Faith, Hope, Love, and a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We hope this finds you all well and enjoying the holiday season with your family. 2014 Has been a year of adventure for the Richey family and we are anticipating great things in 2015! 

We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield. 

In Him our hearts rejoice, for 

we trust in His holy name. 

May your unfailing love be with us Lord, 

even as we put our hope in You. 

                   -Psalm 30: 22

We started this year off with the kids' first trip skiing. As the planner, packer, and organizer I anticipated that we would get to the mountain, gear up, go out, and then be faced with cold, crying children. Boy, was I ever wrong! The kids LOVED it, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed because that meant that this mama (the non-skier) was in for a long day of helping kids practice staying up on their feet. There isn't a snowflake that graces this beautiful Colorado sky without ringing cheers from the Richey children to hit the slopes. They opened and closed the mountain two days in a row! Ian was asleep the moment he hit his carseat and Addison before we made it down the mountain for dinner. I am so glad that daddy finally has some skiing buddies! 

Our sweet girl graduated from Kindergarten this year and became a first grader. I am not sure how this has happened. She will be seven at the end of the month and is growing so much, sometimes it seems, exponentially overnight! She chose to do dance this year as her extracurricular and just finished performing in a 5 show sell-out of highlights from the Nutcracker. She is adjusting to a full day program ever so slowly but we are seeing improvement as the year moves forward. She sang in the Elementary talent show and did so awesome! So yes, when you see this mama crying every time I hear Let it Go, you'll know why! That girl is a born performer! She makes my heart proud! 

 Ian turned 4 in November, and he is just as sweet as ever. He has been going to preschool two mornings a week and he absolutely loves it.  It is so good to see him play with his friends and be delighted at his new found "big boy" status. He is learning which buttons to push to make big sister crazy, I am pretty sure he gauges his success on the volume of her squeals.  He has been taking swim classes and has become quite the little fish! Health wise, he is doing pretty well. We had a scare at his check up in June, and had to undergo a cardiac CT, but thankfully those tests came back better than expected. We head back to cardiology on the 19th for his bi-annual check. Ian was an absolute rock-star for his appointment. It's funny when you have a kid that undergoes medical procedures regularly, you would think that over time, each time would get easier. We have found that there is no rhyme or reason to it at all. Some checks go like today, with a cooperative kiddo; and other times you would think it was the first time they've seen a doctor and easy procedures become BIG deals. However, today, the cardiologist was very happy with Ian's progress. We did choose to have an echo done just to see the difference, if any, between the one in June and now. Mostly to see if it confirmed CT results or if it was still being skewed. His left coronary artery was still showing some enlargement, which was one reason for the CT in June, but after discussing with some echo experts, and more doctors, and looking at the studies from the past they came to the conclusion that the reason why it shows up strange on the echo is because his artery is just anatomically larger at the point of connection to the heart, they aren't concerned because of how the plumbing is all connected, it is his normal-so to speak. The doc said that just by listening, you'd never know he had an issue, which is so good because he said in kiddos with Ian's CHD, you can usually hear it in his pulse. Music to my ears!
We are going to continue to watch his BP, and Dr. Darst said if we want, we can push to a year for a recheck-we will have to see about that!

On Labor Day, we learned that Andy would be RIF'd ("Reduction In Force") from the Air Force. It has been a long few months looking for a new job for him. We are trying to be patient and wait for the job that the Lord has for him. Please join us in praying that we will have a clear direction in this job search. Right now, he is planning on joining the Reserves and there is a possibility that he will be able to work a few months for them immediately following being off active duty. He has also enjoyed working with friends from our church in Tucson on a mission driven project helping young adults in Kyrgyzstan better their professional skills and ties with the West. I see a trip for him in the near future! 

As for me, I have enjoyed another year being the room mom at Addison's school and helping out in Ian's preK class as needed. It has been nice to have a little break two mornings a week to hit the gym or go to the grocery, alone...yes, ALONE! With the onset of new circumstances, a position at Addison's school is opening up in January for a second grade classroom position (teachers having babies....). I, with the help of my husband, finished the application Sunday night, had an interview on Thursday and was hired on Friday! Whew! I wasn't really looking to go back to work, but the opportunity presented itself, and we believe it will be a great blessing. The job commitment is until the end of May, which will buy us some time while we wait for direction for Andy. Addison is thrilled that I will be at her school everyday, I am a little nervous, since it has been awhile since I've been in the classroom and because I've never left Ian. Fortunately, I have some pretty amazing friends that have offered to watch him, shuffle him from pre-k, and bring him to me at school for the next five months. If this military life has taught me anything; it truly is all about loving where you are and the people you are with, because they will love you in return. This mama has already cried many a tear, but I know that he will be in good hands.

