Best of 2005

In honor of the past year, I'm going to give you my "best of the year" awards, in arbitrary and random categories of my own choosing.

Best Trip
Honeymooning in Hawaii. I don't think I need to add much to this. A week on the beautiful island of Kauai was absolutely perfect.

Best Meal
This is a hard award to bestow, as I was privileged to have many good meals in 2005. One that sticks out was dinner at the Embassy Club with Heath and Sarah high atop the Principal Building in downtown Des Moines. What a view!

Best Athlete
Curtis Stinson. Helped ISU to its first NCAA appearance (and win) since the Hampton debacle in 2001.

Best Game
Iowa State beating Colorado at a crazy Jack Trice. Of course when you are an ISU fan, the best is always followed by the worst (losing to Kansas).

Best Movie
Cinderella Man. With an honorable mention to Batman Begins.

Best Book
I didn't read as many books as I would like to (hopefully that will change this next year), but my favorite had to be The Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. We received this as a wedding gift from Ron and Jane E, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It looks at marriage as a means to make us holy and has been very helpful to me.

Best Sermon(s)
A series on worship by John Piper. His "Desiring God" podcast is great listening and worth subscribing to if you are looking for good Biblical exposition.

Best News
The new addition to our family that will be arriving in March.