Christmas night at Momo's house. There sure were a lot of presents....
Christmas lunch/dinner with the family. Patti Jo and Glenn were wonderful host/hostesses as usual. The food was great and the company was even better. I think one head count was 52 people. We are so blessed to have eachother!!
Dinner with Jimmie and Nancy at Salsalito's. We even got a little smile from Jimbo!
My lovely Lily and me
Roger and his family. (girlfriend Meghan and daugher Lily). Shawn and I got to spend Christmas Eve with Meghan and her family. The food was good and watching Lily open her presents was great...pure excitement and innocence
The surprise visit of Bruce, Shawn's fishing buddy. They really were happy to spend some time together Christmas Eve, even though it was at Mama's and not the coast :(
We got a chance to watch Kylie, our superstar, play basketball. So funny to watch 4 year olds run around trying to play basketball.
Saturday night dinner with family and friends at Mama's
The boys Christmas night 2009
Christmas night with the girls!
Shawn and I with Momo. Thanks so much for letting us stay at your house.
Hi all! Another year has come and gone. This is my first Christmas letter- a tradition I hope to continue. There is so much that happens in a year, and I will try to hit the highlights of 2009.
2009 was for sure an amazing, crazy, hard, rewarding year. I began the year with my family as we brought in the New Year. There was good food, family and dancing. The countdown to the New Year reminds me each year that there are better things to come in the next year. I had the opportunity to spend this time with my family, a thing that I don’t take lightly. Being away at school has been hard and I cherish every moment that I get to spend with the family.
In April Shawn made a big decision that has changed the course of our life. Shawn called me at school and told me that he was unhappy at his job and felt like he needed to do more. He wanted a job that would make him proud and happy. This broke my heart to hear how unfulfilled he felt, so when he told me he had found a solution I was ecstatic. Shawn made the decision to join the United States Coast Guard and was set to go to boot camp. On July 31st he graduated from boot camp. I couldn’t have been more proud!! I got to share this proud moment with Shawn’s family: Tabitha, Garrett, Terri and Jimmie. Shawn was gone for eight weeks for training and it was the hardest eight weeks of my adult life, but we made it through and am stronger for it. Shawn and I kept in touch via handwritten letters that sparked a new romance in our relationship. It was a relationship building experience, who would have thought?
In August I moved to El Paso for the last part of my program to be a Physician Assistant. I have had some ups and downs here in El Paso…from great rotations to emergency appendectomy surgery. To say the least, it has been an adventure. I can also say that I have learned a lot and am looking forward to next year and graduating to practice medicine, a dream that I have had for such a long time.
Throughout this year we have grown as a couple and as individuals. I believe that everything the two of us has gone through will only make our relationship with each other stronger and better when we finally get to share our lives more than just every six weeks. Shawn has a job that he is excited about and that gives us opportunities that we may not have had otherwise. He has met new people and is proud to be a part of the USCG. I continue to learn medicine from preceptors to become the physician assistant I have wanted to be. I have also grown in my relationship with God and myself. There was a time when I was easily frustrated, hurt and may not have been the best person I could be. I have always been a generally happy person, but this happiness that I have found within myself and with God is something that I cannot even put into words.
Shawn and I look forward to all of the amazing things that are on our path for the coming year. 2010 is going to be better than this year!!
| It is hard to believe we only have 02 days left of training. Seven weeks ago when the senior company told us the weeks would fly by we were all skeptical. However, as Tuesday of week 08 comes to a close, we find ourselves wondering where the time has gone. The first part of week 07 was spent learning basic first aid procedures and how to administer CPR. Because of the often hazardous nature of the work done in the fleet, and the primary mission of saving lives, it is critical that every Coastie know the basics of responding to emergency medical situations. At this point, with the amount of training that we have had, we continue to be tested every day, but on a much larger scale. We are no longer being tested to advance to the next week of training, but our performance is being judged to prove we are competent in the skills and knowledge required to enter the fleet. On Friday we took our final exam, which was cumulative and covered everything from fire fighting and seamanship, to military customs and Coast Guard history. Once again, Victor Company prevailed with a 95% average. Also, last week we had the opportunity to show off for our Battalion Officer and Section Commander during our Dress Uniform Inspection and Close Order Drill test. After successfully passing our inspection, we officially proved that Victor is the best marching company on the regiment, receiving an almost perfect score on the Close Order Drill. As with the Manual of Arms test, Chief Bou once again commended us on our confidence, precision, and teamwork. We spent our last Saturday in Cape May enjoying our off-base liberty. For the first time since we got here, we were able to leave the confines of the base and enjoy an entire day unsupervised with our shipmates. Our company commanders would have been proud, however, as many of us still found ourselves squaring corners in Walmart, saying “aye, aye, ma’am” to our waitresses, and stepping over “deck plates.” As with everything we have done over the past 07 weeks, the off-base liberty had a training purpose. Sporting our tropical dress blues, we stuck out like a sore thumb among the civilians dressed in their beach wear, and overall, the day was a test to see how well we represented the Coast Guard out in the community. We finally got an opportunity to have a go at the Confidence Course on base. Between double bars, logs, ropes and walls, the course works every muscle in the body and offers an intense physical challenge to just about anyone who pursues it. With the help of our company commanders and shipmates, almost every member of our company was able to successfully complete the course. The most exciting part of week 08 so far was taking our company photo. Our company commander was able to arrange for a HH-60 “Jayhawk” helicopter to fly in for the afternoon from Elizabeth City Air Station and be the background for our photo. After we took our photo, we had the opportunity to speak with the flight crew and tour the Jayhawk. The best part was watching it take off, and then return for a crew member, which they hoisted into the aircraft using the rescue basket while hovering about 50 feet over the parade field. As we wrap up our final blog, with graduation only 02 days away, we can’t help but think to ourselves, “Wow, we finally made it!” The past 07 weeks have stretched, challenged, and grown us more than we ever could have imagined. We had countless hours of the “dark path,” but darkness makes a light shine that much brighter and easier to find, and the light at the end of this tunnel they call basic training is blazing before our eyes. When we stepped off that bus 07 weeks ago, we were scared, undisciplined, derelict individuals. We stand here now, and will disband Friday afternoon as a confident, disciplined, and united family. Once we pass through those front gates, a new chapter of our lives begins, and will surely bring with it new challenges to overcome. By living the Coast Guard’s core values daily, leaning on our shipmates, and relying on the training we have received over the past 08 weeks, we will no doubt conquer every obstacle we encounter. Congratulations, Victor 181- 01 pat on the back! For the last time, Victor 181, signing out. We are ready to start our new journey!!! Thank you for all of your support and love throughout this process. I will post pictures as soon as I can |
