A toast to my amazing family and friends!

When you move away from your family and friends, you really realize just how important they are in your life. Especially being military makes you miss them even more. Who knows how long we will be in Virginia. Next year we could be living across the country. Who really knows. It's not that I never knew how much they meant to me, but it's just now, more than ever, I realize how blessed I am and that I've been so blessed all along to have these amazing people in my life. These are the people that truly know me and accept me for who I am, flaws and all. They encourage me, believe in me, believe in the things that I will accomplish and they don't judge me or put me down for my mistakes. They unconditionally love me, and I could not ask for more.

My mother never fails to be there for me. She is my rock, my best friend, my idol. When I thought I would never get enough time with her, I got more time than I ever imagined. She never stops encouraging me to reach for my dreams and she's always there when I need to cry or vent about life. With my father, I think our relationship is stronger than ever. I feel as if our relationship really blossomed when I got married. I guess there is just something about your little girl getting married and when you suddenly realize she's not a little girl anymore. I really miss my brothers too! I miss them much more than I thought. I don't have to miss my in laws anymore because they actually just moved to Hampton. It's ironic how God works sometimes. Jarrett's step father's job transferred him to VA Beach about a month ago and for now they are living in Hampton. I feel so relieved to have some family here. I finally have a support system here for when Jarrett is gone. Besides my awesome family, I have the most fantastic group of girls in my life as well.

Christina

Christina and I have been friends since high school. I really have no clue where and when our friendship began though. Christina, till this day, still has no idea when it began either, but it began and I'm so glad that it did. She is one of my biggest supporters, my sister, my maid of honor and my best friend. She has been there through my ups and most importantly, my downs. Boy have there been a lot of downs that this girl has been there for. No matter how busy our lives get, we're still best friends. No amount of distance could tear us apart. This picture is of us on New Year's Eve like 10 billion years ago!

Brooke

Brooke and I have been friends ever since we started playing high school field hockey together. She is seriously one of the funniest people on the planet and she is one of the only people that can put a smile on my face when I'm having a bad day. We have been through a lot together, but are still close despite the distance. This picture is of us during a wonderful snow day in our last semester of college.

Erica

Erica and I have been friends forever. We met in middle school and are still great friends. We were close in middle school and fell out of touch a little in high school. We got close again once we started playing field hockey together. From then on we were inseparable. Now we are both married women and have a lot going on, but we never lose touch with each other. Now that we're married, we both have more in common than we did before. I love her so much and would do anything for her. This picture was taken at her wedding.

 

Whether you live in the same town as your family and friends or live half a world away, never forgot the people that were there for you from the beginning. Never!

 

Katie<3