We started out the year in Argentina, with a night out in Buenos Aires. It started well with dinner at one of those underground supper clubs with a handful of other Anglophones and a Dane. It ended poorly with way too much fun at an Irish pub with the aforementioned people and the addition of a few Qantas pilots. My January 1, 2012 was spent in a hotel room... all... day... long... ugh. Example number one of my husband being by my side and taking care of me. :) What followed, though, was three amazing weeks of fun, food, wine, and outdoor adventures in Patagonia, Mendoza, and Salta province (Cafayate and Salta City). We dubbed this "our last big trip before kids."
When we returned, we moved in to an amazing rental property on 40 acres with a vineyard and quickly hosted our first social gathering - the first annual Douglas Super Bowl party.
February included my boss winning the Oregon Wine Board's Lifetime Achievement Award and us celebrating with several AV peeps at a dinner at the Oregon Convention Center. Too fun!
In March, I did one of those things I said I wanted to do this year and took a skiing lesson at Mt Hood. It was courtesy of the Adelsheim-sanction PTO day, so I spent it with several co-workers who actually know what they are doing on the slopes. But at least I got to drink beer in the lodge after I fell on my duff 8000 times.
Shortly thereafter, I went to Japan and Korea for work (where I saw our old exchange student, Viviane, for the first time in 14 years!). We rounded out the month by going crabbing on the Oregon Coast with our friends Nathalie and Eric, and having a crab feed at Nathalie's house the next day. Yum, yum, yum!
At that point, I went from being insanely happy with my life to suddenly losing my Dad. Along with the shock and grief, a family legal battle ensued, which added major amounts of stress and anger to an already poor mix of emotions. But what I will always remember are these things:
1) the massive amounts of family and friends who came to the visitation and the funeral (the funeral home was packed to the brim) and
2) my husband standing by my side as I read a letter to my Dad. Chad was my rock.
As soon as we got back home from Michigan, I took a pregnancy test, which was positive. Thinking I was about 9 weeks, we went to the doctor for our first appointment. She told us that either we were way earlier than 9 weeks or it may not be a viable pregnancy. She asked us to come back in two weeks. In the parking lot on the way back to the car, Chad stopped me, enveloped me in a giant hug and told me that no matter what happens, we will get through it together.
We went to a Coldplay concert in Portland, which I hesitated to even attend, but which turned out to be one of the best concerts I had ever been to.
After that, things got (more) rough. We went to NYC, as I had to attend a work event and we wanted to make a vacation out of it. (This was all planned and paid for before Dad died, and it wasn't really something we could get out of.) I got food poisoning... like, really awful food poisoning that had me curled up on our friends' couch the entire day. This would be another time that Chad looked after me, venturing out in to the city for some Ginger Ale, Saltines and Tums and who knows what else... I don't even remember. Oh, and let's not forget that on this same trip, the bank shut off my debit card (i.e. I had zero access to cash). But, we did get to see our friend Eija for the first time in 8 years, as well as one of Chad's uni friends (and hang out on her rooftop patio next to the Empire State Building).
After that, Chad flew back home and I went to Toronto... with the car keys. Thanks to our friend Kim, we are able to get the second set of car keys to Portland so Chad can drive home that night. (I'm telling you, NYC was the TRIP FROM HELL.) Toronto wasn't much better; I was exhausted, physically and emotionally and really didn't want to be there. And, to round out the trip from hell, I returned to Michigan to move Dad's things out of his house. We were blessed with help from a dozen of Dad's amazing co-workers. I still don't know what we would have done without them. Quite simply, it never would have gotten done. At that point, I told my cousin to have a nice life (or don't - I really don't care).
But, then things started to turn around. We went back to the doctor who told us we really were pregnant and the pregnancy was viable; we were just too early the first time we went in. We started a string of summer visitors with our Swedish importer, Kenneth, staying at our house. My friend Amy had her baby girl. I went to Hong Kong for work. Chad, Fife and I took a road trip to Boise, Idaho for a rugby tournament. I paid off my student loans and Chad paid off his truck. I turned 31 and bought myself a facial and hammock, and get taken out to an amazing dinner at the Painted Lady (thank you yet again, Chad, for your wonderfulness).
We got a second Swedish boarder at our house for Oregon Pinot Camp. We spent 5 nights on the Coast for 4th of July. We got few more visitors - cousin Sarah and her husband Ron, Chad's friend Robbie, my friend Amanda. All the while, there was an endless stream of dad's estate issues to deal with. Because I just can't do it anymore, Chad stepped in to call catalog places, organizations, etc. and tell them that Dad is no longer alive and to stop sending us stuff in the mail.
Our friends Mark and Tricia got hitched at an amazing wedding in the Dundee Hills. My sister and cousin Carrie visited. I went to BC and Alberta for work and, when I got back, I painted the nursery. Our friend, Margeaux, had a baby boy.
Our third and final trip to Michigan followed, where we attended Tony and Stacey's wedding and my family threw me an amazing baby shower. Our friend Andrea and her husband Scott visited us from Wisconsin, we got to meet little Aria, Chad visited Ferris State for the first time, we celebrated our 3rd Anniversary and Dad's estate sale happened. (I never knew how hard it would be to see a bunch of vultures carrying Dad's things away from Mom's house. Yet another time that Chad was there to help and support me.)
When we got back, Adelsheim harvest interns moved in and harvest happened - Chad's easiest harvest since he moved here. I made jam and apple butter for the first time and can it - yay domesticity! Tim and Heather visited us, my Oregon friends threw me an amazing baby shower, and Halloween was a blast with our "bun in the oven" costume. During October, the Lyon/Cross and King families welcomed their bundles of joy.
We got a shipment of goods from Michigan, including Dad's 1946 Willys Jeep.
After that, life started to wind down - we had another lovely Thanksgiving feast with Carolyn and Erik; our interns moved out; we found a daycare; the nursery was set up; the car seat was installed; and I was getting
big!! Chad and I had a lovely date night at the Allison Inn and Spa that included prenatal/post-harvest massages.
The Christmas tree went up; we attended the Adelsheim Christmas
party; I attended a cheese making class; our friend Evan rode a camel in Qatar (I had to include that because it's awesome); and the countdown to Baby D was on!
And then it happened:
Liam arrived on 12/27/12 at 2:04 am. Mom and Dad were immediately smitten and sleep
deprived. Chad earned Dad and Husband of the Year Award.
And now here we are... 12/31/12 at 9 pm after a busy day (a visit to the pediatrician, a newborn photo shoot at our house, and a visit from our friends Kim and Evan), we are spending a quiet night at home. My cup runneth over. I wish I could bottle up this moment with Fife and the Douglas boys in this beautiful house and keep it forever. But, at the same time, I look forward to another year with Chad and many exciting adventures in marriage, parenthood, and working motherhood. No matter what happens, I know Chad will be at my side. My goodness, I love that man.
Happy 2013 y'all!!!
