So much to catch up on!! After finding out we will be moving to Japan this summer and with Andy deploying we decided that the kiddos and I would move back to the Midwest to spend time with family. After spending three years in Spain and now potentially four years in Japan we wanted to squeeze in as much family time as possible. I always tell people Andy and I wish we had parents we didn't like and it would make moving overseas so much easier!
While Andy was away on a field exercise till the end of Oct of course that's when our orders came though! This made it a bit more time crunching as I needed Andy home to apply for no fee passports. Even with power of attorney, I needed Andy physically with us to do this step since Drew and Claire were getting these passports as well. So all of the other steps that needed to be completed were held up on this first step. Which meant I had to wait patiently not scheduling one thing till Andy and I could both be present in the PSD office together! By the time Andy came back from his exercise we had four weeks to get a stack of paper work completed (and that required correspondence between Japan and our PSD). That then put us at two weeks before the first truck arrived and took our first shipment, which was everything we wanted to store for the next few years! Luckily with all of the waiting I had time to organize!
Andy's dad was was an amazing father-in-law (as always) as offered to fly down and drive a car back to Minnesota for us. He wanted to do this so Andy and I could spend time together in the car before he took off for deployment. Andy's dad, Al arrived and witnessed what it was like to pack out, see your life in boxes all over your lawn, praying it all fits into the moving truck, & signing the paper work with hope.. it all makes it to Japan!
The next day with two cars packed to the max and two excited kiddos (Brooke our dog too) we were ready to hit the road to Minnesota! We had great weather the entire way and made it in three days. We took our time with many stops and time to swim at hotels in the evening!
We enjoyed Christmas here in Minnesota and then met my parents in Minneapolis for a weekend. We dropped Andy off at the airport and said our goodbyes as he left for his deployment at the end of the month.
The kiddos started school here in Minnesota and I couldn't be happier with the school they're at. A few days before school started I received an envelope from Drew's new school. I opened it up and his new teacher had all of the kids in Drew's new class write him a letter welcoming him!! It was in a binder with a class photo on the outside!! It was such an amazing welcome!
Claire's kindergarten teacher is full of life and energy!! I truly feel like I won the lottery with both of their teachers.
While Andy was away on a field exercise till the end of Oct of course that's when our orders came though! This made it a bit more time crunching as I needed Andy home to apply for no fee passports. Even with power of attorney, I needed Andy physically with us to do this step since Drew and Claire were getting these passports as well. So all of the other steps that needed to be completed were held up on this first step. Which meant I had to wait patiently not scheduling one thing till Andy and I could both be present in the PSD office together! By the time Andy came back from his exercise we had four weeks to get a stack of paper work completed (and that required correspondence between Japan and our PSD). That then put us at two weeks before the first truck arrived and took our first shipment, which was everything we wanted to store for the next few years! Luckily with all of the waiting I had time to organize!
Andy's dad was was an amazing father-in-law (as always) as offered to fly down and drive a car back to Minnesota for us. He wanted to do this so Andy and I could spend time together in the car before he took off for deployment. Andy's dad, Al arrived and witnessed what it was like to pack out, see your life in boxes all over your lawn, praying it all fits into the moving truck, & signing the paper work with hope.. it all makes it to Japan!
The next day with two cars packed to the max and two excited kiddos (Brooke our dog too) we were ready to hit the road to Minnesota! We had great weather the entire way and made it in three days. We took our time with many stops and time to swim at hotels in the evening!
We enjoyed Christmas here in Minnesota and then met my parents in Minneapolis for a weekend. We dropped Andy off at the airport and said our goodbyes as he left for his deployment at the end of the month.
The kiddos started school here in Minnesota and I couldn't be happier with the school they're at. A few days before school started I received an envelope from Drew's new school. I opened it up and his new teacher had all of the kids in Drew's new class write him a letter welcoming him!! It was in a binder with a class photo on the outside!! It was such an amazing welcome!
Claire's kindergarten teacher is full of life and energy!! I truly feel like I won the lottery with both of their teachers.
Brooks and Claire tuckered out after our first day in the car.
Headed North!! Brooke is SUCH a good dog in the car and lays right between both kiddos (minus the fact she has to take medicine so she doesn't get car sick...!)
Brooke isn't too sure about seeing flurries and what type of climate we're taking her to!
And we made it to Andy's parents house! They have 40+ acres for the kiddos and I to explore while Andy is away!
Making the holes getting ready to ice fish!!
I've turned soft after not living in the Midwest for a bit, I went straight for the rabbit gloves!
Claire caught a fish!!!
Thinking about kissing it??!!
Getting ready for Santa and decorating cookies!
Uncle Aric reading, "The Night Before Christmas".
Andy and Brooke both dreaming of sugar plums dancing in their head....
The kiddos both slept till almost 7a.m. and were thrilled to see that Santa found them in MN!
Andy also really enjoyed the kiddos gifts! Drew and Claire both received this huge indestructible ball!! It was a lot of fun.... then we managed to pop the indestructible ball:(
We had a wonderful Christmas!
