Our Blessings in 2011

Every year now Casey and I talk about and write down our blessings from that previous year. You can read 2009's HERE here and 2010's HERE & HERE. In years past we did this on our anniversary getaway, but since this year's anniversary was much shorter in length (just one night away instead of 3) we did it at dinner at our kitchen table on December 31st. We came up with so many blessings, easily!

Sawyer Grace Coats was born! :)

Nice people of Baylor hospital and their help in the NICU

Generous gifts given to us at 4 different baby showers for Sawyer

Laura Bond & Ginni Rickerson using their nice cameras and expertise to take free newborn pictures of Sawyer for us

Carroll Twins were born

Continued improvement of Beverly’s health

Getting to stay at home with Sawyer

Lauren had a great experience at Smith for my first 3 years of teaching and was congratulated upon staying at home and has kept up with my friendships made there (Tracey, Christie, & Jim)

Part time job at Mimosa Lane Playschool IN the baby room with Sawyer!

Being able to sub on Fridays (ie. Casey’s day off)

Sawyer’s helmet improving her head shape

Financial blessings

We sold my Mustang for almost as much as our new Escape

No car trouble this year!

Good health for both Casey & Lauren (minus Casey’s Poison Ivey experience:)

Good fellowship & learning with our community group

Answered prayer of Lauren & Ben’s remarriage in Colorado (November)

c|Life’s d|now had over 300 kids with many salvations!

c|Life’s youth camp had 256 kids with many salvations!

c|Life's high school mission trip with children in Robstown accepting Christ!

Casey has enjoyed playing basketball frequently with friends

Casey has enjoyed his new men’s group/book club with some men from church called “5 Guys No Lies”

Money was raised for the youth group through the Annual Micah Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament that Casey hosts each year

Lauren is still enjoying friendships made through pokeno each month

Christie Harty Photography doing Father’s Day pictures of Sawyer and of our family for no charge!

My mom bought us a king size bed in exchange for our queen! Great nights of sleep in 2011!

Taking sewing lessons from Natalie Swartz and my dad buying me a sewing/embroidery machine for Christmas

Answered prayer of Ben & Abby Lowery getting to bring Abe home from Ethiopia

Wow! Every time I read through that list I just feel so blessed! It is exciting to see answered prayer and other blessings that God gives us. Every year we are able to come up with 25+ reasons to be thankful and there are always things I leave off of the blog because it may be private to someone. God is good to us--What a great reminder for the new year.