Reflection.

Well Nic came and went. He was home for 2 wks. in July and we had a blast. We had so many things planned that we didn't stay home and relax for even 1 day!! INSANE!! We went to Cache Valley to visit my brother, Oakley to visit Nic's family, boating in Cascade for a day, and Jump Creek to go cliff jumping. In addition to that were many, many other small trips and plans. Oh, did I mention we also celebrated my b-day and moved?!? Once again INSANE!!! I absolutely loved having our family together again. Be grateful for your families and the time you have together. Having Nic gone in Iraq is the hardest thing I have ever done. People always ask me about how difficult it must be and I never know how to sum it all up in one sentence . There have been times I have cried myself to sleep with loneliness and there have been times I have felt so proud of myself for being independent. Nic and I have felt our relationship get stronger and have also had moments when we weren't so sure. One thing that we both know for sure is that we could NOT do what we do without help. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the endless support and strength we receive. There are times when I pray that I feel like I have already tapped out all of my blessings and yet more always come. We are also so grateful for all of you. We feel so blessed to have so many people in our lives who have stepped up and helped us through some difficult times.

I turned in our apartment keys today and have an overwhelming sense of reflection. I feel so sad to say goodbye to our apartment. It's funny because for so long I couldn't wait to get out of there. As I glanced around our apartment for the last time I reflected on the comfort I found there. A few yrs. ago Nic and I made the poor decision to buy a home when we weren't prepared for the responsibility. We went into foreclosure and were forced to move in with his parents for a while. It is a humiliating mistake but one that we have learned a lot from. Our apartment was our first step back to independence. Because of all of the stress our home caused it never felt like home. The apartment, at least to me, felt like our first real home. I can still hear the key turning in the front door in the morning when Nic would get home from working the night shift. I remember Taelynn putting her doll in timeout on the stairs. And when Nic left and I was all alone I felt so comforted in our apartment. It was small and cozy. I think of all of the growing I did. The first few nights Nic left I cried every night missing him, scared of the decision we made. ( remember I was pregnant and my hormones were everywhere lol ) I know I'm being really cheesy so I'll wrap it up. Thank you apartment for being a shelter from the storm. I know it was time to move on, we needed more space and I am excited about our house. I'm glad we are in the same ward and I look forward to making more memories in the house we live in.