Dear 2011

Dear 2011,

Thanks for being an amazing year.   Thanks for the laughs, for lessons learned and for answered prayers.

Thanks for good times together, that would turn into treasured memories.  Thanks for a snow covered Central Park visit after an incredible Breakaway weekend spent with some of the most amazing students and leaders in the world.

Thanks for green lollipops that made those painful times this year a little bit easier.

Thanks for the friendships.  Especially the new ones that brought new friends with awesome kids and plenty of fun play dates.  Thanks for the good food and conversations that came along with these friendships too.  

Thanks for milestones completed.  Thanks for bikes without training wheels and little boys, full of pride, on the verge of not being quite so little anymore.

Thanks for celebrating 8 years of marriage this year to my best friend in the world.  Thanks for God's amazing blessings and provisions in our lives.  Thanks for love, date days, late night chats and joy in knowing that I have found the one that my soul longs for.  Thanks too, for the tough times... even though, for the most part I'm not a huge fan of conflict.  Thanks for those things that brought us closer.

Thanks for the atlantic ocean.  And the bay.  And the other beautiful bodies of clear, snorkeling waters that we got to enjoy this year.  

Thanks for the missions trip to Puerto Rico and for hard work, good friends and power tools.

Thanks for all of the firsts.  Thanks for the amazing educations that our kids have been able to have.  Thanks for a fun second grade teacher and a son who is excited to go to school each day.  Thanks for a sweet little girl who has slowly but surely settled in to an excited year of preschool with an amazing teacher who "sings great, even though she says she doesn't," (according to Ellee) and for the little friendships that she has made in her class.  Thanks for the construction paper projects that have brightened up our home and for the pride that comes with each one.

Thanks for scooter rides with this hot guy.  Thanks for the fun things that we have been able to enjoy this year.  Even though our lives and our happiness is not based on the mere things that we own, thanks that we are still able to enjoy them and use them to grow closer in our relationships.

Thanks so, so much for our families.  Thanks for the times that we have been able to have with them this past year.  Living on opposite coasts from our Seattle family and 800ish miles away from our Michigan family has been a challenge at times.  But it has always made those times that we've had together incredibly special.

Finally, thanks for these two wonderful kids.  Thanks for the love and joy that they have brought into our lives.  Thanks for everything that they have learned this year.  Thanks most of all, that they love Jesus and have him in their hearts. Thanks for all of the ways that they were able to learn and grow in God's love this year.

All in all, thanks for everything that you were 2011.  You helped us to learn and grow, to live and to love.  

You were filled with memories of good times with our family and friends.  We look forward to 2012, and everything that the New Year will bring, but just wanted to take a few minutes to remember everything that we experienced this year.

Love,

Laura