3 years

Today is Ryan and my third anniversary. Three years ago, we said our wedding vows in front of 19 of our closest friends and family on a freezing cold winter day in New Hampshire. Three years ago, we dedicated our lives to each other, and we haven't looked back. It's been a true adventure being married to this man. 

In three years together, we've lived in two homes, two states together, welcomed two children, bought our first house, adopted a dog, weathered two promotions, a TDY to Korea, WOCs, BOLC, roadtrips and so much more. It hasn't always been easy, but it's been perfect and the best sort of work that one can do. Marriage is such a beautiful balance of two people - two lives - merging into one, and I'm so grateful that I've been blessed to do so with this man.

Together, we've run two half marathons. We went to Mexico and the Bahamas. We visited Quebec City and Toronto, and we've explored our current home state of New York. We've done some home improvements like adding a back porch with pergola and transitioned to a healthy-eating lifestyle. We challenge each other to be better, and that's why this marriage works so well.

Ryan, thank you for choosing me. Every time I see you with our boys, it reaffirms what I already know - you are our rock. I'm so grateful to have you, to love you and to spend all of eternity with you and our little family. Most of all though, I want you to know that you're my hero...truly. You give so much of yourself to not only us, but to your country, and I am so proud to be your wife. 

Happy anniversary, my love.

trips to tempe

It's so crazy to think that this newlywed season of our life is quickly coming to a close, and while I have somewhat mixed feelings about that, I also feel so undeniably blessed to be sharing it with the man I love more than anything. The countdown to baby Moore is on, and I'm uncomfortable as anything these days, but I wouldn't trade a second of this experience for anything. Ryan's been a rock for me...loving, caring, making me laugh and infusing me with this unbelievable excitement for our little peanut, when I might have otherwise only been nervous. I am so happy to be with my best friend through all of this.

Since our time as just a twosome is winding down, we took a trip up to Tempe this weekend to visit my brother-in-law's sister, Rachel - we just call her our sister. She was visiting to cheer on her boyfriend, Josh, who was racing in the Ironman Arizona this past weekend. So, we hopped in the car, dutifully did the 3 hour drive to Tempe  and spent a day with Rachel and wishing Josh the best of luck. (And yes, he did complete it...in just over 12 hours!)

You know, I whine and complain a lot about how uncomfortable I am. I whimpered about the Braxton Hicks for most of the latter half of our drive up. I complained how nothing fit, and I felt like a whale. But here's the thing...I am so, so lucky, and that hasn't escaped me one bit. I think that, if anything, I'm just more than ready to hold this squirmy little bean outside of me. And yet, we're savoring these last moments of just us. We are so, so, so excited.

tombstone, arizona

While my parents were in town last week, we figured it was time to knock a few little things off our burgeoning Arizona bucket list and drive out to Tombstone - one of the most wild, wild west little towns complete with authentic details. My father is a big history buff, which made it a special little trip for him, as well, and it's only about a 30 minute car ride from Sierra Vista. 

^^^ 2 PM gunfight at the OK Corral

In all honesty, I didn't really know what to expect from Tombstone. It's a very old, quaint and historically-restored little town, but it's definitely living solely on a tourist market, which was kind of a downfall for us. I think we kind of hoped that it would be more like an historic district where we could kind of browse by ourselves and really soak in the sights, learn the history and see it for ourselves. 

Instead, we did about an hour walk-around, hid from the rain under the old awnings and then we called it a day. There were a lot of little touristy shops where you can buy trinkets, and they do put on a reenactment of the OK Corrall gunfight, but you have to pay and watch the show indoors. Color us crazy, but that's not really what we had in mind, so we absconded. We bought ourselves the most amazing sarsaparilla instead and just enjoyed a browse through one of Arizona's most charming (and touristy) towns.

Aren't my parents just the cutest?! Seriously though. Anyway, that was our little trip to Tombstone - easily done in an hour or less. We have some exciting news in the next few days, and I'll be recapping the awesomeness that was my baby shower :)

family is love

This weekend has been such a whirlwind…in the best possible way. For those of you that follow me on instagram, you probably saw that my family pulled off the world's best surprise for my baby shower. My parents were supposed to fly into Phoenix on Saturday morning, so Ryan and I got up early and drove up to meet them in the city. It's a long drive, and Ryan wasn't feeling well, but we did it and I got there as unsuspecting as ever. Little did I know, they brought my sisters with them. 

