2012 is almost here! Which means that 2011 is almost a distant memory. It's hard to believe how fast this year went. It seems that so much has happened in so little time. 2011 has been the first year in quite a while where I've found some stability and balance in my life. I'm very grateful for that. I'm healthy, in love with a wonderful wife, have a great (although impatient at times) family, a wonderful Church family, a stable career, money in savings, debt dwindling down, and a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Here's a list of 2011 highlights in no particular order:
- We painted pottery for Erin's birthday. Sadly, the place closed down. :(
- I rooted for the Steelers in the Superbowl because I love my wife, who roots for the Cowboys... who weren't in the Superbowl. :(
- We moved! Got a nice place with less rent just north of downtown Dallas.
- I joined a gym and have lost 60 lbs, and still going. It's been a significant lifestyle change, and a great one!
- Got closer to a good group of friends from Church, and have a wonderful inner circle of people. :)
- We became covenant members of our church and started serving communion as well as membership class table leaders.
- We bought a new car!
- Found a few fun new hangouts near our place. Top Golf, Gordon Biersch, and Trinity Hall Irish Pub.
- We took a trip to Seattle. It was Erin's first time in the Pacific North West!
- Erin tried pineapple again. And I had an amazing laugh at her expense. :)
- Had a romantic weekend in San Antonio.
- Was at American Airlines Center with Erin, Pop, and Niesie when the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA championship!
- Celebrated 4th of July with some old friends.
- We threw a fiesta at our place!
- We celebrated our 1 year anniversaryy at the same hotel we stayed at on our wedding night.
- I went to visit my dear friends Mandy and Eric in Memphis to meet their new son Ben.
- Celebrated my brother in-laws wedding, and gained a new sister in-law!
- Erin photographed her first wedding!
- We had our first big fight as a married couple, and worked through it and are closer than before.
- Deleted my facebook, then undeleted it, then deleted it again, then undeleted it and spend limited time on it.
- We had an nontraditional yet relaxing Thanksgiving.
- I turned 30.
- Started serving with a great ministry called Breakdown. Read about them. Great work is being done.
- Celebrated Advent at our church.
- We had a nice family Christmas a week early, and a wonderful Ukrainian Christmas Eve with close friends.
That's the highlights. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There's a lot to be thankful for this year. I'm very happy that I've been blessed as much as I have. It seems like the last year flew by so fast that I didn't have time to enjoy it. But as I look back on the highlights of the year, I really did enjoy every bit of it. :) As much as a good year 2011 was, I am very optimistic for the next year. I sense big changes on the horizon. I'm looking forward to growth, and change, and fun moments. That is of course, only up until December 21... then we're all gonna DIE!!!!!! :)
