Engaged!

This beautiful girl and this handsome boy are getting married in the San Diego Temple on August 15th! I still can't believe it, Sis is getting married! After taking their engagement pictures this weekend I can't get out of my head how she's going to make the most beautiful bride, isn't she just gorgeous! They are such a darling couple and so in love, they just fit together so nicely. I love watching the way he takes care of you Sis and the way you take care of him, you're so meant to be together!

Hormonal Hotties

What sounds more fun than running from Santa Barbara to Dana Point California? A whole lot of things when you're lost and running 7 miles at 4:00AM in the ghettos of LA ! Actually all in all it was a great time and would do it al over again. 

All us ladies ran the Ragner Relay here in Southern California last month and it was awesome! There were a few glitches in the race and Ragner needs a little more practice before they take these things outside of Utah, but some of the miss haps were just priceless. 12 runners ran 3 individual legs in a relay race, each runner totaling about 15-18 miles. Our team name "The Hormonal Hotties" was actually quite litteral concidering Moka's prego. Our van was by far the best decorated with bras flying as we drove, the mega phone was far and beyond and I will NEVER eat a Costco muffin before I run again! We crossed the finnish line with baby bellies and children in tow ( I had to borrow some). This was a great weekend and loved getting to know all theses fabulous women!

The finnish line in Dana Point at Salt Creek Beach Park
The Hormonal Hotties

Spring

Maybe if I were more on top of this whole blogging thing I would enjoy it more. It feels like I'm looking at weeks worth of dishes and the pile keeps on growing. So April is birthday month at our house. We actually spend more in April that December! No joke between the two of us there are like 9 birthdays. I think I would rather have a Christmas baby than an April baby, not that I'm thinking of babies. Dan had a little party for me for my birthday, by that I mean I did everything, but the thought is always sweet. 

This spring has been a very busy one for us and by busy I mean a lot of company. The nice thing about living in California is that your friends and family come to you so you rarely get homesick. This spring we've had my brother Mark, sister Taryn, Clay and Aria, Jessica and Brett, Jill and Justin and family, Mom and Stephen and Amy and family. It can get old changing sheets every weekend, but it's soooo worth it. 

Mom called me the day before she decided to come in town, you're always such a sweet serendipity! We spent a lot of time in LA because I was working on a 3 day event. We ate, slept (Ritz!) and shopped very well. Don't you just love when Mom comes to town! Really, the thing with my Mom is that we could have not left the LAX parking lot and had the same awesome time talking in the car until it was time for her to leave.

Easter Weekend we had Clay and Aria in town. It was so nice to spend quality time with the two newlyweds. Aria I need your Goyza recipe, beyond amazing! Aria's first time to primary was helping me teach my class, thanks for sticking up for me against the little ones Ars! Lauren and Bridger came down from LA for Easter Dinner even during Bridger's Dental School finals. Holidays are always the hardest to be away so it's so nice to celebrate with good friends. 

Dan's sister Jill and her family came to stay with us for a night before they headed to Disneyland. Maybe that's why we get so many visitors? They were able to arrive on Dan's birthday while we were having a bon fire with some friends at one of our favorite beaches. It's so sad how fast kids grow up when you only see them a few times a year, it's so sad. 

Peter and Brittney also came down that same week to go to Disneyland. They all came up to Laguna and we had a little Chudleigh reunion. I was wanting to go home to visit last month but never booked my ticket because home kept on coming to me!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Girls Trip Phoenix 2009

This year the Harmsen girls ventured out to Phoenix Arizona. I have to say that I wasn't super excited initially, but am now all about this place. We all met at the airport, I was coming from California, Anne from NYC and the rest SLC. We were hooked up at the JW Camelback where we enjoyed some R&R around the pool and spa. I highly recommend this place!

No girls trip is complete without shopping. Phoenix is the place. They're Fashion Square has EVERY store you could think of but the real highlight was Last Chance. When you first walk into this place, the first thing you want to do is run away. It's by no means Niemans, nevertheless, there are some awesome deals! It's owned by Nordstrom, basically a step below the rack but still some pretty god stuff. We ended up going 3 days in a row and my pocket book wasn't even empty! 

