We made it!!

We finally made it to our FINAL destination, after driving cross country from California to Massachusetts.  We rented a 12 passenger van from Budget outside the LA airport and began our journey.   We had to wait about two hours to pick up the rental.  The line of people waiting to get their vehicles was ridiculous.  There was only two terminals open and about a hundred people in line.
The kids and I waited off the side with the luggage and we were all so very tired and irritated by the time Tim was done in the line and we had keys in hand.  From the rental place, we had to drive to the other side of the airport to pick up our babies.  They were so confused as to what was happening but they were good.  (Only one had an accident)

We are here

We are on the Mainland!!!

midnight look hehe

We began our trek to Phoenix.  It was about 6 hours.  Tim swore he wasn't even tired and that he wanted to get there.  So the kids and I slept, while he drove and had full range of the radio.  I was so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open at all.  There is something about driving in the car that just makes me sleepy.   Maybe it's the white noise sound of the roads, or the humming of the engine, but I just can't stay awake.

Once in Arizona, we got to the hotel and all took a nap till it was time to visit my brother.  It was so good to see him, my sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, and niece.  It's been a long time since we all visited with each other.  Military life has definitely taken a toll on my relationships with my family members.  Having lived in all sorts of time zones, getting in touch with everyone has been hard for me.  And then, normal life takes over and I get sidetracked and forget.  It's just been hard.  But everyone is doing great and it was so good to visit.  And, we finally got to a Dunkin Donuts!!!  After three years of Starbucks, it was such a relief.  Dogs got the hotel room to themselves.  These guys did NOT like their visit in Arizona-especially with it being 120 degrees and no grass in sight to potty on.  Yes, our girls are spoiled.

WHAT!!!!

Dunkin Donuts coffee, mmmm.

Pool time at my brothers

Me and my uncle Billy

From Arizona, we made our way to El Paso Texas.  This is where it all began!  My first and only duty station when I was active duty-El Paso.  It's where I met Tim and we started our family there.  It was so cool to see it again because it had grown so much since we were last there.  So many new things and the post was ginormous.  They had everything you needed and then some.  Why even leave post anymore.  While there, Madison met up with one of her friends from Oklahoma whose dad was now stationed there.  Tim, Mason, and I went to our favorite Mexican Restaurant-Carlos and Mickey's.  We ate there all the time when I was pregnant with Mason.  Their chips and salsa are the bomb!  We ordered the same thing we always use to order, Chicken chimichangas.  Delicious just like it always was when we were stationed there.

Fort Bliss, Texas

Chicken chimichanga!!!!

El paso was in the rear view mirror and we were onto Oklahoma when we made a quick pitstop in another town in TX for a visit with our good friends Mike and Gigi.  They retired now too.  We stayed for a short while and then finished our drive to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  From here we drove to see our granddaughter Lainey and son-in-law, Justin.  It was another short visit but it was so great to see them.  We visited them at his parents RV.  Lainey has gotten so big and she has such an adorable personality.  The only thing that would have made it better was if Makayla was there too.  We sure do miss her.  Our visit was too short there but well worth it.

Aunt Maddie and Lainey

Mason and his first niece

Happy grandparents!

After our too short of a visit, we were on the road towards the east coast.  We seen some pretty awesome storms along the way.  Hawaii only has maybe one or two good storms during the year, and we were loving the thunder and lightening.  Not to mention, I got some pretty awesome pics of the clouds and all.

