Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A Year in a Post



Ok, so I haven't posted in over a year and just a few things have happened since then: I got a different job, Stefan got his wings, we moved to Little Rock, we bought our first house, Stefan got a new car, we got a puppy, built a fence & a deck, vacationed to Mexico, Stefan got promoted, and then finally, Stefan is currently deployed.

Given the gravity of every single item above, I can't honestly do any of them justice in one post, so I'll keep the details brief and then share our Photo Journal so you can see what we have actually experienced.

1. I got a different job! I am the Branch Manager of the Little Rock office for Robert Half International. I specialize in staffing and recruiting Accounting & Finance professionals. I work A LOT, but the job is so rewarding!

2. Stefan got his wings! This was such an amazing accomplishment for him and he asked me to pin them on in the ceremony!

3. We moved to Little Rock! When we first moved here we had to fit everything we owned in my little car and we had to live off of just that stuff for 6 weeks! We lived in a teeny tiny little one bedroom apartment while we waited to find our perfect, little starter home.

4. We bought our first house! We looked at over 50 homes in our search and we kept coming back to this one. It's an old home with original hardwoods and an updated feel. I fell in love with it the first time I went house hunting, but I didn't want to choose without Stefan. He ended up choosing the same one and here we are almost a year later!

5. Stefan got a new car! To expand, Stefan actually got two "new" cars but the first one we quickly sold after we realized the immense care this Land Rover needed. (We had also met a Land Rover dealer that was begging us to sell him this car given that it was a rare gem). Now he has a perfect Badger Red Jeep that he's still trying to convince me would be so much cooler if it was lifted...

6. We are proud parents of a Boxer puppy named Lily Pad Buttons Lobster Shrimp Idso. We call her Lily Bug or Booger for short. She's our little pride and joy. Stefan had been trying to convince me we needed a dog and I finally caved after the numerous puppy pictures he sent me at work. We're so glad to have her in our lives!

7. We built a fence & a deck! Ivan and Mary, Stefan's dad and stepmom, came to visit in February and helped us build a big security fence and an awesome deck in our backyard. Now we can let Lily out and play and we can also enjoy our backyard some more, too!

8. We vacationed in Mexico! Our dear friends Jeremy & Sara tied the knot on the beaches in Mexico. We were able to spend a long weekend with some of our very best friends. The vacation was gorgeous, the wedding was gorgeous, and reconnecting with friends was perfect.

9. Stefan got promoted! Stefan finally finished all of his Trainings and he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant!

10. Stefan is deployed. He's stationed at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq. He left on August the 17th and we're hoping he is able to come home at the end of January or beginning of February. Everyone says the first deployment is the hardest. He's been gone for 4 weeks now and it's been a complete adjustment. Lily and I miss him every single day and wish he was here, but on the other hand, I am so proud of him and I'm honored to be his wife. I'll be attempting to update our blog more often so that everyone knows how he's doing and how to get in touch with him. Stefan will be updating pictures on our Photo Journal of his first tour. You can visit us at stefanandrachel.shutterfly.com

I also wanted to take the time to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting us through this journey. Having amazing family and friends like all of you is such a blessing! Stefan and I are forever grateful for your love.

Peace, Love, and GO BADGERS!




2 comments:

Gabitch said...

I totally missed your blog. Happy you're back! Also, it's nice to get an update from you, little miss busy bee! Look at how fast a month passed by... keep your chin up. Call me and vent on the tough days. xoxo

Kschrage said...

Oh good, you are back on the blog. What a busy year, glad you are doing well! My hubby has options to deploy for work, but I don't know how I would cope. If he does decide to do it I'm coming to you for guidance.