Let's Get This PCS Started

We are about 3ish months away from leaving Kansas. I honestly can't even believe that it's already that time again. A fun piece of trivia, we will arrive back at Fort Bragg almost 6 years to the day after we left back in 2012. Crazy!

I feel like this move is extra stressful because there are so many variables that will determine when we leave. One of the most stressful thing about coming to and leaving Fort Leavenworth is transportation. With 1200 students coming in and about 1100 leaving it becomes tricky scheduling movers and getting the dates that you want. Obviously, if you are flexible it will be fine but there are those that had specific needs and it wasn't able to be accommodated (this is why a lot of people end up moving themselves). As of right now even if you have orders you can't schedule movers because they do not have the summer rates yet. Nothing will be assigned until at least the end of March. 

For the most part Kyle and I are flexible with this process but we do have a tentative plan in place. 

1. I'm flying to NC in March to house hunt. If all goes as planned I will put an offer on a home and work out a deal to have a late May closing. I have a list of houses to look at but there is 1 that is my favorite! The numbers all work but we are nervous to make an offer before seeing it in person.

2. We will schedule our movers for earlyish May (this is ideal but we are flexible on dates as long as it's May) so that way our stuff will be out of our house so we can get ready to turn it back over to housing. I'm not going to lie for a brief second we discussed doing a full DITY move. We quickly were brought back down to reality haha and I reminded both of us that there is not enough liquor in the world for that.

3. E, my dad, the furry kids, and I will begin the trek to NC at the end of May so I can close on the house and move in. I would love to be able to request our HHGs from storage and have everything delivered. It would be nice to have the house set up before Kyle even arrives. Definitely grateful for my Dad and his willingness to help in any way. He has been a huge help for most of our moves. 

4. Kyle will turn over the house to housing and stay with friends until the CGSC graduation, which is mid-June. Then he will hop in the car and head to NC the day after. He is a saint for dealing with cleaning the housing and doing the final inspections.

Now of course all of this could go to hell and we will be back to square one haha, because most of us know that the Army doesn't like plans! But for right now it's nice having something in place to work off of. 

Some Things

Hello, I'm writing to you from a frozen Kansas haha. We have been having pretty ridiculous weather lately. Nothing like freezing rain/snow/sleet to keep you cooped up in the house. We had temperatures in the 50's-60's over the weekend and now we are back down to 20 degree weather. 

While I'm cursing the cold weather, here is a run down of what is happening with us lately. 

*We have been watching A LOT of Olympic coverage. I feel like we just zone out and watch anything and everything haha including curling. I do know the rules of the game but it's still so odd to me. However, it seems to be a favorite for Kyle and E. I've never seen her sit quite that still for something before haha.

*Since we have been having icy weather school was canceled on Tuesday. When school gets canceled, SLAM gets canceled. That means an at home workout thanks to FB live! However, it becomes tricky when an adorable 17 month old wants to steal my weights haha. We got it done though and it was a nice way to start a day stuck indoors.

*A while ago I posted about our Spring Break plans of going to South Dakota. Well, after a long discussion and an upcoming PCS to think about, we opted to cancel that trip. Instead, I will be making the solo trip to NC to house hunt! It made the most sense and we can always take another vacation. We have been working with an amazing realtor that has given us a laundry list of homes to consider. I'm looking forward to finding a great house for us to call home. It's hard to believe that we will get to call NC home again in just 4 short months.

*For the first time in who knows how long, Kyle and I will be going out without E next weekend. Holy cow! Haha! To be honest we aren't huge fans of going out because we prefer to be at home but we are looking forward to it. A classmate of his is getting married so we will be attending his wedding. I bought this dress a few weeks ago and I can't wait to wear it! Yes, it has pockets!

There really isn't much else happening in our neck of the woods. Just move prep and prepping for family that will be visiting in April! 

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

When Running Becomes Emotional

When I started running 5 years ago I never saw it as something that I could (or would) get emotional about. I know I've been talking a lot about running lately but it really is such a huge part of my life. It was something that I enjoyed doing and I never really pushed myself to get faster, I was comfortable with what I was doing. I've run a marathon but even after that race I wasn't emotional. However, over the the last year something has changed. 

I've been pushing myself. Pushing myself to see what I'm capable of. Honestly, it's scary. Scary because I didn't want to fall into the trap of comparing myself to others. I didn't want to worry about how fast someone else was or how amazing their endurance is when it comes to distance. I wanted to push myself for me. 

I've been working a lot on my distance lately but with that I've also been paying attention to my speed. Thanks to my SLAM classes, I've noticed a tremendous change. People don't realize how much of running is related to your core. Cross-training for me has been huge. I run several nights a week, sometimes with a group and sometimes solo. Last week I ran a solo 10 miler and was shocked when I saw my pace. The best part was that I felt great. I felt like I could keep going and not burn out.

