Apartment, Apartment, Apartment, House, Apartment, Apartment...

Last week's Family Search Question was: How many different homes or apartments have you lived in throughout your life?

I have lived in a total of seven apartments (I don't remember the first three) and one house, so far.

When I was born my parents lived in a studio apartment in Provo near where  the current Rec Center is. The Summer after I was born we lived in single student housing called The Elms. At the time, they rented to families at a knock down price each Summer. From there (I was almost a year old) we moved to some Apartments in Orem. They were an 8-plex, with four on top and four on the bottom. We lived in one of the bottom ones. My mom found black widows outside of the windows, and wanted to move as soon as possible.

We then moved to our last apartments, also in Orem. These I do remember. We lived in them the longest, 4 or 5 years before we got a house. I wrote about it in a previous post. We got a house the year I turned 7 years old. My parents still live in that house, and I lived there until 2010 when I married Gerson.

I decided to live at home for my freshman year at BYU. My mom wanted me to move into the dorms so that I  could have the "full college experience." But I had hated the dorms when I went to EFY, and I wasn't too keen to live in them again. Also, the thought of roommates scared me, I didn't want to do that either. So I lived at home, met Gerson, and we fell in love and got married! So my only roommate has been my husband. 😍

When Gerson and I first got married we lived in a one bedroom apartment out by the Provo Cemetary. The complex was called Heritage Court. There were three levels. We lived on the third floor and in a corner - which meant we got one extra window than everyone else. This apartment had a gas stove/oven, which I was really scared of at first, but now I miss it! (When we get a house, I'm putting in a gas stove/oven.) We lived there for two years and then we decided to look for a place closer to BYU. At the time we had only one car, Gerson had graduated and had a job, but I was still in school. So the plan was for Gerson to drive the car to work, and I would walk to school.

We found married student housing at Cambridge Court, and they were the perfect walking distance! They were also one bedroom. In between signing with them, and moving in, we got a second car and got pregnant with Benjamin. I still saved gas by walking to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Benjamin was born while we lived there. We planned only one year there, and found a two bedroom apartment in Orem when our lease was up.

We currently live in that two bedroom apartment, We have been here for almost four years now. Since moving here, I have graduated from college and Luna has joined our family. A washer and dryer came with it - our previous apartments didn't even have hookups, so we had to do laundry at my parents house. It's been a good place. I'm hoping we can upgrade to renting or owning a home in the next year or so, but we'll see how things play out for us. For now we are happy here. I have some good friends, and our ward is great.

Books, Dolls, and Care Bears

This week's Family Search question is: What kinds of things did you collect and display in your childhood bedroom?

Growing up I had a lot of toys. Between my brother and I we had stuffed animals, Legos, Barbies, Bionicles, Little People, and an assortment of other things. Whenever McDonald's had new toys for their Happy Meals, my mom would call around on the days we planned on going to find out which location had a toy we didn't have yet. But my very favorite items were my books, my porcelain dolls, and my Care Bears.

Books

As talked about in other posts, I love to read! While I have checked out books from the library in the past, I really prefer to own them. So if there is a book I want to read, I will generally buy so that I can read it. The headboard of my bed at my parents' house is a book shelf, and I have two more book shelves in my childhood bedroom. Last time I counted my books - which was in 2011 or 2012 - I had over 300 books between my parents house and my apartment! When I was little I was so proud of my book collection (and I still am) that I created my own catalog as if my room was a library, and I dreamed of being a librarian. (In fact, I still think about that sometimes even though I have a teaching degree.)

Dolls

My very first porcelain doll was a gift from my grandma. It is a traditional size, wears a pink dress, and has brown curly hair. Over the years I got  a couple others as gifts as well. In my early teens, our local dollar store had this collection of miniature porcelain dolls. That's what I gave my friends for Christmas that year (one doll each), and my mom slowly bought me the entire collection as well! My great Grandma Nola Peterson had a china hutch full of porcelain dolls. When we would visit, I always asked to hold my favorite: a Native American child sitting cross legged. About a year before she died, my grandma gave me that doll so that no one else would get it after she died. She didn't want any mistakes happening in getting me that doll. It's my most precious of my dolls. Even though it's not porcelain, I also consider my American Girl Kaya doll apart of this collection. When I was 12 we drove from our home in Utah to New York and back. One of our stops was in Chicago. We went to the American Girl store and I used my hard earned babysitting money to buy Kaya and her horse.

