Purge, Purge, Purge

My husband told me recently, "You're really good at pointing out what you're not good at."

He then went on to challenge me to write about something I AM good at for a change. What came to mind first?

Double-Tasking.

or triple, quadroople even. I'm fantastic at this especially when it comes to getting things done around the house. It's a blessing and a curse really.

Laundry needs done? No prob. Let me just clean the shower after I switch loads, match some socks here, clean the table there, back and forth, back and forth, I'm a woman on a mission. It must drive my Type A Army Officer Husband batty. He has a task to do- he gets it done. He focuses and he accomplishes and then moves on to the next thing. Me? I'm all over the place.

Our differences come to roaring head when we move. Please feel my pain when I tell you that my husband and I are averaging moving once a year since we've been married. We've no plans to break the cycle either with our upcoming (departure from the Army) move in less than a year to God knows where. This means that we've had our fair share of box unpacking as of late.

I can't stand to not have the house unpacked. Captain J doesn't mind in the slightest. He unpacks the t.v., gets it set up, and calls it a day. The next day, he'll unpack one box then break for an hour.

Imagine my despair when I discovered this about him. But, but honey there's so much to dooooo!

It was infinitely more terrible when I was nesting with sweet Baby K baking away inside me. My double tasking little heart just cannot understand why he's a one focused task (box) kind of person. I want to take out the wine holder from the box and lovingly place it in the kitchen. Then, if I so deem fitting, I'll grab my house shoes peeking out from another box and take them to the closet. I do what I want, people. In my head, there's order in this way of operating. In Captain J's view? He doesn't see it that way.

As I hinted before, the last move was the worst. I just could not go another day without putting Baby K's room together. Afterall, he was going to be here ANY second (wishful thinking on my part). After nearly two months of this extremely pregnant body sleeping on an air mattress on the floor, I gained renewed energy and suddenly wanted to make this place feel like home. There was no time for rest. Poor J.

At any given moment, you might have found me shouting, "Why are the books still stacked up in boxes?! SERENITY NOW!"

It was bad.

But I think I'm giving Captain J a little taste of my unrest. Today he came home to books of boxes in the hallway, empty boxes strewn throughout the house, and clothes/various items all over the place. Yes, it's Spring Cleaning time and my motto is Purge, Purge, Purge. With thoughts of clean and simplified living in mind, I'm tolerating the temporary mess. I wonder what J thinks about it. ;)

Captain J:1

Mrs. K: 1

The game continues.

Giggles and "stuff"

Can't talk today. It's gonna be a busy day (or at least it better be!).

Today is the day our "stuff" finally arrives from Ft. Benning.

Or at least it better.

Otherwise, I might have to show my ugly side. It's been over a month, ya know. No place for the poor pregnant lady to sleep. They ought to be ashamed.

Speaking of ugly, here's some photos that tend to crack me up. The Cap'n and I got really bored without that "stuff" of ours so we took some funny photos. I hope they make you giggle, too!

First, we created a comic book page-

Then, some silly settings were in order-

Oh, and I'll give you one guess who thought this photo would be a good idea-

(Hint: It wasn't me)

Anyway, I'm going to get back to my hoping-the-movers-show mentality. Wish us luck. Y'all come back tomorrow, mmkay? Otherwise, I'm sending these two your way...

The Walmart Meltdown of 2011

Nut-case. Basket-case. Kace.



All terms may be used interchangeably to describe me as of late. This pregnancy in conjunction with a forced move is driving me to the edge. Just below is a steep drop to insanity and let me tell ya- I'm holdin' on with my heels. It's not a pretty picture.

Yesterday, I had a meltdown. It all started because I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Captain J suggested this wasn't appropriate for a growing baby and mom (in different words) so I basically flipped my lid. There were so many other competing thoughts floating through my mind at the time so I inevitably just focused on the one: Mama wants food! And I got noticeably annoyed in Walmart to the point that J escorted me out to the car for some refreshing A.C. and a long, uncontrollable, ugly cry.

