I love these things. :)
1) How old do you wish you were? I loved 25! As soon as I turned 26, I started feeling like 30 was right around the corner!
2) Where were you when 9-11 happened? I was in college making up a test for Linear Algebra in the Math Department offices. I remember hearing bits and pieces of people talking outside and wondering what they were talking about. As soon as I got to my car afterwards, I called my mom and found out what was going on. I don't think I really understood how bad it was until I got home and saw the live TV coverage.
3) What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Usually, I just sigh in resignation and put some more money in ... what a sucker!
4) Do you consider yourself kind? Yes, but I definitely have my moments ...
5) If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? Or if you have a tattoo, where and what is it? I don’t have one. Anytime I get any little bit of a desire for one, I think of being a grandma one day and saying, "Hey, kiddies, come on over here and see Grandma's tattoo!" That pretty much squelches it!
6) If you could be fluent in any other language what would it be? Hmmm, that's a good one! I guess I would choose Spanish since it's becoming so prevalent in our country.
7) Do you know your neighbors? No -- isn't that so sad?!
8) What do you consider a vacation? Sitting on a beach somewhere with a margarita and a book.
9) Do you follow your horoscope? I RARELY read it -- it makes me feel guilty!
10) Would you move for the person you loved? OF COURSE!!
11) Are you touchy feely? Yep, but nothing compared to my husband! He hugs EVERYONE!!
12) Do you believe that opposites attract? I think you have to have a few opposite characteristics, but I don't see how it would work out if you were opposite in every way.
13) Dream job? Don't laugh -- I've always wanted to be a school secretary!
14) Favorite channel(s)? ABC, Food Channel, WE
15) Favorite place to go on weekends? Out to dinner and the movies!
16) Showers or Baths? Baths. I would take one everyday if I could. :)
17) Do you paint your nails? Toenails always. I wish I was better about my fingernails.
18) Do you trust people easily? Too easily.
19) What are your phobias? Getting Hurt
20) Do you want kids? Yes! I can’t wait to me a mom!
21) Do you keep a handwritten journal? I've definitely started a few -- but they usually last for about a week, and then I forget about them.
22) Where would you rather be right now? At home on my dad's boat with my family and Jon.
23) What makes you feel warm and safe? Snuggling up next to Jon in bed at night.
24) Heavy or light sleeper? Light -- I wake up to the first beep of my alarm.
25) Are you paranoid? No, not really.
26) Are you impatient? No, I think I'm pretty patient. I think it comes from working with middle schoolers. I've also had a lot of practice with it after being with Jon for so long -- he is ALWAYS late!
27) Who can you relate to? I think I relate best with my mom and sisters. I'd like to think that I relate to my middle schoolers pretty well, too.
28) How do you feel about interracial couples? I honestly don't give it a second thought. No big deal.
29) Have you been burned by love? Not that I can remember.
30) What's your life motto? I hate these kinds of questions. I guess "Do Unto Others ..."
31) What's your main ringtone on your mobile? Fur Elise. It's so funny -- Jon has been carrying my phone around since he got home, and it's such a girly ring!
32) What were you doing at midnight last night? Setting up for the "Garage Giveaway"
33) Who was your last text message from? I'm so old-school. I have no idea how to text someone or even receive text messages!
34) Who's bed did you sleep in last night? Ooh -- that's a wierd question! My own of course!
35) What color shirt are you wearing? Aqua
36) What are you listening to right now? ESPN College Game Day
37) Name three things you have on you at all times? Wedding rings, my ugly sports watch, a hair tie
38) What color are your bed sheets? Ivory
39) How much cash do you have on you right now? Like $2
40) What is your favorite part of the chicken? Umm ... the breast?
41) Whats your fav city/place? I love the town where I grew up!
42) I can't wait till . . . We go home for Christmas and I can spend time with my sisters!!
43) Who got you to set up a blog? I was totally inspired by Berndt Family News, Learning to Live, CaliValley Girl, and Trying to Grok
44) What did you have for dinner last night? The new DiGiorno's Garlic Bread Pizza -- not as good as the regular by the way.
46) Have you ever smoked? Like twice, yuck.
47) Do you own a gun? Negative
48) Tea or Coffee? Depends -- if lattes count, I'll take the coffee. Otherwise, I'll have the tea -- Passion tea at Starbucks is my favorite!
49) What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? According to my husband's comment last week, I guess it's my big boobs!
50) Do you have A.D.D.? No. I'm a completely focused control freak. Just ask my student teacher -- poor guy!
