How to LIVE through a PCS

🎶It's the most stressful time of the year! 🎶 It is also wonderful, and scary, and sad and exciting.  But it is stressful...it's PCS time!  (Permanent Change of Station) PCS is a military term but it seems the State Department uses it too.  In layman's terms, it's moving time. And it's crazy.  It is going to get crazier before it gets calmer... to be honest it this summer home leave is anything like last summer's "R&R" it won't calm down until we arrive at our next post!  I will be writing more about the details of the actual PCS, but today I am going to share some tips on how to deal with the stress of this season.

I am actually chuckling at myself as I write this blog! I mean seriously, what do I know about managing stress while moving?  I literally had an anxiety attack in bed last night!  I kid you not.   The reasons are for another blog, BUT, the solution is for this blog!  I have got to manage my stress during this season. 

If mothering has taught me one thing, it's that I am the heart of this family. Believe me, I am not bragging on my worth, I am not saying this family wouldn't thrive without my contributions, but what I am saying is that my mood, my actions, my frame of mind sets the tone for this family.  So... mama's gotta have her stuff together! Not just for my sanity, but for the well-being of my family. 

Rewind to last night.  My kids are sitting around on pinterest and Etsy dreaming of their room at the next post.  This is what I want!  I want my kids excited about the upcoming changes, but there have been several stressors in the past few weeks and I allowed it to set me in a terrible frame of mind which ended with me snapping at everyone  - on a Sunday night - great way to start a new week. 
And just earlier as I was laying George down to nap, I caught my reflection in the mirror.  He was "snuggling" me and looking up at me with the sweetest eyes, and I was so distant... already thinking about how I was going to use the precious hour of his nap time. 

I realized that life was going to pass me by. Let's break this down: In the life of anyone in the Foreign Service, Military or any other profession that allows you to move around often, you are either getting ready to move, just having moved, learning your way around your new home/country etc, or bidding on your next post.  I DO NOT want to live looking to the next thing.  I can't do that.  By the time we settle at our new post it will be October. It's March. Do the math. I could potentially lose 1/2 of a year just "surviving"

What am I going to do about it?

Here are some ideas -

I am in no way an expert - just a mom and a wife trying to use my little tiny piece of the web to help others that have chosen this gypsy life.

1. Prayer
I put this as number one because for me, it's essential.  I am a Christian.  I need the connection with the Prince of Peace if I am going to have any type of peace in my life.  I find the best time for me is early morning.  I get the kids off to school and take some time to do a devotional and have a prayer time.  It keeps me connected and helps with my day.  I also try to add a few things I am thankful for.  It helps me to keep perspective in such a hectic time. 

2. Yoga/Exercise
After my little bout with my anxiety last night I woke up unable to turn my neck to the left and as I am sitting here typing this, my right leg is throbbing.  I am carrying so much tension in my neck and back it is crazy.  You better believe tomorrow I will be at my neighborhood yoga class, and then possibly scheduling a massage in the afternoon. 

3. GET ORGANIZED
I am not organized by nature - but I love lists.  I love journaling.  I love my new journal I bought here and I have turned it into a Bullet journal.  This is a great link to some super cute ways to bullet journal.  Mine is nowhere near that cute. BUT it is my survival.  Without my lists, I would feel frazzled and I am sure something would fall through the cracks.

4. Communicate
This can be taken so many different ways.  It may mean communicating with family about how you feel or it may mean asking for help.  For me it means VERY open lines of communication between me and Erik. We have coffee in the morning and decide who is tackling what task that moves us toward our PCS.  After we have a daily game plan, we both feel better about being sure we are making the most of our time and resources. 

5. Escape
Taking a trip would be amazing - but if you're like me - packing for a family of five adds to my stress, it doesn't take it away! And don't even think about leaving without kids.  Planning their activities in your absence, planning their meals, babysitters -um.NO.  However, I love to read! I look forward to that very last hour of every night when the house is quiet and I can get lost in a book!  Before we moved to Sri Lanka, it was an evening walk.  Erik and I would walk and talk and just escape the crazy for a short while.  Maybe it's binge watching netflix or checking out instastories... what ever it is, escape - at least once - every day. 


I will keep you up to date on how well I end up doing with all of these - but one thing is for sure - I will figure out some way to truly live through these crazy adventures and not merely survive!

Bidding - Part 3

Meet Anna.  She is our "middle child"  She is beautiful, she is strong, she is witty, she is caring, she is confident, she is funny, she has a smile that will knock your socks off and when she cries, she scoops her little finger under her glasses to wipe away the tears and it literally melts every. single. bone. in your entire body. I absolutely adore her. 

She has been delayed in reading for some time, and we noticed some quirks to the way she reads and deciphers words.  All of those little quirks led Erik and I to have a conversation about exploring the way Anna learns.  This summer, we went through some testing and discovered that Anna has dyslexia and dysgraphia.

This diagnosis leads me to our third consideration when bidding for posts.  Education.

This is a biggie for us, and this is the point in this blog where you will hear me GUSH about probably the best experience we have had in Sri Lanka - The Overseas School of Colombo.  It is an International Baccalaureate School and it has been amazing. We homeschooled Anna for two years prior to enrolling her in OSC.  However, after we saw how Ella flourished in that school and discovered the support that was available for Anna's dyslexia diagnosis, we decided to move forward with enrolling her.  It is awesome.  She is really thriving.  It will be one of the things I hate to leave in June. It is also one of our considerations when deciding the next post. 

Erik and I have carefully researched the school options at the posts we are deciding to bid on.  We have reached out to Embassy staff, families and in a couple of instances the school itself to help aid in our decision. 

Here are our school considerations:
1. IBS program - Dyslexics learn in more of a "Big Picture" type style.  The Primary IB program is set up in unit studies.  Unit studies are really great for big picture type learning.  They have a theme or an idea and most of the learning ties into the overall theme. 

2. English Speaking School - Being overseas even this short period of time has taught me the importance of knowing multiple languages, however, English is the universal language and it's my children's mother tongue.  For Anna, especially, she needs to learn in English.  New school, new culture, new language... that's a big whammy for kids.  English speaking school will aid in that transition. 

3.  Size of the expat community enrolled in the school.  Most Diplomats' kids go to the international school in their respective city, however, not all international schools are truly international.  For example, in Colombo there are several international schools, but only 2 or 3 that have even 1/4 of the enrollment made up of international children.  They are mostly local more affluent children enrolled in a "private" type school. 

4. Quality of education for ALL years.  One thing that surprised us when we entered the Foreign Service was that there were posts out there that had "quality education" through the primary years but recommended boarding school for the high school years.  That is a great option for some families, but not for us.  We naively thought we would be offsetting that obstacle by the fact that we had a couple of homeschool years under our belt, but the reality is, if we are a homeschooling family that accepted a post with an inadequate school - there would be no other expat families there for our children to befriend.  They would be lonely.  AND our children range from 2-11 so we will need to be sure quality education is available from Kindergarten - High School as George will start KG while we are at our next post and Ella will start High School  (CUE THE TEARS!!!!!).

These are just a few of our considerations when looking at available education for our children at the posts we bid on.  What do value in choosing your education path?   I would love to hear!

Bidding - Part 2

image: Natalie Defnall Photography

I previously shared a post about our top considerations for bidding on our next post.  I decided to break them down into multiple posts for several reasons.  Its a neat way to document things that we deem important now to see how we change and grow in this lifestyle in the future.  It's also a good tool to help our family and friends understand why we did or didn't choose that most glamours city in the world to live in as our top bid.  (FYI that's an example... and glamorous is relative).

Today I'd like to share the top consideration in our bidding process....... family.  When we made the decision to join the foreign service we were very well aware that the decision was made for our children.  And while we discussed it and prayed over it with them, Erik and I had the final say.  However, our main goal in life at this moment is raising healthy, well grounded, happy children.  So, they have a little more of a say than they realize.

There are so many factors involving the family to consider when researching posts.  There is the school, the size of the expat community, the safety of the post, and one I will elaborate on now... the housing.

