Blessings of 2011

Before I look forward, I want to take a minute to look back and thank God for some of the biggest blessings of 2011:

1. Scout - our kids have wanted a dog for years, and while she's still learning in the potty training department, she has been a great source of fun and joy for us.

2. A summer in Minnesota - we hadn't had one for four years, so we were due! I could make a whole list of great things from that summer alone

3. Tao Bao - yes, I joke about Tao Bao and our "obsession" with it, but it has made life here so much easier and saved us loads of time. In a place where everything takes longer in general, that's huge!

4. Boy Scouts - we have a great troop here in our area filled with kids who are challenging and encouraging Ethan to learn and grow. We just watched a few of them earn Eagle Scout recently, and two more are steps away!

5. This house - I can't say how much I love our house! I think maybe our dishwasher the most. :) I love that we can bless our friends by having them over and even staying the night (we've used both guest rooms at once even!)

6. Homeschool co-op - At a doctor's visit this fall I was explaining our co-op to my doctor, and it was amazing even to myself to say, "Yeah, there's about 60 kids in it." What are the chances that this many families with so many kids could pull off a co-op where kids are learning such a variety of subjects and having fun while they do it?

7. Our families - we know it's not easy to have us living on the other side of the world, and we're so thankful for the support our families give us in many ways. We promise we'll come back someday!

8. Our community - I don't know if people fully grasp the unique community in which we live here. Picture this: within about a 2 mile radius, we have around 40 families who work with us (including young couples without kids and single friends as well) including about 50 kids under the age of 15. Most days, a good portion of those kids gather to play outside unsupervised for 2 hours together. Does this happen anywhere else in the world?

We are blessed.