My big suprise from my amazing husband!!!!!!!!!

As we were exiting the Covey Center For the Performing Arts and I thought we were getting into the car to drive home, Brigham said, “You’re not going home Mrs. Utah”.   He pulled out the key to the penthouse suite of the Hines Mansion, which is directly across the street from the Covey.  I was so stressed at first (what about the kids, and I don’t have any stuff and I left the house a wreck and, and, and…..)  Then he told me he had cleaned the entire house, scheduled an all night babysitter (even setting out breakfast for everyone to make it easier), he had arranged rides home for our kids, packed our overnight bags and already had them delivered and waiting at the penthouse suite along with a table set with celebration food and sparkling cider!  Do I have the world’s most awesome husband OR WHAT??????????????  Pretty fab Mr. Utah!  I LOVE HIM!  I LOVE HIM!  I LOVE HIM!  It was the perfect fantasy ending to our amazing journey together.  He’s been nothing but supportive and excited the entire time.  I thought he was supportive throughout the pageant process… he has totally blown me away with support now that I am tackling the promotion of my platform.  Everyday he asks how he can help.  He takes the kids for hours, days at a time!  He is spearheading the obtaining of sponsors to support TEAM Decency.  He is working on my presentation powerpoint slides.  He is tracking down website designers and being my videoographer and youtube techie for my weekly video updates.  HE IS THE IDEAL MAN!  I’m so grateful for our wonderful partnership.  It is going to be an exciting year together.

Our celebration feast!  He spoils me!

More Mrs. Utah videos and photos

On stage questions:

Our kids being interviewed by Brigham on their way to haircuts for pageant night!

Me with Emily Nelson, Mrs. Utah United States 2008

Opening number and contestant intros:

My wonderful husband escorting me.

My wonderful kiddos!  Baby got left at home.

Introducing myself…

Oh…. I love this guy!

I really grew to appreciate all of these women and their many talents.  The entire pageant was without negative incident.  Everyone was always so helpful and kind!  Love them all!!!!!!!

The opening number final pose.

Amazing ladies!  The top 10… and so many amazing women still on the stairs.  I’m glad I wasn’t judging.

On stage question with Laura Dugovic.

Winning evening gown award, presented by Emily Nelson-Mrs. Utah United States 2008.

Brigham’s first smile at me.  So madly in love with him!

Our happy family (look at Abby’s face-so excited!)

Brigham’s parents, Greg and Maya.

Sweet, sweet Abby!

My mom, Diana, and sister, Heather, who flew in from WA.  Thanks sister for taking all of these photos!!!!!

Thanks Heidi Murray for the little crown for Abby!  She was so excited to have it!  She’s been wearing it all week!

My neice, Brooke, who flew in from WA!

I’m so grateful for everyone who helped me accomplish this goal of promoting my platform-TEAM Decency!  You can see my first weekly video update a few posts down on this blog (hot pink shirt video).  Send me an e-mail to be on my weekly e-mail list for updates and ideas on how to “Stand For Decency”.   karmel.larson@gmail.com.

Swimming at the Marriott with Gma Diny!

Two lines=#5 on 12/28/08 :)

My first weekly video update for TEAM Decency!

Support TEAM Decency and receive weekly updates by e-mailing me at karmel.larson@gmail.com, subject line: TEAM Decency Weekly Update.  Each week will contain ideas on how you and your family can “Declare Decency”.

Featured on www.startupprincess.com

Thank you to Kelly King Anderson for featuring me on her website www.startupprincess.com.   She was the first one up on stage offering her congrats!

Here’s the link:

http://startupprincess.com/wordpress/congratulations-to-mrs-utah-united-states-2009-karmel-larson-a-startup-princess/

Thanks Kelly!  She was so helpful and generous with my pageant prep.  Now she is offering lots of help and tips to launch my platform with speed and power!  So grateful for devoted family and dedicated friends!  I have been flooded with support!

Love to you all,

Karmel

PS-Anyone have any good resources for websites?

Anxious to get going on my platform!

I have a basic website started and need to quicky get Utah business sponsors and a web designer to create a professional T.E.A.M. Decency website.  For now, I’ve started this basic one at www.teamdecency.com.  If you have any ideas or contacts for me, please advise immediately!

