My Year in Review, and Holy Cow ! 4 days in to the New Year and already it's Crazy at the Cruzes

My year in review.

As I was driving to my Mom's the weekend after Christmas I had much time to reflect on the last year. Bari was happily snoozing in the passenger seat and the kids were with family. I actually tried to do a month by month assessment of the year, but since I can't remember each month, that became a fail. So, here goes (the best of my ability to remember anyway).

March - see how time flies? I'm sure something happened in Jan and Feb besides Joey and Madeline's birthdays. Anyway, along came March 5, 2009 and little William Drake Colonel  my 1st grandbaby was born. What a cutie. Nothing else of importance happened in March including my 49 -FOURTY-NINETH Birthday! Let's just not talk about that.

May - I left my job of 6 years and went to work for a sports memobilia store. Since that time I have framed baseball bases, seatbacks, LOTS of different signed photographs, a sign from the dugout from the old Reds Stadium, and a tile from a roof from Germany. I can't even remember all the things I've done. I've met Pete Rose and George Foster, Kyle Cook (starting Center for the Bengals). I really like local sports, thank heaven's.
In May we also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary and spent a weekend at Murphin Ridge Inn. Beautiful. I want to go back. We remenise often.

June-July-August- Summer- who can remember?

September- Bari left his job at a studio where he had been working for 13 years to devote full time to our photography business. It was a BIG jump. We are keeping busy (kinda) and paying our bills (mostly). But it is scary. I'm still very confident that this was the right move for us, but even though he has been photographing weddings for over 17 years, it is a LOT of hard work.
In late August-early Sept, my brother and family came to visit. It was really fun to have them around for the weekend. I miss having family close by.

November- Thanksgiving in Savannah, Ga. It was so much fun. The city is beautiful. The trees are incredible. We had a great time with Bari's family. They are always so much fun. I've never eaten Thanksgiving Dinner outside on a patio before. We would really like to go back and visit.

December- My first Redsfest with the company I work for. I mention this because it might help explain just how busy my job is. This is a 2 day Reds Baseball party held at the Convention Center each year. We stock and man a HUGE booth at the convention center. There are baseball signings, bands playing, old and new players there. It is a family event. Next year I want Bari to bring Sam and Madeline.

January 2-3, 2010. Bari and I decide to take the BIG step and pay the BIG bucks to have a booth at the most prestigious bridal show in the city. So last weekend we were at Wendy's Bridal Show in the Grand Ballroom at the Convention Center. OK, so starting Friday night (the night before-) we went to Bari's sister's house because his dad and step mom were visiting from Chattanooga. We had so much to do to get ready, but went over anyway and had dinner. Sam and Madeline went to his mom's afterward to spend the night. We came here and organized everything we would need for the booth. We had already done 2 small bridal shows in the summer, so everything was there, we just needed to double check, and put it in one place for easy packing the next morning. Rise and shine early- we were at the venue at 7:30 in the morning. The show would open at 10. We thought it went well even though there were 25+ photographers there. That evening were were exhausted, and all we wanted to do was go home and sleep. Our feet hurt, we were hungry, and emotionally exhausted from being 'up' and happy to every one of those brides. WELLLLLL...... Bari's dear mom decided to have a dinner for everyone that evening. It was really nice, although we didn't feel any too nice. Headed home around 9- Madeline was starting to complain about her stomach. We recently found out she is lactose intolerant. So I thought it was that. Fine. The next day was Sunday, we made sure the kids knew they were all going to church together, we would still be at the show. . . . . . . . . .Midnight I get up to find Bari Ray terribly sick. He said he had texted Brittany who had been at dinner too, and she was also sick. Yea, I was trying VERY hard to NOT be sick. Tums, Peppermint, anything   . . . . . . . .yep, 2am I was sick as a dog (worse than a dog). I knew Bari would get it too. We still had the next day at the EXPENSIVE wedding show to go to - and how could we not be there? What kind of reputation would we have as photographers if we missed it? So, I started making a plan, I would go early and set up the few things we had taken down the night before. Bari could come around 1 or 2 when we were supposed to be really busy. Maybe I could call my friend Gail to help me. Then I remembered --oh oh--the booth next to us was a restaurant, Lebanese and Greek foods. Then smell the day before was incredible, but with a very sick stomach, oh oh.
So, I did get up (somehow) and got myself to the show. Bari followed a little later, and we managed to make our way throught it. We made it somehow, even with the smell of roasted lamb, and the lack of bathrooms close by (it was in the ballroom). Really, it was the hardest thing we have ever had to do together.

Nope, the story doesn't end there. When we got home we now found Madeline sick, the Christmas tree knocked over, and I remembered that I hadn't made it to the grocery to get anything for the kids lunches. With that, I went in my room to rest - Just A Little While - at about 6ish I layed down, at 8:50 I woke up! ! !
Walked out of my room to find Madeline still sick , in her bed, she had called a friend of mine for advise because I was sick and sleeping - LOVE YOU LISA-.  So, we think all is winding down, I sleep most of the night  in my own bed. Get up in the morning, and SAMMY'S sick. (All over the Bathroom- of course).

 Well, Bari is the At Home Dad now, so I cleaned myself up and went to work like any good wife.

And this is only the 4th day of the year- - - -