2010

2010 has brought many challenges, but even more delights to our household. We are truly blessed to have such amazing children that bring laughter, joy, and many surprises to our lives.



Cassidy finished up the second grade and headed into third grade with many successes. She made the Principal’s Honor Roll, won her class’s Spelling Bee, and received Respect Student of the Month. In September she turned nine and is so excited that next year brings double digits. Cassidy is a smart cookie and is a phenomenal big sister and example for her younger siblings.


Chloe ended 2009 by turning six years old. She finished out kindergarten and started in the first grade. She loves to read and is doing so well above her grade level. Chloe is a little helper in class and one Respect Student of the Month for her willingness to contribute to others’ successes. Chloe has been and always will be our little flower child that brings such sunshine to our world.


Catherine turned five this year and started kindergarten. She could not wait to start school and is doing really well so far. Catherine received Trustworthy Student of the Month her first semester. Catherine has thrown us a curve-ball as she does everything in her own time and her own way, but she can sure brighten your day with her beautiful smile, big blue eyes, and her goofy laugh.


Cadence turned two in February and continues to test all the boundaries. She is risk taker and was the first of our kids to need stitches (six in her chin). We call her our little monkey and she lives up to that. She loves singing her ABC’s and counting. Cadence has the most precious laugh and loves to be tickled. She has found a best friend in her little brother, but still says she loves Cassidy the most.


Alexander turned one in July, but took his sweet time learning how to walk. He has such personality and loves to snuggle. He fell into the role of baby of the family quite well and seems to use it to his full advantage. He has his dad, mom, and big sisters wrapped around his fingers. Alex is all boy and loves to throw around the football and most of all play golf.

Cassidy, Chloe, and Catherine all took on soccer this spring and the two oldest have continued it on this winter. Cassidy is a great forward and loves to kick the ball in the goal. Chloe seems to be versatile and does great on offense and defense. Catherine did well, but wants to pursue more “girly” activities (her words). The three older girls also auditioned and have taken part in their dance studio’s performance group which focuses on getting the girls skilled in all techniques of dance. They have had great opportunities so far, with performances at the Arizona Diamondbacks game, for US Airways, some local carnivals, and next year they will be looking forward to Disneyland.

As for Matt and Amanda, they have been busier than ever having to work and keep up with the kiddos. Matt is still playing for the Symphony of the Southwest and working part-time at Home Depot. He has enjoyed getting involved more in woodworking and even built Chloe a new loft bed. Amanda is still working for the Department of Defense and even received another promotion this past summer. She started teaching pre-school/kindergarten combo classes at the dance studio and loves it. This has allowed her to get back into dancing and work on getting into shape.

Overall, 2010 has made the Maricopa Zimmerman’s lives even more hectic, but they wouldn’t change a thing. The kids are healthy and happy, and mom and dad are enjoying seeing their children experience life and develop into fabulous people.

We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and may 2011 bring you many blessings. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, The Zimmerman’s
~ Matt, Amanda, Cassidy, Chloe, Catherine, Cadence, and Alexander ~

Far too long...

Well, it has been far too long since I graced everyone with a message. I have to get myself into the habit of doing this regularly. Lord knows I have enough going on in my life to talk about.

Well, let me start with a summary of this past year (a basic copy of my Christmas letter).

January was relatively quite as we recovered from the holiday season of 2008 and strived to make 2009 the best that it could be.

February was a month of celebration. We welcomed a niece/cousin into the world, Hailey Raye Ford on the 2nd. Amanda and Cadence took a brief trip to St. George, Utah to see Hailey. It was quite an adventure flying to Las Vegas and driving to Utah with an infant by one's self for the first time, but the trip was a lot of fun. Amanda celebrated her 28th birthday on the 7th. On the 21st, Cadence celebrated the big O-N-E. She delighted in destroying her cake and ripping through the wrapping paper.

March was another quiet month except the news trickled down to family and friends that we would be welcoming a little boy (FINALLY!!!) in July.

