5 posts tagged “moving”

Tomorrow, we're finally (officially) moving to our new base. For real this time.

 Andrew picked up the keys to our new apartment this afternoon. He says it's so nice that I will love being there and forget about a house...I think he's being optimistic, but I hope he's right (that it's nice), I'm still going to hope for a house!

I took Gavin for a final play date with his best friends in Columbus today. He enjoyed a final roll around in Jackson's ball pit and admired all the toys that he had (has- but have disappeared of late), had two minor meltdowns when I went to the bathroom, and finished the day by biting me when I was putting his shoes back on.

It was bittersweet saying goodbye to Elizabeth and Traci...my first "mom" friends!!  I know when Elizabeth moved to Columbus a year ago, it was with her little 5 month old, Jackson and Gavin was only 8 weeks old!! And Traci and I (funnily enough) sort of met through the internet on a military newlyweds chat board...and our babies were turning into toddlers by that point!! We've all been through a lot together, crawling, teething, first words, walking, first birthday parties, and the start of the terrible twos!! I'll really miss the weekly play dates and walks and phone calls to just vent about what our kid(s) have just managed to get into.

It was also really sweet of Paige to drop by the play date (hope all those rambunctious toddlers didn't scare you off!) She's been such a sweet friend and a big inspiration to me too.

We're leaving behind so many great friends, neighbors and memories. I know that it's only a matter of time before I will be blogging about new friends and experiences, or at least sharing my embarrassing moments catching Gromit, hmm?

I did (you know I did!) drive by the house one last time...I was trying to get Gavin to wave bye-bye to his first home...he was sound asleep from the play date. So as I drove out of Capitol one last time, I thought of all the dreams and hopes we had moving there....

I was 8 months pregnant, it was our first house. I had my first opportunity to plant a garden and explore decorating with all the quirks that make a military house home sweet home (i.e. awkward room sizes, more closets than you know what to do with, extremely odd window sizes, ancient hardwood floors, 1950s puke pink tile and the nicest neighbors on Earth!).

My husband was starting the biggest (longest) year of his life, and had high hopes for a career as an Air Force pilot! I sat through many nights of watching him pour his heart into studying T-37 bold face procedures (hand grips raised triggers SQUEEZE anyone?), "chair-flying", and walking/flying through patterns all around the house, I learned all about radio calls and how Mississippi has more catfish ponds than he ever imagined (they're easy to see from the air!)

I worried with him about what downgrades and hooked rides would mean for his future, nervously watched and waited as his dreams become a closer reality after track select came and went and he started training in a new plane (T-38). I sat through many long afternoons and evenings waiting for him to come home, woke up at the crack of dawn for many an early week and spent a few weekends with the girls while he was gone cross-country.

Nearing the end of his UPT career, we all suffered a terrible loss when a beloved IP and student were killed in a T-38 crash, and then just after the planes were cleared to fly again, another T-38 crashed at another base, further rattling the pilot's (and their wives') confidences. After that rough week, the night we'd all been waiting for finally arrived...Our Assignment Night. While it didn't turn out quite as we'd imagined all those months, we've come to be really excited about what God has in store for us in Andrew's new plane and this new base. After such a long, hard and at times heartbreaking year...it was such a relief to pin Andrew's silver wings on his chest in May. He worked so hard, and now he is finally living the dream, he's an Air Force pilot...

As I drove out of Capitol that last time today, I thought about all that's changed...that tiny baby that was kicking inside me, is now an always on the run almost 15 month old! We came into Columbus with two crazy puppies and a mellow cat, and left with two mellow dogs and sadly not with our sweet cat. We're moving on with new hopes and dreams and so with all that anticipation of what's in store...I can only say, We'll miss Columbus and all the great people and friends we met while we were here. It was a long long year, but it really was a great year and definitely an experience we'll never forget!!

There probably won't be any updates for a few days (hopefully no longer than that!) while we get "settled". Hope you'll stick around to see what's coming next.....

I can't sleep. Even though Gav is *for now* sleeping peacefully, I can't turn my mind off. Just knowing we only have a month left before we move (in 30 minutes, it's exactly one month). We're going to be homeless.

I hate this part of the Air Force lifestyle, not knowing if you're going to have somewhere to live when you get to where you're going. We've had horrible luck finding any houses to rent (or look at through the internet) in Shreveport, we're not ready to buy a house yet though maybe if we found out we'd be staying there a few years we would consider it.

