oops, this was supposed to be in conversations ! I'll ask to have it moved.

Well, they didn't move this thread yet so I'll add on here.

You've had quite a year, mitch, but luckily everything falling on the good side. I imagine Calgary will be a big change for you (from Montreal, I think). Will it put you on the other side of the country from your grandkids?

I am thankful that I don't have anything big to report. Same house, same husband, same weight (and, yes, that does count as an accomplishment she writes as she waits for cookie dough to firm up for baking).

For 2012, I need to get serious and buy a new car. I dread the research, it gets so confusing since I don't have my heart set on any particular car. I want to get one before the old one decides to die.

2011 is ending on a relatively peaceful note, but it was the most stressful year in my life, I think. Loooong story, but DS1 dropped out of college in March and had a long downward spiral (depression, etc.) that lasted through the summer, til he went back to (a different) school in Sept., close to home. He's living at home and wishes he weren't, but for now this is where he needs to be. It's been difficult in many ways.

However, he IS doing much better now, and we had a lot of highlights this year -- fantastic trips to Nevis and Switzerland, a sweet new dog, and our two younger kids are doing really well (and are drama-free!). We all have our health and a cozy, comfortable, safe home, so all in all, no (okay, very few) complaints!

It was a tough one for many of my loved ones....here's to hoping 2012 brings more happiness and health to my friends and family.

There were definitely some ups as well as downs this year.

The hardest thing was that our 20 yo son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the spring. There is none on either side of our families, only one person (BIL) with mental illness of any kind-bi polar disorder. Anyway, it is classic in that our son refuses to accept his diagnosis, won't take medicine, etc. etc. Horrible to watch someone with incredible intelligence and potential basically throw his life away.

On the plus side, our oldest son who is 22 and has struggled with addiction, appears to be doing well. He finished at community college and will be starting at a university next month. Our daughter, 18, is a freshman in college in another state and is doing well.

My niece had a baby this summer, so I became a great aunt, my brother and SIL became grandparents, and my parents became great grandparents. Very fun!

Through thick and thin, my husband and I remain married (26 1/2 years) and devoted to each other. I had ankle surgery last week due to a car accident last year, but I am doing well and am glad the surgery is over. All in all, I try to count my blessings which always seem to outweigh the challenges.

2011 was a crazy year. I had a long awaited trip to Paris that was wonderful, but left me wanting to go back!

Then I had carpal tunnel surgery in June. Not fun and it kind of killed the summer but overall not a bad experience, and I am grateful to be rid of that pain.

I had a short but nice trip to New York state, partly nostalgic because I went back to visit a college I left. That was a changing point in my life and not necessarily for the better. It was fun to get away.

In December I had a nice visit with my older son, who I hadn't seen in a few years. He's doing well and has a wonderful girlfriend.

Then I had cataract surgery and I am still trying to get accustomed to my new vision. I hope my brain soon catches up with my eyes.

Every New Year's Eve I wonder what will be the same or different at this time next year. I hope 2012 is good. My elderly mom is always a worry although she is truly remarkable for her age.

I need a new car, too and just hate the thought of choosing one. Wish my old Honda would run forever, but it is 15 years old now. Great car.

Hub's and my cancers have stayed away for nearly seven years now, so that is good. But our 35 yo son had a heart attack in November that scared the bejeebers out of us. He has always been a finely-tuned athlete, but now he has rather severe angina that is severely limiting him.

All our other kids and gkids are healthy, kids doing well in their careers, and our 27 yo baby plans to return to the US in May after nearly three years teaching in SKorea, Australia and now Cambodia. YEA!

We need a new car, too, but money is very short these days. 151,000 miles on our '04 Toyota, keeping fingers crossed.

I'm sorry to hear about unhealthy children. As much joy as they bring us, we never stop worrying about our kids. And we add worrying about gkids as soon as we get them!

I really hope 2012 is a better year for my family, too.

DS was sent to prison for a ridiculous reason...first time non-violent, minor property crime (graffiti). So that has been the hardest thing for me all year.

But in February I had my eyebrow lift and can see well for the first time in years.

In June, my eldest DD & her SO earned their BS & BA respectively, and my younger DD earned her AA.

In July my girls held a surprise 50th birthday party for me, which was so wonderful, as I got to see some dear friends and family.

DH got to spend time with his no-longer estranged son and is building a new relationship with him.