Care Bears

My mom, my grandma, and my great-grandma all love Care Bears; and that love was instilled in me as well! My mom has her own collection that I believe my great Grandma made. She also had this box of little plastic Care Bears that my brother and I played with growing up. When I was in my preteens, my mom and my grandma gave me these giant Care Bears for Christmas! Build-a-Bear has their version of Care Bears, and we have started collecting those ones for Luna.

All of these items are still very important to me. And when we get a house and have room for them, I plan on moving most of them in with me. I also plan on sharing them with my kids if these things peak their interest like they did mine.

Growing up a Larson

This week's Family Search question is: What was your childhood home like?

I have lived my entire life in the Provo/Orem area. Although it wasn't my first home, the earliest one I remember was an apartment complex in Orem. It was the last apartment we lived in before my parents bought a house. It was a nice place. I had lots of friends there. It's where I met my best friend Lindsey, who I wrote about a few weeks ago.

The apartments faced each other and there was a big grassy area in between that all of the kids played in. There was a garden area that the tenets could share, no one else was interested in gardening, so my mom used the whole thing! She of course shared the food with our neighbors. There was a swimming pool that was open during the summer. My dad was hired by the landlord as the pool manager in exchange for free rent during the summer months.

We lived in that apartment when my brother was born. That is my earliest memory; my paternal grandma watching me while my parents were in the hospital. I also attended kindergarten while living there. My parents taught me how to read and basic addition and subtraction before I entered kindergarten. (With my dad being a math teacher, education was important.)

That summer we built a house in Provo, where my parents still live. My brother and I each got our own rooms, and we got to pick which room we got! My mom dug a garden, and my dad built a tree house in the backyard. Because of my dad being a school teacher, we wanted my school schedule to match his. So I went to a different school from the rest of the kids in my neighborhood because that school was a year round school, and I went to a traditional August-May school. But that was only for first grade because then they built a new school that my neighborhood fell into the new boundaries. Going to that school helped me meet all of the other kids in my neighborhood that weren't in my ward.

My parents, brother, and I were really close. We had family home evening on Mondays (some years it was Sunday), we read scriptures every night. We had three different sets of scriptures to go with my and Michael's reading level. We started with what I call the "comic book" scriptures. then we read an other simplified version but with less pictures and more paragraphs. Then we moved on to the actual scriptures. By the time I was a teenager we became really inconsistent with both FHE and scripture reading. Michael and I became involved in extra curricular activities and got jobs, which was part of it. I'm hoping to learn from that and hopefully not fall into the same rut when my kids are teenagers.

Our house very frequently played host to family parties and friend parties. Most of the family parties on my dad's side of the family were at our house growing up. Now, they are usually at my Uncle Doug's house because his new house is the biggest house in the family. My Junior and Senior year in high school I hosted a lot of homework parties and weekend get-togethers with my friends and dance teammates.

I really enjoyed my childhood home. It was the atmosphere - not the actual house - that made it great. I still love visiting and my kids love going over to grandma and papa's house. I hope that I have created a similar atmosphere for my kids.

April 2017 General Conference Highlights

Every general conference I take notes in my journal - so my conference notes are a journal entry - and I thought I would put my favorite parts here to share with everyone.

General Women's Session

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon talked about being Centered in Christ. She taught three ways to keep centered:

1. Feast upon the words of Christ.
2. Come to the Lord and trust Him through prayer.
3. come to the Lord as we serve others.

Sister Carol F. McConkie spoke about holiness. My favorite part was:

"Holiness is in the striving and the struggle to keep the commandments and to honor the covenants we have made with God. Holiness is making the choices that will keep the Holy Ghost as our guide. Holiness is setting aside our natural tendencies and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” 

Sister Linda K. Burton talked about being a certain woman. Meaning we are certain in our faith, knowledge, and keeping our covenants.

