Transitions Again

 Looking back, my most recent blog post was several years ago. Like we only had 2 kids ago. Now life is different. We're in Northern Virginia again, but like we were then, we're about to move. A big part of me wishes we could stay. Thinks we should stay. We have worked so hard to integrate into this community. We love and and are loved here. It's known. It's good. It's really good here. 

But another part of me knows that it's time. If we didn't do a big move, we'd probably need to do a smaller move. And that was what scared me. None of the smaller move ideas felt right. They all felt like possibilities that didn't match who we are and the direction in which we are moving. 

So here we go. Another big step. Lots of logistics. Lots of moving parts to figure out. But I feel the potential here. I get excited considering the possibilities. We have weighed our options and this feels like the right thing to do. But it's still hard. I still am deeply mourning our lives here and the friendships we have and the relationships we have built. 

Bittersweet. It's definitely bittersweet.

Roller Coaster

We've experienced tons of emotions in the past few months - excitement to live in a new place, sadness at leaving our community here, fear of finding new friends and figuring out how to do life all over again, panic at the thought of finding a house, and denial that it is all really happening. Sometimes it all is so overwhelming that I feel paralyzed.

I want to make the best of the rest of our time here, and that seems to create a lot of pressure. Every day feels like it needs to be spectacular. But then, before the emotions run out of hand, I try to remind myself that each day is enough. I am enough. Our life, even the day to day normal things, is beautiful, and that's what I love about it. Our walks around town. Playing at the park or at the stage. Recovering while baby K naps. These next few weeks hold lots of special things, so it's ok if I need down days to rejuvenate.

Hubby went out to Hawaii to do some training. He looked at some areas that we were interested in living in, and found that our first choice was not going to be good. His commute would be awful. The neighborhoods were sketchy in the areas that we can afford. He looked at an area I had visited 6 years ago (!) and I thought it was nice then. Hubby loved the area. The commute is good. It's a very walking-friendly area, and a friend from college had lived there for 4 years, and now had a steal of a rental available. He checked out my friend's house, and loved it. We signed the lease this week and now have a house!

With all of the transitions that we'll be making in the next few weeks, we are SO glad to have a house! Now when we are waiting for our things and car to arrive, we can spend time relaxing on island instead of panicking about where we'll live, hauling the kids out to see tons of properties, figuring out various commutes... we can just enjoy. Spend time as a family. Relax. Explore our new island. Actually have a vacation of our own!

Our next few weeks are full of goodbyes. I'm really not looking forward to saying goodbye to all of these meaningful people and places. I try to remind myself of what I'm saying hello to - a designated parking spot, our snow shovel, cable tv, more than one bathroom, a beach 1.5 miles away from our house, a cute town within walking distance.

Hello... Is this thing on?

Wow, this whole two kids thing is intense. I read a funny article about it the other day, and while it's not that bad, it really is a big change.

In the beginning, it was so hot outside, it was hard to take Lu'au to the park. Now it's so cold outside (19 degrees?!?!) that I don't want to go outside, even with Kunane in a baby carrier or super-bundled, unless we have a specific mission and stops along the way. I know, whine, whine.

We're wrapping up our time here in the DC area. I totally have mixed feelings about this. I'm sad to leave the community we've established here. I know the cashiers at the grocery store, the baggers at the commissary, the mail ladies at the post office... I feel like most times we go out for walks around town we bump into someone we know. And I love it.

We did random acts of kindness on what would have been my brother's 30th birthday. It was a great way to honor him, I think. Plus it was fun. Some of what my family chose to do were truly random. Lu'au handed out 2 dozen flowers to random strangers on the street. Other things were deliberate acts of kindness and a way for us to thank so many people in our neighborhood that we see regularly and usually don't stop to acknowledge.

I watched the movie Hope Floats the other night while folding laundry (another thing that has dramatically increased with the one to two kids transition, particularly when kid #1 is potty training!). Along with bringing back good memories from Huntington University, at the end, I heard a line that resonated with me. The main character, Bertie, said,

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. And you need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up, and it will, too." 

