Day One

We are glad to welcome in a new year. It's a fairly arbitrary thing, but I think it helps (us all) to sort of mentally re-set, as far as the events making up a year. After all, we each see the world differently, and the events of a year of our life will affect how we each remember that year. I woke up yesterday morning thinking, "How strange time is. No one can move it foward or delay it by a second." It carries us all along through the miracle and mystery of life. Do people ever really stop and think about what we actually are and how life exists in these bodies of ours?

I don't think it's a bad thing to ponder some of these things. 2008 was a big year for us, and it has left us with a lot to consider. This past year was our first full year in Dallas, having moved here in mid-2007. 2008 will always be for us the year that my dad died. By the end of the year, I had officially made it through half of my law school career. A lot of big things - events forever sealed in time for us. And we are content knowing that most days we feel that we live reaching for the most life has to offer us. We hope that's the case for you too - and if not, that you would become sufficiently agitated by the happenings of life this year that you would ask yourself why that's not your position. There is life, and there is abundant life: we have set our hopes upon the latter.

We are optimistic that 2009 will be a good year. Although the passing of my dad has brought sadness and difficulties, it also begins a new chapter for my family's life. My sister Tish's youngest son Hart just turned one late last month. Stephen & Jamie also brought their third child, little Macy Louise, into the world this past November. On Stephany's side of the family in California, her cousin Brian and his wife Valerie recently welcomed their second child (after Ashley), little Adam Joseph ("A.J."), and her cousin Kevin and his wife Jennifer brought young Ryan into the world. The love is definitely going around, as we keep getting word of new births and announcements of pregnancies by quite a few of our friends. Today, this is what our fridge looks like:

It's so great. And it's an encouraging reminder for us of the goodness of life.

Another thing we're looking forward to is being in Albuquerque this summer. In early November, I accepted a clerkship for this coming summer with a law firm in downtown Albuquerque called Keleher & McLeod. I'll be working there for 12 weeks, and I expect to get some great experience and meet a lot of people. We will be staying with Stephany's parents Bob and Diane, which will be great, as well.

We'll post some pictures soon. Our love to you all.

Nathan