Day three of unpacking

Day three of unpacking, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

I am starting to not feel so claustrophobic in my own home! We have unpacked about two thirds of the house. I am a visual unpacker. I put stuff away in the same 'zones' we use in every house. For example, spices go to the right of the oven. Most of the time we have the same amount of space, so it all fits. This time, the cabinets in the kitchen are much different than we had in TX.

For one thing, I don't have an island with storage underneath. I don't have that super cool pantry. When I unpack, I put everything on the counter, then put it where it is most efficient. Since there is some overflow....I have had to get creative. I put in a chrome kitchen shelf in a broom closet that was a waste of space. Now I essentially have the same thing.

Slowly but surely we are getting things unpacked. I have several boxes of things to Freecycle. I don't even bother with garage sales anymore. Unpacking all of this stuff makes me want to simplify my life even more. We have so much stuff.

All of the living furniture is not going to fit, so that chair and ottoman are going to our bedroom. The bedroom is huge, so it will fit nicely in there.

Happy Wednesday...

Is swinging a good thing?

First things first.....hell to the no, I am NOT pregnant. I might be semi-crazy from this move, but I am not insane! There was a time a couple of weeks ago my tatas were super sore. I started doing some backwards math counting in my head. I wondered if I would have to give up my fun XC70. Because there is no room for another car seat in the back. But alas all is well. I must have just overworked my muscles a bit. Whew hoo, I love my car!

Though I do have a fairly significant birthday in exactly one week. Yes, the big four-O is beatin' at the door. I have some great thoughts about it. But I will save that for next week. So, pass on all that baby wishing to someone else!

The kids swang (is swang a word? swing, swang, swung?? that looks funny) in these swings all day long.....

and I do mean all day long. Will would have curled up with a pillow and a blanket if we would have let him!

I tried the rope swing one, it just made me nauseous.

Time is flying by here. It certainly doesn't feel like we have been here a week already. I even had time to go get a pedi today with my mother-in-law. I don't know what is it about freshly pedi'd feet, but I always feel so good afterwards!

water, water, water everywhere

We have enjoyed our time here in OH so far. Most of our activities have revolved around water: ponds, water pumps, swimming, and rain. Lots and lots of rain......mostly at night, but yesterday it was on and off all day.

There are many frogs in various stages of life in Grandpa's pond. They are surprisingly loud for such little things. This one is maybe three inches long and can put out quite the croak. The first time I heard it, it startled me!

The kids are trying to count the frogs without falling in. Livi has fallen in this one in the past. She was standing on a chair that is just to the front of this pond area. She leaned a bit too far on the chair back.....the chair tipped over to the pond like a bridge over a moat! I jumped into the pond with a skirt on to grab her. That little pond is about thigh deep! I hope I didn't crush any froggies.

More water in this old timey water pump. It just continually cycles through, providing just enough water to fill a little bucket over and over. Buckets of fun, I tell you!

Will has turned into a little fish. The first day he kind of paddled around the edges. The second time he wore goggles and was diving to the bottom for the little torpedo toys. He would live in there if we let him.

The kids have had fun playing with all the cousins. Though Cousin E brings out the jelly-fish (jealous) in Livi. She isn't quite sure she wants E to be loving on her daddy.

We are going over to see new baby J tonight. I can't wait to snap some shots of precious newborn fingers and toes!

Happy Sunday y'all.

what a difference a year makes....made it to KY

what a difference a year makes....made it to KY, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

We made it to KY. The first day of driving convinced me separate the kids: one kid in each car....why didn't I think of that the first day??

Today while going approximately 75 MPH, a sheet of drywall flew off of truck, Husband kind of ran over it. Then it smacked into the front of my car, slid up the hood and rested on my windshield.....all in the midst of fairly heavy interstate traffic. I was slowing down to pull over to the side when it decided to go on over the roof of my car (also smacking the car top carrier around) . My poor car is getting seriously abused on this move. It bent the license plate, rubbed some white stuff all over the hood, and put a dent in the hood. I guess we will be fixing the rear bumper and the hood now!

I am so excited to go look for houses tomorrow. We are meeting the realtor at 9....There are over 143 properties in our price range in the town we are looking. I know we can eliminate most of those and look at a bunch.

Just to compare(the picture above was taken a year ago we were still talking to Husband on VTC (video teleconferences)....so much has happened this last year.

Hang on to your britches.....

Everyone knows I am a creature of habit. I love my routines, my calendar, my daily schedule. So this last month has had me in total chaos. ....I have tried to make a few things routine while here, but well, it is just not happening. Or it is not happening in the little simple way I would like.

Maybe I should start looking at this like a five (eeks, it is a six act) act play:

I. leaving TX
II. almost four weeks in OK
III. two day drive to KY (at least these are hotels with free wireless!)
IV. find a house in KY (totally looking forward to this one)
V. go to OH for fourth of July (are they old enough for fireworks)
VI. FINALLY get in the new house in KY (WHEW HOO!)

