la vita è bella: Top 10 of 2012

2012 was an amazing year, packed with traveling, visitors, laughter and tears. We were thankful to have both sides of the family out to visit as well as dear friends, separate trips to the US for work/school purposes for Caleb and I, rounding out with a wonderful visit to Texas for Christmas. Sadly, we lost Caleb's grandfather, Walter Cienski in August of 2012 and were unable to make it to New York for the services. He is dearly loved and missed and we cannot wait to reunite with him in heaven.

So the best of the best this past year? Where do I begin...

10. Leadership in the Squadron
Caleb and I were blessed this year to take an active role in the 510th Fighter Squadron. Caleb officially took over as the Mayor of the Buzzards and, only because of him, I was named the Mayorette for the spouses. For Caleb, this mean coordinating, overseeing, and mastering the social aspect of the squadron. He was the official MC for squadron events, the go-to-guy for planning and executing purposes, and the leader for things that us wives have no idea about! I, simply, was in charge of small spouse gathering and promoting unity amongst our group. For me, this was more a position by default, as I happen to be married to one funny guy, but Caleb has shown such poise and class as the Mayor. I am so proud of all the work he has done and how he has been able to make a lasting impression on the squadron.
At the turn of the new year, Caleb was able to hand off this job to another incredible guy in the Buzzards, Patrick "Merc" Arnn. While it was bittersweet to turn over the reins (ok mostly just sweet as it was A LOT of work throughout the year), we are so excited for Merc and his sweet girlfriend Jess to pick up right where we left off!

9. Spouse Taxi
It is always fun for me to understand Caleb's job a little better (albeit I grasp only a small part....those acronyms!). The squadron arranged for a spouse taxi in the spring of 2012, where I was allowed to suit up, get "trained" and ride in the back seat of an F16 as it went in afterburner down the runway. While we obviously weren't cleared to go airborne, it was still a great experience! The icing on the cake was my handsome pilot showing me around. During the b-course at Luke I did a spouse taxi with another pilot, because Caleb was still a student and could not yet taxi anyone down the runway in his backseat. This time around I got to ride with him and it was such a fun, special experience!

I'm in the back seat, ready to go! RULE!

8. A Week In Western Germany
Caleb is working diligently to finish his master's degree through OU, as they offer an incredible opportunity for military students to take classes "in residence" at different bases overseas. A professor was traveling to Stuttgart, Germany for a particular class Caleb needed for his program, so we loaded up with our good friends Tom and Liz Dowd and took a road trip to spend a week in Germany.
Before reaching Stuttgart, the four of us decided to participate in a Rhine River cruise and castle exploring. It was absolutely breathtaking! After arriving at the Army Post in Stuttgart, we spent our days touring the nearby cities of Rothenburg and Baden Baden, explored to area of Stuttgart itself, and had the added surprise of a visit from our close friends Dave and Lynn Gertiser! We all bunked up in our suite-hotel room (slumber-party style) and enjoyed quality time with precious friends. It was truly a wonderful week!