Nichols Holiday Letter

Hi Family and Friends!

The turn of the New Year found the Nichols' with a lot on our plates. Andy had decided to leave active duty and find a civilian job back east so that we could build a more stable life closer to family. I was 4 months pregnant with what we had just found out would be our second son and Graham was doing great; getting bigger and more precocious every day.

In early spring, literally weeks before we were scheduled to move, Andy got offered a good job in the D.C. area with BAE Systems. We breathed a sigh of relief, closed up shop in Scottsdale, AZ, and with the help of my Mom I flew to D.C. with Graham while Andy drove along behind us. After an extended stay with my gracious parents, we finally located a great rental home near Andy's new job and got settled into our place in South Riding, VA.

Only two weeks after we relocated, Andy found out that the contract on which he was working was cancelled-this, of course, is the peril of working in the civilian contracting world! However, BAE Systems was very good to him and found him another contract to work on immediately at the Pentagon. A great opportunity for Andy, but an hour and a half drive from our new place.

A scant two weeks later, Benjamin Alexander Nichols was born-a full month early (apparently following in his brother's footsteps). He was born in great health, though. He weighed 6 lbs. 7oz. and was as adorable as ever. Still reeling from our move and Andy's new job placement, the next month was a complete blur as we adjusted to life in a new home- each of us with new jobs.

When Ben was a month old, Andy found out that he was going to be deployed. He had not yet completed his commitment to the Army and so he had entered the Reserves when we moved. That made him a very attractive candidate for deployment (up to that point he had never been called). We were informed that he would be going to Afghanistan and just as we were readying ourselves for that hardship, two weeks later we were told that his orders had been changed and he would be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We were absolutely shocked and (I was) relieved. We were told that these orders were 1 in a million. So, three months after our move to South Riding, we took the boxes out of the basement, repacked them, placed most of our things in storage and Andy moved the boys and I down to Asheville, NC to live with my parents in their lovely new home.

Fortunately for us, things have slowed down quite a bit over the last few months. Andy is now settled into his job and lodging in Cuba, and the boys and I are creating a fairly comfortable rhythm for ourselves in North Carolina.

The boys grow and change in noticeable ways every day. Graham is a classic two year old-very curious, a bit of a short fuse, but mostly a lot of fun. He attends a local nursery school two days a week now and seems to enjoy it. He's also learning how to swim. Every day day he walks into the kitchen and asks if he can have ice cream for breakfast. I haven't said yes once, but he still keeps asking. I suppose that means he's an optimist.

Benjamin has shown himself to be a very easy going baby (with our crazy life did he have a choice?!) He's quick to laugh at Graham's antics, smiles a lot (a three-toothed grin), and he is just itching to crawl. I give him two months until he is getting around without trouble.

My days are wholly occupied with being a full-time Mom to two small boys, but when I do get that rare free moment, I try to get out and enjoy this gorgeous mountain town and I always seem to have a stack of books that I am plodding through ten pages at a time.

The silver lining of Andy's deployment is that he is safe. We are also able to keep in relatively close contact with him. He works a lot to fill his time, going to the office almost every day, but he also seems to have found some good ways to spend his free time. He frequently takes advantage of free movies on base, works out a lot, and has been snorkeling several times since he arrived.

That is the long (and short) of our crazy year. When I feel sad about the distance and time away from one another, I just remind myself that we are so blessed. We've got family who loves and supports us, gainful employment in a time when many are fighting for jobs, two fantastic healthy kids, and a great marriage. And, come next year's Holiday Letter, we'll all be reunited again.

I hope this holiday season finds you with all of those things and more. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all of you.

With Warmest Regards,

Kelly

Ben: The Day He Was Born