three kids+three dogs+one horse+trailer trouble=chaos

Well goodbye TN...you will always be home to me. The kids and I moved up to Ft Knox on Saturday. Needless to say the move to Tennessee seemed much easier. Part of that I am sure is because I only had one child at the time. Now with three kids boy oh boy...this is taking way more effort than I thought. Our first stress came with the horse trailer. Joe had moved some of our stuff using it the week before. He had planned on bringing it back and we would take off from the old house Saturday morning. We he called saying the lights weren't working, so he couldn't bring the trailer. I was of course upset because we had to leave the horse until we could fix the lights. Luckily Sunday morning Joe was able to fix them and we returned to Tennessee and got Gunner up here as well.
Then came all of the normal move stuff. Unloading the truck, trying to find my Christmas cards in the sea of boxes so I could get them mailed at a decent time, getting Joe into a new school....you know...mess.
Now of course one of the toilets has broken, we locked ourselves out of the house in 20 degree weather, the kids aren't sleeping well because things are different....again just chaos.
But I have learned a few things. I am so grateful for kind neighbors. I am grateful to be with my husband and not worry about when he is leaving. I am grateful to go to a function on post and I actually know someone. And finally I have learned when you move from the country to the city you need curtains!!! In TN we had blinds and in the bedrooms we had them closed 50% of the time for sleep purposes but the rest of the time I had them open. No one was around..didn't matter if we wanted to have a naked party ;). In the city...yea you need curtains. I feel like I am dodging bullets in the morning to get dressed. hehehe oh well if that's my biggest issue with the house right now not so bad huh?
Still no offers on the TN home. Please say a prayer that it sells or rents....it's causing financial and emotional strain on us.

It is done!!

After 481 days Big Joe returned home last week!!! The kids and I were all super excited. Of course there was a delay with his flight but he made it safely. It was so nice to have him even for a few short days...because he has already reported to Fort Knox :(. Crazy, I know, but he is coming home on weekends and is trying to get as many long weekends as he can. Joe has even managed to fix the escaping donkey situation. He has been working on the mower that needs to be torched and shot but hasbn't had much luck yet.

We went to the pumpkin patch as a family and to the Fall Festival at church and had an awesome time. We got a last minute phone call from a pastor asking if we could bring the horse for pony rides so he went as well. We were so busy I didn't get a chance to take pictures...so I have to dress my kids up this week sometime and take some more.

The kids are super busy....and giving me heart attacks. Instead of a donkey escaping Garrett wandered away from home today while I changed a dirty diaper of Katie's. Scariest 20 minutes of my life. Thankfully, a neighbor found him in the woods with her kids and brought him back to his hysterical mother who just got off the phone with the police. I feel like mother of the year, but was quickly reminded of when my parents left me at church as a child and my uncle who wandered off and fell asleep in a hay trailer and was "missing" for several hours. I just hope we never experience anything like that again.

Other than these "activities" we are getting ready for the move. Still no offers on the house, but Joe has found us a rental at Knox since the on post housing is full....til 2012! We are heading to Gatlinberg this weekend for a family getaway and I am beyond excited about it!!! I'll be sure to post some pics :)

Bug's Birthday

How can this sweet precious thing be a year old already?!?!? I remember going to the doctor (a good friend of mine as well) on October 2nd and as soon as I saw her I burst into tears. I had been so sick for days. After we talked we decided that this baby needed to come and sooner rather than later...because I was 36 weeks along. So she told me to come in the next morning and it would be baby day! I had never had a day to prepare with the boys so this was much less stressful. I made arrangements for the boys and called Joe in Korea. My good friend and Godmother to my kids came and picked me up the morning of Oct 3rd. Checked in and I had been 4cm for a week or so already. My doctor came in and suggested an epidural before things got too uncomfortable. I had always been told I couldn't have one but she thought this doctor could do it and do it well. I LOVED THAT WOMAN!!!! My first epidural and it was awesome!!! Labor moved kind of slowly. My doctor was seeing patients in the clinic but was told to be paged so she could deliver. Around 3:00pm I told Bev, my friend, that things felt like I was ready to deliver and sure enough I was :). After three contractions Katherine Greer entered the world at 3:34pm at 7lbs 4oz and 18 inches long. Probably my easiest labor...little did I know what would happen in the next few days, but we won't go there today. Because Katie was early she had to be observed for 4 hours in special care. Turned out besides having some low blood sugar (on the part of me being so ill) that she was perfect :)...and still is :).

