Home....well sort of

Today is one of the days that we have been waiting for almost a year. Jon returned home to the United States.

I decided Monday night-Tuesday morning that I was going to drive up to Ft. Stewart (which is just outside of Savannah) and surprise him. We had planned for me not to go to Ft. Stewart but I felt bad that he wouldn't have anyone there for him. So I got up at 3:15 this morning and got ready and headed out the door at 4 am. I arrived in Ft. Stewart around 6:25 am. Shortly after I arrived, those families that had gathered received word that the buses were on their way to Ft. Stewart from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. All the families got into the cars and drove to the parade field and patiently waited the arrival of the buses carrying our soldiers.

Here is the parade field and a beautiful sunrise.

Here are the families waiting.

The buses arriving!

Once the buses arrived, they dropped the soldiers off and then they marched in from the back of the parade field. As soon as I saw them I started crying. I wasn't the only one - I could here small sniffles all around me. Once the soldiers got up to where we were, the national anthem was played and then the Adjutant General spoke. Let me just say that when they told us that the General was speaking the only thing I could think of was that we were going to be sitting there for hours. BOY was I wrong. He maybe spoke 5 minutes. Once he was done the unit sang the Army song. **Sidenote** Before they arrived, the announcer gave us a rundown of the schedule. He told us that when he said "this now concludes our ceremony" for everyone to rush and find their soldier before they could be dismissed. Once they are dismissed than you are in trouble because it is like playing Marco Polo in the dark. They all look exactly the same in their uniforms. Once the song was done the magic words were said. During the short speech, I found Jon in his company and realized that I was on the wrong side. I quickly got to the right side and waited for the magic words. Once they were said and I saw the kids running to their dads I took off. I ran right to Jon and hit him with every fiber in my body. I hit him so hard that I almost knocked him over and the soldiers around him flinched when I did it.

He was so shocked to see me there that his first words to me were "what are you doing here?" It was amazing to have him in my arms - I didn't want to let him go. I was able to spend about 3 hours with him before I had to head back to Jacksonville. I did take him to get something to eat and he ate it like someone was going to steal it - I guess that is what happens when you only have 20 minutes to eat.

Jon had me bring one of his bags home and it happened to have his helmet in it. When I picked Jack up from my mom's tonight I gave him the helmet and he thought that he was so cool. Here are some pictures of him wearing it. He wore it all the way from my mom's to our house.