365 Days

January 1, 2011. Halloween 2010 was so much fun, the three of us decided to celebrate the new year together. This time Tyler joined us - Casablanca style! I came across this picture last week and it made me pause for a while. We had no idea how much our lives would change in 365 days. How do I even start?

Amber. She is one of the bravest women I know. Just weeks after this picture was taken I had the privilege of introducing her to Luke, whom she married October 7th! It is crazy to think she didn't even know him at the time this picture was taken! We had also just purchased our tickets to Europe a month before and were high from the excitement for our future travels! Budapest, Vienna, & Prague in 10 days! Some quick highlights of the trip:

- Budapest: Turkish Baths, crash course on communism, oldest underground transportation in Europe, and staying with a Hungarian couple in an old world building.

- Vienna: music galore, gorgeous architecture, Austrian wine garden, palaces, Aida

at the "Weiner Staatsoper" (the Vienna State Opera - get your mind out of the gutter), and chocolate.

- Prague: cheap beer, TONS of men, astronomical clock with the 12 disciples, old world town coupled with (once) communistic New Prague, Turkish coffee,

dumplings, and more music. This picture was taken in Prague. You can tell how tired we are, which is why we are about to partake in our first experience of Turkish coffee before we go to a Mozart concert in a Museum.

Looking back, we are both so thankful that we were able to take this trip when we did. When we got home, Amber helped her little sister plan and celebrate her wedding, said good-bye to her brother, and planned her own wedding to Luke. Why do I consider Amber one of the bravest women I know? I cannot even begin to describe what this past summer was like, to watch one of your best friends and her family walk through something so difficult and unexpected as the loss of a brother. I was on my way to work on November 27th and I thought to myself: "Wow. 6 months. How do they do it? I don't think I could make it 6 months." Tyler had an opportunity to touch many lives during his time here and his family continues to demonstrate what it is like to live life through faith amongst tragedy and heartache. I don't think I could walk through that. Amber and Nicole are two of the bravest women I know.

Laura. We got to live together in 2011, which made our sporadic nights out much more convenient! Our friendship changed a lot over this year in ways that were unexpected but still good. Growth is good, right? Living with people is challenging in the sense that you see how each other really lives and what each of you are really like. Ultimately it is good, but still a constant reminder of the depravity of my life apart from abidance in Christ and reliance on Him to heal wounds and redeem what seems broken. Sometimes I wonder how I am even allowed to function within a society with all my dysfunctional tendencies. Awesome. Through all the change in our friendship this past year, I DEFINITELY would not be where I am this day without her friendship. Loving one another is one of the hardest commandments, but also the most rewarding!

Me? I have learned a lot over this year. Fortunately, I have been blessed with many highlights! Highlight #1: In January/February I got to go to the east coast as a chaperone for the 8th grade D.C. trip. That group of 8th graders (now 9th graders) is probably my favorite class that I have ever taught. Part of the reason is that I had them as 6th, 7th, and 8th graders so I have built some solid relationships with those kids. Highlight #2: Europe trip with Amber for Spring Break. Highlight #3: Finishing my first triathlon in Carlsbad, CA in July. The adrenaline rush after a race is addicting. Highlight #4: Hiking the Grand Canyon with an incredible group of women. Never thought I would do that!!! Along with the highlights came some things that forced me to grow and think about how I see the world. Tyler's death hit me really hard, not only because of my relationship with the family, but also as a reminder that my life is not my own. I have no control over the number of days I have nor do I have any control over what happens around me. It is hard to actually face the reality of mortality and the fact that tragedy happens when it is least expected. So among the highlights have been things that are hard to walk through but are necessary to grow: one of my best friends moved to Santa Barbara, another friend moved to Monterey en route to Argentina (what?!), and I learned a lot of hard lessons about myself when coaching the high school swim team. Being a perfectionist, I really don't like to fail or feel inadequate. I am pretty sure I accomplished both during my time as a coach! The truth that I have clung to (and continue to cling to) for the past 365 days is that the strengths I have been given are for others and my weaknesses are to keep me close to God. So trials and change are a good thing, right?

Looking forward to 2012!