Our Holiday Newsletter

In lieu of sending a lengthy holiday newsletter in the mail this is our online re-cap of 2009. This year has been quite eventful. Here are 10 things that made this year memorable.

1. In February we moved into our house that we built. Not quite with his own two hands, Erin put his blood and sweat into our house and it turned out quite well. We have been very comfortable our Midlothian house. Friendly neighborhood, bright, safe, private, and beautiful. What more could we ask for?

2. Erin got accepted into graduate school. Because of the dismal economy we have had a career detour. It seemed like the right time for Erin to go to graduate school. He applied for and was accepted to Virginia Tech's Professional MBA program. He has classes one weekend a month and he is loving it! He is even considering a PhD (we'll see).

3. Alex turned 3. This is memorable because it is "tyrannical three." Despite being three, he is a sweet, imaginative and clever boy. In August he had a Diego birthday party. Lots of fun! He loves to pretend to be a fireman or policeman. He is always busy.

4. Quinn had his surgery. In September Quinn had surgery to repair the cleft in his palate (the hole in the roof of his mouth). Ear tubes were also inserted into his eardrums. The surgery went well. As soon as we got home he started to feel much better. After about two weeks he was back to his happy, bouncy self. Hopefully this will be his first and last surgery.

5. In the summer we took a trip to Utah and Colorado. Normally Erin doesn't come with the kids and I to Utah in the summer, but this year he did. We spent time with my family and friends in Salt Lake and Moab. We also took a side to to Denver to visit some of Erin's relatives. We had a lovely time staying with Erin's grandparents.

6. Quinn turned one! Our little baby is growing up. People are always commenting on what a happy baby he is. All I can say is that is how God sent him. Contented, cheerful and smiley. He loves to play peekaboo and throw balls.

7. Potty Party! This summer we embarked on our serious attempt to potty train Alex. It took time and lots of effort but I can confidently say that he is fully potty-trained. No pull-ups or diapers. No bed wetting and very few accidents. (Can you see my pleased and proud face as I write this?)

8. New Hobbies (aka new mini-obsessions). Here are some of my new hobbies: reading food blogs, reading crafting blogs, food storage, starting a small business, making cards, and making money stretch. Whew... that actually sounds like a lot. I don't actually do them all at once.

9. Gratitude for our challenges. Even with all the wonderful things that have happened, this year will also be remembered for its challenges. We have felt the refiner's fire this year, testing our faith and patience.

10. Gratitude for miracles. The miracles this year are abundant, both obvious and hidden. Prayers are answered. Maybe not in the time-frame we are wanting, but they do get answered. We are grateful for the miracles and angels on earth that make our lives much brighter.

If you have had the patience to read this whole post, thanks. We wish all of our friends and family and a joyful and bright Christmas and a new year abundant with blessings.

Holidays

Here are a couple of holiday pics. I finally got a big (biggish) Christmas tree. I've been wanting one for seven years. The glass ornaments however are staying in the box. All the ornaments on the tree are non breakable. There is also an alarm (jingle bells) to let us know when someone is playing with the tree. Very high tech.

Fall for Fun

Happy Birthday to Quinn! He had a great birthday. There is also a pic of our reluctant trick-or-treaters. Lots of fun this fall!

Enjoying Fall

Here we are in Virginia enjoying the beautiful fall foliage. To look through the windows in our family is to see some of Mother Nature's fine art. We also had an adventure going to the orchard and picking apples. I'm still thinking of different ways to use apples. I'm open to suggestions!

The Robots Are Here

Beware: If robots scare you, you might want to look away.

Gratitude

In the hospital right after the surgery.

Quinn loves yogurt.

Recovering in Daddy's arms.

First of all we just want to thank everyone for the prayers in behalf of our family. Quinn is doing great! It was a huge relief when the surgery was over. I had a distinct impression as I was holding my sleeping baby that all the prayers really made a difference. I would say that Quinn is back to himself. He crawls, smiles, coos, and tries to hold on to his toys (which is tough with big brother around).
We especially couldn't have made it without the support of our family. My mom came and took care of Alex while we were at the hospital. She also was a big help administering medication at 2am. Erin's parents came to the hospital to support us too. And we know the rest of you sent your positive thoughts and prayers. All of those acts of love helped us. Thank you.

