December Updates!

The last week has been CRAZY to say the least! Here’s a little update:

1.       We went to Washington DC with some soldiers from David’s brigade for a LT Retreat.  It was very refreshing!  We went to Arlington National Cemetery and visited the graves of some soldiers who were in David’s brigade that gave the ultimate sacrifice.  We also went to the Pentagon, visited the memorials, and toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where all the money is made!) just to name a few.  It was a nice mini vacay!

2.       David got his 6^th Airborne Jump in last Wednesday, so he is no longer a “Five Jump Chump”! Unfortunately, he had a bad landing that landed him in the ER.  Before you freak out, yes he is still alive and kicking.  The ER released him a few hours later and requested that he follow up with the TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Clinic. We did so the following day.  They had him on “Quarters” for 24 hours, meaning he was not allowed to work, do PT, drive, etc. and to follow up in one week.  He was originally cleared to go back to work today (still no PT or driving), however we went back to the doctor today because he was still having some issues. He is now on Quarters again – this time for 48 hours.  We still don’t really have a lot of answers as far as treatment.  Right now, they are treating the symptoms (dizziness, light sensitivity, motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, etc.) and once that is better, they will talk about physical therapy. Pretty much taking it one day at a time.

3.       Jason is finally deploying – and I think he is the only one that is somewhat excited about it! We got to hang out with him for a little while the past few days.  His parents came up this past weekend and it was nice to see them too!  His deployment is slated to last approximately 12 months, but we are all HOPING and PRAYING that they end this war and send all our troops home!

4.       David is also scheduled tentatively to deploy in the spring of next year…of course that can change.  He is obviously in NO condition to deploy right now.  We will keep everyone updated on that as we get more information!

5.       With all the “exciting” news going on, I really have not had that much time to think or do any “baby” things.  I guess it still does not quite seem real to me at this point.  Knowing that David will be away during my 3^rd trimester and probably miss the birth is a little sad to think about.  If that is what happens, then I will deal with it then.  I suppose I should feel honored that God knows I am strong enough to handle being put in that situation.  I will definitely be moving back home during those months to be with my family should David leave. I have also had an opportunity for an interview – tomorrow actually – however in light of the current circumstances, I decided to cancel the interview since I may be moving back home. I need to be home to take care of David right now anyway.  On a more positive note, I am in the process of getting federal funding to cover the cost of my CPA exam course materials…so we will see how that works out! I am also recently obsessed with Pinterest…it gives me little crafty ideas to work on during the day while David is was working…my craft list is getting LONG J

So that is about it so far! Hopefully some GOOD, FUN, EXCITING things will be happening in the future…Lord knows I would love to BLOG about something cheery for a change! Until next time!

Weekend Trips Home!

The past couple weeks have been challenging to say the least.  First, here’s a recap of our two trips back home:

Trip #1 – Random 4 Day Weekend

This weekend became a 4 day weekend, I assume because my husband was in the field for the whole week.  We got up around 1AM to get on the road so we could be home by mid morning on Friday.  That was the plan anyway.  While driving southbound on I95, we ran over some debris in the road.  We pulled over on the side of the interstate, it is dark, drizzling rain, and semi trucks rushing by…David hops out to check out the car.  The smell of gasoline permeated the entire car and surrounding area and then we could hear (and see) gasoline pouring out of the bottom of the car.  The gas tank had been punctured. While David had a mini panic attack and subsequently a come to Jesus meeting, I called 911 and OnStar (which by the way, they did NOT detect that our vehicle had been in an accident and we were disabled on the side of the road).  Four fire trucks, three police cars, and one tow truck later, the spill was cleaned and we were sitting in front of a closed body shop waiting for them to open.   Once they opened, they checked out our car, took us to breakfast, ordered us a rental car, and we were on our way again! I would just like to say to the person that left their RED car bumper in the middle of I-95: you owe me a NEW gas tank and a tank of gas...geeze people! How about some responsibility!

We arrived home around 4PM.  The day was MUCH longer than we had ever anticipated, but we made it home safely.  That night we had a family dinner at my grandparent’s house – and also told the family about the BIG news.  Nobody knew we were coming down except my grandparents and my aunts, so my mom was completely shocked! Can’t you tell by her expression?! It was priceless!

