The Best of 2011

2011 could be described as a very, very bad year. I cannot deny that there was loss and disappointment. I cannot pray enough to bring my beautiful sister-in-law, Shannon Dodson, or my dearest family friend, Grace Giebe, back to this earth. I cannot hope enough to change Surgeon Number One or Surgeon Number Twos’ minds that my pain will never disappear and that there are no guaranteed options to ever “fix” my spinal disability. Gage cannot buy enough lottery tickets to deny the fact that our family income has drastically reduced due to my inability to work. Not a single person in the Human Resources Department at Special School District can promise me that I will have my job back in this coming August; in fact, my physical therapists and multiple specialists cannot ensure that despite ALL of my rehabilitation and dedication, I will be physically capable to return to work full-time… EVER. Even though our plan was to start a family, we were advised to put that plan on hold to decrease the dangers of an at-risk pregnancy. In fact, hardly anything that Gage and I planned for this year happened, as usual…

2011 could be described as a very, very bad year… However, when you make a promise to someone, take a vow, swear that you will stick together through better and through worse, you do…. There may have been many “worse” occurrences this year; however, Gage reminded me that we also had many “betters.” Even more so, he promised there are countless more to come - if we choose to look for them.

Great or small, Gage and I agreed to create a list of “Our Top Decisions of 2011.” My positive-thinking husband reminded me that despite our low-points, God has given us a choice. We can choose to only focus on the worst of 2011, or we can DECIDE to look for the best.

Our Top Decisions of 2011 (in no particular order except for their many paths down our memory lane):


- Gage got an amazing new job at MRH.

- Instead of sitting around the house during my recovery/rehabilitation focusing on everything that we can no longer do together, we started several projects, like making candles, scrap-booking, writing-projects, video clips and (the beginning of) learning to sew.
- I took over the budget, giving Gage more time for himself and me more responsibility and ways to contribute to our household.
- We discovered bath salts; not only do they make our baths better, they calm our muscles, too!
- We both participated in a Daily Bible Program to dive deeper into the Word.
- We canceled cable and said “no!” to smart phones.
- I started PT Bootcamp (minus the dangers and stresses of my teaching job).

- We learned how to make amazing foods and preserve them, including an award-winning vegetarian chili, Steph’s Secret Marinara Sauce, Gage’s Holy Ghost Pepper Sauce, Sweet-Potato Burritos, Organic Applesauce and pickling anything that can fit in a jar.

- I began Acupuncture treatments and Gage learned the ancient art of “cupping.”

- We purchased the world’s greatest Aborigine Broyhill sectional.

- We gave into the fad of Shag Carpet.

- We took Dr. Mark’s advice and enjoy weekly Date Nights.

- We scheduled regular meetings with our Pastor to learn to: fight fair, set boundaries, put one another first, love each other unconditionally and learn how to be a TEAM even when one of us has a physical disability.

- Enjoying the Guilty-Pleasure called Dexter.

- Paying-off a majority of our Student Loans.

- Starting the Membership Process at our Church.
- Developing relationships with our neighbors and deepening relationships with good friends.
- Participating in Bi-Weekly Boy’s Bible Study & The Girl’s Prayer Group.
- Praying over our marriage, our future children, our family & our friends daily.




To whoever reads this blog, you may look at our list and see our decisions as petty or insignificant. To you, that may be true. To Gage and I, they were the decisions that helped make 2011 better despite the worst; they were the choices that are allowing us to have hope for 2012.

Happy New Year!
Love Gage & Stephanie