What A Ride!

This weekend has been one of the craziest yet. It has been a wild ride of emotion and stress. I guess that is just soemthing I have to constantly remind myself about the Marine Corps, although this weekend was a first for us, or for anyone for that matter.

As of last week Ethan was getting out of the Marine Corps. He didn't pass the Counter Intel board and we were leaving. Ethan was really upset but we had both come to terms with what was happening. He had a plan to go into the Active Reserves as soon as we got settled in. We had a final inspection date for housing. We had the base decal taken off the car. We had our mail forwarded to our new address in Austin. We had a storage unit waiting for us. Everything was set up and just waiting for us to get home.

We are supposed to be halfway to Texas right now with a 26' moving truck filled with all of our possessions and memories and a car filled with snacks and toys for the two toddlers. We're supposed to be just waking up in Atlanta, grabbing breakfast, and heading back on the road.......but we're not.

Wednesday night the truck was almost completely packed. We had the essentials still in the house, like the mattresses and a few dishes, the shower stuff, etc. Thursday morning Ethan went to work for his last day while Jennifer, Isaac, and I started working our butts off to get the house spotless for the dreaded housing inspection the next morning. Ethan sent me a text telling me to call his work phone. I figured it was something about the moving stuff so I finished cleaning the vent I was working on and I went outside {an empty hardwood floored house echos like crazy when it's empty} and called him.

I sat on the phone on hold for a few minutes. I could hear people in the background and Ethan's voice, but I couldn't make out anything they were saying. Ethan picked up the phone and said "Can'ttalkstoppackingloveyoubye," and hung up. Because he literally said that in one small breath and hung up before I could even say anything, I wasn't sure if he had said "keep packing" or "stop packing." I was a little confused, but I went back to cleaning. I figured if it was that important he would tell me when to call him back and he would explain everything.

About 20 minutes later Ethan calls me on his way home. He told me that a few former SNCOs and higher ups that he used to work for had been working like crazy to get him to be able to re-enlist. Well those people pulled it off amazingly. Ethan has been extended for 2 months past his original EAS to put him into a new FY 2011 EAS so that he can re-enlist (and LAT move) into EOD. It has never been done before as far back as anyone can remember. I sat on the ramp of the moving truck and cried because I was so happy for him. He has been trying to go into EOD since last October, and it is finally happening for him.

So his SSgt and his OIC told him to go home and start unpacking the moving truck. His MSgt called housing and explained the situation so that we could keep our house. They even had half of his office come over to help us get everything inside and situated before the hurricane {which never came} hit. I have been overwhelmed, in a good way, this weekend trying to get our house back together and everything back in order. We had to return the moving truck and get our money back. We had to make sure they weren't going to cancel our cable and internet. Once the holiday is over I've got to change our address back here.

I am so thankful to all the people who helped Ethan out. They have helped us in a major way and I'm not sure if there's even a way to repay them. I just can't say thank you enough.

Ethan's staying active duty!! Next stop Florida....in a few months.



And I have to say that I don't want to have to touch another cardboard box for at least 6 months. :-)