We had a lady bug themed party on Saturday. It was very sweet :) Bug had a good nap and had a blast throughout the entire party :) We loved seeing all the new pink toys come in. And actually it is all any of the kids have played with since then...heheheh.

A Week "Off"

If you live in middle Tennessee you know how much rain we have gotten lately. i think I have added around 8 inches on this place in the past ten days. Crazy I know. Today is the first time I have seen sunshine since last Saturday. Very thankful for it. So because of all this rain I think prospective buys on the house stayed home. But it was actually nice not to clean for 2 hours for people to see the place for 15 minutes.

Things have been actually somewhat boring around here....if that's possible for my life ;). The boys are nutty as ever...still wrestling like dogs.

Did I say wrestle? Well evidently Garretto can get just as dirty as the dogs....man good thing it was a bath night!!

And my head is still spinning realizing that my tiny sweet baby will be a year old this week. CRAZY!!!! I remember this time last year how tired, miserable, and huge I felt. And I just wanted her out. Then the drama after her birth happened and it seems like time has spun out of control since. I miss that sweet lil newborn. But I tell, ya, she is so stinkin cute these days it's hard to want the newborn back. She is taking more and more table food. Probably could really do it all day but some of it is laziness on my part (for example a jar of baby food thrown in the diaper bag is so easy for breakfast at church). She is pulling up on furniture and letting go briefly as to say, "Look Mama, no hands!" And she is taking a sippy cup. I didn't think it would be so difficult to throw away the baby bottle but it is. I figure it'll be ok for them to stay on that shelf til the packers come in a couple of months :) I just love her to pieces.

Bug chowing on some pizza crusts. cracked me up that she was little enough to prop her feet up like that. Stinker!
Sippy cup for the first time...although she's not really happy on whole milk yet. Still prefers Mama cow.
Her hair on the sides is getting much longer and I asked myself one day...hmm wonder if I could make pigtails (or dog ears as my Dad calls them). I thought they were STINKIN cute!

I've also started making preparations for Joe to come home. We have scheduled a party..woohoo! I've gotten some shirts for the kids to wear to the airport (love doing that!) And making appointments to make myself look pretty :). Hopefully I can fill these last few weeks so they will fly.

Born and Bred Country Girl

Bug's personality is coming out so much these days. She still loves her Mama but she is venturing away from me more and more. I catch her dancing and clapping and playing with all sorts of things. But the one thing she has gotten most excited about is a John Deere ride on toy the boys have had since Joe was one I think. She bounces and claps to a little tune it plays. It is sooooo cute. Was able to get a little clip of it. Hope you enjoy :)

Chaos and escaping donkey

The past couple of weeks have been wild around here. I've been busy spackling, painting, trimming bushes...you name it in order to get the house ready for sale. My best friend's husband came over and worked for several hours on odd jobs as well. I just hope I can keep up with it all. And you KNOW as soon as you fix something something else breaks. It wasn't even 12 hours after Justin (BFF's hubby) left that my toilet broke. Amazingly I was able to fix it myself!!!! I was very proud :). Then the TV in the boys room went out...I am definitely not an electrician so I had to replace that. Then I had to do fence work so I hopped on my mower...remember the dreaded machine that I would've shot if we had owned a gun...ah yes that one. Well a TIRE came off....yes a TIRE. So now the stinking thing is sitting in the middle of my property. Once again Dad is going to come over and rescue me and fix it....if it's not burnt to a heap before then ;).

So I bet you are asking why the escaping donkey in the title. Well the fence work I mentioned above has more info to it. A couple of nights ago about 9:00pm I was chatting with my Dad on the phone. The dogs started barking. I've had the windows open lately because we have had awesome weather for August so as my heart rate quickens I go close the windows. Then the horse is crying out, and I say to Dad "Boy I hope the donkey isn't loose." I open the garage door to take a peek...HELLO Arthur. Sigh remember it's 9:15. I tell Dad I gotta go and attempt to herd Arthur back into the paddock. Not working...he ends up in the street and I am running with a flashlight praying my quiet country road doesn't suddenly experience rush hour. I realize I can't do this myself when he runs into a neighbors yard. I thought hmmm a Major in the Army lives there...probably won't be too happy seeing large bodies walking around his property one hold a flashlight...and yea he probably has a gun. So I run back to my house and call a neighbor. They come out in pjs and flashlights and together after another 30 minutes we get Arthur back where he belongs. I thank my neighbors and all is well, right? No I wake up the next morning and Arthur is grazing around our swing set. I get him in the barn myself...woohoo. I come back to the house..look out the window he is out again!!!!! Get him back and I lock him in the barn. Needless to say I found a huge hole in the fence and I had the pasture bush hogged today so the electric fence is turned ON. Just been craziness.

