Meet the Members Monday- Emily R

Hi!  My name is Emily Richter, and my husband is Matt Richter, an Army MS2.  We both grew up in Elk Grove California , near the state capital of Sacramento.  We met at a New Years Eve dance just before I turned 15.  We became best friends first, and then eventually started dating, but it wasn't until after his church mission to Germany (we are both LDS) that Matt would call me his girlfriend.  We married during college at UC Davis where I studied Exercise Biology.  Within a year of graduating, we welcomed our first child, a son named Kaidan, into the family.
I love all things fitness.  Before we started our adventure at USUHS, I taught aqua aerobics and ran a swim lesson program for a private gym.  My eventual  "career" goal was (and is, just more eventually now) to be certified to teach a variety of group fitness classes, so I could get paid for all the hours I work out!  Since the transition to military life, I have put work on hold, but keep active and especially enjoy running, even though it is getting near impossible now- I'm 39 weeks pregnant with a little girl!
So far, my favorite thing about the military is the regular paycheck.  During the two years between college and medical school, my husband and I held five part-time jobs between us, and the main income was from his substitute teaching work... money was always a worry.   It is hard being away from our families, but we have really enjoyed the ability to explore a new area.  Having the SSC, and especially the SSC parent-tot group, has helped me find friends that are going through the very same things.
With the new curriculum, my husband will start rotations in January and turn our lives upside down for a while as I adjust to being a mom of two.  It will be a crazy year, but I'm really excited about the rotation in Hawaii!