Those who wander are not lost.....

That has always been one of my favorite sayings.  I always saw it more as wandering for entertainment, not as packing up all of your belongings and changing states, but that's what military wives do right? 

We have had three major moves since 2009.  When Huston was less than two months old, we moved from TX to OH when Doug PCS'd to WPAFB in Dayton, Ohio.  We were there for almost two years before Doug separated from the Air Force.  We took our last move on the government from OH to CA to live in the Bay area where Doug grew up. 

We put a lot of thought into that decision, as we hoped it would be where we settled and finally get some roots.....unfortunately there is no way to prepare yourself for how expensive CA actually is.  We had a beautiful home and great jobs...but commuting an hour each way in different directions for both of us was not the way to raise a family.  Once we found out that we were going to be the parents of two ::squeal:: it became even more important to make some changes.  On the day Nolan was born a recruiter started calling Doug about a dream job in Bremerton, WA (just outside of Seattle).  We put them off at first but as the calls got more serious, we made the big decision.  By accepting this job, we'd be able to raise our children in a smaller community and I would be able to stay at home with them.  After staying home with Huston his first year, I knew that even though it is a hard, hard job it was what I wanted to do.  Did I mention hard? 

So, with Nolan being less than two months old...do you see a theme here?....we packed up and moved from CA to WA. 

ROAD TRIP!  815 miles to go.

The boys traveled in style in the backseat with a mirror for little Nolan and a DVD player for Huston.

Bert and Ernie, our fish traveled in style as well.

We also had many pit stops for food, stretching our legs, fresh air, gas, etc.... 

We drove about 10 hours the first day and stopped in Eugene, OR to stay the night.  It felt so good to get out of the car and sleep in a comfy hotel bed. 

The second day we only had about a 4 hour drive.  The scenery in the Oregon area was absolutely breathtaking.  I missed the shot that I really wanted, but it is burned in my memory and I will go back to take it.

Do you see the snow?  Huston was so excited to see snow!  Although we had it plenty in Dayton, he didn't really remember it and he insisted we pull over and play in it immediately.

Finally we saw the WA state line.  The second we crossed the bridge, by the way the state line is under water so we were on a bridge, it started snowing.  It was beautiful for about 10 minutes until we got sick of driving on unfamiliar roads in it.

We got into our new city, Silverdale, WA, on New Years Eve about 4pm.  To treat the boys for being so good during the trip, we decided that a stop to Chuck E Cheese was the best way to celebrate our arrival and the New Year.

We stayed in a nice hotel overlooking the water for about a week before our place was ready and our household goods arrived.  It was a treat to not have to clean or have any responsibilities, but it was hard to keep two little boys entertained!  Huston made a game of jumping from bed to bed and heckling people off of the balcony, but even that got old quickly.

Thankfully, I can now report we are completely unpacked and only have a few things left to hang.  I can't believe we have already been here nearly a month.

Doug is settling into his new job and really likes his coworkers.  He had a rough first few days, it's not easy to onboard as contractor on base, but I'm so glad that things are falling into place for him.  He even made the local front page when they wrote an article on the new program.

He is a medical simulation operator for the Naval hospital.  For us non medical people, basically he programs and operates the dummies to do real life situations when training Naval medical staff.  He can make them move, talk, breath, etc.  The hospital and it's view is beautiful too.

We've explored Seattle a little and have started getting into a routine.  I've joined MOPS (I loved my group in Ohio) and we all joined the local YMCA.  So, here's to getting some roots.....

Huston - January 2013

Huston, you have had a busy month.  We celebrated Christmas and moved to a new state.  At 3 years old you have already lived in 4 states.  Most little boys haven't even visited four states by that age.

I think you are in a growth spurt, you eat all day long, sleep in and your pants are getting shorter.  You have also said farewell to naps which makes me a little sad.  You are very helpful with your little brother and are learning to clean up your own messes.  You have also become very safety oriented. Anytime Daddy or I leave you say, "be careful" or "watch the stairs". You like to watch superhero shows, Imagination Movers, Doc McStuffins and Jake.  You love playing with your avengers, angry birds, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and your Toy Story toys have been making a reappearance again.  We also got you a matching/memory game and you are really good at it.  You also still love to read and love Barnes and Noble.

You loved making your Christmas list so much that you are still adding to it.  You tell me, "lets add that to my Christmas list.  Do you want one too?"  You also remembered an item that you didn't get...and let me be clear, you got a lot...and said, "Hey Nama didn't get me my kite!"

Your conversations are so funny, here are a couple recent ones:

Talking about the crosswalk signs:
"What is that orange hand? No, no, it pokes you and pushes you and you get killed and are dead I think. Then you get an owie and go to doctor to get a bandaid. It happens"


Talking about your third birthday party:
"That was a great Spiderman party at Nama's you gave me".

You are such a smart and funny guy and I am so happy that I am getting to stay home with you!

Nolan - 2 Months

Nolan, your first two months have flown by!  During your first two months of life you celebrated your first Christmas and moved states.  You and your brother were both born in one state and moved to another with in months of being born.

You have almost doubled your birth weight and are starting to get some expressions.  You aren't quite as serious and you have a funny little smirk.  You love your binky and are a strong little guy.  If you are having a rough day, I can usually calm you down by taking you in the shower.  You sleep pretty good for two months and only wake up to eat or get changed a few times a night.  You do the funniest thing when you sleep and hold your arms up straight in the air.

You still want to be held a lot and are not a fan of tummy time at all.  But you love playing with your brother and being cuddled.  It is so fun watching your personality develop and getting to know you.  Love you buddy.