Just call me Debbie Downer

I read over the hasty post I made yesterday and realized that I was definitely seeing our over-flowing glass as practically empty....sorry for being lame. Thank you, though, to those who left kind, encouraging messages--it helped so much.

WARNING: LOOOONG RAMBLE AHEAD

After talking to my parents, sister, friends and our kids (although there were tears), I am feeling much better about things. What confuses me the most about my initial reaction to the news is that I have never really lived close to my immediate family since being married and as long as we're in the military, there won't be many opportunities for it. I think that my family had talked about the possibility of us moving to WA for so long, that we almost believed it was for sure, before the military had even made a decision....bad idea.

I think what was making me the most discouraged was not only all the questions this new information still left unanswered, but the number of additional questions it created. Whether or not to sell or rent our house, where to have our baby, when to move, what house to buy, who to call when I need help and Joe is in Virginia and I have 4 kids (1 infant) and 6 new schedules. It's the unknown that scares me the most, I think. If I knew our house was selling in 2 months, making it easier for us to buy a house in NC and I knew whether or not to have the baby before we left and we knew which house we were going to buy and blah, blah, blah...

But then I remember. It's been a while (3 years) since we've really been a part of a military community and anyone who has been knows that my last question is the most ridiculous of all. Being a part of the military and our church, together, makes my concerns about doing things on my own seem almost laughable. Without being asked, a woman from the Relief Society would show up at my door with dinner or a military wife I barely knew would stop by to see if there was anything she could do to help because she knew my husband was gone. It is a way of life not everyone gets to experience, but should.

These same questions remind me of another lesson learned in this military life (a lesson I could definitely take from right now). When we arrived in Colorado, me, 5 months pregnant and Joe getting ready to deploy, there were certainly many unanswered questions--when would our baby come, would Joe see him before he left, where would we live and SO many others that seem, even now, more important and pressing than the ones I mentioned before and yet, we were completely taken care of. I had faith and put my trust completely, 110% in my Heavenly Father and EVERYTHING was taken care of. Joe's deployment was pushed back so many times that my dad asked me if I felt responsible for holding up the war on account of me wanting him there for the birth :), but 2 days before he left and 2 months after the initial deployment date, Luke was born and Joe was able to meet his first son before going off to war--a blessing we will both forever be grateful for. I learned and relearned this lesson SO many times during that year, it is amazing I seem to have already forgotten it.

Remembering what it is like to be a part of this community again and all that comes with it, has me seeing things in a different light.

I am excited for our new adventures. I am remembering the old me, the less situationally comfortable me, who loved meeting new people, seeing new places and feeling as if a move was long overdue 3 years into a duty station.

I am excited for a new home, a new atmosphere, new/more friends, new climate, new schedules, new experiences, new growth, new jobs (for Joe) and even new (or just old and unfamiliar--military) worries--KNOWING my family will be taken care of.

My kids will survive, too. In fact, I believe they will thrive, seeing knew things, meeting new people and seeing the blessings of Christ in our lives.

The future doesn't seem so grim.

In fact, it seems pretty bright.

Hmmmm....

We got our orders today for our next duty station.

We have many mixed feelings about it, but are really trying to ignore the fact that we will have to settle for seeing my family on the webcam, rather than visiting them from Washington like we had hoped.

I am excited for the selection of homes we will have for buying there, the MUCH warmer winters, being close to a dear high school friend, Myrtle Beach, Florida, etc. within a day's driving distance, being closer to Joe while he attends his post-doc course in Virginia and many other things and am trying to remind myself of all this.

Our kids (and I) had their hearts set on Washington and being close to Nana and Papa and my brothers and sisters and their cousins, so we are trying to strategize a game plan on how we can present this kind of out-of-left-field information to our kids.

Let's just say I needed a day or two to process the information and get out my own tears, before telling the kids....so wish us luck.

I know we'll be fine and happy wherever we go, so I have to concentrate on that and the many positives of it and make the best of what we have been given.

To all my friends in Utah County with daughters...

would you mind filling out a survey about body image for you and your daughters here

THANKS!!! My friends in Public Health appreciate you and your time...

Thanks!!

