a little bit about me

My name is Monica.  I was born and raised in Orlando, FL and I am a total beach bum at heart.  I love to surf, run, eat and drink wine!  My Mom, Lorrie now lives in Lake Wales, FL and my Dad, Greg, still lives in Orlando... they are both wonderful!  I also have a younger brother, Michael.  He is a Marine and just recently returned from Afghanistan... I am so proud of him and so happy to have him home!

I practically grew up at Walt Disney World and worked there throughout high school.  It was the best job ever and I basically got paid to sun tan and play.

I joined the Marine Corps shorty after graduating high school and realizing that I wasn't disciplined enough to actually go to college like you are supposed to.

I served 3 back-to-back tours in Iraq and traveled all over the world.  I moved up to Syracuse, NY after my third tour (yes, Syracuse... long story).  Anyways... things got a little messy and I decided it was time for me to go on one more deployment.  I made some calls and signed up for a tour in Afghanistan... or so I thought.  Long story short, I ended up getting attached to a unit in Johnstown, PA (yes, Johnstown... really) and packing my bags to head to Djibouti, Africa where I met my Mr. Wonderful.

When we returned home from Africa, I knew I had a great job waiting for me at the VA in Syracuse, but I was nervous that I would risk losing Kevin.  I was shocked when he said he would come with me... so we moved back to Syracuse together, where we now live.  I work for the VA Medical Center as a nurse and will begin work toward my bachelor's in March and Kevin works in food service, but will be going to nursing school this fall.  I completed my Marine Corps contract this past summer... I do miss it, but with work, school and the wedding it was getting tough to keep up.  Once I finish school I would like to re-enlist.

This past May, I married my Prince Charming in a traditional Catholic ceremony, followed by an amazingly fun reception at Glenora Winery on Seneca Lake.  We had the time of our lives and were so truly blessed to express our love and share our special day with many of our family and friends.  It was the best day of our lives!  (For more wedding details and TONS of pics... check out my "Mrs" bio).  We enjoyed our dream honeymoon in St. Lucia and came home to begin our life together.  

After a bit of a roller coaster that included a heartbreaking miscarriage, we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Kennedy, into the world on July 29, 2012.  She is perfect in every way (ok, I'm a little biased) and we couldn't be happier to have her here with us.  Every day I learn something new about myself and my roles as wife and mother.  I am excited to share my journey through marriage and motherhood with you through this blog! 

Welcome to our crazy little world!