I’m sick.  Two thirds of the other people in this house are sick.  This is all too reminiscent of a year ago.  That made me think that perhaps a review of 2011 was in order.  Here we go . . .

JANUARY:  I seriously don’t remember much of January.  I started the year with a cold (and seem to be ending it with the second verse).  I rolled around on my knee scooter a lot.  My parents returned to CO from CA to help me out for the last two weeks of the month; little did we know then that they may not be able to come back to CO becauseof my mom’s lung issues.  I started walking again and went back to the office.

Blogging:  One of my most commented posts is here.  My word for the year (and what a fitting word it was!) can be found here.

 

FEBRUARY: Back in the office and back to a longer training filled most of the month.  One of the highlights was starting to hang out with three of my neighbors.  I like to refer to them as The Thursdays becausee . . . well, we try to spend time together on (can you guess!?!) Thursday.  Physical Therapy started.

Blogging:  The two top posts of the month were about singleness and dating.

 

MARCH: As I look at the calendar, meetings and doctors’ appointments dominate the month.  I know, too, it was filled with quite a few physical therapy sessions–tough but life giving.  Physical Therapy came to an end in March.  Pictures from the SHARE Family Education Conference started popping up on facebook.  They simultaneously gave me joy because it looked like the kids were having so much fun and made me sad because I wasn’t strong/healthy enough to be there.

Blogging: You can find some of the most commented posts of March here and here.

 

APRIL:  There was more surgery and more “sexy” footwear in April, but it also held some really positive things.  I took my first solo plane trip since rupturing my Achilles.  A good friend came to visit for a week.  I co-hosted a TCK Think Tank — one of the most intense but fun weekends of the year.  Peace started to come to Cote d’Ivoire after almost 9 years of a lack of it.

Blogging: You can find one of my favorite posts of the year here.  These two are ones I wish more people had interacted with–1 and 2.

 

MAY:  Almost as soon as the Think Tank was over, I boarded a plane for Los Angeles and my brother’s production of Fathers’ Follies.  Basically the dads of my nephews’ school dress in drag and other costumes, put on a stage show, and raise money for their kids’ school.  It’s crazy, fun, and only the slightest bit disturbing if you take it out of context.  My interns arrived in May–at least 4/5 of them–and we started the crazy, wonderful summer.

Blogging: In May, my website got hacked for the first time; therefore, there are no posts in May.

 

JUNE:  By the middle of the month, all my interns arrived.  We debriefed TCKs and they prepared some other kids to become TCKs.  I made an emergency trip to Florida because my mother was in ICU.  I started my yearly trip to NY for TCK-PreField Orientation and training 1 Room School House teachers.

Blogging: Still hacked.

JULY:  TCK-PFO ended with another emergency trip to FL to visit with my parents.  My Mom spent just over 40 days in the hospital this summer.  I’m thankful she pulled through, and I’m thankful I got to be there for many of them.  More debriefing—except this time with a crazy age spread—barely 3 years old to almost 19 years old.  Crazy?  Yes.  One of the best weeks of debriefing?  Definitely.  So thankful for amazing interns and helpers.  Headed off to Interaction International’s Transition Seminar.

Blogging:  Up for a day, and then hacked again.

 

AUGUST: Ended Transition Seminar feeling really lousy, made it home to turn around and head to the ER.  A 104.6 fever and many tests later, the conclusion was that I had a virus.  I went home, slept, hydrated, and tylenoled.  The next day my leg started getting hot.  By Sunday morning, I could hardly walk.  I went back to the ER (with the help of the Thursdays), and had surgery on my infected Achilles tendon that night.  I had another surgery on it a few days later.  I left the hospital after a week and moved in with dear friends who looked after me and gave me a home without stairs for the next 7 weeks.

Blogging:  After being on death’s doorstep, blogging didn’t seem like a big priority.  I put up this post–get well wishes from the nephews.

 

SEPTEMBER: It was a blurry month.  I alligator wrestled from a propped leg position on the end of the couch with a 3 year old and a 5 year old most days.  I saw multiple doctors multiple times.  I got frustrated at how much time it takes to heal.

Blogging:  I write about writing and voice a few times.  I write about the 9th anniversary of evacuating from Cote d’Ivoire.  Go here if you missed any of them.

OCTOBER: I take my first post-op plane trip with a friend and her daughter to Chicagoland where I get to attend the 25th reunion of my graduating class from college.  I hated to spend the money, but I’m so very glad I did.  I have another birthday.  I train more missionaries–twice.  I move back to my house.  I also started physical therapy again.

Blogging:  You can find two of the best posts of the month here and here.

 

NOVEMBER: Still training those missionaries in November and still going to physical therapy.  I went to CA to spend some time with my parents as my dad had hip and partial knee replacement.  Mom and I had Hawaiian barbeque for Thanksgiving dinner.  It’s no wonder I have a hard time recalling what Thanksgiving dinner was like this year!

Blogging:  Check out this and this.

 

DECEMBER:  Lots of Christmas gift making–some of it more successful than others–was done.  Even more gift wrapping was accomplished.  I learned to make amazing sea salt carmels.  I got to participate in my church’s outreach of wrapping presents for anyone who walked by and wanted their gifts wrapped.  It helps that we’re in a strip mall. I flew back to CA for Christmas and some R & R with the family that is rapidly turning into sick time for us all.

Blogging: I focused on TCK videos and being distracted in my faith.  Check out the posts here.

 

Whew!  Kudos to you if you stuck with this whole post.  2011 was a year of struggling health for me and my family.  It was also a year of great joy in serving my Lord.  I’m hoping for a healthier and even more joyous 2012!

 

What were some of your highlights for 2011?  What are you hoping for in 2012?

photo courtesy of Zela on rgbstock.com