www.MerryChristmas.com

In lieu of a Christmas Newsletter, a Christmas Bletter:

Dear Friends and Family,

This past year has most likely been the most eventful of my life, certainly held the most looked forward to event of my life. I'd like to say the same for Nick - however I'm not sure boys look forward their whole life to their wedding! The year 2009 began with in Albion, Spring Arbor and in Monroe for us. We brought in the new year with our friends! Then on January 1st I drove Nick to the airport to fly off to Costa Rica where it was warm and full of fun, friends and Frisbee. While he was there I worked and came to the conclusion that due to my student visa running out, we needed to start the immigration process for me. Days after he arrived home, we were officially married in Spring Arbor, Michigan - the papers were mailed in and we went on living our lives separately and preparing for our May wedding!

• I got stuck in the Pollaks driveway on my way to the airport to pick up Nick.
• Nick got to be a Nogule (sp?) in the Assassins Nurf Game that the Ormston boys play on campus.
• I got medically examined and finger printed for immigration.
• Nick and I went to a Piston's vs. Cavelier's game in Cleveland.
• I got 3 red roses for Valentines day, and my family came for a visit!
• Jennie and I made Hailey's bouquet for the wedding!
• I was hired to make RA Hiring Video's for Spring Arbor University.
• We played lots of Settlers of Catan with the Pollaks.
• Mom played hookie from work with me and we took a day to get as much wedding stuff done as we could!
• Nick and I took and graduated from Dave Ramsay's Financial Peace University.
• Jennie and I made a ton of Rice Pudding!
• Michael made us a "bird mansion".
• Nick and Chris kidnapped the new RD when they hosted Porchfest -the biggest SAU Campus event! His mommy even drove all the way to see him!
• I took my dad out for a dinner date.
• Michael turned 22, I turned 23, Nick turned 22.
• I had 5 wedding showers; hosted by MomE, Mel, NUMC, EBC, and Carrie
• I tanned for the wedding.
• We appartment shopped.
• I played in the String Ensemble Concert.
• We moved our stuff into the old parsonage of the church I work for.
• Nick and I took picture of us all over our favourite places for the wedding table numbers!
• I stayed in the USA longer than I ever want to again without going home!
• Hailey and Jennie made me a birthday cake!
• We started attending the Jackson Nazarene church on a regular basis.
• Anna and I painted a clock for people to sign at the wedding.
• I got Parole - which let me go home to Canada for the wedding!
• Nick and Michael went on a Wild At Heart -mens retreat together up north in MI.
• A brand new - almost finished hotel burnt to the ground.
• Jennie found out she was pregnant finally!!!!
• Nick graduated from SAU with a Bachelors degree in Philosophy/Religion.

Then the wedding Chaos - I had been waiting for my whole life came true! I was in Canada a week before the wedding. It was a blast - on May 23rd, 2009 Nick and I joined our lives together infront of all of our family and friends. It was the most perfect wedding I could have ever imagined! Thanks to everyone who made it happen! Then Nick and I took off for a week honeymoon in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! A great beginning to our new life together.

• Nicks car broke down and we had to foot that huge bill our first month of marriage as well as share 1 car while working 3 jobs all at different times of the day!
• We saw each other very little the first 3 months of marriage but when we were together we made the most of it!
• We went Camping with the Grismers.
• We had our Immigration Interview and I got my Green Card
• Hailey turned 3 and I helped make the Ice Cream Cup Cake Cones
• I'm learning to be a cook, baker and all around wife.
• I got a Black Kitchenaid.
• Chris & Kd got married - Nick was a groomsman.
• Karen & Jon got married.
• John & Lauren got married.
• Joe & Rochelle moved to Colorado.
• I scrapbooked a 9lb wedding book.
• We spent Independence Day at the Eccles and my parents and the Grismers joined us!
• We played fireball in the parking lot, my mom left her purse in Michigan & Clare sent her purse in my dads car on the way back to Canada!
• I painted the kitchen cupboards
• I hosted a baby shower for Jennies babies - oh yeah we found out they were having Quads
• Nick won a huge magic tournament in Ann Arbor!
• We had a girls sleepover at Mels house and acted like teenagers - then I surprised my parents at home.
• I created a friends wedding collage in photo frame I had gotten last Christmas
• I bought a coffee table and a bread box at a Garage sale with Mel!
• Nick and I flew kites!
• We went to Hard Rock Cafe.
• We went to an outdoor water park with the Grismers
• I rode on Dad's Motorcycle all the way to Sam's Pizza
• Nick surprised me at work and we went out for dinner!
• We decorated a ton of babies onezies for the Pollak babies!
• The house I spent my senior year of college in - got bulldozed to the ground for a new dorm.
• Nick and I happened upon a Civil War Re-enactment and went back the next day with my parents!
• I Jennie-sat/Hailey-sat. I got to feel the babies moving!
• I bot a little outside grill and put it together myself!
• Mel found us Kitchen chairs at a Garage sale for really cheap!
• We watched Friends. We watched Gilmore Girls
• I made BBQ Chicken Pizzas
• We got a Pampered Chef Stone! (Thanks MomE)
• We took MomE & DadE to the Parlour! They spent the weekend at our house!!!
• We got Unlimited Texting!!!
• We visited Jennie in the Hospital.
• We visited the babies in the Hospital.
• We bawled after sweet little Katelyn passed away.
• We got fishys and a frog!
• We accidentally killed fishys and frog ):
• We dried 4 loads of laundry all over our house
• Seth & Crissie got married. She had the same dress as me.
• Kerris & Jeff got married. We sang at their wedding.
• I made apple crisps.
• Thanksgiving was enjoyed in 2 countries.
• My mom turned 50! We drove home for a "surprise party".
• We went to the traditional pumpkin patch!
• I fell out of bed.
• My dad joined the choir!
• My computer died - but I got a new old one just like it & put my old HD in it.
• Michael came over to our house and made stir fry!
• Mike & Kazia got married.
• Mel and Kevin slept over randomly!
• String Ensemble performed 3 concerts in the fall!
• I still can't believe we've already been married for 7 months today!
• We saw the Blind Side with our Ohio friends.
• Michael got his first deer!
• I took Hailey on a date!
• We got our First Christmas Ornament(s)!
• We got an awesome Nativity!
• Nick went to Illinois, Melissa slept over.
• We had a snowball fight!
• Hanging of the Greens was awesome, we hot tubbed, we went to Canada for the Cantata!
• We set up the nursery at Nich & Jennies!
• Now we're celebrating our first Christmas together!!! TOGETHER!!!!

Merry Christmas - We hope and pray you all have a wonderful year to reminisce about and look forward to 2010 which is just a few days away!!!