Battleship Memorial Park

One thing (of many things) that is awesome about being married to someone in the military? Gaining new interests. Before Keagan and I started dating, I rarely set foot in museums, much less military museums. Military history was just eh to me. Sure, I thought it was alright, but I would have never gone out of my way to learn more. Now, thanks to Keagan's interests and career choice (and always living close to military installations), I've developed a whole new appreciation for all things military. Marriage is cool like that.

Last weekend, we got in the car, turned on NPR, and journeyed to Mobile, AL (we only live15 minutes from the Alabama border) and visited Battleship Memorial Park. The park is free to visit for active duty military and offers a discounted rate for any guests of an active duty military member. The biggest attraction of the park is probably the USS Alabama, but the park also offers a hanger filled with military planes, an old submarine to tour, and military aircraft and tanks scattered throughout the outdoor portion of the park.

Walking into the USS Alabama was like taking a step back in time to the WWII era. We were able to tour both the outside and inside of the ship. The rooms were set up with props (and original memorabilia); it was almost like we were on the ship as it was in the 40s.

 We were able to see sleeping quarters (some just in the middle of the hallway), cafeterias, bakeries, doctor offices, dentist chairs, chapels, and post offices. It's amazing how ships can be their own floating villages. I decided that as much as I appreciate that time period and find it fascinating, living on a ship would get old fast. I don't think one could survive as a claustrophobic sailor.

 As I mentioned, we were also able to tour an old submarine. If I thought it'd be hard to be claustrophobic on a ship, a submarine would be way worse. I couldn't believe how tight everything was packed. Yet, it was still very interesting to see what life on a submarine would be like.

 The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering through the park as Keagan quizzed me on the names of tanks and aircraft (I failed...). Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear stories about the different models and when they were used. My husband's knowledge of the military always surprises me. Someday I'll remember which tank is which, Keagan. Someday.

Get Engaged When You're 23...Or Don't.

If you have any Facebook friends around 20-25 years old, you've no doubt seen this post 23 Things to Do Instead of Getting Engaged When You're 23 being passed around. And then, you saw a few counter-posts explaining why getting married at a young age is awesome. And then...you got sick of seeing it all.

Honestly, I'm tired of hearing how getting married young is a mistake and on the other side, how waiting to get married and settle down is stupid. Are we really that shallow that we have to ridicule others for their relationship status? Each and every relationship (and person) is very different, marriage is a huge decision, and we don't need to throw labels on each other based on that. For some, getting married young is the answer. For others, there's nothing wrong with waiting. The right thing to do is not universal.

When we got married, I was 21 and Keagan was 22. We heard our fair share of negative and positive comments, which was totally weird. I never expected my peers to flat out tell me I was "stupid" and "wasting my life." Honestly, at times I felt very self-conscious about getting married young. I had to remind myself to focus on the encouragement from friends and family and the reasons why we decided to marry when we did.

In regards to some of the comments in the article, our marriage was not a cop-out. It was a decision that we took very seriously. I met the guy that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, we sat down and talked about the future, and came up with a plan that benefited our future together, not our lives separately. That's what we wanted. We both knew that Keagan would soon move across the country for the Marines and I was not interested in spending years living across the country from each other until we reached the "Proper Age to Marry." Would we have been fine waiting to get married? Yes, probably. Am I glad we got married when we did? Absolutely! I would have missed out on an important part of my husband's life and those years apart are something I would have hated to waste. And Vanessa, I'm not hiding behind a significant other instead of dealing with life's highs and lows on my own. If I hadn't gotten married when I did, you know what I'd be doing? I'd be finishing up my second year of grad school for a career that I wasn't passionate about. I'd be living comfortably in my home state, not taking any risks. Because we got married, I had to give up a "plan" that I had originally created to keep me comfortable. Because we got married, we came up with a new plan and now I've lived in 4 states in the past two years. I've learned that things I once valued and based my worth off of were unbalanced. I'm still learning who I am and what my dreams are, and probably will continue doing that for the rest of my life. And you know what? That's okay. I've got someone who is committed to that journey with me for the rest of our lives. That's one of the best things I could ever imagine. It's what I needed and what worked for us.

That was our situation. That might not be everyone's situation. And that's okay. Get married before 23. Or don't. Make that decision and don't think that your decision is the only one.

