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North Carolina Goodbyes & California Vibes

So we did A Thing: We moved across the country…. to California! I can’t believe we did it, but we did. It wasn’t easy–that’s for sure; and it’s not over yet! It has been stressful, both physically and emotionally.


This adventure in our life has been Crazy with a capital C. There’s so much I want to say and yet, for weeks now, every time I try to sit down {‘try’ being the operative word because A) I own three needy little humans, and B) because I’m sleep deprived} I just can’t seem to put into words all of my emotions. Like the fact that I’ve been wanting to write a “love letter” of sorts to my friends in North Carolina, but I keep pressing the delete button because I don’t feel like my words emulate just how much they mean to me.

Moving with the military is bittersweet. Getting to live in different locations, climates, and houses is both fun and exciting, for many reasons. If we weren’t forced to purge our stuff every two years, I’m slightly afraid we’d be submitted to be on the TV show, Hoarders! The hardest part about moving every two years in having to leave behind some wonderful people. There’s no other way to say it, except for: “It sucks!” But I truly believe it is “better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” I wouldn’t be the person I am today without every single one of my friends from past moves. And that helps ease the sting a bit…

Making new friends can be tough, so when you meet people you really connect with, it can be very difficult to leave them. But what’s even more devastating than leaving your own friends, is watching your kids leave their best friends.

There have been some rough days, watching my girls (especially Emmalyn) feel sad over leaving her friends. When she says things like, “I wish we didn’t have to keep moving houses. I wish we could just buy a house and stay with our family forever,” it breaks my heart! But she continues to show me just how strong and resilient she is, and it puts a smile on my face whenever she FaceTimes, SnapChats, or Marco Polos her friends.

I’m sure going to miss our quiet and quaint little Nicholas Sparks town, and all the people in it! But as Winnie the Pooh once said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” That chubby little cubby is a wise one.

The logistics of sending your entire life across the country is quite tedious. It took months of preparation, starting with my aunt helping me organize and purge a lot of our stuff. I don’t know what I would have done without her help! I am 100% positive all of her hard work (and a dash of mine) is going to pay off WHEN we move in to our new house.

Oh, that’s right… we left North Carolina on May 22, and still haven’t moved in to our house. We have stayed in three different hotels and are now in a vacation rental condo (for another three weeks!!!) At least we can see the Pacific Ocean from our window…

Some days I feel like I’m losing my damn mind, y’all! One Friday, I went the entire day thinking it was Thursday. Now, people do this a lot of the time, but usually snap out of it within a few hours (or at least by the end of the day). Well, NOPE, not me. I woke up Saturday morning believing it was Friday. I looked over at my still sleeping husband and was worried his alarm didn’t go off for work. I asked him, “Do you have to go to work today?” and was elated when he answered, “No,” believing he had a surprise weekday off! Later that morning I got a phone call from the massage place asking if I wanted to reschedule since it was 10:05 and my appointment was for 10:00. I confidently said, “My massage is for tomorrow.” The lady on the phone apologized and said she would see me then. When I got off the phone Blake asked, “What about church?” I was all like, “What do you mean? Tomorrow is Saturday.” He said, “No it’s not. Today is Saturday.” Then I continued to argue with him over it. Seriously, folks, I am losing it!

Living out of one container of toys and books, and living off of ten outfits is difficult, to say the least. The girls have been fighting a lot more because they’re on top of one another 24/7, sharing every inch of this condo. Fortunately, Emmalyn will be going to musical theatre camp this week, giving the girls a break from one another. 

We have definitely made a lot of happy memories amidst the chaos, though. We’ve gone to the zoo, the beach, Balboa Park, lots of different playgrounds, hiking, outlet shopping, and swimming. We’ve also met some wonderfully kind families, welcoming us to this beautiful new town (and watching my kids so I can go to the grocery store in peace and pick up everything on my list because I can actually hear myself think!).

I joined the good ‘ole YMCA, and have taken Barre and Yoga, which has been super helpful for my psyche. Pinteresting paint colors and loft beds have also distracted me from being “homeless” this past month.

Knowing that “This Too Shall Pass”, helps me get through the OMG-I’m-Going-To-Sell-My-Kids-To-The-Circus moments.

Normalcy is right around the corner–I can feel it!

loyally,
katie
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Today is a New Day

Thanking God this morning for literally a breath of fresh air. 

