2009

My friend Whitney recently wrote on her blog that blogging had lost its luster lately. I'd have to say I couldn't agree more. However, with a new year already started, I feel as though I should give an update, especially to those family and friends that we don't get to see as often as we'd like. I'd like to be a better blogger, but I find that the less time I spend online, the better. I feel a little less "connected," but I like it that way. If anyone wants to give me a faster computer, however, I might reconsider my sparse blogging ways! I've decided that in order to motivate myself more, I'll try to take a different approach to blogging for a while. I got this book a while back that asks questions about your life and gives prompts that get you started writing in your journal. Since this is a "journal" of sorts, and I may one day have it printed out for journaling purposes, it might be a good place to start. Since this post is long overdue, here is our year in review.
JASON
Jason had a very busy and productive 2009. He started business school at Western Washington University, which is both exciting and sometimes stressful (for the both of us!) Last semester he took 22 credits which, to me, is unheard of, but somehow he managed to do so getting all As. Don't ask me how he did it - it doesn't make sense to me! I remember my first semester at BYU taking 18 credits and realizing (too late, of course) that it just wasn't possible for me to be able to focus on that many classes. This semester he's toned it down a bit with 19 credits. Yep, still crazy. But we still love him. He will be getting his degree this time next year, and we are so excited! It leaves our future rather open and unpredictable at the moment, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Ideally, after he graduates, he'll find a job somewhere here in western Washington, but we just won't know until it happens! We both really love it here, and love the idea of raising a family here, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Other than school, Jason is still working the night shift at the group home 6 nights a week. It is really hard having him gone at night, but it's an ideal job right now while he's still in school. It gives him a lot of time to study and do homework too, which is nice. Somehow with work, school, and church responsibilities, he still manages to be an excellent father and husband which Reagan and I both appreciate. Reagan adores her dadda more than I can even explain. He is the one person that can get her to do almost anything... go nigh-night, brush teeth, say prayers, cuddle for hours on the couch, watch college football, and have intense dance parties in the living room (a personal favorite). He loves his "goonzie girl" (I don't even know how this nickname started, but somehow it stuck) so much, and it is the best thing in the world to see them cuddle and play together. She definitely has him wrapped around her finger, but I'd have to say that he has her wrapped around his as well. He always tells me how excited he is to have two "goonzies" running around the house. He is definitely a guy that can handle being a dad to multiple girls, which is something that I've known about him since before we even had kids. For that I am very grateful, because having two teenage girls very close in age is going to be interesting!
You'll also all be happy and relieved to know that Jason is still as handsome as ever, however seems to be doing some sort of "disappearing man act," where he loses significant amounts of weight in short periods of time. He calls it the "stress and no time to eat diet." It's better, however, than his diet years ago, when he had just gotten off his mission. He called that one the "I'm too poor to buy food and eating isn't a priority" diet. Another important thing to note - Jason grew a very impressive "Billy Mays-esque" beard over the holidays. I can't find a picture, but just know that it was very festive and full of lumberjack charm.
Emily (me)
I had a wonderful 2009, but I have to say that I am more than ready for this new year and all of the excitement it will bring. This was the year that I really "settled" comfortably into my new job as a mom. I kind of feel like I have this whole mom thing figured out, but if I've learned one thing, it is to never get too comfortable feeling like I have everything figured out, because something always happens to make me realize that I don't! I have found so much joy this year as a wife and a mom. I don't really have anything significant to write about myself. My biggest triumphs this year were those that I watched Jason or Reagan make, or experienced with them. I like it that way.
One of the most obviously significant things I experienced this year was finding out that I was pregnant with our second daughter. Although scared at first, I have realized that becoming a mom has helped me to discover strength that I never knew I had, and has helped me to really become the person I have always wanted to be, just never realized I could be. I owe a lot of that to Reagan, and I imagine that I will owe just as much of my growth as a person to this baby girl as well.
I can't say that I grew a beard this year, but I did: make new friends, strengthen my relationships with old friends and family, get addicted to Afrin nasal spray and am currently "detoxing" (you wouldn't laugh if you knew how miserable this was!), get my first blood transfusion, attend the sealing of a best friend and a best cousin, go to Disneyland and realize it was a lot more fun when I was a kid, make a trip to Minnesota to laugh and love with family, make progress decorating and making my house a "home," and learned a lot in my calling as a young women leader and teacher.
Reagan (Goonzie)
More than both Jason and I, Reagan probably had the most drastic life changes in 2009. Learning to walk and talk seem to be pretty significant skills that will help her throughout the rest of her life (or hurt her, if she's anything like me...clumsy and put my foot in my mouth a lot). I can't even explain how much this funny little girl has changed our lives for the better. She is almost always happy with a smile on her face. She loves to eat, loves to sleep (hallelujah!), and loves to make everyone around her laugh. She usually does this by either blurting out things like "bum!" or "I tooted!" (what can I say, we are a family with a genuine love of potty humor), or busting one of various dance moves she learns from Jason or my sister Haley. She has a current obsession with Elmo. She literally goes to bed talking about Elmo, and wakes up talking about Elmo. The word 'elmo' currently exists in almost every little thing she says. A close second to Elmo are princesses, which she calls "happy" because we have a book where the Disney princesses sing "If you're happy and you know it." (It's amazing how kids make these kinds of connections.) She is a smart little girl, repeating everything we say, and even some things we don't say. She talks and talks and talks, all day long, usually about a movie she just watched, or a recent visit to Nana and Bumpah's house. She loves babies, animals, apples, yogurt (this girl would eat yogurt for every meal if I let her), reciting the names of everyone she knows, nursery, and music. She is easily entertained, and keeps us laughing all day long. We are so grateful for our little goonzie girl. She brings out the best in us!
Well, folks, that is our year in review.

Unsure about her visit with Santa at church.



Trying on Auntie Hayhee's stylish glasses


Me, 29 weeks pregnant, and wearing a black body suit (I did put on a dress over this otherwise lovely ensemble)


The girls' room. I went a little non-traditional and painted it blue, but I like it. Its a work in progress.





My funny little girlfriend




These were just my most easily accessible pictures. More to come!