Glimpses 2011.

We toasted 2011 away with our littles and tucked them into bed hours ago now. We clinked our glasses together with sparkling pear juice where E may have drank hers in one giant gulp.

"We'll see you next year," we said and now T and M sit eagerly awaiting the midnight drop of the ball. There are advantages to being the older ones you know. Like staying up on New Years Eve.

When we ate dinner hours ago M asked everyone what their resolution would be and while I'm pretty sure H didn't really comprehend what that meant or what she was asking, he cracked all of us up with his response, "I'm going to work on my skills. My ninja skills."

Really, can anyone top that one?

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So I couldn't end 2011 without looking back through the year and remembering just what a good year it was. Here's just a glimpse at this past year before we wake up anew in 2012.

January: J & I went on a cruise. T turned 12.

February: My father in law turned 80. I shared a picture of our blended family and wrote about what our normal is. Oh and I wrote about the balance struggle.

March: I finally said aloud {or wrote, in this case} my true dream and shortly after my computer crashed. I wrote about friendship. Twice. M turned 10 and had a hilarious outing to the movies unattended. I turned 29 and I wrote about the balance thing again.

April: H turned FIVE! J & I celebrated 7 years. I introduced you to a couple in love and also wrote about being the tiger in the family.

May: Osama binLaden was killed and I wrote my thoughts on that. H & E were in their first wedding. I donated 10 inches of hair and H graduated from preschool.

June: E turned 2 1/2 and I celebrated 6 years of blogging.

July: We went through my dad's house and took the crib down. We went to the Aquatennial parade on the hottest night yet.

August: E officially potty trained herself. and we spent a week in Brainerd.

September: H started kindergarten.T started 7th and M started 5th and E started preschool. We walked and ran to remember my mom. Oh and my new blog design went up!

October: My dad got engaged! And H & E were in not just one, but two weddings.

November: I overheard J talking to a colleague about me and I wrote about expecting great things as a stepmom. And also, E outgrew her dairy allergy!

December: E turned three. I decided that I wanted a full Christmas season versus a busy one and we remembered my mom after four years.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope that you can look back at your 2011 with fondness and good memories and look forward to 2012 with excitement, joy and full of possibility.