We had a 10k on Saturday morning and I was feeling pretty good. I had a goal in my mind, but truth to be told, I never say them out loud. It was a pretty cold morning, which sometimes can mess with you. I started out at a pretty good pace and was instantly annoyed because I didn't want to burn out. Then it clicked, holy cow I feel good haha. I got close to mile 5 and that's where I saw Kyle. I thought to myself, "He has either slowed down or I have really sped up." Even pushing E, he is amazingly fast. I looked at my watch and grinned. The photographer caught me right after I looked.

Shortly after I was running side by side with Kyle. For the first time EVER! This was the first time that I was keeping pace with him and not slowing him down. He would never say it but I know running with me previously was hard for him because it hurt his knees. 

I felt the emotions welling up, which sounds silly. I knew I was going to crush my time because the hard work that I had put into this was paying off. 

Then I realized something, not only was I going to PR this race but Kyle was too. We were able to do it together and as a family. We crossed the finish line together and I burst into tears. This was the first time that the emotions really took a hold of me. It was special.

We finished at 51:31 which was an 8:19/mile pace. This may not mean much to others but it means a whole hell of a lot to me. 

I was emotional and so damn proud at the end of that race. It proves that hard work does pay off and that it's worth it. The best part is I'm having fun and we are having fun as a family.

It's Okay To Not Know

As we are preparing for another PCS this summer, my mind is going through all the questions that need to be answered. 

When will we arrive?

Where will we live?

Do you we buy or do we rent?

There is one question though that has been weighing on me pretty heavily. 

Do I go back to work or not? 

When I graduated last May with my Masters, I was determined to go back to work after our time in Kansas. Now that we are so close to moving, I find myself being unsure about what I want to do. I know I want to work with kids because of my degree field, it's what I'm passionate about. However, there is the added challenge of being a military spouse and having a career that can be portable. Work from home options are limited, this just adds to the frustration. 

I haven't worked a traditional job (in an office) since 2010. I have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours volunteering within FRGs (family readiness group) and other organizations over the course of almost 10 years as a military spouse. It has been such beneficial experience that I know can only help in some capacity. I miss going to an office everyday and using my mind in a different way. 

Now comes the hard part of leaving E. I have asked myself on multiple occasions that we tried so hard to have her and would it be selfish of me to put her in childcare to work. I know that Kyle would never say that to me or feel that way but Mom guilt is real. Part of me worries that if I were to wait until she is in full-time school would my contribution to the workforce even be worth it. Or would a paycheck from a part time job be enough to justify childcare at this point if I didn't wait. I also don't want to throw away the hard work that I put in to get my degrees, I want to use them, and I want to contribute to society in a bigger way.

Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being a SAHM. I love being the one that she learns and grows with during the day. I am lucky though that Kyle has always been incredibly supportive. He tells me all the time that he wants me to do what makes me happy. 

There are so many questions that I have yet to answer. As of right now, I just don't know. I don't know what I want to do. I have to be okay with that right now and just take things as they come. 

Have you ever felt this way?

Snapshots of the Weekend

I really do feel like the weekends come and go way too quickly! 

Here is ours in a few snapshots.

It started with E getting a haircut. She got her first haircut back in December courtesy of my sister but alas her hair is like mine and grows ridiculously fast. She sat so well and just let Ms. Teri cut her hair. I was honestly shocked at how well she did. I have a feeling that we will be getting her hair trimmed quite often haha. 

Friday ended with a family outing to Freddy's for custard. Last week for some reason was just exhausting and we were all over it. It was so worth it. Of course, nothing beats a family outing that involves this deliciousness.

Saturday, we were supposed to run a 10k but due to cold temperatures that involved icy conditions it got moved to this coming weekend. I'm so glad it did. 

Instead we lounged around all morning, had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, and then celebrated our friend's daughters 4th birthday. It ended with lots of daddy snuggles.

Sunday, we decided to venture to somewhere we have never been before. Independence, Missouri. On the way we stopped for lunch at Rock and Run Brewery and Pub in Liberty. It was delicious! Their pizza was amazing as were the pretzels with beer cheese. 

The reason we went to Independence was to visit the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. It was amazing! I have never been to a presidential library before, I was so impressed. Being able to see his office that he worked in was pretty awesome. It's a beautiful place and I highly recommend it if you have never been. We drove 1/2 mile away to see the home he shared with his wife and daughter. 

We are planning on visiting the Eisenhower museum this coming weekend. 

The day ended with a 6.5 mile run with friends and then lounging on the couch watching the Olympics. Kyle and I love when the Olympics roll around, it's so fun just relaxing and watching all of the events.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

What Do You Do For You?

I think as adults we all get lost in the day to day cycle of life. We all have responsibilities that take so much of our time that we forget to take time for ourselves. We focus on work, school, kids, volunteering, and whatever else comes our way. Of course, this is not a bad thing, but it can run us ragged. It can wear us down to the point where we are dragging and where we just can't focus on much anymore. 

It is absolutely critical to find something to help let go of that stress, anxiety, anxiety, or exhaustion. To let go off all the things you are dealing with day to day and just decompress. Being able to focus on something that takes that all away is important for mind, body, and soul. 

