Wednesday, July 26, 2023

2023 Update


I recently visited my own blog just to make sure it was still out there taking up a fraction of a space on the internet--yep, it sure was--and I realized I hadn't updated it in a year... wow! Time flies by so quickly these days. 

As of the writing of this post, we are now a family of FIVE (5!!!) with our newest addition, Camren, joining us just a little over a month ago. We hadn't planned on having another kiddo, but God knew this little lady was the missing piece to our Team Rowe puzzle and we absolutely could not love her more. 

Alex is our smart and adventurous little dude. He loves helping around the house (with baby, dishes, cooking, yard work, laundry... we'll take all the help we can get), he is artistic, is incredibly Type-A, and amazes us with his vocabulary, the stories he tells us, and we can't get enough of him singing himself to sleep (or when he wakes up) at the top of his lungs. 

Brady is so sweet. He loves to cuddle, read books, and do anything outside. As soon as you mention going to the park, for a walk or for a ride, he sprints over to get his favorite shoes (currently his red Crocs), and brings them back to us exclaiming, "Shoes back on! Shoes back on!" He's still learning different words, but he annunciates his speech so clearly and we love watching him grow into his own little person. 

For myself and Daniel, we both have recently changed jobs but are still employed full-time at the Air National Guard. Life is good there, and neither of us has plans to discontinue our service anytime soon. I truly look forward to going to work each day, and the opportunities, trainings, travel, and benefits we are afforded could not be better. "Service Before Self" is much easier to accomplish when you really enjoy what you do! 

While I don't intend to begin filling this space back up with new blog posts, I should mention that I'm still very active on my Instagram and also YouTube, often publishing posts, reels & stories on IG and YouTube Shorts of what we are up to these days... feel free to catch me there! And if you're an old reader from back in the day or a new one just stopping by to check this place out, all I have to say is thank you for supporting me & my family in my online adventures. It truly means so much!

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

2022 Update

Hello friends near & far. It's been way too long since I've sat down to type out my thoughts in this space, and I hope you're not expecting me to make a blogging comeback because life is just a little too fun right now to spend any more time on the computer than I have to!

Since I last posted over a year ago, so much has changed. We are now a family of four (!!) and we have two sons who are wild & crazy (as expected) but who we couldn't imagine life without. Our youngest, Brady, is almost 8-months (as of this post) and our oldest, Alex, is nearing 2.5. Staying fit enough to keep up with them is my only fitness goal these days. If you asked me what I was put on this earth for, my answer 100% of the time would be "to be their Mama!" It's my favorite job, and also arguably the hardest. Needless to say, "my boys" (all 3 of them to include Daniel) are my LIFE

I'm still in the military and have transitioned from Security Forces (I was their Operations Officer for 5-years) to the Inspector General's office as the Director of Inspections. I made that move in 2021 as a development opportunity; it's been great to be part of the inspection & exercise activities that affect the entire Wing. I also still work for the Idaho Air National Guard fulltime as the Wing's Chief of Information Protection (security clearance stuff) and that's going well. 

We don't travel near as often as we used to; life looks a lot different these days with kiddos by our sides. But honestly, it's such a welcome change and is so fun exploring life in new ways and seeing their little eyes light up when we take adventures, both big and small. From playing outside in the backyard as the evenings warm up here in Idaho to taking multi-day road-trips across the US... our boys are along for the ride! Daniel and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage this year--it's hard to believe how fast time has passed us by... and we've enjoyed all of it!

To say that things are good these days would be an understatement, and I'm grateful I had this blog as a platform for so long to journal our story. I'm still around on Instagram @anneliserowe (it's a private account, so you have to request to follow). If you're still around after all these years to read this or are visiting for the first time, all I have to say is thank you! And maybe, just maybe, I'll pop back in before the next year to say hello again. 

Monday, February 22, 2021

366-days of Alex James: 1-year-old!



Our son, Alex James, turned 1 on Feb 20, 2021! This is 366-days of “face-a-day” photos... what a year it has been (leap year!). He has been our light through COVID-19 and the biggest blessing for our entire family. We prayed for 2.5-years for this baby, and the last year since his arrival has been an adventure every day. We can’t believe he’s already ONE! He can walk, can sign several words (sign language), says “Mama” and sometimes “Dada,” has the best appetite of any baby we know, and loves exploring his little world. We couldn’t be more grateful to spend each day raising our giggly, drooling, smart boy—“THE GOO!”

