The son volunteered to deploy to Kosovo with the Arkansas National Guard 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to support NATO. It was a long 10 months, from May 2017 to March 30th!
While he was deployed, we kept one of his dogs, Chelsea Belle (one of the Mysti and Bouie's litter), most of the time. So, yes, we were back to having THREE Labradors most of the time. Remember when the puppies looked like this?
The dogs really enjoyed one another's company and their favorite game was "Who can get in Mom's lap first?" And "Let's see if we can get Mom's place on the couch." They did a lot of napping.
The pups celebrated their 3rd birthday in August. Wow. Three years.
Pepper was inducted as the very first honoree into the University of Central Arkansas ROTC Hall of Fame in the Fall. Pretty cool.
Grandchild #7 (Another boy! That makes 6 boys!) joined the family last month in mid-March! While he and his Mama cooled their heels in the hospital, we kept Persephone, more commonly known as "Persi Pup," another of the litter. So, yes, for a few days we had FOUR Labs, including all three of the Yellows pictured above. I truly wish there was an after-market for Lab fur -- we would be stinking rich!
In addition to those events, we had plenty of misadventures with the oldest Grandchild (he turned 18 this February) who was staying with us most of the time while his Dad was gone. The most interesting one happened the night he snuck out a downstairs window to go to a party and we wound up getting "that" call from the Arkansas Children's Hospital Emergency Department at 0200. While his pride and joy, his Jeep, now rests in pieces, he fortunately didn't do any permanent damage to himself when he drove through a fence while reaching for his cell phone and nearly wound up in a swimming pool. Pepper, however, didn't share that luck; he had a hypoglycemic reaction in the ER, fainted, and smacked his forehead on the floor. Not many 68 year-olds can claim to have been admitted, albeit it briefly, to a Children's Hospital.
There was a Family Vacation on Lake DeGray, another adventure in misadventures in which I ended up in the ER after smacking my head on the bathroom counter and wound up with "Raccoon Eyes." Fortunately there was no skull fracture or brain bleed, but I was quite colorful for a month or so. And, no, I will not post a pic here, even though I did post one on Facebook to beat out the sons-in-law who threatened to do so on their terms.
There was the King Biscuit Blues Festival in the Fall, along with Pepper's 46th Reunion of his Army Flight School class held in Nashville (the Nashville in Tennessee, not the one in Arkansas where my Mama was born). Our first ever trip to The Opry! There were also Thanksgiving, Christmas, no Bowl game for the Razorbacks, the CAMAN Ball in New Orleans (where I got to wear my crown for the first time in a long time!), birthdays, parties, and just a lot of living in general. And the Son came home in time for Easter. Many, many blessings found their way to Moogie's Manor that Easter weekend.
Perhaps the rest of 2018 won't be quite as adventurous. Having 7 grandchildren and a number of granddogs is plenty adventurous in itself! But, having all of them does make for some pretty cute pics. And lots of memories.
