Wow, another month is behind us! I can’t believe how quickly time keeps flying by!
The day after we were completely settled into our new home I had to start packing my suitcase again to go home to Colorado! (Boy, do I hate suitcase living!) I was excited to come see everyone but it was extremely hard to think of leaving so soon after getting here. We hadn’t even settled into a routine and here I was flying away again. I’ve come to have a love/hate relationship with travel, I love it once I get there but I always hate the leaving where I’m at part.
The trip home was wonderful but it came and went in a blink! I had every day packed full of something to do and yet I STILL didn’t fit everything and everyone in. I was able to see my brother graduate with his chemistry degree from School of Mines, which was the whole reason for my trip home. I wouldn’t have missed this huge day in his life for the world! I am so proud of him! He’s so determined and has a brain so intricate that mine is jealous! My brain would have exploded on the first day of classes if I tried down that route! [haha]
The biggest downside to being an Air Force spouse, that I’ve had to come to terms with, is that you’re always going to be missing someone! If you’re not with your husband you miss him. When you move across the country you miss your family and friends. It’s hard realizing that your life will never feel the wholeness that you had when everyone lived in the same town. I miss that feeling.
I got home on Sunday and I’m still pooped from traveling and activities in Junction. It always takes me a few days to get all caught up on sleep and be myself again. It’s good to be back though. It’s amazing how quickly Florida has come to feel like home! I can’t wait to finally have our routine worked out and be completely at ease here, but for now I’m content with our situation.
God opened an amazing opportunity to reach out to other Air Force girlfriends, fiances, and wives this week! I interviewed online to be an administrator of a sister page to a high trafficked Facebook page (with nearly 8,000 likes!) The original page is for all the branches combined and I interviewed for the Air Force specific page. The interview included an application and three days full of random essay questions. Everyone I talk to about it says this seems a little extreme over a Facebook page but the ladies who make these pages want to make sure they’re putting quality people in these admin positions who know what they’re doing and talking about. We have to make sure that crucial information of troop movement and other safety issues stay on wraps. As the admins of the page we’re responsible of keeping anything that may violate these rules off the page. It may all sound silly to you but I’m really proud that I was chosen as one of the 3 to run this page! I have been praying for something to come along that would give me the chance to reach out and encourage ladies in my same position. The page in 3 days of being up and running has already received almost 200 likes so our audience that we’re reaching will continue to grow! God is good and placed this right in my lap! I want to be an encouragement and a guiding light to women who feel as lost as I did going into this lifestyle. As a military wife you’re in constant fear of the unknown and if I can help at least one person feel a little less fearful and lift their spirits just an inch I’ll do it! So this is where I’ll be pouring out my energy and time.
Once again I’m blown away by God’s faithfulness and the blessings He gives us!
We recently found out that we will be stationed at Hurlburt Field AFB in Pensacola Florida! We couldn’t be happier! We were told that it would be nearly impossible to get your #1 pick on your first dream sheet but Scott did! God blesses us!!!
Scott’s sister lives near Tampa Florida and we’re thrilled to be so close to Karen and her hubby Matt! Even though it’s a 6 hour drive at least it’s doable on long weekends and for Holidays! Family is very important to Scott and I, and being close to them makes moving to a foreign place much easier.
On top of being close to family we also have a handful of friends being stationed at the same base.:
Scott’s friend he’s been with all the way through tech school will be joining us on our move. I’m so thankful for Chris and the friendship he has given Scott over the last few months we’ve been apart. He’s been such an encouragement to Scotty and it’s given me peace knowing Scott isn’t lonely.
I have become wonderful friends with an Air Force wife whose husband was in Scott’s Basic Training Flight. Francesca and I have talked ever since 2 weeks into basic training and there hasn’t been a day that has gone by without us talking. Who would have guessed that after 7 months of texting and calling that we would be getting stationed at the exact same base in Florida! It’s amazing how God looks out for our needs and emotions!
