...looking back...

Did anyone else blink and feel like they missed 2009? We certainly did.

2009

It started off pretty quiet, Michael was still deployed to Afghanistan. January and February crept by for Jennifer as she awaited R&R in March. She feels like then entire two months were spent doing school work and house cleaning...fun fun fun.

The early part of March was amazing, Michael came in for R&R and the entire time was a blur. We headed down to San Antonio for a few days as a very delayed honeymoon and to celebrate Jennifer's birthday on the 4th, our 6th anniversary on the 5th, and then Michael's birthday on the 7th. The weather in San Antonio couldn't have been more perfect for the trip. We headed back home after the much needed rest to get some home improvements done before Michael had to head back. We added some railing to our front porch and did some moderate landscaping in the yard. Jennifer got the flower garden she's wanted in the front and we added a few trees between the front and back.

Shortly after Michael returned to Afghanistan he was selected for promotion to SFC (E-7). Sequence number 58 out of only 83 selected for his MOS. Woohoo! Now the waiting game begins to see when the Army will actually pick his number.

April was marked by sadness, Jennifer's grandmother passed away just before Easter. She attended the funeral and was able to meet up with some family members she hadn't seen in years.

During the craze of March and April we found out the Army was attempting to send us to Fort Knox, Kentucky. Considering we had just purchased the house in 2008 and were settling in this really wasn't a welcome move. We began our fight to stay at Fort Hood.

For Jennifer the months of May and June were spent doing school work and house cleaning yet again. Notice a pattern?

July was a busy but positive month. On the 1st Michael returned from Afghanistan after a long year of deployment! We headed down to Austin for the 4th of July for our second-annual tradition. Dinner at our favorite upscale restaurant, Trulucks, followed by watching the Austin fireworks from our hotel room. To continue with tradition we both got new vehicles and added a motorcycle to the group. Jennifer traded a clunky SUV for her fun VW R32 hatchback. Michael got away from his Ford pick-up and went with a Chevy Silverado. He was finally able to get the motorcycle he wanted and became the proud owner of a Harley-Davidson.

The next several months were spent winding down from the deployment and Michael trying to find a job on Fort Hood so we would be able to stay.

At the end of September we decided to add a furry addition to our family. We found a german shepherd puppy that needed a home and named her Harley. She's become our entertainment! Taz didn't take too long to come around to having a dog in the house. He tolerates Harley better than he's ever tolerated another cat.

Finally in October Michael was able to locate a job and our efforts to stay worked. A definite relief! However, the wait for promotion to SFC is still pending. The unofficial motto of the Army as everyone knows is "hurry up and wait". So we do.

November was a month of mixed emotion. On the 5th we headed to Fort Hood for Michael's graduation ceremony. He finished his Associates degree in 2008 but deployed before he was able to walk across the stage so this was his "delayed" recognition. The day quickly turned to tragedy as the mass shooting occurred just outside the building we were in. The ceremony proceeded as planned after the shooter was taken down but it's impossible to celebrate knowing what had just taken place outside. After the ceremony we stayed on lock down until later that night. We're thankful for our internet cellphones so we were able to let everyone know we were ok. We heard from almost every person we knew within just a few short hours by call, text, or email. It really makes us realize how lucky we are to have so many people that care.

The year winded down quietly. We enjoyed being able to spend Christmas together as it has become pretty rare that Michael's home for the holidays. We're hoping to make a habit out of it, but as always it's the Army's decision.

As for our plans for 2010 we have no clue, haven't thought that far ahead yet :)