The Larkin 3

The Larkin 3

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sept/Honeymoon/Open house in Sequim

So Now we are on to the month of Sept....

We started out on Aug 26th and drove to Cali. We stopped in Reno for the night then went through Tahoe (a place I had never been) We decided to pick up a magnet from every place we stopped on our MONTH LONG honeymoon lol. Needless to say we have a full fridge. Anyway, we drove all the way around the lake then on to Portolla Valley to see Clay's grandmother. We spend a few days at her house and went to San Fran. We went to Alcatraz, went to the Aquarium at peir 49, saw the Golden Gate bridge, went to the Exploratorium, and the Academy of science. (we spent about 5 days doing all of that)
We then went down to Carmel/Monterey and spent a few days with Clay's awesome Aunt Mary and her husband Jim (WAY COOL PPL) Then we headed up the PCH! We took that all the way up to OR. It took us 3 days. So since we needed a place to stay, we took advantage of the AMAZINGLY HUGE tent we got from Clay's uncle Rick and Aunt Holly at the bridal shower! It is an 8 man tent! It is so big we could fit out queen size air mattress, Roran's pan-n-play and all of our other stuff and still had a TON of room!!! IT IS AN AWESOME TENT!
We spend a few days with Drew and Aly, and a day with Clay's Aunt Kris (another way cool lady!) Then we headed up to WA!! We went to my sister Heather's house and spend a few days with them. It was great to see them since I had not seen them in over a year. Sadly they had planned to go to Disneyland for 11 days right after we got there but we were able to spend a few days together. On the 10th we made our way up to Sequim to see my ma and pa! Sadly during this whole time (starting right after we got to Drew's place) I got sick. So I wasn't really able to enjoy much. BUT because of that, Clay drove all the way back down to Tacoma (about a 2 hour drive) to get me some meds!! He was such a wonderful husband!!!
Anyway, after I got the meds I started getting better. On the 13th (a day early) we decided to celebrate Roran's 1st birthday!!! We got him a cute Thomas the Train cake and some balloons and obviously toys lol. It was so much fun seeing him try to figure out what to do with that cake!!! In the end, like all babies, the cake was attacked lol. On Roran's birthday we drove out to Forks, La Push, and most NW part of the continental US. (Can't remember the name) but it was beautiful! We then hung out around Sequim for a few days then on the 18th We had an open house. We had everyone in my family that lives in WA there!!! It was so great to see them all!! We also had 2 of my wonderful friends show up. Jane and her mom, and Stephanie and her sweetheart. (sad to say out of all my friends in WA and in the area, I only had 2 show up) BUT They were there!!! It was SOOOOOO good to see them!!!! I love you girls!

The next morning I got a text friend my friend Jen. She was freaking out because she got the day's mixed up. She was about to leave to come to the open house when she discovered it had been the day before. But it turned out to be a good thing (more about that later) A few hours later Clay and I went off on our honeymoon without Roran. We stayed at Heather and Tony's house so we didn't have to drive so far and didn't have to pay for a hotel. We went to Seattle (a place Clay had never been) and spent several days playing around. We went to the Space Needle, the Aquarium, Pike Place Market, Gas Works Park, IVARS, (we ate there every day lol Clay wasn't expecting it to taste so good lol) the EMP/Science fiction museum, the troll, and the Tacoma museum of Glass. On Thurs the the 23rd we headed back to Sequim. The next morning we all said goodbye to mom and dad and headed back to Seattle. We took a ferry ride (Roran's first ever) and went to the Woodland Park Zoo where we met up with Jen and her cute little guy! We spend the whole day at the Zoo then went back to Jen's house where I met her now husband Joe! We had dinner then Jen, Jes and I went out dancing while the men watched the babies and played Xbox lol The next morning we loaded everything up in our little car again (this time with a TON more stuff Toys and Clothes) Jen is such a wonderful giving person! She has given us SO much and saved us with Roran!! She has given us Clothing, toys, and bedding!!! When we left her house she even gave us a gift to Target and a gift visa gift card on top of everything else!! She is AMAZING! I don't know what I would do with out her!!
ANYWAY, after we left her place we went back to Seattle and went to the Science center then went on a harbor cruise around the sound, then back up to the Science center where we saw The Legend Of The Guardians in IMAX. After that we went drove back to Tacoma to see Heather and Tony again. We hung out with them that night then