I also have a friend I went to youth group with who’s getting stationed with her husband at Eglin AFB which is 12 miles from us! AMAZING! What are the chances?! I have so much fun with Tifanie and we can’t wait for many many beach dates!
I can’t believe how wonderful our Lord is to give us all these instant friends at our new home! There is always a divine plan and this is proof of it! We’re ready for some beach time and to switch up our daily routine. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in this coming year! We still don’t have a date for our move but it will be anytime between the middle of February to the end of April. We can finally see the end in sight! Be praying that our patience will stay strong! ;]
AH!!!! I’m so gosh darn excited! SCOTT COMES HOME IN 15 DAYS!!!
He’s been gone since June 4th! By the time he is home it will be a week and a half short of 7 months. Golly, it’s been a long long road! God has continued to be so faithful even through the moments where we were so low and the light at the end of the tunnel seemed so far away. Although this isn’t the end of the separation it’s a nice break where we can just relax and fall back into a daily life routine, even if just for 10 days. We have to soak it all in and enjoy every sweet moment!
Scott has been very clear that he doesn’t want to make any plans. He wants to play every day by ear because he’s so used to a strict schedule where every moment is accounted for and planned out. I can understand him wanting the freedom of flexibility. He’s most looking forward to seeing his friends and family, sleeping in his own bed, playing with Clover, and meeting our new doggy Darcy. So many great memories will be made this visit!
I’m most excited to roll over in bed and have him there, to cook him his favorite meals, show him the projects I’ve completed in his absence, decorate the tree, listen to Christmas music while sipping wine, cuddle, and be able to call down the hallway to him. Honestly, just all the small things that make up a regular boring day in the life.
Everyone keeps asking me what I want for Christmas and I can say with no delay..nothing! I have all my wishes coming true just with having Scott come home! I keep getting butterflies thinking about picking him up from the airport and watching him walk into our apartment. This is another one of those moments that has kept me going through the days I just didn’t have the energy to put a smile on. I’m not gonna lie, I’m also very thrilled that I didn’t have to travel this month. I’ve become a bit burnt out on airports, lay overs, rental cars, and hotels. It’s nice that after traveling once a month for the last 6 that he’s the one coming to see me! :]
I’ve been trying to keep really busy for the last two weeks before he arrives. This week I have had something going on everyday and it’s helped to keep me from just staring at the clock. (Yes, I do count down the hours to being another day closer.) 9:11 am on the 22nd can’t come soon enough!!
So very thankful and as always…God is good!!!
Ps: Merry Christmas from Darcy and Clover (and us of course too)!
September has been a blur of time spent in airports, cars, packing, and unpacking. I can honestly say that I will not miss living out of my suitcase.
I brought in September in San Antonio Texas. I love love love love that city! I don’t necessarily love the traffic but the city is well kept and the people are friendly. There is so much to do and the Air Force base is huge and really beautiful. Scott had amazing friends there that were very welcoming and I felt like we’d been friends with them for years upon years. One of the best things about military life, that I have discovered, is you have an instant connection with everyone in this lifestyle. You see them as your lifeline, someone to relate with. We’re all in the same boat and we have to make the best of it. When I see Scott making these amazing friendships it just furthers my faith in the fact that we’re precisely where we are meant to be. God is good to us!
When I got back to Grand Junction I was able to take a break from travels for a week and a half and then I packed my suitcase for a trip to Denver. My parents and I went up to see my brother for his 22nd birthday. I hate hate hate hate hate that 4 hour drive! It seems like so much longer and I am always anxious to see David (my brother). We had such a good time seeing him and celebrating with his girlfriend and his roommates. We also had the “privilege” of going to see the mineral museum. (Please notice the sarcasm dripping from that last sentence.) The only minerals I like come in jewelry form. ;] All the same, we had a wonderful weekend and I already miss my brother.
We got home again to Grand Junction and I started packing my bags for yet another trip on the upcoming weekend. Soon after I left San Antonio Scott was moved to his next tech school in San Angelo, Texas. We were both sad to see him move but we have to see it as the next step bringing us together. Once this tech school is over we will get our first duty station assignment and we will live together again. PRAISE GOD!!! We still have a bit of a wait as he still hasn’t started his classes here but patience is key.
