At this time of year you may wonder: "How did Mary and Joseph get the baby Jesus home after being born in a stable?" Arianna answered this age old question for us. It was in a school bus...along with the wise men as well.

The year started off with Tim taking on a new consulting position with FirstTech. It's been a great fit with flexible hours, variety, and great people. I'm still writing the book about being a "Child at Heart" and speaking on the topic with magic and juggling entertainment. My aggressive plan to complete the book this year didn't happen. To live what I'm writing about requires well-being and balance in life...and you can only do so much.

After thousands of decisions and countless hours of labor we completed finishing off our entire basement. Although the project lasted about 3 months, it felt like forever that our house (and minds) were filled with sheet rock dust, noise, etc. The city building inspector said he knew general contractors that couldn't finish a project like that in such a short time. We love the family room for watching movies, working out...and general play. In the winter we have a great fireplace to keep us warm.

Brenda and I spoke together (a dream of ours) at the "Bridging the Gap" conference this year and were on KTIS radio program speaking about dating and relationships. Tim also shared part his life story at our church this summer. It’s available as audio or video online (video is better) It’s the last 10 minutes or so of the message on July 28 & 29, 2007 "Raise Your Religious IQ" series. We love attending Eagle Brook and they recently opened a new campus that is even closer to our home. Brenda is teaching in the women's ministry on Monday nights. We also attended the Willow Leadership Summit conference again this year...which was so inspirational and informative.

As a family, we have a great time going swimming and biking in the summer and dancing/singing together at home. It's worth living the day simply to see the smiles on the faces of our kids when they have fun. Brenda and I enjoy hip hop aerobics to help keep in shape. We visited friends in Chicago and Tim went to Orlando for the FileMaker developer conference. Our family traveled to Bayfield, Wisconsin in June with Brenda's family. Brenda and I went kayaking for the first time on rough waters and it was a blast. We saw the sea caves and went biking on Madeleine Island. We bought T-shirts that remind us of our trip...except I don't remember the palm trees in northern Wisconsin...hmm...

We're loving the simple joy of seeing Arianna and Brielle grow up and attempting to savor each moment. Kids are the definition of change. Recently, Arianna sat down at the kitchen table and drew a picture of our family. Mommy, daddy, and her sister were each made up of two eyes, two stick legs, and a smile. Her self portrait included a bow in her hair. Only a few days ago she couldn't draw a straight line. Now she has hand control and imagination to complete a portrait. I think that's amazing...even if we were illustrated as nearly senseless and without torsos.

Arianna started Noah's Ark PreSchool and has learned so much. She comes home from school so excited about the new projects she has created with glue, tape, construction paper, crayons, paint, etc. Arianna believes that nearly anything can be fixed with tape...a little MacGyver. Arianna’s prayers include much more than we ever have taught her. It's almost a stream of consciousness said to God..."Bielle, mommy, daddy, Minnie Mouse, Elmo, Dora, trains, cheese, water...AMEN." She talks about everything in HER world. We love to hear what she has to say. One time she whinnied like a horse and another time she included “daddy’s hair”...which evidently needs some divine help.

Brielle is talking a lot. One of her first words was "Apple". Being a Macintosh fan, I appreciated that it wasn't "Microsoft". Not only can she walk well but she can slide backwards down the stairs on her stomach...quite impressive. It's fun to see how she mimics her big sister. She's quite the cuddler and loves drinking from her milk "boddel" which is nearly inseparable from her face.

Brenda has been a busy mother and recently joined a MOPS group. She will be teaching some classes at Bethel next year and is making some big decisions regarding work and school, etc. She's investigating many opportunities including the possibility of going back for her doctorate at Bethel Seminary or Hamline University.

On August 1st the 35W bridge collapsed over the Mississippi River. Both Brenda and I crossed that bridge hundreds of times...and a few times in the days preceding the tragedy. It reminds you of the fragility of life and necessity to appreciate each moment. We have an illusion of control of our lives but we truly do not know from one moment to the next what could happen.

