There's no place like home.

15 years ago when Roger returned from Korea, the Army packed up what meager belongings we had at my dad's house in Omaha and I left the Midwest behind for what I assumed was forever. We were moving to Augusta, GA with plans to stay. But now, after 15 years since that move and 22 since I moved away the first time, I am going home. It is funny to think I have spent over half of my life and almost all of my adult life here in the South but I will always consider myself a Midwesterner at heart.

We found out last week that Roger has been assigned to Ft Riley in April. Roger is in Texas for the next 2 months and we will move when he gets back. Soon after we get up to Kansas, Roger will leave for his deployment. And I will be able to start graduate school at Kansas State in the fall. And while all of this is happening quickly, we have been expecting all of this for awhile. We were just waiting for the Army to make up their minds. And we have been anticipating the deployment as well. Now that Roger is no longer in residency he is eligible to deploy, it is his turn. And he will be going over with many of his residency classmates from here at Bragg.

And while we are happy to be moving closer to my extended family, we are sad to leave all of our friends and family on the East Coast behind. We will always have a place in our heart for North Carolina, after all this is were Lily was born. After four years in Fayetteville, we are leaving behind many dear friends, some we consider family. To them I say, "It is never goodbye in the Army." I will dearly miss our church, St James, were Lily was baptised. The girls will miss their preschool, St John's, most of all. I am sad that Lily will not be able to go there for four years like Jena did.

As we ready for the move I think about all the adjustments we will have to make to life in Kansas. While Jena is excited about living somewhere it snows more than once or twice a year, neither of them know what it is like to live in a cold climate. They will both need new winter clothes as I know Jena's hand-me-downs will not be warm enough for Lily. Luckily I have already found a consignment sale in Manhattan. We will have to buy a snow shovel, and maybe a snow blower. I'll have to scrape windows again. We also will have to adjust to life with Roger very for away for over a year. While Roger and I have done this before, it will be hard for the girls to understand why Daddy isn't home. Atleast Jena understands somewhat as she has seen her friends go through this. We all will have to adjust to me going back to school full time and Jena starting Kindergarten. The girls will be in different schools for the first time.

So, in a nut shell, I have 10 weeks to get us ready for a move half way across the country almost all by myself (with help from a team of movers). We still have to sell this house and find one in Kansas. So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for this move and our new home.