Crazy.

I've been putting off blogging because I have so much to journal about and I don't know where to start.  I've decided it's better to start with the present and hopefully fill in the blank spots later.

It's been a crazy, crazy couple of months.  The kids and I moved from our Phoenix home on June 30th and headed to Utah.  We left Jason there to get checked out of our house and finish up his last few days of school at ASU.  He and my Dad (who had been living with us since April...whole other post) stayed in a hotel after moving completely out on July 1st.  They joined us in Layton on the 3rd.

We spent three fun weeks in Utah with our family and friends.  Hopefully, I'll be able to load up some of the pictures later to prove it, but just believe me when I say we had a great time!  The last few days were spent helping Mom and Dad get moved out of their house and prepare for their new life in Phoenix.  Yes....just one month after we leave Phoenix, my parents sold their home and are moving to Buckeye, AZ (just 15 short minutes from Phoenix).  Dad got a job offer he couldn't refuse and they found a great house that I know they'll love. 

On the 24th of July, we made our way to Phoenix.  We had prayed and prayed that our visas would come in so we could fly out from San Diego on the 29th to Italy.  They made it in time, so we had to stop in Phoenix to pick them up and then drive over to San Diego, ship out our van, and fly out.  We got there on Wednesday night.  Thursday we got the visas and did some last minute errands before we would leave for San Diego on Friday morning.  We were lucky to be able to spend some time with Dad before leaving.  He was living in a hotel waiting to close on his house at the end of the month. 

Well, we woke up Friday to find that our Italian dream would have to be put on hold.  Our van had been broken into.  Jason had gone outside to get something out of the van and saw the damage that was done.  One of the back windows was broken out and two of our large suitcases were stolen.  One contained all of Jason's military uniforms (about $1000 worth) and another had a bunch of random, last minute stuff.  It seems like every day since the robbery, we remember something else that was in the suitcases that we lost.  Sooo frustrating.  But this was the least of our worries.  A few minutes after the police got to the hotel, Jason realized that his backpack was stolen, too. This was the backpack carrying our visas, passports, birth certificates, social security cards and our marriage license.  They were gone.  Long gone. 

So began our frustrating weekend of trying to figure out what would happen next.  We found out very quickly that we would not be flying out anytime soon.  Next we found out it would be at least 3 weeks, possibly 6 before we flew to Italy.  We originally thought we'd be spending that waiting time in Phoenix.....July Phoenix.....120 degrees, can't go outside ever Phoenix.  Later that day, Jason's detailer told us we should go ahead to San Diego so that we'd be at a Navy base and hopefully that would move things along.  So, we made plans to leave Sunday morning for San Diego, grateful that we would be staying at the beach instead of enduring the blistering heat. 

During those first couple days, we held out hope that either we or the police would find our much missed bag.  We prayed and prayed that somehow it would turn up.  The Marriott Hotel that we were staying in was located right next to a golf course.  I walked onto the course many times, hoping it would have been left or thrown somewhere.  We walked a few blocks up and down the street looking.  Jason searched dumpsters in the area.  No luck.  We tried hard to keep perspective. 

So....now here we are in San Diego. We were able to get our birth certificates and marriage license expedited here, so our passport applications were in by last Wednesday.  Now we just have to wait.  Once we have the passports (hopefully in one more week), we'll apply for our visas (should take another 2 weeks). 

We are staying at the North Island Navy Lodge on Coronado Island.  Up to this point, whenever anyone asked me where my favorite vacation spot is, I would say here.  I love it.  I'm really hoping I can still say that after our weeks spent here.  It really is the best place to be "stuck".  We're right on the beach.  Like, walk 10 feet out our back door and we're in the sand (the water is another 200 yards, but beggers can't be choosers).  There's a pool right out our front door with a splash pad and a playground.  Jason has been given temporary orders here in San Diego while we wait.  He's working online on some classes he has been needing to complete his Level 2 certification for his career.  But, for the most part, he's able to hang with us here.

We're on day 10 of being here.  I know that I should be grateful.  Grateful for a paid, four week vacation on the beach.  But the planner and organizer in me can't stop worrying about how school is going to start for Lucy and Graham on August 27th.  And let's not forget that I am 30 weeks pregnant.  As soon as I found out we would be here so long, I cried and cried and cried and then I vowed we would have routine and order to our days.  Before making our way here, we had just finished 3 weeks of craziness in Utah.  No bedtimes, no rules, lots of junk food, etc.  We've been having a very relaxing and fun time here, but I feel we have structure and that is what is saving me......so far. 

More to come.....I'm ready to be done with this crazy long post.