It is my second move with Sean and I must tell you there are some good and bad points. The good news is that the military does pay to move you. The bad news is its always disruptive and it takes many, many weeks of "inconvenient, frustrating and uncomfortable conditions" until you find your normal again. I'm from the school of "stay somewhere you're whole life". So marrying Sean was a big decision of my will. "Can I be a military wife?" And the answer was obviously yes. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of times I wish we could just live a normal life of a 9 to 5 job and "one" house for the rest of our lives. I was raised in the same house from the time I was brought home from Korea to the time I moved out for college. I went to the same school and I have to tell you there is some comfort in having that foundation in a child's life. The wonderful aspect of children I have come to appreciate is there unfailing resilience. Children transition and experience change better than us old boring adults who complain and whine over the ups and downs of a life full of changes.
It being my second move I know what to expect a little better. I understand that these strangers are going to come into my home in a few weeks and completely pack up our lives. They are going to be very invasive and at times I'm going to want to just scream, "leave my stuff alone!" I'm hoping this time I have a better organizational plan that allows me to feel prepared on what I need to keep out and what is ready to get packed away for weeks.
I keep laying in my bed thinking, "bed, I'm going to miss you", same with my couch. I'm going to miss a lot of my everyday normalities that help keep my head sane when I think I'm going to lose it. God played a really funny joke on me by marrying Sean. He said, "I'm going to send this man into your life that is going to be the best compliment to who I made you." "He will stretch you and challenge you in all the areas where you are weakest and you're job is to help to do the same in his life." "Oh, and by the way, all the stuff that makes you feel safe, comfortable and in control all that is going to go away." After realizing this is what God's will for me was I guess I didn't truly grasp how tough it was going to be. I love Sean and I love the fact that he has chosen a life of honor, integrity, sacrifice and patronage. Its just hard at times when it means that all of us have to sacrifice and go through the challenging aspects of being a military family.
I'm very excited and optimistic about moving out of Las Vegas. Many of you know what a challenge it has been for me living out here. I'm looking forward to finding a more "conservative" culture and more "family-based" environment to raise our children for the next 3 years.
There is so much to be done in these next few weeks it makes me exhausted just "thinking" about it all. However, I have to say how thankful I am that at the end of it all we are moving on to bigger and better things. I prayed for a family friendly place to live for the next few years and for what feedback I've been given about South Carolina and the area there we'll be living it sounds pretty good.
We came here with just Clayton. He had just turned a year old. Now we're leaving with 2 more children than when we came and with so much more stuff. Funny how much can happen in 3 years. It hasn't been an easy 3 years but it has taught me a lot and will continue to teach me. Life is such a classroom. You're always coming to the realization that you learn from the good and the bad that comes your way. I'm glad that I came here with Sean and that we were able to do all that we did and experience all that we did out here. It caused me to grow up a lot. You wouldn't think a woman in her 3o's would need to grow up but I certainly did. I was too much into the "comfort-zone" living and loving living there. Now, I'm understanding that living in a comfort zone isn't God's ideal for me. He wants me stretched, pulled and prodded so that I never get complacent or apathetic about the most important thing in life. Loving Him, Living for Him and Leading others to Him.
Sean has mentioned so often how he wanted us to take a picture by the Welcome to Las Vegas sign that is at the end of the strip when we leave. Kind of a memento of our experience here and a badge of pride that we survived it! I'm looking forward to taking that picture. I don't even care if everyone looks at the camera or not. Its having everyone "in" the picture that matters to me. :) We came as three we leave as five!
I know I will survive this PCS but I have to say that once we get officially moved into our new house and get mostly the way unpacked I'm going to feel really relieved. Until then, I'll be carrying the burden of my kids trying to figure out when or how to nap. Driving 3 days to get to Nebraska with 3 kids and 2 dogs. Staying a few days. Then driving 3 more days getting to South Carolina. Trying to figure out where we'll be staying until we find our new house. Then, getting our new house, scheduling the movers, unpacking, and then finding our "new normal".
My husband is such a military guy that when I bring up all the details that I'm worried about, he just shrugs his shoulders and says, "its going to be alright." He definitely is my ying to my yang.
ha ha ha!
Hope you guys are all enjoying the spring!
Natasha
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