Our Memories in Marriage

Well, we've been living together for over six months now! These past few months have been the best of my life. I am so thankful to be living with my best friend.


John was promoted to Staff Sergeant at the beginning of the month. His parents drove over to watch the ceremony and I got to "pin" him with his new rank!



We also have a new pet! John got him back in August. His name is Idzik, which is Greek for "shield". He is turning into a really sweet pet!

I would say the duplex is definitely our home now. We have each other, we have a church we enjoy attending, we have our pets, and we have a lot of love from our families. Life is good!

How did the time fly so quickly? John's year long deployment ended when he came home July 31st. His parents and I were there to welcome him home and that evening John got to step into our new home for the first time. We moved into a duplex near base and have been enjoying getting to live together for the first time. The adjusting is going well and we are looking forward to his block leave!

John and I bought our car today! We've been looking for one that will be good for driving long distances and that will make a good family car (eventually), and we ended up getting a 2010 Ford Fusion. It's in "Atlantis green", but I think it looks black in most lighting.




Even if you can't tell it's green, you can't say it isn't shiny!


The air freshener for when I'm driving it! I'm not sure John will want to drive around with a gnome.


This is a photo I found online, maybe the lighting is just bad today, but I don't think it looks like this color in person! It's still pretty though!

This week I've had a couple of pleasant surprises arrive in my mailbox! First, on Thursday, I received a package from John, which included videos he made for me of himself talking and a beautiful glass rose crossing a heart.
Second, on Friday, was our wedding album! It took me six months to get back to the photographer about our "must have" photos for the album, but he is so patient and has amazingly fast turn around:

Hello everyone! The last year has been fraught with adventure, travel, and new beginnings. Thanks in large part to the love and care of my wife Xenia we were able to make it through the last year and are now married with many more years to enjoy life together.

I hope everyone made it through 2009 OK and wish you the best in 2010. I will be departing Iraq around mid-late July of this year and can't wait to see my lovely wife once more.

Here's to all the people that were able to make the last year enjoyable and worthwhile. God Bless.

-John