We're Back!!!

Wow - I almost forgot that I even started this page... let's just say that the last year and a half have been pretty busy!!!

A quick recap of our life would include two deployments and countless TDYs for Nic, our son, Cole, being born, me having an ACL reconstruction surgery and spending the summer with family in Michigan while rehabbing my knee.

I can say that Cali has so far provided us with many adventures and challenges, none of which have been the least bit boring! We are constantly on the go and exploring new areas. The photo I am attempting to post on the blog (forgive me if I don't figure it out) is of Cole and I hiking in Yosemite National Park - a great trip we took as a family - spending two nights in Yosemite View Lodge and hiking/snowshoeing in the off-season. What a great time to go - not many people and beautiful scenery.

We just returned home from a week in Florida, visiting family and enjoying the Tampa area. We were also able to view our second space shuttle launch, Discovery - this is also Cole's second shuttle launch - miraculously, we always seem to be in Florida when we hear about a launch - so we drive to the Space Coast and take advantage!!!

Nic turned 31 yesterday, so we spent the morning and early afternoon wine tasting in Sonoma Valley. Not only did we check out a couple new wineries that we thoroughly enjoyed, but we were able to visit a couple (Viansa and Cline Cellars) that we had not been to together since our wine tour from San Francisco in November of 2007 after I completed the Nike Women's Marathon... long before we knew we would be living here!!

I am continually amazed by coincidences such as this in our everyday lives. You would imagine that moving as often as we do and living thousands of miles from family that one would find themselves lonely sometimes, but what those who are not in the military don't understand is that the community is relatively small and even when you don't think you know anyone - you always discover that your neighbor has the same good friend you do - even if you haven't seen that friend in years.

I think that is part of the reason I enjoy my life so much. I love being a mom and I am continually amazed by the things that Cole discovers and learns. But our lifestyle is unique and it requires you to meet new people on a daily basis and I have learned during this assignment to never pass up an opportunity to make a new friend - and that is priceless!

Before we moved to California, I was opposed to the whole idea of the military wife. I didn't think that Nic's being in the Air Force meant that I had to participate - after all, I didn't sign up for it... or then again, maybe I did and just didn't know it. But when you are working full-time and in grad school at night, the last thing I wanted to do was participate in events on-base - probably because we lived 45 minutes from base!! But after moving to California and being 5 miles from the base and becoming a stay-at-home mother for the time being, I have learned to embrace the military lifestyle and take advantage of all it has to offer. I have not been disappointed.

I have a great group of friends here, both military and not and it will be a sad day when we eventually have to pack this house and move, but I know that in time we'll run into many of these friends again.

Ahhhh - now I know that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of all that has happened in the last year and a half, but I'm not going to dwell on the past - I will probably catch you up here and there through different stories that come up - but for now, let's focus on where we are and the future and hope that it is bright!!