Happy New Year!
We hope all of y’all are well and that 2008 is off to a great start for you and yours. Though we intended to get this missive out a bit earlier, sometimes things just happen when they happen. And so here’s the occasional annual letter from the Lavender-Mulkey household.
2007 was an exciting and eventful year for us. We were featured in an AP story that ran in more than 30 major newspapers across the US, complete with our photos (The story was about how couples handle money/financial issues.). Shonnie had her first keynote speaking gig (on five days notice) in Louisiana in the spring which was great, though it kept us from our annual visit to see loved ones in sunny Florida. She also taught two programs for clients of her mentor, Lance Secretan.
Shonnie also began graduate school, taking two classes in the early part of the year in the Organizational Leadership program at Gonzaga University. We took a trip to Chesapeake, Virginia to visit Shonnie’s brother 
and sister-in-law, Jason and Shevaun, and their kiddos, JC (6) and Marissa (3). They came down to visit us and camp in early fall. During the summer we hosted grandkids, Molly (12) and Jack (8), for their annual visit. We enjoyed games of Clue, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies, and rafting on the Pigeon River. Jack wasn’t really into Captain Underpants this year, much to the disappointment of Bruce. But we did get a chance to alktay ayay otlay ofyay igpay atinlay againyay isthay earyay. Shonnie took a driving trip with her dad, Bob, in September, venturing through the amazing landscapes of Zion, Bryce, Escalante, Capitol Reef national parks (Utah). And we made a couple of trips over to Tullahoma, Tennessee to visit Bruce’s mom Sue and his sister, Nancy and her family.
2007 also saw Shonnie’s venture into a new business niche, combining her coaching and web design and marketing skills to serve as a blog coach for other small business owners. She taught numerous blogging classes, and designed several blogs for a variety of clients. From this experience she authored her second book (The Coaches’ Blog Book) and was invited to speak at the International Coach Federation Annual Conference in Long Beach, California in November.
Bruce, Shonnie and some friends organized the Asheville Live Earth event on 7/7/07 that drew more than 500 participants who joined with millions of other folks around the world to call for solutions to global warming. In November Bruce traveled to Louisiana to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It was a profound experience that he wrote about on his blog. Additionally he began to grow his business (writing, planning, book shepherding) and is garnering clients in new fields and new markets. Bruce has also completed the first draft of a new book with the working title Be Happy Now. In his spare time in the evening, Bruce typically reclines on the futon to watch Seinfeld reruns and get in-depth news coverage from Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.
After a long hiatus, Shonnie talked Bruce into running a road race on Thanksgiving Day (Turkey Trot 5K) which was quite fun. We both prefer trail running to road running, and afterwards Bruce swore (literally) that he’d never run another road race again. Our other athletic endeavors typically take place at the nearby YMCA where Shonnie participates in 
spinning classes and Bruce plays handball. Bruce also claims he’s going to start lifting weights again in 2008, but there’s been no evidence of that so far.
The kitties–Chocolate 19, Kaali 13, Attabi 12, Bandit 8 and Desmond 8–continue to be sources of great joy in our lives. Chocolate has had some health issues, so we’re getting proficient at giving pills and liquids without too much feline or human distress. And Bandit’s voracious appetite for fresh squirrel seemed to tail off some during the latter part of the year. Since we’re vegetarians with vegan tendencies, we’re pretty OK with that.
Big changes came about near year’s end when Shonnie decided to get braces for her teeth (apparently once wasn’t enough) and accept a job back in the “corporate world” (she realized that while fun and rewarding, working in a solo capacity isn’t what she most loves). She’s now the lead life skills/wellness coach for the Buncombe County Medical Society. She’ll work with low-income, uninsured people with diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure to help them make positive life choices to improve their health and overall lifestyle. She’s totally thrilled! All the while we continue to take steps to promote I Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook and bring this work to couples around the world.
Our 2008 plans are big, exciting and really meaningful to us! Life is filled with potential – at a personal, business and societal level, and we’re grateful to get to play our part in it all. It’s a really rich time, and we anticipate a journey ahead that is as rewarding as the year just concluded.
For those of you who sent us holiday cards, thank you for thinking of us during the magical winter celebrations. And we would enjoy hearing from all of you whenever time permits or the fancy strikes. Furthermore, if you’re planning to visit our lovely part of the world, please give us a holler so we can make plans to show you some of our favorite places in our unique city’s lively downtown and in the nearby mountains ranges.
May the promises of 2008 bear fruit that satisfies your deepest desires. We wish you each the very best, now, in the year ahead, always and in all ways.
Peace and love,
Bruce & Shonnie
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008No Comments »
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