2008

What a year this has been. Full of deaths and births and weddings and job changes and moves ......Cancer took a friend and machete wielding men in Guatemala took another.

We left Las Vegas behind for somewhere familiar and sweet, though we miss the things about it that made us last there for three years (sunshine, the pool, dear dear friends, good Mexican food, our garden). We have a baby. I have a Masters Degree. Dan has a new job. I have a new job. We have learned to live in new ways, to love in ways we never thought possible and to let go of someone close to our hearts and pray for the best. We celebrated graduations, weddings, birthdays, holidays and new beginnings. We moved Patty into Warren Hall and rejoiced with her excitement in a new life, new chances, new people, new experiences. We have walked with her through lessons and loneliness and hope.

When you become a mother a lot of funny things happen. You learn to value your life in a way you never did before. I now hesitate before stepping on a plane, getting in a car, driving through intersections, walking down the street. People depend on me. One sweet, defenseless little girl depends on me. In the same way, you learn to value those around you and close to you in ways you never did before. With the birth of a child comes a new understanding of family and friendship. I want to share this little 10 month old light with those who are close to me, for them to experience the joy that I get to live with everyday. Don't get me wrong...its hard...so very hard. Some days I feel as if I have completely lost myself, or maybe just who I thought I was and some days it feels as if it is all completely pointless and mundane. There are dirty diapers, feedings that never end, messes, sleepless nights, runny noses, and lots and lots of tears. And yet somehow everyday I wake feeling that this is the best thing I have ever done and perhaps will ever do.

I have more hope now than ever...even though I see more death and evil and darkness in this world than ever before. But I must have hope for the children, for my children. I must believe there is goodness and I do believe.

2008 was a crazy crazy year for us and I feel as if we are just now settling down. But there were some great things.

Here are some of my favorite things about 2008.

The Office

newborn baby breath

pandora.com

Abbigail's laugh

A white Christmas

jobs, family, friends, houses, food

loving husband and adoring father

Obama 08

hand-me-down baby clothes

root beer

doctors

$1.50 gas

Green Bluff

A wonderful four years of marriage

pesto and cream cheese

Buffalo Wild Wings

moving back to Spokane

SNOW

baby playdates

working part-time

Trader Joes (I miss you)

Alaska

Playing the Wii

graduating!

Surviving.

See you later 2008.

First Christmas!

Abbigail's first Christmas has come and gone. She had fun opening presents, although as you can imagine she was much more interested with the wrapping paper than they toys themselves. And on top of that, much more interested in sneaking over and climbing up the stairs than opening presents.

This was our attempt at a Christmas Eve family photo. We obviously need to get a tripod. And a baby that will hold still for pictures.

Snow

We are starting to think that it will never stop snowing. The forecast says snow every day for the rest of the year. Which sounds like a long time but is really only like a week.

Here is a before shot of Abbigail.

And after. Apparently she hates the snow. Or maybe it is the giant bubble-gum pink snowsuit that was regifted to us by my friend Amy in Las Vegas. I think its the snowsuit.

white christmas

It may seem that I have taken a hiatus from life, thus the absence of any new blog entries. Not so. Simply, we have moved again in the past month and therefore my life has been full of unpacking boxes and settling in. I have so many new fun pictures to post...but we have not finished hooking our computer up and I always feel that I have much less to say than I do pictures to share.

In other news, it has snowed over two feet in Spokane over the last 48 hours. Feels like my childhood all over again. I love it.

Has anyone ever heard of this blog www.dooce.com? I discovered it after watching her on the Today show one morning. If you are a mother or mother-to-be then you might particularly enjoy it. It makes me laugh out loud sometimes. Just thought I'd share.

Happy Holidays.