And there has been a lot of other drama, but for the most part, with the exception of my son's ordeal, this has been a fair year. 2012 WILL be phenomenal, as DS is HOME FOR GOOD in February!!

We were pretty much back to normal this year after my husband was unemployed for most of 2009 and a good part of 2010. He was rehired by the same company that laid him off (where he had worked since 1992 before a merger), and actually has a better job than he was laid off from.
Sherrman and I have something in common as my oldest son is in his second year of teaching English overseas. He is currently in Ukraine, after spending a year in S. Korea. I had a chance to visit with him this year when I went to Sweden and Denmark to meet up with him. I also got to visit and stay with a cousin who lives in Sweden who I haven't seen in quite a few years. My aunt and uncle were also visiting, so it was a mini family reunion.
We just took our 25 year old daughter to the airport for her flight home to L.A. I still can't believe that my little girl is all grown up and living in the big city. She's a graphic designer and doing well. She just designed the album cover for a well known artist. Our youngest son will be graduating from college with a triple major in Business, International Studies and Spanish this spring. It will be interesting to see what opportunities are out there for him.

I'm so sorry to hear about the bad news that some of you have had to endure this past year, and I wish you all good things in the coming year.

The year started really well. It was DH's first full year of retirement. We did a lot of camping in Feb. 2010.

I had my 2nd bike touring experience and returned home end of June. We had to cancel our big travel plans due to family stuff. Had a quiet Summer here instead.

We did some camping in Fall and a lot of biking. DH hurt his knee and has to have surgery Jan 6th. He goes to the gym 5 days a week and rides a community bus that is free to seniors. I go 3 days a week with him and just got my OWN senior's pass LOL. ( had put it off as I don't feel like a senior :) )

Our DS1 and DIL had their first baby 11/1/11 so we are grands now. That hasn't been the wonderful experience that we had hoped so we are still wrapping our heads around that. At least we get weekly pictures.

DD has had an amazing year at work and has cont. to blossom into a woman who inspires me ! She is training for Tough Mudder in Atlanta , Feb 11-12 ..apples don't fall far from the tree !

DS2 has cont. to have problems and was fired on Dec 23rd. We haven't heard from him since Christmas Day. The worry wears me down and saps my mental energy.

DH has been meditating for years and has gotten me more involved. We now sit 2x a day every day for 45 minutes. We attend a group 2x a week and actually one of the groups has started coming here to our home to meet. We sold furniture and made a meditation room in our upstairs attic conversion area. It has turned out wonderfully.

We are going to attend a 10 day silent retreat in Feb. We were supposed to go on one for this week and cancelled due to DS2...now he doesn't call so I guess we should have listened to him and gone anyway...sigh.

House is great, this is coming up on our 10th year here. Our health is great, DH's knee is just a hiccup . I am planning my next bike tour for this Summer...5000 miles this time :0 .

As others said...ups and downs. Nice to hear other's summaries. I hope that everyone has a positive start to the New Year and I too wish good things for us all. c

After DS finished grad school he joined the Army and is now in his second deployment to Afghanistan. This one thing has colored our world more than anything else this past year.
DD, our youngest, is halfway through her senior year in high school and we're now in the final stages of helping her choose a college, finish up high school, and all that goes with it. I'm also working through having my sweet daughter move out on her own and leaving us empty nesters. This is, frankly, going to be a hard one for me, as we're very close. I'm going to miss her a lot!
I would really love for DH to retire or at least cut back his days at the clinic so that we can have some more time for us, some more down-time for him, and finally have the opportunity to travel for more than a week at a time. He loves what he does, though (family practice doc), and can't see himself cutting back in the near future, which frustrates and disappoints me.
But, we're all healthy and DS is alive and well while fighting in this awful war, so I'm counting my blessings where I can. Those are the most important things anyway.
Lynn

We had a terrible year, with my daughter suffering from a serious illness. We could do nothing but bear up through a bleak, difficult, and terrifying year. It was also our son's senior year in high school, not that we had time or psychic energy to devote to enjoying that, in spite of his academic and sporting accomplishments. I had to scale back my freelance business to care for our daughter, turning away work and even returning projects to clients. We didn't travel, seldom went out--it was too risky--or entertained, but mostly hung on for dear life.

