Seriously, on Labor Day?

So, we get a call this morning from Thomas, our realtor and someone wants to see the house in an hour. Its Labor Day!! Ughhh! OK, we band together and straighten up the house (labor over it!) and are out so the holiday sobotagers can see the house... don't they have a BBQ to go to?
When we get back, trash the house and get all comfy and have a few friends over...another call from Thomas... Seriously? I am getting to the point where I am going to hide in the closets like Kato (circa 1960's Pink Panther) and jump out, grab them by the lapels and scare them into buying the house!!!! If I have to clean this godforsaken house another time and no-one buys this place I am going to go nuts! I am thinking if I just leave it with toys strewn about and dog hair in layers with food in the fridge that ya could carbon date I'd stand the same chance at selling it. Any suggestions? Apparently a lower than appraisal asking price and a spotless house are unsellable. Whats the trick? We need Alice from the Brady Bunch to convey with the house!!
Last week the boys started school. Andrew in FIRST grade and Ryan in PRE-K. Ryan is excited to finally be going after watching his big brother being dropped off all last year! He has his own class this year and so far, loves it. They both lovwe thier school and I cant say more accolades about it! Its a great school!! I am also working there about 20 hours a week. The people are really nice and it makes it a breeze.
Maddie starts school this week! 10th Grade in high school! She just got back from a week in Minneapolis visiting my brother and sister in law (her Aunt and Uncle) and her cousins Sarah, Eleanor and Alec. She also got to see Angie in all her pregnant glory! Steve and Anne too! Along with Aunt Ciel, my cousin Billy, his wife Irene and her cousin Rachael. It was a really great time for her! uncle DAvid bought her a really nice guitar that has taken up a lot of her time since she has been back. The next guitar great?
Maddie signed up for classes like Pre-Med biology AP. AP you ask? Advanced Placement!! I swear, this kid amazes me in her smarts! I guess all those years telling her how important school is didn't go to waste!
Today the 22nd STS Afghanistan guys get back from thier deployment. All safe and measurably sound. Lots of my friends husbands are due in. Its a happy occasion. Again, we suffered no losses. Thank God. There were plenty of battles and plenty of scary moments but rest assured, the taliban, and its followers are stopped in thier tracks from doing this great nation of ours any harm. These guys fight our battles so we can enjoy freedom here. It amazes me when I am in thier presence...these guys will do more to insure our freedom and do it happily than your average person will. They don't like accolades or syrupy appreciation, they do it because of a deep appreciation of this country. These guys, the guys who's hairs on the back of thier necks stand up when the National Anthem is played. I feel lucky to be so close to these guys. Beyond that I am reminded of Shannons husband who will return with 4,000 (yes FOUR THOUSAND) other 3rd Brigade soldiers from FT Lewis in the coming weeks. These are the guys who foil plans of our enemies, who sit in 115 degreee heat and work countless hours for OUR Safety. It gives another ring to the bell of FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Not to mention my friend Shannons boy Tyler who is friends with Andrew thru school. Tyler has not had his dad around since JUNE. JUNE of last year!!! Over a year this little 6 year old has had a father thru email and phone calls. Tylers father has been home once this year and that was only to accompany some brave men home to be buried. Sad circumstances. I'll never get used to this. I'll always be amazed at these guys, these families and the children that give up so much of thier childhood with thier dads, thier husbands. They'll never know any different but they'll always know thier dads made a difference and that thier daddies were brave HEROS. When they say daddy is a hero, it is True. They amaze me, all of them. I am thankfull to thier sacrafice. I know what thier sacrafice is.
On a lighter note...
We took the boys up to Mt. Rainier, or Mountain Rainer as the boys like to say. Maddie was at Bumbershoot in Seattle listening to her favorite bands and hanging out with her friends. It's a little humbling knowing your child is out at a concert...ughhh... She made it back alive? Should I be happy? ha ha ha
Well, we took the boys on a 7+ mile hike on Rainier and let me tell ya, these kids were troopers! They were the smallest guys to do this hike up to 7,000 ft altitude! It felt like we were on top of the world and the mountain still looked ominous above us! In June when my dear friend Joni visited we went to Rainier (on a cloudy, crappy day! ughhh stupid rain here!) and she took a picture of a huge ravine with glacial till from a bridge. I know she remembers this bridge. Its a memorable sight. Well, when we were up top so high, I looked down on this clear, crisp day and saw that bridge and took this picture for her. So, Joni, Enjoy and know you were a little speck on that bridge. Its an ass-kicking trip up to take this pic, so I hope you like it!!!
I'll post the pics as the rest speak for themselves...