Scott really wanted me to come for his birthday as it will be the first birthday he has had away from home. I was already planning on it but when he expressed how very important and crucial it was to him it became an urgent hurried search for flights. EEK! Flying into that tiny little airport comes at a pretty penny, but the time we have together is priceless and the money means so little in comparison.
San Angelo is a small town with not a whole lot to do but the weather is a little less humid than San Antonio, which I really appreciate! We went to the mall and ate at the restaurants around and that was about it. The rest of our time was spent in the hotel, on base, watching TV and movies and visiting. The hotel was really nice though. We had a little kitchen area, living room with TV, bedroom with TV, and a bathroom (of course). It kinda felt like living together again. We celebrated his birthday at Red Lobster and had cake and presents at our hotel. That marked the end of my trip as I left in the morning.
Goodbyes are hard but we just keep focusing on the goal of Scott having his career and being stationed together sometime soon! I for one, am very excited to store my suitcase for a full month and take a break from it so that I’ll be refreshed and ready to travel back to my sweetheart at the end of October! These monthly visits are our sanity! Thanks for the continued prayers and support. God is our strength!
Disclaimer: I amaze myself sometimes, not in a positive way. I go from one extreme to another with this blogging. I either don’t blog because I have nothing interesting going on to post about, or I don’t blog because I can’t find the time because I have so much going on. AH! No happy medium with this girl. So, here is the blog I owe on Scott’s graduation even though it’s about 3 weeks overdue. Woops.
August 1st, the day I’d been waiting for, was finally here! It was time to jump on a plane! Traveling was easy and pain free until we landed in San Antonio and there was a bomb threat in the terminal. They kept us on the tarmac for 1.5 hours while they secured the airport. Talk about a buzz kill. All this build up to finally be there and you’re stuck on a plane with 100 sweaty people with no estimate of how long you’d be trapped. One up side to sitting there for that period of time Scott got a little free time and was able to call so I was able to tell him we were almost safely there. It was an amazing feeling to know I was only miles away from him verses the hundreds of miles that had been separating us. He said goodbye and we were finally able to exit about 10 minutes after. Thank goodness that trial was over!
We found Starbucks and then set out to find our rental car and hotel. It was good to finally be able to relax at the hotel after a day of travel. I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping well that night with the anticipation of seeing Scott the next morning. AHH! I was like a small child on Christmas eve, much too excited to sleep for fear that I may miss out on something wonderful. I’ll never forget those nerves I felt.
Thursday morning arrived and the nerves hit even harder!!! I was a wreck. I cried over my hair like the girly girl I am. I wanted to look fantastic but the humid San Antonio weather was my worst enemy. I laugh looking back on that morning because I made such a big deal out of such a small thing. Scott didn’t care, why would he?! [haha.] Finally we got in the car and I forced myself to calm down because my anxiety was sky high! My emotions sat comfortably between bursting into tears or jumping up and down in excitement. I’ve never had such turmoil inside my core.
The first activity of BMT (Basic Military Training) Graduation is the Airman’s run! OH MY! How fun!! All the family and friends of the graduating Airmen stand on both sides of this road and cheer on their loved one. It’s the first time you will see them if you’re lucky enough to spot them running by. Lucky for me, my mother has a Scott radar and she found him before I did. It was so exciting to see him even if he wasn’t able to see us. (He says he THINKS he saw us cheering, but who really knows?) Here is a picture and video of him running by. In the video his flight runs by at 2 mins 40 secs. Try to find him. ;]
After the Airman’s run we walked to the grounds where they do the coin ceremony. This was HOTTTTTT and they made us wait in the sun for an hour. I think all of my cuteness melted off my face while I sat there. At that point I didn’t care, I just wanted to see my man! All my nerves had turned into excitement! I was also excited because I finally met Francesca at the Airman’s run. We have stayed in contact and helped each other through this whole experience. It was amazing to finally sit next to her as we waited impatiently to see our husbands.
