2008 in Rearview

I have to say that 2008 was probably one of the most eventful years of my short life. It started out with a bang. I had an emergency surgery on Jan 11, and a follow-up surgery on February 9 that really strarted the year off on the "wrong" foot so to speak. Since I'm self-employed and was less than a year into starting a new business, it was a struggle for us financially in an already less-than-great financial climate. As a matter of fact, if it hadn't been for some dear friends of ours and many from our church giving us very generous monetary gifts, we wouldn't have made it through that. WOW!! BIG thank you again to Steve and Betsy, Jeff Moore, Hope Praise Team, Mary Moore, and many others that chipped in. I'm still blown away by your generosity! Many others offered to help if we needed it, but we never had to ask for a dime.

There were a couple of really good things that came from this chapter in the year. We learned just how generous and loving our friends are for one. It also paved the way for my new business partner (Hootsie). From about September '07 through the end of the year, I had been working on my own and it wasn't exactly working all that great and it was certainly not much fun. Hoot and I were on a job together during my surgeries. He carried the load while I was down and still split things even steven with me. WOW!! It's been a fabulous working friendship ever since. I think I've found another one of those life-long friends in Hoot, but only time will tell.

Shortly after these events, we decided that it was time for us to move. We put our house up for sale and.... Nothing. We got a few really bad offers that were consistent with the market, but we believed that God was going to do something for us and HE DID. We got top dollar for our house in a buyer's market and we moved in with Sondra's family while we decided what was next. My deciding process seems to be slowing down as I can see old age from here...

In the deciding process, Jay started Kindergarten and boy has that been interesting. His learning is in warp speed and being in the community of 22 other 5 year olds awakened in him some "qualities" that we didn't know he had. He hasn't been in trouble a lot, but suffice it to say that he has been in trouble. Dealing with these issues has really taxed me a lot because I'm having a hard time reading his instruction book;) Regardless, he is blossoming into quite a fine young man. I'm amazed.

Josie turned two this year and the terrible came right along with them... She is a whiz kid. Still very physically and verbally advanced for her age. As a matter of fact, I dictated most of this blog to her as she typed it:) Thanks baby girl! Seriously, she is as bad as she is good and she is absolutely fabulous. Watch out world!

Sondra and I have been married 9 years this year and boy has it been a great ride. I'm still amazed that I've found someone to put up with me and actually like it most of the time.

The 5 month stay with Sondra's family was really a good one with no serious bumps in the road.

It took us quite a while to decide that building a house wasn't the right thing for us to do right now given the incredible deals available in the foreclosure market. So, we started shopping in that market and we found a GREAT house for an even better price. It's quite a bit bigger than we were planning to build and it needs some work, but when all is said and done, we should make a lot of money on this one. I'll post some before and after photos when we get to the after. We should be moving out in 3-4 weeks into our new home.

2007 and 2008 have been the years of change for us. Career changes, new children, church changes, breeched friendships, moving, extended family struggles, financial ups and downs, etc... We are excited to start a new year, in a new home, with a new church family that we are getting to know. It really does feel like all things are new for us and we are facing things with a refreshing optimism that God is moving us out of a drought of sorts and into a time of refreshing and restoration. Whew!!

In spite of all that has happened in 2008, whether good or bad, I am as reassured as ever that God is good and that He cares for his own. Thank you God for 2008!