President Henry B. Eyring talked about peace and the Holy Ghost. He told the story about how in the process of disciplining his son, the Holy Ghost helped him see his son the way the Lord sees his son, "You are holding a great person."

Saturday Morning Session

President Henry B. Eyring talked about the spiritual gathering of families. He said that we have the opportunity to accept or reject God's invitation to gather.

M. Joseph Brough:

"When Satan wants us to think all is lost, Bishops are there to guide us.""Repentance isn't a punishment, it is a privilege."

Elder Dale G. Renlund talked about love, empathy, and compassion. He said that God is clear about what is right and what is wrong. God doesn't want blind followers, but he does want us to choose Him. Elder Renlund reminded us that God's laws and doctrine cannot be changed by us. He also said, "we must not be guilty of persecuting anyone inside or outside of the Church." He counseled us to have respect for all and hatred towards none.

Elder Mark A. Bragg gave us three places we can always find light:

1. The light of the church.
2. The light of the gospel.
3. The light of Christ.

President Russell M. Nelson explained how it is incomplete to speak of the Atonement without including Jesus Christ. He said that it was Jesus Christ who suffered, who broke the bands of death, who delivered us. There is not entity called the Atonement. Jesus Christ is the source, the Atonement is what he did. "Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we normally wouldn't do."

Saturday Afternoon Session

Elder Robert D. Hales talked bout discipleship. He said that true disciples are not just followers, but live so that the characteristics of Christ are molded into the very fiber of their being. He said that we cannot have selective obedience and be part-time disciples. "Be as devoted to God in the public square as we are in private."

Elder Jeffery R. Holland  talked about inclusion using the symbolism of a choir. He said that Christ has perfect pitch, and the rest of the voices of God's choir are all different, and the loss of one voice is devastating. He said that there is a place for everyone who loves God, follows his commandments, and wishes to be here. He said that loving God and keeping his commandments is the only way to solve problems.

Elder Gary B. Sabin talked about being all in and fully committed to the gospel. He said, "It is better to follow the creator than the crowd."

Elder Valeri V. Cordon gave us three ways to preserve the language of the gospel:

1. Be more diligent and concerned at home.
2. Be a strong model in the family.
3. Traditions.

Neil L. Andersen talked about overcoming the world. I won't say much about it here, because I'm writing about his talk for Mormon Women Stand. So, stay tuned!

Elder M. Russell Ballard talked about goals and the Plan of Salvation. He said that our personal goals should fit into the plan of salvation. He also said that the simpler it is, the more power it has. He gave the example of "Return and Receive." Our goal is to return to Heavenly Father and receive his blessings. He reminded us that Satan also has goals, and he uses loud voices and those who are blind to his lies to try to accomplish them. Elder Ballard reminded us again to keep Jesus Christ and his doctrine at the center of our goals.

I didn't take notes during the Priesthood Session, but I did listen to it. I really enjoyed it and felt the spirit. I especially enjoyed President Monson's message about how people use the priesthood correctly when they are serving and compassionate. I also liked Elder Bednar's message about the difference between being called to serve and assigned to an area.

Sunday Morning Session

President Thomas S. Monson announced five new temples! Brasilia, Brazil. Manila, Philippines. Nairobi, Kenya. Pocatello, Idaho USA. And Saratoga Springs, Utah USA. I always giggle when a new Utah temple is announced because you can hear the congregation in the conference center react - the loudest was definitely when he announced the Provo City Center temple several years ago. He then talked about the importance of gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He said that because the Book of Mormon is true, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on earth.

Sister Joy D. Jones gave us three universal guidelines on how to fortify our children against evil and raise a sin resistant generation:

1. Understand the importance of the responsibility of raising them and see their divine entity as children of God.
2. Understand repentance.
3. Begin at early ages.

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi said that his father taught him, "do not lose your faith because of the people around you... build a relationship with Christ...don't look around, look up."

