On each leg of your Soldier's return you hope he doesn't get stuck in transit, you hope he can call between flights, you hope he makes connecting flights. All I can say is I am so thankful that I knew he was coming home. It didn't matter how long it took, just that I was lucky enough to still have him and hope all I wanted when there are so many families who can't hope for a return anymore.
It ended up that he had a connecting flight that wasn't going to get him into our airport of choice in time to make the last flight out that flies into our small local airport. Not making that flight would mean that my husband would be sleeping in an airport over night, held up over 16 hours, but only 3 hours away driving distance. Ya, that wasn't going to happen I am terribly impatient, come on who wouldn't be! I didn't plan on getting ready for hours to come. I got the phone call that he landed and that the connecting flight issues would delay him further at 4pm. His flight would be getting in at 8!!!!! A 3 hour drive meant TOTAL mayhem! So much for looking cute, getting into that dress I planned on for months and so on, who cared! I knew I was seeing him within mere hours!! Shoved four kids and a Mother in the car and booked it. Booked it an hour in the wrong direction, ya you read it correctly. An hour in the wrong direction! How many times have I driven there? Too many to count! Somehow between Mom and I, phone calls from Matt telling him when we would be there and so on we got on the wrong on ramp! Oh kill me now! Flipped a U-turn and .............well, I drove fast enough I made up that hour and even got there 15 minutes early. Don't ask how! LOL There was not one single highway patrol or cop along the route! What a blessing! During the drive while I was ever so cool, calm and collected,(completely freaking out, sweating bullets and twitching from the idea of a highway patrol car seeing me) Mom had the idea to call my awesome Aunt and Uncle who lived within a 45 min drive of the airport, to ask them to go ahead of us so we wouldn't have Matt coming into an airport just sitting and twiddling his fingers! Man I love family!
I love how involved people have become over Soldier's coming home! Not that you could miss us and not know what we were there for with our tiny understated (HA) signs, but we had multiple people stop and wait at the bottom of the escalators to wait and watch. A sweet woman who sat next to him was so excited she made sure to tell us "He's coming!! I saw him!!! Any moment now!!" (I almost busted into tears at just that!). When we finally spotted those boots coming down the escalator it was too much! Michael bolted with Cody and Matthew in tow. He ran UP the down escalator politely shoving (if one can politely shove) past other travelers to his step Father. I froze. I literally couldn't move a step and burst into hysterics! WHAT THE EFF! I mean, really, I am NOT a newbie at this, this is not my 1st deployment, where on earth did all THAT come from? The emotions around this deployment are like nothing I've experienced before and I was just so relieved to see his face, his gorgeous smile beaming at seeing his family, the fact that I knew that for those next two weeks he was safe and mine all mine! As you can see from the pictures the shock wore off and I could finally move towards him while Matt tried to maneuver 3 clinging, grinning boys out of the way of the other passengers heading for their luggage or standing around watching. Also as you can see, that little squishy baby had not one issue going to his Daddy after 8 long months! within mere minutes he was kissing Daddy and didn't want to leave his arms. That is something I know every Soldier who leaves a wee one behind worries about. If they will remember them. Even now I am in tears being reminded of how amazing those moments were! Oh R&R how we needed you!!!!!!!!
Welcome home my love!
My Uncle Allen (who looks so much like my Dad it almost hurts to see him) and Aunt Lynda! Oh how I love you guys! Thanks Aunt Lynda for taking pictures while I sobbed like a basket case!
My sweet boy's waiting for Dad.
Michael running up the escalator to Matt.
Matt Shuffleing the kids out of the way while being hug attacked.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do NOT cry pretty, let alone Kiss and cry pretty..lol Poor Matt, 1st time he see's me in months and he gets that hot mess..lol
Daddy testing the waters with his little man, he wanted so badly to rip him out of my arms and bear hug him but was tentative as to how Aidan might react after 8 months.
And seconds later........it was fine!
Good even.......
And not long before it was GREAT just like he never left!!! Thank God!!
My awesome nephews David and Bob drove all the way to meet us at the Ihop so they could finally get to meet Uncle Matt! That was so very sweet of them and we always love seeing them!
The evening was just amazing!
