What a year

2011 will always be a year to remember in our lives.

Dear 2011-

Thank you 2011 for all you brought our family

You took us on a journey that we never knew existed and that we never thought possible, a journey that changed us all.

You led Kris and I to Ukraine for 32 days

You saved a precious little girl from a life she never deserved

You placed her into our family as if she had been with us forever.

You taught us that sometimes your children come to you in ways you had never expected and yet they are yours just the same

And we are forever grateful for this gift.

You taught us about love, tolerance, acceptance, unselfishness, and gratitude as we met so many new friends this year and witnessed so many amazing acts of kindness by so many.

You taught us about faith, and following the promptings of the Lord.

You showed us what a difference a little love can make in the life of a child

You taught us to really appreciate our health as we spent LOTS of time in doctors and hospitals this year

You surprised us with an incredible gift of pregnancy with twin girls.

As 2010 came to a close we had 3 beautiful girls and thought we may never have any more....

And now, we have (almost) 6 beautiful girls.

You taught our girls a new kind of love as they sacrificed and opened their hearts to their new sister, no questions asked.

You tested our faith both through our journey to Mia

and then again in Oct. when we were faced with the scary news about our twins condition.

You blessed us with the miracle of modern medicine to intervene and save our twins lives

You tried our patience and endurance as Mom has been on bedrest for 3+ months now awaiting the arrival of these precious twins, and once again showed us how many people care and how many people are willing to reach out to help.

We look back at 2011 with awe and gratitude for all the miracles we were able to be a part of.

It was not without challenges and trials but all together this year has changed us forever and we are grateful for each moment of it.