2013

 
 

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and was surrounded by people whose company you truly enjoy and presence you genuinely cherish.  The holidays that fall on the calendar between late November and early January mean many different things to different people, but for me it’s all about re-connecting with family; reliving old family traditions and creating new ones for the next generation.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was Christmas Eve at Aunt Ruth and Pyran Wayne’s house.  There was just something magical about this much-anticipated event on December 24^th every year.  From as far back as my memory can reach all the way up to coming home on leave from the Navy, we’d get all dressed up, load up the car and make our way towards a gathering of family and food.  In the midst of all this visiting and gift-giving, we’d always take a moment to separate Christmas from my sister’s birthday since a December 24^th birthdate has a way of getting lost in the shuffle.  Time, relocations, schedules and just life in general ended the tradition somewhere along the line, but this year saw a return to the magical Christmas Eve at Aunt Ruth and Pyran Wayne’s house!!  All of the kids are grown now, but gathering family with food and sharing stories and laughter still felt the same.  So many great memories from the past and now being made again!

 

 

 

Mid-November, I made the trip west to check into my new command and set up a household in San Antonio.  With the help of colleagues and friends from work (as well as a nice cop who pulled me over for running a stop sign), it didn’t take me long to find a place to rent in a great location.  My mom came out and helped me unpack my household goods and find a place for them in my new home.  It was a busy and tiring week, but we both enjoyed the quality time together.  Although my mom has only made a couple of moves in her lifetime, she definitely has a knack for establishing a household!  After the boxes were unpacked and things put away, we drove back to Louisiana in time for the Christmas holidays. 

 

 

 

With such an intense and rewarding tour in NC from which to launch, I feel potential all around me in this new location and opportunity.  So, with the flip of a page on the calendar, a fresh year is spread out before me.  My wish for all of you is the same as it is for me- that all obstacles will be viewed as welcomed challenges and that each day ends with the feeling that your presence in it mattered.  Here’s to a fun and prosperous 2013!