Finally HERE!

Bakersfield, California to Fairfield, California 287 miles about 5 hours. Whooaaaaa!!!!!! We did it and we are all in one piece not ready to kill each other! I can officially say that I drove cross country with my two mini-me's in tow. Today wasn't that bad, I didn't want to do it, but I knew I was so close to being done, that I had to finish. When my parents first found out that I would be driving my Jeep they kinda flipped out and were really worried. I guess I am still 12 in their eyes. My dad even offered to drive my Jeep out there and when I said no he told me that along the way if I couldn't do it anymore he would fly into the nearest airport and finish the drive for me. I decided to call him today as a joke and tell him that I couldn't finish the last 5 hours....He of course was ready to fly out and relieve me. I told him I was joking, but he insisted that he would do it, if I needed him. we made it to the base and checked in and went to our hotel. The next few days or 8 days we will spend house hunting and school hunting.....easy to type but hard to do!

Taking a Break

Well today officially marks day 10, but we will not be driving today. We are both exhausted and Preston isn't feeling super great. Between all the weather changes and the time change we all need a break. We ate dinner last night at a local Greek restaurant and it was amazing! They also had a nice beer selection which was a plus. Today Preston woke up ready to get on the road. He asked for his shoes and shirt and shorts and told us he was ready to walk. He also got mad at his sister because she did not want to keep her shoes on and he felt that slowed down the process of leaving. We decided that we would walk around the mall a bit and grab lunch out there as well. We went to Red Robin and although the food was good, I was a bit annoyed when we got there. They were slammed and the wait was almost 30 minutes, but it ended up taking a bit longer because of a new rule. Children, strollers, highchairs, baby carriers are not allowed to be in the bar area. Too many customers feel that it takes away from the bar atmosphere. This was crazy to me, we have taken our kids to the most upscale places to eat and this has never been something we have had to deal with, but this is the same state that wanted to have kids and babies banned from flights, so I shouldn't be surprised. After lunch we did a lot of walking and a little bit of shopping. We went to Build-A-Bear in attempts to make Preston forget about Doggie and get gracie her own little buddy so she would leave Preston's alone. Preston got a yellow Angry Bird stuffed animal and Gracie got a hot pink Gorilla. When we got back to the hotel that night Preston still asked for Doggie.....guess he didn't forget. After the mall it was almost time for dinner, so we decided to head over to the Greek place we liked so much last night. Like always Rob ended up talking to a guy sitting near us about the food and saying how great it was, it turned out to be the owner! He was a super nice guy and came to our table and talked to us for a while. He even discounted our bill by about 50%, super nice thing to do. Once we left there, we headed by CVS to grab some sinus meds and headed back to the hotel. We had a couple of drinks and watched a movie and called it a night. The final day of cross country driving is tomorrow!!!!!

So close, yet so far away

Day 9 Kingman, Arizona to Bakersfield, California 335.6 miles about 5 hours and 46 minutes.  Goodbye Arizona, hello CALI! Well, kinda....So we decided to push on through today and go on to Bakersfield. Although, travel time estimates 5 hours 46 minutes, we know that between getting gas, food, bathroom breaks and big semi trucks today will take almost 7 hours. After breakfast we load up and get on the road, but before hitting the highway we try to find a salon to get my eyebrows waxed at....yes, in the same town that Chili's is considered eating well and where there is a JC Penny in a shopping plaza next to Pet Smart, Subway and Ross. Yeah, the eyebrow thing did not happen so to the 40 we headed. We stopped along the way around Barstow, CA for lunch at Pizza Hut. Rob and I were both ready to call the quits, but after checking out the local hotels, or lack of we decided that we could do the last 2 hours. 3 Red Bulls and a big bottle of water later we arrive to Bakersfield. I suddenly had a little bit of energy once we got out of the car. I think my Jeep is stealing my energy....Anywho, the guy at the front desk recommended a local Greek place to go eat dinner. The food was amazing, but my little buddy Preston was not feeling well. Last night he climbed in the bed with me around 2AM and I held him the rest of the night. He wanted nothing to do with Rob, just wanted mommy to hold him. The same thing at dinner. He kept laying his head down on the table and didn't not want milk or fries. I knew something was up, because the kid would live off of the 2 things if I let him. We figured he was suffering with the sinus issues just like we were and ran by Rite Aid to get him some children's Claritin once we left the restaurant. Once we got back to the hotel, Rob told the front desk that we were going to take the room for an additional night. Driving 5 more hours and having to do a ton of running around the next day, was not something we wanted to do. We decided that we would just relax and not have to have the pressure of getting up and rushing to get on the road. We watched some TV and had some drinks and went to bed! It's nice to know that tomorrow will be a drive free day. Maybe I can find somewhere to get my eyebrows done, because I can't find my tweezers and I'm gonna have a unibrow soon...well maybe not, but I don't like having un-groomed brows! Oh and on a SN, the hotel in New Mexico called, no sign of dog. I guess I will be getting online and ordering a replacement, maybe 2. I may also pick up a cord for my camera so I can upload pics, since I can't find mine.









  

Are we there yet????

Day 8 Holbrook, Arizona to Kigman, Arizona 236.8 miles about 3 hours and 45 minutes. You know the feeling when you are driving somewhere and it seems like that last hour is taking forever? Well, that is how it is starting to feel these last few days. The kids are being beyond amazing and I truly believe it is because we broke up the amount of travel time for them. They don't know what's going on, but Preston has become very use to having an elevator. It's gonna be a shock to him when we get into a house and he has to take the stairs! We left Holbrook and made a stop in Seligman, AZ to have lunch at Juan Delgadillo Snow Cap Dive In. It's a popular stop along Route 66 and the place is known for the humor they provide. You order a cheeseburger and they ask if you want cheese on it, you ask for a straw and you get a stack of yellow hay, the door has 2 doorknobs on it, but only one works and the signs on the bathrooms are opposite from what they really are, so it's a silly little place. The food was good and after a few pictures we got back on the road. We made it to Kingman around 2PM which was before check in, but our room was ready so us being early wasn't really a big deal. We hung out for a little bit before going to Chili's to eat. We were told that it was the top place to eat......Well, the food was typical Chili's and after eating we headed back to the room. I felt the need to flat iron my hair, because I have been wearing it up in a bun or pulled back in a braid the whole trip. I always feel a bit prettier when my hair is all down and straight. Rob and I had a few drinks while the kids played. We seriously thought about staying another night, because we were both starting to feel the time change, the heat and just the whole process of the move. Tomorrow we hit CALI!!!!! Almost done!
 

Interest lost......

Day 7 Albuquerque, New Mexico to Holbrook, Arizona 232.4 miles about 3 hours and 52 minutes.

