Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Excitement

Here is another list of things I am excited about:

1. Katie was accepted into a law school!! Western New England College School of Law (I think I got that right...) in Massachusetts called her to let her know they were sending her an admissions packet and that they would also like to offer her about half the cost of tuition without any restrictions! WoooHooo!! My sister was accepted into law school ;) and they want to give her money.

2. Katie graduates soon...in June. I'm going to Ohio in June. Yay! I haven't been in the convo center since my own graduation. It will be nice to enter for yet another celebration.

3. We (Dave) found the microwave and the toaster oven. I can live without them, but life is nice with them. They were still in storage with the rest of our furniture.

4. The rest of our furniture arrived today. (Well Dave and my FIL moved it from storage to our house today really.) Yay!!

5. I have this weekend off! I might actually have time to put our house together and get some much needed rest and relaxation time. Wow.

6. I don't have to be at work on Monday until 5:30pm. I might actually get to spend most of the day with my husband. I was starting to forget what that might be like. (Ahhh, and the guilt sets in for whining about not seeing him when he is stateside. Oh the joys of knowing the trials a military wife faces. Hugs to my military wives...I still remember.)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Sweet HOME Alabama

Did you notice the capital HOME? That is because we finally have a place and a space of our own. We moved the boxes into the spare room on Easter Sunday and then I moved more stuff the next day. Slowly we have been unpacking those boxes. Very slowly. Do I care? Nope. I think we only have one more box of kitchen stuff to unpack. Oh-we can't find the microwave...or the toaster oven. I'm pretty sure the microwave was in its own box, but there is no box listed on the packing log as having the microwave inside. (Not that the packing log was all that detailed anyhow...) We'll eventually find them-or buy a new one if we don't, but it is rather annoying not being able to figure out where it is. I've even asked my friend Anna who helped me pack and asked Katie and Maggie. At any rate, I'm not stressing about anything. I figure this move will go like all the others. We'll unpack the necessary boxes and when it is time to move again some of our boxes will still be packed :)

I have really been looking forward to unpacking my box of doodads. It is a box that holds items very near and dear to my heart, thanks to my Grandma. When Dave and I got married one of our presents was a "box of doodads" and she enclosed a letter to explain what they were. It reads as follows:

Dear Wendy & David:

Wherever you are together from now on, that is where home will be.

Every home needs a few keepsakes, or doodads as my Grandma called them, to be set out or hung up which will proclaim to the world that "this place is home to us at this time."

These few doodads are to remind you of some of the special people in Wendy's life. One was made by your Mom for me many years ago. One was bought by me at a flea market, because you were playing the flute at the time, and I was really proud of you. One belonged to Daadoo, and the other Grandpa and I thought was the perfect place to keep a picture of "The Kiss," which is about the cutest wedding picture we've ever seen.

I hope you collect a few more doodads from other parts of your families, so that you will remember where your "roots" are while you are living your new life together, which I'm sure that God planned for you when he gave you life!!

Love,
Grandma


This box has become one of my most cherished possessions. I always make sure it is tucked away safely before each move. Once we arrive in a new place these are the things that I find a place for that makes it feel like home. Just like Grandma said I have added a few things along the way...


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This is the end of the "originals"...

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Mrs. B gave us this plate and we have had it in our DC apt, Nc townhouse, and was the first thing put on the wall so far.

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These magnets were given to me by Jean M...but I can't remember if I had them in DC or not. I don't think so...but I love them b/c they are butterflies with some of my life's mottos "Live. Love. Hope."

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This Turtle joined the family in DC and was the first of the turtle & butterfly combos we have found so far...

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This turtle joined us in NC as our front porch decoration. The Carolina sun has taken its toll on it. So did Lou Dog as he chewed off a butterfly that was attached by a spring coil to the larger turtle. It is how people knew which townhouse was ours...and now which home is ours.

The unpacking has only just begun, but I'm sure you will hear a lot more about it and see many more pics as we go along. For now, we're happy and enjoying this "place and space of our own" because...
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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

No Longer in the Desert...

To understand the title post you would have to reference a comment my cousin made when I was blogging about not really knowing if Alabama is where Dave and I are supposed to be at the moment. She reminded me of the Israelite wandering the desert and pondering going back to Egypt and slavery instead of continuing to wander. I can say that Dave and I are supposed to be here in Alabama, at least for this point in time. It has become abundantly clear in the past few weeks that Alabama is home for now. (My gypsy-like heart and I are still adjusting to this idea...I know we've already been here for 9 months now, I only lived in DC for 9 months though.)

Week 1~We receive an offer for affordable cheap housing from a friend. We are excited, but uncertain as to whether we can really afford it even though it was so cheap since Dave was only working at Domino's a few nights a week after school. So we ponder it a bit.

Week 2~Management shifts are made at Loft. One of our managers and one of our Sales Leads goes to a neighboring store. Another Sales Lead found a full-time job which limits her availability. This leaves lots of free hours...hours I get to take. That means a big paycheck increase from the barely 15-20hours a week. Dave is told about a possible supervisor security job at a nearby mall. Dave goes to apply for the job. We're thinking the housing is way more affordable with my paycheck increase alone, but a job for Dave would be excellent.

Week 3~Dave gets the job!! It is a full-time position and he will also be able to stay in school. We're both rather excited. (And his boss is a former Marine!) We go to investigate housing opportunity. We love it and its great price. We love that we can have our furbabies with us without a huge fee. We plan to move.

I think this week would be week 4. We are planning to move next week as long as the everything goes according to plan and the current tennants are able to move into their new house as scheduled. God's hand can be seen in how this story has unfolded. I am thankful and counting my blessings. I really don't know what the future holds for us-a teaching job? a USMC recall? another move? the possibilities are endless, but I am confident that we are supposed to be here. I guess maybe I should start putting down some more roots. (That is sooooo scary to me...lol)

Things I am excited about:
1. Moving!!
2. Opening up my boxes from storage. I really can't remember what I might have in some of them.
3. Purging some of the unnecessary items I unbury in those boxes so there is less to move the next time (whenever that happens to be).
4. Katie's College Graduation - I would number the days, but I am afraid I would incite more panic in her life.
5. The day Katie opens her mailbox to find just the right acceptance letter to the law school of her choosing. (And Dear God, If it isn't too much to ask can she have some funding from the school too? Please.)
6. Maggie finishing college-on her own schedule of course, like everything else she does. lol.