a VERY VERY long post...

So in the past 6 weeks there are several new things that happened in the Ferguson & Snowden households.  There was a return to Afghanistan, a change in orders, resignation from a beloved job, Visa process started for an international move, a proposal, and the anticipation of some upcoming nuptials!!  To say July was a busy month is to put it lightly!!

 First, as I had written in my last post Joey returned to Afghanistan :( which is never any fun.  I actually can say that putting him on a plane this time was 100 million times worse than the first time.  After he left my bestie Ashleigh and her sweet hubby Brad took me in for the weekend of July 4th.  I knew it was going to be a hard holiday for me this year because Joey and I got engaged last year on July 4th and he was without internet or telephone at his new location.  It turned out to be a great and relaxing weekend filled with good food, good company, pool time, and the chance to hang out with one of my favorites: Emmylou!!  And just when I thought I would not get to hear from my sweet husband...he called.  He got permission from his Lt. Colonel to call me through Redstone Arsenal.  What a great surprise :) When I returned to Birmingham I had some really great nights in the next week.  I had a fun dinner with Tori at Cocina on a Wednesday and then a girls' night with Elise, Melissa, Christine, and Meghan on Friday at....you guessed it Cocina again!! Ha I love that place. 

After I got home I got word from Joey and his rear detachment in Italy that his orders to stay in Italy had been extended to January 2012 and that his Battallion would be coming home (to Vicenza) sooner than originally thought.  Once all the details were explained I realized I needed to be getting to Italy around mid-October so I could unpack, clean our apartment (which has been closed up since early December--yay I can't wait to see what is waiting for me), get my Italian driver's license, and finish the paperwork allowing me to live there.  Naturally finding out all of this information without having my husband to talk me through it step-by-step led to an amazing come-apart on my end and extensive phone calls with my friend Gretchen who lives in Vicenza already.  (Thank you Gretch for your patience and helpful nature!) 

I ended up having to resign from the job I love so much since I would be leaving in October.  This move made me so very sad.  I was so blessed to be part of such an amazing school and team of educators.  I just thank the good Lord I was given the opportunity to learn so much from them while I was there.  I will forever miss Brookwood Forest Elementary!!! 

After tying up loose ends at my job, buying my ONE WAY plane ticket to Italy, and figuring out what I was spposed to be doing to get ready I headed to Fort Knox to stay with my in-laws for 4 days.  Vickie and Mike were so helpful!!  They set up appointments for me to start my no-fee passport and Visa process which had been a foreign concept to me and almost impossible to get accomplished away from a military post.  They also introduced me to an amazing woman who just returned from leaving in Vicenza for 4 years.  Her wealth of knowledge has given me so much to look forward to as well as given me a better understanding of the culture. 

When I returned from Ft. Knox, Tori (my sister in-law) called me to say Michael (my brother-in-law) was gonna propose the next day in Atlanta and to be ready by 9am the next day because we were gonna help and surprise.  Well since I love surprises I was totally down!!   So Saturday, July 31, the whole Snowden clan (minus my hubs) was in Roswell setting up a proposal and then celebrating afterwards with cake and champagne!! 

Since the proposal Nicole has been hard at work on wedding details, Michael has been finishing up some training, Joey's base got internet and phone lines, Tori got Ella Grace to take a bottle, I have been figuring out moving details, and my family is getting ready for my sister's wedding that is in 10 DAYS!!!! I can't wait!!

Busy busy busy month!!!