coming home...

thank you, men and women of the uss sampson. and the whole nimitz battle group! what an awesome job you do serving our country.

watching the ship pull in!!!

a little out of order... court and andy after we got on and back off the ship!!!

nora getting to hug "uncle" andy!! (courtney got to hug him first!!) thanks andy! we love you.

nora hanging out where the helos usually do!

and nora on the flight deck.

nora while mommy is YELLING "DO NOT FALL INTO THAT WATER! it's so dirty and yucky and cold", and thinking "i am SO NOT going to be the mom who's daughter goes overboard at this homecoming". meanwhile, nora telling me "i am not going to fall over mommy". not sure i trusted her, as she asked to go in the water when we first saw it!

waiting. and watching.

so, on wednesday, courtney flew back after being gone for eight months. she left when andy did. we picked her up (and nora couldn't WAIT to see her...). she has been staying with us since then, and this morning, the love of her life, and husband of 15 months, came home. for the last time... for good. it was such a joy to be a part of that! and the kids were so good!

such a joy to be there with all these families celebrating their heroes' coming home. their loved ones who had been gone for eight months. missed Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, dinners, dates, life. with nothing more than some emails and a 10 minute phone call once a week. heroes. happy to do it, proud to serve. thank you, men and women of ALL our armed forces!!!