2013 - A Year In Review.......

I know, it's been a long time since I've written and I really, truly feel the need to come back to writing.  Even if no one ever reads me again, I still have this outlet for all my thoughts, victories, and defeats.

So, with that in mind, I thought I'd do a year-end recap.  For me, though, the year isn't the "calendar year" as you all know it.  For me, the "year-end" is a recap of our deployment......and what a year it was!

For me, it was a year of personal growth and development.  I used this year to scrape away all the crap that had coated me and my life for so long.  And I not only rediscovered myself, I also learned a lot more about myself along the way.  I thew away a lot of my inhibitions and embraced this new person that I was evolving into.  I knew from the first deployment that I was strong and that I could do things on my own.  This deployment I discovered that I am more than wife and mommy.

Some of the highlights along the way:

I hate Halloween.  Not sure why, but I just don't get into it as much, and don't like dressing up.  But this time was different -- I did it for my girls.  I didn't get elaborate -- I just went as Rosie the Riveter.  Appropriate, I thought, for our situation!






I turned 43 and my awesome friends got a limo and we cruised downtown Denver, hitting different bars and clubs.....dancing the night away!  One highlight was me.....dancing on a bar for the first time....ever.....during my birthday festivities.  Thank you Coyote Ugly!






In March, I went on my first ever St. Patty's Day bar crawl downtown with the best group of military friends a girl could ask for.




In April, I participated in my first 5k -- doing the Graffiti Run with a group of my military "sisters".   We did it as a team and called ourselves "The Deployment Divas" - wearing shirts with our men on the back.






Towards the end of the deployment, I threw caution to the wind -- and dyed my hair pink.  I loved it and didn't give a damn what anyone else thought.  Since then, I've also been blue and purple and am currently back to blonde again.  But come spring....it's back to pink!


But the biggest change of all was the 35lbs. that I lost between February and June.  I finally reached a point where I had enough and wanted to make a change.  I also wanted to knock My Marine's socks off when he came home to a different wife!  I went from 170lbs to 135lbs in five months. 

I started using Shakeology, cutting out pop and eating clean.  I went to the gym, hired a personal trainer, started lift weights and started using Beachbody's Turbojam.  When My Marine came home he said that if it wasn't for the girls standing next to me, he wouldn't have recognized me!  (He scored some big time points with that comment for sure!)

 
And of course.....the icing on the Deployment Cake was welcoming My Marine home on Father's Day weekend!  He couldn't have asked for a more perfect gift!
 

And as I sit here, sipping coffee on this New Year's Eve morning, I look back again on 2013......and while it was a challenge, I wouldn't change anything for a single second.  And I look forward to seeing what exciting challenges 2014 holds for all of us as well.

Happy New Year to you all and God Bless!

~~ Jennifer