It seems like 2011 has just flown by. I think having a little one running around the house seems to put everything into high speed. Anya celebrated her first birthday on June 4 with a big birthday party on what was probably one of the hottest days of the year. She got lots of gifts and enjoyed opening them. Anya started walking on her own at around 14 months and she has really taken off! Her vocabulary also now contains too many words to count. Though we can’t always tell what she’s saying, she seems to have a lot to say! Some of her favorite pastimes include doing her puzzle, riding in her toy car, serenading us at her toy piano, and telling poor Peanut Butter “No, no.” She is a busy little thing!
Eric and I have also been very busy. I completed my thesis in August which means that I am finally finished with my Master of Arts in Music Therapy. The bound copies of my thesis came in the mail in late November and it was so nice to see my name in print. I am still working part time at Deaconess Cross Pointe, though I have gotten more music therapy contracts over the past year and also have some other projects started that I’m hoping will amount to something this coming year. I will also be supervising music therapy practicum students from UE next semester. In addition, my piano studio has grown from one piano student to six students. Eric has now been working for Keller Schroeder for over three and a half years and has consulted on a variety of projects with various businesses around town. He is a Co-Leader for the SharePoint User Group and President of the Evansville Technology User Group. He is also taking an active role in working on the website for our neighborhood association.
Eric and I also both turned 30 this year. Eric had a 30th birthday/Halloween costume party and I had a travel-themed party followed by an adults-only game night at our house. I’m sure we would both rather stay in our 20’s, but I feel like we have accomplished a lot in 30 years. We have also both lost quite a bit of weight, making us the smallest we have been since we can remember, so that definitely makes turning 30 a little easier!
Things this year have been too hectic to get much done with the house. However, we did have new carpet installed in our bedroom, the upstairs hallway, the stairway, the family room, and the living room. It was a mess during the process but we were glad to get it done. We hope to install carpet in the other 3 bedrooms this coming year, as well as install a new countertop in the kitchen and a new kitchen floor.
With Anya being a little older, we were able to do a little more travelling this year than last year. In April, we took an extended weekend to St. Louis so we could visit the art museum and the zoo. Unfortunately, Anya got a cold that weekend and slept through most of the zoo, so we’ll have to go back another time. In July, we spent a week in Chicago seeing the sites, including a Food Tour, an evening boat tour, lots of Chicago-style pizza, the Lincoln Park zoo, the beach, the art museum, Shedd’s Aquarium, The Field Museum, and Navy Pier. We had a good time and Anya did really well. At the end of July, Eric and I had our first overnight without Anya and spent the weekend in New Harmony. We also spent a family weekend in Louisville in September and took Anya to the zoo, which she really enjoyed. In October, Eric and I spent a week in Jamaica at Sandals Whitehouse celebrating our anniversary, while Anya split the time with each of our parents. Though we missed her, it was really nice to get away. We did an evening sunset cruise, but the rest of the time was spent doing a whole lot of eating, drinking, and just lying on the beach. It was really nice to get away and we hope to go back someday. In early November, Eric got to go to a Colt’s game with his parents for his 30th birthday which he had a great time doing, though I’m sure he wishes the Colt’s would have played a little better. I also got the chance to go to the American Music Therapy Association conference in Atlanta in mid-November. I got to network and gather new ideas for sessions. Now that I’m finished with grad school, I am going to need the extra motivation! The weekend after Thanksgiving we also travelled to Cincinnati to see Eric’s dad’s family.
We are both looking forward to the new year and have a lot planned. Besides house projects, we are also planning another European trip and plan to take Ani with us. Our route this time will be Madrid, Budapest, Vienna (with a day trip to Bratislavia), and the Middle Rhine area in Germany.
Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!!
Rachel, Eric, Anya, and Peanut Butter
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