Homecoming At Last

In just a few short hours, we are off to the airport to welcome Sean home. Peapod has been eagerly anticipating his arrival, adding to her welcome home banner every morning. So much creativity has been put into this banner that it is now dubbed not the welcome home sign, but the "everything but the kitchen sink sign". Pom-poms, sparkly stars, glitter glue, beeswax crayons, sequins, googly eyes, everything had a place on her sign. :P Peapod also helped to hang up streamers, decorate cupcakes, and even made her bed...all by herself...this morning, as we put the last minute touches on our clean house and pretty homecoming decorations.

I'm thrilled, nervous, hyper, and so much else right now. All my military wife friends know precisely what I mean, this odd assortment feelings that fly through your head, especially as the last hours draw near. So many questions, worries, hopes, and expectations. Will Peapod recognize her Daddy? Is she going to be scared or happy when she first sees him? Have I done a good enough job explaining that he's coming back? Does she understand? She's grown six inches since she last saw, on R&R earlier this year. She can jump now, sing, and talk talk talk and talk some more. She's not the same little girl he left last summer, not even close to the toddler he left after those two blissful weeks in February. As I said, a very strange mix of emotions mark every homecoming day. ;o)

Well, my friends, I am off to find some way to occupy my hyper self and excited little girl for the hours left before we head to the airport. I sincerely want to thank everybody again for the continued love and kindness that has been given to me and my family throughout this past year. Although I may not ever have an opportunity to meet all of the beautiful people who have blessed me so this year, this side of heaven anyway, please know that all the encouraging words, the prayers, the sweet thoughtful notes, and the other immense amounts of support that have been freely given have been cherished and have truly touched me. From the bottom of my heart I offer a warm thank you to each and every one of you who have been so kind and I pray the Lord might bless me to reach out to a stranger in the ways so many have done for me.