Okay, Okay.

 So, what is it about sitting down and writing a blog entry after a blogging break that makes it so hard? So much has happened that it seems silly to pass by without mentioning it, but then again, so much has happened that it's pretty near impossible to catch up. But hey, I've gotta start somewhere, so I'm going to sit down, get something out on the blog and we'll go from there.

We have now lived in Florida for a month. A month. That seems crazy. We did spend 11 days of our time on the road and back home for Christmas, so I guess that's how it went so fast. But wow, a month. And slowly...it's beginning to feel like home.

We spent the first couple of weeks here getting organized, settled in, planning a trip "home" and exploring the area. We have been working a little harder on making this apartment feel like home, since we might actually be here longer than a year. Keagan starts Introductory Flight School on the 15th, so up until now he's just been reporting to base for formations, PT, miscellaneous duty, and medical appointments.

We finally got our internet set up! Between our new internet company and some issues with our apartment, I played middleman until it was finally worked out. Not having internet at home was okay, sometimes, but when you're an online-student who just moved and has a lot of loose ends to tie up...it means a lot of trips to the library (or a fast food parking lots). Because I didn't want to spend forever and a day on my internet-trips I simply did my classes, paid the bills, did some Pensacola research, and checked to make sure nothing Earth-shattering happened on Facebook without my knowledge.




We went home for Christmas! It was so nice that Keagan's training schedule worked the way that it did, so that we could use his leave and see both of our families for Christmas. We packed up our car and left at 5 PM the Monday before Christmas, and arrived in Iowa on Tuesday. The nearly 20 hour drive through the night was not the most fun we've ever had, but it is the first time we've gotten to drive across the country in the same car. We were so grateful for the time with family and friends. It went so fast, but it was a refreshing reminder of how blessed and thankful we really are for our lives on both ends of the 20 hour drive. (Even if one end is really cold, makes your skin dry, your hair full of static, and gives you an instant cold).

We got home, unpacked, got back on "schedule", had dinner with some friends, and then spent a couple of days doing a lot of laying around. Unfortunately, we've both has a bit of a stomach bug the last couple of days.

And now, it's a new year. I almost sat down on the first and wrote a crazy-reflective post, but I figure there's enough of those out there already, so I'll keep it short. As we look back on the last year, it's been busy, crazy, exciting, challenging, and wonderful. We've lived in three states, Keagan finally got to start his long-term goal of becoming a Marine Aviator, I have been exploring new goals, we've spent valuable time with family, and made wonderful new friends. God has protected us, led us, and taught us so much through the experiences and that's why for 2014, I'm keeping my goals simple. Instead of focusing on me and what I want to accomplish, my goal is to leave my heart open to whatever he wants to teach me and use me for. This year might be a little less "exciting" and "hectic" than the last, and I'm ready for the change of seasons.

-Wishing you all a fresh and wonderful start to 2014!

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