Thank you, 2012.

Daniel and I are excited to ring in the new year tonight. We have so much to be grateful for from 2012 and are full of so much optimism for 2013!

Obviously, 2012 was a great year for us, much of which was spent preparing for the biggest day of our lives thus far. On August 4th, our closest friends and family gathered at my family's home ranch to celebrate our wedding. It was, truly, the best night of our lives. We could not have hoped for a more perfect evening full of happiness and laughter, great food and wine, and true, inimitable joy. We could feel the warmth of God's love permeating throughout the entire day. Not a single day has passed since our wedding that I haven't thought about that day and how thankful I am to have those precious memories. From Germany to Canada to Iowa to New York, we had friends and family travel from far and wide just to share our day with us. We even had friends who had just that morning finished biking 4000+ miles across America (to raise money for Ulman Cancer Fund) show up to the wedding. (Thank you, Dong and Chrismare!) What a blessing each and every one of our friends and family are.

Through the experience of planning our wedding, and since August 4th, Daniel and I have come to understand that the most important and worthy thing you can do is to focus on relationships. Fostering genuine friendships, our relationship with God, and caring for and praying for the people we love is the most important thing Daniel and I can spend our time and energy focusing on. Not our jobs, not our clothes, not our money. In this uncertain economic climate, relationships are truly the only investment that can never, ever depreciate in value or be taken away from us. And that's the coolest thing ever. We are thankful to 2012 for teaching both of us the importance of investing in others.

2013 is sure to bring many milestones. We are excited to watch friends get married, welcome friends' and family members' new little ones into the world, spend time in Pajaro Dunes with my family, visit Daniel's family in Germany and celebrate our first anniversary. There are so many wonderful things we cannot wait for, and we look forward to continuing to grow in our relationships with friends, family, God and each other.

Here's to happiness and growth in the new year!

-S