Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Goodbye Military Life, Hello Civilian Life

So about a year ago, last April...maybe it was May I can't remember. Anyway my husband was receiving a medal and we were on our way to the ceremony. I was meeting my husband at the front gate of the base and he said to me. So I just got a call and I've been turned down for my re enlistment package. I seriously thought he was kidding, I got after him for it not being funny. Unfortunetly it was not a joke. We had about 3 months to figure out what we were going to do for a job. We were angry. They were supposed to give us about 9 months notice not 3, they technically weren't supposed to turn him down because he still hadn't been able to be looked at for a promotion. He should have had a chance to be looked at before being denied re enlistment. We had been in the Marine Corps for 10 years and just like that we were done. We miss military life everyday!
  So we moved back home with my parents while Wayne looked for a new job. Fortunately he was able to get a job with Union Pacific Railroad. Luckily they love to hire former military. He started his training in October and just finished in March. The kids and I lived with my parents while Wayne did his training. Wayne and I went house hunting a few times unsuccessfully in the Brighton Colorado area. The housing market is SO competitive there that by the time we decided we wanted to put a bit in it would already be gone! So we saw a cute house for sale on the internet in the Greeley Colorado area and we loved it from the pictures so we put a bid in before we even looked at it! CRAZY I know, but we were afraid by the time Wayne would get a chance to go down it would be gone. But we got the House! The kids and I moved up February 1st and we are loving the new house and the kids have adjusted to school here and are loving it.
 This is our first home we've owned in the 12 ½ years we've been married!!

More Races in Hawaii

Well after our very first obstacle race we just kept going. My first race was the Warrior Dash with Wayne. That was so much fun! After that I did the Surf and Turf, Wayne was on mission so I ran that one alone. I was sick when I ran that one. It was 2 miles on the beach and then the last mile was pretty much all up hill. It was fun though. The next race was our fist ever Spartan race in Hawaii! After that was the Run or Dye which Wayne was on mission so I ran with my 3 kiddos. Matthew and Peyton LOVED it, Mason screamed anytime he got dye on him. Matthew ran the entire 5K and Peyton ran all but the last half mile! They did great!! We finished the year with the 10K turkey trot on base. I finally got to run with my husband again!
  The next year I ran the Warrior Dash again. Wayne was gone again for that one so I dragged my bestie with me. Thanks for going with me Taylor!! After that Wayne and I ran the fist ever (in Hawaii) Spartan Stadium Race! That was again insane! It was up and down, up and down ect. ect. ect. running over bleachers, up thousands steps and back down. Top to bottom of the aloha stadium. Dragging buckets of water, pulling tires, throwing spears. It was fun. Until I tripped the last 5 minuets of the race! I fell forward and my knee went backwards. It was so painful. The medics didn't want me to finish the race! Yeah right like I was going to quit. I was going to crawl the rest of the race if I had to! I was so mad at them. Finally they wrapped my knee and I hopped through the rest of the race. The kids also ran a Jr Spartan race again and Mason got to run his first Jr Spartan race. They had a blast! Thanks Taylor and Grant for going with us and wrangling all the kids while we ran.