51) What time did you wake up today? 7:30 AM. Usually, it's 4:45, though!
52) Current worry? Too many to put on here…
53) Current want? An extra day in my weekend
54) Favorite place to be? On a date with Jon.
55) Where would you like to travel in the future? Europe. For an extended period of time.
56) Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? Hopefully, we'll be parents and living a little closer to home. I would love to be a stay at home mom!
57) Last thing you ate? Frozen Mint Thins
58) What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is playing on our little iPod stereo.
59) Last person that made you laugh? Probably Jon.
60) Worst injury you've ever had? Sprained my ankle pretty bad during the spring season of my sophomore year in college.
61) Does someone have a crush on you? Hopefully Jon!
62) What is your favorite candy? Do I have to pick just one! Probably Hot Tomales or Hershey Kisses with Almonds
63) What song do you want played at your funeral? Blessed Assurance -- the Third Day version
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Bittersweet
Well -- today was the big day. The Garage Sale. Or more appropriately -- the Garage Giveaway. We actually did really well -- making almost $200 by 10:00. By 11:30, we decided to sell everything for $0.25 since Jon was getting tired of sitting there and business was slowing. Right now, Jon's taking all of our leftovers to Goodwill. The garage is clean, and the sale is over. Thank goodness. Now it's time to start getting ready for next week's Open House. We've had a few people come and look, but no bites yet. That's okay. We're not in a hurry I guess.
Nothing much has happened this week. We went to see a movie on Tuesday night. (I felt like such a rebel since it was a school night!) We saw "All the King's Men." It was SOOO bad! What a disappointment! The previews looked so good! Jon is still training pretty hard for selection. He works out four times a day -- it's insane! Hopefully, he'll feel prepared once he gets down there. I know it's been hard for him getting back in the swing of things after such a long 9 months away.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it will mean if we really do have to move this Christmas. I will REALLY miss my friends here, our house, the mountains, etc. But the thing that worries me most is how I'll say goodbye to my kids in the middle of the year. I think about it everyday on the way to school and it makes me so sad! I've been so lucky to have such sweet kids 2 years in a row! I know they'll move on anyways at the end of the year, but it just feels so different being the one that leaves them. I guess I'll cross that bridge once it comes. Jon keeps bringing up how hard he thinks it will be for me to leave. Since I already know it will be hard, this only makes things worse. At the same time, though, I do look forward to the adventures life will hold the next place we go. Gosh! What a worrywart -- I always have to be worrying about something, don't I?
Nothing much has happened this week. We went to see a movie on Tuesday night. (I felt like such a rebel since it was a school night!) We saw "All the King's Men." It was SOOO bad! What a disappointment! The previews looked so good! Jon is still training pretty hard for selection. He works out four times a day -- it's insane! Hopefully, he'll feel prepared once he gets down there. I know it's been hard for him getting back in the swing of things after such a long 9 months away.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it will mean if we really do have to move this Christmas. I will REALLY miss my friends here, our house, the mountains, etc. But the thing that worries me most is how I'll say goodbye to my kids in the middle of the year. I think about it everyday on the way to school and it makes me so sad! I've been so lucky to have such sweet kids 2 years in a row! I know they'll move on anyways at the end of the year, but it just feels so different being the one that leaves them. I guess I'll cross that bridge once it comes. Jon keeps bringing up how hard he thinks it will be for me to leave. Since I already know it will be hard, this only makes things worse. At the same time, though, I do look forward to the adventures life will hold the next place we go. Gosh! What a worrywart -- I always have to be worrying about something, don't I?
Sunday, September 24, 2006
What's Going On
Jon and I have slowly settled into the routine of living together again. I have to be honest, it took a little time. I think Jon forgot about the long hours that I work in the beginning of the school year. Things are good now, though. Jon is staying really busy during the week physically preparing for selection. I only have about a week left of coaching, so my days will start to get a lot shorter -- home by 6:30 instead of 8:00. :)
It is amazing having him home again. Last night I looked over at him as we were falling asleep and couldn't believe that he was really there! It's almost like a dream. I just kept thinking about all those nights when he was gone that I would look over at his side of the bed and see it empty. I missed him so much! However, I didn't miss him hogging the covers and most of the bed. I'm still trying to get used to that!
