Happy Birthday Sean

Sean and Apryl meet The Alien!

Apryl will you Marry Me?

We first met Sean Larkin in Roswell New Mexico!

The family and friends of
The Bride and Groom Las Vegas

Magic Mountain 2 months married!

In Washington they Fish!   DRIVE Ayris!

Sean goes platinum while 
Family and Friends gather to send
Austin off on his mission to Bilboa Spain 2003

The Family gives Thanks! 2011

A Family reunion of sorts 2012

I love to see the Temple -
they'll go inside someday!

Sean wears Amric and Hugs Apryl

We love our Sean.  He takes good care of our Apryl and His babies. So grateful that he loves us too.

Sean is Royalty

They Travel, Her life long dream!

Some say that opposites attract. I say that even in their differences the are perfect together.  Everyday I thank God that they found each other and had the good sense to hang on.  They are indeed having quite a ride.  Adventure is out there for all of us, these two embrace it, fly over it, crawl under it dive into it and then crawl under the sheets and enjoy it! (that ones for you seaneee!)  We love you!!!

FAMILY

The Families retreat - Washington 2007

 Always doing with the kids; teaching, supporting, loving.

Gage  

Pax
A great example a worthy priesthood holder An Accountant!

Now what do we do?

DO IT!

Utah

Grenta

They DO IT all TOGETHER!

Sean loves his Father-in-law!!!

Father and Son...

Proud Father

Their new way of life!

So excited for snow in Washington

Please Eat!  I don't know how to do this!!!

picture perfect!

This is how we row!

This is how we dress

This is how we relax!

these are the next generation LARKIN!

Thanks for the memeories!!  We love you son, our Sean too,   Remember Who you are and who you belong to!  Have a great day, don't do anything I wouldn't do! Oh wait!!! You will!!  Love, The Mom!

GO GO AMRIC BOT (as Gage would say)

 What makes us who we are?

This whole examine who I am thing thru Ayris and her college papers has me much more observant to what my role is and how it plays out in the lives of others around me especially my baby grands and my children  . . .

Here is my thought for the day...

We use to have rules in our house about the Phone, the Computer, the TV.  You have to go to school.  You get good grades, you work around the house, you don't work outside the house cuz your work is to succeed your job is School!  Amric somewhere along the line also got the job of Sports; football, baseball, wrestling all chosen jobs of his Father for him!  Things Change.

The phone isn't on the wall in the house any more.  The computer is in our hands individually without restraint, the Tv can be see anywhere anytime.  School is still school, but it has so many more "political correct"
nesses that how much "fun" can learning be and College forget it - doesn't sound fun at all!!  Jobs are hard to come by period. And Sports well thats where my thought is.  You aren't ALWAYS going to be #1.  BUT YOU CAN SUCCED YOU CAN DO WHAT EVER YOU WILL.  You don't always want to do it and You aren't always going to, especially if it's what your Daddy wants for you ;)  thus the story goes of Amric Zane and his Daddy!  Richard always told Amric and everyone that would listen "this kid is HUGE the size of a FOOTBALL PLAYER".  Along with that he would tell Austin "You better stop buggin him some day he'll be twice your size and beat the crap out of you!"  Amric has the best heart he would never do that (just so you know!).  He started Football, in the 3rd grade one day his soccer coach asked "has he ever tried Football?"  so in the 5th grade he was working out with the High School kids dragging tires around with telephone logs. Then in his 7th grade year he, himself sought after a Rugby coach and in the 8th grade was playing RUGBY with the High School kids.

He rafted the Rivers of Washington, Oregon & Montana with his dad.
they fished in Canada (but that's another story for another day!

His Sophomore year he played soccer!

ELMA EAGLES AYRIS AND AMRIC GO FIGHT WIN!

Then in his Freshman year due to him standing for what He believed in and an other Sport he loved trumping Football he retired from the game.  Devastation hitting his father.  Amric never slacked off at any sport practice or otherwise.  He always gave it his all.

KANSA CITY

His junior and senior year he played Rugby for Omaha his dad in full support anyway my thought in the beginning is He was told he was a big Kid that he could do anything, though it may not be what his Dad wants he believed his dad and is a Big Kid and Does What he Wants!!!  And is very successful at it!!!  We are very proud of him!!! GO GO AMRIC BOT!

Costa Rica!

Forgive how bout Forget - WISE

My Mom!

I've been thinking about forgiveness.  My Mother always said that I was a forgiving person, that she in fact wished she could forgive as easily as I do.  Well Mom I don't think I am as good as it as you thought, seems I've been holding some stuff in thats bringing me down!

The scriptures I read today taught me, jumped out at me - I just want to mention here them here

• Judge not that ye be not judged, condem not and ye shall not be condemed, forgive: and ye shall be forgiven (Luke 6:37 in the New Testament)

• But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  (Matthew 6:14)
• Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.  (Matthew 18:22).

"Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury".   EH Chapin

Debbie is there somewhere!

