In January, we welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world. I can honestly say that our lives were changed forever that day. He is the most amazing thing to ever happen to us and we couldn't have been blessed with a more perfect baby.
Z and I also said goodbye, yet again, as he went back to Afghanistan to finish his tour. This was the hardest goodbye by far.
I celebrated my 25th birthday in February and moved back to New York to await Z's return from deployment.
In March, he was home, for good. Words cannot describe the feeling I had that day. Relief, happiness, and being whole again. Knowing there wouldn't be a goodbye for awhile was the biggest weight off of our shoulders. Our family could finally be together again :)
We also had visitors to New York and celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary! Although most of our first year of marriage was spent physically apart, we managed to grow closer and develop a stronger bond than ever before.
In April, Z received an entire month off to relax after deployment and we took full advantage of it. We celebrated Easter with our families in Ohio, took a trip to our Alma Mater, Miami University, and took Bubba's first plane ride to Chicago.
In May, we attended Z's military ball and celebrated my 1st Mother's Day! My parents also came to visit that month and we explored good ole upstate New York.
June was spent playing at the beach, catching rays, and cooking out. We traveled back to Ohio at the end of the month to prepare for 4th of July celebrations. I was able to visit with my closest friends from high school and college and had a great time catching up with all of them.
We had Nolan baptized in July, and also celebrated his first Independence Day. Towards the end of the month, we flew down to Texas for the first time to visit Z's family.
In September, two of my friends (who also happen to be the best photographers in the area) made mine and Z's wedding dream come true when they shot a "Wedmock" for us. You can read more about that here :)
My parents visited us again in October and we took full advantage of fall in upstate New York. We took a nature hike, attended a German beer festival, and checked tasks off our fall bucket list.
Bubba dressed up as a zebra and Bam Bam and experienced his first Halloween.
In November, we headed home again to spend Thanksgiving with our family, and would only be back in New York a short two weeks before heading back to Ohio in December for Christmas.
We celebrated Bubba's birthday early with our New York friends and flew to Texas again to see Z's family.
We've had so much fun celebrating Bubba's first Christmas with our loved ones. It's an amazing feeling to know that no matter what, in the end, family will always be there for you.
The friends I've had since high school and college, they will always be there too. We may have changed, taken different paths in life, or be in different places now, but we all still have one thing in common; our love for each other and our friendship.
This year has been so amazing. 2011 was a really hard year with Z being gone and the hellish pregnancy I endured. To have the end results turn out so wonderfully, Z returning home safely and a healthy baby boy being born, has made me appreciate them and my life with them that much more.
Blogging has truly helped me grow as a person, mother, and wife. I have created an archive for Bubba to read one day and see what his mommy was like and how he was growing up.
I cherish every single day I spend with my boys and my family. We may not be rich, and we may not have it all together at times, but together we have it all.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and 2013 to come! XOXO
