Dear 2009,

Dear 2009,

It is time for your letter.
You might remember, I wrote a letter to 2008 last New Year's Eve.
Now this year has come to an end, so here you go!

You have been a really great year!
Kevin and I were talking today about how we feel so blessed because 2009 was a good year for us even though it was a hard year for so many people.
This year was the end of a decade & it also marked the end of my 20's and the beginning of my life as a thirty-something (that still kind of freaks me out!)

I started this decade as a clueless 20 year old who was a junior in college.
I ended this decade as a 30 year old, wife, mom of 2 beautiful girls, homeowner, college graduate & tenured teacher.
It has been an amazing decade, the best of my life for sure. I am kind of sad to see it end, but I am excited to see what the next decade holds in store for me & my family.

Here are some of the highlights of our year month by month!

January:
Kate's 2nd Birthday Party
February:
Wine tasting on Valentine's Day with Reid & Kelly
March:
Taking the girls to the city with my mom
April:
Kevin passing hisGeneral Comp Test for Real Estate Appraisal
(didn't blog about it, but it was a HUGE accomplishment & big hurdle for his career and it meant no more studying & more family time!
May:
My 30th Birthday!
June:
Getting my new camera
July:
Lake Tahoe
August:
Potty Training Kate
September:
Claire turning 1
October:
Halloween & Trick or Treating
November:
MKL Designs, my little side business of photography & designing Christmas cards!
{I made over 50 Christmas Cards this year. Amazing!}
December:
Being a part of Project 320, going to So Cal & seeing how God worked in big ways!
Of course these were just some of the highlights of the year and there were tons of day to day things that I loved about 2009...
getting more involved in our church,
weekly playdates with Becky, Maddie & Samuel,
the challenges of teaching 1 more class,
going on fun trips with kids (Tahoe 4 times, Pebble Beach, & our staycation)
and without kids (to Florida & Vegas),
seeing Kate become more independent,
and
watching Claire morph from a baby to a toddler.
Most of Claire's "firsts" were in 2009 (teeth, crawling, walking, etc)

2009 has been a year where God has shown me His love, grace and faithfulness over and over and over again!

So, thanks for the memories 2009 & thanks for being a fun year & a wonderful end to a great decade.

You will be missed, but I look forward to see what 2010 has in store!