In all of this Joe is back at school full throttle, Katie is now crawling...and Garrett is keeping me on my toes for sure! The house will be on the market Sept 1st...I just hope I can keep it together and my animals on my property til then ;)

OK since Joe always likes a pic here is Little Joe ready for the 1st grade!

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks!!

Joe's tball team had the opportunity to attend a Nashville Sounds game and be what were called "baseball buddies". They attended the game, got a voucher for a hot dog and drink, and got to be on the field during the national anthem. It was sooooooooo stinking cute. I am so glad that I took up on this opportunity and hopefully created an awesome memory for Joe. I left the lil kids home with a sitter and Joe and I trekked down to Nashville. The atmosphere was so family friendly I was really surprised with inflatables out for the kids to play on, a SMOKE FREE section for families, a firework show at the end of the game, and all of the kids attending the game could run the bases when it was over. It was really cool. So on the night that 10,000 plus people were there there was my little man, on the pitchers mound with the big boy ball players in his cute lil uniform, hat off, and hand over his heart. I couldn't have been prouder :) My lil man on the mound,

Running the bases after the game.

Joe was catcher for the team so thinks he needs to wear his hat backwards most of the time :)

Counting days

I remember more than a year ago I was terrified at the thought of 15-18 months of deployment. And it was just 3 months ago that I was worried about having three kids at home with a full summer ahead of me and no hubby. And look here we are near the end of both. Guess what kids...it the most wonderful time of the year!!!! School starts tomorrow!!!! Ok so maybe I am a little too excited. I cannot believe Joe will be in the 1st grade. How does this stuff happen? I guess the same way as I am starting to notice lines around my eyes when I smile and how when I say "Boys!" to fuss at Joe and Garrett it sounds an awful lot like my mother.

So these past few days we have just been hanging out, doing some school shopping this weekend (tax free wooohoo!), and spending time with friends. We have tons of birthday parties coming up and I am starting work on the move. I can now say that word, yes the four letter one that starts with an m, without crying so I am pleased with myself :). I am actually getting a little excited about a new place for a bit, doing some new things, but all within driving distance of home. :):):):)

Speaking of home...Joe has less than 80 days left of this tour. Can you see the elephants dancing around me?!?!!?!!?!!?!? I am so excited I can't even describe it, and the thought of him being home for so long is so very comforting to me. This tour has been our longest but I have to say it has been our strongest one yet. Joe and I have never been closer in our relationship and I am so proud of both of us for that. I think it has also helped being around friends and family that have done so much for my family. I hope we can repay them somehow someday.

Well Joe fussed at me for not having photos on the last update so I will stick some random ones here. :) Love you babe.

This is Katie and her future BFF Madison (my BFF's little girl). Isn't she cute?! Yesterday Katie dialed BFF's number and her phone was sitting on Madison. No hours on the phone yet girls! (Sad thing here is you notice Bug is not much bigger than 2 month old Maddie :( )

Goofy Garretto enjoying some ice cream on a hot day :)All of my chicks in a tub. I just love tub pictures :) My hubby did something very sweet. He ordered personalized M&Ms for me in my favorite colors might I add :). They said Think. Dream. Pray. Forever. This is a shortened version of a saying we say for goodbyes...mostly during deployments. Sigh..I love him :).

Lock me down with the GOLD!!

