Thursday, December 15, 2011
Merry Christmas, Happy 2012, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, President's Day...
OK, apologies that if you aren't immediate family or your name begins with A-D, you likely didn't receive a Christmas card/letter from us this year. Please accept my apologies and know that we loved and cherished all the ones we received from you! So please don't kick us off your list for 2012...maybe I should start working on that one now!!!
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Merry Christmas (…Happy New Year, Happy Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras) to friends and family near and far!!! We miss you all and eagerly look forward to this time of year that signals our catching up with each other. For the Bremer’s, 2011 could be summed up in two words: BLESSED TRANSITION! (Ironically, I’m sure we’ll be saying the same thing next year, as we did last year!)

Eli has continued to train for the 2012 Olympics, but knowing it’s his last one, he’s had a very different approach this time around. He’s still training as hard as ever, but he’s filled his “extra” time with all kinds of activities in preparation for this next phase of life in the professional world! In February, he was elected Chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party (the 2nd largest County Party in the nation). Under Eli’s strong leadership, the local Party has drastically increased its fundraising and brought in key national figures such as Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, and Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. As if this weren’t enough to keep him busy, in his typical overachieving style, he’s still managing our rental properties, serving as a Major in the Air Force Reserves, giving speeches, growing his corporate training company 5Ring Insight, fundraising for his alma mater (US Air Force Academy), representing athlete issues to the US Olympic Committee, continuing studies towards a second Master’s degree at George Washington University, AND serving as Chief Operating Officer for a technology startup.

All that makes my crazy transitional year sound like nothing! I began the year as Regional Sales Manager for Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, where my “regional” territory kept growing and peaked at 12 states! I enjoyed the travel and operating in the medical community, but in late July it was announced that the longstanding company was being acquired and I was let go in August. It was a tough time of questioning what God’s will was for our life, but fortunately God answered that one quickly with a particular job posting at Penrose Cancer Center. Since September, I have been a Physician Liaison for the Centura-based Cancer Center and I LOVE IT!!! It seems every position and life experience led me to this perfect fit, and I look forward to a long and stable career using my marketing, communications, administration and even political skills in this incredible medical environment!
Among the year’s highlights, Cami’s youngest sister Marianne married her perfect match Thomas (a wonderful man of God) in July, and we were honored to be a part of the festivities and welcome this beautiful couple into married life!

Uncle Eli and Aunt Cami enjoy being just that to now 8 little nieces and nephews! They’re all over the country in Oklahoma, North Carolina and Georgia, so we never can get enough of them! We actually have a niece we’ve not met yet, but we’re hoping that can happen early this year. Thankfully, both of Eli’s active duty Air Force brothers are home safe and sound and able to spend time with their families for Christmas. Praise the Lord, and prayers for upcoming deployments!

We made the most of life between Cami’s jobs, traveling to Mexico with good church friends Kevin and Kendra. We were blessed and thankful for the opportunity to stay in a friend’s home and experience a REAL Mexican fishing village. Far from full service all-inclusive, the trip was an authentic blast, complete with catching and cooking our own Mahi-Mahi dinner!

We arrived home from Mexico just in time to welcome Cami’s grandparents on their first Colorado visit! Timing was perfect, as the Colorado fall leaves were beautiful and the weather was amazingly pleasant for South Georgia family! Pops had a blast with the mining museums and Air Force Academy, and Gran ate up the shopping and panning for gold! It was a wonderful time of bonding, and we are so grateful for this special time we spent together!

Cami is still mourning the loss of her Bible Study Buddy Scratchy (in photo), and the Itchy and Scratchy show has officially come to an end way too soon. Princess Fiona (the kitten we got to console Scratchy after Itchy died) is just fine being an only-kitty, so no new pets are in our near future. “Fi” is entertaining and energetic—she thinks she’s a dog and will play fetch as long as you can throw to her! She’s not Scratchy, but she’s loved dearly (and she knows it)!

We definitely honor Larry Munson’s “Hunker Down” directive and spend nearly every weekend in the fall and winter tuned into Air Force, Georgia and Broncos football. Tebow has made believers out of us (in pro football, which we never cared for), and between Champ Bailey, Knowshon Moreno and Tebow, it’s like watching SEC football again! Nearly every Sunday, Cami can be found wearing her pink #15 jersey and cheering for the team wearing colors she never thought she’d like!

The basement finish project we started in 2008 is finally winding down, adding another 1500 square feet and 3 bedrooms to our home. In other words, we’re more than ready for visitors, so come and stay as long as you want! We can’t wait to welcome you to Colorado!

Much love and best wishes for a blessed 2012!
Eli & Cami


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