Once again this morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel before getting our day started. We also had to make a pit stop by Babies R Us and Best Buy. After those stops and getting gas we headed to Arizona. I was really excited about making it to Holbrook, AZ to stay at the Route 66 classic Wigwam. Besides Cadillac Ranch, this stay was one of the things I was most excited about. Once we checked in, Rob looking around the room and asked me about 4 times if I really wanted to stay there. I assured him it would be fun and that it was only for one night. The rooms are not very big and the bathroom is even smaller. We unloaded our stuff and headed to find something to eat. The town of Holbrook is not very big so it did not take us long to drive through the main area. We ended up going to a local sports bar/ pool hall/ Italian bistro/dance club. The food honestly wasn't bad. While there we found out that there is one grocery store, a Safe Way and the strip of businesses we saw were all that the town has to offer. Rob asked if there were any black people that lived in Holbrook and the server told us about 30.....We couldn't help but laugh. After eating we headed back to our Wigwam and after about 30 minutes of heavy winds the power went out. Although the sun had gone down and the winds were strong, it was still in the 90's in the room and having the front door open helped cool things down, but it also brought a ton of sand and dirt in the room. I told Rob that staying there without power was not an option and he went up to the front office to see the policy on cancellation because of no power. After about 10 minutes he came back and told me that he didn't ask. The office was full of women and felt that since I am the mean one I should go ask. I grabbed Gracie and we headed to the office. I asked the front desk clerk about the situation and she directed me to the manager. I told her that staying in a room without power was not an option for this family of four and she looked at me like I had just asked her where the UFO's were. She told me that she didn't understand what the problem was..... Really lady. I told her that she needed to come up with a solution to this issue, she then said that there was no power anywhere in town. I let her know that the Holiday Inn Express down the street had power and rooms available for the night. She then instructed one of the women to come check our room to make sure we had not used to towels or soap before agreeing to refund us half of our money. The room itself was not expensive, because it is very basic. It is one of those places you stay at just for kicks. We were told that once they had power they would issue the refund. We packed up and headed down the street and were pleased with the new room. I also discovered that I lost Preston's dog. Rob went down to the Wigwam to see if he was there, but no luck. He also said that they were giving out candles at the Wigwam because they still were without power. I am glad we got out when we did! I called the hotel in New Mexico to see if the dog was left there, but the cleaning staff had already left for the day so I will call back in the morning. I know exactly how to get another dog, so more than likely I will just order a new one tomorrow and have it sent overnight to the next hotel we move to. Thursday will mark 2 weeks of hotel living and I am getting tired of it. I don't mind staying in a hotel, I just hate going from room to room. I could deal with staying in one spot for a few days. I have also lost all interest in this road trip and I am just ready to get to 

Travis. I lose interest very quickly, so I am surprised I stayed pumped this long. Hopefully something amazing will happen to turn my mood on this trip around, until then I will just sip on my jack and coke every evening after check in. 

You can get your kicks on Route 66

Day 6 Amarillo, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico 275.7 miles about 4 hours and 29 minutes.


Well, today I realized we have been on the road too long, not only are the cities and states starting to run together, but I only know what day it is based on our hotel confirmations....Anywho, we left Texas this morning and i was pretty happy to move along. We were near a cattle field and the smell once you left your room was super strong. We had breakfast at the hotel and even met a couple who had a daughter a week younger than Gracie! We both laughed at the fact that we had small babies and the fact that the growing curve is based in 8 pound babies that are formula fed. I usually get asked why my kids are so small, so it was nice to meet another mom that was so similar to myself. She was not much bigger than me and had nursed her daughter since birth so she was not much bigger than my Gracie. It made me feel good to see another kid her age close to her size. Sometimes I feel as if she should she be bigger just because all the other babies are, but any ways. We headed to Cadillac Ranch which has been one of the sites I have been waiting to see. It is literally in the middle of an old cow pasture. There is a fence around the whole property and and an unlocked gate that you go through and walk maybe a football field length to reach the Cadillac 's. The path is unpaved but flat when you compare it to the surrounding field. I would assume it is flat from all the foot traffic. There were a number of people coming and going. When you are walking up to the cars you see a lot of spray paint on the dirt path, about 20 feet away you stop smelling the cow shit or cattle shit smell and get hit with a strong spray paint smell. Painting the cars is not only allowed but encouraged, there is even an old tire full of cans in case you didn't bring your own. But I came prepared, I tagged all of our names on the cars and took lots of pictures. Before we finished tossing our cans in the tire our art work was already being covered up, good thing we took pictures. We got on the road and headed to New Mexico. Once we crossed the state line we hit another time zone change! We are currently in mountain time. The views along the 40 in New Mexico are what you would imagine, very dry looking, but pretty in an ugly way. I was in awe of the piles of rocks an mountains, but I would not say they were pretty to look at, but at the same time they were hard to ignore....Odd I know. Once we reached the city I realized I had made the reservations at the wrong Hilton Garden Inn. Luckily the location I wanted had rooms and we were able to get a suite for the same rate as a regular room. Buca di beppo is literally across the parking lot, so eating there was a must! It is one of my favorite places to eat even though they have the biggest portions and I always eat too much, it's worth it. We headed back to the room and had a couple of drinks and called it a night. Well kinda, I am up writing this as Gracie sleeps and Rob and Preston are watching tv. Tomorrow we go to Arizona and stay at the historic Wigwam Motel. I am beyond excited about our stay!


