All Aboard! Things are winding down.

HUGE NEWS!!!!! The house has been sold!!!! We went to Tennessee last weekend and closed on it. I cried like a little girl...even Big Joe got a little sappy. I couldn't even drive by it...shoot I haven't stepped inside the door since we had the floors redone and walls painted. It was just too hard. BUT I am soo happy that this burden has been lifted! I feel like we can focus more on the family now. We went out that evening with Dad and Susan to my favorite restaurant and celebrated :).

The next day we drove back here and took the kids on a surprise trip to a tiny town called New Haven. The have a railway museum and train rides there. Unfortunately because of the flood their model train museum was severely damaged and had to be closed but we took the kids on the family pizza train. It was about a 40 minute ride and they served us lunch. The boys loved it! Katie had a good time eating and smiling at her brothers. It was just nice family time together.

This is little Joe's last full week of school. And last night was his last soccer game of the season. Strangely I never got any pictures of him playing this year. Probably because whoever took Joe to the game usually had either Garrett and/or Katie with them and wrangling them takes up much of the game. We did get his team pictures though. Just amazes me how this kid is growing up. Seems to look bigger every day.

Happy Birthday Garrett!!

Good gravy! How can this child be three?? Sigh...people always warned be how fast time would go once I had kids and it just seems to get faster with the addition of each child! So here goes Garretto's shortened birth story...

For once Big Joe was home and like his big brother Garrett tried to come early..several times leaving me on magnesium sulfate for a while (NOT FUN STUFF). Finally when I hit 37 weeks and had had contractions all night in the hospital (for the umpteenth time) they decided to break my water. Of course then the contractions stopped. So they started pitocin. Big Joe decided to take little Joe to preschool and then return to the hospital. I had been told for years that I could no have an epidural but we thought I could have a spinal block so I opted for that. But they told me I couldn't get it until I was about 8cm because it would wear off. I was already 4 cm that morning but since the contractions had stopped we thought it may be a while....um no. Within 15 minutes I went from 4cm to 10cm and was screaming that it was time. The nurses didn't really believe me but they soon did. People started running. So much for the spinal at 8 cm!! But I did get it as I was trying to hold back pushing. Joe barely got back in time to see the one birth he would be in the country for and a man dressed in scrubs hit his rolling chair and slid to the bed. He just about "caught" Garrett and said, "Hi. I am Mr. Hoover." We all laughed and Garrett was here! All 7lbs 4oz of him and dimples to boot!

Fast forward 3 whole years!!! Garretto Burrito as we call him is such a joy. He had a great time at his party this year. It was very very windy and of course the first party I have that is not at our house I plan for a chilly windy day. But the kids had fun. Garrett doesn't have a huge sweet tooth (gets that from his Dad) so he was only interested in blowing out the candle. It was sooo windy he had to wait to do that when we got home.

Now for three things I love about Garretto.

1. He is so funny! This kid can come up with different voices and say phrases that leave me rolling! Not to mention his sweet southern accent. You just can't help but smile at him

2. I love that Garrett is a cuddler. Little Joe was never much of a snuggler. Probably because he spent a lot of time in a hospital bed with things hooked up to him. But Garrett loves to climb on the couch with me and snuggle or fall asleep in his Dad's lap. Some mornings we wake up with him in our bed as well. It's so stinkin sweet.

3. Sorry but I have to say those dimples for number 3. Ok well maybe his whole face. Garrett, I think looks a lot like my father. His eyes are so blue. The curly blond hair..everything but those darling dimples which are the icing on the cake. It makes me smile just to look at him because I see my Dad. Good thing his middle name is after him :)

When it rains it pours!

That title can sum up so many things right now. For one my hometown of Clarksville TN is having a pretty tough time with flooding. Here in central Kentucky we have also experienced some milder flooding, interstate closings, and damages to homes. It's just been a mess. The people who were just talking about being 5 inches short on rainfall for the year are no longer bringing that up. Thankfully they are not calling for any more rain until the end of the week. I am hoping that both states can start to see water receding and get some things back to normal.

Speaking of wet and muddy, most of you know the Kentucky Derby was this past Saturday. Joe and I had our first Derby experience :). It was madness! Like part frat party on steroids part sporting event. We saw the running of the port-a-potties as people slipped and hopped across 20 or so potties while spectators hurled mud, trash, TWO LITERS at them!! Of course there were huge hats and lots of people with lots of money...some with police escorts there. I sported a cute purple and black dress and polka dot galoshes and was covered with a yellow raincoat most of the time. The galoshes thing seemed to be a popular theme as I saw several women in Target searching for some and even more tromping through the mud of the infield. It rained on us most of the time we were there but the sun did peek out just minutes before the Derby. Everyone was hollerin' and slip sliding in the mud that surrounded us. It was a blast :)

Another horse adventure we went on was the Budweiser Clydesdales. The little kids and I got to visit them on post. I've seen them a couple of times and they are always beautiful:) Garrett kept saying he wanted to ride them like Gunner. So Cute.

More fun news you say? Weeeeell....we have another contract on the TN house. Wooohoo!! Happy Dance! Sing to the hill tops!! I am praying that the flood doesn't hinder the closing any but I know we were supposed to have an inspection today and since all of the bridges are closed around the home I'm thinking that won't happen. But we have a few weeks until closing and I am praying that things will run smoothly.

One last piece of fun is Little Joe lost his third tooth :). This one was a top one and I think it feels much different to him than the missing bottom ones. Sometimes he gets this funny look on his face..a little confused..and little questioning..and lil surprised. He was still very proud though when it was out and the tooth fairy came to visit.

That has been the gist of the last few days or so. This weekend is Garretto's birthday so that is my big event for the week. I am attempting the use of fondant on his cake....eeek. So we will see how that goes :)