^^^ Nikki, Kristina & myself

I am not the easiest person to surprise, guys. I'm a planner. I need to know what's happening at all times…especially lately. Somehow though, Ryan, my parents, my amazing friend Amanda and my sisters managed to pull this off though, and my sisters and I were reunited for the baby shower. And yes…baby Moore even cooperated and kicked for them :)

I have to do a full post on the baby shower, as well as both my parents' and sisters' visits, but for now, I can't get past how amazing these past few days have been. Getting to share this pregnancy, this duty station and this town with my family has been such a blessing, and I'm so grateful to my friends and my wonderful husband for making this happen. We enjoyed a few days of exploring the mountains, hiking, sharing meals and just loving our time with one another. So, for now, I leave you with just a couple more snapshots.

^^^ the view from old post of Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca

^^^ Nikki and Kristina

weekends at ramsey canyon

^^^ 29 weeks 2 days at ramsey canyon, hereford, arizona

A couple friends of Ryan and mine asked if I could do a little favor for them and take some family pictures this past weekend at Ramsey Canyon and, wanting to get a few more miles on my legs for the day, I readily agreed. Ramsey Canyon is in Hereford, Arizona…just about 10 miles South of Sierra Vista. And the best part? It's green. I have an inkling we might even see fall foliage there in a little bit! 

Tell me that isn't that cutest family you've ever seen. Art and Shelby took really good care of me while Ryan was gone, and little Kapri kept me highly entertained throughout. I can say it here because nobody knows about this blog, but Shelby recently found out they're expecting baby number 2, so we got a few little announcement photos for them, too. I'm no great photographer, but it was fun to just do this for friends with no pressure or real strings attached. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get some sweet pictures of baby Moore when he or she comes along.

In other news, it's a big week here in the Moore household. My parents are flying in this coming Saturday morning to spend some time with us before heading up to Sedona, my 30-week appointment (a little early) is coming up on Wednesday and we're trying to make our house look as presentable as possible for the baby shower our friend Amanda is throwing for us on Sunday. Here's to what's (hopefully) going to be a great week!

summer in arizona (is hot)

It's not even the throes of summer yet here in Arizona, but it is hot, my friends.
I will never understand why Fort Huachuca doesn't open its outdoor pools until Memorial Day, as well,
because as far as I'm concerned...it's been  hot since I got here in February.
Regardless, finally, the pool is opening next week,
and I fully intend to beach myself (see what I did there?) by the pool to work after my morning swim every day.

The countdown is on to Ryan's departure for WOCs now, which I'm dreading,
so we're doing our best to enjoy as much of Arizona as possible before he leaves and before I get uncomfortable.
We've been taking little evening trips to Bisbee, and we did a short hike to the Peace Wall,
which was awesome, but I can't tell you how winded I was by the end of a tiny little hike.

Other than the occasional hike outside though, most of my workouts have had to move indoors.
Once the outdoor pool is open, I'll do an early morning swim there every day,
but right now, running, biking and swimming are all indoor activities.

I found that being pregnant both dehydrates me crazy fast, and makes me lose my breath insanely fast.
When I run on a treadmill, I'm able to better hydrate myself and monitor my heart rate,
which is definitely something I've had to listen to better.
I don't have the best history of listening to my body during workouts, so this is a whole new ballgame.

There will be an exception for me this weekend though.
Ryan's company is hosting a cross-country 5K on Saturday, and seeing that I'm only 11 weeks right now,
I fully intend to get out there, support my husband and do the race.
Do I think I'll actually race? No.
Will I do my best to do a light jog the entire time? Yes.

I've also been adding in a bit more light weight training again to boost my metabolism and keep some muscle.
I've modified a bunch of the workouts, but I'm proud to see I still did tabata handstand push-ups!
That won't last long though once the second trimester rolls around.
On the days that I don't want to do a longer run, bike, or elliptical though, I've been working in these movements:

^^^ images via here, here and here

I've been reading a lot of books and articles that remind women that we're pregnant, not powerless,
and I freaking love that.
Yes, I'm giving up my body for this baby for the duration of this pregnancy,
but I have a say in it, as well, and I can remain as healthy as I want to be.
I think that that knowledge is what will help me get through this pregnancy healthily and happily :)

a weekend at the air show

Since discovering we have a little nugget on the way,

Ryan and I have been making a point of going out and exploring all that Arizona has to offer while we can.

It's something we'd planned when we were dating anyway - explore the areas in which we live -

but it's so easy to forget that and fall into a lazy routine.