So that's the best hint I could come up with..lol. We are going to Ft. Knox, KY in December. Joe will be an SGI for a Calvary unit...a pretty high profile position for someone with just one command so I am very proud of him. They even moved the report date back for him to give him more time. The kind of bad news is is that this unit may be moving to Ft Benning..not a bad place by any means just means a possible move 10-12 months after we get there...so yuck. Plus I like the fact that Knox is fairly close to here (2.5 hours) and we can visit easily. If we move to Benning that's about 6 hours... not so easy.
We have trully been blessed with this home. We love it. I knew it as soon as we pulled in the drive way. We built a barn here, brought two kids home here, and had Big Joe home for the longest ever (18 months). So these facts, combined with the current housing market, and the longing to come back to TN one day we were more willing to rent than sell. And guess what?? Some great friends of ours have been house shopping for some time and have offered to rent our home!! So this means I don't have to bang that "for sale" sign in the ground just yet, although I 'm sure I will need a box of tissues on moving day. But I know this place will be in good hands.
Other updates....Joe loved gymnastics camp and boy having a calm relaxed child at home in the afternoons after 5 hours of tumbling was sooooo nice. Bug now has two teeth!!! From zero to two in less than five days :). Garretto is still cute as ever...I just love to hear him talk these days. Two yr old voices are stinking cute.....kinda makes up for the tantrums and wild banchee squealing they do ;).
Well that's about it from here. We are less than 90 days til Joe gets home and I CAN'T WAIT!!!

More randomness..yes, the limbo continues.

So I am trying to fill my mind with business. Can ya tell? LOL

So for an update on Big Joe and next duty station. Still nothing. I have only learned that we may have to move much sooner than I had originally planned, or at least Joe will report earlier and the kids and I will follow come January. The more people I talk to about Irwin the more nervous I get. But I know God is in control and I will keep praying for His will...but just remind Him how concerned I am.

I cannot believe the summer is almost over!! Joe has a week of gymnastics camp starting tomorrow (wooohooo). Then I have 4 days with him, and that's it! He is back to school! Something really cute Joe said today on the way to church.

Joe- "Mama, they don't have submarines in the military."

Me- "Yes, babe, they do in the Navy and Marines."

Joe- "Oh, I didn't know that. (long pause) Well, they don't have a kayak cuz there is no where to mount the gun."

I nearly had to pull over I burst in to laughter.

Random cuteness of all three.
Garrett is doing well. Talking more every day. Still working on the potty training, but not perfect yet.
My lil heart breaker...I can't stop thinking about the lil girls knockin on my door for him.

Katie is the same. She did get her very first tooth this week. And I pierced her ears...something I never thought I would do so young. But never say never...you know! I did get two of her tests back with negative results. I should hear more this week. I think this will be a pretty long road though. Patience, Liz, patience.

Look Mama, My big brothers gave these to me. I think I like em!! Can you see my purty new earrings? :)

For being such a tomboy myself...I LOVE dressing her up. So much fun!

And just a random P90X update. Phase II was difficult for me. Had to redo a week. Didn't feel well at other times, and the late nights were really catching up. But I have lost 5.5 inches total from my waist. The scale has still not moved but I can see all sorts of muscle definition I haven't seen in a long long time....like teenage years. So woohoo!! I'm hoping Joe being at camp next week will let me workout during nap time again since the 10pm thing is TOUGH. And I can hit phase three harder than ever when school starts!!

Limbo Blog

The past couple of weeks have been full of limbo. Joe will hear any day on what our next post will be. Of course we would love to stay here for several reasons, awesome school, awesome house, my Dad is 20 minutes away, great church and friends. But we (mostly I) are learning to just appreciate where we are even if it is only for a few short months. Like they say, the anticipation is much worse than the event. So we will wait...and even though I don't look forward to putting a for sale sign on this beautiful property I am so excited about being a complete family again.

We are also in waiting on the health of Katie (kinda of another reason why I am nervous to move). Her doctors are very concerned with her size and are running several tests. I like the fact that they are being thorough but it is very scary for them to list a bunch of things that could possibly be wrong with your baby (enter Little Joe flashbacks here...shiver). I am trying to look at it as I will love her no matter what they say and we will learn to handle any if any issue she might have.

Other things we have been doing are having a yard sale, getting Katie's 9 month pics taken, getting church directory pictures taken, and growing veggies :) I was so please to pick my very first watermelon the other day!!!! Although I picked it a little early..pout. Did you know you have to have bees to grow melons? Luckily we do :). And there is a very fine line with a ripe melon and an overripe melon...hence the picking early. And you can't "thump test" the melon in the heat of the day to see if it's ripe because they all sound that way. Need to do it in the morning or evening. I have a whole new appreciate for melon farmers :) Hopefully my next one will be PERFECT!! I have enjoyed a tomatoe and an ear of corn though :) Yum this has got to be my favorite part of summer...just just can't beat homegrown food. Ok random pics to go with random post ;)

My first harvest of the season :)

sneak peek at Kati's pics....so stinkin CUTE!!

