the 2007 Recap

In the spirit of saving trees, this year I have decided to do my holiday letter online. As frequent card recipients know, I have also written some crazy and fun letters. I am feeling especially uncreative this year, so I thought I'd just write a list of the things that happened for the first time in 2007:

In February, I went to Delaware for a conference on residential curricula. If you are a higher education geek like me, you'd know that the residential curriculum at UD has been in the news for "indoctrinating students" by a national conservative group. I learned a lot, and was able to spend a little time with Linda and Jim on either end of the trip (might as well fly into DCA!).

On April 26, Ally and Josh had their first birthdays and are now walking! They are a lot of fun, and I try to visit them as much as I can. They are enjoying their new home in Battle Creek, just off I-94.

This summer I left the board of Ten Thousand Villages Grayslake. They needed someone with experience in marketing, sales or other retail adventures, and as anyone who knows me knows, I don't have such experience. I still volunteer at the store most weekends, and enjoy learning about the artisans and sharing their stories with others.

In July, I went to my first Harry Potter book release party at Borders and Juliana Wamelink went to her first catholic wedding with her mom Jennifer and I in Lawrence, KS, where we were able to share the special day of Matt and Marian Friedrichs. I did get to finish the seventh book within the first day, even though I had to interrupt my reading for the wedding. On the trip, I realized I didn't miss the drive through Iowa (sorry Iowans), but I do miss Sonic a LOT! I did have as many cherry limeades as I could...soon they will come here, right?

At the end of August, I spent my first night in the hospital since I was born. I had a pulmonary embolism -- I am the minority that they talk about on the birth control commercials (even though I don't smoke). So I am on blood thinners, and have been lamenting the loss of cranberries and alcohol (no cosmos for me!).

This fall I have been enjoying my second year as Associate Director of Residence Life for Staff Selection, Training and Development. We did have a RD leave us, so I have been able to work directly with a student staff again, which is fun. I have been trying to connect more with friends in the area.

I saw the new science buildings at Albion this fall (an area I only spent time in to see movies on the weekends), but connected with some people I haven't seen in a long time. Jim took me to his 15(!) reunion, and I realized that the incoming students were born the year I graduated from high school.

I did make my first knitted toy, a snake that the kids seem to like, and have an elephant waiting to be stuffed (the part I don't like). I am a knitting fiend, and have been working on hats...

And as the year ended, for the first time, I seriously considered replacing my beloved honda. She has been a wonderful companion for 13 years, but it might be time for something new. Who knows what the future will bring...