THE BIG MOMENT!

AHH!! Finally! The moment we've all been waiting for! Well, maybe not you all, but I know I sure have.  I waited 12 long months and this past Friday finally, FINALLY the day had arrived!  I could not sleep a wink all night (obviously).  I was out of bed at the crack of dawn, despite the fact that his ceremony was not until 5 that evening.  The call arrived around 10:00 am letting me know my husband's flight had landed safely and the soldiers were processing and the ceremony would be on time.   I began decorating the yard and truck.  Next I made the bed, finished cleaning the house, gave the boy a bath, got myself prettied up, and 3 hours prior to the start of the ceremony, I headed to the hanger.  Yes, I was a bit eager!  Despite the fact I was 2 and a half hours early, I was not the first to arrive, so I didn't feel too silly.  I sat down in the very front of the bleachers and assumed the waiting position.  Soon after, my hubby called, "You might want to get there a little early" he says. HAHA.  I inform him that I'm already there and waiting in the front.  A couple hours pass and the announcement is made, the room goes silent and the doors slowly rise.  It was a breathtaking moment.  I nearly burst into tears, the feeling in that hangar at that moment was indescribable.  The stands roared with applause and screams.  It was one of the happiest moments of my life.  The soldiers marched in.  I looked around, there was at least 200.  He could be anywhere. I knew I'd never find him in that crowd.  I looked up and down the isles of soldiers.  Then suddenly, I feel eyes peering at me...eyes of a soldier standing directly in front of me.  Could it be? Could my man be RIGHT in front of me?  It looked like my husband, but skinnier.  Shamefully, I had to get out my lens and zoom in on his name tape. Sure enough, that skinny soldier in front of me belonged to me!  Seconds later they released the formation and this man took a few short steps forward.  We didn't move at first, we just starred and smiled.  Finally, I jumped up for my hug and it was the best hug ever!  Everything was so exciting at that point.  There were tears and laughter and hugs all around...and yet it was so quiet, because we were in our own little world, wrapped up in each other.  I couldn't sleep at all that night, I couldn't believe he was home...I just wanted to lay on his chest and take him in.  I hate that so many people take the little things like that for granted.  At the same time, I feel sorry for civilians.  A redeployment is a truly unique and amazing experience.  I got to fall in love with my husband again.

A Soldier's Welcome

I have been waiting to decorate our home and truck for weeks!  I bought the window paint months ago!  I made a wreath for our door for just this occasion!  Finally, homecoming day had arrived! I was up at the crack of dawn placing little flags along the walkway.  I used my son's sidewalk chalk to write "Welcome Back Daddy" along the path.  I hung a patriotic bunting and welcome home sign along the fence.  Here's a taste of what our home and truck looked like on that beautiful homecoming day...

A little frosting on the cake

More preparations are underway for the hubs homecoming!  I've had my nails done and did my own toes this week.  Still need to apply some sunless tanner to the legs (redheads don't exactly tan naturally).  I've also made some nice hair enhancements this week.  2 nights ago, one of my army-sisters, Lindzy, came over to turn me over to the dark-side, or maybe it's the light side??  Well, either way, I've got some blond streaks in my hair...here's a little eye candy from our strange hair coloring fun.

Redeployment Bucket List

Going with my besties blog idea of a Fall Bucket List, I've decided to put my own together, but with a different spin.  I call this the Stuff I wouldn't do without my husband or did do and now I want him to do it with me and now I can because he's coming home list or the Redeployment Bucket List for short.   I now present you with the list, in no particular order...

(Photo taken of us last fall, before he deployed)

1) Visit New York City for the Macy's Day Parade

(I will do A NYC bucket list later on...)

2) Go Geocaching

3) Visit a farm and pick a pumpkin & decorate said pumpkin

 

4)  Go to a Halloween store and spend half the day trying on costumes which we will later wear to a Halloween party.

5) Go to an Army homecoming ball and FINALLY have our first dance

6) Watch season 6 of Dexter (without missing an episode)

7) Finally take our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands that we've been planning for 5 years
(Also going to create a Virgin Islands Bucket list)

8) Go Skiing

9) Take yet another boat tour in the Bay (I LOVE them)

10) Go to a NY professional athletic event (Giants, Nicks, Yankees, Jets)...I don't care which, I don't like any of them, I'll be rooting for the away team).

