January
We move to Albion, WA, to rent a house accessible only by helicopter or sherpa (seriously, the truck can’t make it up the gravel hill unless it’s in 4WD). Luckily, we rent from Ron Lacey, Lacey Construction. He lives just up the hill and is equipped and skilled to deal with all eventualities.
Kevin decides to learn to play chess this year.
All our New Year’s resolutions are the same as last year’s.

February
#17 Matt Kenseth did not win the Daytona 500. We decide not to spend any money on Valentine’s Day. Doré and Novalie quit their job as apartment managers in Moscow, Idaho.

March
We wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.
Novalie is awarded her first Hamster of Personal Progress. She gives her hamster the name of “Apple Strawberry.” Apple is found to be a very sturdy, yet flexible rodent.

April
We play tricks on each other for April Fool’s. Novalie continues playing tricks on us well into the 3rd week of the month.
Doré is called to be the 2nd counselor in Relief Society and life as she knew it is gone.
Kevin reaches the 30-pounds-lost milestone thanks to lunch-time jogging with co-worker Ben Walden.

May
Kevin decides not to observe his birthday. This sort of thing isn’t allowed, however, and we had cake and ice cream in the evening with David and Tamsin.
We successfully complete a full month without eating in any restaurant of any kind.

June
It was a cold month until exactly the 30th day, when the temperature soared to 100̊ F just in time for everyone to arrive at our non-air-conditioned home for Novalie’s birthday. We all strained to smile as we broiled alive and Novalie gratefully opened her 652 presents. She is lucky to have such a big and supportive family.

July
Fireworks at Sunnyside Park in Pullman, and swimming at the Moscow Aquatics Center.
Ron offers us two window air conditioners. Our home is suddenly quite comfortable in summer.
Kevin joins the Washington State University Table Tennis Club.

August
This is the month in which 96% of the Jolleys have their birthday. Kevin forgot all of them. He is still so very, very sorry.
Reality punches us in the gut as Novalie starts kindergarten.
Kevin is invited to train with Qian and Que at the WSUTTC, and learns to smash the ball with confidence, rather than live in fear.

September
Novalie overcomes her fear of Butch, the WSU mascot, at a ladies soccer game. She then begins stalking him. Novalie wins a 1st place ribbon for entering her drawings at the fair. At the fair, she wants to go on all the big rides, but Mommy doesn’t let her. She does, however, go on her first haunted house ride, which she said she would never do again. Kitchen table ping pong tournaments began.

October
We take family vacation in beautiful Layton, Utah.  Novalie dresses as a vampire and earns a bag of candy trick-or-treating in the cold Utah rain.

November
Kevin learns to play chess, is beaten repeatedly by Doré.  Novalie eats 3/4 lbs. of ham at Thanksgiving dinner in Richland, WA.
Kevin is accepted in to Washington State University to finish that college degree he started way back.

December
Kevin uses the word “kerfuffle” for the first time. Novalie scores her first basket in a basketball game. Novalie learns about video game addiction.
Having budgeted for replacement hamsters, we are stunned when Apple survives the year.

Our New Year’s Resolutions remain unchanged since 1999.

With entirely unwarranted optimism, we resolve that 2009 is the year that we finally get things right.

Now that we’re here so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain

And all the mistakes one life contained
They all finally start to go away

And now that we’re here its so far away
And I feel like I can face the day

I can forgive, and I’m not ashamed to be the person that I am today

- Staind, So Far Away