2015 in Review

People always say that as you age the years slip by faster.  I distinctly remember my grandma Bernadette sitting in her beloved glider saying those words to me.  It's true.  This year has been a beautifully, messy blur of core memories.

Buying a home.
We started the process of buying a home, in Minot, in September of 2015.  When Brandon returned from Guam we starting looking around in neighborhoods that we knew we would want to live.  We decided to go with a home that hadn't been built yet.  The floor plan was predetermined and we were got to pick out wall colors, light fixtures, redesign our bathroom and front entry way, etc.  We moved in in February of 2015.  We did our own landscaping in the spring and summer.  We really enjoy the location and our home.  We will make so many great memories here in the years to come.

Baptism.
I had been contemplating getting baptized for years.  In 2015 I felt the time was right. I wanted to do it while Brandon was home to watch.  I was in a great bible study and felt supported.  The more I read the bible and grow in my faith I now this was a necessary step for me.  I was baptized on Easter morning in front of a large crowd.  It was scary and thrilling.  I have a heart of learning the bible and studying our hebraic roots.  I want to learn to hear God's voice.  I changed churches after Brandon left.  I'm still not 100% certain that I want to make this church our home, but I'm patiently listening and learning.

Maggie.
Our sweet black lab, Maggie, passed away on April 16th.  It's taken me a while to be able to process and accept that she is no longer with us.  She was apart of our family for nearly 14 years.  Brandon and I got her before we were married. I was still living in my parents home and Brandon was doing boiler work, and never home.  She slept in my bed and would ride to college with me and hang out in the car while I'd go to my classes. She traveled by car and airplane to be with us always.  She survived the boys' toddler years and never once bit their little hands. She allowed Duckie, our pug, to boss her around for year and years.  She loved playing hide and seek with the family, and was notorious for telling us all where Brandon was hiding.  She loved the woods. She knew that when we turned onto a dirt road, good things were in store for her. She was the sweetest dog that anyone could ever dream of. She is so missed.

Tanner in School.
Tanner started Kindergarten on August 25th.  We were all excited to start this chapter.  Tanner has always been a very social kid that loves to learn.  He is thriving at school.  At his first parent teacher conference his teacher described him as a gem.  Tanner brings a lunch to school every day, unless there is something AMAZING on the menu for lunch that day.  There are many kids that he talks about playing with at recess.  I'm glad to hear that it's not always the same kids, but a wide variety.  He usually has a page of homework today each day, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he has a reading assignment that he has to do.

Korea.
When an airman, especially in the maintenance field it seems, decides to make the a career out of the Air Force, it is almost inevitable that he/she will do a tour over in Korea.  The stars finally aligned and Brandon got orders to Korea in February.  He left for Osan November 8th and will spend a year there.  We are hoping that he is home before Thanksgiving of 2016.  We see Brandon, on FaceTime, nearly every morning, and often times in the afternoon as well.  We correspond through Facebook messenger, mostly.  This year apart will not be the best year of our life, but we are still thriving.