11) Go on a shopping spree for an entirely new wardrobe (we've both lost a ton of weight)

12) Join a bowling league again

13) Go to the movie theater and see a movie that's not rated G

14) Go on our first date (again)

15) Make him breakfast in bed

16) Join a church

17) Take our boy to Chuck E Cheese and Toys R Us...give him a day just for him

18) Visit the National Museum of Play

19) Complete this list, take a photo of each item being checked off, blog about them and link the blog back to each number as I complete them :)

Wake me up when September Ends...

First, let me apologize for the lack of posts recently.  I like to blog at least once a week, but I just haven't had the time.  Reason #1, I've had 3 photo sessions and a wedding in the past 2 weeks...it's kept me busy to say the least.  Reason #2, the hubs is coming home VERY soon!! I have soo much to do! I need to finish organizing and decorating the house.  I have a few secret projects I'm working on...can't wait to show them off!  I've got some house work to do...just so much going on!! My head is spinning!  Here's a recap of what I've been doing in anticipation of the hubs return...

Upper Left: Our first date outfit (Skirt, top & necklace: maurices, wristlet: Coach)~Still need shoes!
Upper Right: A peak at my homecoming outfit (Dress: TJ MAXX, Sweater: Charlotte Russe, Necklace: A gift from the hubby for our first Christmas-It matches almost perfectly, just doesn't look like it in the photo, Shoes ((not shown)): DEB, Bracelet ((not shown)): Pandora (my husband mailed the bracelet & charms throughout the deployment)
Lower Left: A tutu made for a friend's daughter for her daddy's homecoming
Lower Right: Our boy got his hair cut like daddy's at the barber on post.  Notice the scar on the forehead?  Apparently, he wanted a scar like daddy's too. He got into a fight with the coffee table a few weeks ago...he lost.  It's slowly healing.

**I also purchased my homecoming ball dress several weeks ago, but again, it's been keep TOP SECRET!**


I have lots more going on, but I don't really want to show much...the hubby still has access to this blog and I have a lot of things I want to keep a secret until he returns.  But I'll be in posting overload in a couple weeks...promise!

Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid

I love Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid.  When it comes to Kool-Aid, I like them all, but I LOOOOVEEE the Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade.  When I found this at the commissary is the instant containers, I hoarded every last one up.  I'm a bit less particular when it comes to my Pop-Tarts.  I like chocolate, strawberry, cherry, cookie dough, chocolate & vanilla, etc.  I love them all & so does my husband.  He actually requested a box of Pop-Tarts with every care package.  I did my best to fulfill this demand.  In fact, this family loves Pop-Tarts so much, I ordered him a $22 box of Pop-Tarts for his Welcome Home care package.  But I'll explain that at a later date. At any given date, my cabinet is full of Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid.  A few days ago, when searching for a meal to prepare, I noticed my Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid survival kit and thought, HMM...Clearly, I love Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid.  What a great title for a blog post!  However can I tie this in??  I've got it! It's a stretch, but here goes...

Yes, I love Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid, but what do I not love??  COOKIES! At the moment, I LOATHE cookies.  Cookies can bite me for once.  I used to be normal, I used to love cookies like my Pop-Tarts & Kool-Aid.  Macadamia cookies, sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies...cookies in general made me happy.  But not any more!  Well, at least not for another month or so.  As I stated in a previous post, my husband requested one final care package filled with nothing but COOKIES.  Filling a large care package solely with cookies takes a lot of dough (that's a total homonym).  It was $46 for all the ingredients to pull of not 7 dozen cookies like I had previously thought, but 118 cookies!! It was a result of 1 batch of macadamia nut cookies, 1 batch of peanut butter cookies, one batch of Butterfinger cookies, one batch of turtle cookies (like the chocolate), and 6 batches of S'more cookies.  I didn't have the graham crackers, so I used more butterfingers.  After all the cookies were baked, I couldn't even fit them in the box.  I didn't have enough tupperware or zip-locks.  I somehow managed to make it work. At the moment, I am SICK of cookies.  My husband's company better be thankful! 

On the up-side, tough-boxes are starting to arrive this week...

One of the hubs' signs arrived this week too!!  I made a vague attempt to blur the name on here for security reasons.

I designed my son's Welcome Home shirt this week and it has been ordered.  The back has daddy's name on it as well...

Daddy will be here before we know it!! I can't freaking wait! :D