The Future of Our Family

Well, this is complicated.  We know that there's one year of med school left, three years of residency, and four years of paying back the military with Aaron serving as a family doctor on a base as well as taking a tour of duty. 

For Aaron, the last year of medical school (July 2015-May 2016) is completed by performing rotations in Hawaii (military), Virginia (military), northern Illinois (U of I requirement), and southern Illinois (U of I and RMED requirements).  He will also take two weeks to do more military medical site interviews in Georgia and North Carolina.  During this year, Charlie, Esme, Henry, and I will be living in southern Illinois.  We're not yet sure when the military rotations will happen, but the southern Illinois rotation is for sure January through May.  Throughout that year, I hope to substitute teach or volunteer in classrooms every Monday.  Charlie may start parochial K3 or I may continue homeschooling.  It depends on how easy Henry is. Moreover, I really hope I can visit Aaron in Hawaii for a week or more. What fun that would be! 

Now, remember those military medical sites: Hawaii, Virginia, two in Georgia, and North Carolina?  Those are the possibilities for his three years of residency. We will find out where around mid-December 2015. Then we start preparing for a move over the summer of 2016 to whichever site with which he was matched.  Right now, in the middle of northern Illinois winter, Hawaii or Georgia sounds awesome.  Where ever we go, Charlie will be the official age for preschool.  I'll be doing some research on educational options and toddler and preschool friendly activities. (Oh, research, I love thee!)  Residency will be summer 2016 through summer 2019.

After residency, only God knows where we'll be.  We'll be serving four years at one or two bases either stateside or internationally.  Honestly, international would be a great experience to give the kids.  Sometime during all this, Aaron will do a tour of duty where ever our future president decides we need to have troops because those troops will need doctors to serve them.  The payback years are summer 2019 through summer 2023.  Charlie will be 10 (almost 11), Esme will be 9, and Henry will be 7 by the end of it. I am going to feel so old.  

That's all I've got for now.  We'll know more in one year. Now it's time to wait.