Yep, that's right... you're looking at our Christmas card from 2005! I was so excited to send this card out, but quickly realized that I didn't order enough and had to send others out as well! We were married in October, so I was so excited to use a photo from our wedding on the 1st card friends and family would receive from us, the Newlyweds! We had so many nice portraits to use from the wedding, but when I saw this photo I immediately thought of the line, "We're Dreaming of a White Christmas" and had to use it! I probably should have dreamt for something a little more substantial as we were both laid off around the holidays (which prompted us to begin one of our favorite traditions... 30 minutes and $20 to fill each other's stockings! That was our only gift to each other that first year).
We rebounded rather quickly and both found the jobs that we are currently at in March '06, but were hit with a life-altering diagnosis in May... I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now, I'm not talking about a life-or-death diagnosis here, but it's a disease that cannot be cured and I'll be stuck with it for the rest of my life. The pain was manageable, but the meds were/are a b!tch! I was put on a high dose of prednisone, a steroid, which made me horribly depressed and caused about 30-40 pounds of weight gain. Hence, the change in my look for our 2006 Christmas card...
This was definitely the year that tested us on an emotional level. From my breakdowns over ordering the wrong pizza to my horrible thoughts about where life was headed, I'm still shocked --in a fabulous way-- that Joe was able to be so incredibly supportive! I did score front row Redskins tickets for his birthday (our holiday card photo was taken that day), but I won't ever be able to repay him for being the best husband ever during that time (and all times, actually)! If he believed in it, he should be nominated for sainthood.
The next year, 2007, is when everything came together. My meds were regulated and we were both in the groove with jobs that we love (Joe's 1st summer directing Mountainside was 2007). In August we bought our first house and in September we welcomed our first "baby" into our lives... Sirius Black.
I had been dying for a puppy since we were engaged, but apartment life just didn't allow it. Once we were settled (by "settled" I mean - we had cable installed and we blissfully ignored the boxes around the house), I looked at the breeder where my mom got Finley and found him... the sweetest little puggle on earth. I actually first spotted his brother, but only because Sirius' photo on her site was obscured by his huge tongue licking his face. It wasn't until we arrived at her farm and walked towards the pups that we all found each other... the other pups were glad to see us, but Sirius climbed over the other pups to get to us and jumped right into our arms. Seriously, it was like a movie. He was meant to be my baby and, of course, the focus of our letter to Santa that year...
 |
| Address was blurred out to avoid stalkers. Thanks. |
To be honest, life just got better from there. We had our ups and downs in 2008, but everything was going well... work was good, house was good, Sirius was good, the Caps got better, etc! And then we decided to open our doors to another puppy, our little schoodle. Sully was so tiny at first (now he's nearly as fat as Sirius), but never quite realized his size... he immediately jumped in the mix with Sirius and became his wing man (whether Sirius wanted one or not!)! They've been into mischief since the very beginning...
What does a couple with a sizable mortgage and two dogs decide to do?... Go and get knocked up, of course! 2009 was an amazing year- not only because Dagny was born, but we were just in our groove and I loved being pregnant (my RA went into remission)! We had ice cream nearly every day of the summer (which, combined with prednisone, helped account for most of the baby weight!) and loved being together. Doodle was born on September 5th and the rest is history...
2010 has been no exception to the others... we've had a great year thus far! I've already been looking around at Shutterfly's Holiday Cards and their Holiday Gift Tags for inspiration... although I love their designs, it's the ability to use their Digital Scrapbooking templates that I got hooked on very quickly! Clearly, I've veered away from the traditional and sweet types of cards... I think having a little edge fits us perfectly! You never know... Someday I may turn into a "Nice Girl" (as Joe tells me to be) and send out some sugary sweet cards. Yeah, probably not! ;)
Who would have thought that taking a look at our past holiday cards would tell such a story?!
No comments:
Post a Comment