Elder Ronald A. Rasband gave us four ways to keep the spirit with us:

1. Strive to be worthy of the spirit.
2. Be willing to receive the spirit.
3. Recognize the spirit when it comes.
4. Act on the first prompting.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks talked about the Godhead. I'm also writing about his talk for Mormon Women Stand. So once again, stay tuned!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf talked about fear and how it can incorrectly motivate people. He then compared it to how Heavenly Father motivates, which is through Jesus Christ and his love.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson talked about the duty to warn. I really don't know how to do it justice in a summary, so I'm just going to tell you to read it or listen to it again. It was so amazing.

Elder Joaquin E. Costa gave four pieces of advice to new members and investigators:

1. Once you meet the missionaries, please take them seriously.
2. If you are confused, don't worry, remember your good feelings and know they come from God.
3. Read your scriptures - it is the only way to know they are true.
4. Experience repentance. Nothing draws you closer to Jesus Christ than the desire to change.

Elder S. Mark Palmer said that the invitation to repent is also an invitation to receive forgiveness and peace.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson talked about the Holy Ghost. He said that the Holy Ghost warns, comforts, and testifies.

Elder C. Scott Grow taught to come to know God through prayer, scripture study, doing God's will, becoming like Christ, and following righteous mentors.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said, "Faith is the essential foundation for exaltation and eternal life."

I did miss a few speakers in my notes because my kids needed me, so I'm looking forward to reading those talks in the Ensign next month! This was a great conference weekend. I feel uplifted and edified.  

Like Grandmother, Like Mother, Like Daughter

This week's Family Search question is: What hobbies, interests, and talents do you have in common with your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors?

I share many things in common with my parents and grandparents. In fact, I can't think of a single characteristic that I did not either inherit or was influenced by my parents and grandparents. The four that stick out the most to me are: my cooking abilities, my dancing talent, my love of reading, and my passion for teaching.

Cooking

I come from a long line of cooks. My maternal great grandma Virginia is an amazing cook. My maternal grandma Linda is a great cook. My mother Debbie is a very talented cook. And my paternal grandma Carol is an amazing cook as well (so I have the genes on both sides). I have spent my life eating delicious meals made by my grandmothers and mother. When I was a teenager I didn't think that I had inherited this much needed cooking ability, but when I was pregnant with Benjamin I taught myself how to cook, and now I'm quite pleased with the dinners I serve my family (I call amazing dishes "worthy of Mrs. Weasley"). I brought that up to my grandma Linda one day and she told me that she also taught herself how to cook. That's another thing I have in common with her, we both taught ourselves! I used to feel like I lived in my mother's shadow when it came to cooking; and now we share recipes and tips!

Dancing

My mom did gymnastics, dance, and cheer leading. Her dance talent won her the title of Jr. Miss Grand Coulee Dam, and she went on to do well in the Jr. Miss Washington competition. When I was little I loved looking at the pictures of her in her costumes, and I wanted to do the same. I took lots of dance classes and tried gymnastics growing up. When I was 11 years old, I discovered ballroom, and that became my main style of dance.

I learned that my paternal great grandparents were Swedish Fold dancers. And I read in my maternal great grandma Nola's autobiography that she used to go to Church dances and dance the Waltz frequently while she was growing up. My maternal grandparents, Kent and Linda, met each other at a Church dance performance. So, like my cooking talent, my dance talent comes from all over.

Reading

My love of reading was instilled in me by my parents reading to me as a young girl. My aunt Vickie, and several of my cousins are big readers as well. Vickie introduced me and my cousins to Harry Potter. My grandma Linda was an elementary school librarian, and she gave me new books all of the time. I have seen Benjamin and Luna fall in love with reading as well, and I'm so excited for them. Reading always has been and always will be encouraged in my family.

