hello, 2012.

Hello, new year. Hello, year of graduating college. Hello, year of becoming an aunt. Hello, year of moving. Hello, year of transition. Hello, year of change. Hello, year of adult. Hello, year of new. Hello, year of unknown. Hello, 2012. It's nice to meet you.

I had intentions of posting both Saturday and Sunday, but got caught up in celebration with these lovely ladies.

There's a whole lot of ridiculous and laugher and sass and attitude happening in that photo, and it's probably one of my favorites from our night. We spent our night at a fancy dinner, with long conversations and laughter. We made it back just in time for strawberry champagne slushies and silliness in the new year. I can't think of anyone else I would have rather spent the night with, save for the four roommates who weren't there. These are girls who have shared a large part of my life and heart in the past year. I hope you were able to spend New Year's with people who know you, love you, and graciously walk through life with you.

At our dinner, we talked about words (naturally); words to describe the year behind and words to hope for in the year that's coming. I have a few words that I'd like to frame 2012, words to pray over and explore and experience as life unfolds this year. Ultimately, they are words that I want to go beyond this year, words that I want to sink into my soul and into the rhythms of everyday life, no matter the year.

The first, and biggest word that I want to explore this year is deeper. I want to live a deeper, richer, fuller story. I want deeper, in every way possible. Deeper in relationships. Spiritual depth. Deeper in faith. Depth in what I know to be true about God. Deeper in my career. A deeper sense of self. The past few months, I've come back to the phrase life to the full, which comes from this verse. I want to explore and examine and know and experience life to the full, this year and beyond. In a year of so much transition and change, I want to experience the depth and complexity of life as it happens. Right now, I don't have any idea how this word will unfold, but I keep asking .. What is deeper? What is life to the full? And how do I get there?

At dinner the other night, we talked a lot about our desire for 2012 to be steady, a continuation, a movement and an extension of the growth and going that happened in the past year. I gleaned a lot from listening to my roommates' hopes, and realized that I, too, want this year to be a steady continuation. 2011 was a year of becoming, a year of growth, a year of recognizing the ways I am both broken and beautiful (and really, shouldn't every year be like that?) Right now I have a stronger sense of self than ever before, and as I enter into this year of transition and change and unknown, I want to be steady and continue. Steady in what I've learned and what I know to be true and in the ways I handle people and relationships. Continuing in growth, in more, in a desire to understand and learn and become more of who I was created to be.

2012. I have no clue what's in store. I do know, however, that this year will be full of new, full of unknown, full of change, full of movement ... and I pray that in the midst of the madness, I live a deeper story. A story that is steady and continues. I hope the same for you.

What are your hopes for 2012? What words do you choose to frame this year?