where have I been....

I see that it was April the last time I was here, and then again I've been there and and back a few times since then too. I would like to say that I have made it through boot camp, and my first cross country PCS but I think everyone knows that even IF I was the one who drove 1000 miles in a 26' Penske truck, that there were a lot of people along the way who helped. Before I start saying thank you and expressing how blessed I am let's back up and start with May.

H graduated in the beginning of May, the week leading up to PIR (Pass In Review) was like rush week all over, now for some of you I can see the eyebrow rising and wonder how in the world does the last week of Navy boot camp compare to a sorority rush week? Well I will tell you, the last "test" before H officially became a United States Sailor is a 12hr plus, overnight, no sleep test and the next morning when the test is completed there is a rather emotional ceremony and the Recruits who have passed are now Sailors. Later that afternoon they get to make the all important "I'm a Sailor" phone call. Waiting for that was like the night before bid day, waiting to find out if he passed was like waiting to see what house I was in. I happened to go suicide on my preference night (I only listed one sorority and they had to also pick me or I didn't pledge) so a lot like H it was do or die time. I finally heard from H and this was the first time I had HEARD his voice since the night he got to boot camp. What a moment. His sexy voice saying "well hello stranger..." was the best response to my hello I could have ever asked for. His spirits were high and so were mine, it was the best 17 minutes of my life, seriously. A few days later I was on my way to Chicago for his graduation/PIR.

PIR was awesome, well it wasn't at first. The division photos are before you are seated and guess who out of us four couldn't find H? Me. Guess who couldn't see H when his division marched into the drill hall? Me. Guess who was only about to cry because she COULDN'T see her husband? Me. It turns out I was so RIGHT in front of him that I couldn't see anything but the tip of his ear. His best friend leaned me over and I saw him grin, that was enough for me. The weekend was great and I was already feeling my devotion as a Navy wife, up at 0330 just to pick him up at 0500, so that we could then go back to sleep together for a few hours. Worth every moment of sleep that I didn't get all weekend.

I returned to Dallas and took my spring semester finals, what an insane semester. I came out with one A and four B's I was pleasantly surprised that I did so well with my finals to bring my grades up a letter in nearly all my classes. I was then facing boredom and wondering what I was going to do until I could move to Chicago. Three days into my "summer" I'm told I may need to move in a few days. Military roller coaster go upppppp. And yes in 3 days I was in my car with our two labs for my first 1000 miles. A few boring weeks in our new home with no household goods (HHG)brings us to June.

In a matter of 24hrs I was ready to get on a plane to Dallas to pick up a truck and start moving all of our stuff. I arrived in Dallas on a Friday, after some serious errand running, a crash course in driving a huge diesel beast and one serious IKEA trip and hours of loading up my "necessities" I had kept with me, I was on my way to the next stop Oklahoma. Saturday was spent loading more of out stuff into the beast and I was back on the road again. I arrived in Chicago Sunday evening. That was the craziest weekend I have had in a loooong time. And that was my first PCS move. I cried when I walked in the door, H hugged me and I realized then and there that there would be no more doubting myself or my ability to handle anything thrown at me.

Here we are in Chi Town! We've had our first deep dish Chicago style pizza, and we love it. We had our first "Navy family" dinner this past weekend, and that officially made this new place feel like home.

So a HUGE thank you to everyone who had even the smallest part in helping me get from there to here and back a few times. I am so very blessed and thankful for everyone God has placed in my life, old friends, family and new friends!

♥ g