The reindeer of the rainforest is actually a leopard. Rainforest in Belize.

Underwater caving in Belize. "It's un-Belize-able."

Leslie tonight tells Grandpa that Sebrina is "NOT FOOD!" after Grandpa was smacking his lips hungrily and looking at Sebrina. 

Photos too Good to Copy

Debs and Brian were getting some pictures printed at Sams Club today. Going through the pictures on their hard drive they found some of the pictures Dad took of our kids in their dance costumes and some of the “fairy” ones that Deborah had created. Wanting copies for scrapbooks they included these in the pictures that they dropped off for processing. Arriving back to pick up the pictures they were met by an accusatory photo clerk. “I’m sorry,” she explained, “but these photos are obviously professional ones, and you need the photographer’s written permission before we can sell you these prints.” She carefully flipped through the 200 prints and sorted out all of the “professional” ones, including all of Deborah’s and Dads. She was very upset about Deborah’s, I think she thought we had scanned some post-cards or taken some pages out of a magazine. It didn't help that a crowd of moms gathered behind Brian at the photo desk, oohing and ahhing at the pictures as the clerk flipped through them. Several asked Brian how in the world he got such good pictures. He wished he had some of Deborah’s cards to pass out. The clerk was not swayed, she didn’t seem to recognize the semblance between the rag-a-muffin kids we had with us and the beautiful princesses in the pictures. We tried calling and having Dad and Deborah fax a written permission slip, but in the end, the clerk said if we could show the card that the pictures were on then she would be convinced that we had the originals and therefore the copyright. I guess we are going to have to remember next time Deborah or Dad get us pictures of our kids to have them sign a waiver of their copyrights, so that we can make more prints.

Here is the picture Ray took of Sabrina

One is named Sebrina, and Grandpa calls the other one "Little Tommy".
 

"She's little so I can pet her head" - Leslie.

Bright eyed and awake.

New Addition to the Larson Family

Welcome to the world.

Sevalerie (name subject to change) was born at 3:17 pm

today after 14 hours of labor.  She weighs 6 pounds 13

ounces and is 19.5 inches long.  She was born by VBAC.

Deborah and Travis Engagement Pictures

Deborah and Travis in one of their potential engagement pictures that Dad took. Don't they make a cute couple?

Here Deborah and Travis look "cowboyish". Dad took this engagement picture.

Here is Deborah's real engagement ring. A single diamond on a beautiful white gold band with two deep blue saphires.

Deborah Sue Discoveres DMV Online

Brian has been so busy lately that the registration for their car expired. He went on Saturday to the DMV to register his car, but they closed at noon and he arrived there at 12:07. He was planning to go again on Monday. Wanting to save him some time Deborah said that she would do the registration online and then they would send the sticker in the mail. Brian was concerned that waiting for the sticker to arrive in the mail would take a long time, and the registration had already expired. Deborah went online anyway and was able to register the car, and print out a temporary registration for 21 days that Brian could tape in his back window while waiting for the sticker to arrive. Now that they know that you get a temporary registration immediately, and that if you do it online at home that there is no additional cost, they plan to never drive down to the DMV to register a vehicle again.

Hyrum Aspires to be a Diver

After Snowbird we went to The Mayan restaurant with some members of the family. Hyrum was frightened of the man in the gorilla costume, but he was very impressed watching the divers jump 30 feet into the water. So impressed that now he says he wants to be a diver, and is practicing jumping off of things. Yesterday Debs saw him walking around without any clothes on. When she asked him why he wasn't wearing any clothes, he replied "I want to be like a diver." They discussed the fact that divers wear swimming suits.

Ivie News Switches Venue, Subscribers Invited

Having consulted with both of the anonymous editors (hereafter referred to as Lisa, Deborah and Russ) of "The Ivie News" and having done a "beta-test" with a few people and this website, Brian has now officially invited all of the current subscribers of the Ivie News to join as contributors to this blog. The amount of work that the two editors of the "unofficial" e-mail newsletter have done has been keeping the dedicated staff up late into the night. It has taken a lot of time, and these volunteers have other commitments, (including one that will arrive in just a few short weeks), and so in an effort to preserve the tradition of the newsletter, while also sparing the few staff members who have been volunteering their time, it has been recommended that the venue of the Ivie News be switched to here.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to those that were inspired to start the newsletter. It is an oustanding tradition, and we all have appreciated being able to keep in touch with the family despite distance and busy schedules. I would recommend that you take the time to send a letter to the newsletter site thanking those who have worked so hard to make it a tradition.

The change of venues does have some positive features. The most important is that beautiful full color pictures can now be included. Other features include: New articles will be available immediately and subscribers will be able to check the news from any browser.

