INVEST IN EARPLUGS!!!. . . .

 

and USE THEM!!!

That is todays answer, plain and simple.  

You can apply this to many things. Here are a few:

~~How can I protect my ears at the shooting range?

~~What should I get for a rock concert if I'm sitting REALLY close to the stage/speakers?

~~How can I find peace on the airplane if the person in the seat next to me is sawin' logs like they're taking out an entire forest??

~~What do I need to insist on having before I agree to share a hotel suite with 5 "kids" (ages 18-20) who, withOUT the help of sugar, caffine, power drinks, medications OR other substances, can carry on 3 cross over conversations, listen to the radio loud enough to make the car vibrate, and STILL be singing along (occasionally singing along with a song OTHER then the one they've chosen to listen to thru the car stereo) ALL at the same time.  

(yes, this has allowed me to see that my kids are actually NOT the loudest spazziest most distracted group I can be around. LOL.  love this time, and wouldn't trade it for anything)

* same set of earplugs would be very hand to have all of next week as well as we begin our final week of prep for the movers coming to pack us up.  If I can't hear them complain, I can stay focused.

Y E S -- I will be sure Jason's noise cancelling headphones are handy with his computer or his mp3 player.  His sanity MUST be protected at ALL times.

BIG changes

I used to be SO organized.  Now I can't keep up with anything.  Not that many check here to see what's up with our family anymore, but to those few that are followers, I apologize for the lengthy gap.
So the insanity of summer is here, and it is QUITE a summer. 
Craigan & Zacky just got back from a week of camp thru the Semper Fi Fund.  It was all kids of injured Marines, and they had a GREAT time!  I've never been comfortable with the thought of sending off one of my kids to an overnight camp if they were under 12, and here I let BOTH my "babies" go.  And it was all the way up in Pennsylvania!  Talk about trusting this was a MUCH needed experience.  They really did have a blast, made great friends, learned alot, and grew to love and adore their mentors. Each child was teamed up with an older teen (organizers didn't realize we had 2 or 3 that would have been in that slot as well...darn it).
Along with camp for the younger boys, we held Jason's Retirement Ceremony.  He is now on what is called "terminal leave".  Basically, he's using up his vacation days at the end of his time in service, and doesn't have to report in to anyone until his time is UP.  By the last day of July, he will officially be a Retired US Marine, and life will be heading down an equally unknown path as it was when he chose to enlist. 
As part of our new life path, we are buying a house out near Raleigh.  I've not been NEARLY as organized as I have been with all of our other moves (not including the 2 street move from Ohio Ct to this house. Why waste energy with that one, ya know.  Too many other worries.)  So, all of last week while the boys were gone, I did an intense attack on their bedroom.  Got ALL toys out into the garage.  Emptied all drawers & closet so I could organize and purge anything that they don't wear.  Craigan had FOUR different sizes of jeans in his drawer.  No WONDER he could never find anything to wear! That problem has been dealt with, and he not only is FINALLY able to open and close his jean drawer, but he can WEAR what is inside.  ;0)  AT LAST....ahhhhh.  He's a happy young man, I must say.  It's the little things in life.
I've washed a bazillion loads of laundry, and no matter how many I get washed, the kids keep sneaking more stuff into the laundry room.  I think they get it from their friends JUST because they know I refuse to wait on them any more.  Dear as I love my kids, but SHEESH they are an unmotivated bunch these days.  I told them that when THEY have severe PTSD, a brain injury, a hurt back, and a seriously damaged knee, then and ONLY THEN will they be allowed to do as few chores around the house as dad.  Until then... MOVE IT-MOVE IT--MOOOOVVVVEEE ITTTT!!!!!!  
Wanna know the best part about this move and the fact they aren't hardly doing anything to help (who wants their house cleaned?  they're GREAT elsewhere, just not here!!  I've seen it, I swear they're AWESOME cleaners, organizers, babysitters, yard cleaners, pet sitters, etc.)  The more I sort and clean on my own, ignoring them, the less attached I am to the "stuff" that I'm sick of putting away, and the more I am easily parting with so I don't have to deal with it ANY MORE.  He he hehe, freedom.  
If I keep up the pace of the last 2 days, then by next Monday, I will not only feel EVERY muscle in my body and be incapable of moving without sending my feet into spasms, but I will have a HUGE pile for the trash pickup, LOTS of empty space in rooms/closets/garage, AND the peace of mind knowing I'll have THAT much less to unpack and find a place for in our new home.  ha HA, there IS a plan.  
I have to say, in the whole family's defense, it has been an emotionally exhausting couple of years, and getting motivated to do ANYTHING takes alot more then it used to.  Now we are adding the fact that we will NOT be an active duty military family living on or very near a base --
 - -- this is going to be W E I R D ! ! ! ! ! 

So, I'll attempt to remember to take pictures.
I'll attempt to write more often.
I'll attempt to keep up on the reading of others blogs and Facebook updates.
I WILL always love my family and do whatever I need to do to keep us progressing forward.  (including staying up till 1am to rotate another load of laundry so the machines are working while we sleep.)
Just another change.  We're pretty good at those, and Heavenly Father has always made sure our family knows we are never alone in all we face, so I know he will help me to help my family, and he will help us ALL pull together as we always do to make this move successful.

How to pick a place, and then a house, and know if it's all right???

