Crazy Army Life

Life is never boring when the Army is part of your life, that is for sure! First we were told we'd be staying here to retire and now we're being told to prepare to move before the end of this year. We've been stationed here for 7 years and the thought of leaving Germany just takes my breath away and the tears start to flow, but...I see God working.

Chad is working to get a GS job when he retires. For us to have a housing allowance as part of that move, he needs to be hired state-side. If we remained in Germany and he was hired as ultimately a local hire, there'd be no housing allowance. So this way the Army moves us back to the states, if he gets hired, the government will move us and we'll get a housing allowance there for saving Chad's pay for our bills, savings, etc. We have a lot to still learn about what civilian life will bring us, but it's exciting (I'll admit a tad bit scary, but in a good way). The older boys are just itching to move back to the states. I think they believe we'll be eating out every day, lol.

We do not know where we'll be stationed in the states, yet. Chad's requesting Alaska. If we get that, it'll be an amazing gift, as we have dear friends who leave tomorrow to head back to the states (they don't leave Germany tomorrow, just our post) who are heading to Alaska and to the particular post we'd be able to go to. Emma calls the mom of this family, Grandma, so this would be such an amazing blessing. Chad's dreamed of going to Alaska for years, I think it'd be an amazing experience for our family, and we'd be able to be with our dear friends and Emma's sorrogant Grandma who loves her dearly.

We don't have a pin point date of leaving, no pinpoint new assignment to end this career of Chad's and a way of life we've known. But what we do know is that GOD is in control. We see him working in so many ways and don't see him working in even more ways. So for now, I'm waiting and trusting. Waiting on the Lord (through the US Army) to tell us where we are heading to next. So now I wait,  hopefully patiently and gracefully.

Couch to 5 K

I thought i needed to update about this journey, torchure, what ever you want to call it! LOL I have taken this week off. I have had a great deal to do and although it's just 20 to 30 minutes, I think my body needed this rest. I've gained over 10 lbs, well I lost 10 and gained it back. I'm frustrated, and I mean really frustasted with that. I'm so hungry and this fat girl really can not afford this mess. I did not gain the 10 lbs this week, it's been over the last 4 or so weeks. I can't say I'm really eating more, I think my body is just holding onto things more. I also have been trying to make sure I'm eating enough. I'm going to talk to someone tomorrow. I did weigh myself yesterday and a couple lbs were off, so we'll see. I haven't added in the Zumba workouts like I'd planned, but it's time to do that next week.

So next week I'll be back on this journey and will let you know how it goes.

Are You a Slob too?

So are you a slob? When I hear that word, I picture one of two scenerio's....a home that has food/dirty dishes all over the place or a home like what you see on the show hoarders. Now, I'm not "that" bad, but if anyone saw certain rooms on a bad day, week, month, etc...well I'd be horrified. Mostly my bedroom is our "dirty little secret". It's AWFUL. It's the room that everything gets shoved, thrown, and piled into when company is coming over and then is promptly locked, because you don't want to CHANCE anyone accidently opening the door and seeing the horror-fest!
I'm the best cleaner when we have company coming...well guess what...company is coming! Today the kids have been hard at work (and play and messing around and fighting...sigh..you get the picture) cleaning the top floor (their rooms are up there, so it's their responsibility). So today I'm going to start on the disaster that is the Master Bedroom. We had it cleaned up about 3 months or so ago. It was nice and relaxing for me to go into, relax, read, surf the web, watch tv, sit and talk with the kids privately, and biggest yet...I was leaving the door open, when company was over. Now though, oh no, no,no,no. When I went to have Olivia we got a new bed. A wonderful, comfortable, huge...King Size bed. then baby gifts were tucked in there, until I had time to go through them (which I have), then baskets of laundry were brought in there (because I hadn't had time to fold them and someone was coming over) and once they're in there, they just sit and oh you know that they also magically double and tripple over night. Then paperwork was brought in and a sweet little toddler dumps said paperwork, and well  you're tired from night-time nursings, and well seriously the room is packed full again, no room to walk without walking on something (besides a bare floor) so I get out of there as quickly as possible, avoid it as much as humanly possible during the day, and then crawl back in there at the end of the day, to collapse in bed, wake up and repeat.

So today's the day. Most of my day is gone, but the baby who only wanted to nap on me is finally awake and very content in her  bouncy seat, so I'm about to head into the warzone. I'm going to take a before picture and then as I make progress I'll take pictures. I do not know if I'll show the world, but it'll be there for ME and that way I will hopefully never go back.

So besides the inspiration that company is coming, I'm also inspired by: http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/

Do you know her? I LOOOVE her. She's my inspiration. After my company is gone next week, I'm going to start using her tactics. We have a lot of things happening in the next year (a GREAT, BIG MOVE across the ocean...sob-sob-sigh)...our beloved little Army post here in Germany is closing, and well Chad's never fully recovered from his injuries in the wreck he had almost 2  years ago, so medical retirement is beginning. Downsizing is now a MUST. We will most likely be limited to about 10,000 lbs which may sound like a lot to some of you (especially if you've never moved or your a minimalist) but we're not, we also have large pieces of furniture and 5 living children, and have lived in Germany for 7 years (next month)....so we've acquired a great deal of furniture (upgraded in many things). I want to get rid of everything we don't need or want (we have an attic and garage so it's easy to stick things there and then not think about them until you go up or in there and get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that at some point you MUST deal with it). So my goal is, get the living space of our house dealt with first. Sort what we want to keep, toss what needs to be tossed, sale or give away what we simply don't need any longer, but someone else does!

Oh and on a side note..I AM still doing the couch to 5 K, I'm just still stuck on Week 5, but tomorrow we're moving to week 6. I'll blog about that tonight or tomorrow after day 1.