We're in IA

We arrived in Iowa last Wednesday.  We drove the two and a half hours up into Minnesota to see our new home on Friday.  Here's some photos that I took of it:

This is the north barn that also sits along the side of the road.  There are three stalls in ther, but we will probably put the chickens in it

The main horse barn with nine stalls in it.  Also the garage. 

The barn with the corn crib and also the smokehouse.  They had friends pasturing their horses in the back acreage

The front of the horse barn

The back 8 acres.  Fencing goes all the way around our land

The back of the house with the deck

The side of the house

Leaving the house.  Kevin's navy friend retired ten years ago and lives 20  miles away.  He met me up there.

I was excited to find out that the property has three apple and one crabapple tree on it.  I was planning on planting some next year, now instead, I need to just prune and spray.  They were in need of some TLC.

We close the 31st.  So every excited.  Lots and lots of work to do, but very  happy to do it!!

Have a wonderful week!

Washington

Washington was our most favorite duty station.  We loved the people, the island, and the beautiful scenery and animals.  Here's some photos of our week so far!

I pick up TL from boy scout camp tomorrow.  We leave Monday morning to head to IA.  It should take three days of hard driving, but we'll get there and relax before we close on the house on the 31st.  Can't wait to see the hubby again!

Diarrhea

So we left CA this past Thursday.  A very long day of driving....850 miles to Washougal, WA to visit our friends.  The kids were champs and did really well with the traveling.

The day before we left, the littles gave the dog and entire bag of his dog treats that have medicine in them to help with his joints and stuff.

Six hours into the trip, on a three lane highway in the mountains, the kids started screaming that the dog was pooping.

Everywhere.  Dog diarrhea.  Thankfully, he had a pillow and sheet and it landed on that, only a few drops everywhere else. 

The smell was awful.  I got him out and cleaned it all up.  I wrapped the sheets up and told the kids we'd stop at the next place to throw it all out.  I rolled down the windows.

Got back into the driver's seat to see smoke ahead.  I went around the bend and the entire road was covered with smoke.  Flames were going on both sides of the highway.  It looked like it was burning itself out, there was a large blackened area already.   Little Miss Trouble was crying and upset, but the big girls calmed her down....they were fantastic the entire trip.

The good news is that the smoke killed the diarrhea smell. 

Right now, we're back in Oak Harbor, WA enjoying some slightly cooler weather.  ITs in the 80s, which is warm for here.  I'll be honest, I was looking forward to some 70s.  I can't complain though, because the entire nation is so hot right now.

I dropped TL off at camp.  It was so nice to be welcomed back to a great troop.  TL will have a great time.

The girls and I will be doing some visiting and sight seeing this week. 

Have a great week everyone!

So much to do.......

and I'm sitting here doing nothing.  I need to finish up some lesson plans but I've got piles of stuff to pack in the car and I don't feel like digging through it.

I have to go through all of our clothes and get some sweatshirts out.....much cooler in WA than here.  The 30 degree temperature drop is gonna be huge!!

I need to finish sorting through my clothes and get rid of those things I haven't worn in forever.  We need to to find some space in the truck.  The dog, me, five kids and lots of stuff.....its gonna be crowded!

change in plans

All year we promised TL that he could go to Boy Scout camp up in WA with his old troop.  Yes, the new troop was that bad.  Bad leadership, awful boys, and bullying.....I've never been so glad to be outta somewhere in my life.  We paid for camp and then the brilliant idea of buying a house and all the came about.  We thought of flying him up there.  Tickets are ridiculous.  It costs less for us to drive him up there.  So that's what we're going to do.  From there we head to IA to stay with some family until we close on the house.

This means we leave next Wednesday!!!  arrrghhh!!  Lots to do, little time.  I'll be hit and miss until then!

