Time flies

Only a little over a week until we board our plane. In some ways, it feels like the last few weeks have gone by so fast. There's been so much going on that I lose track of the days and weeks. In other ways, the amount of stuff we've done makes it feel like an eternity since we've left. It's hard to believe how many places we've been and how much we've seen since leaving Charleston 3-ish weeks ago.

This last week has been no exception. From WV we headed to Indianapolis, IN. On the way we stopped at the Wright Brothers Memorial in Dayton, OH. It was a neat site with a cute little museum run by the National Park service, and the kids seemed to enjoy it as well. Bought a few "History of Flight" coloring books for the plane ride while we were there that I'm currently struggling to keep out of sight.

exploring the history of flight

We spent the night in IN, then continued on to St Louis where we got to stay with a wonderful family that has really become part of our own over the last few years. While there we went to the Arch and the Westward Expansion museum (the ride to the top was sold out so we did not do that), the St Louis Zoo and the Magic House. We also got to spend one evening hanging out with both sets of their parents, which is always a wonderful time.

After hitting a Creperie for breakfast on Sat (seriously, delicious!) we headed out to KC to visit. There's stuff we'd like to take the kids to see here, but since our trip is relatively short we're spending more time visiting with family and friends than anything else, splitting our time between KC and Lawrence. No trip to Lawrence is complete without a stop in at Pendelton's Country Market, especially when asparagus is in season, so we did that yesterday on the way back to KC from church.

She loved the tractor ride.

Things are never the same when you go back

Over time, people and things change. It's a fact of life.
Recently this has been something I've been dwelling on more than ever. Not sure if it's how long we'll be gone, how far we will be, or a combination of the 2, but it's weighing on me quite a bit. I worry about coming back and finding people I know yet don't. The Navy has taught me that this isn't a huge worry, because there are quite a few out there I can go years without seeing and we pick up as if we've never been apart. I still can't help but think about it though.

Then come my greater concerns: I look at my neices, nephews and other small children, and wonder if they'll remember us. I look at my younger children and wonder what they'll remember about life here. I wonder how the older ones will react when they come back and find out that things aren't as they remembered.

It'll be interesting to see.

A few days in PA

After leaving my mom's house we headed to PA to see my grandparents. On the way, we stopped at a Diners, Drive ins and Dives place called "Corey's Catsup and Mustard" in Manchester, CT. It was very good. Good burgers, great fries and a few surprises (like only locally made soda and pretzel rolls called "wecks"). Definitely worth the stop.

My grandparents live in a beautiful area in the Pocono Mountains. I love it up there. (Admittedly, I'm probably a bit biased because the area holds such fond memories for me from through out my life from both my mom's and dad's sides of the family.) We had a wonderful time visiting and chatting with my grandparents. My dad came for the weekend so we got to visit with him too, as well as my Aunts and cousins that showed up for the day on Saturday. Sunday we went to church and then to my mom's cousin's restaurant for brunch, but otherwise it was a very low-key weekend.

view from the "hawks nest"

We left yesterday and started to head west. We stopped in Hershey, PA and did the Chocolate Town ride and let the kids do the Kisses factory worker thing. They loved it. We didn't stay too long because we needed to get on the road again, but it was a nice break.

Between Hershey and Wheeling, WV (where we spent the night) we hit........snow. SNOW. In late April. I was not happy about that at all. I like snow only under very limited conditions, which do not include having to drive in it. Luckily, we really only saw it at the higher elevations, the plows were out in full force, and it really wasn't sticking to the roads so it wasn't too terrible, but it still slowed things down. My kids wanted to go play in it, and weren't quite grasping that the warmest articles of clothing we have are the sweaters they were wearing. We made it safe in the end, and that's what matters.

We hit Krogers and got salad stuff for dinner, ate and watched TV, and crashed out for the night. We will leave here after the kids swim for a bit and continue west to IN. Not pushing the drive too hard right now. Trying to relax. 2.5 weeks on the road so far, 2 more to go.

Goodnight!

Exploring New England

It's been a busy few days in the northeast.

