Hello, '12

Yeeeeesh I have been neglecting this space. Not intentionally, and yet not unintentionally either... I've been savoring the season, contemplating what is behind and what might be in the 12 months ahead. That's what you do to close out a year, a chapter in your life, yeah? 

My 2011 was probably a lot like yours - it had its share of heartache and joy, pluses and minuses, frustration and success. Some people are so quick to bid a "good riddance" to the past year, hoping that the next will bring something better. I don't know how I could do that to the year that brought about my 30th birthday, my first commercial and TV appearance, the birth of our very close friends' first child, two beautiful weddings, two opportunities to travel, two plays, many classes, parties, and plenty of time with friends and family... Even in the midst of our day-to-day problems and big picture struggles, it is abundantly obvious to me how blessed I am to be exactly right here, exactly right now.

Annual Christmas "Family Photo" with Erika & Tyler

Okay, so that's the mushy feel-good-ery part of this post. :) I hope you had yourself a great Christmas and New Years. We had an absolutely stellar time in Seattle, and here's the proof: we took hardly any pictures. We were so busy seeing friends & family, celebrating and enjoying the city it just didn't even occur to us until our last day in town, when we took some fun pictures of our aunt & uncle's wonderfully goofy muppet-lookin' puppy, Tilly Mae the Goldendoodle.

Tilly Mae - with Rhoda and Stefani

It seems 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year, as they say! Already we have trips planned to Alaska and Puerto Vallarta (out of pocket cost to us: practically zero), we'll be running the LA Marathon in March (supporting ThinkCure! to fund cancer research), Chad has some very real (and very interesting) job prospects lining up - in addition to chasing down those acting gigs, and I'll be simultaneously working full time, going to school part-time for ASL interpreting, and of course pursuing whatever acting opportunities I can get my hands on. 

Inspirational photo!!

Hello, '12. :)