I forgot

I apologize to many of you!!  I forget that many of you aren't military.  You're probably shaking your head to our decision to move away from my hubby.  This decision was not done lightly.  A lot of discussion and prayer went into this.  To be honest, we never would have considered it before......until we got orders here. 

Many spouses choose not to come to this duty station and stay where they are at or move home.  Yes, its that bad here.

Another thing that you need to know, is that my hubby has been gone about half of our married life.  We have done nine deployments, three of which were four months, five were six months and one was eight months.  To prepare for these deployments, the squadrons do work ups.  They leave for a month, come home for two weeks, leave for two weeks, come home for three, etc.  Its a roller coaster of in and out.  The schedule is very fluid and changes quite often.  Its difficult on everyone.

Next year, hubby starts doing the workups.  Depending on the schedule, he'll be gone 5-6 months out of the year.  The year after he leaves for a nine month deployment.  Even if we had chosen to stay, he wouldn't have been around much anyway.  He works over 12 hours a day and doesn't arrive home until generally after dinner. 

Being a military spouse, you become "used" to your spouse being gone.  I'm very independent and take care of things while he is gone.  That's just the way it is. 

I remember one of my friends years ago, couldn't wrap her head around it.  She couldnt imagine her hubby being gone so much.  It is difficult, don't get me wrong.  Things break, kids get sick, everything seems to pile on all at once.  For the last ten years, we've been thousands of miles from family.  I've been totally alone on this venture.  I do get help from other wives who go through the same experiences and help each other out, but its different than having family help out. 

With our move, it puts the kids and I closer to family.  It also will allow us to set up a working farm by the time hubby retires in three years. 

Hopefully, I've explained this well, so you all don't think I'm crazy!!  lol

Ch Ch Changes

So with our move coming up, I'm trying not to stress too much.  I have another week of classes with two papers and two finals and I'm not nearly ready.  I have to sort and pack stuff.  I have to not melt in the heat.  109 yesterday with 35% humidity.  I'm so ready to move to a climate with four seasons!!

While we are living in MN, hubby will continue to be stationed here.  He will come home twice a year for about two weeks a time.  We also hope, depending on his schedule and when he'll be gone, that we will be able to come out to CA to see him for 6 weeks or so in the winter.  Thank goodness for skype so we can talk to him every day!!  My in-laws live about three hours south and we have a good friend about 20 minutes away from us.  It will be nicer to be closer to family.  30 plus hours of driving time is too far away and its been ten years like that.

With our pending move to the country and our little farm, we have made some changes to our school program for next year.  Right now, TL's reading Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens and is about a fourth of the way done.  After that he'll be reading Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle and doing an agriscience program for science.  The girls will have their science program changed too.  They will be studying Horse and Pony Fact File.  Guess what animals that they want to get?

We hope by next spring to have the cow and chickens in place.  The first year, I plan on doing chickens for eggs only.  The next year for meat.  I'm not sure if we'll get a pig or just get one from his cousin who farms them.  He lives about twenty minutes away.  In a few years, we'd like to get horses. 

Hope everyone enjoys their summer!!  Keep cool!

Our new home

I've been kinda quiet lately.  We've been searching for and found a small farm in MN.  If the appraisal and inspection go well we'll be closing at the end of August.

The kids and I will be living there until my hubby retires from the Navy.  It wasn't an easy choice for us to make.  Three years is a long time.  Because he is on sea duty, he will be gone alot with workups and a deployment.  Home prices are so low along with low interest rates and now is the time to buy.

We're excited.  The kids are thrilled.  Five moves in ten years have taken their toll.  TL especially wants to settle down somewhere.  I'm looking forward to not having my neighbors live on top of me, or following someone else's rules in my home, and having walls that are painted a flat white paint. 

We're hoping to have some chickens and a beef cow.  Our cousin is a hog farmer so we can get a pig from him.  Hubby was even dreaming of rabbits....we'll see.  I'm looking forward to really decorating and enjoying our new space.

Please pray that all goes well during the closing and move.