Daddy Is Home!

Just over six months later, JR returned quietly to Norfolk on a commercial late night flight in civilian clothes. It wasn't as grand as when a ship pulls pier side while hundreds to thousands of family members wait for their sailor to disembark the place that has been home for several months or when any other unit returns together at one place whether on a flight line, airport, base, etc as family & friends wait running to greet them... It was no less moving though! To be able to run up to your loved one for a hug after months of separation with just phone calls and emails is beyond words. All the other background noise disappears because at that moment you are whole again.

At 9:30p Connor & I drove to the airport to pick up a friend. I wanted it to be a surprise for C. He was in his pajamas & excited to see the planes land. We had to leave Maggie at home with Nana because a couple of hours before landing time she was the first to start with the stomach virus, but that is another story! As Connor & I played in the kid section at the airport and ran to the window to see planes land I imagined him running to JR while screaming "DADDY!!!" I kept getting teary at the thought of this reunion. As the people started to walk through security I was getting Connor excited to see our friend. Then the moment was here. I pointed down the walkway for Connor to look, but he was looking at different people. Possibly thinking, 'mommy, why on earth would you ask me who that is? I have no idea.' Finally, he saw him. He did run to him, but quietly. There was no yelling. No crying. Just pure amazement that his daddy was home. If he were old enough to understand the saying pinch me, I think I'm dreaming he may have just asked me to pinch him. As I recorded this reunion of one little boy and our hero I asked him, "Who is that?" and JR asked "Is it daddy?" Our little boy in completely awe of daddy's return said the best "yeah" I had ever heard in my life!

We returned quietly home to one little girl who was just as excited to have her daddy back home too. So excited in fact that she would share her stomach virus to all of us.

So this E! clan is whole again. Daddy, mommy, C & M together safely under one roof. Well for the mean time anyway, we are a Navy family after all!

XOXO
Azzy