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.
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!
