2009 in review

We had a pretty eventful year. Let's see. It started by Steve receiving an internship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was in Salt Lake City (right by the Energy Solutions Arena for those of you who are familiar with Utah). So we made the move from Rexburg, ID to Taylorsville, UT. We found a cheap apartment(I wish we wouldn't have!) and we moved in. We IMMEDIATELY went to Rhode Island for a couple weeks to spend the holiday with my sister Jessica and her family. Steve came home early to start work and I stayed a few more days while Jessica and Matt actually came to Utah for Matt's sister's wedding. We had a wonderful time with their family and enjoyed getting to know the kids better. And I believe this was the first time Steve and Matt met...is that right? I think so!
So we were getting settled in to our new place. My friend Sariah and her family moved into the same apartment complex, so that was fun to have them so close. We had a great little ward where Lorelai tried out nursery for the first time. But that apartment....I started to hate it! We got ants REALLY bad. We were up on the 2nd floor but those little buggers still came in and took over my kitchen an pantry. We had to move all the food from the pantry into Lorelai's room. Fortunately this apartment did have HUGE closets(pretty much the only thing good about them!) so it was ok, just annoying. We finally got them under control a month or so before moving out, but I never did put all my food back!
So in the mean time Steve got offered a full time position with the Church. We weren't sure if he would because the Church was on a hiring freeze. But I guess Utah is where we are supposed to be because Steve got hired anyway. His supervisor was very impressed with him and helped him work his way in, which we are very thankful for. He also finished up a class online and graduated from BYU-Idaho! He didn't care about walking, but was happy to graduate. I'm so very proud of him!
Since Steve got a job, we thought a good move would be to buy a home here in Utah. Steve's office was moving more south to Riverton, so we thought we would head that way were home prices were cheaper. After looking all around, we found a builder that we loved. They had a development that was about a 3 minute walk to Steve's new office. The problem was they were way out of our price range. But luckily they had another development about 15 minutes south and the first time we drove up to it we just fell in love. We loved the neighborhood an just knew that is where we would live. We looked at a bunch of models and plans, but ended up picking a wonderful home that they had already started construction on. We still got to pick out everything and it turned out great. We had some problems with the loan just because Steve had just started his job, but with the help of our wonderful lender we got it all worked out. We got an amazing deal, $8000 from the government(which we waited FOREVER to get), and then another $12,000 from Utah and from our builder that went straight into the house for closing costs and such. So this was all happening around mid April to May.
Luckily Steve did get that job and the health insurance that came with it! (We hadn't had insurance for a while). Around the middle of May my appendix ruptured. It was pretty severe, and I probably came close to dying, but the Lord was watching out for me and I got some good care at the hospital. I have a post about my whole appendix story if you want to go back a couple months and read that, it was pretty crazy! So, my parents came for my surgery, and mom ending up staying for a month to help us out. I was in the hospital for a week and then recovery was hard. I don't know what we would have done without her! She is such an angel! Even though she has health problems she was still there taking care of us, watching Lorelai so Steve could go to work. And we are so grateful that Dad let her stay for so long as well! It was a sacrifice that both of them had to make, and we appreciate it soooo much more than we could ever tell them.
While I was in the hospital recovering it was Lorelai's 2nd birthday! I was super sad to miss it, we weren't able to do much for it,so I will make up for it next year! She is so beautiful and funny and smart. She is such a great little girl. She is really shy but once she gets comfortable around you see how hilarious she can be. We are so blessed to have such an amazing daughter. I couldn't ask for a better kid. She is my best friend and we have so much fun. She is a little parrot, repeating everything she hears. She dances around and acts out shows she watches on tv. She loves drawing and just playing. She is the best!