I have a video of how we let the cat out of the bag…but I am having technical difficulties getting it loaeded...I will continue to work on it!

They spelled Surprise wrong…but it’s ok because I got a discount and we ate that part first...trying to look at the glass half full!  ;-)

The rest of the weekend we saw more family, went to Mule Day (family tradition!) and saw our church family. There are now NINE girls at our church that are preggers...its just crazy! Here's 3 of us!

 

Monday we made the trek back to Ft. Bragg  - looking forward to a 3 day work week and then going back home for Veteran’s Day.

Trip #2 – Veteran’s Day Weekend

Well, this weekend was SUPPOSED to be a 4 day weekend – but it turned out it was only a 3 day weekend b/c  David’s unit scheduled to receive all their deployment gear Monday afternoon...(and yes I said deployment!  It changes literally every single day, so once we have some more accurate information on it, I will be letting everyone know how that is going.)  Yes, I know it is only one day difference, but when you have to drive 9 hours each way it makes a HUGE difference.  The whole weekend felt rushed, but it made me thankful that we were able to take a n impromtu trip home the previous weekend. We left early Friday morning, made a pit stop to pick up the car (it was half way between here and there, which played into our decision to go all the way home too).  Everything was fine with the car – good as new! We made it back home and spent time with family and friends and then came back to Ft. Bragg on Sunday.

Sunday we will be leaving to go to Washington DC for a lieutenant’s retreat.  I am very excited and hope that we can meet some other nice people and built lasting relationships.  When we get back, we will be piling up in the car to head home for Thanksgiving.  We are so excited to be able to come home for the holidays – and yes, for a THIRD time this month!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

With all this talk about rainbows lately, I thought I would share some more photos I found online.

 

 

Ever since we have been inundated with all the rainbows and the promises they represent, I have not really questioned the legendary “Pot of Gold” that is so often talked about at the rainbow’s end.  Instead, I have focused on the promise it represents from God.

Much to our surprise, here’s our little Pot of Gold, aka promise from God <3

While it doesn't really look like a pot of gold, I am sure my belly is bound to look that way in about 5 or 6 months ;-)

We went home last weekend to tell our friends and family...I will just say that it was a very dramatic weekend to say the least! I will post the story and more pics soon!

Our Weekend Adventure

David and I had a great weekend.  He went off to his first day at in processing – although it got off to a rough start.  The electricity kept flipping off and on all night long (which I slept right through) however David was not so fortunate.  Once 5:30 rolled around, I was wide awake primarily from the heat, then David’s alarm clock.  The electricity was still off, so David had to get ready for his first day in the dark…no warm breakfast, water, or lights for him!

With a flashlight…

Ahh that’s better!

So now with the hubs off to work and no “real” job to do – I cooked and cleaned and then headed off to the gym J

Over the weekend we went to the Volksmarch and did the 5K and also went to the Josh Turner concert. I was a smidge disappointed with the “German Food” they supposedly were going to have…it was Bratwurst … which is arguably American at this point J So we saved our $10 on sausage and went to Chickfila instead. Guess the authentic German food will just have to wait until we (hopefully) get stationed there!

And yes, that is a kid in the ruck sack!

Between the Volksmarch and the concert, we drove around town to get our bearings and then needed to make a quick trip to the commissary (grocery store)… I just happened to find a little tack store on the way back to post…so I just HAD to go in, if for nothing else just to sniff the leather and hay J

Afterwards, we braved the Commissary together – it is ALWAYS busy and crowded … definitely NOT the Publix experience by any means. But, it is cheap and has a pretty good selection…and did I mention cheap?! I won’t brag that grilled chicken breast are only 1.70/lb pretty much all the time or that I can get a flank steak for under $5 that I would have usually paid $12 back home J You certainly have to fight for your place in there though…its like a little game of tetris.

As promised, here is a photo of Josh Turner J

And another pic of the concert...