The real issue was that I had gone to the doctor earlier. He told me that I had gained 23 pounds and he would rather see me at about 20lbs at this point. He didn't seem concerned, but this horribly self-conscious girl filed it away in her mind as a big, fat fail. Then when I arrived at Walmart (looking a hot mess in 100+ temperatures) it seemed as if everyone was starting at me. I don't like the attention that being pregnant brings because I can't decipher between negative attention and positive attention at this point. When a stranger stares, I automatically think it's because I look grotesque.

It's a problem, I know. Just call me nut-case.

Anyway, I cried and I cried. I cried for our lack of furniture, internet, PB&J's and money. I cried for crying over ridiculous things. I just couldn't stop. I felt so ridiculous.

I hate when I get stressed and adopt the belief that this is the worst possible thing that could happen. Because it never is.

Thank, God. He must really get tired of me acting so un-appreciatively. I know I'm incredibly blessed to have what I have. I just need to relax, sit back, and praise Him in this storm. Pretty soon the clouds will part and I'll have a sweet baby boy to put to sleep in his espresso colored crib and the fact that his mommy was stressed over research papers and an achy body due to a lack of sitting options (and a PB&J) will no longer matter.

As always, thanks for listening!

Sincerely,

Basket-Kace, AKA- Mrs. K

Fair warning: most of this post is complainy

Oh, how I wish I had good news.

I don't. I got nothin'.

Actually, that's not entirely true, but I'll leave that for last. Today, we were supposed to get our internet hooked up. After their "window" of time had closed shut, we called AT&T to ask why they never showed. Their response was that they didn't provide internet in our area.

(Ok, so why did you allow us to make an appointment for that?)

Anyway, long story short...

AT&T says that they'll be able to send someone out to survey the area and see if they could hook it up in our neck of the woods. Great. Perfect. But then they said they couldn't send anyone for up to 10 more business days. And then there's the chance that we would wait just to hear that it wasn't an option.

This does not work for two graduate students attending online courses.

We don't exactly trust AT&T after they neglected to actually call and cancel our appointment so now the only positive that was in my week is gone. I have no idea how I'm going to get these two research papers done without internet access at home. I can either spend time at the local library (with time restrictions on computer usage) or set up shop in a hotel again and use their internet.

I've been so annoyed recently. It's just so expensive to pick up and move, especially after we just did it 8 months ago. Now, we're wasting money on eating out (b/c we don't have our pots/pans/etc), we'll inevitably waste money on a hotel room b/c we need internet (b/c the Army will only pay for ten days), and then there are all the little expenses that add up.

We're just completely broke at this point and that's never an easy feeling when you're getting ready to have another mouth to feed. I just pray that Baby K continues to get a healthy report. Heaven forbid they have to put me on bedrest or something because I DON'T HAVE A BED!

I have been really disappointed with this move because I don't think waiting for a month on our furniture is the best they can do. We drove ten hours. It didn't take us a month to get here. I know others are waiting on their belongings, too...but I can't explain to you how much it sucks to be 8 months pregnant with nothing but the floor to sit on.

And that concludes my complaining for the day. Please forgive me.

The good news is- I talked to a midwife today who pulled strings, stepped on toes, and moved over some appointments just to fit me in. I love her soul. My appointment with the OB is tomorrow morning and I have an ultrasound appointment on July 7th! Woo hoo :) Hoping for good news! *I would just like to add that Ft. Polk's hospital staff has been very helpful. I'm definitely pleased with their service in helping me into the system so quickly and efficiently.

As promised, here are some photos of our new place-

He's weird, but I love him.

Our backyard is huge. Drifter and Holly love it here. I have new pics of them, too but I'll have to post those later. It's Mrs. K's bedtime.

hi, ho, hi, ho

Whew! The last few days have been interesting. The rest of our drive to Ft. Polk was terrifying. I know storms plagued most of us in the central and eastern states. It was no different for us. There were a couple of times I thought I was a goner. The storms came like curtains of rain. I would look out in front of me and see it waving around like the stage was being set and the curtains were about to close. I was sure it was the end of me.

But, then the skies parted and I realized I had at least a few more minutes left.

It continued to rain as we drove into LA. We hoped it wasn't symbolic or anything.

