2008 Recap

This blog is bred out of guilt for not having gotten out a 2008 Christmas Greeting to all our loved ones and from a suggestion from my wise mother. Mix a bit of pride in there as well. I love my life and my family and want to share my happy happenings with friends and family who care to know how life is going for the Gregory's.


2008 was an eventful year for the Gregory's. It started in Sterling, VA and ended in Littleton, CO. Hal's job description changed from manager to professor but he managed to keep the same employer. Our home in Sterling underwent major renovations. The porch, roof, siding were redone. Giving our home a lovely make-over. The inside had to be dejunked, recarpeted and painted. The tasks were much overdue and therefore the cleansing process was most satisfying.


We loved our journey out West. Hal indulged my desire to see the Precious Moments Chapel in Missouri and later the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Neither destination involved less than a several hours of driving off the beaten path of interstate that led to our ultimate destination but both were very much worth it.



Our move also made it financially viable for us to join the Green Family reunion at The Hatchet (close to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone). We celebrated my father's 80th birthday in a beautiful setting. The highlight was tubing down Flat Creek which gently winds through people's backyards in Jackson Hole. It felt like a real adventure as proved by the abundance of whooping and shrieking from all. One of our party even had to get a leach removed!



The kid's started 08/09 school year extra early this year. Megan actually flew out to BYU Provo the day of her High School Graduation so she could begin Summer Quarter! The rest only had two months free since August 19 was their new school's start date.



We love our home/life in Littleton. The double car garage and unfinished basement give us unprecedented storage space. We have a guest room on the main level so come and visit! The sweeping stairway makes for nice photos. Our master bedroom has a large walk in closet and a huge bathtub. We love the extra space and since the kitchen is adjacent to the family room, I can better monitor TV/internet choices. We also appreciate the schools -- gangs don't seem to exist and each of our children feel the urge to meet higher expectations. Our Ward (Mormon for congregation) is super nice and they've already given us a piece of the action (I'm a Bear Den Leader/ Relief Society Teacher and Hal is the Assistant High Priest Group Leader and Clarissa is her Miamaid Class President).


We've driven up into Estes Park and seen the famous Park Hotel there. We've had a snowball fight in the Rockies in September. We've walked the Great Sand Dunes Ntl. Park and felt pity for nomadic people as we were pelted by sand. We've picked Pine Nuts with Native Americans. We've gone skiing/snowboarding and yelled COWABUNGA as we screamed down a bunny hill. Mark was weaving around poles and people his first day with the greatest of ease. It feels like a two year vacation in a lot of ways.