Sunday was good – we have found a church that we are still trying to decide if it is for us…so far so good.  I just keep comparing it to back home and then I am always disappointed…I am still learning that I can’t  compare…it is what it is J

 I am still looking for a job – there are plenty of jobs in the area that would be MORE than happy to have me…at minimum wage.  Don’t.Think.So. (at least not yet!)  Or I can always commute an hour each way to work for a more comparable job to back home (there I go again with the comparisons!)  Probably the most unfortunate thing is that I had to withdraw from m very  first graduate class tonight due to not having a job yet.  Graduate School is very expensive and there really aren’t any programs out there for our rank that will assist military spouses.  We have been very blessed so far to not have any student loan debt and now is NOT the time to start acquiring that – especially in the job market here. 

All in all, we have had a pretty good weekend.  Just taking the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows – it is all a part of life J  David’s official first day with his unit is tomorrow and I will keep you posted on all the adventures to come!

Ft. Bragg - Here We Are!

So where to begin?! I will bring you all up to date on everything that has occurred since last time I updated the blog.

David graduated AG basic Officer Leadership Course:

 

David went to – and graduated –Airborne School:

I pinned David’s wings:

David dedicated his original wings to his father:

 

 

More Airborne School Photos:

Our best “army” friends moved to Hawaii:

We moved to Fayetteville (aka Fayettenam according to the locals and all the lucky souls that have escaped this dreadful place).

No…it really isn’t THAT bad (definitely not Hawaii!) but we have found that it is actually a pretty good little town now that we are here.

Our first trip to come check out the area was absolutely horrible! So horrible in fact that we contemplated on how in the world we could get new orders…anywhere except Ft. Bragg would be acceptable.  It took us a little while to get used to the idea, safety being the main reason.  It was storming the whole way back to South Carolina after our first visit.  I was driving and David was sleeping (of course!) and as I came over the hill I saw a huge rainbow.  It reminded me of the Biblical Story of the Great Flood in Genesis:

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:

9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you

10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,

15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.

Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

It gave me a sense of peace that everything would be OK. 

Over the course of the next week, we didn’t talk much about the orders we got to move to Ft. Bragg.  Let’s be honest, it was a sore subject!  The following weekend, David and I went to the pool to get in a little relaxation before he headed off to Airborne School. It was a beautiful sunny day – not a cloud in the sky.  The weather was perfect.  I was laying in the lounge chair soaking up the rays.  I heard David in the distance talking to some other army guys about orders and where they would be going next. Agitated, I opened my eyes…ugh, I mean could we just get away and not talk about our crappy future for five minutes I thought to myself?! Then, I saw it. A rainbow in the sky.  On a clear, sunny day – no clouds, no rain, no rain in the forecast…just a rainbow in the sky.

David left the following week for Airborne School.  The first week was OK without him.  Then, I had to say goodbye to a really good friend of mine and her husband (they are PCSing to Hawaii, remember?!) Consequently, Hawaii is known as the Rainbow State – just a little trivia for ya =) It was a tough week.  I was really looking forward to my last day at work because I would be going home for a week to see friends and family.  So the week, of course, druggggggg by…..

By this point I was feeling a little better about our future at Ft. Bragg, as dismal as it seemed.  My last week of work it rained all week long.  One morning as I was driving in, this is what I saw:

Go figure, right?!  And this was the third and final rainbow that I have seen (in person) since we have gotten our orders (some of you may remember my “three theme” a few posts ago…if not, feel free to go back and read it.)  Even more awesome than that, FaceBook Friends of mine posted pictures of rainbows after I saw the third one in person (keep in mind I had not shared all my rainbow drama with anyone except David until now.)  I thought it was neat, so I thought I would share.  J

OK, so now on with the stuff that you guys REALLY want to know about.  David and I have officially arrived at Ft. Bragg. We have a really cute house off post and just outside of Fayetteville.  It is in a pretty nice area and we are surrounded by cotton fields so it has a nice element of being back home.  David starts his in processing at the end of this week and into next week and he should start his official job towards the end of next week. 

There are LOTS of community events and activities we have planned over the next week.  There is a Volksmarch this Saturday which includes a 5K and lots of German food and festivities (it reminds me a little of the Greek Food Festival back home...its just German instead of Greek.)  Then that evening Josh Turner is putting on a free concert for the military and I am STOKED! I loveeee Josh Turner – his voice is uhhhmazing! And ladies, you KNOW what I’m talking about!

;-)  I will try to get some good pics of him to post. 

