The Story of a Military Family (Chapter 4)

NOSC NORFOLK - NORFOLK, VA
The trip from Montana to Virginia Beach was taken in late November, before the snow really started, and before Thanksgiving, so we were able to take our time, and enjoy some visits with friends along the way.

Our first stop on the trip was in Fargo, North Dakota, with some long-time friends.  We were able to spend 24 hours with the Wiegrefe family, bowling, and hanging out, and sleeping in real beds!

The next leg of the journey took us through South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa (cue the creepy music...there's some pretty strange places there!), Missouri, and to our next stop, at another friends' house in Tennessee.  Again, we spent 24 hours with these friends, catching up on the five years since we had seen them in Texas, and resting up for the next leg of the journey.

The next day, we arrived in South Carolina, and were able to spend the week with family, both at Jason's parents' house in Winnsboro, and also with my family in Montreat, North Carolina.  It was a very welcome time, as we had been unable to spend vacations with family many times in the past 6 years.

The morning after Thanksgiving, we left, caravaning with a friend, and drove into Virginia Beach for the first time.  Our first stop was the housing office, where we were able to pick up keys to our new home, and the next day our household goods were delivered.

We were in housing there for three years.  I started blogging there.  I started doing medical transcription there.  My mother had triple by-pass surgery while we lived there (in December, 2007, while Jason was back in Montana, finishing up there).  One son was beat up while we lived there (by 5 kids who were never punished...or even really identified.  The school said "military families often like to take care of it themselves", but couldn't tell me who the kids were..except that the police officer finally verified that they were all attending the school illegally, and didn't live in the neighborhood.).  We made a ton of friends there.  We lived a lot of life there.

And then we bought a house.  40 minutes across town, but still in Virginia Beach.

But first....there were some other changes....