Spring Fever!

Mallory and Nick are at the beach, my parents are on a cruise, and I'm so jealous!!! I NEED BEACH--SOON! Colorado's idea of beach is the dirty sand of 30-degree mountain reservoirs!

Work at the Heart Association is going well, but I can't WAIT until next week, when I will travel to Spain to watch Eli (check out his website at www.elibremer.com for updates--he got 10th at the World Cup this last weekend). I really need some time off from work! Don't we all?!

I will go to Madrid for 5 days, then fly to Chicago for the USOC Media Summit. I hope to get some freelance pieces out of the event, as it has been a long time since I did any magazine writing.

I need it to stop snowing and freezing around here so I can get up on the roof to take the Christmas lights down! I think we're going for a new record with them being up until April! It looks kinda funny to have my Welcome Spring door wreath up, and still have Christmas lights on the roof! Granted, this is Colorado, where anything flies. At least I unplugged the lights in January!

Eli's adventures

So Eli's had a very exciting few weeks, and we are gearing up for a whirlwind of a spring!

Just days after finding out that he was a Regional finalist for White House Fellows (see http://www.elibremer.com/media.htm)
Eli had a fantastic performance at the Mexico City World Cup, where he placed 5th. That is his highest World Cup performance to date, and indication of a great season to come--always a good thing during an Olympic year!

And just today, he made finals in what is arguably the most difficult World Cup of the year in Millfield, England. You can watch results of finals this Saturday live at http://www.247.tv/index.php?men=PAGE74&tourid=08pent01.

After England, Eli will travel to Poland for a week-long training camp, then on to Madrid, Spain for World Cup #4. I will be meeting him there, so expect plenty of pictures soon! We will travel back to the States together to the USOC Media Summit in Chicago, and then I will fly home while Eli flies to DC for his White House Fellows interviews. That is month #1 abroad for Eli. May will bring more of the same, as he will travel for most of the month. June and July he'll be home, preparing for the Olympic Games! He will leave for Beijing in early August, and we are planning a community sendoff for the hometown hero! Check Eli's website at www.elibremer.com for the latest competition updates.

Catch-up

I actually never got a Christmas letter mailed out this year, although I started preparing a newsletter...so maybe I'll just give you tidbits of what a Christmas letter WOULD HAVE said...if I'd actually done it! And maybe that'll kinda catch us up on the blog...

We still lead the Young Married’s Small Group. The group, currently consisting of seven other young couples (DINKS—dual income, no kids), is thriving--2007 studies included The Truth Project, the Purpose Driven Life, and lots of fellowship! The group’s activities and weekly prayer requests can be found on the web at mscdinks.blogspot.com. Quite a few tight-knit relationships have been developed through the group. It is becoming the tradition that the Young Married’s who are in town and don’t have family visiting get together for holiday dinners. Easter, Christmas, 4th of July—you name it. This fellowship will never replace that of real family, but we are grateful that God gave us this second family in our small group!

While we recognize that being DINKS definitely has its advantages, we decided that it was time to ‘take the next step’—of faith! Thus, they now have a new member of the family. Lumu is an ‘adopted’ a sponsor son from Uganda. Lumu resides at New Hope Uganda—a ministry begun by Mountain Springs Church members. Eli and Cami continue to be so impressed with the education and counseling that Lumu receives there. For example, we decided to send a little extra money as a Christmas gift for Lumu. But before the ministry would give him the money, he had to decide how he was going to use it (and that had to be approved by the ministry). They are truly teaching this young man to fish...

Close church friends Fletch and Melissa moved into our neighborhood, as well as Eli's former teammate-turned coach Scott Christie and his family. Despite the fact that somehow we do not see them nearly as often as when they lived 20 minutes away, it is wonderful to have such close friends so nearby.

Melissa helped Cami throw a HUGE party when Eli returned from Pan Am Games an Olympic Qualifier. In fact, she went above and beyond, decorating the house and surprising even Cami! Ahh...neighbors!

In September (I think), we attended the Air Force Ball with Eli’s brother Max and his wife Tamsey. The boys’ ‘Uncle Jerry’ was the keynote speaker at the event in Kansas. It was also fun to see our niece and nephews interact in their home environment.

Eli and Cami traveled to Georgia for what we’re calling “Thanksmas”. The visit was complete with all the traditions of Christmas AND Thanksgiving!




Eli’s classmates Jon Friedman and Thom Gifford and their families joined us for a ‘mini’ reunion at an Air Force Academy football game in the fall. Jon and his wife Katie now live in Italy have a four-month old boy, Clark. Pictured here is the Gifford family, Brooklyn, Thom, Stephanie, Ryan, and Luke (not pictured).

We had a wonderful time being a part of these very special occasions this year!
· Nick and Mallory Addison (Cami’s sister) were married on March 31 in Albany, GA.
· Benaiah Paul Bremer (our nephew) was born April 17 to Max and Tamsey Bremer.
· Justin Bremer (Eli’s brother) graduated from medical school in May.
· Marianne Grebel (Cami’s sister) graduated from Lee County High School in May.
· Mallory (Grebel) Addison (Cam’s sister)graduated from University of Georgia’s Graduate School of Social Work in May.
· Vincent and Evania Ku (Cami’s former co-worker) were married on August 5 in Denver , CO.
· Nathan (Eli’s college buddy) and Chelsea Pifer were married on June 16 in Houston, TX.

And THOSE were just the ones we would've mentioned in our if-only Christmas letter! Since then, there's been MUCH more!

• Small group friends Tom and Ali Pulford recently had a baby boy, who they named Eli.
• Small group friends Jonathan and Anna Bartha had a girl, Grace.
• Small group friends Adam and Liz had a girl, Emma Grace.
• Small group friends Mike and Heather Temple announced they will be having a BOY this August!
• Eli's teammate Dennis Bowsher is ENGAGED!
• Eli's former teammate-turned coach Scott Christie and his wife Cheryl announced they were pregnant!
  
• Eli's brother Justin and his wife Alison Bremer will be having their first child--A BOY! We LOVE being Aunt Cami and Uncle Eli!

OK, so I think that kind of catches us up...won't get that far behind again!