Today is Conner's second to last day of school, and then all the craziness of this years summer will begin. I am both excited and apprehensive about this new season, but figure all I can do is jump in with two feet and trust that God will carry me through as He always does. It has been busy busy here as Joseph prepares for the last of his tests, puts together his package for medical school (awesome, right?!), prepares graduations speech's, gets everything in order for our belonging's to go into storage and for us to travel cross country with three small children, and everything else that comes with heading out to sea. In all that we struggle on how to best go about this time known as the "pre-deployment blues". In a way it is nice that s0 much is going on as it gives us different events to look forward to besides the deployment. In ten days (TEN DAYS!!!) my other mom and dad (Joseph's parents) will be here to celebrate Joseph's graduation and to of course to love on us all, and we them ( I for see a certain Meme not letting a certain Papa hold Emmalynn is the hopes that she will be hers).

Either while they are here or shortly after they leave, our house will be packed up and sent to a storage facility where it will await our return. Then for the Fourth of July weekend Emmalynn and I will be visiting my parents, while Joseph holds down the almost empty fort with the boys. Upon my return we will be hitting the road! We are hoping to get the trip done in 3 days and be in Louisville by the weekend, where we will then spend the next two weeks in bliss before sending Joseph off. Anyone exhausted yet?

In other sad news, we had to shave the boys hair off last weekend. If I hadn't been covered in tears and hair I would have cried along with Brooksie as we got rid of his beautiful locks, but I was more concerned with the sobbing little boy in my arms. So why did we have to shave it? One nasty word...LICE.. so gross! We are not sure if Conner came home from school with it, or if they got it from the park, but regardless, it was disgusting! Because of how long Brooks' hair was we felt it would be better in the long run to just go ahead and shave it. It took an awhile for Joseph and I to not get sad every time we looked at him. But a funny thing we discovered was how much he really does look like Conner without all that hair! I know most people think they look very alike (we get asked ALL THE TIME if they are twins), but honestly while its obvious they are brother's, to us they have always just been Conner and Brooks. Well now we do double takes too, haha (not twin double takes though). So what do you think? I am hoping this will make the Louisville heat a little easier on him.

In Emmalynn news: She is doing great! 23 and a half inches and right around 10lbs. Suddenly today she looks less like a newborn and more like an infant with her cute cheeks and pale skin. She is also a complete Daddy's girl, for the first time I was not the receiver of the first smile, nor am I the preferred calmer downer (unless she must eat of course haha). But that's ok, because he makes me smile and calms me down too, so its completely understandable.

Conner is playing the guitar in his shirt (which he is still guitar obsessed)

Sweet Little Bear sitting on his "Pippo", one of his three loveys (its his pillow and the first thing he needs when he is sad)

Not the best of me but I am addicted to that smile

Aren't you?