This year, we have had several fun adventures too! We took the kids skiing at the beginning of the year, which they loved more than I thought! We also were able to steal Addison a few extra days over spring break and went on a cruise-it was such fun. The kids talk about going again all the time, it was definitely a trip to remember and we look forward to another one sometime! Over the summer, we took a road trip (delayed as it was, by court) to Ohio. It was so great to be "home" and with friends and family that we had been missing dearly. We also stopped in Missouri to visit cousin Brittany Carrender and her family on their farm. We all had so much fun! The kids looked forward to farm chores and riding horses. We got a tour of the land and just hanging out. So fun to see the kids together- a reunion must be in the works! I do have to say that our kids are amazing travelers. They are better than their mama when trapped in a car for 2.5 days. I loved the plains of Kansas, my husband thought I was seriously delusional from the long car ride! HA! In September we hosted Andy's mom and dad, Aunt Kris, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Carol, and Uncle Carl for the Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon festival.  Our children were in grandparent HEAVEN! It was so good to see everyone and get caught up on each of their families as well. The kids ask frequently when all the grandparents are coming back! My mom is headed out for Christmas and Addison's birthday. I am so thankful for all of our friends and family near and far!

We pray that you have a blessed holiday and new year.

We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield. 

In Him our hearts rejoice, for 

we trust in His holy name. 

May your unfailing love be with us Lord, 

even as we put our hope in You. 

                   -Psalm 30: 22

We have been holding this verse near our hearts this year. We know that the Lord has a plan for us and we are trusting that his plan is better than we know. Thank you for praying for us during this time of transition! 

Love always,

Andrew, Stephanie, Addison & Ian

Merry Christmas 2013

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

 the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore."

So, when you think of us does that old school song: "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" run through your head. I know! I know! We are hard to keep track of!

This past year we have been a little bit of everywhere. We moved from Tucson to Colorado Springs, CO in mid June. We also spent 10 weeks in Montgomery, Alabama from March-May. In between these locations we visited: Sea World in San Antonio, The Grand Canyon, Panama City Beach, Estes Park, and a host of other stops in between our travels. I have never, ever been a very good car traveler (ask Andy and my mother) but, I am thankful for 2 kiddos that love to travel by any mode of transportation. Highlight of all of the travel was about a month after we were settled in our house in CO we were traveling home from a weekend at Estes Park and Ian asked, "What does the new house look like?" Andy and I were a little confused and after a little investigative questioning we figured out that Ian thought that since we had spent a few nights away from home that it must mean we were going someplace new to live. Crazy kid. Although, for me, it does, at times, seem like the turn around is that quick.

Addison will turn 6 on the 28th of this month. I can't believe how quickly the time flies by! She started Kindergarten this fall and she loves school. We are really blessed with a fantastic teacher again this year! Addi is a social butterfly and always wanting to do something nice for her classmates. We are learning to read and boy, at times, this can really try my patience and her endurance...so, if you think about it, you can say a little prayer for us! :) Addison also played soccer for the first time this fall. She did great and loved it! Andy and I were very surprised at how well the kids actually did. She scored 2 goals. One was for the other team, but hey, it was a goal-so we celebrated! 

Ian turned 3 on November 5. He is getting to be such a big boy! We celebrated with friends at Focus on the Family and had a fireman birthday party. He loved it, this was the first year that he realized the birthday is all about him! He loves playing outside, moving rocks in his dump truck, and riding his bike or his new scooter. He is our outdoorsman. Right up the street we have a farm supply store that he loves to go to and just check out all of the fun stuff. He is my little buddy when Addison is in school and I really enjoy our one on one time. We head to the cardiologist here in Denver on Monday the 16th. He will have his 6 month check up and echocardiogram. I am expecting that the doctors will want to take him off of his blood pressure medication. This is exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. All in all, he is doing very well. The 13th will mark 2 years since his surgery. We still LOVE our surgeon and the secretary.  She and I keep in touch every now and then. What a blessing it is to live in a country with modern medicine and truly caring people. 

I love Colorado. We have fallen into a nice routine and it certainly doesn't hurt to have one of your bestest friends right down the street. It is so nice to be able to hang out with the Dan and Derika and do life together. My dear friend from High School lives about 2 hours north and we've been able to see each other a few times as well. We are excited that more good friends that we met in Alabama are building a house near us too! I'm continuing to grow my Thirty-One business here in Colorado. I was blessed to travel to Atlanta with Derika this summer for the national conference, it was so much fun and inspirational to see so many women thriving in a career they love all while being mommies and wives. I am the room mom for Addison's kindergarten class. Surprised? I know! I do love going back into the classroom and helping out the teachers, but I have to admit I do like being on this side of the classroom much more! Although I do worry about her performance and sitting down on the other side of the conference table is ulcer inducing.

