Another Week

Well, another week has come and gone. I keep waiting for a "normal" routine, but I think I've come to the realization that there will never be one. For the most part, I'm okay with that, although the boring, organization-loving girl inside of me is craving at least a couple days of staying at home and accomplishing the normal tasks. It's a tough balance to maintain.

Last week, my family trekked over 20 hours across the country to come see what the wonderful state of Virginia is all about. All six of them crammed in the minivan, threw a topper on top for the luggage, and somehow made it without anyone losing their mind. I'm convinced that whoever created the minivan had a big tolerance for families...I don't know how my family survived. They made it to Virginia late Saturday night- my mom with history books in hand, my brother with his x-box, and the rest with their running clothes. (Yes, they're the type of family that runs...even on vacation). 

The whole family after we spent a day getting soaked in D.C.

Because they were staying in Williamsburg (almost two hours away), Keagan and I did not see them until they joined us for church on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, due to Week 2 of Range Week, Keagan only got to see my family for a few hours on Sunday and a few hours on Friday. I, being the lucky one, got to stay at the resort with the crew and shared a room with the little sister...just like old times!

With the family, we saw a few different sides of the Virginia/D.C. area- historical, touristy, and a mix of both. Look for a more detailed post about the different spots soon...but for now I'll just give you a quick outline. :)

Sunday: Church, lunch, Marine Corps Museum, quick drive-through tour of the bases
Monday: Virginia Beach (complete with a shark sighting!)
Tuesday: D.C.- Metrorail experience, Holocaust Museum, Air & Space Museum, supper, the Capitol
Wednesday: Colonial Williamsburg
Thursday: Jamestown Settlement
Friday: D.C.- lots of rain, American History Museum, Museum of Natural History, cruising from monument to monument, supper and farewell.

The week breezed by...it almost feels like it never happened. It was a good week though, despite the weather being either extremely hot, or rainy. I think everyone left with a little more knowledge of and appreciation for our country and I came home only wishing they could have stayed longer.

~~~

Keagan spent his second week out on the range, learning from the best, and earning ranks for pistol and rifle shooting. Again, they had long hours and early mornings, so they had to stay on base. They even spent one night over-night working on night shooting techniques. 

~~~

Since my family left, we've been enjoying getting to spend evenings together (even if it's only for a couple of hours). I got to have Keagan home all day Saturday, but he had 24-hour duty starting early Sunday morning, so I had to share him with the Marine Corps a little longer. :) While he was on duty, I got to go to a grill-out with members of his platoon and a few other wives. Thankfully, I was allowed to bring him supper on base, so I packed a bag with spaghetti and other goods and enjoyed a quick 20 minute supper.

We're looking forward to a 4-day weekend due to the 4th of July...and this long of a break is pretty much unheard of, so we plan to take advantage of it! We've also been searching craigslist for puppies and cars...even though we're a ways off from actually being able to buy either. It's good to have big dreams, right?? :)

Weekly Happenings...a bit late

Oh my goodness, you guys. I am so sorry. I know that my somewhat-regular weekly updates are all that keep you going in life (sarcasm...)! But honestly, I do feel bad. For those of you that I have promised to keep updated-- I have failed. It's a good thing though- I've been keeping busy and having a good time!

We have now been here for six weeks. Wow. Here's what's happened since I last updated ya'll...

1. Keagan and I went to a Twins vs. Nationals game! When Denard Span got traded to the Nationals...I immediately looked at the schedule to see if the two teams would face off. Lucky for us...they did! On a weekend...so that we could go together. It was a lot of fun, and the Twins won. We got to sit in a section with other Twins fans...which really annoyed the Nationals fans nearby. We've loved being so close to D.C. and think it's so cool how anywhere that we go, we can see one of the landmarks that we used to only see in textbooks and on the news. Our capital is rad.

2. We had an "ant fiasco" of sorts. We've had a few little tiny ants crawling the windowsills since we moved in. So what'd I do? I bought ant traps. What'd the ant traps do? Attract every ant in the neighborhood! We had a gross couple of days...and I'm sorry for anyone who feels sorry about the little guys, but Keagan and I even had an ant-stomping party on the kitchen floor because we figured that was quicker than waiting for the traps to actually work. Finally...they're gone...

3. I started a couple of books that I've seen recommended by friends. Unbroken and Soul Cravings. They are both super-enticing in their own ways...I highly recommend both!

4. Kiley came!

Keagan's sister stayed with us for about 1 1/2 weeks while waiting for a place to live. She lives about an hour away now...so it'll be nice to have family near. I was happy to have someone drag me out of our apartment.. :) We had a good time visiting Great Falls Park, exploring Downtown Fredericksburg (lots of antique stores, neat shops, and fun buildings), checking out some restaurants, shopping in Potomac Mills, and walking the canal walk in Richmond. I also LOVED having someone to sit and watch hours of Anne of Green Gables with me!

We also enjoyed a few adventures...

Adventure #1- Tornado warning in Fredericksburg. While walking from store to store, we started hearing about an intense storm coming through. Being from Iowa, a predicted thunderstorm doesn't really phase us, but we soon realized it's a different story out here. They're simply not used to storms, and often lose power because of them. Stores were closing early due to the threatening weather, the Marines were telling their wives to have emergency plans in place, and we were scolded for walking outside. There was a brief, stormy moment, but it amounted to nothing.

Adventure #2- Car Troubles. Keagan's car began acting up on Sunday. Since he was on base Monday-Friday without being able to come home, it was my job to figure it out. On the way to the repair shop...Kiley was following me and told me I should probably pulled over. I did...but since we were only 1/2 mile from the repair shop, I decided I'd give it a go. I turned the car back on, turned my wheels, and heard a thud. When I went out to investigate...I saw this...

Yeah...not good.We waited for a tow truck and got it to the repair shop...where it is still waiting as we decide it's fate. I was very glad it happened when it did- off the road, when I had someone with me, and during a week where we only needed one car. In hindsight, I probably should have had it towed to start with, but seriously...we're from Iowa. We don't run from storms and we don't call tow trucks. Maybe I need to become a little more "Virginian." :)

~~~

I have also had a few more events with other spouses. It's great to get to know them and have some friends in the Marine Corps. 

Keagan hasn't had quite as much fun- this week he had Range Week #1...which meant really early mornings, hikes to the range, lots of shooting, and hikes back late at night. This also meant I dropped him off at 3:30 AM Monday morning, and haven't seen him since (it's Friday 10:00 PM). Next week looks the same...but I'm very happy that my family will be visiting and keeping me busy. :)

-Hannah

Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery

The pictures can really speak for themselves, but wow, what an experience. The parking ramp was filled, so we had to park quite aways away. We walked somewhere near 5 miles in dress shoes and got ridiculous blisters, but it was so worth it to see what we saw today. Arlington on a normal day is an incredible testament to the cost of our freedom and the celebration of some of the best people our country has ever seen. Today, it was beyond that. When we got to the lot shown above, it was overwhelming. So many people spend all day with their families, or alone, just sitting at the graves of those they remember- their heroes, our heroes.