Yesterday was a shit day. Adelaide couldn’t go to school because she was sick the day before, but I had a hair appointment. My amazing cleaning lady insisted she watch Adelaide so I could get my hair done before we go out of town. I bring Alexander to the salon with me and he is a pretty good sport. Here’s when things go downhill: The new girl cuts my hair two inches TOO SHORT and screws up the color! It was so blotchy, but I didn’t realize this until I got home and played around with it. I cried! This is my worst nightmare! I call the owner and she says she will fix it that evening. So I scramble around to find childcare since Blake was suppose to be taking a night flight. No such luck. She says she can come in early the next day, too, but I realize Adelaide has her school pictures and I don’t want her to miss them because when you’re a military kid those things are important.

Meanwhile, I get the two littles dressed to see the Easter Bunny and in the car to pick up Emmalyn from school. We get to the mall, only to be told we have to wait thirty minutes for The Bunny to come back. The girls are hungry, but there’s no food court in our mall because: small town. I get them Chex Mix from Michael’s Crafts, but we have to wait in the longest line! By this time, the bunny is back. 

As I was taking Alexander out of the car seat, he scratches his face and is bleeding. He’s never done this, but of course it happens seconds before the picture. I also realize he has a poop and is hungry (notice his searching-for-the-boob-face below). Also, Adelaide all the sudden decides she is afraid of The Bunny and refuses to get in the picture. No amount of chocolate bribery will work. I choose not to force the situation because I don’t want to traumatize my daughter. After all, I would punch someone in the face if they forced me to have my picture taken with a bird. So I focus on the other two kids, but Alexander is fixated on finding milk from The Bunny and will not turn his head towards the camera. I am sweating at this point. We get the best picture we can and call it a day. Then The Bunny hands Emmalyn a candy and Adelaide goes to get one, but I tell her no because she did not get her picture taken. The Bunny does a back-and-forth dance with the candy, not sure what to do, and ultimately gives Adelaide the candy. I take it away and she has a full-blown meltdown all the way across the parking lot. 

I vow never to do Easter Bunny pics again. It’s not worth it! Did we even interact with the bunny? NOPE. Did we get a picture with all three kids? NOPE. Did anyone have fun? NOPE. What was the effing point?! 

As I put Alexander’s car seat in the car, the stroller rolls away across the parking lot and I have no clue until a random man shouts out to inform me. Adelaide puts up a mean fight to get in her car seat, but I don’t back down. I have to use every muscle in my body, but I finally get her in. I collapse into the driver’s seat and cry. (And this is hard to do when you’re on antidepressants!) 

“Mommy is having a bad day,” I tell the girls. Apparently this is code for: Let’s Fight All The Way Home. One shining beacon of light is Blake calls and says he will cancel his flight so I can get my hair fixed. I feel terribly guilty about that, but tell myself sometimes I need to put myself first! 

I somehow manage to throw two frozen pizzas in the oven and the girls in the tub. As soon as Blake gets home, I grab the baby and hightail it out of the house, back to the salon. The owner was super apologetic and sweet, and thankfully Alexander slept the whole time. I got home after 9pm, nursed the baby, pumped, ate a snack while watching trashy reality TV (The Twins), and crashed as soon as my head hit my pillow. 

The whole day I kept repeating the first line from The Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.”

The nice thing about days are: they must come to an end. And tomorrow will always be a new day. I woke up this morning, reciting a Hail Mary and The Lord’s Prayer, and vowed to have a positive outlook on the day. After all, our sweet little boy is getting baptized this weekend, and there’s no sacrament more exciting!

God is good!

loyally,
katie


Here’s the full Serenity Prayer in case you need it today:

God grant me the serenity 
To accept the things I cannot change; 
Courage to change the things I can; 
And wisdom to know the difference. 

Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 
Taking, as He did, this sinful world 
As it is, not as I would have it; 
Trusting that He will make all things right 
If I surrender to His Will; 
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life 
And supremely happy with Him 
Forever and ever in the next. 

Amen.
(Reinhold Niebuhr 1892-1971)
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Law of Babies & The Hoover Dam

What you’re about to read are true events.

A friend was coming over for dinner so I decided to throw the girls in the bathtub directly after school to get it out of the way. They’re normally pretty well-behaved in the tub so I thought, Hey–why don’t I jump in the shower real quick? After all, the baby was sleeping in the bassinet so I figured I had a little time. 

