Done

We did some final deliberation and research and turned in the bid list on Tuesday.  Done!  No more analyzing, no more research, no more imagining the worst and the best (for now).  I won't bore you with details of Places Whatevers we added, but we did add 3 more to our list of highs.  That makes for a total of 17 "high" places, though 3 of them have multiple positions open.  So technically 9 cities.  We are hoping that this makes the CDOs' jobs easier as they take the next week or so plugging FSOs into their first posts.

Now for some more waiting.  2 more week until Flag Day.

Role reversal

Nathan and I switched roles on Saturday as I spent the whole day at FSI taking classes on moving and logistics and he stayed home with the boys.  We both developed a newly found appreciation for what the other does.  While it is a bit more relaxing to be away from the everyday of chaos of running a home and running after 2 boys, it is exhausting physically and mentally to be bombarded with information for hours.

Nathan said that it was exhausting looking after the boys (which included feeding, diapering, shuttling back and forth from birthday party, keeping track of naps) while trying to keep the house in decent condition and that he barely made it.  And that he couldn't have imagined doing it while 6 months pregnant.  High five to me.

I got a lot of good information.  Maybe a bit too much.  A lot of my questions were answered and a lot of questions I didn't even know I had were answered.  I left feeling both relieved and overwhelmed at the same time.  I am glad, however, that I have months and months, hopefully almost a year, before I have to deal with the moving and the logistics of it all.  So glad I took the classes early.  There were some people there who were leaving within the new few months.  I feel stressed out for them.

After I came home, I made some tacos and we all piled into the basement and had a good hour of playtime.  The boys (Nathan included) had a BLAST and I just sat back and watched and laughed.  It is so much fun to see NJ and J interacting more and more and becoming friends.  In the midst of all the wrestling, giggles and fun, it made me realize that yeah, it's going to be crazy to have to pack everything up and move across Lord knows how many time zones and be without our stuff for Lord knows how many weeks (months?). But everything will be ok because we will always have each other.

Me no speak Korean

I was at the local HMart the other day.  The cashier at the checkout line asked me in Korean, "Do you want to pay for that first so you can give it to your baby?" as I was trying to give J a snack.  I couldn't even muster enough courage to say that I had brought it from home in Korean.  So I said it in English.  I did thank her and said goodbye in Korean before I left, though.

How am I supposed to live in another country and get by speaking another language when I don't even have the confidence to speak the language that I already know?

The revised list

After much thought, research and prayer, we've revised our list of "highs."

Place "A" still stands, although it requires a really hard language. N is a bit nervous about being able to master it.  Me too.
Place "B" still stands.
Place "C" still stands.  I'm finding that places B and C will be tough as they are very popular.  Many of N's colleagues are bidding them as high.
Place "D" is no longer a high for us.  What were we thinking?  Leave in July/August?  Yes, our baby girl will probably have adjusted to life but we would have had to perform the logistics circus while sleep deprived adjusting to a family of 5.  Maybe someday, Place "D".

Place "E": a bit of a stretch, as it is a "luxury" post.  Great for career, good language, good traveling options nearby, good schooling options.  Easy transition to FS life, a very "Western" country.  Fun place to live, lots of cultural things to check out.  It leaves a bit earlier than the others, not sure if N will have time to get all his training done.
Place "F": I never would have thought to choose to go here, but all things considered, it's a decent post.  Good schooling options, inexpensive to live there, great food.  We have FS contacts with kids who have enjoyed their time here.
Place "G": I'm not totally sold on this place, but again, all things considered, it's a good post.  Great for career, good language, inexpensive to live there, beautiful surroundings (beach!), good schooling options.
Place "H": Good language, good schooling options, great food, lots of cultural things to check out.  Good local traveling options.

I guess all posts will have lots of cultural things to check out, but places A, B, C, E and H would especially be fun.

Is it bad that I'm considering "great food" as a qualifier?

We have contacts in places E and F with whom we can enjoy Christian fellowship, which is important to us.  There are churches in all of the above places.

