New home update!

Ian and I have been busy little bees that's for sure! We dove right in and started painting rooms in the house (remind me to never paint another kitchen again!) and our movers thankfully didn't take long to arrive so we could begin the unpacking process quickly.

Then, miracle of all miracles, I got a job!! My wonderful friend Ashley put in a good word for me at her place of employment and I was interviewed my first Monday here and then hired on the spot! Thank you, Jesus! I am an office administrator/assistant for a property management company. We rent out homes of course, but also provide furnished apartments for more temporary needs. It is always busy, always changing and keeps me on my toes and I. love. it. Plus the owners are really laid back, military friendly and hilarious. Did I mention that I get to work with one of my best friends? A huge bonus!

So needless to say, getting the house all settled has been a slower process but I don't mind. So without further ado, here are some pictures of what we have done (so far).

Front

Fall wreath made by yours truly

Front entry (still not set on what to do with the stair wall)

As you enter 

Dining room (we have plans to install a chair rail)

Powder room - next up to be painted

Kitchen

Breakfast table 

Opposing view of kitchen

Living room (note: couch will be moving to bonus room in near future and shelf needs to be lowered)

The fireplace is my favorite part of the house!

Master bath - His

Hers

Master bedroom complete with new furniture...we feel like such grown ups! 

Upstairs hallway (I want to add a table and lamp to the wall on the left)

Guest bath

Guest room

Bonus room (in progress)

A t.v. and furniture are in the works!

Backyard - still a major work in progress but it's looking better!

One more place added to our list :)

Farewell, Fort Huachuca

The move is upon us! The movers come tomorrow, my brother dearest arrives on Tuesday, and we head east on Wednesday!

It's an odd feeling knowing that there's a strong possibility you may never be at a certain location again. Though we have enjoyed our time here in Arizona, both Ian and I agree that we would prefer not to be stationed here again. On our hike yesterday, I stood atop the hills trying to savor it all in... Southern Arizona sure does have some beautiful sights. We are already planning a night at our favorite pizza joint in Bisbee, Screaming Banchee Pizza, the night before we leave. Now that is one place we definitely will miss! I am definitely excited to arrive in Tennessee, but I can't help but feel a little melancholy at the close of another chapter in our lives. (And I definitely will miss the short hours Ian has had to put in while in class.)

There have definitely been some wonderful aspects to our short sting in Sierra Vista.

The Friends

The girlies - Halli, me, and Ashley

The boys - Ian, Cameron and Alex

My wine tasting buddy! 

Girls night! Royal Wedding slumber/viewing party 

The Family

Brother Jeff and I at the Tucson zoo

Wine tasting with Ian's side of the familia! They came for Easter and we had a wonderful time showing them ALL OVER southern AZ! 

With my side of our family! Ok, so this was in Idaho, not AZ, but it was for my bro's college graduation, which was a huge event while we were living here!

The Fun in the  Sun

There was a lot of great hiking...here we're overlooking the Coronado Natl. Forest, which borders THE border! 

Tombstone! Me hanging out with my newest friends 

Somehow I got Ian to do TWO of these pictures!

Father and fur-daughter strolling on post

We had to go to a Diamondbacks game! (And eat ballpark dogs of course!)

No trip to AZ is complete without a stop at the Grand Canyon! 

Personal Achievements

I ran in my first 5k! Not generally huge, but huge for me!

Ian graduated his Captains Career Course! 

Lastly, there was one event in particular Ian and I both agree will not soon be forgotten... the wildfire near us! We won't soon forget the sights of the black smoke coming from the mountains behind our home or the smell of the burnt air, or how we kept checking the evacuation statuses and had some stuff together just in case. It was an image that is forever burned in our memories (pun intended). 

Bye, Arizona! Helloooo Tennessee! 

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

I can't believe this is our last Friday here in Arizona! We will definitely try to make the most out of our weekend, but first I must partake in Wife of a Sailor's weekly survey!

1. The first thing I think of when I get up in the morning is Just five more minutes. Even when it's just Ian getting up, I tell him he needs five more minutes sometimes!

2. Lately I've been craving autumn because it has been summer here for the last six months it seems! I can't wait for cooler weather, pumpkin anything (bread, spice lattés, etc) and to wear boots!

3. Whenever anyone says the word Nickelodeon it reminds me of my childhood because I am convinced my generation had the best children's shows. Nickelodeon in particular had awesome programming...Remember Hey Dude, Salute Your Shorts, GUTS!, Double Dare, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Wild and Crazy Kids, and Legends of the Hidden Temple? I do! I really don't think kids today have anything that compares to these!

Recognize the blonde, third to the right? That's Christine Taylor - a.k.a. Mrs. Ben Stiller!

I remember a girl being stuck in an alternate universe, accessible through a mirror, so whenever she wrote it was backwards.

Did anyone else have Nickelodeon Moon Shoes or play with Gak?

I may or may not have broken my thumb because of these.. ;)

4. The happiest word I know is "redeployment" but "twitterpated" comes close! Not much else could possibly beat jumping into the arms of the one you love at the end of deployment, but being twitterpated is just the cutest description of crushing or loving on someone! (Yes, it is from Bambi!)

Twitterpation <3

5. My spouse may hate it, but I absolutely love Sex and the City! Ian cannot stand it but I have seen every episode several times over! He can even put up with my love of Real Housewives of... but he refuses to even be in the same room if Charlotte, Carrie, Miranda and Samantha are gracing the television screen.

Four of my favorite ladies 

Sunrise...Sunset!

Though I am incredibly excited for our move to Fort Campbell, there is one thing in particular about Fort Huachuca that I will miss dearly...

~ The sunsets ~

There really is nothing quite like a majestic desert sunset. Pardon the cliché, but it really does look like a painting - with brush strokes of yellow, orange, red and purple. Our evening walks are always an enjoyment, to watch the sun set in such a beautiful fashion. I can only imagine that we will see gorgeous sunsets in Tennessee, but I have a feeling the Arizona desert ones will remain perfectly unique. I will remember them fondly. 

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

Can you believe we are already nearing the end of August? I for one am very excited for fall, but that is probably because here in AZ, summer has been here for a long time. I have been told autumn in TN is gorgeous, so I am looking forward to it!

Here is this week's MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, courtesy of Wife of a Sailor.

1. My spouse and I rarely agree on girls names, but we always agree on boys names. No, I am not preggers, but what can I say, I like to be prepared :)

2. If I could use one word to sum up the way I feel right now, it would be pumped! We just got back from an almost 5-mile run and I beat my previous time!

3. One of the things my spouse does that grosses me out is he insists that his workout clothes can be worn more than once, they just need to air dry. Needless to say, I tend to throw them in the hamper when he's not around!

4. My readers may think I'm crazy for doing this, but I really love to:

Pack! I know, I'm nuts, but I love it! Be it to move or just a suitcase for vacation. It's like a puzzle to get everything to fit just right. I really wish the Army movers would let us pack, because it drives me nuts that I can't and have to witness their sporadic packing styles! (I am, however, thankful they do the heaving lifting and transporting of such boxes). 

I also LOVE to wrap presents! I often will wrap friends and family's gifts for others just because I like it so much :) 

5. Frankly, my dear, I don't ever want to deal with RE/MAX property management again!  If anyone is planning on moving to Fort Huachuca in the near future, I would avoid renting through them.