We put our townhome up for sale earlier this week. If Jon gets selected for SF, we will most likely be moving in Dec/Jan. The housing market isn't very good here right now, so we thought we'd try and get a head start on selling. We figure that if something happens and we sell our home, but don't end up leaving Fort Carson, we'll just rent an apartment for our last few months here. The thought of moving is very bittersweet for me. It's exciting to think about moving on with our lives and starting a new adventure. But it will be really hard to leave my friends here and also the job that I love. I'm sure lots of Army wives feel this way. I haven't said anything to my principal yet about the possibility of us moving. It makes me REALLY nervous -- I don't want to let her down! I always thought I would just finish out the school year and meet up with Jon wherever he moved if something like this happened. But after two deployments, I think the best thing for our marraige would be for us to be together! Hopefully we'll know something more definite by the second week in November, when Jon returns from selection. That should give my boss a good amount of time to find someone to take my place. And there's also the possibility that none of these plans we've made will ever come to fruition -- I mean, it's the ARMY we're talking about! :)
Jon decided that he wants to have a garage sale next weekend. I think this is a great idea -- we definitely have a few things to get rid of, and he volunteered to get the whole thing ready and even work it. However, he goes through these phases where he wants to sell almost everything we own! Yesterday, he literally made me go through ALL of my belongings and decide what I could stand to part with. Now, you have to understand that I come from a family of keepers (it sounds so much nicer than "packrat"). Jon came from a family where they only keep the stuff they use regularly. Basically, I had to fight to keep everything that I still posess. I was in practically tears explaining to him that someday we will have a formal dining room and use all of the beautiful china and serving pieces we got for wedding gifts. He even asked about whether or not to sell our coffee tables! Of course, everything worked out. I did clean a lot of stuff out of the guest room closet that I really didn't need to hold on to. I guess we're a good match. If it was up to Jon, our house would be bare. If things were left to me, it would probably be extremely cluttered!
Not much else is going on. I'm on my way to Starbucks to grade papers. Seriously -- is there anything better than sitting at Starbucks or Borders on a Sunday afternoon?
It is amazing having him home again. Last night I looked over at him as we were falling asleep and couldn't believe that he was really there! It's almost like a dream. I just kept thinking about all those nights when he was gone that I would look over at his side of the bed and see it empty. I missed him so much! However, I didn't miss him hogging the covers and most of the bed. I'm still trying to get used to that!
We put our townhome up for sale earlier this week. If Jon gets selected for SF, we will most likely be moving in Dec/Jan. The housing market isn't very good here right now, so we thought we'd try and get a head start on selling. We figure that if something happens and we sell our home, but don't end up leaving Fort Carson, we'll just rent an apartment for our last few months here. The thought of moving is very bittersweet for me. It's exciting to think about moving on with our lives and starting a new adventure. But it will be really hard to leave my friends here and also the job that I love. I'm sure lots of Army wives feel this way. I haven't said anything to my principal yet about the possibility of us moving. It makes me REALLY nervous -- I don't want to let her down! I always thought I would just finish out the school year and meet up with Jon wherever he moved if something like this happened. But after two deployments, I think the best thing for our marraige would be for us to be together! Hopefully we'll know something more definite by the second week in November, when Jon returns from selection. That should give my boss a good amount of time to find someone to take my place. And there's also the possibility that none of these plans we've made will ever come to fruition -- I mean, it's the ARMY we're talking about! :)
Jon decided that he wants to have a garage sale next weekend. I think this is a great idea -- we definitely have a few things to get rid of, and he volunteered to get the whole thing ready and even work it. However, he goes through these phases where he wants to sell almost everything we own! Yesterday, he literally made me go through ALL of my belongings and decide what I could stand to part with. Now, you have to understand that I come from a family of keepers (it sounds so much nicer than "packrat"). Jon came from a family where they only keep the stuff they use regularly. Basically, I had to fight to keep everything that I still posess. I was in practically tears explaining to him that someday we will have a formal dining room and use all of the beautiful china and serving pieces we got for wedding gifts. He even asked about whether or not to sell our coffee tables! Of course, everything worked out. I did clean a lot of stuff out of the guest room closet that I really didn't need to hold on to. I guess we're a good match. If it was up to Jon, our house would be bare. If things were left to me, it would probably be extremely cluttered!
Not much else is going on. I'm on my way to Starbucks to grade papers. Seriously -- is there anything better than sitting at Starbucks or Borders on a Sunday afternoon?
Too Funny ...
Today on the way home from church, I asked Jon to tell me the reasons why he married me. His response was:
"Big Boobs, you're a good Christian, you want to be a mom, you're smart ... and those are in order of priority."