I LOVE Amy's new look, don't you!

The bags filled the trunk! I do want to give a big shout out Carly. When we arrived, we didn't have a car rental and apparently there was some tournament going on and the whole world was on spring break, so they were all gone, nothing, nada! I give Carly a call and she calls her awesome uncle who rents us his fancy BMW. We were hoked up, thanks Car! He also gave us some awesome restaurant recommendations that made every meal amazing. 

So with some warm weather, beautiful spa and pool, amazing food, great shopping and the most darling girls out there, we had an awesome time! 

Backyard Vacation

Sorry for all the old posts, I'm not onto something current. 

Two weekends ago Dan's sister Jessica and her husband Brett came to visit us, just us! We were so flattered that they would get a babysitter for their two boys to come to California and see us! It was such a blast to be able to spend time with just the two of them. Not that Nathan and Tyler are not two of the most adorable boys ever, but it's always nice to have some actual adult conversation. 

The nice thing about having people come visit is that you realize you live in a great vacation spot and do the things you would do on vacation. 

On the boat going whale watching 

Wedge watching almost more exciting than whale waching

Dan and Brett Surfing

Thanks for a fun filled weekend and getting us out in our own back yard. Come back soon Jess and Brett!

Happy New Year 2009!

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!!!

New Years Eve we had some friend over to ring in the new year. The best part of the night playing "Truth or Dare" in the hot tub. It's funny how the older you get the more willing to choose dare, I guess we all have a lot more we'd rather not tell. 

New Years Day is always a hard day for me. It's stressful thinking how I'm going to accomplish all I want to accomplish in the year, when I didn't accomplish half of what I planned for the last year.  It's a good thing we have New Year's Eve, a night of fun before the stress and sorrows. 

So sad and lame, I know.  I would delete this post, but I waited a year to upload these stupid pics!

Christmas Time

I always say I would rather have 2 Christmas's and not have a birthday, and I LOVE birthdays (maybe not so much now that the big 25 is coming up). I guess I just love all the time with family and friends. It's so nice to travel home for the holidays, Utah makes for a magical Christmas.  

A few highlights:

• Christmas Eve Dinner at the Chudleigh's: 
  

I love Christmas Eve at the Chudleigh's house. We crack open our poppers, put on our crowns and celebrate with a big feast. After we all sing carols, exchange gifts and this year the kids acted out The Saviors birth story.

(thanks for the picture Jill, I forgot my camera that night)

• The Girls Party and our 1st Annual Talent Show/Dance Party

This year's party was awesome in so many ways: homemade stockings by Linzi, Aria's back, country apple body splash and much more.  This year for our gift exchange we gave everyone "our favorite things" (inspired by you Kristen, well and Oprah too). It was so much more special to give and receive a gift that shares so much about each person. I love every gift, mainly because I think of these awesome girls every time use their favorite things. 

We also had our first annual talent show. We never picked a winner, but I give it to Thien for his French song and flag dance. Afterward it sort of turned into a dance party while Candy cleaned up (jk Cands).  I just love that we all still know how to have an awesome time together.

• Christmas Morning at Mom and Dad's:

No matter how old I get Mom and Dad still make Christmas what it always has been. I still wake up to Christmas music, spilled milk and cookie crumbs on the porch, an awesome breakfast brunch and a beautiful family. The only thing that has changed I guess is my present pile, it's significantly smaller.

 I adore my sister-in-law Amy, and this is why:

You're always a blast and so fun to be around Amy! Thanks for the Christmas Cheer!

• Grandma's House:

Every year we all migrate to Grandma's (91yrs) for some sort of dinner, even though everyone is so full at that point. I can not explain how lovely her home is at Christmas time. She puts so much love into her home that it's not Christmas till you go to Grandmas. This year she made a cake and we all sang happy birthday to Jesus and the kids blew out the candles. 

So there you have it, Christmas!