Goodnight, Year. Goodnight, Decade

Not only is tomorrow the start of a new year, but it's also the start of a new decade! It's hard to believe that 10 years ago I was ringing in the new millennium as 21-year old at a rock concert (Metallica with some other people like Kid Rock and Ted Nugent) in my about to start my last full year in college. Cortney was celebrating in Kalamazoo with the rest of the friends who didn't go to the concert. Both of us celebrating with different "significant others." My how things have changed!

We are both now 31. I have graduated from Western...twice. Cortney is back in school. We had a bunch of loss, but some BIG gains (getting married, having Eddie, you know...that kind of stuff) that have made life not just worth living, but oh so happy and fun at the same time.

Specifically 2009 has been a turbulent, wonderful ride. Hows about we take a peek back at the year that was? Luckily for you, dear readers, I was also doing Project 365 for 2009--meaning I took a picture each day. Oh boy! So here it was...our 2009 at a glance:

The year started off very calmly. We both napped and did a whole lot of nothing on January 1, 2009.
The first weekend of '09 was the annual trip up to Northport with the extended Sluiter family. I spent a lot of the time sleeping or reading. For some reason, I was always tired at the dawn of 09.
January 20 was not so much a big date in Sluiter Nation history as it was for the U.S. An historic inauguration occured.
Before January was over, we found out we were having a baby boy! Eddie began to take a real shape in our minds and hearts.
February brought some heavy baby prep: registering for all Eddie's needs.
We also got together with lots of friends in 09. Here we are in February with the WMU crew.
I celebrated my 31st birthday in March. Jake helped me blow out my candles at the Visels.
Cortney got a jump start on the "some assembly required" part of being a dad with all things nursery.
In the spring the showers started...and lasted until after Eddie was born! We were incredibly blessed by friends and family.
In May we celebrated our Godson, Joe's, first birthday.
We took birth classes throughout the spring.
May also brought tulip time...and lots of visits to port-o-johns for me. Ugg. BUT it was Trisha and Jake's FIRST Tulip Time parade!
We also babysat our little Joe in May. He seemed to like staying at our house and it gave us a little practice with the constant excitement that having a little one in the house brings.
I got my flowers planted again this year. Just in time to give birth and ignore them so that they almost all died. They looked good for a few weeks though!
Eddie's room was completed in early June. Now we just needed an Eddie to put in it!
Cortney and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on June 18 with dinner at Alpen Rose.
We welcomed Dave into the family on June 20, the day after the mega-storm of '09 that flooded Holland and Zeeland and almost caused me to sleep on my parents' couch in a dress. It was a long weekend, let me tell you.
All the excitement of that weekend must have reminded Eddie that he was due to be out in the world because he arrived right on schedule on June 23--his due date--via C-section.
June 26 we came home for the first time as a family of three!
Eddie had his first photo shoot with Missy. Little did he know that he would be in front of that camera a zillion more times!
Eddie celebrated his first fourth of July! Lots of friends from out of state were there to welcome him into the annual party!
Phil and Liz stuck around and were able to get some Eddie time in before heading back south.
The summer of '09 brought a change of scenery in our house. Suddenly this corner of our kitchen turned into the feeding station. It still looks similar to this...we have just added bigger bottles now and bowls and rice cereal.
August 9, 2009: Eddie is baptized on his Papa Steve's and Great Great Grandpa Koops' birthdays (his namesakes). He also wears Papa Steve's baptismal outfit. Our whole family are officially members at Second Reformed Church.
Later in August we get together with all the WMU crew again--this time with mine and Erin's additions. That's a LOT of kiddos!
August also brought Eddie on his first boat ride thanks to the Swanbergs and Visels!
At the end of August, we welcomed Ashley into our family!
Cort went back to school at the end of August taking two classes this past semester.
Eddie's first Labor Day weekend. We brought him to say hi to Papa Steve.
End of September brings my first day back to work. It was bittersweet leaving my little buddy, but I was ready to work again.

My first week back to work also brought Eddie to his first homecoming game at Park.


Cortney was laid off from work in October. This was when 2009 got a little scary.
October also brought Liz into our family! That completed the tri-fector of sibling weddings for the year.

November brings more scary news. I was officially put on the lay-off list for second semester for Wyoming Public Schools.
November is also Eddie's first Thanksgiving! He celebrates at Granny and Grampy's house.

December brought two snow days in a row and Cortney's 31st birthday. First one as a daddy!

I apply for and get a position teaching adjunct at GRCC two nights a week for next semester. A wee bit of relief from the turbulent job news.


We also got the early Christmas present that my job was secure at WPS and I would NOT be laid off second semester!
Eddie celebrates his first Christmas. He really enjoyed all the gifts (especially the paper and bows)!
Our life is changed forever. Instead of a nice, neat house...we have toys to pick up every night before bed.
There it is! Our 2009! Tonight we say goodbye to the year and the decade with the Visel family. What will 2010 bring? Hmmm....that seems like it's a whole other post. Perhaps I will get to that tomorrow...in 2010.