You Want Him Where...WHEN??

Last Fall my husband was finally up for picking his orders for his next Duty Station and it really came down to 3 places; Norfolk , VA, Washington State, and Japan. I knew immediately where I wanted to go but it was not initially where he wanted.

First, he wanted Washington State. At the time, his future boss had a good reputation and my husband was excited to work for someone of whom his current peers and coworkers spoke well. Unfortunately, the guy that was supposed to be his future boss, got slated for somewhere else so my husband was no longer too keen on going there if he couldn't know his future boss or really anything about them. So Washington State was out. Sad day because I was looking forward to the Pacific Northwest and all of the hiking we could do! Oh well, on to the next thing.

 Next he was looking at Norfolk. The orders were for a ship that was going to be in the yards for basically the entire time he would be there which would mean no underways and no deployments. Ok, great, but really...Norfolk? Ugh. I was going to be a reluctant participant at the very least. I have always steered him away from Norfolk if I could because it seems to be a Mecca of drama from a MilSpouse's perspective and while I like to hear about the drama, I definitely do not want to be in the middle of it...at all. In addition to that, there just does not seem to be much there that we would be interested in. The traffic is also supposedly terrible. So, really, no thanks. However, I have always told him to do what is best for his career and I would happily (although sometimes with a grumble) follow him and support him to get him where he needs and wants to be. Norfolk was looking like it would be where we ended up but then my husband made a joke that changed everything.

"What if I were to take unaccompanied orders to Japan?"
"I would murder you."

He knew that Japan was one of my dream locations to PCS to so he thought it would be funny to joke around about going there without me and the girls. Jokes on him because his joke turned into a thing. He had always told me he DID NOT want to go to Japan because the tempo and the pace were fast and he would be insanely busy and would never see me and the kids. Then after he made his joke I didn't really want to let it go as it is possibly our last chance to live overseas. He asked around and found out it really is not as bad as he had thought or heard and that families, at the very least, tend to absolutely LOVE it there. Now, it was looking like Japan.

Over the next month or so, my husband continued to ask around about Japan and see if it was something he really wanted to do. I kept telling him I would support whatever he wanted to do but I did let him know my obvious preference for Japan over Norfolk. I wanted him to do what was best for his sanity and his career though. In the end, he opted for Japan. Yay!

Fast forward a few months and here we are in March 2019. His orders were always supposed to be for October 2019. He wanted to get there a little sooner though so have more time with his new boss before being evaluated though so he was looking to get there in August 2019. Ok, that is doable with selling the house and doing everything that is involved with that. Joke was on us.

On a Monday, he gets an email from his future boss, "I want you here in June." Well, shit. I call our realtor that helped us by the house to have her come by and talk about listing the house. By Wednesday he is trying to talk to his bosses here in Mechanicsburg to see if they will allow him to leave that early. By Thursday he has 2 yesses to being allowed to go in June. Ok. Friday, he emails his future boss and his detailer and tells them he can be there in June. Friday also has our realtor at our house to tell us what we need to do to get it ready to list....by the latest of mid-April. Heaven help us cause I'm gonna go crazy trying to get this house ready plus keeping two toddlers and an infant alive. So Japan it is....but first San Diego....in approximately 3 freaking months.

This also brought on a whole new myriad of questions...What happens to me and the kids? Is only Bill going to San Diego? Are we staying in Mech? Are we going ahead of him to Japan? WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR STUFF?? Those are, unfortunately, questions we are still trying to get answers to and it is frustrating as hell to me because my biggest concern is what happens to our crap if we end up selling right away? Hopefully we get answers this week so we can make more solid plans.

So despite all the crazy currently going on in our lives, we are all, even my husband, particularly excited to be moving to Japan. We tell our 3 year old that it is our adventure. She is particularly excited about the beaches and mountains. We are  anxious, nervous, and, above all, excited for what our adventure will bring.

Niagara Falls Or Bust!

{Quick Note: I started this post on the 4th of July}

     First, let me start by saying Happy Birthday America! We live in the most amazing country in the world and I could not be more proud to be an American! Let us remember all those that have fought to protect and preserve our great nation and the freedoms we have because without each and every one of them, we would not be where we are today.

     To celebrate the 4th of July holiday, my husband and I decided to pack up the camping gear, the hiking gear and the pooch and make our way up to Niagara Falls. It will be a first for both of us, so it should be pretty awesome and a great experience.

