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The Unforgettable Year 2011

Dear 2011,

If it was your intention to make sure that everyone would remember you, well then I’d say Mission Accomplished.  I mean, just the weather alone was memorable.  Who could forget the blizzard that dumped over a foot of snow on our fair state.

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Then there were all the spring storms that brought hail, high winds, and tornadoes.

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And let’s not forget the unrelenting heat and drought of summer.

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But it wasn’t just your weather that brought us challenges.  Don’t think that I’ve forgotten that whole frozen pipe/bathroom renovation stunt you pulled.

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Seriously, that was pretty uncool considering how much our family already had going on with Kelsey’s college application process and campus visits.  Although I will say that situation turned out pretty well all things considered.

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In all fairness, you weren’t all bad.  Even after such a long, cold winter, Spring didn’t disappoint and we enjoyed some lovely weather (when it wasn’t storming of course).

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And to be perfectly honest, watching my sweet girl walk across that stage to receive her high school diploma was one of the proudest moments of my life. 

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Once Summer came, you seemed to settle down a bit.  Plus, you did a good job helping to facilitate some great memories at the lake.

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And speaking of great memories, our vacation to St. John will go down as one of the most amazing vacations ever.

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The future is going to have some HUGE shoes to fill in that department.

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Once we got home from vacation, you seemed to be in a hurry – it was no time before we were moving Kelsey into her college dorm.

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I’m not going to lie, sending our girl off to college was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.  There was many a day when I wished you were 1999 rather than 2011.

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But I suppose if that was the case then I would have missed out on a lot of fun.

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2011, you surprised a lot of people.  Even after the long, hot summer…

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…you still managed to dazzle me with your beautiful Fall colors.

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And by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I started to appreciate you even more.

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Once Christmas came I was full on joyful and in return you rewarded me with one of the most special holiday seasons of my life.

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So 2011, as you pack your bags to make room for 2012 I just want to say thank you.  Looking back, there were times that I didn’t like you very much, but I really do appreciate all the lessons you taught me. I learned a lot about myself, but mostly I just learned to be grateful for and to enjoy every single second of my life.

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I will never forget you.

Love, Kelly

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Hi There! I’m Kelly. I am a wife, mom, light seeker, homemaker, and storyteller. From an empty nest to an abundant life, all it took was a little time, a lot of faith, and the courage to see my life differently.

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