Thanks to everyone for your continued support and desire to keep in touch! It means so much!

 Ashley

Nobody Can Be Youier than YOU =)

I.have.a.job – YAY! In fact, I have been working for a month now…it is SUCH a relief to have more funds coming in than going out (Budget 101)! AND, our townhouse got rented and our tenants are moving in this month =)


So, my last post, I spoke to not becoming lost in being an Army wife…it is honestly something I have recently been struggling with more than I let on to those around me. I find solace in maintaining my own identity and I know that it is important that I do so in order to stay sane! Military wives must learn to balance independence and dependence on the long and short term…I have recently heard that it is not the separation part that kills you, but the being reunited part. Separation can make a good marriage better and a bad marriage worse.

So, here is a list of things that may help YOU keep your identity…or create your own…or at least help you get involved in something that is all about YOU:

1) Go BACK to school (or start going!) – I have a double bachelors degree in Business Administration and Accounting, I am CPA eligible (but am horrified of taking the state test…fear of failure – we will touch on this later!) I have always wanted my Masters Degree – but NOT in Accounting. So, I decided to do a little internet digging, and I found Liberty University. I am starting my Masters in Management and Leadership this fall. The best part is that they cater to military / military families and I am getting a ridiculously LOW rate per credit hour for a graduate level course =)

2) Start writing (a blog, a news column, or write a soldier!) – SHARE your experiences! You aren’t doing anybody any favors when you keep it to yourself. I recently submitted my blog to the spousebuzz blog to be a guest writer…we shall see if I get an invite to be a weekend writer. If not, any military spouses out there reading this should check out their page too =) Their website is http://spousebuzz.com.

3) GET ACTIVE! Go the gym, take an aerobics class, canoe at your local park, learn to knit, take an equestrian riding lesson, make a home video to send to your deployed spouse, cook a new dish, go to a wine tasting, SCRUB your house (my personal fav when I am not so happy…went well with a glass of wine), go to the dog park. Don’t have a dog? I’m sure the local animal shelter can use your help ;-)

4) Keep your neighbors child(ren) for the evening/day/weekend. We all need a break…maybe she will return the favor when YOU need it most.

5) Pamper yourself. Get a mani/pedi, get your hair done, get a massage or facial…or both ;-) You deserve it!

6) What is the one thing you have always regretting NOT doing or completing? Start taking steps now to accomplish that dream – then, ACT on it! If it does not happen, you have nobody to blame but yourself…and if you tried and failed, try again. It’s better to try and fail than to never try at all…and now that I have said this, refer back to my #1 ;-) Like I said, we will touch on this later!

Whatever you do, just do not waste your life away with “tomorrow I will…” and “someday we can…” Tomorrows become yesterdays faster than we realize…embrace the day you are given and make it count! When you love and take care of yourself, that love bleeds over into your relationship(s).

XOXO

A Clean Slate

The other day, I was flipping the pages of my Army Wife Handbook, and came across the following entry:


“I went to a company coffee last night. There was the usual griping about the Army, griping about the weather, and some not so usual attacks on the commanding officer’s wife because she couldn’t attend. Under the sniping was the attitude that nobody cares.

Well, ladies, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the commander’s wife, the sergeant major’s wife, the first sergeant’s wife, and others have houses to keep clean, jobs, volunteer work, children to tend to, husbands to baby, college to attend, bills to pay, and their share of homesickness, boredom and despair over living overseas. We don’t have time to coddle you about your boredom, loneliness or non-existent social life.

The good news is, we do care. Call the same commander’s wife, too busy to make it to a coffee, and tell her your car broke down and you need to get the baby to the doctor, and she’ll be there to give you a ride. If your husband is in the field and the kids are making you crazy, call the first sergeant’s wife, and she’ll be more than willing to listen, maybe even baby-sit so you can get away for awhile. Need a job? Call the platoon sergeant’s wife who works at CPO and find out how willing she is to show you how to fill out the maze of paperwork.

We care because we’re all in this together. But you’re grown women, and your first responsibility is to care about yourselves. You have to reach out, and let people know you have problems. You have to take the steps to ensure your happiness.

Homesick, but can’t afford to call Mom? Write letters, or send cassette tapes and post cards. Can’t afford to travel? Travel through the post library, or discover the city or village where you live by foot or bus.

