At the beginning of this year, Ryan said “2008 is going to be GREAT!”  Well, it definitely has been.  Kate started off the year living in Anne and Colin’s basement in Woodbridge, VA, and Ryan in his condo with two roomates in Annandale, VA, and we ended the year together in Hunt Valley, MD!

The winter months saw a very busy work schedule for Kate, as the project she had been working on the last two years, Cyber Storm II, culminated in a week-long cyber wargame in March.  Because Kate was stuck down in DC, she was close to the hospital where her 7^th niece, Rosemary Kate Eckman, was born, and was able to slip out of Secret Service just long enough to see Rosie right after she came into the world!  Kate was also helping out at a bible study at Madiera (the high school we both coached volleyball), and enjoyed being around all the girls, who we definitely miss.  Ryan continued leading the DMDC project for DoD, though he kept feeling there was something else out there he was being called to do.

Our Easter plans seemed like a whirlwind – literally, as Ryan’s soon-to-be sister-in-law Nikki was playing in the Division III National Championships.  So we decided to head to Michigan to support her!  We flew into Chicago, and got to see many of Kate’s family, then headed to Hope, MI, via South Bend, IN.  Kate enjoyed being back on campus and showing Reed all the beauties and tradition of Notre Dame while snow began to slowly fall…then, became WHITEOUT conditions as the region was hit with a blizzard.  We made it to the basketball games, and although Nikki’s team fell in the finals, the weekend was definitely exciting and exhausting, finishing with our arrival back in DC just in time for Easter dinner with Kate’s family!

A few weeks later, we found ourselves in Lancaster, PA for the wedding of Reed and Nikki.  We definitely enjoyed quality family time and their beautiful wedding ceremony!  This must have been the Year of the Horanburg!

Our most exciting news of the year was our engagement and wedding!!  On May 5^th (Cinco De Mayo – Ryan wanted to make sure the date was easy to remember), while on vacation in Tampa visiting the family, Ryan proposed to Kate.  The week quickly turned from relaxing to lively!  The decision to get married in August (less than 4 months of preparation!!) was made because after dating almost 4 years…lol…no, because we wanted to be married and settled before Ryan began a new chapter of his career, as National Director for FCA Lacrosse.  This new ministry position would bring together his love of lacrosse, business, and Jesus Christ.

Our summer months were filled with planning and preparation for the wedding, as we took pleasure in all the details that go into the BIG DAY – Kate was in HEAVEN with all the particulars!  Together we enjoyed working with Fr. Bob to have the most perfect wedding ever!  We had so many family and friends head to Tampa- many who traveled great distances, under soon-to-be circumstances (thanks Tom, Dilia, and the boys) and around hurricanes (thanks John, Jen, Molly, and the Coups!) to share this truly memorable day, August 23rd,  with us!  We hung around Tampa for a few days after the wedding so we could see all the people who came in town, and then we headed on our incredible honeymoon – ITALIA!! We traveled the Amalfi Coast, staying in Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, and Capri for the first half of the trip, and then on to Rome in all its glory for the rest.  We miss the coastal towns, the people, the history, the sacredness, and of course, the food and drink!  It will be a time of our lives we will never forget.

We arrived back to DC on a Friday, and had planned to move on Saturday up to Hunt Valley, MD, but the weather had other plans.  So, instead, we used Saturday to clean up the condo with the help of many Horanburgs, and then moved all of our stuff in on Sunday, avoiding the terrible weather.  The move went great, and soon we were settled in our new place, that we absolutely love! 

Since we got back from our honeymoon, the days have flown by, and our life has been busy with Kate getting down to McLean, VA once a week for work as her new life as a telecommuter for Booz Allen began.  We have been to Tampa, Nebraska City, Chicago, Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Olcott, Suffolk, Rochester, and we are missing a few, in the past 3 months since the wedding, and things do not seem to be letting up, but we are enjoying all the places we are getting to visit.  We even got to see what parenthood was like, as we babysat all weekend for Kate’s two nieces and nephew- man, was that entertaining! 

The busyness continued through November, as we spent Thanksgiving at Anne’s house in Virginia, then a midnight to 9AM Black Friday shopping excursion with the sisters, and then the baptism of Kate’s Goddaughter, Sophia Maria, to conclude the weekend.  December crept right up on us, and we are definitely enjoying being in the Christmas spirit!  Ryan had to be in Rochester the second weekend in December for an FCA Lacrosse All-Nighter, so we drove up to Olcott, NY to visit some of the Horanburgs for the weekend, where we enjoyed yet another rousing game of Spoons!

The Christmas tree is up, presents wrapped, and decorations adorn our condo.  But, each of these things are a reminder of the real reason for this wonderful season – the birth of Christ.  We will be headed to Virginia to spend the holiday with almost all of Kate’s family, Ryan’s parents, and Reed and Nikki.  We are blessed to have so many people to love and who love us.  Truly God would have wanted nothing more meaningful to celebrate the birth of His Son, than the tradition of sharing this most special time of year with our family and loved ones. 

So, to those of you who we will not see, you are in our hearts and our prayers.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!  We hope 2008 was as great for you as it was for us, and we hope 2009 is even better!

Love,

Kate & Ryan Horanburg