Now that the initial shock is over… it’s time to get to work and I’ll need ALOT of help!  I’ve been having offers to help from so many people!  The outpouring of offers to help and support for my platform have been overwhelming.  Let the fun begin!!!!!!!!!!

I am feeling so grateful…

…and soooooo excited to get to work sharing my platform.

Here’s the video of the top five.  (I love Brigham’s screaming as he records!)

Here is the evening gown video.    It was my favorite moment of the evening when, in a moment of silence, Abby called out, “I love you mom!”.  Oh the precious moments of motherhood.   It melted my heart and I think the hearts of the judges and audience too.  I was awarded the evening gown award.  What an honor and opportunity I have been given.   I’m overwhelmed with joy and anticipation!

More photos and videos coming soon.  I’m so grateful for everyone who helped and supported me in this endeavor.

Love to you all! -Karmel

One week to go!

Tickets are almost sold out!  Are you coming?  www.coveycenter.org to buy tickets!

We had our final practice today and it was great.  This whole opportunity has been so wonderful and I’m excited to pull it all together next Saturday.   -Karmel

Some of my pageant friends at our last rehearsal:

My new favorite food!

Do you see that label?  ZERO Calories! ZERO Fat!  I can eat the whole jar and float away in crunch, flavor and salt and not even feel guilty!  LOVE PICKLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C’mon…. leave me a comment!  How could you resist not commenting on a “pickle post?”  Happy crunching!  Love Karmel

A better Mother’s Day gift than flowers!

American Mothers of Utah Valley is hosting Honoring Motherhood this Saturday, May 9th from 8:30-11:00 am at the White Willow Reception Center in Provo.   Treat your wife, mother, daughter to a catered breakfast and a tribute to honor her as a mother.  Speakers will include Utah’s Mother and Young Mother of the year.

For complete details, visit www.americanmothers.wordpress.com

Easter 2009

April American Mothers Meeting

Utah Mother of the Year visited our group

Dixie Clifford, the Utah Mother of the Year, visited our group and gave her speech that she will be presenting at the National Convention.

Dixie grew up in Paradise, Utah in a loving family where spiritual and moral values were taught. While a student at Utah State, she met and married Lincoln Clifford, her husband of 52 years. She has been blessed with four children and seven grandchildren. Born with a positive mental attitude and boundless energy, she has focused her life on homemaking and mothering with “spare” time spent in youth leadership and volunteer work in the schools, communities and churches of the six states where she has lived. A prolific writer and musician, she inspires young people to achievement and patriotism through her work in PTA, Scouting, 4-H Club work, school and church programs. She is a published author of essays, poems, newspaper feature stories and photos, with a novel, The Dictionary, slated for Christmas 2009. As a re-entry woman earning a Communications degree, she was named Student of the Year by her professors. In 1992, she was named Commissioner of the Year by the Los Angeles Area Parks & Recreation Commission for 123 cities.Click here to read a copy of her speech.

Utah Valley AMI Chapter President, Karmel Larson with Utah Mother of the Year 2009, Dixie Clifford

April Meeting on Educating our Children

As usual, we had a great discussion last night.  Our Glenn Latham parenting lesson was on toilet training, Chapter 18, p. 249. Consistent with all of  Dr. Latham’s approach to parenting, he says to ignore the negative behavior (going to the bathroom in the diaper or having an accident in underwear) by not talking, tickling, singing or scolding when changing diaper or underwear.  When the child is dry (diaper or underwear), praise child, give high fives, dance, sing, etc.  Ingrid suggested starting out by checking child’s diaper every 30 minutes and praising when dry, saying nothing when wet.  Everyone’s general consensus was to not force toilet training. Watch for signs of readiness of child. When child is ready, he will most often make the transition himself  or herself.

Education at home- Use every day moments to teach children.  For example, Ingrid put up an alphabet chart by the changing table when her daughter was one, and taught her the alphabet every time she changed diapers.  Danielle likes to have her daughter count apples while they put them in the bag, and make up addition and subtraction problems with every day opportunities.  Dixie said that when her children were young, she and her husband vowed to use correct grammar and speech around their children.  Karmel shared a scripture binder strategy that has helped improve scripture study around their home.  We all agreed fathers are important in using everyday moments to teach children.

