Getting Pinned

I know I have a lot to catch up on but I wanted to get this one out right away. Today Jesse got pinned. What does that mean you ask.....well, Jesse got his E2 rank back on May 1, but wasn't able to wear his rank until he was pinned. Today was the pinning ceremony where everyone in the unit that was getting promoted was pinned. Jesse's rank will actually be active as they state it, June 1.

All the promotables all lined up


Marching to the front


Standing at attention in front


They allowed me to pin him


Marching off to join their squad


Jesse's Squad


The kids enjoyed seeing their daddy at work. They even shouted out with all the soldiers. They were able to see what their dad will be driving too.

The HET


The trailer it pulls


Our kids falling in (no not really, just trying to stand on the others shadow)


Jesse was dismissed and we all went back home to have breakfast (again). If we had known he would be dismissed we would have all gone in one car. Oh well. Leaving a fueler came in. Of course the kids liked that too.

Water Fun

Ok, I'm sure everyone would love to see some pictures of the kids. Emma did get a new suite after this and I HAD pictures of them playing again but those were all on the camera that just seemed to disappear the day our stuff arrived.

Our Home

So Tuesday we got up (May 8), packed up and checked out from the hotel. I really didn't like the highway coming in so I asked if there was a different way and there was. A little on the same highway (but nothing like we would have had) and on to another. As we are driving up this Transmountain highway, I just kept thinking man my car is ticked from all this driving. So I say something to Jesse over the 2way and he said yeah well it doesn't help we are headed into a really good headwind. Oh, and when the signs say watch for falling rocks, they really mean it. We were climbing the mountains, only to have to go back down and let me tell you, that is a little freaky.

Finally we make it to Ft Bliss and try to enter a gate. I see them talking to Jesse and telling him to turn around and go.... So I follow and we get to another gate, same thing. Third gate, at least this time we are only directed to go over to a building just outside. We need to go in and get 1 day passes to just get on base. Now, when Jesse's car broke down I was kinda freaking out and grabbing things thinking we were going to have to leave it behind. Well one thing I grabbed happened to be his registration. Of course it was a needed item and do you think I could remember where I put it, of course not. We ended up getting the passes thankfully (I later found the resgistation a couple days later, in his boot which I had also grabbed from his car). So we head off to housing.

We got everything signed for, stopped for a quick lunch and met our housing agent at the house.



There is no carpet in these homes and we just were going to let that be so we picked up one for the front room at least. Here are a few more pictures of the inside. These were all taken before our stuff arrived. And since we only took so much with us, like kids toys for instance, some new items were bought to fill in for the meantime (each of the kids got a new toy;)).

Living Room




Dinning Room




Kitchen




Laundry Room



Hallway



First Bathroom



Boys' Room




Emma's Room




Master Bedroom




Master Bath



Ok, so those pictures were taken after we were here a couple of days. Bad me forgot to take some as soon as we got here. You can tell because the first night Jesse and I slept on the air mattress and the kids had sleeping bags. It was the next day we went and rented a bed and then the kids got the sleep on the air mattress together. Once I finishing off unpacking everything and getting it all just so, I plan putting up virtual tours, or so I hope.

The Journey Down

Ok, so I have needed to blog for sometime now. We got our internet hooked up last Friday and our household goods arrived today (yay).

Friday - May 4
We didn't start leaving Grand Rapids, MI until about 11am, really should have left sooner. We let the movers in to start loading and finish any last packing, stayed a bit, said some last goodbyes and then left my parents in charge of signing off on our stuff (make sure everything got packed that can move and so on and so forth). Oh yeah and here is a tip if you ever have someone move you, that cannot move liquids (juice, detergent, etc.). I know the full extent of why now too but I'll tell you about that later.

Ok, so we are going along, I told Jesse to pick up speed realizing we are only going about 65. We just break 70 and have to pull over. Ok I know what you are thinking but nope, it was the Audi. Yup, it decided if we go that fast it was going to shake so bad like a tire was ready to fall off (which btw, are brand new). So of course our top speed for the remainder of the day was 65mpr. And oh yeah, we stopped not once but twice for that.

The drive just seemed to last forever. Finally we entered into St Louis, MO, and would you believe it I didn't have a camera in hand when we pasted the arch (so yeah the picture I added I snagged off the internet but gives you an idea of what it looked like as we past it).


We finally got to our hotel at like 9pm cst.

Saturday - May 5
Back on the road. Again, kinda late, like 10am, very bad for that day. Nothing special really that day, just a very long drive. And all of our stops really are what drag us down in time and oh yeah, the Audi not breaking 65 would be another. We finally enter into OK, its evening and we still have a long way to go to our hotel. It was in Lawton. We are tired its late, decide to call and see if we can't switch to something closer, like in Oklahoma City. Yeah, no, all Best Westerns are privately owned. So back on the road since we had reservations and all. We FINALLY arrive into Lawton at 2AM! Oh, of course it didn't help that we got lost a couple times. Like how we got on the wrong turnpike. Like where you need coin change for the unmanned stationed. Another hint, if you don't have exact change for your vehicle type, at least put it in for another size. After throwing in at one point a total of $0.60 for a $0.30 toll, Jesse yelled at me to just go, so I did, and yup, set off the buzzer.

After we got to the hotel I said we just couldn't kill ourselves anymore like that and we are splitting the last day. So I called the next hotel and moved our reservation a day back. The next morning the first city in the middle we found, I called BW and set up a reservation there.

Sunday - May 6
Ok so after making the reservation we hit the road again. Oh and so far we had a free continental breakfast at the first and a hot breakfast at the last. We didn't care and left later, like between 10-11 again. This time we were headed for our next stay in Odessa, TX.

On the way we stopped and ate at the largest McDonald's (or so they say at least). It was the bridge over the highway. I think the kids got a kick out of it. And Jesse took his time checking the weather as that is when the tornados where hitting and being spotted. Don't worry, we actually drove down and around it all, ok, got a little, very large rain drop rain for a bit but that was it.





Our view from our seats:

The McDonald's itself:


Monday - May 7
We get on the road, no big breakfast there, only stuff we brought along. We get about 20 miles outside of Odessa and yup who called it..........Jesse has to pull over. So here we are in NO WHERE LAND with a broken down car. Its nothing that he can't fix but let me say this again, THERE IS NOTHING AROUND. So we called out insurance and they got a tow truck out.

Check it out, where we stopped is amazingly on the map.

He had to be towed back to the nearest city with like an auto store. So backwards, about 40 miles. No one had the part but he was able to patch it until we got to El Paso, uh huh, cost under a $1. Oh and this is all after having to wait over an hour for the tow truck. Back on the road, now really glad we split the last day (and yeah don't worry, we had rescheduled signing for our house). Arrived into El Paso in the evening. Again, I don't have a camera in my hand but as we drive down the highway, on one side is El Paso, on the other Mexico (no lie).

Tuesday - May 8
Finally, the journey is over. After a full nights sleep, get a little something to eat (again a free breakfast), we head on out to the base. More about that in the next blog.