I'm Missing Me

I'd say it's hard to believe I haven't written since January, but it's not.  Just as I had begun to find myself, my way, my footing in my new life, I just as quickly seem to have lost it.  "It" being the version of myself I was finally starting to like, the one who had some grounding, the one who had found her voice.  Somehow my voice has slipped away in the simple day to day chaos I have created for myself.  There it lies, in that statement alone, I have created it for myself.   

No one did this to me, no one chose this for me.  No one but me, myself and I made the decisions that have led me astray from where I was and where I want to be.  

Now is the time for change.  I used to be terrified of change, it was part of why I never wanted to be a military wife.  I never wanted my life to change so drastically so constantly, yet I find solace in knowing or rather expecting change now.  It's why Curt and I are forever talking about the umpteen possibilities that may or may not affect us.  It's also why he can answer a call to deploy in less that the required 3 minutes requested for a call back with an answer.  We've already talked about this very scenario and what would he like to do, how would I feel, how would we feel as a family, etc.  For me it makes the impending changes that much easier to bare.  Poor Curt I'm sure gets sick of talking them to death, but he knows it puts me at ease and God bless my husband, he would give me the world (and often does) so he continues to talk things out.  Even over Skype with the lousy connection and video like a bad Chinese movie, he still hashes things out with me.  It's amazing how much he helps me, he truly is always exactly what I need exactly when I need it and he always has been.

I also find solace in the things I know I can keep the same.  It's why I can find the salt and pepper or the green towels with my eyes closed during a blackout.  Some call me OCD and that's okay with me as long as I can put it back where it goes.

Here again I've managed to veer off, away from what's really going on.  It seems to be the trend in my life lately.  So I need to get back to me, or at least figure out who I am now.  One thing I am certain of is that I am forever changing.  Who I was 5 years ago is not who I am today.  Sometimes I slide backwards and I need to take some time to reevaluate my priorities and my own happiness, because in the end myself and my family are the ones I made vows to and who will be in my forever. 

New Year and Changes Abound

We rang in the New Year with plenty of friends, though not all could make it.  I enjoyed having everyone here, even when they were poking fun at me for making them play beer pong outside on the deck in the cold. :-) Lucky for me I have a husband who knows me so well he warned them ahead of time that I'm too neurotic to allow beer pong in the house.  Sometime after the ball dropped though combative’s did manage to move their way into my living room from the backyard. 

Ah hell, I can't prevent everything!  I learned not long ago that combative’s in just about any setting come with the Army lifestyle.  I've given up on trying to prevent it in my living room, or any other room for that matter.  Now I just try to keep my living room IN TACT when it happens.   

Everyone had left with their respective DD by about 2:30am except for one couple who was staying the night.  I managed to have Gunnar settled down and in bed by 3am.  I never imagined my little guy could make it that long, but he was so excited to have other kids there and he was having a blast!  His room and the playroom were even clean by the time everyone left.  What more could I ask for?  Oh yeah....SLEEP!  Well we got to sleep by about 4am, and I can't tell you the last time I stayed up that long, but it was well worth it. 

It’s day four of 2012 and we have already acquired two much needed things on our check list, a new (to us) car and new bed (a Christmas present from mom and dad).  Two friends have given birth to beautiful baby girls and a much anticipated baby girl Rowe as well as baby girl Richardson will make their appearances later this year.  Gunnar is back to school and Curtis is back to work, and life is back to its ever changing, ever hectic schedule.  I managed to take some time today for myself to reflect on the past year, and to make some homemade chicken noodle soup. 

It's bitter cold outside and nothing warms you up like real chicken noodle soup.  There is also something about the long process that allows me to just think, or in this case reflect.  In 2010 our life was forever changed when we made the decision for Curt to join the Army, but it was 2011 that brought the real changes.  In February, Gunnar and I flew to Oklahoma to watch Curt graduate from Basic Training as an honor grad.  To date it is one of the proudest moments of my life, yet I know it was just the beginning of many yet to come.  In April Curt graduated AIT and reported directly to Ft. Bragg, NC while I anxiously awaited news of whether he would be granted TDY to come back to AZ and help me with our DITY move.  His TDY was granted and in the beginning of May we drove from Mesa, AZ to Ft. Bragg, NC, arriving May 8, 2010.  Mother’s Day 2010. 

