A Year in Review

How fun to look back at this post from last year to remember all the great things that happened in 2008. Now as 2009 comes to a close I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on what an incredible year it has been. There are a lot...but here are some of my favorite highlights broken down by when they occurred:

January and February

• Wessy and Tessy both turned two and managed to become even wilder!
• Linc and I celebrated Valentine's Day with dinner at the club with my parents.
• Alex turned 22 and we went to the Ritz on Lake Oconee for dinner!
• I became an aunt (to little puppy Jax!)

March and April

• We had "Thanksgiving in March" for my dad's birthday!
• A month long birthday celebration for me and my friend's at school began.
• I got to meet Kate Gosselin at Roswell UMC.
• Courtney and Kyle found out they were having a girl.
• Linc and I started playing T2 tennis together.
• Snow storm in March caused school to be canceled!
• My mom reached her two year cancer free anniversary.
• Linc and I became T2 Division Winners!
• We spent Easter with Ryan and Kris in Orlando.
• Linc's company had a huge Moulin Rouge themed party.

May and June

• Baby Grace was born, Ashley and Lake got engaged, and Cole and Leslie announced their engagement!
• I celebrated Field Day by going home with strep throat! I was the seventh one in my class to catch it!
• Alex graduated from GC&SU and we spent Mother's Day out at the lake.
• Linc and I toasted to three years of marriage while in Chicago for Sara and Davo's wedding.
• Courtney had her baby shower for little Leighton.
• Linc and Dad won their T2 Championship on Father's Day weekend!
• Spent some time in Kiawah and relaxing on the beach.
• Brendon, Robyn, and baby Grace moved in down the street!!

July and August

• PREGNANT!!! We found out on July 5th.
• We spent two unforgettable and amazing weeks in Greece!
• Leighton was born!
• Began my third year teaching second grade.
• I was involved in my first car accident- a hit and run!
• We announced to the world that our family was growing by two little feet!
• I began my weekly fruit/veggie baby updates!
• We started planning the nursery and picked out the baby furniture.

September and October

• First real pictures of Baby H looking like a human instead of a blob.
• Celebrated Grammy's 8-0 in Hilton Head!
• Began my second trimester and predicted Baby H would be a boy.
• Attended Donna's Stampin' Up Party and made lots of goodies!
• Survived another year of parent conferences.
• The pups got to go to Doggie Day Care for the first time!
• We got confirmation that Baby H is in fact a BOY!
• Linc surprised me with tickets to SYTYCD! It was amazing!
• Reached my half way point in pregnancy!
• Celebrated Tricia and Greg's wedding (and Halloween) in Connecticut.
  

November and December

• Began registering!
• Won the T2 3.5- City Championship with Linc!
• Baby Jack Weston was born and our small group got to celebrate!
• My sweet momma found out her cancer had returned.
• Mom and Dad redecorated our guest bedroom to prepare for the little one.
• Cole and Leslie got married in Charleston.
• Nursery furniture was delivered and set up!
• Linc felt Baby H kick for the first time!!!
• Thanksgiving at the Trotta's and Bo's farm!
• Mom had surgery to remove the cancer from her lungs
  
• Cookie Party at Robyn and Brendon's house
• Labor and Delivery Tour at Northside and Breastfeeding Class
• Linc won his KSwiss Tennis league!
  
• Celebrated Christmas with all of our families and some special friends!

I feel so blessed to have such a long list of things to reflect on. Not all of them were good, but the year wouldn't have been the same without each of them. I am so grateful for my family and friends during this time and as we ring in the new year I feel hopeful that 2010 is going to be the best year yet! We have so much happening in the first few months and I am glad to have this blog to record it all. Thank you all for sharing this past year with me, through the ups and downs and all the events in between! I wish everyone a safe and happy new year and will see you in January!

When the Parents are Away...

The pups will play!! Boy pup Westin cannot stand anything stuffed and furry. He thinks it is his mission in life to annihilate anything with fluff and his most recent "victim" was a little pink pig he discovered over Christmas at my parent's house! They were watching the dogs for us while Linc and I went to the farm and here are a few pictures of what happened while we were away.

Apparently the pig was taunting Westin all Christmas long.

One morning, he found it staring at him from the kitchen counter...

Westin decided the pig must be killed!

He sprang into action to try and grab it off the counter!

Feeling pretty confident and ready to attack!

Another staring contest begins.
Don't worry, the pig was not harmed or de-fluffed!

You can see him plotting his next move!

But first, a nap in the sunshine to recover from all that jumping!

Thanks mom and dad for watching the grandpups! They had a great time with you and spent the entire day sleeping on the couch when we got back! They can't wait to see you again soon! Woof!!

Christmas at the Farm

Even the cows got spoiled this Christmas! We got to the farm on Saturday night and ate dinner with Sherry and Bo. The next morning, after spending the day swapping presents and eating yummy home made chili we took the Polaris out into the field and gave the teenager cows some Christmas treats. They were pretty excited and caused a few fights trying to get at the molasses cookies. It is so weird to be up close to so many cows and see their crazy black tongues!

We were told the be on the lookout for #7- who is supposed to be the friendliest!

She brought some friends along...

Yum! Cow slobber!!

The girls started rocking the Polaris and getting a bit greedy!

I liked "505" best with her little chocolate curly cues!

While the girls were feeding the cows, the boys were out in another pasture practicing shooting skeet. A few hours of competition and they were all tired and ready to call it a day. We settled in the living room to watch a movie, eat some cheeseburgers, and relax by the fire. I love being able to come here and slow down a bit. Life on the farm is certainly different and it was nice to spend a few days after Christmas here again. Next year will be very different with Baby H joining the group and I can't wait!!