Andy is doing well in his new position as ADC (Area Defense Council) at the Air Force Academy.   What's even better is that we live about 10 minutes from his office. It sure beats the 45 minute commute he had in Tucson. It has been quite a roll reversal for him though. As you know, he is a prosecutor at heart, but he is finding his stride and becoming quite a good defense council as well! He has been traveling more with his job. As always, it's an adventure! 

We did loose our beloved Chip in April. The hardest part was that we weren't there to say goodbye in person, we were stuck in Alabama.  It's amazing how difficult loosing a pet would be- I took it really hard. Much harder than I thought I ever would. After we moved we of course, let the kids talk us into getting another dog.  We got Duncan, a black lab, this fall.  He is rambunctious, mannerless, and has no respect for personal space.  So,  a typical lab puppy. He is always growing and may someday (here's another thing to pray about) turn into a good dog some day. Maybe. 

We are very grateful for the blessings that God has given us.  

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas! And, a Happy New Year! 

Andy, Stephanie, Addison, Ian & Duncan

Here is our new address: 

14743 Air Garden Lane

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

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

Sometimes a reminder is just what we need.

When I decided to do our Christmas letter online this year, I thought that I would surely keep up with updates and the adventures we find ourselves in from time to time. Well, time got away from me and so did the idea of being a "blogger."

Anyway, today as Ian and I were driving home from getting my tires rotated we heard "our song" once again, and as I drove down the road just sobbing, I just felt like I needed to share-because we all are somewhere on this journey and maybe there is someone that just might need a little encouragement today.

Let me give you a little back story: When we found out we were pregnant with Ian we were pretty confident that Andy would not be up for a deployment and then about 6 weeks into the pregnancy that changed. As I'm learning in this military life-things change, all the time, several times. Nothing is for sure happening until it is actually, well, happening! The deployment was scheduled to be in D.C. We were actually pretty excited. Addison and I would go and get an apartment and we would have the baby there and it would work because our family was within driving distance. That was MY plan! HA!

The possibility of the deployment happening in D.C. went away, the funds were cut and there weren't slots available for a deployment there. But, Andy had already been selected to go, and screened so he was on the go ahead list for somewhere else. The boss he had at the time wasn't exceptionally helpful and not very interested in getting Andy swapped for a different time slot. Well, the deployment was an on-again off-again thing for several months. Stressful, very stressful. Finally, it was looking like a for sure thing, but with the new boss coming in he didn't see why Andy had to go at that moment. We found out I was going to have to have a c-section because Ian was breech and I was running low on fluid. There was no option of him flipping or being flipped. Andy's boss switched some things around so he would be selected at a later date. We were so thankful that Andy was going to be able to be there for this delivery.

The day came, I went into labor and I took my i-pod into the operating room. I asked the doctors if they minded if I blared my music-they didn't, so I did. Music has always soothed and calmed me. As I am laying there, I was trying to remain calm and was jamming to some praise and worship. How Great is our God, by Chris Tomlin came on-and as they pulled Ian out of my belly it hit the chorus. I will never, for as long as I live, forget that moment. To see my newborn lifted above that little blue curtain so I could lay eyes on him for the first time, holding my husband's hand (who was supposed to be a million miles away), all the while being reminded loud and clear: "How Great is our God, sing with me: How Great is our God, all will see How Great, How Great is our God!"

Talk about hearing His voice loud and clear! I just laid there and cried and cried and cried, realizing that God was so much bigger than any plan I had, that all along he knew that we were going to be okay, that he knew ahead of time that Andy would be there and I really didn't need to worry. Powerful.

I'd heard the song a few times and it just transported me right back to that operating room and that overwhelming sense of thankfulness.

Fast forward a few months to October 5. The day Ian went into the hospital with ruptured ear drums and severe dehydration. October 6, we found out about his heart defect. October 7-we went home late in the evening. Since Andy's mom had come, Andy and I just felt like we needed to be in church that Sunday morning. We went. What was the worship team singing that day? You got it! Message received-He's so got this.

The day of Ian's surgery in Ohio, it came on the radio on our way to the hospital! So, I'm guessing you've figured out why it's "our song"! For those that know me, you know I am a top-notch worry-wart. The day of  surgery, I was so calm, I could really feel God's presence with us for the first time in my life and knowing how many  people were praying for us was so overwhelming!

So my point in writing this all down is just to say that sometimes we hear Him loud and clear, sometimes our circumstances really suck and we can't hear him at all or choose to block him out--either way He is there, and He is Great--greater than any problem, situation, or circumstance we might be facing.

"Name above all Names, worthy of all praise, my heart will sing how Great is our God!"

 How Great is Our God --give it a listen!

Merry Christmas!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." -Isaiah 40:28-31

To say the least 2011 has been a very trying year for the Richey family.
We are excited to be traveling home for Christmas this year!

