The Reunion

I'm home sick from work today. I've been sick since last Tuesday, exactly one day after Greg came home from Afghanistan. And let me tell you, it was a long time coming.

Originally, Greg was scheduled to be home the weekend after Thanksgiving. That didn't happen.
Then, Greg was supposed to be home on November 27.
Then November 28.
Then his flight was cancelled all together.
Then he was told they'd be home December 1.
Then December 2.
This time, they went through customs, boarded the plane and sat on the runway for 2 hours. Oh yeah, then the plane in front of his slid off the icy runway...
So, finally, on December 3 at slightly before noon, I lined up at the Special Events Center to claim my husband.

For anyone who has never experienced the horror of a military homecoming, let me just explain the scene that unfolded. First of all, the SEC gets packed the second the doors open, about 2 hours before the actual ceremony. If you want to show up say, the hour before, you might as well prepare to stand. Babies and small children are abundant and often uncontrolled. The place reeks of cheap perfume like everyone took a Shore Shower the minute before entering the room. The media takes up half of the floor. It's hot. Kids are getting upset. And, in true Army style, the ceremony is never on time.

But, despite all of that, I was excited out of my mind. Nine months of deployment were finally over. 26 long months of living separately were coming to an end. For the first time in our marriage, we would actually get to live like a married couple- in the same home. Words can't even describe how excited we both felt.

It seemed like a century in that gym before they finally started entering.

Greg is in the second line, closest to the front. I didn't notice when I took the picture.

Thankfully, it only took about two minutes for them to get lined up and dismissed to find their families. We seriously lucked out that I showed up so late and was standing about four feet from Greg when he was released. It only took about 30 seconds for me to find and jump on him. I'm almost entirely sure that we were on the local news that night.

This is our obligatory homecoming photo.

Regardless of the delays, the set backs, the awful smell in the SEC and the fact that I've had a horrible sinus infection for almost two weeks, I'm thrilled that our family is finally back together. Onto our next adventure- Europe!