Throwing Stuff Into a Whirlwind and Watching it Spin Around

You know what's okay sometimes? Being busy. You know what's not okay sometimes? When the A T & T guy comes to hook up your internet and tells you that your cable is lost somewhere in the wall and that you need to talk to your maintenance guy. Then, you talk to your maintenance guy and they say they're working on the issue. Then, you get a bill from A T & T for service you can't even use yet because the cable is lost inside of the wall and the maintenance guy must have gotten lost in there too.

Moving and getting settled into a new place is always an adventure. It's exciting, sometimes. It's hectic, sometimes. Sometimes, you're not quite sure how you're going to do it all, but you do it all anyways. Things go wrong (inevitably), like getting a parking ticket in D.C. two days before you leave, having a mishap with the tow-dolly that scars your trusty old car (hey, at least it wasn't the new one), and having to run around a tourist-town at 9 PM (after driving 8 hours) to find a place where you can park your moving truck without it getting towed. (Note: don't text your husband to say, "I'm heading to the police station next." without an explanation...)

Then, when you finally arrive at your new "home," it takes awhile before it really feels like home at all. You deal with bills that make you go, seriously? Cancellation and set-up fees should totally be outlawed. So should the door-to-door college kids, asking you to buy a magazine subscription to help soldiers overseas. They don't take no for an answer, and they compliment you on how good the supper you are making smells, and they try to make you feel bad for them because they confused Ohio with Iowa and have ADHD. Oh, and don't forget the fact that you have to spend hours working on the paperwork to get reimbursed for the way-too-large amount of money that you spent getting to your new home and then spend too many days waiting to hear what you did wrong so that they have an excuse not to pay you.

Then, strangely, you realize that you kind of don't mind that everything is spinning around in a giant whirlwind. It's kind of fun to reach out and grab whatever you can and put the pieces where they belong. You look around you and realize that you're actually sort of making a nice little home for your little family and that you're blessed to have made it there safe and sound. And you know what? Not having internet at home means you have to get out and explore the area a little bit and spend a lot of time in a strangely rubbery library chair.

It's really not so bad. Challenging, yes. A test of patience, yes. Frustrating at times, yes. Time-consuming, definitely. But when you're sitting in your new home that has begun to feel like home, it feels okay. In fact, it feels more than okay. Before you know it, you don't even notice the whirlwind spinning in front of you and you can breathe easy again.

I feel like I can say, once again, we did it. No, we're doing it. 

Still in the midst of a little chaos.

The in between has never been a comfortable spot for me. Give me a project (or five), and I struggle to relax if it's only halfway done. Sometimes, this is a good thing, but often not. My focus locks in so tightly on the project to be completed that I can hardly focus on anything else- like writing this blog post, or calling my parents, for example. The dreaded in between is where I'm currently stuck. I really struggle taking things step by step and being patient as we settle in to our new home. It's like I can't see myself as having made progress until we're actually done.

And really, I shouldn't worry because we've made good progress. We've been here for four and a half days and: everything's unpacked and mostly put away, our used washer and dryer were purchased and hooked up, we painted, our internet service is arranged, our curtains and most of the decorations are hung, and I know how to get to the closet Walmart and Target. Yet,  I have to almost force myself to sit and stay in this chair instead of finish what I want to finish so bad. I'm driving my husband crazy. I'm driving myself crazy. I'm probably driving our dog and our neighbors crazy

I only made it a day and a half before buying paint. The long, white walls were making me sad, and I just had to make this place feel like less of a hallway and more of a home. We picked a soft gray and I feel so much more relaxed already. We also found a giant clock that goes perfectly over the fireplace- thanks, Lowe's, your half-price eye-catcher was too hard to pass up. The area rug? Yeah...that took some work. I probably looked at every rug that the internet and stores had to offer before deciding I just needed to pull one off the shelf, take it home, and only return it if I hated it.

