2010: Looking Back

Can you believe it? We are staring 2011 in the face at this very moment (and possibly, post-2011 by the time I actually complete this blog!). This has been quite a year! I've been sitting here attempting to recall all the events this year brought, but I'm drawing blanks. I see great big block letters like, "WEDDING" and "MOVING" flashing in my brain... But that's about it! Then it dawned on me that 2010 started out with my husband already in Afghanistan. If you have gone through a deployment, you will fully understand me when I say that it is the blurriest sense of passing time. It almost stands still, yet life does go on. So, January through June is almost completely erased from 2010. My apologies to my future children if they inquire about my activities of February or March, 2010. 

But this year was a wonderful year. I am almost sad to see it come to an end (though happy it's another year closer to January of 2013). God has been faithful and ever present. He was faithful to not only safely bring Strom through his second deployment, but He granted Strom the Green to Gold scholarship he had been working toward for nearly two years. What an answer to hard work and prayer! So Army life is on hold as we rock out the collegiate/ROTC life for a few years. It's a change for my husband, but I think he's enjoying it! 

We have had our share of adventures this year (many of which you have enjoyed along with me!). The greatest of all, of course, was our wedding on August 8th. All the precious memories with my family leading up to the big day will stay with me forever, only leading to the most incredible day of Strom's and my life. Sometimes we still can't believe all the phone calls and cross-country flights have come to an end. It was a beautiful and special day that I continue to want to relive over and over! As well as our honeymoon! I got my first passport stamp when we arrived in Antigua! (I recommend Antigua for anyone desiring a tropical dreamlike vacation!). I still miss our fruity drinks and endless relaxing on the beach and by the pool... *sigh*

Our return to the states brought with it the packing of all my belongings...Into the UHaul everything went, and Virginia-bound we were. A tearful goodbye to be sure, but God brought us through the ups and downs and we have settled into our new -- and first! -- place together. 

With little time to relax, we headed up to Washington D.C. the weekend following our move and excitedly attended Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally. What an honor it was for us to be there!! Not to mention, when we arrived at our hotel, we learned of our room being double booked. Rather than fret, I rolled with the flow and wondered if I saw a park bench on the way into the city. Thankfully, the situation was quickly remedied when the hotel bumped us up to the presidential suit for the weekend. I'll take double booking any day! *wink* It is an event I will carry with me for all time. The spirit of the American people was present that day! I expect encouraging things this coming year! 

The very next weekend, we were on our way to Seattle Washington! I'm talking nonstop honeymooners here! I think I am still tired! Strom's wonderful grandmother threw us a lovely wedding reception for all those who were unable to attend our wedding in Maine. It was a very short but very sweet weekend trip! Their generosity towards us was such a blessing!

The adventures continued when we boarded that Texas-bound plane for the wedding of my precious friend, Kelle. (You can read about it Here!) And what a time it was! My first trip to Texas was about as memorable as could be! We started as online deployment buddies and are now the best of friends. Amazing how things can turn out! 

Ironically, I and two of my closest girlfriends were all brides this summer! How did that happen? What sweet memories we all made together! 

And of course (jumping seasons here) we celebrated our first Christmas together. I am a major lover of Christmas, so this was monumental for me to finally have my man with me through the season. From the numerous Peppermint Mocha runs, Christmas performances, and gift shopping, to our eggnog-filled wine glasses and trip home to Maine, it was wonderful and special in every way.  

Last (but not least) the random moments that pop into mind are these little pictures: 

Left: While visiting my family Florida, I was actually and completely taken by surprise when I walked into my bridal shower. If you know me well, you know that I am not easily left in the dark. It was one of the sweetest moments of the year! 

Center: My family and I took in a Yankees game! Although they were not victorious, it was a fun event - even if my nephew was less than impressed!

Right: As part of Strom's bachelor party, my dad, brother, sister, sister's boyfriend, and sister's boyfriend's father (family friends!) trekked up Mt. Katahdin. They were crazy. Insane. Out of their minds. I was begged to come along, but I thought to myself, "Lounging in the pool the week before my wedding orrrr.... hiking 10 miles... tanning? Hiking? Yeah...." I tanned. I lounged. I kept all my bones in one piece. But they had fun! 

So that is 2010. More or less. Probably less... But it's what I can recall (or find pictures for!). 2010 had its amazing highs, and it had its lows...But it was a year full of growth and faith. I am happy to be standing (okay, sitting on the floor waiting for the ball to drop here on the East Coast!) here with my husband at my side, my parents cuddling behind me, our closest family friends to my left and right, and two of my three siblings crowded around me. And somewhere in this big house is a our little kitty girl - terrorizing her cousin kitties I am sure.

So here we are, 2011 one hour away. A new decade filled with promise and purpose. I raise my glass of water to this new year and praise God for His every blessing. 

Happy New Year!! 

At Long Last!