Such a deep thinker! Thought you might be able to use a good laugh! :)
"Big Boobs, you're a good Christian, you want to be a mom, you're smart ... and those are in order of priority."
Such a deep thinker! Thought you might be able to use a good laugh! :)
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Time Flies
Has it really been more than two weeks since my soldier came home? The time has just flown! I feel very lucky that he is not going back anytime soon. He will be home with me until he leaves for SF Selection on October 12. I'm so relieved that this is not just R&R and I don't have to say goodbye again so soon.
We spent our first weekend together in Denver. We got a hotel room for the weekend and just enjoyed being away together. We just walked around, ate great food, watched football, and enjoyed the hot tub. It was so nice. Last weekend, we went home to Michigan. That was nice, too, but not nearly as relaxing! It was actually very stressful. Both of our families live in the same town, so trying to keep everyone happy (including ourselves) turned out to be quite tricky! The highlight of the weekend was probably watching my little brother play football on Friday night. Too fun -- his girlfriend was there watching with his number painted on her cheek. It totally brought back memories of when I used to watch Jon play when we were in high school! We are both completely shocked that the past 10 years together has gone by so fast! It doesn't seem like we're old enough to say we've been together that long!
We could just still be in a bit of a honeymoon period, but I have to say, I am more in love with my husband than ever. I LOVE having him home! He has been sweeter than ever, so cuddly, and always happy to see me when I come home from work. We spent all day today watching college football -- Jon's all-time favorite thing to do. We really had a blast cheering, laughing, and comparing our picks for this week's top 25 teams. (That is, until we watched Army lose to Texas A&M in the last 20 seconds of the game -- what a heartbreaker!)
School has been pretty stressful. I can't quite put my finger on why that is. My student teacher is doing a great job and my kids are wonderful. Maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. We're in the middle of volleyball season, and coaching after school is always the last thing I feel like doing. Plus, it seems like one thing after another just keeps coming up that we are responsible for as teachers. It's like I could stay at work until 10:00 every night and still not get everything done. And no matter what, I think as a teacher you always feel like you could be doing more. That whatever you are doing to help kids just isn't enough. When I look back, though, every September I feel overwhelmed like this. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'd rather be home with my husband!
I think that Jon is still adjusting to being home. He has said a million times that he is so glad to be back. But I can tell that he misses his soldiers and feels guilty for coming home a little early to attend selection. He starts training this week, though, so hopefully being busy and having a goal to work towards will make him feel better. I just can't say enough how good it feels to have him home. I am so in love with him!
One of these days, I need to change my blog template and the summary at the top. If only I had the time right now...
We spent our first weekend together in Denver. We got a hotel room for the weekend and just enjoyed being away together. We just walked around, ate great food, watched football, and enjoyed the hot tub. It was so nice. Last weekend, we went home to Michigan. That was nice, too, but not nearly as relaxing! It was actually very stressful. Both of our families live in the same town, so trying to keep everyone happy (including ourselves) turned out to be quite tricky! The highlight of the weekend was probably watching my little brother play football on Friday night. Too fun -- his girlfriend was there watching with his number painted on her cheek. It totally brought back memories of when I used to watch Jon play when we were in high school! We are both completely shocked that the past 10 years together has gone by so fast! It doesn't seem like we're old enough to say we've been together that long!
We could just still be in a bit of a honeymoon period, but I have to say, I am more in love with my husband than ever. I LOVE having him home! He has been sweeter than ever, so cuddly, and always happy to see me when I come home from work. We spent all day today watching college football -- Jon's all-time favorite thing to do. We really had a blast cheering, laughing, and comparing our picks for this week's top 25 teams. (That is, until we watched Army lose to Texas A&M in the last 20 seconds of the game -- what a heartbreaker!)
School has been pretty stressful. I can't quite put my finger on why that is. My student teacher is doing a great job and my kids are wonderful. Maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. We're in the middle of volleyball season, and coaching after school is always the last thing I feel like doing. Plus, it seems like one thing after another just keeps coming up that we are responsible for as teachers. It's like I could stay at work until 10:00 every night and still not get everything done. And no matter what, I think as a teacher you always feel like you could be doing more. That whatever you are doing to help kids just isn't enough. When I look back, though, every September I feel overwhelmed like this. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'd rather be home with my husband!