     We will be staying at the KOA campground Niagara North. It was about $10 cheaper per night than the one on Grand Island and closer to Niagara so we went with it instead. We ended up paying $35 per night, which, in my opinion, is a little steep, but I guess it IS 4th of July weekend and we ARE super close to Niagara Falls. I suppose it is acceptable. This time. I would probably never pay that much to camp on a non-holiday weekend. It says on their website that all of their campsites are secluded and not lined up so we shall see....

     I also found something called the Niagara Discovery Pass which will let us go to 5 different attractions for only $33 each (Since I wrote this, they have gone up to $45 for adults). Seemed like a pretty good deal so we went with it. All 5 of the attractions were things we would have wanted to do anyway so why not save about $20 each to buy the pass ahead of time?

To Be Continued...{After our trip!}

We started our trip to Niagara Falls on Thursday, July 4 after I got off work at 5. Fortunately, I got off work about 15 minutes early thanks to my co-worker and it really helped us leave at a decent time since we had all of our packing to do. Now, any normal people would have had everything all packed and ready to go at least the day before but no, not us. We like to do things last minute. We had nothing packed or ready to do so we had to do all of that before we could leave.

Once we got us and the dog packed up and ready to head out we had to make sure the cats had everything they would need while we were gone. Cats are SO easy. They are essentially self-sufficient if you provide food, water, and somewhere to poop. I guess even if you did not provide somewhere to poop they would find somewhere to do it anyway. We made sure they had plenty of food and water and we were set...to start packing the car. 

We live on the second floor of our building so we had to carry all our stuff down the stairs, out the door, and to the car. Luckily, even with parking typically being a nightmare on our street, we were able to park decently close so we did not have to carry our stuff too far. We had to fit the dog's crate, the tent, blankets, food, the cooler, hiking gear, pillows, and the dog all in the back of little Chevy HHR. It was a miracle, but, thank God, it all fit!

Once it was all in the car, we climbed in, ready to start our adventure. From Newport, Rhode Island to Niagara Falls State Park, New York it is 494 miles. That is a 7 hour and 35 minute drive. It took us approximately 10 hours with stops for gas, food, and potty breaks for the pooch. However, Thursday night we were getting tired and we only had about 3 hours left of driving, so we decided to pull over at one of the parking spots and sleep for a few hours.

It really was not too hot or humid outside but we wanted to put the windows down to get a little breeze going through the car. It was not hot but it was a little warm for comfort. It would not have been unbearable to sleep...if it had not been for Penny panting like crazy and heating the car up. She was killing me. Altogether, I probably got about 3 hours of sleep and my husband maybe got 5-6. He can sleep better under extreme conditions than I can. Little Miss Penelope was up most of the night.

We were woken up at about 7 am by some trash collectors who probably thought we were crazy for sleeping in the back of our car with our dog. My husband hopped out and took the pooch to potty while I re-arranged the car and got everything put back in it and ready to go. Once Penny had pottied and we were all packed up, we hit the road again.

   
We made it to our campground around 9:45 to 10:00 am. We went into the camp store to check in and that was a very quick process. The lady inside was very nice and helpful.

We were able to select from any of the tent camping without hookups and we found a pretty decent and secluded spot. We got everything un-packed from the car, the tent set up, and Penny all settled in. Then we took Penny for a walk around the campground to explore a little and find out where everything was.

   
It was, by no means, a huge campground, and by KOA standards probably did not have all that much to do. However, except for the mosquitos, we really enjoyed it. There was a pool, playground, giant chess set, basketball hoops, and bike rentals. The best part, perhaps, was the air conditioned bathroom they had up by the office. It was as nice as a hotel and it was really nice to not get out of the shower and just get all sweaty again. The other bathroom was back towards the back of the campground and was not as nice, nor was it air conditioned. I always used the front one.

 
 After walking Miss Penelope, we decided to go to Wal-Mart to get a battery-opperated lantern and a battery-opperated fan. We took Penny with us because it was not too hot. We picked up the things we needed and then our plan was to drive back to our campsite while driving past the falls. However, we ended up deciding to get out and walk around along with also going to pick up our Discovery Passes at the Visitor's Center.

   
We had to park really far away because we decided it was not worth it to pay $10-20 to park when we did not mind the walking. So we parked about 5 blocks away from the state park. On our mission to find the Visitor's Center, we actually ended up at the one for the city first because they then had to point us in the right direction for the one in the park. It must happen a lot because they had the directions all printed up and ready to go. 