I really thought about that. That's totally where I am now. I'm starting to feel like we're ending our time here, doing some things here for the last time, and I'm sad about it. At the same time, I'm starting to get scared about our upcoming move (first time PCSing with 2 kids!), readjusting to life somewhere else, and plugging into a community. But while all of that is going on, I don't want to lose any of the richness of life here - the time with friends, walking all over town, seeing our favorite people around the city - we really do have it good.

And I'll try to write more. Not really for you, but for me to capture this time in our lives.

Coast Guard Day!

We went to the Coast Guard Day picnic in our area today. Coast Guard Day is actually August 4. It celebrates the founding of the Coast Guard, hence the Coast Guard Festival being the first week in August (in the fabulous town of Grand Haven, MI).

It was one of the first CG Day celebrations I have been to, and it was nice to hang out with/meet some of the people CO works with, and to see some of their families too.

I guess I've been kind of lonely here. I don't have a job. I don't take classes (well, except hula once a week). I have to figure out some way to productively rejoin society. Otherwise, I'll continue sleeping in and doing nothing worthwhile all day long. I guess I'm spoiled because I don't HAVE to work and I can just sit around eating and growing a child, but still... I'm getting to the point where I'm having awkward conversations with people in grocery stores.

It was nice to get out and socialize a bit today. Thanks for having a birthday, Coast Guard.

DC

We went to DC to scope out housing. Thank goodness we found something that we like! There were all sorts of strange houses in our price range in the area we want to be in - everything from not having a stove to smelling like curry... it was crazy!

While in DC, we went to our favorite pizza place - 2 Amy's for some DOC-certified pizza! Delicious! I've been dreaming about it ever since CO got his orders :) 2 Amy's is kind of by the National Cathedral, so we drove by there and I snapped a quick picture from the car - the cathedral is so pretty!

 

 

 

 

This again?

CO is polishing his uniform shoes tonight, in anticipation of reporting in tomorrow. Sigh. I guess his student life is over. :(


I'm trying to decide if I should go to nursing school or not. Hmmm. The deadline for submitting my deposit is tomorrow and I still haven't decided. Swell.

We're here

We made it.

We're looking for houses/condos/townhomes/apartments/places to live, and it's not a fun process. We can't seem to find things in good locations that have good space or good kitchens or anything. It seems like we have to sacrifice at least two things with each place...

Which is more valuable? Location? Space (900 sq ft?)? Comfort? Not smelling like curry? I'm having problems prioritizing.

CO actually said to me tonight that maybe living on a base wouldn't be so bad. They give you a house - some of them aren't that bad... You don't have to deal with realtors or setting up a billion appointments or whatever... hmmm.

But on the other hand, we've been able to take advantage of the commissary while we've been here - it's the first time since we've been married we've really had an accessible commissary (or two!). Holy cow! Some things are really cheap there. Other things, not so much, but overall, I think it cuts down prices.

Long time, no see

Well, we're alive. CO has passed all of his exams, written all of his papers, and graduated with an MBA. (I'll try to post pictures of graduation soon - but most of you have seen them on facebook). The movers have come and gone, and we are homeless yet again for a few days. We bid goodbye to our friends and home in Nashville, and headed up north to see my family.

We arrived in Michigan in time to see my cousin's wedding - it was beautiful and it's good to be able to catch up with family. Plus, the wedding was at Windmill Island (it has a big Windmill) so it was really pretty with all of the blooming tulips and Dutch stuff around. They had windmill cookies (speculaas) for favors, so my family has been enjoying them for the past few days- even CO who is not usually too keen on sweets.

In other big news, I donated 10 inches of my hair to locks of love when I got it cut! I had been itching for a change, and I thought I might as well do it. I'll post pictures soon. CO could barely recognize me when he came to pick me up from the hair salon.

CO and I start our drive out East tomorrow, so we're relaxing today and catching up on laundry. We also are trying to repack our car and make sure all of our random things fit...

