Numbers

2 more days in the field for Keagan
3 more days living in Oklahoma
4 more days until we are in Iowa for Christmas
13ish more days until we are in Minnesota for Christmas
22 more days until we return to Oklahoma to finish packing and cleaning
28 more days until we arrive in California
37ish more days until we have a house - like 800 feet from the Pacific Ocean

Yep. Things are moving pretty quickly here. I have settled into the cycle that is becoming more and more familiar. Clean. Pack. Pack. And Clean. But, I try not to do too much, because I know that we still have a few days that I need to fill up appropriately. I cannot believe that five months and seven days ago we got to Oklahoma. Now, it's time to run back and forth a bit before settling in to a house that will be our home for the next three years.

Three years in one place is hard for me to fathom. Three years ago, we weren't even married yet. We weren't even engaged. In three years, we got engaged, graduated college, got married, lived in Iowa, moved to Virginia, got a dog, moved to Florida, moved to Oklahoma, and now we are moving yet again. A lot can happen in three years, and those are just the main events.

I have big ideas and dreams for the next three years. As hard as it is to say goodbye to yet another phase in our life, I love that I can still look back and be content with it. I have enjoyed every phase so far. I have met wonderful people along the way and seen many beautiful things. I love this crazy, wonderful life that gets to be ours. I have learned a lot along the way. I am ready to embrace the next phase, once again.

It's officially that time again. The time where my mind realizes that it is time to think about moving once again.

The checklists start to pile up.
It's time to tell the landlord we're leaving soon.
It's time to write meal plans to use up whatever mysterious things that have made their way to the way back crevices of the freezer and pantry.
It's that time when the dog starts to notice that something is happening and gets a little anxious.
It's that time where we still have quite a bit of time, but the checklist lover in me is getting antsy to check off all of the lovely boxes.

Getting ready mode. I like it, and I dislike it, all at the same time. But really, it's just another season to go through. A season to embrace. A season not to rush through.

~~~

I really, truly, love moving. The goodbyes and the packing? Not so much. But the anticipation of a new place, and new people, and reconnecting with other people? That gets me excited. The thought of getting in a car and driving through states I have never seen before? Also exciting.

This military lifestyle that we live has taught me a lot - and I hope it continues to. It has taught me to know when to embrace and to know when to let go. It has taught me to be okay with not knowing. It has taught me to differentiate between the things that really matter, and the things that I can live without. It has taught me to be organized, and ready, but also to wait, and be flexible.

~~~

Keagan is finishing up his last few days of BOLC (artillery school). After that, he has about a month of Marine-specific training. Then, it's most likely a visit back home for the Holidays, before driving out to California. This move will be a little different, as it is not "temporary." If all goes as planned, California will be our new home for three years. That is hard to imagine. I am excited. Excited, but also nervous that I will get restless. As always though, I can't wait to see what our next adventure holds. 

Let's not forget to tell our stories

Tonight is one of those nights where I had to force myself away from work, make myself some hot tea, and let myself just sit, and rest, and be. Last week turned out to be a very busy week, with an unexpected three day visit, ten hours away. That meant that when we returned I tried super hard to catch up on work, and unpacking, and sleep, and the dishes, and then more work. Somehow I got stuck in the rut and this week all I want to do is work, work, work. But...I just need to be.

I just need to stop chasing a goal, and remember what it feels like to breathe.

~~~

I am so, so, thankful for families and their legacies. 

I am very thankful that I married into a great family that I truly enjoy spending time with. I am extremely blessed to have parents who are willing to drive a couple of hours after their already busy workdays in order to have supper with me. My families are so worth long drives and little sleep.

~~~

I have been reading letters for a few months now - from a WWII soldier to my great-aunt. My mom has scanned them one by one and sent them in the mail to me every couple of days. She also includes pictures of my great-aunt, her fiance, and other family members. I read the letters, I look at the pictures, and I talk to my mother - all to know more about a beautiful, difficult, story that is a part of my family's past. 

