2016 in a NutShell

• Rang in the New Year in Osaka, Japan.
• Sold my Jeep, bought a Honda Civic.
  • In order to drive to Redlands CA from Camp Pendleton CA 3x a week.
• Joined a LifeGroup with Shoreline Church.
• Started morning devotionals and grew in my spiritual relationship with God.
• Started a Blog.
• Matt and I survived a deployment together. (Our relationship became much stronger)
• Qualified for the California regionals with Team CDR.
• Finished 2nd for military athletes in the CrossFit Open.
• Place 4th at the California Regionals.
• Became a Battalion S4 Logistics Officer.
• Promoted a Sergeant to Staff Sergeant.
• Promoted a Gunnery Sergeant to a Master Sergeant.
• Served as the Officer In Charge of a Tactical Skills Package.
• Went to New Orleans as a guest speaker for the Delta Life Fitness’ Annual World Con.
  • (Watched a fellow Marine transition out of the Marine Corps in order to run his dream business)
• Watched one of my best friends carry and give birth to her first child while her husband was deployed.
• Finished 7th place at the CrossFit Games with Team CDR.
• GOT ENGAGED TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!!
• Moved in with Elizabeth Koch and her amazing three children while her husband was deployed.
• Spoke at Lincoln Middle School to an after school program.
• Met Theresa Larson, Nicole Napoli, Lauren Schoener and so many other amazing people that have changed my life.
• Attended the Marine Corps Ball with my Grandfather.
• GOT BAPTIZED!
• Started my own business…. Valkyrie Performance
• Helped (5) women achieve their short term fitness goals and continuing to work towards long term.
• Hosted my first women’s leadership seminar at 5.11 Tactical.
• Became a 5.11 ambassador.
• Traveled to San Francisco for the first time.
• My LITTLE SISTER GOT ENGAGED.

While these are the highlights of my year, I want to genuinely express to everyone that with the highs came lots of lows. There were several days where I doubted myself. I doubted my abilities to be an effective leader and balance everything going on in my life. I doubted my abilities as an athlete and often times told myself that I should give up and wasn’t good enough to compete at the level I had dreamed of.  I doubted my relationship with Matt and told myself that he was better off finding someone better, someone who wasn’t as messy and as crazy as me. I doubted whether or not I was worthy of God’s love and a relationship with him.

For the first time in my life,  I lost a loved one.  My grandmother passed away.  Matt and I awoke to a phone call from my older sister who relayed the news.  I immediately burst into uncontrollable tears and experienced my first panic attack.   We almost lost my grandfather shortly after her passing.  I witnessed him literally almost die from a broken heart.  I saw the my whole family in a world of pain.  Her funeral was beautiful and hundreds showed up.  As the family walked in, and I counted the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren I thanked God for bringing her to this earth and for the family she created.  Returning to regional training in preparation for the Games was extremely difficult for me.  I found myself randomly crying during training as I felt the pain of her being gone.

In November, I injured my shoulder from over use and under recovery.  I was out for a month, and was forced to realign my game plan as an unexpected obstacle came my way.  In this time I was able to shift my focus from what it had previously been and became thankful for the new journey God had taken me on.

2016 was a year that I will never forget.  I’d say it was the best year of my life, because it’s the year I came to really know Christ, and the year that I let go of childhood/teenage hurt that I had been holding onto for over 10 years.  In coming to know Christ, I really came to know myself, and I began to understand his purpose for me.   In this life I will set goals, make plans and prepare for the future, but I finally understand what unconditional love is and because I have felt it, I am now capable of giving it to others.