All Our Moves

My last post had me thinking of our moves. 

I first moved to Jacksonville, FL after Chet and I got married in 2006 (Chet had already been in Jacksonville a year). That was my first experience filling out a travel claim, which I had no idea was a thing until someone in my ship’s admin office handed me one to fill out. 

In August 2009 Chet and I moved out of our condo (which we actually still own and rent out) and into a house on the Navy base. It was RIGHT on the beach. 

In September 2010, Baby Sydney and I moved out of the beach house and into a newly built house (still on the Navy base) a few of blocks away (Chet was in Africa, and my dad helped us with that move). They tore down all the beach houses and built new ones.

In July 2011 we moved to Gulfport, MS. Chet’s parents helped us with the drive and the moving van delivery. Lorelei was born three months later.

In March 2014, a few weeks after Ford was born, we moved to Alexandria, VA. Chet’s dad helped him drive the two vehicles (and Sydney and Lorelei) to VA, and my dad helped me vacate our MS house with a fussy Baby Ford in tow.

In April/May 2016, a few weeks after Ruthie was born, we moved to Austin, TX. My dad flew to VA, and he and the kids and I flew to TX together. He also helped me and Baby Ruthie with the moving van delivery and the first few days of unpacking. Chet and his dad drove the vehicles down, and my mom and Papa Dave kept and entertained Sydney, Lorelei, and Ford (ages 6, 4, and 2!) at their house in the midst of it all.

12-ish short months later, in May/June 2017, we moved to Lemoore, CA. Chet went out ahead of us in his truck, AND accepted the moving van delivery on his own. He unpacked every box, and then I flew out to CA for a few days to get things organized. (Didi and Papa Dave kept the kids again.) I flew back to TX, then Chet flew back to TX, and then we all got in the car to drive to CA.

In May/June 2019, we moved to Gulfport, MS, just three doors down from where we lived last time. Chet was still in CA finishing up his job, and Sydney and I left Lorelei, Ford, and Ruthie with Didi and Papa Dave in TX so that she and I (and Papa John again!) could accept the moving van delivery and unpack as much as possible before everyone else arriving. Chet picked up the rest of the kids in TX ok his way from CA to MS.

Now we’re in Jacksonville, FL again, and we decided to tackle the move all together—no splitting up. Did you know Jacksonville is the largest city in the United States, area-wise? We are 40 miles from where we lived last time, so it’s kind of like a whole new town to us (not to mention that a lot can change in 10 years!).