2009 is coming to a close...

Happy Holidays, friends and family! There are a few things that I spaced off as a new mom, such as taking Willa to sit on Santa's lap, cleaning my kitchen, and sending out a holiday card. Ooops! So on this crazy, snowy, not-leaving-the-house Christmas day, I am making a bloggy holiday card and I cleaned the kitchen! Not sure what to do about the picture with Santa, maybe Photoshop?!?
Wasn't 2009 great? It seems like it just FLEW by! I spent the first 7 months of it growing Willa, and Brad spent those months catering to all my weirdnesses. On July 14th, Willa came to join our little family and she is just the most fun! We also grew our family by a tiny bit at the beginning of 2009 by adopting our foster wiener, Bailey. If anyone is looking for a wonderful new pet this year, or a group to get involved with for volunteering or donating, the Nebraska Dachshund Rescue is an amazing organization (www.nebraskadachshundrescue.org).
Willa and the dogs are such buddies. Bailey is a little cautious around her, but Luther is just his big oafish self, and seems not to mind too much when Willa pulls on his wrinkles and pokes him in the eyes. We have had Luther now for 6 1/2 years! Such an old man:)

Brad is working at Star City Motorsports for his 7th year and still enjoying his work as a mechanic. He also plays the drums at our church, Southpointe Christian and plays drums for a group called Beatmix Sessions (catch them at Duffy's on New Years Eve!) When asked for some input on the family Christmas letter, he said "I enjoyed my first Christmas with my little bean!"

I decided to cut back my hours that I work at the hospital, where I have been employed for 7 years and focus more on the cleaning business that I own with my friend Tosha. And when Willa was born, cut back even further! I work a few shifts a week there, and clean a few days a week and usually have a day or two just to spend time with Willa. Our cleaning business, Purely Maid, is just booming! We love being self employed and enjoying the benefits of our hard work. We don't have any employees (yet) but we keep VERY busy! We have some really great regular customers and we like taking good care of their homes. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of Tosha and I cleaning. While Brad and I are working, Willa is in the wonderful hands of my mom and dad, who are the world's greatest babysitters! They are so kind to rearrange their own schedules to accomodate our strange ones. Willa adores them both.

Some other excitement this year included my bestest friend, brooke benson, becoming engaged to our new friend Brian Petermann! So, we have a very fun wedding to look forward to in '10. I had the opportunity to get together with cousins that I don't get to see very often which was great! Brad got to go on the annual Star City Trail Ride in Taylor Park, Colorado for several days of intense dirtbike riding. We also try to make regular trips to Grand Island to visit with Brad's family (that is what we would be doing today, if it weren't for this darn snow). We love getting together with Brant and Joy every once in a while. Hopefully, as Willa gets a little older in this next year, we can do a little traveling, maybe some camping and trips to the lake.

To conclude the Van Boening family holiday letter, I'd like to wish you all a fantastic time in the new year. I hope that it brings love, happiness and prosperity. I also hope that we get to see you, whoever you may be, in the next year! Following are some pictures of Willa last night and today, she was a present opening MONSTER!