rays of sunlight

I've recognized a need to reengage in this space.  I'm realizing that it's important not for any kind of an audience but more so to continue to chronicle our story.  Our life.

I've spent nearly a decade of my life as Philip's wife.  We've given nearly a decade of our lives to the United States military.  We've laughed.  We've explored.  We've ached.  We've fought.  We've wept.  We've lost.  We've learned.  We've discovered.

It's been amazing.

I'm excited and terrified and hopeful and about a million other feelings as I look on the horizon.

Reengaging.  Reintegrating.

That's where we're at.

In December Philip returned home from 372 days away.

When I think of the 31st year of our lives, I will forever remember the incredible joy and deep satisfaction and gratitude we held in our hearts for getting to do the work that we were placed on this planet to do. 

This week we celebrated Philip's 32nd birthday.  Last Friday night we went out for our first date night (Fogo De Chao for the win) since Philip returned home in December .  Sad but true.  He returned back in the US in December to what was an emotional freight train of a month (detailed in future post, I promise), the "Philip' L. Welcome Home Tour" seeing All Of The People during the 5 weeks following the December Emotional Freight Train.  The last couple of weeks we've started to catch our breath.  I think.  As we've processed some of the realities of the year of transition ahead the "catching our breath" has felt like breathing in salt water, but by and large, it has been good to breathe.  Side by side.

I left off blogging back when I was a sickie in March.  I'm glad to report I have not contracted any kind of illness since this time.

So what happened next?  April 2016.  It was a pretty unremarkable month.  I was able to connect with some of my Princeton girls for a sun-filled meet-up and some delicious crabcakes in Baltimore midway through the month.  Another significant highlight was being able to spend some face-to-face time Keith and Shannon before bidding them farewell before they departed for Alaska.  I remember driving home from my time with K&S recognizing how accustom I have grown to having some of my closest relationships transcend geographic distance.  The people I am closest to are not the people who necessarily reside the closest to me. Which in some moments is sad or hard.  But I've figured out what needs to happen to nurture the relationships that matter the most to me.



We be come who we are in and through our relationships.  As time goes on, I am increasingly more cognizant or and appreciative for the ones that have proven most formative in my life.

I will be back. It will be sooner than eleven months from today, I promise.  We will keep catching up.  Because it was a really sweet year.  And there is a lot that I never want to forget for the rest of my tomorrows.

Like the feeling of 70 degree sunshine in Alexandria, Virginia during the 31st February of my life.