I dunno how to DO this!!  The military has always told us the general area we need to be in, and we've just made things work from there.  But when you're waiting to "eventually" get out, and your family is spread ALL over the place, and you really don't know what feels like "home" because you've spent years and years knowing home is where you currently live with your spouse and kids .... then how  HOW do you stare at a map a just PICK???

Well, we started by ruling OUT a whole lotta places.  Then started checking out prices for something large enough to fit our family in various areas.  Then checked out how close those places were to good schools, shopping, hospitals, the VA, and an LDS temple.  THAT helps to then cut the list down even further. 

In the end, I headed up to our old stomping grounds of Fredericksburg, Virginia to begin our search.  The best part about the trip was that I got to see some old friends, meet the family of an OLD friend, and get away ALL by myself for a day and a half.  The bad part . . . nothing but frustration came out of that trip.  I thought the realtor was going to work out great...but never heard back anything of substance, and that was only ONE note of comment.  Not a bit more contact.  Out of a HUGE list of homes to look at, not a single one would qualify to be purchased with our VA, so the favorites were instantly tossed out the window.  GRRR.  The ONE house that totally took me up there in the first place was pulled off the market THAT morning, even though I'd spoken to the realtor the day before.  It was pulled only because it wasn't selling.  I could still feel free to see it....but she NEVER got back to MY realtor.  WHAT???!!!!???

(did anyone tell them it's a buyers market and if someone shows an interest in buying a property you should work WITH them to possibly earn some money?????)

Guess noone wanted to earn money off of us.  I know friends and family that would have loved us up there, but I just kept feeling AWFUL about trying to find a place, and no matter how hard I prayed, or how much I looked and tried to not be TOO picky, absolutely NOTHING of a realistic option came up.  The more I prayed to know what to do, the more I just KNEW that isn't where we were supposed to call "home" again. 
*sighhhhhhhh.  Jason REALLY wanted to go there -- how do I convince him this isn't working.???
Well, I just told him.  I told him that with my recent problems with anxiety, it was making it nearly impossible to know if my uncomfortable feelings about buying up there was my answer from Heavenly Father, or if it was my own self doubt and frustration.  (In the past, that kind of uncomfortable feeling has been spot on a direct answer to our prayers).  Straight away, Jason realized he needed to be more open minded to other areas so that I could alleviate my stresses in trying to FORCE this to work.
WHAT a difference that made!!!!
Now, here we are, checking out a bunch of places in the Raleigh area of North Carolina, and it's is ALL starting to fall into place.  Our fears that past problems might not allow us to afford the size of house we want and need on the amount of land we would like .... ALL was resolved and answered today.  We have the greatest Lender ever that we are working with, and got totally pre-qualified today far above the price range we had been looking at.  There's no way we're going to USE the amount we qualify for, because I don't want a mortgage that could choke us in 5 or 10 years.  But OH is it a huge relief to know we are one HUGE step closer to getting back to the point of having OUR OWN HOME again.!!!!
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally grateful for the base housing we have been in, and always having a roof over our head, and not having to worry about repairing anything, but it's just NOT the same as having our own home. 

Now, for the best part --- it's still a pretty big IF, but we MAY have already found the house that is calling, screaming, and bellowing our names to own it.  A big old farm house that was built in 1918, and has clearly been added onto at least once, but it looks to us like twice (or once then altered some).  The rooms are HUGE  (16'x16' up to 19x15) and it's on a nice little chunk of land.  This is the kind of house Jason and I have always joked and dreamed we could own.  BIG, OLD and could use some work.  Nothing huge and major, but updating and leveling off.  Old houses settle, and the door frames and closets trim....LOL OH is it off kilter.  But it just feels SO us.

Before the weekend is up, we will go take look #2 at "thee house", and this time will be with clear "inspection ready" eyes.  Camera in one hand, flashlight in the other (and maybe a tape measure in the pocket just in case).  No slip on shoes, it's boot time so we can walk the property, and also, no kids so we can stay focused.  They've had their look, their jaw dropping was enough input for me, but all the things they noticed that we may not have was pretty cool.  I like including them in the process.

So now, even though we SO want this to be the house to be our home so we can NO longer have a change of address ;o) .... reality is going to step in, IF we can shake the excitement we feel just thinking about this house, and a logical and prayerful decision will be reached.

(but I gotta tell ya, we planned long ago to be able to have space for my folks to have their own apartment or own house on our land...at least the space to be able to make this happen.....and even Jason said straight off the bat - "Plenty of room for Grandma & Grandpa, and heck, the family reunion could be here and we wouldn't even need to build another house or cabin to fit everyone"  YES! that's what I like to hear.  Granted, before THAT would happen, I insist we start by adding TWO more bathrooms.  Yup, the house is THAT big that even though there are already 2, we'd need 2 more.  Only 1 needs to be a full bath, the other one can just have a shower.  I'll keep it simple.  he he he.)

So, IF it's meant to be ours, we'll find a way to get it without pushing outside our known financial cap.  If not, I'm sure we'll find something else.  But I'm sure enjoying this dreamy state while it's here.  And IF I can get it, and I end up sewing on the side for extra money, I'll actually have an entire ROOM for my sewing/craft stuff!!

Okay, if my kids ever finish in the shower and tending to the neighbors dog so they can get to bed, then maybe I can get to bed.  This is one of the rare times I'm HAPPY to have meds that help me relax to fall asleep, because I'm too excited and jittery with all that's fallen into place SO quickly.  
.... o k a y ... b r e a t h