Maaco Convention

Before we say goodbye to 2009, we need to remember overlooked major highlights... like Jeremy's trip to the Dominican Republic with the Driven Brands and Maaco convention. He saw George Forman and football coach, Dick Vermeil, as well as all the corporate folk we get to talk to every week. He really enjoyed spending time with Elias, who attended training last October with Jeremy and won the Rookie of the Year award for taking over a running center.

It is true that Jeremy jumped out on the dance floor one night and no one's let him forget it!

The resort was beautiful.

Jeremy returned rested and excited about all the cool things we could do with our Maaco shop. Since his return, we've aggressively gone after fleet accounts and now paint the Kaiser Permenente vehicles - plus we're set up for government vehicles, which was a process I won't soon forget! Even more business has come in this winter from Jeremy's contacts buying and selling parts and car lot salesmen. The whole shop is happy when our boss is happy!!

A Snowy trip home

We got caught in the sudden snowfall on Tuesday, December 29th. It was absolutely gorgeous for the first hour and then the traffic got noticeably heavy for the second hour and the third hour on the drive home from Scappoose was a big questionmark of exactly HOW LONG would it take to meander the last few miles? The 205 freeway was at a standstill, so we took 122nd, but with the 15 mph progress and the multiple lights, it felt slower than snail pace. These pictures were taken back at the "absolute gorgeous" stage on Hwy 30.

These pictures will always be significant for me for a deeper, darker reason. This was the first of two days of reckoning for me on how ignorantly I could hurt people's feelings and how helpless I am to make everything right. Made me look twice at times I felt offended and held a grudge. Maybe 2010 is the year of Forgiving. Regardless, I am glad to leave 2009 behind. It has to have been the most labor-intensive year of our lives so far.

The Fancy Feast with the Roast Beast

...and the thrilled participeests

Christmas 2009

Every year feels like "the best Christmas yet". I remember when I was 10 getting so excited I stayed up all night to wake dad and mom at 5am. Setting it all up Christmas Eve is so fun. This was probably the best year ever for finding deals, since everything went on crazy-sale. I found metalic colored "treasure boxes" for stocking stuffers - my favorite twist on turning the focus back on Jesus along with the manger.

This year all four kids were thrilled with the whole day. Trinity adds a lot, being four, now. The boys attack the day like a surprising great find, but she remembers and talks about every detail over and over building up anticipation. And nothing beats adding to our own memories and creating something wonderful.

A-Bear

Our Aidan turned 9 years old on December 20th! He enjoyed the rush of attention, no doubt. He'd be the center of every event if he could, I think.... as it was, he took full advantage and had a GREAT WEEKEND!!

1st Employee Christmas dinner Party

From left to right:

Charlotte, the masker, Dennis, the bodyman, Laura & Jeremy, Carol & John, the salesman, Cary, the detailer, Jeff, the painter, and Jeremy Hull, the sander.

Merry Christmas Maaco crew!

Say "CHEESE!"

Getting a family picture for Christmas is always an adventure. This year might have been more adventurous than most.

Thanksgiving 2009

Memorable.

Family.

Gratefulness.

Delicious.

Deckin' the Halls

Twinkle lights are the best... we went blue this year and we like it.

We hang mistletoe on the Mexican bells, so watch out for them bells!

Jesus is the center our our Christmas, but it takes some doin' to make a baby scene equal other decorations. Lights and greenery make some weird collision of tradition and honor. The baby is represented by the longest surviving doll from over 3 decades back. Beauty wasn't a factor since the stark amazingness of what God did began so humbly.

The tree guards the manger like the multitude of angels shouting Halleluia... only really, really different.

Our house wouldn't be complete without numerous mini Nativity scenes, one of which must be set in the backdrop of hot rods. "Let everything that hath (or hath not) breath, PRAISE THE LORD!"

Does that sound crazy?

Dad said it better in his newsletter.... I shall quote him being starkly un-inspired this Saturday morning...

"I always enjoy this time of year. Look around and see all the preparations that are being made for Christmas - it seems like stores are preparing earlier and earlier each year...

I like to see these things because so much pivots around the birth of Jesus Christ, around whom pivots all of history and even the whole universe.

The one who takes the prize for preparing for Christmas, though, is God Himself. Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the Bible prophesies of where Jesus would be born, that He would rule over Israel, that the circumstances of his birth would be unique, that the child would be a male, that he would be God dwelling with humanity. Angels were used for some announcements. Some of the arrangements were made by world rulers (Caesar called for the census), and other rulers took part in the celebration of his birth. Satan even tried to kill him as he tried to kill Moses, stirring up Herod to kill the young boys in the region.

Of course, none of this is news to you because God has made sure you know this information. I bring it up to accentuate the idea that the long-term preparations God made far exceed what we see today.

There is another way He excels. It has to do with how great the quality of his character is.

People had ample opportunity to raise up a Godly line in the four thousand years before Christ.

Adam and Eve were in a perfect, sinless enviroment until they corrupted it with sin.

None of the great people mentioned in the Bible could live a perfect life, let alone raise up a Godly family that produced after it's kind.

Now, compare that with the incomparable superiority of God. Whereas we humans had millions of opportunities to raise up a Godly race, God didn't even have a contingency plan. He reached down from heaven and planted one, only one, Seed. Because with God, once was enough."

Bring on the decorations!!!!! We celebrate YOU, God!!!!

Picture Tour

(Did you catch the shop thrown in there?! :-) It's so beautiful!)

Party Season

Aria kicked off the November Party Season at Chuck E Cheese's with a bunch of friends - she's 5!

Then Camten turned 6 and so many people came out to celebrate - it was such a great excuse to get together!


Jeremy found a cute orange cat that needed a home, so she joined the family and was dubbed, "Orange", short for Hugger Orange.... because she's orange. She's really soft and cuddly. And playful.

Amazingly, I got older. I thought I was as wise as I could get, but I was mistaken.

Somewhere in the mix we got some fun toys. I think these are Camten's big fists... you'd never know Jeremy didn't get them for his birthday. Since there's four of 'em... it is NOT unusual to see everyone sportin' one and wailing on each other in a four-way battle that resembles the standard wrestling, but endangers furniture to a new degree.

First BAND Concert!

What an experience! There are 52 members in the 5th grade band at Damascus Middle School. 52 first-time players of a lot of different instruments. 52 members of families - all of whom needed to come and support their budding artists. Needless to say, the bleachers were full to bursting, the chairs on the gym floor were packed out and the surrounding space was standing room only, 5 cheerleaders thick.

We found an open space behind the band on the edge of the stage right next to the screen with all the announcements. We had to be on our best behavior, which was no problem for the first 4 numbers. We did pretty good for the second band set of 4. We even did tolerably well for the 3rd band set of 4. But the Jazz band ended the evening and by then my crew was wiggling right off the stage and sprawling on the gym floor. I had to clarify that spinning around on your back was not band concert behavior - nor was banging or stomping or dancing along to the music. (Trinity is a good dancer.)

I might have gotten more pictures of the actual experience, but I'm shy when I feel in the spotlight, and with my wiggly dancers, I really felt like entertainment-central. I don't think we'll forget.... there's only ONCE that our 5th grader plays in his very first concert. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event. A fact we can live with.

And as for our budding artist? HE WAS AWESOME!