Our New Year's Letter

1 January 2012 found us in Kona, Hawaii, celebrating Christmas and ringing in the New Year with our family and good friends George, Diane, and Susie Pittman. We knew that Scott and I were headed to England. Scott was to leave at the end of the month and I would follow him in March. What we didn't quite understand was just how different our new home would be, and how many amazing adventures we would have in the months to come.

In 2012 we celebrated 2 weddings! Jennie and Zach were married in Iowa in March and then Katie and Chris married in Chicago in June. Both occasions were great fun and we were really thrilled to be able to celebrate with family and friends.

Dan overcame several obstacles including a broken leg which had him pretty much in bed for 2 months during the summer of 2011, and a job that caused him to work long, long hours, to receive his M.B.A. from Drexel University in May. He has since changed jobs and is now working at Princeton University. No one is more proud of him than Scott and I!

Moving to England has given us an opportunity to do some travelling. We have been to Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, and, of course, England! We have seen more castles and churches than we can count and learned more history than we'd ever imagined! We have been awed by two different sets of stone circles, roamed through Roman baths, and walked on Hadrian's Wall. We've had pizza in Naples, beef wellington in London, and weiner schnitzel in Vienna. We've come to love French wine and appreciate button key music. We've looked for 'Nessie at Loch Ness, stood at the floor of the Colosseum in Rome, and roamed the halls of The Louvre. Scott has learned to appreciate Monet and Degas and I am working on being more appreciative of modern art.

Along the way we have met some really great people! Each day we are finding more and more to appreciate about England, from the beauty of the lakes and fells to the "keep calm and carry on" spirit of the Brits.

Trafalgar Square at Christmas

It has been an amazing adventure!

As 2013 begins we know that Dan and Jamie are engaged, and are planning a wedding in May of 2014. We are also anxiously anticipating the birth of our first grandchild. Jennie and Zach are expecting a little boy in May. We are excited about the year to come and are hopeful that we will have some more visitors here in England.

As we reflect on 2012, and look forward to 2013, we can certainly say God has been good to our family. We have been truly blessed.