First I want to apologize that it has been so long since I last wrote. I've had some computer problems that limited my access among some other issues I will let you know about over the last few months. Thanks to my amazing Dad I no longer have computer issues and cannot use that as an excuse not to write!
Now I will try to make this update as short and sweet as possible, but if you know me you know that is probably going to be a promise I am bound to break. It has been too long and I have much too much to tell.
Well, there is no better place to begin than the beginning, so I'll start with the beginning of the journey that has me writing this. So in case you haven't guessed, Curt's TDY was approved so he was able to fly home to help us move. We chose to do a DITY (Do It Yourself) move, we have always moved our own things and didn't think much of it, but the furthest we had ever moved was the 2 hours from Tucson to Mesa. We'd NEVER moved 2,500 miles and it is/was no easy task. I will forever be a proponent of the Army moving us from here forward!
We made it safely and rather quickly if I do say so myself in 3.5 days. We even managed to meet my sweet friend Jesslyn for brunch. On our longest day we drove over 900 miles and 4 states. Gunnar was in the Penske (aka "The Big Banana") with Curt for the whole trip. That left me and our tortis George following in the Juke.
We made it to Ft. Bragg on Mother's Day evening. We stayed in a short term apartment off post until our house was ready on Memorial Day weekend. I won't lie, it was small. Two bedrooms and one bathroom about the size of the bathrooms you find in an airplane. NO JOKE! All things considered though it wasn't too bad. It was livable for sure, especially since we were told we would be relocated to a larger, renovated home in the future. No one however could tell us when the "future" was, it could be 6 months or a year or more.
We got Gunnar enrolled in school to finish 1st grade and he loved his teacher and his school. We started meeting people and making friends right away. It was amazing! We had our first BBQ before we ever even moved into our house and then those friends helped us move in. Their names are Jay and Courtney and their children are Alex (7) and Hailey (2). You will hear those names a lot. Thank goodness for them, Jay specifically because there is no way I could have lifted some of our furniture up those stairs!
Then the real chaos began. Curtis was in the field for a training exercise and had been gone almost a week when I went off post to do some errands while Gunnar was at school. I got lost and ended up getting into a wreck. I T-boned a white SUV, I still don't know what kind it was. I was very luck that I didn't hurt anyone in the other car and that I was alone in mine, but I did total my brand new Juke. I had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. I was able to reach another friend I was supposed to be meeting to let her know what happened. She was able to reach Curt's Commander in the field to let her know what happened. Curt's Commander let him go to meet me at the hospital. I was able to go home after several hours and multiple tests. I had a minor concussion, lots of bruising and pain but I was thrilled to be alive and mostly unscathed considering the severity of the accident. I think that little car saved my life....
A few days later Gunnar finished school for the summer. No second car and a banged up Mama made for a blah start to the summer for G-man. Then a week or so later we went to a marriage retreat a few hours away in Charlotte. We had a great time and while there had a surprise call letting us know Curt had orders (don't get TOO excited) to move to the new house. Apparently you need orders for EVERYTHING in the military. More on that later.
The good news was we were getting our newer, bigger house that much sooner! On the other hand my mom was going to be there in a week and it was going to be Gunnar's birthday. I was NOT looking forward to moving AGAIN. My mom however thought it was a great idea to move while she was there. She loves to move and decorate. Ugh! So we had to go to a briefing about the relocation due to renovations (or some such brief). What I didn't know is the strange looking paperwork we got from the housing office was in fact Curt's orders for this move (they looked NOTHING like his other orders). Silly me didn't bring them to the brief and since the briefs were only held on Friday's and Monday's we had to wait until the following Friday due to July 4th being a Monday. The good thing about my little slip up....we wouldn't be moving while my mom was here or over G's birthday. Gotta love when The Big Guy looks out for ya.
Mom was here for Gunnar'sGunnar's birthday at Jay and Courtney's house because Alex and Gunnar were born a day apart and the boys hit it off right away so it just made sense. A bit chaotic but still fun just the same, and the boys had a great time, so that's really all that matters. We watched the fireworks from home to avoid the heat, humidity and most important (to me) the crowds!
Before I knew it mom was heading home and it was back to life as normal. Or as normal as it can be when all we seemed to be doing was moving. This time it was MUCH easier! The moving company came in and packed our house. The next day they loaded the truck and unloaded at the new house. Meanwhile my stress level was starting to go through the roof. I was trying to get the car wreck taken care of, the move done, our AZ house sold, entertain G-man (poor guy) and tons of other little things. Curt seemed to sense I needed a break and he couldn't get leave to go to NJ for a long weekend like we had planned. That's when he decided to fly me and Gunnar out for a week while he stayed here. I was beside myself. I knew I needed a break and I wanted so badly to go and see family as well as to give G some (if short lived) enjoyable time during the summer. I didn't want to leave my husband though. There were times I wouldn't have thought much about it, but after being apart for so long and never knowing when he may have to leave again for training or the dreaded D word, I hate to be away if I don't have to be.
True to form Curt didn't let me dwell on it long. He assured me the trip was exactly what I needed and that he would be fine and waiting right here when we got home. We NEEDED to see family and to take a break from the chaos. Damn I love that man! He always knows what I need, even if sometimes I don't.
We had a great time in NJ. I got to see family I haven't seen since I was a teenager. Lots of cousins, some I hadn't even met since they were born after I left the East coast. I was able to spend some quality time with my grandparents and my aunt. I even got to see my Nana (mom's mom) and introduce Gunnar as a surprise! She was so excited and shocked. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face.
Alright I know this is getting long, so let me try to sum this up for you. We got the AZ house sold! It was a short sale, but that is what we were going from from the beginning so it was no shock. We put it on the market as a short sale and the first offer was accepted. It was all a matter of the bank coming through and the paperwork being approved. I'm happy to say all is complete. Although I prefer to "never say never" I would also prefer NOT to purchase and/or sell another house until Curtis is retired from the military! That was no piece of cake, and the only benefit for us is that we didn't have to foreclose. I'm still working feverishly on trying to close my GAP claim from the wreck. Gunnar started 2nd grade on August 25th. He loves his school and is teacher. He's also playing soccer with his first game coming up on the 17th.
Okay, I know there is plenty more but I'll leave it here for now. I promise I will keep up better on the blog. I have so much I want to say, I just need to get it out of my head and onto the blog. As you can see there have been HUGE victories in our lives over the last couple months. Moving cross country in one piece as a family and staying in tact no matter the trials. Overcoming a sever wreck and coming out stronger for it. Moving AGAIN less than 2 months after getting here. Making some great friends and being open to new people and new things. It's not peaches and cream every day, but we make it work and we learn as we go. What's your victory...big or small?
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