Chris was able to stay with us for 3 weeks here in Michigan... it was so nice! I haven't had him around that much/seen him that much since before we arrived in Hawaii. He and I were BUSY for over a week getting this house ready to live in. We did a lot of cleaning out junk from closets. We painted the whole upstairs, had carpet laid upstairs and new flooring in the downstairs bathroom.  We got the kids registered and started in their new school.  We were very busy and it was a lot of fun. We also bought our new van while he was home (LOVE my new van!!) 

We are buying this Farm house. It will be nice to have a spot that is always OURS. A place to go over the summer for our 4th of July camping at the pond ... our farm house is about 3 miles from the pond! A place to go to have a white Christmas every year and to be able to be close and reconnect with family. The kids love this house, they love having a house that is THEIRS. Usually we only live in a house temporarily... a couple years and then we move on... like nomads. Now we will have a place to anchor ourselves and a community to belong too.

Our house:






Above: Lucy ready for the cold!!
Below: Sophia setting up the "Memory" game that we like to play.


 Below: Sunrise this morning over the apple Orchard that is across the road... beautiful!


We have been staying really busy here. The kids wake up around 6:20... we leave for school at 7am. (Joey starts the Van at 6:40 to ensure it is nice and warm when we get in it!)

The kids get home off the bus at 3:45. While they are at school Lucy and I do things around the house (clean, laundry.) We grocery shop and plan our meals... I am cooking every-night now.... something about the cold weather that makes me want to cook.

Lucy naps during the day and during that time I do my run on my treamill, anywhere from 7-12 miles usually.

We've arrived, we're alive and all is well!! We flew in to Michigan a little over a week ago. Honestly, we have been so busy that the past week has FLOWN. BY! Being busy is okay, because we have gotten SO MUCH done. Let me back up a bit.

Thursday the 9th of January we left Honolulu. Me and Chris, four kids, a dog and 12 suitcases. Whew. I'm glad THATS over!!!

We flew all night from Honolulu to LA, had a layover in LA for about 3 hours and then flew to Chicago and immediately caught our connection to GR. Grandpa and Grandma Perkins were there at the GR airport to pick us up. We loaded up ALLLL Of our luggage into the back of Grandpa's truck and we drove the 1.5 hours to our Farm House.

Pulling up to the Farm House was so cool... the kids were so excited to see where we were going to be staying. I was excited to be there too! When we left our house in Honolulu I felt a little homeless. Arriving to our "new" home was nice.

Chris and I stayed up to 2am every day that first week.. ,unpacking, PAINTING (we painted the whole upstairs and I will post pictures tomorrow!) and just getting the place ready to live in. Nobody has really even been in this house the past couple years. Thankfully my family pulled together and helped clean it up for us. Now it looks amazing and feels like OUR home.



Lucy was ready to fly in her own seat from Honolulu to LA. Thank God she had her own seat so we were all able to sleep for a little bit!

Last week I took the kids into Central Montcalm Elementary to register them for school. The school is very nice and new and everyone was very friendly. The kids are excited to start and meet new friends! They were sapposed to start last week, but due to snow days the school was closed! Tomorrow will be their first day.

We are moved out of our house and at the Doubletree in a two room suite (you have to have a suite if you have as many kids as we do!) I love the double tree.. It's clean, the people are nice... our room is on the 17th floor with an amazing view of the Ocean AND Downtown. The kids are having a great time. Chris took Joey and Sophia to the pool this afternoon... we are soaking up every last bit of Hawaii.  This is the same hotel we stayed at when we first arrived on island.. Back in '09.  So much has happened since then!! I have met the most amazing people and  made friends that will be in my heart for the rest of my life. Oahu will always have a special place in my heart.

The movers came Monday, Tuesday and finished up today. Chris and I cleaned the carpets ourselves but are paying the $280 to have the house cleaned.... it's WAY worth it... the cleaning checklist is a mile long and I do not have the time or patience for it!

Tomorrow is our move out inspection, we will hand over our keys and say a final farewell to our beautiful home in paradise.  Our flight leave the island at 10:30pm. We will have a few hours to kill between our inspection (anytime from 8am-12noon) and when we need to be at the airport. Thankfully our really good friends The Emersons have just moved here from Guam and we are going to have dinner with them and they are going to help take us and our 12 suitcases , Dog, Stroller and Car seat to the Airport! 

This week has been super overwhelming. I'm exhausted. 

Tuesday come around and we still have no Orders... I am starting to freak out! Chris has leave from Jan 9th-23rd. That's it! If these orders dont come soon, he won't be able to fly with me to Michigan.  Chris is also wondering where these orders are.... he was told they'd be here the first of January.

Chris calls the detailer. Detailer is out of the office. Chris talks to  Detailer #2... D2 tells us that "due to budgetary issues the orders won't be out until the END OF FEBRUARY".  WHAT???

The rest of Wednesday I try not to freak out and realize that if orders won't be here then we aren't moving. Simple as that. I frantically scramble around and try to undo everything that I had done to prepare for our move. For instance.. tell the housing office that we would NOT be moving out and please don't give our house away!!
And pray to God that paper I signed saying that we were going to be moving out in January doesn't actually mean I HAVE to move out it January!

So Wednesday was stressful and not a very fun day. 

Thursday I drive Chris to work. When I get home he calls and tells me.... His Orders Have Arrived.
What??  I am just glad they are here. Today was spent running around .. EVERYWHERE. I scheduled our pack-out for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The move-out inspection is Thursday morning. Chris was able to take a couple hours away from the boat and schedule our flights. We all fly off island on Thursday night. Hawaii to LA to Chicago to Grand-Rapids. Since we are not flying to our next duty station, but to Michigan to visit family we had to pay $2,000 out of pocket to make up for the cost difference. Still a pretty good price to fly all of us off Island. Lucy has her own seat from Hawaii to LA, but the is will be a "lap baby". As in CHRIS'S LAP BABY. (not mine!) We will get to Michigan Friday at 6:30pm.

I can't believe it all fell into place. Quite the miracle actually.  This weekend will be spend taking apart furniture and organizing things for the movers to the packout goes smoothly.

Nothing like  an Promotion to ring in the new year! Chris put on Lieutenant today!  Congratulations Lieutenant Schmitt!!!





Above and below: Joey puts on one insignia and I put on the other.



The Schmitt Family, January 1st 2012.



The Schmitt Family, January 1st 2012




I love his smile!