The coin ceremony is a tradition that marks the trainees becoming official Airmen as the coin is put into their hands. It was emotional to watch and of course I cried some more. I was so blessed watching with such pride in my husband. In the video Scott receives his coin at 1 minute. He is third from the right in the back row. :] (Forgive me cutting his head off when I started cheering.)
After the coin ceremony we were able to “tap them out”. This means that the men have to stay at attention until someone runs up and hugs them or shakes their hand. Some Airmen have no family to tap them out so you have to keep your eye out for them so they aren’t left standing there. Breaks my heart to think of it.
I was sooo excited to find him! I was pretty sure I knew where he was but I wasn’t certain from the back side. If you watch the video closely you can see me check his name tape before jumping on him, just to make sure it said “Dearborn”. I didn’t want to jump on a stranger. [haha.] This is by far one of the top 3 moments of my life!!! It was perfect and I’m so glad that my mom video taped it because it’s something we will enjoy remembering and watching for the rest of our lives!
Scott was then able to have some free time on base. It was fun having him show us around and he was thankful for the down time. We spent the day taking pictures and enjoying things he missed like soda, gum, subway, and other treats.
In the afternoon my dad and brother joined us and spent some time shopping with us as the BX, which is a small mall on base. Due to the joy of traveling troubles Scott’s family wasn’t able to get to the base till dinner time. Here is the video of them seeing Scotty for the first time.
At 7 we had to drop Scott back to his dorm for his curfew. That was the end of Thursday for us all and we awaited seeing him again after his graduation on Friday. We all went back to our hotel and had pie at a nearby restaurant.
Friday morning we all had to get up early to catch the shuttle to the graduation grounds. Luckily our seats were shaded because it was once again really hot and sunny. If you ever have the chance to see one of these graduations DO IT! It’s wonderful and makes you feel so patriotic! Scott’s flight is the grouping right below the American Flag.
He is the fellow marching 4th back, closest to us.
We then went to find him and “tap him out” again. I asked Karen if she wanted to do it because I had done it the day before. She took full advantage of her power and kept teasing him with lots of pictures while he was frozen. I was able to tap out an Airman who didn’t have any family. I was happy to do it and he thanked me later that day for “unfreezing” him.
Here Scotty is showing off his Marksman ribbon.
Then of course we had to do the family picture thing.
We then rode back to Scott’s dorm where he had to have a briefing before he was free to go off base for the first time in 2 months!! Here he is with some of the guys in his flight. They have their “tough guy” looks on. [haha.]
Scott chose to have his first meal of freedom at Cracker Barrel. He’s holding a huge bag of candy that his sister blessed him with. He got VERY spoiled that weekend. He milked it for all it was worth.
After lunch we went back to the hotel to rest up. He was thrilled to just take a nap and watch some Olympics. After he was rested we went to the mall to kill some time before the baseball game we attended. The deal was that if Scott went to this baseball game he was able to stay out until 11 verses the 8 o’clock curfew he was scheduled for. We jumped at that opportunity! Here are a few pictures from us goofing around at the game.
On Saturday we decided to adventure out to the river walk and to see the Alamo. If you’re in San Antonio please don’t miss out on either of these tourist attractions. The river walk is beautiful and the Alamo is such a big part of our American history.
We even took the boat tour.
Sunday was the last day and Scott had to stay on base. We only had till 3 with him so we shopped at the BX for things he needed for tech school and ate at the pizza joint on base. It was a hard day and Scott had a hard time focusing on anything other than the fact we were all leaving soon. Here we are putting on our brave faces.
All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Talk about a small taste of Heaven being ripped away from you. My heart broke as I saw the tears fill his eyes. Before we started the waterworks we squeezed in a picture together and he got a few pictures with 2 of of his buddies in his flight.
