Happy Anniversary (To Us)!

Today is Victor and my 6th anniversary.  I've been thinking about the past 6 years a lot this week. They have been busy!  I kind of recapped the years highs and lows in my head and thought I would share them with you....

Year One:  (Nov '05-Nov '06)
We get married! Victor starts a new job at GE that require longer hours and LOTS of travel.   We build our house in Waukesha, sell Victor's town house, live temporarily in an apartment, move into the new house.  We try to get pregnant, unsuccessfully.  Given the amount of travel and stress one can only imagine why it took close to a year to conceive Erik.

Year Two: (Nov '06- Nov'07)
Tell immediate family we are struggling to get pregnant.  Next month --Get pregnant!!  Victor gets activated and relocated to Washington DC.  I spend 6-7 weeks with him during the initial 4 months of activation.  We go home to have Erik!  We move back to DC shortly after Erik is born for an anticipated 7-8 months.

Year Three: (Nov '07 - Nov '08)
Savor being new parents.  Tired (Erik is up every 2 hours for 8 months) but overwhelmed with the joy of being a mom!  Victor is working at the pentagon (12 hours a day) and asked to stay for an additional 3-4 years.  We agree.  Move home to WI for 2 months, try to sell our new, never lived in house but find renters instead.  Move back to a new house (rental) in Alexandria, VA.  Find out I am pregnant with Lainey! So blessed but a bit shocked since this time it happened immediately!

Year Four: (Nov '08- Nov'09)
Get settled in Alexandria. Blessed to get to know a really good group of friends which makes it feel like home to me.  Victor switches positions at the Pentagon but this doesn't disrupt things at home.  Meet our sweet Lainey!  Struggle to adjust from one kid to two.  This was a really difficult transition for me.

Year Five: (Nov' 09-Nov 10)
Lainey struggles with constant ear infections.  She is a really grumpy baby.  We go on a fun Disney Cruise (which was canceled originally due to kids with croup/bronchitis).  I am still struggling to adjust to being a mom of two.  Things seem easier when she turns one.  Victor was offered a new civilian job in Southern Maryland.  Try to sell Waukesha house again, no luck.  Make plans to build a new house in southern Maryland, plans fall through.  Find out I am pregnant with Carson!!  Very excited and blessed!  Find a new renter for the Waukesha house and stumble upon a spec house that will work perfectly for our family.  Terri and Austin meet and say goodbye to Jake (this impacts me significantly). Move to southern Maryland.  Victor starts a new job.

Year Six: (Nov 10-Nov 11)
Adjust to our new hometown and job.  Victor starts reserve duty again.  So thankful for Victor's new works scheduled (10.5 hours a day instead of 12 and every other Friday off)!  This makes a much bigger difference than I realized! Lainey gets tubes in her ears after 8-9 ear infections.  She is SO much happier!  Meet our sweet baby Carson.  Much easier transition from 2 to 3.  Happy baby and kids!  Lovely neighbors and new friends.


These past 6 years have been filled with lots of wonderful things (3 kids, need I say more), lots of stressful things (7 addresses, 9 moves), and lots of learning (if not parenting, marriage should definitely come with a rule book!).  Ha!

I am so thankful to be where we are today!  I love being back in a small community, being able to be stay at home with my kids, and  am thankful for a less intense job for Victor.  I look forward to many new lessons, trials, and blessings in the future and am glad to have Victor by my side as we walk through life together!

It was really interesting to think back through the major events of the past 6 years!  If you haven't I challenge you too!