It was a long hard drive, Gunnar and Curt rode in the Penske, aka the "Big Banana" and I drove the Juke aka "Rib bit".  May she forever rest in peace in that junk yard in the sky.  When we got here we stayed off post in a rent by the night apartment.  It had 2 bedrooms and a kitchen with everything we needed to avoid eating out.  We were able to register Gunnar in school on post in the neighborhood we had chosen even though we weren't able to move in yet.  We had been told the wait time would be about 6 weeks but were pleasantly surprised when it was only about 2 weeks. 

We moved into a small (and I do mean small ) 2b 1b townhouse on post.  Shortly after we moved in I totaled my brand new Juke while Curt was in the field and G was in school.  Luckily I wasn't badly injured and I didn't hurt anyone in the vehicle I hit.  A few days later G was out of school for the summer and not long after that we got word that we were moving AGAIN!  This was actually good news as we were being moved out of the small place and moved into a much larger 3b 2.5 bath townhouse that had been newly renovated in the same neighborhood, just down the street.  We can still see our old place that is now in the process of being renovated as well.  

However before that move could take place, Mom came to visit for Gunnar's 7th birthday and to enjoy some of our lovely NC humidity?  After Mom's visit the movers came, packed and moved us like a whirlwind and before we knew it we were in the new place.  Unpacking wasn't nearly as fun since we had JUST done it a month or so ago, but slowly it got done.  More slowly than I would have liked.  I vow not to let it take that long again, but hopefully we will not have this lengthy of a "move" again.  I swear it felt like a non-stop move until August.

Speaking of August, that's when Gunnar and I went to visit family on the Jersey shore.  We had been back for a bit in 2007 but G didn't remember, and not everyone was there to meet him.  This was my chance to show off my little man and boy was I excited!  The only downfall was my missing husband.  Curt couldn't get leave, so he sent me and Gunnar without him.  I will be forever grateful for that time, yet I do still wish he had been able to go with us.  I did have the pleasure of introducing G-man to more cousins than I can count and I have a picture I will hold dear forever.  I was even able to meet cousins I had only seen in pictures.  We were blessed to be able to spend time with my grandparents and my Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim.  I was even able to introduce Gunnar to my Nana who had never met him.  

Later in August Gunnar started 2nd grade.  We have since settled into Ft. Bragg and made many great friends.  G played soccer and will start baseball shortly.  I volunteer with the FRG and seem to get more involved with each meeting I attend.  I will also be volunteering at Gunnar's school.  G is getting good grades and is far above grade level in both reading and math.  Curtis is also excelling and still enjoying his new career.

 

The rest of the year seemed to fly by.  Curt spent the later part of October in the field.  I had a delicious birthday dinner, cooked by my friend Candice's mom.  She made us chicken parm, and boy oh boy was it good!  Curt was able to come home for a few hours on Halloween to go trick or treating.  It was raining and cold here, so we attempted to trick or treat at the PX, but the trick was on us because that was an EPIC FAIL!  Lucky for us Gunnar doesn't (can't) eat much candy, and was just excited to wear his costume.  

On the rare occasion that I begin to doubt we made the right decision by leading this lifestyle, like when Christmas was spent crying on Skype, instead of hugging in AZ with family.  I look around and it doesn't take me long to realize that Christmas is only one day out of the year, and yeah it sucked, but even if it sucked big fat monkey toes, it's still better to have Christmas in NC with my husband and my son and a couple goofy soldiers sleeping on my couch, than if any single one of us had had to be alone on Christmas.  Or if I could have been in AZ but Curt had been deployed.