The trip was short, but boy was it sweet! These are the moments that make the waiting and tears so worth it! I cling to the time we get to spend together and never take those moments for granted. Looks like there are quite a few months more of being apart but I know we can make it through. I get to see him in 10 days! I can’t wait to hop on another plane on my way to him! I miss him something terrible but the phone calls, texts, and skype dates make it 212323453 times better than Basic Training! So glad to be done with that chapter in our life! I’m so proud of my husband and I can’t wait to be with him again!
We’re almost at the end!!! Some moments have blown on by and others have been the slowest of my life. All I can really say is, I’m glad to be on this end of it!
By the time I jump on a plane I will have written 57 letters. Jeeze, so many days and memories my husband couldn’t be part of. I can’t wait for the new memories that will make up our lifetime together. The strength we have acquired through this tough time will give us the tools and courage to conquer all the difficulties this lifestyle will bring. I have been saying that it’s kind of like a boot camp for wives too. We have to learn to get all the usual things around the house done that a husband does. Since Scott has been gone I’ve done every man-like chore you can think of. I didn’t think I would ever be able to figure out some of the things Scott does for me. I’m pretty proud of myself though! I still would much rather have a husband to deal with the cars and trash but I know that in his absence I can handle it. Freeing and exhilarating at the same time.
The last two months of my life have been filled with so many tears that I think I could fill a whole bathtub, two times over. I’m thankful that this stage is over! Although we still won’t be living in the same home, we will have so much more communication! I can’t wait to be able to send him a text again. (Not that I didn’t try. 10 text messages have been sent to his turned off phone. Habits are hard to break.) The simple things I miss the most. I want to go grocery shopping with him again. Spend Thursdays cleaning our apartment. Watch the rain fall. The things that make up a normal day are taken for granted until you do them without the one that made them special in the first place. I miss the normality of having Scott home. I constantly feel like I’m out of my element. I never understood fully what it meant to be “one” until I was missing my other half. It always feels like you have a giant hole in your life. You always wake up feeling like you’re forgetting something, like something is missing and the feeling never fades. The hurt is deep but it’s so very fully worth it!
As I start packing my bags to fly out Wednesday I feel giddy! It feels like a first date. I get those little butterflies flying around in my core. I imagine the moment I first see him. What I should wear. How I should act. Every stupid thought our minds take when we over think a situation. I’ve been living for this moment. Focusing on it to just make it through. I want every outfit to be perfect and to look my very best! I’ve been working out like a crazy lady just hoping to tone those areas that drive a woman mad! I want his jaw to drop and to realize what he’s been missing. My mom made the point that I could probably gain 400 pounds and he would still be excited to see me. This is true because I have a loving husband who thinks the world of me, BUT it was more of a goal I set for myself! I have started seeing improvements making the work outs seem like it’s worth the sweat and time. Thank goodness. I just want to be at my best.
The second I see him will be very similar to our wedding day, walking down the isle. With every step you think of all the struggles and joys that brought you to this very moment! It will be emotional and the tears will come flooding out. (Reminds me, I need to pack tissue. ;]) I can’t wait to see him in the uniform that he’s told me he so proudly wears. I can’t wait to see that smile he saves just for me. The feeling of his arms around me. ALL OF IT! I have been striving to look forward to this day. A day that is now only 4 days away! I hope the last days fly by and the moments we share in San Antonio drag on! I also pray that we remember these feelings and never forget how desperately we love and need each other.
Our God is good and He brought us over another mountain!!!!
I’m still in complete shock and awe that this time is here. On Monday we drive my sweet husband to Denver to swear in to become a part of the United States Air Force. I know I wrote of our vacation that was coming up so I just wanted toshare some of the pictures from our trip to Wyoming. Enjoy! -Alyssa
The night before we left we watched our favorite little 4 year old, Haley. She’s such a sweetheart and we just adore having her around.
Here are the doggies ready to go the morning of the trip! Happy as ever.
I still get butterflies when I see this house come into view.
