Making Home Base – a (re)Introduction
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been coming to this corner of the internet for just over seven years now. In the way that I don’t really remember a time before my children, I also don’t remember a time before this blog. Blogging for me has been a roller coaster of sorts because it changes with the seasons of my life. Some years are better than others. Some years I have felt on top of the world and others I wonder if I might be suited better doing something else. In all of those years though, I’ve felt some sort of connection to you and that is what keeps me going.
Life has changed pretty significantly since I hit publish on my very first blog post here at Making Home base but reading my first introduction, I realized that my mission has stayed the same.
I want this blog to be an inspiration for those like me, who are living in a home that might have decorative limitations. We live in military base housing, and while they have come a long way, it’s still stark white walls, ugly tile, and fluorescent lighting. Even if you can’t relate to the ugly tile (which I hope you can’t – it’s bad!), hopefully you will still be inspired. I look forward to connecting with others who share my passion for being a military spouse, being a mom, creating, and crafting, and anything in between.
My first blog post
The connection piece of that mission is what I want to focus more on this year. I want to lean in and learn more about you, the readers. I want to share more of myself and hopefully inspire you in new ways this year. I imagine you may not have been around in the lonely beginning of this blog so I wanted to properly introduce you to Making Home Base and the person behind it.
First things first. I’m Chelsea, a 33-year-old mom of two living on a rather remote military base with those aforementioned children and my active duty navy husband. My husband Matt and I met when we were about 15 and got married two days shy of my 20th birthday. We were babies and my 33-year-old self realizes we probably had no business getting married but nobody could tell us that. I’m glad because the last 13 years married have been the happiest of my life. In addition to being a wife and mom, I’m recently an online shop owner since I launched my girls’ clothing brand Annie the Brave last year. I love eating great food, Spindrift (I gave up caffeine this fall), going to the beach, traveling with my family, and long chats about life with good friends. You can read more tidbits about me here if you are interested.
Our girls Peighton (7) and Millie (4) are the light of our lives and keep us laughing every single day. Peighton is our sweet and thoughtful girl who created an “I love you” song that she sings to anyone that looks like they’re having a bad day. She’s also the best big sister with the patience of a saint. Millie is our little firecracker with the best one-liners. We joke that she’s the boss of our family (but is it really a joke?). She’s hilarious and adorable and I hate that she is growing up so fast.
The other big piece of our family puzzle is a little thing called the U.S. Navy. It’s the Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of our lives, dealing out the majority of our highs and lows; amazing experiences, tough deployments, incredible homecomings, cross country moves, and irreplaceable friendships – all of them courtesy of our military life. We’ve been all over the country at this point calling Hawaii, Virginia, California, Texas, and Florida home.
Our most recent move (and toughest, frankly) brought us here, to Twentynine Palms, California. The place nobody wants to go and nobody wants to leave. I never did understand that until we got here. It’s in the middle of desert nowhere which can feel isolating at times but the community here is second to none (so are the sunsets).
Matt’s been in the Navy for over 14 years so this is our normal yet, I’m still not used to the start overs. Moving to a new place, creating a new home, making new friends. It’s still hard. That’s actually what led me to blog seven years ago. We had just moved from Texas to San Diego which would turn out to be one of the toughest assignments yet. Within days of arriving Matt was already out to sea and I was in a new home with a new baby trying to find my own sea legs.
Over the years I’ve shared our story through the homes we’ve lived in. Most notably, the Florida house, the place we purchased in Florida and renovated over four years. These days we are back in base housing and I’ve got tons of great ideas about how to make a rental feel like home.
As for this blog, you can find hundreds of decorating and DIY tutorials and ideas, recipes, recaps on our adventures, and tidbits about everyday life as a military (or just a regular ol‘) family.
I’m pretty darn thrilled that you are here and I really want to get to know YOU better!
Tell me in the comments:
What’s your name?
Where do you call home?
How did you find my blog?
What is one or two things you are looking forward to this year?
It was really nice to get to know you more. I love that some of “my” girls share of themselves. Thank you. I have been around for most of your blogging journey (don’t even remember exactly when) and certainly hope to be around for much more!
My name is Linda and I live on the west coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay area. Were you in Jax? Keep up the great work.
Hi Linda! We were in Jax! I miss it (and Florida generally) every day! I was raised on west coast but I think I’m an east coast girl at heart. Hope to come back someday!
Hi Chelsea!
This is Betty from Pittsburgh and I have been following you since you lived in San Diego and love your blog! We have friends who were career Navy and understand a lot of the pluses and minuses that go along with that life. Your girls are adorable! God Bless!
Hi Betty! Thank you so much for your note and being here! You are exactly there many pros and a few cons too. We LOVE Pittsburgh. Matt and I visited one summer when we were living in the DC area. I was pregnant with Peighton and could barely eat I was so sick but I willed myself well enough to enjoy some Primanti Bros. Hope you are doing well!
I love following your journey! Good luck in California!
Back at you, sweet lady!! Hope you are doing well!
Hello! I have followed your blog on/off for about 5 years. I can’t remember how I found you (Pinterest? Blog hop?), but I enjoy reading your decorating updates and moves. I am probably around the age of your parents, but I live a similar life as you. My husband and I work internationally (presently in Central Asia and will be moving over the summer to the Caucuses), but ‘home’ is near Ottawa, Canada. The number of our moves are too many. Like you – some moves have been easy and others difficult, but I try to make our home comfortable the best I can. I know your last move was a difficult, but I love how you’re pressing through. I’m looking forward to this year and I know you’re making a home for you and your sweet family.
Hey Heather! I so appreciate you taking the time to introduce yourself. What an interesting journey you are on! I know that has to be difficult at times but fulfilling at others. We just do the best we can with what we have and just KEEP GOING. Right?!
I enjoying reading your blog when I can. A retired military spouse gets all you write about. Keep it up!
Hi Leisha! Great to “meet” you! I look forward to the day we are “retired” because all of the moving can get old. I was talking with my Grandma this morning (also a retired military spouse) and mentioned that the hardest part is that you feel locked in. Sometimes I just want to stay in one place I don’t want to think about the move that’s around the corner. That’s probably the most challenging part of this for me – I’m ready for roots. But I know it won’t last forever and I will miss it when it’s over.
I’ve been checking in since you started blogging and have always enjoyed your style. We just missed eo at Jax but that’s always the way isn’t it? Too bad too since we are same ages and stages of kiddos! We’ve been civilian for nearly two years now after twelve years (aviation) and it is very bizarre to stop that rhythm of relocating and learning new places. We’ve settled back into normal life but now I often feel the need to change because I must have developed commitment issues from all the moves! The military is incredibly rewarding and challenging on families in a way that is hard to describe to people who haven’t experienced it, especially for a longer term. We always say it made us optimists though, we can see the joy in everything and the small things don’t get to us like when we were formerly civilians. We are thankful just to be together as a family. Even when my husband has to travel for work, we are thankful that the time apart is so much easier than the deployment rhythm. It’s funny now living in a major city, I even appreciate the opportunity to be in traffic after living in some very remote bases!
Hi Ann! Thank you for chiming in – it’s so wonderful to hear from you and about you! Whereabouts in Jax did y’all settle? We sold our home in Fleming Island before moving to 29 but we loved it so much there. I can totally understand being thankful for small things. The military has a way of showing you how to be appreciative of everything you have especially that time together. Thanks for being here.