A New Year.

It's Sunday night, January 3, 2010...
Dinner is done, the dishes are washing...the "big chunks" are picked up around the house and the kid's getting a "hot bath" (as opposed to a "cold bath" this morning before church), and I am helping Frank write his blog with a glass of wine.
The holidays were a mixed bag this year. Frank and Tammy hosted, not two, but three of the holiday events...Thanksgiving, Christmas and Kendall's birthday for the entire Luppe/Carson clan. It was good to have the families in for the occasions, but realize, it was a great deal of work for the Luppe's to make it all come together. From the all-nighter that Frank pulled the night before Thanksgiving because the turkey didn't thaw, to Tammy working overtime to make sure everything came together for Christmas, to Allison keeping Kendall occupied so that Frank and Tammy could do some experimenting in the kitchen to pull off Kendall's birthday dinner.

New Year's Eve found Frank and Kendall at home with overzealous "bugs" that wouldn't go away (later discovered as a stubborn case of bronchitis for Frank), while Tammy and Allison went to the Glasgow home for an evening of celebrating the New Year's arrival. Frank and Kendall were in bed and asleep by 10:30 pm, completing the arrival and departure of "amateur night" for Frank.
There were multiple church services, one of which saw the end of Allison's acolyte duties, all that provided a stabilizing faith for the Christmas season, and many of these services found Frank participating as either an usher or a worship assistant, providing him with a new positive perspective that he had never noticed before.

Even though the holidays this year were able to produce multiple three- and four-day weekends, it seemed as if the holidays tended to merge into one long holiday. So the last of the decorations have been put away, the refrigerator is giving up the last of the holiday leftovers and wine, and Kendall's questions of "when is Santa Claus coming back?" are becoming fewer and farther between. The Luppe's have witnessed the end of another holiday season, another month, another year and another decade. The page is turned, and new chapters are beginning.

There have been, as is usual, conversations of new year's resolutions, the promises of exercising more, smoking less and eating healthier. So, what does the new year/decade hold for the Luppe's?
Well, there's a pretty good chance that Allison will complete the 9th grade, completing yet another step toward young adulthood. She will continue to grow in her education, her faith, her experiences. Frank and Tammy will continue to watch in awe, wonder and yes, a great deal of chagrin, as she continues to grow into the young lady they have dreamed of. She will continue to test her adult-like wings, and now, more than ever, Tammy and Frank will try to be available to let her test those wings, but, be there to pick her up, should she stumble.
Kendall will continue to develop past the toddler stage and more into the pre-schooler. Frank continues to be amazed with each passing day how she is growing up so fast, how she continues to test the boundaries, how much he hates seeing her grow and lose some of the dependency she not too long ago demanded.

LuppeCPA will in all likelihood continue to grow and develop through the infancy stage of business and start in the maturity phrase.
And the lovely Mrs. Tammy will continue to be the driving force of the Luppe's. Providing, with no complaining, the stabilizing force of the family, providing the loving and strong home, the port in any storm. Tammy is beginning to get the itch to return to the workforce, and, will probably do so this year. It will be an adjustment for all, but Frank is determined to be supportive of whatever direction she wants to take. These are those things that have a better likelihood of happening.
But what about the goals for '010? (Coincidentally, there seems to be a debate of whether this year is referred to '010' or '10'....well, from Frank's point of view, there are a great deal of other issues more worthy of debate...pick one!)
On the professional front, one goal that Frank is determined to reach is to gain the certification of Certified Fraud Examiner. Frank would like to see the firm continue in revenue and client's served growth. Frank would like to eliminate any debt currently owed by the firm.

On the personal basis, Frank will seek to grow in his role as a loving and patient father. He will seek to be more of a partner at home to Tammy, will seek to "count to 10" more often.
He and Tammy have set as their primary financial goal eliminating as much personal debt as possible. At this point, they are closer than ever before to that goal. It is very conceivable, with discipline, that the Luppe's will owe only their home mortgage, by as soon as the end of May.

So, here we go...feet first into the year 2010. It, like it predecessors, will have challenges and disappointments, triumphs and defeats. The year holds events not yet seen that will surprise and amaze us. The year will see goals reached and not quite reached, will see new opportunities not yet seen.

So, have fun...talk to you later.