In hindsight, I’m grateful for this video spanning almost every single day of the last year (I think I missed 3-4 days total). However, also in hindsight, I’d never recommend taking on a year’s worth of “face-a-day” picture taking... it was a lot of work! If you're wondering what I'm up to these days--raising this boy is it!!! 

We sure love our little man... Cheers to many more firsts!

Friday, December 25, 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2020


MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Love ♥ Daniel, Annelise & (officially introducing) Alex Rowe 

Despite all the craziness that 2020 has brought with it, this last year has been the most fulfilling year of my life. I have waited so long to be a mom, and now it it my most important and all-time favorite job. My husband and my baby mean more to me than anything... I am finally serving my life's purpose.

If you've checked in over the last year and have noticed my lack of posts, that's how it's going to stay for the time being. I love soaking up each moment I can with my family and don't intend to share our lives across this platform anymore. If you're curious, yes, I'm still in the military full-time--as a Captain now (still in the same jobs), and I'm still actively posting on Instagram. I appreciate each of you who has read and followed along over the years. Wishing you all the best in 2021 and beyond! 

Past Christmas cards: 2011 │ 20122013201420152016201720182019

Friday, January 3, 2020

Life Update & Outlook


Hello friends. I thought it might be time for a small update, considering I haven't posted anything that wasn't travel or race related for... oh, you know--the last two years--that is if I've even posted at all. So if you're still reading here occasionally or possibly a new reader, thank you for your support!

Life as we know it has changed immensely. I'll give you a few quick updates on where we're at.

Job: I've been working full-time for the Idaho Air National Guard since June 2016 when I became a commissioned officer. I worked as our full-time Security Forces Operations Officer for about a year and a half while I went through all my initial certifications and training. I then transitioned to a "drill status guardsmen" (weekend warrior or part-timer) and accepted a temporary full-time job with our Wing's Inspector General shop in February 2018. I worked there for about 8-months before being hired into a permanent, full-time position as the Fighter Wing's Chief of Information Protection (CIP) in October 2018. That is still my current Monday-Friday job--overseeing personnel security clearances, as well as information, industrial, and physical security for our entire Wing.

I love being full-time in the military and I have no plans to go back to the civilian sector anytime soon.

Life: As you may have seen in my last post in December, Daniel and I are expecting a baby--due at the end of February. We don't know what gender we're having--baby will be a surprise! This is a story I could go very in-depth into, but it's our story, so here's the short version. We tried for two years to have a baby, had a miscarriage and a lot of struggles along the way, but we ended up finally making it happen after much heartache and lots of prayer. This is the biggest blessing of our entire lives, and we cannot wait for our lives to change even more in just a few short weeks.

This last year has also brought significant struggles (and triumph) with my mom being diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer and undergoing major surgery and chemotherapy to rid herself of the tumors. We documented her entire journey on Caring Bridge. When she was diagnosed with cancer it looked really bad and she was so afraid she'd never live to see her grandchildren be born. Surprise--we found out we were expecting the month after she was diagnosed!  Through months of heavy treatment, invasive procedures, and a new oral version of chemo, she is currently cancer free, and we can't wait for her to meet her very first grandchild in February.

Outlook: There's something to be said for free time—or lack thereof. I'm currently in a state where I'm a full-time wife, military member, recent Master's graduate (as of December 2019--woo!), and member of several committees, volunteer groups, and always staying active... not to mention that little bundle that's on the way for us next month. I just don't really have the time to dedicate to being online these days.

As the posts around here begin to dwindle (or stagnate), please remember you can always follow along on Instagram @Annelise Rowe (it's a private account so you'll need to request to follow). I'm trying to do things a lot more offline these days and I'm trying to live a lot more in the moment, so blogging and social media are just not quite as high on my priority list right now. I know you guys understand, you always do!

On November 10, 2011, I wrote a short poem, my first post on this blog. I still find this poem to be so fitting. But instead of making my impact online, I'm now focusing on making it in person, as a new mom, a wife, in the military, as a friend, with service before self, love, kindness, grace, humility, and a motivation for living life to the fullest that once again, feels like a new beginning. Thank you guys again... for everything.

The Beginning.
Though it seems like a new start,
it is simply a moment in time.
A small moment. 
A revelation,
to one soul,
who aspires to feel the depth,
the impact,
of herself on the world.
Though small, like a bird
she shall fly,
and show you just how high
she can soar. 

An original poem - 11.10.2011

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