Fluffy clouds

It's raining over there

Beautiful storm up ahead

After 5 days of driving and hotel staying, we made it into South Carolina to visit my parents, sister, and niece.  First thing we did was drop these mutts off at the kennel that my mom recommended.  I was sad to do it, but it was a nice time without them after the trip from California.  My parents were so gracious to let the kids and us stay there till we picked up the RV from Florida.  After getting into SC, we all stayed at my parents, but Tim and Mason left he following morning for Florida.  While the boys were down there, Nonna took Madison out for some pampering.  They are so funny!  Thanks to my stepmother, I have learned how to bargain shop, and I passed that down to Madison.  While they were out, Nonna was impressed at how Madison knew the clearance section lol.  After pedicures and a trip to the mall, they came home and we had made dinner and went to the pool in their neighborhood.  Then the next morning, we took a tour of downtown Charleston by horse and carriage.  That was the first time I had ever rode one.  Our tour guide was so good at his job and the whole time, I never once was bored.  He had us so interested in everything.  We got to see some of the most prettiest historic homes I had ever seen, followed by an old building that was used as a jail/prison.  He said that it's believed to be haunted and that there were actually night tours through it--ya no thank you! When the tour was all over, we then went to this Cat Cafe.  Big mistake.  Number one, because Madison's allergies were in overdrive in there.  And number two, Tina almost walked out with a kitten.  The cafe is a place where you can go and spend time with adoptable kittens/cats.  Just so happened to be Kitten day.  There were so many adorable kitties.  I would have adopted one if we weren't allergic.  But playing with them was a treat.  Not so much for Madison.  She needed an allergy medicine fast.  So our time at the cafe was cut short and we were on to walking around and doing some shopping for Benadryl and then some lunch.  It was an unforgettable time!

The kennels we left our dogs at for 6 days

Madison and her Nonna-getting pedi's 

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Us ladies at the tour 

our awesome tour guide

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Haunted old jail

If only. This baby was adorable!

kitties!!!

Cute setup for the cat cafe

The calm before the storm

Nonna is in trouble lol

This was the winner for us

market shopping

Maddie and Me

Rainbow road

lunchtime with these beauties

Once we got the RV, we stayed at this adorable RV park on St James Island.  It was so nice there.  There was walking trails, fields of grass, rock climbing walls, ziplining, a water park, and a few other things.  There was even a dog beach, but I wasn't about to let these dogs stink up the RV.  It was bad enough we were in such close quarters with them.  One of the days, we went to the waterpark at the camp we were staying at with my mom and niece.  It was really good spending time with little Ryan--who wasn't so little anymore.  She is totally my sister, in a mini-her version.  Ryan and Madison spent the majority of the time there together.  It was so cute seeing Madison and her playing together.  Even though there is like a 10 year difference between the two of them, they played so nicely together.  One of our last days there, we took the whole family out to dinner, and it felt so nice to just have everyone there together.  I have missed that.  Family.  Too many moves and time apart.  Time I can't get back.  There is pros and cons to military lifestyles, and this--the distance and time lost--was definitely a huge con.  Only one thing to do now, and that is to change that.  Said my goodbyes to my family and now that we are all on the same coast and time zone, things will get better.

Madison and Ryan

Mason, Madison, and Ryan

Waterpark fun

Maxie hating the humidity of SC

Lulu at my parents house

My sister and me, and daughters

Family dinner

Love my niece

After the time in South Carolina, we headed up more north.  We stopped in Virginia and headed to Busch Gardens for some much needed down time and Play time.  The kids seemed to have a really good time.  We all went on some rides, some crazier then other, and we just enjoyed being away from the craziness of traveling and Rv'ing.  I wish that I bought some of the park pictures--the kind that the rides take while in mid air.  There were some really cute and funny pictures but way over priced.  I did get a few photos there without losing my phone.

Busch Gardens 2017

Our wet faces after the log ride

LOL

This ride looks innocent...  Not so much!

Christmas picture lol

ughhhhhhh

Fun times were over and we were once again on the road, this time stopping in D.C.  In my whole 39 years of life, and even while living in NJ, I never got to visit D.C.  This was a great experience for the kids and me.  Tim had been here a few times with his military career so it wasn't too new to him.  We went to the Arlington National cemetery, where we saw the tomb of the unknown soldier.  That was one of the proudest moments for me.  Even though I had only served the Army 4 years, I still felt so humble and proud to say that I am a veteran.  That job of manning the tomb is not an easy one.  We were all out there in shorts and flip flops while these soldiers were in full dress uniform--if we were sweating, lord knows they were too times 20.  We were able to watch the change of guard too.  I am glad that the kids got to see it as well.  Hopefully they felt proud too.  

