2008: Goodbyes and New Beginnings

2008 was bitter and sweet. Filled with goodbyes but also beginnings.

We said goodbye to our first "baby," Toby. Then two months later to our sweet kitty, Allie. Even though it's been about 6 months since our last goodbye to both of them, my heart still misses them a lot. I often expect Allie to come walking in the room with her tail in the air "questionmarking" back and forth. And for Toby's nose to greet me in the face right away in the morning. I think of them both every day and miss them incredibly.

We also said goodbye to California. We said goodbye to the family and friends we saw fairly often. We said goodbye to our house and left it in the hands of a management company to rent out for us. We said goodbye to the 405 freeway and all its traffic. Goodbye to Jamie's long commute. And goodbye to EA.

The end of 2008 brought our family a lot of new beginnings. We moved to Illinois where Kian has experienced two seasons already. I had to explain to him what icicles were (he called them spikes since he never had seen them before). And snowfalls are like getting presents at Christmas all over again.

Kian is beginning to know his extended family members on each side of the family and we got to spend our holidays with them! He got to meet his only cousin, Christopher Race, this Christmas. Met his Great Grandpa, "Papaw Jay," for the first time. And had a blast with all his second cousins, that are around his same age, during Thanksgiving in Wisconsin.

Kian also began preschool this year and with the move he is now going a half day every day. He really looks forward to going. I can't believe how big he's getting!

We all quickly made new friends after the move. We found a family who has a lot of the same hobbies as we do - even on down to the kids :)

Bailey, our yellow labrador puppy, entered our family this November. He is probably going to be about as big as his "big brother," Toby. Before the end of the year, he weighted just as much as Kian!

Jamie is actually home for dinner most nights! To most this might not seem like a big deal, but before he wasn't home until after 8PM - and that wasn't even when he was in crunch mode and working late. Now we actually sit at our dining table and eat as a family! Jamie also gets some good time with Kian before bed - which was impossible before.

This year we welcomed 2009 wtih new friends and in a new way. The chapter of good things continues for our family this year. I hope that many more good things are coming our wayin 2009.