Ten Years of Adventures

Awesome anniversary gift from Rob - aluminum for 10 years

Last month we celebrated ten years that Rob and I have been married! Where in the world did the time go? SO much has changed since August 25, 2006 - it's really amazing to sit back and think about all of the joys, sorrows, accomplishments, obstacles, journeys, and adventures that we have shared together. I feel so lucky to have spent the past ten years alongside the man who has been my best friend, husband, and now father to our sweet daughter. We really didn't date for very long (the actual length varies depending on which one of us you ask, lol), and our decision to get married seemed quick and impulsive to many of our friends and family. Looking back, it really was! But it was the best impulsive decision either one of us have ever made.

This particular anniversary was special for many reasons. The obvious one is that it is a big milestone - 10 years of marriage! We have had such an incredible time together along the way. Our early years of marriage in Oklahoma City were so much fun. If you ever came to one of our parties, you know what a great time we had in that house on Chetwood Drive! Over time (and it did take time - I can't tell you how long we talked about how much better RVA was than OKC, haha) we fell in love with the area and it will always be a special place for us. That's where we bought our first house together, where I finally graduated college, where we made it through two back to back intense deployments, where we found an incredible bond with our Air Force "framily", and where we made other very special friendships.

Rob and I both turned 30 shortly before we moved to south Jersey - where we started another very different chapter of our lives. While our time in OKC was full of fun and adventure, our time in New Jersey was important for career development. I think we both really thrived with our jobs there. I found a home at Girl Scouts and grew immensely while working with the organization. Rob really found out who he was as a leader - and in my opinion became an exceptional leader to a great group of airmen. Here too, we formed bonds and made some lifelong friendships.

Now here we are in Biloxi, MS - back to the beginning of our journey together. Ten years ago, many things changed. Rob joined the Air Force; Mom passed away from breast cancer six days after he left for basic training; my sister and I both moved to Floyds Knobs, IN to be with our grandparents and tiny little extended family; Rob and I got married in Bay Minette, AL while he was in tech school at Keesler AFB here in Biloxi; and we moved to our first duty station (Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City). And that's just a quick recap.

Walk on the beach for our anniversary celebration

I am fortunate to now be staying home with Emma. These past 3 months have not been an easy transition. While I mostly love being home with Emma and getting to spend some really special, precious time with her - it can sometimes be difficult. I loved my career and was really starting to excel and learn new skills - but more on that topic later. Before I had Emma, I thought I'd have all this extra time since I was staying at home to start a blog per recommendation of a coworker (thanks Jan!). I quickly realized that I do not have as much free time as I thought I would, lol. Even so, I still want to work on this blog. If anything, it will help me keep my writing skills sharp. It will also be a good way for me to document and share our adventures as we continue to move around with the Air Force. We've had an incredible ten years - I can't wait to see what the next ten bring.