Is this our home for today?

While visiting Aunt Alexis and Grandma Nonne in Charleston, we decided to check out some beach houses...just for fun.  While walking up to one of the houses with the kids Hannah says, "Mom, is this our home for today?".  If you can imagine the thoughts of my poor children, moving from place to place to place, day after day.  It is hard to imagine what ideas run through their tiny little minds at this age.  Again (and this I will always say), I can only hope that they will  become better children and more "adjusted". Ha Ha. 

Because... THIS is our life!

Just to give you a re-cap of where we have been in the past few months since we have arrived to the US from Kenya on April 15th...

15 days
Arlington, VA; one bedroom hotel

22 days
 My friend Michelle's house in northern Virginia

4 days
 A very small one bedroom hotel in Alexandria, VA

11 days
 Home to Atlanta,GA to my Mom's house

 6 days
 To Tom's Mom's house in Atlanta, GA

10 days
 To Visit Tom's sister and Mom in Charleston, South Carolina

5 days
 My Dads house in Decatur, GA

So after 7 different places in two months time, Wednesday we will finally be back to my Moms house again for one last FINAL PLOP!

If any of you were wondering why I have not called since I have come back to the US, don't take it personal ...the above is why. 

I want to thank everyone that made an effort to visit us in Washington, DC, in Charleston, South Carolina and in Atlanta while we have been running around.  It has not been the easiest trip, actually it rates #1 so far as the worst of our transfers, but we are hanging in there. We are all healthy, we are surprisingly happy although extremely sleep deprived, but we are together for now and we will make the MOST of any time we have together...no matter where it may be. 

Here's to any of you who knows what this feels like.

Calgon...TAKE ME AWAY!!!

Our last visit with Tom's Papa before we left DC

Visiting my good friend Robert from high school and his wife Christy with their new two

week old son Adam in DC. 

Our good friends, The Schapers who we knew from Israel but are now heading to Kenya. We were able to see them in Charleston!

With Nonne at Isle of Palms in Charleston

With Aunt Alexis in Charleston. And a surprise visit from the (soon to be) Aunt Christin who just happened to be in Charleston while we were in town.  That was fun! Thanks Nonne for babysitting. :)

And last but not least, my good friend Michelle who I also knew in Israel. She is the one we lived with in northern Virgina and who opened up her home to the kids and I while Tom was in training.

Thanks again sweetie...for everything!

Good friends and family...cant wait to get more of that while I am HOME! :)

Love you all!

Happy 2nd Birthday Chase!!

... a few weeks late.

Chase's 1st Birthday had two celebrations last year...and two this year as well!  What a lucky guy!! Since we were in DC on the day of his birthday, May 25th, we decided to celebrate at Chuck-E-Cheese.  We had just gone a few weeks earlier for my friend Michelle's son, Charlie. Chase fell in LOVE with the Chuck-E-Cheese mouse and I could not resist seeing his cute little face light up when we went there again. Why not, right?  We had a lot fun, enjoyed playing with all the games and especially winning tickets. Actually, Chase's favorite part was stealing other people's tickets. Oops.  We obviously had a blast and actually got Chuck-E-Cheese to come sing Happy Birthday with us and pose for a picture.

A trip to see Papa too on Chase's birthday (before we left town)...

Thanks Papa for the $..Wow!

We left the next day after Chase's birthday for Atlanta and since we would be with family so soon after Chase's birthday, we celebrated again on June 5th with family.  Chase had a fun day with his grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and loved playing with lots of new toys. He had a fun Spider Man celebration put on by his Nonne (Tom's Mom). Thanks Nonne, it was super fun! :)

 

Although Chase is not quite the talker Hannah was a two, he is a thousand times more curious. He can say the important things and tell us what he wants, so I guess this is all that is "important" to him.  He loves being outside and loves to investigate and figure things out on his own.  However, you cant leave him alone for more than two minutes.  For example, this week he managed to get a pen and color the entire lid of his Aunt Alexis' toilet.  He also managed to spray the entire living room with dog carpet cleaner; the couch, the carpet, the TV cabinet and the glass patio door.  Last week he ate a fire log (don't worry he is fine). I mean it did look like a candy bar.  Oh, Chase...so busy, so curious...but so cute and so much fun! We love you!
Happy Birthday sweetie!

Adjusting in the USA

We are going from Party in the USA to Adjusting in the USA.

I have had quite a few of those moments since we returned to the USA. Most visits are short or when I am about to deliver a baby (ha), but regardless...they mostly last only around six weeks. We spend most of that time visiting family and friends, eating yummy food, preparing for our next departure and shopping for items a whole year in advance. But this time...its different.

I have now been in the US about 6 weeks and 5 weeks of that was in DC moving from hotels, apartments and friend's houses. But now we are finallly home in Atlanta. Now, we start our next life, but in the USA.  At least the kids and I will. All of it is overwhelming for me, at times it is for Hannah as well but Chase has not quite grasped the gypsy life we live. He is accepting each challenge with each day and hopefully will be come just as well adjusted as the rest of us as the years pass. I say this laughing...ha ha.

We got to my Mom's house last Wednesday after we made a quick decision to get the hell out of dodge and finally get home to ATLANTA!.  The 100 square foot hotel we were staying in pretty much made our decision more than clear. We were ready to go! With the State Dept. funding no transfers from DC (including a car rental or airfare), the kids and I luckily got buddy passes from my Dads and jumped on a plane to Atlanta. Piper almost got left in DC due to the embargo, but made it on our flight at the last minute. Oh Piper, nothing but drama! This is the first time Piper has been able to travel with us from post. We were happy it was a smooth transition for her this time around. You can check out an older blog, Piper is Here, for some of Pipers travleing drama. We love our Piper!! Tom stayed in DC, finished up some work and then joined us this past Saturday. 

So, now we begin what will be a hectic month. Tom, the kids and I will be busy visiting family, taking trips, and shopping for HIS move. I on the other hand have to learn how to start a normal life. My life in the USA is about to begin and one that I honestly don't know how to live at times. I am overwhelmed by all the "things" that people buy or can buy and I am saddened by cities and towns changing so drastically due to the economy.  I feel lucky to have a home to live in where I know the kids and I will be loved, but I feel out of touch with how people live here. For me, living overseas is easy. Life is simple and this... I love. So bare with me as I adjust to moving back, try to find a school for my children and also try to enjoy this busy last month with my husband before he finally ships off for the year. 

(All the highlighted blue words or phrases are links to web pages or other blogs. I just figured out how to link the pages thanks to my friend Michelle, so I went a little crazy- ha).