Somewhat Chaotic life

So its been six months since my last post and so much has happened! Besides Kids getting older (Kristina is 8 1/2, Connor is now 18 months, and Annika is 3) we moved 2500 miles away to Oregon!!! Mike is now in San Antonio, Texas completing officer training. We will then be stationed in Ft. Lewis, Washington. The awesome thing about that is that we are only 2 hours away from my parents and friends. I moved early so I could start looking for a house to buy, but I think we decided to live on base for awhile to figure out neighborhoods. The move was such an interesting experience! I've moved back and forth from Oregon to Arkansas and vice versa several times as a kid so I new what to expect...okay so I thought I knew what to expect. Being the adult with all the kids is way different than being the kid going along for the ride. It was such a short notice move that I planned the trip in a week and packed an entire 3 bedroom house in one week as well. We planned it so that me and the kids would leave for Oregon the same day Mike left for Texas. My dad flew down so that he could drive the 26' U-haul (the biggest one they make) and I got to drive the van with all 3 kids, 2 dogs, and a cat. Took 4 1/2 days to drive from Fayetteville to Troutdale, Oregon. I think driving was the easy part. Trying to lug kids, pets, luggage, and pet care products into a hotel room every night and then back to the car every morning was exhausting!! I do have to say that the kids and pets did awesome on this trip (even with the kids breaking a cord to the dvd player the first day, thus no movies the entire trip)!! Kristina was as helpful as could be, Connor didn't fuss to much, Annika did well, and the cat only meowed a little each day, oh and zoey the little dog did awesome as well. The new puppy, Roxy, however I could have KILLED!! She peed twice in my drivers seat without me knowing. Climb back in the car after grabbing food to sit in a wet drivers seat. The kids and my dad found it highly amusing, I of course was not a happy person. Don't worry, I love my pets so she wasn't left on the interstate haha. Overall the trip went well, just very exhausting. We are staying with my parents until mike is gets here. So several months in a packed house with 8 people and 7 pets!!! It's so chaotic!!! I love my parents and brother so much and I am so appreciative of everything but I do look forward to being back in a home of my own. My ways and my schedules. In the meantime, Kristina is loving her new school and I'm enjoying getting together with old friends and letting all of our kids play. I'm missing my husband so incredibly much, I guess the old saying is true: absence really does make the heart grow fonder. We've realized through all of our ups and downs we really have done the right thing by staying together and persevering. I can't wait till we are together again. Only a few more weeks to go! The 28th of may he will be able to drive up here! From there its get a house on base, unload the storage shed (literally packed from top to bottom) with all of our belongings, move all 3 kids/pets/belongings up to Washington (fortunately only 2 hr drive), and then unpack it all and make it our new home and life together. I'm looking forward to getting settled into our new life in the Army and in Washington. So that's the somewhat chaotic life we've been leading.