Corgis were bred to be cattle dogs, with their short legs the cows were able to kick without hitting them in the head. My dad and I came to the conclusion that when you see Clover in this environment it makes you realize she was meant to be a ranch dog.
Scott was able to do a bit of running “training” on the ranch road.
This is where my Dad proposed to my Mom. This place has been a part of so many love stories including my own.
Scott and I got married on this exact spot almost a year ago. Man, the time has flown.
I am so obsessed with all of the spectacular views on the ranch. I was lucky to have this place be a prominent memory of my childhood. I can’t wait for my own children to someday have memories here, just as my Dad was excited for it to be a special place in my heart.
In the middle of the week Scott and I took off for Jackson Hole to celebrate the 1 year anniversary that Scott will be missing due to being in boot camp. We enjoyed a slice of our wedding cake, and some much needed relaxation and romancing.
The Spring Creek Ranch was where we had our honeymoon and we were happy to return for our 1 year. Our favorite part of staying here was of course the beautiful fireplace but we also loved the view from the restaurant where we shared a delicious breakfast every morning of our stay.
Jackson Hole is a big tourist spot not just for the gorgeous views but also for the shopping, so we took to the snowy streets to wander around the many different shops downtown.
We were freezing in all the unexpected snowfall so we posed for a few photos and then decided to run to the safety of lunch.
Scott had never had an artichoke before so of course we had to order that. He approved! Why wouldn’t he, anything soaked in butter/garlic is delicious!
My big find of the day was this journal. It is made from an old book from the 50’s, it has pages from the original book scattered randomly throughout the blank pages. I have been in search of a good journal for months! I will need it for when Scotty is gone to pour my thoughts and feelings into. I was thrilled to find one that finally met my approval.
There was only one day where we could see the top of the Tetons. The silly clouds kept them hidden the rest of the trip. The views from our room were still great.
We had a great breakfast the next morning and then headed back to the ranch. My brother was thankfully able to come up for the weekend. I was so blessed to have that time with him.
We played pool but Scott and I only won by error on the other team’s part. Scott says it’s me who drags him down but in all honestly we both aren’t very great. ;]
A gofer safari broke out on Sunday. I think it looks more like a red-neck gofer hunt but I’m not the one who created the title.
I retreated to target practicing with my beautiful handgun. I was happy to hit my first bullseye that my dad drew on the paper plate! Woohoo!
The next morning we headed back home to Colorado. :[
Scott insisted on stopping for breakfast ice cream.
After a long drive home with a pukey little dog we finally made it home exhausted. We weren’t the only tired ones…
The next big step is leaving my sweetheart off in Denver. Wish us luck!
When you’re told that you have four months until your husband leaves for basic training it seems like a long time, but man has this time flown by. We have a month till he “ships out”. Seems so surreal that it’s right around the corner. May is going to fly by more quickly than all the rest. I really need to just focus on enjoying every moment we can fit in together and not be so sad and stressed about him leaving. Nothing ruins happy times and memories more than tears.
We both have two more weeks at work then Scott will have his last day at Best Buy, and I will have around 2 weeks of vacation to spend time with Scott and help him get everything ready for boot camp.
We will get to celebrate our first year anniversary, although a month early, in Jackson Hole Wyoming where we celebrated our honeymoon. It’s pretty special to us that we will have that time set aside to just soak in the last year of our lives and celebrate the start of our life journey together.
While in Wyoming, we will also spend some time on my family ranch in Pinedale. We both enjoy going there because it’s so nice to forget the rest of the world and just relax. The world seems to move at a slower pace there and we really enjoy that relaxing feeling.
After our week in Wyoming is up we’ll come back to Junction and he’ll spend time with his friends and family and get all the goodbyes in. It will be a strange feeling for him to say goodbye because he’s never been away from here for more than 2 weeks at a time.
On (June 4th) Monday, dreaded Monday, we’ll make the trip over to Denver. I’m not exactly sure of what all happens on Monday and the day after but at some point on Tuesday we will say our final goodbye as he boards the plane for San Antonio. It will be a long 2 months of missing him but I know Scott will do great and I can’t stress enough how very proud of him I am!
