Jon Kurozawa- 2011 the year that was.

Ok so maybe this is the lazy or cheap way out, but because of certain situations...my darling wife and I opted not to send out Christmas cards, pictures or the obligatory Christmas letter. Inspired by my friend Cindy Huber, this year I will be sharing with all of you the "Year That Was" for the Kurozawa's

Going to try to much not to focus on the "Jimmy did this, Jane went here, etc" but with four children it's hard not to do.

The underlying theme of Kurozawa 2011 was overcoming challenges and staying strong in our faith. (Seems to be a theme every year)
2011 was a year where we learned as a family how to do things more modestly, much like a great percentage of the country. While we had to make some sacrifices, we still enjoyed a number of things this year.

Thanks to some great programs, Mia and Noah were able to enjoy some wonderful summer camps through Elmbrook Church and TimberLee Christian Center. Mia actually finally got the opportunity to be a volunteer at Camp Vertical this coming year.

As you all know, my job with the Milwaukee Wave was eliminated back in April...which led to a summer and fall of searching, sacrificing...but most importantly trusting heavily in God. This ended up being (and continuing to be) one of the greatest challenge of my life, but the support of Holly and our church has been amazing. This 8 month "hiatus" has given me a lot of time to reflect and re-focus on what I want to do moving forward (this is still an on-going process as I am still trying to figure out what path I am meant to take)

Despite the lack of employment, the year was filled with a number of high points.
The biggest is the expectation of Kurozawa #5 (in early February). There have been a number of people that were surprised, shocked and question the decision to have another child. To answer any of that I simply say "If God wants it to happen, it will happen. WE trust in what He wants for us"
Another was the Wave winning a championship in April (while I was still with the team). It was bitter sweet, but every time I look at the Championship Ring I have, I remember the good times with the team, the fun Noah had getting to know the players while working on the bench for the home games and the relationships I built with a number of the dedicated Wave fans.

Sports were a heavy focal point for our family, as Mia continued on with the West Suburban Y Sharks Swim Team and Noah with a variety of different soccer teams, but I will get back to that later. It is a true blessing to have kids that are excelling in sports they love.

Overall 2011 was a year that I will remember for certain things, but would rather forget for others. In the end, everything our family has gone through has only made us stronger and closer to God. Most importantly, it will make 2012 seem even sweeter when we accomplish great things in the new year!