We'll take two days to drive, and once arriving, will have three days or so to look for houses before CO reports to work. (Hello - he had to report 2 weeks after he graduated?) But, I think we'll get a few weeks of leave this summer so he'll be able to go on the surf trip I promised him for his graduation present.

It's a little chaotic, but all good :) I'll try to keep you updated when I can.

We found out.

The detailer called CO this weekend. Yes, this weekend. We're heading east. This position wasn't in our top 5 choices, but I think it will be good. I will get to hang out with some of my friends I haven't seen in a while.

At least we know.

One moving idea

One of my better ideas to come out of moving every other month (ha! just kidding! that's exaggerating...) is the idea of putting all of the screws for our easily "broken down" furniture into a ziplock bag, and taping it to the underside of the main piece (usually the table top). I also label the bag in case of separation. I take pictures of the order of washers and nuts and such.

Just thought you'd like to know.

We're rich! Plus a contest

In our seemingly unending moving, I have found the following in foreign currency:

- 57 Brazilian Reais
- 5 British Pounds
- 220 Mexican Pesos
- 25 Canadian Dollars
- 100 Costa Rican Colones
- 10 Turkish Lira
- 5 New Zealand Dollars
- 50 Euros

... and that's not even counting the coins or the Australian money we have.

Any one want to guess (not using a currency converter) truly guess how much it's worth in US Dollars?? I'll send a prize to the closest person who I don't think cheated.

Loyalty

I don't know what it is, but I have some unnatural attachment to whatever grocery store I patronize. It could be that we move so often the grocery store is one place I can kind of get attached to - I end up going there at least 2-3 times per week, sometimes more. After all, that is even more frequently than we go to church...

Anyway, we have a few different options for grocery stores here in the South. We have Harris Teeter (expensive but good produce), Kroger (good price, very close, valet valet?!? parking), and Publix (expensive, but what CO grew up with, and a thirty minute drive). All three are chain stores, and Kroger is pretty good, so we've been going there. There are actually two Krogers that are probably the same distance away from each other and we refer to them as "our Kroger" and "the ghetto Kroger." The ghetto Kroger is in the worse part of town and has a completely different aura about it. It attracts a different social strata. The produce isn't quite as nice. The store is dirtier. We don't go to that one very often, elitists that we are... ;)

This week, we're getting a new Publix which is about a block closer than the Kroger. Publix is sometimes a little more expensive than Kroger most of the time, but has good sales. CO LOVES Publix. Loves them. But strangely enough, I feel some loyalty to Kroger, who has been there for me. How can I switch from the grocery store I know and love to another? Perhaps I'll go there to visit, but I still want my Kroger to be my grocer.

The list is out.

THE list. You know, the one we get to look at, analyze, and choose where we want to be for the next few years. THE LIST.

What do you do if you don't really like most of the options?

CO has always gotten cool assignments. This time, Alabama's on the list. Uh (pause). I'm not sure I'd be suited for Alabama. There's one good place on the list - we'd be happy to live there. We'd already have a house, a church, friends within a few hours...

sigh.

August Updates

We're still here in Florida. We had thought about heading west today, but it ended up not working out. I'm a little disappointed because if we could have made it, I could have gotten to see the Bertholf commissioning. I thought it would have been cool; dh thought it was "just another 45minute ship commissioning..." But we're here, and it'll be good to spend a few more days with dh's family before we're gone for such a long time.

In other CG-related news, dh made the next rank - woohoo!!!

Also, travel claims stink. I mean, talk about bureaucracy at its worst (hahaha no offense Jen, my bureaucratic friend). It seems that the CG doesn't know what to do with us - first by being in grad school. They had no idea what to do with dh for his internship this summer... it's been horrible trying to get all of our paperwork done to go abroad because he doesn't have access to CG computers and therefore the CG networks. Grrr... paperwork stinks, but we think we're finally working it all out.

