The Last 2 Years: Aaron's Home!!! January 30, 2013

Words cannot fully express what it feel like to see your loved one walk off that plane after 6 months. If you ever have a chance to go or you offer to take pictures (which will always be GREATLY appreciated) don't pass up the chance.  It is an unreal experience.

Aaron emailed me to let me know that he would call when he was in country (i.e.: USA) .  There was a deployment hotline that we were to call to check on the arrival time. We had been told that their plane would be in at 10:30 the morning of the 30th.  Great.  good time to get some sleep, get everyone fed and to the base without having to wait all day.

I had all the kids lay their outfits out the night before so things would go smoothly.  I had my alarm set for 6:30 in case I fell asleep at all.  I NyQuiled myself because that's my go-to sleep aid and I figured that it would be a rough night so I tried to catch it before I laid awake for hours. I called the hotline.  There had been a change; 10:45 am.  No big deal really so long as it didn't get pushed back further.  

At 1:30 my phone rings.  "Carolyn, it's me!" I'm trying to shake myself awake because I want to talk if he has the time but sleep is still in charge. "We are boarding the plane here in New Hampshire and will be there in 4 hours".  Now I'm awake!  with them being 2 hrs ahead on the east coast, I do some sleepy but quick math and figure that they are looking at a 6:30-7 show time.  "Are you sure?" I ask still not believing they would be home so soon.  "The Hotline said 10:45!"

"I don't know about any Hotline but we are wheels up in 20 min.  See you in 4 hrs"

So now I'm wide awake.  I call the hotline again.  Still 10:45.  I try to call Dana the commanders wife but now answer.  I get on my computer and there is a flurry of activity on the Tiger Spouse page.  Apparently all the husbands called their wives and we are all scrambling to figure out what to do. My biggest concern is whether or not to get the kids up or let them sleep.  I ended up talking to my friend Joice and we both decide to get ready and wait and see.  I shower, get my hair and makeup done and get dressed.  It's 3:30 now and I still haven't gotten a call and the Hotline still says 10:45.  I don't know what to do.  So I lay down, spread eagle on my stomach, so as not to mess up my hair and makeup, and dose off.

6:00 my phone rings.  "Get those kids up momma!"  It's my friend Amber Hollis "Our boys will be home in 40 minutes!".  CRAP!  I race to all the kids rooms, yank everyone out of bed.  I let them know, in a slightly elevated voice that dad's coming home early and it's time to get ready.  The 3 big kids jump in the bathroom for 5 minute showers, I get Ainsley dressed and hair done, get the big girls hair done and we are int he car by 6:30.

I'm half crying, half laughing and full on speeding as I head to base. I keep checking to see if I have my ID card to make sure I can get on base.  We play our deployment song "Coming Home"  by P Diddy on repeat because hey, what can be more perfect?  Me arrive to the Pride Hanger at 6:50 and the doors open at 7:05!  Just made it!!

Even though it's (literally) 3 degrees we wait outside as their plane taxis and comest to a stop.  Even thought it's only about 5 minutes, it feels like an eternity for the doors to open, and then one by one they start to come out. Really from that far away they all look the same in their brown flight suits.  I'm scanning and scanning, trying to see where he is....

... then in the middle of a group of green I see a lone brown, and I know it's him.  Aaron is home!!

You can expect the rest I'm sure.

The feeling of being a complete family again cannot be matched.  It almost makes the previous 6 months worth it.  Almost.

The kids had decided to wait and have Christmas when dad got home.  Santa had come on Christmas morning, of course, but we had family gifts for each other.  The tree was still up and it was a fun time.  

tiger head for dad

And last but not least, we finally got to cut Alex's hair.  He had cut it right before Aaron left and decided to leave it until dad got home.  It was a happy day for me!