Shoes overflow the hallway rug that doesn't really fit in a very convenient spot.

Dog food is pebbled across the floor and miscellany peeks out of a not-so-discreet tote.

Like the blanket tossed on the floor and the mess of cords in the corner, not everything is perfectly pretty or put away.

But it is our home. 

And we're living in it.

To me, that's beautiful enough. 

As I think about home tonight, I also think about warmth. I think about safety, and comfort, and clean dishes drying on the dish-rack. I think of recently folded laundry sitting on a dresser, hamburger thawing in the fridge for tomorrow night's supper, and a food supply that is never lacking. I think about the smell of Christmas-y candles burning, creating cozy contentment and relaxation. I think of the rare Florida chill that requires a knitted blanket draped over my knees. 

Tonight, the temperatures are dropping to dangerous levels in much of our country. Tonight, we'll go to bed under warm sheets with the luxury of a furnace running. Tonight, our needs (and wants) are taken care of. 

I am thankful.

Okay, Okay.

 So, what is it about sitting down and writing a blog entry after a blogging break that makes it so hard? So much has happened that it seems silly to pass by without mentioning it, but then again, so much has happened that it's pretty near impossible to catch up. But hey, I've gotta start somewhere, so I'm going to sit down, get something out on the blog and we'll go from there.

We have now lived in Florida for a month. A month. That seems crazy. We did spend 11 days of our time on the road and back home for Christmas, so I guess that's how it went so fast. But wow, a month. And slowly...it's beginning to feel like home.

We spent the first couple of weeks here getting organized, settled in, planning a trip "home" and exploring the area. We have been working a little harder on making this apartment feel like home, since we might actually be here longer than a year. Keagan starts Introductory Flight School on the 15th, so up until now he's just been reporting to base for formations, PT, miscellaneous duty, and medical appointments.

We finally got our internet set up! Between our new internet company and some issues with our apartment, I played middleman until it was finally worked out. Not having internet at home was okay, sometimes, but when you're an online-student who just moved and has a lot of loose ends to tie up...it means a lot of trips to the library (or a fast food parking lots). Because I didn't want to spend forever and a day on my internet-trips I simply did my classes, paid the bills, did some Pensacola research, and checked to make sure nothing Earth-shattering happened on Facebook without my knowledge.




We went home for Christmas! It was so nice that Keagan's training schedule worked the way that it did, so that we could use his leave and see both of our families for Christmas. We packed up our car and left at 5 PM the Monday before Christmas, and arrived in Iowa on Tuesday. The nearly 20 hour drive through the night was not the most fun we've ever had, but it is the first time we've gotten to drive across the country in the same car. We were so grateful for the time with family and friends. It went so fast, but it was a refreshing reminder of how blessed and thankful we really are for our lives on both ends of the 20 hour drive. (Even if one end is really cold, makes your skin dry, your hair full of static, and gives you an instant cold).

We got home, unpacked, got back on "schedule", had dinner with some friends, and then spent a couple of days doing a lot of laying around. Unfortunately, we've both has a bit of a stomach bug the last couple of days.

And now, it's a new year. I almost sat down on the first and wrote a crazy-reflective post, but I figure there's enough of those out there already, so I'll keep it short. As we look back on the last year, it's been busy, crazy, exciting, challenging, and wonderful. We've lived in three states, Keagan finally got to start his long-term goal of becoming a Marine Aviator, I have been exploring new goals, we've spent valuable time with family, and made wonderful new friends. God has protected us, led us, and taught us so much through the experiences and that's why for 2014, I'm keeping my goals simple. Instead of focusing on me and what I want to accomplish, my goal is to leave my heart open to whatever he wants to teach me and use me for. This year might be a little less "exciting" and "hectic" than the last, and I'm ready for the change of seasons.

-Wishing you all a fresh and wonderful start to 2014!

`

Three things I've realized about myself lately.

1. If there is anything slightly dangerous in an apartment, I will find it. I will not find it on purpose, but I will find it (examples: cutting my hand on a dryer door, grabbing a cutting board from a cupboard and jamming a screw under my fingernail, and stepping on five sharp objects in the first four days of moving in). how?

2. I have become a dog person. I have laughed myself to tears twice this week for dog-related incidents.

3. I need to get more sleep.

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).