Holy Cow...Was That 2009?

by Paul

As 2009 draws to a close, I am looking back on the past twelve months and wondering how we managed to squeeze so much into a calendar year. Abbey and I have jokingly labeled the last few years with an appropriate title; 2006 was the "year that wouldn't end," as a littany of events and changes made the year stretch on and on. 2007 was the "year of fun," as I finished my post as an aide and we hosted both sets of grandparents in Okinawa and got out to see a lot of the island. 2008 we dubbed "the year of sickness" due to both kids being in pre-school and life on that tiny island bringing every manner of germ and bacteria home...it seemed like at least one or all of us was consistently down with something or other for the entire twelve months. 2009 had to be the year of transition, or maybe activity, as we have been running non-stop.

The year began for us back in Oki. Just after the new year, we were enjoying the warm breeze on our back porch one night and I said to Abbey, "you watch...it will be 2010 before we know what's hit us." Not that I looked in a crystal ball, but I suspected that the moving process, starting a new job, recovering from surgery, a new baby, setting up house back in the States, and multiple family visits would make the year fly. And so it did.

Here's a quick recap of what went down, in no particular order...

Michigan

We managed to all make it back to our home state twice in 2009. Abbey & I had each visited once separately but it had been our first collective visit since 2005. I had been really missing the ol' mitten but a properly-timed trip in the throes of winter made me again thankful for living in the South.

Grant

We added another boy to our family with Grant's arrival in August. The bonus of living relatively close to home (well, compared to Japan) allowed both Grandmas to come and assist with the first weeks of his life.

Mark

My brother, Mark, earned his commission as a second lieutenant and was able to move to Tennessee temporarily to work with me. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so thankful we were able to make it happen. His presence in Middle Tennessee has allowed us to pursue the "Pizza Quest," where we sample all of the local pizzerias and see how they stack up. So far, so good. We also got to take a family road trip to our old stomping grounds in Virginia to see him graduate OCS.

Sports

I've admittedly never been a huge sports fan, but being in Okinawa and having little or no access to such things most of the time leant itself to rekindling my interest in hockey and college sports. Plus, my duties require me to talk collegiate football a lot so it's really "researching," right? I hadn't been to a pro sports event in years but I managed to squeeze in the following in 2009: a couple NHL games, a Texas Rangers game, in Arlington, a Memphis Grizzlies game, and something like 10 NCAA football and baseball games. And Ethan got to go with me to see a minor league baseball game (Nashville Sounds) and watch the Predators lose to the Flames.

Family Thanksgiving

Abbey and I decided over a year ago that, when we returned to the States, we would love to host our families to a Thanksgiving dinner. We were really excited about doing it but, honestly in the back of our minds we didn't think our families would ultimately be able to make the trip. To our delight and their credit, everyone made it down and it was easily one of the most memorable holidays ever.

Officer Selection Duty

My new job has been stimulating and rewarding. It keeps me on the road a little better than half the month on average, but I love what I'm doing and enjoy being out in the civilian community. I think we all miss being near a lot of other Marines, though.

There's so many other things but those are the big ones. We have a lot of goals in 2010 and are hoping it turns out to be as amazing as 2009 was...although hopefully a little more stable and less busy. :)

Continuing a Legacy...

by Paul

Well, two legacies actually, if you want to label them as such. The past few days saw events that I will count among my most treasured memories. The recent months have been very turbulent and busy for the family; we've faced a good bit of uncertainty and nervous excitement between an overseas move, a new assignment, and various other factors. But the Independence Day holiday period brought two very exciting milestones that I must proudly share with you.

First, my brother, Mark, ended one chapter in his life as he graduated from the University of Michigan. Remarkably, he did this in under three years, despite the challenging and reading intense concentrations of two majors: Political Science and Ancient Civilizations & Religious Studies. And all while participating in Naval ROTC and completing the extra Naval Science classes that came with it. As if that weren't impressive enough, on 2 July he culminated his three years of training and preparation and, after six weeks of intense screening and evaluation, graduated from Marine Officer Candidates School.

This new chapter of Mark's life begins as he starts a career as a commissioned officer of the US military. I was humbled that he chose me to officiate his commissioning ceremony, and doing so was without question the proudest moment of my ten-plus years as a Marine. Other than one great uncle, I was the first person in the extended Bertolone or Merciez families to enlist in the Marine Corps. Abbey's family carries a very strong Army lineage and I have a grandfather and four uncles who served as soldiers, but I began what may perhaps be a new tradition of Marine Corps service. Little did I know.

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It seems like not too long ago when "little" Mark was running through the woods behind our parents' home in a set of my old utilities. I wasn't very surprised when he professed a desire to serve. At his OCS graduation I was thinking that it was remarkable how he and I have maybe created a new legacy. The picture above depicts Mark and me at my own commissioning, in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, six years later, at his ceremony at the foot of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

On the way home to Tennessee I somehow convinced Abbey to allow a stop in Charlottesville to again visit one of my favorite places in the world: Monticello. Although the kids may not be quite old enough to fully appreciate the cultural value of Thomas Jefferson's home, it was emotional for me to be able to sit on the steps of our third President's home with my son, whose middle name is sake to the author of the Declaration of Independence.

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I sat on those same steps a little over four years ago, before we had any children, and I wanted to capture a similar shot with Ethan. Thanks to Abbey for the great pictures! Ethan and Hannah may not have realized the historical value of their location, but they immediately recognized the true value of Monticello, i.e. it's natural beauty. They had great fun running around Mr. Jefferson's walking trails and his backyard. It reminded me of a historical footnote...

For those who don't know, in his eighties and having accomplished so much, Jefferson spent his last few years sitting in the back and watching his grandchildren run and play, often joining them and abstaining from his routine of devoted reading indoors. He described it in his writings as one of the happiest times of his life. It made me truly happy to watch my own kids frolic on the same grounds and I'll always hold that memory dear.

Congratulations, Mark! And Ethan Jefferson, never forget the best qualities of your name's honoree. Happy Independence Day to everyone and God Bless the United States of America!

To read more about Monticello, click here.