Monthly Archives: January 2010

I know this is a couple of weeks late, but Happy New Year out there in the blogo-sphere!

I get excited when the calendars change from one year to the next. Why? Because every year for me seems to be better than the previous one. Don’t get me wrong-my life is not all roses. I’m in the military, which is a hard life to begin with, I have two children from my first marriage, and a future step-son (whom I plan to adopt once we’re married)…things are typically interesting around here, both good and bad. And, lest ye forget, I have a sister who is battling Breast Cancer right now.

So, how did 2009 go for me? Great. Personally, it started out rough, as a relationship that had ended months before still had a hold on me…but that did finally end. Otherwise, things were going well, I was named the OPNAV N1 Senior Sailor of the Quarter for the previous quarter and I even got to fly to Washington, D.C. to compete against others for the OPNAV Senior Sailor of the Year. I didn’t get it, but it was fun to fly to D.C. for a day. Shortly thereafter, I got selected to be Mr. December in the 60 Mile Men calendar, and I had a great time being photographed for that and being a representative of men who walk/crew the Breast Cancer 3-Day across the country.

The biggest thing that happened to me last year was when I came home to Michigan in June and July. It was during this time that I was able to see my family (mom, Shayna and the girls) for the first time since 2006, and when I realized that my sister wasn’t doing as well as she had always claimed to be. It was also at this time that Mary and I had our first real “date”, after almost 5 years of knowing each other and communicating via the Internet, and after a few times together we realized we were destined to be together. Before I left Michigan, we had plans for her to pack up her life and son, and fly out to San Diego so we could be together. Did we rush it? Absolutely. Am I OK with that? Absolutely. We have been so close for so long, even with the distance separating us, that we knew each other very well. Sometimes, when it’s right, it’s just right and you need to go for it. She moved out, as planned, in August and we’ve been together and happy (at least *I* am, I hope *she* is as well) ever since. I couldn’t imagine a better match for me to spend my life with, and in November, as she was cheering me on in the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day, I dropped on one knee and proposed to her in front of hundreds of people. Needless to say, she said yes (or else my year would have ended very differently…)

The other significant thing in my life happened at the end of July when I found out that I had been selected to become a US Navy Chief. This had been a goal of mine for several years, and something that was well-deserved. The “Induction” process was long and brutal, and it was not easy on Mary, who got out here a week into it, but we managed to survive with our new family intact.

And, of course, in November I did my back-to-back Breast Cancer 3-Day events, which was a great, if not painful, experience. I have written significantly about them here in previous posts, so I won’t do so now.

Finally, and not insignificant, I was able to spend another full year with my beautiful daughters, who never fail to amaze me. Being in the Navy, I have missed many years of their lives (I’ve done 3 deployments, which means just in those, I’ve missed 19 months of Justyce’s life and 13 months of Colbi Lyn’s life, not to mention the countless “underway” periods I’ve had in the past 10+ years). Everything I do, I do for my daughters (and now Mary and Devin).

So, what will 2010 bring? I don’t know, and that’s where the excitement comes in…I am up for orders and will transfer this year, either to a ship or to Iraq/Afghanistan…Mary and I hope to get married in August…I am signed up for two Breast Cancer 3-day’s again this year (Chicago and Michigan), although my impending transfer and the “needs of the Navy” may impact that.

Everything else is up in the air, and that’s where the excitement of the New Year comes in!