Merry Christmas 2009

Year in photos:

(Unbable to view slideshow? Click here.)

A Year Unlike Any Other

Most years, writing this annual retrospective as a joyful duty; I cheerily report the year's highlights and touch lightly on set backs. This year has been an incredible year of change, good and bad. So much has happened, and honestly, all my "social networking" updates (Facebook, blog, etc) are fluff to the stuff that really matters. Ultimately, I can't think of 2009 without great sadness for two significant losses. Their shock waves are the extreme relief to this years topography; and they tower like giant totems around which all of the rest of the year's events dance. But I will say in advance, even in these darkest moments, Fred and I know we are truly blessed: because we have each other, because we have the best family and friends around.

Early this year we lost my Uncle Albert. He was more a big brother and mentor than an uncle. Just 12 when I was born, he was a huge part of my early life in Hong Kong until we immigrated. We reconnected in '86 and he's been a significant part of my life since; even standing in for my father (who passed in 2002) and gave me away at my wedding in 2004. In January, he was diagnosed with cancer and within 3 weeks he was gone. We went to St. Albans, UK, to be with him in his final moments but was there only in time for funeral arrangements and to give Andrew all the love and support we could. Devastating to be sure, but through hard times, you find the best of the best; the Ritchies, Andrew's family, are incredible people and I'm proud to count as family.

Funeral arrangements aren't something you think you can become "good" at nor something you'd do more than once a year...one hopes. Sadly, I offered up my experience when a dear friend lost her husband in a tragic climbing accident in August. The sadness of that loss for their family still makes my chest tighten and my eyes well up. However, my friends strength and perseverance is an inspiration.

The sweet to the bitter is that we've had so many amazing professional and personal moments to temper the set backs. In a nutshell, I have significantly increased my hours in business development which translates to lots of meetings, business lunches, networking events, community volunteering, committees, podcasts, tweeting, etc. On the personal front, I’ve logged significantly more days climbing, particularly outside. I credit this to the stalwart group of climbing friends I’ve made, their significant role in keeping me motivated and challenged, and Fred cheering me on despite not being able to get out himself.

Speaking of Fred, except for his one fabulous sailing trip around the British Virgin Isle’s, he’s had absolutely no time off and works pretty much every day (like right now on x'mas eve)! We have a great new strategic relationship with a local software company and this has kept him crazy busy. Rather than bore you with more details, I thought I would confuse you with random and meaningless statistics of our year!

For more senseless details of our lives, check us out here:

• Ida’s Blog – mostly climbing/travel related
• Podcasts – all about Colorado and technology
• Ida’s Facebook – lots of personal updates, photos, etc
• Fred’s Facebook – he uses it to spy on others and never posts anything himself except for snippy comments! ;)

I know it's cliche, but this year's events have made these truisms all the more poignant:

Live fully, love whole-heartedly, and dream big!

Much love to all you of near and dear to our hearts,

Fred and Ida