Comments:
To be totally candid, after graduation, I had absolutely no ambition,future perspective or drive. So, I took a, sort of, different route. I had a few jobs around Duncan for a year (McDonald's, Eduardo's, Simmon's Ctr, and Halliburton Summer Program) then I moved to Lawton and attended Cameron University for 2 years. While I was in Lawton, my dad, mom, and sister moved to Paris, France with Halliburton. I was able to spend two Christmas' and a summer with them there. What an experience of a lifetime that was. Seeing Europe was amazing and just what I needed to realize, that there was a whole world out there - outside of Duncan, outside of Lawton, outside of Oklahoma!! So that gave me an incurable itch to travel and see as much as I could of the great country I lived in - the US.
My family was in Paris from '90 to '92. They moved back to Duncan the summer of '92 and 3 days later, I moved to Michigan and joined a group called Life Action Ministries that allowed me to use my abilities to sing and act as well as travel all over the country. It was hard work and grueling at times but I loved it and learned so much. I met so many amazing people and went to 23 different states (and saw WAY MORE OF TEXAS than I ever wanted to!! - It's crazy how you can drive 10 hours through a state and still be in .......youuuuu guessed it......the state of Texas!!!)
Anyway, I met my husband at one of our 2 week summits in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania at the end of my first year with L.A.M (we met May'93). Luke is from York, PA . He auditioned and made it and joined our group.
Luke liked me from the git -go, but it took me a while to come around. Frankly, he drove me nuts. No challenge to me whatsoever. It's so funny that the very thing that I couldn't stand is now an attribute I admire and have come to realize is so opposite of me. He is very driven and ambitious. When he sets his mind on something, he goes after it. I've learned so much from him and am so glad that I can tell you, that I married my best and hottest (...oh yeah...I said it) friend.
We married October 19, 1996 and our first child was born 5 days after our first anniversary (needless to say, WE DIDN'T CELEBRATE ;-) ). And so I've been a stay-at-home ever since. My husband joined the Navy in Oklahoma City June '98. He is a pilot and is doing what he has always wanted to do, serve his country. He is so precious and has supported me in what I always wanted to do and that is to be a wife and mother and stay home with our children.
We have had the privilege of living in several different places. OKC -3 years, Pensacola, FL -15 months, Corpus Christi, Tx- 7 months, Jacksonville, FL -3.5 years, and now we are back in Pensacola, FL and have been there for 3.5 years (this time around) and will be there for a few more.
I have learned (and am still learning)that flexibility and a sense of adventure make military life alot more bearable and I wouldn't trade it for anything! :-)
I homeschool our 3 children and that has been quite a challenge but very rewarding.
My husband, Luke, has been in Iraq since June of this year and won't return until about 3 weeks before our DHS reunion (July 2009)!! So July is going to be a very busy, but memorable month for our family.