We meet with N's CDO on Friday to present our case: our preferences, priorities and whatnot. Then all the CDOs get together and make the assignments.  Even though we let them know what are "highs" are, it's not guaranteed that we'll get posted to any of them.  Ultimately, it's in God's hands and I need to stop worrying.  So what if we get sent to PLACE Z, our very last choice?  He will give us the grace and resources to make it through.  It will just be for 2 years.

You can't take it (all) with you

As I go through my kitchen preparing meals and cleaning, I find myself making a mental list of all the things I will have to ship and all the things I hope to sell at a yard sale.  Like that frying pan (a nice All-Clad one mind you) that I haven't used in years, that bundt cake pan I used just once and the set of cute dessert plates our real estate agent got for us as part of our welcome home gift basket, never used.  I also have 3 sets of measuring spoons and cups (Why??).  And toys... don't even get me started on toys.  Or what about that dress that I got on clearance just because it was on clearance, never wore it?  And probably never will?

Did I ever tell you that having my own yard sale has been a childhood dream of mine?  There's just something about cleaning house, organizing, setting prices, labeling, sitting on a lawn chair watching people consider your junk to be treasures.

I'll also have to have a "Raid My Pantry and Fridge" party before we leave.  I can't exactly take a half bag of pretzels, a partially used jug of soy sauce or a stick of butter with us abroad.  Well maybe the pretzels, considering we'll have 3 kids and most likely a nursing mommy on the plane.

The State Dept. will provide furnished housing wherever we go.  From what I have read, the housing is pretty decent.  We wouldn't pay rent or utilities.  We would just need to bring decorative items, rugs, kitchen stuff, kid stuff, etc.  They put everything else in storage for you.  It is also nice that they send movers to pack and move/ship things for you.  All I have to do is to basically put stuff in piles.  They really try to make things easier on you.  If we are not able to bring our car, they will put that in storage for you and even start it up once a month and maintain it.

We hope to hold onto our house for the time being.  DC will always be our home base in between posts so it will be nice to come back to some place familiar.  I think our house is very rentable: good school district, close to GMU (although the idea of a bunch of college frat boys students renting our house kind of scares me), minutes away from the VRE commuter train (takes you straight into Arlington and DC) and walking distance to Target.  So local friends- if you know of anyone looking to rent a 3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB townhouse in a quiet neighborhood with nice neighbors within the next year, let me know!

The List

We've been "in" for a while. N was on the register for one day and got invited to be in the upcoming class the next day. Did I mention that you are ordered on the registere by score? And the higher your score is, the sooner you get called to be in a class? So you do the math... he did AWESOME on the test, though he will never mention it. So I will.

N started the class earlier this week. And we got the (in)famous bid list. This is basically the list of all the places and job openings that are available to us. I can't exactly cut and paste the list and put it here but let's just say there is a variety of places. Some places we would not even consider. Some places we'd love to go, but just are not possible, due to timing or lack of language experience, or both. Remember, I'm due with baby#3 at the end of June and I don't want to give birth abroad nor do I want N to be absent for her birth and first few months of life. There are many places where we'd be required to leave between April and August. We can kiss those goodbye, hopefully. They really try to work with you and I hear most people get their high or medium choices but N did sign many documents saying that he is available for worldwide service, so you never know.

We have been mulling and praying over this list all week. We need to designate our high, medium and low choices and turn them in. Then we meet with a CDO (Career Development Officer) and present our case. The reasonings as to why we want to go where have to be legit. For example, we couldn't say we want to go to France because we love French food. Or that we want to go to Australia because Aussies have such cool accents and we'd love to develop one. I know that God is in control but still can't help but to feel overwhelmed.

We have 4 places in mind as our top choices as of now.
Place "A": Great for career, lots of traveling options nearby, amazing food, inexpensive to live there, good schooling choices
Place "B": Great for career, good language for N to master, awesome location (I think we'd get lots of friends to visit)- natural beauty as well as the convenience of a big city, good schooling options, but expensive to live there
Place "C": In the same country as B, great for career, good language, awesome location (beachfront!), slower pace of life, but expensive and not many good schooling options
And Place "D": Places A, B and C would give us plenty of time to have the baby and for N to learn the language and we would not be rushing off right away. Place D has all the perks of place A but we'd leave in the summer. And no language training for N.

We will find out where we'll be spending 2 years of our lives in mid-April.