My friend Debbie (who I'd beat on the head with a spelling book and switched the heads of her barbies so I could have the cool ones, all forgivable offenses, I would think) stole my boyfriend and came to a party with him with his class ring on, I was teenage shocked and horrified.  I had had no clue, I felt it was a horrible feeling to be betrayed like that from both of them I pledged to myself to never again be conned like that, to trust, to let down my guard.  One day I had to go say I was sorry for being mad at her so that I could live with myself, she and I sat and talked for hours. We laughed about it later.  Eventually we shared stories about our kids and husbands.  She died of cancer she was one of my best friends, what would have I done if I hadn't said "I'm sorry"?
Once my Mom totally embarrassed me (well that was more than once) but this time in front of my friends; by jerking me out of a car and kicking my butt all the way into the house (not to mention here that I had lied about where I was and made her crazy with worry).  
I can remember having been hurt at girls camp, in show choir, being let down by leaders who shouldn't have done what they did, being crushed because my dad didn't tell me he loved me til he kicked me out the door at 18, the Man at the church who told my brother never to come back to a youth activity with Wranglers on ever again - he did not, he did not ever step a foot in that church again except for to sing God Be With You Til We Meet Again with Mom on his way to Vietnam.  Being so mad at my brother I didn't talk to him for 10 years for shaking my son ridiculously in his drunken state.  Should I hold a grudge should I forgive? I should've not only learned to forgive, but to forget?  Or how bout this - should I be forgiven for yelling at my in-laws, my children, my husband for stealing a watch or cigarettes for my boyfriend, for letting my kids watch movies they shouldn't or gossiping about how dumb people are - (Yes I think I just has a little confession and forsake moment!!!) 
I want to be WISE!!!! and forgiven!
"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget". thomas Szasz

Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied I say!  I've had a couple very dear friends get mad at me and completely stop talking to me, and I never knew why. Do I hold on to it? Do I learn from these experiences?  I also say - People shouldn't stop talking.  People should never just be silent (well never is an absolute so in reality I suppose their is a time for silence)  but in this instance people need to speak up say whats on their mind when they don't they do things they regret.  "I don't care" isn't appropriate either when friends and family are involved. 

I found this quote today too that sums up all my thoughts;

When i say i don't care it either means:
-i'm pretending
-i'm joking
-i'm clueless
-i dont' know the situation
-i can't be bothered
-i hate the person alot
-i'm too busy thinking of other stuff
-i want to sleep now
-i'm too full of pride
or
-i REALLY don't want to care anymore.

So say those words don't keep me guessing, my mind has neurons that trigger and immediately GO TO THE WORST PLACES.  How do you forgive me or me you if we don't even know what happened?  

I write for therapy so none of this could be making any sense at all.  Just know this I'm evolving, ever learning, trying to apply life experiences, to forgive, care and move on ;).

Iris and Tim Michael

Kelly & Iris 5 years sick

I guess I need to wrap this up! Life is hard, trials have come my way.  I've been letting them weigh me down (literally like 40 pounds worth!).  My Great Nephew contacted me this week (A surprise of great satisfaction)and ask to be a part of my brothers life, (his grandfather) or at least to have something of his to know him by.  Short and to the point people did stupid things, and now My Oldest brother is dead (he made stupid mistakes as a son, brother, husband & Father), My great nephews father is dead (people killed him on a street corner), my niece is a drug addict (allegedly) and hurt us so badly when my brother died (long story), how all of this and the death of My Mothers 2 middle children (Judyann & Tom) lead her to be so depressed and angry it made her crazy sick, how for 5 years I nursed and cared for her and literally watched her give up life.  I "feel like" I could have some grudges and wish some revenge on some people.  I'm sure we all could go on and on about taking offense and in some way being wronged. I stop now with these few examples and really for the future (I will not be offended and if I am I'm gonna tell you why and how - well I hope I will!) because if anything from writing this I have learned I've made some mistakes and need forgiveness myself.  See Matthew 18:15-17 it gives a 3 step program on how to forgive!)

But Today I want to learn from the next generation (no pictures! I don't want to embarrass them, they might not forgive me!!) - I want to hear my nephew ask for things of his fathers and his grandfathers because he never knew them  - an act of letting go of grievances and handed down bitter family stories.  Also to learn from my daughter who stands up and fights for herself and is so doing without being petty, speaking badly of others or holding a grudge.

I pray my Mother can be right about me and that I can be forgiving, let go of the past, forgo revenge, not cause injury to any others, always keep striving to be a friend a family member who like my mother loved me unconditionally forgetting about everything wrong I did to her. 

I share this hoping to help anyone else who holds a grudge, who says "I don't care", who is careless with family and friends; stop it, don't pass down negative traditions - for if we don't forgive how do we expect to be forgiven and what will become of our heritage?

thank you kids (all of my kids out there that teach me!) I council; be wise in that forgiveness remember only enough to not make the same mistakes ever again.

I feel better! I hope you do too!!!