I am always looking forward to the beginning of a new year. Who doesn’t like a fresh start? I know I do. Sometimes, I really need it, too.

This year, I NEED a fresh start in a bad way. 2011 sucked hard! There were good parts, as always, but, man, were the hard parts hard. I have no desire to revisit any of them for this blog post, either. I’m content to leave them in the past.

I went back and read my first post of 2011, and I wrote,

” I hope this year brings you joy, and that God gives you exactly what you need. In the words of Henry the Penguin… “No more. No less.”

I guess, painful though it may have been, God probably gave me what I needed.

I read Chris’ blog post today, and he wrote:

“2011 started rough, got a little better, and then went downhill fast. I have never had my faith challenged like I did this year. Thankfully, God brought me through it. Things aren’t where I want them to be, but they are getting better. Hopefully, this time next year, I will be saying goodbye to the best year of my life.

Thinking back about who I am now, I can honestly say I am a better person. I am not what I used to think I wanted to be. I am thankful for that. Five years ago, I would never have thought I would become who I am now. But, I truly believe, I am better.”

I have to say, the last bit he wrote about not being who he used to think he wanted to be, but being thankful for that…that’s true for me, too. I am nothing like who I thought I should or would be, but I can honestly say, even with all my faults and failures and sin and mess-ups, I still like who I am now better than that idea of who I thought I would be. I hope that I will improve, but I feel like I’m headed in the right direction. Whether anyone else agrees or not.

So, upward and onward! Out of this pit of 2011, and on to new places.

An Easter family photo, minus Daddy who had to work.

Everyone’s looking at the camera in this one.

Uncooperative boys!

Three out of four ain’t bad.

All my babies.

Sweet sisters!

I uploaded my photos to Facebook since there were so many of them. It’s much quicker that way.

So, click HERE to go look at them.

Kyra’s Ornament

Elijah’s Ornament

Owen’s Ornament

I bought this ornament in memory of the Little One we lost this year. It’s not the best photo. I couldn’t get my camera to focus on it. I think it was the lighting. I really love the line from Horton Hears a Who that says, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” 

Here are some photos from my second trip to visit Chris at Fort Jackson, on the fourth of July.

Owen having some watermelon at the Chaplain Picnic.

Elijah enjoyed the watermelon, too.

This is how you wash your hands in the Army!

Fort Jackson has some majorly cool pine cones, too!

Kyra’s a pretty good photographer. I like this picture.

The Kiddos in their Easter finery. Kyra’s Easter dress was sleeveless, so she had to wear a shirt under it, since it was COLD. It was almost too cold to hunt Easter eggs.

The kids with their cousin, Keinzie.

Kyra looking sweet and pretty.

Elijah was saying, “Cheese!” He didn’t get that it defeated the purpose when he barked it out with a hateful look.

In pursuit of the easter eggs!