Plus, my scalp was really hurting. Has your scalp ever hurt because your hair is so heavy? Y’all don’t hate on my thick hair. I’m grateful for it and all, but sometimes it can be a real pain in my… er, head... because it’s so thick and long and the weight just pulls on my scalp. Damn gravity. The pain is comparable to when your two year-old wants to “play with Mommy’s hair”. Wait, maybe that’s why my scalp really hurts? I can’t be sure at this point anymore. Anyway, the only thing that makes my scalp feel better is washing it. Actually, a scalp massage by my husband does the trick, too, but since he was flying, a shampooing would suffice.

But I digress.

I put Alexander in front of the shower (there’s no door or curtain to our shower) so I can keep an eye on him, should he wake up. Which he does because Law of Babies: Whenever a mother enters a shower, a baby shall cry. 
my actual shower. 
pic cred: my actual iphone.


So I’m rinsing out the shampoo and dreading turning the hot water off, when I hear, “Adelaide stop hitting me! MOOOOMMMMM, she’s hitting me thirty times!”

Shit.

How long has she been hitting her big sis while I was in the shower? How dare I care about my hygiene! Moms can be so selfish sometimes…
I throw a towel around me and fly down the hall to see: Yes. Yes, the toddler is hitting her sister. To which I sternly state, “Adelaide, stop hitting your sister.” Naturally. Then run back down the hall to tend to the still-crying newborn. 

I know he’s hungry because he looks like a blind baby bird searching for a worm. But my hair is sopping wet and I don’t want to baptize him because I don’t think I am qualified to do that; plus none of our family is here and I’d be such a jerk if I held such a momentous occasion without them. So I tell him he’s gotta take one for the team and wait while I brush my hair and ring out some of the water. But this isn’t an easy feat because my hair is naturally wavy-curly and it takes half a bottle of detangler spray and a month to brush it. No joke. My roommate in college could take a full shower before I was done brushing my hair. It sounds like I’m being ungrateful for my thick and long hair. I promise I’m not. Well maybe just a little.

So three hours go by and the baby is STILL crying. Sheesh, doesn’t he understand priorities? So I go to pick him up to nurse him, only to hear, “STOP IT ADELAIDE! MMOOOOOMMMMM, she’s hitting me again!” I run down the hall, but this time in the buff, and also this time leaking breastmilk down my body. It’s like the Hoover Dam has sprouted a leak from my boobs. I shout to the girls, “Drain the water; you’re getting out!” Then run back down the hall to the baby. Still crying.

I start to pick him up then think, I better put on some pants. It’s drafty. I STILL hear fighting from the girls so I shove the baby on the boob, then run back down the hall. With one hand, because Baby on the Boob, I get Adelaide out of the tub, towel her up, dry her off, and put on her pull-up and jammies. Emmalyn is old enough to fend for herself. Well, I wouldn’t send her out into the wild to fend for herself–yet. She’s only six! She needs to be at least ten for that. Geeze, what kind of mom do you think I am?!

The moral of the story? There is none. This was just a crazy and true scene from my life and I thought I’d share. You’re welcome 🙂 

loyally,
katie
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A Postpartum Update


It’s been three weeks since our little man, Alexander, entered the world. And if you didn’t already know, I had to have an emergency c-section, after twenty-four hours of labor, because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck–three times! Of course we didn’t know this until he was born. 

It was such an out-of-body-experience, and in a lot of ways, just like you see in the movies: After being stuck at 7cm and contractions not increasing in intensity, and hours of the doctor, nurses, and Blake maneuvering me in every possible position to try to get a better read of the baby’s heartbeat, my OB-GYN finally said, “We did all we could. We need to go NOW.”

To say I was frightened to have a c-section would be an understatement. I was taken by total surprise, after having two previous natural deliveries. I also have never had surgery before. I was shaking and crying and praying a hundred Hail Mary’s. 

But it was all worth it for my perfect little boy. Because it was an emergency delivery, nurses were pulled in from all directions and they didn’t know we’d been keeping his gender a surprise. I imagined a huge “IT’S A…..!” announcement, but there was nothing. Honestly, I didn’t even know the doctor had already cut into me until I heard a baby cry. Blake and I, blind on the other side of the curtain, heard whispers of, “Hey buddy” and “his” and “he”. We looked at each other and I said, “Did they say ‘he’?!” But it wasn’t until the nurse brought him around the curtain that we saw the true reveal. It was a BOY! We both broke down in tears. 

