Hello from the Larsens!

Hi Family!

I am happy to see many of you posting on the family blog.  It was my job to get it up and running so I feel kind of responsible for your involvement.  The one thing I need to tweak is to figure out how to make it so we are all notified of comments when they are added to the blog.  I'll figure it out.  Either way, though, make sure you look at the comments on posts.  I just commented on all of the January posts.

Here we are in February!  Hallelujah!  January was a rough ride for the Larsen clan and I'm happy to be out the other end of it.  I always get kind of down in January... not a lot for me to look forward to.  Next year I'm going to start a winter sport so that I have an excuse to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.  If only it weren't so darn expensive.

Greg is finishing up his run of the show "Is He Dead" at the Hale.  It ends this weekend.  It went six weeks with four our five performances a week.  Add that to teaching full time and I hardly ever saw Greg this month, and when I did see him I wasn't exactly getting his best self.  We made some mistakes this year with how much Greg took on- good lessons to learn for the future.  He has worked himself pretty hard and has stressed all the way through it.  I generally don't think I am too stressed of a person but the one thing that does stress me out is Greg's stress.  (Still with me?)  I am hoping once this show is over and spring is on its way that life will get a bit easier.

As you all know, Agathe joined us in November.  She is my student and asked me if she could move in with us because her host family situation wasn't working out.  I felt strongly that we needed to allow her to live in our home; Greg was more hesitant, but supported me in my desires. It has been much harder than I thought it would be.  She is completely dependent on us.  I am her mom.  I am responsible for making sure she has friends, meets people, has the "foreign exchange" experience, is safe, gets to school in the morning, etc.  We are also responsible for food for her, a bedroom, transportation, etc.  (She is not allowed to drive.)  It is a bit of a financial strain as we are not paid anything to host her but are expected to provide three meals a day for her.  I didn't think it would make that big of a difference in our grocery bill, but it does.  I pray that we made the right decision, as I have watched the added stress it has put on Greg and our family.  The second or third week she was here I kind of had this break down and said to Greg in tears that I think we had made a horrible decision and that we couldn't handle the stress of providing for her.  He said to me, "Bonnie if you felt strongly that we need to let her live with us then there is a reason for that."  I cling to that statement and hope and pray he is right.  It is hard to always know if you are doing the right thing, you know?  In my mind the right thing was to let her live with us.  But I worry that I am hurting my family in the process, putting too much pressure and stress on Greg and taking away from time that I spend with June.  It is just hard to always have a guest around, you know?  In some ways it feels a bit like an invasion of privacy, like you can't just relax in your own home because you always have company.  As Greg is so often busy that means that I spend the majority of my time with Agathe.  I have always thought I was the most extroverted extrovert in the world, but turns out I am a bit introverted!  I do like some alone time.  I do need some time to myself to recharge and re energize.  These are things I've learned these past two months.  Greg is very sweet to Agathe, but I can tell that when he comes home completely exhausted the last thing he wants to do is entertain a seventeen year old.

I hope that last paragraph isn't too depressing.  I think we've just bitten off more than we can chew.  I feel bad when I am frustrated or overwhelmed because it is not Agathe's fault at all.  She is the sweetest, kindest teenager.  She is sensitive and very mature.  There couldn't be an easier person in the world to have living with us.  But the bottom line is that it is someone in our home and in our lives constantly and it is just tougher than I thought it would be. Send prayers and love our way as we are not quite on top of life right now.  Also, if any of you guys are ever going anywhere fun or doing anything interesting at all, we would love it if you would invite Agathe. She would love to get out, and we would love a little break. She spends a lot of time at home.  I feel some pressure to "entertain" her but with June at home and Greg gone so much of the time we're not exactly in that stage of life.  She absolutely loves to ski and is down for anything in the world.  She is very pleasant and very easy to have along.  If you are going to the movie or on a hike or even a basketball game that is kind of nearby, Agathe would love to come.  She is shy at first, but once she opens up she never stops talking.  It is a bit hard because she has to be driven, but if there is something close I can drive her, or if it is something that you have to pass by Lehi to get to we will be happy to meet you at the freeway.  Thank you, family!  I say this with tears in my eyes- I suppose I am a bit overwhelmed.

June is sweet as can be.  She is the absolute sunshine and joy in our life.  She makes me want ten more babies.  Being her mom and watching Greg be her dad has been the most satisfying and happy experience of my life.  She has started rolling and will roll all across the room like a fiend.  When she's on her stomach she will try to scoot and reach out to grab something.  Not long and she will be crawling.  It goes too darn fast.

I am so grateful for my family and for my covenants.  I cling to those and to the promises to be with you all forever.  Love you.

And now, some pictures.

I finally finished June's nursery!  Seven months later!

Agathe turned 17 on January 22.  She requested "Salmon and pasta" for dinner.

Horrible family selfie, but it's the best we managed.

And, the best thing we've got going for us.  We can't get enough of her...