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.