Sunday morning we headed back to OR. Sadly we had gotten news that Clay's uncle had died so we were heading back to his home for the wake. The "plus side" to going back was I was able to meet more of Clay's family! We also were able to unload a TON of stuff, Clay's father and uncle drove over and we were able to put a bunch of stuff in their car. After that, we went back to Drew's for a day or so then headed home. We got back on Sept 29th. We had been on the road for just over a month!

More to come later! (including pics)

Wonderful August/WEDDING

So August hits and that means we have to pack everything and come back to Utah. It was bittersweet. I was very sad to leave Cali but excited for what was coming. We got back to Utah around the 10th or so and right away started getting wedding stuff going!!!
The weekend before the wedding we spent time with Jay and Mo. (Clay's AWESOME dad and his AMAZING wife) While we were there Mo was SO sweet and helped pick out flowers for the wedding (which they paid for!!) And they helped me pick a cake and find the cake baker. (they also paid for the cake!!!) I LOVE the way it turned out! So pretty!! (pics will be posted when I get them)
On the Monday before the wedding Clay's grandma Sharon drove into town with my dress!! She had it made in China and by the time it was done it had 3 skirts... She gave them the fabric and they SWAPPED IT!! They made the dress with cheaper fabric! She knew right away cuz she is awesome like that and made them redo it. When she went back the skirt was shorter than before and she had to take it as it was. When she got to town I tried it on and it was to big!!! I had lost 4 inches!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!! So she had to take it in and Clay and I had to go pick up some fabric so she could redo the skirt to make it long enough. She then spent countless hours beading the dress!!! She did an AMAZING job!!! I could not have asked for a more BEAUTIFUL dress!!

