Thinking back on 2007

It is New Year's Day... a time to contemplate the past year before beginning the next. And I am thinking of all the things 2007 brought us...

Family outings:

• Our kids' first Broadway show (thanks to the grandparents)


• Our first trip to an apple orchard as a family and my first homemade apple pie


• Returning to my university for homecoming and catching up with folks again after many years -- with 16 children present at our tailgate!


• Checking out ancient art at a museum with three generations of our family -- all intrigued and trying to figure out the Latin


• Lots of trips to visit family and lots of visits from friends and family

New experiences for the kids:

• Audrey and Elise's first stage production and first lines in the church Christmas program


• Audrey and Elise's semester of art lessons; Elise won a coloring contest; Audrey exhibited a painting in the 4-H Fair


• Audrey tried guitar and decided she really likes piano. Elise began piano and took off!


• Elise went from reading easy picture books to reading just about anything. Brett learned to sound out all his short vowels and five consonants and improve his counting. Audrey's ability to read aloud to us all is really enjoyable.


• They can make chocolate chip cookies all by themselves!

New work experiences for the grownups:

• Ryan became self-employed again in March and started us on an exciting journey


• First trade show, first annual contract, first large sale!


• Became an authorized reseller for several lines and committed to some big investments


• Had an office built in our garage and added office furniture

Health issues:

• Audrey had to have three baby teeth pulled


• Elise got really sick during her birthday party


• Brett got six stitches in his eyebrow

Sadnesses:

• Al (a friend from church) died and Elise and Brett attended their first funeral


• Riley (our dog) died and we began to realize how much he had taught us

Joys:

• Returning to our church family
  
• The return of our good friends Ann and Dave to the area


• News that Dad S.'s health scare was going to be okay


• Birth of a new nephew, Nicholas
  
• Looking at houses in our city for Mom and Dad (we've never lived in the same place since I was married)

House projects:

• Upgrading from our newlywed "table for four" to our new kitchen table with eight chairs and room for a few more


• Moved schoolroom upstairs


• New roof (thanks to the hail!)


• Inside of living areas painted (followed a few months later by Brett's pencil scribbles)

Growing my mind:

• Took a trip with Julia to see Susan Wise Bauer speak


• Read "The Robe" and "Love the Your God with All Your Mind" (alone!)


• Read aloud lots of books as a family


• Long discussions of Lutheran/Catholic/Reformed theology with Nicky


• Memorized (or rememorized) the books of the Old Testament, Luther's Morning Prayer, and lots of Latin vocabulary

Growing our "life":

• Started to look into bread baking, natural grains, etc.
  
• Made some dear new friends


• Found out we could be content with one vehicle -- and that having Ryan here almost every day is worth so very much


• Learned that Ryan's cooking is better than even the expensive restaurants


• Finally became regular about morning family Bible study!!

A year when kids turned 8, 6, and 4 and their parents turned 33 and 40. A year of relying on prayer and following dreams. A year of thinking more comtemplatively about life itself and how we spend (invest!) our time.

A good year. A blessed year. A year to be very thankful for.