A Summary of 2007

I included our blog address on our Christmas card this year that may arrive in your mailbox soon, so I thought I would post a quick summary of where life has taken us this year... (and if you don't think I have your address, email it to me! I would love to send you a card)

January-April: I finished nannying for two of my most favorite little kids that I had cared for since they were newborns (4+ years with them!). Ben was busy interviewing for jobs (sometimes braving crazy weather to get to these interviews) and finishing his research and dissertation on how granular materials mix and flow.

May 20: After two long days of labor and eventually an emergency c-section, Eli David Severson was born. As he is the main subject of this blog, we are now fully immersed in the care and love for this sweet child. We are so blessed to have this wonderful baby and love him to pieces!! Just today he started yelling "Da da da da da da" over and over, almost in a complaining, frustrated tone. We think it is pretty cute (and funny). We love seeing Eli change and grow and think our chubby, strong little boy is terrific!

June: After 5 years of graduate school, Ben completed his Ph.D. at Northwestern, and the commencement speaker was Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfus - she was thoroughly entertaining! Ben's parents flew out for graduation and for Eli's baby blessing at church, so it was a fun couple of weeks. Ben tried to get as much fishing in as he could before starting work full time. This was also the year of the cicada here in Chicago...

July: Ben began his job as a financial engineer with an options trading firm in downtown Chicago. He has now been there for 6 months and really enjoys what he's doing. We were lucky that he started working there just a few weeks before the company celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a very fun party!

October: Sarah and Eli took two trips, one to Washington DC and the other to Utah. 3 out of the 4 flights were successful (the leg home from Utah was not great - Eli got some comments from other passengers on the strength of his lung capacity...) Later we had a visit from our sister-in-law Emily and her niece Adele.

December: We just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (crazy how time flies!), and next week we're off to San Diego to be with Ben's family. One of his brothers lives there and we're all ascending on them for the holidays! It is sure to be absolute mayhem but so much fun. Eli will get to spend time with 13 of his 14 cousins (I hope I have that number right!), 12 aunts and uncles, and grandparents. The only family missing is Ben's youngest sister Danielle and her husband and daughter, because she is pregnant and due in two weeks. Two of Ben's other siblings are also expecting baby boys in upcoming months, so soon the adults will be outnumbered by the little kids! We're looking forward to trading our snow and 20 degree weather for some sunshine in California.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Love, the Seversons