Shauna Dunn gave a wonderful presentation on teaching children to love reading at the Thomas Jefferson Leadership Conference in March. She has graciously agreed to share her presentation with us,  “The E’s and Ease of Teaching your Child to Love Reading”

Chapter members, Shauna, Danielle & Ingrid

New President-Elect Kristin Collins

We are excited to welcome Kristin Collins as our President-Elect of our Utah Valley American Mothers chapter.  She will start her term as President in July.  At this time, we will also form a board for our Utah Valley chapter.  If you are interested in being on the board, contact Kristin.

Karmel and Kristin

Next meeting will be our Honoring Motherhood Event, May 9, 2009.

Swinging

Conference Weekend

The talks that impacted me most this weekend were focused on the temple.

Powerful thoughts came to mind!  So grateful for these opportunites to seek improvement!

Here is a link to Elder Bednar’s talk (my favorite).

Here are some photos from our weekend.  Brigham’s parents came to our house to watch conference with us.

This is kind of a goofy photo of yours truly, but shows the posted menus that I collected from each family menu for “Karmel’s Cafe”.  Business hours are the first Sunday of each April and October from 8-10am.  It was a huge hit!  The kids are always hearing me say…. “You get what you get and don’t throw a fit.  This is not a cafe, it’s a cafeteria-just one option!”  So they were thrilled to get a huge list of things to choose from off their printed menus.  We all had fun making it and serving it restaurant style.  Below is Abby filling out her “Karmel’s Cafe” menu.

It’s a good thing the talks are posted on-line for future reading.  There is a danger in watching anything laying down!

Between sessions, we did “Grown Ups and Doughnuts”.  Each of the 4 kids picked a grown up and picked books from the huge assortment of new library books.  We read and ate donuts!   Happy kids…

New updates to our family page

Thank you to Chad at Faces Photography for the beautiful photos!

The Larsons… Never a dull moment!

Dado-Brigham

He’s the best dad on the planet… the kids call him, “Super-Hero-Dado”. When he’s not giving tractor rides or reviving an old piano…you might find him at a Jazz gig or watching an old film with friends at movie club. He’s a big thinker… always a new idea or invention at the forefront of his mind!

Mama-Karmel

Motherhood is her passion!  Educating her children is her peak joy.   She thrives on the social interaction and goodness found with American Mothers, yet also loves the solitude of quiet country life at home canning, baking, gardening, collecting eggs and reading books in our mini orchard.

Benjamin Greg-Ben Ben

Ben is our social scholar!  His latest concern was that he “has too many friends and not enough time to play with them all”.  He’s the kid at the park who is introducing himself to everyone and organizing a game.  FYI-Ben’s current favorite color is “hot lava color”.

Abigail Diana-Abby Diny

Sweet little Abigail!  She’s got her daddy’s musical ears-always heading to the piano to plunk out a song she’s singing.  Abby is mama’s little helper too-frequently requesting new chores to be added to her list.  Her latest request to be “in charge” of “putting Thanye down for his nap”.

Thayne Richard-Danger, Thayne-a-punim

Quick… hide the breakables.  Actually, don’t bother-he’ll climb, jump or fly to find them.  He’s our active delight!  Curly headed, giggling kid!

Brigham Walter Jr.-Briggy, Brig Jr, Baby, Buddy, Little Guy

He’s cute, cuddly, fills our home with joy.

We are so blessed!

My Personal Philosophy

I met with Heather Osmond yesterday and she suggested that I seek out a personal philosophy.  Something that encapsulates who I am, my life’s mission, my greatest desires, etc.  So this morning I meditated on this topic and the words came to my mind…….

SEEK AND SHARE TRUTH!

It was a powerful experience.  Consider the statement for a moment.  It truly encapsulates me, my life, my purpose, everything I spend my time doing!  I’m grateful!

Love Karmel

PS-So as Heather Osmond encouraged me, now I encourage you…. seek out a personal philosophy statement.