New Years day

Happy New Years to all,

As John and I are sitting here watching the "The Winter Classic" with the Detroit Red
Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks playing hockey outside at Wrigley Field on this cold winter day, we are starting the New Year relaxing together, the dogs (Brody and Triton,~~~labradoodles~~~ have both finally relaxed also). Yes we are big hockey fans but bigger Cub/Wrigley fans. I am thinking about this past year and all the we have been blessed with and all the trials they we faced. Yes!! We were blessed more than trialed in 08 and John and I prayed together last night for the same in 09. We wish all of you and yours the same for this coming year.

Rich was able to leave the "big house" yesterday and spend New Years Eve with Rita at home. (They have never spent a New Years Eve without each other). He is feeling a ton better and has no pain at all. I chatted with them just a bit ago...love that speaker phone option...and they both said that they enjoyed a quiet night watching the ball drop and enjoying each other. Praise God that Rich is feeling better and that his counts are good. The did have to put him on those wondeful??? steroids that have completely mess with his blood sugar levels but hopefully that will be able to be corrected completely real soon. As Rich and Rita spent their New Years at home together John and I spent it with about a dozen other couples from church at the Homestead. Rich and Rita had it quiet while we had a fun NewlyWed Game, watched some comedians on a DVD, played Pictionary and ate ourselves into happiness. What a great time we all had.

I am feeling much better also. A couple of days of no lifting has helped. I have to thank all my guys that I work with for doing all my lifting for me. With this being year-end I have all the 07-08 data to be packed up into banker boxes and placed into storage they have been right there for me. As soon as I had a box packed on of my great guys was right there to take it away. Of course, Tony, who is 6'5" and about 260# and throws around refrigerators with one arm for a hobby, would carry 4 boxes at a time under one arm would come back pick me up and carry to the place he put the boxes to make sure they were in the proper storage place then he would carry me back and place me real carefully in my chair. Got a laugh out of the customers in the store :) Love that Tony!!

Rich, Rita, John and myself and our families can not thank you enough for all the prayers and support you have given to us in 08. We are praying for a continue smooth road of our journey to complete recovery and a new life for Rich in this coming year.

Blessings to all in this New Year!

All our Love,

Ingrid, John, Alicia, Don, Gage and new baby to be born in May, 09, Kayla and Jordan, Brianna and her gang of boyfriends (she currently is dating 7 different guys!)