2011: A Thank You Note

Dear 2011,

Last year I wrote this letter to 2010 asking for a little more sunshine in 2011.  It wasn't instant but as the year began, the sun started to come out. Slowly. And after a year of clouds, sunshine felt better than I remembered it.  We got rid of a couple people this year and added some people this year and the changes have been unreal.  Tod's skin no longer has that grayish color and our conversations at night involve more laughter and less tears.  Life isn't perfect but fear and anxiety have subsided.

Thank you for bringing us Firehouse Subs this year.

This year I learned to find my dad in little things and now I can laugh about memories and feel happy for him most days.  My mom has healed a lot and has never been more beautiful.  We spent some time near the ocean, some time in tents, Karic got married and we even took a break with friends . The boys are healthy.  We have another one (boy? girl?) on the way.  And my best friend since preschool is going to marry the love of her life.  Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

Larry - Thanksgiving 2011 and his perfectly placed guitar

You weren't easy on everyone, though.  People we love really struggled with you.  Please tell to 2012 to go easy on them.  Now they need some sunshine.  Please send some asap.

Finally, thank you for a job.  Thank you for the boys.  Thanks for cars that run and a house that's warm.  Thank you for health and little tragedy this year.  Thanks for everything; you came just in time.

Christmas 2011 - worlds away from Christmas 2010.  Knock on wood.

- Holly

So far so good

Our first Monday in 2011 started like this:

 So the boys took a hot one of these:

In an instant most of my plans for the day flew out the window because...it was snowing.  We can't go grocery shopping in this weather!   Good thing we live in the desert.

Then on our first Tuesday in 2011, our newest nephew was born nine weeks early.  His brave parents had been in the hospital since New Year's Eve and this morning Isaac Alexander Clark was born around 9:30 am.  Amy kept me informed via text and when I asked if everyone was going to be okay she responded, "So far so good."

I was sort of hoping for, "Yeah, doctors say it's a miracle and the baby is perfect and weighs 8 lbs. and Emily is doing backbends and can go home this week and blahblahblahblah..."

I thought about that and thought about what Tod and I have been dealing with lately (work stuff) and how sometimes I dread him walking through the door because what if there's bad news? what if it's worse? what if something more happened?  An average day is a great day from my perspective.  And often no news is fantastic news.  So even though I want Emily to be up doing cartwheels by now and her baby to be breathing on his own I realize that so far so good is just that...good.  And good should be good enough.

Welcome 2011 and welcome little Isaac.