Don’t know anybody and you’re lonely? Reach out. Invite possible friends for coffee. Encourage your husband to bring single soldiers home for dinner; macaroni and cheese in a homey atmosphere beats a steak in the mess hall any day. Be the nice lady who bakes a birthday cake for the single men, or sews stripes on their uniforms.

Bored and can’t find a job? Volunteer. Being needed a few hours a day is a terrific remedy for a sagging self-esteem. Are your kids making you crazy, but you can’t afford a baby sitter? Find someone else in the same situation and time-share the child care. No night life where you are stationed? A bottle of wine, a deck of cards, and a few friends can be a lot of fun on a Saturday night. Husband in the field? Have a slumber party or a potluck dinner.

Make yourself useful, do favors for people, develop your skills and talents. Start caring about yourself and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out how many people out there care about you.”

The Stars and Stripes, May 8, 1988

Even though this entry was first published over 20 years ago, it still encouraged me to GO OUT and make something of myself in spite of my current circumstances. So often, spouses of soldiers in the military become stagnant and allow their soldier’s career path to absolutely consume their lives (understandably so!) I started to feel as if I was starting to journey down that road…and then I realized that it does NOT mean we cannot have a GREAT job, not just another job…or make an impact on others that are around us. It has been difficult to go out and find new friends, it has been difficult going from TWO nice paychecks to ONE so-so paycheck, and it has also been difficult finding another church to call “home”. But, we are making it…we know that we are right where God wants us to be in this moment, and in knowing that, we find comfort.

Until next time, stay encouraged <3

RECEIVING END UPDATE!

I’ve heard it said that if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. So, with that in mind, here is my next post:






























OK, well we didn’t get very far with that, did we?! Bad news doesn’t get better with time, so here it goes!

David and I arrived to Columbia Sunday afternoon. The movers were scheduled to deliver our HHGs Wednesday morning. We were also working on setting up cable, Internet, and getting some other items switched over. The cable/Internet folks couldn’t come out until Wednesday either, so we were both a little bummed about that…but with our luck so far, we weren’t surprised at all.

The movers arrived, as promised (thank God!) The supervisor of the movers was the same gentleman we met in Florida, except this time he had two different helpers with him. David had an appointment that morning, so I was the lady left in charge to manage the movers, check off all the boxes and furniture on the receiving list, tell the movers where everything should be put, etc. A tough job, but someone’s gotta do it, and that someone might as well be ME =)

No sooner than David walks into the house, I hear a LOUD CLUNK-THUD-THUD-CRASH-BANG! Uh oh. I look outside towards the moving truck and I see one man standing on the unloading ramp of the semi trailer looking down. My first thought was, Dang, that really stinks for who ever THAT belonged to….then I realized what it was =/

A few days before the packers came, we decided a brand new Browning gun safe would be a nice OCS graduation gift for David. For those of you that don’t know, David is an avid competitive shooter and it is a sport that is near and dear to his heart. Boys and their toys, right?! So, we splurged and got one that was a little nicer than we originally intended to purchase. Mistake? You decide.

So, yes, as you have probably guessed by now, it was David’s brand new, never been used, gun safe that was dropped off the truck…literally dropped off. It face planted like humpty-dumpty face first onto the concrete parking lot / curb and definitely will NOT be put back together again…the locking mechanism and fire proof material inside has all been damaged, rendering it useless for its primary purpose (locking and fire protection).




…David was furious. Wouldn’t you be?! This entire situation CONSUMED our emotions, along with the rest of the afternoon and well into the next day.

Along with the brand new gun safe that was damaged beyond repair, here is a list of other items that were broken, dented, scratched, gouged, etc. etc. etc. : our bed, dresser, mirror, chest, table, bookcase, love seat, washing machine (it was shipped without the shipping rod, when we explicitly told them to insert it), treadmill, and a multitude of other weight training equipment.

To make it even more interesting, the supervisor attempted talking David into just “buying the safe” off of us so that we would not file a claim. Mmmm hmmm, yeah RIGHT. With that said, we have spent the last two or three days, documenting and taking photos of EVERYTHING so that we can file a claim. And, it was submitted this morning =) We will SEE what the company comes back with as far as a counter offer is concerned.

