New Year, New Hope.

I love new beginnings. This is a bit counter-intuitive because I don’t particularly like change. However, approaching 2012, I feel ready for something fresh and new.

I never want to forget the blessings of 2011. We are so richly blessed, first and foremost with Avery, but also with so many other things, both material and intangible. Overall, though, 2011 was a hard year. I’m ready to leave some of that pain and anxiety behind. Yet I’m acutely aware that we are so fortunate to be able to do that. I was constantly in remembrance this Christmas of so many people who have lost loved ones, particularly children. The baby at daycare whose parents we will never know, missing their sweet baby boy. A coworker whose dear son died studying abroad. A college roommate whose baby spent his first Christmas celebrating in heaven. My so-called trials and tribulations pale in comparison.

We don’t know what this year will hold for us. We pray that God’s hand will be upon us this year and He will walk with us through the tough times we know will come and we approach 2012 with cautious hope.