 
We meandered our way through the park and found the Visitor's Center. My husband and Penny waited outside while I went in to pick up our passes. It was a pretty painless experience despite there being a TON of people there. The lady was very nice and told me Penny was allowed anywhere in the park except for in the buildings or the attractions. We decided we would walk around with Penny for a bit and explore and then come back to do the attractions without her on Saturday.

 
 The first thing we saw as we walked around were the American Falls and the rapids leading up to them. They were pretty amazing. There falls were beautiful {At least what we could see of them from the top} and the rapids were pretty cool as well. I could not imagine getting stuck in them and being swept over the falls.
   
After we walked around that first area a bit and watched the falls and, of course, took some pictures, we mad our way across the pedestrian bridge onto Green Island and then on over to where the Cave of the Winds is. We walked past Cave of the Winds, with plans to return the next day, and on to see Horseshoe Falls.
   
Horseshoe Falls is what most people think of when they think Niagara Falls. If we thought the American Falls were anything to see then Horseshoe Falls were awe-inspiring. They were absolutely amazing! I could not believe how beautiful and almost majestic they were. It was absolutely gorgeous.  We walked around, feeling the mist from the falls landing on our skin and keeping us and Penny cool. We took pictures and stood there just being mesmerized by the falls. They were just too gorgeous for words and pictures will not do them justice either.
   
Since Penny was with us we walked her around a bit more and then headed back to the main part of the park, back toward the American Falls. Worn out from not sleeping much the night before and ready for an early afternoon nap, we decided to head back to our campground and get some rest! We needed to be well rested for our next day of adventure!
   
We went  back to our campsite and rested. We ate some lunch and then relaxed as we played some cards and listened to music. Then we made to the tent for an early night and plenty of sleep! Bill taught me how to play Crazy 8s and we played that as we relaxed in the tent eating Oreos.
   
We woke up pretty early the next day. Ready to head out and explore Niagara Falls. With the Discovery Pass, we got to do pretty much everything they had there! It was certainly worth the money. With our passes, we had entry to a movie in the theater, the aquarium, the cave of the winds,  the niagara gorge discovery center, and the maid of the mist. It also let us ride the Trolley for an entire day as much as we wanted.
 
We started out with the Cave of the Winds because we did not want to get caught up in a huge line later in the day. It was pretty cool. We first had to go into a building to get special souvenir shoes they provide you with that have a special grip on the bottom. They were velcro sandals. We both got them but neither my husband nor I wore them. We both had tennis shoes on and figured that would be more than sufficient. Also, I had had surgery on my foot only a few month prior and didn't want to test it by wearing sandals. After we picked up our shoes, we got in line (very short) to go on the elevator down to the bottom of the cliff. That only took us about 20 minutes and they had interesting facts you could read along the pathway so the time went quickly.

We got to the elevator and they crammed us all in there to take the trip down to the bottom. During the ride, the attendant that goes with you is telling us stories about how far down it is, how long it took to build, and when it was built, etc. We got to the bottom and the doors open and you are just hit with this wall of cool humidity. The air was so heavy! We had to walk down a long hallway carved through the rock and we came out at the bottom of the cliff close to the river at the bottom of the falls.

It was amazing! They have wooden walkways built all the way out to the bottom of American Falls and part of the walkways are even IN the rapids! When you first head of to the walkways, you will pass a ton os seagulls because it is the largest nesting population in the United States (If I remember correctly and obviously you would have to go at the right times of the year.) It was pretty cool to see the interactions between the babies and the adults! When you reach the walkways you can take so many different routes. It's a good thing they give you rain ponchos because you WILL get wet. You walk along the pathways deciding how close you want to get to the rushing rapids and it is an amazing experience because you can feel the roar of the water in your feet. Sometimes, the walkways might leave you wondering if they can really continue to hold up to the mighty power of the falls because of the movement you can see but I think they have been really well built so there are no worries! This was definitely worth doing!

After the Cave of the Winds, we decided we wanted to go on the Maid of the Mist so we made our way back across the park by way of the trolley. The Maid of the Mist was a great experience. It did take us a bit longer than other things we did because we went later in the day so we did wait in line a while. However, the boat holds a TON of people and there are multiple ones running so it still wasn't too bad. When it was finally our turn to load onto the boat, us and a couple hundred other people crammed on. It was shoulder to shoulder and not much moving room. The boat slowly made its way over to all of the falls and you could tell it was harder on the engines as we got closer and the currents got stronger. 'It was really great to get a different perspective of the falls and the feel the sheer power of the water as the boat fought to stay close to it. They gave us rain ponchos to wear if we didn't want to get wet and you could also stand under the roof of the boat. We wore the ponchos to prevent becoming excessively soaked but they don't really do too much when there is a raging waterfall throwing mist into the air and rocking the boat. From there, we decided to explore the non-water attractions of the park.

