A real quick update!

Last published blog...July 6, 2010. Yup...fail. I set out to blog all about our lives when we didn't really have lives and now we have lives, I don't have the time to blog! Such is life.

Well since July 6th Tyler and I have had quiet a few adventures among them being, the discovery that we are not ready for teenagers. For nearly three weeks this summer I was surrounded by family. Starting with a trip to Illinois, to watch a softball tournament with my Wisconsin relatives, my grandma Mary, Auntie K and of course my dad plus Shelby and Josh.

The Midwest had a little bit of rain this summer...

We met President Lincoln before he left for Washington

 After the weekend in Springfield we brought Shelby and Josh back to the "arm pit of America" (as it was affectionately called this weekend by a native Mississippian). They slept, watched tv, messed around on facebook and youtube and acted like teenagers. I loved every minute. From walking into my home at 10am, after I'd been at class for two hours, to find they were still laying around watching tv to cooking meals they didn't want to eat. I loved it all. I loved the noise they made, even when they were fighting and I loved that even though we weren't doing much they seemed happy to be with us. We went to see the Gulf and even at Paps, an authentic Mississippi restaurant, hillybilly's included. They played with LeRoy and I didn't have to take him potty once all week, I just had to ask Josh to take him out. I was able to ask, "What are you texting Patrick?" and knew the in's and out's of their everyday lives.

There is nothing in the world like sisters!

Josh and LeRoy playing!

LeRoy showing Shelb his tricks

I miss these guys so much!

I think that is what I miss the most. Knowing everything about them, we can talk on the phone and we can text but for some reason their favorite songs don't come up in the conversation. All those little details get lost somewhere in the 15 hours south. I miss watching Shelby and Josh dance and sing to something they found on youtube…and can’t hear “you probably think your cooler than me” without smiling and thinking of them.

After two weeks in Mississippi we were able to go HOME! I always joke that I need my family to refuel me if I am going to be able to keep my sanity down here, but it’s the truth. I know it is hard to leave but I leave feeling refreshed.

While we were home Tyler and I celebrated our anniversary! This crazy adventure had officially reached a year. We went out to eat at Taco Tico, one of my favorite restaurants in Ft. Dodge, and I stayed at my house and he stayed at his parents to go fishing the next morning. I know it wasn't the most romantic way to spend an anniversary, but Tyler said it best when he said, "I didn't come to Iowa to spend time with you." Now that I think about it that sounds awful! But I knew exactly what he meant, we came home to spend time with as many loved ones as humanly possible in a week and once that week was over it will go back to just him and I down in Mississippi and we will have four months before we get to see these loved ones again.

After we came home LeRoy and I were on our own. Tyler was gone 23 of the next 35 days. He was in Puerto Rico, the Delta, Pennsylvania and the Delta again. I love that man, but I don't NEED him to function. After three years of 5 hours apart I've learned that I don't NEED him, but I definitely want him in my life. So I was really happy when he was home for good, well at least for awhile. He will be leaving again Wednesday for three days. But after him being gone for 10 days in a row then 3 days later leaving again for 7 days, 3 days seems like a really short time!

That basically sums up the last three months very briefly. Now that the semester has started we are crazy busy, but I hope to start blogging more regularly!