Farewell to Summer

This summer has literally flown by.  It's been about a month since we have last blogged, but it has been a busy month.  The kids and I have had a great time hanging out at the beach, looking for shells, and Todd has even learned how to swim.

Our little "fish" ready to go

Since I last posted, Carl was able to come and visit us for a weekend and I was able to visit him sans kids.  We packed up the car last week and drove over to Georgia to attend Carl's graduation from FLETC.  After 12 weeks of intensive training, he not only graduated, but received the Academic Award and an award for Distinguished Expert Marksman (he shot a perfect score).

Receiving his awards

Family picture after graduation

My parents also came to the graduation and we all stayed at a house on St. Simons Island.  It was so nice to relax for a few days and hang out as a family.  It is such a beautiful area and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.   After attending Carl's graduation, we went back to his room and Carl had a huge surprise waiting for Todd - a brand new "big boy" bike.  Todd and Carl had so much fun riding around in the quiet neighborhood where we were staying.  Katelynn was even able to tag along in the comfort of a bike trailer behind Carl.

Riding his new bike

A family outing

I had the privilege of walking/running beside Todd while he was riding the bike to make sure he did not fall too hard.  It was hard for me to keep up with him at times.

Carl and I were able to celebrate our 8th anniversary and we drove down to Jacksonville to eat at one of our favorite restaurants - Maggianos.  To make a perfect meal even better, we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert!  We had a great time together, just the two of us.  Our anniversary is today, but we knew that we would not be able to be together on the actual day.  Sadly, our time together eventually had to come to an end and Carl had to begin his 2 day journey up to DC.  Katelynn started to cry when Carl left and Todd sweetly came up to her and said, "It's OK, we will see Daddy at his next graduation."  It was so sweet and cute.  We are hoping to be able to see Carl again before November, but it depends on flight schedules.

On the day that Carl left, the kids, my parents, and I embarked on a shrimp boat cruise.  My mom came across the excursion on TripAdvisor for things to do in Brunswick, GA.  We had an absolute awesome time aboard the Lady Jane.  Not only did they feed us fresh, just caught boiled shrimp, but we were able to be up close to all sorts of sea creatures.  During our 2 hour cruise, the fishermen threw out the net three times and we caught everything from shrimp to squid to sharks to horseshoe crabs to sting rays and all sorts of fish.  The kids were able to hold these sea creatures and explore to their hearts' content.  It was truly a memorable excursion.

The shrimp boat

Playing with a fish

She has no idea what she's touching, but she likes it!

All good things must come to an end and we drove back to Pensacola on Sunday making sure that we kept our gas tanks full thanks to Isaac and stopped by the condo at the beach to make sure it was all ready to welcome Hurricane Isaac.  Todd and I were able to do a little searching for shells but the water was rather rough so we did not go in the Gulf.  As it looks right now, we should be avoiding the bad part of the storm and are hoping to find no damage after Wednesday.

This week is an exciting one at our house.  Our 8th wedding anniversary is today and both Katelynn and Todd start school this week.  Todd will be starting kindergarten on Thursday and Katelynn will be starting preschool at a local church in Pensacola.  It's hard to believe that we have a kindergartener but we are thrilled and Todd is very excited.  Sorry for the delay in blog posts, but that hopefully catches you all up to speed.  Until next time...

Halfway there

Sorry it's been a while since we last posted, but it seems life just goes at a nonstop pace and doesn't slow down.  Anyway, I thought I'd update you all on how it's going so far in training.  Well... after eight (yes, eight) years of trying, I finally made it here:

FLETC

I'm attending the 11 1/2 week Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and last weekend marked the official halfway point through this particular block of training.  Academically, I'm doing fine, with an "A" average... but physically - well let's just say I'm not nearly as young as I used to be!!  The evening after our first PT session, I went to Target and got a big bottle of Advil... it's become my new best friend!  But as I told some of you before I left for this new job, the word "quit" is not a word in my vocabulary, so I'll make it through (of course, that doesn't mean the women in my life don't worry).  In all seriousness, I've learned a lot in a short amount of time and am really enjoying the experience!  It seems we have a boat load of practical exams and qualifications each week... last week we had three:  An emergency vehicle driving exam (got an 89), a written exam (got a 91), and our pistol qualification (got a perfect score of 300!!!).  The people I'm in training with in my class are good people and a blast to hang out with... and I'm close enough where I get to see my family every so often which is really nice.  

Last weekend, I had the wonderful privilege of hanging out with my two favorite ladies in Lake City, FL while Todd was away at Yellowstone with his grandparents.  

Having fun with Katelynn while we wait outside Ruby Tuesday

The three of us went tubing at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.  Katelynn had a blast and Karen and I had a chance to relax (after warming up to the 72 degree water).  There isn't much else to do around the Lake City area, but it was great hanging out with "my girls."  Next weekend, I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my sister and her family.  I've got to take advantage of the proximity to those I love since my next block of training has me West Virginia and DC for 3 months.

