Good-Bye 2009!

Well I think it's safe to say that our years of ushering in the new year with big parties are in our rear view mirror. We said good bye to 2009 with a small get together here at our house. Andrew and Lacy, Chris and Christie, and the Coppernoll and Armbruster clans all came over and hung out. I have pictures of Andrew and Lacy and Chris and Christie holding Grant. The Coppernolls and Armbrusters will have to be featured on later blogs. (guess I dropped the ball there) I did capture Landon and Charli taking in a movie and banana on the lap top (while their parents watched The Hang Over, not meant for mockingbird toddlers on the big TV) and Ben and Landon reading some books. That was about the excitment of the evening. We made it to midnight and were in bed by 1.

I have to say that we're not sad to see 2009 go here at the Kutscher house. As you know, I made the 2008 blog entries into a book, and it was kind of lacking in the wrapping up department. So I decided to review the year in a year end wrap up post. Usually when I look back on blog entries of yore, it's enjoyable, but when I got to July this year, it wasn't as pleasant. After reliving that month, it was a good thing we had brighter days to remember later in the year. Without further adieu, I give you....The Year in Review: 2009.

January: At the beginning of the month we bid an emotional farewell to our good friend "bite" (Landon's pacifier). President Obama was sworn in to office, after Landon's successful campaigning. We celebrated our friend Charli's first birthday and Abby started coming to Vella's everyday.

February: Chad and I went to see Legally Blonde the musical at the Fox and enjoyed an adult weekend only....little did we know it was our last for some time to come. :) We also made it to Rushville to visit with Ryan, Liz, and Emily, where Landon and Emily danced the night away.

March: We welcomed Alyssa Lauren Cox into the family! The blog turned a year old and Landon entertained us all with his singing (Livin' on a Prayer, among others) and dancing talents.

April: We kicked off the big kitchen rennovation by moving the doorway between the kitchen and living room, and thus the living in the filth and unrest of a remodel began.

May: I turned 30....wah wah wah. BUT us and the sibs went to the Cardinal game to celebrate and we announced on the blog the upcoming arrival of Baby Kutscher Dos. The old cabinets in our kitchen were removed and we no longer had an operational sink.

June: Chad and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, Landon started sleeping in his big boy bed, we went to another Cardinal game with my Dad's side of the family, and the new kitchen cabinets were installed.

July: Landon had his first trip to the library, we celebrated Andrew and Lacy's wedding, and the sink was hooked up in the new kitchen before Landon was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his kidney. We were devastated and then we were blessed with a positive prognosis and the love and support of wonderful family and friends.

August: Landon begun his chemotherapy treatments in St. Louis. We finished decorating his big boy room and installed the backsplash in the kitchen. Soccer season started and the team surprised us with a visit and cookies. We attended another Cardinal game with special treatment....on the field for batting practice and a showering of Cardinal gifts (including a Skip Schumacher autographed ball).

September: Uncle Michael drove over from Ohio to help entertain Landon. The family spent a night playing putt putt. Landon fell in our basement and cracked his forehead right between the eyes resulting in an ENORMOUS goose-egg and another 5 years off of his mommy and daddy's lives, and I launched my taggie business. :)

October: Our little Abby turned one! We found out our chemo treatments were going to be over much quicker than we had thought, and Landon dressed up like DJ Lance Rock for Halloween. I posted the 100th entry on the blog and the soccer season ended, but not how we hoped it would.

November: We were showered with support of the community at a fundraiser to help with Landon's health expenses held at the Elk's club, and we looked forward to the upcoming arrival of Baby Cox and showered Brian and Sara with gifts in preparation.

December: We welcomed Grant Jeffrey into our family and we finished chemo....all in two days! It was the first year that Landon was "into" Santa, and we visited him at the church (where Landon was NOT shy at all) and baked him cookies. We started the potty training thing....AGAIN and Landon got his first two fish in his fish tank. (only for them to croak three weeks later). We celebrated Landon's third birthday with a very small get together and played in the snow.

As I was reading up for the Year in Review, I stumbled upon some goals I wrote at the beginning of the year of things I hoped to accomplish.

#1. Potty train Landon and get him in a big boy bed and room. Well we're still working on the first thing there (we've actually cleaned poopy out of his big boy pants twice just today....UGH) but the bed and room....check, check.

#2. Pay off Chad's Bravada...a year early....so we can remodel the kitchen. Huh. Well the kitchen has been remodeled but we didn't pay off the Bravada yet. It's really close....does that count?

#3. I WILL finish my master's degree. CHECK CHECK CHECK!!! Which reminds me...we need to celebrate that. Maybe we'll just wait until next May when Chad finishes his and party double hard.

#4. Work on the toy room in the basement so it can actually be used as a toy room. Not done. In the process though. I'm getting a desk for my sewing and scrapbooking stuff and before it's installed we're hoping to paint and put down new floor.

#5. Win another state championship for the Rockets. :( Elite eight for girls and boys. Both teams were first place in character though. That counts for something.

The rest of the list were ridiculous goals (like get Chad the head coaching position at UCLA, move to Hollywood and befriend the Beckhams, and put 48 hours in a day instead of 24). I'm giving myself a C on the list, and that's a stretch, but when you take into account the other things we accomplished in 2009, I think we've done alright. I guess what we've learned in 2009 is that you never know what life is gonna throw at ya. After a serious curve ball, followed by all kinds of blessings, we're looking forward to a BORING year in 2010. We can hope right?

I put this video up on New Year's Eve, so you may have already watched it. I attempted to email it to Michael, but the file was too big. So instead I uploaded it here and sent him a text to check it out. Hey, it's my blog. If I wanna use it as a platform for birthday wishes for family members, that's my business. :) If you can do something to put you in the ranks of Uncle Michael (and you live too far away for a real live performance), we'll post you a song, too. :)