2009 in Review

Whew! That is really all that can be said for this past year! It feels like I say that at the end of every year, and I am sure that I will say it again at the end of 2010. How much can happen in one year? A TON, apparently! Here is a brief overview of what has happened in our lives this past year.

January: Who would have guessed that I would begin and end 2009 in Texas! I was here last year to ring in the New Year with my boyfriend, and I ended it living in Texas and celebrating with my husband!

February: Since we still lived in different states, Nick and I met in Denver at DIA and flew to Las Vegas for my best friend, Kristie's wedding. Kristie and Ron were married Febraury 22, 2009! They are currently expecting a baby boy who I cannot WAIT to see! This was the first of two Vegas trips for Nick and I this year! We went to Vegas again in November for his step-sister, Jessie's, wedding ceremony!

March: This was a big month for us! I came and spent my Spring Break with Nick, and he PROPOSED! It was a very sweet proposal, and in addition to a beautiful ring, I got a custom Broncos jersey with my soon-to-be last name on it. Yeah!

April: Nick and I were apart again as I was finishing out my school year in Colorado (miss you, PVHS!). This month was much less about me and much more about LISA! She graduated from BYU, and most of the family was there to celebrate this accomplishment! Nick could not be there, but that was okay. We had a really wonderful time together as a family.

May: I know we just got engaged in March, but due to some extenuating circumstances (we discovered that we were going to have a baby) we got married on May 1, 2009 at the Adams County Courthouse with Judge Patrick Murphy presiding. It was a simple ceremony with Mom, Grandma, Stef, Chris, Lindsay, Aunt Cathy, Darian, Dante, Amber, and Brandon in attendance. We celebrated with friends and family that evening. It was perfect! Sadness hit the next morning when I woke up cramping and bleeding. No baby for us yet, but honestly, getting married when we did was the MOST right thing we have done all year! I finished my school year, Kelli and Darian graduated, and we moved me down to Texas at the end of the month--and all in the same weekend!

June: This month was all about settling into our little home. We are renting a house and creating a comfortable life here together. While this is not the house either of us would have opted to purchase, it is perfect for our needs now! We have room! COME VISIT!!

July: We were blessed by our first house guest! Nick's mom, Cindy, came to visit us for about five days. We were able to play out in the sun, make some new friends in Savanna's (Nick's brother JB's girlfriend) family, and get to better know that mother-in-law that I am so very thankful to have. She is one of the biggest supports to Nick and myself! Love you, Mom!

August: We added a new family member to our ranks the end of July. Right at the beginning of August, Elway got sick! This is him at the vet. Poor baby! He is all puppy and such a pill, but we love him! He joins a sister, Joey, and they are our current children!

September: This month means that the Mahan Family goes to Powderhorn for Labor Day weekend. Nick and I were able to fly home for this! Thank goodness! We had a wonderful time playing with my family. This weekend is better than Christmas for us. We look forward to the time spent here more than anything else the rest of the year! We have been so blessed to be able to go every year!

October: Apparently, October was a fairly normal month for us! This picture is of me and Michael at a hockey game. Michael is responsible for the entity that is Jen and Nick. He introduced us! Love him!

November: We were again blessed to have some houseguests! Nick's dad, Ed, and his step-mom, Rochelle, came and spent a weekend with us. We had a really great time playing games, shopping, and visiting with Nick's friends and co-workers. Again, I couldn't ask for a better father-in-law! I think Ed is one of my biggest fans! Well, he leads me to believe that he is anyway.

December: A trip to Nasville, TN, a crowded apartment for Christmas, and Stef and Matt! I couldn't ask for a better Christmas! Our first one together. Our first as a married couple. It was WoNdErFuL! Our New Year's Eve celebration was quiet at home with us once again toasting and promising to end 2010 with each other. I do love this man!

Best wishes to everyone for an amazing 2010! Let the good times roll!

Christmas

Here is my beautiful family! It took us forever to get both dogs to look at the camera at the same time, but it was worth the headache. We really did have a wonderful time with Stefanie and Matt in Nashville. It was so nice to get away and be with family! We arrived on Christmas Eve, so Stef and I were able to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol! Yeah! I love watching that movie on Christmas Eve!

We spent Christmas morning opening presents and just hanging out in our pj's. We actually had bagel breakfast sandwiches first since Stef needs to eat as soon as she gets up. Nick scrambled some eggs, we pulled out the bagels, cheese, and lunchmeat. It was perfect!

We went to see Sherlock Holmes later on Christmas Day. It is kind of a Mahan tradition. We used to go to a movie on Christmas Day fairly often. I loved the movie, and I think that I got a sweet compliment from Nick. He told me that he was beginning to understand my little bit of crazy because really smart people are crazy. So, I'm choosing to take that as a compliment of my intelligence.

