So, I decided that even though I sent out paper Christmas letters, I’d include all the info here. If you didn’t get one in the mail, that means I don’t have your address and would be happy to ratify the situation… just let me know. Heeeeeeeeeeeeerrrreee it is!

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”
~ Romans 12:12 (NLT)

Boy, oh boy has “patience” been a keyword in our lives this year!
After our third miscarriage (and 2^nd molar pregnancy) last December, we were told to wait an entire year before trying to conceive again. Looking back, this year has flown by… but in the midst of waiting, it seemed like an eternity. Testing in January revealed no chromosomal abnormalities in either of us (despite what our siblings might say!), so the cause of these heartbreaking experiences remains a mystery. We have just been cleared to try again, and are rejoicing in the confident hope that some happy news will come our way with the onset of a new year. Once again, we thank those who have faithfully prayed with us, and for us, over the past three years.

Just a week after our annual pilgrimage to Disneyland this fall, we found ourselves back in Southern California for Ryan’s maternal grandmother’s memorial service. After many decades, she was finally relieved of the suffering caused by a mental illness. Only seven weeks later, his paternal grandmother succumbed to injuries resulting from a sudden fall, so we traveled to Elyria, Ohio to celebrate her life. We found ourselves in one of those “it’s nice to see family, but not under these circumstances” kind of situations.

On a lighter note, Ryan continues to enjoy his position as Manager of International Forecasting for the Gallo Winery. He has been to Tokyo, Germany, London, Canada, Hong Kong, and Florida for business meetings with his foreign team members. He got creative with a couple of his trips: During a trip to Germany, he was able to meet up with a cousin and his wife for dinner. One trip to London coincided with an international trip his sister Michelle was taking, and they were able to tour around together for a day. And his last meeting with his Japanese team was held in Hong Kong where he hung out with a fraternity brother. He’s become quite proficient at booking a great flight with the best seats, and has earned enough miles through United that he can hang out in the Red Carpet Club at airports. The pups and I continue to patiently await his return from each of these adventures.

Ryan is still intent on pursuing his MBA, and has just applied to UC Berkeley, University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business, and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. So once again, we wait patiently… this time for acceptance letters, and the possibility of moving to (gulp!) Chicago!

This spring, my Stroller Strides business finally started to grow. All of a sudden, I found myself teaching 8-10 moms per class instead of the 2 or 3 I’d had for the past two and a half years. This growth gave me the opportunity to hire one of my members as an instructor. She is currently teaching Mondays and Fridays, while I teach Wednesday classes. I fill my “days off” with substitute teaching jobs in Manteca and Modesto, and also still enjoy teaching an occasional Discovery Toys workshop.

I have recently rediscovered my passion for dance by taking a jazz/hip hop combination class at small studio just blocks from my house (cleverly named 5*6*7*8 Dance). I’ve cheered and danced in tennis shoes for so long, that I couldn’t help but giggle as I bought the first pair of real jazz shoes I’ve worn in more than 20 years. I’ll be participating in our recital this coming May… my first studio recital since I was 9!

Miscellaneous notes include the sale of both our boat and the truck we pulled it with. As a replacement, Ryan bought a new Scion TC, and loves zooming around town in it. We also just performed The Christmas Shoes for our church’s Christmas musical. Ryan played a cold-hearted, workaholic father whose life is changed when he meets a little girl buying shoes for her dying mother on Christmas Eve. I, much to my parents’ dismay, played the dying mother.

Despite some troubles, we are rejoicing, for we have much to be thankful for this year… and even more to look forward to in the year to come. To help our friends and family keep tabs on us from here on out, Ryan has worked hard to redesign the webpage he created for us after our wedding six years ago. Please visit www.ryanbarr.com from time to time and see what updates we have to share.

We’re praying that you have a blessed Holiday season, and send our best wishes for a joyful 2008!

With love,

Ryan and Megan Barr

Categories: Barr Family Blog