November came and went just as quickly.  Mom came to visit again for a few days.  She helped us hang curtains and pictures.  She's always amazing at decorating and redecorating.  I hope she can always visit close to the times when we PCS, if not I will be forever lost!  We also ended up getting a dog while she was in town.  True to her word, she had nothing to do with the decision.  It just happened to be the right dog.  I had NO intention of getting a dog, but if I have learned one thing, sometimes you just have to say "yes".  Her name is Lucky.  She's a Border collie mix and brindle in color.  She's beautiful, about 2.5 years old and had puppies before we got her.  She was picked up as a stray when we adopted her from animal control's adopt-a-ton at Petsmart.

I cooked Thanksgiving dinner here with the help of a few friends.  I think there were close to 25 bodies here if you include all the kids.  It was pretty amazing all things considered.  Thanks to Courtney's Dad I even managed to save the gravy after Candice and I put raw giblets in it unknowingly.  Well we knew they were raw, we just didn't know to cook them before putting them in the gravy!  The gravy was saved and Thanksgiving was a sweet success.

December was warmer than I anticipated it would be here.  The weather fluctuates a lot, and I don't care for the cold but for some reason it really seemed to bother me the closer we got to Christmas that it was warmer here than AZ!  Mind you it was usually only by a few degrees and our lows tended to be lower, but I wasn't taking any of that into consideration at the time.  Nor was I taking into consideration that I don't like the cold.  I was just rather distraught that I couldn't be in AZ for Christmas.

Curt started his 1/2 day schedule on the 15th and Gunnar started winter break on the 16th.  Things just got a bit chaotic from there.  We were always on the run doing errands or hanging out with friends or even sometimes doing errands with friends.  That's when you know your life is busy!  We went to Curt's Christmas party, which the FRG helped put together.  I think we did a pretty good job if I do say so myself.  If nothing else I enjoyed seeing everyone together in one place, not working and seemingly having a good time.  I wish I had had more time to spend with everyone but it was nice to see and chat with the people I did.

Then before I knew it, it was Christmas Eve!  We had two of Curt's buddies spend the night because my rule for all holidays is that no one can spend it alone, and all are welcome here.  I am SO thankful they stayed because I would have never been able to help Curt get the 3 in 1 game table my parents sent for Gunnar put together.  It took all 3 of the guys to do it!  They even helped Curt wrap all the presents when I passed out.  Awe man I love them!

Christmas morning was great for Gunnar, and that's all that really matters to me.  I cooked a big breakfast/brunch like my Dad always does, and the guys played with G-man.  There was a lot of skyping, crying and napping.  All in all, minus the whole skyping and crying bit, it was pretty damn good.

Now I've come full circle.  The year ended with a bang when even Gunnar was partying like a rock star until 3am, and I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a great time.  So when it's all said and done and I look back at 2011 and all the changes it brought, I think the biggest changes for me are not the ones you can see, but the ones that remain unseen.  The changes I've made within myself, and how I've grown as a person, a wife and a mother, and how our family has grown together. 

I know that 2012 will bring its own challenges and its own changes.  So I'm here, ready and waiting and you can be damn sure I am going to rise to the challenges no matter how big or how small and I may still be fazed by change, but that doesn't mean it can break me.

Old Habits Die Hard

I've found myself falling into a patterns lately, and not the good ones.  Ya know the old saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" ?  I have a bad habit of doing that when things get hectic or when I'm overwhelmed.  Most people do this when they are excited about the possibility of something coming their way or something new.  I'm the opposite, expecting the worst before I even know the whole story.

Today was a prime example and my worst offense in quite a while.  I've worked in the insurance industry so I am rather familiar with how things work.  After my accident I made sure all my ducks were in a row and all my phone calls were made.  I filled out all the required paperwork and made sure the right claims were filed with the right people.  I did all the leg work because I was having trouble getting companies to communicate with each other and it was just easier if I did it all.  The only thing I could not control was how long the refund check would take to process for my warranty and that has been the only hold up on the payout from my GAP insurance to close out the claim.  If you are not familiar, GAP insurance covers the excess amount you owe on a vehicle if it is considered a total loss so you are only responsible for the deductible, instead of the balance of the loan.  