Our Rv stay in DC

beautiful yet tragic

Lincoln Monument

Tons of people there too

We look so tiny next to Lincoln's speech

Wasn't going near this place lol

Maddie

Part of the Smithsonian

State Capital

Onto the next blog....

We are finally leaving Paradise...and RETIRING!!!

It's only been a WHOLE YEAR since my last blog, and so much has happened.  I am sure most of you have been kept up to date with following us on Facebook or from speaking to us, or some other way.  We are finally leaving the island next week, and making the long process of retirement in Massachusetts.  Due to our lovely bulldog members, we have to transport them from LA to Mass on our own.  All the airlines now have either totally banned this breed from flying, or there is a huge summer embargo going on till like October.  Or, we could pay a fortune for a pet nanny to do it all for us, but we decided we will make the most out of a cross country trip with them.  (We may lose it along the way, but hey... memory making right?)  Since we are departing the island next week and we begin the long journey, I wanted to update the blog again so I can track our travels and adventures.. Fun times ahead.

If you don't already know, we had another litter from Lulu in March.  She had 5 beautiful puppies again.  3 girls and 2 boys.  We have rehomed them all and sometimes we kick ourselves for not keeping any, however, they are making other families happy like ours do.  We absolutely love this high maintenance breed, and couldn't imagine our lives now without bulldogs in them.  And of course chihuahuas too.  And Great Danes.  These are the three best breeds ever.  Since working at the vet clinic, I have come to know a lot of breeds and the different personalities of them all, and there's just something about the snoring, heavy breathing, and flatulence that we love so dearly ha!





















This litter was just absolutely amazing and they each had the best personalities.  We all had so much fun watching this litter grow, making some awesome memories of them each, and then forming tight bonds with their new families. This is something we definitely take pride in and I can see us possibly doing it again in the future.  (Way in the future)


We have done some last minute sightseeing in these last few months.  Hikes.  Drives.  Things that we never did previously.  The hikes didn't go so well, as we have two teenagers that hate anything that makes them sweat.  It truly is so beautiful here and that will be one of the many things I will miss about it.  I will miss the floral and tropical sights, the sound of the ocean waves, the smell of suntan lotions, and the amazing views around the island.  Here are some pics from our last hike.









This was the last hike we did as a family to Kaena Point.  It's the westernmost tip of the island.  Here there is a albatross bird sanctuary.  You can also see monk seals along some of the tide pools here on this coast.  Some of the most beautiful sites I think I have ever seen to be honest. 







 










Maddie and Mason both finished school and have been promoted onto the next grades.  Maddie is now officially a high schooler, OMG a Freshman, and Mason is a JUNIOR!  Where have my babies gone? I can remember these two when they were just in diapers and pullups, now they will be getting licenses and checking out colleges.  I am not sure that i am a fan of this stage of life for these teenagers.  I can only pray that this next school year is better for them then these last two and a half were. Here is Maddie's little graduation photo.  I absolutely love it.  As for Mason, there was no ceremony this year as a sophmore, so I am sure when his high school graduation comes, there will be  tons of pictures to come.





And its FINALLY that time again.  We are packing up and moving again.  Only this time, it's forever.  We have decided that Massachusetts will be the permanent home of record and retirement.  No more moves.  No more uprooting the kids from the school.  No more flying dogs across oceans.  Just finally a place to seriously call Home and plant roots into the world.  I can't wait.  Not only is Tim excited for what is to come next in this chapter of our lives, but to be a Civilian again.  Wow, this will be interesting.  We just ask for positive vibes and good prayers during this time of our transitioning.  It will be a HUGE difference from what we have been doing for the last 17 years.  Our kids only know this life too, and this will be a change for them as well.  No more military schools and military kids.  They will now go to a school where kids have been in the same school district since kindergarten.  Like I said, very new to them.  I, on the other hand, have big dreams for our future.  I won't get into detail but it definitely has something to do with my love for my dogs lol.  Here's to the future and to dreams coming true!

