As we began our search for housing, thus began the worry. The money that the Army allocates for housing off post here is inadequate, to say the least. The properties in our price range were pitiful. A ridiculous amount of money for rent was required for very dirty, very broken down houses in bad neighborhoods. It wasn't looking good.

But I kept my happy face on (can't say the same for my husband) and knew it would all work out. I'm sure J was wondering, "Who is this woman and what has she done with my wife?"

What can I say? I'm trying out this new glass half full thing and it looks good on me.

Anyway, I was almost prepared to get my cleaning boots on and deal with those icky houses that seemed like the norm around here. But J wasn't having it. We decided we would spend a little more money so that we could be more comfortable and have a clean, safe place for Baby K to come home to.

We found a lovely home- 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a gigantic backyard for Drifter and Holly. It's pretty awesome. The yard is about as big as the dog park back in Fairbanks that they loved so much. They'll be happy there!

And I think we will be, too.

The downside?

Our furniture won't be delivered until July 12th. Thanks, U.S. Army. Baby K and I really appreciate that. It's back to the air mattress we go. Hi, ho, hi, ho.

(If you don't hear from me, fear not. I might be without internet access for a few days.)

Mobile

Today has been so long. Tis why I'm only giving you a few meaningless sentences in hopes you'll forgive me for not updating you more thoroughly.

All this is an assumption that you care where I'm at and what I'm doing.

Oh, well.

We're in Mobile, Alabama. We found a glorious hotel. It's nice AND they allow pets. The bed is tall and squishy with lots of pillows and I cannot wait to plop my big butt down on it and not move for at least 8 hours.

The drive wasn't so bad. My back began to hurt after awhile, but other than that, I did pretty well. We stopped along the way so I could walk around.

And the pups! They needed some sporadic exercise, too.



When we arrived at our destination, Captain J and I found a tasty restaurant that served some good ole southern barbeque! This is one thing that I missed when we were stationed in AK. Coming back to the south and their BBQ and sweet tea is a good thing- a very good thing.

Great, now I want a sweet tea...and I can't have one for at least two more months.

I digress.

And I've got to jet. I have a wonderful REAL bed that is calling my name.

But here's a photo that I took (while parked) in the car to symbolize our migration to Louisiana...



We'll chat soon, mmkay?

Love,

Mrs. K

Yeah, I'm leaving GA

If you're reading this in Real Time*, I am:

• rolling out of bed, mentally noting the long list of To Do's we have left


• packing up the car, yet again, to hit the road


• scrambling around post getting my medical records


• returning Charter boxes


• getting my oil changed before the big trip


• picking up my doggie pals


• finally getting on the road to make our move to Ft. Polk


• jamming to old school boy bands in the privacy of my own car


• or contemplating what in the heck I forgot this time.

Isn't moving fun? Ha! In all honesty, Captain J and I are happy about this change in our lives. We welcome a new state with open arms and can only hope that it welcomes us back. I just want to say goodbye to the storm alarm right outside our house, often notifying us of approaching tornados. I'm glad to distance myself from you and so are my nerves.

Peace out, cockroaches. I hope you aren't overtaking our new home in LA, too. You won't be missed, you're not invited to visit, and you aren't welcome to set up residency there.

Adios to thug-life (or the wanna-be culture) that living in Columbus often brings. Again, I'm none too sad in leaving you, either. My car break-in solidified my disdain for you.

Oh, we've had good times, too. I just can't focus on those right now. Knowing I'm moving farther from my loved ones gets me sad enough- I can't focus on happy memories right now. Perhaps tomorrow. Or the next day.

Anyway, we are very busy this week, but I'll try to keep you posted on our PCSing adventures.

In the words of the Zac Brown Band:

"Adios and vaya con dios. Yeah, I'm leaving GA."

(*Real Time is used to describe any moment on June 20th during the hours of 0700-2300)

The End.

In my recent studies, I came across this verse from Ecclesiastes that seems very fitting today-

"The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and patience is better than pride." - Ecclesiastes 7:8

The end. Those can be bittersweet words, can't they? In movies, it's the point at which we finally feel that homeostasis returning to our bodies. The conflict has been resolved in some way and we can leave the movie in peace, knowing that all is right again in that little world. In our favorite books, we're often glad to know what happened finally, but regretful that the story is no longer engrossing us.