I'm happy to say we survived 2011--my daughter finally recovered, and is now at Smith College. My son got into U of Michigan and seems unscarred by the trauma of the past year. We got both children safely ensconced in school by September 1--and then my husband and I essentially collapsed! After a fallow work period, I now have even more work with my old clients, as well as some interesting projects with new clients. My husband's job is secure and thriving, and we're starting to plan some travels and home improvements. We are counting our blessings, and hoping for a good year ahead.

Like most of you we've had good and bad. Wonderful and terrifying.

My sweet baby boy (who, at 6, is not so much a baby anymore) was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in June after months of tests and worry and speculation. I suppose this was actually a GOOD thing as we have answers now! I strongly suspect my other sweet baby boy may have Crohn's (or colitis) as well, but we'll see what develops. Otherwise, my boys are healthy and happy and for that, I am infinitely thankful.

My husband, who is a firefighter, started a side business -one that he's dreamed of starting for years - and I'm proud to say he has been very successful.

Our house is under agreement (closing 1/13) and we are buying what I hope is our final home (closing 1/27). It's picture perfect and we are just in love with it. I can see us being very happy there for a long time to come.

My father FINALLY got out of a very unhealthy relationship and is now seeing a wonderful, kind woman. My mother continues to become more independent and successful and I'm so proud of her.

All in all, not a bad year - hopefully we continue the trend in 2012.

mitch, I have a mental picture of you riding shotgun in a covered wagon, heading off towards the sunset, lol! Hope this big, new adventure turns out to be a good one for you. I admire you for taking on such a radical change.

Highlights for 2011 were three trips to Italy: a 30 year anniversary bike trip in Umbria which we'd planned, and 2 serendipitous business trips on which I tagged along.

Lowlight was the cancellation of my bike ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI). I'd contracted a bronchial infection coming back from Italy in late June & was still too sick to ride in July. I'd already shipped the bike & a box of camping gear out thinking surely I'd be well by the start date, but had to cancel at the last minute. I was really looking forward to a week of independence & fun with my old college buddy. We'd ridden RAGBRAI in 2010 with our husbands & their coworkers and had a blast. We were so excited to do it on our own. She went, I stayed home & coughed.

So am looking at the Five Hundred Across New York (FANY) Ride in 2012 as compensation. It looks fairly difficult to me (big hills), but upstate New York is so beautiful and historically interesting, one of my favorite areas in the country. Anybody else interested?

Wow, a bunch of us need a separate group for stressful parenting! Kkay, how interesting (and sad) that after comparing notes for a while about Hampshire, both of our kids left there and had serious difficulties. I so wanted Hampshire to be the right fit for my DS, and he did make some great friendships there in the brief time he was a student, so I suppose we should be thankful for that. In fact, he is going there to visit friends in a couple of weeks. He also went for a visit in the fall. I give him credit -- at that age, I would have felt embarassed about coming back as a "visitor" after dropping out. Anyway, he still has a shaky grip on his mental health but is so much happier in his current school environment and is feeling optimistic, usually, about the future.

It is very interesting to read everyone's wrap-ups!

I promise to check in another time but I'm just not up to it right now. I am currently just absorbing the rest of your entries.

Just know I heard all of you deeply and that made my year feel small. Unimportant. Like I needed to listen more than speak... I'll come back in another mood.

(((Hugs to all))) I mean it.

Well, as most of you know my year beginning on Jan. 1st started out like he!! and by Jan. 14th we buried two close family members. Now the anniversaries are coming up. It will get easier though.

DH decided he was sick and tired of commuting to the City for work, so he brought his law practice home. Since I've ruled the house by myself during the day, it was a change! lol. He's doing well, his loyal clients followed him thank God and he's picked up new clients.

I thought having his clients come to the house would be weird but they actually like it!

At first I did NOT like having him home, no privacy. But now, when he has to go out I ask him what time he'll be home because I miss him.

The rest of the year has been pretty good except for a few injuries and strange (but not bad) illnesses I had.

We received a bottle of wine at Christmas and I plan on getting drunk and spitting 2011 good ridance!

Oh, we did close on my MIL's house yesterday which...well, let's just say it wasn't easy to sell due to people she had work on it in previous years. So we got that monkey off our back. lol

Trail, my heart bleeds for you. I count my blessings everyday because I'm only 20 min. away from my grands and I get to babysit them a lot. I watched them yesterday while mom and dad went to a movie and out to eat. They're so cute, after being married for almost 8 years they still have date nights. :)

Forgot! The stray dog Boone who showed up and scared the pee out of me because he looked scary, turned out to be Gentle Ben. He's at my feet right now.

