2007 Holiday Letter

2007 has been a very busy year for us. Let me start with the craziness around my career. Started the year off in a whirlwind of work - Jan-April was nonstop travel with Board Meetings, operations meetings, and investor meetings. It seemed like I was always on the road. I was in New York, Florida, Texas, Washington DC, Seattle, and Las Vegas. While so of this is fun, it gets old after a while. I miss being at home with my family. In May I started thinking about doing something else, starting my own business so that I could be in control of my own life again. But that was a long process. Convincing my boss that I was serious about a change was a difficult task. We have worked together off and on for over 20 years and he's as much a part of my life as my family is. At least I have been working with him for longer than I have been with my husband and children. We continued to talk about how to make it work but I continued to struggle with the challenges of running a public company's operations and balancing that with having a life. Working with an executive coach I began to formulate some ideas about what I would like to do with a goal of leaving my job within the year.
In October an opportunity came up that seemed like a once in a lifetime thing. I decided to go for it but had to leave the company with no notice. Its an emotional roller coaster because all of this happened at the same time my Dad's illness took a terrible turn. John has been incredibly supportive. I spent six weeks in Kentucky caring for my father in his last weeks while trying to work on this deal over the phone.
The group that I spent a lot of my efforts negotiating with looks like they may pull through and get the deal. While I won't be a partner in the deal we have worked out an agreement that will provide me with a nice fee in order to eventually kick off my own efforts with Doubelhaul Investments. I will do some consulting for them for the next six months or so while I am also wrapping up things with some of my Dad's projects in Kentucky. We own a single family land development and were building some spec houses at the time my father passed away. You can read more about the final weeks with my father in other blog postings if you are interested.

John is continuing to be very active with the kid's school and scouting with Jack. He stays very busy and spent a good part of the year overseeing the construction mess in our basement. If was finally completed in September and now we have to furnish it. We put a "pub" in the basement named for John's Irish roots - The Carolan Pub - the name got changed when they came across the big pond so now it's Carlin. It is the neighborhood hang out as the neighbors walk the trail behind the house on occasion to see if the pub lights are on so they can stop in for a Fat Tire (a local Colorado beer we have on tap. John has also been teaching Mac and Jack to shoot - bows and BB's. They are both pretty good and enjoy shooting at targets. Let's just hope they don't start shooting at something else. We have a lot of deer in our area and one of the neighbors got a hunting tag to shoot them with a bow. Mac and Jack were over at their house one evening when the neighbor killed a deer. It was an interesting experience for them to say the least. John continues to do well with his Parkinson's though he is slowing down a bit. I know it is a challenge for him with my in Kentucky. His doctor left the practice and the practice has kind of fallen apart so he has spent a good bit of time trying to find another one. We are scheduled to see a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic in December. We remain optimistic about the research that is going on to find a cure.
Lindsay returned home from SCAD and enrolled in the Art Institute of Colorado in January. She is an amazing photographer and is doing well in her classes. Check our her website at www.7-24photo.com. This summer she got some jobs taking senior class photos for a few students and they turned out great. If you are looking for a family photo, photo's of your kids or just some nice photos for your walls - check out the site. She is ready for business. She continues to hang out with the old gang from our old neighborhood and is growing up into an amazing young lady. I am very proud of her. In July we decided to join a good friend of mine and her son and niece on a trip to Italy. It was really a spur of the moment decision something I don't usually do. We had a wonderful time visiting Venice, Lugano-Switzerland, Milan, Florence and Rome. I am definitely going back. What an amazing place.
Mary Mac is getting so tall she will soon out grow me. She is only 10! She is still the fashion queen of the house. She is taking hip hop dance and loves it - no more Irish dance. I think last years St.Patty's Parade put an end to that. Too much walking! She is doing well in school and enjoys hanging out with friends and the whole Webkins craze.
Jack is growing up fast too but is still our baby. He is active in scouts and enjoys all the activities. He and John have been camping several times. He started playing basketball this fall and is pretty good. Maybe he will have some of my Dad's talent - he played in college for a while. He has also retired from Irish Dance - getting too old, I think, to be one of the only boys. He loves art, a lot like Lindsay. He is also a big Webkins fan.
We are looking forward to the new year and new beginnings. It has been a difficult holiday season with the passing of my father - the last grandparent. It brings a whole new perspective to your life as the "top of the family tree" now.

All the best of season to you and yours.

Love,
Martha