Today we went to Balboa Island to check out all of the fun little shops and to get a homemade cinnamon roll...soo dang good! We then went to Fashion Island for dinner that night. Before dinner my mom took a little photo shoot of me and Connor by the coy fish pond. It is super hard to photograph Connor because he is constantly on the go with no time to pose for pictures. Even though he was moving a lot, I think we got some pretty good shots. We were able to meet up with Eric's brother, Bryce, who lives in Riverside, and it was great to be able to spend some time with him. We topped the evening off with some shopping, a great dinner at CPK, and some pink berry yogurt. It's been a great week so far and I think I might try to pull off moving down to the beach one day. :)

The whole gang, including Weston's friend Matt

Check out that cake!

Me with my sisters Kelsey and Sophie

Everyone digging in

The girls posing in front of one of the many cute houses on Balboa Island

Weston, Logan, and their friends chugging cokes

This one is my mom's favorite picture

Connor and Logan love each other so much :)

Logan and Weston chillin by the pond

Bryce walking with Connor at Fashion Island

Connor loved the carousel

Our First Day at the Beach

2009-04-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

was so much fun! We woke up Saturday morning and headed straight to the beach. Connor loved playing in the sand and tried to go swimming in the ocean. He is quite the little dare devil, so we had to keep a close eye on him at the beach and at the pool. After his nap, we took Connor to the pool and let him soak in the hot tub, which he loved. He would just run and jump in if I let him, so I think I need to buy him a swimsuit with the built-in floaties so he can do what he wants and I won't have to worry. We then showered and walked down the pier to Ruby's for dinner. Their oreo shakes are amazing! It was a great first day at the beach, and we are excited to spend the rest of our Spring Break living it up!

Me and my sisters with Connor on the pier

Waiting to get in to Ruby's!

Me and my little man waiting to eat

Beautiful flowers!

Sophie and Connor

Good thing he went swimming to wash off his dirty face...

The girls and Connor loving the pool

Checking out the surf

I love the beach!

Digging in the sand is so much fun

Moving Chaos

2009-04-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

My house is in a state of moving chaos right now! There are boxes all over the place, only half of my pictures and decorations are still up, and everything is out of place getting ready to be boxed up. So my house is in a state of total disarray. I really like my house to stay in some type of order, so this is driving me a little bonkers. Oh well, we only have three weeks left, so I think I can endure! We are also taking a big load of stuff down to Las Vegas this weekend, so that will help get rid of a lot of clutter. Thank goodness Connor and I are heading out this weekend. As Eric will be unloading our stuff in our new house, Connor and I will be on our way to Huntington Beach! I am excited to leave the snowy weather of Provo and get to sunny CA. It's Spring Break for my brothers and sisters so we are all packing up and taking a little break-a much needed break before the real work begins when I get back! I'm excited for the better weather, to spend time with my fam, and to have a few extra babysitters. :)

Working Hard

2009-03-22T19:20:00.001-07:00

This week has been so busy for Eric. Not only does he work full-time, but he's going to school full-time and this week was crazy at work, with school projects, and lots of reading and homework. After Eric comes home from work he rushes upstairs to take a quick shower, eats dinner, then sits at our kitchen table for the rest of the night studying and doing homework. This week he finished his "Accounting Law" independent study class (yikes!) and it was such a relief. He's been pouring over that class for the past month trying to finish it before the graduation deadline next month. Thank goodness there are only a few more weeks left in the semester! Then maybe I'll get my husband back...but probably not because then the real work begins! :) Oh well, I am just grateful to have a hard working husband who gets up early, goes to bed late, and works hard all day long just to make sure our family has everything we need. Thanks sweetheart!
I also posted some other pictures of Connor I took this week. What would a blog update be without pictures of Connor? :)

Eric studying in his "spot" at the kitchen table
Working hard...

Eric encouraging Connor to take a bite of an apple

Connor wants to be just like Daddy!

Lovin' his apple. He didn't quite eat it, but thought

biting into it was hilarious

I don't know if you can tell, but Connor is filthy dirty here.

Connor loves to be outside and roll around, so he gets

good and dirty most every day. His pants and hands are black!

Having fun at the park

Clapping his hands!

Connor is super possessive of this wheel.

He loves to pretend like he is driving a car, and

if any other kids try to play with it...watch out!

Going down the stairs like a big boy

Connor loves going back and forth inside of this thing

Today Connor grabbed my oven mitten off of the counter

and started wearing it all over the house. It was hilarious!

Leaving so Soon

2009-03-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today I was looking at my calendar and realized...we only have 5 more weeks left in Provo! I just couldn't believe it. We are so excited to move back to Las Vegas, but we will also miss a lot of things about Utah. As I was thinking about us leaving, I reflected on the things we will really miss about Provo, and the things we well, won't miss. Here's our top 5 of each:

Things we will miss:
1)Our amazing friends
2)Our amazing ward
3)Great spring/summer weather
4)People are usually very tolerant and
understanding of babies/kids
5)All of the many beautiful temples

Things we won't miss:
1)Pedestrians (usually college students) who decide to cross the street
without looking during rush hour and expect you
to slam on your breaks for them
2)People asking you why you arn't pregnant again
3)The college students shooting off fireworks across the
street at 2:00am
4)The cold and snowy winters
5)Homework

I think that about sums it up! Utah has really been so good to us, but we are excited to get Eric graduated and head off to the "real world." I know the time will just fly by...I had better get packing!

