Goals, Plans and Everyday Life

It seems like everyday passes more quickly than the last (yes, I know this is because I'm getting older, and everyone says it happens, but I didn't expect it to be this quickly!) We are constantly in a state of change - I'm guessing this is due to the five kids and the military, but I find myself yearning (on a daily basis) for a slower pace. I'm not alone in this - Fred agrees 100%..I can normally tell from his exhausted snoring on the couch in the middle of whatever TV show we try to grab a few minutes of. The man has the ability to fall asleep during any event - and snore :) We've decided that this last year of the National Guard will be his last -he has 26 years in tommorrow (Happy Anniversary, SFC Lewis), so he'll have 27 1/2 when he retires - not too shabby. Of course, since the majority of it is Guard time (15 guard vs. 12 1/2 federal active), he doesn't draw a retirement until age 60 (well, maybe 55 if the lower-age retirement passes), so there is the question of what and where to go live and work. We both agree that NC doesn't really have that "home" feel, so we are exploring all the options. We both are leaning towards NY - the Southern Tier area because we both agree on our love of all things winter (yes, even obscene amounts of snow)or Georgia because of family, closeness to friends here in NC, and closeness to activities the kids(mainly the girls at this point)enjoy-Emma's horses and Kaitlin's cheer team. We would love an old, fixer-upper with rambling rooms and a yard for the kids, and Fred would love a job (or business) that gives him the feeling of a job well-done, without the stress of worrying about leaving for a year or working 24 hour shifts to help with deployments. I really think the last few years have worn on him. The constant stress of watching and waiting on Iraq and Afghanistan deployments. Half of his MP unit was pulled for Iraq last month, the other half is rumored to be going in 2011 (just another reason to retire!), and even he had a chance to be deployed. I think seeing those guys pull out and all the strife he went through with Recruiting and Retention Command really put a sour taste in his mouth. It's not what it used to be, he says. I, for my part, am ready for it to be in the past, I'll admit it freely. I think that they have turned into an organization that values numbers more than people. When you leave 300 family members locked out of a deployment ceremony in the rain because you didn't get a big enough place(Hello, basic math - if you have 4000 soldiers in attendance and most people bring at least 2 people with them to say goodbye, maybe you shouldn't book a building that only allows 9000 in?), yet you have senators and generals inside vying for media attention to tell everyone that they support the military and their families, something is wrong. When you are cutting positions and scrimping on supplies and health care for Soldiers and families, yet you sponser two NASCARs, have a motorcycle, a Bass Fishing team, THREE traveling RV's, numerous rock walls and are sponsoring Kid Rocks summer tour, something is wrong. But that's another tangent, I guess........:)

Anyway, changes will be happening. We've decided on that...just haven't decided what and where!

We are busy wrapping up the year here - the three boogers will have summer break from preschool soon, and Kaitlin and Emma will both start their summer camps for cheerleading, along with riding lessons. They both decided to do each others activities this year - Fred and I think it might help them find a common ground. Either that or they'll kill each other...results of this study to be posted at a later date. ;-)

I'm actually planning on seeing a movie...in a movie theater in two weeks(yes, we have to plan that far out!). How exciting is that? (Thank you Jenny for suggesting it!) And maybe one of these nights, I'll steal my husband away from our ordinary life and hit the town...or at least a fancy dinner before we both fall asleep. :)

Katie