Happy Holidays!

Top 10 Things We Are Thankful For in 2007
or, a Funk Holiday Letter

Call it “going green” or “procrastination”, but for the first time, the Funk Holiday Letter debuts in electronic splendor. Now, sit back and enjoy our list of the Top 10 Things We Are Thankful For in 2007.

1. Blogging: This year, blogging (or web logs, or a journal on the Internet) brought family and friends together. We took their blog to new heights and actually got people to read it! Most of Lauren’s family now has their own blogs and we keep up to date on family gossip through posting comments on each other’s blogs. We also joined Facebook, an online social networking site, and competed to see who could link to more friends. (Current Count: Lauren- 91, Jon- 41)

2. Airplanes: We did not get a stamp in their passports this year but did rack up plenty of airline miles. Between San Diego for Carter and Leandra’s wedding (Lauren’s brother), Utah for Grandpa Stromberg’s funeral and Thanksgiving with both sides of the family, and New York, Miami, Oregon, Dallas, Philadelphia, Lincoln (yes, Nebraska) and Houston for business and pleasure, we’ve been busy. (photo at left: at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego, June 2007)

We will be in St. Louis for Christmas with Lauren’s family, and Utah for New Year’s with Jon’s family (since they just moved there). We already have some travel plans lined up in 2008, thanks to a few weddings and some business meetings. None out of the country though, so cross your fingers for some international destinations.

3. History: Living in Washington, D.C. has taught us that we have no excuse to ever be bored. We have not completely optimized our surrounding this year (see #2), but we have found small windows to sightsee. Between Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown and the National Mall, we have done our fair share. Our list of places to see continues to grow exponentially as we discover all of the great destinations on the East Coast. (Photo: Us at the White House.)

4. High School: Is that weird for 2 people who have been out of high school for 10 and 7 years? Jon had his 10 year high school reunion this year and we flew all the way to Scappoose, Oregon for it. And, to make it better, we had to stay in a *gasp!* hotel because Jon’s family moved to Utah a few months before. We had a great time reconnecting with friends of the past and Lauren had fun meeting new people. A corn maze was also involved. (Photo at left: (l to r)Jennifer, Jon, Greg, Jessica and Tyra at the bowling alley)

And, due to the powers of the Internet (see #1), we both reconnected with a lot of friends we haven’t been in touch with in years. Although it’s a little strange to see people who are still 17 in your mind with children, we are having a great time staying in touch with everyone.

5. Man’s Best Friend: 2007 was a sad year for pets for us. Lauren’s family dog, Belle, died during the summer. She was old and she died peacefully in her sleep. But as the first dog of the Stromberg family (although I stand corrected that she wasn't technically the first, but the first that I actually remember), she will sorely be missed. Lauren’s parents also have a Chihuahua, but somehow, that doesn’t replace an Australian Shepherd. I’m just saying. . . (photo at right: Belle)

When Jon’s family moved from Oregon in the summer, they left their dog, Buster, with a neighbor. Perhaps the drive would have been too much for their aged pup, or maybe he would be happier with land to roam and chickens to kill. Even though we have left these doggies behind, we really are grateful for their place in our lives. (photo at left: Buster and Jon)

6. Opportunity: Jon’s resume doubled in length this year as he ended up at 3 different jobs all in one year. Good thing we have an accountant in the family because he will have 3 W-2s to deal with for taxes. He started the year at Deloitte as a Senior Tax Accountant. After 2 ½ years with Deloitte, he moved over to CapitalSource, a real estate investment trust in Chevy Chase, Md. All of a sudden, in the Fall, a great opportunity at Ernst &Young came his way. With the help of great friends, Jon changed jobs once again and started at the E&Y National Tax office in Washington, D.C. in November. And no worries, he’ll be there for a while.

While Lauren is still with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), she is now their Communications Manager. She has her very own office and can boss someone other than Jon around.

7. Education: In the Fall, Lauren started a Masters program at Johns Hopkins University in Communications. The program is part-time so she is able to work and go to school at the same time. While she feels the program is worth it, she misses vegging out in front of the TV after work. Jon has been supportive by quietly watching football all day on Saturday (poor Jon!) and proofreading her 20-page papers late at night.

8. Friends: For all of the reasons listed above, and more, we are grateful for our friends, both old and new. Even if we don’t talk to some of them very often, we still feel very connected and appreciate them humoring us by answering our emails and phone calls. Being busy with work and school makes it difficult to be really social, but we look forward to the times we have just to hang out with friends both old and new. (photo at right: (l to r) Dave, Jon and Tyra at the High School Reunion)

9. Family: At last count, we have 28 people in our immediate family circle. This means lots of talking over each other, some misunderstandings and many varying opinions. But the best part is all of the love we have for each other and the great times we have when we are together (and apart). (Stromberg family at the left; Mary Funk, Nathan, Rachael and Jacob Brueck to the right)

10. Christmas: See #2, #8 & #9. This holiday season we are especially thankful for the wonders of the season. The first snowfall that only dusted the ground, the unseasonably warm temperatures, the work bowling parties, free online shipping, credit cards, time off work, nonstop Christmas music radio stations and drive-through Christmas Lights displays are really only the tip of the iceberg on why this time of year is so special.

Happy Holidays to you and yours this holiday season. Take the time to think about all you are thankful for this year. And you never know—you might end up with a really long blog post after all!

Love,









P.S. The photos on our Christmas card you got in the mail are: At the Corn Maze on Sauvie Island, Oregon (September 2007), In front of Cinderella's Castle, Disneyland, Anaheim, California (June 2007) and on the shore of the James River, Jamestown, Virginia (May 2007).