In this, the darkest and quietest time of the year, I have taken a few moments to reflect on all that has passed in 2012. Here is a brief look at my year in pictures:

January: Palubari, Nepal

January 2012: Battisputali neighborhood, Kathmandu, Nepal

February: Backyard hockey rink.

March: The Peanut Challenge. My oldest son was diagnosed at age 1 with a peanut allergy. After blood tests determined he had outgrown it, the final test was eating peanut butter.

April: Spring break.

May: View from Ydra, Greece

May: Sunset on the Greek island of Ydra

May: At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland

May: Lac Leman, Geneva, Switzerland

June: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Skogfjorden Norwegian Language Village (Bemidji, Minnesota).

June: Bukkesjøen, Bemidji, Minnesota

July: Family reunion, Lake George, Minnesota

August: Weedfield, Center Sandwich, New Hampshire

September: Interviewing students at the Sankhu-Palubari Community School in Nepal

Sanku village, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

September: Swayambhunath temple, Kathmadu, Nepal

October: Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Minnesota

November: Election 2012

Each of the kids at my daughter’s school wrote what they were thankful for on a feather, creating this Thankful Turkey.

December: The things you see when you cross-country ski! Elm Creek Park Reserve, Minnesota

All in all, it has been a pretty good year. As my friend Amy described it, a mix of exotic and everyday. The perfect description of my life!

What’s in store for 2013? To begin with, I’ll be in Morocco in January, Cameroon in February and Tanzania in March. In short, the fortune cookie was right: