I like to move it, move it!

If you know me, you know I like to move. Okay, maybe like is not the right word. Dave's job has given us (forced us) the opportunity to live in several different states in just nine short years. People ask if he is in the military and give me a quizzical stare when I say he is a metallurgist. (Frankly, I don't have a real clue as to what he does but metallurgist just sounds cool to say.)

After graduating from Michigan State in 1997 (wow, that was a long time ago), we headed out to Northwest Indiana near the border with Illinois. Our first apartment was in Merrillville, IN and then we had two houses in Highland, IN (one rented, one owned). While Indiana isn't a hotbed of excitement, we were young, child-free and within a 20 minute drive of Chicago.

In 2000, his employer at the time -- the now defunct Bethlehem Steel or "Ma Beth" as he liked to call it -- promoted him to a new job which required a move to Nashville, TN. Our house was in Murfreesboro - known only to civil war buffs - which is about 20 minutes south of Nashville proper. It was a small town close enough to a big town kind of like our set up in Indiana.

About two years into our Nashville stint, things started to go south for "Ma Beth" and Dave was lured away by another company. This company was headquartered in Michigan - specifically Grand Rapids. So in 2003, we headed back up north, now with baby Jacob in tow. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of exciting things to say about Grand Rapids Township. I made some friends but our neighborhood sucked.

Good thing we were there for only about two years before his company sent us (now with baby Molly AND toddler Jacob) to Louisville, Kentucky. This required a six month apartment stay before our house was ready (so glad Dave convinced me a third floor apartment was a good idea ... not). This time our house was in Fisherville, KY -- again about 20 minutes from the city.

We lived in our house for ... oh about two years ... before the company decided we should come back to Michigan. While all the other moves had seemed exciting and adventurous, this one was dreaded. I liked our house, we had good friends, a good church and an overall good life in Kentucky. But being the supportive wife I am (stop laughing), I took it in stride. Besides the schools are a lot better up here (really the only selling point -- it certainly isn't the alluring weather).

So now we are in Grandville, Michigan living in house #5 (but residence #8). Supposedly, this is it until he retires from the company. I am not holding my breath because I am pretty sure I have heard that statement before. Several times. Plus, I have developed a bit of wanderlust after all of the moves. Just about the time I start to notice how dingy the baseboards are and how the dining room could use a new coat of paint -- we move! I still find myself looking a realtor.com and searching for houses in places we could possibly move (or not so possibly but it is fun to dream).

(Plus, of all the places we have lived, I don't think Grandville (Blandville) will ever rank as a favorite.)