The last non-busy day.

Today is our last non busy day.  We had Coop's going away lunch today and the rest of the day was spent doing laundry and Coop wrapping up some loose ends.  Tomorrow and Friday will be whirlwind days.  Saturday, I don't even want to think about yet. 

I have a dr. appt. at 8:30 in the morning.  I have to drop Coop and the kids off at our house for the final inspection at 9am.  Ben will be going to school (his last day) and then at noon we go pick up the rental car we have reserved.  We drop our truck off at 1:30 to be shipped to TN and then we go back to get Ben's transcripts and things from school.  Tomorrow night is his cub scout crossover night so we will be going to that.  Somewhere in between all that, I have to re-pack suitcases and get rid of stuff not going on the plane with us. 

Friday we check out of here and head to the hotel we are staying at near the airport.  Hopefully it will be a bit more relaxing there.  The hotel has an indoor pool that the kids are looking forward to swimming in something awful.  We will let them swim and get all tired in hopes they will go to bed early since we will be at the airport at 4am on Saturday. 

Writing this out just makes me tired.  I have visions of not doing a dang thing on Sunday.  Laying around and napping sounds good to me. 

I have pictures I want to put on the blog but I haven't had time to do all that.  It may have to wait.  Maybe I will have time later this evening. 

Good news!

This blog post will contain the most awesome news.  Coop has a job interview next week!!  We got a call last week about a possible interview coming his way, well, today the guy called wanting to meet with him.  He wanted him to come in today, but since we are still here in AK, it will have to wait.  The guy was cool with waiting until we get back.  How exciting!

We know that this is his first interview and he may not get the job, but hey, it's something!  If nothing else, it will give him the interview experience he needs.  We are saying prayers that this could work out!  It sure would be nice to be able to hit the ground running in TN and get settled sooner.  Time will tell!

Easter.

So today was Easter. It started off a bit rough with cranky kids, but this afternoon turned out to be a really great afternoon. We met up with Ben's cub scout den at a rented chalet this afternoon and had a great time. The kids played and the parents talked and food was had. Good times. Thursday will be the last time that Ben sees these kids so it was a bit sad too. The families made us a framed picture of the boys and everyone signed the frame. It was so sweet. We will be hanging it in Ben's room at our next house.

I am a bit upset that my camera died on me. I didn't get pictures of the boys or of the huge bear we saw run in front of our truck. Blah. I did get a mountain picture that I will add tomorrow when I get it off the camera.

Tomorrow is Monday and the start of our busy week before we leave. Exciting!!

Insanity.

If I make it to TN with my sanity I will be grateful. Being in TLF with no playgrounds and no toys for the kids is making things quite difficult. I feel bad for the kids. We can't load up on toys because of the plane ride, so they are stuck trying to find ways to entertain themselves. Tomorrow we will be spending the afternoon with Ben's cub scout den so they will be good and worn out. Then school is Monday for Ben and hopefully the week will go by quickly.

Tomorrow is Easter. The kids won't be getting much since we are already loaded down for the plane ride. I feel a bit bad, but heck, they will be plenty spoiled once we get home to TN.

Ok, time to go, the kids are fighting again for the 100th time today. I need some calgon and a beer. *sigh*

Moving and other news.

Well the movers came yesterday and today. The house is empty except the stuff being shipped tomorrow. This is quite an adjustment for all of us. I totally miss my house now and I know Cassidy does too. Living in temporary lodging here on base is horrible. The floors are super thin and since we are on the bottom floor, well, we get to hear every little thing that goes on up there. They woke Cassidy up twice last night. Ugh. These places are old as hell and I get that we will hear footsteps but the running, stomping, slamming things around and constant vacuuming will get old real fast.

I sound cranky don't I? I guess I am a bit. This part of the trip will be rough. I am a creature of habit and not having my house or any house of my own is going to be an adjustment. One day at a time. Next week will be extremely busy so hopefully it will go by super fast.

On a really great note, Coop got a call back about a job yesterday. The lady said that they should be contacting him soon about an interview. This would be awesome for him. We will keep our fingers crossed!

I am editing this post to add some pics I took while the movers were at the house.

Here we go!




Boxes! Boxes! Boxes!

Just one more day...

Today is Monday. The movers come on Wednesday. I thought we were close to being ready for the movers but doing some packing and getting things together tonight makes me think that tomorrow I will be busting ass to finish up stuff before Wednesday. *sigh* I am so ready for this week to be over.

Coop asked me tonight if I was excited about moving. I guess I kind of am, but mostly I am just scared. There are so many things up in the air right now and I do not do well without stability. I feel emotionally all over the place. I don't feel grounded. Not having our own place, not knowing if we will have a paycheck after May, not knowing where Ben will be going to school, etc. All of these things weigh heavily on my mind.

All that considered, I think I am doing pretty well with keeping my emotions in check. I am not a crying mess. I put up a good front and keep moving forward. I try to keep things happy and exciting for the kids. All they need to know is that we will be living with Granny until we can find a new house.

