Boxes and wrapping paper... check!

Oh, the headache that is about to ensue as we attempt to make this move on our own! Although the military will pay for movers to pack and transport everything, if you do it yourself, you can pocket a whole bunch of extra cash. We figure this is a good time to save up, and it is extra exciting because a couple of months ago we become 100% debt free. Yeah!!! It's so nice knowing that we don't owe anyone anything, and all this money we will make will cushion our savings account as we start our house hunt.

One of the first big expenses when moving is buying all the boxes, packing paper, etc. One nice thing about the military is that there are always people moving in and out of the area. I stopped a family a couple of days ago as their movers unloaded the van and asked for all their packing supplies. Today, Daniel picked up the first batch of moving materials. They are an older couple with 20+ years in, so I know we will be more than covered. Check this out...

And to think, there is more to come!

T minus 21 days

I went into our marriage knowing what my life would be like in the beginning... moving to a different state away from family and friends, long stretches of time without a husband, and experiencing a lifestyle unlike anything in the real world. Daniel and I would often talk about how we envisioned the future going. I was prepared for possibly giving my husband up for a career of 20 years in the Marines. I was prepared for the numerous moves, the numerous deployments, the numerous friends that would come into our lives, and I could not wait for the numerous memories we were going to make. We went through our first deployment and I believed I was made to be a military wife. I'm extremely flexible, I don't get worked up easily, and I roll with the punches -- all the things that are necessary for a military spouse. Plus, I am very independent and can handle not having a man around the house.

Then the Lord told us he had other plans.

In 21 days we are packing up and moving out of here. We are leaving our little bubble of a neighborhood, we are leaving all of our wonderful friends, we are leaving our cheap grocery store known as the commissary, and we are leaving full coverage healthcare. We are also leaving this humid state of North Carolina, we are leaving a place with dress codes and crazy slow speed limits, and we are leaving the stupid red tape that is involved in everything military.

In 21 days we are packing up and moving out of here.

Bare with me this next month as our life gets flipped upside down. I will be busy squeezing in doctor's appointments, filling prescriptions, and lining everything up for our move that we will be doing ourselves. Here's to getting every last dollar we can out of the government...