As I just wrote on another thread, the biggest event of this year for me was also the most recent--my 86-year-old mother died on December 17. I could write paragraphs about that experience and won't now--perhaps I'll start a new thread sometime about losing our mothers--but I know the repercussions of her death will continue probably forever in my own life.

DH continues to be unemployed--when I was younger, I never imagined I would be the main, or only "breadwinner". My primary employment is 3/4 time without benefits. We are seriously considering having me look out of state for a good full-time job with HEALTH INSURANCE for my family, this at a time when I long to spend more time than ever with my father, sister, and other family. An out-of-state move would take us further away from all of them.

Definitely the only thing we can count on in life is change.

2011 has been a very good year for us, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

My business has really picked up with recurring (versus one-time) work, and the majority of my clients seem to be very happy -- so the present is good and the future looks even better. This is especially fortunate, since the past few years were not so good and our savings had been going the wrong way... On a personal front, I hit 50 this year and am at peace with it, though I hear through the grapevine that my look needs a bit of updating... I'm enjoying my girlfriends more than ever now that most of us are 'empty-nesters' and have become especially close to one in particular. She's amazing and we have so much fun together!

Older DS is doing wonderfully in college (after a pretty mediocre high school experience) and is trying to decide between medical school and a PhD program in the biological sciences. Not exactly a rock versus hard place choice, though he's stressing as if it were.

Younger DS is learning how to drive and doing really well at it. This is a wonderful development because, as a teen with special needs, it was not a given. Being able to drive will open up so many more opportunities for him and allow him a much more independent life. He's also settling in at high school and is still the kind, happy and affectionate boy we've always enjoyed.

Hubby is still working mostly around the house, but has started taking on some outside work and seems to be enjoying it. He's wrestling with the decision about whether or not to try to open a business again 'officially' but seems to be at peace with the option not to, which is actually good news as far as I'm concerned.

We've had a few health issues, but nothing life-threatening. And if we can just get our health insurance situation settled (difficult when you're self-employed and have a special needs kid), then life will be pretty-close to perfect. I know how lucky that makes us, and make sure to smell these roses every day.

Wow. Lots of well-wishes go out to all of you whose 2011 involved heartbreak, unemployment, serious illness, and parenting stress.

This has been the worst year of my life for sure, and there have been many days when I have amazed myself just by continuing to put one foot in front of the other--so I can't wait for it to be over. When you all start that stressful parenting group, I can be committee chair.

Not sure whether it's a sign of insanity or the power of the human mind to compartmentalize, but through it all I didn't miss one deadline at work or school, so I am proud of that.

2012 will be a scary year for me. After many years as a SAHM who worked part time here and there, I will be finishing a graduate degree in June and entering the job market looking for a full-time job. It is breaking my heart to know that my days at home with my children are really over, and I am afraid of the job-search process.

It feels like a make-or-break year coming in. Hope I can look back at this time next year and say that I made it!

Just checking back and I am so moved by how open we all are with one another...once again this forum has proved to be a source of comfort and joy and tears.

Leafy I sure do wish you well on your New Year and your job search. Everyone has posted such heartfelt feelings and accomplishments and joys and concerns.

I wanted to let you all know that DS2 got out and went for a hike on a mountain near him and also rode his bike and went to the gym. He did his laundry and washed the dishes...I know this cause he emailed. He isn't ready to talk but boy he is way better than I had hoped for ..given that it was Dec 23rd that he was fired from a very very good paying job.

Sweeby, congratulations !!

gardening...I can't even go there about your Mom and starting another thread..it has been April 2005 when Momma passed and I still haven't dealt with it. Momma's birthday was December 28th and I have such a hard time. I am so glad you posted.

Oakley...thank you and I am glad it is working out for you. There is no way it will be the same for us but we will deal with it the way it is since we can't change it.

To those of you who have "kids" that are having a hard time...my email works through GW..anytime you want to connect..just send a note along.

Golddust...I sure hope you will come back.

