Christmas Letter 2008

This past year was our first FULL year of being married!  Pure bliss the entire time, right Trav? :)  There were many firsts for our little family in 2008.  We started out the New Year with a one-day ski trip, just the two of us.  The day was filled with new memories and remembrance of why skiing is not a sport for me.  Needless to say, I won't be attending the annual Schrage ski expedition.

I went on many "vacations" to Des Moines, Iowa, while Travis went to Las Vegas, motorcycling in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and will be going to Colorado in a couple weeks.  I'm going to make it a point to go somewhere AWESOME in 2009!

We did our taxes together for the first time, learned how to budget, and are slowly paying off student loans together.  We are still learning how to compromise on chores and household duties; this may be an ongoing experience for us!  And of course the BEST "first" was getting our puppy.  Mowgli was born in June and came home with us in August.  He is actually my first dog!  He has been so much fun for both of us, and a true blessing to our family.  We have spent a lot of time at the Dog Park, or going for walks and hanging out in the back yard together.  He is an incredibly good puppy (when we're in the same room as him.)  He tends to get in to plenty of mischief if we're nowhere in sight.

Travis and I are still at our same jobs:  Engineering for him and architecture for me.  We've learned that the question, "How was your day?" Should receive a vague overview with little details and no chance of starting a debate on the differences and conflicts of our careers.

I got my very first "nice" camera and have loved every second of it.  I have been dabbling in wedding, engagement, family, and children's photography.  I've had timid thoughts of a website, real pricing, and business cards... maybe in 2009!  My increased passion for photography has led to this blog, which has become a somewhat bad cycle of not only blogging, but also reading friends blogs, then reading THEIR friends blogs and so forth.  It can suck up a lot of time if I'm not careful.  However, I do think everyone should start a blog, and don't forget to send me the address!

Wishing you Peace, Joy, and many Blessings in 2009!  Merry Christmas!