'The end' can be happy or sad, but it is inevitable.

I look forward to so many ends and other beginnings. The end of this move is in sight. Don't ask me how or why I can see the finish line, but I can. It looks relaxing there. The fact that once we arrive at Ft. Polk (find a doctor and find a house) I still won't have time to sit down and put my feet up- matters very little. We'll have a home again. The home that we'll bring our son home from the hospital to. The home he'll roll over for the first time. The end of our time here at Ft. Benning.

I'm excited.

I'm trying to have patience and enjoy every single day, but today was difficult for me. I won't go into detail about all my pregnancy ailments because I know I can get complainy. But being 31 weeks pregnant in 98 degree weather with no furniture to relax on isn't the only issue I've got going on. As I was laying in bed on the evil air mattress that has become my nemesis, I realized, "Mama K, while you were busy preparing to move and working on school work, you forgot about your other class." That's right. I signed up for three classes this summer, not two. A little word of advice: When an advisor tells you that you might not want to take on too much at first, LISTEN!

I got out of bed at 1am, hurried my pregnant self to Amazon.com, and frantically began my search for the books I would need for the additional class that starts in two weeks. After finding what I need and consequently spending a fortune to get the books here by Wednesday, you would think I would be able to rest. Not the case.

As you can plainly see, this end will be much better than the beginning. I'm keeping faith in that! The beginning started last Wednesday when all of our belongings were lovingly not so lovingly thrown into boxes and shipped to what will be our third home in the past year. Since then, I've endured a lot. No, really. :) Okay, maybe I just feel as if I've been through the ringer.

The end of this move looks exciting to me.

Who cares if everyone says our next post is the armpit of the Army? Not this girl. This girl is just thankful for ends and new beginnings.

Lord, grant me patience (but not too much) ;)

Mrs. K and the calculated escape plan

Psstt...

Is this thing on?

I feel disconnected from the blogging world. School, family, moving- these are all taking me away from you momentarily. Still, I enjoy having a place to share our lives with all of you. It allows me to revisit many of my fondest memories, especially when I have little recollection of them. I have a terrible memory in case you didn't know. Sometimes I like this about myself. For instance, I can watch a movie a handful of times and still not remember what happens in the end. It's great! It's new to me each time. Other times, this pesky memory problem isn't so enjoyable.

I think I'm talking writing too much.

I signed into Wordpress to tell you about this:



Whoa! That's one big belly. People keep telling me that it's only going to get bigger and that's something that scares me to hear.

How? How can it get any bigger?

I'm going to pop.

You should see me try to execute an escape- from- the- air- mattress plan. It ain't pretty. It usually involves a calculated roll with some preliminary swinging of the legs to roll me over. If all goes well, my knees end up on the floor while I use my hands to push me up. All the while, I'm breathing like I'm about 600 lbs. and just tried to hula hoop. My hair is usually a mess because I no longer care about brushing it. I'm just trying to get through the day (or the night, for that matter). When I finally make my way to a vertical position, I still have to cradle my huge belly as I high tail it to the bathroom because you know I have to pee every few minutes.

Long story short- I'm wondering how anyone can view pregnancy as an attractive time period in a woman's life. Sometimes I feel sorry for Captain J to have to wake up to such a hot mess every morning, but then I remember that he can be thanked for this huge protruding belly of mine and I get over that pretty quickly.

65 more days to go!

Innovative

I love my husband for many reasons.

One of them should be mentioned here now- He's innovative. Driven. Determined. Logistical.

You may be thinking, of course he is- He's a U.S. Army Officer. Mmmkay, scratch that. You probably weren't thinking that.

Anyway, the point is he provides for this little family in any way he can. This past week he has really stepped up to the plate in trying to make our home for the time being, a home. The other day he got this brilliant idea to make his own grill using materials around the house. I thought he was batty and was ready to simply check out some to-go menus when he proclaimed, "I'm going to pick up some steaks."