Overall, it has been a great year with many precious moments. We are so thankful for our friends. We've really discovered and utilized FaceBook and LinkedIn this year. It's so much easier to keep in touch. Brenda and I had a contest going for a while to see who was more popular on LinkedIn...then Brenda just gave up. (To her credit, I've got the database on my side...and she's winning on FaceBook.)

Yesterday, we celebrated Christmas with the Peter's side of the family. We had a lot of fun, good food, and everyone survived the snow storm. I got Brenda a super secret spy kit and agent handbook. Did you know she always wanted to be in the CIA? Oops...I blew her cover. Fortunately, the kit didn't come with a gun.

This year Brenda and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage with a trip to Hawaii in January. We're really looking forward to real palm trees and warm breezes...not just the T-shirt. Merry Christmas to all and all the best to you in the new year.

Love,
Tim, Brenda, Arianna, and Brielle Cimbura

Recommendations For 2007

Podcasts...find them on the iTunes Music Store

Your Mac Life - For Macintosh users
Go Magic Go - For Magicians
Andy Stanley - For everyone

Movies...One of the themes you'll see in these picks are that there are a lot of animated movies. It's amazing the creativity and entertainment value that they produce...while being clean in language and content. These are all films that we saw in 2007, not necessarily that they were released in 2007.

Ratatouille -- A hilarious fun loving movie about a rat with a dream to cook. Set in Paris, France.
Surfs Up -- One of the funniest animated movies yet...the story of a Penguin from Antarctica and his dream to be a famous surfer.
Everyone's Hero -- A kid with big dreams about baseball.
Flushed Away -- Funny film about a rat that gets sent to the sewer.
Cars - Pixar does it again.
Barnyard -- The behind the scenes look at what happens when we're not looking at farm animals.
Shrek the Third - Another funny movie in the series.
Meet the Robinsons -- A young orphan inventor learns the meaning of perseverance, making right choices, and family.
The Ultimate Gift -- Fantastic movie for anyone about the value of certain gifts in our lives.
Daddy's Little Girls -- Incredibly emotional and touching story of redemption and a father that really cares about his three daughters.
Freedom Writers -- A moving and inspiring film about a teacher and her students in LA. There is rough violence and some language that is realistic not gratuitous.
One Night With the King -- An amazing story of Esther.
Evan Almighty -- Funny story of a modern day Noah with lessons on what is important in life and how God works for us.
Last Holiday -- Given two weeks to live...how would it change your world?
Mr. Bean's Holiday -- Very funny tale of the venerable Mr. Bean on his trip to southern France.
I Am David -- Amazing story of a boy that escapes from a prison camp.
The Seven Decisions TV Special by Andy Andrews
Happily Never After -- Fractured fairy tales and what can go wrong in Cinderella's world.
Hoodwinked -- Fractured fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood in a mystery.
Stranger Than Fiction -- This is not your typical Will Farrol movie. The story is amazing and it is funny. It's a lot deeper than you think. An author's main character comes alive and wants to live as he learns what is important in life. If one offensive scene was removed, I would recommend this film the highest.
Amazing Grace -- Inspiring true story.
Nacho Libre -- Funny story of a monk that wants to be a wrestler.
Rudy -- Story of determination and perseverance to follow your dream no matter what others say.
Wild Hogs -- Very funny film about 4 middle aged men who go on a Harley road trip to find themselves.
The Prestige -- Victorian sci-fi with magic as a theme.
The Illusionist -- Interesting film with a magician at the center of it.
Music and Lyrics -- Cute romantic comedy while writing songs.

Books...some of the best we read this year among many.

Pivot by Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman -- How one simple turn in attitude can lead to success.
Brave Questions by Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman -- Questions you can ask to build deeper relationships.
101 Simple Life Lessons by Marsha Marks

"Life moves pretty fast...if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." - Ferris Bueller

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