While I have loved running for the last few years and it has been something that I enjoy doing, I have come to realize over the last 6 months that it's something that I need. Kyle has come to realize this as well. Being able to lace up my shoes and go out the door and just lose myself, it's one of the most freeing feelings. I notice that when I don't get a run in that I don't feel great, I feel the stress of whatever is going on and it wears me down. Kyle is amazing because he knows it's what I need and he pushes me to go. He has never once said no, he has always encouraged this passion of mine. 

 I have discovered as of late that night runs are magical. I can go after E is in bed and knock out a good run. 

Or I can enjoy the sunshine while pushing E and soak it up.

Or we can run as a family and be together.

Or I can run with friends and know that at any given time there is a supportive group of women who are up for a run.

Or I can run a race and push myself to be the best I can be in that moment.

There are so many ways to decompress and it is important to find the thing that does that for you. It could be something as simple as taking a bath every night or going for a walk. It could be painting or writing. Heck, it could be hiding in your closet for 15 minutes to eat that pieces of chocolate you've been wanting. It doesn't have to be something that costs money, it just has to be something that helps ease the stress or exhaustion that you are feeling. 

We all need to feel like we are the best versions of ourselves!

Do something for yourself today! 

Thoughts on Thursday

I've been slacking a bit lately on blogging but I promise to get back on track! Here are some thoughts I've been having lately.

*E finally has her cardiology appointment on February 23rd. As it has gotten closer, I've noticed that I have been on edge a bit. I'm anxious, nervous, and to be honest a bit scared. I wrote about her condition in this post. I will take her for a blood draw next week to prepare for that appointment to have her cholesterol levels tested. The appointment will last approximately 3 hours as we will meet the entire cardiology team as well as a nutritionist. Thankfully, Kyle will be able to get out of class to attend. 

*I am approximately 7 months away from running the Chicago Marathon. Cue the freakout. I know it's still pretty far away but with how fast time has been going it will be here before I know it. As most of you know I am fundraising as part of the Homes for our Heroes team. It's an amazing organization that provides homes for severely injured service members and their families. I am so excited to be a part of an amazing team doing so much good. 

This is my fundraising page, if you feel so inclined to donate, it is greatly appreciated.

Team HFOT Chicago Marathon

*I am officially in the PCS funk. It's that weird feeling of knowing we are leaving but still trying to stay connected to where we are. I love our friends here and everything about Kansas but knowing we are leaving makes me want to disconnect. It always happens for me and it's really a defense mechanism and how I cope. Then add in the stress of the move itself, it's game over. Does anyone else experience this?

*I have been trying to do really well with the nutrition portion of this FIT Challenge but I'm not going to lie some days I just want cake and guess what!? I'm going to eat the cake. Life is too damn short not to. Despite that feeling every now and again, I'm proud of embracing this the best I can. It's all about moderation, right? ;) 

*We do have a lot of fun events coming up mostly involving my SLAM group, we have a Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day themed classes coming up followed by a Valentine's Day party for the kiddos. I'm excited for that. While we don't really celebrate it, it is fun getting in the spirit for E. I'm sure she will end up with some giant stuffed animal and some candy haha. I put together some goodies for our niece and nephew to send them, it's so fun being able to do that. 

Speaking of themed classes, I realized that I failed to share the photos from our 80s class. Oh my gosh! So fun!

On that note, have a great Thursday!!

Weekend Wrap-Up!

How is it already Monday again!? These weekends are going by far too quickly for my liking. 

The weekend started out with an evening with just me and E while Kyle attended a promotion reception for a fellow classmate. We knew that we wouldn't stay long if we all went and I wanted Kyle to stay and enjoy some down time. 

While he was gone, E and I headed off to the city to pick up race packets for a half I was doing on Saturday with a friend. It turned into a dinner out which was so fun! Where did our baby go?! She was such a big girl coloring all by herself.

I got E down for bed after we got home and then I followed pretty quickly.

I was up at 5:30 to get ready for the Chocolate Rush half marathon. A sweet friend from SLAM was running and I wanted to do it with her as support. She had a goal in mind so we ran together and I knew as I kept looking at my watch that she was going to crush it. I was so proud of her, it was an awesome moment.

The rest of the day was spent running errands and relaxing because we had another race in the morning haha.

We were able to sleep in a bit longer yesterday but we were up at 6:30am for the Kickoff 5k. We knew it was going to be cold but thankfully E has this amazing Bundleme and this weather shield to keep her warm. When the race started at 9am it was 20 degrees but felt like 12, oh and it started snowing haha! 

It was a great race though! I ran the first mile with my friend Lauren and finished out the rest solo. We had a blast!

As we were leaving the snow really started to fall and we ended up with over an inch and gosh it was cold. 

This was my view as I left the commissary

It calmed down later in the afternoon and it was pretty to look at.

We ended the night face timing with family and watching the Super Bowl. We didn't go to any parties or have any traditional super bowl snacks, it was actually really nice.

E was enamored by it all! She stood there watching for about 20 minutes. 

It was a really fun weekend but it's onto a new week!

Hope you all had a great one.