Tomorrow night I will be shutting down the computer until we get to TLF. I am not sure of the internet situation but I will try to update when I can. The next couple weeks will be pretty busy so I hope to have quite a few updates.

One day at a time....

Friday.

Well, it's Friday and it's time for an update. We are fairly close to being ready for the movers on Wednesday. Most of the decluttering is done. This weekend we plan on working on the garage.

Time seems to be flying by. This is our last weekend in the house. I am excited and scared but ready to be back in TN.

I am typing this post on my iPad to see how well it works. So far so good. Now I don't have to fire up the laptop just to make a post. I like that.

Well, back to work. Happy Friday everyone!

Spring in Alaska.

Today was a super nice day here in AK. The temperature was around 45 degrees this afternoon and we spent some time outside with the kiddos soaking up the nice day. I took a few pictures of our afternoon.

This is a picture of the mountains behind our house. Notice that the snow on the ground is gone.


Unless it's the snow in our front yard. There is still some snow left there. I'm betting it will be mostly gone before we leave here though, I think.


Here is the boy standing on a large pile of dirt, rock, ice and snow.


The girl on her tricycle. Notice the tip of her nose is pink like her cheeks...lol.


My two kiddos, tempted by the water puddle. Kids and water puddles are like moths to a flame.


It was such a nice day outside. I really will miss these days. No heat, no humidity, just clean, crisp air and lots of sunshine!

Tuesday.

Sofie is officially in TN!  After talking to Donna (my MIL) it sounds like Sofie is doing well so far in her new digs.  She knows Donna and Melissa (my SIL) pretty well and I am sure they were spoil her like we do.  That makes me feel good.  I was worried about our doggie flying from AK to TN but she did awesome!  With her being a Boston Terrier, they don't do well in extreme cold or extreme heat due to having a short nose.  They told us that shipping her depended on the weather in Nashville.  If it was going to be over 85 degrees, she wouldnt have been able to go.  Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and she was able to make the flight.  I hope she is enjoying the warmer weather! (Sorry for the pic quality, it's a phone pic)



I need to be a bit more productive today.  I have cleaning that can be done but doing 20 minutes on the elliptical isn't as productive as I wanted to be today.  I think I will go up and start on Ben's room and suitcase to get it ready.

Tonight is the season 7 premiere of Deadliest Catch.  Coop and I are really looking forward to it.  The boy is hoping to stay up and watch it with us.  Good stuff!

Blogging isn't getting things done around here so I am signing off for now!

Bye bye Sofie!!! (and other general goings-on)

Sofie is now at the airport.  Her flight leaves in less than an hour.  When we get up in the morning, she will be in TN, with Coop's parents until we get there in a few weeks.  Everyone is a little sad that our canine family member is gone, but I think deep down we are just all jealous she will get there before all of us.

In other news, we have just been cleaning out closets and getting ready for the movers next week.  Tomorrow I will work on Ben's room and that leaves the garage to be done.  On the 20th, we will have the movers here and the family will move into TLF.  I am a bit excited about TLF because laundry will be smaller and no toys will be scattered all over the place.  Sounds nice, until the kids get tired of being cooped up with nothing to do.  I hope our place is right next to the huge playground.  That would be nice.

We had a meeting with the boy's teacher today.  We had him tested last week for dyslexia.  The results are in and he does have dyslexia.  *sigh*  The good news is that we caught it now and not when he is older.  I just hope that the next school he goes to will be able to accommodate him.  That will definitely be in our minds when we start deciding where we want to live.

Things are moving quickly.  In a week and a half, we will be out of here.  In 3 weeks we will be on a plane to TN.  Can I wake up and have it be May 1st already?  That sure would be nice.

Dodging a bullet.

Well, for now a crisis is averted.  No government shutdown.  I am not sure what sort of deals had to be made in order to make sure it didn't happen, but for now, I won't think about that.  I just want to breathe a sigh of relief that right now, we don't have to worry about not getting paid.  I think the ones that are most happy are the federal employees that faced furloughs.  We would eventually get paid, those folks wouldn't have gotten paid. 

So my Friday night ends on a not-so-grim note.  We only have this weekend and next left here in our house.  Tomorrow and Sunday we will be cleaning I imagine.  At least now I don't have to be cranky about other things, I can just be cranky about cleaning...lol.

Sofie

On a lighter note, I wanted to post about our doggie.  We have a little Boston Terrier named Sofie.  Today we took her to the vet to get her cleared for her plane trip she is taking Monday night.  She got all her shots as well as a health certificate to the tune of 150 bucks.

Monday night Sofie will be taking a plane down to TN.  Since we cannot keep her in lodging with us while we finish up our stay in AK, she is going early and Coop's parents will take care of her until we get there.

Sofie is a sweet dog.  She snorts, she snores, she farts, she has allergies and a sensitive stomach, but she is ours.  Her favorite person is Coop I believe.  She loves curling up with him in the recliner and napping.  In fact, her favorite thing to do, period, is nap. 

