Heavy on pictures, not so much on content

Here we are, moved and living in Tennessee, feeling all grown-up, and waking up each morning wondering whose house we fell asleep in. We usually realize it's ours (only to rent, thank God)! But why is there no quilt or comforter on the bed? Oh yes, we also have a small child that methodically pees on our bed every time we change the covers. (Mental note: find small child and change diaper.) No, the kid does not sleep in our bed with us (we see plenty of each other during the day for pete's sake), but the lotion and dressing part of his after-bath bedtime routine take place on our bed and the 3.5 seconds he's naked with no towel cover, he uses to wet our bed. No harm there! Just gotta find a laundromat ASAP because we're all out of covers and Steve's sleeping bag is not the ideal situation for us!

Steve graduated (oh yes he did!) on Thursday as the Army's newest (well, one of the 55 newest) Transportation officers!

Getting pinned!

Singing the Transportation Song (yes, they have a theme song, and no, it's not "Wheels on the Bus" although I thought that would be mighty appropriate)

Our Sam and another Sam (Samantha) - born a few days apart in Virginia

I swear he was a well-behaved child during the actual ceremony. And yes, he's totally outgrown that outfit and the 6-month clothes were already packed!!

New, cool, shiny, well-deserved Transpo pin

Goodbye Ft Lee! I did not even bother to take a picture of your gate as I was leaving because you are such an awful post and I am not looking forward to seeing you again in three-ish years for Captain's Career Course!

Due to messed-up plans, Sam's jumperoo was left in PA for a week and a half. It was sorely missed! We got to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's house at 10:30pm. Sam jumped for half an hour straight and then passed out.

And after play-time came packing-time. What a hassle.... Coming face-to-face with everything you own makes you think twice about keeping the half-written diary from the 5th-grade, among other things. But now that everything fits nicely into our new place, it almost seems worth the struggle it took to get it all here. I'm very grateful that the Army will be moving us to our next home (and also have a new-found appreciation for moving men).

Classy, right? We're the ones from south Alabama and this here ain't no yard sale-- unless you happen to see something you like, in which case I would be happy to entertain your offers.

A lady from the Neighborhood Watch actually stopped Steve to see if he was robbing his parents' house. A lady who has lived next door to them since Steve was living at home... Um, Neighborhood Watchers should probably get to know their neighbors in order to more effectively "watch" the neighborhood. (Does anyone else think we are parked a little far away from the house to rob the place efficiently?) Where's the pink robe when you need it???

Anywho, we eventually got everything loaded up and Steve and his dad made the trip out the TN/KY over two days' time, while Wendy, Sam, and I followed on Sunday. It was a pretty drive through western Virginia, but now I totally understand why people talk about Virginia being a true part of the south. Where we were living (just south of Richmond), it didn't feel too redneck or country, but after stopping for dinner in western Virginia, I realized that it is SO REDNECK. (Sorry Wendy, I know you probably don't approve of my sharing this story..)
Stopped at random exit in western VA. Got gas and were trying to figure out where the Sonic was. Wendy pulled down the window to ask a lady at the gas station for directions.

Wendy: "Excuse me, do you live here?"
Snaggletooth: "Well, I don't live here, but I live a couple streets over that-a-way."
Wendy: "Ok, but do you know where the Sonic is?"
Snaggletooth: "Oh yeah. The Sonic. You just uh take a left on this here road and go down a little ways, and then um, it'll be on, uh, the driver's side."
Wendy (very polite): "Alright, thank you!"
Jenn (in backseat trying real hard not to bust out laughing before she gets the window rolled up): "Driver's side means LEFT!! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!"

Wendy was too nice to make fun of her, so that conversation ended pretty quickly, although I can't imagine how long we'd have talked about it had Steve been in the car with us.
We eventually made it to Nashville, and then to Clarksville, and finally to Fort Campbell.

Nice place to stay. I highly recommend it. Sam enjoyed all of the amenities provided, like the baby bottles of lotion, shampoo, soap, soft pillows, multiple lights hanging from the ceiling, and obviously the free shower caps.

We rented a house the next day in a cookie-cutter neighborhood because it was the last freakin' house available in this area (thanks to our move lining up with the moves of most of Fort Campbell coming back from overseas). It is nice, and we know we're lucky to score this place. Unfortunately, I have been slightly (what's the word...) busy? unloading things and unpacking so I haven't yet taken a picture of the house. But as soon as the weather clears up, I will snap a photo of the front for your viewing pleasure.

I have to add that moving this far with a 4-month-old would not have been possible without Steve's parents. They drove, babysat, loaded, unloaded, cleaned, and were the biggest help in us getting settled into our new place. Things got tense at times (i.e., fitting that beast of a crib around the corner and through the door), but they always kept their cool and their patience. And Steve, Sam, and I appreciate what you've done for us and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!! We love y'all. Hopefully your next visit out here will be less labor-intensive and more focused on fun.