That sounds like a small and maybe selfish issue to consider, but it's a big deal for us.  Our home in Sri Lanka is walled, and as I mentioned earlier, while it provides a measure of security, it can also bring a sense of isolation.  We had such a community in Alabama, even in DC our children ran the neighborhood.  Here, that really isn't possible.  However, several of our bidding options have homes in gated communities.  That means bike riding, and playing in the yard with other kids.  That is truly valuable to us and is a lifeline for our children. 

I will elaborate on schools in another post, it's a whole other ball of wax. 

Colombo has a large expat community.  It is wonderful, it also has a large American Embassy community with loads of kids.  That has been wonderful for us to experience.  While we feel it is important to immerse ourselves into the culture of South Asia, the truth is, our comfort level is best when we are surrounded by others share our home culture.  This wasn't something we would have considered before experiencing the Expat Community in Sri Lanka.  But because of that, it's a priority for bidding on our next post. 

Family is a big deal.  It's our highest calling when we decide to bring children into the world, we decide to put their needs above ours, so while some posts may seem more alluring as far as exotic, or dreamy sights to see, when the day is done, all my children want is to play with their friends, roam on their bikes and get lost in adventures using their imaginations.  Those "wants" mean we choose our next post carefully. 

Any veteran FSOs out there... what are some of your family considerations when bidding?

New Vision

We are a little over a month into our new life in Sri Lanka.  Some days it feels like we just stepped off the plane, and some days it feels like an eternity.  There are moments when I think we are really getting into our 'groove' and there are moments that I have never felt more lost.  I am pretty sure that's  all part of this new transition.  I have put off blogging because I had a plan for this blog.  It was to document our life for several reasons listed here.  However, in my plan, I would document our pack out, our flight tips, tricks and flops, and how we are adjusting to our new life.  It could be a tool for others in the military/State Department as well as a journal for our family and those who are interested in our adventures.  But I'm stuck because, well... the pack out, final visits with family and flight are really a blur at the moment.  And when I sit down to write about them, I just end up stuck in lists, and tears because all of the pictures I want to post make me homesick. Then there is the whole - I have an almost two year old who never lets me sit much less find time to blog - thing. SOOOOOOOOO... I'm just going to write about whatever strikes my fancy.  And maybe one day I will be able to document chronologically our path to Sri Lanka, maybe not.
 We shall see...


Ayubowan,
Jennifer

It's The Final Countdown

We are once again saying our goodbyes to family today.  Erik's cousin and family came for a visit and to take in the DC sights.  And, once again, it has been a wonderful visit and many memories have been made.  I've got all the feels about this goodbye as well as the many more that are coming our way.  If you had asked me yesterday about our move, I would have said that I just didn't have the energy for the emotions that are involved.  I would almost rather just leave, than have to say goodbye to family, than have to go back to Alabama and be faced with the thought of all the "lasts" even though they are temporary.  It is still going to be hard. I don't want to do hard right now.

Today, however, is a new day.  I am ready to face the day.  I have a list full of things to do, and I am ready to tackle them.  I am excited at the thought of my kids getting some special time with both Erik's parents (this week) and mine (next week).  I am looking forward to the trip to Alabama.  I want to see my parents, my sister and brother in law... niece and nephews - eeeek! I love sitting on my mom and dad's back porch with a cup of coffee listening to the sounds of the south.  I cannot wait to see our friends one last time, and some of Erik's aunts and uncles.  It will be tiring, emotional, and wonderful all at the same time.  My friend, Rachel, made an excellent point.  She said when her brother and his family lived away, they only saw them once a year, but they were so close, because it was for an extended amount of time.  The visit was more intentional.  I think that is just the mentality I need to work myself into.  Intentional visits with our friends and family, they may not be as frequent, but they will certainly be meaningful.

This is the last blog about emotions...this week :).  Next post is going to be about the logistics of our overseas move.  I plan to write about it to help document the experience for us, maybe come up with some changes for the next move, and to share with our friends and family who may be interested in all of the "stuff" that goes into an overseas move.

