2009 is a year filled with memories. We started the year innocently enough. In January things were going relatively good for everyone in the family. We all enjoyed good health as we kept ourselves busy with our various activities. We were hoping to have another child in our family, but not overly concerned about it. Ammah and Ampah came for a fun-filled visit.
By the end of February we were expecting, Ashley became an official teenager, and we had survived our 7th consecutive year of selling Girl Scout cookies.
March was a fun month. We FINALLY got to visit Dale & Jae in Florida. We had a great time visiting with them. The Nerf guns and the large Lego pit were very popular with our family. We also got to visit the Creers in Alabama and sneek in a trip to Disney World.
April was bitter and sweet. We found out about Dad Bohman's cancer, but were also able to start sharing the news of our pregnancy. DJ played soccer. Arianna participated in Super Squad, a dance/cheer/tumbling type of group. Alyssa started to really be able to play her viola. Ashley participated in a few school district art contests and began to receive blue ribbons.
May was also bitter and sweet. The first week we celebrated Grandma and Grandpa North's 65th wedding anniversary with family in Santa Barbara. The next week the fire swept through. It was a miracle their house wasn't burned, but Great Aunt Marian's on the adjacent property was completely destroyed. DJ graduated from preschool. Heather finished a year's worth of volunteering at the school.
June was all about swimming! The girls participated in swim team each morning and in the afternoons swam with DJ & Savannah. Cousin Savannah spent most of the month with us. We all enjoyed our foster pets. Ashley and Heather took a Girl Scout trip to Dallas.
Pregnancy fatigue started kicking in during July. We tried to do as much as possible. Heather took the kids back to school shopping in Dallas. Steve flew in to meet us and we had a great time doing touristy type things there, too. Ashley loved her week at Girl's Camp (a church camp for girls 12-17).
August was all about doing as much as humanly possible for Heather being 7+ months pregnant. We went on a week long Texas parks motor home trip with boating, swimming, diving, hiking, and caving. The idea was to do as many activities as possible before the limitations of strollers, diapers, bottles, etc. We had SO much Fun! Soon school would start. DJ began kinder, Arianna-3rd, Alyssa-6th, and Ashley-8th. Heather enjoyed working more with the Backpack Connection (a local family magazine.) Stephen continued to keep a good job (no small feat in this economy--yeah Steve!)
September was more of the same.
October was mostly about Benjamin. Dad Bohman had his last radiation treatment the same week Benjamin was born. We are so glad he has had such good medical care. Mom Bohman also took such good care of him during everything (on top of the cancer, he also had shoulder replacement). Ammah (Heather's mom) stayed two full weeks when Benjamin was born. We have been so blessed to have her help each time we have had a new baby. Talk about priceless!!!
We celebrated 15 years of marriage in November. Yippee for us! Stephen was planning a cruise, but we got a baby instead. He says "a cruise would've been cheaper, but...you get what you pay for." Honestly, November was challenging. Heather and Benjamin kept having problems and went to way too many doctor's appointments.
December got a little worse and a whole lot better. More doctors. Some pretty challenging illnesses. A trip to the hospital. Good medicine. Then there was DJ's birthday party. We are learning six year old boy groups are very energetic! Arianna skipped the big birthday bash and settled for a sleepover/movie night with a few friends. Christmas was wonderful, as usual. This year we got our very own live nativity. That was very special.
All in all, it was a very good year. Through the challenges there were always little miracles reminding us that we have a Heavenly Father that is mindful of each one of us. A quote keeps coming to mind by Spencer W. Kimball:
"God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”
As the New Year begins, may we continue to love one another, serve each other, and strive to be the type of people God needs us to be. We are so thankful for our wonderful friends and family that set such good examples of this for us!!
Happy New Year!