We're also very excited because we've received an offer on our house in Dallas.  The owner has financing already lined up, so they are pushing for a quick transaction.  If everything goes smoothly, we'll have less than a month between listing the house and the closing... AMAZING (especially in this real estate market)!  It'll be nice to not worry about a family in Florida, a house in Texas, and training all at the same time.  

Speaking of good news... while I was in Lake City, I got to share with Karen some great news I thought I'd share with you too... On Friday, the FY-13 Navy Reserve O-4 promotion list came out, and guess who was on it??? ME!!!!

Lieutenant Commander

The board met in April and made their selections, but the list has to get a bunch of approvals before being released.  (For those of you who don't know Navy ranks, it's the equivalent to a Major in the Army, Air Force, & Marine Corps)  I'm on the list for next fiscal year, but I probably won't be promoted until the summer of 2013.  It's still weird to think I'm going to be an O-4... I remember like it was yesterday when I was first commissioned back in 2003.  Time sure does fly!

Well... I hope all is well with you and yours.  If you have a moment, feel free to leave a comment and let us know how you're doing... we'd love to hear from you.

Busy, I'm so busy my head is spinning...

I know it's been a while since I have blogged, but it has been a busy time between birthdays, visits, moving, and more visits.

This past month has flown by so fast and is almost a blur, but glad for it to be behind us. After finding out in late May that we are moving to Houston later in the year, we knew that we would need to sell our house- the one we've only lived in for 6 months. I know it sounds crazy, but that's the way life is sometimes. Having only been through a government move one other time (less than a year ago), I knew that we had a huge task ahead of us. With Carl in training and me home with the kids, I knew it would be rather difficult to keep our house show ready to sell. My parents graciously offered that the kids and I move into their beach condo along the gulf coast while we tried to get our house sold in Dallas. All of my friends in Dallas said I would be crazy not to accept their invitation. So we made the decision to temporarily move to Florida prior to moving to Houston in Nov/Dec.

I only had about 2 weeks to get everything ready for the movers to come pack up our house. I could only take what fit in my SUV the items I wanted for the next 6 months. Do you have any idea how hard that is??? We also took the suggestion from our realtor and decided on getting a staging company to come into our home and stage furniture. It's going to look better than when we bought it! (doesn't that always seem to be the case?)

The movers showed up at the house and they were wonderful. They were only scheduled to be at the house for 2 days, however they ended up needing 3 full days. In the midst of the movers being at our house, I had a good friend from high school passing through for a wedding and she and her youngest son ended up staying with us- boxes and all. We had a great time visiting, even if it was for less than 24 hours. Ironically, my friend had just found out that she and her family are moving to the area and would have lived about an hour from our home in Dallas.

After the movers finished late Saturday afternoon, the kids and I got settled into our hotel room in a nearby town. But, as luck would have it, Todd suddenly developed a 104 degree fever that evening. I packed the kids up and headed to an after hours pediatric care center. I was so thankful to be able to find a place open and not have to go to the ER. Todd was diagnosed with strep and immediately put on antibiotics. It's amazing how quickly he felt better after his medicine. Sadly, we weren't able to go to church and see our friends for the last time before moving. We're going to miss you guys!!

A couple of days later, after tying up loose ends and getting the handyman and carpet cleaners lined up, the kids and I embarked on our 2-day journey from Dallas to Pensacola. We made it to Pensacola on a Thursday afternoon and I turned right around the next day and hopped a plane to go visit Carl in Georgia. The kids were thrilled to see their grandparents and enjoyed the weekend with them. Carl and I had a wonderful time during our visit and we were able to go to Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.  We enjoyed nice quiet meals without the kids and were able to relax and have quality time together...something we both needed!

Even though the past month has been hectic and crazy, God has been faithful and has watched over our family and protected us. I am thankful for the sweet friends that we made in Dallas and the friends who helped me out during the move- either with childcare or just by hanging out when the movers were there. You guys are amazing!!

We are really going to miss Dallas. We grew to love the area and the friends that we met. I know we will go back to visit someday. Somehow our movers forgot to load our BBQ grill, so we will be going back to pick it up from a friend who is holding onto it for us.  We're hoping to visit with all our friends when we head back there!

An old tree at Jekyll Island

A view of the St. Simon's lighthouse and coastline

Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island

A tree in the middle of the beach???

Todd helping the movers

Katelynn exploring the moving truck!

Flag Day

In the Foreign Service, all entry level personnel find out their first assigned post in a large ceremony affectionately known as "Flag Day". It gets it's name because during the ceremony, the presenter calls out a location's name first and then the name of the person heading there. You then walk up and receive a flag for the location.

Prior to this special day, you submit a list with all your desired locations rank-ordered. You could get your number one choice or your bottom choice... all depends on the needs of the service. You have very little say in the matter.  Unfortunately, a few people weren't happy with their assignments, but luckily, I wasn't one of them. I got my first choice...