Teaching

I graduated from BYU in 2015 with a teaching degree. Choosing teaching as my future career was definitely inspired by my family. My grandpa John Larson was an administrator and later a math teacher. My grandma Linda Peterson is a librarian. My dad is a math teacher. My mom is a Low Reinforcement Room facilitator (a.k.a. detention and in school suspension). My aunt Susie teaches math and science. My aunt Julie teaches math. My aunt Vickie is a school psychologist. And my aunt Deanna teaches English. I am the only history teacher. 😉 Education has always been important in my family, which I think is why teaching the next generation is something that appeals to many of us.

I am so grateful for the different talents that I have inherited from my family, and I am grateful for the fun things we have in common. I'm looking forward to see what inspires and influences Benjamin and Luna.

Sewing, My Newest Hobby

This week's Family Search question is: Do you like to dabble in lots of different hobbies? If so, what are they?

This is really similar to last week's question about hobbies from my childhood. My previous post about dancing, reading and family trips I would still consider hobbies in my adult life. I would also add cooking (I wrote about that in January) and writing/blogging (I have this blog, a recipes blog, a Harry Potter blog, and I write for Mormon Women Stand) as hobbies. For this post, I am going to talk about a new hobby that I picked up in the past few months: sewing.

I took a class in High School called "Sewing for the Home." In that class, I made a bag, a purse, a pillow, and a teddy bear. I made a skirt for a Personal Progress project. And I made my Halloween costume the year I was pregnant with Benjamin (I didn't like any of the store bought maternity costumes). So, I've known the basics of sewing for most of my life, but I've never had a sewing machine of my own. I used the school machines in class, and my mom's at home. Because I didn't have my own, I couldn't practice and refine my skills.  I can do basic hand stitching, and so anything that requires that - fixing up small holes, seam rips, and sewing on buttons - I have been able to do, but anything that needs a machine, I have not been able to do.

Last summer my parents were helping my aunt move and she was getting rid of a lot of stuff. One of the items she was giving away was a sewing machine. My mom asked if she could give it to me. My aunt said yes, and added that it had been given to her second-hand when she was a newly-wed and she had never used it. The machine needed a touch up to make sure it worked well. For my birthday present last fall, my mom paid for the touch up! Now I have my own sewing machine!

I have only had it for five months, and I have already made two things: an apron for me, and a poncho for Luna.

My next projects are for Benjamin. He has three pairs of pants with holes in the knees, and I am going to cut them into shorts and sew in a seam at the bottom of the legs. I am also going to make him a dress-up cape. (He likes to pretend to be King Triton from The Little Mermaid, and he wraps blanket around his shoulders but becomes frustrated when it falls off.) In fact, I'll probably make two capes, so Luna can have one too! I also plan on making certain parts of our Halloween costumes for this year, but you'll have to wait until October to see what those are!

I'm really excited to see what I'll be able to make 5-10 years down the road.

Dancing, Reading, and Family Trips

This week's Family Search question is: What were your favorite hobbies and pastimes in your childhood?

My childhood is chock-full of happy memories. I did lots of things: dance classes, gymnastics, soccer, piano, flute, and swimming lessons. I found great ways to relax: reading and Disney movies. And my family went on trips every year. When it comes to my favorite, I have narrowed it down to three: dancing, reading, and family trips.

Dancing

I have been taking dance classes since before I can remember. I took my first dance class when I was 3 years old, but I have no memory of it! I just have this picture in my costume:

When I was 8, we found a lady in the neighborhood who had converted her garage into a dance studio and  taught local dance classes. I was put in a class for my age group, and I took ballet and jazz lessons from her for a year. We did a Christmas concert, which I don't remember very well. Then we did an end-of-year (school year) concert. My class did a routine to "My Heart Will Go On" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".

When I was 10, I went back to that same studio and this time took tap and jazz. The theme of the concert  was The Wizard of Oz. We did a tap number to a song that wasn't in the movie, but I believe is in the musical (I can't remember the song). And we did our jazz number to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

When I was 11 I started my decade of ballroom dancing. I took my first ballroom class from the same lady I had taken previous classes from. It was a small class, only three couples. We did a Cha Cha and a Foxtrot for the concert. When I was 12 I went to a different studio, and I participated in my first competition! My partner and I competed Cha Cha and Foxtrot. We got a call back in the cha cha. When I was in 7th grade I started taking ballroom classes through the school. I made the Middle School team in 8th grade, JV Ballroom in 9th grade, and Varsity Ballroom 10th-12th grades. In college I danced on BYU's 10:00 and 1:00 teams, then I danced for a year on Center Stage's adult ballroom team.

