Today marks the 6 year anniversary of our arrival in Fayetteville, NC. We have experienced a lot and quite a few things have changed since 2009! Here is a quick top ten list of the things that have changed since moving to the NC.
10. Levi wasn't even 1 before we moved here so pretty much every major milestone for him (walking, talking, birthdays, school, etc.) has happened here.
9. Bruce started Kindergarten here and he is now in his last year of elementary school aka 5th grade!
8. Matt was an E6 when we moved here and he has just hit his 3 year mark as an E7.
7. I have been a part of a PTO, FRG leader, nursery supervisor, sparks director and more. In other words, I have volunteered a whole bunch since NC welcomed us!
6. Matt and I had both had our tonsils out prior to coming here (I was 7 and he was an adult) but now we have had a combined total of 9 surgeries in 6 years. One of those was also my first blood transfusion, not that I am proud of that, but it was something pretty major that happened.
5. Matt was on GRF (global readiness force) and actual deployed while on it. He went to Haiti 36 hours after the earthquake in January 2010 and spent 6 weeks there. I also believe that that might have been the longest he has ever gone without showering too.
4. We have traveled to IA, AR or MO 4 times in 6 years, which isn't a lot, but they are over 20 hour trips one way.
3. The boys and I all got to see the ocean for the first time (and 2nd, 3rd and 4th). We have also vacationed in the mountains multiple times (5ish hours away) and Great Wolf Lodge!
2. Matt and I ran our first half marathons 1 year ago. I have since ran my first 10k race and my second half marathon.
1. We have spent a lot of the 6 years apart. Whether it was Haiti, Iraq, schools for Matt or training we have, as a family, had a lot of absence makes the heart grow fonder moments.
BONUS- We have been visited by grandparents, parents, aunts, an uncle and cousins since living here and also one of my very best and oldest friends (Leslie).
I could probably name 50, 100 or even more things that have changed or we have experienced, but those are the top ones that are in my head! I cannot beleive that when we arrived here 6 years ago we thought we would be lucky to make it to the 3 year mark and here we are way beyond that and there are no plans in sight to leave. We actually don't mind it here and we have found a lot of amazing friends/family and an absolutely wonderful church here as well. Here is to the next however many years we have here!
