There's Something About A Homecoming

You know there's just something about a homecoming that makes you just stop, take that deep breath, and oh makes you so grateful that you get the honor and privilege of being an Army wife. This evening a fairly large group of soldiers came home after being deployed for 14 months. They were deployed to Afganistan. Watching the wives and children of those deployed, but now home soldiers sitting oh so unpatiently, giddy with joy knowing that on the other side of that curtain their soldier stood there WAITING for them! It was the briefest homecoming ceremony I've witnessed, but to see those families rush together took my breath away. I didn't cry, which I fully expected to do, but I still had a few flip flops in my stomach. I saw friends reunite with thier husband, I saw Daddy's grab up their babies who were just weeks and months old when they'd last seen them. I also saw single soldiers who had no loved one to greet them and honestly is so beyond heartbreaking for me. They fought in the same war, but have no one to welcome them back so personally and intimately. As we walked away from the gym tonight we said "Welcome Home" to the soldiers as we passed them. We walked up to BK and saw the buses with the single soldiers coming to take them to their barrack's, so we stood there and waved our flags and cheered for them and clapped. They deserve to know they ARE special and they are important. Many were changing out of their ACU's and into civilians and going out, downtown. Pray for them. Pray that they don't make foolish choices. That they don't wake up in the morning regretting what they did tonight. Pray that they get to talk to those who love them and they love and even if only by phone are told how happy they are to be back, safe and sound. The single soldiers were all welcomed back with new sheets, pillows, care baskets that had various items to get them through the first few days if they weren't ready to go to the store.

We still have 13 months before we start preparing our single soldiers rooms, but when I go back to the states I'm going to be buying some sheets. I'm sure I'll send out a "want to help" post so if you or others you know want to help with various items you can. I don't think a lot of people think of what it must be like for the single soldiers returning from deployments, especially when stationed overseas. I've already decided that I'm going to order some welcome home banners for Chad's single soldiers. They're be pretty basic, just a Welcome Home and their name, but I want them to know they are important and special as well.

7 weeks down!

404 days to go!

 

Well we hit the 7 week mark since Chad left. It's went by fairly quickly. He's been able to call us and get online and IM us, normally a couple times a week. He gets online more, because he had internet in his room. He's doing good, hot...HOT. It was 120 today. Can any of us who've never experienced that sort of heat even grasp that? I can't. Today it was in the high 80's and I was whining.

A friend and I are going to the gym 3 days a week now (16 lbs off so far!!! Wahoo) and I don't know if the a/c was on or not, I do know it was hotter IN the gym than it was outside, and that's unusual. But we were both unhappy with how warm it was. We were sweating almost before we got on the eliptical, but while I was doing it I was making myself go harder and I was thinking of Chad, wondering what he was doing at that moment. Wondering how he deals with that heat.

The kids and I are heading back to the states in a little over a week and we'll be there for 6 weeks! We're excited. It's been 3 yrs since we've been there. Our middle son was not even 2 when we moved here and of course our baby girl hasn't been there. Our oldest son has some memories of living in the states, but not a lot. He was only 4 when we moved here, so most of his memories are of here as well. We're all excited though! I am the first to admit I'm so looking forward to Central Air!! LOL The luxuries that the US has that Germany doesn't. (Stores opened past 7 pm for one, must less all the 24 hr places). We'll spend 2 weeks with my parents, then start traveling to see friends and inlaws, we'll spend our final week with my parents/family and then fly back to Germany. If you want/would pray for us that's so appreciated. God has been so good to us to allow this trip to come about and make it so far fairly painless. He's truly given us grace.

Please continue to pray for Chad. He is absolutely at various times being put in harms way. Pray for his comfort,  him being homesick. Pray he's able to attend bible study, that he's being the man God has created him to be, that he's seeking the Lord's will with every movement and decision he makes.

 

God Bless