I decided to write this post as I have heard so many people say in real life and on facebook how excited they are to be entering into a new decade and how they were happy to see this decade go. I cannot believe these past 10 years have gone by so quickly, it truly seems like yesterday when all this hype on the Y2K stuff was happening! I was a senior in college, living at home, working at West Seattle Montessori as the head of after-school daycare and dating Todd. So much has happened in 10 years but it also went by so fast! I started thinking about how this decade was so important to me for so many reasons that I thought I would make a list (and add pictures where I have them-didn't use a digital camera much in the early 2000's--thought it might just be a fad;). I won't hit on everything from each year but will try to hit on the highlights with pictures I haven't posted before.
2000-June: I graduated from Central Washington University with a BA in Early Childhood Education (no digital pic will have to scan one later).
2000-Summer: Started at Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (MEIPN)
2000-Fall: Began Montessori Teaching Intern at WSMS with Kathy C. who was planning on retiring the next year.
2001-Fall: Graduated from MEIPN and started teaching my own class of 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders.
2001-December: Todd asked me to marry him (sad that I can't remember the exact date but it was sometime between Christmas and New Year's). Started to plan a summer wedding right away.
2002-June: Todd graduates from CWU with a bachelor's degree in Business (here he is with his grandparent's and Uncle Norman).
2002-July 12th: Our wedding date which was on a Friday. We chose this date because it was Todd's grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary date so it was a very special date for all of us!
2002-July: Our honeymoon to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico
2003-February: Our first trip to Whistler by ourselves (we had gone a few times before with my family).
2003-April: We find out that I am pregnant and due in December, a very special surprise indeed!
2003-June: Todd and I took a trip to Florida (visited Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and the Keys). We celebrated my 25th birthday and I was 3 months pregnant. (Not the greatest picture but it shows the baby bump.)
2003-Summer: We started to build our dream house right next to Todd's grandparent's house. This project would consume all our extra time for the next couple of years. Originally, we estimated that we might move in April of 2004 . . . we finally moved in February 2005! These are a couple before shots of what used to be where our house is now. This one is looking from the street East.
This one is taken from right about where our backyard now is.
We broke ground and the foundation has begun.
Gramps was there every single day of the long build process. Todd worked on it on evenings after work and weekends.
2003-Fall: The framing started to make it look like a real house!
The view of downtown Seattle from the upstairs.
2003-December 12th: Our 1st son, Jaden Todd Emery, was born on my 1/2 birthday! He weighed 8 lbs. 10 oz. and was 21 in. long and absolutely perfect! Incidently, this was also the last day I taught 1st-3rd grade at WSMS.
2004: The house progress continued. Todd and Gramps worked on the electrical and plumbing throughout the winter, it was freezing in the house. I brought sweet baby Jaden up to visit occassionally as well.
2004-March: I started watching Kailee a few days a week for a couple hours. She truly became a part of our family and I watched her every week until July of 2009. (This photo was taken in April 2004, Jaden 4 months and Kailee almost 7 months)
The drywall went up in the spring.
2004-June: Jaden 6 months old visiting the house.
Todd on the scaffolding.
Hardwood floor being layed.
Beautiful hardwood complete!
2004-August: Because of work on the house we didn't travel much at all Jaden's first year of life (except for 2 weekends at the lake house). We did take one trip to Orcas Island for my cousin Vanessa's wedding. It was so nice to get away! Todd and Jaden exploring.
Jaden and I at the wedding.
2004-Fall: The front of our house
Todd and Jaden (11 months)
Custom cabinets went up. These were the 2nd set of cabinets we ordered as the first were completely awful when delivered. So we went with a custom company and are very happy that we switched!
2004: I also watched a baby boy named Lawson for a few months until they moved to Virginia in the summer. Then I started watching Henry. Jaden, Kailee and Henry became best of buds for several years. I watched Henry until I took a maternity leave in October of 2006.
Jaden and Lawson in May.
Jaden and Henry in November (Henry is 1 day older than Jaden;)
2005-January: We got our granite countertops installed
2005-February: We moved in!!! Jaden was "helping" Gramps work on the powder room in this picture. Jaden was obsessed with tools and his tool box for quite awhile!
What our family room looked like for several months after moving in. Our couch didn't arrive until June (and we had ordered it in December!).
2005-August: (Warning! A lot of pictures follow since I've never blogged about this trip before). Our first "real" family vacation. We started out at the International Kite Festival in Long Beach, WA. We had a fabulous time with gorgeous weather. We stayed at a great small, family-run hotel that was brand-new and right on the beach.
Jaden (20 months) on the boardwalk
So many kites!
After Long Beach, we drove down the coast and went camping in Cannon Beach. It was actually the 2nd time camping with Jaden, but I broke our camera on the 1st trip with Jaden to Sun Lakes in June 2005--so no photographic evidence:( Here Jaden's at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
A beautiful overlook leading to a lighthouse near Tillamook, Or.