Prepping

I'm not sure how much of the craziness that we are experiencing is just "par for the course" in the Foreign Service, and how much is because our post is a developing island. However, we find ourselves having discussions I never thought we would have!  I mean, you know you aren't in Alabama anymore, when your dinner conversation consists of " We need to think of any big Christmas gifts we want because of the size restrictions on shipments to post"  or " I wonder if I can get vanilla extract in Colombo?" then there is " Oh, we need to get an artificial Christmas tree because they won't have Christmas tree farms in Sri Lanka" It's crazy and I think Erik put it best after a recent visit with family when he commented about how little we discussed our move, he said "I just don't think people can even relate to our day to day life anymore"

It's true.  When we get up in the morning, we always have a cup of coffee together.  Our morning conversation goes something like this.  Erik:   " I got all ten visas filled out and I am going to walk them over to the embassies to speed up the process"  Me: "Good, today I have a call into my doctor to see when my last MMR vaccination was, a call into the pediatrician to get George's last Hep A before we leave and a call in to Costco in DC to arrange storage for our consumables shipment as well as pick up.  Oh and by the way, we need to pull the trigger on the 4 new suitcases, a tux for you and some rugs because post isn't sure that we will have some in our new home."

I mean, it's another world, literally. One that sometimes we pause and just almost get giddy that we have the honor of being a part of!  And sometimes one that we pause and nearly hyperventilate at the thought of the path we have chosen. This last month and next month will be particularly hard as we are once again saying our goodbyes, packing our belongings, and taking a leap of faith that we will love our new adventure.  It will also be particularly fun as we communicate with new friends already made at post who are helping to make or arrival a smooth transition.  I love it when I open my email and have an email from someone in Sri Lanka.  It grounds me, and helps me focus on what lies ahead.  It helps remind me that even though this part is hard, when we get to post, when our kids get a to live in another culture, when we have to rely on our faith in God and each other, we will only be stronger and better than before we started the adventure!

Sri Lanka

I've been away from the blog for a while now.  I'm not sorry about that.  It's been a busy summer and we are making the most out of it.  It is so incredible to look back through a year of blogs and be able to read about all the emotions we went through with our move from Alabama. And, here we are, doing it again.  That's right, we are being posted!  It's exciting, nerve wracking, overwhelming, emotional, and an awesome opportunity all rolled into one.  I want to share more about that as well as the logistics of the move...in another post.  For right now, I am just going to introduce you to our new home!

Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean.  Located just off the tip of  India, Sri Lanka is a beautiful island filled with warm friendly people.  While it hasn't always been so peaceful, in recent years it has become a coveted tourist destination for much of Europe.  Formerly known as Ceylon, it won independence from The United Kingdom in 1948 and changed its name in 1972.  The Sinhalese people are the largest ethnic group followed by the Tamils (the largest minority) those also are the two native languages, although English is widely spoken there (whew).  The civil war between the Sinhalese and Tamil people lasted much of the 1980s and early 1990s and has had a negative impact on economic growth there.  However, in recent years, Sri Lanka has experienced peace and a growing tourist industry.

Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons.  One that hits the upper eastern part of the island (October-January), and another (May-September) that strikes the southwestern part of the island, where Colombo, the capital is located and where we will be living.

We have already learned so much about this country that will be our home in just 44 days.  We are looking forward to making a home in Colombo, and can't wait to share our adventure with you!

The Freedom of Renting

Our first post in the "Foreign Service" is Washington D.C.  While I will admit, coming from the South made this transition a bit foreign, it wasn't exactly what we had in mind.  We are adapting and even enjoying D.C. One situation that we find ourselves in, that we haven't since 2003 is that we are renters.  While there is no better feeling than living in a home you own, it feels pretty awesome living in someone else's home, too! I've compiled a list of ways I've found freedom in renting.

1. There is no debt.
In 2008 we had a newborn and the economy tanked.  I remember watching the stock market close early to stop the stocks from continuing to plummet and thinking, we are going to be homeless.  (there may have been a little postpartum playing into those thoughts) but the loom of the mortgage was always there.  It was always a consideration in any financial decision we made.