I think that Jon is still adjusting to being home. He has said a million times that he is so glad to be back. But I can tell that he misses his soldiers and feels guilty for coming home a little early to attend selection. He starts training this week, though, so hopefully being busy and having a goal to work towards will make him feel better. I just can't say enough how good it feels to have him home. I am so in love with him!
One of these days, I need to change my blog template and the summary at the top. If only I had the time right now...
Monday, September 04, 2006
Pics from the Homecoming
The Dress
Our First Hug
One More Photo Before We Leave The Gate(If you look really close, you can see a tear coming down my cheek)
Friday, September 01, 2006
He's Home!!
He's home! My sweet boy is finally home! How can I explain what the butterflies were like as I drove myself to the airport to meet him? How can I even begin to put in words the way I feel about having him so near that I can touch him or kiss him whenever my heart desires? I'll do my best, but I know I won't do it justice.
Yesterday was a long day. The first half of the day was business as usual. My alarm went off at 4:45, signaling it was time to get up and make my way to the gym before work. I was surprisingly calm and didn't jump out of bed like I thought I would, considering the excitement that lay ahead of me. I guess I knew I had a lot to do before I would get to that point in my day. I only took a half day of work, but ended up staying about an hour later than I had planned -- helping my student teacher and making sure that everything was organized for today since I wouldn't be there. I've missed teaching several of my afternoon classes this week due to different committee meetings and such. I hadn't seen my fifth hour in a few days. As I was leaving, they started to complain ... "Mrs. H, you're leaving us again??" I told them I was going to pick up my husband from the airport in a few hours and they all cheered for me and gave me pointers (most of my kids have welcomed home parents from Iraq in the past few years). They were all smiles as I left, and I was already crying as I made my way down to the office to sign out -- tears of joy and excitement, of course! Those poor school secretaries -- I've made them cry TWICE in the past two days -- once when I announced my husband would be coming home the next day, and then again as I signed out to go and pick him up.
True to form, I left way too much to do before I could leave to go and pick him up. I still had to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, put gas in my car, pick up some Coronas for the fridge, and make myself beautiful -- and that extra hour I spent at school really cut into my preparation time! I ended up getting everything done, but was in a rush to get to the airport. As I drove there I was completely out of it. All I could think was how unbelievable it was that I was actually PICKING UP my husband! As soon as I got to the airport, I went to the counter to get a boarding pass. I could barely talk because I knew as soon as I said two sentences the tears would just start falling. Luckily, all it took was one -- "I'm here to pick up my husband." The old man at the counter knew exactly what I meant and was so sweet. He got me all ready to go and sent me off with good wishes.
As I walked around the corner from the ticket counter and saw the line to get through security, my stomach dropped. It was a mile long! I wanted to just sit down and cry right there -- I was sure I would miss seeing him come through the gate as he got off his flight. Finally, I made it to the front of the line, put my purse through the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector. Of course, my purse was taken and inspected. Tears started coming -- I couldn't help it. The guy didn't seem to understand my dilemma and was taking his own sweet time doing the test for explosives and examining every tube of lipstick in my purse until he found a tube of lip gloss that he had to confiscate, which was really sad because I wasn't even getting on a plane. Whatever. I wanted to tell him to take the whole damn purse and just let me go!
Finally, I was allowed to leave and walked as fast as I could in my new black heels until I found the gate for American Airlines. Lots of people were already getting off the plane and I asked a man coming through which flight he was on. This was it! I quickly found a lady doing a crossword puzzle and tearfully asked her in jumbled words if she would take a picture of my husband and I when he got off. I'm sure I freaked her out a little at first, but she stood up with a smile and said that she would be happy to. Literally 30 seconds later, I saw my husband's boots coming up the jetway -- not his body, just the lower part of his legs -- the rest was hidden from view since there were others in front of him. I knew right away it was him -- his feet always turn in a little when he's tired. All I could do when I saw him was walk forward with my arms outstretched until he grabbed me. I couldn't believe it. It was really him. It felt like a dream. I was sure I would wake up any second. I just held onto him for about a minute and let the tears fall. It had been such a long 9 months!
As we walked out of the gate area and down to baggage claim, I was surprised at how little my husband had changed. He was the same old Jon with the twinkly eyes, sweet kisses, and passion for life -- his muscles were just a little bigger. From the time we left the airport to the time we fell asleep last night, I literally drank in all of the stories he had about Iraq. Over the past nine months, he has told me little to nothing about his life there. I come from a family of Nosy Nellies, so this was very hard for me! I am LOVING getting to know him again and finding out that not much has changed about him. We spent our first day sleeping in and then doing some shopping. Tonight we're going out on our first date -- the movies!
