MY FIRST BLOG!

Hello everyone!  I am excited to start this blog.  It's sort of funny though since not too long ago I remember asking some friends what a blog even was.  LOL!  I don't think I even ever got a real solid answer.  So that brings me to... tonights blog. Why I am now deciding to take on this venture?  For those of you who know me and are reading this, you might be saying, where is she finding the time to blog.  She doesnt even hit up facebook on a regular basis.  Well my friends, I have made it my new years resolution to turn a new leaf and become better at writing down things that matter to me.  I am planning on keeping those who I hold close to my heart updated on the Hamrick Family events.  And....for those of you who don't know me....After a few posts...I am certain you will feel as though you have for your whole life.  You see I am what most call a CHATTERBOX.  Recently I told my dear husband, Brad, that I wanted to write a book.  Before I take on such a journey, I THOUGHT I WOULD BLOG.  I have a lot to say and well a lot to write about.  So after tonight, It is my goal to update family and friends, but most of all...just write down those moments throughout my day that make me smile, cry, laugh out loud, and yes even those that embarrass me.  I hope each of you enjoy the colorfulness that I have been told I bring.  I hope that I will find myself an outlet of some sort to channel all that I have going through my head at night.  Heck!  Maybe I will get some really good sleep after all.

So to start my first blog off I would like to give those that don't know me a piece of history about me, my family, and my friends.  You will soon see why I feel the need to finally articulate myself through blogging.

Well, Childhood was no cupcake, but could have been a lot worse FOR SURE.  So for that I do count my blessings.  Having said that, I will say that I have grown from those experiences and I have tried to embrace them as tools to use while raising my own children.  I married at age 21 to a wonderful man, named Brad.  We met at Western Carolina University where we both eventually graduated.  Go CATS!!!  Just 3 days after we married, he joined the United States ARMY.  He left for basic training literally on the 3rd day post wedding...LOL.  Over the course of the next 6 months, he finished basic, AIT, and Jump School.  For those SKY SOLDIERS & 82nd DIVISION GUYS and GALS reading this.....AIRBORNE!!!  Our first Duty assignment was none other than Vicenza, Italy.  Yes, you read right...How lucky could we be.  Well read on....

After arriving in Italy, just 7 days later, Brad was a part of the SKY SOLDIERS who jumped into Iraq.  So I spent our first year of marriage in Italy, some would say alone.  Scared, worried, and Sad, that my husband was in a newly declared warzone....I managed to obtain a job as an accounting technician at the local department on base.  There I met some really terrific friends who will later turn out to become THICK AS FAMILY.

After a year in Iraq, Brad returned home safe, we spent the following year preparing for Brad to attend OCS (Officer's Candidate School).  We returned back to the United States in April of 2005 where Brad spent the next 16 weeks in Ft. Benning, GA.  I waited for him at his soon to be new duty assignment, Ft. Bragg, NC.  We have spent the last 5 years here in Fayetteville, NC.  Well I should say I have.  Brad has since been deployed 2 more times totaling 3 tours to Iraq.  Somehow, he managed to work his magic and we now have two beautiful children to show for it.  Makayla who is now 4 and Easton is now 3.  Yes once again, I am not playing a trick.  They are exactly 12 months and one week apart.  Am I crazy?  ........  Maybe.  But Happy none the less.

Recently, before Brad returned home from Iraq, we found out our little girl had a brain tumor.  Makayla is such a miracle to us.  The tumor was just about the size of a racket ball!  She survived an almost 7 hour brain surgery.  She is walking talking and priss-potting around like no ones business!  We are so greatful to the staff at the University of North Carolina Children's Hospital.  The 3 teams of neurologists, brain surgeons, and oncologists that followed her are by far the fondest heros in both mine and Brad's life.  Becuase of them, and all the prayers that surrounded us, she pulled through in no time and has without a doubt blown us away with her recovery.

We also have some pretty terrific friends who stood by me while I waited for Brad to fly home from Iraq.  He arrived just the morning after the surgery.  Poor guy, had to fly 15 hours without knowing if his daughter survived the procedure.  As if finding out your 4 year old baby girl has a brain tumor on skype isnt bad enough.  Although, I must say this...thanks to skype, he was able to speak with the doctors some what face to face and have them answer the 1000 questions he had running through his head at the time...so....a HUGE thank you SKYPE!!!! 

Those pretty terrific friends I was mentioning just now...did I say terrific... I MEANT PHENOMENAL!  Amanda drove 5 hours to come help with my son, and took him home for about a week while we got things settled and arranged.  That helped tremendously because we weren't worried about how to answer some pretty difficult questions he would have had.  That kid is
IN-QUIS-I-TIVE!!!  Kristy flew from Louisiana to be with me after the surgery.  Chiara sat with me through the surgery, Sherry, Danny, Eddie, Shelley, Zee, The Curry's, Buddy, Kevin, Charlene, MYAH MASON...my own personal connection to GOD.  (she the wife of a ARMY CHAPLAIN)  So special requests were made on our behalf.  Just Kidding.  I do know that there were an eplithera of prayers going out.  The list of friends goes on and on.  FAMILY....just count each of them there...you couldn't have pulled them away even if they were told they were in danger of being exposed the highest radiation levels ever.  THEY WERE there!!!!  And we are are so grateful of that.

Easton is such a special little boy to us.  Of course, he is our son....we aren't biased in any way right?  LOL.  He has such a big heart.  He stayed close to his sister thought out  her recovery. You know, he's going to be a famous golfer one day.  He's been hitting them into our neighbors yard across the street since he was still in diapers at a year and half old.  He could clear his daddy's jeep at 2 years old.  FIRECRACKER!!!  That is what he is going to be.   LOOK OUT TIGER...or PHIL...our child prodigy is making his mark and is bringing his sister along for the ride! Where he goes she goes...and vice verse.

Anyhow....if Brain Surgery wasnt enough, Brad returned to Iraq just 2 weeks post OP and the day after he boarded the plane...our house flooded due to a refrigerator malfunction!  So 3 months later in a hotel, our house was renovated downstairs and we are now back inside.   Brad is home now...He is attending Captains Career Course in February for 6 months.  Then where ever the ARMY takes us we will go.

So...not so much in a nutshell...but that about sums up the most history in detail you will get from me.  So from here on out...All my blogs will be short, sweet, hopefully FUNNY...because...there usually is something silly going on...my two kids are awfully entertaining.  So...check back again....I will most definitely have something to make you smile.