2008

We went from a 'new old house' that had white walls and laminate floors, to red rock walls and bamboo plants with guitars and violins in the front room. Brent sanded floors, stained wood, fabricated granite, rewired the house, installed a new circuit breakers, knocked out walls, sheet rocked new ones in, added lights, painted, trimmed, carpeted, molded, redesigned - and that is only the beginning.
We grew from the three of us - Brent, Melissa and Mesa - to the five of us: adding Booklynn and our temporary inmate Stew.
For birth we went ooohhh natural - midwife, doula, and drug free.

We discovered that birthing is life changing, having a doula is the best thing any woman can ever have, and that all the reading in all the world will be absolutely worth it when you have a baby. 2008 brought us that lightening bolt realization that there is nothing more selfless than having a child. Not an easy learning curve, but oh so worth it.

Who knew that so many things are controversial?: midwives . . . . . unmedicated births . . . . not vaccinating . . . . "crying it out". . . . babywise . . . . schedules . . . . parenting methods . . . . all of which we have pretty passionate oppinions about. Bring it on :)
The best TV moment came when Phillis auctioned her hug for over a thousand dollars.

The best golf score was a three under 69.

After some hard work getting on a schedule, the best night of sleep came at 2 and a half months - 10 hours straight, and consistent 8 pm - 8:15 am since (unless she's sick, but who can blame her.)

We made friends, saw new ones born into the family tree, expanded our roots, and renewed our dreams.
I even beat Laura in our Nike+ challenge. (something I have to glory in now because there is no way I could repeat it in the shape I'm in at the moment, even with her being pregnant.)

In 2009 we hope to put the finishing touches on the upstairs remodel (oh sooooo close to being done!), and maybe even begin the gutting of the downstairs (what?! give up that beautiful 70's orange carpet and 3rd-world-country shower?), finish training the cute puppy stew and give him to his eager new owners,

and maybe even get to putting in new windows in the house so that everyone who drives by doesn't wonder why our windows are always fogged up (the result of boiling anything on the stove for dinner . . . ).
But mostly we hope that 2008 brings in all things good: good economy, good gas prices, good weather, good friends, good food, good movies, good laughs, good insights, good reads, good memories.
Cheers.