Happy and hopeful New Year to you!

I like to set up goals for the year. Even just writing them down and putting them away somehow helps focus my energies for the year. I only achieved a few of my 2008 Goals but I'm happy with that -- it was a rough year and family comes way ahead of goals. Despite the hard stuff there's been a lot of blessings and opportunities. Too many to list, really.

We are expecting a girl, due date May 30! Job's going very well (so thankful to have a job in this economy, let alone one going well). Thankfully the Jeep's been running well (now I jinxed myself). It got through emissions, has been getting good mileage, and I was able to get the stereo and alarm installed. Been driving it around quite a bit and enjoying the heck out of it. Had a great time hunting deer this year. I did get out four wheeling a couple times. I found a great deal on a table saw. I had a chance to do some woodworking, something I've always been interested in and intimidated by. The keepsake box I made for my wife turned out pretty good although I need to learn how to apply finishes better. I put together a real nice stereo system in the office out of used/vintage gear (including turntable and reel to reel deck) and picked up more classical music LPs than I can listen to in a year. Tunes are a real joy. I took an opportunity to volunteer as one of the mentors for a local FIRST robotics team which promises to be very rewarding. There's more but like I said, too many to list everything.

Well, I still have some goals in the back of my mind to get to 'one of these days'. For 2009 there's one goal I want to focus on more than the others by far:

1. Be the best dad I can be.