A Belated New Year’s Post

I know all the New Year’s hype has blown over now that we are entering the fourth week of the year but, hey, I have a newborn. Things don’t always get done on time…

2011 was without a doubt the best and most significant year of my life. It was a year of overcoming challenges and fears. A year of taking big steps forward. A year of closing old chapters and beginning new ones.

The many significant events of 2011 (and there were many) include announcing our pregnancy, finishing my fieldwork in pediatric occupational therapy, passing my comprehensive exam in order to graduate, receiving my Master’s degree in occupational therapy, getting a job as a pediatric OT, moving from the ghetto of Pasadena to sunny Santa Barbara, joining a new church, studying two months for and passing my OT board exam, receiving my OT license, HAVING A BABY!, recovering from major surgery (thank you, c-section), learning how to be a mom, and starting a new career.

Whew! Can you see why 2011 was a biggie?

I could probably write an entire post about each one of these things, because they were all so meaningful to me and contributed immensely to my development as a student, OT, wife, and mom. Each event was unforgettable.

God’s provision was completely visible last year. From the way that he provided a new apartment that met our needs, to the way that he gave me a new job practically out of thin air, to the way that he provided crazy amazing medical coverage so that we did not have to pay a dime of the costs related to Matthew’s birth (which included a 6-night hospital stay, epidural, c-section, lactation services, and several days’ worth of pretty amazing food). Thank you, Jesus.

On a less significant scale, 2011 was a unique year for me on the blogging front. In July, I was surprised to discover that my photo blog of Santa Barbara made it to the “Freshly Pressed” front page of WordPress. I was overwhelmed with the number of page views and positive comments I received on that post. (And I believe some of you who have subscribed to this blog were first introduced via that post.) It was so cool, and totally unexpected! Then earlier this month, I was informed that a post I wrote in the national occupational therapy online forum (OT Connections) made it into the top 5 most read blog posts of 2011. It was titled iPad Apps for People with Autism, and was read by several thousand people. Woah! Unbelievable. Though I did not set out to expand my readership last year, it sure was a nice confidence boost and a pleasant surprise!

I anticipate that this year will be very, VERY different from the last. Though I’m no longer in school, I know I will be learning tons of new stuff in 2012 that will probably be — dare I say it — more useful than what I learned when I was actually in school. I am excited about what this new year holds and what God will show us as we seek and follow him.

Here’s 2011 at a glance!