I recently heard many stories about a woman in my husband's family that I never really knew, but I wish that I did. She lived a life worth remembering, and telling about. I could hear in the stories just how much she meant to her family. I learned the ways in which she passed her skills and her character on to her children, and her grandchildren.

~~~

We need to share our stories. For those who are close to us, these stories are precious. Whether it be on a blog that you share with family and friends, or letters, or simply passing stories around your families, it is important to share your stories. Even more important? Listen. Listen to the stories told by others. These are the things that we should hold on to and treasure. These are the things that matter. 

I don't like pumpkin spice, but I still love fall.

We have won the battle of the fleas! After a few too many long walks/runs in the long grass with the dog, we had a mild flea problem on our hands. But after washing every single thing imaginable, spraying everything down, vacuuming everything, and 6 days straight of Dawn baths, we have won. Take that little nasties. 

This week was also full of a Harry Potter marathon with friends (we made it to the sixth movie...), an ice-cream date, chicken fajitas, and making caramel apples.

~~~ 

The weather was cool enough today to put on a sweatshirt as I walked the dog. It was nice to feel a taste of fall, since we have still been hovering around 80-90 degrees with lots of sun. As I walked and enjoyed the crisp air, I thought about fall - my favorite season, hands down. 

For many years, I spent fall in Minnesota. Fall in Minnesota was made of leaves quickly changing color, and then falling swiftly to take on their new role of underfoot crunch-makers. It was made of fields of corn and beans slowly turning brown and then getting gobbled up by combines. It was made of running cross-country meets, watching football games, and hearing NFL games on the TV (I rarely watched, but the sound makes me nostalgic). It was made of the smell of burning leaves. It was made of thin gloves and earbands. 

Then, after getting married, I spent a fall in Iowa. It was almost the same as Minnesota, only this time I got to live on a farm. That fall was even more dreamy - newly married bliss, new adventures, and experiencing the harvest from a much closer distance. Fall in Iowa was made of walks down the gravel road surrounded by corn fields, a new job that I loved, finding excuses to linger outside, and a kitten following us around everywhere. We fell asleep to the sound of a grain dryer, and watched as the fields around our little acreage disappeared row by row. Oh, and it was kind of dusty, but still pretty dreamy.

The next fall, we were in Virginia. Fall came late in Virginia. The temperatures stayed steady for a long, long, time, but when fall came, it was gorgeous. The dropping temperatures were a welcome relief that called me to walk longer, breathe deeper, and enjoy more fully. Fall in Virginia was made of long hours for Keagan, and many quiet nights with candles, books, and blankets for me. Fall was a constant supply of Rolos in a mason jar on the counter. Fall was gorgeous – leaves of every color that hung on well through November. Fall was rare trips into D.C. and one of my favorite weekends ever – soaking in the incredible, breathtaking beauty at Great Falls. Fall was a season of tiredness – and pushing through the end of Keagan’s training. Fall was finding a way for me to keep busy, by trying dozens of new, cozy, recipes

Fall in Oklahoma, seems just a bit different. Maybe it’s because it isn’t quite here yet, but I still have high hopes for it. Maybe this fall will be for staying tanner longer, keeping patio doors open all weekend, and caramel apples with friends. Maybe we’ll have ice-cream dates instead of apple cider for awhile. Maybe the leaves won’t change until November. But maybe, that’ll be okay. It’s easy for me to see pictures of the world back “home.” Falling leaves and fields slowly disappearing row by row, kind of make me homesick. But every fall I’ve enjoyed so far has been just as wonderful in its own way. So, if fall doesn’t come in full splendor here, I think it’ll still be okay. Because this fall, might be for something different. 

