Merry Christmas 2012

Greetings from Tucson! This will be our one and only Christmas here in the Old Pueblo. It is kind of hard to wrap my head around Christmas when Addison is still wearing sundresses to school and the daytime high is more often then not, above the 80 degree mark. At any rate, the trees are up, some baking has been done, and we've had two Christmas parties with one left to go for Addi's preschool class. It seems time never slows down. Go. Go. Go. 

Onto the biggest news for our family right now.....we are headed NORTH! We are so excited that we are headed to Colorado Springs, Colorado for our next station. Andy is going to be working as the ADC (Area Defense Counsel) for the Air Force Academy. This should be really interesting given my husband's not so subtle prosecutorial convictions. I have to keep reminding myself that his new goal is to get the best result for his client even if that doesn't mean they are acquitted.  Either way, we will be headed that way this summer, just when the temperatures here in Arizona have reached a toasty 110 degrees. We haven't officially received a report date but are anxiously awaiting it so we may proceed with purchasing a house and getting stuff ready. I know some of you are wondering how many years we've already done and what's the plan on getting out.... Well, when we initially embarked on this journey I was set on a four year commitment and then to get out ASAP. Believe it or not, I'M not ready to leave the AF yet. :) Because Andy has fulfilled his original four year commitment in March he will take an additional service obligation for two more years. After this we will be on 2 year service obligations until we are ready to exit the Air Force. At the moment, we aren't sure how much longer we will continue to do this Military life, ask me next year when Addison has started Kindergarten. 

Andy and I celebrated ten years of marriage this summer. We were able to head off on a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas, while Granny held the fort down in Arizona. It was hard to leave, but it was hard to come back too! We had a great time and it was so nice to just be "the two of us" for a little while. Last month we stole away with Mimi and Papa and took the kids to Disneyland. That was loads of fun too! Addison was treated to a makeover for her birthday and was princess for a day-she was in heaven! Ian wouldn't get near any of the characters but did enjoy riding the rides and being out and about in general. Thankfully he napped in the stroller everyday! 

As far as work goes, Andy is crazy busy. This year he took on greater responsibility becoming the Chief of Justice here at Davis-Monthan. He runs the Military Justice section of the office and has tons of work. This is one of the reasons we are so looking forward to a move. This is the third busiest justice base Air Force wide, he has tried more cases by himself than most bases try in a full year; in one of his cases the jury gave him a higher sentence than he asked for and was very pleased with that outcome. He has a 100% conviction rate so far this year, although, he starts a trial this week, so we'll see if that changes anything. He is super busy and there are weeks we don't see him, and there are times when there is complaining on his part (and mine), but overall I think he really enjoys his job and he is really good at it! 

Addison will be turning 5 right after Christmas. Wow, 5. It's so hard to believe.  It feels like yesterday she was that 4lb 12 oz baby that we just brought home. It goes so fast. She goes to pre-k twice a week and loves it. She really flourishes at school. It is so fun to see her interact with her little friends and have play-dates that they are constantly planning. They hit your house like a hurricane, but it is worth every minute of clean up. She danced in her first recital this spring. She loved being on the big stage and she did so well. This fall she decided on gymnastics class instead and she does very well there too! Ms. Holly, her teacher always comments on how strong she is and that she is always willing to give something a try. I think Addison is still adjusting to life with a little brother. She is very protective with him around other children and will even be his comfort when he gets in trouble at home. It is so sweet to see them play and love on each other.    

Ian is doing well, and we continue to covet and thank you for your prayers for him. He is a busy, busy two year old who has recently decided to potty train himself without our assistance. Of course! We went in June to his 6 month post op and he was doing great. He even sat still and let them get an accurate blood pressure screening. That is a HUGE accomplishment. He is still on his blood pressure medication just to help his heart even out from the enlargement that had already started to occur. The Dr. said that he will keep Ian on this dose until he grows out of it or needs it to be increased. He does not think that he will need it increased, it is just a matter of waiting-which is fine, Ian takes his medicine without a fuss. He is a sweet boy, but man, oh man, does he love his mama. Ian has a hard time being left with anyone other than me, which at times is really rough. We are getting there gradually. We are so thankful for his Sunday School teacher-I swear, she is a baby whisperer. She moved up with his age group because she knew that would be best for Ian. He loves her and talks about her at home, but that all falls apart when I walk out the door on Sundays. Ahhhhhh, someday I'll miss this.  I know, I know. 

Chip is doing pretty well. He will be 10 in August. We can tell that he is starting to feel his age. He moves slower these days, unless he's preventing food from hitting the floor, of course. He likes to just rest and go on nice, slow walks. He is still incredibly patient with the kids.  They love him so. On occasion those big brown saggy eyes convince me to hoist him up on our bed for a night's sleep-he is one pampered pooch!

I keep pretty busy, to say the least. My Thirty-One business has done well this year and I promoted to Senior Consultant in November. I am looking forward to a new year with that. I've met some amazing women that have become really great friends. Between running everyone to where they need to be and keeping up on everyday life I'm a tired gal at the end of everyday. I do enjoy being home with the kids even though some days are much more trying than others. It is nice to see them grow and learn and to see their personalities develop day by day.

We hope all is going well with each of you and pray that this year will bring happiness and health to your homes. Please know you are always welcome for a visit-wherever we might be!

God Bless! 
Happy New Year! 
The Richeys