What's the end of the year without a few thank Yous? Thank Yous for the good times and the bad, for the new things and the old, for the small moments and the big ones. So many blessings, so few words. . .

Thank You, Father.

Thank You for the things that words and pictures cannot capture. . . Salvation. Love. Forgiveness. Peace. Redemption. Joy.

And for the things that can be caught and held once more in picture after picture. . . precious moments found in ordinary life, beautiful moments that make life extraordinary.

Some of them are just small, but cool. . . a pretty salamander, a well-preserved skeleton discovered in a crawl space.

Others are small and precious. . . a sleeping baby, a shared laugh, my name on the hand of the man I love, the roses that meant my life as a single was about to be over.

Some of them are funny. . . a little boy blowing bubbles, a grandpa riding bike with a grandson, a niece and a nephew and an aunt brushing teeth, two little boys buried in weeds, a carriage that doesn't go anywhere.

Some of them are adventures. . . climbing Mt. Hood (or trying to), pretending to know what to do with guns, tandem biking in Portland, walking two miles to a mall in Kansas City after missing our flight, riding home from Portland in the back of the pickup, driving a stick shift over the mountain in deep snow.

Some of them bless others, and some of them bless us. . . teaching school, a note from a student, painting, teaching VBS, grocery shower gifts, making cookies for the neighbors.

Some of them involve family and friends. . . hiking, disc golfing, skating, road tripping.

And sometimes friends and family mean the same thing, and that is a blessing in and of itself.

Some of them can't be shared though, not even by family and friends. . .

And a lot of those moments put together led to the one big moment that will distinguish this year from other years in years to come. . .

A handful of blessings in a world full of them. Our God is so good. Thank You isn't enough.