There is not only a small museum about the falls and the park, there is also a small aquarium. While it is not the biggest nor nicest aquarium I have ever been to, it was still educational and interesting to see. It was nice to escape from the heat and I really enjoy watching the antics of fish as they dart around inside their home. It is a small aquarium but if aquariums are your thing, its neat to see for sure.  The museum, called the Discovery Center, has information, not only about the falls, but also about the surrounding local areas. It has interactive displays that kiddos could really enjoy. The Discovery Center was small and not all that great but still had some interesting facts about the falls and the park. One thing they had to offer, that we didn't get a chance to do, was the hiking trails that take you down into the gorge. Just another reason for us to return on another trip! We probably would not have gone to either the museum or the aquarium had we not had the passes but, since we paid for it, we went. Probably not worth the price of admission if not included in the passes but interesting nonetheless.

The final thing we did at Niagara Falls was to go to the Adventure Theatre. Here you are shown a 40 minute video of the adventurers, explorers, and dare devils of the falls. From it first being discovered to people trying to go over the falls in barrels, it is an interesting and informative show. The screen is huge and when the falls are up on the screen, you can not only see them thundering down, you can feel it! The picture and the sound is so amazing! You could actually feel like you are standing right outside amid the thundering power of Niagara Falls.

We will definitely be returning to Niagara Falls. We really want to hike the trails the park has to offer and we would also like to venture onto the Canada side as well. I know they have some unique attractions to offer and we would love to see what they are!

Finally Getting Somewhere With Getting Somewhere to Live! AKA: It's Officially Ours!!

Whew! What a busy few days the last ones have been! Let's see...where to start....

Ok, so on Monday we were supposed to turn in our pre contract to the housing office at 2:30pm. She called me around noon and told me to meet her at the Dome. I did and went to meet her. She tells me that the landlord does not want to pay for internet or cable. Ok, not a big deal. We do not want cable anyway and do not mind paying for internet. Especially since it will only be about $30 or so a month. Not a big deal! So our realtor calls the property manager and is asking when we can get the pre-contract and everything. So what it comes down to, is we end up going to meet the property manager at her work office to hopefully pick up the pre-contract. We get there and the manager tells us she has been trying to talk to the landlord all morning but he is not picking up or answering her texts. He told her he would be in a meeting but she had hoped he would be out sooner.

DIY Gifts: Date Night Book

My husband and I are always going back and forth on who has to choose what to do! Drive us both crazy....So, I decided to make him a gift that would solve at least some of our problems!! A Date Night Book!

Date Night Book
I got the idea somewhere online a while ago (sorry, no original link), it was most likely Pinterest.  Essentially, you can go through and write down "date nights" for you and your loved one to do! This takes  at least some of the back and forth out of deciding. =) I sat down and thought of all the things I thought would make good dates nights and made a list. They can be anything from seeing a movie to sitting at home snuggling on the couch or even going out and doing something bigger! It is all about making memories and spending time with the one you love. It does not actually have to cost anything!! My favorite part!

My Scrapbook: The Pages So Far

I have always loved scrapbooking. I LOVE having "evidence" of all the great memories I make with the people I care about! I have made several in my lifetime, some which I no longer care to look at, but at least I have them in case I ever change my mind.

Our Newest Addition {Save a Life: Adopt a Shelter Pet Today!}

     My husband and I both grew up with plenty of critters in our lives. Back in Indiana, at our parents' homes, he has 2 dogs and a cat while I have at my dad's 10 horses, 4 dogs, and 10+ barn cats and at my mom's 4 dogs and 1 cat. Yes, that's a lot of critters! I also grew up with an even wider variety from corn snakes to iguanas to tanks full of fish. I was very fortunate to have parents that loved animals as much as I did and allowed me to save all the strays I brought home.

Planning Our DIY Wedding From Another State(s)

After my husband and I got engaged we decided to have a courthouse wedding. We wanted to have the benefits of being married since we were already living together and planning to get married anyway. We always had plans to have our "big" wedding in the future.

Welcome to My Blog. How About a Little Background?

Hello, and if you are reading this, welcome to my blog! Here I plan to write about my experiences and adventures being married to the love of my life, a Naval Officer. I want to talk about where we have been, what to do there, our adventures getting there, and generally mine and our experiences dealing with the Navy and just about everything else. The ups, the downs, the good, the bad, and the ugly!