Thursday, February 26, 2009

::Sigh:: Moving Day is Here.

Well everyone, the boxes are packed and headed to Oak Harbor, the cars are cleaned out and ready for their bags, the air mattress is out hiding for its once a year use, and there is cleaning to be done! Move number four (in 2.5 years) has gotten under way. I used to get stressed out for previous moves and would have to excuse myself to the back porch to read a book while everything was touched by hands that may not have been cleaned after use. ((YUCK)) But for this move, I think I took it in stride... until! they almost left 11 boxes in the master closet. Really?!?! Who doesn't check every room to make sure they got all boxes? Apparently our movers. Jared and I were looking through the house when I found all of our clothes and shoes still there.

The next big task is cleaning. I hate cleaning as it is, but cleaning a NOW very dirty house that is empty almost seems worse to me. Sure there is nothing there to have to move, but I can nitpick all day! Who knows what they will find to keep our deposit?

My last day at Navy Relief was on Tuesday. It was a very sad day. The people that you meet can make or break the experience you have. The people that I have met in Jacksonville have really made me feel so very welcome. They took me in and showed me the ropes and helped me with advice from their experiences. I will really miss the ladies in the office and know Oak Harbor will not be the same. Jacksonville is by far the most awesome office ever! If you ever head to Jacksonville for a stay and want something to do, Navy Relief is a great place to go. They are always looking for hardworking volunteers :). There was a big lunch for me on Tuesday and a lot of people showed up to wish me farewell. It was awesome seeing how many people showed up! I also received a Superior Service Award signed by the Admiral for the work that I have done at Navy Relief. I am looking forward to going to the office in Oak Harbor and meeting everyone there. I hope I can do as much there as I have in Jax.

Jared and I are headed to visit friends along the way and we couldn't be more excited for these visits!! We are also going to see the sights of Las Vegas and head to the zoo in San Diego before Jared checks in. These next few weeks will test our patience due to the pressure Jared will be under going through SERE and the stress that I will have to endure waiting for him to get finished. Thank you in advance to all who offered a pit stop while we make our way to San Diego. Be prepared for a dinner repay!

Now the journey of 3700 miles to Oak Harbor begins!

See you soooonnnnnnnn! <3 LOOOOOVVVVEEEE Megan

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Week and a half left

Good Evening Readers,

It hasn't really dawned on me that Jared and I are moving in a week and a half. It seems as though it isn't very real. Every other move we have had a few days notice. Having over a month of knowing we are moving, it just doesn't seem like it is happening. We have yet to pack or even decide what we are taking with us. It would be a lot different if we were headed straight to our new house, but we aren't. This stop in San Diego is really going to throw things off. I am not one for unpacking, however even I am going to get sick or living out of a suitcase for a whole month. I do not know any other wives that will be in San Diego and I am not even sure if there is more than one other wife going to San Diego. Most of Jared's class is single. I am not anticipating sitting in a hotel for a week while Jared is in a forest is going to be fun. What else am I supposed to do?

Jared's parents are coming for a visit before he deploys. They will be arriving shortly after we get there (about 4 days later) and will be staying for a week. It is good that Jared will get to see them before he deploys and it is good that they will see our new house. I guarantee that it will be put together or even remotely close to being all the way unpacked. We are excited to have visitors and it will be a nice change to be around family where we will live.

Deployment is going to be tough. I know a few husbands have just left for deployment and I am glad they are near each other for comfort and support. Jared will leave within a few weeks of us getting to Oak Harbor and will be gone into the holiday season. I may seem like I have it all together, but it brings tears t my eyes thinking about what I am going to do without him. Jared is everything to me and he does everything for us. Pay Bills! Cut the grass! Maintain the cars and the motorcycle! I am also saddened by the occasions he will miss: my birthday, our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas. I am already having a hard time with the thought of deployment and don't know how I will manage once he is gone. I know I will have a lot of support, however being in a new town, in a new home, at a new base, and having no family around will be hard.

Thanks for letting me share my random thoughts with you tonight. I really am looking forward to seeing everyone on our next big adventure.

Love Megan

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

We found a house!

Hello Everyone!