The boys wanted to build a fort and decided their sister needed to be in on the action :)

Joe comforting Garrett...melt my heart.

Move over..Joe is 6!!

I cannot believe my sweet 6lb 10oz baby is 6 years old. He had such a good time yesterday despite the rain all day. They still enjoyed the slip-n-slide as well as about 120 water balloons. It was crazy and loud but man did they have fun!! Joe decided he wanted a construction themed party so I did my best and thought everything turned out really cute :) There was of course cake and a pinata too :)

Pretty good Mom :)

Whack it!

We liked it too!!

A friend shared her son's birth story and things she loved about him....just another idea I will steal from her (thanks Heather :)). Joe was deployed to Iraq and I had had a pretty complicated pregnancy with Joe. I was life flighted to Topeka for 2 weeks after going into preterm labor and suffering a heart condition. So by the time 37 weeks came around I was ready to have that baby. A good friend of mine was visiting me and she was almost as determined and decided to take me out for buffalo wings and a 2 mile walk to get things started. So when contractions started a few hours later I was slightly hopeful but didn't think it would happen. My friend drove me to the hospital at about 4pm. My blood pressure was up and I was 4 cm, so the doc just decided to break my water. Woohoo!! Then after 13 hours of natural labor and 1.5 hours of pushing (yes natural people...was told I couldn't have an epidural because of hardware in my back) Joseph Ollin was born at 3:05am. I will never forget after peeing on the doctor she looked at me and said "He better look like your husband cuz he doesn't look a thing like you." There was no doubt he was his father's son and the argument over his name was settled. I couldn't name him Jacob...he was definitely a Joe. He was perfect and precious. And although he has endured a lot he continues to amaze me. Love him to pieces :)

Now to 6 things I love about 6yr old Joe

1. His smile...everyone talks about it...it lights up the room.
2. His love. This child is so loving, to his siblings, to his parents, to just about everyone.

3. His goofiness. He has an awesome since of humor and can crack me up even when I am down.

4. His eyes...they are like cool water. I think they are beautiful.

5. His toughness..I'm not sure if I could be as tough as this little boy.

6. His brain...this kid is SOOO smart I know I know every Mom says that about their kid but he has a way with numbers and I really think he has a photographic memory. He can tell you what day of the week almost any date on the calendar is...it's crazy.

RC and Moonpie Festival

Ok by that title you KNOW I live in the south! LOL So it was a last minute trip last week to Bell Buckle TN. By the way Joe loves to say the word Bell Buckle...I heard it at least 50x during the weekend. This is an annual event with different contests, a parade, and vendors and of course plenty of RC and moonpies.

So I went with two friends, David and Tim. David's wife had work and Tim's was taking care of their sweet baby girl who wasn't feeling so hot. After parking on the lawn of a beautiful home we trecked downtown and took a look around. We waited for the parade which consisted of the only cop car in Bell Buckle (yes they only have ONE), a 1952 firetruck, a new firetruck, a small bus, a hot rod, a dune buggy, and a man on a horse! Too funny. They had contests for the oldest person there, youngest, furthest traveler, and others. We tried to see some of it but it was so crowded we couldn't. They also served the world's largest moonpie when it was over.

We had a good time visiting with a magician, eating, and buying some homemade blackberry cider. I had a great time even though I am still recovering from a very badly burned shoulder. It was stinkin hot there! We also had several comments of either David or Tim was the father of all five children present and I was obviously the mother...yep bet you didnt know I had twins 10 days apart ;). Mostly we just smiled at the comments but it was pretty funny.Downtown Bell Buckle.

The 1952 firetruck. They honored their firechief of 42 years that had passed away last year.

Joe and Garrett doing tricks with the magician.Hannah feeing Joe some ice cream..so cute right?

Dads of this family

Joe and I have been blessed with wonderful fathers. I just wanted to talk a little bit about my Dad and Big Joe as a father.

