2009 in Review

So here we are the last day in 2009 and I thought that I would look back and share some favourite memories from 2009. Though the year has been hard in some ways, it has been exciting in others, and today I want to share some of those things with you.

Favourite Date with Colleen - Il Divo Concert in Edmonton
Favourite Movie - Paul Blart Mall Cop and Night at the Museum 2
Favourite Holiday Destination - While we did not have holidays this year, we did get a weekend at Johnstone Canyon and it was an absolutely amazing weekend!
Favourite Travel Destination that I did not have the rest of the family with - Going to Fairmont with Merle in May.
Favourite Book - Living the Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney, I have also greatly enjoyed The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
Favourite Scripture for 2009 - all of the Bible but Romans 8:18 has become a comfort and a great encouragement.
Favourite Restaurant to visit in 2009 - The Stump and Magpie in Banff.
Favourite Sports Moment - tie - Andrew playing in the final of the Tier III Provincial Baseball Final and Cameron playing in the Wolf Creek Boys Volleyball Semi-Final.
Personal Accomplishment that I am proudest of: Passing my Level 3 Football Officials Exam and reffing in the Provincial High School Tier IV Final in Edmonton at Foote Field between Rundle College and Androssian.
Favourite Memories with Friends - tie - with Merle in May, with my buddy Paul in June - who came from Ontario and with Don and Beth who came to visit us in July, who came from Moose Jaw.
Favourite Family Moment - tie - each day that I privileged enough to share with Colleen, Cameron and Andrew - I do not know why God has blessed me with such a wonderful family, but I feel very fortunate and this Christmas was one of our best ever.
Out of province experiences in 2009 - Ontario - we began the year in Ontario with Mom, Heather and Rob and the girls, Mike and Karen and many other family and friends. It was great being around my family, for the first time during the Christmas holidays since 1997. Wish we would have had more time there to visit with more people - made missing my dad real again.
BC - Merle and I went to visit his folks in Fairmont and soaked in a couple of spas and had a great visit with his family and also hit the Stump and the Magpie in Banff.
Though the year is almost done, it has been the best of times in the midst of being a very lonely, difficult year. In the midst of that, God has been real to me and to us as a family and we know that we are doing, we are living in a way that is reflecting the principles that God teaches us about His Kingdom. May His Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.