As for Florida, I have yet to see the beach. That was on the agenda for today, but then it rained. It's really not that different in our neighborhood- but people care less about their cars than they did in Virginia. It's pretty warm, too. We've been in the 70s the last couple of days and the month of January is supposed to average around 60 every day. It think I can handle that!








Keagan checked in at his new command, but isn't doing much until he's ready to class up for Introductory Flight School (IFS). In the meantime, he has to report for formation Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and PT on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If he doesn't start IFS soon, we may be lucky enough to take leave for Christmas. YAY!

Well, it's back to try and finish up this decorating thing. Wish me luck as I try to come up with a wall arrangement that's "de-symmetricalized." (Yes, it is more fun to say de-symmetricalized than asymmetrical).

Clear Tape and Cardboard Boxes

Clear tape and cardboard boxes. This is our life lately. Oh, and giant messes, because everyone knows that in order to organize, you have to create a giant mess first...right? What? That's just me? Oh.


Can I tell you a secret? I kind of like moving and packing...when I have the time to focus on it. It's kind of fun taking things off the wall, out of drawers, and off shelves, and then trying to fit everything in boxes. It's like a puzzle. The organizer in me gets a chance to shine as I take care of all the little things one has to take care of when moving states away. I get to slap together a moving binder with emergency numbers, move-in paperwork, orders, and so on. I get to write so many lists...to-do lists, cleaning lists, lists of things to pack separately. I get to pack a box that I call the "First-Box-to-Unpack-Box." It consists of toilet paper, towels, a shower curtain, pillows, blankets, an air mattress, puppy stuff, paper plates and silverware, and something to snack on. You know, so the first night at our new place is somewhat comfortable. I'm enjoying this and so ready.


Let me be honest though, that's on the good days.




Normally, the organizer in me does really enjoy it, but sometimes, I'm a normal human too. Moving can be downright crazy. There's a lot of loose-ends to tie up and paperwork to make sure you complete correctly. Your mind is spinning with a million different tasks you absolutely can't forget about. You forget that your husband will be home in an hour and you're still responsible to feed him. Sometimes, you simply can't make all of the arrangements and have to trust that things will fall into place once you get there. You start to realize what things you're going to miss and how you're going to have to learn a new place all over again. You worry about your favorite fish-shaped platter breaking because you are no doubt going to drop a box down three flights of cement stairs.

Honestly, some days you just go crazy. Don't forget that you're totally capable though. You're able to adapt and get everything done. Sail through those days that your motivation is running free, and push through the days where you just want to sit in the middle of the cardboard boxes and hug your puppy. Remember, you're becoming kind of awesome at this packing and moving thing.



We can do it, you guys. We really can. It's another adventure and we're ready.

Up Next

Image via Google Maps

We have known for awhile that we would be heading to Pensacola, FL after our time here in the Quantico/Stafford area, but we have a timeline now! We recently received news that Keagan is to report to Pensacola at the very end of November- only 3 days after his graduation from TBS. He will go through several phases of flight training at Naval bases in the area.

1. IFS (Naval Air Station- Pensacola)- This is a about a month long and we think he will be starting as soon as we move.

2. API (Naval Air Station- Pensacola)- After completing IFS, we're looking at a 4-6 week wait until Keagan can start the next phase of training. During the break, we hope to take leave and head home to the Midwest for awhile. API is approximately 6 weeks long.

3. Primary (most likely Whiting Field, Milton)- After an unknown wait period, Keagan will head over to Whiting Field for Primary. Whiting Field is close to an hour away from NASP, so as of now we are looking at temporary housing options near NASP, with a move to the Whiting Field area when the time comes. It is possible (but unlikely) that he may be sent to Corpus Christi for Primary. Primary is approximately 6 months long.

4. After Primary, Keagan will know what aircraft he is assigned and will complete flight training.

We're going to try our best to stay flexible, as we never know what could change and when. Tis the nature of the military. :)

A new home.