Oklahoma

We are already over halfway through our time here in Oklahoma. I don't blog as much anymore, and the other day I realized that I kind of miss it. Some sweet friends asked me about it too ;) Writing is good for me. It helps me process and allows me to share - even if I sometimes feel a little insecure about it. Writing also helps me remember, and I want to be present and mindful enough to slow down, and record memories rather than rushing through the day to day business. So, I am going to try to do it more regularly again. A lot has happened since I last wrote, so this post will be a bit of a dumping-everything-out post.... (I warned you)

Oklahoma has been so good to us. Despite all of the negative things people told us before we got here, we have truly felt comfortable here.

Lawton is a small, unexciting town, but it kind of feels like home. We are typically homebodies anyways, so the fact that there's not much excitement out in town is not a big deal to us.

Closer to home than we have been/probably ever will be as long as Keagan is in the military. Having family visit a few times has been so fun.

The weather is...well...getting better. Up until a week ago, the weather was 100+ every.single.day. Now, the mornings and evenings are getting cooler, but I definitely don't feel like it is fall yet.

The people are incredible. Two other Marine wives live right by me and we have spent many days at the pool, going for walks, laughing, and enjoying good food. I am thankful for how kind, friendly, and accepting they are.

The adventures are endless. We have stepped out of our comfort zone more here than past places, and it has been good.

The walks behind our complex make my heart happy. I have spent nearly every evening walking Zulu as the sun sets behind the mountains. They are definitely one of the things I will miss the most.

Running? I can't believe I am doing it again, but I am. Keagan and I ran a 5K together, so I had a goal to reach. I thought I would stop after that, but I feel good about doing it again!

Working while sitting on my couch, or at the desk, or on the porch - anywhere I want. I love it. It's the best. It's not my dream job, but I love the lifestyle it allows me to have while also working!

The skies are so incredibly dreamy. I can't get enough. At all.

The full sized bed...is the ONE thing I am sooooo ready to be done with. Rental furniture kind of gets old. We want our bed back.

Reading lots and lots of books. Maybe I will tell you about them soon.

Balance is something I have been working on a lot and enjoying a lot. I have learned a lot about myself in the past few months and I am feeling good. Very good.

The first post after a break is always the hardest to get out. Here's to attempting to get back on the blogging train. :)

Thoughts on Moving

On June 30th, I sat on the floor of our Florida apartment with a very unhappy dog as we watched two men pack up most of our belongings. This was the first move we didn't do by ourselves and let me tell you, it felt so weird watching other people pack all of our stuff. I felt so lazy, but was not allowed to touch a thing.

This move was very different from the other military moves we have been through. This time, I spent a few days separating our belongings into two groups. 

1. The stuff we would be taking to our furnished apartment in Oklahoma for five months

2. The stuff we would let packers pack and store in California for five months

I was grossly overconfident that I could handle this task no problem. You see, when you are moving to a new state for the third time in fourteen months, you feel pretty confident about the process. Confidence in and of itself, is not a bad thing, but I apparently forgot that I am not a professional...yet. And real life doesn't always cooperate with your perfect plan.

My thoughts were this: Packing and fitting everything we need for five months into two cars won't be that hard! My siblings will visit and leave on Friday morning and I will sort, paint, clean and be ready by Monday! 

Reality was: Deciding what to bring and what to pack is a lot harder than one would think. Even when you are really selective, two cars do not have as much space as you think they do. By the way, someone pulled an illegal move, causing your husband to get in a car accident and total the more reliable of your two cars three days before moving day. So yeah...you are going to have to get a rental car. Oh, and all that time you thought you had? Not so much.

I panicked a little. But guess what? We got everything in my little Grand Prix and the rental SUV without having to throw away the vacuum cleaner or a box of my beloved J.R. Watkins. Keagan is a miracle worker.

We left Monday night and arrived Tuesday afternoon in Oklahoma and followed our arrival tradition of getting all the boxes inside our new place and ordering pizza. 

We crawled into bed that night pretty exhausted from all of the craziness of dealing with moving and the accident, only to find that Keagan was too long for the bed that came with our apartment, the fan in our room constantly clicked, Zulu was very upset with us for not letting her sleep in the bed (this move was hard on her), and a loud thunderstorm was raging outside. I did not sleep a wink. 

