The phone company. Internet. Electricity. Gas. Magazines. Christian ministries. VT alumni association. Virginia Society of CPAs. Housing insurance company. Mortgage companies. All of these people have an address for us that is no longer in use. And all of them require an email, a phone call, or a login to a website to get changed. We have spent almost three hours doing this so far and we still aren't done. And for at least a month after we move the Post Office will put those nice yellow stickers on all of the mail that has the old address on it as if to say "Do you not care about these people? You haven't told them your new address yet!"
Speaking of logins, one of Jeremy's "projects" when I go to Indiana is to make a master list of all of the websites we have logins and write down the user ID and password. Problem is that there are a ton of websites that we have logins for that we don't remember we even have a login for them! Why do websites make you create an ID and password just to find out how much they are going to charge you for shipping??
This week has been the week of food and friends--coffee dates, lunch dates, dinner dates, and tonight I have a sleep over at a friend's house! A girl is NEVER too old for a sleepover, although it does get a bit more complicated when I have to tote my son and his pack 'n play!
Hannah is running around the house saying "Da-da, I have a pen!" so I'd better stop the rambling :) We are out of our apartment tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
This week in review
I feel amputated without constant 24/7 access to the internet. I'm a junkie. I need therapy. Is there an "Internet Users Anonymous" out there? IUA?
Obviously, last Monday was a hard day for me. It's hard to pretend life is normal when it just isn't, you know? After emotionally dumping on God in a very Davidic style, God was faithful (as He always is) and pressed my reset button while I was sleeping. I woke up feeling some better on Tuesday, which I'm so thankful for. I don't like feeling like an emotional wasteland.
Wednesday I was able to ride with my friend Nicole up to Seoul so that she could move into the Stork's Nest. Hopefully she'll be able to have her baby before I leave so that I can meet little Faith Anne Fleming. How fun to be the passenger to Seoul and not person needing to go! Between all of the chiropractor appointments and having two babies, I felt like I was always in need of traveling companions :) I had SUCH a good time chatting with her over the 4.5 hours we spent together!
On Thursday afternoon our weekly babysitter and my friend Amber came to the house at 12:30pm and we were able to spend six hours together before Jeremy & I had our final date in Korea. I need to start recruting babysitters who like to volunteer :) He he he :) In more ways than one Amber has been such a blessing to our family!
Friday was Jeremy's going away lunch. I had been to three going aways at this particular restaurant, including the guy Jeremy replaced in April 2005. It was weird to see Jeremy stand up and receive the fun going away gifts and give the "It's been a hard tour" goodbye speech. But, I was able to load up on excellent Thai food and since there is only one Thai restaurant in Montana, it will probably be a while before I have Thai again. (This is one of the reasons Jeremy & I are hoping to start "gourmet" night were we have an at-home date cooking food we usually can't afford in the grocery budget and our kids wouldn't eat anyway!)
Today was the final Book Club meeting and it was EXCELLENT conversation about "Israel, My Beloved." I would love to start a Book Club in Great Falls--any takers?? Meet once a month at Starbucks for two hours of conversation praising (and sometimes trashing) various literary works??
Tonight is our final time going to the Hospitality House. Although we haven't been able to go since Benjamin was born, we poured ourselves into that ministry for almost two years. And, again, it will be weird to be the person that is being "sent out" from Osan. Hmmm...
Tomorrow is Father's Day and is our final day at Mission Baptist. I know I'll cry and that's a good thing--I have loved and been loved there. Praise God!
Benjamin cut two teeth last weekend, which was a good reminder that while everything is changing around me, my "job" of mothering continues. This constant in my life has actually been something God has used to keep me together at various times, and I'm thankful for that!
Until I have a computer again, farewell my friends!
Obviously, last Monday was a hard day for me. It's hard to pretend life is normal when it just isn't, you know? After emotionally dumping on God in a very Davidic style, God was faithful (as He always is) and pressed my reset button while I was sleeping. I woke up feeling some better on Tuesday, which I'm so thankful for. I don't like feeling like an emotional wasteland.