So, a few other things I have learned through all this:

1) I’ve said it before, but people really do not care or have any respect for your belongings – WATCH them, stand over them, babysit them…and if you are going to do all this, you might as well do it yourself.

2) When your hired movers break or lose your stuff (and they will), FILE A CLAIM. The paper work is ridiculous (purposefully, I’m sure…) but do it anyway. Eventually, these companies should get a clue.

3) Get renters insurance BEFORE you move. We spoke to USAA today regarding renters insurance and they informed us that if we would have had it last week, ALL of our belongings that we damaged during shipment would have been covered. It is worth it!

Interestingly, remember about the cable/Internet folks not being able to come until Wednesday? Well, let’s just say that was a divine appointment to say the least. Rich, the gentleman who came out to do our installation, was just what the Big Man upstairs ordered =) David had been really questioning how he handled himself and the situation regarding the movers damaging the safe. Rich helped encourage and remind us both that God is always in control, regardless of whether or not we see it (or remember it) in the moment. Up to this point, everything had been so overwhelming with the move, it was a relief to have someone in our home to talk with and be encouraged by. Rich shared with us his military stories and how God worked in his life – everything truly DOES work together for good to those that love Him (Romans 8:28) <3 Here’s a pic of the Cable Guy ;-) THANKS Rich for all you do! Keep up the super work =)

The past week has been one giant learning experience. Perhaps we just had a good streak of bad luck with this whole move…or maybe this is just how all of them go. David and I are still scratching our heads about the whole situation. It is just unfortunate that companies – professional companies – do business this way. I mean, WHY hire a professional to do something that we could have done better on our own? In the long run, it is still costing us just as much time, energy, and effort as it would have had we just embarked on this our own. I will post the outcome of all the claims paperwork once it is finalized and hopefully that will be sooner rather than later =)

So, take NIKE’s advice and JUST DO IT (yourself!)

Hind Sight…

…they always say is 20/20. How true it is. We are currently in the process of our very first PCS move, and oh if we could only do this all over again. Most of my blog readers are friends and family, however if there are any military families out there that are reading this, this post is for YOU =)
First, I would like to start off by saying, I am a brand new ARMY wife…which means my hubs is also new to this whole military thing as well…we are learning as we go and hope others can glean a bit of knowledge from our experiences. Here we go…

So, over the past week we have been doing our very first PCS (Permanent Change of Station) move. This is where your “sponsor” a.k.a. military service member, a.k.a. my husband has received orders to permanently change where he is required to report for duty/schooling/training. PCS orders are when the military pays to move the sponsor and his/her family members. There are other categories of moves, but I will not go into detail of that for this blog post…perhaps another time. For your family’s PCS move, you can choose to have the military set up times with packers/movers to come to your house, pack EVERYTHING (and I DO mean everything!), drive it to your new duty location, and unpack your belongings – you do not have to lift one finger or pack one box. Or there is what is called a DITY (Do It Yourself) move. This is where YOU pack everything, YOU load the U-Haul, and YOU drive to your new duty location, and yes, YOU unpack everything. Or, you can do a combination of the two types (usually shipping the larger house hold goods (HHG) and then taking the items that cannot easily be replaced).

With this being our very first move and knowing that we really do not know how everything works with the military, we decided it would be best to have the military coordinate the move for us so we were “less stressed” about everything. (Note: this was mistake #1).

So, we are EXCITED. Our first move. Our first NEW apartment. A new town. A new post to explore. Its summertime and things are GRRREAT! We are anxious to meet the packers, the movers, and just to see how all of this works. After all, YOUR tax dollars at work ;-)

Wednesday rolls around. The packers come. Two men and one woman. They were all very nice, very quiet, but nice. It only took 3.5 to 4 hours for them to pack our entire house (not that we have a big house by any means…but it was super fast!) We also provided drinks and snacks for them during this time, since we had been advised to “take care of your movers” on more than one occasion. About 30 minutes before it was time for them to leave, they talked amongst themselves about how “great” of a tip one family gave them last week. So, David and I of course overhear this, and decide we too should probably tip these people. I did a little research online to make sure it was appropriate to tip packers (and it is WHEN they do their job right). The going rate appeared to be $20 per packer (or about $5 per hour). So, $60 we paid and that was that. (Mistake #2).