PS once again the kids were amazing!!!

The Stars Shine Bright Deep in the Heart of Texas

Day 5 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas 263.47 miles about 4 hours.

Well, we decided that we would not do hotel breakfast this morning. At $17 a person for the buffet, the same buffet we have been paying $9.95 for a day. We packed up and head to the Crack Bar down the road, the Crack Bar is Cracker Barrel. After a delicious and filling breakfast we gassed up and got on the road. This was a short day of driving which made me happy. I also knew that we would start seeing more Route 66 attractions along the way so I had a little more excitement about the drive. Along the way we stopped in Elk City, OK to visit the National Route 66 Museum. We took a ton of photos there and it was pretty interesting overall. We still had about 2 hours to go until Amarillo. We made a pit stop at Subway for some food and got back on the 40. We passed by the largest cross in the Western hemisphere and the leaning water tower, which were both pretty neat to see. Also when on the 40, there are signs letting you know when you are on the original Route 66. Once we made it to the hotel we checked in and had some food and relaxed. We have both agreed that this checking in and out of hotels is getting old, but we are almost done. Tomorrow we head to New Mexico!

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain

Day 4 Little Rock, Arkansas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 337.2 miles about 5 hours 27 minutes. 


Talk about a long day of driving! Honestly today didn't seem as bad, maybe that extra hour is helping! We had our normal American Grill breakfast at the hotel and headed towards OK. Once again the kids did great and slept a lot of the trip. The state line for OK, was not far at all, getting to Oklahoma City is what took a while. Hot would be a term laughed at in OK. I can't even think of a word to describe the heat. The thermometer in my car had been in the 100's most of the trip, so seeing it at 103 was not a big deal, but the closer we got to the city the higher it went. It finally stopped moving up once it hit 110 degrees.... I do not like being hot, I am so thankful my air works extremely well! before going to OK City, were hit Route 66 and had lunch at Pop's in Arcadia, OK. This place has about 500 different sodas to try and a basic dinner style menu. We took a lot of cool pictures had some yummy soda and food and got back on the road for about 20 more minutes. We made it to the city and about 5 minutes away from the hotel Preston announces he needs to yucky(that his term for poop). I freak  out, and I ask him to hold it about a thousand times. As soon as we pulled into the parking garage I put him on his travel potty and he handled his business. I was a very happy and proud mommy that he had enough self control to wait. Once checked in we decided to go walking around. Yes, it was still extremely hot and dry heat hot which felt like a hair dryer was blowing on me at all times while I was wrapped up in a heating pad with an over open. I kept telling Rob that I couldn't breath and I missed humidity! We ended up making it to the OK City bombing memorial and museum. If you ever visit the area, I would say this is a must see. It is an amazing site. The whole design  is so detailed and thought out so well, it really shows the impact of such a horrible day and remembers those who were injured and lost in a wonderful way. Once we made it back to the hotel, we ordered a couple of drinks and I went to update the blog and realized internet was $12.95 a day, not a fee i was willing to pay for one night. I ended up getting in bed an falling asleep on a movie. I realized that the more expensive the hotel is the less free stuff comes with your stay. Up until OK, we were staying in Hilton Garden Inn's we stayed in the historic Hilton Skirvin in OK and although the room was beautiful and the hotel very nice, we didn't have some of the amenities that we were use too. The room did not have a fridge, microwave or free internet but the bath products were nicer, room decor fancier, we had a robe and and umbrella in the room and a nice view of downtown. Tomorrow we head to TEXAS!

and we hit the 40!!!!!