Oh yah, can't wait to unpack all of this again!!!  Says no one ever!!!















Until next time... Coming from somewhere on the mainland =)

Run Hockenberry's RUN

So, my last blog which was in the beginning of April, basically was a rundown of all that has happened and what was about to happen.  April 10th was the BIG DAY.  My first ever Half Marathon!!!  Wake up was super early and that is NEVER a fun thing for me, ha!  However, I think with all the nervous excitement that I had going on and all the adrenaline that I was also pumped with, waking up at 0400 was no biggie.  We set the coffee pot the night before, because coffee is a MUST for anything.  Had Tim and my race outfits prepped and ready to go.  Made sure the bibs were in the car, headphones, phones, gels, water, sweat rags, etc was ready.  It was go time!  Once getting to the race, parking was NUTS.  No wonder why they tell you to arrive about 45 min prior to the start just to look and find parking.  Finding a spot wasn't too bad, (as long as we didn't get towed) and we then proceeded to the restrooms before the starting line.  OMG, the bathroom lines are ridiculous before a race.  I really never seen them bad before any of the 5 or 10k's I normally did.  So I guess I wasn't thinking they were going to be the way they were....  Needless to say, I had to pull a camping squat and pee between some trees before the start.  I'm not proud but I am also not patient!

And here we were.  In this massive crowd that not only made me nervous to be mixed in with, but also amazed at some of the runners that were there.  It was surreal and I just was so excited to begin. There were so many people from all over, not just here in Hawaii.  There were runners of all sorts.  One's that take running way too seriously (doing some crazy warming up and running miles BEFORE the half even started..), and then there were the walkers, strollers, and just people who were there to be a part of it and say they did it (like me).  It was awesome.  And while I hadn't run such a long distance since being in Basic Training, I am surprised at my endurance and drive to complete it.  Tim and I hung in and only walked uphill at the 10-11 mile marker, and that was it.  We finished with times of around 2:20.  For a first timer, that ROCKS!

Rocks so much that when we came home, I signed us up for a few more races.  The Metric Century Bike Ride, which took place on North Shore Oahu.  Then the Pineapple 10K, which when you finished this race, you were not only given a tee shirt and a medal, but a YUMMY Hawaiian pineapple.  And yes, while most people would rather get a pineapple at the store, this one was well worth the 6.2 mile run.  Then the best of all, I signed us up for ANOTHER half marathon.   Can I just say how much I love running?  Here are some pics from the ride we completed that was a first for both Tim and I.  Our bike rides have consisted of fun sightseeing rides, or maybe at the most--30 miles while we lived in Oklahoma.  This one was a doozy but what a beautiful experience.  It would have been a lot better if it was sunny that day and not windy but hey! We did it!

And we were only gonna do the 50.... Ha, we did the full!

Then the Pineapple 10K.  This one took place around some of the pineapple fields.  It wasn't very pleasant out at all.  Very humid and gross.  I was happy to get this one over with.  You would think after doing a half, that 6 miles would be cake.  Nope.  Just wasn't feeling this one at all.  Plus, it really wasn't in a beautiful area.  Maybe if it was along the beach or something?

And FINALLY, half marathon number 2 in the books!!!  This one I already knew what to expect with 13.1 miles, however, it was still awesome.  We got their good time, waiting forever in line for a port-potty... And then got right to the start and began.  I think the euphoria of the first one I did wore off by now, and I wasn't as thrilled as last time, but we still completed it.  I must've had so much adrenaline going that I didn't realize the injury in my foot that I am now currently nursing with sadness.  I hope this heals fast so I can get back out there and run.  I tend to get very cranky when I don't run...  (Sorry in advance)  Here are the pics from Half #2

porta-potty line :[

Of course we went to breakfast after all that!!!!