Looking Back on 2011

Every year, I write a blog post on the year. The things that have happened throughout the months, the things we have overcome, the challenges we have had, and the exciting moments of our life. This is that post for the year of 2011!

First of all, I can't believe this year is over. I actually got tearful the day after Christmas thinking about how we have gone through our first Christmas with Baby A and our last Christmas in England. It has been an amazing experience, and as time goes on it only gets more exciting and much crazier. When I was in high school, even at 16, I never thought I would be married the following year and doing what I am doing now. I never thought I would move to another country. I definitely never thought I would be a military wife, and I also never really thought about children and where my life would take me. Thankfully at some point in my life I put a lot of trust on God and let him lead the way, and looking back - I find that I have one of the most blessed lives that any young woman could ever have.

I have everything I have ever wanted and dreamed about, and I really do live a fairy tale life. I have entered my 4th year of not working, and started my 1st year as a stay at home Mom. I have overcome a 3rd deployment with Mr. Man and my first deployment as a "single Mom". I am thankful for the love, support, determination, discipline, and happiness that is in my life. I am thankful for friends and family for their continued support and love for our lifestyle. I am thankful to have a husband who is hard working and determined, who is good at what he does and enjoys his job. Despite the long hours he works, I am thankful that we find the happy medium to be a family - happy and healthy.

Looking back, there has been so much that has happened this year. So much that I just can't even begin to imagine where it started and how it started. But our journey, this year, will be one of the most memorable years of our life together!

January 2011 - I started the new advanced program for school.
February 2011 - I received my official diploma in the mail.
March 2011 - Mr. Man went to Germany for training, and *almost* sent to Italy for a deployment to miss the birth of our baby girl.... Yikes! I have been unemployed for 4 years.
April 2011 - Our daughter is born!
May 2011 - Mr. Man deploys to Korea for 4 months.
June 2011 - Mommy and Baby A goes to the air show.
July 2011 - Celebrate 5 years of marriage!
August 2011 - Begin our last year in England.
September 2011 - Mr. Man comes home from deployment!
October 2011 - Baby A goes to London for the first time.
November 2011 - We go to Scotland as a family!
December 2011 - Played Santa and Mrs. Claus for the first time!

Can you believe that 2012 is almost here?!

To start the year off right, we will be taking our two week trip to Germany. We will be leaving the 7th of January and be gone until the 23rd. Destinations included in this trip are Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelburg, Stuttgart, Munich, Dachau Concentration Camp, and Neuschwanstein Castle.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year's Eve! And Happy New Year!!!