Swing Time!

The Baby Bee is growing quite fond our new place, and she is particularly fond of the little playground that is just out front of our house. In fact, she starts to cry a little bit whenever it's time to head back in, pointing earnestly at the swing set and looking crushed. Emma likes the swing best, but is starting to like the slide, too. Emma's Mom and Dad take turns guiding her gently down the slide, while the other waits at the bottom to "catch" her. It is a very kid-friendly neighborhood, with lots of places to walk around and several nearby play areas to explore. But, we have to bundle up, because it's cooooold!
Speaking of the neighborhood, Emma's Mom and Dad would like to take this opportunity to thank our neighbor Johnnie for baking a delicious, hot lasagna for us last night, along with a fresh garden salad, garlic bread and the most delicious sopapillas this California girl has ever tasted. Thank you, Johnnie, for making us feel so welcome! We promise plenty of baked goods in the future.

Perry Move, Day Five: Eureka! Pay Dirt! Target Acquired! We Made It!

>Sigh< A very long, but rewarding, five-day journey came to a close on Wednesday, as we pulled up to our new house. And, wouldn't you know it, after successfully navigating 1,647 miles, we managed to get lost five miles from our new place. Everyone in the car was relieved when we finally unstrapped ourselves from the cracker- and coffee-coated cocoon that had been our temporary home. The new place seemed alien to my unaccepting eyes at first, which only seemed to see tan, unassuming buildings and brown, brown grass everywhere, instead of all the wonderful things our new home had to offer. We went up through the back entrance of our unit, which shares a landing with our downstairs neighbor. Up a steep flight of stairs we climbed, where we were greeted by the first of many dark, thick wooden doors. Once inside, I swallowed, greeted by a familiar smell rooted in my childhood that immediately made me feel homesick. It was the smell of old building, mixed with natural gas and some other elusive note that I cannot pinpoint. The glossy wooden floors and sunny, white-washed walls just stared back at me as I struggled with the realization that this was it, this was our new place and we must, over the course of the next few weeks, make it our new home.
Well, all inner monologue aside, I was relieved to wake up the next morning and feel very excited to take it all in. I started to see all the old charm and character our house held and to go exploring in all of its nooks and crannies, of which there are many. By the same token, the Baby Bee and Co. have started to settle in, little by little replacing the mental image of "home" with this old, lovingly worn-in, yet stately, building. Emma immediately started crawling all over, the thump-thump of her sturdy little knees punctuated by "Dah, dah, DAH!" as she tested the acoustics of each room and enjoyed the call and response of her own voice. The kitties have made our room their home base, while Emma's Dad and Emma's Mom have taken to sprawling out in the dining room and kitchen, our eyes seeing a void where our coffee maker should be. We can't wait for our stuff to get here!

Perry Move, Day Four: Are We There Yet?

Well, it was inevitable: At some point during our trip, we were going to start feeling every minute of it. Today was that day. I think we all felt a little restless, mentally willing every mile to fly past us at the speed of thought. Unfortunately, the 280+ miles from Albuquerque to Amarillo, Texas, stretched languidly before us like a big, sleepy snake. It didn't help that the terrain was wildly unexciting, dotted here and there with low-lying gorse, the occasional tumbling tumbleweed and a lone tree every 100 miles or so. And, we lost yet another hour as we passed into the Central Time Zone, making the drive seem that much longer. But, we finally made it, arriving in Amarillo around 6:30 p.m., bolstered by the thought of a hot shower and a king-size bed waiting for us. Tomorrow, we will finally reach our destination in Oklahoma. Wish us luck as we start Chapter Two of our journey! We miss you all and wish you were with us.

Perry Move, Day Three: Just Peachie!

Day Three of the five-day sojourn to Oklahoma brought a welcome relief from the motel circuit, thanks to our dear friend Peachie. We arrived in Albuquerque and set up shop with our two kitties and the baby bee at Peachie's new desert digs. She welcomed us with open arms and perfectly mixed margaritas, yummm! Our hostess with the mostess also cooked an excellent dinner, provided the comfiest bed on our trip, yet, and even let us do a couple loads of laundry. Thanks, Peachie!
The city of Albuquerque took our breath away as soon as we crested the final hill leading into the sun-burnished metropolis. Everything from the ornate freeway overpasses to the Spanish- and Native American-themed statuary to the majestic Rio Grande convinced us that we were entering a city full of personality, culture and historical heritage. No less impressive were the stoic Sandia Mountains hemming in the city to the east and the sweeping desert vistas. It was incredible! Unfortunately, Emma's Mom and Dad were having such a great time that we didn't pause to take a few pictures while staying in Albuquerque. But, we do have some pictures from the road. Enjoy!

Perry Move, Day Two: California Dreamin'

Yesterday, we resumed our southeasterly trek through Mojave, Needles and over the Arizona state line, and Emma's Dad kindly took pictures while Emma's Mom drove. Hooray! Emma's first new state. Emma's Mom, being the wizard in geography that she is *snort* was convinced that we were going to pass through some part of Nevada at some point, but alas, she was incorrect. Instead, we zoomed straight from California to Arizona, pausing only briefly to ask aloud, "Do the cats count as livestock? Do we need to go through state inspection?" One cool part of yesterday's trip was that the roads were pink, along parts of the 40 between the two states and for a while through Arizona.
The weather started to turn very cold as we steadily climbed the mountains of Arizona, finally stopping in Flagstaff, which has an elevation of 7,300+ feet. Concurrent with the increasing cold, the air started to thin, making the last hour of our drive quite silly and fun, as ALL of our jokes were suddenly funny. While the scenery was stark and quietly beautiful, I couldn't help but feel the growing distance between us and sunny, soft California...

Perry Move, Day One: "Mountains, Gandalf, Mountains!"

We wended our way from Petaluma to Barstow yesterday, passing through the rain-soaked and rolling hills of northern California, to the flat, yellow plains along the 5, then finally over the majestic snowy mountains that cross the 58. At the end of our journey last night, we found ourselves in a completely new climate that offered a wide expanse of quiet desert dotted by scrub brush and cacti, where it seemed the mountains had just stood. In the parlance of our times, it was awesome. Unfortunately, Emma's Mom did not have her camera at the ready during the drive, so we can only provide pictures of our lived-in-looking hotel this morning. :) We set off today renewed by a hearty buffet and loads of coffee (except for Emma, of course). Tune in soon for Day 2!

So Long, Farewell

Emma and Emma's Mom would like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to all of our family and friends who have made this last year an incredible journey for us. We couldn't have done it without you. To Gregg, Lynn and Mike, you are the best family a person could wish for and you will always be in our hearts, no matter how far away we are. To Louise and Meghan, thank you for treating us like royalty and never letting us feel alone. To Laurie, Steve and Brian, you are an incredible family, and I wish you all the best of luck on your own journey. Laurie, you are an amazing mom. To Peachie and Lindsay, who have been with me since the beginning, thank you for helping me bring this wonderful little person into the world and encouraging both of us to live life to the fullest. To John, who reassured me that I would sleep again one day, thank you. To Danny, thank you for opening your home to us and always making us feel welcome. To Abbie, thank you for being there and sharing your new mom experiences, too. To Mama Sue, thank you for all of your love and support. However, this is not goodbye and the blog shall live on! Please tune in regularly to catch up with us as we start our new lives on base.