2012 brought with it many changes in our life style, but we love each and every day more than the last. With a two month old demanding every ounce of Elizabeth's attention she signed up for two week-night classes, photography and post-natal yoga, to get out of the house. Elizabeth and Evie signed up for a playgroup through the Church, a blessing in so many ways. Eric took 100+ teens on the Winter Retreat. Evie shared her Baptism day with her cousin Zachary. Eric and Elizabeth became Godparents for the first time.
February was low-key as it usually is. We watched the Superbowl at our friend Chris's house with old friends. Evie and Elizabeth celebrated Valentine's Day with new friends. Eric and Elizabeth renewed their wedding vows at a Valentine's dinner social with the Mom's Group. At the end of the month we took Evie on her first plane ride to Eric's cousin's wedding in Minnesota. For Lent we participated in Project Simplify and cleaned cabinets and closets for the next 40 Days.
In March Elizabeth started easing back in to the work routine while navigating the waters of Post-Partum Depression. Dan and Leeann invited us to watch Wake Forrest beat Georgia Tech in basketball. Elizabeth joined a monthly Bible Study with a group of girlfriends from neighboring parishes. Eric attended the annual Life Teen Men's Retreat at Covecrest.
It was a difficult Holy Week for Elizabeth and her brother David as their high school and college friend, John Purvis, passed away after a five year battle with glioblastoma. But God is good, and the funeral served as a beautiful time to reconnect with old friends. We celebrated a peaceful Easter with the family, and went on egg hunts as twenty-somethings. The following weekend we drove to Savannah to spend the weekend with David, Paige and Zachary. We also spent the day in Beaufort, SC visiting Eric's great Aunt Jo and Uncle Jim. On the drive home from the long weekend we got a call that Sam proposed to Elizabeth's sister, Katie. A day later Elizabeth and Evie came down with a wretched flu virus canceling Elizabeth's annual Women's Retreat weekend. Many thanks to steroids and antibiotics the two were better in about 10 days and we were off to Nashville for another long weekend. Evie had an epic poop-splosion and both Eric and Elizabeth had opportunities to catch up with friends before and after we finished another half-marathon. Somewhere in there, Evie and Elizabeth went to the zoo!
A sucker for Airports and Flashmobs, Elizabeth signed up to "test drive" the new airport terminal with Evie. Our nephew Zach came to visit for a week. We spent a day going to six graduation parties and a Confirmation. Cabin season began. My mother retired from 15 years of teaching. Elizabeth's close friend, Dennis was ordained a transitional deacon. The same day we went to our very first Indian wedding, a co-worker of Eric's.
In June the guys started brewing regularly again. We had a few more graduation parties, but Elizabeth skipped them in favor of a long weekend at the cabin, and Eric hosted a guys night...or two. We celebrated an early Father's Day at the Dillard House, Tim and Eric's favorite. The parent's of Evie's playgroup started a couple's dinner and Bible study group -- a source of many laughs and tears. Elizabeth babysat nephew Connor on Tuesdays, they often went out for ice cream. All the Corsetti kids, spouses, and kids spent a long weekend in Highlands with our Grandparents. One of the best weekends, ever. Elizabeth's college friends Jessica and Jay visited for a few days, as did her cousin's Hope and Will. The last weekend in June we left Evie with the grandparents and took off to Asheville for a weekend of wining and dining and hot air balloon riding!
Eric and the Buergler clan celebrated our Nation's Independance by running the Peachtree Road Race. Evie and Elizabeth joined in for the post-race Waffle House tradition. We celebrated with a cookout at Dan and Leeann's and then with fireworks viewed from the 33rd floor of One Atlantic Station. Eric's friend Stephen came to visit. Eric and Elizabeth missed Greg and Lizzie's wedding in New Orleans in favor of Sam and Katie's engagement party on the roof top of The Manhattan. Elizabeth spent a 100+ hour week building a website for work, and Eric started working from home full time. Together we led the 15 teen leaders on a retreat at a lake house. Elizabeth took the month off from blogging mostly because Eric was glued to the computer watching the Olympics.
Eric did one last mountain bike race with cousin Steven before he left for Duke. Elizabeth and Katie did lots of wedding and bride's maid dress shopping. We had a belated Mother's Day celebration with a boating day on Lake Lanier with all the Corsettis. Evie went to the cabin for a long weekend with Nana and Grandpa so Elizabeth could put the finishing touches on the school year and Eric could attend the Core Team retreat. And then...we took off for Ireland!
We toured Northern Ireland with Elizabeth's college roommate Amanda, and met up with Sam, Katie, Sam's family and Eric and Sam's dorm-mates for a crazy weekend in Dublin cheering on the Fighting Irish. Elizabeth kicked off the Confirmation season and developed adult torticolis, for which she is still receiving treatment. Eric started interviewing for (and got!) a new job, but he finished out his job contract through November. On a whim we started looking a houses. We took a day trip to the Botanical Gardens, and while we were there got word that we a had a showing at the house that would soon be ours. A day later we put in a formal offer and another day later were in a contract. Elizabeth bought her Maid of Honor dress for Katie's wedding. Elizabeth turned the big 3-0 (but didn't finish her 30x30 list. Boo!)!
Things were winding down for Eric with his old job, and picked up a lot of slack at home while Elizabeth's busy season picked up. We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. Elizabeth did her first photoshoot. Aunt Leeann made Evie a beautiful Bee costume, and she paraded it around at their neighborhood Fall Festival. Everything else was quiet as Eric held down the fort and Elizabeth led the Confirmation retreat for 170 10th graders. Evie celebrated her first Halloween with a small party with both sets of grandparents, and her great-grandparents! We started packing the apartment for the move.
We threw Evie a Madeline themed birthday brunch. Eric started his new job and found out he needed major surgery as soon as possible. Evie and Elizabeth stood in line for an hour on a cold, windy, rainy day to vote in the presidential election. Later that day Evie had her picture taken with Santa at Phipps Plaza. Elizabeth closed on the house, Eric had surgery, and Evie threw up...basically ruining Thanksgiving. Elizabeth packed, moved and unpacked the house while Eric recovered. Our friends showered us with blessings of homemade dinners, babysitting, delivering a Christmas tree, and hauling boxes.
Early December was our final inspection and we closed the apartment for the last time, but not with out tears. We celebrated the usual Gingerbread party. Advent came and went, but felt more like Lent with all the trials of major life changes. Christmas break was a very welcomed treat. Parties, cookies, and family time. And lots and lots of sleeping in. We're finally feeling settled with work and the house, and Eric is fully recovered. Evie is on the brink of walking. We rang in the New Year with a date night courtesy of babysitters, Dan and Leeann...followed by a late night game of Scrabble.
2013 is going to be full of so many blessings! We cannot wait to share them with you!
Just received my cheque for $500.
ReplyDeleteMany times people don't believe me when I tell them about how much you can earn filling out paid surveys online...
So I took a video of myself getting paid $500 for taking paid surveys.