D.C. Hom's: September 2013

I feel the need to back track all the pictures I just posted and give some additional information. Jay had an interview in May out in D.C. My mom was with me when he called to say that he had been given a conditional offer of employment pending passing a security clearance background check. I was excited but I have learned over time not to get my hopes up until everything is made final.

The background check takes anywhere from 3-6 months. We went through our summer wondering when he would get cleared and how long until the offer of permanent employment came through. August 27th I get woken up by Jay saying he had received an email and he had cleared the background check. That day we started work on our downstairs floor. The carpet was ripped out in preparation for new flooring all throughout the downstairs.

The following morning we are at the gym and it is early when he received another email with the official offering of employment if he can be in D.C. a week from Monday. Thursday he signs the documents and tells his boss. Set up pack out for the following Wed. and I manage work on the house to get it ready for renting.

Wed. and Thursday movers pack up and another team loaded up a huge truck. I sell our play structure and pine table. Jay takes out Lexi's bags on accident and they get packed so she doesn't have clothes for the trip. Grandma takes her to target to get some essentials :) Friday is Jays last day at work and Friday night say goodbye to mom (Cathy) and finish up work, painting etc. on the house. Some friends stopped by and offered to help. We didn't know it but they made some calls to friends in the ward who came by and helped us with finishing up. Brian and Jessica Hom took our kids home with them to put them to bed. We left our house around 2am and when we got to Brians house in Folsom we repacked out suburban to prepare it for shipment. Brian gave us a ride in the early morning to Sacrament Airport and we were off.

The plane ride was great. Everyone had their own T.V. in front of them and I paid the $6 each so they could watch movies the whole way. Our arrival was uneventful except Johnny left his ipod on the plane so I had to go back through security to get it. Our family friend Mike Naville picked us up and loaned us his truck until our car arrived. Our apartment is 2 bed 2 bath furnished. We have four twin beds in one room and Jay and I have a nice bedroom on the other side of the family room. The lobby has complimentary hot chocolate that we like to have.

The next morning (sunday) we ended up going to an Arlington ward by accident. It is a beautiful old style building with chandeliers in the chapel. Monday Sept. 9th Jay started his training. They have a bus shuttle the new trainees from our complex to the Foreign Service Center. Tuesday I took the kids in D.C. to see the Natural History Museum. The ride on the Metro was exciting for them.

These last two weeks Jay has gone to some really interesting training (which most of it he can't tell me about). I gave the kids a couple of day rest before they started their new schools. That ended up being an ordeal because I thought that I could just sign them up but it was a longer process than that. I had to sign up online and then we set up an appt. so I could meet with the school counselors and then they were allowed to go to school. The schools have a bus that only picks up kids from our complex because there are a lot of Foreign service families. The kids really like their schools. They miss home sometimes but they are kept busy here. Class sizes are smaller then in California. They also have met kids in our complex. It is play time all the time.

When everyone is at school I am looking around trying to find us a more permanent house. My family would love to stay here at the apartment complex but we will have to leave after his training is over. This is his last week and then we have 2 weeks after that to find a place. Jay is leaning towards a town house and I like either that or a colonial house that I have found in the area. Everyone here that I have met are coming or going to their next new assignment and it is fun to hear what countries they are going to. Our neighbors across the hall went to Brazil for their first assignment and they left today to Litvia which is eastern Europe. I've heard people are going to Turkey, New Delhi, abu dobi, Greece, Japan, China etc.