2013 Recap- Part 2

We made it to the mountains and I definitely couldn't do my part 2 on the drive. Concentrating on anything while driving will make me carsick fast. So now I'm using a little down time in between our hiking trip and New Year's Eve dinner. We plan on walking around Big Bear Village and finding a spot to eat! Wish us luck with no reservations! So here it goes…Round 2.. Ding ding ding!

JULY

We celebrated July 4th, of course! We had our friends over and cooked out. It was fun as always and looking at the pictures, I'm missing our house. So many memories were made and it was a great set up! I love our home now, but something about the first placed you lived when you are married. I can't wait to drive in our neighborhood many years down the road.

We also visited our dear friends, the Carikers, while they were on vacation!

We had a first "reunion" while Krista (in the middle with new born Molly) was in town for a week. These were the two friends I made at the bible study I randomly decided to go to a FBC in Niceville. God was a work big time!

If you follow my Instagram, you might have seen this! I followed Unveiled Wife and did this great devotion! I am starting it for the second time tomorrow! Follow her on Instagram! It's not too late to begin!

AUGUST

We took a getaway to Grayton Beach. We stayed at a cute bed and breakfast called Hibiscus. We did all the vacationy things you do. It was so fun and just what we needed since Nick was about to graduate and head into training!

I didn't blog about the next thing for a few reasons (nothing dramatic, some things in our military life just need to not be shared on the internet for safety reasons!) Nick graduated from his school! A lot of our family came in town and we celebrated Nick graduating a very hard school! I am still so proud of how he was able to keep any stress of work away from our marriage and home life. I really miss that school actually!

We stayed in Destin at a cute beach house with Nick's family after graduation. We drank coffee and took it easy. It was wonderful!

SEPTMEBER

September was a month of change. Nick went to training and I moved from Florida back home to Mississippi. I was there until November so I soaked in time with friends and family.

My traveling buddy in the first picture. The second is of some family friend's children that I got to see on the way home to Mississippi.

Oh yeah and the video I made of highlights from Florida. Link is here.

OCTOBER

I was able to help throw a shower with some girls for one of my best friends, Kelsey! (She went into labor a day or two later!) I can't believe Everit has been here almost 3 months this month. I have loved watching Kelsey naturally become such a wonderful mother. I just wish I was closer to kiss that cute belly of his!

Too many pictures now, but October 7th we celebrated our first year of marriage! What an amazing year!

Dinner at Flight.. GO THERE!

We hit the road to find a home in California! What a wonderful and stressful time! We found it the first day. I will always remember the beautiful drive!

NOVEMBER

After that, I came home for another couple of weeks. I went to a Priscilla Shirer event with my mom and some of my best girl friends! Such a good message for before my life changed again!

A little farewell lunch with my family!!!

We did have Thanksgiving I promise! We just didn't capture it on camera! Boo on me!

DECEMBER

I was finally able to use my Christmas decorations that I got for wedding gifts! I even had my mom, Nick's mom and Nick's grandmother add to my Nativity scene!

We went to Nick's work Christmas party. Love having reasons to really dress up!

Something exciting happened this month! I went to my first military wives blogging group! We painted pottery if you couldn't tell. Such a fun group of girls that will come in very handy the next few years! Can't wait for January meet up! 

I hosted Christmas dinner and we had a couple of guys over. I made them use the nice dinnerware too! I'm sure they were thrilled. We had a great Christmas break and got lots of rest and watched lots of Netflix. 

As I type, we are in our cabin at Big Bear Lake. We are ringing in the New Year in the mountains again. We hiked today and will do dinner tonight! Rosie had a ball acting like a wild animal in the woods.

I'm sure that was boring and most of you won't make it this far (besides my family of course ;) ) I know I will enjoy looking back on this season with Nick and Rosie. We have had a whole lot of love this year, during the fun times and during the painful times. I am so thankful that God placed Nick in my life and the wholeness he brings me! I can't wait to see what 2014 brings. I know I won't be disappointed! 

Have a great New Years! 

Victoria

2013 Recap- Part 1

2013

It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t procrastinate a blog post. Especially an in depth one as this one.  Jumping on the bandwagon over here. I think I owe it to my future self since this IS what my little blog is for. A journal. A place to come and remember this season of life.  So here it goes…2013 recap!

Did you know I haven’t even been blogging for a year? Ok, you probably did because I am very amateur at this. But it IS crazy to think about for me. As I write this post, I am able to look back on so many things I would have forgotten had it not been for Anchored By Faith. Some days I really am thankful for technology and the internet.

JANUARY

We were finally able to take a little honeymoon. Last year, when we were married, Nick had to be back to Florida for work 2 days after our wedding. We planned to finally have a honeymoon during our 2 weeks of vacation over Christmas break. We stayed in Helen, GA, in a CUTE little cabin in the mountains. It was peaceful and such a sweet time for us.

The Birthday boy turned 25!

FEBRUARY

The most important thing of the whole year happened (just kidding)…..We brought Rosie home! She has filled our home with so much joy and so many laughs. She has most importantly been there through  tears and pain with smothering puppy kisses at just the right time. 

MARCH

This is the month that I started my blog! You can read a couple of my first posts here and here. We enjoyed a visit from Nick's brother, Taylor, while he was spring breaking with some of his friends in Destin. We also went to dinner with my two closest friends from Florida for Lauren's birthday. Oh how I miss those friends. Thank goodness for the internet (again!) and FaceTime! 

Camylle's face. Dying over here.

And of course Easter was on the 31st! Mom and Trenton came for the weekend to celebrate Easter. I decorated and put on a little scavenger hunt for Nick, Mom, and Trenton. SO much fun. We went to Church for the Easter service and they headed back to MS. I miss them being so close by!

APRIL

April was a busy, busy month from the looks of my blog.

April brought friends. Friends that will have a special place in my heart through out this life. My friend Lauren and I began a bible study at my house with a group of girls that almost doubled in size by the end. Precious moments happened in the pages of this Esther Bible study. I am so thankful that God put it on our hearts to be uncomfortable and ask a group of ladies we had never met to study God's word each week. I'm praying for another opportunity to happen soon here in San Diego. 

Rosie got a new ride!

We found out we were going to San Diego here..

We celebrated six months of marriage here….

And I wrote this post about dirty socks. I might cry if I read that one right now.

MAY

We were able to go home for Mother's day which meant the world to us. Both sides of the family came to Nick's parents house for a cook out and to celebrate all the mothers in our life!

May brought on perfect weather and we were outside a lot! Lots of kayaking and water time. It was so fun to do these things with Nick.

I also got to travel a couple of hours to see my sweet friend, Kayla, and her family while they were in Gulf Shores! It was so much fun to have time with her. I miss her so much but our daily phone calls help until she can come visit in CA ;)

JUNE

I wrote about Eglin's EOD school FRG here and here. These were awesome events that made you feel right at home with your military family. I encourage everyone to join an FRG or some type of group to get you involved with ladies who go through the same thing as you!

Rosie made baby friends.

I also talked about my struggle when I moved to Destin away from all of my friends and family in this post. I have been through the same thing in the last month so this post is a little therapeutic knowing I have gone through it and WILL survive as I lean on God.

So there is my January- June! I am so excited to be able to look back on God's hand in EVERYTHING in our life. He has blessed us through the joy and through the pain. I will be writing the second part of this while we are on our way to Big Bear Lake for New Year's Eve. Our second New Year's in the mountains. Seems like this might be a pattern! Have a great Monday!

Victoria