Five years ago tonight I took this very blurry cameraphone photo on the dance floor at C Street:

If you had told either of us that night that five years later we’d be married, I suspect we would’ve laughed in your face. There was no ‘we’ at that point – just three friends ringing in the new year with cheap champagne, drag queens, and hundreds of balloons falling at midnight.

All across the web, people are reflecting on the last year – the good, the bad, the heartbreaking and hilarious. In 2010, we got married, as did several friends, and our nephew was born, as were the sons and daughters of many close to us. In 2010, we did a fair amount of traveling and ate a whole lot of good food, most of which was documented here. In 2010, our jobs were a mixed bag – one really good, one really boring. In 2010, we didn’t see enough of our families or our out of town friends, but we did grow new friendships here. In 2010, Shane took on mopeds, and I tended our garden.

As we enter 2011, we are profoundly grateful for each other, for our health, safety, security, and happiness. We are thankful that between us we have three grandparents and three parents, all in good health, and five siblings who are happy, healthy, and pursuing things that challenge and interest them. We have two cute cats who bring us endless joy (and a fair amount of frustration). We have a lot going for us, and we’re really thankful for that.

We hope that 2011 brings you more joy than sorrow, more sunny days than rain (unless you’re into that sort of thing), and many opportunities to be with the ones you love. If you aren’t with us in person, we are with you in spirit tonight.