Farewell to 2011

I can not fully embrace 2012 and all of the challenges, opportunities and resolutions that entails without first reflecting on 2011...

We started in January with a winter wedding. Careful to hide cold ears, noses and fingers. I once told a winter bride..."a winter bride is a cold bride." To which she schooled me, "a winter bride is a happy bride." So there, how is that for perspective?

Then I rode a dog sled in Denali Park in Alaska in February. Who goes to Alaska in February? A mom desperate to see her daughter and son-in-law. This year I'm waiting for balmy March before I fly north.

During April and May I went to sea. I served aboard the USNS Comfort in the nations of Jamaica and Peru. I'm still not sure where the courage came from to leave my home and step so far outside my comfort zone. For 28 days I performed as a PACU nurse alongside Navy, Army and Airforce. What an experiance!!!

Returning from foreign soil, celebrating July 4th was more sweet and tender. We really do live with the most freedoms and opportunites of any nation in the world.

And every summer we get to witness the right of passage. This is James during his first t-ball season. Look at him go.

We celebrated the return of our daughter from her adventure in China.

More weddings. Congratulations Michelle and Matt. What made this wedding especially sweet? My daughter flew in from Alaska to participate!!! Yeah!

Another summer experiance checked off the list. Swimming at the pool with duchess.

And that returns us back to another winter bride. Congratulations Savannah!

So keeping it all in perspective, we survived another year. What is in the past is in the past and the only thing we can change is our future. So embrace 2012 and welcome the opportunity to experiance it.