Moving Again?????

To be a part of the military, I find you have to be.....

Adventurous

Strong

Daring

Patient

Independent

And most of all.....TOUGH SKINNED!

This life is amazing to me! I love every minute of it. I love where we have been and the adventures we have been able to have. This military life has allowed us to move to places that I am sure, without orders, I would have never even visited! Our family is coming up on move #5! 

Move #1: Minot AFB, North Dakota (my home state) to Holloman AFB, New Mexico

Move #2: Holloman AFB, New Mexico to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho

Move #3: Mountain Home AFB, Idaho to Nellis AFB, Nevada (Viva Las Vegas, Baby!!)

Move #4 Nellis AFB, Nevada to Maxwell AFB, Alabama

and now to Move #5: Sweet Home Alabama to Vandenberg AFB, California

It would take hours to list the amazing things that have occurred at each base. From babies being born, to deployments, places we got to see, amazing friendships made, the list could go on and on! With each move comes a list of questions and statements from people that are not in the military, people that quite frankly don't get this life!

Your moving again????

Yuck, I would never raise my child there?

Do your kids like moving?

How can you move them so much?

We want stability for our children, don't want them messed up....

Lots of military kids have a hard time with reality (life outside of the military), does that bother you?

Everybody has an opinion on how bad our previous location was and how much better there state will be for us!!!

The list goes on, and this my friends, is why you develop tough skin. People say the darndest things. Their statements to them are true, and what we are doing is terrible. God forbid, we answer back with what we really think. Believe me, at times I have a lot of words for many people. On a positive note, I understand their line of questions. I know that they are curious. Military life brings on a lot of questions and after 11 years of it, I still don't have all the answers. I can answer some of the above questions though, maybe give you a better understanding of our crazy life and why we love it!

We will move again, and again, and more than likely several more times. Our assignments will get shorter and more frequent. We expect to move every 1 to 2 years. 3 years at one location would be a long time. Do we like everywhere we have moved, YES! We have loved it. Our children have swam in every ocean that borders our country. They have seen amazing sights, such as the Grand Canyon of Arizona and the historical sights of South Carolina. They have been to both Disneyland and Disney World. They have flown on a Air Force Cargo plane to Hawaii and have eaten the amazing cuisines of many cultures. Each state has offered something unique. The cultures of each vary drastically. From the way they talk to the food they eat, my children have seen it all!!! To me, they are getting experiences that are incomparable to most, they are becoming well rounded amazing individuals because of this life. 

They have courage and strength that I could not have come close to having as a youth. Jessie's first day of junior high and high school both have been and will be at new schools. I remember being nervous, because I was going to the big schools, that alone gives one butterflies! This strong girl will go to the big school, being the new kid, in a new state. Our school shopping usually takes place after the first week of school in a new state because kids dress differently everywhere. We have bought too many of the "wrong things" and wasted a few dollars to know that this is the best way to shop! Jillian and Jameson will be the new kids as well. They have each other to lean on. Best friends is an understatement! If one has a fear, the other makes it go away. 

 Do they love to move.....YEP! A new excitement comes with every assignment and they can't wait to get there.  As parents we do our best to keep them excited.  We buy them new bedroom stuff with every move, and try to visit some place exciting on our way. The trip we have planned for this move is Key West, Florida! We know that moving is challenging, but I can't imagine staying in one place for too long. If we didn't move to the places we have moved to, we wouldn't have as many amazing friends that we are blessed to have. I wouldn't have had experiences like taking my dad to the Pacific for the first time. This is a crazy life and we love every move of it! 

So Yes, we are moving again. Yes, I will raise my children in places like Vegas, and California. No, I am not afraid that they will become gang bangers! Yes, they love to move and I pack up their bags and put them in the car, that is how I move them. No, I don't think they will be messed up, if they are, it is not because they are military brats, it is because they have me for a mom! Stability, will I am certain that even if you never move, every life has some instability about it, one must overcome and make it stable! Last but not least, I agree your home state is the best and you will never find me saying anything but that! Every state has been the best because God placed us there and I am with the best 5 people on earth!!!