Wednesday I was able to ride with my friend Nicole up to Seoul so that she could move into the Stork's Nest. Hopefully she'll be able to have her baby before I leave so that I can meet little Faith Anne Fleming. How fun to be the passenger to Seoul and not person needing to go! Between all of the chiropractor appointments and having two babies, I felt like I was always in need of traveling companions :) I had SUCH a good time chatting with her over the 4.5 hours we spent together!
On Thursday afternoon our weekly babysitter and my friend Amber came to the house at 12:30pm and we were able to spend six hours together before Jeremy & I had our final date in Korea. I need to start recruting babysitters who like to volunteer :) He he he :) In more ways than one Amber has been such a blessing to our family!
Friday was Jeremy's going away lunch. I had been to three going aways at this particular restaurant, including the guy Jeremy replaced in April 2005. It was weird to see Jeremy stand up and receive the fun going away gifts and give the "It's been a hard tour" goodbye speech. But, I was able to load up on excellent Thai food and since there is only one Thai restaurant in Montana, it will probably be a while before I have Thai again. (This is one of the reasons Jeremy & I are hoping to start "gourmet" night were we have an at-home date cooking food we usually can't afford in the grocery budget and our kids wouldn't eat anyway!)
Today was the final Book Club meeting and it was EXCELLENT conversation about "Israel, My Beloved." I would love to start a Book Club in Great Falls--any takers?? Meet once a month at Starbucks for two hours of conversation praising (and sometimes trashing) various literary works??
Tonight is our final time going to the Hospitality House. Although we haven't been able to go since Benjamin was born, we poured ourselves into that ministry for almost two years. And, again, it will be weird to be the person that is being "sent out" from Osan. Hmmm...
Tomorrow is Father's Day and is our final day at Mission Baptist. I know I'll cry and that's a good thing--I have loved and been loved there. Praise God!
Benjamin cut two teeth last weekend, which was a good reminder that while everything is changing around me, my "job" of mothering continues. This constant in my life has actually been something God has used to keep me together at various times, and I'm thankful for that!
Until I have a computer again, farewell my friends!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Coping Mechanisms
When I move from a place, it is my traditional coping mechanism to pretend like life is normal up until the time I actually get into/onto the mode of transportation that will wisk me away to my latest adventure. It has served me well. This method of maintaining sanity went out the window last Thursday when the movers came and got the last 1000 lbs of our stuff. The biggest loss--our computer. I feel like I'm amputated without anytime-realtime access to the internet. I'm a junkie.
It is Monday night, June 11th as I'm typing out this blog. Father's Day is our last Sunday at our church home. Next Thursday we check into the on-base hotel. A week from Saturday we fly out of Korea, probably for the last time ever. It's not that I will be "homesick" for Korea. I probably won't have a desire to come back. (Although, I'm already craving some of the food because I don't know when I'll have bibimbop again!) Life is just changing in a way that makes my stomach turn flips and roll up into my throat. And it's more than the friends and the "normal" moving things. We are getting out of the military. We are entering the world of health insurance and co-pays, high grocery prices and layoffs. It's the REAL world, or at least the parts of the real (American) world that we have been successful in avoiding up until this point.
And while there is part of me that is excited to be able to throw away all of the boxes when we unpack, there is another part of me that gets nervous. When things get bad, there is no "riding it out" until we move. We aren't planning to move.
And what will life be like with Jeremy at home to parent with me?
Most of the time I don't think about these things. At least not consciously. But I know that my subconscious is whirling with this stuff because all of my being just feels...well...numb. And so I pull out all of those verses that we all know during these times...Rejoice in the Lord always...look to Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith...Sing to the Lord, sing Praises to our God...be anxious about nothing...pray always...trust in the Lord with all thine heart....and while my brain feels better, there is still a mourning that needs to take place that I'm postponing. Postponing until after my time with my family (yeay!!) and my in laws (yeay!!) and the first few weeks of "normal" in August until the point in time when it all just really hits me.
And when I get to heaven, I may not even remember these thoughts and feelings.
On a different note, the latest read in the book club: "Israel, my Beloved." OH SO GOOD!! Wendy, you should check it out now, before Chuck gets home!!
