someday I will get back to posting more regularly, for now I am enjoying my new found freedom, I was released as RS President at the beginning of January, while Justin was called to be Elder's Quorum President this last time (2nd time's a charm, right? I think it's actually 3rd time!). Malia's reaction to my release was, "Now you don't have to go to any more meetings!" I think she was really excited.
Don't these look amazing? They were, Justin made them from scratch for my birthday. He decided it was just as easy to make two as it was to make one... I am so LUCKY, and so are my hips!
For those who may think we are moving and or building a new house, we are still in the same home, just adding on. The addition will double the size of our home, but remember houses here are small, and we don't get all of the space. Part of it is a big garage for Justin to keep his work stuff in, but I am so GRATEFUL for the space and the beautiful backyard I will have. But we do get a big family room/playroom...I am still bitter about the sweet deal on a sectional couch that I missed out on that was on Craigslist today, an enlarged bedroom for the girls, and a very sweet bathroom with a jacuzi tub..complete with light therapy in it, (only because we got the floor model from the plumbing shop), I will be renting it out by the hour for those who want to use it! Or if you just come and visit I may even let you use it for FREE. When people ask when it'll all be done I just answer, SOMEDAY.
Mud pigs...I think Malia looks like she's ready to become a future dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The littlest driver
So glad to no longer have to see this when I drive up to our house!
This is how you sled without snow...
The girls have loved the remodling process, they became well versed in the names of backhoes...etc, and even got to help drive them, they love rolling in the dirt, LITERALLY, mud pigs in a new found favorite game, even Lyndie can drive a nail in a board now, one of my favorite memories is watching them slide down the dirt hill in a swimming pool. We are happy to no longer have our backyard in our frontyard, we have slowly moved all the toys back to the back but we have lots and lots of cement for bike riding and scootering!
We have already hosted Thanksgiving and 2 Elder's Quroum potlucks in our big unfinished family room, I don't what we'll use for a table once the drywall is actually up on the walls but for now it makes a really good huge table that you can fit at least 30 people around! Sadly I don't have any pictures of these events.
We took the girls to Disneyland before Christmas. Check out the snow on the castle.
We were able to spend Christmas with Justin's mom, it was the first time she has been here for Christmas. One of the highlights was the fact that we got to talk to his brother who is on a mission in Argentina. The girls loved playing with Grandma Aleen and we were sad to see her leave.
The girls are all growing up way too fast. Malia had learned to ride a bike on her own, Lainey mastered her Heelys skate shoes she got for Christmas, and the other night when we couldn't find Lyndie at the church she was finally found in the chapel where she was "praticing my testimony".
Justin convinced us to campout outside of an REI for an REI garage sale on the 1st of January so we could be among the first into the sale. I was a bit hesitant but it was actually really fun!
I think that's enough for now...can you believe that January 2010 has already passed?!
Usually we welcome the RAIN, but please Mr. Weatherman could you hold it back a few hours? We (well not me, but my dear husband and dad) just finished with the last of the concrete and it really needs time to set a bit more! In the last two months we have had countless amounts of cement poured down the side of our house and now finally in our driveway and up to our front door. It is so beautiful!
This is my dear friend Katie aka Harmony who came to spend the day with us on Valentine's with her family from Idaho. Beautiful weather and guests from out of town meant we had to make a trip to the beach. Katie and I met at Academy for Girls and then worked together to create a camp for girls called Retreat for Girls, which she and her husband now run. This year they had partnered with Deseret Book. 
The next best thing to spending the day with Katie and Jeremy was watching our kids become friends. I hate the fact that we live hundreds of miles away from one another.
This was our yummy Valentine's Breakfast...Daddy's homemade pancakes with real whip cream and the most delicious strawberries around! The stand around the corner from our house just opened and it is so tempting to stop everytime I drive by.
Our 2010 Valentine's photo...has it really been 9 years?
Lyndie getting ready for her upcoming birthday...yes the pinata is bigger than her, and NO it is not completely filled with candy. She had so much fun trying to decide which one to pick out.
Olivia Owl from preschool helped Malia put her handprint in the sidewalk....we kept forgetting to put the girls handprints in the concrete.
I think this one has been watching too many old movies with me. We love to watch old movies together, recently we watched a bunch of the ones with the underwater ballet in them. She got all dressed like this when we went to the pool this last week.