2011 Reflection

This is a little late, but I don't ever want to forget these feelings. 2011 was the craziest year of our lives. Starting Jan. 1 2011 we found I was pregnant. This was such a happy day/time in our lives. It was something we longed for and it was finally here. It also was an answer to much prayer because Dan was getting sicker and sicker and needed to switch medications. We thought things were just going to get better from that point.

Just four months later Dan perforated and was in and out of the hospital for the next two months. We faced some of the scariest moments yet in our marriage. We had to have so much faith that things would work out, that Dan would healed. He did, and although things are still a little shaky we are far far out of the woods.

Dallas was born in August and he has brought so much love and joy to our lives. I wish I could adequately express how we feel about Dallas and the sweet baby that he is. The rest of the year was pretty much a blur of holidays spent with family, Dan continuing to recover, and us being captivated by every more Dallas made.

If at the start of 2011 my life was laid out before me I would have begged and pleaded for things to be different. I would have not wanted to go through the tough parts and only enjoy to good. Luckily for me life isn't like that. Luckily for me I had to go through each day and experience what it brought. I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and knows I have to go through good and bad so I can become a better person and truly understand what life is about.

Through the good and the bad we have been touched by so many people who have shown their love for our family, people who have shown me what it means to give selfless service. Through the good and the bad I have learned I need people, I need God, and I can't do everything on my own.

I was shown how much we truly have. Dan's job, although we complain about it not valuing him enough, paid him while he was out due to the donations of his co-workers, and covered almost $275,000 worth of medical bills, while we only had to pay about 1% of that.

2011, I want to say I am glad you are gone, but I am not. With you came my most horrible challenges, but you also brought the greatest joys and for that I am glad I survived you.