Counting our Blessings from 2009 and Looking Forward to 2010

January 2010:
Before Brandon and I focus on 2010, we would like to reflect the past year. We would like to count our many blessing and show off some of 2009 highlights for our family:

For Brandon's graduation trip (and our last big trip before the baby), we went down to Mexico Maya Rivera for a week at an all-inclusive eco-resort. Although I was 4 months along, we visited many Mayan ruins and even swam with dolphins.

Brandon J Dahl finally graduates from Southern College of Optometry after 4 years of hard work! Brandon's parents, sister and I (6 months pregnant) were also there in Memphis to celebrate this special occasion!

We moved into our new townhouse in New York State after Brandon became active duty in the United States Army. Brandon's first assigment was West Point, NY and  he is doing a optometry residency at Southern University of New York (SUNY) for 1 year.

Autumn Elizabeth Dahl was born August 1, 2010, forever changing the lives of her excited parents, Brandon (29 years old) and Elizabeth Dahl (26 years old).

Elizabeth's grandpa Wendell L. Muir died peacefully at the age 88 years old in his home on November 12, 2009 with his wife, Martha, son, David, daugther, Kathleen (Elizabeth's mom), and son-in Lawrence Dean (Elizabeth's dad) at his side. Wendell Muir grew up in Randolph, Utah on a sheep farm and later served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he married Martha Adams in the Idaho Falls Temple on June 24, 1947 and graduated from Idaho State College with a Bachelor's in Pharmacology. He had 5 children (1 son, 4 daughters) and spent his life working as a pharmacist in Las Vegas. Grandpa Muir was a righteous man that loved reading, gardening, and sheep. He was married to his beloved wife for 62 years when he passed away.  Elizabeth was able to fly out with Autumn to attend the funeral.

     With each New Year, most of us set New Year Resolutions to work towards the next year. Probably like many of you, Brandon and I often fall short on those resolutions or even forget what are goals were. This year, Brandon and I have two main focuses: making a more earnest effort to following the Lord's commandments and getting out of debt. Due to our second goal: Brandon and I decided it was time for me to return back to work! After 8 months off with a baby, I got my Registered Nurse license in New York State and returned back to the hospital setting, 1 week after returning from our family vacation in Utah. It was scary returning back to the intesive care unit (ICU) again. I felt like a brand new nurse all over again.
     Now that we are into March, I just got out of orientation, working part-time nights (7pm-7am), and we no longer have to put Autumn into day care. While in orientation, I was working full-time days (7am-7pm) and we did not have a choice but to put Autumn into full-time day care. Lucky for me, I did not have to drop her off at day care each morning. Brandon had to and it broke his heart every morning! The last few months have been crazy has I have tried to keep up full-time work, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and most important, being a mommy!!! I am so excited because I was able to talk Brandon into having a house cleaning lady come once a month to clean the house :) (Thank you, Brandon!) Brandon has been very supportive and helpful with me returning back to work even though he feels the greater effect. With Brandon still adjusting to the military ways, learning his new career, and having school assisgnments (attending lectures, writting papers, and having presentations to fullfill his residency requirements from SUNY); he has done a FANTASTIC job with the increased responsibilities of Autumn! Our little Autumn is a daddy's girl thru and thru, and I think both Autumn and Brandon have enjoyed their daddy-daughter times. Did I mention that our credit it card is almost paid off?