I am back from my trip to Oak Harbor and what a trip it was! WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! I could not imagine the stress I would be under trying to find a house for myself and Jared and not having him there. I knew it would be hard, not as hard as it was. If I didn't have the help and support from my friend Melissa, I would have come home empty handed. We looked at all of the houses on day 1 (about 20!) and then went for a re-look for the ones that qualified on day 2 (about 4). After narrowing the houses down to two, I was finally able to talk to Jared ... this was also a day and half after looking at houses. No talking about houses, no discussing houses, no looking at pictures, no nothing! I couldn't reach Jared until Tuesday afternoon (night in FL) because he was scheduled for 5am flights and was asleep when I was able to call. That is the part that really got to me, I was trying to look at houses how I thought he would look at them. After finally working through the houses with him, we both agreed on the same house... AMAZING! At the end of day 2 we put in an offer (why wait :) ?) The offer was accepted as it was! YAY! Then on day 3 we got financing (this was a financing redo, long story - USAA wasn't very nice - that was HORRIBLE too!!!). On day 4 I got a home inspection done... don't worry, it passed with flying colors! Day 5 consisted of approving the fence plans with the builder and meeting some of the other wives from our new squadron VP-40. Day 6 we spend in Anacortes shopping around the little town and sightseeing. Day 7 we headed back to Jax! As you can probably tell... I was stressed out! Now I am back in town and am trying to relax. There are more papers waiting to be signed and sent back, but I guess those can wait a little while longer. I have posted the link to photobucket to check out some pictures of our house that Jared put up to share. I will put more pictures of the mountains and scenary up when I get a chance.
Here are some specs of the house, for all those that want to know:
3bed/2.5bath - 1701 sq. ft - 2 car garage - new construction - will be fully landscaped front, back, and sides - will have refrigerator put in by the builder :) (part of what I requested in the contract) - will have a fenced side yard when we arrive (also part of what I requested in the contract)
http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj272/jstolle/House/

We are leaving Jacksonville on Feb 28th and are planning to stop in Mississippi for the night. Mar 1st we are heading to Oklahoma - planning on spending a full day there :) and then heading to New Mexico on the 3rd. On the 4th we are planning to end up in Las Vegas and spend a full day there. We should pull into San Diego on the 6th, a few day ahead of schedule but I want to see the zoo and spend as much time there as we want.

Friday, January 30, 2009

House Hunting

The time has finally come for me to travel to Whidbey Island to house hunt. I am taking along a friend from Whidbey, Melissa, that is a realtor (and Navy wife) here in Jax. I am sad that Jared cannot go, however I am sure that I will have an awesome time without him :) ! I am very prepared for this house hunting trip and my realtor has already planned out our house hunting blitz for Day1. The plan is to see all the houses on Day1, because I am on a limited time scale. Day2 we will revisit the houses that qualified for a revisit and submit some offers. I say "SOME" because a girl always has to have a backup plan. I have my binder with photos and descriptions of each house. My cost comparison charts that lists what they bought the house for, when it was built, cost per sq.ft., and on and on and on. I also have my clip board with my rating sheets attached to write down the pros/cons of the houses and other things I feel the need to write down. I think I could walk through each house with my eyes closed because I have looked at the pictures so many times. Although, I might hit a wall if the room was shown in the pictures... I only know what I see. :) I have my PoA and our pre-approval letter. We have viewed the houses from the satellite and bird's eye views using Google. I think I am ready for this! Maybe... spending that much money is very scary to me and makes me nervous. However, I am also a girl for a great deal... so lookout sellers... I coming to take you for all that you are worth (or perhaps a lot less than you think you are!). I am also armed with "emotional appeal" letters to help persuade the owners to sell their house to me, AND for really cheap. I hope to find a house, have my offer accepted, and have the home inspection completed all before I leave. Think it's possible?

SO all you homebuyers out there, (Hahahahaah like a really have a whole shlew of readers... I am really talking to Erika, Siobhan, and Shannon - the only homebuyers I know) ANY ADVICE!??!?!??!! (and quick I am leaving on Sunday :)!)

Of course when I get home in a week I will update everyone on what happened and which house we ended up getting. Be sure to check back in a week for more fun and exciting news!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

3 posts in one month... what has gotten in to me!?!

Thanks for checking up on my blog! As you can see I have hit a posting streak... 3 in one month! Whewwweeeee. Truthfully... Jared is on a cross country trip to California, so I have nothing else to do :) ! Really, I have learned so much about myself while Jared has been gone these last few days. Here is my new found knowledge I would like to share with everyone.
- I will never be able to live by myself for an extended period of time. You see, every noise I hear I get scerrrrrrred. Hahaha. You think that's funny?! It's not really. I mean every 5 seconds I am muting the tv because something has alerted my ears. Then I end up missing a good part of a show. I am not able to fall asleep at a decent time because once again I am hearing noises. I have all of the doors locked in the house including the bedroom and I am huddled under all of the blankets with only my eyes peeping out, and of course the tv muted. I keep thinking about who I would call first, where is the baseball bat (in the garage of course), where is my phone. You see we do have guns, however I would be waaayyy too dangerous with one of those :) I did manage to get some sleep last night (so maybe it just takes a few days to adjust), but was frightened by this horrible noise that I thought was coming from outside. So there I am huddled under the blankets, tv muted, thinking my thoughts, and trying to figure out if it is a burgler (spelling anyone???) when I realize it is Izzy sawing some wood on the bathroom floor. She is not the best roommate. I have no idea what I am going to do when Jared deploys... anyone wanna come visit for about 6 months?!?!
The next lesson I learned is...
- It is okay to go to the movies by yourself! I have never gone by myself, so I decide to go alone for the first time. I look for a seat near people so it doesn't look like I am alone. I find the seat I want and I take it. It is next to a group of little old ladies. As I sit down, the woman a seat over from me starts to pick up her purse and asks if anyone is with me. I tell her that I am by myself and that she can leave her purse there because I don't need that seat. I then tell her that I am sitting here so it looks like I am not alone. In reply she says, you can be my movie friend. ... The theater is starting to fill up and there are people without seats, but enough seats in my row for them if everyone scoots down one. So the little old lady scoots over to the seat directly next to me and says, now it really looks like you are with us and not alone. I thought that was cute and funny...
The final lesson I have learned thus far is...
- I hate cooking for one person. Seriously, it is a waste. I am never going to eat 10 pancakes in one day, let alone a week. I am never going to eat a pack of chicken breasts in one week. So far I have had 2 packages of macaroni and cheese (because that I will eat all the time!! :) Yummmo!) and lots of chicken nuggets.

