Can you believe we have lived here in Charleston almost 8 months already?? Time just keeps on flying by. We have come to really enjoy being here, but boy it sure took us a while to get used to calling this new place home. We went from high mountain, dry desert, farmland to hot, humid, lowcountry swamps (and beaches).  To say it was different for us would be an understatement. But if the sunshine and beaches aren’t enough to love, we live in the most  beautiful home here on the Navy Base. The houses in our neighborhood are so cute and colorful, but there are only about 3 different layouts. Every time we walk into a neighbor’s house, we always know where to find the bathroom because it’s either exactly the same -- or just backwards.  So funny! It has definitely taken a while to make the inside feel a little less empty. Not much was needed to fill our little one-bedroom apartment, so we've had a lot of growing to do in the furniture department -- hence our Saturdays have been full of DIY projects and furniture building. We certainly have more than enough space with just the two of us, yet SOMEHOW all 3 bathrooms still manage to get dirty -- haha. But if anyone is dying to come to the Carolinas, you always have a place to stay and whatever is in the fridge is free game! 

Going in and out of the gate can be a hassle sometimes, especially on those dreadful days that I forget my ID, but I would say that the extra security makes the hassle worth it. This base is really big -- so big that you are allowed to hunt in the forests and even fish for sharks! CRAZY.  Just a week or so ago we went exploring and found this really cool pond… and a gator (or three! haha) We live right near a golf course and one of our favorite things is to take an evening stroll through the course with Libby. Whenever she sees a squirrel, she darts across the lawn as fast as she can and chases it up the tree. It’s great for getting out all of her extra energy. There is also a 13-mile mountain bike trail on base-- only it’s lacking the mountain part haha! Libby thinks running alongside us is the best thing ever, until we hit mile 7 and she is about ready to pass out. 

On the work life side of things, I have been staying extra busy with my job at TranSystems, studying for my Professional Engineering License Exam whenever I can squeeze in the time. Landon is on the home stretch of Nuclear Power School -- uhhh can you say Hallelujah?! He started his classes back in January, taking 1-2 exams every week and he has only 4 weeks left! So proud of that boy. I might be even more excited than he is! Recently we found out that he will be put back on hold following graduation on June 17th, which means that aside from having a small duty on base, I get my husband back -- yay!  As we understand it, the program gets backed up and sometimes that requires waiting around for a spot to open up in the next portion of his training. This military life that we have come to know is often full of uncertainties. There will be many times that we won’t know what we will be doing or where we will be in the months ahead, but it has helped us to really live in the moment and to always be prepared for anything at anytime. 

There will always be bad days; trials that seem will never end. My life has been full of crazy curve balls. Be it big or small, I know I have the choice to seek out the happiness amongst the rough times. And when I do, I feel stronger, more confident -- and blessed.