2. There is hardly any upkeep.
When we owned our home, there was the bug man, the semi annual furnace/ac maintenance, termite bond.  Was it time for a new roof? Were the hedges in the front getting too tall?  Was there a tear in the screen? Is there a crack in the tile in the kitchen? It felt constant.  We were always setting aside some money for maintenance or improvements.  Disclaimer: I do understand not all renters have pest control and ac maintenance included in their rent.  We are very fortunate.  But, now that I have had it, it will be something I look for in the future.
We only have to take care of our home and let someone else worry about when its time for the new roof!

3.  Major repairs aren't your worry.
Like I said in number 2, if the refrigerator goes out - I don't have to fix it.  The pipe bursts, I can simply call my property manager. It's comforting knowing that is taken care of.

4.  Decorating is a piece of cake.  In our situation, we're only here a limited amount of time.  We decided not to even ask if we could paint or make changes.  I follow many blogs that advise how to make those changes in a rental.  Someday, I may want to, however, we loved the paint colors they chose and felt no need to do anything other than hang some pictures, throw down some rugs and be done with it. It was so awesome knowing we didn't even have the option to take out a wall or put in a new vanity in the powder room.  It is what it is... that is freedom!

5.  It's Temporary
I understand this isn't the situation for everyone, but if you're foreign service, it's your reality. This home isn't yours, you are simply being entrusted to take care of it.  That is humbling and truly creates a more eternal perspective; for me anyway.  I look at this home as temporary, I am going to make it beautiful, use it for showing Christ-like hospitality, make my family feel secure in it, make wonderful memories and when the time is right, walk away.  I will be ok with that, and so will my family. It's a good home, and there will be another good home awaiting us wherever we end up.


So there you have it - 5 ways I find freedom in renting.  I know this is a stage in our life. It's not how it will always be, maybe that is why it feels so wonderful.  I know I need to soak it in and make the best of where we land.  For now, I'm content...that's enough.  Well, I've got some chores to do and some kids to play with... see you soon!

Getting into the Foreign Service Mentality - Part 1 - Homemaking

Welcome to Part one of my series entitled "Getting into the Foreign Service Mentality" This series started in drafts as one post, that got longer and longer as I started writing about the mental shifts needed in career, family, home, etc. So, I decided to break it into several posts.  Today I am going to focus on Homemaking.

It started in July - THE MOVE - the one that rocked our family to the core; and made us so much stronger. We left everyone we loved and began this adventure into the foreign service. The first move to our temporary housing in Falls Church was crazy, tiring, but in a way, it was a buffer for what was to come. We had five worry free weeks to ease into this fast paced DC life. The second move to Reston felt like a relief. It was calmer here. Although, even this little suburb of DC is still much more congested than our Alabama life, there is nature, and green space, and not as many crowds. We like it here. It took time to settle, to figure out the use for all of our spaces, to "decorate" our home just so, to find our way to the grocery store, find our favorite restaurant, but we did, and it feels good.

Hospitality, homemaking, community are so much a part of who I am.  It will be that way wherever I go. I am learning to redefine the way I think about each of those.

And what about home? I want to settle, I want to create spaces that feel warm and inviting! I would love to pick up a new rug for a room, or get a new lamp for a space, but for what? To store for the next ? years? How do you switch from the "permanent" mindset to the "temporary" all while trying to establish roots in your current situation?  How do you have roots and wings still to fly? I don't have the answers. I am hoping in the future I can refer to this post and see growth in this area of my life. I am hoping I can say that I was concerned for nothing.

This is what I've learned so far:
1. What you already have is beautiful.  Our home is filled with "hand me downs" - most of which came from Erik's family. Some are old antiques, some are just things they no longer needed, but we did, some are gifts from them to help make our home.  They are all beautiful, why? Because each was given out of love.  Some contained a story, some came from grandparents that are no longer with us, all were loved in another's home, and now they are loved in ours.

2. This is not the home we came from, our old home was a well loved brick ranch home, with a big yard on a street filled with neighbors who became family to us. BUT in some ways this home is better. It's bigger, and laid out better for entertaining and guests. It has the nicest kitchen I've ever had, and still feels cozy. And we are getting to know our neighbors (that's another post in this series)

3. It doesn't matter.  I don't like the mirror in our powder room, it doesn't matter.  My living room area rug has lots of stains, it doesn't matter. Our home is connected to 3 other homes, it doesn't matter. Our basement is a homeschool room, guest room, AND playroom, it doesn't matter.  It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Those are all things, and if I believe the gospel, and I do,  those things will pass away, I am to store up my treasure in heaven. I'm to invest in other people, my family, grow myself spiritually. That's what matters.