But for now, I'm just sitting here wondering where we're going to be in a month...sleeping in a hotel?!, or will we find an apartment to lease short-term. If you know me, you know that neither of those options are really what I'm comfortable with. But supposedly the wait for base-housing is either 3-6 months or 18-24 months...that's a big difference don't you think?!

It wouldn't be so bad, but living in a hotel with 2 dogs and a toddler is not an ideal living situation to say the least. An apartment is only a step above...if I learned anything staying with my parents these past two days...I've learned that a) my dogs have forgotten how to go "potty" while on a leash b) whippets are not meant to be confined to a house with no fenced backyard for longer than a couple of hours c)whippets do not calm down at age 2.  d)my whippets can't be trusted with open doors for any length of time. I keep imagining them escaping in Shreveport, I know they would be smushed or just lost forever pretty quickly.

Talking to Andrew makes me feel a little more at ease, but I know finding somewhere to live isn't one of his top priorities while he's at survival. He's just trying to ummm..survive.

Maybe for once, we'll get straight into base housing with no wait, and then I'll have new things to concern myself about...like starting all over again finding friends, finding a new church, a MOPS group...this never ending cycle of get an assignment, pack, move, wait for somewhere to live, get a new place, unpack, nervously introduce yourself to a million (or so it seems) people, get settled into a routine, find amazing friends, get comfortable, AND THEN get new orders, lather, rinse, repeat!  Sometimes I wonder what we've gotten ourselves into!?! So anyways- Sarah...I know you're worrying about different things, but just know you're not alone!!

It was eventually going to happen, disappointment in the Air Force. Unfortunately I was hoping it wouldn't come in this form. Andrew got his assignment Friday night, B-52. Not what he wanted or expected, but its what we got.
The downsides I suppose, are that it only goes to two bases; Barksdale in Shreveport, Louisiana and Minot in Minot, North Dakota. We thought we were joining the Air Force to see the world....I guess our "world" will just be a bit smaller for awhile.

Andrew's far more disappointed than me. But he's still taking it pretty well. I think once we get to Shreveport this summer he'll be more excited. Everyone says that's a great base, and that once the guys get over the initial disappointment in not getting their "fighter", they love the B-52. It's more family friendly from what we hear...and as my friend Cheryl said, " The B-52 is much safer (than a fighter) --Hooray for safety!"

I've googled Shreveport and think it will be really fun, there's a ton of shopping, museums, exhibits, zoos...they have good schools near the base and good housing, I think we'll really love it. And for the grandparents...you're only 5.5 hours away!! (except when we move to Minot...and then I'll just say, that's going to be a long drive to see us)

Everyone has been really supportive of us, and that's made me feel better about it. We know we got this for a reason, we're not sure what yet- but I think it will be fun to discover what that reason is. :)

means my sweet dogs get long walks in the sunshine. It means Gavin gets to ride along in his stroller, giggling at his funny funny dogs as they trot alongside him. They are so good and well-behaved. Gromit on the right, in his trusty no-pull halter and Wallace on the left, in his new snazzy gentle-leader snout harness. Wallace doesn't like the new snout harness (I'm sure that's not it's actual name but that's what I call it) it makes him be far more submissive than he thinks is necessary. Gavin leans out to the right and then to left to check on his whippets, to be sure they're still coming along. If they get ahead of us any, he'll reach out for their leashes so he can "walk" them. It's so sweet, how he loves them so much and enjoys their company so much.

The only thing that distracts them on our walks is squirrels. They never bark at the other dogs that bark out at them from their backyards, they just mosey along happily unless they see "dinner" (squirrel). It's hard to control them then, since they have an incredibly high prey drive. They lunge and leap at the unsuspecting prey...they've come close to tipping over the stroller (before I put them in their respective no-pull apparatus') Now they are pleasantly well-behaved all of the time. They don't even mind when I run over their toes with the stroller. (What can I say? I'm a bad driver!!?!)

I bought some more pansies to make my hanging baskets tomorrow. I resisted temptation to buy a lot of bulbs for the flower garden since we could end up moving in July or so, and I wouldn't get to enjoy cannas if I planted them and we move. I am keeping everything crossed that we don't move though...for now anyways.

Well, it's late and I'm ready for bed. More tomorrow perhaps.