Well we’ve been awful at updating this. blog It’s literally been a year…
But what a year it’s been!
Highlights of 2014
(aka the TL;DR version of this post):
Bought a house.
Retired from Starbucks.
Found out we’re having a baby.
The year started off with us truly beginning the house-hunting process in earnest, which we are so happy to report was a fun and pain-free process, thanks in large part to our realtor/my cousin’s husband, Steve Clark. He’s awesome. Seriously. Go buy a house from him right now, we’ll wait.
But anyway, we found a house in a great neighborhood in Fishers, and by March we had closed on it. We undertook a few projects before moving in, namely installing a new floor in the family room (laminate instead of carpet), overhauling the cabinets in the kitchen (resurfacing them all, plus adding new hardware and some other trim), and painting the family room and kitchen. Once this was all complete, we finally moved on Easter weekend in April.
Fast forward a few months, and Natalie retired (for the second time) from Starbucks in September. This was in no way related to our next bit of news, but it sure was nicely coincidental… Because at the beginning of October, we announced to our families and then the world that in 2015 we’ll be welcoming a new Thom into the world. (Oh if you haven’t seen our baby gender announcement yet, click here.) Crazy!
Since that announcement, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments, baby registries, and learning everything we can about having a baby.
Michael continues to play regularly with the Director’s Jazz Orchestra and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, as well as playing occasional other gigs here and there. He folded Thom Video Productions this Fall, after much contemplation. While photography and film will still remain a passion and occasional hobby, it’s just not worth the time away from home with everything coming up. But beyond that, he still loves his job at DK Pierce & Associates and is fortunate to work with such a great group of people.
Natalie is still an ESL Instructional Assistant in Westfield, and keeps busy being pregnant. She’s also enjoying spending a little more time at home now and with friends, including her knitting. She also has a penchant for painting everything in the house she can get her hands on.
Oh by the way… We tried telling Yogi he was going to be a big brother, but we’re not sure the message has gotten through yet. We did have fun doing the photo shoot though!
We have both run a few races this year, though Natalie’s running has waned in recent months for obvious reasons. (Michael did set a PR for a half marathon at this Fall’s Indianapolis Half Marathon!) We’ve also been keeping busy hanging out with our LifeGroup from church, as we enter our third year of friendship and fellowship with them.
We’re incredibly blessed, and we look forward to expanding our family and seeking God’s will for our family in 2015 and beyond. Merry Christmas to you and your families. We love and cherish all of our family and friends!
Love your card and blog! Merry Christmas to both of you (er, all of you!) Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2015. Can’t wait to meet the new little one. Chris