Happy New Year

Hoping that everyone has a safe and happy new year celebration and that your new year is the best ever!

Matt San Diego-bound

Matt and his Seattle Starz lacrosse team travel to San Diego for the 2009 High School Adrenaline Challenge January 9-11. This team is currently 12-1 in tournament play and looks to improve that record against teams from all western states.

I will keep you posted on the team's tournament results after that weekend.

Speaking of gifts...

Looking back one year, to Christmas 2007, I can tell you that two of the gifts that I received were used literally every day: My iPod Touch, used for its calendar, Web access to e-mail, podcasts and music, and to haul around photos for the purpose of bragging; and the espresso machine that Toni bought, which at the time I thought was too much money to spend on such a thing but has paid for itself over and over. I estimate that we have made 700 double-tall lattes this year! We had spent $950 at Starbucks in 2007 (as tracked by debit card and credit card transactions. No accounting for cash expenditures of which there surely were some). But our 2008 tally for Starbucks as recorded in our banking register is merely $250 and most of that is for espresso beans. 

Two great gifts, greatly used and appreciated.

My 2009 Bucket List

The movie "The Bucket List" inspired some planning for 2009:

1. Increase life insurance

2. Read eight books: 4 that I've previously read and 4 new

3. Plan and take three "real" vacations

4. Do "real" monthly date-nights

5. Exercise spiritual disciplines regularly

6. Finish garage by March 1

7. Get weight down to 180 and keep it there

8. Have four new couples over for dinner

9. Train and participate in event such as Seafair 1/2 marathon

Joy of Christmas 2008

There was a lot to be thankful for this holiday. For Christmas Eve everyone pitched in to make an incredible meal: I made crab cakes, Toni made the rice dish, Matt made the salad and dressing, and Brooke broiled the asparagas. It was great to have everyone in the kitchen working to make the holiday meal an experience beyond just putting it in ones mouth. 

Christmas morning was great with the opening of presents. Toni and I didn't give presents to each other (unless the new washer and dryer counts, but it shouldn't because it was something that was NEEDED as the old one broke down and needed to be replaced), so the focus was strickly on the kids. The highlight for me was in what the kids gave their mother: Brooke shopped for and got Toni a gift card and kitchen towels, very practical and appreciated by her mom; Matt made Toni a coupon book with tasks that he will "gladly do without complaint", such as take the dogs out, vacuum room, etc. The thing I thought was so cool was how these gifts so perfectly represented the qualities of each person: Brooke loves to shop, loves physical gifts, likes to have "things" and like to give things. And that is great! Matt seldom has great shopping experiences, couldn't find a "thing" to give his mom so he reached down within himself to create what he thought would be a great gift for his mom, and it was. The kids and their gifts to their mom was probably the highlight of this Christmas.

And for our Christmas dinner we went to my sister's house, had my other brothers and their families there and had a great time, great dinner, great wine and conversation, opened some gifts. Awesome. Only wished that mom and dad could've made it up but due to snowy conditions on the way up they turned around, which is understandable. But we appreciate the effort.

Will plan to do Christmas a bit different next year. The season always comes and goes so fast. With only a few more Christmas' with Matt 'in house' I need to make sure these next few years are the best.

Hope all had a great Christmas 2008.

Not the way to start this blog-thing

I thought to Google the blog posts to see if there was someone with the same name. There was a Tim Young who seemed pretty excited that there was finally a picture of Jennifer Aniston from the GQ photoshoot (naked, except for a tie) available for him to post on his blog (assuming this, as I didn't look at his site). Great, just what I need, to be confused with that Tim Young. So hopefully this post will offer me some shielding from those ready to launch judgement-bombs at a Tim looking at a naked JA, that I am here, behaving myself and minding my own biz.