Year End Reviews Bore Me, But…

Written By: Kim - Jan• 02•13

Year end reviews bore me. The news coverage this last week (other than the US fiscal cliff) was stuffed full of stories about stars who died, biggest headlines, winners and losers of 2012 and biggest news stories. My eyes usually glaze over and I turn a deaf ear, until the story jogs my memory. Hey, I forgot about that….

I am not saying that this has converted me to year end reviews, but it’s nice to pause for a few minutes and consider what kind of year 2012 was for all of us. Overall, 2012 was a good year for me and my family.

  1. I am still employed. Bonus: I like the people I work with. How many of us say that?
  2. My family is healthy. And, we are still together.
  3. We got a puppy, Sydney, who is healthy. She’s changed our life and we love her.
  4. We took Sydney on vacation. We met the in-laws on vacation and had a fun, relaxing time.

    Sydney enjoys the summer lake ride. ©Mike Howard, 2012

    Sydney enjoys the summer lake ride. ©Mike Howard, 2012

  5. A school year ended and another one began, but in different schools for both of my children.
  6. I joined the ranks of swim team Moms this summer. My high school freshman is now swimming for his school.
  7. I like my neighbors.
  8. My commute is long, but my train buddies and iPad make it bearable.
  9. I traveled to some new places and made new friends. I also reconnected with old friends.
  10. I am still writing this blog, two years after I started it.

Not a bad year in review. Happy New Year everyone!

Posted in Children, Dogs, Friends, Health, Marriage, Parenting, swim, Travel, VRE , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

A Love Letter to my Husband

Written By: Kim - Nov• 28•12

Today is my husband’s birthday. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than writing him a love letter.

Positano, Italy 2011. ©MikeHoward

Dear Mike:

God brought you into my life 22 years ago. He gave us two beautiful children. He has blessed us with many more ups than downs and has carried us through bleak times. While our life is not always picture perfect, it is about as close as you can get to heaven. We love, we laugh, we argue, we travel, we teach and we learn. We used to have more free time and money before we had children, but we both know how empty we would feel without them. Marrying you was never a mistake. Bringing our children in to the world was not one either.

1. Thank you for making me a part of your life.

2. Thank you for loving my parents and our children.

3. Thank you for always being generous, even when I returned the diamond tennis bracelet.

4. Thank you for attending church with me and the children consistently before you converted. You always led by example.

5. Thank you for leaving love notes in my luggage when I go away on a business trip.

6. Thank you for always believing in me and having my back.

7. Thank you for cooking on Monday nights when you know the first day back at work and school is hard on all of us.

8. Thank you for never giving up on yourself even when times were scary and tough.

9. Loving you is easy. Living the daily grind is often not. Our grit and faith in God helps us get through everything.

10. You were the best thing that happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without you or our children.

Love, Kim

Posted in Children, God, Marriage, Parenting, Pursuing Talents, Service, Travel , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »
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