So, instead, we packed our sunscreen and headed up to Davis Monthan Air Force Base for the show this weekend.

It was hot as balls this weekend up in Tucson,

but we decided to brave the heat anyway, and we headed up with a couple friends of ours

since the Thunderbirds were slated to perform at 2 PM.

Side note - when they say 2PM, they mean 2:45 PM because they haven't even done their pre-flight stuff 

before the Transformers music starts playing to get everybody pumped up.

Regardless of that though, we spent our afternoon

witnessing some pretty incredible aerobatics, and Ryan spent his afternoon wishing he'd joined the Air Force.

(Although he's really proud to be a pilot for the Army instead!)

I'm sad to say the only real picture I have from the Thunderbirds performance is on my instagram

because I gave up on using the DSLR by the time they started flying.

I finally started to realize yesterday that being pregnant means I don't have all the energy I used to.

Because of the heat, early rising, no nap and a general lack of hydration,

I am paying the price of our fun yesterday,

and I'm feeling like butt today. 

So, I'm going to spend my day in my pajamas, reading blogs and generally being lazy.

they promised me a pregnancy glow

I'm crossing my fingers and toes because besides heartburn & cramps,

morning sickness really hasn't kicked my butt too hard yet (though I might regret saying this later.
I've been working hard to get in the gym every single day that I emotionally can
because I've made a lot of health and fitness progress this year that I don't want to lose.

I've learned that pregnancy isn't all glows and beautiful baby bumps though,
and I'm a big fan of being one hundred percent honest here on the blog,
so bear with me while I reveal some of the not-so-pretty truths about pregnancy, too.

^^^ images via 

Mood swings are par for the course.
Yesterday, I was having a bad hair day, which quickly escalated into a full-scale meltdown
in which I became convinced that Ryan would leave me after I got "fat and ugly."
Bless him, he held his laughter in until after he left the room.

Flatulence is an everyday occurrence.
It's disgusting, my friends, but it's a truth worth sharing.
Growing a human has made me into a farting machine,
and though I blame it on our baby, which we call "the ficus,"
there's really no hiding the fact that it's just not a pretty side effect.

Exhaustion is always lurking around the corner - everywhere I go.
It doesn't matter if I have 8, 10 or 12 hours of sleep, it never seems to be enough.
Our little ficus has disrupted my sleeping habits and makes me wake up 4+ times a night to pee,
plus apparently 2 AM is an appropriate time to be wide awake.

But, there are some wonderful things about pregnancy, too, I promise!
I swear to you that my skin has never looked better.
My nails are strong and pretty (ready for a spa day this weekend,)
My appetite has diminished, which means I pay less for groceries for Ryan and I.
Annnndddd many naps = many cuddles with my crazy kitties:

^^^ this is a weekly thing, my friends. he gets a frappe...she drinks the frappe with him

We decided to start documenting the bump, or lack thereof, next week,
though I'm not sure if I'll share right away because, let's be honest...there's nothing to share yet.
Except the bloat...and gas...which I won't share :)
You're welcome!

quiet weekends are the best

^^^ Old post at Fort Huachuca

We didn't have big plans this past weekend. 

We knew that we needed to do a pretty significant cleaning on Sunday,

and we knew we needed to head up to Tucson for some cruise essentials on Saturday...

and to see the Veronica Mars movie, of course.

Well, let's be honest here.

I kind of dragged the husband to the movie, but he did enjoy it!

On Saturday morning, my calves were still absolutely dying from the running I did last week,

so we decided to go for a long walk/hike instead,

while Ryan rucked alongside me, since he's preparing for WOCs.

We ended up hiking about 5 miles around post, exploring old post and getting to soak in some of the history.

It was so quiet, so relaxed and so fun.

If you'd asked me a few months ago what I liked to do on weekends,

I probably would have said that I'd do anything to stay busy.

These days, I'm all about the little, quiet, simple weekends with him...

and it's great.

In other news though, it's just 6 more days until Ryan and I head off on our cruise!

We booked some shore excursions through my company this weekend (great deals, I tell you),

and we're so excited to explore another country and get some stamps on our passports this year.

We'll be swimming with dolphins in Puerto Vallarta, learning to make salsa in Cabo and ziplining in Mazatlan.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't get much better than that.

putting the miles on my legs

About a month ago, I could barely run, and I was living in a frozen state in which it was difficult to run outside.

These days, however, I'm running nearly every other day outside in Arizona...

and I'm actually loving it! 

Who would've thought that was even possible?

