From Craig and Pam Akers:
"Today marks the one year anniversary of Shawn's miraculous rescue and return to his family. It hardly seems possible that a year has passed since his return - a year filled with hope, love, laughter and joy. Shawn has made remarkable progress in every aspect of his life. Educationally he has excelled in every subject, making extraordinary strides forward to reach his current 9th grade placement and 3.96 grade point average. Emotionally Shawn has also made great progress in coping with the horrific events that defined his abduction and captivity. We are so very proud of the progress he has made in every aspect of his life. Listening to his laughter and seeing the sparkle in his eyes makes every hardship we endured during his captivity seem so distant and insignificant."

"We ask that everyone join us in our celebration on January 12 by spending the day with their family and loved ones. Pick an activity the whole family enjoys and can participate in and let laughter fill the air. Thanks again to everyone who stood by us in our days of darkness and all those that have been there to share in our days of sunshine. We truly appreciate the displays of kindness and generosity that have graced us from the very beginning of this ordeal."

From Shawn Hornbeck:
"This upcoming weekend is a very special. On the 12th it will be a whole year I have been home. There are so many people I have met this past year. All of them are really good people. Most of them have searched for me or for other missing kids. I have also leaned a lot too since I started to school. I have met some really cool people. Even though I am the oldest kid at my school I get along with everyone really well. It was weird at first starting school again. I've come to enjoy it though and like all of my teachers. There are even some teachers that aren't mine that I am good friends with. "

"I am so glad to be home. There is nothing else that can match the love of your family. For four and one half years I wasn't able to have that feeling. On January 12, 2007 my life changed again - it was the happiest and best day of my life."

From Shawn Hornbeck:
"The holidays this year mean everything to me because I haven’t had the chance to enjoy any in such a long time. I spent five Thanksgivings and five Christmases missing the people that I love and knowing how much they must be missing me. This is another important step in reconnecting with my family and my life.

I am grateful for so many things this Thanksgiving. I am grateful that my Mom and Dad never gave up hope looking for me and for the many people that supported us through the toughest times in our lives. I am grateful for the people that all worked so hard to help find me and bring me home. My heart is full and I am just so thankful for so many things but most of all, I am thankful to be safe at home and-- finally -- surrounded by the people who love me. “

From Craig and Pam Akers:
"The past 10 months have shown us how special life can truly be. We have been so blessed in so many different ways -- from the return of our son and a beautiful new home to begin making new memories in, to helping reunite another missing child with their family for the holidays.

In years past we have greeted this time of year with the wish that it slip quietly by, and soon become just another statistic. It's a wonderful feeling to finally recognize how many things we have to be thankful for: the support of our community; the many new friends we have made from all across the country; the unwavering commitment of the media in helping us reach out to the public in times of need; the ability to share what we have learned to help parents keep their children safe; the strength and commitment to stand arm in arm with other families during their darkest hours.

But of course none of this would be possible without the backbone of our lives – our family. Our daughters showed us the true meaning of hope and faith. Never for one second did they believe anything other than their brother would one day return. They have blessed our lives with grandchildren, and continue to give us the strength and courage to keep going even when the odds seem to be against us. From our parents to our most distant relatives, they have always been there to give us strength during the bad times and to rejoice with us when things went right.

In this season of miracles we wish to express our most heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped make this holiday season the best ever. Without all of your help and support we couldn’t have come this far. We are honored to be able to call you our friends.”