One Week (more or less)

This morning we decided to take a house on base in Fort Lewis.  We have one of the new construction homes, which will be really nice.  It's two stories and has a detached garage.  It's between 200 and 300 square feet less than what we had in Texas, but we will make do.  We're moving closer to our end in Albuquerque.  I feel like I should be packing already.

Tomorrow Abby and I have an appointment to get pedicures, and on Saturday morning Abby and Sarah are taking me out for my late birthday gift of a morning at the spa at the Sandia Resort and Casino.  On Sunday, both girls are getting baptized.  Monday morning, we're loading up in the cars and heading out on our drive to Washington.  We hope to get there by Wednesday evening and we'll spend one night in a hotel before we get the keys to our house on Thursday and get our household goods delivered on Friday.  (As long as everything goes as planned, which we all know is subject to a lot of things.)  Jon is supposed to come down that weekend and hang out with us.

I have been trying to get out my camera more and take more pictures on manual settings.  I've gotten some really cute photos of the kids.

And I love this one of Abby and Mia.  The colors, the joy, it just makes me smile whenever I see it.

I think this one captures Luke.  Lauren says he's "bad to the bone".  :)

This last one is from Mia's early birthday party.  The girls were sad that Lauren wouldn't be there to celebrate, so she got to have her birthday party about 3 weeks early.  The kids had a little bounce house to jump in and then spent time running in the sprinkler before cake and ice cream.  I think water has to be Lauren's favorite thing.

We have a packed schedule over the next few days, but it will be really exciting to get up to Washington and start getting settled in.  Hopefully Jon won't help Ben throw out any of my things as we unpack.  

 (When Ben and I were moving out of our apartment in San Diego, headed for Great Lakes, Illinois, Jon came to help us pack and get our truck loaded.  Jon gave our boogie boards and beach stuff to a girl in the apartment building who he was hitting on.  And I've never gotten the straight story on who threw out my pink chair (which Ben still insists was purple).  Ben says it was Jon, but Jon says it was Ben.  All I know is that when we got to Great Lakes and were unloading our truck, I noticed it was gone immediately.)  

He shouldn't have the opportunity this time since the movers will be delivering things and unloading the truck.  :)  But it will be good to see him, and have Lauren get to see Uncle Higgins again and Natalie meet him for the first time.