Lots of Laughter

I haven't had any time to post since the first of the year, I'm not sure how we're half way through Jan already! All of Claire's activities started back last week and with getting back into the swing of our schedule and Auntie Jess coming to visit all this week, we've been on the go.

We're back into her Kindermusik and Little Gym classes once a week and also go to Gym Bugs to play at their open play once a week, so lots of moving, dancing and getting the sillies out...makes the time at home a little more "still!"

We're heading to Charlotte this weekend for some long awaited time with friends. We are anxious to get back and catch up with people, go to church and just enjoy some much needed time away. We're taking a long weekend and looking forward to some fun memories.

So thinking back and looking at my planner from the last year, I have to say that 2009 was definitely a year for our family. Being good, bad, difficult, successful, trying, stressful, exciting and last but not least eventful.

We started the year off by finding out Chris had been accepted into the FBI and would start the 20 week academy sometime in the spring. We anxiously awaited any new updates throughout Jan and then in Feb we found out that they wanted him to report March 15th. I of course said no immediately knowing he could not miss Claire's first birthday. So taking a leap of faith we said we couldn't do that date and then they finally came back and said OK, how about the 29th. I was still in shock that all of this was becoming quite real and that in less than a month our life as we knew it would be a totally different degree of "normal." Our house went up on the market and we planned our baby's first birthday party. Between she and I getting sick the week of the party, Chris working out his final 2 weeks at KPMG, checking off the to do lists and what to bring lists for Quantico and trying to spend any bit of family time, our life was completely chaotic!

March 23rd came and we celebrated the happiest day of our life with our precious little girl. She had been the best blessing we could have ever asked for & the first year of her life was amazing. We enjoyed celebrating with our friends and family and watched her take her first steps on her first birthday.

Then a week later we had to pack Daddy up and say a very difficult goodbye. We sent him on his first of many 6 hour trips to Quantico and began our journey down that long road.

April came and we celebrated Easter and then finally our first 3 weeks of being apart were over and Chris got to start coming home every weekend. We enjoyed the rest of spring and sailed into summer with our annual family beach trip to Hilton Head. However, this year things were a bit different, without Chris and Auntie Jess (neither being able to leave the academy), but we still had fun and made the best of it. Claire of course loved the beach, ocean, sand and playing with Uncle Ty Ty, Poppa and Grandma.

Looking back I am so glad we were lucky enough to get that week away to relax and rest, because the Sunday we came home we found out our house had a contract and we had to be out by June 30th...that meant 3 weeks! So I tackled sorting, organizing, packing and stressing with a one year old in tow putting Chris to work every weekend when he was home. Then finally by the end of the month, we had a 7 week lease on an apartment in Charlotte, the movers had packed up and taken our things to storage and we said good bye to our house, which was very hard to do. We closed a chapter in our life that held very special memories.

Then came July and we made our first trip to Knoxville on a house hunt. We didn't have good luck with that trip, so panicking, we prayed that things would work out and what God had planned would be OK. We were able to celebrate Auntie Jess's graduation from the Police Academy mid July and were so happy to be a part of such a special day in her life. We were and still are so proud of her! Later that weekend Chris and I made a second quick trip back to Knoxville to meet a new realtor and having a little more success, found 3 houses we were willing to go with. After all 3 didn't work out, I was in total stress mode and full of uncertainties. Then after a week of debating, phone calls and sending Tyler out on wild goose chases to meet our realtor, he found a house for us. They took tons of pictures, inventories, gave thoughts, opinions and we trusted God that this was the house that was meant for us. The sellers could close in 30 days and so on July 28th we had a final contract to close on Aug 28th. Whew, what a hurdle!

I know again looking back that God let that play out exactly the way it was supposed to and that part of our stress was over, because what the beginning of August held for our family was nothing in comparison. On Aug 9th, our family lost one of the most important people in our lives. My grandmother was able to spend precious time in her house after being gone over a month, visiting with her 2 sisters, her children, grandchildren, her great grandchild, spoke with friends and neighbors and then let God take charge of his plan. I don't know that I will ever get over the events of those days and know that at the same time I am so thankful for every second I had with her. The world was such a better place because she was in it and I know that now Heaven feels the same way.

One week later we had a huge accomplishment to celebrate. On August 19th, after 20 very hard and difficult weeks, Chris graduated from the FBI academy. It was not easy to turn mourning and grief into smiles and sunshine, but that was a big day for our family as well. Everything Chris had worked for and the sacrifices our family made, had now payed off. We had made it through the hardest part and now we could reunite as a family and start yet another new journey.

The rest of August was quite like the rest of the year had been, complete chaos. We went back to CLT to pack up our little 700 sq ft apartment, drove back to Hilton Head for a fast 4 day family vacation, which was cut short because Claire got sick. We rushed back to CLT to see the pediatrician, because in 48 hours we our lease was up, our cars were packed, and we had to close on our new house. So we got her better, said some final goodbyes and headed off to TN.

We got into our new house and on Aug 31st, our 7th anniversary, the movers came to unload our belongings. After one week in our new home, city and state, Chris and I were back on the road to CLT to celebrate another very joyous occasion. One of our best friends had found her soul mate and they exchanged their vows on Sept 5th. A day we definitely wouldn't have missed for anything!

The rest of Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec were honestly quite uneventful as we continued to settle in, unpack, learn our way around Knoxville, make friends and enjoy having Daddy home every evening! We of course enjoyed Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas more than ever before through Claire's eyes. The holidays came and went very fast this year and then before we knew it, the new year was here.

So here is looking back to 2009 and thanking God for pulling us through the hard events and for blessing us with the happy ones! We are truly lucky to have supportive friends, family, & neighbors who give us love and support! Here is to a healthy, happy and a little less crazy 2010! Happy New Year!