Getting close!!!

Big Joe's R&R begins this week!!!! In 6 days!!! Wooohooooo!!!! So very excited. He is too. And very happy to get some Subway on the way home ;). I can't wait to see the look on the boys' faces and to see Big Joe when he holds Katie for the first time. We plan on doing lots of family outings as well as just some date nights to ourselves. And we will head to Texas for Christmas :). It will be a fun four weeks that I won't want to let go. I hate telling him goodbye but I will cherish every moment we have together starting......in 6 DAYS!!! YYaaaaahhhooooo!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

Today is my Dad's 65th birthday! It is hard to believe. One he looks nowhere near 65 and two it just doesn't seem like he should be that old. Bless his heart he is taking such good care of me and the kidlets while Joe is gone. He is over here nearly everyday (20 min drive for him) helping me feed the horses, doing odd jobs around the house, and sometimes bringing supper :). He is a wonderful man and definitely in my top three favorite people :) (God, Big Joe, and then Dad). He is also one of the strongest people I know. He is a Vietnam vet, an optometrist, a great Dad and Papa, and there ANYTIME I need him. While my mother was ill he took care of everything because he knew she wouldn't have wanted to be in a nursing home. So he had all the equipment and care brought to his home and set her up in front of the beautiful view they have out of the formal living room. He didn't get much sleep during that time because he cared for her at night and still worked full time. He has a bit of a tough exterior but really he is a soft place to land for me. I love him dearly. And I hope he has a wonderful birthday!!!

First Sunday in a dress and proof

I finally decided that I didn't care....Katie would wear a dress to church today. Aftrer 5 1/2 years of trucks and polo shirts I wanted to dress my lil girl up. The problem is tights. Even the smallest ones I have found were waaaaaaay too big, not only in length but the width of her little leg. She looked like an old lady with wrinkles in her knees. But today I said "I don't care" and I dressed her up and she looked soooooooo adorable. And thanks to a good friend with three girls of her own...Katie has some preemie tights coming in the mail :)

Second is PROOF. Proof that even though my boys wrestle like dogs on the floor and fight over the same car they canbe civil to one another. I snapped this picture before it was too late ;)

"Tagged"

I have been "tagged" by a friend :). This is an Internet game where you find the fourth picture folder then the forth picture in that folder, post it, and write four things about that picture. Then you "Tag" four of your friends with blogs. So forgive if I tag you...and then we will play. It was kinda fun thumbing through old pics anyway :)


1. This is a pic of Little Joe (for many of you...this is how you remember him :)) It was taken in the Fall of 2006 making him a lil over 3yrs.

2. This was our first trip to the pumpkin patch in my hometown, and Joe is walking through the corn maze (which we never figured out heheheh). We had just moved into our lovely Tennessee home.

3. From an early age Joe has been a hat kid. He loves to wear hats. He has a John Deere hat that he received on his fourth birthday that looks like a true country boy hat now :)

4. Garrett and Joe look very much alike except that Garret has HUGE dimples, and it is pictures like this where I am really amazed buy how strong my hubby's genes are ;)

ok Now I am tagging

Ashley - The Harding Family
Linda- A private blogger friend
Chaney- Jackson and Zoe's Daily Updates
Heather- A Journey of Faith

Why?

Ok of course the day after my last post Joe called. Maybe I should whine more often :). And he was in the field...and will be in the field until basically he comes home for R&R. Bleh. Oh well. I know he is safe and he is doing fine, although a lil sleep deprived.

My next question is why.....why do we as parent spend thousands of dollars on toys when our kids end up playing with yard sticks from the paint store, or a cardboard roll from wrapping paper....or spices from my spice rack?!?!!? The other day Joe had dumped his very LARGE Tupperware of lincoln logs on the floor. And yea he played with them a bit but soon discovered running around the house with the Tupperware on his head was much more fun. Garrett soon found another container to wear and join Joe in the fun. hehehehehe. I remember spending days in a box from my folks new deep freeze. I even slept in that thing. This is how I find Garrett many nights out of the week

8 days

...since I have heard from Joe. UGH!!! He had mentioned he was leaving for the field but did not say how long and I am just assuming his cell phone did not get coverage wherever they went. I was really hoping he would be back by now especially since they do honor most American holidays there. I know he is not in a dangerous area but after 8 days your mind begins to wander. Is he ok? Did something weird happen and no one knows where we live? Then my mind says to quit being silly and he will call you as soon as he can. Sigh. I hate being patient. And it is hard knowing today's technology that is is possible to communicate with him it is just the circumstances won't allow it. Ok I'll climb off my box now...sorry.
Well, Joe, if for some reason you are able to check the blog before calling me....I love you. I miss you. Please call when you can. Think..dream..pray. All my love hun.

Tennessee Orange....and reds and yellows

The trees are so beautiful around here the past week or so. I'm always amazed by the wonders of God's work. Whenever I am driving down the road lately, I find myself saying out loud, "Wow, isn't that one pretty?!" I took a few pictures around our property. I just love living out here and never tire of it.

One month...and well plus one day!

Our darling Katiebug is one month and one day old. She is so terribly sweet. I am soaking up every minute of having her. I just love dressing her up, seeing her smile in her sleep, and knowing I can make her stop crying instantly just by holding her. Her brothers are totally in love as well. And I just cannot wait for Big Joe to meet her. I know he will be wrapped around her tiny lil fingers in a heart beat. Here is a pic I took yesterday....when she really was one month :) Bless her heart she has pretty bad baby acne....all of my kiddos did. Hopefully her precious face will shine through even more in the coming weeks :)

Zoo of a Halloween

Well I have officially decided three kiddos makes for a zoo! But it was pure coincidence that all three were animals this year for Halloween :). Although Katie stayed in her costume a total of about 3 minutes.....I have come to the conclusion that 0-9 month costumes lean way more toward the 9 month range. It was HUGE on her!!!!! Joe had a rough week at school the week before so as punishment he was not allowed to go to the pumpkin patch like I had originally planned but since last week was better I was finally able to get all three kiddos to a patch the day before Halloween. The boys had a great time and Katie slept in the sling. It was a feat to get three kiddos and four pumpkins back to the car though! I let the boys paint their pumpkins while I carved one after they went to bed.....it was too chaotic to do it with them awake. Then Halloween night we went to the church's fall festival. Again a great time with lots of candy and inflatables for the kids to play on.











Oh a sad note...one of Joe's colleagues and friends was severely injured in Afghanistan this week. A good man....with a lovely wife and two adorable little girls. Currently he is being treated in Germany with the hopes of returned to the states in the next couple of weeks. Please be in prayer for Rob and his family. http://yllescasfamily.blogspot.com