hello from the nation's capital. it is wicked cold here and it makes me nostalgic for this hot july day:
recapping 2010. i started the year in denver for the wedding of Nene and Andrew Williams. It was a very nice way to kick off the year. i acquired 2 new nieces this year... actually, that sounds like i bought them. i didn't. they were born, the normal way. they are both just beautiful, though i have not yet met Addy. other than that, 2010 was pretty uneventful... though expensive... between the wedding, a new washer & dryer, a new car and replacing my dead tv, i feel like all i did was spend money... in large hunks.
okay... uneventful? in retrospect, i guess not... i began the year by celebrating my birthday... small gatherings with different friends every night straight for over a week. my boss kept wanting me to work late and then finally asked, is it over yet? it was awesome.
the spring was uneventful except for a quick trip home in april to pick up my new car which looks exactly like my old car but with more buttons. in may i missed the indy 500 for the first time in 13 years to attend my cousin doug's wedding in california. it was weird to miss indy but great to see the family out there and finally meet my cousins' kids. judi and jana each have 4 and i had only ever met bryce and derrick (the two oldest) when they were little babies.
in july i went home for a week, as i always do. karen and matt and eric were here for a long weekend before that. we stayed at danger house (tim and angel's) because i was housesitting for the month of july, so it was nice that everyone had beds and rooms. karen knocked her shin on the porch furniture and grabbed a nail on the rail to balance herself, then the morning they left, they locked themselves out of the house. thankfully i have sustained no further injuries at danger house. we mostly just hung out, but we did get in some duck pin bowling and i got a round of applause one night for the superb parallel parking job i did in front of the ice cream shop in old town.
also in july my nephew rick came home from his year long deployment in afghanistan. we are beyond thankful to have him home safe and sound and beyond impressed that ashley managed 3 under 3 while he was gone. she is truly super mom.
i stole these from ashley's facebook. hopefully i will be forgiven. :-)
super mom traveling from seattle to ohio.
WELCOME HOME RICK!!
The happily reunited family!
Evey (1), Rick, Ben (2), Ashley, Addy (4 mos.)
in september the girls got together at kalahari for a spa weekend to celebrate my mom's birthday. it was pretty awesome. i want to live there. in the spa.
in november walcher's burnt to the ground. a freak fire on a windy day. everyone is thankful that no one was hurt... and also for insurance. the boys will be busy this winter rebuilding in time for the 2011 season.
thanksgiving was nice as val's whole family was there. i had not yet met chad and becky's new baby, miss alayna grace so that was super fun. i got to know beth (mike's wife) better and she is pretty awesome, and i got to meet chase who will join our family in march (no, we did not scare him off, even after alex almost kicked his butt in monopoly).
my week at home for christmas was not exactly what i planned. my mom and i were both laid low by the flu. i spent 6 straight days in pajamas (win!) but i missed celebrating christmas with my family (fail). i saw mike & krissy & alex & anna the day i flew in, and then not again. i saw steve & randi briefly before getting sick, then not again until the night before i left. matt was home the whole time and managed not to get sick. that was disappointing. wait, not matt not getting sick, i was disappointed that i didn't see everyone more. on the bright side, if you're going to be sick, it's awesome to have your mom taking care of you.
2011 will bring yet another niece (rob & kaje have a bun in the oven!) and a new nephew, though he has already been born. he (the afore mentioned chase) will bust into the family in march when he marries michelle. what can i say? my family is awesome, people are clamoring to join. i don't blame them.
alrighty... that about does it for the 2010 recap. here's hoping everyone has a blessed, healthy, and happy 2011!!!