On Sunday we were able to meet up with my Uncle Mitch for dinner. He was driving through on his way home from visiting my cousins for Christmas. It was really great to see him! He got to meet Nick for the first time, which was great. Michele, his girlfriend, was driving through with him, so we got to meet her as well.

Great Christmas! Great times! So much to look forward to in 2010! Bring on the fun!

Three Dogs, Four Adults and a Two-Bedroom Apartment

Nick, Joey, Elway and I went to spend the Christmas Holiday with Stef, Matt and Elle in Nashville, TN. We started planning this trip right around the time that Stef and Matt moved in September. I was so excited to go see Stef and her growing belly. We drove the 11 hours it takes to get to Nashville from Fort Worth over night thinking that the drive would be easier on us and the dogs. Elway has never been away from home--EVER--other than trips to the vet. So, the night started with me trying to dragging him to the car and then shoving him into the car while Joey danced and pranced because she LOVES the car! After about a half hour of crying Elway settled down and was just fine! Both dogs were well behaved all the way to Nashville. I took this picture right as we got into Nashville. It was about seven o'clock in the morning, and we had been rained on the ENTIRE way to Nashville. We are not talking a light sprinkle either. It poured rain! So much so that I-30 was closed in Little Rock and we were re-routed through part of the city. We managed to find our way through with the help of a Good Samaritan at the gas station we found our way again. It took about 24 hours, but all three dogs managed to poop, pee and vomit in the house. Elway couldn't leave Elle alone. Joey couldn't decide whether she needed to protect Elway from Elle, Elle from Elway, or herself from the both of them. It was an adjustment living in an apartment when they are used to having a yard, but in all seriousness, the dogs were pretty good.

Why I LOVE Facebook!

You can look at this post and laugh, but I seriously, Facebook has opened up a whole new world to me that I knew exsisted, but never really knew how FABULOUS this world was. This world of which I am speaking is the world of my extended family. It is hard to get to know people when you spend your entire lives on opposite sides of the country. When we are separated by distance and even age, it is hard to get to know and relate to those people with whom you share blood but you are not sure if there is anything else.

Facebook has magically and wonderfully connected me with people I never would have known otherwise. Okay, so we might no have a close personal relationship that one gets by seeing people everyday, but we have some kind of relationship. I love reading the quirky posts, the kind words, the pictures and the likes and dislikes of my family. I feel as if I have a piece of them I never had before, and I love it all!

Nope!

I received an email this morning around 10:30 telling me that I was not selected as a candidate for the job I interviewed for last week. Sigh! I guess that this is okay. I was hopeful and wanted it, but I had a BIG sinking feeling yesterday that I wasn't going to get this job. Guess I was right.

It is a shot to the ego when you don't get a job you wanted. I think that Texas is just a shot to my ego, actually. One interview. No job offers. I am still not sure what I am supposed to be learning from this no work time, but I'm pretty over it.

So, I will just try and be patient and wait for the right job to come along. (Patience? Is that the lesson I am supposed to be learning?) I guess we will have to wait and see--WHETHER I WANT TO WAIT OR NOT!

Thanks Heavens for Little Girls!

I'M GOING TO HAVE A NEICE!!! Congratulations to Stef and Matt! They are going to have a beautiful baby girl! Can't wait to be an aunt!

We Are All Allowed a Little Bit of Crazy...

This is my confession of the crazy things that have been floating through my head for the past few days. I am totally blaming this on turning 30 soon, but I really could just be crazy!

1. Do I really want to have babies?
Gasp if you must and run to grab the thermometor to make sure I am feeling okay, but that is actually something that has been running through my head. Why? Well, I like our life. I like being home and hanging out with Nick and not having to worry about anyone else. I like sleeping through the night. I like being able to pick up and run out the door at a moments notice. Besides, this world is a crazy, scary place where there are crazy scary things. I'm worried enough about me handling it! How can I expect to prepare my own children?

2. If I can guarantee that we have girls...
I might reconsider. However, I have a theory about how sons steal a mother's heart and her sanity and then spend all of their adult life stomping on her heart strings. I am terrified to have sons. I don't know what I would do with them or how to handle them or if I would even like them. Sigh! Not a pleasant way to spend a lifetime.

3. If I get this job and go back to work...
We will just have to push having kids off more anyway. As soon as I begin working, I will need to stay working for a long time. Longer than I originally thought. School loans and cc debt and wanting to buy a house and establish some roots are all pressing on my mind. BIG TIME! Not to mention that I am watching my husband melt under the stress of making his budget for next year which determines our income. I can't let him stress like that anymore. I need to contribute to us more.

4. Really, I am getting too old for this...
I know. Thirty! So what? Right? Nope. I'm scared to have kids in my 30's. What if something is wrong with them or me? We already tried this once and it didn't keep. If that happens again, I can't promise that I wouldn't want to give up.

5. I'm afraid to do this alone and so far away from my family. I don't think I am strong enough for that.