Well, We're HERE!!

Wow! It's been a minute since I've written hasn't it? But I have good reason...my life has been complete CHAOS!  lol. we drove from California to West Virginia in 3 days. it was supposed to be to NC FIRST but THAT was put on hold due to hurricane Irene. So our week long stay in West Virginia sort of revolved around getting our furniture down to NC and waiting to close on the house. I didn't get to see my mom or any of my family so that sucked. BUT I'LL BE BACK SOON and my sole purpose will be to do nothing but visit family and friends and have fun! For now, we gotta get settled in here.


Kris checked into his new unit yesterday, today we went  out to the house and they're making good progress, our close date is the 15th and we do a final walk through on the 14th. the neighborhood is nice and quiet. there is a school literally a mile from the house :) and there are nice families and elderly couples in the neighborhood. I live about 2 miles from EVERYTHING. I'm talking restaurants, THE MALL, Target, etc...Which is TOTALLY a switch from what I've been used to for the past year...oh and it's humid as HECK down here! lol. It's good to be back here though. :) Now I can check California off of my "bucket list" I suppose. ...


So we close on the house in 4 days and it sucks because Sadie is at a pet boarding facility. I am sure that she thinks we abandoned her. :(( I'll bet she's scared and confused.  I HATE to think that. but I know they're being kind to her. They've been in business nearly 20 years and they were highly recommended to me by the people here in the community. Well I'll close this out with a picture I took of the house today... :) I cannot WAIT to post pics of the inside but FIRST I'm waiting for the cleaning lady to get in there and do her THANG! 

Okay so I KNOW it's been a while since I've written but things have been crazy for me trying to get ready for this move, buying a house, AND helping to get my kids in school from the OTHER side of the country. We leave in 8 days for the East Coast. I can't wait to get home to WV for a few days, see the family and HUG MY CHILDREN. I can't wait to see how much they've grown and changed in 2 months time. It feels like forever since I've seen them. now we're down to the final week of our separation and each day feels like it lasts forever. My house is almost all packed up and most of the furniture is in the garage which is good because waiting til the last minute STRESSES ME OUT so I'm glad to be ahead of schedule..of course if it weren't for Kris, I probably wouldn't be. 
 Kylie is very lonely and bored and doesn't even seem like herself. I think she'll be very happy to see her brother and sister again and she'll be just as happy as I will to leave this town. 
I think I should be getting some updated photos of the house soon. they finished the siding on the outside and there's a big red SOLD sign in the window. :)) It makes me happy knowing that my family will have a brand new clean home to live in and a big grassy back yard to play in! I'll keep you all updated as much as possible! Thats it for now! 

News from NC

Our Realtor called us this evening to inform us that our offer has indeed been accepted with no counter offer..we're under contract!! So it looks like the home in the post below will indeed be owned by the Roberts family! We're so excited! We're getting the house for 12,000 less than its offered and it's BRAND NEW. PLUS some GREAT upgrades and all closing costs paid! STEAL!! We're so happy! Now I wait anxiously for her to let me know if I can still choose/change interior selections. :) So congratulate us...We're on our way to becoming home owners!! 

Is This Home? (Craeberne Forest)

So..we think we've found it. it's in a beautiful up and coming development called Craeberne Forest in New Bern, NC about 20 miles to Kris's work at MCAS Cherry Point. Close to schools, shopping, restaurants, beaches, etc. When we were looking for a house and we set a budget, we right away knew we weren't going to get EVERYTHING we wanted in a house..but we wanted to make sure we got close! In the end, it came down to a spacious 4 bedroom home..with ZERO yard space...or a 3 bedroom a bit smaller with a huge back yard. So of course the smaller one would mean sacrificing about 100 sq ft, our girl's sharing a room and our guests crashing in Jordan's room or in our living room...but it would also mean a beautiful screened in back porch in a great neighborhood close to school...and a great big back yard to play in! so yes, we chose the 3 bedroom. it is approximately 6 weeks until completion but I wanted to share some photos with you!

 front/side view of the house

Front view of the house (when it's finished there will be cute columns in the front!)

view of the back..they're finishing the screened in porch and then when they finish the house they'll lay sod :)

just one of the ponds in the neighborhood :) 

another view of the neighborhood

The drywall went up today :) I'd love to show you photos of that but I want to wait until it's a little more complete. There is a huge living room, combination kitchen/dining room, 2 regular bedrooms and a large master suite. and BTW...I have a jacuzzi tub in my bathroom that I may never get out of.. :)) 

I'll keep you all updated...I feel like Kris and I have made a great choice. For 3 years this will be our home and then when we move, it'll be a great rental property and investment for our future!  We've just started the ball rolling so we'll let you all know when it's official! 