I don't want to take up the whole thread with responses since I am not the OP...I am just so grateful to be part of this community. Thank you c

I'm back! Just felt overcome with empathy. What some of us go through in this life makes me sad. I feel so blessed.

sueb, thanks for your note. Yes, it's ironic that both our kids were at Hampshire, and then left (around the same time), too. A difficult year, indeed. Let's hope that we all (and especially our two kids) have a happier, healthier year ahead!

I don't post much but feel compelled to share my year here so that I can just put it behind me before the new year begins. I hope you don't mind!

My beloved grandmother became ill in January and died in February. It was really difficult for me because we were very close; she was the only grandmother I ever knew.

Our daughter was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder in March. We had known that something was not quite right since she was only a week old, and we'd been fighting for answers for years, so this was somewhat of a relief. It was still so hard to hear, though, because it became "real". Some types of these disorders can be suddenly fatal; we won't know which type she has until the doctors follow her for a while to see if she develops any heart issues. In the meantime, at the age of 16, she struggles with chronic pain due to a slipped disk and hip/knee issues. Fortunately, she was blessed with a sunny disposition and takes it all in stride. She's my hero! Our two younger sons were diagnosed with the same thing in August but have fewer physical issues so far.

Our 13-year-old son became very ill in May and the doctors thought he had leukemia. Instead, he had a rare illness that was essentially an allergic reaction to some random virus. He was admitted to Children's Hospital of Phila. when he lost his ability to walk or bear weight on his legs. He did recover but will be at risk of kidney failure for the next three years. He was was diagnosed with sleep apnea this fall and just got his tonsils and adenoids out on Thursday. In addition to all of that, he's depressed (probably because of all of that)!

DH's business is struggling due to the economy and he had to take a large pay cut after we had plunked down a huge deposit on new kitchen cabinets. The cabinets were delivered in the wrong color after our current kitchen was ripped out, and the kitchen place fought with us about it for a month before agreeing to have them repainted. So we've been living without a kitchen since the first week of October. We're hoping to get our kitchen back before the end of January.

Thanks for letting me dump this here. I hope that 2012 brings happiness and good health to us all!

I empathize with all of you who have had a hard time this year. I hope 2012 is better for everyone.

Happily this year has been a even keel year for me. Definitely welcome after a decade of dealing with illnesses and deaths in the family. Through all we have been financially secure for which I am truly grateful.

Happy New Year to all!

I have found that every year has major ups and downs for our family. I used to think that one day life would become normal.I now realize that this is normal, at least for us.
The very, very best thing for us was when our DD was asked to speak about her recovery from bulimia at a walk a thon this past October. The dark years have ended.
I was on crutches from Jan to April when I had surgery to stabilize a stress fracture of my hip. Had a sliding hip screw( not a naughty bar drink) and the biopsy came back negative for cancer!!My dexascan showed my bone densitiy is excellent. so a mystery remains as to how my hip broke all by itself.
I lost my job in August. And started a little business in September. It is going well, not yet in the black but people keep buying the furniture I paint, I am so excited. I haven't felt this good in years and years! I hope I will make enough money keep me out of an office. Found out last week from one of the execs where I used to work that they are hiring 2 full time and one part time people to fill my old position. No wonder I was so miserable and worn out.
So this year has been by far the best in years.I do always wince at what the New Year may bring, but bring it on- it is good to just be alive.

May you all find many more good days than bad in 2012.

"I used to think that one day life would become normal.I now realize that this is normal..."

Cooperb, that's what I think too. Everyone I know has a problem (or two or three) in her/his life. I don't think anymore that anyone sails along without hitting rocks or running aground at some point. And reading about everybody's issues here...wow. I am impressed that so many of you keep up a cheerful front in this forum. Blessings to you all (or good karma to you non-believers).

I am taking a moment to send out blessings/positive thoughts to all of your children and grandchildren for their health!

2011 was overall a good year. Any year in which we had no major illness or deaths is a good one.

In the winter, my husband finally got a permanent job after a year of contract work. I rarely see him now because it's so demanding, but hey, we have insurance. (Ours was about to end.)

In the spring, I found out I was expecting a 5th baby, who was born healthy this December.

I made it through my work and got assigned to a special project and got a slightly better contract, so the recognition was nice.

I am no longer speaking to my sister-- it's been about 6 months. With the help of this forum, I am able to accept it for the most part and remove myself from the situation. It's been a strange blessing.

