Military Moving Tips

After a move, everything may seem overwhelming. Share your story or a minimum of 10 handy tips that helped you to organize either your home or your life during this time.

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Moving is hard enough on families but when you get in the new house and you have NO STUFF, what do you do? We camp out! Moving is expensive and staying in a hotel loses it’s appeal (even with a pool) in a day or two and we want to start living in our new home as soon as we arrive at the new duty station. My family is a camping family. We have all the stuff: tents, sleeping bags, airbeds, etc. We have all these things stored in plastic bins so when we want to camp we grab the bins, a couple of sleeping bags, and go.

When we move we generally like to arrive a week or so before our stuff, and military movers know they have to “fill up the truck” before they can do even a door-to-door move. Our camp boxes have pots and pans -- old torn up ones that require A LOT of Pam -- but they function, dishes and cups, a coffee percolator, salt, pepper, spices, condiments, and all the normal dry goods for a mini pantry. This allows us to live in our house and not have to buy a bunch of stuff we already have in our household goods -- like the pantry items.

We bring our “hammock” items with us -- the kids bring a special blanket or toy, my husband brings his tool box, and I bring my cookbooks so I feel like I can really cook. We also have a small charcoal grill that comes with us. The items are all in two large totes that fit beside the dog crate in the minivan. The cat rides in the car with my husband, the clothes and sleeping bags go on the roof in a carrier, and we can do one trip and have everything we need for a few weeks to live happily.

Camping also makes the new house fun for the kids, and gives us all a chance to try out bedrooms and know exactly where we want stuff when the movers come. I even get a chance to test drive the kitchen and see where pots and plates, silverware, etc. will be best. Our kids have fun running in empty rooms; they bring the outdoor toys and can actually play rather than being stuck in a TINY hotel room for a week.

Tracy Vicker, Ret. Air Force Spouse
Colorado

Keep a record...

A practical suggestion to tuck away in your mind ...we kept a lot of my husband's recall rosters from years past -- names and numbers of folks in the detachment or office -- needed for recall (in case of emergency/exercises). These rosters have been a great reminder of memories and extremely helpful when trying to find names and even years and dates. You know how the web of life expands with age. It’s been fun to see where some of these very dear friends have ended up and how paths seem to cross along the years.

The first time we reenlisted for our second term we decided then that we would make a career of it and that we would be missionaries. God would send us through the Air Force where He wanted us to go and let Uncle Sam pay the bill. It really helps to catch that missionary vision.

Another thing I wish to share is it does not take much to reach out to that new person who has just moved. On one of our moves to Oklahoma a lady in the church whom I had prayed with at the altar the very first Sunday evening we attended called to invite me to a Bridal Shower. I explained that I would love to go but I had nothing for a gift and no money to spare right then to get anything (we had purchased a new car to drive across country and things were extremely tight) right then. She said I have some new pillowcases still wrapped in tissue would you mind taking that. Mind you, that was a lot of years ago when even the least little thing was appreciated. That was the beginning of a lifelong relationship – we are still very good friends and keep in contact. And that little encouragement helped me get acquainted with a lot of other ladies of course.

Take care of the movers...

I always provide Gatorade, lunch, and later in the afternoon, snacks, for the movers and they tend to be more gentle with my belongings.

Things are not your memories...

Try to get all the unpacking done in the first 3 weeks. That way it won't be a long-term battle that you dread. Having it behind you ASAP relieves you to go out and play, learning about your new area.

Also, paint. Many don't know it, but you can paint quarters. You need to get permission, and they will always want you to paint it back before you move out, but it adds such a touch of personality and hominess to the place. Even a dull floor plan can be spiced up with some color! If you"re looking for a great comforting color, look up "Contemplation" by Behr! It literally relaxes me! (On Behr's website it looks like a gray... it's more of a blue green... it goes really well with brown couches and furniture... Check it out at a home improvement store.)

Get rid of as much as possible on the packing end. The less you take to the new place, the less you have to store away. Learn that "things" are not your memories. If you are ultra sentimental about all those boxes of baby clothes but don't plan to have any more kids, tell yourself to pare down to one box. For those semi-sentimental clothes, take a digital picture of each outfit and save to a CD. You might have 250 pictures of semi-sentimental clothes, but they all fit on one tiny CD. Then, give the clothes to a friend who could use them or donate them to a women's shelter. (I did this, and then lost the CD in the move... once you take pictures you really want to keep... be careful with the CD! Now I don't have the clothes or the CD!) This particular idea works with any kind of item: furniture, toys, cars, you name it. If you don't want to lug it around but want to remember it, pictures are great!

(I am about the only one so attached to her baby's clothes that she would admit to taking 250 pictures of them and then putting them on CD... no one else would admit it...but they just might do it!)

A wave of sadness is Ok. It's normal...

I am calm, but I get hit by a wave of sadness from time to time. I tell myself, “This is OK. It’s normal. Feel it, but don’t get stuck in it.” I have always reminded myself that good-byes and endings are only painful because of the blessings that have preceded them. Then my sadness is mixed with genuine gratefulness and I am reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

1) Let the children draw pictures on their boxes...
As the movers are filling boxes, let the children draw pictures of what is in those boxes with markers. That way when they are unpacked at the new house, they can tell what is in the box. It gives them a sense of understanding that this box was at our old house, it has my stuff in it, and now it is in my new house. If moms like to color coordinate, they can give each kid a different color marker.

2) DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING until you are satisfied...
If you request a full unpack when the movers arrive to unload, they are bound to do so. Once you sign something, they are legally released and don't have to finish. I signed before the unpack was completed, and they didn't unpack my boxes as I wanted.

3) When you see someone moving in/out...
bake them a batch of muffins for breakfast and take over a few paper cups and some milk/juice. It is hard to think about fixing breakfast when your movers arrive at 6 am, for either loading or unloading day. A dear friend actually went the whole nine yards for me the day we loaded to move away: She baked 2 kinds of muffins, cut up apples and bananas (knowing we had no accessible silverware), made two cups of coffee (and flavored them just the way we like them...we were very close). She had napkins, milk, paper cups and plates. It was like having a picnic...our last meal in our special house. I repay it about once every two weeks, but sadly not in such detail. (Obviously, I can't claim this one as my idea...my precious friend, Christie, served me this special meal.)

One of the best things I ever did for my kids...

...prior to one of our many military moves was to organize a roller skating party for my two sons and all their friends. Instead of of gifts, I asked all of their friends to bring a photo of themselves. Once they arrived, they placed their photo in a small scrapbook with the photo corner holders and then chose from a selection of gel pens to write their address and a personal message. During the party I took a lot of photos to add to the back of the book to remember the day. After the party, I gave my sons roller skating stickers and other fun stickers to decorate the front cover and any page inside. It is a very special memory book for them now. They can remember all their friends and the fun time they had.

I Continue To Praise God For All He Has Done...

My constant prayer with my children at night before we go to bed is for the Holy Spirit to dwell in our home so that we enjoy being there. I constantly talk to my six year old about school, the move, how she"s feeling, and I take each opportunity to share God"s goodness in practical and meaningful ways she can understand. I have the book Calm My Anxious Heart, my Bible, and a new book on spiritual warfare and I continue to praise God for all He has done.