The Little Details...

Alright, so let me fill you in on the whole story (if you'd like). Nathan and I were married in Seattle, WA in August of 2002. We lived in Oceanside, CA because he was stationed at Camp Pendleton. Six months after we were wed he was deployed to Iraq for 8 and a half months. We missed our first anniversary, Valentines Day and my birthday. During that time I returned to Seattle to be with my family. I moved back to Oceanside a month before he was to return home and got another apartment (our second). He was home for 4 whole months before he was deployed again! Because I felt like I had just moved back to California I didn't want to move back to Seattle again. To save money and avoid the lonlieness of our husbands' deployements, one of Nathan's fellow Marine's wife (Ann) and I decided to move into an bigger apartment together. (third for me) During that time I went to school for medical transcription and also got a job working at the Naval Hospital's ER on Camp Pendleton. We lived together for about 6 months until I again sought out another apartment for my husband and I to live in together. So I moved again (fourth time in 2 years). Nathan and I lived in that apartment for 6 months, and I had two jobs that I loved, before he got out of the military and decided to move back to Washington. (move five) We moved in with his brother, Ricky, for about 9 months. During that time I worked as a medical transcritionist for a company in Seattle (hated it!) and Nathan got his Real Estate license. Then we bought a condo and lived there. (move six) We lived there for about a year and a half and it was great! But we had our first baby via c-section, Keagan, and came across a wonderful opportunity to buy a new construction property right across the street. So we rented out our condo as soon as construction was complete and moved all the way across the road! lol It was wonderful to be able to pick everything from the counter tops to the carpets!!! It was a 3 bed, 2.5 bath house with a HUGE master bedroom and in a great location. We loved that house =) Drumroll please.....then the economy totally fell apart and all the investments we had made into the real estate industry slowly crumbled around us. Bit by bit we lost everything, including our lovely new house. Even though Nathan was doing really well for being new in real estate, he was no match for the lay-offs, cutbacks and halt in construction that swept through the country. We juggled our finances for well over a year and held on as long as we could but we just couldn't catch a break. Soon, we were back in an apartment with no properties to out names. (number seven) But it was a nice apartment and Nathan's sister Kelly lived there with us =)who Keagan just adored!! Well, the adoration was mutual.
Since the real estate market didn't seem to be righting itself anytime soon Nathan decided to apply for the police force. We figured that the benefits were great and the pay was ok and it wasn't too much a stretch from being in the military as far as following commands and all that goes. So he applied. Now, applying for the police force is a process. There are physical tests to pass, written tests to pass and psychological tests to pass. Anyone that knows Nathan knows that he would make a great police officer, awesome even. So why he was denied entry into the police force is completely beyond our understanding!
Then we came across a good opportunity in Virginia presented by a former Marine buddy of Nathan's. The deal was this - move to VA, live with them, get some IT certifications and Adam, the former Marine buddy, would get Nathan a job where he worked! So, we sold everything we had left, packed up and moved across the country (eight). Nathan worked night and day and got his certifications in record time! At this point I was pregnant with our second child and it was all I could do to keep up with Keagan in Summer heat! Our friends that we were living with had a little girl just a bit older than Keagan and he worshipped her! It was fun and complete mayhem whenever they were together!!! haha The time came, Nathan interviewed for the job that we had come so far for and they were ecstatic to hire him!! dot, dot, dot...on one condidtion - that he apply for and recieve an interim security clearance. This is a temporary clearance one receives so you can work while they do the full investigation that can take 3 to 12 months. Since Nathan worked with a secret clearance his whole military career and has a completely clean record this should be a no brainer right?! Wrong!! Let the low blows continue...while serving for the United States Marine Corps no one ever bothered to file the paperwork for Nathan's security clearance and therefore he never received one, despite putting his life on the line twice for his country. Normally this would not have been a problem, but considering our financial troubles over the last year or so our credit was down the drain. -strike one- Nathan also has 6 adopted siblings who are foreign, 4 Japanese, 2 Korean (possible forgein influence). -strike two- Evidentally that was too many red flags and his temporary security clearance was denied...and so was the job offer. Now if you've read this far let me just let you in on a secret, we were pissed at this point! How much more ridiculous could our problems get? Ugh!
The East Coast is where the majority of government jobs are in the country and so trying to get a similar job at another company would have had the same problems - need for a security clearance and the inability to get one - So we packed it up and drove back to Seattle. (nine) As much as we appreciated all they had done for us while we were there, it just made more sense to return to Washington to be around family and have the baby. Nathan's chances of getting an IT job were just as good in Seattle as the East Coast, maybe better if more companies didn't require the clearance.
We lived with my parents for 6 months, during which I had our second boy, Jack. We then moved next door to house sit. (ten) Nathan had been going to school and receiving benefits from the VA and we were able to have some privacy and time to ourselves for the first time in over a year! Although I did miss a lot of my "things", especially kitchen stuff. But we were able to save up enough to move into our own place again! Yay! Despite being another apartment and on the 5th floor (with an elevator, thank God!) we were stoked to have our very own space again!!!! (eleven) Keagan had his own room, with his own bed and all his toys and clothes. Jack had his own room with all his stuff. We had our own room and space to be AND I had my kitchen back!!!
At this point, assuming you are still with me, let me back a bit and remind you about Kelly, Nathan's sister that lived with us for awhile. Kelly moved back to Japan not long after we moved back from Virginia. Japan, you say?! Yes, Nathan's parents have been missionaries in Japan for 25 years. Nathan grew up there from the age of 5 and Kelly was actually born there! So, yes, Japan. Well, after moving back she got engaged! After getting engaged they set a date four months later for wedding....IN JAPAN! So, here we are in our new apartment, dealing with daily struggles, going to school and another opportunity presents itself. Since we are going to the wedding, if at all possible, should we just stay in Japan and live there for awhile?!?! Something we had talked about because of the experience it would be for me and the boys and also to spend some time with that side of the family. Five of Nathan's siblings and his parents live in Japan. So....guess what we decided??? Two guesses, ok just one guess! (move number twelve)
And that, my friends, if you have read this far, is where we find ourselves presently!!! Living with Nathan's parents in Japan! I am currently attempting the language and Nathan is busy applying for jobs and our visa. At this point in our lives we have given up trying to figure things out! lol We love God, each other, our boys, our family...and whatever happens that won't change!!! Hopefully we will catch a break sometime soon, but I've learned not to hold my breath for that one! Someday I'm sure I'll look back and see the meaning behind all of our financial misfortune...someday.