As many of you know, my husband, Michael has served in the United States Army as a Combat Medic for 24 years. After being stationed in El Paso, TX for 6 years, he recently received new orders to report to Yongsan, South Korea this summer. This was obviously a shock in so many ways as we assumed that he would finish out his career here in TX (he only has a little over 2 years till he retires).
Our first reaction was simply "you have GOT to be kidding me?" Nope, no joke...its real....its the Army and if theres one thing I have learned it is that you never assume anything. The Army has a great way of giving you that rude wake up call that you hope you will never get. No snooze button on this....we are going to Korea!!!!
We have experienced so many emotions since we first received the news....lost, confused, worried, scared, concerned...you name it and we have felt it. We have had some time to think about this move and realize that this is an opportunity that God has given us and we need to put our trust and faith in Him. Since that realization, we have become pretty excited about the new experiences that will come our way. We are looking forward to exposing our children to a new culture and a new awareness of the world around them. We will continue to home school all 5 of them and I am excited to start incorporating Korean culture and history into our studies.
The children have just recently learned of our PCS (permanent change of station) and were shocked at first. Jacob's first reaction was excitement because he loves new things and new cultures. He has since expressed a bit of sadness because of the fact that he will be leaving his dad here in the states and his Chinese Water Dragon, Drako, will have to take up temporary residence in Roswell, NM until we return. Kaitlyn expressed worry about what will happen to her guinea pig, Reece, but was relieved to know that he too will be residing with the lizard at her dads house. Kaden was emotional about the news because he loves El Paso and doesn't do well with change but he has become more and more excited and interested in the Korean culture and knows that this is an opportunity that we have to make the best of. His main concern was that his Bearded Dragon, Max would be able to find a temporary home. Grace was probably the most emotional because she didn't quite understand what was happening and she was afraid she wasn't going to be able to participate in Girl Scouts. She was reassured that the post in South Korea offers the same opportunities as here in the states and is now content with the move. Olivia is still pretty young to understand what is happening and she usually takes cues from her older sisters. If they are happy then she is happy. Kaden, Grace, and Oliva are sad because they have to leave their Kansas family but were reassured that they will still be coming to the states to visit them. All 5 children have done remarkably well with the news and have been reading about South Korea in books and online, They are very excited to visit the museums and experience the culture outside of post.
The most emotional part for me is leaving my NM, NH, and KS family. My mom has been my rock since the day I was born and I am not sure how I will handle not being able to see her as often as I am used to. I know she is always a phone call or Skype away but its not the same as feeling the comfort of her hugs. My step dad, Bob....I will miss his dry humor and clever attempts to make me laugh. Joking aside, he has always been a source of guidance and clarity when things become cloudy for me. My grandparents have been such a huge part of my life that I cant imagine not seeing them like I am used to but I am so blessed that I still have them with me.
My NH family, although I do not see them as often as I would like, will be missed as well. I was fortunate enough to be able to see my dad, step mom Cheryl, sister and Karen (and others) a couple times this past year. Even though the circumstances surrounding my visits were difficult it was still nice to be able to hug them and tell them in person how much I love and care for them. God blessed my dad with an amazing gift and continues to strengthen his heart and his health. I'm not sure what I would do without my Dad. There is nothing like a daddy's hug to make all your worries go away. I love you Dad.
Our KS family.........we will miss all of our family. I have been very lucky to have such a great relationship with my mother and sister in law. They are always there when we need them and their strength continues to amaze me. We will miss our older boys, Matt, Tim, and Chris very much but hope to be able to see them before we leave. Our strengthened relationship with them has been such a blessing and we are so proud of all three of them. Marika...even though we haven't met yet, we already miss you sweetie. Erica we will miss you and Jesseka as well. Take care of our baby girl and give her lots of kisses from us.
Michael....well those of you who know Michael, know that he doesn't get too upset about things that he cannot change and although I know he will miss our families as much as I will, he continues to be my rock. We are taking one day at a time and trusting that the Lord will carry us through. We are very thankful for our understanding family and friends and appreciate all your thoughts and prayers as we continue on this amazing adventure.
