I'm Eeking Back....

Well, I am tired of opening my browser to have that previous ugly post staring back at me. It was a difficult year, and I'm hoping that I can put an end to it.

At the time, I had decided that some things had to go to ease the stress in my life. So, I took a break from blogging. I should have posted about my decision...for both of you who read my blog(wink). I decided to spend my free energy fostering local and online relationships, translating to less pressure and more rewards for me. Writing on the blog has always been too much of an ideal for me to live up to.

If you know me well, you know I don't do anything I'm not going to be good at. I read some wonderful, amazing, inspiring blogs. I have always worried about my consistency. Plus, I wanted to make sure I was sharing a variety of uplifting news. So, when we don't reach these benchmarks we sometimes set for ourselves, it can make us feel more failure. I didn't need that at the time, or now. So, I'm trying a fresh start with a new outlook in a new place--figuratively and literally.

We recently moved from one side of the US, actually from the furthest West in Hawaii, to the east coast, in South Carolina. It's been a BIG move, a huge ordeal, and the toughest move of all for our our family. We're finally in a home, still no belongings yet, but I need to get on task. Each week is getting a little better. In a few weeks when our home is in order, and I have a better routine, this will hopefully all be a distant memory.

But, today, I need to live the quote I have at the top, "Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." All the good. All the bad. All the moments. And there are some really good ones in there. I should have chronicled them this past year, instead of rushing past them. This year will be different...better. It's up to me, right? Just be patient for me. And I'll try to be gentle on myself.

So, a little recap from my November 2011 post to now:
The holidays went off without too much of a hitch. Carols were sung, presents were gifted, merry was made. I did spend most of Christmas day with a migraine, but we got to skype with my whole family and speak to Dennis's on the phone.

The rest of the school year was a struggle for one and a breeze for another. That online K12 program certainly is easier on some personalities than others. For my oldest, Sabrina, she missed making friends and worked hard every day to stay caught up, cutting into any social life she may have wanted. For Hayden, he was in his element. He loved finishing his work mid-morning so he could have computer free time. He would minecraft with his friends in the afternoon and spend some days with his best friend doing school work, then playing. McKenna's school year went off well. She had a great relationship with her teacher, enjoyed school, and had some great friends.

We were able to take a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii during spring break, amazed at how much more untouched it was than Oahu. We had a fabulous week and saw another amazing part of this world. Maybe I'll do another recap post of that some time. My mom was able to come out a couple of weeks later, during the worst storm weekend we had our entire time on Oahu. It was such a disappointment to not be able to show her more of the beauty of Hawaii, but we were able to spend time together, and that's what really matters anyway.

My middle brother and his family came out at the end of May and spent 2 weeks in our home. They allowed us to be tourists and do all of the fun things Hawaii has to offer for one last time. The kids really enjoyed hanging out with their cousins since they don't get to often.

About April, we had started preparing to move off the island, knowing an assignment would come in May. The options of location weren't great, and we did get an initial assignment to Cannon AFB, NM. This base is so remote that after a process involving a medical board, the assignment was cancelled due to lack of facilities to support Sabrina's diabetic needs. Then began the waiting game...9 weeks to be exact, before we would get the new assignment.

The second week in August, we receive an assignment to Shaw AFB, SC, followed by a mad rush to get out of Hawaii before the end of the month. We started packing up on the 10th and cleared our house on the 20th. We flew out of Hawaii on the 21st and, 3 flights later, into South Carolina on the 22nd. The south definitely has a learning curve. But, we're adjusting. The kids all started school last week, and so far are holding their own. Now to see where this new adventure takes us!