What We Loved About 2009

So for those of you who did not receive Christmas greetings from us (oh, wait, that's all of you:) here is our year end update in Valentine's Day form!

When asked what they loved about 2009...

Halle said:
*getting our baby out so that we are not just sitting around looking at baby names
*going to Hawaii
*starting second grade
*starting piano lessons and performing in two recitals
*going to Build-A-Bear
*craft time at our family reunion
*winning the family reunion talent trophy for "mind reading"
*reading Boxcar Children, Babysitters Club and the Friend Magazine
*learning how to play chess
*being an art helper at school

Haven said:
*Hawaii, namely cracking a coconut and visiting Pearl Harbor, but not getting a prickly in her bottom or saltwater in her nose
*going to Ensign Ranch two times in December
*starting kindergarten
*playing with stuffed animals and barbies
*learning to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels
*losing two teeth
*having a baby sister
*getting Nancy (a huge stuffed dog)
*going to the drive-in theater in the summertime

Asher said:
*Halle and Haven
*toys
*camping
*going to the beach in Hawaii
*riding on the airplane and seeing the beach from the sky
*feeding the animals at Grandma and Grandpa Lemme's "property"
*riding on Grandpa Soptich's tractor
*going to Aunt Sarah and Parker and Kaden's house
*his teachers at church
*going to Home Depot (he said he loved this one A LOT)

Mike said:
*having a sweet new baby girl
*jumping on our new trampoline with the kids
*going to Hawaii for a dental conference (next time he wants it to be a "real" vacation)
*going to LVI, another dental conference, this time in Las Vegas
*sleeping in a trailer (instead of our tent) at our family reunion
*getting a new car, that's right he's no longer driving my college car
*going on a road trip with the youth of our ward to Salt Lake, his mission stomping grounds, for General Conference
*being at home the week after Christmas without any plans
*watching Halle consume books like he does
*volunteering in Haven's kindergarten class
*wrestling with Asher

I said:
*welcoming baby Winter Pearl
*playing softball, I was 4 1/2 months pregnant at the end of the season
*experiencing General Conference with the youth of our ward
*beach hopping in Hawaii with my kids and my "personal assistant," Jenna
*working out at CrossFit
*living up life with three "big" kids before having a new baby
*reuniting with old Issaquah friends on the 4th of July
*finally joining the ranks of homeowners
*mastering an amazing bread recipe
*seeing White Christmas, live in Seattle, with Mike the girls and our parents
*being surrounded by so much family