This month is going to be a whirlwind of fun times as well as emotions, but I know our Jesus is looking out for us every step of the way. How very comforting!
Yesterday I turned 23, but before I move on I need to give 22 some recognition…
I waited my whole life to be 22. It was always my lucky/ favorite number so I just couldn’t wait to be 22. When 21 came I was really excited, not for the freedom that 21 brings but because I was only a year away from my dream age. Once I turned 22 I just had an excited feeling in my heart knowing that it would be a year of big changes and many memories.
In the first month of 22 I hit my one year anniversary of working at Big League haircuts. That was a pretty exciting milestone. I love my job and I enjoyed being able to say I’d put a full year into the business.
February and March were pretty easy going with nothing big to report on.
April was the month Scotty asked me to be his wife and we started planning our wedding. We decided on June 22 of that same year. We both see 22 as our lucky number because that was our jersey numbers when we played basketball in high school. Also in April we took a trip to Vegas with some of our friends and had a blast unwinding before the stress of planning a wedding in only 3 months set in.
May was consumed with wedding planning, and stress, stress, and more stress. We started searching for an apartment that would allow us to keep Clover (my dog).
June is by far the best month of my life. The wedding planning started finally coming to an end and the stress lifted from my shoulders. We found an apartment and moved majority of our stuff in and got it ready for Scott to move in once we were married. We then traveled to Wyoming on the 18th of June to get all the prewedding preparations in place before Wednesday. I became Mrs. Scott Dearborn June 22nd, 2011. We had a small, quiet, beautiful wedding on my family ranch in Wyoming. The wedding took place by the river on our property and it was absolutely perfect! We just had our imediate families there to celebrate with us and some local friends, as well as our pastor and his wife. I couldn’t have asked for or dreamed of a better wedding. We then went on our mini honeymoon in Jackson Hole which was also perfection.
When July came we went back to Grand Junction and wrapped up the plans for our Junction wedding celebration. We celebrated with all our close friends and the family from out of town on July the 2nd. What a party! Everyone was dancing and it was such a good time. We felt blessed by all the love we were shown by our community. The day after the wedding Scott and I took off to our honeymoon in Cali. We had a blast at my aunt and uncle’s cabin in the mountains, then enjoyed our beautiful hotel by the beach in Huntington. We also hit up Disneyland and In-N-Out burger while we were there.
In August we settled into married life and started our intro into the military. Scott was still trying to decide between Army and Air Force. Finally, we realized that the Air Force would be the best fit for us with wanting a family and Scott wanting to get into Air Force intelligence.
September was a bittersweet month as we celebrated both Scott’s 22nd birthday and mourned the loss of his Grandma Jean. Whom we both adored and felt close to.
October we traveled to New Hampshire for the funeral. Although it was good to see family it was made difficult by the sad reason we were all together. New Hampshire was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing all the Dearborn family history and hearing all of Scott’s stories of coming to visit his grandparents as a kid. We will forever miss Grandma Jean. She honestly made our wedding so special and we feel so blessed that she was able to join the celebration.
In November, Scott enlisted into the Air Force and we started the waiting for a job game. We shared our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and enjoyed the time spent with family. We also added a new puppy into our home, Hazel. Puppy parenthood started for the second time for me and for the first time for Scott. Not a lot of fun sometimes but her sweet nature makes it worth the naughty moments.
As my last month of 22 rolled in we continued to wait for job placement and our patience continued to wear thin. We decorated our first married Christmas tree, sent out our first Christmas card and enjoyed our first Christmas. The last weekend of December we traveled to Denver and brought in the New Year by watching a Lakers vrs Nuggets game.
I had an amazing 22nd year and 23 has a lot to live up to! This next year will be full of even more change and lots of new memories. When we eventually figure out Scott’s job placement it will be the year we begin our Air Force journey. I’m both excited and nervous but I know God will bless us once again this coming year! He is good!
The Dear Adventure 