In January, Matt and his new wife, Kirstin came to meet Ian and have a visit. It was a lot of fun! Mom was still there from her Christmas trip so it was really good to just have everybody under one roof for a little while. The really fun part was all of Matt's girls can really gang up on him and give him a hard way to go on just about everything! :) We enjoyed cooking together-which is always fun-but sometimes three strong willed women in the kitchen, whew! The sad part is-I haven't seen them since! Matt and Kirstin moved to Maine for the summer and it seems like our time in Ohio kept missing each other. I am anxious to see them, and I can't wait to see their reaction to how big the monkeys are!

In the spring we started to prepare for our PCS (permanent change of station) to Arizona. This actually turned out to be a lot more difficult than we had imagined just 2.5 years earlier. We had really grown to love Utah, met some great life-long friends, and were feeling quite at home. Not to mention a good friend of mine from home and her husband were PCSing in, what timing! We often joke if we will feel the same about Arizona; so far, the answer to that is NO! Andy and I had originally wanted to buy a house in Arizona, we came down for a weekend and looked at too many houses and came up empty handed. We mistakenly didn't leave anytime to look at rentals so, when the kids and I were home for our annual fair trip back to Ohio Andy would have to house hunt alone and find us a place to lay our heads. He did a great job! On August 5th the kids and I met him here in Arizona after being apart for about 2.5 weeks. Our stuff was delayed getting out of storage so we camped out in the new house-Addison got a kick out of that and with all the open space Ian finally felt motivated to crawl! Our house even has a patch of grass-which is quite the feat here! The climate, culture, and landscape is so different here but we are adjusting. Slowly, but surely. I can't say a whole lot of positive things for Arizona, but I will say that it has the most gorgeous skies I have ever seen. The sunsets are truly magnificent.

Addison started preschool in September. She loves it and is such a big girl. She goes two days a week; Tuesday and Thursday. Her teacher has the patience of Job, for sure! She has made a best friend; Madison. Can't you just see it: Addison and Madison. They are a pair. Addi has gone to her house a few times for play dates and when we get back I'm sure Madison will spend her fair share of time at our house too! Addi does pretty well at school. She is definitely my strong willed child and will even tell you, "I want to do what I want to do"--we are trying to reign that in. She has had a lot of adjusting this year. She loves going to school and in the mornings she will often get up and grab some paper from the printer and sit and do her "work" for an hour or so. She loves creating, cutting, gluing, coloring. She also absolutely loves helping out in the kitchen, which I love. I always think back to working with my mom in the kitchen and I know that these are memories she will have for the rest of her life.

Ian is getting so big. He turned a year on November 5th. We had a little party for him here-he quite thoroughly enjoyed his birthday cake!He is a good boy-a bit ornery, but I'll take it. He will on occasion walk up to you and give your thigh a hug and the very moment you think "awwww," you feel this sharp little dagger in your leg. Yep, he's a biter. The moment you scream, he cracks up. Then, of course, you can't help but laugh. It really is a lost cause. I guess we'll deal with it until he gets someone else's kid. :) We've battled ear infections to no avail this year. He will be getting tubes in his ears in January-I really can't wait for this!On October 5 he had a double eardrum rupture that landed us in the hospital for bad dehydration and the ear infection. While we were there it was discovered that Ian has a coarctation of the aorta. The only reason they found it was because of his dehydration. A coarctation is the narrowing of the aorta-causing your heart to work harder. The left side of his heart is already showing signs of enlargement. We were encouraged to have surgery before Christmas. As you can imagine, we were quite shocked. We immediately began researching and found a world-renowned surgeon in Columbus. We began praying and searching for options to get us home for the surgery. The outpouring of love and support from our friends, family, and our new church here has been so encouraging. Ian's surgery is Tuesday, December 13th at 7:30 am EST, so if you read this before hand-we would really appreciate your prayers that day.

Andy has been so busy at work, which is good for his experience, but stinks for us! He has had some interesting cases. It's amazing the things people think they can get away with....and what's even more amazing is that sometimes they actually do! Andy still is enjoying being on the prosecuting side of life, but he thinks that there is a possibility of him going to the "other side" during our time here. That will be interesting. But then again, maybe the little criminals will think twice when their attorney thinks maximum jail time is appropriate!

As for me-well, I'm trying to keep this place running as smoothly as possible. I'm still trying to settle into the new house and life as we know it. With all that's been going on I feel like the majority of my time is spent behind the wheel of my car and on the phone to different doctors. I just read that verse the other day during my devotions and I think I've read it 1000 more times since. I'm waiting for my renewed strength, but I know it will come....in the meantime, I'm putting my hope in the Lord, because life is just too hairy not to!

We wish you the Merriest Christmas, and here's to a great 2012!

With Love,
Andrew, Stephanie, Addison, Ian and Chip