Top 9 of 09

As the year wraps up, I figured I should sum it up in a classic list of "Top 10." But for the sake of a catchy title, I am only going to list 9 noteworthy events.  I actually got the idea from my friend Katy last year (okay, I shamelessly stole the idea from her when I saw it on her blog and decided to use it in our annual Christmas card. Sorry Katy.) Anyway...in no particular order (yes, I stole that line from her too), here is the the Hasch Household top 9 of 09 (see, it is catchy) :

1. Benjamin turned one
This was a big one for us, considering he is our first and only child. I may have gone a tad overboard with his party...if you consider inviting over 75 people for a full on dinner. I spent hours designing his invitation (complete with a picture of him every month of his first year), color coordinated everything (including our outfits), and made 60 homemade icecream sandwiches. All the work and expense was worth it though, because the party was perfect and everyone had a good time.

2. Remodel Progress
Nathan has worked so hard this year on our home. Baseboard, trim, new windows, siding, lighting, sod, planters, new doors, drainage, new appliances, house decor (shopping for and hanging), fencing, and building new storage above the garage for all of my stuff are just a few of the things he has done this year alone. I am so proud of him. And I absolutely love my new red door.

3. Weeklong camping trip to the Sequoias
In June we loaded up the camper and spent a few days at Stoney Creek Campground and then joined the rest of the family at Hume Lake. Though rainy and cold in the midst of a dying RV, we had a great time as a family in a beautiful place.

4. Marriage Mentoring

After four years of belonging to a wonderful Community Group from our church, we said goodbye to our friends and began meeting one-on-one with an older, much wiser married couple. We see Tom & Jody about once a week and discuss the ups and downs of married life. God definitely had a hand in pairing the four of us up, because the similarities between us are striking. (The most obvious being that Tom is a retired firefighter, Jody was/is a stay-at-home-mom and wife, and they have gone through multiple remodels on their home!) They have been such a blessing to us these last six months and we look forward to spending 2010 with them.

5. San Diego Trip

Last spring, Nathan, Benjamin, and I spent four days in San Diego visiting my cousins Dave & Wendy. We had a great time going to the zoo, doing some shopping, and just relaxing with family. We also got to see my college roommate for dinner one night and stopped on the way home to visit with Nathan's cousin Kathy.

                                    

6. Multiple Monterey trips

Nathan took several classes in Monterey earlier this year. Benjamin and I were lucky enough to get to join him for at least a few days of each one. While Nate was in class, the two of us went to the aquarium, did some shopping, went for walks, and hung out at Starbucks (obviously these trips occured before Benjamin started crawling!) After class, Nathan would join us for dinner and then stop at the Nestle Cookie Factory to stock up on some sweet snacks to take back to the hotel for the evening. Yum.

                                     

7. Benjamin began walking

I must point out that Benjamin actually took his first real steps on his actual birthday. But he didn't really begin walking until closer to 14 months. Hence, my job is about a hundred times harder than it was. But Nathan is loving it. :)

 

8. 4th Anniversary

To celebrate four years of marriage, Nathan and I left the little man with Grandma and Grandpa and spent four days in San Francisco. We saw "Wicked", rode the cable cars, locked ourselves up at Alcatraz, did some shopping, and checked out the museums. It was nice to reconnect with each other in the big city.

 

9. Swim lessons

We enrolled Benjamin in an Infant Survival Swim class. In four weeks of private lesson, he learned how to roll over and float on his back in the event he falls into the water. While hard to watch, we are so impressed that he has learned this crucial lifesaving skill at such a young age.

2009 has been an eventful year for us...truly a year of firsts. We look forward to making 2010 an even better one. Happy New Year friends!