Sunday we drove down to the church I grew up in to attend services. The excitement of seeing everyone was tempered a bit by seeing the pastor I grew up with step down, but, in a way I'm really glad I was there for that as well. He was the pastor that confirmed me, he's a big part of why Adam is a Lutheran, he married Adam and I, and baptised our 3rd child. As my friend put it, "you picked a hell of a day to show up".

Our original plans for this week involved a lot of time in Boston, but as it turns out this week is spring break in MA and the Boston Marathon was running Monday. So we changed our plans and Monday we drove to Plymouth, MA. It was a beautiful day, a bit warm, but that made the sea breezes that much nicer. I've never been there (I literally skipped the grade that included that trip)  and for some reason, I had this idea that the entire town was the Plantation. I couldn't have been more wrong. While the Mayflower landing is a big part of the town, I found it to also be a beautiful little New England seacoast town I wish I had much more time to spend in. Of course, we did the touristy stuff, too.

She loved talking to the role players on the Mayflower

Look! It's a rock!

Stained glass windows in the Pilgrim Museum
(the oldest continuous running museum in the US, but not the oldest)

We didn't go to the Plantation. It just seemed like too much at the time.

Tuesday we drove out to the place my parents are hoping to close on soon. It's a beautiful house built in the 1800s on 16 acres of land......out in the middle of no where. It fits them though. They'll be able to garden again, which I know they miss, and my dad has always wanted chickens so he'll be able to get those. I'm pretty sure dad wants goats too, but I'm not thinking mom will let that happen.

Yesterday we went to Old Sturbridge Village. The kids had fun seeing everything (we had a hard time keeping #4 from trying to catch chickens) and we all came back to my mom's tired and hungry after a long day.

Watching the lambs

My girls asked if they could help garden and she let them. Too cute!
The oldest girl loved interacting with the role players here as well.

tee, hee

Our time here grows short again, and we continue our Gypsy life with a drive down to my grandparent's house in the Poconos today. Should be a great time as always.

Taking the road less traveled.

After saying goodbye to some very dear friends today, we left NY for my moms house in New Hampshire. The faster option to get from one place to the other was to use the NY Thruway and the Mass Turnpike. Being very familiar with this route I was none to thrilled with the idea. It may be faster, but I wanted to relax and clear my head. So, we headed north a little bit towards Glenns Falls, NY then east on US 4 (ok technically it's marked as north on the signs, but it really does head east.) to I89 south to New Hampshire. This was a great decision. Instead of just flying by things on the main highway, we got to explore and take time to see the area.

First stop was a spring in Saratoga Springs to show the kids part of the history of the town.

The kids thought it was neat seeing the water bubble up from the ground. Much to my surprise they didn't try to stick their hands in and splash around.

On our way east we saw this sign:

which led to an unanticipated stop to figure out why. The visitor center provided some information, but we wandered around the park to find more. We ended up needing to do more research online later to figure it out, but we found a few other things to explore too! There was a canal lock for the Champlain canal and the remnants of a ship that they raised in 1958. Top it off with beautiful weather, and it was a great stop.

During the next part of the drive we allowed our little girl to sit in the front seat of the car to see the snow still on the tops of mountains with the windows down. I think this picture sums up her experience with that:

She loved it. Cracked me up to watch her. 

Our last stop came after driving over this:

It's the Quechee Gorge in VT. We stopped and walked over it. An absolutely beautiful surprise, and a great way to get the wiggles out of the kids.

Now we get to spend the next few days with my mommy. Have fun everyone!

travels

It's been about a week since we left Charleston, and we've done so much since then. We started our lives as gypsies on Saturday when we drove north to my sister's house in VA to spend Easter with her. On the way, we stopped and saw the "great white shark" at South of the Border in SC. The oldest was very quick to announce that it wasn't a real great white....not sure he gets the concept of tourist traps.

"Great White Shark" at South of the Border

After having a great time with my sister, we headed up to Maryland to see my Uncle, Aunt and their family (taking the scenic path over the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel). Since they weren't home when we arrived in the area, we made a stop at the National Zoo to see the pandas.