My Dad is an unbelievable man. He grew up in Central Texas as the oldest of three children. He entered the Army as a young man and severed our wonderful country during the Vietnam War. He was married to my mother for over 40 years before she passed. And in her last months he brought all the home health care needed to their beautiful home and put her bed in from of huge windows so she could see the river and horses from her bed even though the docotrs were suggesting a nursing home. He is a great man. Stern, rugged, cowboy like nature. Yet I was a Daddy's girl for sure. Some of my best memories as a child with my Dad are doing donuts in an elementary school parking lot on snowy days, Daddy daughter nights at Sonic where he would take me to get half price burgers, riding on his motorcycle when I was very young, spending weekends at our lake cabin fishing, tubing behind his boat...you catch my drift. He still loves to chop wood for his fireplace, still loves his horses, wears cowboy boots to work (and my wedding ;)). I will never forget him walking me down the aisle telling me to picture Gunner running though fields as I looked at him through my tears. When it came time for the question "Who gives this woman to this man?" He replied very bluntly, "I'm not giving her away to anyone. She's on loan." I LOVE him. When I hemorrhaged after Katie's birth he was there...even though he doesn't like blood. When I hit a tree on my bike when I was five he was there to patch me up. I couldn't have picked a better father for me. And they say a girl tends to marry someone like her Dad...didn't think that was really true until I met Joe.

Joe is an awesome Dad. The rough and tumble type. A big kid at heart behind that rough, muscular, officer exterior. I love to watch him with the boys and I CANNOT wait to see the relationship that develops between him and Katie. Again when I need him he is there...even if he is half way around the world. Many times he has talked me through situations at home when he has much more to worry about at work. He was on the phone for Katie's birth, cut the cord for Garrett's, and was ecstatic to receive a Red Cross message that his first born arrived with Joe. He loves to take the boys to Tractor Supply and look at "man stuff". He has coached a soccer team amazingly when he has been home. And he has made the statement that we will wear three shirts and peel them off for different sporting events saying "Joe's Dad" next shirt "Garrett's Dad" last shirt "Katie's Dad".

So guys this is for you. I hope you have an awesome and wonderful Father's Day. And to our Greatest Father, God, thank you for giving me such wonderful men. May we honor You as well.

Summer fun! and p90x update

Well three weeks in and we are going strong :) We had a week of VBS and the kids loved it! I had a good time too but I think it wore me out more than them lol. By the way I taught 2yr olds. Garrett was in my class along with 10 -15 other lil ones. It was nice to spend time loving on him without Joe and Katie. I worry sometimes about the whole middle child thing. Kid will probably be extra spoiled because of it.

All three suited up for VBS.
Hannah and Garrett looking at giraffes :)
Joe and Hannah playing in the sprinklers.
Katie hung out in the sling with me :)

On the last day of VBS we went to the Nashville Zoo with some good friends. They have two little girls. Their youngest being just ten days younger than Katie. We had an awesome time...kids and adults. Joe's favorites are still the elephants...too bad they were kinda far away. But he loved the lil sprinkler area. Hannah (4) was cracking me up scooting near the water but if she got a drop on her she would scream and run for the hills!!!

Baseball season is officially over. I survived!! Overall it was quite as stressful as I thought. And Joe has really progressed. He makes an awesome catcher. And made several base hits thoughout the season. We've also hit the pool a couple of times...I went for a 2+ hour ride on Dad's girlfriend's farm, and have even ventured to Chuck E Cheese....can you tell I am trying to keep them busy lol??
Random cute pic of Bug. Trying to show how little she still is. If you know me well I have very little feet (those are a 5 and a lil big). She is still in 0-3 month clothes...but packs a lotta punch from that lil body :)

So now for the p90x update. Today I began phase II which is the start of a new workout routine for the next three weeks. I could tell I was starting to plateau at the end of week three so I am excited for the change. This is definately INTENSE though. But hey if you want the result you gotta work hard. Here are the latest results....drum roll please.....tatatata waist 30 inches hips 37 inches. Yahoooooo!! If I remember that's 4.5 inches off the waist and an inch off the hips in 4 weeks people!! Still no weight loss but I hear that's normal....and I need to quit thinking numbers and just be happy with size. So woohooo! BRING IT!

8 years and 8 months

On June 2 Joe and I celebrated yet another anniversary apart. Bleh. I remember a friend of mine posting what they had done over 8 years...so this year I wanted to do the same...