My emotions were pretty spent at this point. Leaving Florida and the good experiences and friends we had was not very easy, especially knowing we would just be going to another temporary place. So much had happened in just five days and we were in such a time crunch that I had no time to process it. It was adjustment time. And guess what? This time, it didn't take long. 

That's the funny thing. Each time, it gets a little easier to move. And each time something challenging happens, it is a little easier to handle. Abnormal has begun to feel so normal for us, and I really, really like that. I am grateful for the experiences that we now have under our belts, and the character we have started to build thanks to the challenges that are thrown our way.

The truth of life is that difficult things are going to happen, but most of the time, we can handle them just fine. Now that we are on the other side, it all seems so trivial. 

Three weeks later, our new apartment feels like home. Keagan has started Artillery school and I am trying to work online as close to full time as I can. We are still dealing with insurance, but you know what...that's life, and I am very thankful for it.

Booking It - Round 2

 You guys, I am way overdue to tell you about what I've been reading lately. Let's get to it. See Round 1 here.

Tuesdays with Morrie- Mitch Albom Oh my. What a book. Tuesdays with Morrie tells the story of a student and a college professor. In college, Mitch, the student, often visited with his professor, Morrie. After graduation, he promised to keep in touch, but sadly did not. When Mitch learns that his professor is slowly passing away, he makes a point to visit Morrie once again. One visit turns into weekly visits and Morrie gives his student one last class - How to Live. This is not a book to read while also catching bits and pieces of the Olympics (I tried). This is not a book to read in short chunks here and there. This is not a book to read every night before bed. This is not a book to read while being distracted by anyone. This is a book to read, preferably in two long sittings, with no distractions, while soaking in every word. The story line itself is wonderful enough, but the way that Albom writes is incredible. It's some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. Everyone needs to read this book...and take notes. Just talking about it makes me want to read it again.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. You have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

"You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And age is not a competitive issue."

"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."

Wild - Cheryl Strayed I'm sure most of you have at least heard of this book, so I won't tell you too much about it. It's a great read, though. I was on the waiting list at the library forever and when I finally got my hands on this, they gave me the large print edition of course. :) Cheryl's story is incredible. I had a very hard time putting the book down at the end of each night. There were some parts of the book I could have done without, but overall I appreciated her honest, detailed account of her journey to come to peace with her life. It almost made me want to go buy a pair of hiking boots - well...almost.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak I had heard so many good things about this book, but apparently it just wasn't the right time for me to read it. Reading this book got me in a bit of a reading rut. I picked it up, started reading, and had to try really hard to keep going. I kept pushing myself to try to continue, because like I said, I had heard so many good things about it! I tried for a couple weeks and just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why. The writing was wonderful, so maybe I'll give it another shot at another time.






The Lord of Opium - Nancy Farmer This is the sequel to a book I mentioned last time, The House of the Scorpion. I really enjoyed the continuing story of Matt and his quest to make his country a better place. Again, he was faced with ethical battles and gained a new challenge - rebuilding the way an entire civilization has operated for many years. It was a little slower read than the first book, but was also different enough to keep me interested. I'm really hoping she turns this into a trilogy!

Fearless - Eric Blehm This book tells the story of Navy SEAL Adam Brown. Brown was part of SEAL team SIX - the well-known unit that took down Osama bin Laden, but this book goes so much deeper into the life of a true hero. It tells the story of a man who was always adventurous and brave, from the day he was born. After high school, he got caught up in drugs and his life began to look hopeless. This tribute to Adam tells the story of the true darkness his addiction caused, the struggle to overcome, and a new focused life after he committed his life to Christ and joined the Navy. Adam was an unlikely candidate for the SEALs, but his incredible courage helped him overcome many weaknesses. In 2010, Adam died overseas, but he was ready. He was never afraid to step in front of danger to protect others and knew that no matter what happened on this Earth, nothing could take away his Spirit. He left behind an incredible legacy for his wife, children, and many others to be encouraged by.