Speaking of friends! I recently had the most amazing blessing of meeting one of my best friends. Hold up. What? Did I really just say I just met one of my best friends? Yes. You read that correctly! Let's just say I'm a unique individual who falls in love with and makes best friends with people she's never met. On a frequent basis. But I do eventually meet them! And marry them, in the case of my wonderful husband. But in this so-called "military life," it seems to be the norm for a lot of people. I actually have over a dozen ladies in my life that I have never had the pleasure of a lunch date with. Or even a hug for that matter ~ as sad as that is! Nevertheless, two weekends ago our long-awaited first meeting arrived! It was a mere two hours, but I'll tell you, they are two hours I'll never forget! 

I met Carolyn a year ago in ~are you ready for this?~ a military support group! Surprised?? We military ladies must stick together when the going gets rough! You have to live it to know it. Her husband was serving in Iraq and my then-fiance was in Afghanistan. She had two months left to her husbands deployment, and I was only two months in. Oh the frustration of the two month mark! So many months to go... But we were matched up as "Deployment Buddies." Unbeknown to Carolyn, I had secretly wanted to be her friend in real life. She just seemed so stinkin' sweet and personable! And little did I know, she thought the same of me! The Lord knew best and saw fit to match us up! We spent the next number of months gabbing away, encouraging each other when the times got hard, rejoicing with each other as our men returned safely to the States, and even celebrating when Carolyn became pregnant with her first little one.

We tried a number of times to meet. Honest to God we tried. Life just has a way of getting IN the way. Between her pregnancy, my husband's R&R, and my wedding, it never happened. And then, a miraculous window opened. As my previous posts shared, my amazing friend Kelle was getting married in Texas two weekends ago. Now, Carolyn does not live in Texas, but her family does. And she just so happened to be visiting that weekend. Seriously, what are the odds? The day before we flew out, we realized we'd be an hour apart from each other. There was no way on earth we were going to let this one slide! There was a very short moment in time we could even cross paths, but it happened! Finally!! The drive from the reception was full of anticipation. We kept texting each other "Can you believe this??" messages. And finally, I ~ still in my bridesmaids dress and horribly uncomfortable heels ~ hopped out of the car and excitedly hobbled into the hotel we were staying that night to where Carolyn was waiting for me in the lobby. (She drove from Austin to San Antonio for a short two hour visit And at 8 months pregnant no less!) And as predicted, the moment was entirely surreal. Like giddy school girls, we embraced and laughed and couldn't believe it. The three of us spent the next two hours chatting, laughing, and people watching at the River Walk Hard Rock Cafe. It was an unforgettable night! And then...just like that...It was over. And we were waking up at 0345 hours to catch our flight back home. 

You never know what surprises might come your way! We certainly didn't expect, nor did we plan such a time! But there it was. God is so good!   

The Wedding Day

Kelle and I met three years ago in an online military girlfriends support group ~ amusing, maybe, but life changing, definitely. We both clicked instantly due to our similar personalities and interests, but we were inseparable because both our then-boyfriends (now husbands!!) were serving in Iraq at that time. Through the ups and downs of their deployments, we were there for each other. I honestly don't know if the newbie to military life that I was would have made it through without her! We both seemed to go through all the same challenges at roughly the same time (give or take a week!) and our friendship made the time pass with less anxiety and more enjoyment. We finally met in person after 6 months of waiting and the rest is honestly history! She was a bridesmaid in my wedding 2 months ago and it was my honor to be in hers last week! She's a blessing in my life and it just wouldn't be the same without her! 

 
 { A little bonus of me & the hubs! }

What amazing day it was! The food, music, dancing (line-dancing and two-step, mind you! Neither of which I knew how to do until the bride grabbed me and forced me to the dance floor!) ~ every little detail was wonderful. It was worth the lack of sleep and aching feet from my heels! I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

Weekend in Texas!

This past weekend (October 16, 2010 to be exact), one of my favorite people on the face of the earth married her best friend ~ and I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in her beautiful wedding! It was a whirlwind of a weekend that began at 0015 hours Friday morning when my alarm so rudely blared at me to get up. Alas, it had to be done to catch our flight out of Raleigh, NC at 0600 hours. It's a good thing I love the bride so much because it was brutal! 

I've never been to Texas, nor has my husband, so we made it most of it the second we landed in San Antonio! Thankfully, the weather was pleasant and comfortable. Something that is rare in Texas from what I've been told. We headed over to the famous River Walk just to say we'd been there. As a girl from the East Coast (and New England for the last 7 years) I found the place to be completely outside the norm for me and most definitely a lot of fun!

 

 

 

It was a brief run though town, but it gave us some lasting memories! Particularly this guy that sat near us during our lunch....

 

I really don't have much to say about that other than they were entertaining!! He was a fiddling gymnast...Obviously, right? Texas is a unique place! ;)