MMXI

January, Two Thousand Eleven.

It's true what they say, when you get older years fly by.  For New Years Eve, Ben and I celebrated with my closest, oldest friend, Kristin, and her fiance, Scott.  We took them to Reikyu, a place filled with memories for Ben and me- part a of our first New Years celebration three years ago, followed by the Big D NYE at Victory Park in Dallas for the countdown and fireworks (part deux of our first NYE, and the setting of Ben's first confession of his love for me).  It felt like just yesterday we were standing under the enormous jumbo tron at Victory Park, and as the entire crowd harmoniously counted-down the seconds to 2008, Ben yelled above the roar three simple words that have since then been engraved into my heart.

We were so blessed to be with some of our closest friends for the 2010-2011 transition, making new memories and traditions, and sharing in great experiences that helped bring one of the more eventful years for me to an end.

As momentous as 2010 was for Ben and me, I have a feeling 2011 holds more incredible and exciting new evolutions for us.  Kristin is getting married in June - and for the first time ever I will be playing the Maid (Matron) of Honor for her, a role Kristin and I decided we would each play for the other back in our elementary days. Come May, I should finally graduate from the University of North Texas.  I am hoping, and wishing, and praying, and waiting to get a much anticipated interview with Delta Airlines to begin a career as a Flight Attendant for the company.  Ben and I plan to take one memorable trip to somewhere outside of Texas for our first anniversary in March.  And I will become a coach for the 1st grade team at the 9 AM service for The Village Church: Flower Mound sometime in January.

Much to do, but with all this comes the hope that much will also remain the same.  We already renewed our current lease for an additional 15 months.  Despite minor hiccups here and there, our friends and family are generally healthy, well off, and without any knowledge of looming tragedy.  Plans are constantly being made to meet up with our loved ones for coffees, dinners, games, and movies to maintain and build our current relationships.  Books will be read, cars will be driven, and TV will remain mindless and corrupt.

As exciting as the promise of a "new you" can be with the changing of the years, I find peace in the constant and hope in the unchanging.  However, we are never guaranteed the constant, in fact we're guaranteed the exact opposite - and looking back into the yester-years, you can see just how quickly the unexpected comes upon you time and time again.  Unfortunately tragedy is ever-looming, so here's to taking each day as it comes, loving, laughing, and caring every chance you get, and finding true peace and hope in our constant and unchanging Heavenly Father.