Will We Or Will We Not?

Get paid, that is. 

A government shutdown is looming over our heads at the moment.  While we are definitely leaving the military, we still get paid until May 31.  I have to say, those paychecks are very much needed.  We do have savings and we won't be broke, but not getting paid could make things hard. 

Yes, not paying the military is crappy.  We shouldn't forget the government workers that most likely won't be paid at all if the government shuts down.  Military people will get back pay.  Government workers that don't come to work, won't.  Those people depend on paychecks too.

*sigh*

Congress has until midnight tonight to get their act together.  Right now the only sticking point is abortion. I cannot believe that women's rights are what is holding up our government.  It kind of makes me sick.  The government does not get to tell me what I can or cannot do with my body.  These men want to take a woman's right to choose away.  Yet, once these babies are born, there will be no programs to help these women and children out.  Yep, that makes complete sense. 

I will get off my soapbox for now.  It is too early in the morning to get the old blood pressure up...haha!

Life in Alaska

Moving to Alaska from Georgia was a bit of an adjustment.  I remember getting to Anchorage in the middle of June and having to wear a jacket.  It was at that moment that I just did not miss the summer in the south.  That first summer was amazing.  It was a bit of a pain that the sun didn't really set, but hey, we are living in Alaska!  The temperature barely hit 70 the whole summer.  We have no air conditioning here.  Thinking it was going to be rough not having one, I was really surprised that we didn't even miss it.  Open the windows and turn the ceiling fan on and after a while, it was really cool in the house.  This is pretty much what our summers looked like.  This is our backyard, see the mountains?




Then, winter came.  I hadn't seen significant snow since we had lived in Virginia.  Our first snow I think we got like 10 inches.  10 inches that didn't melt.  It fell in November and stuck around until April.  That took some getting used to.  The majority of the year looks like this (or similiar):





As you can tell, the world is pretty black and white with different shades of grey.  Plus, the sun doesn't shine very much at all.  Maybe 5 hours a day.  That picture was taken at around 10am and the sun was just then getting around to coming up.

While we are extremely excited about moving back home to TN, I will never forget our time here in AK.  Yeah, the winters are dark, dreary and cold.  The summers?  Well, they are just amazing.  We actually got to live somewhere a lot of people only dream of.  This is what we got to see that most people don't.




Moose across the street from our house!!




The harbor in Whittier, AK



Portage Glacier



Ice floes!



Matanuska Glacier!



More Matanuska Glacier!

How many people can say that they actually *walked* on a glacier?  There are parts of Alaska I will miss, some that I won't but this has definitely been an amazing place to be for the past 2 years. 

Thanks for the memories, Alaska!

Who are we?

For starters, my name is Jessica.  My husband is Coop, or JR if you knew him back in the day.  He likes to go by Coop, but I still call him JR from time to time.  We have 2 kids that keep us on our toes.  The boy is 7 and the girl is 3.  Right now we live in Anchorage, AK.  Coop is in the Air Force for 1.5 more months.  Then we are off to a whole new life.  Actually, we have 3 weeks left here in AK before heading down south to TN.

If someone had told me at the beginning of January that we would be leaving the military and moving back to TN, I would have called them crazy.  At the beginning of January, we had a year and a half left here.  Then we had no idea where we were going.  We wanted to go to Illinois or Ohio.  Closer to family, but not close enough.

At the end of January, due to certain events, Coop and I revisited whether or not we wanted to stay in the military.  The ultimate conclusion is what got us to where we are now.  I am completely thrilled about being near family again.  I am also scared to death about transitioning from a comfortable, somewhat predictable lifestyle, to a world that we know nothing about.

As of right now, Coop doesn't have a job.  He is officially off military duty at the end of May, so we have a little while before we get worried, but when everyone is telling us we are crazy for leaving because of how the economy is so bad, it does place doubt in my head.  Are we doing the right thing?  Are we going to have to sacrifice a comfortable life just to be near family?  There are so many unanswered questions right now.

So, that is us in a nutshell.  I will be chronicling our journey here, hopefully.  Who knows how this is going to turn out.  This could be the greatest decision we have ever made, or it could be a disaster.  Only time will tell.

Another beginning.

This is another beginning in a few ways.  I have tried to get into blogging for quite some time.  I start off doing okay, then I wind up slacking off.  Life just doesn't seem interesting enough to blog about.  That is, until now.

My family is embarking on the biggest challenge in over 10 years.  The last time we took a chance, my husband and I were 20 and we found ourselves in the military lifestyle.  Now, 12 years and 2 kids later, we are taking another chance.  We are heading back to the civilian way of life.  We are older and hopefully wiser.  We want our children to grow up near family.  We do not want to deal with deployments anymore.  My husband wants a normal job that is dependent on his ability to do his job and not whether or not he knows how many people have received what medal over the course of military history.

We are closing our eyes and taking a leap, hoping that there is something to catch us when we land.  I wanted to blog about this journey.  So, here I am again.  Another beginning.