I stopped dancing for teams when we were ready to start our family. But I still dance when I can now. Two out of my four exercise videos/games are dancing videos.

Reading

I have grown up with a love of reading. Before I learned how to read, my favorites for my parents to read to me were: The Sleep Book and Bears in the Night. I learned how to read with Dr. Seuss Books and the Babysitters' Little Sister Club book series. My cousin, Spencer, and I would race each other reading the Magic Tree House books (we could read two or three in a day). I also enjoyed Junie B. Jones when I was young. When I was in second grade I read The Island of the Blue Dolphins with my dad. I remember my teacher told my parents that I was reading at a 6th grade level!

When I was in 3rd grade, I discovered Harry Potter, and spent the next 8 years waiting for the new book to come out. I enjoyed just about every genre for my age group you could find. I was always reading something. In fact, I would get "grounded" from reading if I would pick up a book instead of listening to my parents. They would take my books away until I finished my chores almost every day. I also got in trouble for reading when I was supposed to be sleeping! But it wasn't like being in real trouble, it was more of a joke between all of us. My parents absolutely supported and encouraged my reading addiction.

In between waiting for the Harry Potter books, I read other series and authors as well. One that I like, which is similar to Harry Potter is the Charlie Bone series. In high school I really fell in love with  the British classics like Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters, and Charles Dickens. I tried, but I really couldn't get into the American classics. I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter, but I did not like The Last of the Mohicans or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Little Women was fine, but I don't know if I'll reread it like I do Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights.

As an adult I have really enjoyed Nicholas Sparks and Philippa Gregory. I also enjoy the occasional biography or autobiography. After Benjamin was born I really go into religious literature. I read The Ensign every month, and I've read most of The Teachings of Presidents.  I also love reading to Benjamin and Luna! Their favorites are Are You My Mother?, Bears in the Night,  and The Hungry Little Caterpillar.

Family Trips

Growing up we took family trips every year. We went camping in American Fork Canyon every summer. We would visit my mom's parents in Washington and my dad's in St. George. Whenever we went to St. George we would always go to Zion's National Park. Our favorite thing in Zion's is to take the mile hike to the start of the narrows Virgin River hike, and walk in the river for an hour or two and then come back.

One summer we visited all of my grandparents in one month! We drove down to see my dad's parents, then over to California where we met my dad's step grandma, Grandma Maxine, and my dad's aunt and uncle Sam and Betty. While in California we visit the Red Woods forest. We then drove up to Oregon where we visited with my great-grandma Mary (my dad's mom's mom). We visited Crater Lake there as well. Then up to Washington to visit my mom's parents where we swam in the Columbia River, and watched the light show on the Grand Coulee Dam. On the way home we stopped in Idaho to visit my great grandparents Elvin and Virginia (my mom's mom's parents).

The biggest rip we have ever taken was to drive from Utah to New York and back again. We went to New York to visit my mom's sister who lives there. On the way there we visited: Independence Rock, The Field of Dreams site, Mt. Rushmore, Chicago, and The University of Michigan. While in New York we went to New York City, of course. We visited the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero (in 2013), Ellis Island, Toys R Us, took a tour on a bus, and saw The Phantom  of the Opera. Back at my aunt's house we visited the Sacred Grove, The Hill Cummorah, and watched the pageant. We also visited Niagra Falls. On the way home we stopped at: the Kirtland Temple, Independence, Missouri, Adam-ondi-amen, Carthage Jail, Nauvoo, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

My parents instilled in me a love for traveling! I hope one day to take my kids on similar trips. Right now we take them to California once a year to see Gerson's parents. This summer we are taking them to Coulee Dam, Wa! I can't wait to see what adventures my family goes on in the future.