A Year in Review...

so the Christmas pictures will have to wait...but here is our year's review, some of you may have already read this in letter format...

ONE trip to Idaho in May for a Family Reunion, it was the first time in many years that all of Justin’s siblings had been together. Justin’s two youngest brothers returned home with us and lived with us for a few months during the summer, the girls loved playing with their uncles, and we loved the built in babysitters! We were even lucky enough to have many of Justin's famil join us in our home for Thanksgiving!

TWO days a week Lainey goes to preschool with her cousin Emma, she loves school and has filled our home with many paintings, drawings, writings, and new songs! Malia wishes she could go too but has resigned to the duty of being the big sister to Lyndie and doing projects with mommy, she has currently been asking to make goop!

THREE little girls fill our home with lots of energy, Laineys will soon be 5 Malia is 3 and a half, and Lyndie is almost two! Three is also the number of times we had to visit our friend Kris this year to repair the haircuts the girls has given to themselves or one another.

FOUR black cats for Halloween. The girls decided that they wanted to be the Three Little Kittens who lost their mittens, and Mommy got to be the mother cat, they wanted Daddy to be the Cow who Jumped over the Moon, but he was a mouse instead.

FIVE babies or more that Malia carries around with her. The girls love to play babies, dress up and dance. They told us they were going to ask Santa for a baby brother for Christmas, I told them they better not because they wouldn’t get one!

SIX times a day or more that we get to take Lyndie off the table, chair or counter, she loves to climb! She is so independent and wants to do whatever her big sisters do. She talks and talks and has recently taken up singing. She is currently working on potty training herself ! Where did our baby go?

SEVEN days we spent at Bass Lake where the girl’s favorite part was catching frogs in the mud! We visited Yosemite while we there and took a few “short” walks through the park. Justin and I had to constantly remind ourselves that we weren’t really on a vacation, that is what adults do without children, but that we were on an adventure!

EIGHT the number of books the girls try to convince Daddy to read them at nighttime, did we mention what a Super Daddy he is? We even celebrated his birthday with a “Super Hero’s” theme party complete with capes. He is so super at what he does that he has been called to serve in the Elder’s Quroum Presidency at church again! He gave countless hours working on the state election this past fall. He continues to dream and build beautiful things for others as well as for his family. His newest project: a ballet barre for our little dancers.

NINE o’clock the time mommy would like to go to bed, but between kids, serving as Relief Society President, making lesson plans for Spanish class, teaching mommy and me ballet classes, trying to stay on top of the house (she is so lucky she has Super Daddy to help her with the house), and attempting to stay on top of her scrapbooks, it rarely happens!

TEN months out of the year that we visited the pool, ocean or just played outside in the water,okay so really it was 12...but we won’t try to make you too jealous of our little paradise!Malia is a real little fish is the pool, Lainey loves to jump in the waves at the beach, and Lyndie still hasn’t figured out that sand really doesn’t taste all that great!