Happy Birthday to our "Adult"

Today is Callie number 2's birthday. Did you know we have two Callies? Yes, I married a man who has a daughter with the same name as my youngest. It does get crazy around here.

Today Callie turns 18. She is the daughter we visited back in May for high school graduation. We're very proud of the young woman she is becoming.

This is Callie (on the left) with her BFF Tiff, at their graduation dinner.

Grateful

I realized that I may have sounded very negative in my last post. I was having a hard time with unpacking way too much stuff in a small house and the fact that our movers had been careless with our belongings.
I'm not really a negative person. I have always looked for the positive and usually can find it easily. This post will be positive and will point out things for which I'm grateful.
I live in a beautiful place. It IS a small house, but it faces the water! I have a beautiful view and I listen to seagulls and Canadian geese every time I walk outside. I live in a fourplex, but we are in the only occupied unit, so it's like having four yards instead of one. We have even "borrowed" one of the outdoor storage units temporarily until we sort through everything.
We can afford to buy replacement things while we wait for the Army and the moving company to fight over how much will be paid and how long it will take.
We have custody of the boy my husband has ached to have with him for years. It's a wonderful opportunity to give him the benefits of living with two loving parents, a gift every child should be given automatically, but aren't.
I have my daughter here for two weeks and am financially able to fly back to Texas with her and get her set up in her dorm.
I have a husband willing to do a job that so many can't do. He risks his life to protect what's precious in this country and because of that we can afford to live the way we do and we have a roof over our heads, without paying for any untilities or taking care of a yard.
I could go on and on but I think I have covered enough to feel good about my situation.
I'm now going into my kitchen to make pizzas for my family and then I'm dragging them and the two dogs down to "my beach" to look for sea glass. I'm truly blessed.

Getting Settled

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post. It seemed like it took forever to get our household goods, and then after they arrived, time has flown!
Our stuff finally arrived on Tuesday morning. It was bittersweet, because as they are pulling stuff off the truck, I'm realizing how little will fit into this "cozy" home, and how much is broken.
I posted about how much fun our Hawaiian packers/movers were. I was amazed at how fast they packed and loaded our stuff. Now I know why. They rushed through, they didn't pack well and my stuff was treated like it wasn't important.
I'm not a materialistic person. I don't really have expensive or nice things. Nick and I have made a decision to buy our really nice things after we stop moving around with the Army. Don't get me wrong, I do have things I'm attached to and would like to keep, but, for the most part, my stuff is just stuff and can be replaced.

The first thing that came off the truck damaged was a pine sofa table that I had bought years ago on my own. No big deal, I'll replace it.

 Then there was the Mexican pottery planter that a good friend gave me. I was a little sad about that because of sentimental reasons. Next was the bookshelf I had in a closet for storage. It was a cheapie and it was no big loss.

Is it any wonder this broke? It was stuffed full of heavy items and then shipped.

 Then there was a ball of paper that had been just added to a crate and not in a box. One of the boys unwrapped it for me and it was a resin cherub that my sister gave me years ago and it was crushed. That really made me sad. I've had it outside of every house I've lived in since she gave it to me. It was probably very inexpensive but I'm a sentimental slob and it bothered me.

The day went on and we found more and more things damaged or completely broken. My washing machine, my couch, my oak dresser. I won't go into details, but anyone with a little common sense would have known this stuff wouldn't make that trip having been packed that way.

My in-laws arrived Tuesday evening and we unpacked a little and played a lot. We ate a lot of seafood and did many scenic drives.

Yesterday, they went home and we got back to work. We worked like dogs yesterday. It was a power unpacking day and we really got lots done.

I had my meltdown yesterday. It was bound to happen with the stress of figuring what needs to be stored, finding places for the things I really "must" keep, and finding more and more broken things.

I was unpacking the guest room/Callie's room. I was putting some of her things out so she'd feel at home and found a heart shaped bowl she made in a pottery class a long time ago. It was broken. She had coins in it and a few other heavy things while it was in her room. The movers took it.. full of the heavy items, and wrapped it in paper to move it. Even I know that heavy items will put stress on a container as it's being shipped across an ocean and a continent. I lost it. I started crying and saying "People really should be careful with someone else's things." I said it over and over a few times when Nick finally hugged me and apologized. I think he feels guilty sometimes that our lives our so mobile and it's not always "normal"
Today I'm hanging pictures and curtains. I still have boxes to unpack but I needed some things on the wall to make me feel good. Besides, it gets those items out of my way.
Here are a few photos from the last few days.

I'm not sure it shows, but there is a big dent just above the knob. Now the knob doesn't turn well and I see a new washing machine in my future at the movers' expense.

This piece of glass goes in my china cabinet. Now I can't finish unpacking the dining room until this is replaced.

Steamers! They call these "little neck clams" I'm not sure what that means but they were delicious!

Steamer just before I ate it!

Stuffed quahogs. Aka "stuffies"  These are delicious!!

Three generations. My husband, his father and his son. Alex insisted they be in order of age. I think it's just precious that even at 15, Alex still leans in toward his dad for a photo.

My girl flies in tomorrow for two weeks. I miss her already and can't wait to see her!!