California...Right Back Where We Started From

Before we can begin our actual travels to Japan, we had to move somewhere since we no longer had a home in Las Vegas. They say it takes about 2 months for our HHG shipment (that's military lingo for house hold goods) to arrive in Japan. We are supposed to fly to Japan sometime before August 31st which is why we had to pack up our house so early. Since we were homeless with only 3 suitcases, car seats and a stroller to our name at this point, we had to go somewhere.

My husband and I both originate from California and both of our parents live in Orange County. We were not too sad about "having" to be in limbo in a place that hardly ever gets over the mid 80's. (Especially since the high in Vegas the week we left was in the 100's.) We spent the first week in California fully living up to our "vagabond" adventure.

We arrived Saturday night and unpacked our few belongings and tried to feel as settled as we could for the time being. My husband was going to be leaving the following Saturday for ODS (officer developement school) in Rhode Island for 5 weeks. We had to spend the first week in California running around visiting everyone we could before he left. We still do not know how much time we will have after he graduates ODS before we fly over to Japan, so we had to make the most of that week. We spent a couple days that week at my in laws house with family that lives here and family that was in town visiting. For the fourth of July we went down to my grandparents house in San Diego.

Then we spent the night with my brother in law's family in Ladera Ranch. Everytime we go to Ladera we fall in love again with the area and start dreaming about if we could ever buy a house there someday.

We had been traveling from house to house since our trips to Idaho and Utah and then now in California. My poor four year old was so confused. At one point when she was acting sassy (which she likes to do on more then one occasion) I said to her, "Abby, if you don't knock it off, we are going to go home." To which she answered "What home???" I believe the house hopping is really starting to wear on my kids ;)

Poor Abby giving our house (in Vegas) a "hug" goodbye

 

My husband and I managed to squeeze in one last date to Ruby's on the pier before he left to Rhode Island.

His flight left at 6AM from LAX so his parents were kind enough to take him so that I could stay with the kids in case one of them woke up. It's been lonely and exhausting not having him here but I am very grateful to be surrounded by so much family that is willing to help.

This first week and a half so far of his training, we have had very little contact. He is "supposed" to not have any contact with his phone but he usually will sneak a text or two in at night when he is going to bed (which is usually around 5:30-6 PM here). The most frustrating part about about having little contact is that I am left here trying to tie up all lose ends with the military before we go to Japan. And with the military, there is always a loose end somewhere.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

It Begins...

Remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz where the tornado encompises the whole house and everything is flying around it in utter chaos? Well these past two and a half months have been just that. My husband Phillip just finished and graduated dental school, we got to go on a 7 day Disney cruise, we had family in town for visits, we took a weekend trip to St. George with friends, we went on a road trip to Idaho to drop off our small car and visit family, and then we headed back down to Utah to visit more family. Somehow we managed to make it home to Las Vegas on Monday night (June 25) in one piece. However, we didn't get much time to settle down because on Thursday of that same week the movers were at our house bright and early to pack us up and kick us out.

By Friday night our house was completely empty and everything we owned was boxed up and in 8 crates waiting to be shipped to Japan. One day we had a house that was fully furnished and then I blinked and our house was completely empty.

We started off the summer with 3 motor vehicals, a home full of appliances, a playground in our backyard, an inflatable swimming pool, and loads of toys. As time got closer to moving day we began auctioning off all of our things until we were left with 1 car, no appliances, no playground, no pool, and only one toy per kid. Fortunately for our kids, we didn't actually sell all of their toys. They were safely packed away on their way to Japan.

We loaded up into our house on wheels with what we managed to keep hidden from the movers and started our nomadic journey for the summer.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy