Our Soldier is Home!

He's home, he's home, he's home! Those are some sweet, sweet words to say. Our family is whole again and all four of us are ecstatic. It's been just over a week since Aaron came home from Afghanistan and it's like he was never gone. It's so nice to be getting back into the rhythm of a complete family. Naturally, I love having help with the kids, the dishes, the meals, and cleaning up. Having my hubby home to snuggle up with at night is pretty nice, too! Clara has picked up right where she left off in her adoration of her daddy. Colton has taken to Aaron as if he always knew who he was. We were expecting a warm-up period for Colton since he was so young, but it's as if he's known his daddy all along. This has been a delightful surprise for us.

The "Big Day" was a Saturday and we were fortunate enough to have a Welcome Home Ceremony time at four in the afternoon. Some of the other flights had been arriving in the middle of the night and I was not looking forward to the prospect of getting the kids up and out of the house at one in the morning. Of course, the preparations weren't without complications. Friday morning, the day before homecoming, Clara tested positive for strep throat. Saturday morning, the day of the homecoming, Colton tested positive for strep throat. All I can say is, thank goodness for fast-acting antibiotics and the novelty of a crowded gym to distract even the crankiest, sick toddler.

Anxiously waiting for our Soldier

My fabulous cousin came with us to the ceremony. It was great to have someone else to share the excitement with, act as photographer, and help keep track of the kids. We arrived one hour early since we had no idea what to expect and didn't want to cut it too close in case the guys got there early.

Colton loved waving his little flag

When the announcement came that the buses had pulled up, the crowd erupted in cheers, and the loud music exploded from the speakers, I couldn't hold it together anymore. A year's worth of longing and anticipation came flowing out in tears. It was finally here. Our moment to search the crowd for our Soldier had arrived. All we had to do was wait for the Soldiers to enter the gym, assume formation behind a curtain, wait for the curtain to slowly and painstakingly rise, listen to the National Anthem and honor the Flag. As you can imagine, after waiting over one year, these short events felt as if they were taking forever.

But, it came, and it was all worth the wait. We caught a glimpse of Aaron from across the gym, and he spotted us. As soon as Clara saw him coming toward us, she burst out into a run and was swept up in her daddy's arms. Those first moments are so amazing. The first kiss so sweet. The first hug seems to freeze time. Nothing compares to those first moments you have your family together again.

A wonderful moment I like to think of as the family huddle. 

Our happy family, together again;

complete with exhausted daddy and two sick kiddos

I don't think Clara's smile could be any bigger!

My goofy boys!

We have our Soldier back. The kids have their daddy home. My love has returned. Our family is together again and life is sweet. Here we come 2012, the Barrett family is ready and willing to have lots of fun.

366 Days

One year, plus one day. A lot happens in 366 days. A son takes his first steps, learns to talk, and grows from a baby to a little boy. A daughter learns to sing the "ABCs", learns to count to twenty, and discovers her calling in childhood is to be the most princessy little darling she can manage. Children dazzle, amaze, and fill the days with the joyful spectacle we are privileged to witness as parents. A mother learns that single-handedly managing the daily chores of running a household with a pre-schooler and a toddler under foot are, in fact, possible, albeit quite challenging and exhausting. Lifelong friendships are forged, old ones renewed, and tears of sorrow are shed for good-byes that happened far earlier than they should have. A wife is reminded daily, by the absence of her husband, that the old adage of "absence makes the heart grow fonder" definitely rings true. A woman comes to the realization that she has finally grown into a person that is satisfied with her roles as a wife, a mother, a professional, a friend, a daughter, and a sister; and that this person is someone she is proud of and happy to see in the mirror, day after day.

For 366 days a father, a husband, is far away from those he loves and those who adore him. He is fighting to protect our well-being, our freedoms, and defend a set of values and beliefs he feels are priceless. He is living in a tent among dozens of men like himself and awaiting the next letter and package from home. He is foregoing meals and showers because his duties demand it. He is waiting in lines to make a phone call or use a computer. He is staying awake late just so he can Skype with his family and watch his children play on a computer monitor. All the while, he is missing the son's first steps, the daughter's giggles, and all the little moments many take for granted.

In the span of 366 days countless pictures and videos are sent through cyberspace and around the world in cardboard boxes. Paintings, colored pictures, and craft projects sent across the globe have decorated the small personal space of one soldier, in one tent. All of these things are an effort to keep the father and the husband connected to the family that loves and misses him so. A small cell phone becomes your lifeline to the other half of your heart. Heaven forbid you leave it on the kitchen counter while you do bathtime upstairs, or in the car when you run quickly into the store. You might miss that glorious chime that means your love is sitting at a computer in Afghanistan and has some free time to chat.

Although 366 days apart (save for 16 glorious days in July and August) may seem hard, it has to be done. There is no alternative. Each person does what is necessary to keep the bond and the love stronger than the day before.  Relationships are sustained and flourish despite the miles and months apart. A lot of perspective and understanding can be gained in 366 days. A person can be reminded of the things that are most worth fighting for and those that just aren't worth the energy.

When those days apart are in the past we are reminded that every tear, every moment of fear and anxiety, and every sleepless night was spent waiting for something unimaginably phenomonal. That moment your eyes connect for the first time, actually seeing he is safe, knowing that your family and your heart are once again whole. Nothing beats that moment. Being together, it was all worth it, just to be together.

Now that our 366 days are behind us we look forward to moving on. You can't make up for time lost. You can't get back lost kisses and lost hugs, though, we'll certainly try to make up for them. You can only forge ahead, make new memories, savor the little moments and remember why you have committed to being together. We will work through the rough patches, laugh over silly things, and smile at the joys.

I am choosing to focus on the positive things that have occured in our 366 days. Life wasn't all bubble baths and playtime. Let's be honest, it's life, sucky and annoying things happen. But, I would rather focus on how this past year has strengthend me, Aaron, and our family. We spent a year apart, but we made it through it together.