When I first started running, I could barely do a full mile.
Granted, Sierra Vista is at altitude, but it was a huge blow to my ego and to my hope to run a half this year.
However, I found that by putting more miles - slow and steady - on my legs each week,
I have more energy, I have more stamina, and I actually think it's a possibility now.
And, the real kicker is that I'm actually enjoying running.

For your viewing pleasure, this was actually my first run upon moving to Fort Huachuca:

I was really proud of those numbers, too, because I remember how much the first few steps hurt,
and I told Ryan that I didn't think I'd even make it a single mile.
I made it a mile and a half that day, and now I'm up to 3...fairly comfortably.

I'm more comfortable going out at an even pace now,
and I finally feel like I'm not on a death march in the final legs of any given run.
This past Sunday, with Ryan cheering me on, I did my first 3-mile run all by myself - not in a race -
and I was really proud of the result!

I'm using Endomondo to track my mileage, my pace and my distance,
and I supplement twice a week with interval runs on the treadmill.
I have new running shoes and an incredible FitBit Flex, both of which are a Godsend,
but I'll say that I'm still struggling with shinsplints a bit, which sucks.
So, I'm mixing things up now and getting myself back in the pool, which is awesome.

I'm so thankful for all of you guys' encouragement and sweet words as of late...
they've been much-needed, and Ryan and I really appreciate them.
Things are looking up though, and I'm excited to keep seeing the positives all around!

there's something about arizona

When I moved here over a month ago, I was certain that I was going to hate this state.

As it turns out, Arizona has a certain charm to it that I didn't actually believe was possible. 

Ryan and I went through a pretty significant personal trauma the past week, 

and as we're working through the fallout of that, we're enjoying long walks together 

and just taking in these moments as a couple.

I've only been married for just over two months, but I've learned a few of the most valuable lessons in life.

1. We can't predict the future, but we can control  how we deal with what happens.

2. We are partners through all of this, regardless of how we might feel any given day.

3. This man is a Godsend, dealing with my emotions, calming me and loving me unconditionally.

Life isn't easy, and it certainly isn't always fair,

but we are so blessed to have each other through all of the uncertainties in life.

And, we're getting ready to head off on our cruise in less than two weeks.

A little rest and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered,

and we can't wait to feel our spirits lift again :)

local product box swap: pennsylvania

I'm a day late posting this because real life has thrown Ryan and I for a loop the past couple days

(more on that later...I promise),

but I recently participated in the Local Product Box Swap that Jess, Kelli and Miranda organized.

And, as luck would have it, Jess was also my partner for the swap!

This super-cool bloggy friend lives in Pennsylvania, so I was super lucky to get a little taste of home

with all the little treats she sent.

With each item, she gave me a little backstory about the local products and why she sent them,

so I could tell how much thought and effort she put into all of it (thanks, Jess!)

Let me just say...I already used that bath bomb (trust me - much needed),

and it was incredible. 

Jess, you're a saint, and I can't thank you enough for helping organize this thing!

It really helped me to get out and enjoy Arizona a little more while we're here.

Plus, I really just want to eat all that jam straight from the jar...with a spoon right now ;)

the positives - arizona edition

Today, I'm linking up with The Positives, a weekly feature over on Kaysie's blog, A Day of K. Since Mondays are generally the bane of my existence, I figured this would be a great way to recognize all those little positive things going on in my life right now. If you want to participate, too, just head over and link up every Monday!

1. A brand new home to live in. Ryan and I moved in together, officially, last Tuesday. We have little to no furniture at all, but we're having a lot of fun making this little house our home - even if it is only for one year.

2. Kale and fruit smoothies in the morning. Ryan usually heads off to PT at around 4:45 every morning. I get up to work remotely from about 5:30 on, and I make kale and fruit smoothies for us to enjoy in the morning before he heads off for a day of work. They're delicious, nutritious and fun because we finally have a little routine down.

3. The fun little trip to Sedona with my mums. Honestly, I've been pretty bummed on the idea of Arizona for a while now, so it was really nice to see that there is this whole gorgeous side of Arizona that I didn't even know existed.

4. Being able to go outside and run in the middle of February. I've been in New Hampshire for the past three years, and I've been unable to run outside because of the snow and ice since probably early November. I went out in a tank top and shorts yesterday though, and I did a cool little 2 mile loop. There's nothing like being able to enjoy the weather all year 'round!

