2007 Year in Review

Family Events

(In no particular order)

• Megan was born.
• We started a business.
• We launched Family History Quick Start a website dedicated to helping folks find fun ways to do family history. The site makes money through advertisements (mostly Google ads placed on certain pages).
• Autumn started ballet classes.
• Megan learned how to say Dada, Momma, Autumn, bye, hi, and learned the ASL sign for milk.
• We saw the space shuttle and international space station orbit over earth on a clear night. We also watched (on television) an amazing take-off of the space shuttle.
• Thomas got an iPod Touch for Christmas
• Angie got an iPod for Christmas
• Thomas and Angie got to hold a real baby bear cub at Cabela’s.
• The family made very good use of a Hogle Zoo year pass.
• We enjoyed a magical Christmas with the family. Autumn was a star in the family nativity re-enactment as she played the part of the angel and quoted from the scriptures.
• We saw a live nativity with a camel, donkey, sheep, and hot chocolate. It was great.
• Thomas and Angie won the Singing Bee First Place award at a ward party.
• Thomas met and shook hands with Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa. Apa has summited Mt. Everest 16 times (holding the world record at the time Thomas met him). Lhakpa holds the world record for the fastest summit to the top (10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds).
• We were part of the Harry Potter final book release craze. Thomas was a Wal-Mart at midnight to purchase the book. Thomas was among the first 5 people in line (not hard to do at the Neighborhood Wal-Mart. The Supercenters had hundreds and hundreds of people waiting in line.
• We discovered wordpress.org as a great publishing tool.

New Places we Visited:

• Bear World in Idaho
• Arkansas
• Missouri

New Movies We Enjoyed:

• Ratatouille
• Evan Almighty
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Books Read:

• The Lord of the Rings (again)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (again)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (again)
• Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know
• Whale Done
• Finding your ancestors online
• The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
• The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2)
• The Ultimate Gift
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Book of Mormon (again)
• The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money–That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
• Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
• Sam Walton: Made In America
• Six-Week Start-Up: A Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Business, Making Money, and Achieving Your Goals!
• The 10 Rules of Sam Walton: Success Secrets for Remarkable Results
• Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude
• The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works–and How It’s Transforming the American Economy
• Zen Golf

World Events

(In no particular order)

• The war in Iraq continues.
• North Korea agrees to shut down nuclear facilities.
• Apple computers releases a revolutionary phone called the iPhone and similar iPod product called the iTouch.
• The DOW Jones closes above 14,000 for the first time.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment of the Harry Potter book series is released selling millions and millions of copies within the first few hours.
• Scouting (boy scouts) turns 100 years old.
• Shootings occur at Virginia Tech.
• Concerns about Iran’s nuclear program increase tension in the region and the world.
• Wildfires threaten thousands in California.