The c-section was a surprise, but the fact that our baby was a boy was an even bigger shocker! I couldn’t believe it. Some days, I still don’t even believe it, even though I change his diaper a million times a day.

I think what scared me the most about having a c-section was the thought of recovering, while also taking care of three small humans. I thought, I’m going to be in lots of pain and confined to a bed–how the heck am I going to do this?! Originally, Blake and I planned to have a couple of days at home before family came to visit, but because of the urgency of my care, my angelic mother-in-law flew in just hours after we got home from the hospital. Unfortunately, my mom had to have unexpected surgery on her foot and was unable to come. (But that’s a whole other emotional story. Thankfully she’s recovering well! Praise God!)

The recovery of a c-section was a painful one and it took a toll on me emotionally. On top of that, our oldest daughter came down with a 104 fever, and the baby and I had to basically be quarantined to the bedroom. That did not do well for my psyche. You’d think with this being my third child, I would have remembered how much of an emotional roller coast postpartum can be, but I didn’t. I had many moments of, Is this EVER going to get better? and Am I EVER going to feel like myself again? Needless to say, I wasn’t cutting myself much slack, and was being far too hard on myself, especially after having major abdominal surgery. I’m thankful for a husband and a phone call from my therapist to remind me: One step at a time… 


With my history of Postpartum Depression, I couldn’t help but think, “Is today the day I’m going to get it?” I had the same feelings after Adelaide was born, too. But I had to force myself to stay positive, patient, and faithful in the Lord. I’m happy to say that it doesn’t look like PPD is going to be rearing its ugly head this time around! I have zero anxiety about taking care of the baby, and my girls are driving me the same amount of bananas as they always were. 

The adjustment from two to three was easier than I anticipated. But then again, I usually have the mentality of “expect the worst…” that way I’m pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of “stop-touching-hims” and a lot more “wait-a-minutes” these days, but I’m hoping that will soon dissipate, as the girls are forced to be learn to be more patient. (A mom can dream, right?!)

Overall, I’m doing really well! I’m so grateful to all the people who have called, prayed, taken care of the girls, and brought us meals to feed our bellies and save us from cooking or giving our kids frozen pizza and mac-n-cheese every night. We’ll save those meals for when things get back to normal 😉

loyally,
katie

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Better When We’re Together

There’s a reason this little blog of mine has been neglected lately… Because for the last six-and-a-half months, we experienced (and survived!) Our First Deployment. My better half has been on the other side of the world since the beginning of August and for safety reasons (both on his side and mine) I didn’t want to talk about it in real-time. It was hard not shouting it from the rooftops, because after all, those who read my blog have offered me so much support in the past, and have continued to do so for years now.

BUT now that B is safely home, I can shout it as loud as I want: HE’S HOME!!!!!!

And the girls and I couldn’t be happier! 

Homecoming was a whirlwind, and waiting for him to land felt longer than the last 6+ months. I’d love to share more about how we didn’t just survive, but actually THRIVED during deployment, but for now I’ll leave you with these priceless pics.



loyally,
katie


*All pictures by the amazingly talented Candice Avery Photography

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Moving In & Moving Forward

The last five weeks have been a total whirlwind! Let’s recap in bullet points, shall we?

