For those who do not know, c'est la vie is a French phrase meaning 'such is life'. This year I have used this phrase multiple times. A lot has happened that has changed our ways of living in the past 365 days. Let's recap, shall we?
In January, Christopher went back to Fort Benning, GA to finish his OSUT for the Army. February came around and Conner got to go on his first road trip to see his daddy graduate and get his blue cord in honor of becoming an Infantryman. It snowed in Georgia the day of graduation, just when I thought I was escaping the blizzards from Illinois. We visited with my grandparents shortly before we came home. In March, we said our hard goodbyes to friends and family and made our first PCS to Fort Bliss, TX. Two days of driving later (this included a hotel stop part way through and staying at a hotel when we arrived) and we had signed our apartment lease for our new home in El Paso. April was the magical month where Conner started crawling. May came around and we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and I celebrated my first REAL Mother's Day. We also made a surprise trip home to Illinois for our niece's 2nd birthday. In May, I also started selling lia sophia jewelry. June snuck up quickly and Christopher celebrated his first REAL Father's Day. Conner also got his very first tooth in June. July we had to adjust to the heat living in a desert but had a wonderful 4th of July. In August, Christopher had to have an emergency appendectomy . September tested my patience with El Paso Electric. After a 3 month war, I caved in and paid the bill that I know we shouldn't have had to pay (once again, c'est la vie!). October we celebrated Conner turning 1, and how that first year flew by so quickly! This month also marked the 1 year of service for Christopher. In November I realized that with the Army, a lot of important things would be missed. Christopher was gone for my birthday for a second year in a row, but I was just happy he was here for Conner's 1st. Conner also started walking on my birthday! Best birthday present ever. Christopher was pinned for PFC. My mom and sister came to El Paso for 9 days. And here we are at December. This month was so slow since we were anticipating the trip to California to see my dad. We spent Christmas with him and my uncle, aunt, and grandma. It was great since it was only the second time my dad had seen Conner and the first for everyone else.
Today is the 31st day of December in 2010. We aren't having a big celebration to ring in the new year. We're just spending time as a family. Mostly because Christopher has 24 hour duty tomorrow. Today I have taken the time to reflect back on this past year. So much has happened that changed our day to day lives. We got through our first year of marriage, our first year of parenting, our first year of Army life, our first PCS. We've had to let friends go, but in turn have made a lot of great new ones. It's hard, especially around birthdays and holidays, to not be close to family. However, it makes us appreciate each other that much more. I realize how lucky I am to have such a loving husband, a wonderful little boy, a nice apartment, Chris has job security, good healthcare. There were so many things we took for granted. In 2011, instead of making some silly resolution I will not keep (like losing weight, which I will try to do but will most likely fail at), my resolution will be to live each day to it's fullest and to make a point in smiling every single day. When my day is going bad, I don't need to sit and fret over it, because somewhere out there, someone is having a worse day than I am. I also want to keep paying it forward and helping out as much as I can. Every little thing matters. Even a smile can change someone's whole day. With that being said, bring on 2011! I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us.
Love,
Me
Me