5. Furniture shopping. Ryan and I are just starting to look at furniture to buy and refinish, which we are are so excited to do together. We bought a dining table and chairs over the weekend, which we're going to sand down and paint a dark cherry wood color. I'll be sure to post before and afters of that :)

fridays in sedona

My mother and I left Fort Huachuca for Sedona late Thursday afternoon 

to spend some time with good family friends from our swimming youth in New Jersey.

My good friends, Rebecca and Rita, swam with us until Reb went to SoCal prior to her first Olympics,

and with Rita studying in Texas, 

their parents, whom we were visiting, found that Arizona was the place for them.

Sedona is an absolutely stunning area of the West.

The red rocks, the culture and the beautiful painted sunsets were to die for.

^^^ Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona

Though we didn't get to see Reb or Rita this time around,

it was lovely to see the people who were pretty much our second parents for a good while.

Plus, it was so fun to see this new area of Arizona that I don't really know,

and it was a lot of fun to see that Arizona can actually be pretty darn gorgeous.

Ryan hasn't even visited Sedona yet, so I totally one-upped him there!

We explored main street and the Native American stores, all the while just soaking in the sights.

^^^ So many colors and strange things at the stores in Sedona

^^^ Sedona is a very rich wild, wild West

^^^ View from Chapel of the Holy Cross

We didn't get to explore Sedona as much as we might have liked because I was busy working,

and we only had one day with them,

but we really enjoyed having the time to see some of this strange, fun new area of the country.

It's definitely a place I'll have to visit again - for longer!

adventures can be overwhelming

As you know, I just barely arrived at our new little house at Fort Huachuca,

but I left my poor husband again last night.

My mother is flying back to the East coast tomorrow,

so we took the opportunity to drive up to Sedona to visit some family friends

before I take her to Phoenix to the airport tomorrow.

Much like yesterday and the day before,

I'm a little overwhelmed.

I texted Ashley, as I always do, that life seems to be a little too much right now.

There's too much in flux, too much undetermined, and we're not settled yet.

It's a very off sort of feeling.

And yet, at the same time,

I know that once I've dropped my mother off, reality will sink in.

This is for real.

I've moved to Arizona to start my life with Ryan.

Part of me thinks I'm crazy for selling my belongings, 

picking up my little life and my pets from New Hampshire

 and traveling to a whole different area in the US to be with the one I love.

As overwhelming and terrifying as this is,

I'm excited, as well. 

There are so, so many adventures to be had, so many pictures to be taken,

so many memories to be created

and so much life yet to be lived.

All of these things make the stress and the moving worth it.

Plus, come tomorrow morning, I'll be back at Fort Huachuca with my man!

We're looking at furniture this weekend,

cooking yummy meals in our new kitchen and hosting some new friends!

I'll be sure to document Sedona tomorrow because it is stunning.

Until then, here's to living in the moment and loving those crazy adventures.

a house to call home

Well, we did it - we made it to Arizona!

It was a long and arduous, to say the least, but we were so happy to arrive late Tuesday night.

Our house on post is honestly just to die for.

The place is so clean, so fresh and we're definitely ready to make it ours…

for the next year, at least.

^^^ the view from our backyard

I was pretty overwhelmed yesterday getting back online to work remotely,

try and start up a routine with Ryan while my mother is still in town,

and try to get the essentials for our house (i.e...kitchen supplies) because we have no furniture yet.

We're going to start looking for furniture this weekend,

but we're going to take our time getting what we want and need to make it a home.

I plan on doing a full house tour in about a month's time,

once we've had the chance to somewhat furnish and decorate our place.

^^^ the view from our front stoop

For now though, I'm really enjoying that I have both a front porch and a back porch.

I have a kitchen with a gas stove and a huge pantry.

I have a separate dining area that I can't wait to utilize.

And, most of all, I'm happy that Ryan and I actually have a place to call home.

We're pretty darn blessed!

rollin' down the highway

Bear with me, please, lovely bloggy friends!

We left New Hampshire super early on Saturday morning, 

and we made it to Memphis, Tennessee last night (despite the snow!)

We're hoping to be in Abilene, Texas tomorrow night,

and we have a crazy long day on Tuesday, 

but we should make it to Sierra Vista, Arizona by late afternoon.

It's a crazy long trip of about 2,700 miles, 

and I must say that I'm absolutely exhausted.

I will definitely recap all the madness of the journey when I'm back on Wednesday,

so pretty please bear with me while I'm gone!

Oh, and also, please pray that my car decides to keep on keeping on.

