Our Year In Review

After reading both our parents' Christmas letters last year, Kristen and I were pretty depressed that all they could think to write about us is that we were living in Salt Lake and working. But what more was there to say? It seemed like nothing of consequence happened in 2006. The same cannot be said for 2007 however. As the year draws to a close, I can't help but think back on the many milestones that we experienced. So without further ado, we are pleased to present our year in review.

January
One of my main resolutions for the new year was to find a new job. Only a few weeks into January, I called on a job listing for Salt City Candle Co. While the hiring process is usually so drawn out, such was not the case this time. In a whirlwind week and a half, I had two interviews and a job offer.

February
After giving Nutraceutical the old heave-ho, I started at Salt City the first Monday in February, the day after the Super Bowl. And the candles slowly began to pile up in our closet.

March
No longer tied to a commute to Park City, we decided to start house-hunting in earnest. We quickly learned that there are some really weird realtors out there, as evidenced by Steve Zelenyansky, who resembled a washed-up former child star from the 70's. We saved his business card just for laughs.

April
Once we dumped Steve-o and found a decent realtor, things started to move along. We still looked at some real dives, including one Taylorsville rambler that will forever live in our memory. The basement featured a wet bar, wall-to-wall wood paneling, and an accordian-style dividing curtain. I guess that would come in handy in case you needed a separate room for Sunday School class. We eventually found our way out to Daybreak and made an offer on a townhome. We moved in at the end of the month.

May
Now full-fledged homeowners, we were excited to make the new place our own. It took us a little while to get settled, as we spent a good portion of the month painting. Most people agreed that our new paint looked great, but would never dare to try such bold colors themselves. We also got our first pair of fish, and thus began our vast knowledge of strange fish diseases.

June
Once the house was presentable, we held a housewarming party for some of our friends. From this experience, we learned that our maximum capacity is about 20 (but even that is pushing it). For my 27th birthday, I got a PlayStation 2, finally graduating from a two-generations-old gaming console to a one-generation-old gaming console.

July
I spent a good portion of July working like crazy on Salt City's latest catalog (which introduced over 50 pages of new jewelry into the mix). One fateful night at my sister's house, we were introduced to the wonders of the game Guitar Hero. On my way home from work the following day, Kristen called to inform me that she fully endorsed the purchase of this product. I promptly changed course to Best Buy, and we have been Guitar Hero addicts ever since. Also, our second fish, Admiral Ackbar, finally bit the dust after literally falling apart. So we invested in a new pair.

August
For a change of pace, the Barton family summer reunion was held at Bear Lake. Despite liberally applying spray-on sunscreen (not recommended), Kristen got a wickedly splotchy sunburn. She still has the tan lines. After a nice long hiatus, we finally picked up the paint brushes again. We painted the second bedroom (and future nursery) with a color that has been said to resemble green frosting. We also began training regularly (sort of) for a 5K.

September
Kicking off the month was a trip to sunny Florida. We spent a week there enjoying amusement parks, the beach, humidity, and 7 glorious innings of Devil Rays baseball. This time it was me that ended up with the wicked sunburn. The trip also turned out to be a last hurrah of sorts for Kristen and I; the night we got back, Kristen got a positive pregnancy test. We ran our 5K, and blog fever finally caught up to us.

October
This month was shrouded in a haze of morning sickness and raging hormones. That is all we need to say about that.

November
Once the haze lifted and Kristen regained consciousness (and her appetite), we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving at my sister's house in Draper. Kristen also turned 23.

December
We experienced the joy of seeing our baby in glorious grainy black-and-white, and learned we are having a boy. Kristen discovered yet another hitch to pregnancy--that she no longer had a functioning immune system. After contracting every stray virus that crossed her path over a 3 week span, things finally culminated with the flu on the Saturday before Christmas. We got to take a trip to the emergency room so she could get an IV to restore her fluids. She did manage to recover in time for us to have a nice Christmas in Cedar City. Among our presents was Guitar Hero III. The addiction continues...

All in all, 2007 turned out to be quite a year for us. But 2008 is sure to bring a whole new assortment of challenges, experiences...and fish. We are looking forward to it with great excitement and anticipation. Much thanks for everyone's ongoing love and support.