Friday, June 12, 2009

Blog Slacking!!

So, I thought I would have all kinds of time to blog, once school was out. What was I thinking??? It's the same thing every year, I look forward to the end of the school year, because I'm going to have all kinds of time. Every year I suddenly find the summer going way too fast and being way too busy. So, I have about an hour until we leave for swimming lessons, so here's a few updates.
Our biggest update would be the yard renovation we're doing. 

Here's a before picture...









Here's a week ago....







We've done more, the deck is now gone and there's been some cement poured and the fence is going in next week! Needless to say, we literally tore everything out and we're starting from scratch again. But, this time we have a plan!!


So, of course school got out and Malia graduated from Kindergarten! Big step, she is now a reader and a writer and a full time first grader! Instead of a part time kindergartener!

Miniature golfing! Travis is trying to pass on his skills to Malia and so far it seems to be working. She is quite the little miniature golfer, she was really getting the hang of getting the ball where she wanted it to go. We had to work on keeping the club down on the ground though, it kept coming up and almost hitting people in the face! Nate and his two kids came with us and we all had a really good time. Except about halfway through Sarah decided that she longer liked this game and flung her club, that kind of got her in trouble! So, she hid in the bushes and cried, it was too cute!

Malia is learning to like the water, which is a big relief to me because she has never liked it before. I kept putting off  swimming lessons thinking she'd outgrow it but it looks like swimming lessons was the key to conquering the fear. She's got these two wonderful excited teachers who get these kids to do amazing things through games and fun tricks. It's amazing and
 wonderful! This picture is from her first day they are playing a game called "animal in the basket" they sing this little rhyme and then they have to go under water to get out of the basket. The kids are eager to play and don't even realize they are practicing going underwater! Malia is almost facing the camera in the back of the circle, can you see her?

With Travis having grown up around horses, I thought it was high time Malia learned how to ride. So, I called up the equestrian center that is literally right behind our neighborhood and set up some lessons! Malia loves it, although she can't quite pick which one she likes more, swimming or horseback riding! Plus, she seems to be a bit of a natural, everyone at the stables thought she had ridden before and were surprised to find out she'd only had two lessons!
Malia is riding "Man" and yup the horse is a "he"!

This is Malia
 riding bareback!







Anybody that's ever heard of "it" will appreciate this one. We went to Ogden last Sunday to see my Aunt Marla. Who for those of you that don't know spent the last 10 or so years of her life taking care of her ailing parents. So, she's by herself now and sorely needs company. So we spent about half the day talking and goofing around. It was a lot of fun. We got the camera out and kept trying to take pictures, but she does not like having her picture taken. So this is the best picture we got!


Last but not least, I was excited to go through my wedding album pictures and have digital copies made. We are celebrating 10 years in November, so I figured it was time to do something about them. They came out a little blurry but I'm still excited to have digital images.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

15 Days

Need I say more?

Hehehe... okay one more thing...

We finished "state testing" today. I shouted "Wahoo!" Right along with the kids!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I have succumbed...

okay, okay I admit it, I'm counting down
16 more mornings I have to get out of bed on time
16 more drives to work
16 more days of asking "can" you go the bathroom? I hope so!
16 more school lunches
16 more afternoons of counting down the minutes
16 more sets of "goodbyes"
16 more drives home...

Then I'm done for 2 1/2 months before I go back to the beginning again!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Thoughts by Malia


I thought this looked like fun...

 Answers to the questions are are word for word Malia's response.

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you.

2. What makes mom happy? Me being good.

3. What makes mom sad? When I accidentally hurt her.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? By doing silly things, like making silly faces.

5. What did your mom like as a child? Having a mom

6. How old is your mom? I don't know, thirty two (wow, only 3 years off)

7. How tall is your mom? thirty two inches

8. What is her favorite thing to do? play with me or read a book.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Read a book or be at school.

10. If your mom becomes famous what will it be for? What does that mean?

11. What is your mom really good at? Writing and coloring

12. What is your mom not very good at? Sometimes you have to ask daddy, does this look good on me?

13. What does your mom do for a job? I know. She goes to school and teaches the kids.

14. What is your mom's favorite food? Her cereal

15. What makes you proud of your mom? When she learns how to do something, like running faster than me.

16. If your mom where a cartoon character, who would she be? Minnie Mouse

17. What do you and your mom do together? Play games.

18. How are you and your mom the same? Well, we both kind of talk the same.

19. How are you and your mom different? Our hair.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because she takes me.

21. What does your mom like about your dad? He gives her flowers.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? The bathroom.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

This one's for Donna...

So, a BIG thank you to Donna. She helped me find a scrapbooking website so I could make some very cool profile pages to be shown to birthmoms. 
Then exciting news, we're actually be shown to a birthmom on Friday!! Then we'll be shown to another birthmom on Monday!! It's actually through two separate agencies. So, I'm praying and crossing my fingers. But, I think I've started to come to terms with the highs and lows of this whole process. I really think I'll be okay if we're not picked. It just really excites me that we're being shown, and I'm okay with that. The Lord is in charge and when it's our baby, we'll know.

Anyway, it's the four scrapbook pages I put together. They're small here, but if you click on them you can make them larger.


Friday, April 17, 2009

Adoption



I have updated the "We want to adopt" link that is on the right, so everyone needs to click on it or just use the URL below and check out the new LDSFS website and our new profile posting. I think it's much better than the one before. It doesn't have quite as much information, but lots more pictures. Plus, the whole look of the website is better. It's still in beta testing so it's not the one you get when you go to itsaboutlove.org but it's the website they are sending birthmoms to when they come into the offices. Exciting Stuff!
https://beta.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/10519127/ourMessage.jsf

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Zebra Costume



Malia is taking a modern dance class. And I got roped into making the costumes for their recital. They are dancing to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The teacher is being the lion and all the little girls are being zebras. So, they are not supposed to look exactly like zebras but modern dance zebras! This is the first complete costume. It took me forever to figure out the sleeves but, I think it turned out adorable. They will wear black leotards and black footless tights underneath. I wish you could see the belt a little better, it's fringed! So, I have 8 more to go, wish me luck!