Happy New Year!

In the past few years, New Year's Eve has meant more and more to me. 2007 was a very rough year for me, and I remember literally counting down the seconds to 2008. When the clock hit 12am, my heart felt lighter. Yeah, it was only a date on a calendar, but the thought that it represented made me feel better. The old year was gone, the new one was bright and clean and NEW. I hadn't made any mistakes, nothing bad had happened, it was basically a blank canvas.

There's no way in heck I'll be up to welcome in 2009, but this year, its with some regret that I see 2008 go. 2008 brought so many wonderful memories and gifts with it, that I can't help but feel sad to see the year change. It was a very comforting year. Difficult, of course, but full of hard work and love.

Things I Am Thankful for from 2008:

Lia: She's my talking, walking, loud-mouth little symbol of 2008. :) I can't believe how big she is and how quickly she's growing up.

Friendships: I lost a couple along 2008 but gained a few and strengthened the ones that I truly cherish.

Love: I have been blest beyond belief with the most incredible man ever as my husband. Simply put, the man still loves me after two pregnancies... he is a freaking saint.

Security: I've seen people I know lose their jobs. I've read headlines every day in the news about Dow plunging. I've watched billion dollar bail-outs occur on Wall Street. I am so thankful that in 2008 Chris had a good job. He worked super duper hard at a super stressful job at Netflix, and I'm hoping that with his new job, 2009 will be a lot easier on him career wise.

Family: What would I have done without my family? Each year that passes shows me how much more they mean to me. Conversation, companionship, wisdom, laughs, empathy, sympathy, a good kick in the pants- those are all of the things that they gave me in 2008. I love each one of them more and more every year and I feel like I grow closer and closer with them each year. Even though we are all doing our own things now, we can all come back together and just love each other. :)

I'm sure that there's a whole lot more I'm thankful for, but I'm blanking on it a little right now. :)
I guess the most pressing issue of 2009 is going to be little Davy Doodles! I have a feeling he's going to make QUITE the impact on my 2009. :) And did you know, that in 2009, Chris and I will celebrate our FIFTH wedding anniversary? I know it should follow that if we celebrated our 4th in 2008, we'll celebrate our 5th in 2009, but somehow, the number 5 seems so much cooler and bigger than 4. :) Chris reminded me of the fact as we ate our Marianne's ice cream this evening while he played his video game. On one hand, I wish I could get all dolled up, and go downtown and ring in the New Year with champagne and kisses and ribbons and glitter...

But on the other hand. This is right where I want to be. Toasty warm in our comfy apartment. Chris and I curled up on the couch together. Lia slumbering in her crib. Marianne's Strawberry and Northern Oregon Blackberry ice cream (oh yes!) in our freezer in case I want a second bowl. Doodles still trapped in his warm cocoon and unable to yell at me. Yes. This is where I want to be to welcome in 2009.

(note: I will actually be asleep and dead to the world at 12am, but I may wake up to give Chris a sleepy kiss if I hear fireworks go off or anything... but if there are no fireworks or loud cheers then I will sleep straight on through!)

Bye 2008! Thank you for a wonderful, wonderful year!

The below thing is on google's search engine page. Is it just me, or do all of those animals look a little scary (or maybe hungover?)

Lia loved riding on the lawn tractor that Auntie Laura took her on. She was clapping her hands and trying to make it go faster. :)

Holding my newest niece :)

Annie took the next few pictures :)

I love this picture, the angle and everything.

Popcorn!

You can tell a true Swanson a mile away by the way she eats her popcorn. Most people politely take one or two pieces and pop them in their mouths. Not Swanson's. We take handfuls and inhale the whole handful. Its embarressing. We all LOVE popcorn.

Lia only knows one sign. "More" Yeah, not thank you or please or even milk. Just MORE. :)

Busy hands

My mom's only two vices. :)

Cutting snowflakes

Crocheting

Knitting

Lia loves the piano at my parent's house, and she was having a wonderful time playing with Tia Ana and Auntie Laura.

I love how calm this picture is...

Like mother, like daughter

I gave Lia a cheese puff today. Her very first. She loved it.
This is what I look like after eating cheese puffs too. And in my defense, these cheese puffs are all natural and healthier than the Chester Cheeto ones. :)

More baby sweetness!

Two really rough edits done in Picasa...

Seriously, how cute is this baby?? :) I think she looks a little like a grandmother here. :)

Annie and Josephine

All of these are straight out of camera, so there is no editing done to them, but there are just so many that it would take to long to edit them all. :) Josephine was baptized yesterday, and Tia Ana is her godmum.