As I take all of this in, I keep thinking back to what CaliValley Girl said when she was reunited with her soldier.
I'll post some pics as soon as I can get blogger to download them! :)
Yesterday was a long day. The first half of the day was business as usual. My alarm went off at 4:45, signaling it was time to get up and make my way to the gym before work. I was surprisingly calm and didn't jump out of bed like I thought I would, considering the excitement that lay ahead of me. I guess I knew I had a lot to do before I would get to that point in my day. I only took a half day of work, but ended up staying about an hour later than I had planned -- helping my student teacher and making sure that everything was organized for today since I wouldn't be there. I've missed teaching several of my afternoon classes this week due to different committee meetings and such. I hadn't seen my fifth hour in a few days. As I was leaving, they started to complain ... "Mrs. H, you're leaving us again??" I told them I was going to pick up my husband from the airport in a few hours and they all cheered for me and gave me pointers (most of my kids have welcomed home parents from Iraq in the past few years). They were all smiles as I left, and I was already crying as I made my way down to the office to sign out -- tears of joy and excitement, of course! Those poor school secretaries -- I've made them cry TWICE in the past two days -- once when I announced my husband would be coming home the next day, and then again as I signed out to go and pick him up.
True to form, I left way too much to do before I could leave to go and pick him up. I still had to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, put gas in my car, pick up some Coronas for the fridge, and make myself beautiful -- and that extra hour I spent at school really cut into my preparation time! I ended up getting everything done, but was in a rush to get to the airport. As I drove there I was completely out of it. All I could think was how unbelievable it was that I was actually PICKING UP my husband! As soon as I got to the airport, I went to the counter to get a boarding pass. I could barely talk because I knew as soon as I said two sentences the tears would just start falling. Luckily, all it took was one -- "I'm here to pick up my husband." The old man at the counter knew exactly what I meant and was so sweet. He got me all ready to go and sent me off with good wishes.
As I walked around the corner from the ticket counter and saw the line to get through security, my stomach dropped. It was a mile long! I wanted to just sit down and cry right there -- I was sure I would miss seeing him come through the gate as he got off his flight. Finally, I made it to the front of the line, put my purse through the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector. Of course, my purse was taken and inspected. Tears started coming -- I couldn't help it. The guy didn't seem to understand my dilemma and was taking his own sweet time doing the test for explosives and examining every tube of lipstick in my purse until he found a tube of lip gloss that he had to confiscate, which was really sad because I wasn't even getting on a plane. Whatever. I wanted to tell him to take the whole damn purse and just let me go!
Finally, I was allowed to leave and walked as fast as I could in my new black heels until I found the gate for American Airlines. Lots of people were already getting off the plane and I asked a man coming through which flight he was on. This was it! I quickly found a lady doing a crossword puzzle and tearfully asked her in jumbled words if she would take a picture of my husband and I when he got off. I'm sure I freaked her out a little at first, but she stood up with a smile and said that she would be happy to. Literally 30 seconds later, I saw my husband's boots coming up the jetway -- not his body, just the lower part of his legs -- the rest was hidden from view since there were others in front of him. I knew right away it was him -- his feet always turn in a little when he's tired. All I could do when I saw him was walk forward with my arms outstretched until he grabbed me. I couldn't believe it. It was really him. It felt like a dream. I was sure I would wake up any second. I just held onto him for about a minute and let the tears fall. It had been such a long 9 months!
As we walked out of the gate area and down to baggage claim, I was surprised at how little my husband had changed. He was the same old Jon with the twinkly eyes, sweet kisses, and passion for life -- his muscles were just a little bigger. From the time we left the airport to the time we fell asleep last night, I literally drank in all of the stories he had about Iraq. Over the past nine months, he has told me little to nothing about his life there. I come from a family of Nosy Nellies, so this was very hard for me! I am LOVING getting to know him again and finding out that not much has changed about him. We spent our first day sleeping in and then doing some shopping. Tonight we're going out on our first date -- the movies!
As I take all of this in, I keep thinking back to what CaliValley Girl said when she was reunited with her soldier.
And it's true...after the whole hoopla, you get home, sit on the sofa and chit chat about the most normal things, and realize that nothing has changed. It was like he never left.I'm so excited for our next few weeks together before he has to leave again for SFAS. I love having my best friend home again!
I'll post some pics as soon as I can get blogger to download them! :)
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