  • We packed up our house, sent our stuff to storage, and said goodbye to Florida for the first time ever.
  • I drove by myself with both girls, across the state, only to have Emmalyn projectile vomit all over herself. Exorcist style. Yup. That was fun. Needless to say, we lost a very loyal car seat that day.
  • This mama traded in her beloved SUV for her dream car: A Minivan.
  • Note: The above car purchase was not due to the vomiting 😉
  • We vacationed in Hilton Head Island, and added an extra night because, well, we deserved it!
  • Because our house wasn’t ready yet, but The Hubs had to report to his next duty station, we parked ourselves in a little bungalow for three weeks. We lived out of two suitcases and a duffel bag of toys. Lord only knows how we did it! All I have to say is, thank goodness for Netflix!
  • Emmalyn went to Vacation Bible School for the first time and loved it. Surprisingly enough, the Catholic church camp dug back into their Old Testament roots and she learned about Judaism, much to my parents and my amusement.
  • Blake and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! My in-laws happened to be in town so we actually got to go out to dinner sans kiddos.
  • We FINALLY got to move into our new house! Have you ever rented a home “sight unseen”? Welp, we just did! You can imagine our nerves the first time we set foot in our new place! But we quickly breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that God was with us, and we made the right decision.
  • We had quite a scare when we thought the movers lost an entire crate of our stuff, including our desktop computer with My Life on it! 
  • I signed Emmalyn up for Pre-Kindergarten. Holy goodness gracious! I can’t believe it!
  • Unpacking with two littles in quite interesting. And s l o w. And requires a lot of patience.
  • Thank goodness for an amazing sister-in-law, who will unpack your e n t i r e kitchen and you don’t have to worry about a thing. I seriously don’t know what I would have done without her! Oh, I know: I’d still be standing in the middle, wondering where all my shit goes.
  • Also, Military Wives are the bomb dot com. No joke. Those ladies step up and make you feel like you’re right at home. They take your kids and feed them while you unpack, and they pour you a glass of wine and tell you deployment will suck, but you’ll be all right.

…and breathe!

So what have I learned? 

I’ve learned that all you need is family by your side. I’ve learned that adventures are fun, but settling down is necessary, too. And I’ve learned that it’s actually quite possible to survive on two suitcases and one duffel bag of toys for a family of four. 

So why the eff am I unpacking a gazillion boxes?!?!!

loyally,
katie

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Life Lately

To say that life has been crazy around these parts lately, would be an understatement. So much has been happening, that I don’t even know where to begin.

No, I’m not pregnant.

But my baby did turn ONE YEAR OLD!

I cannot believe it. It’s silly to think that we may or may not have once been disappointed when we found out she was a girl. We had our hearts and hopes set on having a boy. But now? I cannot imagine life without her. Not! One! Single! Bit! Every piece of Adelaide was meant to be in our lives. It has been a blessing from God to watch her grow over the past year. And I cannot believe that we are still going strong on our one-boob nursing journey! It’s incredible to think that I have kept a small human alive with one single boob!

(Okay, I’ll change the subject…)

I have loved watching Emmalyn step up as Big Sister. Although, I must admit, it’s quite exhausting shouting, “Put her down!” and “Stop licking your sister!” ump-teen times a day!

At four-and-a-half, Emmalyn lives up to her “in-utero” nickname of Diva Muffin. That girl has more sass than Liberace had sequins! She keeps me on my toes–that’s for sure. But she’s also quite entertaining, with her endless imagination, and her love for making up songs and dances.

Probably the biggest news in our neck of the woods is that WE ARE MOVING! This Florida Girl is spreading her wings and seeing what else the great U.S. of A. has to offer! Blake and I have moved three times in our five years of marriage, but this is the first time either of us has moved out of Florida. I’m very excited, but tremendously sad to be leaving my friends here.

Blake and I have spent many nights pondering if we’re doing the right thing. It seriously breaks my heart, taking Emmy away from her sweet little friends. She has made some of the most amazing friendships at such a young age. But then I think about how some of my closest friends live in New York, Louisiana, and Florida. We may not see each other in person as often as we’d wish, but when we do, it’s like we never skipped a beat. And with the amazingly crazy invention of FaceTime, we’re only a click away.

Here’s to continuing our adventures!

loyally,
katie

Instagram: @katievanbrunt
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Cleaning All The Nasties

I don’t know about you, but it seems like my kitchen is always A National Disaster. A certain four year-old offspring of mine likes to have separate bowls, plates, and silverware for every single food item she’s eating. Does that sound familiar to anyone? So for every meal she has, she leaves behind three bowls and three spoons. (Multiply this by number of meals.) Then, because the baby no longer wants to be in the high-chair, I toss the tray somewhere in the vicinity of the sink. But of course it’s not a clean tray. Oh no. It’s a banana-smeared tray. Yum…

Next thing I know, I am rushing out the door to make it on time for Emmalyn’s school drop-off and take Adelaide to her baby play-group. When I bring Emmalyn home from school, she wants to eat another lunch (even though she just ate lunch at school), which consists of yet another three bowls and three spoons. I toss those into the sink so I can quickly nurse and lay the baby down for her nap, before I lose my window of opportunity.

