Ben Is Back!!!!!

Sorry for being incommunicado lately, we have been busy spending time together as a family and getting reacquainted, we weren't trying to be rude. After a couple routine military hurry up and wait sessions, Ben has come back from Iraq. He was supposed to be here on Monday the 27th at 10:15, but about an hour before they were supposed to board a plane they were told they wouldn't be home until the 30th at 4 am....nice. It naturally ended up being much later than that and we picked him up about 9 am. It was stinkin' cold too, upper 30s low 40s. Brrr. I don't have any pictures unfortunately, they did the arrival a little differently and Ben called me to tell me when to come get him. They drove the buses right to the armory and had them turn in their weapons, alphabetical order. They didn't have the usual get off the bus and see your family first. But I have to say, it got them home a lot quicker this way. I was just going to go get him by myself but Jake was so excited to go so he's shouting 'wait mommy, I get my shoes' Tommy stayed with the grandparents. The whole ride to the base Jake's talking went a little something like this...'We go get Daddy?, we're gonna get Daddy, mommy, we're driving to go get daddy, daddy, flied home? , let's go pick up daddy from work, you happy mommy?, let's go get daddy, Daddy's home....etc, etc, for about half an hour. The kid was so excited I thought he was going to wet himself. When we got there Ben was waiting and Jake saw him and shouted 'There he is!!!' and he got out of the car and did his shy little shrug and started walking over to him, then gave him a big hug and turned around to look at me and said 'Mommy, we found him!!' It was so stinkin' cute. then the ride back home was like the previous one but consisted of, 'we found you Daddy' and 'Daddy's home'. Tommy was a little more reserved but took to him quickly and didn't waste any time converting daddy into something to use himself on as a battering ram. He would charge Ben and slam into him and then just smile and say 'I'm crazy' And yes, Tommy associates the phrase 'I'm crazy' to inflicting pain on others. The boys are very happy that Daddy is home and haven't wanted to leave his side, Jake didn't want to go to school because he was afraid Ben would leave again, sad...and they were asking where he was and looking around the house for him this morning because he had already left for work. But we are all getting back into being a complete family again and loving it.