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Ok, now I’ll give you the nitty gritty dirt on what’s going on.

A little background, Matt and I gave our first choice of base at Lackland AFB in Texas because that is where the Medical Group is based and also where there is an oral surgeon residency.  If we were already there, then everyone would already know him and it would be easier for him to get in (theoretically).  Then as we did more research we learned that Lackland was HUGE.  I’m saying HUGE!  Two year waiting list for base housing, the entire Hanscom AFB could fit in the commissary parking lot, Matt would get lost in the shuffle kind of big.  In the last few weeks, Matt and I (separately but didn’t tell each other) had been getting nervous about the idea of Lackland.  Just too big.  We wouldn’t be able to live on base and have all of the accommodations within walking distance (which is one of the BIG reasons why we wanted to join in the first place).  But I never got around to voicing my fears, I was too occupied with throwing up.

Then Matt and I received a phone call the other day from a Colonel at Lackland (in Texas) and said that where they really had a need was at Holloman AFB in New Mexico.

So I pull it up on the computer while they are talking and look at mapquest distances for various places (I need a Super Walmart close).  I wasn’t happy about the idea of being 3 1/5 hours from the Albuquerque Temple.  We’re almost 5 1/5 hours away now and it’s just too far.  Also, looking at the town on the map, it just looked too small.

I was scared to live in another isolated place.  I’m a fairly outgoing person who is willing to do legwork in finding friends, but I can only do so much.  I don’t have any good friends here in Maine (that don’t live an hour away) and trust me, it isn’t for lack of trying.

Anyway, Matt told the guy he would call him back the next day and give him an answer.  At his suggestion, we knelt down in the kitchen right then and there to pray about it.  And we both felt good right away.  Ok then.  New Mexico it is.  So we prayed about a date to leave (we have until October to accept).  Febuary?  Nothin.  April?  Nothin.  Um.  Ok.  After Speck is born?  Nothin.  Hmmm.  Does it not matter when?  BINGO!  I love prayer.

So Matt called the Colonel back that night and told him that Holloman would be great.

With some further reasearch we learned that the closest temple is actually in Juarez, Mexico (only and hour and a half away) and that Alamogordo is a little bit bigger than Bangor.  Las Cruces is 45 minutes a way and has a Sam’s and a Target.  Alamo has a SuperWalmart.  And the White Sand’s Ward is right there in Alamo too.  It’s hot but there is skiing 30 minutes away and it’s sandwiched between two national parks.

Now on to the timeline.  As the kids and I were in the attic for school yesterday, I was thinking about when to leave.  I’m always for sooner rather than later, but realistically there is a LOT of stuff to do on the house.  We still need to put a window in the attic (it’s unusable in the Summer because it’s so hot without one) and endless mudding, sanding and everything could use a fresh coat of paint.  Then Matt pointed out that we can’t leave until the snow is gone because we wouldn’t be able to get his motorcycles out of the basement.  And realistically, I don’t want to have to find a new OB and I REALLY don’t want to move in my third trimester.  So while he was at work yesterday, I decide we should wait until after Speck is born.  It would just be easier.  Then I walked outside.  BOY it was COLD!  But the cold and my loneliness are only two reasons to leave early and their are a million reasons to leave later.

BUT we didn’t want to sell the house quickly (we can dream) and then still have 6 months before we leave for NM.  Then we’d have to move to Ellsworth for a few months and then move again.  But we also don’t want to sell the house long distance.  We just have to have faith that it will sell exactly when we need it to.

Anyway, Matt calls me later in the day to tell me that he talked to the Colonel at Holloman and they told him when they really need us.  They could make other dates work, but they REALLY need him at that time.  And Matt, knowing my feelings about the matter, and as he is never one to shirk a responsibility or need, said that we would go when they needed us.

He reports no later than February 28th.  Time to get a storage unit, we’ve got to get some motorcycles out of the basement before it snows.

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