Jared needs to come home soooon. I think Izzy is getting tired of me already, I mean gosh... does she have to go outside to potty all the time?!?! Just kidding, she is let out regularly to do her business and snack around - for all of you who know my dog, that is a funny comment ;)

Oh, an update on orders. We got written orders on Wednesday. We check out of here February 28th. Check in to SERE school March 9th. Check out of San Diego March 20th and report to Whidbey Island no later than the end of March. For all of you who live in states that could possibly be along the way I would love to stop by, but I don't think Jared wants to wander off of I-10. BUT! I will see what I can do. I would love to see each and everyone of your awesome faces :)

Because I want to be like everyone else out there (Siobhan, Shannon, and Erika - hahaha my only readers!) I am flying out to Washington at the end of the month to look for houses to buy! Jared is staying behind because he is not able to get any time off, but I am going with a seasoned veteran who happens to be from Whidbey Island. I am determined to by myself a house! Wish me luck. <3 Megan

Monday, January 12, 2009

Two Posts in One Day?! I can't believe it either.

So I wanted to let everyone know that we did actually get verbal orders today. VP40 out of Whidbey Island. That means we will be moving up there sometime in March. Jared still has to go to SERE school and that takes 2 weeks, as you all know... so I am thinking we will be there the 3rd week in March. That also means that Jared deploys in June... wish me luck.

Catching up!

Hello Everyone! I am sorry for the lack of posting... I just thought that since nothing really exciting has been going on I didn't need to post. However, I still have nothing interesting to say but will update you anyway.

Jared and I had a fabulous Christmas! We drove to Virginia with Izzy and had Christmas at my family's house this year. It was great to see my sisters, my parents, and our little nephew Owen (who isn't so little anymore). Izzy also had a great time with her doggy cousins and became more and more playful with them as time went on. She was plum-tuckered out each night and couldn't wait to go to sleep. All that running around and nipping at doggy-booty really took a toll. Izzy is in pretty good shape, if you only want her to get out of bed to then go lay in her chair all day! What can I say, my dog is plain lazy... she doesn't even play with her toys for longer than 5 minutes. After Christmas Jared and I drove to Chester to have Christmas at his parent's house. We had another awesome time with his family and got to catch up with them. We also drove out to Virginia Tech to walk around and see the familiar sights from a few years past. Like we were expecting, it was cold and windy... not much has changed! We also had the chance to swing by the office I worked in all through college and catch up with my boss Diane and her daughter Kelsey. Everything has kept on moving since I left the office, but it definitely isn't as fun or loud since I left! The most awesome thing we got to do over Christmas was meet Shannon O.VH. for lunch in Farmville. She was visiting her grandmother and family and was a closer to us than we normally are so we arranged for a lunch. It was great seeing Shannon and hearing all about her life and the lives of the other E6 wives. It had been about a year since we had last seen Shannon (thanks Navy!) and her life has definitely stayed almost the same... HECTIC! I was glad that we could spend a little time together and was very excited to hear how well (yet tiring) school was going for our Dr. in training friend. From Chester we drove back to Newport News to spend a few more days with my parents before heading home. The trip hasn't been too awful, only 10 hours with a 30 minute break each time. Izzy sleeps the whole time and only pops her head up every now and then to make sure we are still traveling and haven't left her in the car alone.

We have been waiting desperately for orders since... 4 months ago!! We were told, by a very reliable source, that we should expect them Dec. 19th. Well that day came and went and no orders. No orders over Christmas break and no orders since we have been home. We are about 45 days out from finishing and still we have nothing. So... WORD IS (hahahaha), we should be getting them today!! I will believe it when I see it. Jared and I haven't gotten verbals or written... we are left in the dark along with everyone else. As soon as we get written orders, we will be getting pre-approved for a loan and then house hunting in Whidbey Island (that is if we get Whidbey). I will then fly up to Washington to see the houses and make an offer if I really like one. The only thing with buying a house is... can we close in time to not have to live in a hotel for a month? I will let you know if we get orders.

We actually had visitors for Thanksgiving! My sister Krysten and her husband Rob came down to visit and share our food. I made a turkey cake for dessert, requested by Krysten. We also went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure for the day. That was our first time down to Orlando since we have moved here and will probably be our last before we leave. We had fun riding the rides and just hanging out with Rob and Krysten.

That is all that has happened in our lives since the last update! I can't wait to see what you have new posted on your blogs very soon :)

<3 Megan