Day 3 Nashville, Tennessee to North Little Rock, Arkansas 354.67 miles about 5 hours and 34 minutes.


Today we seriously debated not driving all the way to Little Rock. We thought about staying another night in Nashville or cutting the drive in half and staying overnight in Memphis. After realizing it would mess up all the reservations I had already made, we decided against it. I ran out and got breakfast and Starbucks and we headed to our first stop which would be Memphis since it was the half way point. We headed to downtown Memphis to have lunch on the famous Beale Street. We had a yummy Memphis style lunch at King's Palace and then got back on the road. it would have been nice to walk around a bit, but it was around 103 degrees.....walking around was not an option for us. The last couple of hours to Little Rock went by rather quickly. I was somewhat annoyed by the semi-trucks, but other than that, things went well. The 40 is not the most interesting road at this point, but I have been on worse roads. There were a lot of cops and just open land. We made it to the hotel around 6PM and for the first time, it is not dark outside. We don't have anything planned besides relaxing. I look forward to hitting parts of Route 66 tomorrow! I will also attempt to add pictures to days 1-3.

TENNESSEE, TENNESSEE, TENNESSEE.......

DAY 2 Athens, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee 298.58 miles about 5 hours and 1 minute.


Well, we woke up around 8AM and had breakfast before leaving Athens, GA. we had to make a pit stop at the Mall of Georgia to go to Lens Crafters and to go to Apple. I needed a new pair of glasses before we went any further on this trip and on Sunday I dropped and shattered my iPhone. After getting all of that business taken care of we headed to Nashville. Once we hit the 24 I was super happy that i was driving, the road is super curvy and even though I was driving I still got a little bit dizzy. The views were amazing. TN is so rocky and green and just pleasant to the eyes.  Overall, the drive wasn't too bad, but the last hour was rough. I started to get extremely antsy and just wanted to get there. We also changed time zones so we gained a hour, but my body did not catch on and when we made it to Winnie's (Rob's sisters) house, we could not wait to go to bed. Rob picked up some food and after eating, showers and a couple beers all I wanted to do was sleep. The kids on the other hand were wide awake and ready to play. Rob said they were running around the house like free slaves. They were laughing and jumping all around! We finally got them to sleep  and passed out soon after. Day 2 was another successful day with the kids as well as Preston telling us he had to pee. We have been getting our energy from an wonderful combo of Smart Water, Starbucks and sugar free Red Bull. It still doesn't feel like we are going anywhere new, just another trip to Tennessee. 

I left my home in Georgia......

Day 1 Valdosta, Georgia to Athens, Georgia 240.13 miles, about 4 hours and 20 minutes.


Well, today starts the road trip to California. We are in two cars for a number of reasons. First of all I get extreme motion sickness and the idea of going cross country in a car makes me sick and dizzy just thinking about it.... Reason number 2 is the cost, by the time we factored in the transportation of Rob's car and the storage once it got there it was in the $2,000 range. Reason number 3 is the amount of stuff we did not have the packers box up and ship to CA. Between the 4 of us we apparently need a lot of stuff for about 3-4 weeks. Okay, now back to the trip. Monday we got a pretty late start between Rob running around on the base and having to do some last minute things at the condo time quickly passed by. We ended up making it to Athens around 10 PM. The Phillips', old friends of Rob, live in Athens and they came by the hotel to see us and hang out. We talked and talked and they didn't end up leaving until after 12AM. It was great to see them, but we were beyond tired and went to sleep as soon at they left. The kids were amazing. The drive was beyond boring and it still doesn't feel as if we are driving cross country. It feels like a trip to Athens. Preston told me every time he had to pee and  there were no major breakdowns with the kids. Day 1 was a success! I will go back through and add all the pictures later. I am just trying to make sure that I don't get far behind with the post. 

