One Down, a Lifetime to Go!

Last night, Brett and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! Based on everything we have been through and accomplished it feels like it should have been number five.

To wrap up the year:

March 17, 2007 - Our wedding! We gathered almost 200 of our closest friends and family to celebrate our nuptials at the Grand Atrium in Vienna, VA. Two days later we left for our road trip honeymoon across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland; wrapping up with a concert for one of our favorite artists, Butch Walker, at the 9:30 club.

April - We were back to work, and I decided it was time to change careers and find something that would be more suitable for when the baby came. In addition, we started looking for a church to call home, and found Westmoreland Community Church (now part of New Life Christian Church).

May - We got a group of friends together for Gold Cup, the annual steeple chases in the area. I officially switched jobs, beginning her new career in Real Estate with Re/Max Allegiance. We also traveled to State College to see Katelyn graduate from Penn State; and to Tunkhannock, PA for the first of many baby showers.


June - Was a bitter sweet month, as the one year anniversary of my father's passing. However, we did a lot of celebrating as well; with a graduation party for Katelyn and a small get together for her 22nd birthday. In addition we attended my mother's company picnic and won several ribbons for our field day game wins!

July - We celebrated my 25th birthday with dinner out with friends; as well as being treated to a couples shower by our church.

August - Peter Lincoln Gardner was born on August 14, 2008 by emergency C-section. After a six day stay in the hospital we head home to start adjusting to life as parents. Our best friend's Troy and Alex also got engaged this month!

September - Was honestly a sleepless blur... Brett, however, did change positions at his company. Moving from the marketing department into Product Management.

October - We had the honor of throwing Alex and Troy an engagement party and the following morning they participated in Peter's dedication at our church, as Peter's God Parents. We also celebrated Brett's birthday by sending all the guys on a paint ball outing during the day and having a game night back at our house that evening. We also got a night off from parenting when our friends Sarah Merrill and Alana West babysat so we could go see Maroon 5 in concert. We wrapped up the month at a Halloween party, hosted by friends, Josh and Sarah Burnett!

November - We made our first trip down to Atlanta to visit Brett's brother Don and his wife Jen. We celebrated an early Thanksgiving with them and got to see their beautiful home and cute town! Next stop was Tunkhannock, PA for the big BeVard Thanksgiving. Last, we celebrated Thanksgiving one last time at our house with my mom, sister, and her new boyfriend Rich. We also started attending a "small group" lead by the Matt and Andy Spray, and hosted by Heather and Tony Witherspoon. This group is focused on growing marriage through God.

December - Big news for the holiday - we found out we were pregnant again (this is becoming a tradition for us in December). New baby meant we needed to find a new house! We went out looking for homes on December 15 and 16, wrote a contract on the 17th, and closed on the 27th. Then, by some act of God (and my obsessiveness) we managed to renovate the basement, buy all new furniture, and be moved in enough to have a New Years Eve party! Somewhere in the middle of all of that we also celebrated Christmas with the Gardner and BeVard families!

January - Morning (well all day really) sickness, and the rest of our move consumed us! The good news was that Peter had gotten on a great schedule of sleeping 12 hours a night with two 2 hour naps during the day.

February - We were finally completely moved in, and our house started looking like home. For Valentines Day we went to the DC Improve to see one of our favorite comedians, Christian Finnagan. We also took our annual trip to ski at Massanutten, and invited friends, the Witherspoons and the Sprays to join us. It was the most wonderful 6 days of relaxing, swimming, playing games, and eating that I think we have ever had!

March - I quit my full time property management job to focus on Peter and the new job of maintaining a 3 level house. I am now only working part time, as an assistant to an interior decorator.

Last night for our first anniversary we went back to 2 Quail, a restaurant by the Hill in DC. This was the same restaurant we went to for our first Valentine's day together, and we even got to sit at the same table! Brett surprised me with a beautiful Bean bracelet from Tiffany.

Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive through our first year! It has been a busy one, and we really appreciate your love and understanding as we make so many transitions in our lives.