Y’all know how the rest of the day goes: you’re counting down the minutes until it’s five o’clock somewhere, just trying to stay afloat until the sweet little cherubs are confined to their beds–I mean, until they are snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. Now is your opportunity to clean. 

You’re famished and exhausted, and Oh look! It’s day-old banana, glued onto the highchair. Fan-freakin-tastic! Moms and dads know day-old stuck-on banana is the absolute worst! And don’t even get me started on blackberries. It’s like a straight-up massacre took place in the middle of my dining room!

But, wait! 

I have been touched by an angel. And that angel is called: Norwex. 

The Norwex Antibac EnviroCloth, to be exact.

Never judge a book by it’s cover, folks. This plain and ordinary-looking cloth has some super-human powers. I, myself, was totally skeptical, but my sweet friend Tiffany let me borrow The Cloth for a week.

My microwave had been speckled (okay, smothered) with spaghetti sauce for a long time. I’m embarrassed to say exactly how long, so I’ll just say “far too long”. I was told all I had to do was wet The Cloth and wipe. That’s it. 

I thought, that’s it? Really? No magical spray?

So I gave it a shot, and guess what?! All it took was one–I repeat: ONE, swipe of The Cloth, and the spaghetti sauce was gone. I was completely floored, and in utter shock!

My cleaning routine has been dramatically shortened, thanks to this little wonder. I use The Cloth for basically everything: kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, the floor, sink, refrigerator, the bathroom sinks, counters, and yes–even the toilet! 

Do you want to know what the second best part about the cloth is? (The first is that I didn’t have to use any elbow grease.) The second best part is that there are absolutely NO CHEMICALS in the cloth. Zip. Nada. Zilch! Absolutely NO NASTIES! (Okay, so maybe that might be the first best thing about it, depending on your perspective.) And if you personally know me, you know I hate toxic-filled cleaning products and do not allow them in my home.

OH! The third best thing, in my opinion, is my hands have never been softer! I actually had a small patch of eczema on my finger, and while using the EnviroCloth over the span of a couple of days, it had completely cleared up! I kid you not…

It’s magic, I tell ‘ya!

I’m also the proud owner of the Dust Mitt (way better than anything else I’ve ever tried!), the Polishing Antibac Cloth which leaves my windows and mirrors streak-free (again, by using only water–no inhaling toxic sprays!), and the Microfiber Antibac Body Cloth, which I use to remove my makeup in a breeze. I love that I’m not wasting cotton balls or daily cleansing cloths, or allowing chemicals to seep in to my face! (Note: my complexion has never been smoother or softer.)

I could sit here and bore you with the science behind it all. But I won’t. I’ll just quickly say that Norwex’s Antibac EnviroCloth is a combination of polyester and polyamide that’s 1/200th the size of a strand of human hair! When used wet, the micro silver antibacterial agent (a.k.a. The Secret Ingredient) works to self-purify against, and inhibit mold, fungi, and bacterial odor. 


In other words: It’s the Bomb-Dot-Com for cleaning dust, dirt, and grease. But most importantly, Day-Old-Stuck-on-Banana & Spaghetti-in-the-Microwave-for-Far-Too-Long.

Now if only it could fold my laundry…

loyally,
katie

// // //
P.S. I am not a sponsored affiliate for Norwex. I simply wanted to share this amazing find with other moms and dads who share my passion in NOT wanting to spend so much time and hard work getting a clean house! 

P.P.S. If you want to fill your brain with more knowledge about Norwex and how it can seriously change your life, or at the very least, the way you clean your life, you may click HERE.  And if you would like to purchase any Norwex products, please consider doing so through my lovely friend, Tiffany, by clicking HERE.


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Military Wife Life


I don’t talk about my life as a military wife that often. I’m not really sure why, either. I think maybe it has to do with that fact that it’s always changing and uncertain. 

But the one question I’ve been getting a lot lately is: Do you know when and where you’ll be moving? 

The answer to that, simply, is: No. 

And the follow-up question is usually: How can you do that–not know where you’re going?

Trust me, I surprise myself on that one, too. By nature (or maybe nurture?) I am A Planner. I am A List Maker, and am truly obsessed with planning every little detail. So naturally, one would think not knowing where we are moving to in roughly three months would drive me insane. But it doesn’t. 