So now that I have taken away all of the things I used to "need" to make my house a home, to feel I was ready for entertaining, to validate myself as a homemaker, what's left?  I'm learning to focus on my family, my guests, my friends.  I'm learning to meet their needs, to see to their comforts, to enjoy special moments with them, without wondering if they're gonna spill that glass of red wine on my carpet. Or thinking about how I wish I would have taken the time to pull out the other dishes before they came.  Now that we live here, away from loved ones, I am learning that their visits are precious time, and I want them to feel loved, welcomed, and enjoy their time with us. That truly doesn't require new lamps, rugs or mirrors.  It requires being intentional. I think I can do that!

Moving Part III

 On August 14 we moved into what is temporarily our new home...and a month and a half later I am back to the blog.  The bottom line is moving is the pits, and we have entered into a lifestyle that is all about moving! I cannot even think about doing it again, but that is the reality. On the bright side, I LOVE our townhouse and the town we have settled in.  It is a very well planned community and it feels "homey" which is a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the DC metro area. We just made our first trip back home for a visit.  It was wonderful! The girls got to see friends, we had some great visits with family and got some much needed rest time.  Had Erik been there, we would have not wanted to come home! But for this mama "home is where your husband is" and so... here we are - happily!  It also helped that my mom is coming for a visit the end of October and we will be headed back around Thanksgiving.  It also double helps that it's FALL! My favorite time of year and living in Virginia - we will get to experience the wonderful fall color.

Enough rambling, back to the reason for this blog - the move (cue scary movie music).  This, by far was the hardest leg of this transition.  Some issues that we encountered were no garage...hence tons of riding toys just hanging out on the patio off of the basement. (still gotta figure out that one). Also, we have more space in this home than what we moved from, however fewer flat spaces - we had shelving in nearly every room in our other home.  This created a problem in that we aren't displaying any pictures, awards, trophies, knick knacks, etc. This also alleviated a problem in that we aren't displaying any pictures, awards, trophies, knick knacks, etc...see what I did there? :)  It's kind of refreshing not feeling overcome by "stuff" however, new town, new faces, new job, new life makes you want your "stuff" all around. It's an adjustment, that's all.

About a week into the move I started scanning some blogs to see how to more efficiently settle in, and what I found is that I was too late - I should have scanned those when I was packing - HA!  But some helpful tips I came across that I will definitely do next time are:
1. Pack a bedroom box and label it - UNPACK FIRST  - this allows me to find the sheets and get the bed made.  We had movers pack and move us, however, next time I will pack this box myself.  We literally slept on blankets for two days because I couldn't find any sheets for any of our beds -yikes.

2. Set your kitchen up right after you set up the beds and towels (basically all essentials for sleeping, bathing, going to the bathroom - you get the drift)  It really is the heart of the home and when it is in order, life feels manageable.
3. This tip came from my Mother-in-Law - put all your art, photos, mirrors in one place.  That way you can see everything you have at once, and decide what to display where. One blog I read said she unpacked in 32 hours.  WHAT?  I don't know about you, but moving into our new home meant a fresh start, and while some of our art went into the same room, some didn't and for some it was an opportunity to swap out pieces for ones we didn't use in the last house.
4.  Finally - I will relinquish ALL EXPECTATIONS! We have been here a month and a half and there are still boxes packed and some will stay that way. I will be ok with that.  While I like to think that I do not have excess and I don't save unnecessary things.  The fact of the matter is there are just some things that I am not willing to part with yet, and they will have to just stay in a box until I am ready or...forever ;)

I like to call these my "keeping it real" pictures.

The one thing I did right...in my opinion...is take the time to enjoy the little things. It would have been and still is really easy to look around and get completely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff still to do, but when you take the time to enjoy the sweet moments that happen, the "stuff" doesn't matter as much.

