A Look Back at My 2011

Honestly I am the person that does not like to rush time by. I know that life is short, but I am ready to kick 2011 to the past. I've been waiting for a long time to see this year go. Perhaps this has been the most challenging year for me, but I also am going to note the positives.

January:
Another birthday came and went for me. I really didn't look forward to ringing in the new year knowing what would lie ahead.

February:
GEM celebrated her 4th birthday! Sean and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day. 3 days later I lost my grandmother and drove myself to GA.

March:
EMM celebrated her 9th birthday! I was blessed to go to Hearts at Home with friends for the 3rd time.

April:
We had bad flooding here with much of downtown submerged. We celebrated the resurrection of our Savior!

May:
Mother's Day was rough. :( School kept me really busy though. EMM sang her first solo in the spring program! She also did her first big project on penguins for Academic Night!

June:
School's out!! HEM and I went with my school through American Christian Tours to Washington, DC. It was incredible (and hot!). My husband celebrated another birthday!

July:
I directed my last Vacation Bible School (for now). My husband left for Ft. Rucker for his Warrant Officer school.

August:
My husband graduated at Ft. Rucker! The girls and I (and Sean's mom) were able to go and I even got to participate in the pinning ceremony. Another school year began with a wonderful class!

September:
HEM celebrated her 13th birthday! HEM began participating in marching band and volleyball.

October:
I attended the Emmaus 75th reunion and enjoyed seeing friends from many years ago! I said good-bye to my mentor as she and her husband moved (but not too far).

November:
My grandmother would have been 86 on the 7th. Our family enjoyed Thanksgiving with my Dubuque family this year.

December:
Shopping, Christmas programs, and lots of yummy treats! Blessed with Christmas, but sad that for the first time in my life I could not tell my grandmother 'merry Christmas'. After being unemployed for a while, my dad got a job!

I look forward to what 2012 will bring for me and my family. There will still be some hard times ahead, but I trust the Lord will bring me through it and give me back some of the happiness I've lost. Thanks to all my family and friends that have helped me through 2011! Many blessings to all of you and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!