HUGE changes are coming to our family....

If you've noticed the lack of posting around here lately, just know that it's not you, it's me. Obviously we keep pretty busy just in our day to day life but there is *something* going on here that is MASSIVE. I mean news of EPIC proportions. Like, when you finally read what it is you're all going to go...."What?! Seriously?....Are they nuts?" But hopefully in a good way.

I will say, no we are NOT pregnant. We are NOT trying to get pregnant nor adopt. Our four little munchkins are just the right amount for us.

I will go ahead and share our news right now but just know that I don't know all the details yet. Here is what I DO know....

1. B has been applying for other jobs in his field due to the fact that his office is severely understaffed, he is completely overworked and his boss is less than stellar. (seriously when we moved here there were 20 people in his office, now he is one of six. everyone hates it).

2. Most of his applications were right here in Texas, in our same town with the exception of two.

3. The exceptions were: one was in Oklahoma and one was overseas.

4. The overseas one was a total long shot as while completely qualified, he knows no one over there. But the opportunity was there and after many evening discussions between he and I, he applied for it. We knew that in him applying for it, there was no backing out. It's not often that a civilian position in his field opens up and we knew we weren't going to waste anyone's time by backing out/changing our minds.

The Oklahoma one was mostly due to the fact that we both like the Midwest, it's closer to family and it gets him out of this job that he dislikes so much. Again, he knew no one in the office so it was somewhat a long shot.

5. So weeks past and he has one phone interview, it was casual and short but they said ''okay, you'll hear from us shortly''.

6. Two weeks go by and we hear nada. B is getting discouraged, another co-worker takes a different job and now his office is down to five.

7. On Monday he received the official email saying the job was his if he chose to accept.

8. He called me, we were thrilled (yet nervous about moving, again) and he emailed back that he accepts.

So we're moving! Again, lol. That's pretty big news in itself, I mean we only just moved to Texas 10 months ago. But it's more where we're moving that's the big news.

It's overseas......a flight of 10 hours.

It's in Europe.....and it's not Germany.

I'll tell you now but please say nothing on Facebook until B announces it...

Are you ready!?

We're moving to:

Italy!!!!

Is that not huge news!? I mean it's no pregnancy announcement but still, big changes! Right now we're in the midst of paperwork and security clearances then we'll be getting passports and visas and working out packing dates and AAAAAAAAGH, SO much stuff has to happen. We don't have a date yet but it will all most definitely be before the end of the year.

source

Not only is a huge opportunity for B, I mean it will look wonderful on his resume but we feel it's an amazing opportunity for our family as well. It's a chance of a lifetime. With four kids, we would never have the ability to just take a trip to Italy. It's unrealistic to even think so {unless we were to win the lotto, ha!}. So we really feel like we've been given a gift. And to pass at the chance of living there? Geez, that's something that if we passed on, we'd regret forever. And we won't be living there forever. We will be there at least one year but no more than three. (As a civilian, B could stay up to five years but we know that we will not ask for any extensions in our stay; doing so will no longer assure him a position stateside. Three year "tour" means they will give him a position of equal pay here when we return).

So yes, it will be chaotic. And yes we will all at some point get extremely homesick I'm sure. Yes we may be nuts. But is that reason enough to pass it up? No, not at all. I cannot wait for the food, the culture, the history, the wine, the beaches...I mean, it's ITALY. And if it makes this whole thing seem a bit less crazy, B will be working on a US Military base. The boys will go to school on base, we can shop at the commissary and PX there. Medical care will be on base. I can use the daycare and gym on base. We will get Italian drivers licenses and live off base (no choice, there is no on base housing) but there is an American community as well.

So what do the boys think? Well they are really excited too. We watched a show on Netflix all about Italy, we've shown them pictures and where it's at on the map. They know that it's far, far, far away. They know that instead of being in the car for 13 hours, we'll be in a plane for 13 hours. They know that things will be different and that the people there will talk different. We've talked about how there won't be Wal-Mart, Target, Chick-Fil-A but there will still be IKEA, and there will be a lot of pizza restaurants. How they'll get to eat food like spaghetti, chicken alfredo and pizza when we go out to eat but not food like Taco Cabana. We talked about how we won't be able to just get in the car and drive to visit Nanaw and Papa. But how we can talk to them on the computer still, and mail them pictures and drawings. We even explained how instead of ice cream there will be gelato. Instead of car trips we'll take train rides to places like Venice and Milan (both about an hour away from the base where we will be stationed).

Do they really understand? No. But they do know that change is coming. They do know that things will be different. And they are excited, as are we!

So that's our BIG EPICALLY HUGE news. Did it surprise you?