The Big Bash

~ CHARLOTTE MARIE ~

7 pounds 8 ounces, 19 inches long

SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2008

AS WE LOOK AT OUR SWEET LITTLE LADY, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SHE HAS BEEN WITH US A YEAR NOW. IT HAS GONE BY SO FAST! OUR YEAR HAS BEEN FILLED WITH MANY PRECIOUS MEMORIES AND MILESTONES AS WE HAVE WATCHED CHARLOTTE GROW INTO A VERY SPUNKY GAL. SHE FILLS OUR DAYS WITH LAUGHTER, CHEER, AND DEEP SATISFACTION. HER NATURAL CURIOSITY, LOVE OF MUSIC AND BOOKS, PERSISTENCE, CHATTER, GIGGLES, AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS FILL OUR HOME WITH IMMENSE JOY. WE TREASURE OUR LITTLE CHARLA-DO, AND CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT YEAR BRINGS! THANK YOU FOR LOVING OUR LITTLE GIRL, AND INVESTING IN HER LITTLE LIFE. WE TREASURE OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED TO SHARE CHAR'S FIRST YEAR OF LIFE WITH YOU!

OUR LITTLE BIRTHDAY GIRL.

AT THIS POINT IN THE DAY, CHARLOTTE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYONE IS SO EXCITED TO SEE HER. SHE EVENTUALLY WARMS UP TO THE CROWD.

AUNTIE DAWNIE AND BOB.

(CHARLOTTE IS HAPPY ON THE INSIDE TO SEE THEM.)

THE "BURGER" CLAN MINUS COUSIN TYLER. (CHARLOTTE DOES NOT HARBOR ANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS TOWARDS HER COUSIN TY.)

"IT'S MY PARTY...I'LL THROW UP IF I WANT TO."

CHARLOTTE'S SEAT OF CHOICE.

"SERIOUSLY...ARE ALL OF THESE FOR ME?"

"APPARENTLY, MOM GETS A KICK OUT OF ME READING CARDS."

"I COULD HUG THIS ALL DAY!"

UPON RECEIVING A SESAME STREET MEDICAL KIT CHARLOTTE WONDERS..."DOES THIS MEAN I'M GOING TO BE A DOCTOR, TOO, WHEN I GROW UP?"

THE BIG PRESENTATION.

"CAN I EAT THIS STUFF EVERYDAY?!"

CHARLOTTE, DELIGHTED SHE FINISHED OFF ANOTHER CAKE, JOINS IN THE CELEBRATORY CLAPPING.

DOC AND PAPA JOE
(AGAIN, CHARLOTTE IS HAPPY ON THE INSIDE.)

AFTER A FULL DAY, CHAR IS READY FOR A NAP!

"PAPA, THAT FROSTING HAS MY BELLY HURTIN'!"

THANK YOU TO ALL FOR A WONDERFUL FIRST BIRTHDAY, FILLED WITH MANY PRECIOUS MEMORIES!

March Madness

EACH YEAR AS MARCH ROLLS AROUND, THE EXCITEMENT IN THE LARSON HOME BEINGS TO BUILD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. AN EVENT, THAT IS SECOND TO PERHAPS ONLY CHRISTMAS. (IN FACT, YOU MIGHT EVEN HEAR "IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR" BEING SUNG.) AN EVENT THAT BRINGS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SPORT'S FANS AROUND THE COUNTRY TOGETHER.

THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.

MARCH MADNESS HOLDS SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS THAT EACH YEAR JEFF TAKES A WEEK LONG VACATION TO CELEBRATE. IN FACT, OUR DAUGHTER CAME INTO THIS WORLD IN THE MIDST OF TOURNAMENT ACTION A YEAR AGO! THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO A WEEKEND OF SPORTS THAT WILL ALWAYS BE AN HONORED TRADITION IN OUR HOME!



A YEAR AGO, WE WERE EAGERLY ANTICIPATING THE ARRIVAL OF OUR SWEET GIRL. KNOWING THAT MARCH MADNESS WOULD ALWAYS BE A PART OF HER LIFE (AND BIRTHDAYS) WE HOPED SHE WOULD EMBRACE THE WEEKEND WITH ENTHUSIASM. IT IS CLEAR THAT SHE IS ALREADY A SPORT'S FAN!

CHEERING ON MARQUETTE!
"DAD, WHEN DOES THE WISCONSIN GAME COME ON, I'M READY TO WEAR RED AND WHITE?!"















CHARLOTTE'S HUMOR GETS ROBBIE EVERY TIME!















CHARLOTTE CAN HARDLY CONTAIN HER AFFECTION FOR ROBBIE.







FIRST BATH AS A COUPLE.

ROBBIE - "CHARLOTTE, ALLOW ME TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH."
CHARLOTTE - "UM...SHARING A TOOTH BRUSH ALREADY? DO YOU THINK WE ARE MOVING TOO FAST?"