I am living this life for the adventure God has planned for my little family and me. We have some guesstimates of where we may be living next: Hawaii, San Diego, Virginia, South Carolina, Guam, Washington, Japan… but most likely we will not find out until about a month before we are set to leave. That’s right, folks… I said ONE MONTH before we are set to leave. We’ve already begun taking necessary precautions on the chance we get shipped overseas, such as getting the girls their first passports, and quarantining our dog (which is really just making sure he stays in the house and backyard).

Another question I get asked quite often is: Where do you want to go? 

And my answer is: Far Away. 

It’s true. I do. (Sorry Mom & Dad!) I don’t like the thought of being far away from family (even though we are already an eight hour drive away), but the way I see it is: 

Why the heck not?! 

We have this whole world surrounding us and I don’t want to live my life never seeing it. Life is too short to stay in your comfort zone!

When I think about it too deeply, I tend to get very misty-eyed over the thought of Emmalyn leaving her friends. She has made some of the greatest friends at school over the past two years and I’m going to be so sad to pull her away from them. I’m sad for her, but I’m also sad for me, because I’ve made some pretty stellar friendships as well. It really does put knots in my stomach when I think about not seeing them on a regular basis. 

But that’s military life.

And there are so many more pros to the cons. So all I can say is, thank goodness for Facebook, FaceTime, and airplanes! 

loyally,
katie

Have you ever made a really big jump in your life, moving far away? If so, how did you deal?



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A Jew During Lent

Being Jewish during Lent means I automatically get to pick up a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free-Cardand Pass Go—straight on to the pink Peeps. But my daughters are Catholic, and it’s vital to our family to instill in them the importance of the Lenten season.
Growing up, watching my Catholic friends and relatives (yes, we’re a mixed bunch!), I always got the impression that Lent meant only giving something up (i.e., chocolate or fast food) just to witness them gobble down a half-pound chocolate bunny and drive through McDonald’s after Mass. Sometimes for fun, I would join in with my friends to see what I could give up for forty days, too. It was like a fun little game for me.
As I got older I began to learn that you’re not limited to only picking something to give up for Lent, but rather you can choose to add something significant to your life—such as waking up earlier to go to the gym every morning, or finding a new program to volunteer for, or reading the Bible before bed every night.
A couple of years ago, around this time, someone asked me what I was giving up for Lent to which I laughed and facetiously replied, “I’m Jewish—I get to do whatever I want!” 😉 I continued on to say that Lent wasn’t just about giving something up for the sake of “It’s Lent—quick! I’ve gotta give something up!” but can also be a time to switch gears and refocus on becoming a-better-version-of-yourself.
At the time, the thought of giving up fast food or chocolate seemed insignificant in comparison to adding something meaningful to your life; but really, don’t both ends of “giving up something” and “adding something” guide you in becoming your better self? I can take it a step further, too, and add that if we are becoming better people ourselves, we are also helping to serve others. If I’m working towards becoming a-better-version-of-myself, in turn, I’m also becoming a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and citizen.
And isn’t that the whole point of humanity anyway?
My youngest isn’t even nine months, so she really does get a Free Pass, and since my oldest is only four, I don’t think I want to take the route of “giving something up,” but rather enlighten her character by adding something meaningful to her life. At her age, I feel it needs to be somewhat tangible since feelings can sometimes be hard to grasp and measure when you’re in preschool.
Not to get all preachy, but the last thing I want is for my daughters to grow up thinking Easter is about The Bunny and baskets. (Even though those are fun, too!) I don’t want materialistic things to trump the true meaning of Easter. But I digress. This post isn’t about The Resurrection, per say, but about the practice of Lent.
Just because I’m not Catholic, doesn’t mean I can’t participate in Easter-y things. Sure, there are definitely rituals reserved for Catholics, and I’m always respectful of that (i.e., not taking Communion), but there’s a lot every individual can learn about the ritual of sacrificing for Lent. I have realized that giving up something often results in a person practicing self-denial and “suffering,” reminding him or her what God was willing to give up on his or her behalf. 
As an outlier throughout the Lenten season, and someone who can only partially participate, I personally take away the message that this is a time to turn down self-gratification, and reflect and ponder on sacrifices I can make as an individual, as well as healthy habits I can choose to do to help me become a-better-version-of-myself.  
loyally,
katie
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