Parks and Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

2009-03-15T16:25:00.001-07:00

This week I was finally able to take Connor to an outside park. It was still plenty cold, but we braved it! Connor was so happy to get outside and play somewhere other than the dinosaur park at the University Mall. He loved running all over the grass and trying to climb backwards up the slide. As I mentioned before, we go to the University Mall indoor dinosaur park quite a bit because it has been so cold for the past few months. Connor loves going there, and he especially loves the big black ball that rolls around in water (kind of like a miniature version of the one at Disneyland...see the pictures below!). Last week when I took him there, one minute he was simply touching the ball, the next minute he was swimming in the water! He had crawled into the fountain on his hands and knees and was soaking wet from head to toe. As soon as I pulled him out he wanted to play some more, so I had to drag a wet, screaming child from the mall to our car. That's our Connor for you!
I also learned how to make homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch this weekend. It was so much fun. My friend Jessica made them for FHE last week, and after I tried them I just had to learn how to make them for myself. I have never really used yeast before, so I was pretty nervous. Once I got the hang of it though, it was no big deal. They came out of the oven perfectly golden and gooey. We also made some amazing cream cheese icing that melted right into the hot rolls. They were so good and I felt like such a little homemaker! Thanks Jess! I also cut my hair super short this weekend and I love it...thanks to Kelsey. :)

Memories

2009-03-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to breakfast with two of my best friends I had while studying abroad in London. Three years ago this month we were half way through our semester in London and we were having a blast. It was also three years ago this month that my hubby flew out to London and proposed to me. :) Great memories! It's amazing how time flies. I've also posted lots of random pictures of Connor. He is so energetic and constantly on-the-go that it's really hard to get a good picture of him any more. He keeps me very busy and I can't believe he is growing up so fast! Enjoy!

Wendy and me

Me and Rachel

Connor loves his toy train. He hauls it all around the house

and lucky for me, it keeps him entertained for a few minutes so

I can get something done!

Connor has been taking off his socks lately just to get a

reaction out of me. He thinks it's hilarious when I

"give him the look," and then after he will usually squeal and run away.

Connor has been obsessed with cell phones lately.

He especially loves Eric's phone and will walk around with it

up to his ear pretending to talk. So cute.

Check out those legs! He also loves to play

with the blinds...

Connor helping Eric prepare his Sunday School lesson.

Marking up the scriptures!

Me and my little man. This picture was taken for a

Relief Society activity. It was supposed to "describe" some

things about me, so I have my son, my piano is behind me, and my favorite

set of Jane Austen novels I bought in England are sitting on the piano.
I hope I didn't do too bad!

Kelsey cutting Connor's hair. He was actually pretty good

and the cut was absolutely darling!

Connor loves bath time. I usually set aside about 30 minutes

before bedtime to let him play in the water because he loves it so much.

I don't think he'll be afraid of the pool this summer!

Scouting

2009-02-22T12:38:00.001-08:00

This week while staying with my parents in Las Vegas, both my father and my brother received fantastic scouting awards. First, my dad received the "silver beaver" scouting award. This award is a huge deal in the scouting world. The silver beaver is the highest award an adult can receive for service in scouting. A few of his close friends nominated him and this past Wednesday night he, along with 20 others, received this silver beaver award at a huge awards show downtown. We were all so proud of him! Also, my little brother Logan received his "arrow of light" award this week. This award is special because it is the only badge you can take with you from cub scouts to boy scouts. Go Dad and Logan!

Grant Andreasen and Logan

Logan giving Mom her pin for her mother's necklace

Brianhead

2009-02-17T15:16:00.001-08:00

This weekend Eric, Connor, and I took some of our friends and met my family up at Brianhead. We had such an awesome weekend! We got up to the mountain on Saturday and spent the day on the tube run. It was such a riot! We even took Connor and put him in his own tube. He did great. He just sat in the tube and rode down the hill like it was no big deal. The rest of the weekend everyone rode around on the snowmobiles, went snowboarding, and ate....a lot! Brianhead is always such a blast and this weekend was a lot of fun.

The whole crew

The girls

Kelsey and Sophie talking to Connor

Our little fam

Cutie Connor in his tube!

Papa Hutch with Con Man

Me...

Eric bookin it down the hill

Crazy Kelsey!

Kelsey Floyd

Jess lovin life on the tube run

Good ol' Sophie- check out her snow-covered hair!

Riley and Jess

Jane having fun

Racing down the tube run

The tubing crew

Me and Connor racing!

Elder Canton Hutchison

2009-02-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

has been out a whole year now! This month is his half-way mark and I just can't believe it. Time has really flown and he is on the way down now. We got to talk to him at Christmas and it was so neat to hear all of his stories. Canton has also changed a ton. It's a good thing we send boys out on missions and bring home men. He is absoluely loving Africa and is currently a zone leader in a new area called Arusha. Canton has had a lot of success with missionary work and baptizing new members. Living in a third-world country can be tough at times, but Canton is learning a lot and will have lots of stories for us when he gets home. We are so proud of Elder Hutchison and are excited to hear about the new adventures he will have this year!

He's been blessed to have had many baptisms!

Canton will someimtes send some pictures of the food

he eats. This doesn't look too bad and I think they eat a

lot of chicken and rice stuff.

Landscape Pictures

Service Project-they get to wear those cool yellow vests to

show everyone that they are church members...

Check out the wildlife that he sees! These are gazelle I think...

Hippos...