June 2,2001- Joe graduates from USMA at 10am and we are married at 3:00pm

June 3- Disney World!!!

June/July 2001 Joe and Liz go to be camp councelors at an all girls camp in SC

Fall 2001- Liz attends senior year at school while Joe goes to Knox and then Ft Riley KS

Sept 11, 2001...need I say more

December 2001 Joe and Liz take a road trip from Tennesse to Texas to Oregon to Kansas (to move Joe to Fort Riley Kansas) over the the span of 2 weeks in Joe's itty bitty Honda Civic

May 2002- Liz graduates from Sewanee with BS Liz moves to Kansas REALLY living with Joe for the first time. Liz gets a great job working for KS Wildlife and Parks

Fall 2002- Liz and Joe lose their first baby to miscarriage at 13 weeks..thankfully we get pregnant soon after with Little Joe

Spring 2003- Joe to Iraq OIF I

July 2003 Little Joe is born!!!

(the saga of Lil Joe's health begins....if you really wanna know email me)

November of 2003- Joe comes home on emergency leave for Little Joe. Meets his son in the hospital...was on every major news station and in the Kansas City Star. Little Joe has his first surgery.

January 2004 Little Joe stops breathing in the hospital and is revived...his 2nd and 3rd surgery soon follow

April 2004 Joe returns from Iraq

CRUISE TO CARRIBEAN!!!

6 weeks later Joe will find out he will return to Iraq in 9 months for OIF III

January 2005 Joe goes back to Iraq for OIF III

Febuary 2006 Joe returns from Iraq

May 2006 Joe and Liz lose another baby due to miscarriage..again thankful to get pregnant easily eafterwards.

May 2006 Joe and Liz move back to Liz's hometown where Joe will recieve his Master's degree in Military History Liz gets a job at a vet clinic as a surgery tech

May 2007 Garrett is born!!!!

December 2007 Joe grad from Austin Peay....the first to recieve Master's in Military History

January 2008 Joe leaves for 6 months to Ft Knox

June 2008 we recieve word that our latest pregnancy is a GIRL!!!

July 2008 Joe leaves for Korea...15-18 month tour

August 2008 My first baby goes to Kindergarten

October 2008 Katie is born!!!

December 2008 Joe comes home on R&R meets his daughter and spends 4 weeks with family

June 2009 HERE WE ARE

Sooo....needless to say I've been alone a lot in the last 8 years. Joe has lost classmates, friends, babies, and his platoon sgt was severely injured and is still in a coma today. But we have never been so happy...so in love..so grateful for what we have. We have a wonderful family, friends, church, home, shoes on our feet, clothes on our back, and food on the table...can't get much better if you ask me.

Part II 8 months

So if you did the math above Bug is now 8 months old. I just cannot believe it! She is a total Mama's girl. She loves to snuggle and be tickled. She'll sit on her own for a little while. She thinks her brothers are hilarious!!!! She has some teeth coming. I can see them but they haven't broken through. Thus she is putting everything in her mouth, including her adorable feet. Still tiny..still precious.

Summer Splash and p90x update

Well I am nearly through with my first week of summer. And I am surviving! I've been trying to keep them busy but it also wears me out. I bought a new kiddie pool for the boys and a little "wading" pool for Bug. They' ve been spending quite a bit of time out there. Joe has ball games 2x a week until late June. And VBS is next week. So things will be busy here. Katie wasn't too happy about her furst dip in the pool so I actually had to sit in with her and then she loved it. She has a bit more confidence now :).

Katie wants the Mama...

Just the boys being silly...

Isn't this SWEEEEET????

Garrett had to add some more artwork to his body yesterday...with the help pf his brother I later found out. Serves me right for fixing my hair before we went to the grocery store...rolling eyes lol. So of course I fussed and them...snapped a picture ;)...then scrubbed the Garretto down.

As for p90x. Today is day 13. The workouts are intense to say the least. Somedays I feel like I won't be able to walk across the floor when I'm done, but it's been so worth it. Most days I have more energy than I have had in months...maybe a year or more. I've been sleeping like a rock which is also a huge improvement...not to mention I have results before 2 weeks is out :). No weight loss but get this.....chest 36' waist 32.5' hips 37.5' . Check out the waist...that's 2 INCHES OFF in less than 2 weeks. I couldn't be more pleased :):):).