PCS update

Well, with the packers coming on July 11 and us moving on July 18, my days in Valdosta are quickly coming to an end. I thought I would be really excited now, but I am still extremely stressed. We have a list of different houses that we want to see, but are not going to commit to anything until I see it in person. it is easy to make something look nice in pictures! We will have about 10 days to decide where we want to live before Rob has to report to work. I am the type that when I see something I know if I like it right away, so that will be a positive for us. I have also made a very detailed itinerary of our entire trip. I also have looked up the best rest stops along the way, so that the kids will be able to get out and stretch a bit. We have done a ton of traveling with the kids, including a trip to San Diego last summer, but that was by plane. We do the drive to Tennessee and Miami to know the max hours the kids can really take. We will not push more than 4.5 hours a day and really want to take our time and try to make this a stress-free as possible. It seems like an oxymoron to say a stress-free cross country move, but I am attempting to be extremely optimistic. I am also looking forward to all the landmarks we will see along the way. We will leave Valdosta and from here go to Athens and Nashville to see family and friends. Once the real trip starts we will slowly make our way to the West making overnight stays in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally making it to California. We will be stopping at some pretty cool Route 66 landmarks as well! Every time I see cars, I get excited about the trip!  Cadillac Ranch is one of the things I am super pumped about as well as the London Bridge, yes it's the actually London Bridge! We will detour and go see the Grand Canyon, since it only adds a couple more hours to the trip. when you are putting in all these miles and hours a few more won't be a big deal. Overall, I have to look at this move as a once in a lifetime experience. The kids won't remember, but I will take a ton of pictures for them!




Here is Cadillac Ranch, You are allowed to spray pain the cars, I will be doing the kids names and taking a pic of it!

                                         The London Bridge at night time!

Busy Mama

Last week Rob was out of town all week, imagine that right? Well that left me and the rug-rats home alone! The first day/night is always the hardest for Preston. He wonders around the house yelling "oh daddy" and when that doesn't work he says "Rob"! It's very cute the first few times but it gets annoying very quickly. The rest of the week was very calm. I don't sleep much normally and when Rob is gone it is even worst! Every noise wakes me up and I swear someone is going to get me, I've seen one too many movies! We went to the pool a couple of times and watched a ton of movies and of course did a ton of dancing around and singing. Preston also is doing amazing with the potty training. He now says when he has to pee and yucky! That makes me a very happy mommy. I always heard how hard boys are to train and so many negative comments about starting at such a young age. I knew he was ready and he has proven that to be true. Savannah also decided that walking forward is not enough. She now can walk backwards and likes to be chased. She is almost "running". Rob made it home early Saturday morning only to have to go back out of town. He will be taking Monday off which means Colbi time. When I have the kids by myself for a long time it's crazy, but I get to see every single milestone. I know how many moms that work outside the home who would trade places with me without hesitation. The upcoming days are going to be super busy, 20 days until the move and even less until the packers come box up the house. I am very excited but very stressed. There seem likes so much to do and just not enough time. So many people I want to see and the time is just not there for it. I am trying to stay as calm as possible and just take things day by day....

