Happy 2009!

It's probably no surprise to most people who know us that 2008 was a rough year for our family. We had to leave our apartment, moved in with my parents (and sister and niece) while we tried to buy a home (tried and tried and tried...), found out Sean had cerebral palsy, one of our cars died, and a whirlwind of other misfortunes. This new year, however, is a fresh start... so I would like to think.

Derek and I were invited to a small New Year's Eve party. It was kid friendly but Sean's still too young for that sort of thing. It was 4 couples and everyone's kids. The kids watched movies and did their own thing, while the rest of us had a game night through midnight. It was a bunch of fun. I was glad to be doing something fun as we rolled into the new year. I hope that will be symbolic or something.

Unfortunately, our long struggle with home-buying has ended with disappointment. The loan fell through due to a ton of complications here and there. While we can go ahead and look for another property, Derek and I are understandably pooped and disenchanted from the whole experience. For now, we'll find us an apartment to rent and just take a break from the home-buying business. We'll look into it again later in the year... maybe.

Today I started my first of 4 online classes I'll be taking over the next few months in order to clear my existing teaching credential and stay current. It's been a long time since I've taken any classes, so wish me luck.

Drum-roll please... I'm leaving with a post of a few pictures we took at the portrait studio recently. I've been getting a lot of grief from family and friends about not having a family portrait, and so here it is. The Neely family and Sean's 2 year old pictures. Enjoy.