           

Moving - Part II

So the flight went much better than I expected it would, despite getting up at 3:45 to make it to the airport, the kids were very well behaved - even baby George.  

Anna caught up on her sleep on the plane.

Erik was there to meet us at the airport in DC.  

It felt so good to be together again.  Even though we had only been separated a couple days, during a time of transition, that can be an eternity.  Especially for us - we do not do well when separated.  The next couple of days were a complete whirlwind.  

When we got to our hotel they had brought us a fridge instead of a crib - Georgie wasn't pleased ;)

And because Erik traveled with all the things that the movers wouldn't pack, we had toilet cleaner in the closet, a guitar propped in the corner, and our mobile filing cabinet - aka box of papers - shoved on the desk.  (movers would have moved the guitar but that is Erik's baby) Needless to say, we were shoved in there like sardines. 

     George and I napped while Erik took the kids to the pool...for a nap... and then we found a dinner spot and had an outing :)

We packed a lot into DC day 1! The next day was just as packed...literally.  Our hotel was gracious enough to extend our check out till one and the temporary housing we were moving into allowed an early check in, however, WE HAD TOO MUCH STUFF! It took two trips to get the stuff to Oakwood.  It was while Erik and Ella were gone on trip one that 1:00 p.m. rolled around.  So Anna, George, and me  - along with the help of the nicest bellman loaded up the rest onto two carts, and headed for the lobby. We sat stranded at the Marriott, Falls Church, for about an hour.  It was an adventure, to say the least! 

when needed, the stroller makes
 a great luggage cart.

Erik and Ella got back and loaded us up to head to our new home. 

Can you find Anna? We looked like the Hillbillies!

After a major unload, we grabbed lunch and got read for a meet and greet that was for Erik and the entire 138th. It was a fun night and really good for Erik to meet his new colleagues. I think at that point it started sinking in that this adventure was gonna be even bigger than we thought.  Joining the foreign service is not just a career decision, its a life decision. If you have a family, it isn't one that you make alone, it's a family decision.  So far, no regrets.  I am extremely proud of the accomplishment that Erik has made, and I will continue to support this decision.  For now, I am really glad to be "settled" if our UAB will ever arrive. And I plan to enjoy every day, meeting new people, making memories with my family, and supporting my husband in the new venture. 

random photo session while getting some air at the meet and greet.

Moving Week

Moving week was tough. I felt simultaneously torn between never wanting our time with our family and friends to end and feeling so ready to just get on to the next phase. Our movers were excruciatingly slow. I'm talking two full days. They pulled out Tuesday night and we had to rush Wednesday morning to clean before a final walk through. We closed at 1:00 on Wednesday. Leaving our home was hard, leaving our neighborhood was harder. Wednesday morning as we were standing in our kitchen I looked at Erik and said "you know, up until this very moment, had you asked me where I'm from, I would have said Opelika/ Auburn, but I'm from Gardendale."  We have made a life for ourselves here, with a family and friends that mean so much to us. We stayed with friends the remainder of the week and that was really wonderful. I wouldn't trade that time with them for the world.
Some things I will do before our next move.
1. PURGE AGAIN- even though we had purged and purged and given away a ton, we still had a lot of stuff. It got to the point that if I questioned whether I wanted it or not, I packed it... I don't think that was a good decision.
2. I will pack my drawers, it isn't hard and then it's done. I guess I just didn't know what to do when movers come, but believe me, even though they are doing the work, it still takes your time, so anything I can do to speed the process along, I'm gonna do.
3. We stayed at our house as long as we could before the movers arrived. That was both good and bad. It's always good to be in your own bed, but at some point it stops feeling like home and starts feeling like a big ball of stress with doors and windows.
4. We packed our UAB ( unaccompanied air baggage) in the master closet and put a sign for our HHE ( household effects) movers so they would know not to pack those items. Next time I will schedule UAB first if possible.











*The one thing I did right-
We took every spare moment to enjoy family and friends, we didn't say no to anything or anyone. If the girls could spend the night, they did, if we could meet for dinner, we did. If there was any way, we made it happen. I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. We left Gardendale with no regrets. And I loved our time there. Here are a few pics of our last days in the 'dale.

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