Oh, gracious.

I thought, "There's no tellin' what I'm going to have to eat tonight", but I said, "Okay, love you! I'm staying here" {in the air conditioning, thank you}.

By nightfall we had quite the feast.



We had steak, grilled onions and cucumbers, complete with a candlelit ambience. All eaten on paper plates and a large Army tote, it was perfect.

It doesn't take much to have a nice evening with my husband, though. We enjoyed the rare breeze that a June night in Georgia offered us by sitting in camping chairs outside, watching the dogs play, and talking while the food cooked. Pretty soon, quiet evenings such as this will cease to exist with the arrival of Baby K. Better enjoy it while we can!





It's days like these I like to store away in my memory forever.

tail, face, tail, face...

Some things in life just don't mix. Ketchup and chocolate, for instance. Both great. Not together.

I have discovered a few more things in life (over the last twenty four hours)
that shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence and I think they deserve a warning for all of you:

1. 3rd trimester and blow-up mattress. 'Nuff said.

2. Part- wolf dogs and no furniture.

Need an explanation? Well, let's just say that it's not even 9am and I'm completely tired of having a husky tail in my face, then a husky face, then a tail, then a face. If they don't quit pacing, I might go insane.

3. Cereal and zero eating utinsils to speak of. That's no good either.

That's all I've got for you today. I must retire to the library and study. I'm hoping to get ahead so that I won't be entirely stressed out during our drive to LA. Before we part, I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my very first Army wife friend I made when I joined this military family journey. Nicole, I hope you have a fabulous day!

One day you're in...

As they say in fashion, "One day you're in and the next day you're out."

(I hope you said that in your best Heidi Klum voice.)

Turns out, that's the way the Army works, too.

Last weekend, we received a phone call saying that they couldn't find a civilian company to get us packed up and moved out at the original date they gave us. This meant that we would be staying in Georgia longer than we expected, which made me nervous since I already feel as though I'm about to pop! Frustrated, we slapped on our smiles and said, "well, it'll work out."

Then yesterday we got another phone call. And what did those fine people have to say?

"We can either move you tomorrow or in July- take your pick."

Holy smokes. I called and cancelled my plans to attend a parenting class that evening and got to work dividing up what we would need to live in our soon-to-be barren house over the next few weeks and what the movers would need to pack up and ship.

Twenty four hours later and I'm writing to you via a Mac sitting on a tv dinner tray and some camping chairs.

When it comes to the Army- Rule number one is: Learn to roll with the punches!

Baby Steps

Now, listen closely because I don't say this often: Being pregnant has its perks...especially when one is in the process of moving houses. Might I remind you that this is my second move during this pregnancy? This means that I could take it easy unpacking our belongings when they arrived from Alaska. It also means that I will be sittin' back to relax when the movers and J pack up again next week to transfer us from Georgia to Louisiana.

Might I also remind you that I moved our entire life all by my lonesome in ten degree weather, complete with icy steps and very cold fingers?

This is precisely why I secretly enjoyed watching the following baby steps unfold:

 



It was at least ninety degrees during this moving process (hahahah!). Being in the delicate condition that I'm in, I couldn't possibly help him.

Nope, my only duty was to you, my readers, in documenting this spectacle. Wondering what is in that big ole box? It's more furniture for Baby K! I'm so excited to get his room set up eventually. First, we have to find him a room, though. Baby steps.

I think I'll take a ten degree moving day over ninety plus any ole day, however, we're moving to the wrong state for that, huh?

Oh, the places you'll go

Captain J and I hit up Gatlinburg last weekend, hoping for a reprieve from the heat and humidity. Boy, were we way off base with those hopes and dreams. It was so hot! I think I forget every year how hard it can be to breathe in said conditions or perhaps my shortness of breath can be blamed on the little babe inside my belly. Either way, Tennessee is miserable this time of year.

Worse even is Georgia. Today the thermometer in my car read 104. I'll not be going back outside this week unless I have to. People keep warning me that Louisiana will be worse. I can't, nor do I want to, imagine this. It's funny to think about the various places and extreme temperatures we've experienced in the last year and a half. We've gone from fifty below zero in Alaska to one hundred and four above in that time period. That's a 150+ degree difference. Yikes!