Thursday morning the movers were supposed to come and load all of the heavy furniture and all the boxes the packers packed the previous day. This crew consisted of three men. We provided the same hospitality we provided to the packers the previous day. About half way into the morning, the supervisor of the crew came to David and I and showed us a piece of chewed up bubble gum that was still a little soft that had been stuck to the bottom of our bed (allegedly the previous day)…and we also found two or three additional pieces thrown all over our front lawn (see Mistakes #1 and #2.) This gentlemen also pointed out that they packed a box of my hanging clothes with shoes and bedding supplies (which they are not supposed to do because it will wrinkle the clothes – they have special boxes to ship hanging clothes in). And, they also packed cleaning liquids, which they are also not supposed to pack because it could leak out of its container and ruin your belongings or the belongings of someone else. All of our belongings are loaded up onto a semi trailer (along with other family’s belongings from all over the south east) and it will be delivered to our apartment by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. So, we tipped three more guys $20 each – so now our tip total is up to $120.

So, here is what we have learned from this SO far (b/c it isn’t over until we get our goods on the receiving end!):

1. Watch your packers. They will tell you to stay out of the way (and you probably should so they can do their jobs). But remember, they are packing YOUR items, YOUR memories, and NOBODY cares about your stuff like YOU do!

2. Do NOT tell them this is your first move. Period. If they ask, answer it like a politician…if you are not still living with your parents then you HAVE moved before, capice?!

3. Get the first AND last names of each of the packers and movers. This way, if you DO have issues, you can call the company. The company should know who was on the job, but you never know.

4. Just do it yourself, if possible. Period.

All of this has been quite the learning experience. What makes the bite sting a little more is knowing that if we would have just DONE IT OURSELVES, we would have banked about $8,000 based on the weight of the items in our home and the distance we are to be moving. Ouch!

Yes, it is true that you live and learn…we have done just that. Packers and movers are great, and I am sure not all of them are like the folks that came to help us…if they are I don’t know how they stay in business. Just be prepared and know what “could happen”. We certainly did not.

Next time, provided that we are not stationed OCONUS (Outside Continental United States) we WILL be moving ourselves =)

Updates on the receiving end to follow!

A Quick Update!

David and I have returned (briefly) from Ft. Jackson – we found a super cute apartment about 10 minutes from post!

Court Yard

Our new backyard - stocked with bass too!

Front yard

Dining/ Kitchen

Living Room

It’s actually really great that we will be in Ft. Jackson over the summer – my best friend’s father lives up there so we already know someone! We had dinner with him one evening to catch up on LIFE…the next day at our hotel, we had a little surprise from him waiting on us =)

Also, while we were up there, I went “car looking”…the car salesman, of course, made small talk and I told him we were new to the area, my husband was in the army, etc. He asked what I was planning on doing as far as jobs were concerned and I told him about my personal training background and that I would probably continue building my personal training business in South Carolina. He mentioned that he knew someone that managed a local gym and that he would make a couple phone calls to see if he could at least help me get an interview =) Neat, huh?! Even cooler, is this guy actually called me back with the manager’s contact information, I called him, and I have an appointment next week to meet with the manager! I am stoked!

Since we have returned to Tally, we have been talking with all of the usual service providers – utilities, cable, Internet, etc. about turning off services in Florida and getting everything set up in South Carolina. So far, so good! Everything has gone smoother than expected so far. Wednesday, the packers are coming to pack and Thursday another set of folks are coming to load everything up for its journey to SC…we are super excited, a little sad, but we are embracing this as a NEW opportunity to GO and LIVE and EXPLORE everything the world has to offer…and maybe give a little back during this whole process =)

AND..... MOST important, I COULD NOT go up there without checking out the stables.  This is the riding arena, overlooking the golf course.  It is directly behind the Officer's Club - HOW convenient, right?!  Now, we just have to buy the RIGHT horse trailer to bring my baby up with us!

I will continue to update the blog during our move! We MAY be out of Internet for a couple days once we get up there, but hopefully no longer than a few days =)  Again, thank you for all your support!!!