Ah…so New Year's Day has come and gone, and it is past time to reflect on the old and prepare for the new. So sorry this is late this year….



What an intense year. We had a big blizzard, a tornado in nearby Joplin, and intense life events. Our plans to finally repair and remodel our home (Due mainly to shoddy work by our contractor after the 2003 tornado) were suddenly put on hold by a family emergency. Dannielle's mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. On top of that, their heater went out during the blizzard, and their water pipes broke flooding their home. With their income cut in half, house unlivable, and a life threatening illness, we brought Dannielle's mom into our home. Dannielle took a lot of time off to help her mother with doctor visits. And we did whatever else we could to help her out. Both of our cars broke down (twice each), our homes A/C went out, and our washing machine broke. All this further impacted our already depleted finances leaving us more drained than we had been in a very long time. Other struggles, too personal or private to mention here, further complicated this year.



Thankfully, my Mother-in-law made it through a very difficult stretch of chemo-therapy, which was interrupted due to the tornado, and had to have a mastectomy, but she is now cancer free and even near the end of her reconstruction. Thank God for her recovery!



Our family is still strong, with my son growing so fast, my daughter becoming a young woman, and my marriage is still happy and full. We have so many blessings, with good paying reliable jobs, great friends and family, and dreams yet to fill…



Speaking of dreams…our dreams to move to St. Thomas, USVI have been severely damaged. The island is having more problems than I can list. With gang and drug violence, high unemployment, a corrupt and bankrupt local government, poor education system, and a myriad of other problems, it just no longer appears to be a viable Caribbean option for us to continue to raise a family in. We are considering other tropical US territories as options…



So 2011 was a year for struggles and hardships, and while it was difficult, we realize others suffered far worse. It gave us the opportunity to realize what is really important, learn about others and ourselves, and grow closer.



2012 has a ton of hurdles and opportunities for us to conquer. Another family member has been diagnosed with cancer, this time on my side of the family. We plan to attempt repairs on the house (again)…from the add-on, to floor bracing repairs, new windows and window frames, and maybe some interior repairs as well. We hope to go on a lovely road trip to visit Dannielle's brother, possibly visiting national parks and memorable sites along the way. We plan to continue this journey of Love with each other and our kids. The inevitable New Year's Resolutions return. They range from spirituality to losing weight, working more on my side business to advancing my career, and anything else that comes to mind. Always goal oriented, always driven, always tired as I can freaking be! LMAO!



So anyways…We hope this New Year is wonderful for all, may it see those who have struggled see some peace, and may we all see joy.