Oh, the places you'll go.

Speaking of, while in G-burg we visited our place of marital oneness for a quick snap of a photo. We pretended to get married at this lovely church with a pretty red door, but in actuality I just admired that church as we passed and made Captain J pull over for a few pictures. Really, we found the cheapest place in town and said our I do's in under 15 minutes.

So here's the big reveal. We actually got hitched here:



and have I said lately that I wouldn't change a thing?! I love that man more and more every day; it doesn't matter how we made a commitment to God and each other. It just matters that we did it!

P.S.- Have you entered my giveaway yet? As it stands now, you've got a pretty remarkable chance of winning!

Later, taters.

New Around Here

Hello, pals. My mind is swirling with counseling techniques, scripture, and due dates. I just want to take a break for awhile and catch you all up on what is going on in my life. I went to the doctor earlier this week to check on Baby K. He's doing well, but I'm still measuring at about 26 weeks. I have no idea how that is possible because I feel huge. Now, Doc thinks my original due date (Aug. 20th) is more accurate than the 17th. I know this is only three days, but that's three steps backward and I don't like it one bit. I can't describe how uncomfortable I feel each morning. Being idle, sleeping, or even sitting down for long periods of time has caused some issues so I won't be traveling home for awhile as I originally expected. It sucks when I'm told I need to rest, but that very down time produces other problems. Agh! The joys of being pregnant. I can't complain, though. I'm right on track with the weight gain. Doc tells me that he wants me to gain about 25 lbs. I'm up by 13-15 lbs depending on what day it is! On one hand, I can't believe I'll be meeting my son in a few short months. On the other, I feel like I've been pregnant for an eternity. Either way, I'm sure he'll be here before I know it!



Meanwhile, the hubby and I are getting geared up to move to Louisiana in less than a month. As you probably know, the Army has some good perks, one of which will be to pack up all of our belongings and move them to our next home. I'm glad that responsibility is taken care of for us. We've done some searching for housing in the area and there are really some slim pickin's. We created a list, but it's quite short. I think we'll end up deciding once we arrive in the area. There will be much to do when we get there. I'd like to sign up for breathing technique and breast feeding classes. Of course, I'll have to get a new doctor squared away- ASAP when we arrive. Then, my priority will switch to decorating Baby K's room. I can't wait to feel settled! Is that even possible in the Army?

There are many other exciting changes occurring in our lives right now. As you know, school has started for me. I am enjoying it. I can view the lectures via video, listen to them on Itunes, and/or download study outlines. There's a lot of reading and learning on one's own involved in online classes, but I think I'll do okay with it. Captain J will also be taking graduate courses starting next month. We might be crazy taking all this on at the same time, but we're praying that it's all manageable for us. Speaking of excitement and work, I have some hopeful news for my writing career (or lack thereof). I'll be sure to show you what I've been working on when I receive word that it's okay to do so. It should be in about a week!

That's about all that has happened around here. What's new with you?

Our Great Migration

Remember when I promised you long, long ago that I would add more photos from our trip across America? Well, I'm a liar no more! Here they are...in all their glory. Please excuse my inability to make slideshows/movies/etc. There's an extremely awkward part towards the end, but I have no desire to fix it. Maybe I'll get better, ehh? Probably not. Enjoy!

good is great.

I want to love Georgia- mostly because I always wanted to live here when I was in college. I thought, "After school, maybe I'll try to get into UGA in a Master's program there. I'll move away, but not too far. I'll be closer to the beach. Life will be grand."

Little did I know, I would soon move very far away. I used to also think, "Who moves to Alaska? That's so weird." It's funny how life works out, isn't it?

Anyway, back to Georgia talk...

I haven't been all that impressed with the last 3.5 months (our time here). But I think it is less of Georgia's fault and more of the Army's. I know, I'm a Negative Nancy today. What?! I can't blame myself!

