There is this one question people keep asking me lately.
Yes and no. We are moving this summer, and we DO know where we are going. The person in charge of that has reassured Alan over and over again of where he’s assigned.
However, we do not have orders yet, so until we do, we aren’t announcing it. Last time we moved, we made this big announcement to the kids, and they keep waiting for this. The thing is it keeps dragging on for so long the they are having bad dreams, so we did tell them, “Look, more than likely, we pretty much know we’re going to this city.”
That helped them a bit. It just got to me yesterday when Daniel told me his dream. He dreamed we kicked the boys out of the house for three days, and then we finally let them back in because we were all moving. Even as he was getting in the car, he didn’t know where we were moving to.
Sad!!! I promise you we’d never do that. It was just a dream from a boy with an uncertain future! These moves were much easier for them when they were babies!
The Blog
It feels like I hardly ever blog anymore. When the boys were younger, I HAD to have the blog as an outlet. It was air to me.
Plus, there was no schedule much to life, other than what self-imposed schedules we devised. Now that the boys are older, life moves FASTER. I can’t keep up. I literally keep 3 planners/calendars, 4 if you count Caleb’s, which I’m teaching him how to use.
Driving from place to place and drop-offs to pick-ups is pretty much what I do. When I’m home, that time is taken up with helping my middle boys study, cooking, cleaning, and getting ready to leave the house again.
I love having school-aged children. It’s a completely different kind of stress than having toddlers, a fatter phase of life for me. I was so much thinner when they never let me sit down!! Ha!!! This has made a solid 10 pounds of difference.
Apparently driving the mini-van all over town does NOT count as exercise…
I’m also enjoying sleeping through the night and not changing diapers! Every phase has its perks!
Changing the Blog
Towards the end of the year, I went through a crisis of decision. Should I drop the blog altogether? After all, I cannot write much about my oldest boys on here at all anymore out of respect, you know?
Should I switch to a single topic?
I couldn’t decide what to do at all, so I’ve still focused on one Real Army Wives story per week, and I’ve signed on for a couple of product reviews/ unboxings.
The blog must go on until the Army Wife series is complete, and the story will be complete at the end of the first deployment.
Past that, I haven’t decided. What do you think?
Wonder
I keep meaning to write about this book: Wonder. Joshua, Caleb, and I read it together, and we loved this book. It was deeply personal to me, since I grew up with a sister who was a wonder in her own right. Everyone always stared at her too, so I felt a connection to the story of Via in the book. Via is the sister of Auggie, the little boy with the deformed face.
This book will may you cry, yes, but it’s more than that. It’s also inspirational and uplifting. Read it! See the movie!
One last topic I MUST hit on. Moving again. Y’all know we’ve moved 9 times already in the past 16 years, and it has always been an adventure.
There’s a huge difference between moving to different houses and moving to different states/ cities/ cultural regions!! It has been quite a ride!!
Moving is my favorite and least favorite thing about military life. I love the new experiences. I hate putting the kids through it.
It used to be easy to sell as “Oh we’re moving to so-and-so. Yay! This will be so fun and exciting.”
But now they can remember the past TWO moves, and they aren’t buying it.
The boys and I were all riding in the car the other day, and they were griping, and I exclaimed, “Hey! Moving is a grand adventure!”
The three oldest all gave me a resounding, “No! Nooooo it’s not!”
Sigh.
Y’all, they will be fine. I will too. We are trusting the Lord. And if the kids start to look mopey, maybe I actually will just buy them a puppy! Hahaha! Because that would clearly solve our chaotic situation, right? Yep. I’m serious though.
So many decisions to make! Okay. I’ll end this here. A kid stopped up the toilet, and Alan called. I should find the phone and answer it. Probably I should also make dinner…
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I am the same, I spend a lot of my day dropping and picking up the kids from school, then driving them to after-school classes. My wife started university too, so I drop and pick her up from the bus stops.
As for your blog, whatever direction you want to take it, its best not to delete the blog. You spent lots of time on it and it would be unfortunate to lose it all.
Yes! I hear ya. And I'm definitely not deleting all this work, for sure.
aww.. poor Daniel. That sounds like a dream I'd have. I'm bad with change.
I really hope you keep blogging, though!
I know! He's just a baby! Don't worry. I'm definitely still blogging.
I’ve always enjoyed your blog and the perspective you bring! Praying for a smooth moving experience all around, and I’m hoping you’ll keep blogging somewhere in the mix..even if it’s only every now and again!
Thank you!! And thank you for the praying for the smooth moving experience too!
Good luck wherever life and the blog may take you...
Don't stop blogging! Please :)
I love no diapers (well we still have pull-ups at night) but.... There is something magical about being done with that phase of life. At least for me!
Yes! So true!! Such a relief!
Oooooh...I’m just trying to hang on to this toddler life. It’s going so quickly and I love the flexibility we have with our schedule. But yes, it’s 1:13am, and I’m up holding a baby in my arms. Oh well, it doesn’t matter...I’m just not ready to let go of these years yet though. Keep blogging...it doesn’t have to be often or consistent but you’ve worked hard at this blog so don’t let it go. Good luck with your next move!
Thank you, and yes! I remember that phase so well. It was exhausting, and blogging was my sanity saver.
Whatever the future holds, I pray that the blog will be in it in some form. You have been keeping it real and shining a light in the blogosphere. Please know you are in my prayers as you launch out into your upcoming transition.
Thank you so much! I'll still be here keeping it real for a while yet. Thank you for the encouragement!!
I told you at Christmas and I’ll tell you again — please don’t stop blogging all together. I LOVE reading all your posts because it keeps me connected and I giggle sometimes as if I can hear you saying / doing some of the things. Don’t tie yourself down because that’s the part you don’t like — but please DO keep blogging. 💙
Haaa!! Sometimes I fail to realize certain things and other people see them so clearly. You hit the nail on the head right there. "Don't tie yourself down because that's the part you don't like" LOL Yes! I had not thought of it, but that's exactly it. I'm starting to feel tied. Ha!! I'm like a man with a commitment problem! Thanks for the encouragement and TRUTH, Alyson!
I love reading what you write, even though I rarely comment. I passed this link along to my cousin, whose husband just retired from the military - she was great at making their moves a wonderful adventure for her boys.
Keep blogging, even if it's sporadic (says the person who posted only a handful of times last year).
Thank you!!! I will certainly keep it up. Perhaps it's just a slump. Thank you for reading and encouraging!