Tschuss, 2008!

I'll be the first to say that 2008 was not really one of my favourite years. Getting laid off, fighting Hilton Corp., Ella's kidney problems, drama, getting sick, a less-than-stellar moving experience and a disappointing holiday season have all combined to make 2008...tiring. That's not to say there weren't great things that happened this year - we were able to spend time with my family, Joseph and Ella were baptized and now have two fantastic Godmothers, Will has made great strides at work, we moved to Germany (!!!) and found a beautiful house.
But still, I am looking forward to 2009 and all of the untapped potential and innumerable possibilities that are in front of me - travel, education and personal fullfillment are all in the cards this year, and I can't wait to see what happens.

I didn't realize until now that New Year's is such a big deal in Germany. The fireworks started around 6pm yesterday, and finally tapered off near 2am. And I'm not talking about those little dinky fireworks we get in the States - no, these were big professional fireworks, the kind that make huge shimmering blooms in the sky. The guy next to our Naked Neighbors (that's another story for another time) had a full setup in his backyard, and was putting on a display that rivals our 4th of July celebrations back home. The sound of those fireworks was like cannonfire, and the smell when I opened the window was the acrid burn of gunpowder - but it sure was awesome to watch. The beauty of our New Years is that Will and I were able to sit on the couch in our living room, sipping sparkling cider (he had to leave for work at 4am, so no champagne here) and watching the show through our huge living room windows.

It occurs to me that I've never posted any pictures of my house - so here is the view from the couch, and the view out the windows. The fireworks were coming from the yard next to the frozen pool - I could throw a rock over their fence, that's how close they are. And the big house to the right with the pool is Naked Neighbors' house. Thank goodness they were inside when I took these!So here is hoping that you all had a wonderful New Year's, and that 2009 is awesome for us all!