I will always be a southern girl...at least in my heart

So in a little less than 4 months we will be a West coast family. So odd to think. I have lived in Savannah, Valdosta and Jacksonville, so living out west will be a new experience. Although I am kinda excited I realized there are some things that I will miss about living in the South, and even some things that I will miss about (GASP)....VALDOSTA! We have been waiting patiently to get orders to somewhere new and now that we have them I am starting to see how much Valdosta has grown on me. Okay, for starters being close to Savannah. Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love going home. Although my parents no longer live there I have a lot of good friends that still do, so it's nice to get to see them and for people to get to meet the kids. I will miss day trips to Jacksonville. Yes, it is a pain to have to drive 2 hours for good shopping, but it's always a fun trip. We go down to the St. John's Town Center and have a lot of fun shopping and eating! I will miss our condo. I absolutely LOVE where we live. This is our 3rd move in Valdosta as a family, about the 5th or 6th for me all together, and this is my favorite place. We moved out of our Sherwood condo for a house that was bigger and closer to the base. It made me realize very quickly, we didn't need all that room or yard and I was excited to move back into a condo. Our condo now has a very small community of people, great location, wonderful saline swimming pool, and they are super nice on the inside with a great floor plan. I also love the fact that Preston's and Savannah's doctor office is about a 2 minute car drive away! We could walk there if it wasn't so hot outside. I also LOVE their doctor, Dr. Criscola is an amazing pediatrician and so good with the kids. He even entertains my crazy mom questions! I will also miss the lack of traffic. The only time you see traffic in Valdosta is during football season and if you get caught at a train! I will miss being 3 minutes away from Chick-fil-A, I love their food and even if i don't leave the house until 10:25 I can still catch breakfast! I also will miss the comfort level I have living here. Although I still hate being by myself when Rob goes out of town (the smallest noises scare me), I have a very high comfort level because I know the area and feel safe. I will also miss Moody AFB....not because it's a super cool base or anything, but I know my way around it! I am awful with directions and can get to any building or part of the base pretty easily. I will be using my GPS a lot out in Cali. Of course I will miss the handful of friends that I do hang out here with and the fact that both my family and Rob's family can drive down here without much notice. So, while Valdosta is not the most fun place to live and Rob and I seriously feel depressed driving back here after we have been out of town, there are a few things that will be missed! Not to be a totally sappy person, Valdosta is where Rob and I met, where we brought both of our children home to, and a lot of other family memories.

I have a really good excuse....

Okay, yes I have been slacking off but I promise I will do better. We have been crazy busy! Marriage retreat in Hilton Head, getting Preston on a basic schedule, figuring out what to do for Rob's birthday, a teething Gracie running a fever and WE GOT ORDERS! 
Yes finally, we know where the hell we will be living, unless for some crazy reason they change something, which I hope does not happen, because I don't do sudden change well when it comes to the kids. So, yesterday morning I wasn't feeling all that great. It had been a long night and I just was in a ugh mood. I prayed that it would be the day that we got orders, well I guess I prayed a little harder than usual or God was tired of hearing the same prayer, but it was answered. Rob called me and asked me when I last talked to someone who lives in San Francisco, since he never really asks about her I figured we had orders to some where in California or Las Vegas. He told me we were PCS'ing to travis AFB in Fairfield, CA. I had a mix of emotions. Nervous, excited, stressed, scared, happy all at once. I immediately Googled Fairfield and surrounding areas. Well what little bit of California joy i had went out the window. The town, yes town that the base is located in is kinda scary, I even read a ton of post saying don't leave the base after dark because of all the gangs.....WTF, not cool at all. i don't do good in the hood and so far this place was the hood to the 100th power! After spending the day trying to find a safe area that won't be too much of a commute for Rob to the base and for me to take Preston to school I narrowed it down to Benicia, CA, but I really like Walnut Creek, CA but it's a longer commute and  really expensive. It's so hard to have to decide on a place to live and a school for your kids when you know nothing about the area and are relying on reviews by other people. I don't consider myself to be stuck up, but I like nice things and I like living in nice safe areas! I think we will end up picking a school and securing Preston a spot and finding somewhere to live when we get out there. It will be tough to find something we all like, that fits our needs, and not super expensive. I think I will get more excited once we are out there. Rob is excited to at least be in the same state as Tre' (his oldest son) although it is about a 2 hour plane ride from San Diego. 
This will be my first military move, first time living in a different time zone, first time being so far from family and first time driving cross-country. Rob is pretty pumped about that part. I guess I can start looking into fun stops along the way. I don't think I ever realized how big California is. I have been to San Diego and really enjoyed it, but from what i hear the bay area is totally different, so we will see. Hopefully I can have a little CALIFORNIA LOVE, LUST, okay LIKE for the next 2 years. Regardless, it will be something else to add to my collection of experiences!