Final 2009 Recap

I've kept you updated throughout the year on how we were progressing on our goals for 2009, so I won't go into great detail about the things we accomplished this year. Here's a quick recap;

• We met various financials goals like increasing our emergency savings, saving for a car, etc.
• We did fun stuff over the summer like going to the Renaissance Festival, going camping, and throwing fun parties like the Yellow Party.
• We took vacations to Wisconsin and California, both to see family, and had a great time.
• We made family a priority and saw them pretty much once a week. It really seemed to have an impression on our nieces and nephews, I think it's safe to say we're the favorites! :-)

I also set a goal for myself to read twelve non-fiction books this year. I can read fiction easily, and I prefer to read fiction, so this was a hard goal for me to accomplish. I did it though, and read some really interesting books like;

• A Chance to Die (a biography of Amy Carmichael)
• Beyond the Ranges (biography of missionary James Fraser)
• Queen of the Dark Chamber (biography of a Christian woman in China)
• I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebecca (book on marriage)
• Hansi, the Girl who Loved the Swastika (autobiography of a former Nazi)
• Financial Peace (great financial advice)
• Hedges (another marriage book, this one not so great)
• Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God (a book on being a wife, with interesting perspectives on a wife's role in the home.)
• Queen of the Reformation (biography of Martin Luther's wife)
• Revolution in World Missions (a wakeup call for privileged first world countries)
• Created to Be His HelpMeet (an excellent book on marriage)

We also worked on the castle quite a bit, finishing the living room, and guest room, mostly finishing the dining room and master bedroom, and revamping the front of the house for more curb appeal.

It's been a productive and fun year, and we're looking forward to accomplishing lots more in 2010. What was your favorite part of 2009?