A Year

It is hard for me to believe, but one year ago tonight I was a few hours away from welcoming William home from his 3rd deployment. It wasn't the homecoming I anticipated for him. I was on hospital bedrest and William was granted emergency leave to come home. We were thankful but he would have been home 2 days later, so it wasn't a big deal to let him go in the first place, his work was essentially done for all intents and purposes. I remember feeling somewhat disappointed that our homecoming was going to take place in a hospital. "Homecomings" typically involve a lot of pomp and circumstance. The band is playing, you are surrounded by fellow military families who have endured the separation with you and the excitement is palpable. Being surrounded by all the other giddy wives and kids is just fun but more importantly there is nothing like seeing a bunch of marines walking towards you and trying to pick your husband out. Words don't do justice for the feeling you get when you finally lock eyes. Time somewhat stands still until you have your big hug. It makes me giddy just thinking about it . :) This last homecoming, William endured a lot of stress just trying to get home because they got his orders wrong and he missed his first flight. He traveled for 48 hours and barely made 2 flights to get home to San Diego. He landed around 1 am and my great friend Jen had her husband Neil pick him up. I was beyond excited. I took a shower that night, my friend Bonnie washed my outfit for me and brought it down to the hospital. I got dressed and laid back in bed waiting for William to call me when he landed. He never called. He woke me up. He walked in and I didn't even hear him. It was a surreal homecoming. We were both so deliriously tired and I was extremely pregnant, E-NOR-MOUS! Really, I was...looking back at pictures I am in awe of how big my belly grew. Clearly William was too, because about the only thing he could say to me was "oh my" as he grabbed my belly. He left me at 6 weeks and came home at 33 weeks. I measured 40 weeks at my 32 week appointment. Our homecoming was different but special regardless. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Here we are a year later and for the first time in our nearly 4 years of marriage, we have officially spent one WHOLE year together aside from being separated for a couple of nights during our move. No deployments, nothing work related has separated us for one WHOLE year. I have loved every minute of it. I treasure him being home. I love having him home and so do my girls. Life is good. God is good!

April 4, 2008