Houston... Here we come!!!!

The Safest Block in the USA...

As I write this, I'm at the Candlelight Vigil put on by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund with a few colleagues from work.  Twenty thousand law enforcement officers and their loved ones come every year on May 13th to honor officers who were killed in the line of duty.  And with that many cops in the same place, it was definitely the safest block in country at that moment.

This year both Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano made remarks and read names of the fallen officers.  It was definitely a moving event and I'm glad I went!

20,000 candles gets pretty bright when they all shine together!

Until we meet again

We are already missing daddy and counting down the days until we get to see him again.  Carl left yesterday morning after Todd’s soccer game to embark on a 2-day drive to Virginia to begin training for his new job.  On the first leg of the drive, he stopped at his favorite rib place in the world… Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous in Memphis, TN. 

YUMMMM!!!

I went there with Carl about 4 years ago when he was doing some Navy training in the area.  If you’re ever in Memphis, you’ve got to stop by… it’s in an alley in Downtown Memphis and you won’t be disappointed.

After an exhausting 1,300 mile drive, Carl made it to his destination and is getting settled into his temporary housing.  Carl will be in Virginia for several weeks and then will head to Georgia for more training. 

These past 2 weeks have busy with fun filled activities and last minute packing.  Carl was on leave last week in order to get things ready for the cross-country trip to Virginia. He was able to have lunch with Todd at school and spend some quality time with the kids and me.  We discovered a fun park with a splash pad and had a picnic.  We enjoyed having daddy home during the day and Katelynn enjoyed chilling with him in the mornings. 

At the Splash Pad with Daddy

Watching Todd's Soccer Game with Daddy

One thing I know Katelynn will miss is running to the door to greet daddy after a day at work.  We have already used Skype and FaceTime to communicate with daddy and are thankful for technology.  We are excited that this journey is beginning and look forward to seeing where it takes us as a family.  We will find out where we will be moving to in about 2 weeks. So stay tuned….

Celebrating Texas-style

For her 30th birthday, we all got together and gave my sister, Rachel, the one thing she asked for... a trip to see her brother. So we all cleared our schedules, bought a plane ticket, and gave it to her last month. So with her birthday wish granted, Rachel got to visit Texas for the first time. And as an added bonus, our brand new, 7-week old niece, Sophia, got to join her.

Friday was rainy and we spent it relaxing and catching up since it had been a year since we saw each other.  As we get older, it seems prolonged absences have sadly become the norm.  I realize it's oftentimes my busy schedule that keeps us apart (I couldn't see her while I was in Iraq for a year), but it's usually big events that bring us together.  Now that she has her own family and I have mine, we don't just hop in the car and drive over to visit like we could back in the day.  Sometimes it stinks growing up!!!

Cousins hanging out (What you don't see are the three adults
in the background ready to catch Sophia if necessary)

Someone loves his baby cousin

Getting a little quality time with Aunt Karen

To remind her of one of the great parts of our childhood, we went to Jimmy's Food Store in Dallas... which, by far, has the best Italian meats, cheeses, and desserts in Texas. We got some Genoa salami, imported parmasean and mozzarella cheese, and yummy cannolis for lunch. When I brought Rachel into the store, I asked her what the smell reminded her of.  Her one word response said it all... "Home!"  Later in the day, after dinner, we went to Braum's for some of the best ice cream Texas has to offer!  I've yet to find a non-Texan who disagrees with that statement!

Saturday morning, I made my famous ham, eggs, and cheese along with some biscuits - a favorite of both Karen and Rachel.  Todd had his favorite too - eggs and Katelynn ate her banana and a little from everyone's plate. After breakfast, soccer was on tap for the morning.  Aunt Rachel has been very excited to see Todd play soccer. He played his heart out for her and left it all out on the field... including his breakfast!  (Note to self:  A hearty egg breakfast is not the meal your 5 year old should eat 90 minutes before his soccer game).

Our little Soccer Star 

After the game with Aunt Rachel

After soccer and naps, we drove to Ennis, Texas for some bluebonnet viewing. The bluebonnets bloomed early this year, so we almost didn't get to see them or take pictures before all the grass and weeds grew up in them. Despite cutting it close, we got some great pictures with the state flower of Texas...

A family portrait

Aunt Rachel and baby Sophia

Loving the Bluebonnets

Taking a stroll 

The happy couple

What a cute family!!!

She loves to go "WEEEEEEE"

Todd and his baby cousin

Sunday was a great day of church and resting.  Todd insisted Aunt Rachel go to his new favorite restaurant, Souper!Salad!  We rested and relaxed and enjoyed Aunt Rachel's last night in the Lone Star State.

Hanging out with Aunt Rachel

All in all, it was a great weekend.  Rachel's trip to visit was just as much of a present for her as it was us as we celebrated Texas-style!