I guess that is the key to everything....babysteps that is. Chomping off what I can chew for just now. I think I start stressing when I think it is a honkin' long way off until I see my stuff in MY OWN house again!

So hold on to your britches, kids....we are starting act three of this little play called "Life."

just because every one should get a good laugh out of a metal armadillo sculpture in the kids park we go to, here is Livi trying to be cheesy!

half way point in Oklahoma

We have been in Oklahoma for two weeks now. We will be here almost two more weeks. Keeping busy is getting harder and harder!

We did go to a family birthday get together. I have a huge family. Like mongo huge, most of them still live very close to podunk OK. Family celebrations usually involve a cookout, cake, and lots of cousins. The kids got to play on the"'bounce".....yes, a trampoline with no nets. But I was right there the entire time. Of course I was ....shooting pics. This one is my favorite of the two of them.

Then here are a couple of what I call "learning to love the blur". They had so much fun....I was just glad it was wearing them out! LOL

We have had some freaky weather here.....we had 50+ MPH winds, then rain like no tomorrow. Finally it was a mere 60 degrees on a very cloudy Monday. It was so nice to open the windows and let the breezes blow.

Here is a view from the backyard of my mom's house in podunk OK. The kids call these "Papa's mountains".....every time I am driving home, I know when I can see these little hills, I am almost home.

Finally...this manhole cover is at the far end of my mom's property. I had to laugh because we are nowhere near Tulsa!

Husband gets here tomorrow for a long weekend. I am definitely going to be coming into the BIG town to a Starbucks. I am so missing my blogging!

Oklahoma update

Who knew I would last more than ten days of no blogging? One day I did sneak downtown to borrow someone's wireless. I could only read my email, but not post. Oh well..
Quick recap of the last few days....

One trip to the ER .....<-----crazy straws are not eye friendly

Two visits to the playground in town

Three art activities done at story time at the library

Four year old turned five

Five fingers on a handprint

Six meals grilled

Seven days Livi has slept in her own 'kinder-bed' <----I took one side off the crib in my old room.

Eight miles to the nearest BIG town

Nine : thirty <----the time at night when there are thousands of lightening bugs out

Ten: my new bedtime since I am not up reading/posting on blogs all night! LOL

We found a really cool park in the BIG town near here. If gas weren't over the four dollar mark we might go more than a couple of times a week. As it is, I am combining my grocery shopping day with a trip to the park. The kids had so much fun.

They started asking me questions about making friends there. "Mom, is this the place we are going to find a new Haley (the big girl at school Livi just loved)?" "Mom, I didn't see a Nicholas here." Despite not knowing a soul at this park, both kids were playing with someone very near their own age before we left. I am glad it is fairly easy to make friends at this age. What more does a kid need than someone to swing with, someone to walk a rope bridge with, someone to have fun with? We will definitely be going to this park a couple of times a week.

This brings me to these two pics..at first I was shooting their hands, the intent look on their little sweaty faces. But I guess what struck me as the most important thing is, no matter where kids go, these little feet will take them there.

Happy blogging, y'all.

goodbye, Texas

goodbye Texas, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Today was one of the hardest days about being a military wife. The moving part we have down to a fine art. Things have gone very smoothly despite being rear-ended the day the packers were here. But saying goodbye is never easy. This part is the part I can honestly say I never look forward to. This evening we got back into town from the beach. We picked up the final load of stuff that is going with me to my moms. Some neighborhood families met us at the hotel for a final dinner.

I did pretty good up until we all got up to leave. Then the tears started creeping out of my eyes. I must note, I am NOT a weepy person. Okay, maybe around that time of the month....okay, and maybe if I have had a wee bit too much to drink. BUT overall I am not a weepy person. I am a firm believer in 'deal with it, and quit moping around about it'.

But tonight faced with saying goodbye to two women who desperately helped me get through the hardest part of this last year, well ...wouldn't you know it. I got weepy AND I hugged them. This part never gets easy. No matter how often we have had to do this...five moves and counting in the last almost 11 years.

These women were there every Friday to order pizza and bit(h to if I needed. They were the glad recipients of Muffin Monday muffins. One shared many of glasses of wine with me. Their older kids babysat mine when I was in desperate need of some alone time. I could go on and on the things we shared during the 15 month deployment. We shared our lives in a time when we all needed each other. I guess what I am really trying to say is I am so thankful I have met some women, some real friends that make saying goodbye so hard.

I want to stop short before I start sounding too cliche, so I will close with this: "Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." ~Richard Bach

ps, I am officially boohooing again (and I am NOT even being a woman), so if there are typos...I get a bye!

