Dear Friends and Family,

       Happiest of greetings to you this holiday season. We hope you've had ample opportunity to sip cocoa or eggnog, that you're humming carols as you manage your holiday errand list, and that you've been able to capitalize on the time spent waiting in lines to reflect on the year we're leaving behind and all that you've enjoyed and accomplished. It has been a full year for the three of us, as I'm sure it has for all of you.

Balance — David began the year with sleepless nights, resurrecting the college all-nighter to complete chapters of his first book by press time. His hard work paid off when his book (Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers, co-authored with Tom Green) was published in July, and went into a second printing in October. It has received excellent reviews, and has served to boost his confidence and his client list. The opportunity to write the book presented itself when David was only newly married to his work-for-himself position, and writing the book gave us some insight into how to make that work for us as a family: find balance. That has been David's challenge in 2007 - balance work with family with writing. All three of those here in the same house, all three constantly wanting his attention. Being a people-pleaser, it has been hard for him to have to say no, and he's had to say it to the clients, the writing, and the family on varying occasions. He's spent the year getting better and better at balancing all the things vying for his attention, and still eking out some time for himself. Balance. But then, the man rides a unicycle; he may have had an edge.

Focus — Dawn spent the year giving shape to her photography business, making decisions about the direction she wanted to go in, rather than getting swept away as the business grew. She has been fortunate to have her client base grow entirely on its own, not needing to advertise but relying on the referrals of happy customers. Early in the year, she found the business growing busier than she wanted. She still prefers mothering to be her number one job and primary focus, with the photography to provide some supplemental income and creative outlet. The growth of her business has enabled her to focus on the type of photos she really wants to produce, and to turn down work that she finds more mechanical than creative. Focus. A fine goal for a photographer.

Courage — Meridian's third year has seen the biggest change in her personality. In many ways, she has blossomed at home and among our close circle of friends, shifting from the ever-watchful observer to a gleeful girl. It has been thrilling to see her lose herself in the moment, energetically bounding around the room, sharing ideas and telling stories. To our great surprise, she asked to attend preschool this summer, noticing that her other friends attended and she did not. We decided to give it a go. It has been a growth experience for her, as she learns to interact with children she doesn't know. She has always been somewhat introverted, and it is a challenge for her to come out of her shell before she feels truly comfortable. It has been trying, and heart-wrenching, but good for her we think. On one occasion, she broke down in tears after school telling Dawn that nobody played with her. Dawn explained that she needs to tell the other children that she wants to play, but it's such a hard hurdle for her to leap. Another time more recently, she told her teacher on the playground that she was lonely. Her teacher seized the opportunity to teach her how to make a friend (bless that teacher!) and now she tells us all about Lillian, her friend at school. We can hear her pride in the telling, and that's a sign of success. Courage. A virtue worth having, and a gift we as parents can only wish for, but not bestow.

       We hope your year and your holidays are as happy as ours, and that 2008 brings you joy and peace.