A List of Lessons from 2008

I fell off the face of the earth. Life just got in the way. My parents came to visit immediately after Christmas, I went up to Williams for a snow weekend, and now we’re looking at houses (it is the perfect time to buy).

Even though 2008 is long gone, and 2009 well under way, and we’ve only lived in Phoenix since September, we’ve learned a lot about ourselves and each other.

So here’s the list of major things we’ve learned:

1. Marriage is AWESOME. You get to wake up next to your best friend every day. What could be better?
2. Even though a given geography sucks, other factors can make a situation fabulous.
3. Fashion is important for a first impression, and so is asking for what you want.
4. It pays to live in a place where walking is a possibility, it keeps you svelte.
5. Education means nothing, as degrees can be purchased for peanuts and most are only worth what value they bring to your life, and sometimes they’re more negative (debt and no jobs).
6. Wealth and culture is all relative – there is such a thing as a trashy rich person, and a sophisticated pauper.
7. Nothing compares to a manual sports car, especially when you’re dodging drunks and snow-birds on the road.
8. I need a left-of-center theological church with a relevant service and more than 5 people, with a varied format. I don’t know where this exists.
9. Friends are awesome, and even if you’re going to be in a place for a year or only 5 months, it is absolutely necessary to cultivate them.
10. A cart full of fresh produce is equivalent to the cost of 2 people eating fast food, but it’s a thousand times tastier and better for you.
11. Tea is better in the morning than coffee (for 50 billion reasons not the least of which is acid).
12. Sometimes we have to do things for the people we love that are not always the most comfortable, but they are the best choice for both people involved and they provide the most opportunities long term.
13. Houses in Phoenix are cheap right now. Come and get one!
14. Christian and I can get whatever we want if we ask (which is both bad, i.e. makes us feel slightly guilty sometimes, and good, because it makes things easy).
15. Things always fall into place, even if it’s not the place we expected.
16. YES WE CAN. And we did.

Those are the top 16 lessons. If I think of anything else I’ll let you know.

P.S. I do have pics of the nativity. I keep forgetting to load them. Don’t hate me, they will get up.

P.P.S. “The Women” is a fabulous movie. Watch it if you have ovaries especially (though others are welcome and encouraged too!).