[s] Time to put pencil to paper - I became a mac and diligently plugged away on my dissertation. Josh (on research at the time) made some pretty big sacrifices for me... a few nights a week, he would feed gabe dinner and put him to bed while i whisked away to a nearby starbucks or borders to work until late hours. needless to say, the first few months of 2009 were clouded by work.
[j] Took Gabe on his first overseas trip - to Hong Kong of all places! My grandfather's funeral was a sad occasion, but definitely a great chance to see and hang out with the extended family. One lesson learned - don't bring a carseat with you to HK - no one uses them over there!
[s] oh yeah, also went skiing in denver with the chong family. fun at beaver creek! here, Gabe took his very first steps.
APRIL 2009
[s] More outdoor time for Gabe.
[s] I walked down the aisle of chaifetz arena, dressed in a big black gown, to blaring (off-tune, i might add) bagpipes. it was a formality, but good for my mom who was in attendance. i felt extremely young among all the other Ph.D. candidates... but it was nice to have my husband and little boy waving at me high in the bleachers. i still had some loose ends to tie up with my dissertation before publication, but a ceremonial closing of this chapter was good. kim & ellie even came to surprise me!
[j] More traveling with a 1 year-old - this time to Houston and Austin. seeing old friends is always a treat - and sharing our growing families with them makes for more good memories. we also had some good friends in for a long visit here in st. louis. nothing like exploring museums and parks right in your own backyard...
[s] i finally completed and sent off my paper to the press. whew! the last few months i had taken a break, and just slowly completed some of the final corrections and paperwork for the department. after this point, i finally let go of all things related to my Ph.D. and turned that darn thing in once and for all. Yes, all 278 pages. God, you are so good!
NOVEMBER 2009
[j] with the help of sarah's family who came over for thanksgiving, we moved!! from the city into the suburbs, complete with leaf-raking and snow-shoveling. having nearly twice as much space is truly a blessing. next project - sell the condo!!!
[s] seriously, this was all the Lord's provision. I had spent the last several months endlessly surfing craig's list and spending weekends looking at houses. it was getting late, now entering my 3rd trimester, and we weren't too hopeful. yet one day, we found this place in creve coeur, called to inquire, fell in love with it on our first visit, and immediately signed a contract - exactly what we were looking for... lots of open space, affordable, and a great central location.
FEBRUARY 2009
[s] We celebrated Gabe's 1st birthday!! Along with his little friends (bella, ellie, alyssa, and caleb), Gabe enjoyed his first birthday cake, bubbles, and loads of presents.
[s] We celebrated Gabe's 1st birthday!! Along with his little friends (bella, ellie, alyssa, and caleb), Gabe enjoyed his first birthday cake, bubbles, and loads of presents.
[j] Started off my research time with a bang - this is the month I started suffocating baby ferrets in the name of science. =)
MARCH 2009
[s] Spring Fever. As the weather got warmer, these two grew closer =)
[s] Spring Fever. As the weather got warmer, these two grew closer =)
APRIL 2009
[s] More outdoor time for Gabe.
MAY 2009
[s] we spent some time in Houston for Mother's Day... Gabe loved having a swimming pool in the back yard - swimming with daddy and yeh yeh was a real treat!
[s] we spent some time in Houston for Mother's Day... Gabe loved having a swimming pool in the back yard - swimming with daddy and yeh yeh was a real treat!
[s] I walked down the aisle of chaifetz arena, dressed in a big black gown, to blaring (off-tune, i might add) bagpipes. it was a formality, but good for my mom who was in attendance. i felt extremely young among all the other Ph.D. candidates... but it was nice to have my husband and little boy waving at me high in the bleachers. i still had some loose ends to tie up with my dissertation before publication, but a ceremonial closing of this chapter was good. kim & ellie even came to surprise me!
[j] More traveling with a 1 year-old - this time to Houston and Austin. seeing old friends is always a treat - and sharing our growing families with them makes for more good memories. we also had some good friends in for a long visit here in st. louis. nothing like exploring museums and parks right in your own backyard...
JUNE 2009
[s] we found out we were pregnant and expecting baby #2! Also, had my final defense of my dissertation - more a formality than anything else, but NOW i felt like i had really finished. some good friends sat through a powerpoint of my project, which was pretty long and probably quite boring, but they were all good sports. they also brought food to that small conference room, and helped to celebrate crossing the finish line!!
JULY 2009
[s] our first family missions trip. destination: navajo reservation, arizona. temperature: uncomfortably hot (especially for a pregnant woman!) i worked with the middle schoolers and high schoolers, and had a pretty awesome team. it was a challenge, however, being a mom and also sharing team responsibilities...
[j] after the navajo trip, it was time to get back to work in the NICU. another six months straight of in-house call and 80-hour work weeks. uggghh...
AUGUST 2009
[s] will God provide the opportunity for us to move into another home? we weren't quite sure whether our condo would adequately house two babies. started searching for a bigger place to rent...
SEPTEMBER 2009
OCTOBER 2009
NOVEMBER 2009[j] with the help of sarah's family who came over for thanksgiving, we moved!! from the city into the suburbs, complete with leaf-raking and snow-shoveling. having nearly twice as much space is truly a blessing. next project - sell the condo!!!
[s] seriously, this was all the Lord's provision. I had spent the last several months endlessly surfing craig's list and spending weekends looking at houses. it was getting late, now entering my 3rd trimester, and we weren't too hopeful. yet one day, we found this place in creve coeur, called to inquire, fell in love with it on our first visit, and immediately signed a contract - exactly what we were looking for... lots of open space, affordable, and a great central location.
DECEMBER 2009
[s] amidst unpacking boxes and trying to settle into our new home, as well as traveling to Chicago to spend Christmas vacation with family, we were on a clock to put our condo on the market. so this month we left most of our boxes untouched and spent every free hour preparing, cleaning, and staging our condo. lots of work with carpet cleaners, painters, and other contractors. and especially challenging with an energetic toddler!
[j] it was definitely an eventful year for us - we look back and are awed by God's amazing provision for the two of us and our growing family - His timing, His blessings, His love for us...so perfect. bring on 2010!!!
[j] it was definitely an eventful year for us - we look back and are awed by God's amazing provision for the two of us and our growing family - His timing, His blessings, His love for us...so perfect. bring on 2010!!!
1 comment:
Awesome post. Miss you guys!
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