Happy Holidays 2008

I decided to save a tree this year and not print out Christmas letters. Since so many read this already, why not give an e-letter a try?

This holiday season has certainly started with a rollercoaster of emotions for our family. Over the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed first-hand a true Christmas miracle as our little bud Carson battled a severe and life threatening case of bacterial meningitis. Thankfully, he is continuing to make wonderful progress every day. We thank God that he is here with us today and continue to pray for his full recovery.

2008 can really be summed up in one word for us – CHANGE! We started the year out with the biggest change on January 31st with the birth of Miss Ellie Ruth. Nothing can prepare you for just how much having a baby changes your life, but now it’s hard to really imagine it any other way. She’s the little sunshine that brightens our day, and each day comes with new surprises. These days she’s into everything, crawling, walking, grabbing, opening/closing, and just exploring the world. She has a contagious smile that can’t help but make you smile too. As her first birthday is quickly approaching, we wonder how the last year went by so fast, but at the same time struggle to remember life before she was born. She’s certainly been the biggest and best change for us this year.

In March we added a little more excitement to our lives when we decided to move. In one weekend and with an army of friends and family, we moved about 45 miles further south, from De Pere to Greenville. We had wanted to move earlier (anticipating the difficulty of a 45 min. commute and a new baby in our lives), but could not sell our house in De Pere quickly enough. Things came together in the Spring though, and we were able to move before I returned to work. Even though we still have some bare walls and the spare bedroom full of random things from the last house, we’re pretty much settled in our new house now and love our new neighborhood.

In May, we welcomed a new cousin to the Pomeroy family. Maxwell Jeffrey was born on May 18th, lungs in full force and ready to tackle the big bad world. It’s been fun watching Ellie and Max these past few months as they’re so close in age and with each visit, more and more curious of each other. Christmas will be really fun with all the Pomeroy cousins, Brendan, Aiden, Ellie, and Max, all together for the first time.

Professionally, Colin and I have both had some changes this past year as well. In late Oct. 2007, Colin accepted a new job as the Director of Technology for the Bellin College of Nursing in Green Bay. Over this past year, he’s become more comfortable in this role and has also enjoyed the new challenges. And once again, he’s found himself in a work environment largely dominated by women which always comes with its interesting twists. Colin just loves things like cookie exchanges which he always seems to get himself into (and yes, I am saying that with the utmost sarcasm!)

This past October I accepted a new position within Kimberly-Clark. After nearly 5 years working on HUGGIES® Baby Wipes, I’ve now moved into product development for KOTEX® and POISE® brands. While this may not sound too drastic, it was, in some aspects, like going to work for a different company. Everything about what I’m doing and the people I work with changed, so it’s taken some adjustment, and I’m still continuing to learn every day. So far, I really like the new role, and mostly have enjoyed learning something new. And, for the first time in my career, I’m also working on a female-dominated team which is different and fun!

With everything else we’ve had going, Colin and I were also able to get some travel in this past year. Most of it for work, but we each got to visit some new places and do some sightseeing as well. In the Spring Colin went to Charleston, SC for an IT conference, but he also got to see the historic downtown and experience some real Southern culture. In the summer, I spent a few days in Chicago where I got to spend time with some of my best girlfriends, and Ellie and I also went to Ypsilanti, MI to visit our friends, the Mayo family, for a few days. This was Ellie’s first trip on an airplane, and she did great! This past fall I also visited Providence, RI and Boston, MA, both for work on 2 separate trips, and both very nice cities. I had a little more time to sightsee in Boston, and I stayed right in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace which was very cool. Top that off with a couple fun weddings and a few bachelor/bachelorette parties, and we’ve had a good year!

Change, change, change, but it’s been a wonderful time, and we’re looking forward to the New Year ahead. This Christmas will be extra special with Shannon & Andy’s wedding to celebrate as well. We’re excited to welcome Andy into the family, and Colin’s happy to have a fellow ‘in-law’ at our crazy family gatherings. On the Pomeroy side, Colin’s brother Ashley will be home for Christmas for the first time in 10 years, and we’ve doubled the number of cousins to add to the excitement. We have much to be thankful for and many happy times ahead.

Wishing you all the most joyous of holiday seasons and many blessings in the New Year.


Love,
Stacey, Colin, and Ellie