My oldest DD went back to school this fall after 3 years of homeschooling. She finally loves school and I feel settled about the whole thing.

While this has been a hard year on me physically and mentally in many ways, it's been for reasons that are ultimately very good ones, so I am thankful.

The only very sad thing was the loss of my friend's dad. In many ways, he was like an uncle to me. He lived a very good life-- and by that, I mean he was a very honorable and kind person-- I am so sad for my friend and her mom.

The thought of a new year scares me-- will I be able to report good health next year? I am raising my glass of eggnog to all-- here's to a great 2012!

We had a good year, much better than last, nothing really exciting, but no crisis to deal with either. Losing my mom in 2010 was extremely hard. Time may not heal all wounds, but it does help. Holidays this year were wonderful, not something to get through without mom. My husband and I are very blessed, and I have come to realize that even more so this past year. One of the biggest blessings in my life since my mom's death has been her group of close friends - they have "adopted" me and another daughter (her mom passed away two days before mine). I have come to cherish this group of women. I have also become good friends with the other daughter. My father continues to hang in there and we are looking for a second opinion on possible surgery for him, so hopefully he will have a few more "comfortable" years. My grandmother is truly doing better in the assisted living facility than she was at home, so I am extremely thankful that the two of them are doing well. My husband and I were able to take some trips and do some camping again this year and that is something we really enjoy. His company is again flourishing, after really dropping off during the slump in the economy, so that is really, really a good thing. He enjoys his work and the company he is with, so I'm very thankful he is able to stay with them.

I wish the best to everyone in the coming year - especially good health. Happy New Year!!

tina

sigh..... I've been reading this thread since the start but just haven't had the energy to figure out and write what my wrap up is for 2011. It no longer surprises me how many of us have kids with some sort of issue in varying states of diagnosis and treatment. Logically, it's just a numbers game and we are statistically on target, but it still makes me wince with every new report and wish we could all meet for coffee somewhere.

For my New Year facebook update, I said that 2011 was not horrible for us - we've certainly had worse years, but I won't be sorry to move on to 2012. I still have my son home from college, so even though the calendar turned a page, it won't feel like a new year to me till he's gone back to school, our regular schedule resumes and I can reclaim and clean my house! Heaven help me if he boomerangs back here after graduating in May! I will be counting on all of you to keep me off the ledge if that happens ;-) After I get my house clean and have a chance to reflect, I'll think more about my 2011 wrap-up.

sigh..... I've been reading this thread since the start but just haven't had the energy to figure out and write what my wrap up is for 2011.

Same here. 2011 started out sorrowful, as I lost both my beloved grandparents within 5 weeks of one another. I also lost a sweet friend who was only in her 40s. It was a difficult year to be sure, but also some wonderful things took place, such as my trip with Mom to the Cotswolds and "discovering" a new place in Mexico with DH. I also transferred into a new position in January of 2011 and I am absolutely loving my job now. It's been tremendous for my confidence and self-esteem. The year ended on something of a melancholy note. A bit of drama among loved ones which upset me, and just remembering those that we lost which was most bittersweet.

This year has started out on a sad note. A dear family friend passed away two days ago. I also learned that another longtime friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It seems the older I get, the more worries and heartaches there are, but I suppose such is simply the human condition. We muddle through the hard parts and hopefully find joyful moments along the way.

I wish you all peace and many blessings in this new year!

I just have to say how awed and inspired I am by the community here. I'm often impressed by GWers, but never more so than in this post. People have posted about some pretty devastating life events here, sometimes multiple tough things in one post. Really, really tough things. But the grace and 'we will get through this' spirit nearly pulses off the screen in each of these posts. I am truly humbled. From my heart to yours....I hope and pray for all of your difficulties to be lightened.

I've had better years for sure, this one has been rough, but hopefully, this new year will be better.
I know some of you want details, but I like to keep personal things, personal (here, anyway)
I have learned to appreciate each day that I can be healthy: to walk, see, hear, and basically, experience an existence that many in this world will never know.

It's been a year where my dh has shown me again and again how he truly has my back.
It's been a year where our dd has shown she is strong and resilient and has grown into a beautiful woman.
It's been a year where I questioned my belief that hard work, fair play and a clear conscience are rewarded.

In 2012 we will continue to work hard, play fair and keep a clear conscience....and appreciate all that we have.