Source

We're here.
We're getting used to new-tasting water.
We're finding it odd that we jumped straight from winter to summer- everything is budded and bloomed here.
We're amazing ourselves at how fast everything was put away, despite major lack of storage.
We're tired.
We're still waiting to actually begin.
We're I'm job searching (sort of).
We're feeling a lack of motivation.
We're lazy-daying it a bit
We're listening to a good variety of music again without a data limit restricting us.
We're watching a lot of How I Met Your Mother, in order to catch up and get to the finale. (Don't spoil it!)
We're I'm trying to decide if I want to take this blog seriously. And if so, what it will be.
We're trying to establish a routine, of sorts.
We're home.

Nine Days

9

We move to Virginia in nine days.
Nine days.
Whoa.
That’s single digits, folks.

I had a small breakdown yesterday. Poor Keagan. I just couldn’t help it, though. I was standing outside (in the balmy spring weather that we finally got a taste of), admiring two new kittens at his parents’ house, listening to the cows, and looking out at the empty Iowa corn fields that are just begging to be filled with corn and beans. I could smell a hint of thawed manure. It was a glamorous moment. But anyways, I just couldn’t help it.

We had spent the last couple of days enjoying the weather, and family, and friends. People were saying goodbye to us, but no tears were being shed- just smiles, hugs, and sad hearts on the inside. So, when Keagan came outside after me, I broke down a little bit. I never thought I’d love Iowa as much as I do.

I’ve learned a lot in these last 9 months. I’ve learned that barbecues are called taverns, hotdish is casserole, egg bake equals egg dish, and down here they don’t shovel snow, they scoop snow. I’ve enjoyed our cozy little house on our wide open acreage. I’ve made it all the way down the gravel roads without fear of anyone even seeing my pathetic attempt at running (because no cars ever go by). I’ve walked to the mailbox in white athletic socks, brown dress shoes, grey pajama pants, and a grey dressy coat- just because those were the closest clothing items to the door, and no one would see me anyways.

It's all going to be okay, though. Life has been good here- really good. But now it’s time to do what we’ve been waiting for. I know that both of us are so equipped and ready to handle the move ahead, and the moves after that. We’re both flexible and adaptable and God never fails, even when we do. We’re going to miss this place, but we’re going to love what’s ahead as well. After yesterday’s breakdown and a good night of sleep, I feel so much better. I mean, really, now I can look forward to vacationing in Iowa!

We're going to miss all of you here in the Midwest, but you can bet that we'll do our best to keep in touch. I'm really good at posting an unneccesary amount of pictures on facebook and I've been getting better at emails. So, send me an email and I promise I'll reply! Better yet, ask for my address and we'll be pen pals, because nothing is better than getting mail and writing letters.

Thanks to all who have supported us through visits, emails, suprise cards, and smiles. It means more than you know and we are so lucky to have you in our lives. We'll miss you, but I'm done breaking down. Why? Because I've decided that instead of breaking down, I'm going to eat chocolate chip cookies.

And nothing is too bad for a chocolate chip cookie to fix.

-hannah

April Mornings

 

 My mornings lately:

Sleeping in longer than I should (on my days off anyways..)

Battling allergies again. What do all of you do to fight allergies? I never started getting them until a couple of years ago. Now, whenever they hit, they hit hard.

Scrolling through real estate pages, picking the listing that makes the most sense, and waiting to hear back!

Checking and responding to emails. I've been getting better at using this source of communication.Really, it's awesome. Phone calls aren't my thing- that's what I do at work, not on my free time.

Wondering how in the world it got to the end of April? This weather is crazy, but I honestly don't mind. As my husband said, it's like winter without the -50 windchill!

Considering going back to online school for something completely unrelated to my undergrad degree. Yay, new ideas!

In other news:

We attended a lovely wedding in Missouri Valley this weekend. I have a beautiful new sister-in-law!

We have been enjoying time off of work, and time with relatives...all the way from New Mexico. Laughter, good eats, and fun all around.

P.S. I apologize for the short, non-detailed blog posts lately. Lots going on!