Warm and Fuzzies...

This Mariachi band played for an adorable Beluga Whale...and she danced...watch the whole thing..I DIE of cuteness right now...

Sleeping Beauty  AND sleeping Sadie. Looks like the pup is settling in nicely don't you think? Life on the "outside" is so difficult for her! haha! 

Update 8/2/11

So, we signed with a Coldwell Banker Realtor last night...EEEEEEK! I'm so excited..but also nervous and stressed. It seems I have a ton on me right now. This house thing complicates everything but I KNOW it will be worth it. We won't be able to close on a house until Sept. or Oct. so that means the kids and I will be staying in WV with Kris's mom for a month or 2 while all that is being taken care of. and yes. the kids will have to change schools once we close on the house. I don't like it but that's the way it has to be. I know that we're doing the best thing for our family. :) 
 Well, the pup is fitting in nicely with our family. She's such a loving dog. She LOVES to cuddle and she hasn't had not even one accident which tells me that someone must've cared for her before she ended up at that shelter. She knows "STAY" but she doesn't know "SIT" so right now that's what we're working on.  I admit it's nice having a dog again..I talk to her all day long when Kris isn't here LOL. I sure do miss my Coby and I always will but I know he's with a great family so that makes me happy. Now we have Sadie. :) 

 Well, that's enough rambling from me for now! 

Choosing Sadie ♥

So..24 days til we leave for the east coast. I'm stressing because it can't get here fast enough. I miss Mia and Jordan terribly and I've been stressing on trying to keep them from missing too much school so hopefully I can get them back quickly and get that process started. Seems like we're always moving when it cuts into the school year. :/ 
 Yesterday we went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Kylie's birthday. That's where she wanted to go and truthfully I didn't mind too much. it was fun playing games with her. :)  On the way home, we got to talking about how we wish we'd have known we were staying in the states and we never would have had to re home Coby...of course that sparked an idea...we couldn't get Coby back..he's too happy in his new home with his new family..BUT that doesn't mean we can't get a new friend for Kylie right? That seems crazy..I mean we're a few weeks away from driving cross country! :/ We'll just stop and LOOK...so we stopped at the local animal shelter.  A no kill shelter that had lots of little furries looking for a home. and THIS caught our eye...

This is Sadie. They named her this because they said when they found her, she was  very clean, friendly, and had a nice fancy collar on "like she just stepped out of a Mercedes" they said. They thought for certain someone would claim her as she was clearly well cared for..but no one did. perhaps they didn't know where to look...Anyways all of the rest of the dogs in their kennels were barking and jumping and going absolutely insane..she was standing at the kennel door, wagging her tail like crazy staring up at Kris and Kylie as if to say "HI! PICK ME!" so we got her out and walked her around..while she covered Kylie in puppy kisses and we learned from the shelter director that she is fully housebroken and LOVES car rides! PERFECT. We couldn't say no. Now Kylie has a new friend, and this little girl has a new family. I SWORE I'd never have a Chihuahua or anything that even looked like one...this goofy looking little girl pulled me right in. She's not full blooded Chihuahua, she's got a long body and a very long nose and tail, but she's tiny and about 2 years old. She loves to sit in your lap and cuddle, she's fully housebroken and she fits right in here! We're looking forward to taking her on our trip because she loves to ride in the car. :) I am not a SMALL DOG person as a rule (I love my boxers) but it was KRIS'S turn to choose and he and Kylie chose..and we couldn't be happier. Below is a photo of Kylie officially receiving her new friend..whom she decided to name Sadie DORA Roberts..LMAO.

Here We Go Around Again!!

