It's a New Year!

It is a New Year...2010. So it is time for new things! First new thing of the year... start a blog!


First, I would like to reflect on 2009....and oh what a year that was! And then embrace 2010 with goals for the year.

2009 was a year of learning & growing. We went through a lot and we are welcoming 2010 with open arms!

Colin and I have now enjoyed over a full year of marriage. It started off a bit rocky; Colin's job ended just after last Thanksgiving (2008). We didn't have a real financial plan at that point, so we were feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. We had maxed out our budget with the two incomes and now we were going to have to make it on just my income!! How was this going to work?? Luckily our church started the year off with a sermon series on Financial Peace, and sold copies of Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover.....the series couldn't have come at a more perfect time for us. We bought the book, read it in a day and started making some major life-style changes. We moved out of our spacious 2-bedroom apartment and into a 500 sq. ft. 1-bedroom apartment. We started posting anything and everything we could sell on Craig's List and we cut our budget down to only necessities....we got Gazelle Intense (a Dave term). And I am proud to say we have paid off ALL of our credit cards! That is 30k paid off in one year (yes, it is embarrassing now to state that we actually had that much in credit card debt). We still have a car loan and our student loans to pay off before we are debt free, this is a huge goal for the new year! Along the way we experienced the abundant blessings from the Lord, as we began consistently tithing, I received 2 unexpected raises and 2 unexpected bonuses at work, Colin was able to go back to work for DEQ through the summer again and he recently got hired on with the City of Portland through the winter (this is his first time having a job through the winter since he graduated!). God is good and his blessings are abundant! We didn't understand at the time why Colin couldn't find a job and why we would be put in this situation, but if we hadn't had this "wake-up call" and came to the realization that we were really horrible stewards of God's money, then we wouldn't be where we are now!


While Colin was unemployed he had a lot of free time and began training for triathlons. He completed a sprint triathlon in May and a half-iron man in August!! I was so proud of him, it made me want to attempt one......this may be added to my 2010 goals! It was so fun to watch him race and a blessing that he had so much time that he could use towards accomplishing such a great goal. This year he has several tri's on his calendar, but it will prove more difficult with working full-time.... but I know he can do it!


We spent our one-year anniversary running the Hood-to-Coast Relay! We got on a team with our church and I spent most of the summer training for it. We had a blast!! All of my legs were absolutely perfect! My first run was along the Spring Water Trail, it began at Johnson's Creek and ended at the Hawthorne bridge in Portland, it was my longest leg at 6.2 miles and I couldn't have asked for better weather, it was warm....around 80 accompanied with a light drizzle, and no hot sun! My second leg took place at 2:00am!! I was tired but determined to bust it out, it was dark, cool and rainy, but oh so peaceful!! My last leg was a run in seaside to the finish line, I really got going with people cheering me on along the way! I am so excited to get into running again and complete this again next summer! It might just be our anniversary tradition. We will, however, be formally celebrating our anniversary with a Cruise to Mexico in February with some good friends of ours. This falls over our dating anniversary (I'm sure this isn't suppose to be celebrated anymore....but it's always good to have a reason to celebrate and a reason to go on a cruise, right?) It will be 5 years of "togetherness"!! Wow, does time fly!



We experienced blessings, financial stress & peace, and also some deep, deep sorrow in my family. My older sister's sweet fiancee lost his battle with lung cancer in June at the young age of just 23. When my mom and I heard that his condition had worsened, we flew down to San Antonio to be with Natalie during this time. Matt passed away while we were there. It is hard to know why events such as these happen; why God would cut someones life on this earth short. We cannot comprehend His ways. All we know is that Matt is now with our heavenly father experiencing true abundant & eternal life.


Natalie decided to come home to Oregon for a while. During this time we found out that our little sister was pregnant (our BABY sister was pregnant?!) How could this be? Well, we all know it is indeed possible, haha. It was crazy & unexpected but at least it was news of life after such a sorrowful death. My family was in a time of uncertainty, after all my sister had only been dating the father for a few months and he was in no position (or so he and his family said) to raise a baby and take on the responsibility of being a father. They went back and forth deciding whether to keep the baby or adoption. I prayed daily for this, they were so young and it was hard to imagine them raising a child especially with the relationship being so new, but I also couldn't imagine carrying a child for 9 months and giving it up...how heart wrenching. About 14 weeks into her pregnancy she began getting horrible cramps. She went in and had an ultrasound, they found the heartbeat and it was a boy! Nothing appeared wrong. That night her cramps worsened. She made a doctor's appointment for the next morning. That morning her water broke, my mom rushed her to the doctor's and she gave birth to a tiny baby boy, right there in the doctor's office. The Lord had taken her precious baby boy without even one breath on this earth. Wow, how do you even begin to make sense of this. I had prayed for direction and a sign of what they should do...but not this... The only way to look at this is to keep on going and continue to realize that we don't know why things happen the way they do. We don't know what the bigger picture is or how our experiences and life-events can impact and help others along the way. We just hope that in these hard times we hold fast, stay strong and continue to walk in His ways.



Ok, this might be getting a little heavy for a blog. But I can tell I am really going to enjoy having a place to write out my thoughts, even if no one reads it!



On a lighter note, we wrapped up 2009 with a wonderful holiday season. Colin's parents came into town and we were able to spend the Christmas with both families! (or at least part of both families). We did everything "Christmas" went to Manheim Steamroller, The Nutcracker, drove through Peacock Lane (a street that is fully decorated with Christmas lights), Colin sang in the caroling choir at church and of course we baked, ate and spent some quality family time! We also kept in mind the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of a son, Jesus Christ. A son that would give his life to pay for our sins! How cool is that.



So now onto a new year!



2010 GOALS:



- Continue to get involved at our church, develop relationships with people and take advantage of the opportunities to serve our community and others.



- I would like to start cooking more! We took a cooking class at our church and learned how to make a whole Thanksgiving Dinner, it was so fun and I hope to take advantage of more of these classes that they offer. I think I will start out by making one new meal a week....I don't want to get too ambitious :)



- Start an herb garden, make our own wine (Colin is very excited about this one!) and maybe go in with some friends to purchase a grass fed cow (well, the meat at least). I guess the theme here is more sustainable living.



- Read More! I wanted this to happen this last year but I never seemed to have the time. I think I only finished one book -"Redeeming Love" which I absolutely LOVED and recommend!! Any good book recommendations are welcomed! (Going along with this, we are designating one day a week as a "No TV day")



- Complete a triathlon.... probably a sprint, and this means I will need to purchase a road bike :). And for Colin- continue to train and complete his list of triathlons for the year!



Well, I think this is enough for my first post! :) I will keep you all updated (if anyone is out there) on these goals and the things that are to come in 2010!