It is Monday night, June 11th as I'm typing out this blog. Father's Day is our last Sunday at our church home. Next Thursday we check into the on-base hotel. A week from Saturday we fly out of Korea, probably for the last time ever. It's not that I will be "homesick" for Korea. I probably won't have a desire to come back. (Although, I'm already craving some of the food because I don't know when I'll have bibimbop again!) Life is just changing in a way that makes my stomach turn flips and roll up into my throat. And it's more than the friends and the "normal" moving things. We are getting out of the military. We are entering the world of health insurance and co-pays, high grocery prices and layoffs. It's the REAL world, or at least the parts of the real (American) world that we have been successful in avoiding up until this point.
And while there is part of me that is excited to be able to throw away all of the boxes when we unpack, there is another part of me that gets nervous. When things get bad, there is no "riding it out" until we move. We aren't planning to move.
And what will life be like with Jeremy at home to parent with me?
Most of the time I don't think about these things. At least not consciously. But I know that my subconscious is whirling with this stuff because all of my being just feels...well...numb. And so I pull out all of those verses that we all know during these times...Rejoice in the Lord always...look to Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith...Sing to the Lord, sing Praises to our God...be anxious about nothing...pray always...trust in the Lord with all thine heart....and while my brain feels better, there is still a mourning that needs to take place that I'm postponing. Postponing until after my time with my family (yeay!!) and my in laws (yeay!!) and the first few weeks of "normal" in August until the point in time when it all just really hits me.
And when I get to heaven, I may not even remember these thoughts and feelings.
On a different note, the latest read in the book club: "Israel, my Beloved." OH SO GOOD!! Wendy, you should check it out now, before Chuck gets home!!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
It's not about art
I'll be honest. I'm having a bit of a hard time. I like to see the pain of separation as a good sign--anyone who can move away from the people that they've loved on and been loved by for over two years without heartache probably didn't give their heart away.
I started to really scrapbook while at Osan. And while I have enjoyed having an outlet for some form of creativity, the capture and preservation of memories is the real reason why I scrapbook. (That and I have a terrible memory and if I don't force myself to take the pictures, I'll never remember anyone!) Mix this desire with my hatred for being "behind" and I'll confess that instead of getting ready for my last shipment, which leaves in 36 hours, I'm going through my latest batch of pictures and figuring out which supplies I need so that I can finish through April before I move.
Instead of looking at colors and thinking of beautiful ways to fill the page, I'm looking at the faces--the faces of my kids who have changed so much already in just 6 weeks. The faces of the people I lived and loved with at Mission Baptist for the past two years. The face of my beloved as he holds our wee ones.
This is why I scrapbook. Because I live. Because I leave. Because I love. Because they are mine--my friends, my family, my memories for all time and the hereafter. This is why.
I started to really scrapbook while at Osan. And while I have enjoyed having an outlet for some form of creativity, the capture and preservation of memories is the real reason why I scrapbook. (That and I have a terrible memory and if I don't force myself to take the pictures, I'll never remember anyone!) Mix this desire with my hatred for being "behind" and I'll confess that instead of getting ready for my last shipment, which leaves in 36 hours, I'm going through my latest batch of pictures and figuring out which supplies I need so that I can finish through April before I move.
Instead of looking at colors and thinking of beautiful ways to fill the page, I'm looking at the faces--the faces of my kids who have changed so much already in just 6 weeks. The faces of the people I lived and loved with at Mission Baptist for the past two years. The face of my beloved as he holds our wee ones.
This is why I scrapbook. Because I live. Because I leave. Because I love. Because they are mine--my friends, my family, my memories for all time and the hereafter. This is why.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Wanted: a Dodge Grand Caravan
Well, there are others cars I'd REALLY like to have, but this is the car that we decided that the ol' pocketbook can afford and the size can accomodate our growing family. So, if you happen to know someone in the Great Falls area selling one in the 2000-2004 year range, LET US KNOW!! We have to buy it the first week we are in country because we won't have our car for at least 2-3 weeks after we get there.
And on a related note, if you know someone who is looking for a 2003 Chevey Impala LS with under 25,000 miles, we will be selling one at the end of July!
Thanks for helping, friends :)
And on a related note, if you know someone who is looking for a 2003 Chevey Impala LS with under 25,000 miles, we will be selling one at the end of July!
Thanks for helping, friends :)
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