We are astounded by how quickly JC's out-processing is going! He says he keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it always does... hoping this time things will just go our way! Lord knows it is time for that!! :p
The worst thing that's happened lately is that me and the kids got strep throat AGAIN. This is Ian's first time, I guess, but the 2nd bout for me and Hannah this year (Hannah's had a 3rd throat infection that wasn't strep). Ugh! We're doing our rounds of antibiotics, though, and hoping to nip it in the bud before the real fun starts next week!
My nephew Jax joined us for a few nights... a first for us all! It went very well, and I'm so happy that it did! My kids will get to visit with him more next week while we're being packed up before our leave starts...
Then? Maryland bound! I don't look forward to the drive at all, though...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A Down Side...
Kassie here...
JC came in last night after stopping by the housing office to give them our notice... they provided him the paperwork detailing their standards for cleanliness for final inspection, and they're not unheard of... except they want us to strip down the tile floors to a dull finish (uh, we didn't wax them, people! YOU did!) and will charge us $30 a room for carpet cleaning. Yeah, we could get the carpets cleaned for cheaper, but they require it to be done at least 72 hours prior to final inspection, and our household goods won't be picked up 'til the day before! Um, no!
It's a scam, of course... it's privatized housing, and they have to get us in SOME manner. I just find it utterly disgusting that my husband is fighting for THEIR freedom, so they can have the right to glean even more of his hard-earned money...
I'm trying to remain positive about it all, of course, but it really irritates me.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
And so it begins... again.
Kassie here...
One of the most daunting things about being a military family is the PCS. That's "Permanent Change of Station," for you civilian-types... in laymen's terms, a move to a new post.
My first PCS occurred back in 2005, when JC was at AIT (or Advanced Individual Training). Hannah was 3 and we were living in Piedmont, OK. I was new to the whole military thing, and I remember being absolutely mortified. As it is now, I don't remember much of the process... just that it was a pain in the butt to go to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City and set up the move. The lady was throwing around acronyms (much like I'm doing to you guys now), and I was literally shaking inside. We set a date & I waited with baited breath for that date to roll around. I missed my husband madly, and just wanted our family to be complete again.
When the movers arrived at our little duplex with this gigantic truck, my head started to spin, and it really didn't stop 'til our stuff was packed up and on that truck. It amazed me. My mother-in-law came to help me keep Hannah entertained, and as soon as the moving truck left (promising my household goods would arrive in Augusta, GA by the week's end), we hit the road in our two cars.
We got to Augusta the next day and only had to rough it for one night before our stuff arrived. It was amazing! Not having to schlep all of our stuff up and down the 20 or so stairs between the parking lot and our apartment in the sweltering GA heat??? BLISS! I know the movers hated me, but whatever. They were getting paid. :p
The move to Germany was a little more daunting. We wouldn't see our stuff for weeks or months, and I'm a little too OCD to deal with that sort of thing. I got over it, though. Moving back was even more daunting, since we lived in a 4 story townhouse-type abode, and I had an infant... I couldn't possibly keep my eyes on all the movers at once (and thusly, had some stuff come up missing... but we had no proof, so... blah). It's all worth it, though, to not have to do all the packing and loading and unpacking.
It's been three years since I've had the military involved in our moves, though. Yes, we've moved twice in those 3 years, but they weren't government-sanctioned moves, so... I had to do all that stuff by myself (which I do NOT enjoy).
We got orders to Maryland yesterday, and got word today that our stuff will be packed up on 25 August. Now, I find myself panicking and looking around at everything. I need to get some large Ziploc baggies to bag up some of the smaller items, start segregating the things I know they won't pack (like candles, chemicals, etc.) or the things we need to take with us instead of letting them pack 'em (like certain toys, clothes, etc.).
I've got a lot to do in the next two weeks, much of which I can't do 'til right before. It's going to be a crazy few weeks!
And then I see pictures like this one (of downtown Frederick, MD), and can't wait to get to a new place and explore and photograph it and make it my own, like a true Army spouse would!
One of the most daunting things about being a military family is the PCS. That's "Permanent Change of Station," for you civilian-types... in laymen's terms, a move to a new post.
My first PCS occurred back in 2005, when JC was at AIT (or Advanced Individual Training). Hannah was 3 and we were living in Piedmont, OK. I was new to the whole military thing, and I remember being absolutely mortified. As it is now, I don't remember much of the process... just that it was a pain in the butt to go to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City and set up the move. The lady was throwing around acronyms (much like I'm doing to you guys now), and I was literally shaking inside. We set a date & I waited with baited breath for that date to roll around. I missed my husband madly, and just wanted our family to be complete again.
When the movers arrived at our little duplex with this gigantic truck, my head started to spin, and it really didn't stop 'til our stuff was packed up and on that truck. It amazed me. My mother-in-law came to help me keep Hannah entertained, and as soon as the moving truck left (promising my household goods would arrive in Augusta, GA by the week's end), we hit the road in our two cars.
We got to Augusta the next day and only had to rough it for one night before our stuff arrived. It was amazing! Not having to schlep all of our stuff up and down the 20 or so stairs between the parking lot and our apartment in the sweltering GA heat??? BLISS! I know the movers hated me, but whatever. They were getting paid. :p
The move to Germany was a little more daunting. We wouldn't see our stuff for weeks or months, and I'm a little too OCD to deal with that sort of thing. I got over it, though. Moving back was even more daunting, since we lived in a 4 story townhouse-type abode, and I had an infant... I couldn't possibly keep my eyes on all the movers at once (and thusly, had some stuff come up missing... but we had no proof, so... blah). It's all worth it, though, to not have to do all the packing and loading and unpacking.
It's been three years since I've had the military involved in our moves, though. Yes, we've moved twice in those 3 years, but they weren't government-sanctioned moves, so... I had to do all that stuff by myself (which I do NOT enjoy).
We got orders to Maryland yesterday, and got word today that our stuff will be packed up on 25 August. Now, I find myself panicking and looking around at everything. I need to get some large Ziploc baggies to bag up some of the smaller items, start segregating the things I know they won't pack (like candles, chemicals, etc.) or the things we need to take with us instead of letting them pack 'em (like certain toys, clothes, etc.).
I've got a lot to do in the next two weeks, much of which I can't do 'til right before. It's going to be a crazy few weeks!
And then I see pictures like this one (of downtown Frederick, MD), and can't wait to get to a new place and explore and photograph it and make it my own, like a true Army spouse would!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Places We've Been
Since JC joined the Army in January 2005, we have been to 3 technical "duty stations." First, we moved to Ft. Gordon, GA while he finished AIT. Then, in November 2005, we moved to Landstuhl, Germany. We should've been there for 3 years, but there was a glitch in the system and we left after 2 years to move back to the U.S. Our third (& current) duty station was Ft. Hood, TX in Killeen. While we've enjoyed being so close to family, we're ready to get the heck outta Killeen! We're currently awaiting orders to move to our fourth duty station: Ft. Detrick, MD (in Frederick). We're pretty excited to get Daddy back into a non-deployable unit and to get really close to Washington D.C. & be within reasonable driving distance to exciting places like NYC!
We will miss our families, of course, but such is life in the military! Look out, East Coast! The Bennett Four will be there soon! Brace yourself!
We will miss our families, of course, but such is life in the military! Look out, East Coast! The Bennett Four will be there soon! Brace yourself!
Welcome to Our Adventures!
Welcome to our blog! While Kassie has had a private blog for a decade via other portals, we decided to start a public blog to document our family's world-wide adventures. We are a military family, & are embarking on yet another journey to a new place far away from our homeland (Texas!) & extended families.
So sign up for updates or just come see us whenever you can! We hope you enjoy our little stories & tidbits!
So sign up for updates or just come see us whenever you can! We hope you enjoy our little stories & tidbits!
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