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Hello!
First, let us say we're sorry for not posting more regularly. So instead of several smaller posts, we're tackling the year in one big year-in-review post! If there is one theme to our year, it was travel. Some for fun, some for work, but either way, it was a constant. We saw the image below, taking off over Chicago, so many times that Katie now has status with American and Andrew could have gotten close with a little better planning.
The first big trip for Andrew was a mix of business and fun. After going to San Diego for a conference, Tim and Andrew met in Colorado for 4 days of skiing. As you all know, Tim's skiing was limited by a shoulder injury that occurred on day one. He did make it out on the slopes again for a couple runs on the 4th day with the most beautiful skiing day imaginable, following 40" of snow over the previous 3 days.
Within 10 days of Andrew's walk along the Pacific beach in California, and 5 days of standing at the top of Copper Mountain at over 12,000 feet, we were walking along the beach in the gulf coast of Florida for a family reunion with Katie's grandparents. They rented a gorgeous house near Naples FL with a pool. We were quite spoiled!
Later in the spring, Katie's aunt and uncle were cleaning out their house and offered up their upright piano. We had one last section of our wall left uncovered, so we agreed to take the piano and Theo has been poking away at it ever since!
Not every trip this year was one we wanted to take. Unfortunately, Andrew's best friend from Peace Corps, Theo Walter, passed away in the spring. He lived with his wife in Zurich so it took a few months before there was a service stateside. So in early April, Andrew and Katie made the trip to the Bay Area for the memorial. The picture below shows us hiking with Mike, another groomsman, and Nadine, Theo's widow. It was a wonderful remembrance and a great opportunity for closure.
In late April, we again boarded a plane to take a flight to Austin to visit Hannah and James. We rode the train at the park, walked the farmer's market, visited the children's museum, and ate. so. much. wonderful. food. It was a perfect Austin trip!
This was also the year Theo discovered his favorite place on earth. The model train garden at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It's a small corner of the garden where they have dozens of model trains and models of notable places in America. But beware! If you enter with Theo you are committed for a minimum of an hour as he darts from one train to the next and back again!
We also have tried to facilitate more outdoor activities with various levels of success. We've done the tour of parks in our and surrounding neighborhoods. We even acquired a Burley bike trailer and have started riding to parks further away.
Throughout the year, we've had a number of family dinners. Sometimes in our own house and sometimes a train ride away, when Theo and Katie have visited Andrew in the Loop for lunch.
Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Samuel came to visit for Theo's birthday!
We saw both parades at Grammy and Pops' house this year. They have one for each of Memorial Day and the 4th of July. Later in the summer, we were visiting again, and for one terrifying moment Theo went sprinting directly towards the street. However he stopped right at the curb, plopped down, and asked "Where are the fire trucks?" while looking down the street. Clearly he loved the parades!
After the 4th, we left for a week in Minnesota. Because of Grandpa's shoulder injury that was exacerbated by skiing, we couldn't see them, but we did get to see Hannah and James! Grammy/Katie's mom came along for the trip as well! Highlights included boat rides, sunsets, swimming, and strawberry picking!
Note from Andrew: 10 years ago, Katie and I spent a good chunk of the summer together before I left for the Peace Corps and Tanzania. It was a wonderful and difficult time as we stared down the next two and a half years apart. We had planned to separate, but that summer together convinced us to give it a try. And we're so glad we did! Here's us on the same boat 10 years apart with photos taken by the same person (thanks Hannah!).
In August, Theo got to spend an entire week with Grandma and Grammy as Mom and Dad went out of town. However, the camera went with Mom and Dad, so here are photos from the wedding of Katie's childhood best friend Kate. She married her longtime partner Roi from Spain, so they chose to hold the ceremony in the Azores, which are Portuguese islands in the Atlantic as a kind of halfway point. The islands are volcanic and have two dormant cones on the main island of Sao Miguel along with a number of geothermal attractions. Because of the acidic soil, hydrangeas grow to absurd sizes and are everywhere. It was a perfect retreat for a long weekend with a giant party at the end!
Upon our return, Andrew continued his training to run in the 5k during Skokie's summer festival.
Theo's hair finally started to come in this year, which necessitated some maintenance after 2 years of needing very little.
We continue to have a wonderful time as the calendar turns to fall (and the weather turns to winter!). Theo was Thomas the Tank Engine for Halloween (the second in the family!)
And finally, the BIGGEST news of 2019 was that 2020 will see the addition of our second child! Referred to as Chip 2 for now, he or she will be joining us near April 30th 2020!
Hopefully you are all doing wonderfully well! We'll be back between Christmas and New Years to visit everyone. Until then, Happy Holidays!
With Love,
Andrew, Katie, Theo, and Chip 2!