We are looking forward to postings by all of those who own a digital camera, and for those who do not, a camera can be provided, so that isn't an excuse. Only those who have been listed as "Team Members" can post new information on the IvieNews, which now is pretty much everyone. If we have missed someone please e-mail Brian and he will make sure you get included. To include pictures requires a program named "Hello" and possibly "Picassa" These are free (Picasso is if you have the right link). Instructions on how to use these are included in a link when you sign up, and Brian will be glad to help you get started. It makes posting very easy and Picassa is a nice program for keeping track of your photos in it's own right.

Dad Proclaimed a Hero

At no later that 5:30 this morning Dad was out hitching up the canoes so that Brian could bring them up to his stake's scout camp. Brian's stake (Oquirrh) was very appreciative for the loan of the canoes on this trip. This is the third time that Brian has borrowed the canoes in behalf of the Oquirrh 3rd Ward or the Oquirrh Stake. Not only did dad lend the canoes and trailer but also the use of his van. His kind acts of service have earned him quite the reputation in the Oquirrh stake especially in Brian's ward. Some of his contributions include the use of a table saw for a cub scout project, poles, ropes and flags for several pioneering projects, soldering irons for electronics projects and various other scouting items. So now, officially, Brian would like to declare Dad a hero, and send Dad a hearty thanks for the many times that he has helped out.

Bad Wiring on Northern Ivie's Roof

In the hot 90 degree weather that we had yesterday, Deborah heard a "sizzle" on the roof of her home and then the swamp cooler that was making the heat bearable suddenly stopped. More concerning is that when she went outside she saw a white cloud that continued to rise from the swamp cooler. She contacted her husband, Brian, at work who recommended investigating further to ensure that if there were a fire on the roof that it be put out as quickly as possible. She called a neighbor to borrow a ladder and upon closer inspection found that the thin water pipe leading to the roof had a tiny air hole in it that was causing a fine spray of water that quickly evaporated in the 90 degree heat causing the white cloud that she had observed. The neighbor who lent her the ladder went above and beyond when he went home and came back with a soldering gun and fixed the tiny leak. He and Deborah's dad both climbed on the roof and determined the cause of the leak and the sizzle that Deborah heard to have been caused by faulty wiring. The people who had installed the swamp cooler had run a single three wire power cable, but had needed 4 wires. They had decided to use the copper pipe that carried the water for ground. The problem with that decision is that the unsheilded wire was used for power. When water hit it in just the right way yesterday to reach between it and the pipe carrying water in, it sparked, melting a small hole in the water pipe and disabling the cooler. Deborah's Dad was very concerned about the wiring job that the so called "experts" had done. He managed to "jerry-rig" the cooler so that it could be turned on so that pregnant Deborah didn't melt with her four kids in the hot weather.

Cassandra leads the singing on her 4th birthday on July 14th.

Finishing leading the singing.

Blowing out the candles.

Hyrum holding a sparkler with help from his Uncle Brian.

Cassandra draws a circle.

An "M" for Melissa

Melissa with a sparkler

Jessica draws a circle with her sparkler.

Cool Utility

Anyone with windows XP on their home computer, you should check this utility out. It puts you back into the driver's seat instead of Microsoft. It's called XPLite.

Jessica an Aspiring Fish

Snowbird awakened a passion in Jessica for swimming. 

She is bound and determined to become a good swimmer. 

Imagine her surprise and delight when she found out

that her family lives close to a swimming pool.  It

now has become a bribe to get her to clean her room,

or help out around the house.  "If you get your work

done then we can go swimming," is a phrase that her

parents have found to have an amazing affect on her. 

If you would like the status as the favorite Aunt or

Uncle just offer to take her swimming, she can be in a

swimsuit in under a minute.

New Addition to the Ivie News

There is a new addition to the Ivie News... photos!

Yes, now not only can you enjoy the stories about the

family, but you can see them first hand.  They are

posted at ivienews.blogspot.com.  You can add your

comments there, and if you would like to post your own

pictures/articles you are welcome to, but you will

need an account first.  Contact Brian at

for a username, password and

instructions if you are interested.  Please note that

this is an unsecured public website which means that

all articles and pictures will be available for

viewing by the general public, so keep that in mind

when posting.  We will eventually have a family-only

website theIvies.org (a.k.a. "the 'thieves' one") that

will have a secure site, but for now, this is free,

and easy to set up.  Brian has posted some pictures

(chosen a bit at random) on this website.  We're

looking forward to even more as more people get set up

to share their pictures.

