one final friday in black river

black river

We’re officially under a week until moving day. Are you tired of our countdowns yet? I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m really not. I’ve said at least a dozen times – military families live by countdowns. But seriously, we leave next Thursday, bright and early. Reality is hitting hard that we’re down to the wire now, and Black River is soon to be a thing of the past. We’ve packed a few boxes since we’re doing a mostly full DITY, but we are having packers come through next Wednesday since I’m not supposed to lift more than 20 lbs, and I may or may not have told Ryan that packing was a straight-up no-go for me.

Beyond that, we officially have tenants for our home here at Fort Drum. We had a couple of applications prior. One fell through, one couple was so sweet, but a little underqualified. This third couple is dual military, and they couldn’t have been more qualified if they tried. We’ll have to eat one month’s rent, as she won’t be arriving until the end of June, but we’re so excited to have such great people in our little home.

Boys’ Part Dino Jammies c/o Carters (available here)

I’m waxing all sorts of nostalgic lately. It’s no secret that Fort Drum isn’t our favorite duty station, but these last few weeks have made it clear how much of a home Fort Drum and Black River has become to us. It’s hard putting down roots only to pull them up again, but I also know that this is both a blessing and a curse of military life. I love change; change with little ones is just a little bit harder.  They’ll be starting a new school mid-June, get a new bedroom, a new home, a new yard, and a whole new neck of the woods. They’re resilient little boys though, so I can’t wait to see how they do.

This weekend, we have work to do around the house, but we’re going to savor our home just a little longer, too. We’re going to enjoy this little house. We’re going to play in the backyard, go to the zoo one last time, enjoy the weather and wrap up our time here in style. We also have one last set of family pictures with our favorite photographer here tonight, and I can’t wait to share.

Next week, we’re embarking on an epic adventure across the country. We’re planning to AirBnB, rather than stay in hotels each night, and I can’t wait to share how that goes. Ryan will be driving the moving truck and towing the Civic – and Danny will ride with him. I’ll be driving the Highlander with my mom, the boys, and the cats. We expect the trip will take about 5 full days, but we’re going to play it safely above all else.

Cheers to adventure, friends, and cheers to a wonderful weekend ahead!

I’m linking up today with Momfessionals and Smidge of This.

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