The Evergreen State

So I have found a new love....the state of Washington! In only about two months of calling it my new home, I have never been so happy to do the simple things: Drive down the street, as the massive, vibrantly green trees envelope me. Take my daughter on a walk in beautiful 70 degree weather as I watch kids laughing and playing....enjoying the great outdoors. Eating fresh seafood till my hearts content! These may not sound like such extraordinary things, but if you have known where I had to live for the past five years....you will understand why I cherish and appreciate these moments. Because two months ago, I couldn't have done any of things and so much more.

I feel like I am slowly finding myself again here. Like I have been lost....wandering and desperately trying to find my true self. So much change in the last seven years of my life has caused me to have to let go of little pieces, even fragments, that creates who I am. And it such a good feeling to put the pieces back together in my own puzzle. But its almost if the puzzle is rearranged somehow...for Mommyhood has created another part of me. A better part of me. I find myself rejuvenated somehow...finding my passions again. Reading more, writing more, crafting more, and enjoying the outdoors more. And I thank my precious daughter and The Evergreen State for bringing me back to life.

 Hiking through the Hoh Rainforest

Hiking the rocky shores of Rialto Beach



A Life Unexpected

Although there are many people who can't imagine ever leaving their home state behind, I have become a person who can't wait to keep moving on. Calling a new place "home" every few years has become a welcomed adventure... well most of the time. Unfortunately, where we move is not really our decision...the Army does that for us. Well, they pretty much call the shots when it comes to our lives. Sound awful? I bet it does. And sometimes it is. But life is all about taking the good with the bad. And moving around the country has had much of both for our family. I have seen so much, done so much, that I never would have if life had went according to my original plan. That plan was to stay in South Carolina, meet a strapping, wealthy man and work hard molding the minds of little ones as an SC teacher. Well, we all know life never goes according to our plan. A tricky, sometimes quite annoying thing takes over.... Fate. You see, I am a true believer in those sayings "Everything happens for a reason" and "You can't control your destiny." Now, if you know me... you know I am a complete control freak. So how could I believe in fate and how in the world did I ever become an army wife!?!? Good question. My husband would say it was his strapping good looks and amazing charm. And I just let him go with that ;)

Fickle Fate.... it has brought me down a road I never imagined. A road untraveled for many. A "not-so-normal life." But what is "normal" anyway? For me, normal is having a husband who is not always there....but desperately wants to be home kissing his daughter goodnight. Normal is....living in places that seem so foreign, but searching hard for things that make it feel like home. Normal is...constantly trying to connect with new people, hoping to make meaningful and lasting friendships. Normal is...missing out on those special moments and days with your family and the people that matter the most. Moments you can never get back.

But sometimes he is home kissing her goodnight and sometimes you find the excitement of an new home you never imagined. Sometimes you find a friend who feels like you have known them forever and when you do see your loved ones, you appreciate and cherish those memories so much more.

What I'm trying to say is you should never try to fight your fate. If you let it....it can bring you so much joy and allow you to see the good, when sometimes all you can focus on is the bad. I have learned to let go of the wheel.... and follow the road that has been paved for me. And that road has brought me some amazing adventures and experiences that I didn't have planned in the first place.

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"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."

Marcus Aurelius

Of Loss and Love

Okay... I have come to the realization that I am simply AWFUL at keeping up with this blog! I am making a NEW New Year Resoultion (..is it too late for that?) to make a post at least once a month.

Once again, so much has happened in our lives since my last post... but I am only going to focus on the two major life changes of 2011:

On June 5th, I lost one of the most important people in my life...my wonderful grandmother, who we called Meme. She wasn't just a grandmother... she was so much more in her 89 years of life. She was a wife to one, a mother to three, a sister to eleven and a friend to many. She was an amazing cook, artist, gardner and seamstress. I have so many memories of myself all wrapped up in her. Although she is gone, I have kept them close to my heart and hope to never let them fade away. I want to share all of them with my own children someday. I want them to know how important of a person she was and how she gave so much to her family.

From her life and death, I have come to realize how important family traditions are. My deepest regret is not realizing that during my time with her. I wish I could be in the kitchen with her, making Sunday sauce and her apple pie together, learning her special touches that always made hers the best. I wish I could be next to her sewing machine, asking her questions on how to make that perfect hem. I wish I could be picking tomatoes in her garden, listening as she tells me the secret to making them so ripe and juicy. I wish I was sitting next to her, trying my best to paint Capri, Italy...one of her favorite places in the world. I wish... I wish.


But all I can do is remember what we did share and pass those memories down to the next generation of our family. They will know what a remarkable woman she was and how much she loved us. Then our Meme will truly live again.

While we suffered a great loss to our family, we also gained great joy by welcoming our daughter, Lana Josephine Keating, into the world. After 27 hrs and 38 mins. of labor, she was born on December 23, 2011 at 9:38 P.M. 5 days late, of course. We already knew she would be stubborn... she is her father's daughter. :) I had planned on blogging through out my pregnancy to share all the wonderful and not-s0-wonderful moments. Now, I will just have to share my experiences of Mommyhood!

Our lives are now complete. This little person has showed us what unconditional love truyl means and has made us both better people. Thank you, Lana. We love you, to the moon and back.

So that was 2011 for us. Now 2012 brings another move for this military family. In less than a month, we will be calling Washington state our new home! We are thrilled for this new adventure and cannot wait to explore the west coast. Finally Army...you got it right! Oh, and you better believe it....this girl is going to Forks!