2009 Wrap-Up

Every year I send an "end of the year" letter. I like to reflect on what has happened and I love going to the mailbox, and find treasures from our friends (hint, hint). Since I know that many of those people are readers of this blog, I thought I'd save myself .44, and post it here instead . . .

Well, 2009 was a doozie.
There’s just no subtle way to put it . . .

Last Winter Break, we loaded the camper and headed for Georgia. It was an awesome trip and we logged 4300 miles in our trek through 11 states. Christmas Day 2008, found us ON the beach in Destin Florida—a truly white Christmas. We were overwhelmed with our detour through Hurricane Katrina devastation, and loved seeing our ole’ Oregon friends (now Georgia Transplants), the Johnsons.

Upon our return, Scott went to back to work and Waste Connection's determined that his management philosophy would not work in cleaning up their recently acquired company. A simplified version of the meltdown was that it’s impossible to make the changes that were necessary in Colorado Springs, and keep everyone happy. Apparently, they can’t seem to find anyone who can accomplish this task, because Scott gets weekly calls from employees that state and restate that it’s never been as good as when he was their manager. Although Scott was not sad to wave goodbye to Colorado, it was painful for us to leave our dear Rocky Mountain State friends behind (sniff sniff). It’s an amazing thing that the bonds of friendship can be woven so quickly and so tightly.

Our families were not sorry to hear that we were coming “home”. Scott’s Grandpa Weld passed away within a month after our return, so we were certainly glad that we were around for the last few weeks of his life. Since then, we’ve been busy with home improvement projects, Farmer Joe projects, and an occasional “help a friend” project. Scott and Sten have tackled various mechanical endeavors that are far beyond my comprehension. Employment has not been a top priority, but Scott has been searching for an opportunity that holds the right amount of intrigue, possibility, and growth potential. In the next few months, we are beginning a big adventure—Scott’s company is going to be retrofitting automated garbage trucks with a new style of “arm”. This arm is superior to others in the market and with an arm replacement, a garbage truck can have many good years left. A garbage truck orthopedic surgeon, if you will?! Scott turned 45 this year and to celebrate this milestone, he and 2 other High School friends met in Las Vegas to swim 4500 yards—that’s over 2 ½ miles of dog paddling! Hoo Rah!

Sten has also reached a huge milestone as he is now a Freshman and he is shaving—ouch! He is a good kid (I’ll exclude some details) and he seems to have a knack for getting along with most everyone– apparently a little too chatty in most classes tho. In June, he went to Alaska with Sherman and was the envy of all as he caught the “big one”, a 140 pound halibut. He enjoyed playing water polo this Fall and is now in wrestling. His skills in the shop have earned him bigger toys to work on and he is currently on a diligent search for a 1979 Ford Crewcab pickup. He is a Craigslist junkie and has recently discovered that it’s more fun to sell than it is to buy. I’m a little nervous when he walks around the house with camera in hand—not too sure what he’s going to sell next.

Milah is a studious 4th grader. Her writing is impeccable (we get lectured by her), her work is always complete (several days early), and she is ultra-organized (where is she from?). Milah loves soccer and seems to excel at it—usually scoring most of the goals for her team. She is a no-nonsense gal and does not tolerate frilly girlness—she typically spends every recess playing soccer. She is most comfortable in an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and getting her to change her shoes and socks is a feat!

Maren is, well . . . Maren. She split her head open this Spring and now has a scar in the middle of her forehead which just suits her quirky personality. She is in 1st grade and everyone is her friend. She is the tiniest kid in the whole school, but I’m sure one of the most entertaining. Every time I’m at the school, someone will stop to tell me a “Maren” story—I nod and cringe, a wee bit horrified at what’s coming next. On the second day of school, she told her teacher that “My mom thinks you’re horrible, but I think you’re great.” She had substituted “horrible” for “incredible”, which is what I really had said. It is fun to listen to her read as she is just bursting with enthusiasm. Hard to believe that our baby can read—boo hoo. She also played soccer this Fall and she and Milah are on the swim team again.

I have been busy as support staff for the aforementioned crew. They all require food, clean clothes and a listening ear—this is where I am happy to fill in. The experience of packing and unpacking our household has blatantly shown me that I simply don’t need another thing, and I have since tapered my zest for a good deal. I have even been spotted leaving the Goodwill empty-handed.

Although the year began with a bang, a lot of head scratching, and bit of anger and betrayal, it really has been an awesome experience. We have enjoyed spending time together (aaahhh), and our family has benefitted. As always, we have plenty of space for company and we have a refrigerator full of halibut and salmon. You may get stuck under a garbage truck or have to shuttle a kid into town, but don’t let that scare you. Until next year . . .

Love, Scott, Lisa, Sten, Milah, Maren & Danner