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 :).