April was another busy month as we got news that we would need to move again as the home we were renting fell victim to the down economy and a bad investor. So we trudged on and searched for and found a beautiful home to live in. Meanwhile, Catherine turned 4 years old on the 13th and celebrated with a big Easter celebration on the 12th full of an egg hunt, a traditional meal, and a blue bunny cake for dessert. The rest of the month was spent packing our home, which had managed to accumulate an unmanageable amount of stuff.

May found itself nearly overwhelming as we moved into our new home. However, the move was good as we took that opportunity to purge a great deal of 'stuff,' but those that helped us move will tell you we still have WAY too much stuff. With the end of May came the end of the school year and another successful year for Cassidy.

June was a little bit calmer than the previous few months, however we were still settling into the new house and the nesting instincts were kicking in.

July, from the VERY beginning, proved to be one of the busiest, if not the busiest, months of the entire year. Alexander James Zimmerman decided to delight us with his presence two and a half weeks early on July 1st. After just settling in with Alex at home we had another celebration to attend to, as Amanda walked in her college commencement on July 18th, just one day after Alex's due date. However, there were still a few more weeks of coursework to complete.

August brought the end of coursework (for now) for Amanda as her last course finished up on the 3rd. Mid-month, Chloe started her first day of kindergarten and Cassidy graduated to the 2nd grade. Matt auditioned for and was selected as the 3rd horn in the Symphony of the Southwest (formerly the Mesa Symphony). Although the organization is struggling financially since the support of arts programs is down, Matt enjoys every opportunity to play.

September was rather subdued. Cassidy celebrated her 8th birthday on the 5th with a luau party with family and friends.

October was uneventful, except for the joys of Halloween. All four girls dressed up as enchanted fairies, while Alex sported a turtle outfit, which is his nickname from his dad.

November came with the celebration of Matt's 29th birthday on the 4th. This month is one that we reflect on our blessings and we are forever grateful for all we have been given in life.

December will prove to be another month of hustle and bustle. Matt and Amanda will celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary on the 21st. Chloe will celebrate her 6th birthday on the 31st with the now traditional New Year's BBQ.

Matt and Amanda are enjoying watching their children turn into incredible people with grace, intelligence, and a good moral foundation. Cassidy is a top notch student and is the epitome of big sisters. Chloe is witty and has grown up so much over the past few months. Catherine will always be our baby girl and has stepped up to the plate as the big helper with the little ones. Cadence has blossomed with personality over the last year and is in love with her little brother. Alexander is a miracle that has entered our lives and made it that much brighter. We are truly blessed as parents!

We are wishing everyon a fabulous holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

Something New...

Well, this seems to be the thing to do these days to keep people updated on family life, so I thought I would try it out. Our life has been very exciting and hectic over the past couple of months. We welcomed our first son the first of July, Alexander James. He has fit into our family just right and is adored by his big sisters. He is a growing boy, in fact he gained over 3 pounds during his first month.

Cassidy started 2nd grade at the beginning of this week. She loves being back at school and enjoys her teacher. She has a few of her friends from last year in her class, but she is missing her best friend Tiana who moved to Colorado.

Chloe started Kindergarten on Monday. She is super excited every day. She wakes up when the sunrises and is ready to go. She has the same teacher as Cassidy did so Chloe feels comfortable with her.

Catherine is learning to be the big girl, but thinks it is lame (her words). She really misses her sisters when they are at school.

Cadence, well, she is a handful and a half. She is a sly little one. She loves climb up on everything and has no fear. She loves giving her little brother hugs and kisses.

Matt & I are doing very well. I walked at commencement on July 18th and finished my last class on August 3rd. It is great to be done, but a bit strange. Matt is getting back into golfing and preparing for horn auditions. We will be celebrating our 10 year high school reunion in October. It is hard to believe it has been that long.

Well, I hope everyone has enjoyed the update.

Amanda