But... the first few weeks we were in South Carolina were busy!
We had 10 days in a hotel (paid for by the Army) in which we needed to get transportation and a place to live. We prioritized the car, and within about 48 hours of arriving had spend a chunk of our life savings on a shiny blue van. [It's awesome! Everything I hoped it would be.]
Then we started the house hunting. And by house, I mean apartment, because nobody will rent you a house for 6 months. Several months before our move I emailed Fort Jackson on-post housing, to get on their waiting list, and right up until our arrival they told us that nothing was available. So our only option was to look at apartments off post. Most decent apartments with at least 3 bedrooms and non-sketchy neighbors were 20-30 minutes away. Day after day we loaded the kids in the van and drove from one apartment complex to the next.
Do you have a 3-4 bedroom apartment on the first floor available immediately?
If yes, how much is rent and utilities?
Etc.
We'd take turns going into the leasing offices so we didn't have to unbuckle the kids every single stop. But they'd have to all get out if we went to tour an apartment. In total, I'm guessing we went to about 20 different places. We were definitely glad our new van had a DVD player so Tiago didn't go crazy after 2+ hours strapped in.
In the end, we had several options, but they were all starting to blend together. None were huge, only a couple had covered parking. Most were 3 bedroom. There was one town house with two levels and only 1 shared wall. We were at the point when we just needed to pull the trigger.
Then I overheard a conversation in the hotel lobby. A couple was saying they needed to stay a few more days before they could move into their on-post housing. I interrupted and told them they were lucky they got housing. They said they were here for a similar school as Hyrum, and were offered housing in the senior NCO area (where there were openings) instead of the Officer area (no openings) because they were here such a short amount of time.
[They have housing areas on post separated by your rank. Lower enlisted in one area, senior enlisted in another area, and officers in another. Then the really important people get their own private neighborhood, too.]
I got over to the housing office ASAP. I asked if we could get a house in the senior enlisted area. She said she wasn't sure, and I asked if she'd change her mind if I begged. They offered us a 'handicap house' first (meaning it is wheelchair accessible), but it wouldn't be available to see for a few weeks. When I went in the second time they said there was a house available immediately if we'd take 3 bedrooms instead of 4. (No brainer!) (It's kind of like a townhouse/duplex. There's an attached house on the other side.)
So we saw the house, and signed a lease the next day. And on Saturday when our 10 days in the hotel were up, we moved in.
The highlights for us are: 2 car garage! Upstairs/downstairs! Front yard and back yard! Closets! Storage closet outside! Front porch! Honestly... you don't get any of that in normal apartments. So we were thrilled. Oh-- it's also a 3 minute commute for Hyrum. :)
So we'll be able to see a lot more of him. (After PT in the morning, during lunch, etc.) When we were in Germany he'd leave around 4 in the morning and we didn't see him again until 6.
[The down side to living on-post is that you're always surrounded by the Army. They're in so many aspects of our lives as it is, living off-post can be a nice break. But given the circumstances, we're thrilled to be living on-post.]
Happily ever after didn't happen quite yet, because we moved into a big house with only a van full of suitcases. No furniture! We got a couple of loaner pack & plays, and had two air mattresses that we brought from Germany. The air mattress about killed me after 2 days, so we quickly went out to buy Tiago a big kid mattress and then kept it in our room. (Yes--Hyrum and I shared a twin mattress for two weeks, and it was leaps and bounds better than the air mattress, believe it or not.)
We ate breakfast on the floor, fed the girls on the floor, and spend a lot of time rolling around our master bedroom because that's where we had the most floor space. (Thank goodness for new carpeting!)
Our home teachers asked if they could come over. We said, "It would be better if you came next week. We literally have no furniture." They said they didn't mind, but I don't think people realize what it actually is to walk in and have no where to sit but the empty (probably un-swept) floor.
We weren't sure when to expect our stuff--realistically it could be October or even November, but luckily just 2 weeks after we moved in, our first "fast" shipment arrived with some clothes and kitchen stuff. Our furniture and everything else arrived two days later. [Just over 2 months from when they packed it up in Germany.] Never was a person so happy to see their own bed!
So that's where happily ever after is kicking in. Although we're moving again just months down the road, so we'll see what Colorado has in store for us!
