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!