We can't really put our fingers on why we don't like it much here, but I think it's a mixture of so many different things, some of which I've mentioned on my blog already. I've told you that we aren't exactly city folk (read: we're the opposite of city folk). I've also mentioned (probably more times than you would like) how much we miss the beauty and adventure of Alaska and all the friends we left behind there. Maybe you've heard a time or two how bad my allergies are back in full swing living here, but you don't know about the nasty critters that sneak into Georgia homes (I've found cock roaches crawling on me twice now!). I also haven't mentioned my disdain for the areas that tend to spring up around military posts. If you've spent any time around some of the larger military installations then you know what I speak of- the ghettos.

On the outskirts of many of our nation's Army posts, there tends to be that bad part of town that you don't want to find yourself lost in during the middle of the day, much less in the wee hours of the morning. The strip clubs, the drug deals, the shady spots around town where you just know trouble is lurking. This is what I hate about Columbus.

We live a couple exits away from this so called ghetto, but we're still affected by it here in the "better" part of town.

When we signed the lease for this place, we were told it was one of the safest neighborhoods around. We quickly got chatty with our neighbors and they told us differently. The truth is, there's not much of this city untouched by crimes ranging from small to large. We were told that our house in particular had been broken into several times. THAT would have been nice to know (can a girl get some Southern hospitality?). We set to work installing lights and securing our house via an expensive alarm system.

We've had our share of issues- nothing too bothersome or pricy, but when my car was broken into the other day, it just sent me over the edge.

I'm frustrated that I'm bringing a child into this (often) screwed up world. I want our son to be safe. I want to be able to protect him from all the bad stuff in life, although I know I won't be able to always do that. I don't want to have to worry about someone breaking into our house next time (b/c then I'd be in court all the time b/c you know I'm bringin' out the big guns!). I'm also annoyed that people can't make ends meet  for themselves without trying to take from other people to advance themselves in life, but that's just a whole other vent in itself.

I'm mostly unhappy with Georgia because I know we'll be moving soon. I haven't had time to like it here yet and we're moving again. This is why I'm satisfied in blaming the Army for right now. Because they're going to make us move to another post that is even more dangerous or so I've heard. I'm not the wife who has her mind made up that she'll hate the next post they're PCSing to just because everyone told her it was terrible. In fact, I get annoyed when I try to think positively about it and people continually tell me, "oh, you're going to HATE it there."

ma-ma-mama says, "Life is all about what you make of it."

So, gosh darn it- we're going to love Ft. Polk if it kills me. Our baby will enter the world there and teach us how to love on a whole new level. It might be hard, but it's only temporary. I'll just keep reminding myself of that.

As far as enjoying the Georgia chapter of our lives, I will say we're doing a good job of it. There are times when I look behind at Alaska or forward to Louisiana and wish to be there, but I don't want to wish my life away. We've had good times here. We found out we were expecting here, Savannah was spectacular, spring came early for us ex-Alaskans, and we've made some fun pals here that are in the same predicaments. Just last Sunday, J and I were able to make our first fishing trip of the season together. We found a great marina where we'll house the boat, which includes a beach area, marina restaurant, cabin rentals and coves and coves of Georgia water and landscape. I even caught the first fish of our season opener! The weather is perfect right now and I really shouldn't complain. Sometimes I just need to focus on the good...

And the good is pretty great around here. I'm so blessed to be very much in love with my husband and carrying our child. As long as I have these two boys, I'll be alright any ole place we end up.

Life is good.

Life is good. Life is good. Life is good. If I just keep repeating it in my mind then I'll be reminded that it's true. The last couple days have been interesting and brought about some dreadful, awful pretty exciting changes. As is true for most things Army, what I'm about to tell you isn't definite yet. We don't have orders, but we were told to pack our bags after his class is up- we're headed to Louisiana. The post we're supposedly going to is often considered the "armpit of all Army posts". Oh, joy.

I'm going to give it a chance, though. People complain that it's hot and there's nothing to do there, but ya know what? People complained that it was dreadfully cold at Ft. Wainwright and there was nothing to do there, either but that ended up being our favorite duty station thus far. We aren't city mice anyway- we're definitely the country kind so I'm confident we can make it in that tiny, little, humid, swampy town.

