2009...

What a truly amazing year! Sean and I are so blessed. 2009 was a year of a lot of change. Some was good, some was hard, but overall we are in such a good place right now. Both personally and professionally.

In March, we found out after almost a year of trying that we were expecting our first child. This was something we both wanted and we were so so thrilled to find out that in 9 months we would be parents.

In early 2008, Sean took a huge leap and changed careers. It was definately for the best. Work doesn't have to be work and he finally realized what he was doing was not what he loved. He switched jobs and is now an assistant Project Manager for a local construction company. Zig is so hands on, this is perfect for him. Plus, it keeps him on his toes. For me, learning something new everyday is what keeps your job interesting. Having no experience, the owner of this business really took a risk on Zig, but he saw something in Zig, that those who really know him knows is true. He is so dedicated and such a hard worker. He would do everything it took to learn the ins and outs and be successful at what he does. This year, Zig's boss encouraged him to take the LEED exam and become LEED certified. This is a pretty challenging exam, but it allows him to oversee "green" building projects. Something that is huge these days. Zig studied his butt off and passed the exam! He is the only employee at his work who has this certification and it is such a great thing to have!

In May of 2009, Sean and I ventured out of the country and took a vacation with Jenn and Dan (our brother in law and Zig's sister) to Ireland. Neither of us had been to Ireland and really the only travel out of the country either of us had done was either on a cruise or to Mexico. We had a such an amazing time. Ireland is beautiful and it was a once in a lifetime experience. While I didn't get to enjoy a pint of Guiness while I was there, and my monring sickness made meal times interesting, I am so glad we were able to do this. I can't wait till Emily is old enough to enjoy a trip like that! We are definately not done with our traveling. We both would love to tour more of Europe!

Also in mid 2009, our Dad went through a major surgery battling cancer. We are very happy to report that Dad is doing great and feeling better than ever! His strength and motivation to beat this disease is truly admirable.

We received some very sad news late July. We lost Nana after a long battle with lung cancer. We all know she is in a much better place, but we miss her everday. We know that she is watching over us from Heaven and keeping an eye on little Emily!

After 4 long years of trying (and likely several thousand dollars!) I finally passed the CPA exam. I am now a Certified Public Accountant. It is so crazy, because it was something that I worked for on and off for so long. I am so glad I didn't give up because let me tell you, there were days when I felt so defeated. This exam is tough and I was so busy with work (and life) that I just didn't put in the time that I should have to study all those years. Emily was definately my motivation and that motivation finally paid off!

You all know our biggest news! We welcomed Emily to the family on November 28, 2009! Just one day shy of my due date. Here we are almost 3 weeks later and life could not be better. We are so happy and so in love with our little girl!

To round off the year, I recevied some great news from work while on leave. I got a telephone call letting me know that they decided to promote me to Manager! After 5 years with the firm, I am so excited to start this new chapter! It feels good to know that your hard work has paid off and that there are people who work with you who have faith in you and appreciate the work you do.

So much happened in 2009, I hope I haven't left anyting out! It was a great year. Though we don't have high expectations, we can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for us!