a little bit of everything...LOTS OF PICTURES!!

Being married to the military, we miss out on many of the biggest moments in our friends/families lives.  Luckily, this was one event we didn't have to miss!  My husband's brother (Nicholas) and cousin (Chase) both graduated from Ohio University last weekend and were commissioned into the US Army.  Our schedules allowed us to travel to Athens and Jason was able to give them both the Army Officer Oath of Office.  It was such a proud moment for everyone involved (and there were LOTS of us there).  We still have one more family member at OU in the ROTC program, and I pray that one of the 3 who are already commissioned are able to be there for his commencement, it just makes it a little more special/personal.

The graduates

The hubs and I at graduation (please ignore those hideous sunglasses someone gave him to replace the ones he lost!)

The paparazzi at commencement (told ya there were a LOT of us!)

Jason giving Nicholas his oath

and Chase's oath

So proud of these men

and me with my favorite Army Officers

(pardon the no bra look, but that's what happens when 90% of your belongings are en route to Japan!)

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The sad part of being able to make it to graduation/commencement was that I had to miss the wedding of one of my favorite sisters in Christ.  It's crazy how every single decision we make adds up.  About a month before I married my husband, we were in Cincinnati for Christmas with our families when we ran into an ex-boyfriend of mine at Best Buy.  He told me he was working as a youth pastor/music leader at a church down the road.  I filed that meeting away and when I moved back to Cincinnati after my husband deployed, I decided I needed a church to belong to, mostly just to occupy some of my time.  So I called up my ex and went to a service at his church.  What I found there was a new family.  An amazing new family.  The people at that church (and my fierce independence) are what got me through that deployment.  Rebecca was there for me from day one and I was honored to watch her relationship with her new boyfriend develop from "I'm not ready to say the 'L' word" to  planning their wedding.  I was able to attend their rehearsal/rehearsal dinner and, although it wasn't the wedding, it was still a pretty special night!

Um, how could you not want to go to the wedding of 2 people who are this fun at the rehearsal?!?!

They had the dinner at a local arcade, and yes, she had "I DO" written on her ring finger!

Practicing for their big moment 

I LOVE this girl!

I wish you both nothing but the best and I hope you are having an amazing time in GREECE!!!!!!!

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While I was home for 3 weeks, I had a chance to take some photos for my sister to send to her boyfriend fiancé husband (still getting used to that one) who is deployed. 

Time to go pick up the husband from class =)