2009 was an exciting year for us!
We got married in Spokane, WA in October and are excited to celebrate our first holiday season as “The Hoags”!! We were honored to have many of you join us for our big day and we certainly missed those of you who were not able to attend. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who surround us with love everyday. Although our year was certainly highlighted by our wedding, we had many other exciting adventures to share with you. So, here is a quick year-in-review of our 2009:
We rang in 2009 with friends in Seattle, WA watching the fireworks over the iconic Space Needle; a perfect conclusion to a wonderful (and surprisingly snowy) trip back home to the NW for the holidays (read more about this: here). The high of a wonderful holiday season soon gave way to the low of Cara re-injuring her right knee (on her birthday too, no less). But, Cara’s sister, Megan, and niece, Becca, paid us a visit in early April and helped Matt to lift Cara’s spirits. Cara was back on her feet in no time at all!
Summer in Knoxville brought many wonderful outdoor adventures; most notably a 4th of July weekend camping trip to Edisto Island, SC and an awesome surprise zipline outing to celebrate Matt’s birthday. We also enjoyed celebrating Nana’s (Mary’s mother) 80th birthday with relatives in the Atlanta area. Matt successfully defended his dissertation proposal and began interviewing for professor jobs at the annual accounting conference in New York City. Cara spent much of her summer travelling around the Southeast United States in her role as Enrollment Specialist for EdisonLearning.
Fall was a very special season for us. In September, we welcomed Mat and Alison to Knoxville for a Vols football game. October was dominated by all things wedding and we traveled to Mexico for our honeymoon. After a wonderful week of sun, sand and muy relaxation at an all-inclusive resort in Maya Riviera, we returned to Knoxville tan and a few pounds heavier! Matt immediately began interviewing around the country and in November, he accepted a professor job at CSU-Sacramento! We are so excited to be headed back west next summer and will be looking forward to hosting lots of visitors once we are settled (hint hint)!
As Christmas approaches, we look forward to spending the holidays with our family and friends on the west coast (Portland, Seattle and San Diego)! We take time to reflect on an amazing year full of incredible memories and special moments. Most importantly, we send our warmest holiday wishes to you and those close to you. May the holidays and New Year bring you all good health, peace, love and happiness!
Love,
The Hoags