Melissa a Fashion Designer

One of Melissa's favorite activities is to design

clothes.  Give her a free hour or two and she can put

together some of the most unique costumes using

whatever materials you have on had.  At Bonnie and

Erics she was able to make an outfit for herself and

Hannah out of simple plastic shopping bags.  At home

she has much more elaborate designs that include

towels, bows, and her father's neckties.  "We were

enjoying the fashion show this Sunday too much to take

pictures, but we have some of her previous fashions,

and will post some to the  web when we get the chance,

" said her Dad

Cassandra a Spelling Prodigy

Following in the footsteps of her spelling champion

mom, Cassandra can now spell not only her own name,

but the names of all her siblings.  Not bad for a

three-year-old.

Brian Recommends Fuel-Additive for Emissions.

The Isuzu used to pass emissions barely each year. 

Many things were tried to get it to improve including

simple things like new spark plugs and wires, (which

helped a little) to installing a new catalytic

converter.  It still just barely passed emissions. 

Then Brian tried a fuel additive that guaranteed the

car to pass.  "There are several brands, most just say

to mix them in right before you have your car tested,

" said Brian, "I was concerned, because one way to

improve emission was to increase the temperature of

the engine by adding alcohol, which isn't very nice on

the engine."  Brian found one that said to add it

before taking the test and to completely go through

the tank of gas, and then with a new tank take the

emissions test.  "I liked this one a lot better,"

explained Brian, "because since it cleaned the exhaust

line, rather than just heating up the engine."  Not

only did the car pass, but with flying colors, far

below what was typical.  The most impressive thing,

however, is that it has continued to easily pass

emission for two subsequent years with no addition

application of the chemical or work.  "I had forgotten

what it was like to take a car in for inspection and

have it pass without having to do anything, " exclaims

Brian happily, "I heartily recommend trying this if

you have problems getting a car to pass emissions."  

Northern Ivies Glad for a Break

After a fast pace the last couple of weeks, this week

was a pleasant change.  "It is always nice to party

with family" said Brian, "but when we haven't been

home for a Saturday in over two months, it is nice to

get caught up on all of the work that has piled up

around the house.  Plus ward members were starting to

think we had moved out."  Their kids are out of school

this month, but will be starting in two more weeks

because they have year-round school, and so July is

always a very busy month for them.

Brian's Office

As no one has ever been to visit Brian's new "office"

(it is more of a cubicle) Brian would like to clarify

where it is (no longer in the same building).  It is

on the fourth floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial

Building and has a beautiful view of the temple.  At

lunch you can always see a few Brides wandering around

the temple with photographers that are fun to watch

(they have their grooms too, but it seems like the

brides definitely take the spotlight).  Brian would be

glad for a visit, if your up that way, feel free to

stop by his office.

Deborah Sue a Super Mom

Not only did she prepare her own speech, but Deborah

managed to bathe the kids, dress them in their Sunday

clothes, doing Jessica's hair no less than three

times, and having all of the kids out the door in time

for prayer meeting before church as well as writing a

talk for Melissa since she was speaking in Primary,

and making some homemade play dough for nursery, and

preparing a wonderful lesson as she is the nursery

supervisor.  Needless to say that she is now asleep as

Brian writes this.

All of the very cute grandkids.

Deborah and Richard.

Grandma and Grampa.

Deborah and Travis.

The "Newly Ivies" Stephen and Margaret.

The Shaw family. What great smiles!

The whole family... Thanks Travis for taking the picture!

The Larsen family.

The Dixon family... also great smiles.

Melissa is practicing swimming as well.

Grandmother and Leslie go for a swim.

Jessica is determined to learn how to swim.

Hannah in the pool. Does this count as the official swim-suit competition for Snowbird?

Jessica and Cassandra swimming in the pool, their favorite passtime at Snowbird.

Ashley gets ready to launch her rocket.

Matthew and Kevin run to retrieve the rocket (seen falling on the right).

Leslie retrieves her rocket.

Matthew smiles as he presses the launcher button and watches his rocket blast off.

Hannah loading a rocket she made onto the launcher.

Grandpa helping the grandkids use the rocket launcher at Snowbird.

Deborah Sue Speaks in Sacrament Meeting

Deborah gave a beautiful talk in Sacrament Meeting

this Sunday on "Living Happily Ever-after."  It was

enjoyed by all those in attendance, and many of the

ward members congratulated Brian on having such an

eloquent wife.  Brian was a bit puzzled by their

approaching him but agrees heartily that he did marry

well and that his wife is very eloquent.

Matthew places his rocket on the launcher.

Kevin and Mathew rushing to retrieve a rocket as it lands.

Deborah with King's Peak in the Background

Hyrum Becomes Gender Aware about Fashions

Deborah placed a necklace that had a crown on it on

Hyrum and said to him, "Now you look like a king!" 

Hyrum replied "No I don't, this looks like a girl!"

Hyrum at his Birthday Party.

Fishing with Grandpa.

Jessica in her ballet dress.

Jessica in her Irish costume.

Melissa in her ballet outfit.