Wow, it has definitely been a full year. Lots of ups and downs. But we made it through!!
January: We celebrated Tessa's 1st birthday and Bryce's 20th.
February: It was such a quiet month. I can't even recall anything big happening! haha
March: Bryce continued working all month towards joining the Army. We got the bittersweet news that he would be leaving for Basic training with only 10 days to prepare our family. It was a scary time but it was what we needed for our family to take the next step. This was the start of our new life. This was also the same time I took a leap and applied for a supervisor position at work but ended up not getting it. Which bothered me at first and then we found out Bryce was leaving so it ended up actually being a good thing.
April: Bryce left the morning of Easter. The kids and I went up north and spend the day with some family. It was so nice to be surrounded by those who cared for us. It didn' hit me until we got home that night and I realized just how lonely the next few months were gonna be. We did get to go up the Seattle the next day and spend the whole day together waiting for Bryce to be sworn in and then walking around downtown Seattle. It was our last day as a family for a long time.
May: I quit my job at Kohl's and became the stay at home mom I've longed for! It was hard to leave a job that I truly loved and the people there. I also packed up all of our things, put them in storage and then moved the kids and myself to Texas with just shorts and tshirts. It was quite difficult but needed.
June: We got the awful news that Bryce was being recycled and would have to endure an extra 3-4 weeks of training. It was a blessing in disguise. It gave him a little extra time to become an even better solider. But it also tested me. I don't do well with stress and being patient. Two things that you need to be able to handle when you become an Army spouse. Bryce being recycled tested me and helped me grown stronger. In June, we also celebrated Jace turning 4!
July: Finally, we got to see Bryce. My mom, Jace, Tessa, and myself all got packed up in the car and drove the 12 hours to Georgia to see Bryce graduate. It was a very long trip for only 2 days with him but oh so worth it! He finally became an United State's Army soldier. He worked so hard for that day and we are so proud of the man he is. =) Bryce went onto AIT and we moved into a different chapter. After having VERY limited contact with Bryce, (a call once every couple weeks, sometimes sooner, sometimes longer) we were now able to talk to him during his free time on a daily basis.
August: I bought a car! Our first car! And I got a very good deal for it too! Other than that, August sucked. It was SO hot in Texas and we were done with it! haha
September: The kids and I spent lots of time with their Aunt Nini and cousin Hutson. =)
October: We took a last minute trip to Pensacola to visit Bryce. Literally a week before we were like "hey, we miss each other. lets spend the weekend together!" So I loaded the kids up in the car and we drove 10+ hours on a friday morning to make it to see Bryce for dinner. We got to spend all day Saturday together at the beach at in the hotel room since it was FREEZING! Sunday we only had until noon to spend together but we watched the sun rise on the beach. Something I've always dreamed of. It was such a short time together but it was exactly what we needed as a family. The kids had no clue until we got there that they were gonna see Daddy. I just kept telling them we were gonna go to the beach. It was on the best weekends of my life. =) Bryce also graduated from AIT in October, just a couple weeks after our mini vacation. He then came "home" to Texas and we packed up our little car and headed to our new home, Colorado. Within an hour of arriving, we got our keys locked in our car. And of course our kids had upset stomachs from being the car for a day and a half. Colorado was definitely welcoming us with open arms! =)
November: we spent the entire month living in a hotel. We were lucky enough to have a kitchen and washer/dryer but, it still wasn't a home. We had met some friends and they invited us for Thanksgiving. It was SO nice to not be on our own for a major holiday.
December: We finally moved into our very first home!!! We are so blessed with a 3 bedroom, 2.5 month bath, 1600 sq ft 2 story house!! I'm still amazed at all the space. I have a bedroom that doesn't double as the living room or home office or any other space. I have a walk in closet, yall!! The kids could have their own rooms but who wants to sleep alone, right?! =) We also celebrated my 21st birthday. And let me tell you, my husband ROCKS at birthdays. I got to sleep in, breakfast in bed, shopping, and going out to eat where the restaurant sang happy birthday to me. We enjoyed our first christmas morning, just us. It was also the first year we could afford to get the kids more than just some small cheap gift. We have been so blessed. For Christmas dinner we, again, got to spend it with some great friends. People here are just so friendly and kind. It makes not being close to family so much easier!
This year, our life has completely turned out. We are happier and stronger for it. I am so grateful for all that we have been blessed with. Thank you to everyone who has been apart of our lives this year! Here's to an even better year in 2016!!
