Getting there

Sure has been awhile since I've written.  Been pretty busy.  Its been a rough couple of weeks.  Getting the house ready to put on the market.  Pictures posted below.  It is really emotional.  We have been in the house for  15 years.  I told Brad that I would be emotional if we were moving across town or across the ocean that it didn't really matter.  To date we spent all our married life in that house and Taylor has grown up there.  Lots of memories.  Can't wait to make some new memories in a new house.  I've been looking online for places just to get an idea of what is out there for sale or rent!  I just have a little bit of stuff to get out of the house shouldn't take to long.  Its so weird to see it so empty!  We got the carpets cleaned today and while they aren't perfect but they do look so much better (can't complain since its such old carpet).  Being at the house is pretty tough, makes me sad and makes me miss Brad even more! <3

My day job has been stressful as it usually is in the last three months of the year.  We have a lot of year end states and lots of work.  It has been a little rough as its very hard to stay focused when you work from home.  I have had a lot on my mind.  Part of me feels very lost.  Is this the right career for me.  When I first started this job I LOVED it.   So many changes in the past years have made it a little more difficult to love.   Hopefully the new year will bring new challenges that will push me in my job.  Or maybe new responsibilities.  The perks to this job, are that working from home is that its pretty convenient, no commute and  I will also be able to bring my work with me when we move.  Bringing my job does have one downside.  I have to keep my pacific time hours to which the only plus to that is that I will be off early in the afternoon!! Hopefully I get out of this funk soon!  I really like the people that I work with!

Started back up at the 2nd job up at the bar! Hadn't worked there since the end of July!  Nice to see all the familiar faces!  Whenever I go back, the customers always tell me how much I was missed!! Once we move if a 2nd job is necessary (which it probably will be) hopefully I will find a nice bar close to home that I will enjoy working at as much as the BS.  We have a groupon which is bringing in some new customers!  I have had several say that they will be returning!

I feel like I've rattle on enough! Below are some pictures from the past couple of days!

House for Sale!

Kitchen

Living Room

Sunroom

mustache Dash with Angela

Taylor and I

She hasn't let me brush or play with her hair in forever

Tried something we saw on pinterest! That is suppose to make your pony tail look fuller/longer!

The First Week

Its the first week with Brad being gone.  It sure does feel different.  I'm not sure it really has fully sunk in.  Sometimes it feels like he is just away for another test and that he would be home in a week or two.  Taylor and I still some work to do at the house.  We have been procrastinating a little bit.  Its Sad to go there.  We miss Brad a lot.  I know we are not the first family to be separated and definitely there are much worse situations, but this is all new for us!  We are all thankful for the support that our friends and family are providing to us, it makes all the difference.  The first day was really the hardest for me, but then came a little relief.  I mean it really sucks that he is gone but I think it will go fast or at least I hope so.  I think the anticipation of him leaving along with all the goodbyes is what made last weekend and maybe even the last month be so tough.  It was exhausting to go through those emotions every time someone else was seeing him to say goodbye. I think because I'm such an emotional person I just felt the sadness for everyone.

Hopefully we can get everything done this week, and turn over our house and get it on the market.  I really hope it sells fast and that we can just start saving that mortgage payment for our move.  I found a groupon for 3 hours of house cleaning at a decent price and have decided to let someone else finish up after we are done getting everything out.  It would take me way longer then that and probably be super emotional.

 

Love and Miss him....

 

 

Taylor is done with Cross Country!  So proud of what she accomplished!  Her last meet was a 5K and she was able to finish in 31 min.  She did not stop and walk, she ran the entire time! Way to go Tay!!!

 

My Friday Night, kid and two dogs in bed with me.. And a RARE No glasses picture..

Doggies cuddling

 

Exhausted Taylor

Hard to say goodbye so instead SEE YOU SOON!!

What a tough day for the three of us.  You really never know exactly how difficult something is going to be until its here.  We wish you lots of love and luck! You got this!! Hope the time goes by super fast.  See you soon babe!! We love you!

The Hardest Goodbye

Family time...

I knew that this weekend would be hard but not this hard.  Lots of Respect to all the military men and women who go on multiple deployments leaving their loved ones behind and who also move from state to state. This last month and half has gone by so fast! Brad leaves Sunday morning so the last couple of days are just a few errands and FAMILY time.  We've met up with friends and family had dinners etc. So now its time to be SELFISH and spend the last day with just the 3 of us!!! Thank you to all our friends and family for all your support! XOXO

What a week!

I started out the blog with a long paragraph about the week and weekend, but I really didn't want to keep saying the same things over and over!  Soooo I decided to just add pictures!!



We helped two little monsters celebrate their birthday!! Happy Birthday Conner and Lauren!!!

 

Shelley did her hair and Makeup for her first H.S.dance!

                                        

Our trailer was picked up to be sold on Consignment...

 

 

The Seahawks are 4-0!!! What a 2nd half comeback!!