I got a letter in the mail today saying a payment had been made by my GAP insurance for less than the balance due and that I was responsible for a large sum of money.  My immediate reaction was fear and then I freaked out, as I only anticipated paying my deductible.  

I placed a call to the GAP company but got a voicemail and left a message.  Not satisfied I called the finance company who sent the letter to see if they had any insight, to no eval.  I then called my mom, and by this point I was crying so hard I could barley get the words out to explain to her what had conspired.  While I was attempting to explain between sobs a call came through on my other line.  It was my GAP company.  The same woman I have been dealing with the whole way through, and who by the way, is amazing!  

She explained that they had not made any payments and was most likely the refund we have been waiting on.  I called the finance company back and asked who made the payment and received confirmation that it was indeed the refund we have been waiting on to close the GAP claim.  I asked the finance company to fax the required documents to the GAP company so we can proceed.

Needless to say this could have all been avoided with a few deep breaths and a lot lees crying, but as I said, old habits die hard.  I'm not excusing how I act or react, I'm simply stating a fact.  I try hard, I do well for a while, and then for whatever reason I tend to revert back to what comes naturally.  I guess it makes sense when you think about it.  It takes so much focus and effort for me to try not to freak out that it's just easier to freak out and get over it than to try not to I guess.  

Maybe someday I'll be free from freak outs and have no need for crying spells, but for now it's one day at a time and doing my damnedest to lay these bad habits to rest.

Good Days

I can no longer count my good days on just my fingers and I'm well past needing my toes.  There was a time however when I only needed 1 hand to count my good days, and it wasn't all that long ago.  Right now, sitting here with the cool breeze coming in my open windows, the smell of pumpkin coming from my oven and music coming from the radio, it may as well have been eons ago.

Good days are in abundance now, those small victories that were so difficult to find each day when I started writing this are now second nature.  I take great joy in things I never noticed before, or never took the time to notice.  Like the fact that I don't have an apron.  I don't think I ever cooked (really cooked) enough to necessitate one before, but I enjoy it, and I am quite messy when I do it.  For instance I was making pumpkin chocolate chip bread for Gunnar today.  

It's a fall favorite in our house and he asks for it as soon as there is a hint of cool air.  I decided to double the recipe to give some to a few friends, forgetting how much the original makes.  Once the last loaf was in the oven and now I am subsequently on my 3rd, yes 3rd shirt of the day.  Most people would have left the pumpkin covered shirt on until they were done, but I was too good for that.  I got 2 loaves in the oven and had some laundry to do so I thought I'd wash the dirty shirt since all I had to do was transfer batter from bowl to pan.  How hard could that be?  Well apparently when you have a clean shirt it's harder than it looks...so here I am in another clean shirt and ya know what, it's okay!  

I made dinner and Curt invited a buddy over who's wife is out of town.  Then Courtney dropped Hailey off for a sleepover of sorts since she has to have Alex in for surgery early tomorrow.  We all enjoyed some fresh pumpkin bread for dessert.  Now Gunnar and Hailey are both asleep, Curt is taking is friend home, the dishes are done and the dishwasher is running, I have some laundry going and all I hear are the various hums of and uneventful yet productive day.  A Good Day.  No longer few and far between, but often and abundant. 

Tie a knot and hang on

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

When I first read this I laughed out loud.  I thought, what a great analogy for life!  If I can think of this quote each time I am having a rough day, a tough time or just a "moment" if I can laugh like that, or giggle, or even just smile, that is all I need to pull me out of my funk.

I am convinced some days will require more than just one knot, but I figure as long as I can still hang on it's all good right?!

I'll let you ponder this and see if you find it as wonderfully simplistic and yet deceivingly difficult as I do.  Meanwhile I am going to put these tired eyes to rest.

