So Long, Oklahoma. For Now...

After many weeks of packing and stressing out, we finally got all of our belongings safely tucked away into storage and said goodbye to our Midwestern home. We loved the little house we have been living in for a year and a half. It was the house we brought Gavin home to when he was born so it will always mean a little something special to us. It was a little sad to say goodbye to our neighbors but it was time to be moving on. And Oklahoma did not let us go without giving us a proper farewell in the way of severe weather that is so common to the area. The day before we left a terrible storm blew through that was well equipped with strong winds, torrential rain and hail the size of my fists. Both of our cars got major hail damage which just gave Chad one more thing to be taken care of before he left for deployment. But we got both our cars in the shop in Tallahassee and all is well in the vehicle department.

This is how we lived the last week in our house. Cozy!!

Gavin of course loved all the empty boxes

We made it to Tennessee to spend a couple of days with Chad's family. Needless to say the goodbyes were tough. We did get to celebrate Chad and his mom's birthdays and roasted a few marshmallows on the fire which was a lot of fun. And it is always entertaining getting all the boy cousins together.

Mihalek boys

Like father, like sons

Enjoying the marshmellow roast

Playing peek-a-boo in the backseat on the way to Florida

Our final leg brought us to Florida and I have to tell you, I don't think we could have gone another mile. That was a LONG trip from Oklahoma! But we made it safe and sound and have settled in to our temporary home nicely. Of course Nana and Papa are delighted to have Gavin to spoil rotten on a daily basis. I have to reel them in every once in awhile. If I'm not careful, they will have an entire amusement park in their backyard before August. 

So far he's gotten a trike...

And a pool...

And new shoes.

Chad left for deployment and that experience was worse than I could have imagined and I'll spare you the details. The good news is he is in Afghanistan safely and we get to Skype with him on a regular basis. Which truly makes this whole situation so much better. Especially where Gavin is concerned. Every time he sees his daddy on the computer his whole face lights up and he points and says "Dadadadadada". It makes Chad's day. And mine too. My heart and admiration go out to those families that went to war before us and did not have such luxuries.

My amazing, wonderful, heroic husband