Reflections and Resolutions

On Christmas Eve I sat down to write a letter to Burke to put in his stocking and as I wrote, I was astounded by all that had transpired in the past year.  It was almost overwhelming thinking of the variety of experiences and trials we had been through in 2010: working full time while going to school full time, Burke graduating with his master's degree, traipsing around Germany and France, celebrating our one year anniversary in Paris, the deaths of Grandma Hazel, Uncle Charlie, Shane Mitchell and Nellie Adams, running a half marathon, 5 seemingly endless months of job searching, coming to know and love our ward and callings, the surprise and delight of expecting our first child, me teaching in public school for the first time during practicum, the shock of learning about my father's cancer, making new friends together, finishing my all-consuming senior thesis on Charles Dickens, and a hundred other daily events that have shaped the life my sweetheart and I are building together.  It has been a rough year, but a wonderful one as well, and the thing that brings me the greatest satisfaction is knowing that no matter what was happening - joy or sorrow - Burke and I stood firmly together through it all AND we have been happy to boot!  I take such pride in knowing that even when times are hard, we have been able to look at life with an eternal perspective and still find plenty of blessings to give thanks for in our prayers, plenty of humor in life to keep laughing, and plenty of happiness in our marriage to keep falling further in love every day. 

In 2011, I have several goals I hope to achieve:

1) Survive student teaching and graduate as an English Secondary Education Major in May

2) Give birth to a healthy baby without Burke passing out during my labor (*keep your fingers crossed!*)

3) Read Jesus the Christ along with my study of the New Testament

4) Reach my pre-pregnancy weight by next Christmas (if not sooner)

5) Be a good mama to my baby & a good wife to my husband as I adjust to motherhood

I feel that we live a blessed and joyful life and feel grateful to a Heavenly Father who knows exactly what we need in our lives to grow and learn.  Here's to a wonderful new year!