Update January 2013

I'm shocked that half the school year is already over. I'm even more appalled that my baby brother is graduating this year! How did it get to be 2013 so fast?!  As I reflect over 2012 I am full of gratitude for how blessed Justin and I are to have the life we do.  We have so many incredible family members, fun friends and innumerable possibilities ahead! And most importantly, we have each other!

In May Justin came home from his 6 month deployment - Hallelujah! He says he didn't enjoy it, but he did get to travel to Japan, Korea and Thailand!

After deployment we enjoyed our time living on base, close to friends and having the option to practically walk down to the beach whenever we wanted.  Family visited for 4th of July and we got our fill of Disneyland! The Kasten clan used one of our photos taken for their Christmas card - it turned out SO great and just incapsulates what a tremendously awesome family I have married into! 

In July I received several offers for employment in Arizona, Florida and Nevada.  I was thrilled! I was a little nervous considering the job market was suffering, but my hard work and willingness to move paid off! After careful consideration we quickly found a home to rent and moved our lives to the desert.

In the early months 
(August/September) 
I about melted away... I had never experienced living in a place with 120+ degree weather (no, that is not an exaggeration), not to mention a place where cloudy, rainy skies seldom exist (so unlike my home state of Oregon)! My incredible mom and grandma both came to visit me while Justin was still away in California. They helped me put together my classroom, we got our nails done, went to Olive Garden, watched a few movies... a true blessing within the transition!

In September the USMC finally released my husband (it sounds so much like prison, right?!).  He served four years honorably, but I could not be more ecstatic that his enlistment is finally over!  Our lives are no longer dictated by his military duty... Hallelujah! I will say that I'll miss seeing that handsome man in his blues though ;-)

In November my mama came to help us cook a turkey and celebrate thanksgiving!! She also helped us pick out our tree and decorate (FYI, yes a 6' tree will in fact fit in a hyundai elantra haha). And we even got her to go the shooting range, what fun!
 

In December we went "home" to Oregon to spend Christmas with our families. We were able to stay at my parents' home and I tried to soak up every minute of family time that I could, because I miss them so much when I'm in Arizona. 

 And finally, here it is January! Wow! Justin has started classes full-time at ASU using his GI bill.  I've had to start paying back my student loans (blah!).  And Justin is also working part-time doing taxes.  Life is good <3