Jaden at the tide pools at Haystack rock.
This evening we took Jaden out to the beach to have a campfire on the beach and watch the sunset. Jaden had so much fun chasing the birds and playing in the sand!
We rented some bikes to ride on the sand during low tide. Jaden loved the ride and promptly fell asleep!
LOVE this pic of my nakey boy on the beach!
J and I by the campfire.
Also love this pic of Todd and Jaden walking to the water (this was in Seaside, OR)
2006-February: Found out I was pregnant again! We were so excited and broke the news to our family at a dinner at our house. After dinner we took off Jaden's sweatshirt and he had a shirt on it that said "Big Brother" and I had taped "future" above it. Seriously, our family was not too quick and took a few minutes to figure it out!
2006-March: Jaden skiing for the first time at Snoqualmie Mt. He loved the magic carpet and playing in the snow, did not (and still does not) like walking in the ski boots!
2006-March: We traded my Honda Civic in for a Honda Pilot. Since our family was growing, my car needed to get bigger too! The only picture I have of it the month I got it! I loved that I could easily get our jogger in the back!
April 2006: We took a trip to Boston to visit our friends the Gordon's. We also took a couple side trips to NYC and Cape Cod. Jaden and I at the Make Way for Ducklings statues at the Boston Public Garden.
Jaden and Todd at the Public Garden.
All of us on Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty behind us.
Central Park pictures.
Me (and baby bump) visiting my favorite painting by my favorite artist, Edward Hopper, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jaden (and Matt & Claire in the background) running on a beach in Cape Cod.
2006-May: We found out that we were going to have baby BOY number two at our ultrasound!
2006-August: One of my favorite {Preggo} pictures
Jaden moved out of his nursery. . .
and into his big boy room!
Jaden, Henry and Kailee (the 3 amigos:) loved "playing" music
2006-October 19th: Early on a Thursday at 1:29 in the morning, Bryson Wayne Emery was born. Weighing a whopping 10 lbs. 9 oz. and 21 inches long his pediatrican thought he had skipped a few months and looked more like a 3 month old! He, too, was absolutely perfect:)
The first picture of the family of four.
2007-January: Bryson smiled so much at 3 months old
Jaden, Kailee and Nina enjoyed indoor projects on long winter days.
That January it snowed quite a bit.
2007-April: Jaden helped Bryson start eating rice cereal
Jaden was such a great big brother and was somewhat obsessed with Bryson! He loved (and still does) touching his baby-soft head and hair. The boys on an unusually warm day on Alki beach.
A beautiful Easter too! Poor Bryson wasn't feeling well:(
The very next day I had to rush him to the pediatrician's office and that was the first day of his using a nebulizer.
2007-Summer: We spent a lot of time at the lake house and began playing Bocce ball at the lodge. Jaden was very good at it for only 3 years old. . . look at that form!
By the campfire
Todd's cousin, Barrett, got married (on 7.7.07!)
Baby Bryson is "SO BIG!"
We went back to Cannon Beach (stayed at a hotel this time). Jaden tried skim boarding.
Our first crabbing trip to Deception Pass.
Jaden learned to skate board. His coordination always amazes me!
2007-September: Jaden started Montessori preschool at WSMS (where I used to teach)
Jaden also started playing soccer on a 4/5 team through the YMCA (even though he was only 3).
Our lil' cowboy Bryson was as cute as ever.
2008-March: Our first family trip to Hawaii. Grandpa Wayne, Grandma Jane and my dad (aka Grandpa Albert) also went along.
2008-June: I started this blog with this post.
2008-November: Our first family trip to Whistler, BC for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We had a big group in a large 6 bedroom house!
2008-December: The biggest/longest snow in Seattle that I can remember. It was so fun to play in and beautiful to look at! It was even more special that it was right before and during the holidays.
We enjoyed sledding in the dark with our neighbors. Here's Bryson and Evan on the sled.
2009-May: Boys 1st trip to the most magical place on earth, Disneyland!
We stayed a week so we also checked out the wonderful California beaches.
And went to Medieval Times.
2009-June: Family picture
Our annual trip to Sun Lakes State Park in Eastern Washington. Todd and I've been going every June since 1997, the only exception was when Jaden was a baby in 2004. We have a great group of friends who join us every year.
2009-September: I return back to teaching part time in 4th and 5th grade. Jaden is in Kindergarten and in the Purple class for the 3rd and final year. Bryson begins preschool at WSMS in the Blue class just shy of 3 years old, he starts off going M, W and F half days.
2009-November: We go to Whistler for Thanksgiving once again! It's beginning to be a tradition that we all really enjoy.
Going into 2010, I feel incredibly blessed that I have two healthy, beautiful sons (that are shockingly already 3 and 6 years old). I have a wonderful, supportive husband who works so hard for his family. We have an incredible network of family and close friends that we feel eternally grateful for. I can't wait to see what this next decade has in store for us!
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