LisaKinVA Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 While the "official" word isn't out, the unofficial, official word is that my husband's entire office is being moved to the VA Beach area (Suffolk, Norfolk Naval Station, and Little Creek seem to be top choices, and then there is a maybe for Ft. Eustis.) From what I've seen, things vary wildly around ALL of these places. We've just been "settling in" here in Fredericksburg, and have been preparing to move into our new home (which WE are building...). At least there will be a relocation package to go with this transfer (whew!), so we don't have to be overly concerned with selling our NEW house. We have anywhere from 12-18 months (according to the unofficial, official word from the Chief Executive over my dh's office). I'm wigging out just a bit... tell me everything is going to be okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Well.... At least you won't have to change your board name. :tongue_smilie: It'll be OK!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 We've lived there and really enjoyed it! Great homeschooling community there! Plus, Dawn/Nestof3 lives there so what more could you need?? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 We've lived there and really enjoyed it! Great homeschooling community there! Plus, Dawn/Nestof3 lives there so what more could you need?? :D YAY... I sort-of know ONE PERSON already. What a relief. Once we have a definite idea of where DH will be stationed, it will get easier for me... of course I'll have to go into mad-planning mode! List of wants... about 30 min. from DH workplace. About 15 min. from kids' swim team... a house we can live with (or a place to stay while we build... AGAIN). A good church that's not too far. American Heritage Girls (I hear there is a club starting up). Excellent Boy Scout troop... easy shopping, and close to a co-op house pick-up for organic foods...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 DH and I met and married in VA Beach!! We miss it a lot, he wants to move back someday. I promise, it'll all be OK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 YAY... I sort-of know ONE PERSON already. What a relief. Once we have a definite idea of where DH will be stationed, it will get easier for me... of course I'll have to go into mad-planning mode! List of wants... about 30 min. from DH workplace. About 15 min. from kids' swim team... a house we can live with (or a place to stay while we build... AGAIN). A good church that's not too far. American Heritage Girls (I hear there is a club starting up). Excellent Boy Scout troop... easy shopping, and close to a co-op house pick-up for organic foods...lol One thing for SURE is that you want to live and work on the same side of the tunnels. The big one (I forget it's name) that goes to the Hampton/Williamsburg side is horrendous at rush hour or at least it was when we lived there. What kind of church are you looking for? We went to Glad Tidings in Norfolk for a little while and enjoyed it. There was a small co-op we were involved in but I have no idea who runs it now or if it still exists. There is a natural foods store/gathering place at the beach called The Heritage where you can find out about that sort of thing. Oh and the homeschool mecca is called Moore Expressions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I was the second-longest baby on record at Norfolk Navy Hospital. :001_smile: I was in the first graduating class of Lake Taylor High School. :001_smile: But I haven't lived there since 1970 so I can't tell you much about what it's like to actually live there. Mr. Ellie and I were thinking seriously about retiring there, but we only made it as far as Texas. :lol: Everything will be fine. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 One thing for SURE is that you want to live and work on the same side of the tunnels. The big one (I forget it's name) that goes to the Hampton/Williamsburg side is horrendous at rush hour or at least it was when we lived there. What kind of church are you looking for? We went to Glad Tidings in Norfolk for a little while and enjoyed it. There was a small co-op we were involved in but I have no idea who runs it now or if it still exists. There is a natural foods store/gathering place at the beach called The Heritage where you can find out about that sort of thing. Oh and the homeschool mecca is called Moore Expressions. We know all about the tunnels :D... so yes, we want to be on the same side for work & play. There are two swim teams that would be most similar to what my children are currently on... with multiple practice locations. Church-wise, we lean Reformed Baptist... but currently attend a PCA. Non-demoninational may be a possibility as well. HOMESCHOOL friendly is a must. I grew up in "mega"churches...don't care for really small churches. Big enough to have more things to do. DH grew up in a "big church" for a small town (I grew up in churches with 5,000+ members like Coral Ridge Pres, First Baptist, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Gatos Christian in CA). BUT, I also don't want a legalistic church and I'm not really interested in a family-integrated church... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvasMom Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 We know all about the tunnels :D... so yes, we want to be on the same side for work & play. There are two swim teams that would be most similar to what my children are currently on... with multiple practice locations. Church-wise, we lean Reformed Baptist... but currently attend a PCA. Non-demoninational may be a possibility as well. HOMESCHOOL friendly is a must. I grew up in "mega"churches...don't care for really small churches. Big enough to have more things to do. DH grew up in a "big church" for a small town (I grew up in churches with 5,000+ members like Coral Ridge Pres, First Baptist, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Gatos Christian in CA). BUT, I also don't want a legalistic church and I'm not really interested in a family-integrated church... There is a mega-church in the area. Rock Church or something like that?? The people at Moore Expressions are Christian and can probably advise you more specifically. I'm a big church girl too. We've gone from a 1000 person church in Maryland to now a 50 person church in New Jersey. It's driving me NUTS!!! Luckily it's only for a year. I really mostly just miss my kids having lots of church activities. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I can't help you with the church thing, but I live in Chesapeake so not too far from Nestof3 (although I've still never been able to meet up with them at the B&N thing) As for the "live within 30 mintues" of dh work, I hate to say it but that might be tough. One of the unofficial mottos for the area is "Hampton Roads, you can't get there from here" 64/264 are nuts, unless you're driving during the wee hours there is almost never a time it's not busy. My dh is stationed at Norfolk Naval Base and although we live 5 minutes from the interchange to get on 64 he leaves at 5am to beat the traffic into the base. If he leaves by 5 he can be on the ship by 5:40, if he leaves just 15 mintues later he's lucky to get on the ship by 6:30. It's not just normal rush hour type traffic, the amount of people going to the base is ginormous. The base is huge, well heck it's the largest one in the world, and if all the carriers are in port that's a heck of a lot of people and then you have to add in all the destroyers, and base staff. It wasn't any better when we lived in VA Beach 5.5 years ago, actually living in VA beach was worse, but we lived out by the Courthouse which is quite a ways out there. Then it would take him 30 minutes just to wind his way over to the interstate. One thing to remember is that VA Beach and Chesapeake are HUGE, so just because it says VA Beach, Chesapeake or Norfolk doesn't necessarily mean it's close to the base. We actually prefer living in Chesapeake because we have everything we need and it's quieter out here. Where we lived in VA beach (two times before, as I said once 5.5 years ago and another time almost 11 years ago) the jets could be unbelievably loud, but you do get used to it. I remember once my BIL and soon to be SIL were visiting and on the day they were to fly home I told them it was too foggy and they wouldn't be leaving, they asked why and I said "Haven't you noticed it's been really quiet today, that means the Navy Pilots aren't flying, and if they aren't flying the odds of you flying out are slim to none" Sure enough after fighting my way to the airport all flights were cancelled. Sorry if I came off a little harsh about the area, but it's very different from every other place we've ever lived, and definitely takes some getting used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I'm in the area too. There is a great eloop for hsers in the area-Meaning the greater hampton Roads area. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschooling-in-hamptonroads/ There are tons of hsers in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 If you go to Suffolk, look at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church. PCA, big but not ginormous, and wonderful people. I still miss it. they also have a big homeschool community in Suffolk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 YAY... I sort-of know ONE PERSON already. What a relief. Once we have a definite idea of where DH will be stationed, it will get easier for me... of course I'll have to go into mad-planning mode! List of wants... about 30 min. from DH workplace. About 15 min. from kids' swim team... a house we can live with (or a place to stay while we build... AGAIN). A good church that's not too far. American Heritage Girls (I hear there is a club starting up). Excellent Boy Scout troop... easy shopping, and close to a co-op house pick-up for organic foods...lol I've lived in the Hampton Roads area for quite a while. You will be able to find all the things you listed, but not necessarily as close as you want them, lol. People here are on the road a lot to get exactly what they want. Almost everyone I now has a commute for something, whether it's church, work, or activities. Homeschooling is huge. Shopping close to home- not a problem. Loads of nice rental houses available. Quail Cove Farms has drop off stations in the area, you can go to their website to find out where they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 We have lived in VB for 15 years (not military, dh is a small business owner). We love it so much here that we invested in a bigger house about 2 years ago. Homeschooling is fairly big here and we have memberships to several local museums for field trips. There is a lot of driving here but as compared to the northern VA area with a lot of driving also, it's a wash. Plus there are several wonderful beaches and you are very close to the Outer Banks of NC here. I don't know, we could have started his business anywhere but we choose Virginia Beach because we do really enjoy it here for a lot of reasons. PM me if you have any specific questions! HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) I've lived in the Hampton Roads area for quite a while. You will be able to find all the things you listed, but not necessarily as close as you want them, lol. People here are on the road a lot to get exactly what they want. Almost everyone I now has a commute for something, whether it's church, work, or activities. Homeschooling is huge. Shopping close to home- not a problem. Loads of nice rental houses available. Quail Cove Farms has drop off stations in the area, you can go to their website to find out where they are. Traffic is a pain. Living in the suburbs (formerly ex-urbs) of DC, and having grown up in Silicon Valley, I'm intimately aware of traffic issues. perhaps I should change my wish list to "tolerable commute." LOL I'm not sure renting will be an option... we have 5 children, and that can make rentals more difficult to come by (and more expensive). We'll definitely check out all of the housing options, though. Edited June 30, 2011 by LisaK in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Oh I also forgot I have a swimmer kid too. What teams are you looking at? We are with CGBD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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