This blog was 90% finished and started on 1/12/2009!!!! So now I have finished it on 9/12/2009!!! And here you go...
A Year In Review - 2008
We don't write a Christmas letter. I love getting them, you think with all the writing I do, I could manage to throw one together, but for whatever reason, I can't. I decided that this year I would do a year in review here on my blog. If you followed us on babysites, you probably know more about my year than you'd care too! Anyway, here goes...
We started out the year with Addie at 6 months and Lily 3 years +1.5 mths. Addie sat up for the first time on her own, New Year's Day.
In January, I was promoted to manager of my accounting department and hired a new employee. Addie had her first cold and nursing strike and Lily went to her first play with visiting Grandma Carol and cousin Jayme, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse.
In February, Addie and I went to Spokane to be with my friend Robin who had lost her brother, she was expecting baby number two in March, and we desperately needed to get a visit in. We were having bedtime battles with Lily at home, and getting away with just Addie and I felt like a vacation. While we were gone, Lawrence took the chance to take Lily skiing for the first time. Boy did she love that. My mom came for a visit the day after Valentine's day, and Lily and I got to go to see Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show at the Rose Garden. Boy did she love that. It was her first introduction of what would become her new love...Little Einsteins! At the end of February we went to Boise to see our friends Jeanine & Otto (and kids). Our friends the Gunderson's (Dawn, Lucas, Emma, & Nathan) came from Salt Lake to see us too. We had a great time catching up with all. Lawrence and I went snow tubing with Lily, Jeanine, Nycole, & Aristeo. Otto stayed home and babysat his one true love, Addie. Addie got her first tooth and learned to crawl. Second sleep study (bedtime resistance) for Lily at OHSU.
In March, we celebrated Lawrence's 35th birthday. He insisted that he just wanted to stay home with the family and eat ice cream cake, so that's what we did. We found out that Addie had Allergies - first by introducing Yogurt then trying formula, both resulting in vomit and head to toe hives. Addie's weight also dropped from 50% to 25% and we were working on a gaining spree and feeding regiment (funny that now she is at like 7% and we are no longer worried). At work I got a new window office, which faces the Willamette River and Mt Hood and it is huge and fabulous. We went skiing with Chappelle's, Lily and Nathaniel did great skiing and Lily even got to go up the chair lift for the last run with Lawrence. Addie and I stayed below with Addie in pack back but I did one run alone and was rusty enough to say that's enough for me this season.
In April. Isabella Cimino was born to my friends Jocelyn and Peter. Matt came to visit. I went to Nichole's Bachelorette party in Walla Walla WA for wine tasting, and I pumped in a limo, a definite first. As the girls got drunker, it got funnier. Lawrence's mom came to visit and Lily and Lawrence went to Cique du Soliel - Cortea. Lawrence went to Rob's Bachelor Party the following weekend in Sun River for golfing and my mom came to visit. The weather was very warm!
In May, we got our first big Flu. It took us all down. First Addie, then me, then Lawrence & Lily (while I was away for a one night biz trip in San Jose). I got to see my friend Carla and meet her kids while on that trip. Our Nanny, Katrina gave notice because she was moving to California, we faced some big decisions regarding Lily. I got to attend Kiana Rose's first communion (oldest daughter of one of my dearest friends), I organized a Breast Cancer Walk for my office and good friend and co-worker, Julie and raised a lot of $$ for the American Cancer Society. For Mother's Day, Lawrence made brunch fro me and we invited the Rose's over. I took a nap (best gift eva!), Back Yard Remodel began when the brush behind our house was cleared to build another house some day. (We may have rushed on that a little because now, over a year later, still no building). We do love our leveled tiered yard and have gotten so much more use out of it now that it is kid friendly.
In June, we made the decision to hire a nanny for both girls so they could be together during the day, and then send Lily to a preschool in the fall. We gave notice to Kids Campus and started a nanny search. My mom went to Washington DC for her first time and stayed with us as both ends of her great sight seeing trip. We had a Yard sale with the Ornelas's toward the end of the summer, one day at our house and one day at theirs. We sold a lot, drank a lot, and the kids got to spend 2 complete days with their best friends. Addie and Bailee had a blast in the pak n play together and snacking in the booster seats, watching the sights and sounds of selling junk.
