My top 10 list of 2008

It may seem kind of lame to be typing a blog at 11:30 p.m. but actually this has been a fabulous day. Jen and I just finished watching "Burn after Reading" on DVD. Now we have 30 minutes left in 2008. Jen and I were sort of talking about the top 10 things of 2008. I figured I would document it -- to look back on years from now.

10. Joining a golf league for the first time ever. It was a church golf league, and it was so great getting to golf each week and getting to know some guys from church.
9. A trip to Wisconsin. Jen was taking a graduate class and was 8 months pregnant, so I ventured to Wisconsin with just Kylie and Davin. I was worried about how the car trip would go, but it was awesome.
8. Jen concluded her 2-year stint as Sunday School superintendent with a nice appreciation brunch. I think one of Jen's greatest achievements was a simple suggestion she made to Pastor David. Instead of having just cookies after Sunday School mostly for the kids at 10:30, why not have treats for everyone after 1st service before Sunday School opening and Sunday School. It has created a real nice social time for church members that really didn't exist so much before.
7. I took over the role of song leader for Sunday School opening this year. It's been really fun leading both Sunday School students from age 3 - 5th grade and their parents in singing a few songs before they go to Sunday School. It reminds me of the days when I was a church camp counselor.
6. Having the Milwaukee Brewers make the playoffs for the first time since 1982 (I was in 5th grade). Not only did Kylie get to see her first Brewers game in person, but Andy and Joel were visiting us here in Omaha as we watched a Brewer playoff win.
5. Making a presentation at NILA where I presented to world language teachers on "Don't Entertain.... but Engage your students." I was fortunate enough to have more than 15 people attend my presentation, and I enjoyed the trip to Crete, NE.
4. Playing golf at Tregaron with Andy, Jen, and Judy. We played 18 holes and played terrible golf. But it was an amusing day.
3. Our New Year's Eve. We simply ran a bunch of errands with our kids today. We opened a savings account for Claire. While we sat in the banker's office for 10 minutes, Kylie and Davin played "haircut" They really charmed the banker. We had a great lunch at Panera; the kids played on the balls at Oak View Mall, we were going to buy a Wii, but Best Buy was sold out. So instead of playing that with the kids tonight, we had pancakes and sausage, played Disney Scene It! with the kids, counted down the new year at about 8:15, and danced in the new year with kids to an entire Wiggles CD. It was just great to see the joy on our kids' faces.
2. Claire's baptism weekend. I just love special occasions where family comes together. It was often having our family here. I'll always remember the family kickball game in the backyard. Kylie and Davin were captains. I loved it when Davin picked Rex (Joel and Brooke's dog) for his team. Grandma Hope played. I loved it when she kicked her ball over the fence. Kylie yelled with glee "automatic out!" - since those were the rules.
1. The birth of Claire Elizabeth Seeger on July 22, 2008. She has been a complete joy. She just got tubes put in yesterday. Just like I will hopefully have Andy and Joel as best friends and brothers for most of my life, I'm excited to think that hopefully Claire, Davin, and Kylie will also have each others as siblings and best friends for all of their lives.

Happy New Year everybody.