I Never Thought

I never thought in my wildest dreams I would become a military wife.  I distinctly recall telling Curt when we were first dating that if he had any intention of joining the service I was not the girl for him.  I wanted a man who was going to come home every night, a man who was going to have a "safe" job and someone who I would always know where he was.  HA!  I was pretty delusional, not only about military life, but about my future husband's career as well.  Curt's prior Army career was far from "safe", and although he did come home every night, there was never a guarantee as to when he would be home.  Most nights it was late, some even later, and then there were the nights he would walk in the door just to get a call and have to walk right back out.  As for knowing where he was all the time, not only was/is that unrealistic for anyone to ask of another person, but in Curt's prior line of work he drove all over the valley and sometimes the state.  There is no possible way I could have known where he was at any given time, but he was good about keeping me in the "loop" as much as he could.  For those of you who don't know, Curt was a mobile tire tech for big rigs and heavy equipment before he joined the Army.  He did that for about 11 years, and if you have read much of my blog you know we have been together for about 9 years.  That means he was in this line of work when I met him, so I had no valid reason to be delusional, I simply was because it suited my way of thinking at the time I suppose.  

Now that you understand I had no actual intentions 9+ years ago of being where I am now, you may have a greater appreciation for how far I have come.  Or you may say to yourself (or to me) it's about damn time!  And I wouldn't blame you one bit, it is time, and I am ever so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to grow and succeed the way I have.  I have come to the conclusion that this lifestyle is not for everyone.  This is the part where you sink or swim, where you find out if you can live this life or not, and it's not an easy life by any standards, but the military is the best at training it's soldiers.  Now I may not be the soldier, and I may not have signed on the dotted line, but I will stand beside my husband the whole way through, and if that means I get some "training" alone the way, sign me up!  I am convinced that the training period the soldier goes through is also a training for the family.  It trains us to be away from our loved one for extended periods of time, which is common in the military.  It trains us to go lengths of time with little to no communication from our soldier, also common, but what I found for me to be the most substantial part of the training was to be self sufficient, self reliant and to learn to "put my big girl panties on".

So while I think about how far I have come and how far we have come as a family (both literally and figuratively) in just shy of a year, I know that we have all had victories both large and small.  I think about how much our live have changed and still I wouldn't change any of it.  I see, hear, and do things now on a daily basis that I never imagined I would ever do, see or hear, yet it's all in the realm of our daily lives now.  We pass teams of soldiers and SWAT training on buildings being prepared for renovation when I walk Gunnar to and from school.  We no longer bat an eye.  I sat today and had a conversation with Courtney while her picture frames rattled on the walls from the artillery just miles away.  We often pause our conversations with friends or while on the phone as aircraft fly slowly just above the tree line.  I get a call to drop off Curt's ear pro at the motor pool or to see if his ACH is in the trunk.  The funny thing is I know exactly what he's talking about.  


These are now common everyday occurrences and I don't think much about them as they happen, yet as I sit here and type this I am still in awe that this is my life.  As I live it day in and day out I can't imagine it any other way.  The friendships I've made, and the ones I continue to make are ones I truly believe will stand the test of distance and time.  The love, guidance and genuine respect given and received is amazing to be a part of.

Don't mistake what I'm saying, this is no easy journey.  The days can be long and the nights can be lonely, however I know I am never really alone.  I always have a friend to call anytime day or night.  I always have a shoulder to cry on.  Our children always have a "daddy" to hug even if THEIR Daddy isn't home that night.  We make it through and we do a lot of it together.  I've learned very quickly there is no shame in asking for help because I will be asked back.  We don't keep tally's and we don't keep secrets.  We don't knock on the door, we walk in, we don't call before we come because we are always welcome and we don't take no for an answer.  These aren't just friends, these are extended family and I wouldn't have it any other way!

So for all the things I never thought I would do, and for all the places I never thought I would go....HA!  Look at me now!  I'm doing it and I'm going there!  So if you think you can't, you won't.  If you think you don't, you aren't.  However if you choose to, you will.  If you think you do, it's as good as done.

Carpe Diem-Seize the Day!!

It's Been Too Long...UPDATE!!

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?