The cost of a PCS

What does an overseas PCS (permanent change of station) cost?  

It costs giving up all the liquids in your house - things like oils, household cleaners, bath soap, nail polish and any other opened bottle.  It also costs all your candles or things that can melt, batteries and random things that add up.  It costs getting cleaning out your house and not taking 1/3 of your household goods and explaining to your kids they can only take so much.  It costs uprooting your kids from their preschool, friends and sense or normal.  It costs giving up driving up to your parents for the weekend or calling them for help when emergencies come up.  It costs leaving the people you have lived life with and become good friends with.

BUT - what do we get in return?

We get the adventure of a lifetime! We get to show our children other cultures and open their eyes to things they would never experience in America.  We get to get outside of our comfort zone and see God move in our lives.  We get the chance to make friends we would never have met.  And most of all Jon gets to be called my dream achiever!!  Earlier in our married life I tried to convince Jon we should camp around America before getting jobs but he mentioned we might need money for that.  So we went the more responsible way of getting jobs but I did call him my dream killer in jokes for a few years.  I wasn't sure how I felt when he wanted to join the Army since I few up and Air Force brat but alas the Army has been sending us to places beyond my wildest dreams thanks to Jon for listening to the Lord and doing what he was told.  While I am sad to leave America and the normalcy I know here and my friends and family here I can not wait to see all that God has in store these next few years!!!!!

Molly is going to miss her summers with Nene.
For the past 3 years Molly got to go to the mountain for a week

Riley loves her Nene
She got to spend a lot of time with her when Jon got her hurt last summer
and  they came and took the girls for a week so I could focus on helping him get better.

Kelly really loves Nene's thumb - she spent an entire trip screaming if she didn't get  her touch

Jon's birthday dinner with both sets of parents.
I love that we could all get together for Easter and one last dinner!!
The girls were in heaven being spoiled

Spending the weekend at the mountain

Easter with Granny and BertBurt.
They came for birth of Kelly and Riley and watched and helped me recover!

Last day in America.
Molly wanted to play in her shadow (shade) because it was too hot.
Boy is she in for a surprise in a few days.

Daddy making some fun memories before having to go back to work in a few days.