Month: December 2009

Bryan and I were in Visalia for Christmas this year; and we had such a fun time with family and friends. My mom and I made TONS of cookies with Mariah and Shelby. Our brother-in-law got a new game for christmas that we enjoyed playing. All the women got together for their annual Christmas eve morning breakfast. As usual, Christmas dinner was held at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

It was so much fun spending time with family and having everyone watch my belly grow!

Just like every year, 2009 was filled with lots of fun and adventures for Bryan and I. Much has stayed the same for us; however, there has been one huge change for us.

Bryan is still working in Redmond for Microsoft. He works on the Exchange team as a user experience designer. His work focuses on the Outlook Web App, which is the web version of Outlook. Bryan still has his own company creating web sites and enjoys the creative outlet that it brings him. I have been substitute teaching for the Marysville School District, and have been enjoying my time teaching. I also like the flexible work schedule I have with substituting.

The picture on our Christmas card was taken at Coronado beach near San Diego. In March, we flew down to San Diego for several days to spend time with Bryan’s siblings. We had lots of fun with them hiking, exploring the coastline, and even seeing the inside of an aircraft carrier.

In May, we spent 17 days in Australia. We first went to Cairns where we snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef, walked through the rainforest, and saw lots of native animals. Then we were off to the beautiful city of Melbourne where we walked around the city to the gorgeous gardens and explored numerous museums. We were able to see the whole city from the top of a 55 story building. After Melbourne we flew to Sydney where we met up with some friends and went to Bowral and Kangaroo Valley, two towns south of Sydney. While there, we were able to take some time to relax, and explore the area. We saw an amazing 266 ft waterfall, got very close to a wallaby and a wombat, and saw some of the most beautiful scenery. Then we were off to Sydney to enjoy the city for the last 4 nights of our trip. While we were in Sydney we were lucky enough to have a very good friend of ours as a tour guide. We walked along Manly beach, explored many of the highlights of the city including some museums, the royal Botanical gardens, Paddy’s Market, had amazing coffee and cannolis in the Italian part of Sydney, saw Double Bay, and had some of the most amazing food! We had so many amazing adventures and we thoroughly enjoyed all of our time in Australia.

Bryan and I spent a lot of time at the Oregon coast this summer with my parents and family. We had so much fun exploring tide pools, fishing for crabs, going to the aquarium, and flying kites. Bryan and I also spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains just east of our house. We really enjoy being outdoors and seeing the beautiful surroundings God has made for us.

In September, we flew to Los Angles where we spent time with some of our good friends in Camarillo. While with them we had lots of good food, went kayaking, hiked in Ojai, and rode bikes in Santa Barbra. Then we were off to the annual Hume Lake Couple’s conference. Bryan and I were able to go to Hume a day early with my sister and brother-in-law, which gave us time to discover the woods and streams around the lake. While there, we competed in a GPS challenge and took a ride in golf carts with family. We also learned about God’s word how to strengthen our relationship.

The one huge thing that has changed for us this year is the expansion of our family. In October we found out that I am pregnant and that our baby is due the beginning of June. Bryan and I are very excited and are looking forward to this new time in our lives.

As Bryan and I look back on 2009 we see how God has worked in our lives and how richly blessed we really are. No matter how big, or how small, we hope that you feel surrounded by the Lord’s blessing this Christmas season.

Lots of Love,
Bryan, Christy, and Baby