Goodbye, 2008

It has been an interesting year. 2008 brought many changes, lots of challenges. I think that it has not been one of my favorite years in my life, but I think that I will look back on this year later in my life and say, "That was where great changes began in me. That was where the growth started." It has been a tough year in many ways, but I can think back on other times in my life where it got tough for a while right before it got really amazing. I believe that is what 2009 will be--a year of seeing fruit where seeds were sown.

I keep a planner every year and I write memorable events in it as the days pass. Here are some memorable things that happened this year, 2008 (as according to my planner):

January 2: Quinn started walking.
January 7: Our two year anniversary.
January 10-12: A trip to Dubai for our anniversary.
January 13: Quinn went to the hospital because of a nasty stomach flu.

February 4-6: First felt quickening with Claire. I was 16 weeks pregnant.
February 23: Two years anniversary of the time we spent in Bahrain.

March 1: Back to the States from Bahrain.
March 4: Shawn and I passed the National Registry exam for EMT-Bs.
March 15: Shawn went to Harrisonville for testing during the application process for this job.
March 22: Shawn's 30th birthday.
March 27: Shawn offered job in Harrisonville.

April 5: Moved into our house in Harrisonville.
April 7: Shawn started job in Harrisonville.
April 15: Started my first garden EVER.
April 23: Kai's adoption finalized.

May passed relatively uneventfully.

June 13-15: I went to Louisville, KY for the Passion for Birth Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator seminar. My mom joined me.

July: The early part of July was spent developing, writing, printing and organizing my Lamaze course design.
July 27: Claire Elizabeth Cherri born at 2:56 AM, weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces.

August 13: My first attempt at pressure canning.

September 8: Kai's first day of Playschool.
September 13-20: Shawn went to the National Fire Academy in Maryland for training in Community Education.
September 15-20: The kids and I visited my parents in Indiana; our first trip to their house there.
September 27: I learned to knit. I still haven't finished the scarf I started that day.

October 24: Attended the Kansas City Doula conference.

November 4: I turned 27 years old.
November 13: I began taking ballet classes again for the first time in years.
November 15: Kai turned 4 years old. That day we went to the circus for the first time.

December 8: Quinn's 2nd Birthday.

I pray that all of you reading this have a joy-filled and exciting new year--goodbye, 2008.