12.23.2009

Merry Christmas 2009!

The Grahams’ Annual Report

Quarter 1- January-March 2009
• We attended our college friend Paul and Rachel’s wedding in Georgia in January.
• In February, we made a trip to CA to see Doug’s sister Dawn and her husband Nate (and their dog Bailey). They live near Monterrey, and we enjoyed hiking, many rainbows, the Aquarium, and kayaking with Dawn, sea lions and sea otters.
• At the end of February, Daru impaled herself on something during a jaunt in the woods. After emergency surgery and a long night, she was basically back to normal; the vet said she was a lucky dog.
• In March, we made maple syrup from our 3 sugar maples. Doug hauled the sap up the hill daily for us to boil. We made about 12 oz.; we’re not sure we will repeat it, but it was fun to try once!


Quarter 2- April-June 2009
• We had a great time in May with Robin, Steve, Matthew and Ellie at ImagineRIT, the innovation fair at RIT, and we also made it to the Lilac Festival this year!
• Rebekah graduated with a PhD in mathematics from the University of MT in May as well, so we attempted to attend her graduation. After missing our connecting flight, we spent a night in Denver, but we did get to attend the celebrations afterwards with the Johnson and Yates families.
• In May, we also made some trips alone. Doug went to the AAPA conference in San Diego and met up with some friends from MUSC there while Rachel went to NC to watch Dee and Shan’s kids while they went to a conference.
• At the end of May, we attended the wedding reception for Rachel’s cousin Joshua and his wife Karis in the Adirondacks. It was a fun celebration and we enjoyed seeing the area as well.
• At the end of June, we sadly said good-bye to our friend (and pastor) Allison who moved to Seattle for a new job which suits her well- but it was still sad!


Quarter 3- July- September 2009
• We took a roundabout vacation in July starting with the annual 4th of July weekend at Delta with the Grahams. From Delta, we travelled to NYC to meet up with some friends from SC. Next, we spent a few days camping at Ricketts Glen in the Poconos (well worth the trip!), and then drove to DC for a night to see our college friend Danielle and Grace. From DC, we went to WV to Rachel’s cousin Laura’s wedding to Ryan, and on our way home from there, we stopped to see our friends Michael and Mindy and their week old baby Molly!
• We hosted the annual Lee family reunion in July; we were all happy Grandma Lee was able to come!
• In August, Rebekah and Ryan moved to Houghton and we helped in the moving process at this end.
• Rachel celebrated a milestone birthday this year after a weekend gathering with the Houghton gang. She celebrated her actual birthday with Doug, Ryan and Rebekah at the Strong Museum of Play.
• Rachel taught 5 labs a week this semester starting in September and took on the role of advisor for the math and science club. It has been fun to help them get involved with events like making a float for Roberts Homecoming.


Quarter 4- October- December 2009
• At the beginning of October, we attended Houghton’s homecoming with Rachel’s family. The following week, we traveled to Tully to see Doug’s parents so that we could tell our families in person that we are expecting a baby in April 2010. Baby Micro (gender unknown) will be the first grandchild on Rachel’s side and the seventh on Doug’s side. While we are excited, we are starting to feel the realities of impending parenthood, and we can’t even begin to explain to the dog and cat what is coming! Micro will be getting a new cousin at the end of April, as Dawn and Nate are also expecting their first baby.
• This quarter has been full of many house projects-- from getting a new furnace, to painting, to getting new carpet. We are grateful for a lot of family (read: free) help!
• We celebrated Thanksgiving in Houghton with Rachel’s family and one of Rebekah’s students. We are still working on Möbius (their cat) and Daru being friends, but we are making some progress.
• Doug celebrated his birthday in early December. He continues to enjoy his work as a PA in the surgery department (most days). We have both been thankful this year for steady jobs which we enjoy.
• We have been blessed in many ways by the love of family and friends this year. We appreciate the many opportunities we have had to share experiences with family and friends from near and far! As we look ahead to the many changes coming our way in 2010, we are most grateful for an unchanging God who is faithful in all situations. We pray that this season you will know the peace that comes from knowing He is in control.


With love,
Doug, Rachel, Micro, Daru and Kina Graham
137 Glenview Lane
Rochester, NY 14609
doug_graham77@yahoo.com
rmjgraham@gmail.com
updated occasionally (like today): rachelanddoug.blogspot.com







1 comment:

Wendy said...

Rachel! I'm so excited for you...you'll make a fantastic mom! Hope you're feeling well, and that you guys have a wonderful holiday.