Dear 2011

Dear 2011,

You were a year that gave, took away, and enriched our lives.

You taught Katie independence, as she spent much of the first few months on her own while John sold security systems around the country.

You took us from Utah, to Houston, El Paso, Chicago, Milwaukee, Las Vegas(many times), Puerto Rico, the Caribbean , and back again.

You let us experience Texas living.  Houston=beautiful.  El Paso=would bawl my eyes out if we had to live there permanently.

You opened our eyes to the condition of Juarez, Mexico, and broke my heart as I imagined those on the other side of the fence with their dirt floors and roads, crumbling homes and optimism, looking over at a land filled with business and prosperity and promise of better things.  I would come here at any cost, too.

You took away friendships and replaced them with so many beautiful ones.  We are continually grateful for the people who enrich our lives and have shown genuine love for us.

You brought birthdays, holidays, vacations and fun.  I turned 22 and John turned 24.  We celebrated our 2 year anniversary.  We went on an incredible cruise with amazing friends and saw the most beautiful places. 

You brought us Ella and Elliot, my niece and nephew, who are about the cutest things I've ever seen in my life.  You also brought us Briggs and Gavin, John's nephews.  The joy they bring to our lives is priceless.

You made Bella an official member of the family in June, when she and Greg got married.  I have the most beautiful, talented, intelligent sister's-in-law.  So grateful for them!

You brought John into his accounting program, and me into a whole mess of confusion with school and what I wanted to do with my life as far as a career goes.  In the end, we got that figured out and are so excited for what's to come.

You took John's dad from us.  It's a hole in our lives that can never be filled.  But as we look back at the compassion given to us by the Lord, our friends, our family, and by his Dad, who suffered through a week of pain to give us time to say goodbye, it was one of the sweetest, most spiritual experiences of our lives.  We will miss him forever, until we meet again.

We were continually reminded of the Lord's direction in our lives.  We learned the lesson that life is what happens while your making other plans.  We learned about the things that seemed so important to us, that in the end we were quickly willing to sacrifice for each other and for our family.  For the things that truly matter.

We grew in our love for each other.  I can't imagine where I would be without the love of my life.  He is my best friend, and I feel so lucky to be his.

You gave us memories that we will always cherish, as so many of them are with our incredible families.   We love them so much!

We rang in the new year with with family, and with gratitude for a fresh start.

Dear 2012,

We are so excited you are here.  As we leave last year behind, we look forward to the plans we've made, the plans that will change into something better, and for the lessons we will learn in the process.  We look forward to making new friendships, strengthening old ones, and growing closer together in our little family.  Here's to all the memories we will make!

Love, The Taylors