Back by Popular Demand

Here are more pics of our fabulous life here in Virginia.

Pioneer Day - An Honorable Mention

My ultimate summer favorites!

I was reading my friend Jill's blog entry about Pioneer Day. I was visiting teaching when someone mentioned that it was Pioneer Day. We lamented that no one here in VA got the day off and there were no parades. My friend's blog got me thinking about Utah and Virginia. I will give a top 5 list of things I love about each state. Before I get to that I must say that both places have something vital in common, both places have wonderful people. There are family and friends in both Utah and Virginia that I love dearly. With that said here is my list:

Things I love about Utah-

1. Great restaurants. I love Cafe Rio, Yanni's Greek, Citris Grill Leatherby's, and many many more. I always have to go to some of my favorite restaurants when I go to Utah. I miss them. There are some good food places in Virginia but there are fewer and not as many innovative places.

2. Beautiful canyons and great skiing. I have heard that the skiing here in VA is icy and I think I would just be dissapointed so I have not gone here. The canyons in Utah are amazing! I loved being only a 20 to 30 minute drive away from them. Beautiful mountains in the North and amazing desserts in the South.

3. Innovation. For some reasons there is a lot of innovation in Utah. They are always on the cusp of fashion trends too. Some of the companies that specialize in modest clothing are awesome too. I will say that some of the innovation goes awry in the trendy homes though.

4. The presence of the church and the proximity of the temples. I love being able to go to a different temple each time I visit. If one is closed we just go to another. I also love Temple Square. It is one of my favorite places. I hope some day that my kids will enjoy seeing the lights on temple square as much as I do.

5. Mostly I love the fun I have with the people there. Going to the spa with my Mom and Sis. Catching up with friends. Jeep adventures with Dad. You can't replace the fun you have with people you love.


Things I love about Virginia-

1. Green. What can I say, it really is so green here. As my mother in-law aptly said, my back yard looks like the sacred grove. Trees really are so beautiful.

2. The proximity to so many cool places. I live one hour from Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktowne, and Jamestown. I live two hours from Washington DC, Virginia Beach, and North Carolina. I live a day's drive from Philly, New York, Balitmore, Florida, Georgia, and so many other interesting places. The flight time to theses places is even shorter. I have many traveling dreams. When we lived in Northern Virginia we only had a 6 hour flight to London. Love it.

3. The diversity of people. There is quite a divserse population in the East. When I was in school I really enjoyed how diverse George Mason University was. I met so many people that were different from me and yet we were so much more alike than we were different.

4. I have come to love and appreciate Richmond, or the South. Richmond is quite different from Northern Virginia. I was kind of a culture shock to move here. Now I have come to love the friendliness, lack of traffic, and sense of community and preservation of tradition.

5. When I was a kid I always wanted to travel and live in different places. I never thought I would meet my husband in the East but I am glad I did. Leaving what is familiar is challenging, but the challenges have made me a stronger person. I realize that some of my dreams have come true in unexpected ways and things that I never thought would happen have happened. Somehow the things that are challenging or hard to endure turn out to be blessings in disguise.

Honorable mention: Fireflies (or lightning bugs)! I love watching them light up on a summer evening.

Wild Wild West

Here are some pictures from our trip to Moab and Colorado in June. We had a lot of fun Jeeping and seeing the natural beauty of Moab. We also had a great time visiting with family in Colorado.

Potty Like It's 2009

Teaching Super Why to use the Potty.

Breakfast with Super Why.

The heart of the party.

We've decided that one child in diapers is enough. I read this book about potty training in one day. The idea is a party where the child teaches a doll how to use the potty. I have to say, it actually works. The hard part is being consistent and getting him to the potty in time. It works pretty well. We aren't out the the woods yet but we are well on our way. Here are some of the pics of our fun day.

Charlotte's Web

I love my backyard. It is so green.

Critters are everywhere in our our house. So far I have seen a snake, lizards, birds, squirrels, deer, and now one BIG spider. This thing really is big. Does anyone who what kind of spider this is?

Summer is Coming

Erin calls Alex the cookie mafia. He isn't happy until he takes his cut.

The first swim day of the year.

Just a few more

Here are a few more pics, because frankly, I can't help it. They are too cute.

Grandmas are so fun!

Done. Pretty much.

Our house is actually pretty much done. Hooray. Now life can go on.