Midnight ("night before") - tossing and turning
1 a.m : More tossing, no sleeping
3 a.m : A little bit of facebooking, no sleeping, some texting
4 a.m : Called my Grandma to chat
Last time I looked at the clock it was around 5 in the morning.... Sleep - EPIC FAIL, But good thing I stayed up that late... I called the deployment hotline and homecoming had been postponed from 8 a.m until 11 a.m, and I was a little thankful because I didn't have to rush as much :)
Aiden got up about an hour after I fell asleep of course so we just hung out and made sure the house was clean and everything was in its place, once I got a shower I realized oh wow, this IS happening today. Heather came over after she dropped Ashlyn off for school to make sure I was still breathing haha, (I thank the Lord for her help the past couple of weeks, from driving me to timbuktoo to helping me hang curtains, pictures and homecoming signs. *Thanks heather!!* )
Mandie met Aiden and I at the house around 9 a.m and watched me fret over my dress, jewelry and everything else, I refused to get Aid dressed until we were leaving... I was terrified he would spit up all over his cute little patriotic outfit :) (which he did, multiple times.. oh, and he included my dress as well) Mandie was also wonderful, she kept me calm the entire day, and I don't think she would've judged me if I wouldve thrown up everywhere (once agian, got close... multiple times)
We got our cars and made our way to the Hanger where they would be landing... I cried on the way there.. KNOWING I would get to see Patrick was really overwhelming, it finaaaally fully hit me that he was coming home. Home, our home. whew.
They had pizza for the families and a bouncy house for the children and music, it was a really good atmosphere for homecoming, but, in true Marine Corps fashion-homecoming got postponed, again. SEMPER GUMBY. They crowded everyone together to tell us that the guys plane was having issues, and they were going to bus them in from Hickam airforce base, and it would be another 2 hours. 2 hours, are you serious? I refused to be defeated though... I was getting my honey back :) Mandie stayed with Aiden in the hanger and I ran home to get him more food-Good thing I live on base, bc I live like 4 minutes from the hangers haha
Fastforward - Someone said the buses were 10 minutes away!!!! aaaand 20 minutes go by...no buses.
- 1 of the 4 buses got lost, and they were waiting for it (yes, patrick was on this bus..go figure haha)
Once the bus was finally located, they all drove around the hangers and everyone went nuts, these 2 little girls were screaming "DADDYS ON THE BUS!!" and It was giving me goose bumps, because it was real... he was home, I would be in his arms in less than a couple of minutes.... I had SO many emotions.
They were coming off the buses and walking under and archway single file - and I kept asking Mandie if she could find him (her husband is stationed here too, but she went to HS with Pat) and Finally I was like, "Aiden look its daddy!!" Pat totally didn't see us at first, but once he hugged me, the last 6 months were gone in that second. It was almost as if he never left, I was kissing and hugging my husband, Did I cry? No - I couldn't stop smiling... He was home, I had him back.... and Aiden finally got his Daddy.
I've heard women say that seeing their husbands hold their babies after theyre born, makes them fall in love with them all over again....I can say that this is true, but seeing your son squeal and kick at the sight of his Daddy after 6 months.... I honestly don't have words for how I feel. It's been a week and I'm still getting butterflies watching my two guys together.
The Lord has truely blessed my life, and knowing that he loves Patrick and Aiden more than I do, it just makes everything alright.
To sum up the rest of the day, we tried to pick pat up at the armory, (that didn't work haha) went and hung out at the barracks, and then brought him HOME. Finally, he was home.
That is all. :)
SPECIAL THANKS TO MANDIE OF PEACE.LOVE.FOCUS.PHOTOGRAPHY!