So a couple weeks after my surgery Vid and Tiff came through town so we got to see them real quick. On Vid's way back I was able to show him our home(we hadn't closed on it yet, but we were still able to go in). I don't remember how finished it was when he saw it, but I think it at least had carpet! Mom was still there and helped us(or pretty much did it herself) pack up our apartment. Unfortunately our closing date kept getting pushed back so she left a few days before we got the keys. We moved in during Father's Day weekend in June. I was still unable to lift anything from my surgery so I was no help. But we had some wonderful help from our old ward packing up the truck, and then Steve's co-worker and his family helped us unload the truck. In record time might I add!
So we settled into our home and had our first visitors for the 4th of July! Mom and Dad were able to come out. We had a nice relaxing time with them. My aunt and uncle were able to come and have dinner with us and play games as well. We had a great time. And then a couple weeks later Steve's parents and brother Mike were able to come out as well. We had a great time with them. Cynthia and her family stopped by for a couple days as well. Jennifer and her family also came out during the summer as well. We had fun going swimming with them and hanging out. In September Steve's parents came back and brought Elise and her son Ben was able to come as well. It was great to have his family come, we almost have had them all here!
Also in September we added a new family member! We got a kitty! She was my birthday present(I turned 27 this year, yuck!). Her official name is Tiger Lily, but what she has been come to know by in our home is Kibby. That is what Lorelai calls her, so I think there might be a name change! She is a cute little thing. She is very playful and sweet. She also is a little butt and tries to get up on the counters and the table, but we are trying to teach her not to. I know that she knows that she isn't supposed to, but she is just pushing her limits! But we love her and she has been a fun addition to our home.
October was Halloween of course. Lorelai was a cute little Tiger. Steve's office does a trick or treat thing, so we went to that and got sooo much candy. More than regular trick or treating. We went trick or treating in our neighborhood with our neighbors Lindsey and Britton and their little girl Raylee. They have become wonderful friends to us! We are so lucky that they are our neighbors and friends. We know we can count on them and we hope they know they can count on us for anything! Lorelai even stays with them sometimes! She won't do that with hardly anyone! They watched her for us while we went to an awesome Halloween dance performance in Salt Lake. We love all the dance competition shows on tv, so Steve surprised me with tickets to this performance.
November is Thanksgiving! We were able to have a ton of my family come! It was so fun. Mom, Dad, Grandma, RH and his family, and Rich and his family. It was so fun, and we actually had room for everyone! So fun.
December my cousin Will got married so my parents came out again! Got to see them 4 times this year! This trip they were only here for about a day, but it was still fun. Made an In-N-Out run or two.(That's right, In-N-Out has made it to Utah! Makes me happy to know it's there!) It was a beautiful wedding and I was able to see a lot of family from my dad's side. Steve's work had a little party. Lindsey watched Lorelai so I could go with Steve and his coworkers out to lunch and a movie. An Christmas was nice as well. We decided to spend our first Christmas in our new home. We bought a real tree(got a great deal going with Lindsey and Britton) and decorated a bit. We weren't able to get the lights up on the house this year. Steve got pretty sick for a week, and then it snowed so it was too dangerous since the only way to get lights up on our tall house is going to be to get onto the roof. That's ok, next year! Steve is planning on setting up nails or hooks during the summer to make it easier.
So yeah, we just stayed home. Lorelai had a fun time opening her presents and playing with EVERYTHING! Even down to her cheapo stocking stuffers! It was so fun to watch her. We had Christmas dinner with Lindsey, Britton and Raylee. (Christmas Eve pizza with them too!) It was nice just to be home and enjoy a nice relaxing holiday.
We have been trying to get pregnant for close to 2 years now so I went and had my thyroid checked out. I was kind of hoping that's all it was, but turns out my thyroid is perfect. So, I guess that is good, but now we have to figure out what is wrong still. Hopefully it won't take us too long to find out! I guess that sums us up for the past year. It has been a wonderful, exciting, painful, stressful, fun, blessed, family filled, great year. Bring on 2010!! We are planning a trip in a couple weeks to see Steve's family so that should be fun. So goodbye 2009, thanks for all the good things....and even the bad!