For me personally, 2012 was a year of big firsts and it really tested me. In January, my Grandmother fondly known as Nonnie passed away and it was probably the hardest thing I will have to do for a long time. I loved her dearly and I miss her every day. I know that my mom misses her greatly as well and I can only imagine the heartbreak she is still going through. I know that when my day comes to say goodbye to my own mother it'll be incredibly difficult. Good thing that won't be happening for many MANY years.
February was pretty quiet. One of brads best friends, Mitchell, and his then girlfriend Ashley came out to visit us in Billings for a week or so. We drove to yellowstone national park and did a snow mobiling tour through the park. At first I was hesitant to go,but I ended up have lots of fun. It was a good time and I would do it again in a heart beat.
In March Brad and I celebrated out 2nd wedding anniversary, but it was our first celebrating together. Our first wedding anniversary, we were separated by thousands of miles due to Brad being deployed in Afghanistan. A few days before we celebrated, we were on a family trip down in Arizona to watch some spring training games and spend time with the Ireland family. We had a hard time getting down there and an even tougher time trying to get home, so Brad and I thought outside the box. We decided that we didn't want to spend our anniversary waiting in an airport, so when we made it to Seattle we bough two train tickets and rode the train home. We rented a sleeper car that included our meals and it was quite lovely. It was a much better way to celebrate 2 years of marriage, rather than sitting in an airport. :-) It's one we will remember for years to come.
May brought our first mile marker birthday! We turned 25 this year and had a lots of self reflecting. Were Brad and I where we wanted to be when we were 25? Regardless of the answer, we can't very well change the past but we can hope the future has something better in store.
Dakota was welcomed into our family in late June and she has brought so many laughs to our tummies and love to our hearts. I admit (and Brad reminds me often) that I was hesitant to bring her home, but now I can't imagine life with out her. It's so wonderful to come home to a dog that is so happy to see you. She wants to love you, and welcome you home. She is a great snuggler and she loves to play with her toys. Life without a dog, is no life at all. :-)
In the 5-6 years that Brad and I dated, we only spent 1, maybe 2 of those together on the 4th of July. So this year, it was a big deal that we were together. A good friend of mine had a BBQ at her families house and invited us to come. It was nice to spend it with close friends and my husband.
My mother came out at the end of August and for the first few days in September to celebrate her retirement. She didn't want to be in Seattle when the first day of school started. She was able to come house hunting with us and looked at our now home with us. She and I finished a wall hanging that I had attempted with my mother in law, so that was a big deal.
October brought the biggest surprise of them all! Brad and I found out were going to be parents, come May 2013!! I had been feeling a little off the past few weeks and so one morning I decided to take a pregnancy test and BAM! we were parents! We waited about a week before we told our parents or family because we wanted to wait till my blood test confirmed what we had suspected. We got another surprise when we went to my first ultrasound and found out I was 12 weeks along, rather than the 6-7 we thought! There was a full on little baby in my tummy. We couldn't be happier to welcome this child into our life!
As if discovering we are pregnant isn't enough, at the end of October we signed papers purchasing our first home! Two big firsts within a few weeks of each other. We moved in and are loving our home. It's starting to feel like home, with items finding their homes and the beauty of not sharing a wall with someone else. Dakota is getting used to her home and is loving her big backyard for her to run around in. Brad is enjoying the 2 car garage that he gets to tinker in. I've really enjoyed decorating and am eager to start on the baby's room.
Needless to say, 2012 was a big year for us. Brad got promoted to Sergeant with his reserve unit in Billings. It was quite the struggle to get there, but I am so proud of him for not giving up. We got to know each other again after being separated for a year and are probably stronger than most couples out there. It brought struggles and frustrations, but great things are still yet to come. We have our first child to welcome into the world, a house to make our own and lots of memories to make.
My hope for 2013 is that we make it an even better year. Brad will be graduating from MSU-B and he is on the hunt for a 'big kid job'. Who knows what a big kid job will bring, but we can handle what ever is thrown our way. I hope that the birth of our child goes smoothly and there aren't many complications. I am always eager to get to know my husband better so I am hopeful for date nights and opportunities to get bond with him. I see wonderful things happening for people around us in 2013!!
Happy New Year!! :-)
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