2008 YEAR END REVIEW!!

2008...who would have thought that a year could go by so quick yet so slow? We had an amazing year filled with many blessings, hardships, miracles, and changes. In January Joel and I started working on our adoption paperwork and for the next five months, we worked hard to get everything completed quickly so that we could get in the pool of those waiting in hopes that we would be selected someday down the road. We also learned the art of lighting christmas trees on fire and realized that our house would be destroyed if our tree ever caught on fire. Joel and I also became addicted to growing gifts. You know, those things you buy for a dollar, put in water and they grow. As the months went on, we actually got burned out of them, but it was fun while it lasted. And finally, we welcomed "Blue Steel" into our family, and said goodbye to our "accident". February we got our 1000th geocache, I almost died by a sneak wave, and we found our very first sand dollars on the beach. (if you ask us, maybe we will tell you where the hot spot is to get them....it was pretty much the coolest thing ever) Also in February, we had to say goodbye to our dearly beloved Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. He served the Lord for many years and was an amazing example in my life! I will always remember him and love him. I remembered that I had a love for painting, and started destressing by coming home from work and painting a bird house. It was amazing therapy, and was so much fun! (I should do that more often) March we went up to Seattle to visit our dear friends the Fantasias, who were visiting for Easter from Texas. We stayed the night in a hotel and toured the city together. It was so good to see them, since it had been years since we were living together in Rexburg. Joel's youngest brother came to visit, I dyed my hair black, and life was good. April we traveled to Boise to go to my nephew's, Cannon, baby blessing. While there we soaped a fountain, found out that the shoe tree had been cut down, and reunited with two of Joel's army buddies. I fed some squirrels at a rest stop, we took Ellianna and Kenzie to the tulip festival, and we welcomed two new members into our family.....Rosco and Daisy Duke. May I turned 24, had a party, and enjoyed spending a few days with our friends, Heather and Jesse, who had moved to Oregon from Rexburg to attend school at Pacific. June we finished all our adoption paperwork and processes and were offically in the pool!! The waiting game began! We made bestest friends with the Chipps, and went to Seattle as a beginning celebration! Our friendship bloomed, and we are now lifelong friends! We also had the opportunity to go to Alaska for a job interview. That was fun, although it didn't really work out...but we hiked to an abandoned mine, pet a reindeer, and saw a dude sawing wood into things...it was great! Oh, not to mention that we stayed with one of Joel's old high school buddies and his family! July we were introduced to a new family tradition of ice cream sundays for breakfast on the 4th, we partied like rockstars at the Strasser 4th of July shingid, I captured an amazing photograph of Chelsi, we went to Idaho to visit Melissa and Dar, and I went on a business trip to Chicago. The last week of July I was so sick I thought I was going to die, and a miracle happened. AUGUST was a life changing month. First, I went to the Breaking Dawn book premiere party with Chelsi. On August 4th we received a phone call from our caseworker informing us that we had been selected by a birthmom to adopt her 11 day old baby boy. You can read about the whole experience HERE. A miracle happened and within 18 hours of the first phone call, we had a new baby boy enter into our family. I quit my job, Joel got paternity leave, and we began a new adventure in life, parenting! Joel also had a job interview for a position in Wyoming and we found out that same day (only three days after being blessed with Calvin) that they had offered him the job. We spent time with friends and family, had three baby showers, got a visit from Cody, Jody and Carter, and took a roadtrip to Idaho and Wyoming to find a house.

September we feel more and more in love with our baby boy, found a house and put an offer on it, had a visit from our old college friends Angela and Aaron, spent the day with Cassandra, and spent time with friends and family before we moved to Wyoming. Joel went to the BSU vs UofO football game to see the Broncos dominate the ducks! We also had a new nephew added to the family, through adoption as well.

October we began getting familar to a new area, celebrated Halloween with Cody, Jody & Carter, endured our first real snow storm, and missed friends and family members. I cooked my first homemade pie ever. November we made a quick trip to Rexburg to visit Matt and Shannon as well as to attend and host a Strasser Party Shindig at Big Juds. We continued to watch Calvin grow and advance (he had his first taste of rice cereal this month), and we went to Utah for Thanksgiving to see my family. My uncle and his family came and put on a bluegrass concert for us in my grandparent's living room...AND IT ROCKED! While in Utah we spent some time with Joel's old mission friends, Paul and Anna. Calvin had his four month check up and weighed 19 lbs...WOW December was pretty calm.
Calvin began rolling around, talking a lot, using a sippy cup, and sleeping longer hours at night. We celebrated our 5th year anniversary on the 20th (which i didn't blog about...probably should) Got gifts and Christmas cards from friends and family members. Spent our first Christmas alone as a family. Had a visit from one of our missionaries from Oregon, Jona...found out that Levi and his friend Mike are going to be joining our family in Januray, and....we were notified that as of Decemeber 17th, that our adoption of Calvin was finalized!!!!

I would have to say that this has been the best year ever! Tons of surprises, memories to last a lifetime, and changes to rock our world! I wonder what 2009 will bring?!? I am not really one for resolutions, but, I do have a few things I am looking forward to this coming year...

1)Getting sealed to our sweet baby boy, Calvin and doing his baby blessing
2)turning 25
3)being able to celebrate mother's day
4)hosting a KICK-A 1year party for Calvin (save the date cards will be coming out)
5) starting my photography business here
6)building up our food storage and
7)living each day to the fullest!

The Lord has greatly blessed our lives this past year, and although we have had and are having some crazy trials in our life, we know that we are where we are for a reason! We wish you the best new year and hope that all your dreams and hard work pay off for you and your family! God Bless!

If you feel like you have missed part of our life, feel free to check the archives for more detailed adventures from the life of Joel and Lila!