Sayonara, 2011

Lookie, me no fall!

I'm home from the festivities with two sickies, while Nils is partying it up at his brother's house with the two un-sickies. Nils and I went ice skating today. It was pretty fun. We were a little spastic at first, but got into the groove after awhile. I only ate it once, if you don't count the time I slammed into a guy who cut me off. He embraced me to keep from falling, and it was weird. Love a good, super awkward hug from a stranger. Yeah.

So, 2011, huh? Well, this is a year that I'm happy to say goodbye to. It's been a little craptastic. We've had to do a lot of soul-searching, but sometimes the ol' soul doesn't like to be messed with, ya know? I'm hopeful that the next year will be a little better.

Far be it for me to be a Negative Nancy, though! Amid the craptastic, we have been blessed in many ways.

• Happy, healthy, smart and funny kids.
• Nils' job is going well, and he's a happy dude.
• I became best friends with the dentist, and I only have 4 more payments before we're square. (Provided I don't have to have anymore root canals between now and then.)
• Our Friday night babysitting swap came into our lives this year, and wow. I'm a fan. We love our little group.
• New callings to learn and grow from. Nils is teaching Gospel Doctrine (best calling in the Church, I tell ya), and I'm a counselor in RS (still trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing).
• We ran a half-marathon and didn't die! More importantly, I have had minimal running-related injuries, which gives me tremendous joy.
• Ava has turned into a generally happy child. She's stopped all of that screaming for the most part, and is now the life of the party, cracking all of us up with her silly cuteness. And to think, it was one year ago today that all of that screaming gave me shingles.... ah the mem'ries.
• It was 15 years ago this month that Nils and I met and became BFFs, and lookit us now! We've got us a house, 4 kids, an apparently immortal goldfish, and we still love being together more than anything. 

Who knows? Maybe 2012 will bring a successful camping trip! So many things to look forward to. Happy New Year, peeps!