PCS-Day 3

PCS-Day 3, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

The only thing the packers did today was build crates for two oil paintings. They also stuck the numbered stickers on the boxes. How many boxes have the guys packed in two days??? Ding ding ding, the exact number is 196. They have left a few open for any misc stuff that is being still used like bedding. They have also left the mattresses on the bed. We will only have to sleep on the kinder mats and air mattress for one night.

A few Q&As from the comments:

Carrieb of Blah, blah, blog asked: Will you write a book someday to share these tips for sane living with the rest of us? Ha, I wish...unless you read this blog, this is the only time I will ever probably write this down. I do keep a "moving/vacation" file, since we do this so often.

When do you leave town? Friday, we are beach bound! Whew hoo!

Claudia of On a Limb: I wonder if Will could get a little big boy one? That black is a Stetson, so I am sure they make little kid's ones. When they were doing Western day at school, he didn't even want a hat, but he did get some little cowboy boots. Livi got some pink ones. They are already too small!

Dea Felis asked: How many pounds do you guys get, and how many do you use? First Dea Felis is the Lieutenant (now former Lieutenant) that took Chance, our kitty that couldn't make the trip to CA with us. For those of you unfamiliar with military moves. You are given a weight allowance of how many pounds you get free. For every pound you are over you are, you are charged. We get 18,000 pounds. I think we used 13,000 pounds on the last move. I pretty much get rid of one thing for every one thing I bring into the house. The only new things we have gotten for this house are that mongo art center in the office and a few decorative items. I kind of went a little crazy at some Southern Living at Home parties. We have never even gotten close to our limit. Since they haven't put it on the truck yet, I don't know the final weight. But I am sure it is close to the 13,000.

Kerry of More, more, more : I would be a mess right now - not you - calm and cool is my guess - right?! Calm and cool?? Fairly calm, starting to feel a wee bit of stress...but not too bad. I am already starting an "AAR" After Action Review (what I will do differently) in my head. A few things have gone wrong, but nothing major. So kind of calm and lukewarm.

Cynthia of : Springmont Cottage Could you send me the name or rental company for the beach house you are going to stay at near Galveston? It is a little town in between Houston and Galveston. The little A-frames as well as many others are managed by Columbia Property . This is our second time to stay with them. The prices are very reasonable. Plus, it is a private beach, so you don't have to fight tourists for a space. Granted it is not anywhere near much else...there is a Walmart about 20-25 minutes away. But to get away and just enjoy the beach, this is it!

Tomorrow all of our stuff goes on the truck. Since we don't even have a house in KY yet, it is going into storage. It is one of the few things I am worrying about. That means it will be handled four times: putting it on the truck here, unloading it into storage in KY, putting it back on a truck once we get a house in KY, then unloading it into our new house (once we find one) there. I don't have warm fuzzy feelings about that. Again, it only reinforces the need to be kind to the packers: feed them lunch, provide a cooler of water bottles....treat them with kindness, they are in control of your entire life belongings!

We will have wireless for one more night, after that who knows what is on the beach??

Happy Wednesday. y'all

PCS (permanent change of station): Day 1

PCS- Day 1, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

I am so thankful the kids still are in school for half the day. The packers got here bright and early this morning. By the time they got back from school after lunch, the guys had finished Will's room, most of the kitchen, and half of Livi's room.

I actually made time to go get a mani and have lunch with a friend. She had to work last night, but woke after just a few hours of sleep to say goodbye. It never ceases to amaze me that I did manage to make a great friend that I will really miss. My neighbors and J are lifelong friends that I won't soon forget.

Texas has been very hard to make feel like home. I grew up in Oklahoma, went to school at OU, so there has always been that Red River rivalry. Secondly, Husband was only here a few months before he deployed. Then the twelve month deployment turned into fifteen months. Now just a short five months after being home, we are moving. So, even though I made my house a home, Texas has never felt like home.

One thing I do love about Texas is their never-ending patriotism and true pride in their state. Texans are sure proud to be from here. Heck, I even have a big a$$ star to hang above my mantle. On the way to lunch with my friend, I passed not one but two funeral processionals. The first was was right by my house. As I pulled onto the road, cars were pulled over. The ones in the funeral were escorted by a police motorcade. Cars were all pulled over to the side of the road. Uniformed soldiers got out of their cars, stood by the doors and saluted. This was lunch time, crazy as ever time to get anywhere here. People were come to a complete stop to show this family some respect. Cue the tears, I got all weepy.....way too many emotions going on now.

Then just as Iwas almost to the restaurant and heard this loud rumble of a group of Harley Davidson bikes. This group turned out to be about 50 members of the Patriot guard I blogged about here. Again, unwavering pride and respect for all......those weepy tears I had held in check just started to fall.

Though I don't think I can ever say I love Texas, I am glad we came here.

Pics from Day one of packing: