And We're Back

We've been in our new place for three weeks tomorrow. All of the downstairs boxes are unpacked, with the exception of the garage (does that ever count?), and yesterday I finally did a makeshift reassembly of our hamper (just one of the things our movers didn't move very well). So there's progress. Yesterday I even got two sets of shelves to help me organize our five cupboards they call a kitchen in our floor plan (okay, it's not quite THAT bad, but it's close).

It's great to be back together as a family, and in our own place again.

Lots of stuff going on. Last week I felt pretty back to normal busy while still surrounded by boxes. I was able to help watch two different ladies' children for doctors appointments on Tuesday and Thursday and Wednesday I was able to participate in a missionary discussion with the elders in our ward. It was great.

In the list of most remarkable things of note:

- Rob and Guy's Saturday tradition as of late is to try out donut shops. As a result, Rob discovered the best donuts I've ever had (Bill's) - crispy on the outside and super soft inside. Now, if only he'd stop (kind of). He's down to his high school weight and his smallest pair of jeans is loose on him. I need COT much more than he did, if only I could have gone in his place. He's lifting 3xs a week during lunch, trying to fit in running when he can, and tracking it with the help of his birthday present, a new Garmin Forerunner 305. We all love having him home every night of the week for the first time since he started school in August of 2008.

- Coop has a love affair with food. This six month old could beat any adult anorexic in an all day eating contest, hands down. Yesterday he started the day off with 10 oz. of milk (measured because I was wondering if he's getting enough from nursing), then he ate four large containers of baby food, 2 2x6 inch baby crackers, four large handfuls of baby puffs, one regular sized rice cake, and I can't remember what else, but there was more, I'm positive. Now if only the kid would stop all his drooling and just grow some teeth already. He cries almost every time I wipe his face and take him out of his chair. It seems he's certain that he thinks he is going to starve to death. And the only thing more interesting than food to this little boy is the beloved big brother.

- Guy is occasionally sleeping through the whole night again. With all the changes, he's had it the roughest, I think. And in the upheaval, night terrors began. His first was the worst and it was a full-fledged kicking-and-screaming-it's-unbelievably-scary-what-my-child-is-capable-of tantrum in the middle of the night. It was especially disturbing because I didn't know what it was. My mom was a huge help that night (I woke her up not knowing what else to do), and then she was talking about it with someone the next day and that's when we figured out what it was. He's had a lot of night episodes since then, but nothing nearly as bad, thankfully. Guy is really doing great here. He loves all his new friends - including but not limited to the five boys ages 6 and under in our circle. He's speaking really well - saying tomato and banana as clear as can be (sometimes I hear him practicing to himself, it's darling), and his interaction with all the neighborhood friends is really good, too. We're thrilled to be where we are, but learning the not-so-fun part of the military life fast, as the 2 boys that Guy plays with most will be off to a new assignment in mid-October, probably.

- I get to order PhotoShop tomorrow. That is, IF a paycheck comes through for the FIRST time since Rob made the job change. "Clerical Errors" have been a massive pain in my side for the last month and a half. Last Saturday I did my first paid photography gig. So the short version is that a neighbor/friend asked me to do her family after seeing some of my photos of Guy and Cooper. I said yes on the spot, but didn't think anything of money. Afterwards she offered. In the same sentence I said yes and told her Rob will be thrilled. I want to get better at the whole marketing side of it. I NEED to if I'm going to succeed.

With PhotoShop I'll be catching up a lot more with pictures soon enough. But in the meantime, enjoy this little gem. I love that when my little boys are holding hands it looks like it could be a multicultural/unity/togetherness ad.

Wahoo!!!

We're coming to the end of a stage of our lives, and I'm pretty excited about it.

Tonight is Rob's very last day of his night job. I'm thrilled. We get him at home every evening for the first time in three years. During school he was gone anywhere between two and five evenings a week between classes, work, and then his internship. Last May it became three nights a week and it's been that way for the last year.

I'm just hoping that in this next 4.5 weeks we can pack in some productivity (as I try to rid the house of some junk that we shouldn't move), but some major fun. We've got him every night until July 1. On July 5 he heads out to COT, though, and we won't see him until sometime in the beginning of August (the 6th at the latest, but a definitive time is yet to be determined).

This week the major "To Do" list includes: Moving Counseling up at Hill AFB (a mandatory 40 min appointment that tells us what hazardous materials we can't move and stuff like that--hopefully it IS productive), scheduling a date for the packers and movers, and the BIG purchase - spending about $1,500+ on his uniforms. And if I can, I'll go through some drawers and boxes, too . . . and if I'm super lucky, I'll get some photos of the boys, too. Cooper's still growing like a weed. Next week we've got his 4 month appt, and I'm excited to find out what his weight is--every day he's giving my arms a good workout.

:)

FIRST* Lieutenant Justiniano

It's official. Today Rob signed away our lives for the next four years.

It started with a swearing in that took less than 2 minutes. Then the paperwork took much longer. But it was good. My first contact with the Air Force (less a few emails with the not-so-impressive recruiter) was good. I've felt good about it the whole time, and today was nothing different. Yea!

I'm excited for this opportunity for our family. I think it's going to be great. The men that we were with today each raved about the base we are going to. One was there for a while, and the other two keep hoping that they will get their turn there. What an adventure it will be!

The officers that were involved in today's business were great. I really enjoyed talking to a couple of them while Rob was doing the paperwork. They talked motorcycles, BYU, Jimmer, and Mormons/caffeine with us which was all good. But my favorite thing that I want to remember was when one of the two bald men in the room asked for a wig donation from Guy. They all loved his hair.

*Until yesterday, when it counted most (with the paperwork) he'd been under the impression that he'd be a second lieutenant (so I was, also). He's not, though--I just found out. It's like he already got a raise. :)

So many choices

We've got big news. We got it on Thursday, and since then, there's been a song tune running through my head. I need to learn the rest of the words . . .

My mind is running all over the place (too bad my body isn't, too). One of the things I've been thinking about is how I could title this blog entry sharing my news.

Here are the some of the titles I've considered:

Off with one helluva roar!

Military Brats & an Officer's Wife

Hallelujah!

No. 4, No. 3, & Clean Shave, Please

Out With the Old, In With the New (moving boxes)

The Irony

And now, the explanation.

Did you know that "Off with one helluva roar!" is one stanza in the first verse of the Air Force song? Me neither, till I looked it up just this afternoon. However, "Off we go into the wild blue yonder" and the rest of the tune hasn't escaped my mind for more than an hour at a time since Thursday afternoon.

In about 12 weeks Guy and Cooper will officially be military brats. And yeah, I'll be the officer's wife.

Hallelujah! Rob's 55+ hour weeks are almost over. Instead of Rob working 2 jobs to cover salary and benefits (day job) and earn LCSW hours (night job), he'll have one 9 to 5 job that covers both.

Right now Rob has to shave at least 3 days a week. I've always liked the rugged look. Now there's no chance of that for a very long time, though. His hair will always be short (4 on top, 3 on sides, I think) and he'll have to report to work clean shaved every day. We'll definitely be taking family photos before he reports for Officer's Training which will most likely be starting on July 5 in Montgomery, Alabama (we're still waiting for details).

And this week I'll finally be ridding the garage of the stored moving boxes. Some of those boxes took me to Delaware, brought us back to Utah, and then 2 years later moved us here. We didn't know what next with those. The Air Force application process started last August. After moving here in September, I really wanted to get rid of the boxes, but we had the space to store them and I didn't want to re-purchase if we were going to move ourselves again. But in the next few months (again, details pending), rather than us packing, we'll supervise (yea! . . . if someone else wants to pack and move us, let's go.).

Rob still won't get it, and never will, but while we found out he got accepted on Thursday afternoon, and on Saturday I FINALLY hung things on the walls in our home. I know, it's weird, but I wanted the chance to decide on what I need to update (didn't want to hang a bunch of wedding photos from our time in Delaware), and just take care of things now so that I already have things ready to go right up in our next home. Being sick and pregnant when we moved in, that just never got to the top of the list until now.

We're still waiting to hear our assignment (there are 4 possible places that we could end up for one year--starting in August). There is a lot that we don't know. Luckily we've got a friend from Rob's program who started this whole process one year early than Rob. He's taught us more than anyone else thus far, and he and his wife are going to be an invaluable resource. From him, we've learned that there are 4 places we can end up for the first year: DC (Andrews AFB), Ohio, California, or Florida. I'm hoping for DC.

So, off we go into the wild blue yonder . . .

Cap & Gown

Rob didn't want to do the whole convocation/graduation ceremonies. I was fine with that, but he did just get me a new camera for Christmas, so of course I'm going to want the traditional cap and gown documentation. The good husband that he is, he humored me by borrowing a friend's stuff just so I could have some photos.

Believe it or not, sometimes Guy DOES smile for photos--just not as often as I wish he would.

So glad he's done! I just don't think it's sunk in yet. We've been incredibly busy and that's not going to change for the whole summer (Rob will work 50-60 hours a week), but this is progress, I know it.

He did it!!!!

What a weekend this was - and that would have been true even if almost every smoke alarm in the house (15) didn't go off for about 45 minutes this morning. No fire, just a huge headache. But that's another story. . .

The best part of this weekend is that ROB GOT A JOB!!! Yea! On Monday he finished school, on Friday he got a phone call with an offer. He even used some shrewd negotiation skills to get a little bit more than they originally offered.

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In two weeks he'll start as a case manager for Molina Healthcare in Midvale, UT. Not exactly what we were hoping for (we'd be okay leaving the state to more sunshine and warmth than Utah offers), but the positive side is that we'll around friends and family--oh, and Molina benefits (which are great) start 30 days after Rob starts working. And as for being near friends, maybe we'll see some of them more often now that school's done--I hope so. For a while he'll still be working at LDS Family Services, too. That means a lot of hours (which I'm not looking forward to), but at LDS Family Services he'll be able to get hours towards his LCSW, and at Molina that won't happen. It's not the perfect job, but we're happy with it as a starting point--especially in this economy.

Way to go, Rob--thanks for working so hard to get through school and to secure a job!

He's Done!

Rob finished! On Monday he turned in his last paper for his last class of graduate school. Wahoo! So much has happened since August of 2008 when we moved out here to go to school. We've been very blessed to be able to accomplish all that we have, and I'm so grateful it's done. Truthfully, I'll be even more grateful when Rob's got a job, but that will work out in due time. To graduate, have a baby, and stay out of debt that whole time (thanks Dad and Mom for your help with our living situation), we feel very blessed to be where we are.

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Way to go, Rob! You're amazing!