On the 18th my mom and dad got into town! I was so excited I was almost in tears lol! That night mom and I ran some wedding errands and picked up a few last things. We went to walmart and she bought me a cute outfit for the bridal shower :oD I LOVE that shirt btw mom!!
The next day my WONDERFUL and AMAZING friend Lizzie drove up from St George and was the BEST M.O.H. (Maid Of Honor) any girl could ask for!!! She met us (My mom, Aly, Cassie, Carole, Grandma Sharon, Eileen, and I) at a nail salon. Carole paid for several of us to get pedicures!!!! It was HEAVEN!!! After that Lizzie and I went back to Carole's house and Lizzie jumped right in the planning!!! She planned my bridal shower and the bachelorete party (sry I have not idea how to spell that lol) We hung out at the house for a while, Lizzie tried on her dress and they had to do some adjustments because the top didn't fit right. While the dress was being fixed Lizzie started doing my hair and I was doing some last min things on my laptop since all my music was on there I needed to make sure the play lists were the way I wanted. While I was doing that it freaked out then shut down. My computer had crashed!!! I was pretty stressed but I knew that Clay had a lot of the music on his computer but I didn't have time to redo it all. So I had to just worry about it later....
The Bridal shower was beautiful! It was in Carole's beautiful back yard. The sun came out just in time (it had been raining cats and dogs all morning) Between all of the wonderful women the bridal shower was fabulous. It was so great getting to see all those wonderful women! I felt SO loved!!! The next day Lizzie paid for me to get eye lash extensions (again AMAZING MOH!) After that we met up with Drew and Aly in bountiful and they took my bridals! They turned out beautiful! The only problem was it was so bright I couldn't keep my eyes open lol Drew would have to count to 3 then I'd open my eyes for the shot and close them again lol
After bridals Lizzie and I headed back down to UT county. We met up with Carole at Costco and picked up the last min food items. Then went back to Carole's. I was exhaused and had so much to do that Lizzie left and went to pick up all the flowers. (AGAIN AMAZING MOH!) After that Lizzie, Cassie, Aly and I left for the Bachelorette party. We went to Classic Skating! It was so fun!! We got to rollerblade/skate for a few hours. While I was doing that Clay was having fun at his bachelor party. They went paintballing, to braxtons football game, flowriding and then out to eat at Denny's. After my party Lizzie and I drove up to Park City to the AMAZING house where the wedding would take place. Thanks to Rick and Holly Alden I was blessed to have the wedding in the most beautiful place!!!
Lizzie and I spent the night up there and the next morning I got up, showered and relaxed while everyone else ran around like chickens with their heads cut off lol I didn't see how ANYTHING was decorated or set up till I walked down the isle. While everyone was doing all of that, like I said, I relaxed in my AMAZING room and got onto Clay's computer and remade the play lists. I spent several hours laying on the floor listening to music :) At around 12 we started getting ready. Lizzie did my hair and my make up!! She did such a wonderful job!!
The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect!! It was sunny and warm. My brother Joe read a poem and Clay's step sister and her husband sang a beautiful song. It was so wonderful looking into Clay's eyes as we said our I DO's. I felt (feel) like the luckiest woman in the world! After the ceremony we visited with everyone and I saw several ppl who I had not seen in many years. We cut the cake then had our first dance as husband and wife. Then Clay and his mother danced then it was my turn to dance with my dad but sadly, his feet were hurting him so I got to dance with Jay :o)
After the dances we started with all the pics. After that we changed and headed off to dinner with some of my family who couldn't make it to the wedding. THEN off to the AMAZING hotel......

Thank you to everyone who helped make my wedding the most wonderful day of my life (ok second most since Roran will hold the #1 spot forever) :o) I love you all!!!
Pics will be posted when I get them from Drew :o)

Yes I know I have been neglecting my blog.....






OK So I know it has been MONTHS but we finally have the net at home AND my computer is UP AND RUNNING!
SO Since June we have left California, gotten married, had 2 dogs, gotten rid of 2 dogs, gone on a month long honeymoon and moved into a WONDERFUL apartment in American Fork! SO, with that said, I will try to break it down... :o)
Some of these months and events will be really long so they will get there own post lol

Crazy stressful July
Clay's Honda bites the dust so on the 4th of July Clay flies back to UT to drive my car back. My car needed a little bit of work done so we took it to a shop that was 2 miles from out apartment. I got a call saying it was done and that they were closing in 40 min... I had NO car to drive so I had to run/walk there with Roran. About half way there my phone JUMPS out of the stroller and the screen shatters! LAME! We manage to get there in time and I got the car. YIPPY I HAVE MY CAR BACK or so I thought... I got less than a mile down the road and it dies at an intersection. Needless to say I was NOT happy. When we took the car in it was running.... SO I'm not stuck on the side of the road at 5:15 pm on a FRIDAY. A few guys helped push the car out of the road since I couldn't do it by my self. They then go off on there way. Sitting there with Roran I call Clay crying. Several other cars pull over worried because they saw a woman on the side of the road with a baby. A few nice ppl pushed the car into a parking lot for me. Clay calls back and said he contacted Dan and said he would come pick us up. I said it was ok that we could just walk home (I was only a mile away and on the same street) The next morning we contact the shop and they have a tow truck pick up the car.... The tow company said I had to be there to give them the keys and sign something.... SO I have to walk all the way back the next morning (SIDE NOTE- I ended up loosing nearly 10 lbs this summer from all the car problems lol)
By the end of all the car issues we had taken the car in 4 times (1 of those times was to a new shop here in AF)
That was the craziness that was JULY.... Here are a few pics