 

 

Progress...

So as of tomorrow there are only 28 days until Brad is on the Jet Plane to Hawaii.  It's going to go by so fast. :(  I don't really feel like I'm making that great of progress.  We rented a large dumpster so that we could get the garage cleaned out.. We had a lot of stuff that was broken, or just plain garbage.  We filled it twice! Pack Rats!! We also took two car loads of items to my aunt for there church store.

The past couple days I have been boxing up kitchen items.  My extremely supportive parents came over and helped pack up some more boxes.  I was even able to take some to our storage unit that we got on Thursday.

It's a start!

 

                                         I hope all of our stuff fits!!

Doesn't look like a lot but it kind of is! Not much left for packing in the kitchen except the pots and pans and other items we need for the month!   Tuesday Brad is going to be taking bigger items to the storage. 

Liebster Award

Thank you Stephanie at Puddles of Sunshine for super fun award.   I am so new to blogging that I am not following 11 blogs yet.  I will post this for now.. Maybe down the road when I am more acclimated with the blog world, I will be able to nominate 11 bloggers.  I decided though to answer the questions that Stephanie Provided just to give a little more insight on who I am.



"What's the Liebster award?", you may ask!
It's a little award given out among bloggers with fewer than 200 followers, and it serves as a great avenue to discover new blogs.

If nominated you need to do a blog post containing the following:
1. Accepting the award
2. Answer the questions set by the blogger who nominated you. (comment on your nominators blog with your blog link)
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers for the award and comment on their blog letting them know that they've been nominated!
4. Set 11 questions of your own for the nominees to answer.
5. Place the Liebster Award Badge on your post.



Ok, here goes! Here are questions from Stephanie

1. How did you pick the name for your blog? We are moving from Washington to Hawaii! I was looking up nicknames for Hawaii and just kind of through the name at my husband.. He loved it and said I should definitely go with it!
 2. If you could have any job in the world what would that be and why?  I have no clue!! When I figure it out, I'm sure I will post it!

3. Would you rather compete on The Amazing Race or Survivor? Oh my gosh probably neither.  I have no sense of direction, am horrible at figuring out clues.. I would probably get voted off first!  

4. What inspires you? family and friends!
 5. What is your secret talent? I don't really think I have one, but Taylor says that I can sing pretty well.  Even if it is karaoke style!

6. If you could change your name, what would it be? I don't think I would ever change my name. I like Amanda!

7. When did you last laugh & why? Tonight at Dinner with My parents, Taylor and Ronni, I can't remember the exact reason, but something the silly girls said.
8. The App used most on your phone is? Facebook!
 9. What's under your bed?  I have drawers under the bed.

10. Before you started this survey, what were you doing? Watching T.V.11. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Well I'm not much of a shopper, but probably like best buy so I could have all the latest and greatest Technology! Or Target since they have everything! :)

The Best Intentions

Packing and sorting through 15 plus years of crap, has certainly been a task.  I am far from done with anything.  I have packed a few boxes of kitchen items that we are taking with us, sold the truck, have people in line to buy certain household items but there is still tons left to do.  I am definitely learning what we can do better as we move across the water.   As for my blog title, the best intentions... I have found numerous envelopes of pictures (yes before digital I have a good 3 photo boxes of 35mm developed pictures), vacations, birthdays, wedding and school pictures.  I had planned to scrapbook, planned to frame, or just plain hand out (Taylor's school Pictures). I have combined into envelopes and now have no clue what year some are.  Am I any better in the digital world? Maybe, a little.  I have folders at least labeled with the events of the pictures. Hopefully I can make myself a little more organized after our move. 

Now back to the SEAHAWKS!!!!!

First Blog Post!!

Well here it is, my first blog post.   Inspired by my sister-in-law Stephanies blog Puddles of Sunshine I had thought it would be fun to start a blog.  Since they live in Alaska her blog keeps us up to date on their life and the milestones that our nephew is going through.  I had mentioned it would be fun to start a blog but felt that at the time I didn't really have much to say or really didn't know what I would write about.

                                 Stephanie and I in Ketchikan - June 2013

 In October of 2012 my husband took the first step in what is now a life changing event for us.  He took the written test for the honolulu Police Dept He passed the test and then we waited for what seemed like forever.  We finally got news that he would be continuing to the next step and the next.  Stephanie suggested that if he was accepted into the academy then I should start my blog...  Well here we are and my blog has started, so you guessed correctly, on 8/29 he was notified that he had been accepted into the 176th recruit class.  I think the blog will allow our family and friends to follow our journey from Washington to Hawaii.  This will be a huge move for our family. 

 

 

It has been almost two weeks.  We have started getting things ready, calling to get quotes for storage and shipping. We have a little over a month to pack up 15 years of crap! We are selling what we can and only shipping the items that are necessary. What made this move become super real is that we sold my truck a week ago.  A truck we have had for 11 years... I already Miss it!!