Welcome to the 2008 edition of the Greco Gazette … if you're a repeat visitor, we're glad you came back! If you're visiting for the first time, we hope you'll take a few minutes (while sipping some egg nog or Glühwein) to click around and enjoy some of the pictures that tell the story of our year.

The highlight of our 2008 was a change of address. It was a momentous occasion because we made the leap from condominium to single family home … from parking outside to parking in a garage … from a postage stamp backyard to a real backyard!!! The list goes on and on. We feel incredibly lucky to have sold and bought during the summer months before the country's financial crisis began in earnest, and we're thoroughly enjoying our new neighborhood. Kirsten has enjoyed having a new house to decorate, and Dylan especially enjoys the nearby parks, the neighborhood pool and the candy store just a few blocks away (his favorite treat is a Chicago Cubs cookie). Check out photos of our new place here.

With the move came a number of other transitions – Kirsten began taking Dylan to Mom-Toddler classes, including one in German (yes, he's learning the language!), Jim crossed the big 4-0 milestone this past fall and ended the year with a promotion at work (yeah!), and Dylan has grown like every 2-year-old does – learning to drink from a cup, conning his way into more cookies, and quoting Buzz Lightyear every half hour. Check out Dylan's Corner to see the latest and greatest photographs of our year.

In closing, we hope that despite uncertain times everyone will have a relaxing and joyous holiday season. We remain hopeful that 2009 will be a year that ushers in hope for a brighter future for our country and all our friends and family. Please do drop us a line and just let us know how you're doing!