And Then They Came Home

 (*This post is a little over due)

9 months ago, we watched my husband's men start another deployment...without him.

To describe the complicated emotions around this is hard to explain, even to those that are in the military.  These guys are our family.  I don't know half of them, but no matter what, they are our family.  For my husband, watching them leave was hard...very hard.  While he was glad to not go and be with us, his heart and duty as a solider longed to go.  For me, my heart broke.   I watched boys go off to a war that started when they were little boys.  I watched wives saying goodbye to their husband for the first time unsure of what lies ahead.   I watched wives say goodbye to their husbands for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th time...knowing what lies ahead (which I think is harder).

My husband was unable to deploy (despite his company's best efforts to get him down range), due to his health.  We didn't think we would be here for there return.

But we were.

They came home.

ALL OF THEM!

I was just as excited about these men returning as I was whenever my husband returned.  I love welcome home ceremonies.  It was a little nerve racking for my husband, but those nerves quickly disappeared when the hugs came around.  They missed him just as much as he missed them.

The beautiful wife welcoming her husband home are dear friends of ours...more like family...they are family.  And we are pretty sure we may be in laws down the road.  HA!