My only complaint now is that I'll be traveling while 8 months pregnant, attempting to get settled in a new house a month before the baby arrives, and frantically searching for my new doctor who will be taking over where B. Arthur (don't you just love his name?) will leave off. This, for lack of a better word- sucks.

That is life in the Army, though. You roll with the punches!

Instead of focusing on that negative, I'm trying to hold on to life here in Georgia and enjoying every moment. Just yesterday, I sat on the front porch for hours enjoying a good book. The porch swing swayed to my own rhythm and every now and then, I'd close my eyes and listen to my husband playing his guitar. With music drifting through our home, I realized my life is good. It's very, very good.

We had an 80 degree day yesterday! Around town, girls were donning cute springy dresses and flip flops. The breeze felt amazing and to top it off, I looked over to see flowers blooming all over the bush by my front porch. We picked up our silly, little mutts and brought them into the backyard to play. I sure missed them!

It's moments like these that I know I'll be just fine in Louisiana. My husband, my babe, and my dogs are more than enough happiness to last me through our years stationed there. J and I thrived being far away from family in Alaska. Sure, we had rough spots, but for the most part we had to only rely on ourselves. There's an attractiveness in that to only truly have each other in driving distance. I can't run off to Mom when Captain J makes me mad, instead of talking it out with him. No one is stopping by to help out with the baby, which will help us in the long run to be good parents. I'm sure we'll learn really quickly how our lives  will have done a 180 when the baby arrives! Relying on each other will bond any marriage and is just a reminder that we are a family now- Just J, me, and our little baby.

I'm thankful when military life can teach me something new. In this case, it's just a reminder, though. I must remember to slow down, enjoy every moment, be thankful for the life inside me, and realize that I have all that I've ever wanted in life. My family is growing and I am thrilled about it! So our little fetus didn't get Germany or Hawaii or any of the other fabulous places we put on our list- We'll work with what we've got to make that child the happiest, most well adjusted baby we possibly can. Isn't that what parents do for their children?

Life is good.

On Moving

It's Military Monday again! It's an interesting one, too because my soldier actually has the day off. His very first official day of MCCC was postponed due to the declared "state of emergency" that Georgia is in right now. That's right, folks. Snow day on day numbero uno in Georgia! I swear, I believe we brought some snow with us because the south hasn't seen this much snow in many, many years.

Today, I wanted to write about something that has been on my mind the past couple days- something you probably already know to be true. Here it is: Moving is hard. There, I said it. You all know I'm a pansy now.

I couldn't wait to get to Alaska when I moved there to be with Captain J. He wasn't even home from deployment yet, but I was excited about our lives together and the adventure we would find in AK. Fast forward to November 2010- I was ready to leave; I was happy about being closer to home. Many packed and unpacked boxes later, we're finally here but I'm missing Alaska more than I thought I could. I wouldn't trade my experiences there for the world. I learned so much about myself, about being in a relationship, about starting over, and about making new friends that I will always hold that time in our lives very near and dear to my heart.

Now, I suppose I must take what I learned there and apply it to life here in Georgia. I can't complain. Everyone is so nice here; the southern hospitality has warmed my heart. I just miss my friends back in the Great White North and I feel as if I might not see them again. :( How's that for dramatic?

note: some dear friends are not pictured here

Last night, Captain J and I had a chili dinner with our neighbors and had a really nice time. I know we're going to like it here, but the adjustment phase is still upon us. This is just another reason why the military life can be quite difficult at times. Saying goodbye is never fun...and never ending in this lifestyle.

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On the road again...

I have missed blogging. I mean really missed it. I was laying in bed last night thinking how much I needed to write. My uncharged computer was outside in Tennessee's version of a winter wonderland and my journal was, too. There was no way I was leaving the warm bed for that so I stayed there, alone with my thoughts. I've got so much to tell you, but really no time to catch you up right now. Captain J and I are in TN, preparing to drive back down to Georgia for a day or two to get our house ready. We've got a huge load of my belongings from my condo in college in a uhaul attached to the back of the truck. Turns out, our road trip is far from over.