A small update- So most of you know by now that Kris and I are moving to MCAS Cherry Point, NC. Everyone I've talked to so far says it's  a small, quiet town, very pretty, and close to everything. I'm looking forward to it. We leave here on August 24th and start the drive cross country. At first we were just going to move into a house on base...but why? why would we do that when we can use our BAH as house payment and still have some left over..? so We've begun the house hunting process (which is NOT easy to do on the OPPOSITE side of the country LET ME TELL YA!) but we're making due and we're anxious to get the ball rolling. 
 I'm missing my children now more than ever and have been a bit depressed since realizing it's going to be even longer before I can get them back now that our plans have changed. I just have to bite the bullet, do what I can, and plan accordingly. I know that they'll be back where they belong before I know it, but waiting is hard. Especially around this time...my niece passed away last night. she was only 20 years old and had her whole life ahead of her. Seeing my sister have to cope with losing 2 of her children in two years makes you think about how precious life is, how much the people close to you truly mean and you wonder if they know that. I am ready to have my kids back where they belong. 
 I hear many of the schools in NC are year round! While they won't get a long summer break they'll get more breaks throughout the year which means lots of trips home to WV :) Well, I have a to do list that just won't wait. Bye for now! 

Overwhelmed :/

Yesterday was an overwhelming day for me. We found out that Kris's orders are being changed and we are no longer headed to Japan but to the East coast of the US. Of course all of our friends and family are beyond THRILLED and relieved and so are we...
 Not long after that my mother called with bad news and informed me that my niece had been in a terrible automobile accident. she's currently in critical condition..it always seems to happen that way, as soon as we get a piece of good news, we also get a piece of bad news. Anyhow, I'll keep you all updated on the situation and your prayers for her and her family are MUCH appreciated...
 Today the hubby tells me that we're either going to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina  or Cherry Point, North Carolina. They're only about an hour apart from each other. We've lived in Camp Lejeune before. The beach was close, it was a very nice town and I had a beautiful house...I also have a friend that lives there so that would be ideal, but if not, Cherry Point looks nice too. I am on pins and needles waiting to find out which base....I'll let you all know something as soon as I do! Anxiously Waiting!! 

Changes!

Wow. WOOOOOOW. Yesterday we knew we were bound for Japan and we were ready for the move. Today we find out that some last minute changes are being made and we are headed to the East Coast. Am I thrilled? YES. I can live closer to my mother and my siblings, I can continue to speak English and drive on the correct side of the road..I  get to visit my mom...I get to go to Hanson concerts with my friends..I get to stay in America. We're young, we have our whole lives to live abroad. This is a good decision. The one thing that makes me sad is that I wish I'd have known this and I could have kept my dog. :((

Too much Down Time..

So, with Mia and Jordan spending the summer in West Virginia, I've found myself with alot more time on my hands. Living here in 29 Palms, there's basically nothing to do, so I have so much down time. I hate it. I like to stay busy, keep moving, I HATE anticipating something. The move is soooo close yet SO FAR away. I'm so ready to get the ball rolling. come get my furniture so I can clean  this house and move out of it and go home to WV and visit. I'm anxious to get to Japan and start our adventure  there. I know it seems like I want to rush through life but really it's just that I hate waiting for some thing. I hate being anxious. To me, it's a horrible feeling. I'm trying to keep busy but there's only so much you can do around here. Anyhow, I figured the easiest way to get my feelings out is to blog them and share them with you all. Thanks for "listening" :) Sayonara for now! 

First Blog Post!!

Kintai Bridge- Iwakuni, Japan

So this is my first blog post. I have been trying to keep  everyone updated via Facebook but it's tough when you're limited on how much you can write in your status. This blog is for you to follow if you should want to keep up with the upcoming adventures of our family in Japan. I will blog about our life there and there will be lots of photos! :) 
  The move didn't really sink in until recently, when I started learning a few basic Japanese words and then Kris and I decided to clean and close off a couple of the rooms in the house that we aren't using to prepare for our move out inspection. It's sinking in. We're moving to Japan! Am I excited? YES!! It's the little things that excite me..for instance, the thought of RAIN...snow in the winter, a yard with GRASS in it! ha!  Am I scared..nope..TERRIFIED is more the word.  I mean lets start with YEN. really? YEN?! I can't convert us dollars to YEN!! I failed math!! I do well to manage American money!! LOL  And uh...speaking Japanese, yeah I might get some of the basic words down but there's no way I'll ever speak it fluently. too confusing. and I'll NEVER attempt to read it. O_o boggles my mind. all those lines and squigglies. Anyhow, our movers come on August 8th to pack up our house and take all of our possessions overseas to Japan. I will keep you all updated on our progress and adventures as they go along!  SAYONARA!