...to everyone who gave their input into the graduation debacle we have been struggling with at our house and I am happy to inform, anyone who cares, that we have made a decision that all are happy with. After weighing the options and double checking that I would be able to have a fairly normal graduation (I think many were confused that I wouldn't actually be walking/graduating if I went to Joe's--I will be walking just before Joe as our last names are the same and I start with an "A" and he starts with a "J".) with my husband sitting next to me and walking just after me and not too many people looking at me strangely for graduating with a bunch of doctorates, I will be graduating "with" the Law School, with my family, Joe's family and, most importantly, Joe, attending. I am so excited for this decision, surprisingly, and know that while my kids may not remember the actual occasion, having us all together for such a big day will always be the best choice for us....plus, I like Karen's idea of being the most likable graduate in a room full of lawyers! HeeHee! :) Thanks again to all who offered their opinions and support--I considered each one seriously.
You're all great!!

Hmmm....what to do? I need help.

So, I need help--your honest opinion. As many know, I have spent much of the three years we have been here going to school and trying to get finished before we leave in August. Well, turns out that although I didn't believe it would ever happen, I am actually going to graduate and get my Bachelor's Degree in April. However, as many of you also know, my husband has also spent much of the last 3 years working towards his Law Degree and will also be graduating in April. Exciting, I know, but here's the problem. He and I were completely bummed to find out that our graduations are on the exact same day at the EXACT same time!!! What CRAPPY planning on BYU's part, if you ask me.

There are two avenues we could take; well three, but one isn't really an option. I could either skip my graduation and go to his and possibly walk with him, with both our families attending his or he could skip his and everyone could come to mine (this is the one I don't really think is an option, for obvious reasons) OR we could each go to our seperate graduations, his parents and family go to his and my parents and family come to mine. This seems like the option I am leaning towards, (Joe is hoping I will get to walk with him) except there is another problem. If you knew my children and their relationship with my mom, you wouldn't need me to explain, but for those who don't know, let's just say where my mom is, my kids will be also. Meaning, that with her at my graduation, my kids will 100% want to come to mine as well and unfortunately, not because I'll be there. :)

So, you can see our problem. What's a girls to do? Is it selfish to want to go to my own graduation even if I do have the option to walk with him at his graduation? Or is it something I deserve to celebrate at my own graduation after these 3 long years? Or if I could walk with him, would the fun of walking with my husband outweigh the utter humiliation I would feel walking with people getting their doctorates enough to make it worth it?

I can't decide and I need opinions or suggestions. Believe me, I am all ears!!

WOW....it's been a while!!

I am going to have to do this in baby steps I think. It has been so long since I have blogged and I have debated the blog etiquette on past-due blogs, wondering when it becomes too long past an event to blog about it. I've heard that with thank-you notes, once you've reached a year past the event, it is considered more of an insult than appreciation to send the note. However, I am not sending a thank you, so I figure I don't care so much what etiquette says for blogging. So, you'll have to suffer through Halloween up until now....my apologies. :)

I am going to start with MY most exciting moment since Halloween and not do this necessarily in any chronological order.

So, a couple weeks before Kate turned 2 in December, she started showing some interest in the bathroom and the things that go on in it and I had set my resolve to begin the potty training process once school was out and Joe and I could focus our full attention on it and make it stick (although it seemed VERY early). Apparently, however, Kate was not willing to wait until we had time for it. Joe and I were especially busy with finals, the health fair I was organizing at my internship and just life in general. So, one of these busy days, my friend Shawnie was watching Kate when she said the magic words, "PeePee." So, Shawnie being braver/crazier than I am, sat her on the toilet where she did her business. When Shawnie told me, I was excited, but was still set to start potty training after finals.

Well, the next day was the Health Fair and Shawnie was watching the kids again and when I got home, she told me she had done it again and was even dry when she woke up from her nap. I was thrilled and decided potty training couldn't/wouldn't wait. So, we went with regular procedure in our house and ditched the diapers (I have strong feelings AGAINST Pull-Ups and their enabling--I won't start) and Kate has been fully potty trained ever since. Which is especially lovely seeing as how I am going to get to go 8 whole months before I have to change another diaper. I think that, secretly, because of this, she's my favorite....oh, come on, can you blame me? :)

From the mouth of babes...

So a friend of mine came up to me after church today to share a story with me about Luke. At first I was a little scared, knowing some of the doosies he's repeated, but as she told the story, all I could do was smile and nod.
She said he was sitting with his class in primary (sharing time, for those who know what that is) and was loudly having a conversation with really no one in particular. This is how it went:

Luke: So, my mom has a little baby in her tummy...want to know how I know?

(No real response from anyone, but he certainly had my friend's attention at this point)

Luke: Because there were two lines on the stick.



(I wonder what other things he's decided to share....)

P.S. Don't worry, this is not my "stick."