Another big move...

It's getting to be that time again...time to PCS.  I think the hardest thing about a move is being able to plan and prepare for the upcoming move, while at the same time being able to be present and enjoy the last few months, weeks, days in the place that you currently call home.  These are precious moments with sweet friends.  More than friends really...people who we do life with, people that we love.

Since Nathan and I have been married this is our 4th "BIG" move.  Technically it's our 6th move, but we won't count moves to a different house in the same town.

OUR 1st MOVE, College Station, TX to Fort Benning/ Columbus, GA:
This one was pretty easy.  Most of our college friends had already moved away from College Station a few months before us.  It was the beginning of Nathan's Army career and we were expecting our first baby.  It was just a really exciting time for us.  This move was unique though because it was temporary.  We already had orders to move to Fort Drum, NY less than a year later, so even as we were starting this new adventure, we were already looking forward to the next one.  I honestly made a conscious attempt to not grow to close to anyone.  Lucky for me, God placed a few forever friends in my path anyway.  I'm so grateful that He intervenes and gives us what we need even if we aren't seeking it (or are possibly even avoiding it).

OUR 2nd MOVE, GA to Fort Drum, NY:
This move wasn't too hard.  One of those forever friends that God blessed me with had already moved to Fort Drum a few months prior to us.  We joke that Isaac and I called Fort Drum home for 25 months, while Nathan and Avonleigh called it home for about 10 months.  We loved Fort Drum.  We loved the unit, the post, and the amazing friends we had there.  But we didn't love the climate or the state.  That combined with the fact that the forever friend that I keep mentioning had already moved back to Fort Benning a few months before us...guess where we were going next?

OUR 3rd MOVE, Fort Drum, NY to Fort Benning, GA (again):
Well technically we moved to AL, but we'll just call it GA.  It's where we spend most of our time...we really just sleep in AL.  This move was easy.  I was planning the move 6 months out and I was so ready to get back to GA.  We have been back here for about 20 months.  To be honest, Fort Benning isn't our favorite post.  But we genuinely love it here.  We love our church, we love our friends, I love working with the youth group...we love, love, love our lives here (with exception of how much we have to drive).  Ha!  But here we are...exactly 9 weeks away from moving day.

MOVE # 4, GA/AL to Fort Carson, CO:
I have never been so incredibly thrilled and excited about a move!  We are moving to Colorado.  It is close to family and lot's of people we love; It is so, so beautiful there; There are four seasons.  Seasonal allergies won't rule our lives.  I could go on and on about things I'm looking forward to.  But though I've never been more excited about a move, I've also never been more heartbroken.  You know that friend I keep mentioning?  Well, she and her husband have 3 kids of their own now.  Our children are BEST friends.  Seriously.  They think they are siblings and they genuinely love each other.  She's my best friend.  Guess what, we're not making this move together...they are moving to Hawaii.  Many of our other friends are moving shortly after us too.  We're dispersing all over the nation.  Yep...this one is going to be hard.  Did I mention that I'm going to miss some teenage girls terribly?

So what now?  I thank God for the time we've had with our friends, for allowing us to be part of a church and community group that we have loved and that has grown our faith.  We start preparing for our upcoming move and prayerfully seeking our new home and our new church.  While at the same time we remain present and cherish the last few weeks that we have here.  We make memories that we will take with us, wherever we go.

Funny kids XD

Avonleigh has been extra funny today...

She started the day off by lifting up her night gown to show me her tummy.  While pointing to her sweet little round toddler tummy she said, "Look Mommy, my tummy is getting big just like yours!"  Grrrr...

She has a little porcelain tea set that I purchased before she was born.  Mind you I purchased it more as decor than a toy, but that is a battle that I have lost.  Avonleigh loves to play tea.  This morning Isaac didn't want to play tea with her, so she just played with Blaire and Lucy instead.  It may not sound that funny, but if you could have seen the looks on the dog's faces as Avonleigh tipped her tiny little tea cup over their noses over and over and over again, saying, "here, have some tea!", then you certainly would have laughed too.

Earlier today I was picking up the floor so I could vacuum, and I picked up Avonleigh's Minnie Mouse that was sitting near the time out area.  When Avonleigh saw me pick up Minnie she ran over and snatched her from me and said, "No Mommy, Minnie is BAD!  She has to stay in time out!"  I also found it amusing that Minnie had been sitting in the same spot for a few hours.  She must have been really bad!

Currently she is outside playing.  Nothing funny about that unless you could see how she dressed herself.  A silky summer nightgown, a sweatshirt jacket, a pink shoe (on the wrong foot), and a brown shoe (also on the wrong foot).

Now, one on Isaac from a few days ago...
It was getting close to bed time so I told him to go clean his room.  He asked me to help him and I told him that I would help him in a few minutes, but asked him to go ahead and start without me.  He trudged into his room, dragging his feet the whole way.  Less than a minute later he was back.  He looked up at me with the most stern face that a 4-year-old can muster and said, "I'm just a kid you know!"  I have no idea where he came up with that!  But it was ridiculously cute.