It's hard to imagine that in less than a week, we'll be in Australia! I still feel very under-prepared for it, and perhaps that's best. And the parts that I'm thinking about are quite trivial. Current thought going through my mind "remember to get measuring cups and spoons from the exchange because you don't really want to deal with the whole metric conversion stuff." Yeah, moving to another country and I'm worried about having to convert 500 grams of flour into something I already know.

DH and I drove a few hours and went to visit his grandmother in her nursing home. She has a cool story - she is Australian and met dh's grandfather (a storekeeper in the Army) when he was stationed over there in WWII. They fell in love, married, and then he was transferred back to the states. She took a warship to the states (I think it was norwegian?) and set up her life here. It's really quite interesting, I think. These days she lives in a nursing home and has advanced Alzheimer's Disease. It was neat though that when we visited, she got very excited to have people there to visit her, and we actually saw little moments of the true Nana dh grew up with.

I'm going to add some more pictures to the days below. I like to look back and remember what happened.

Sorry for the rants...

WW: This move sponsored by...

As of tonight, this is our storage unit.

I can barely reach the top (the cooler) on my tippy-toes

This move is sponsored (unofficially & in so many ways)
by that little mermaid...

For more Wordless Wednesday participants, visit the official WW Hub

If you were packing...

So, hypothetically, if you were packing two suitcases (for $15 each) and a carry on (free at time of posting) for the next six months of your life, what would you pack and how many of each? Let's say, for example, that you're going to be in summer for the first month, then heading straight to winter, then experiencing spring into summer... How would you begin packing? What would you bring? And what would you bring to remind you of home?

I need a lot of help. I mean, hypothetically, someone could use a lot of help.

Keeeeep walking? (said in the French peas voice)

Hello to the reader in France.

Dh and I have been really blessed in finding churches. We loved the one he/we went to in Massachusetts. The pastor there did our premarital counseling. It really felt like our family. Then dh got restationed to Hawaii.

In Hawaii, we looked for a while and really enjoyed the Hilo Missionary Church, but wondered where the young people were. We liked it, and I joined a womens Bible study there, dh played basketball with some of the men. Then we found Elevate, HMC's church plant, and it all clicked! Dh loved the pastor and became friends with him. I loved the women of the church and became friends with them. I still listen to their sermons online.

Here, we have not found a church yet that we can agree on. We're in the middle of the stinking "Bible belt" and can't find one that seems like "home". There are churches on every block, but how do you choose one to go to? Once you do choose to visit a church/several churches, it's hard to figure out how to "judge" the church. How was the pastor's message? Did you connect? Did worship connect you with God? What was the overall "vibe" you got from it? Is it close/easy to get to? What time do they have services? Do they have programs/small groups to connect with other people?

It's strange trying to pick one. All of the churches we've been to have seemed like they're Biblically sound and trying to follow God. But where do you draw the line? What's non-negotiable? Knowing very few people in this area, we often make decisions about churches not knowing anyone there.

We really would like to find a church, and settle in/put down roots (for the rest of the year and a half or so we're here), but it's getting frustrating looking for a church. Do we keep searching for a "perfect church" or do we just choose one at random? What criteria do you use to choose a church? Does anyone have any advice?

Excitement in the Music City

I've been really excited three times this week.

1. When I found the silverware in the box marked "book's." Clearly, I should have known that "book's" also meant "general kitchen stuff" like cookbooks, tea, and all of the silverware you own. I found it on Wednesday. That's not too bad...

2. When we finally got internet in the house and I can finally stream KAPA radio on my computer. I love KAPA. Its wonderful Hawaiian music and horrible jawaiian music make me feel I'm back on "my island."

3. Today, when I realized I get to go to hula. Yes, it is far from being the Halau I so dearly love, Halau Na Pua O Uluhaimalama, but still. For some reason, hula makes me feel like I'm home, even in a room of complete strangers. Yes, the steps they do are just slightly different from how Em taught us. Yes, I know Debbie, Shirley, Diane, and Shelly aren't going to be there. Or Mrs. Woo, or anyone familiar. But just practicing hula makes me happy. I get to connect once again with the Hawaiian culture.

Less than an hour 'til hula :)