Ringing in the New Year

This year has been great, and full of exciting changes!

In January 2009, we moved to Alabama. Part of the thrill has been in making new friends and having to adjust to new jobs. John had to find new employment, since Trader Joe's hasn't made Alabama a home. I stayed with my company, but had switched teams and spent most of the year learning my new tasks. The move allowed us to see more of my family, some of whom we met for the very first time. We even upgraded from a 1 bedroom apartment to a 2 bedroom within the first few months of relocating!

In March, we tied the knot. We were able to come back to California and see the friends and family we were leaving behind one last time before totally settling in Alabama. Our wedding also provided a reason for some of my family to travel to California and meet our family and friends out there. Then, we were able to spend a whole week in Jamaica without a care in the world.

Throughout the year, we were able to travel a little bit. We took trips to see my sister in Georgia, my parents and brothers in Florida, and my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins in Arkansas. We also took time to meet up with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins who live in Alabama. We took trips to Memphis, Chattanooga, and to some of the historic sights around Huntsville (The Rocket Center, Botanical Gardens, etc.). We hosted a couple of visitors from California, as well. During Thanksgiving, we were able to fly out to California for one last visit before the end of the year.

Just recently, we've decided to quit looking at our apartment as a "temporary" living space and began making it feel more like a "home" by purchasing real couches, end tables, and a new coffee table. Our furniture will not be in until mid-January, but we're looking forward to it. This will also give our place some more seating room so that we feel like we can have people over and not have them sitting on the floor.

We hope to have some more visitors from California, maybe even get some of John's family out, during 2010. We also look forward to hosting parties, paying down debt, traveling to see more of the country, and jumping on the "health bandwagon" again!

We wish you all a very blessed New Year!