In July, we celebrated Addie's first birthday and had family photos taken by Christina. We went to Joseph for the fourth and had Addie's official first bday party there. Our new summer nanny started (we didn't find a full time one in time, and found a perfect summer nanny in time) and the fun with Katy began. For Jennifer O's birthday she had an 80s party-Lawrence and I both had fun dressing up for that. We looked awesome, as did the rest of the party. Lawrence's parent came for a short visit and we did the usual (Red Robin, zoo, CM2, Hayden's by the Lake) We *tried* to have a surprise bday party for me mom's 60th but she decided not to come for her bday so I had to tell her that all her sisters would be there and she should try and come. Not all of her sisters made it but we had a really great time celebrating 60 years. It's hard to believe because she certainly doesn't look or act that old (usually!).
In August, went to NC, good bye to Katy, family reunion at hilgard, Addie begins walking
In September, I broke my foot - in some ways I can say this was life changing. It turned my world upside down. No walking or driving for 8 weeks! Our new nanny started the day it happened (also the day we came home from NC) and my cousin Susannah came to stay for a few days. Lily started preschool and Gaarde Christian School. It was a really hard month, my mom came, she did my laundry and carried my kids (and drove Lily to and from school). I was grateful EVERY day for the great friends I have who cleaned my room and did my laundry. I spent a lot of the month looking at my surroundings and going crazy, time was at a stand still. My boss let me work from home. The Gabiola's visited from Boise and we drank some beer and watched some college football. Lily did a walk a thon to raise money for her school. My pregnant friend Tanya were quite the pair with two 3 year olds and two 1 year olds trying to manage a walk a thon with me on crutches. The Rose's took the kids for the day, just to be nice, and we watched college football, took a nap and relaxed. Simply gifts are often the very very best ones.
In October, Lawrence's mom came to take care of me and the kids, she did laundry and dishes and cooked and drove me and the kids and took care of us all. It was wonderful. They got to go to the Roloff Farm (Little People Big World). I went to the Women of Faith Conference. Lily turned 4, we had a small party at the Ceramic Cafe with 5 friends and she loved it. Halloween - Lily was a butterfly and Addie was a lady bug. They were so cute. I went back to work after working from home for 2+ weeks.
In November, I can walk and drive! I promise profusely to never take either for granted again! For my birthday weekend, Lawrence and I went with the Powers, Kolmers, and Ornelases to the Griz game vs Portland state. Katy babysat the girls. It was so awesome. For Rivalry weekend we went to On Deck for bfast and to watch the Ohio State Michigan game, then they had a big tent set up for the Montana / Montana State Griz Game, we took the girls to that and it was so much fun. A whole day of fun. Then we had Thanksgiving at our house with my mom and my brother. Tension was mounting with one of my employees who was making lots of mistakes.
In December, we had a Christmas party for all the people who watched our kids and helped us out while my foot was broken, 12 kids in all! It was a busy and fun day but the kids had a great time and they all played well together, ranging from 18 mths to 9 years! Then we had a wonderful Christmas party at the Ornelases. The next day it snowed, and we had "Arctic blast 2009" for 13 days of snow in Portland. Unheardof! We had fun sledding on our street and building snowmen. We missed going to Joseph for Christmas becasue the roads were just too bad. Uncle Matt came for Christmas and that was a huge treat for Addie and Lily. We enjoyed our impromptu Christmas and tree at home. It was a busy few weeks since Lawrence had to go to work every day and Tamara couldn't make it up our hill. I worked from home with no help for 2 weeks during the busiest 2 weeks of the year. During the second week the sales at my company were more than the entire rest of the YEAR combine, all this with an incompetent employee who was also forced to work at home. At this point I feel like I've been bound to the house since August due to the foot, then this. I'm a little pissy and stir crazy, and I didn't even get to do my Christmas shopping more than run in and run out of the store with Lawrence and the kids in tow (which was a good thing on my budget). But we survived and I was grateful for my extra extra time with my girls, and for the little neighbor girl who came over a few mornings to help keep me sane for. And in December I decided to start with blogspot from babysites.com because my memory was full over there! :)
So that's 2009 - It only took me 8 months to finish. And HEY if I get Addie's Thank You's for her July birthday mailed out before Lily's October birthday, I think I'm still ahead, right??? I mean I have them all ordered and everything, ready to go. Wait, is it tacky to put them in the same evelope with the invitations for Lily's party? Probly. All the good time saving ideas I have usually are! :)
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