2009 in Review

2009 highlights

News from Emilia

Obviously, it had been a big year for Emzilla. She is walking (actually its usually running, if she is going somewhere it is at top reckless top speed always), talking (babbling mostly), cutting tons of new teeth, dancing, babbling some more, and slowly but surely growing some red hair (thanks to Grandma Jody). She is quite tall for her age, loves all of her friends at church (sassafras) and generally stomps around happily making toys of of pots and pans, chewing on things not meant for chewing, pointing at things and yelling out madeup words for them, and making our lives very happy, though hectic.

News from Brenden

The dissertation is coming along well. I will be graduating in May with my Ph.D. and hopefully starting a job as a professor next fall. If you really want all the boring details about my academic and professional exploits, you'll have to send me an email - I don't want to bore the rest of you with further details. Work in the singles ward bishopric is as great as ever and we have made so many good friends there. A shoutout to all of our YSA peeps.

News from Julianne

Julianne has been tremendously busy this year. Besides being a super mom to Emilia (and an amazing wife to me) she has been discovering new callings in life. Julianne is a crafting fool! She has been making print t-shirts, sewing dresses for Emmie, making all sorts of cute things out of felt, taking photography classes, mastering photoshop, etc . . . The list goes on. Her work shedule this year is the best yet - 1/2 day Mondays, full days Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and Fridays OFF! She is at 3 elementary schools and the kids keep her busy.

Trips we made

1. 2008-2009 Christmas in Arizona - wild times, nice weather, got to see both of our families.
   
2. Gregg and Rachael's Wedding in March - HOORAY for weddings! We love Rachael and were so glad to welcome her to the family! We also made a crazy overnight trip with Lorinda, Matthew, Carianne, Rusty and Jeff to Disneyland (and left the kiddos with grandparents). It was a wild time in the Magic Kingdom. Brenden swam at Huntington Beach and is still bitter that no one else would get in the water with him. Julianne stayed in AZ for another week (and Grandma Linda came down to visit) and Brenden flew out to Wasinghton D.C. to do research at the National Archives. He got to reconnect with some old mission friends - Rhett and Kyle. Eternal thanks to Rhett and Megan for letting me crash in their basement.
   
3. We made a long drive down to Arlington Texas for Easter with our friends Mike and Jamie. Emillia did ok in the car . . . except for the parts when she was screaming like mad. Other than that, she was a good kid. It was so good to see our friends again!
   
4. Julianne made a quick trip to Des Moines to see her friend Betsy. Brenden stayed in Lincoln and moped around lonely for a few days.
   
5. Julianne made another trip to Arizona to visit family. I can't believe how many trips she made!
   
6. Washington D.C. for the 4th of July - a 10 year Clawson family reunion at Lake Anna, VA and Washington D.C. It was crazy and busy, but so much fun. Julianne was very glad to reconnect with long-lost cousins, and Brenden was happy to meet more of the Clawson extended family. That is one wild bunch!
   
7. 2 weeks at the Cabin in Yellowstone (and Brenden to the Glenbow Archives in Calgary for 1 week) - Brenden had funding to do research up in Calgary at the Glenbow Archives, so we made a vacation out of it. Brenden dropped Julianne and Emmie off at the Buehner cabin (Mack's Inn, ID), Brenden went to Canada for a week, then came back and joined the family for another entire week of Yellowstone bliss. Ken even came and visited. Mucho fun!
   
8. Julianne and Emmie to Arizona for Fall Break and Halloween - while Brenden played the productive dissertator, the girls went to Arizona. Grandma Linda joined and they had a lot of fun with the cousins - Jenna, Cora and Kate.
   
9. Christmas in Washington - next week we head up to Bellingham. Can't wait!
   

We have had a momentous year, and indeed, a momentous decade! 10 years ago this Christmas, Brenden was in Romania on a mission and Julianne was a sophomore at Northern Arizona University. In the 2000s we both graduated from college, got married, had a kid, moved to Nebraska, had lots of totally awesome times, made lots of good friends, etc . . . Hopefully the 2010s will be as exciting. 10 years from now we will be approaching 40 years old, Emmie will almost 12 and who knows how many other kids will be running around. Who knows where we will be living by then. CRAZY!