SAD TO SEE THE LIVINGSTONS GO.

"COME BACK SOON, ROBBIE!"

Our Newest Loves

JEFF WITH RYAN - BEING A GODFATHER IS A LOT OF WORK!

LITTLE LUKE

THE PROUD GODFATHER

LITTLE BUDDIES

RYAN MATTHEW

LUKE MICHAEL

THIS PAST SUNDAY JEFF AND I WERE ABLE TO GO VISIT THE BELLITO TWINS. THEY ARE PRECIOUS, HEALTHY BOYS AND ARE ENJOYING THEIR TIME AT HOME AFTER SPENDING TWO WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL. THEY ARE KEEPING A GOOD SCHEDULE THANKS TO TWO HARD WORKING PARENTS, AND ARE PEACEFUL LITTLE FELLAS. WEIGHING IN AT 5 POUNDS, THE BOYS ARE ADJUSTING QUITE WELL TO LIFE OUTSIDE THE WOMB.

WE ALREADY ANTICIPATE THE DAY WHEN CHARLOTTE, RYAN, LUKE, AND THE LIVINGSTON CLAN ARE GETTING INTO ALL SORTS OF TROUBLE. OUR CURRENT PREDICTION IS THAT CHAR AND RYAN WILL BE THE RING LEADERS. THEY WILL BE QUITE THE CREW. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THESE SWEET BOYS, AND CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH THEM GROW. THEY ARE SURE TO BRING US ALL MUCH JOY!

St. Patrick's Day

LOOKING VERY SWEET!

LOVING HER FIRST PICKLE...JUST LIKE HER MAMA!

ENJOYING THE BREEZE ON STATE STREET. LOOK AT THOSE FLOWING LOCKS!

CHARLOTTE KEPT JEFF VERY BUSY AS WE WAITED FOR OUR FOOD! SHE THINKS WALKING AROUND THE RESTAURANT IS A GOOD WAY TO PASS THE TIME. HERE SHE IS "ENCOURAGING" OTHER PEOPLE TO TRY OUT THIS RESTAURANT AS THEY WALK BY.

JEFF'S VACATION BEGAN THIS WEEK, AND ALREADY WE ARE MAKING THE MOST OF OUR TIME WITH POPS. WE PACKED UP OUR GEAR AND SPENT THE AFTERNOON DOWNTOWN ON STATE STREET, PROUDLY WEARING GREEN IN HONOR OF ST. PATTY'S DAY. WE ENJOYED THE FANTASTIC SPRING TEMPS, DELICIOUS PUB FOOD, TASTY GELATO, AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING. CHAR AND I FEEL VERY LUCKY WHEN WE GET TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME WITH JEFF.


NEXT UP...GEARING UP FOR MARCH MADNESS. CHARLOTTE IS ALREADY FEELING THE FEVER!

OUR GAL

OUR GAL IS ON THE MOVE. SHE ADORES THE FACT THAT SHE CAN WALK AND HAS COME VERY CLOSE TO RUNNING. (THOUGH, IT IS PROBABLY JUST HER FEET GETTING THE BEST OF HER!) SHE TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN WALKING THROUGH STORES, CHURCHES, AND AROUND OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES, SWINGING HER ARMS AND CAUSING QUITE A SCENE. IT IS HARD TO TAKE OUR EYES OFF OF HER.

SHE HAS ALSO BECOME QUITE CHATTY AS OF LATE. SHE ENJOYS BLENDING SOUNDS INTO WHAT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IS HER WAY OF CONVERSING WITH US AND HER VARIOUS TOYS AROUND THE HOUSE. SHE CAN RAISE HER VOICE QUITE WELL AND WE ARE WORKING ON HER INSIDE VOICE. (I WONDER WHERE SHE GETS HER VOLUME?) IT IS APPARENT SHE HAS A LOT ON HER LITTLE MIND, AND WE ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF HER RAMBLINGS. I MUST ADMIT WHEN I FOUND HER "READING" ALOUD TO HERSELF THE OTHER DAY MY OLD (TEACHER) HEART MELTED. HAVING AN ALMOST ONE-YEAR-OLD IS A PRECIOUS GIFT.

Blog Makeover

FAMILY AND FRIENDS,

IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE CREATING A BLOG, DEDICATED TO OUR LITTLE LADY, CHARLOTTE MARIE. AS SHE IS NOW ALMOST A YEAR OLD, WE DECIDED TO SHAKE THINGS UP AND BEGIN A NEW BLOG FOR THE FAM. THIS NEW BLOG NOT ONLY REFLECTS CHARLOTTE'S SOPHISTICATION AT ALMOST ONE, IT IS FREE (UNLIKE OUR PREVIOUS SITE). WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING ALL OF C'S NEW ADVENTURES WITH YOU, AS SHE SAYS "GOODBYE" TO INFANCY AND "HELLO" TO BEING A TODDLER!