10 Months Later

Sorry everyone who reads our blog (or who did read our blog) that we have not posted in over 10 months. Our lives are just not that interesting. I promise I will try harder to find interesting things to post about on here. I have a few things to post in the next little while but here is a little something about Matthew.



Our stake did a trek for youth conference this year and they asked Matt to be part of the battalion. It was ridiculously hot that day and everyone was dying of heat exhaustion but he still had a great time.

Mosaic

01. What is your first name? (Lauren)
02. What is your favorite food? (Mexican)
03. What high school did you attend? (Community College High School)
04. What is your favorite color? (Green)
05. Who is your celebrity crush? (Christian Bale)
06. Favorite drink? (Pepsi)
07. Dream vacation? (Backpacking around the World)
08. Favorite dessert? (Lemon Bars)
09. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Photographer)
10. What do you love most in life? (Matthew)
11. One word to describe you? (Exhausted)
12. Your Flickr name? (lauren pender)

Thanks Erin...I had fun with this.

I HATE MOVING

Well we did it. For the 3rd time in 2 years, we moved again! Ugh I hope it is the last time for a LONG time. Packing and unpacking and all the tape and boxes, I am so over it all. Here you all go an update of our new home. See the picture mania below. Enjoy!

The ceremonial hanging of our family name sign

Nice butt shot Matthew. Wohoo!

Our front door from the garage stairs.

Nice view of the pool from the window on the left of the previous picture.

before unpacking. look at all the stuff.

Doesn't he look so happy to be alphabatizing his CD's....NO he's not OCD. haha

View from the front of our apartment from the window on the left of the previous picture.

Random Cupcake?

Matthew trying to fix out washing machine and was successful after many attempts. hehe.

Our extremely small laundry room....we might as well just call it a closet.

All of our boxes prior to breaking them down took up our entire dining room.

Looks better now...just need a dining table


View from the window in the prior picture. That is the main road we live off of.


Close up on the design of our curtains. Courtesy of Ikea.

Kitchen before unpacking




And after

Hallway to the bedroom and bathroom (where all the magic happens -added by Matthew). Just past the entry way on the right is our nearly non existent laundry closet.


Bedroom before unpacking

View of half the backyard from our bedroom, the other half is the pool picture above.


And after. To the right is the closet.

View of the hallway. The door on the left is to the bathroom


Close up of the closet. Big enough for the two of us. That is a first.



Bathroom. The mirror is from Grandma Marriotti.

Sweetest shower every. On the left there is a waterfall shower head. The only downfall of the shower you ask....well let me tell you a little story about our water supply. We don't have to pay for our water which is sweet except that it smells like rotten eggs. And you ask why, well we get our water from a well and apparently it makes it smell really really bad. Our landlords have a water filter on the house that they thought was hooked up to our garage apartment but it is not. They are planning on finding us a water filter but until then we have to live with stinky water, it is so bad is makes me gag.

We love you all very much and hope you enjoy looking at our new home as much as we enjoy living in it.

New Home :)

Just thought we would let everyone know we are moving into a new place in September and wanted to show you what it looked like!

This is the entry way from the garage below.

This is the first window in our new living room.

Now to the best part our big windows that over look the property. You cant really see but the window is covered from all angles by the big trees.




This is the opposite side of the living room.

We are pleased to announce that we finally have a dining room where we can have meals together and invite others over without eating on the couch!

Finally to Laurens second favorite part is her big kitchen with all the drawers she can handle. I am also excited about the storage space above the cabinets.

Through the doorway to the right is the only bedroom and the bathroom.

We cant wait to show more pictures later.

Update of the Office Source Team

Here is an updated picture of my office as of Friday the 11th. Front from left to right Nancy, Mary, ME!, Laurie, Leilani, Elaine, Andi. Back row...Ted, Kathy, and Jennifer. Not pictured...Cheryl, Jessica, Amanda and Mary Ann. We are the behind the scene workforce that keeps Office Source USA up and running. We have added 3 new people since I started almost 7 months ago and we just keep growing. I love it.

Dating Panel

Matthew and I were asked to be on a dating panel last night at our Bishops house. It was Matthew and I and 2 other couples. The youth in our ward from 12-18 were asked to write down any questions they had about dating and we "the experts" got to answer them. There were a few times where the panel was blushing but for the most part we all had fun and we got to know another couple in our ward. All in all it was a good time!

It's been a while

I thought I would post and give those of you who read this still a little bit of an update. Matthew and I have been loving Florida. We have missed our families like crazy but I think we are adjusting well. Matthew was just promoted to a lead position at work and we are both super excited about it. I was also promoted yesterday to the sales lead (key holder) position at my part time job at Ann Taylor Loft. I was told about a month or so ago that I was being considered for the position along with another associate so I was happy to hear that I was given the opportunity. It is going to mean working more hours but it also means more pay!

We have really grown to love our ward family. They have welcomed us into their lives so easily. Matthew is teaching the 14-15 year olds in Sunday school. It is a difficult calling for sure but he is excited by the challenge. I was called to teach CTR 6, Matthew also comes in for class time after his Sunday school class to help keep control. We have 6 boys that are all going to be turning 6 this year and boy are they a handful (hence me needing Matthew in class with me or else it would be complete chaos). They are the sweetest little boys and I have grown to love them in the short time that I have been teaching them. I am looking forward to what this year is going to teach me.

That pretty much sums up our live now...work and church. We spend as much time together at home as possible. We love everyone and miss you all!!