Over the river and through the woods...

The pond was a little muddy this time around!

Linc, me, and a very full 29 week Christmas belly!!

Madison, Bo, Linc, and Cole

Practicing skeet shooting with Bo's new rifle.

This time around the girls just watched-
Leslie, Hailey, and Me trying to stay warm!

Happy Birthday Jesus

I love Christmas, and I especially love the traditions my family has been keeping for as long as I can remember! As the years go by, a few things change here and there but as long as we can all celebrate together than I am happy! We started this year by driving back to my parents house with all the pups in tow. Kristin, Ryan, and Jax stayed at our house so we set our alarms and headed over there bright and early.

Usually we open gifts for a while before eating breakfast, but this time we went right for the food! Our traditional Christmas morning breakfast includes egg souffle, blueberry muffins with sugar crumbles, and sausage. No mimosas for me this year, but everything else was just as I hoped! While it was cooking we got all the pups together for our yearly stair picture. When we were little, we would have to pose for a photo before coming down to see the tree. Now, even though we arrive via the front door, we still take this picture every year!

All the kids and their pups ready for Christmas morning!

After enjoying our meal, we settled into the living room and began opening presents. In our family we take turns opening one gift at a time so it eventually takes hours to go through all of them! Linc and I must have been very good this year because Santa blessed us with some very lovely presents. My favorites included a fully stocked diaper bag with tiny clothes for Baby H, a beautiful charm bracelet, and a natural gas grill for our backyard!

Little plates for Baby Hami's nursery!

Kris gave Ryan a new Iphone (even though the box was actually empty!)

Kris and Alex ready for the new tennis season!

Golf balls wrapped up in an oatmeal container for Dad
while Mom and the Chihuahuas wait their turn!

Tiny little baby clothes for Baby H!

Yay! A new natural gas grill for the backyard!

A few hours later we took a break to clean up and then switched rooms to dig into our stockings. My aunt Cindy, uncle Greg, and cousins Rob and Steve came over a little later and we spent the rest of the day playing cards, chowing down on appetizers, and relaxing. It seems like all we do is eat during the holidays and we sat down again for another delicious meal for dinner. Filet with Gorgonzola Cheese Glaze, Strawberry salad, twice baked potatoes, and green beans were on the menu and I could not have been more stuffed!

Ten years ago I gave my mom a book called "A Mother Knows Just What to Do"
and this Christmas she gave it back to me with a special note inside!

Enjoying Christmas Day together!

Even Wessy was spoiled this Christmas!

He was able to open his presents all by himself!

We hung out for a few more hours and then headed on back home to go to sleep. It was such a fun day and I cannot believe it is already over! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas spent with family and loved ones.

Sleepy Christmas Pups!
Westin and Jax were exhausted after all the Christmas festivities!

Pre Christmas Tennis

Linc is a tennis machine and for a while there he was playing on three leagues at the same time! One of those just wrapped up this past week after a seven round play off bracket (click to see how huge it was). Linc made it all the way through to the final round and after a grueling 2 hour and 50 minute match against an amazing opponent, walked away with the victory!!!!!!! It was such an exciting match and really neck and neck the entire time. I could not have predicted the outcome and am so proud of Linc for hanging in there and fighting til the end. After three sets he was a bit tired (and sore) but the entire family went to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate! Great playing Linc! Can't wait to hang up your crystal Champion plate!

Part of Linc's cheering section!

Proud wife (and baby) with the Champion!!

Mom and Alex trying to stay warm!

Christmas Eve Recap

On December 24th we woke up to a mighty chilly day. Kristin and I bundled up and braved the shopping mall to pick up a few last minute items and treat our hubbies to some Chick-fil-a biscuits! We also had to pick up my car that had been in the shop for a few days getting worked on. We picked up a few presents, got the car, and enjoyed our yummy meal. The boys decided to go see a movie (Avatar) and the girls took all the pups to the tennis courts to run out some energy! After a long walk, we came back home, rested a bit, and then got ready for church. We were heading over to Mt. Pisgah to meet my parents for the Christmas Eve Service.

The Nathan Girls decked out for church.

My family!

After church we drove back to my parents house and started preparing dinner. Linc and I took charge making our traditional meal of shrimp and pesto linguine while everyone else played cards. Really it was so we didn't have to dishes afterward, but it was lots of fun! We have been having this exact same meal for as long as I can remember and I look forward to it every Christmas. I misread the directions and accidentally put twice as much garlic in the sauce as was necessary, but hey, you can never have enough! It still turned out delicious and we all filled our bellies and then chowed down on some peppermint chocolate chip cupcakes. Yum!

Shrimp and Pesto Linguine (with extra garlic!)

Ready to enjoy our favorite meal!

One of our family traditions is to open family presents on Christmas Eve, so after dinner we gathered in the living room to exchange gifts. Alex works at J. Crew now and we were all spoiled with clothes and accessories from her store. We gave Ryan and Kristin some tennis gear to help them get into the game. Mom gave all the girls a Christmas Memories book like the one she has been writing in since Kris was born! I can't wait to go through it in a few years and look back at everything we have done. We also all got cozy Christmas jammies- another one of my favorite Nathan family traditions!

Kristin and Ryan bought Baby Hami his car seat!!

We can't wait to write in our book!

That night we drove back to our house only to realize that the power was out! We lit some candles and found a flashlight and Linc and I opened our presents by candle light! He gave me tickets to Cavalia (the Cirque de Soleil equestrian show) and a karaoke game called Lips for the XBox 360. He got DJ Hero, another video game, some clothes, and a tennis trophy shelf! It was a great night and we had so much fun celebrating with our families. Up next-- Christmas Day!