A Look Back at 2007

As this year is coming to an end, we look back at the memories :

J.D. was born on February 1 at 10:34pm.

I had to convince Josh to wait and see if we were going to have a boy or a girl. Almost everyone predicted a boy.

We are very blessed to have J.D. We had gone through two losses in 2005, so during my pregnancy I was "holding my breath" so-to-speak.

J.D.'s kidney is doing really well too. We don't have to go back up to Seattle for a check-up until March! We thank the Lord for all that He has done.

April started with Aaron having a 900 pound gun safe fall on top of him, crushing his leg. He ended up having a titanium rod put in. He spent his Spring Break on the couch with crutches. However, he was up and driving his blazer in no time. He still wants to get a settlement.

In May, Grandpa and Grandma Flach made a trip out here to see their first great-grandchild.
It was a short, but enjoyable visit. I try to keep them updated with what J.D. has learned to do and pictures.

Aaron's Chevy Blazer caught on fire in early June while on his way home.

Luckily the house didn't catch fire. Dad got the water hose and was spraying down his truck which was in the driveway right in front of Aaron's. The neighbors all ran out to move their vehicles too.

He ended up selling the charred Blazer for $280.

Every year in June we take a trip for our anniversary. This year we were heading off to Yellowstone! We had the car all loaded and I was making the last trip out, while Josh was getting ready to lock up. I fell off our front porch and broke my foot (a very minor break, but enough to postpone our trip). The funny thing is, we didn't feel right about leaving in the first place and the night before we were to leave, Josh prayed that if it wasn't meant for us to go, that God would intervene.
Thanks mom for coming over every day to help!

J.D.'s first time at the ocean

At the lake

Josh would take J.D. on walks to the park on his days off. J.D. loves the outdoors and is happy to be outside whenever possible.




We finally made it to Yellowstone in August. I had been through once before on a trip back home from Wisconsin, but we didn't stop to see much. We enjoyed the drive there, which was a whole new experience with a baby!
We saw lots of buffalo, elk, a bald eagle and just missed a bear as well as getting to see lots of the mud pots and pools. We also were able to see Old Faithful (that's it in the picture).
On the way home we drove through the Tetons and were able to see a moose from a distance.
Along the road home in Wyoming there was a historical marker that we decided to check out. It happened to be the homestead of a man named Cunningham who was a rancher and one of the founders of the Teton National Park. The orignal log cabin was still intact, but the other remaining buildings were gone. That was a highlight for Joshua and myself.

After we got back from our trip, Joshua put in his resignation at the church where he was a youth pastor for three years. We felt the call to move on and shortly after began attending another local church. He is now working with the youth there and is also preaching on occasion.

October was spent with an unexpected turn. Joshua ended up haveing an appendictamy on my birthday. Luckily, he recognized the pain early enough that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He has healed nicely and is back to his normal work duty.

For Haloween we went to a Harvest Party at our church. Then later that night we went to Carol and Greg's place for the usual party.
J.D. went as a scarecrow, I went as a volunteer firefigher and Joshua went as an appendix.

J.D. on his tractor

Me and J.D.

We spent Thanksgiving on the coast with Josh's family. It was a small, quiet Thanksgiving with just the three of us, Joyce, Robin and Robert. Robert got to see J.D. for the first time.

On November 25 J.D. was baptized. It was a very special service for us. Pastor Chris told us that we could contribute something meaningful to the service, so Joshua read a letter that he had written to J.D. and I also read a few verses from Psalm 139 that I had paraphrazed into my own thoughts about J.D. and his life.

The reception

The Godparents: Joyce, Chris & Carrie, Jon & Renee



In the first week of December, a massive storm with hurricane force winds battered the Northwest. It was the worst storm since the “Columbus Day Storm” back in 1962 that this area had suffered. Nearly every tree was lost at Josh’s family’s home in Gearhart, completely remodeling the landscape that had been the same for Josh his entire life. Despite the storm’s rage and the numerous trees that settled atop Josh’s mom’s house, her prayers were answered and the Lord gave each of them, Joyce, Robin and all the elderly residents safety as well as no severe damage to their home. Even their giant spruce tree in the back yard succumbed to the 100+ mph winds and uprooted, but thank the Lord fell opposite the direction of the house. After the storm had subsided, Josh’s mom counted over 100 rings on that old tree before finally giving up because the rings had become too small to distinguish. As of the date of this publication, no photos had been obtained from the coast. These collected were from local papers.
Several miles up north was drenched in deep flood waters. Greg, Susie’s uncle was stranded all night at his place of work in the K-Mart building. He was among many that were rescued the next day.
About a week after the storm, the heavily deluded soils gave way to land slides. This one was severe, covering Hwy. 30 between Longview and the coast with 10 feet of mud & debri.

All in all, this past year we were blessed and are looking forward to the plans the Lord has for us in 2008.