We had a really rough start,

and it's pretty horrific even in hindsight.

More on that later, of course.

But for now,

I love all your faces, 

and I'll be back with fun, picture-filled blogs on Wednesday…

and pictures of the house. :)

packing is the bane of my existence

Today is officially my first day working from home.

Today is also the day that I'm running around like a crazy person getting things done.

Two days from now, my mother and I will be on the road,

so the list of things that needs to be done today is…extensive…shall we say.

The trailer hitch is being installed today.

The couch, desk and bookshelves are all being picked up by their new owners today.

I have to make a massive Salvation Army run.

The giant old-ass TV needs to be taken to the dump today, too.

Oh yeah, and I need to finish packing and do laundry.

It's a freaking lot.

Ryan and I were talking last night about stress and letting the little things get to us though,

and I loved it because it really put everything into perspective.

All these things are temporary.

The stress, the drama, the fatigue and feeling overwhelmed…

it will all pass, and when it does, we'll feel better than ever.

It's hard to remember sometimes, but it is so, so important.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me today that I manage to maintain my sanity!

I'll try to post something more exciting before we start traveling tomorrow,

but right now…this is my life :)

Love all of your encouraging selves.

some office inspiration

Ryan signed for our house on post yesterday!

I managed to convince the hubs to send me a plethora of pictures,

and I have to say that we really lucked out - especially as newlyweds just looking for a place to call home.

The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a huge open-concept kitchen, a backyard,

a 2-car garage and a walk-in closet in the master.

Honestly, for Army housing, we are really, really happy.

Once I'm there next week, I promise I'll some picture of our new house,

but let's be honest, the pictures he sent were...quickly snapped and not the best quality.

I think that the thing I'm most excited about is starting with a completely blank slate.

One of the three bedrooms will be my office at home,

and I can't wait to really put my stamp on it and make it mine.

The only real decision I've made thus far is that there will be one whole chalkboard wall.

Think of it like a life-sized to do calendar. 

Other than that, I've been scouring Pinterest for some inspiration,

and I think I've got a pretty clear idea of what I'm looking for.

images via here, here and here.

Since we won't be in our house for more than a year,

we won't be painting any of the walls,

which gives me a clear idea of how to make this office my own.

I'm leaning towards bright, clean and fresh whites with pops of pastel colors and gold.

For the most part, our house will be pretty neutral,

but I wanted my office to be a really sweet, fun and feminine sanctuary. 

I've decided that I want to buy a unique desk/table and refinish it myself,

then I'll design the room, including the textiles, around the desk because I hope for it to be a great accent.

There is something so amazing about starting with a completely blank slate.

We can't wait!

notes on packing and moving

I'm ashamed to say that I've packed very little for my upcoming move thus far. 

In all honesty, there's a bit of a catch-22 here.

I need to pack my stuff that I'm taking so I don't stress in the 11th hour.

However, I can't pack all the stuff I'm taking because the only stuff I'm taking is the stuff I really need.

I've sold most of my furniture, 

which was a decision that Ryan and I came to after I snagged the free couch.

I managed to sell that free couch for $130 because I'm obviously a genius,

and my dresser was picked up on Saturday.

Now, it looks like the bookshelves and the desk will be picked up on Thursday.

Then, I pretty much need to wrangle all my books, my clothes and all my kitchen supplies.

Oh yeah, and the cat tree because that's going to be one of our few pieces of furniture next week.

Ryan and I are only going to be in our house in Sierra Vista for 11 months before we PCS,

so while I'm crazy excited to buy and refinish furniture for our new place,

I hesitate to really put our stamp on the place because, well, we're going to have to leave again.

We've started looking at decorating our next place though,

and I'm so glad to have a husband that generally trusts my design sense. 

Perhaps the thing I'm most excited for in the new house, however, is having my own office at home.

I can't wait to make it a really comfortable little sanctuary,

especially because it's where I'll be spending most of my days.

Despite all this excitement though, 

I really thought I'd be more nervous to pick up and move on again.

I took tons of boxes to Goodwill and Salvation Army this weekend -

stuff I've accumulated through the past three moves that I thought I couldn't part with...

decorations, trinkets, clothes, a ton of books that I no longer read.

And yet, I felt almost liberated getting rid of everything.

It's like a clean slate that Ryan and I get to start with anew, and it's so crazy refreshing.

Have you ever donated or gotten rid of most of your stuff, only to feel crazy happy about it?

I might be insane, but it's probably the best thing I've ever done for myself.