From the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel, you can see where the bridge heads underwater

Giant Panda

Had a blast with my family there (all the cousins were up until midnight) and then headed up to another Aunts house in the Philly area. Got to introduce the baby to my Grandmother and spend the day with her as well as visit my Aunt and Uncle. The next morning we went to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, grabbed some cheesesteaks, and headed up to my friends house in upstate NY.......WHEW!

Independence Hall

The kids are having a blast with their travel journals and the geography lessons we're doing on the way. It's a great chance to both see the country and learn where things are.

This trip is exhausting already, and I'm it sure will continue to be so, but I'm glad we have the chance to travel and see everyone before we leave.

Saying goodbye

It's interesting that the part that I love and hate about the military is the exact same thing: moving. I love seeing new things, making new friends, and exploring new areas. In fact, usually after a few years in one place I'm ready to move on and see something new. I hate moving away from the friends I'v made where I am though.

I can always tell when it's about time to move because I start to get ingrained in a community that I love and enjoy. If there's one thing I've learned though, it's that goodbye isn't forever. You never know where you will go next or who will be there when you get there. In the meantime, we have been blessed with so many ways to keep in touch with each other its hard to believe, and I am thankful for that.

And thus our time here draws to a close. Thank you Charleston for your beauty and your people. You will be greatly missed.

"Somehow I know, we'll meet again/ Not sure just where and I don't know just when/ You're in my heart, so until then/ Wanna smile, wanna cry.....saying goodbye" ~Muppets take Manhattan

Things to do and see in Charleston

As our time here draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to make a list of things of our favorite things to do or see in the Charleston area. There are more places I have been to, but for one reason or another are not part of our top list.

1. The Charles Towne Landing is one of our favorite places to visit. As the original landing site for settlers in the area, it holds a particular historical significance. Beyond that, it's just plain beautiful and fun for everyone. My kids especially love the animals and the reproduction ship.

2. Edisto Beach: It's a natural, beautiful site away from the craziness and build up of most beaches.

3. Colonial Dorchester: Another original settlement site in the area. Love the old tabby ruins and the remnants of the old church.

A note on the above sites: these and many others are part of the South Carolina State Parks system. These are the ones in the Charleston area we have been to, but we've visited others outside the area as well. We have NEVER been disappointed with our state parks visits and higly reccomend that if you're moving to South Carolina buying a state park pass.

4. Charleston Museum: "America's First Museum", founded in 1773, has an extensive collection and is constantly rotating exhibits so there is never a shortage of new things to see. They also do many events for kids and are very good at keeping them interesting!

5. Fort Moultrie: I bet you were expecting Ft Sumter. Honestly, in the 2 years we've been here we haven't gone out to Ft Sumter. It's cost prohibitive for a family of 7 (while Ft Sumter is free, the ferry out to it is most definately not). Ft Moultrie is both affordable and, I think, quite an interesting piece of history. It was built and used from the Revolutionary war up through WWII. We all loved exploring the Fort and seeing how it has changed over the years.

Wow, this is getting long. I'll skip the descriptions on the rest, if you want more details just ask!
6. Powder Magazine
7. Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
8. Charleston City Market
9. Waterfront and Battery Parks
10. Downtown churches and cemetaries
11. CSS Hunley
12. Charleston Tea Plantation

Watching my world leave on trucks

The part of military life that I'm asked about most often is the constant moving. More particularly, the the household goods packing and moving. While I do have an option to pack myself up and do all the work, I refuse. It's too much work for little gain, especially with 5 kids to watch and care for and relatively little time between moves. So, we opt to instead have the military hire a contractor and pack and move us.
I've been through quite a few moves, but never one like this. As I've stated before, this move is split into three parts: unaccompanied baggage, non-temp storage, and the regular shipment. Today is the last part of the regular shipment. I am always intrigued watching the packers because they can turn a room full of stuff into this

in the matter of a few hours. For the regular move, as they pack it all they load it into crates like the one shown below and seal them. 

I am beyond thankful for those who do this as their job, as without them it would be difficult to say the least to move as much as we do.

In the meantime, we've started our lives as homeless nomads. We're staying near our home (specifically, furnished houses the Air Force has to rent out) to facilitate getting back and forth to watch packers and clean the house.